With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 now released, comparisons between it and the other big multiplayer shooters of the fall are inevitable. XDA itself has already pitted the new Call of Duty against Battlefield 6, and I'm curious to see if Arc Raiders can maintain its momentum in the wake of a more popular shooter's release.

Looking for a new motherboard is tricky business, with a ton of specifications and compatibilities to compare and decide upon. Some of these are non-negotiable, like enough headers for your peripherals and fans, plenty of high-speed USB ports, and robust VRMs to handle the power requirements of the CPU and RAM. But most motherboards nowadays are up to the task —so what makes the difference between an okay model and a great one?

When we build PCs, we usually focus on raw performance, which is why we always try to get the best hardware we can within our budget. But what's just as important are the peripherals and accessories that can directly affect how our PCs feel to use every day. I've seen many people cut corners in this area, saying that spending more on expensive peripherals won't make your PC run any faster.

Many of us start to panic whenever we see our CPU temperatures creep past 80C, especially while we're gaming, thinking we're just a few degrees away from thermal throttling. We're usually quick to assume that the CPU cooler just isn't good enough, or the thermal paste isn't doing its job. I used to constantly monitor my temperatures with MSI Afterburner, which only made me more anxious. I've even overreacted and tried reseating and reapplying thermal paste a couple of times without realizing that what I was seeing was completely normal CPU behavior.

Picking the right hardware and drives is quite important when you’re hunting for a Network-Attached Storage server, as you wouldn’t want to spend extra money on better gear if your chosen setup proves inadequate for your needs. However, even a budget-friendly NAS can turn into a powerful data-hoarding workstation once you arm it with the right operating system.

For the longest time, Dropbox has been my go-to for syncing files and sharing across documents. It's easy, reliable, and available pretty much everywhere. Moreover, it's a familiar tool for almost everyone. But that convenience comes at a cost. It requires you to give up too much control for something as simple as sharing a few files. Between storage limits, prompts urging you to upgrade to higher tiers, and the obvious dependence on a third-party external cloud service, I was ready to look for alternatives. Sharing a simple file really shouldn't require so much work.

Windows gets a bit of a bad rap for being more cluttered than Linux and less refined than something like macOS, but at its core, it's still arguably a good operating system. You can make a solid argument that it's the most powerful platform for productivity, especially when you add third-party tools into the mix. Stock Windows leaves a lot to be desired, but these 5 tools turn Windows into a better productivity OS than anything else out there.

There are lots of different ways to add storage to your devices, but a microSD card is one of the easiest ways to do it. It isn't the fastest, but it is relatively affordable, which makes it the perfect companion piece for devices that can accept it. As you can imagine, there are a ton of different brands to choose from, but we think this one from Samsung is a solid choice, especially thanks to its recent discount on Amazon that drops it down to just $75. For that price, you get a 1TB of data, and read and write speeds that will work with even more demanding products. Looking to upgrade your storage? Get it now before the price goes back up.

It's finally here — Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 just dropped, and ever since playing the final beta, I'd been counting down the days to finally get my hands on the full release. Why? Zombies remains one of the greatest propositions in the Call of Duty franchise, and the Vandorn Farm map, while snug and small, has been on my mind since the first week of October.

The Raspberry Pi 5 has become the new benchmark for affordable home automation. For years, the Pi line has been the default choice for makers and hobbyists, but the latest model finally delivers performance that competes with dedicated mini PCs. At the same time, it remains inexpensive enough for anyone to start building a smart home hub without financial risk.

USB-C docks had their heyday at the start of the USB-C generation, though the need for a dock to add extra USB-C ports has fallen off sharply in the last several years. It's common to find multiple USB Type-C ports on any desktop or laptop these days, so you don't need a dock to use all your new peripherals.

I don't remember exactly when I started using Notion to organize pretty much every aspect of my life, but what I do know is that I haven't looked back since.