Despite PCIe 5.0 SSDs not being worth it for most people, many of you might be rocking one on your PC. Gen5 SSDs are known for their blistering sequential read/write speeds that benefit large file transfers and professional workloads. What they're also known for is significantly higher operating temps compared to Gen4 drives, so much so that some Gen5 drives come with comically large coolers with fans. They're simply not capable of functioning normally without active cooling.

It has been a pretty sweet year or two for fans of JRPGs. Everyone is raving about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 right now (and for good reason), but that doesn't mean we should forget about the titles that came before it. Before we even learned what the gommage was, we were tucking into the excellent JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio and its phenomenal soundtrack.

There are plenty of different cheap media streaming devices on the market, but if you're looking for one that offers some of the best features, then the Amazon Fire TV Cube is the way to go. Not only does it feature a stylish design that fits perfectly with any home theater setup, but it also packs more performance, ensuring that you're getting the best video and audio quality.

I’ve used Windows Task Manager for years to quickly check what’s using up my system’s CPU or RAM. But after I started testing different types of software for my work, I occasionally faced system-level problems like apps that wouldn’t close, services that wouldn’t restart, and processes that looked suspicious but gave me no details. At such times, I realized the Windows Task Manager wasn’t sufficient for me. I wanted to understand why things were failing. I needed deeper process insights, better graphs, and tools to actually intervene when things went sideways.

I've been deep into Home Assistant for quite a while now, and with that has come an obsession with researching sensors and other gadgets that I can use to automate aspects of my home and collect data from it. I've mostly opted for Zigbee devices, as these are pretty much universally compatible thanks to Zigbee2MQTT, and they're cheap and have battery life measured in years. Given that I live in a small apartment, a single Zigbee repeater has been more than enough to cover the entirety of my home, so range hasn't been a concern either.

Colorado-based Sierra Space is getting ready to launch its reusable space plane, Dream Chaser. | Image: Sierra SpaceIn The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton wrote about killer alien space crystals that are (spoiler alert) ultimately stymied by Earth's breadth of pH values. In reality, crystals grown in space could be key to a new generation of cancer-fighting treatments that save lives, not threaten them.Colorado-based startup Sierra Space is nearly ready to launch its reusable space plane, Dream Chaser. It's set to carry into orbit a 3-D printed module designed by engineers at pharma giant Merck. If the test goes well, and if Dream Chaser's gentle reentry process keeps that sensitive cargo safe, this could be the start of something big - despite those crystals being microscopic.A brief history of space crystalsSpace crystals sound like something an astrology guru would hang over their bed to help them sleep, but there's real science here. According to the ISS National Lab, crystals grown in space are simply better: "Scientists hypothesize that these observed benefits result from a slower, more uniform movement of molecules into a crystalline lattice in microgravity."Research into monoclonal antibodies points towards crystallization as being key for developing more stable, subcutaneous …Read the full story at The Verge.

In just two months, an information-stealing malware called Lumma hit nearly 400,000 Windows PCs globally and stole passwords, credit cards, bank accounts, and cryptocurrency wallets. The malware was so dangerous to the extent that it allowed criminals to hold educational institutions ransom and wipe out back accounts.

Intel surprised everyone with the launch of the Arc Battlemage graphics cards, and the Arc B580, in particular. This was a $250 (MSRP) graphics card capable of 1440p ray tracing in some of the latest titles, something that no one expected from Team Blue. The budget market was, more or less, abandoned by the competition, and Intel came in with a stellar GPU that promised greater things to come.

AMD has announced its latest Zen 5-based Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series of CPUs at Computex today. The 9000 Series and 9000 WX-Series are built for the demanding workstation market, and the top Threadripper Pro 9995WX will ship with 96 cores and 192 threads.This flagship Threadripper chip is designed for professionals who are working on visual effects, simulations, and AI model development. The Threadripper Pro 9995WX also has up to 384MB of L3 cache and 128 lanes of PCIe Gen 5, making it ideal to pair with multiple GPUs.AMD claims that the Threadripper Pro 9995WX is 2.2x faster than Intel’s 60-core Xeon W9-3595X processor in Cinebench 2024 multi-threaded rendering. If you don’t need a 96-core CPU, AMD’s Threadripper 9000 Series are also targeted at enthusiasts and creators who want workstation-like performance. The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X has 64 cores and 128 threads, a base frequency of 3.2GHz, and 320MB of L3 cache.All of these new Threadripper chips, pro or not, will run at a thermal design power (TDP) of 350 watts and will work (after a BIOS update) on existing motherboards that support the sTR5 socket.Both Threadripper 9000 Series and the Pro WX-Series processors will be available from retailers in July, but AMD isn’t announcing pricing just yet. Given the its high-end 7980X Threadripper CPU retailed at $4,999 in 2023, it’s fair to say these next-gen equivalents will be around that price.

Computex is closely followed by all who love computers. There are a few worthy tech shows throughout the year, but none come close to some of the wacky and truly incredible devices we can feast our eyes on in Taipei each May (or June). For Computex 2025, we managed to spend some time gazing at some epic products from a variety of brands, including Asus, Intel, AMD, and HYTE. If you've struggled to keep up with everything hitting the floor, we've rounded up the very best for you right here with some awards for good measure!

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by browser tabs, frustrated by sluggish performance, or simply wanted a non-Chromium web setup, then listen up. I tried the Arc browser and loved its fresh take on web browsing. However, I ditched it due to uncertainty around its development. Then, a few weeks ago, I finally took the plunge and switched to Zen Browser. The immediate difference was astonishing. It’s one of those moments where the only regret I have is not making the change sooner.

Although computing enthusiasts (myself included) tend to gravitate towards enterprise-grade equipment when building a server, you can put together a reliable home lab with just about any system. As a beginner, there’s a lot to learn from budget-friendly systems, be it second-hand PCs, SBCs, or even laptops (provided you’re willing to take the necessary precautions).