Storage drives tend to have a shorter lifespan than other PC components. The mechanical parts of hard drives wear out after constant use, while SSDs tend to have limited write cycles and can reach their end once that count runs out. Since you wouldn’t want to lose your essential files when your storage drive kicks the bucket, most PC enthusiasts frown upon using aging HDDs and SSDs in their setup.

It's no secret that Windows 10 will lose support on October 14, 2025. As Microsoft begins putting the operating system to rest, it would really, really like for people using it to migrate over to Windows 11 right about now. The problem is, people use Windows 10 more than they do Windows 11, and the company is having a tough time shifting people over.

Happy Nintendo Switch 2 release day! Did you get one? Yeah, me neither. I'm watching as my Twitch following list slowly fills up with streamers playing Mario Kart World and the introductory welcome tour. But that's okay because we have free PC games we can play while we try to ignore how much fun everyone else is having.

Home Assistant was one of the first services I tinkered with when I started my self-hosting journey. Even as a complete newbie, I had no trouble controlling my smart home devices – and I attribute that to Home Assistant’s clean, uncluttered UI. What I didn’t know at the time was that HASS has a really high skill ceiling, and I’d eventually spend hours learning the ins and outs of the platform.

One of the main reasons I've stuck with the Steam Deck over more powerful gaming handhelds like the ROG Ally X is the build quality. Other handhelds are built fine, but you immediately feel the quality and consistency of the buttons and joysticks on Valve's handheld. That was until I picked up the GameSir Cyclone 2 controller for my desktop. It's a decent 2.4GHz controller, but the differentiator is that it comes with micro-switches for the D-pad and face buttons. I fell in love with the tactile feedback, and suddenly, it was hard to go back to the membrane-based buttons of my Steam Deck.

Although SSDs are pretty much the best way to go for storage, there's still a place for HDDs in 2025. Not only do HDDs come in larger sizes, but they're also more affordable. For example, this massive 22TB external hard drive from Seagate is great for backing up all your information, or you can use it as a shared drive on your local network. Get it now for just $250, which is the lowest price we've seen.

Windows Update is a core component of Windows 11, and obviously, it's an important one. Delivering security fixes and improvements, along with new features, it keeps your PC running safely and can often make it better in many ways.

Many Nintendo fans have great memories of playing all sorts of games on the Nintendo 64. It was a home console with a few quirky aspects to it, but also possessed features that made it one of the great Nintendo consoles that impacted the industry in a big way. As a pioneering platform for 3D gaming, some games on it went on to become iconic classics that future releases became inspired by. For some players, the console got them to play games together with good friends and introduced new Nintendo characters and series to their lives. It may not be seen as the best Nintendo console of all-time, but the Nintendo 64 has a solidified spot in gaming history from the mid and late 90s.

I've never been much of an athlete, but lately, I've been trying to work on my fitness. As a self-professed data nerd, quantifying data and my activity patterns is essential. So, I turned to the de facto choice — Strava. But, if you’re someone who tracks every ride, run, or hike on Strava, there’s a good chance you’ve stared at the activity feed of your fitness tracker and wished for just a bit more. More control, more context, more meaning. It's not that Strava doesn't offer all that. However, much of it is locked behind a paywall, and you can't really play with it beyond what Strava will let you.

By now, the Switch 2 has made its way into the hands of fans worldwide. We even watched our editor João Carrasqueira get his console delivered live on a team call, and there was much rejoicing. So, now that the newest console is sitting snugly in its dock, it's time to see how well it plays games.

Samsung makes some of the most impressive gaming monitors you'll find on the market today. The only drawback is that they are usually pretty expensive, which is why it's always a good idea to buy one when it's on sale. With that said, this 49-inch Odyssey G9 QD-OLED gaming monitor is now down to its lowest price to date thanks to this steep $400 discount.

I wasn’t expecting much when I downloaded the Stellar Blade PC demo. Not because I had doubts about the game — it’s one of the slickest action titles lately, and I've been waiting for it to reach PC for a long time. Still, PC ports often have a bad habit of arriving half-baked, sometimes even when they get a whole year to simmer.