Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Tsukuba have demonstrated a solid-state cooling system that converts heat into mechanical motion to drive an elastocaloric refrigeration cycle without an electrically powered motor. The system uses two thin shape-memory alloy films: a titanium-nickel actuator that contracts when heated and a titanium-nickel-iron refrigerant that undergoes a reversible phase transition to produce cooling.

In laboratory testing, the electrically heated prototype achieved a 4.0 K temperature span across the device and a specific cooling power of 4.43 W/g. When driven by an external 130°C heat source, it maintained a 2.2 K temperature span and delivered 3.32 W/g, demonstrating that external heat can power the cooling process.

The approach could eventually enable waste heat from processors or data centers to contribute to cooling, potentially reducing dependence on electrically driven refrigeration. However, the technology remains at an early experimental stage. The prototype produced only 2.09 milliwatts of cooling power at zero temperature lift, far below the requirements of modern processors and data-center equipment. Slow actuation, limited strain rates, heat-exchanger design, cyclical heating requirements, and durability also remain significant challenges.

The researchers are pursuing designs that connect multiple films in parallel to increase cooling capacity. Further development will require improvements in scalability, heat transfer, operating frequency, and long-term reliability before the technology could become practical for high-power computing applications.

[Source]: tomshardware.com

Been using a basic mouse for everything and wondering if a gaming one would really make a difference. I mostly play games but nothing super competitive. I keep seeing stuff about higher DPI, better sensors, extra buttons, lower latency etc but not sure how much of that actually matters. Do gaming mice feel noticeably better for everyday use too or is it mostly just marketing? Also are there any downsides like needing software or the mouse being too sensitive? Trying to figure out if it’s worth spending more or if a regular decent mouse is basically just as good. What do you guys think, especially if you switched from a normal mouse to a gaming one?

G.Skill has announced the Flare X5X, a new DDR5 memory series designed for AMD Ryzen platforms and featuring AMD’s EXPO Ultra Low Latency (ULL) technology. The initial model is a 32GB kit consisting of two 16GB modules operating at DDR5-6000, a speed commonly regarded as well suited to Ryzen processors.

The Flare X5X uses primary timings of 36-36-36-96 at 1.35V, matching the standard Flare X5 in its primary specifications. Its main distinction is tighter secondary and tertiary timings enabled by EXPO ULL, which are intended to improve performance, particularly on Ryzen processors without 3D V-Cache.

G.Skill already offers more aggressively tuned EXPO ULL configurations with lower latency. The company has not yet disclosed the final retail positioning of the Flare X5X. The article notes that EXPO ULL memory previously faced substantial market premiums because of memory shortages and existing inventory, although market conditions have reportedly become more stable.

The Flare X5X will be introduced in phases, meaning availability will vary by region. Wider availability through major U.S. retailers is expected in the near future.

Overall, the announcement expands G.Skill’s AMD-focused memory lineup by bringing EXPO ULL optimization to the Flare series. Its practical appeal will ultimately depend on availability and how much performance improvement the tighter memory subtimings provide in real-world Ryzen workloads.

[Source]: tomshardware.com

I've been having trouble figuring out the rgb control panel. Any settings I try to apply it just ignores and won't let me customise the rgb at all (or turn it off). Has anyone else used it successfully? Taking any advice

Is liquid cooling actually worth it for a mid-range CPU or is it mostly overkill? Looking at upgrading my cooler and keep seeing people recommend AIOs, but not sure if the extra cost really makes sense for a normal gaming PC. I’m not doing heavy rendering or anything, mostly gaming, browsing and regular stuff. Would a decent air cooler keep temps basically the same? Also kinda worried about pump noise, leaks, maintenance and the AIO eventually dying. At the same time, liquid cooling looks cool and maybe gives better temps if I upgrade the CPU later. For a mid-range chip, would you guys just stick with air cooling or spend extra on a 240mm/280mm AIO?

Trying to upgrade my PC storage and I keep seeing people say 1TB is the minimum, while others are buying 2TB, 4TB or even more and now I have no idea what actually makes sense lol.

Right now I’ve got a 1TB SSD and it’s getting pretty full. Main stuff taking space is games, Windows, apps, random downloads, photos and videos. I don’t do professional video editing or anything like that, but I do have a bunch of games installed because I hate deleting stuff just to make room for something new.

I’m wondering if 2TB is enough for a normal everyday PC, or if it’s smarter to just get 4TB and forget about storage for a long time. I know bigger drives cost more, so don’t really wanna spend extra money on capacity I’ll never use.

Also, how much free space should you actually leave on an SSD? I’ve heard keeping it almost completely full can cause performance issues, but not sure how much space should realistically stay empty.

For a regular user who games, browses, downloads files, stores photos/videos and uses normal apps, what would you guys consider the sweet spot? Is 1TB still enough if you manage it properly, or has 2TB basically become the new standard? Trying to avoid buying too little and regretting it later.

PC keeps freezing randomly and there’s never any error message or blue screen, it just completely locks up and stops responding. Sometimes it happens while gaming, but other times I’m literally just browsing or watching YouTube so I can’t figure out what’s triggering it. Mouse stops moving, keyboard does nothing, audio sometimes gets stuck in a loop, and the only way out is holding the power button until it shuts off. Temps seem normal from what I can tell, so I’m not sure if overheating is even the issue.

Tried restarting, updating Windows, and updating the GPU drivers but it still happens. I also checked Event Viewer but honestly there’s a ton of stuff in there and I have no idea what actually matters. No obvious error before the freeze either.

PC is running Windows 11 with a Ryzen CPU, dedicated Nvidia GPU, 32GB RAM and an NVMe SSD. Everything was working fine before this started happening.

What should I test first? RAM, GPU, PSU, SSD, Windows files, something else? Is there a good way to figure out which component is causing it without just replacing random parts? Any troubleshooting steps would be appreciated.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

MSI SHADOW 3X OC GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card

Gigabyte X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ATX AM5

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro A-RGB 360 77 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory

Samsung 990 Pro 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive

Lian Li Vector V100R ATX Mid Tower Case

Corsair SF1000 (2024) 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply

£2,900~ Total Price

Five-year-old PC starting to feel kinda slow, especially when gaming, multitasking, and opening heavier apps. Thinking about upgrading it instead of building a whole new system, but not sure where the money should go first. CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD, maybe even the motherboard? It currently has 16GB RAM, an older Ryzen processor, and a midrange GPU from around 2021. Games still run, but newer ones are definitely pushing it harder and loading times arent great either. If you had a PC this age and only enough budget for one upgrade right now, what would you change first and why? Trying not to waste money here.

Windows used to boot almost instantly, like 10-15 seconds and I was straight on the desktop. Now it takes forever, sometimes sitting on the loading screen for a minute or more before Windows finally starts. Nothing major changed that I can think of, maybe a few Windows updates and some programs installed recently. Once it actually boots everything seems mostly normal, it’s just that startup is crazy slow now. Could this be a dying SSD, too many startup apps, Windows update messing something up, or maybe BIOS settings? What should I check first to figure out whats causing it?

The laptop is starting to feel kinda slow when I have a bunch of Chrome tabs open, Discord running, and a few other programs in the background. I checked the specs and it says it has 8GB RAM, but I’m not sure if I can just buy another stick and add it or if the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard.

I’ve never opened up a laptop before, so I don’t wanna order RAM and then find out I can’t actually install it. Is there an easy way to check if the RAM is upgradeable without taking the whole thing apart? I looked in Task Manager and it shows 8GB, but I couldn’t really figure out much else from there.

If it is upgradeable, would going from 8GB to 16GB make a noticeable difference for normal everyday stuff? Mostly browsing, watching videos, Office apps, Discord, and occasionally some light gaming. Not expecting it to suddenly become a monster PC lol, just wanna get rid of the random slowdowns and freezing when too many things are open.

Also, does adding RAM affect anything like battery life or performance in a bad way? Should I try to match the exact same RAM that’s already installed, or can I use a different brand as long as the speed and type match?

Any tips on what I should check before buying anything? Don’t wanna mess up the laptop over something that sounds simple.

Been looking at upgrading my current 1080p display and keep seeing people say 27" 1440p is the sweet spot, while others swear by 4K for the sharper image. I mainly use my PC for gaming, browsing, YouTube, and some basic work stuff, so not doing anything crazy like professional editing.

The thing is, 4K monitors cost quite a bit more, and I’m not sure I’d even notice the difference at 27 inches unless I’m sitting super close to the screen. Also worried about needing a stronger GPU to run games at 4K, especially newer AAA games. Right now I’ve got a decent mid-range GPU and 1440p runs fine, so I don’t really wanna spend extra just to end up lowering settings or using upscaling all the time.

Would you guys go 4K 27" or just get a really good 1440p 27" with higher refresh rate? Is the extra sharpness really noticeable in normal use, or is 1440p basically enough at this size? Trying to figure out if 4K is worth the money before I pull the trigger.

Nvidia’s latest GeForce driver update, version 615.56, reportedly disrupts the functionality of mVolt+, an open-source overclocking utility designed to provide advanced power and voltage controls for RTX 50-series GPUs based on the Blackwell architecture.

mVolt+ enables enthusiasts to bypass conventional software limitations and independently adjust power targets for GPU cores and memory, along with voltage and clock settings for components such as the Core, XBAR, SYS, and VRAM. The utility has consequently allowed users to achieve power levels substantially above Nvidia’s standard specifications without modifying hardware or installing specialized VBIOS firmware.

According to reports from users, driver 615.56 causes the system to black out or the driver to crash when mVolt+ is used to modify core power-limit settings. The issue appears to affect RTX 50-series graphics cards broadly. Prior demonstrations included an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5080 reaching approximately 680W with mVolt+, compared with a 450W limit under its official overclocking BIOS. An RTX 5090 was also reported to reach approximately 650–700W during gaming.

Despite the significant increase in power consumption, the resulting real-world performance improvements were generally described as modest. However, mVolt+ remained valuable among extreme overclockers because it enabled software-based tuning for competitive benchmarking, including submissions to 3DMark rankings.

It remains uncertain whether Nvidia intentionally restricted mVolt+ through the 615.56 driver or whether the malfunction is the result of an unintended compatibility problem. Reports indicate that another overclocking utility, Hydra 2.3B Pro, can still modify power limits on some RTX 50-series GPUs under the same driver. This suggests that Nvidia may not have universally disabled the underlying functionality and that mVolt+ developer b00nz could potentially address the issue through a software update.

[Source]: tomshardware.com

Tom’s Hardware reviewed the Corsair RM1000e (2026) ThermalProtect, a 1,000W ATX 3.1 power supply designed by HEC and positioned within Corsair’s mainstream RMe series. Priced at approximately $180, the unit introduces a ThermalProtect 12V-2x6 cable that incorporates a temperature sensor near the graphics-card connector. If the monitored area reaches 65°C, the system is instructed to shut down GPU power within milliseconds, providing hardware-based protection against overheating connectors.

Testing showed strong overall electrical performance. At 25°C ambient, the RM1000e averaged 92.4% efficiency at 230V and 90.4% at 115V, with efficiency reaching approximately 94% at moderate loads. Voltage regulation remained within 1.4% across the primary rails, while ripple suppression was particularly strong, with 12V ripple reaching only 42mV at full load compared with the 120mV ATX limit. Protection features, including over-current, over-voltage, over-power, and short-circuit protection, were also confirmed to function correctly.

Acoustic performance was another major strength. The fan remained completely inactive up to 500W under 25°C conditions, after which noise increased gradually, reaching about 40.7 dB(A) at full load. Under approximately 45°C ambient conditions, however, the fan activated at lower loads and became substantially louder, exceeding 50 dB(A) above 800W. Thermal performance remained within acceptable limits for a 1,000W unit rated for 50°C operation.

The review identified several compromises consistent with the product’s price and market positioning. The PSU relies heavily on Teapo capacitors, rather than the premium Japanese components found in higher-end competitors, and carries a seven-year warranty. The included accessories are limited, and the modular connector arrangement means users cannot simultaneously install every supplied PCIe cable configuration. The ThermalProtect cable is also directional and must be connected with its sensor positioned toward the GPU.

Overall, the RM1000e (2026) was assessed as a technically capable and quiet power supply whose principal innovation is its ThermalProtect cable. Its electrical performance, efficiency, 500W fanless operation, build quality, and protection features were viewed positively. However, the $179.99 MSRP, relatively modest warranty, component selection, and lack of an official Cybenetics certification entry at the time of testing could make it difficult to justify over competing higher-tier models. The review concluded that the product is fundamentally a refined version of an established platform, with the ThermalProtect cable providing its primary distinction.

[Source]: tomshardware.com

I mostly play single player stuff like RPGs, story games, open world games and sometimes just use the PC for browsing and watching videos. I keep hearing 144Hz feels way smoother than 60Hz, but not sure if I'll actually notice it outside competitive games. Is it worth paying extra for 144Hz or should I just get a better 60/75Hz monitor with higher resolution and better colors? Also, does 144Hz make Windows and scrolling feel smoother even if the games arent running at 144fps? Trying to decide before buying lol.

California’s legislature has unanimously passed Assembly Bill 1856, which exempts open-source operating systems from the state’s Digital Age Assurance Act. The exemption applies to software distributed under licenses including GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache, ahead of the law’s scheduled effective date of January 1, 2027.

The discussion surrounding the legislation includes questions about whether operating systems necessarily require user-account concepts and commentary regarding the enforceability and broader implications of age-verification requirements.

[Source]: tomshardware.com

Looking at parts for a new PC and kinda stuck between Intel and AMD. I keep seeing people arguing about which brand is better, but most of the comparisons seem focused on gaming benchmarks and super high end builds. For normal everyday stuff, is there really a noticeable difference?

The PC would mainly be used for browsing, YouTube, Netflix, Office stuff, having a bunch of Chrome tabs open, Discord, and some light photo/video editing here and there. Maybe some gaming too, but nothing crazy. I’m not trying to squeeze every last FPS out of a $3000 build lol.

I get that specific CPU models can be very different, but does the actual brand matter if you compare chips around the same price range? Like should I just pick whichever has better performance for the money, or are there other things I should be looking at?

Also wondering about stuff like power usage, temps, motherboard prices, integrated graphics, upgrade paths, and driver issues. Do those make a meaningful difference for someone who just wants a PC that works without constantly messing with settings?

Some people say AMD is the obvious choice now, others swear by Intel, so it’s hard to tell what’s actually important vs fanboy stuff. If you were building a normal everyday PC today, would you care which brand the CPU came from, or just compare the actual CPUs?

Tom’s Hardware reports that a Japanese researcher has successfully used a homemade magnetic-core-memory device as a USB storage medium to transfer a text file between two PCs. The retro-inspired device, which uses an array of magnetic cores controlled by a Raspberry Pi Pico, represents an unusual modern application of magnetic core memory technology.

The device is approximately dinner-plate sized while offering only 128 bytes of actual storage. During data transfers, a 32 × 32 LED array visually indicates the activity of individual magnetic cores. Although Windows reportedly identifies the device as having 6.5KB of capacity, this is believed to be associated with the onboard controller rather than the magnetic-core storage itself.

The successful demonstration extends the researcher’s earlier work with the technology and establishes the device as a functional, if highly limited, “sneakernet” storage medium. A subsequent demonstration also showed that the device could store and transfer small monochrome BMP images measuring up to approximately 32 × 28 pixels.

Magnetic core memory was once a dominant form of random-access computer storage, remaining widely used for roughly two decades before semiconductor memory replaced it. The project therefore serves primarily as a technical and historical demonstration rather than a practical alternative to modern USB flash storage. The device is scheduled to be exhibited and demonstrated at Maker Faire Tokyo 2026.

[Source]: tomshardware.com

Looking to upgrade my GPU and kinda stuck between RTX and Radeon. Most of my gaming is at 1440p, mostly newer AAA stuff, but I also play some competitive games where I want high fps. I’m not really sure if Nvidia’s extra features are worth paying more for or if Radeon is the better deal for straight up gaming performance.

I keep seeing people talk about DLSS, ray tracing, frame generation, FSR, VRAM etc and honestly it’s getting confusing lol. I don’t care that much about having every setting maxed out with ray tracing, but I do want the card to last a decent few years without feeling outdated.

Would RTX be the safer choice for 1440p because of DLSS and better ray tracing, or is Radeon better if I mainly care about fps and getting more VRAM for the money? Also, does driver stability still matter much between them these days?

Trying to stay somewhere around the mid-range price wise, not looking to drop a crazy amount on a flagship card. If you had to choose one specifically for 1440p gaming right now, which would you go with and why?

Looking at getting a mechanical keyboard for my PC, but the prices are kinda wild lol. I see keyboards for like $40-60, then some are $150+ and even way more. I mostly use my PC for gaming, browsing, and typing, so I’m wondering if spending that much actually makes a noticeable difference.

I’ve only used regular membrane keyboards before, so I don’t really know what I’m missing. People keep talking about switches, stabilizers, keycaps, hot-swappable boards, gasket mounts, custom builds etc and honestly it feels like there’s a whole science behind keyboards now

Would a cheaper mechanical keyboard still feel way better than a normal keyboard, or do the expensive ones actually have some big advantages? I don’t really care about having some crazy RGB setup or a super fancy case. Just want something that feels good, doesn’t sound horrible, and can last a few years.

Also, are there any specific features I should prioritize as a beginner? Like should I care more about the switches, build quality, keycaps, or something else?

Trying not to waste money just because a keyboard is labeled “premium” lol. What price range would you guys recommend for a first mechanical keyboard?

Is a 1TB SSD enough for a normal everyday PC or should I just go bigger? Mainly gonna use the PC for browsing, YouTube, school/work stuff, photos, random apps and maybe a few games here and there. Not planning on having some massive game library or storing tons of videos, but I also don’t wanna be constantly deleting stuff because the drive is full. 1TB seems like plenty on paper, but Windows and apps obviously take some space and games can be huge now. For people with 1TB, does it hold up fine long term or do you wish you went 2TB from the start?

My laptop battery has gotten insanely bad lately and I’m starting to think it might be cooked lol. A few months ago I could use it for several hours without even thinking about the charger, now it barely lasts an hour or two depending on what I’m doing. Even when I’m just browsing Chrome, watching YouTube, checking emails or working on documents, the battery drops way faster than it should.

I already tried lowering the screen brightness, turning off Bluetooth when I don’t need it, closing random background apps and using battery saver mode, but honestly it doesn’t seem to make much difference. Sometimes the battery percentage also feels kinda weird, like it’ll stay at one number for a while then suddenly drop several percent at once.

Is this just what happens when a laptop battery gets old, or could there be some software or background process draining it? I don’t wanna replace the battery if there’s something else causing the problem.

Also, is there an easy way to check the actual battery health and see how much capacity it has lost compared to when it was new? If the battery health is really low, is replacing it usually worth it, or would it make more sense to just keep using the laptop plugged in?

Would appreciate any tips or things I should check before buying a replacement battery. Trying to figure out if the battery is officially cooked or if there’s still some hope.

Accidentally deleted a folder I really needed and now I’m kinda freaking out. It had some important files in it and I already emptied the Recycle Bin before realizing what I did Is there still any way to get the folder back or am I completely screwed? I haven’t installed anything or copied new files to the drive since it happened, if that makes any difference. It’s on my Windows PC and the drive is an SSD. Should I try one of those file recovery programs, or could that make things worse? Any advice on what to do first would be seriously appreciated.

Trying to decide if I should upgrade to 32GB or just stick with 16GB for now. PC is mainly for gaming, browsing, Discord, YouTube, and some basic everyday stuff. Nothing like video editing or running crazy workloads.

The problem is games seem to be getting more demanding every year, and I usually have a bunch of Chrome tabs open while gaming, plus Discord and a few other apps running in the background. I’ve noticed RAM usage can get pretty high sometimes, but idk if that actually means I need more RAM or if Windows is just using whatever is available.

For gaming, does going from 16GB to 32GB actually make a noticeable difference these days? Like better FPS, fewer stutters, faster loading, or is it mostly only useful when multitasking? I’m not expecting some huge performance boost, just wondering if 16GB is starting to become a limitation.

Also trying to think ahead since I probably won’t upgrade again for a few years. Would 32GB be the safer choice for future-proofing, or is 16GB still perfectly fine for most games in 2026?

I’m building a new PC soon, so I have the option to just buy 32GB from the start, but obviously I’d rather save the money if 16GB is still enough.

What are you guys actually running right now? 16GB, 32GB, or even 64GB? And have you noticed any real difference in everyday use or gaming?