Darren Allan

Tech Reporter - United Kingdom

Darren has written for numerous magazines and websites in the technology world for almost 30 years, including TechRadar, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Computeractive, and many more. He worked on his first magazine (PC Home) long before Google and most of the rest of the web existed. In his spare time, he can be found gaming, going to the gym, and writing books (his debut novel – ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ – was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Editorial Responsibilities: technology news

Darren Allan has written 239 pieces of content

June 2023

Intel might be making Meteor Lake desktop CPUs after all
Starfield will get DLSS 3 on PC, modder declares - and very soon after launch
Practically no one's buying NVIDIA RTX 4000 or AMD RDNA 3 GPUs, going by leaks from retailers
Google's Bard AI would choose an iPhone over an Android device - or would it?
Can't wait for the Zuck vs Musk cage fight? Find out who'll win with this free browser game
Intel's new Arc GPU driver makes Assassin's Creed Unity 4x faster
The reason Alan Wake 2 is digital-only might surprise you (or indeed annoy you)
Diablo IV confirmed for DirectStorage support - so the question now is 'when', not 'if'
Someone has made ChatGPT for Windows 3.1 and it's hilarious
Intel's 40-core Arrow Lake CPU rumored to be on shaky ground - and may not turn up until 2025
SSDs are getting seriously cheap, even larger models - but is it the right time to buy one?
This Super Mario game for Windows has a rogue installer laden with nasty malware
Want to buy an AMD RX 6800 or 6900 GPU on the cheap? Time might be running out
AMD's next RDNA 3 GPU could arrive in September - and may be a surprisingly affordable RX 7800
Worried about your online privacy? DuckDuckGo's browser has arrived on Windows 11
Microsoft's much-hated Clippy was effectively born on a Mac
NVIDIA confirms RTX 4060 GPU is on sale June 29, and is 20% faster than RTX 3060
Intel Arc A380 GPU is barely more than $100 now - and a steal at that price
NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPUs listed with ridiculous pricing - but don't panic yet
Own an ASUS router? Then you might need to patch it right away
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor modder gets fed up waiting and fixes the game themselves
The Sims 4 Horse Ranch expansion is real (so take that, neigh-sayers)
Cyberpunk 2077 patch fixes DLSS 3 for those with AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs
Researchers warn that AI could ruin the web if left unchecked
AMD RX 7800 XT GPU could be arriving soon with 16GB of VRAM
AMD's FreeSync Panel Replay tech could be great news for your laptop's battery life
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU has dropped well below MSRP already
Intel's faster Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs might be just around the corner
Intel Beast Lake: 10 performance cores and huge clocks to beat AMD's X3D CPUs?
Intel Arrow Lake flagship CPU could be a 40-core monster to destroy AMD Zen 5
Own a GIGABYTE motherboard? It might be affected by a nasty vulnerability
Bugged Surface Duo update is causing much frustration with random reboots
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti sales are reportedly weak and outgunned by AMD's RX 7600 GPU

May 2023

AI extinction threat on a par with pandemic or nuclear war, experts warn
MSI's RTX 4060 graphics card has been spotted at Computex
NVIDIA is now worth $1 trillion - and it's all about AI, not gaming GPUs
Microsoft boasts about how much faster Windows 11 is now
iOS 16.5 has iPhone owners up in arms, but post-update battery blues are normal
ASRock's new BIOS for RX 7900 XTX AQUA makes this graphics card much faster
Windows 11's next big update - Moment 3 - is now out, but don't get too excited
Surface Pro X cameras have all died, bizarrely - and the 'fix' isn't much help
NVIDIA's RTX 4060 Ti launch looks shaky as GPU falls below MSRP already
Windows 11 could soon get a lot more Android apps
Intel 'Core Ultra 7' Meteor Lake CPU spotted - not this again
Windows 11 finally puts an end to any RAR or 7-Zip frustrations
Fed up with NVIDIA and AMD pricing? Intel Arc A750 GPU is down to $199
Bing search engine is now built into ChatGPT as Microsoft looks to boost traffic
Windows 11 gets AI in the form of Copilot - and this could go either way
AMD RX 7600 GPU rumored to be $269 - a killer blow to NVIDIA's mid-range hopes?
Intel has ditched the bling with its Core i9-12900KS CPU
AMD RX 7600 graphics card could be more power-hungry than RX 6600
AMD RX 7600 vs RTX 4060 Ti benchmark leaks suggest NVIDIA's GPU has a clear lead
Microsoft Edge's built-in VPN could give users 5GB of free data
Intel Meteor Lake desktop CPUs may be canceled, but don't worry about Arrow Lake
GIGABYTE's RTX 4060 Ti pricing pitches its top-end graphics card at $470
NVIDIA confirms it won't make a Founders Edition of the RTX 4060 GPU
NVIDIA's massive RTX 4060 GPU giveaway comes with hints of overcompensation
NVIDIA GeForce Now has its first Xbox game - with more to come soon
Jedi: Survivor patch promises better performance - but some gamers aren't happy
AMD RX 7600 GPU specs spilled ahead of imminent NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti launch
Microsoft is investigating Windows 11 bug that causes VPNs to be sluggish
AMD RX 7600 GPUs spotted at retailer - and price is in line with rumors
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti leak shows it's not much faster than 3060 Ti, but don't panic
Report on poor RTX 4070 sales casts doubt on NVIDIA's appetite for gaming GPUs
Windows 11 finally gets a fix for a broken 'game-changing' feature
NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti could be on borrowed time, so get ready for some GPU bargains
How fast is AMD's RX 7900 XTX with no power limit? It can match the RTX 4090 GPU
World of Warcraft Classic to get hardcore mode - when you die, it's permadeath
Steam now offers 90-minute hassle-free game trials
AMD Ryzen 8000 CPUs could arrive late in 2024 - and that'll make Intel happy
Price drops in China give us hope for a cheaper NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU in the US
Windows 11 gets first taste of Rust - say hello to tighter security for the OS
AMD RX 7600 GPU leaks suggest higher than expected price - but don't panic yet
ASUS ROG Ally launches at $599 for base handheld, $699 for Z1 Extreme CPU model
World of Warcraft fans with money to burn: New Frostmourne sword stand is $600
AMD RX 7600 GPU seen in more pics - with a rumored price that could scare NVIDIA
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti vs RX 7600 faceoff, AMD's GPU rumored to be $100 cheaper
NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU hits a staggering 3.8GHz overclock in a 3D benchmark
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU could launch early to steal AMD's RX 7600 thunder
Intel's Arrow Lake CPUs could be hugely faster than Meteor Lake
iPhone 16 Pro models might have the biggest screens ever for Apple's phones
NVIDIA RTX 4070 variant is rumored - could this graphics card have 16GB of VRAM?
NVIDIA's new texture compression tech could be the end of VRAM worries
ASRock RX 7600 graphics cards are spotted - get ready for more affordable RDNA 3
Minecraft update fixes a weird bug that's been in the game since alpha
Rumor mill now seems to agree: AMD Zen 5 may be 20% faster than Ryzen 7000 CPUs
Leak suggests NVIDIA vs AMD clash of the mid-range GPUs is on for the end of May
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti retailer leak gives us another clue about the GPU's spec
NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU finally drops well below MSRP - should you be tempted?
Intel could be changing the name of its Core CPUs and we're confused already
NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU spotted with a chunky price cut in Europe
Microsoft has a reason to hope that Windows 11 is finally getting more popular

April 2023

NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti photo is leaked, suggesting the GPU could be out soon
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPUs with 8GB of VRAM spotted in MSI gaming PCs
AMD fixes Ryzen 7000 CPU burnout problem - and BIOS updates are incoming
ASUS ROG Ally could be a Steam Deck killer at rumored price of $699
NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU spotted priced 10% below MSRP in Europe
MSI motherboard update speeds up boot time drastically for AMD Ryzen 7000 PCs
NVIDIA's new software can stop AI chatbots making fools of themselves (or worse)
Intel Meteor Lake desktop CPUs could still turn up in 2023, but don't bank on it
Here's the purported reason why AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs are dying due to overheating
Diablo IV PC requirements demand 32GB of RAM and RTX 3080 GPU for 4K gaming
New MSI BIOS limits Ryzen 7000X3D voltages following reports of CPU burnout
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti vs AMD RX 7600 GPU showdown could happen at the end of May
EU watchdog issues urgent warning on ChatGPT and risks AI poses to consumers
Buy an NVIDIA RTX 4090, get an Intel A750 GPU for free from Japanese retailer
AMD RX 580 GPUs are now being used as... keychains?
Intel XeSS brings jaw-dropping frame rate boosts to Cyberpunk 2077 with Arc GPUs
Google was warned against launching 'cringeworthy' Bard AI, report claims
New password manager from Proton Mail devs promises to be super-secure
Windows 11 tweaks aim to save power and boost battery life for laptops
Patch Chrome now, as Google's browser has a nasty security flaw
New adventure game from developer of Myst has a recommended PC spec of 32GB RAM
NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU gets a tempting price cut at some retailers
Forget ChatGPT, Elon Musk is making TruthGPT, an AI to 'understand the universe'
New NVIDIA GPU driver supports Dead Island 2, fixes nasty Counter-Strike 2 bug
NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU may get a $50 price cut - and that could happen very soon
Linux beats Windows 11 in AMD Ryzen 7800X3D speed tests - but does that matter?
Windows 11 bug has seemingly broken the taskbar for some folks
Windows 11 looks to be getting AI smarts to improve multitasking
NVIDIA reportedly in no hurry to ramp up production of RTX 4000 GPUs
NVIDIA RTX 4070 gets price cuts, with rumors the GPU is off to a shaky start
Meteor Lake could be gaming laptop CPU champ - if Intel gets it out quick enough
Intel's new graphics driver makes Arc GPUs faster still (again)
New report highlights dangers of GPU sag with damaged NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti cards
AMD Zen 6 CPUs (on 2nm) have reportedly been glimpsed - but don't get excited
This is the best tip we've seen in ages for the Chrome and Edge web browsers
OpenAI is offering up to $20,000 to find bugs in its ChatGPT AI
Elon Musk reportedly buys tons of GPUs to cook up AI masterplan with Twitter
New Windows 11 update arrives with a controversial change to the Start menu
AMD Zen 5 benchmark leak suggests CPUs that could be a nightmare for Intel
NVIDIA RTX 5000 GPUs could be over twice as fast as RTX 4000 graphics cards
Microsoft could change Windows 11's File Explorer in a big way later in 2023
NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU price leak makes us fear the worst
AMD Zen 5 CPUs will be very fast? This is a leak you should sit up and listen to
NVIDIA RTX 4060 could finally be the affordable Lovelace GPU gamers crave
NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU may be priced at $599 for a reason, and gamers won't like it
Windows 11 bug that broke Red Dead Redemption 2 has been fixed by Rockstar
Fed up with your Ryzen 7000 PC booting up really slowly? Here's some good news
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D leak suggests a CPU that's almost a match for the 7950X3D
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D leak shows a CPU that could seriously worry Intel
Google's take on AirDrop is now out for Windows 11 and Android users
Windows 11 won't help desktop PC users make savings with utility bills after all
AMD Zen 5 leaks can't agree on how fast Ryzen 8000 CPUs might be
Windows 11 is now on 1 in 5 PCs - but adoption remains painfully slow

March 2023

AMD Zen 5 CPUs rumored 2023 launch isn't happening (Intel will be glad to hear)
Bug lets you overclock AMD Ryzen 5800X3D - but doing so will brick the CPU
Microsoft may be rethinking its plan to jam ads into Windows 11's Start menu
NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU leaked price is $599 - and we can't believe it, frankly
Google throws all its weight behind Bard, gunning for ChatGPT in a big way
Next-gen ChatGPT sounds scary - it could be 'indistinguishable' from a human
Naughty Dog responds to PC port of The Last of Us Part I getting slammed
Wanted: Fix for Windows 11 bug that's killed Red Dead Redemption 2
Bored of endless Zoom meetings? Supercharged AI bot can summarize any you miss
Diablo IV could get DirectStorage to run like a dream for those with fast SSDs
Ryzen 7800X3D spotted lagging behind other AMD CPUs - but don't worry about it
AMD Zen 5 CPUs could arrive in 2023 - and that might be bad news for Intel
ChatGPT can now help you build a new PC
Bad news on that ChatGPT bug - it leaked some credit card details
There's now a fix for Windows 11's nasty 'acropalypse' security flaw
Blizzard is investigating reports of NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti GPUs dying in Diablo IV
UK regulator now sounds less worried about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal
Windows 11 provides clues as to how Microsoft's 'Cloud PC' might work
Microsoft's Bing AI is doing its job - driving search traffic away from Google
NVIDIA GeForce Now hits a big milestone: 1,500 games are now supported
Elden Ring gets ray tracing on PC and consoles, but some gamers are disappointed
Windows 11 optional updates could be more stable from now on
Rumor: Intel Arc may be 'uncompetitive zombie' GPUs before a Druid resurrection
Bing AI chatbot is back in the Windows 11 taskbar - but only for some folks
Need a masterpiece quickly? Microsoft's ChatGPT-powered Bing AI can now do art
NVIDIA CEO wants to stay in charge of the company until he becomes a robot
Forget Bing AI - some Pixel superfans can now test out Google's Bard chatbot
iPhone 15 Pro might get a controversial change to volume and mute buttons
Basketball fans, take note: NBA warns of personal details leaked in data breach
Microsoft Edge could get a built-in crypto wallet - and some folks aren't happy
More unsupported Windows 11 PCs are being shamed by Microsoft
ChatGPT is now back online following a major outage
Google Pixel 8 smartphone could fix blurred videos for you
No, your AMD Ryzen 7950X CPU isn't magically boosting to 6.3GHz - it's a bug
Anyone can chat with Microsoft's Bing AI powered by ChatGPT 4 from today
iPhone 15 Pro rumor suggests Apple will hike the price - but by how much?
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU could be pricier than we expected
NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU price could make your wallet cower in fear
Windows 11 update reportedly tanks SSD speeds and suffers from download failures
Google's big AI push includes writing emails for you in Gmail and much more
Steam Deck update fixes bugs and brings ray tracing to Doom Eternal
Sony could launch a PlayStation 5 Pro - but not anytime soon
Apple iPhone 15 Pro could be way faster than its predecessor
Stuck on a game? Microsoft's Bing AI chatbot is ready to leap to your aid
GIGABYTE could be releasing a new RX 6800 XT graphics card - but why?
Intel Arc GPUs are getting seriously cheap as ASRock A380 drops to $120
Upgrading to an AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU? A $125 AM5 motherboard is finally here
Playing Fortnite on Windows 7? We've got some bad news for you
This DIY 'laptop' could eventually have endless battery life
NVIDIA RTX 4090 could now use a slightly different GPU - but will that matter?
Fed up with the ChatGPT-powered Bing already? DuckDuckGo now has an AI assistant
NVIDIA might be planning yet another RTX 3060 graphics card with faster VRAM
Intel leak shows Panther Lake CPUs that could arrive in 2025
Wait a minute - Bing AI chatbot isn't banished from Windows 11 taskbar after all
We could finally learn more about AMD's FSR 3.0 at GDC 2023
Apple iPhone 14 in new yellow paint job goes on sale next week
Microsoft opens a new testing channel - probably for Windows 12
Microsoft evicts Bing AI chatbot from the Windows 11 taskbar
This new 3D printer is a chocoholic's dream
NVIDIA GPU driver bug can slow down your CPU
Amazon Basics range now offers a CPU cooler
Apple iPhone 14 may soon be available in a new color - yellow
300TB SSDs could arrive in 2026 - but with a big catch
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU is selling fast - but what about the 7950X3D?
AMD publishes guide on how to get the best out of your Ryzen 9 7000X3D CPU
Apple offers more cash for iPhone and Mac trade-ins - but don't get too excited
Boosting Apple Watch battery life is a priority, according to Apple exec
How many desktop GPUs is Intel now selling? As many as AMD, apparently
Google Pixel Watch has a new fall detection feature that could be a lifesaver

February 2023

Windows 11 invites Bing chatbot to make itself at home on your taskbar
Windows 11 may eventually get an option to tidy up the system tray
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D mystery solved - it splits CPU cores evenly
Apple iPad Pro 2024 with OLED screen could be really expensive
AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XT GPU is falling in price quickly
AMD explains how its Ryzen 9 7000X3D CPUs are optimized for gaming
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch could arrive sooner than you think
Apple iPhone 15 could have a bigger screen than iPhone 14 - but barely
AMD's mid-range RDNA 3 GPUs may not turn up until June
AMD's Ryzen 9 X3D CPUs could offer a nifty trick for better performance
Apple iPhone 15 Pro could get a big upgrade in the form of more RAM
Microsoft's Bing chatbot could soon let you fine-tune its personality
Microsoft's free built-in VPN is going live in Edge browser
Google Chrome browser gets smart new features to extend laptop battery life
Boxed and sealed original iPhone sells for an eye-watering amount of cash
NVIDIA RTX 4090 laptop GPU benchmark shows it lagging way behind desktop 4090
NVIDIA RTX 4070 leak shows cards with different VRAM loadouts - what's going on?
AMD Ryzen Master app has a glaring vulnerability - so update now
Microsoft is now pushing its Edge browser not just in Windows, but in iOS
Windows 11 is getting a quicker way to kill an unresponsive app
Microsoft tells us why its Bing chatbot went off the rails
Samsung Galaxy S23 pulls off a surprisingly clever trick for longer battery life
Apple could bring back the MacBook 12-inch - but don't get your hopes up
iPhone 15 Pro could look seriously smart with ultra-thin bezels
Windows 11 just got some vital security updates, so don't hang around, patch now