News from Tom's Hardware

FCC reverses course, allows software updates for foreign-made drones and routers until 2029 — agency says blocking security patches could create cybersecurity risks

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 05/09/2026 10:35 EDT

The FCC has extended waivers allowing certain covered foreign-produced drones, drone components, and routers to continue receiving software and firmware updates until at least 2029, citing cybersecurity and consumer protection concerns. Read more ›

0

Memory hoarding and skyrocketing prices hit entry-level electronics demand, foundry orders — China's top chipmaker points to supply chain pressures squeezing out consumers

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/12/2026 06:40 EDT

Rising DRAM and NAND prices driven by AI megatrend and amplified by memory overbooking are hitting sales of inexpensive consumer electronics and smartphones, which affects orders of entry-level processors to foundries, according to SMIC. Read more ›

51

Unofficial 7-zip.com website served up malware-laden downloads for over a week — infected PCs forced into a proxy botnet

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/12/2026 06:20 EDT

Always get your wares from reputable sources. Read more ›

16

Enthusiast fries 14TB HDD due to SATA power slipup — bemoans lack of SATA power safety and modular PSU cable standardization

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/12/2026 06:00 EDT

A PC DIYer fried their 14TB HDD after a modular power cable mix up. Read more ›

0

U.S lawmakers demand sales ban on chipmaking tools to China — bipartisan group targets ASML's Dutch exports of lithography machines used to create advanced chips

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/12/2026 05:50 EDT

Bipartisan group of lawmakers want the U.S. government to impose export controls on all wafer fab equipment bound to China except those that can be made locally and make allies do the following. Read more ›

85

Steam Deck availability goes up in smoke — suddenly goes out of stock in US, Asia stores

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 16:45 EDT

Speculation has risen about component shortages. Read more ›

2

President’s Day blowout brings incredible savings on elite gaming PCs — up to $250 discounts on Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5080 rigs

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 14:17 EDT

We scoured iBuyPower's entire President's Day sale to bring you the best gaming PC deals. Read more ›

0

Microsoft confirms Windows 11 26H1 will be for Arm devices only at launch — Snapdragon X2-powered devices officially shipping with 26H1

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 12:56 EDT

Microsoft has released an all-new version of Windows 11, 26H1, that is designed only to support the Snapdragon X2 and unnamed future bleeding-edge hardware. 26H1 will be device-specific, and PCs running Windows 11 25H2 can't upgrade to it. Read more ›

0

Best RAM combo deals 2026 – make PC builds and upgrades more affordable with the best RAM bundle deals available

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 11:38 EDT

Find the best RAM bundle deals for your next PC build. We track top combos with motherboards, CPUs, coolers, and more — updated regularly as prices and stock change fast. Read more ›

0

Intel Nova Lake die sizes leak, signaling higher cost — smaller compute tile still demands higher price on TSMC N2

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 11:13 EDT

The compute tile of Intel's Nova Lake CPU will be slightly smaller than compute tile of Arrow Lake CPU, but will likely be more expensive to make at TSMC. Read more ›

43

MSI Afterburner adds 16-pin power connector warning for its MPG AI PSUs — new update could save your expensive GPU from melting

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 10:44 EDT

The incendiary woes of the 16-pin power connector keep birthing new ways to prevent the inevitable. MSI's latest attempt is to sync its power supplies' active monitoring system with MSI Afterburner to deploy emergency power profiles on the go. If the PSU detects a faulty connection, it instantly triggers a 25% reduction in GPU power limit in the new Afterburner update with a pop-up warning. Read more ›

57

Adding AI to sinus surgery system saw malfunctions rocket from eight to 100 incidents, according to new investigation — skull-puncturing errors are the stuff of nightmares

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 09:25 EDT

The introduction of AI to the operating theater doesn’t always work out as optimists, or the FDA, might expect. Read more ›

96

Our testing shows the Ryzen 7 9800X3D can match the pricier Ryzen 7 9850X3D with simple PBO settings — AMD's latest CPU can't leverage extra clock speed in games

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 08:30 EDT

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the fastest gaming CPU around, but the Ryzen 7 9800X3D can match it if you simply flick on PBO. Our benchmarking shows that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D can make up the performance gap without manual overclocking in games. Read more ›

0

U.S. government plans tariff exemptions for TSMC, if it follows through on American investment — $165 billion already pledged to increase production capacity, but details of the deal are still murky

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 08:23 EDT

Following the announcement of impending chip import tariffs in January, the Trump Administration is now planning to offer major U.S. tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon the ability to circumvent them. However, the number of TSMC-made chips exempt from the tariffs may be directly tied to the Taiwanese chipmaker's scale of investment in American operations. Read more ›

213

Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood Motherboard Review: Wood and leather make it better

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 08:00 EDT

The Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood is a unique, stand-out white motherboard with wood-themed accents and a comprehensive hardware list that performs well. Read more ›

0

Samsung and SK hynix shorten memory contracts as pricing power shifts back to suppliers — both companies now at 40-50% operating margins

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 07:37 EDT

Samsung and SK hynix have begun moving away from long-term, fixed-price supply contracts, replacing them with shorter agreements and post-settlement pricing mechanisms. Read more ›

0

China's top chipmaker warns that rushed AI data center capacity could remain idle — SMIC chief says utilizing ballooning capacity 'has not been fully thought through'

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 07:26 EDT

Co-CEO of SMIC warns that massive data centers that are currently being built in the U.S. and other regions could end up sitting idle if some AI projects do not take off. Read more ›

58

Huge $400 saving on Alienware's Aurora gaming PC with 32GB of RAM and an 8GB RTX 5060 Ti — get a capable gaming PC for just $1,399

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 07:03 EDT

Dell's Alienware Aurora gaming PC packs an 8GB RTX 5060 Ti, 32GB of RAM, an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, and a 1TB SSD for only $1,399.99 in this President's Day weekend deal. Read more ›

17

Sony will ship its final Blu-ray recorders this month — exit from Japanese market the end of an era for the segment

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 06:57 EDT

Another rampart of the consumer optical media market has crumbled away with Sony closing down its Blu-ray disk recorder business. Read more ›

64

Save $458 on this AMD 9850X3D, X870 motherboard and 32GB of RAM bundle at Newegg — start your AM5 PC build for less than $800

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 06:47 EDT

Get a new AMD Ryzen 9850X3D bundled with a motherboard and 32GB of RAM at Newegg. Read more ›

0

RTX 5090 kicks off the Chinese New Year early with fireworks — $3,299 dream GPU upgrade becomes a fiery nightmare

Add to bookmarks Don't show Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware · 02/11/2026 06:45 EDT

A Bilibili user sees their new MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G Gaming Trio OC graphics card catch fire. Read more ›

54