PC Hardware News, Reviews & Buying Guides — Page 13 of 61

Daily news digests, benchmark roundups, and long-form buying guides on GPUs, CPUs, home AI workstations, local LLM runtimes, retro PC builds, and the tools real builders use in 2026.

Showing articles 601–650 of 3046.

• Crucial BX500 vs Samsung 870 EVO for an Emulation Box — For an emulation-box workload dominated by sequential reads, the Crucial BX500 1TB wins on capacity per dollar; the Samsung 870 EVO wins… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 10 min read
• llama.cpp Vulkan vs CUDA on a 12GB RTX 3060: Which Backend Wins? — On an RTX 3060 12 GB, CUDA generates 15-25% faster than Vulkan; Vulkan is dramatically simpler to set up and works across vendors… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 11 min read
• MicroPython Now Runs on the Super Nintendo — On Real Hardware — Yes — a MicroPython port now runs on original SNES hardware. The modern tinker bench: Pi 4, Pi Zero, CompactFlash, and a USB-IDE adapter… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 10 min read
• Moonshot Pauses Kimi K3 Signups After GPU Demand Maxes Out — Moonshot paused new Kimi K3 signups after 48 hours — second capacity cut in 30 days. Local fallback rig math for a $850 budget. Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 9 min read
• Qwen 3.8 Open Weights on a 12 GB RTX 3060: What Actually Fits — Yes — a 12 GB RTX 3060 runs Qwen 3.8 dense at q4_K_M with 16K context at 35-45 tok/s. MoE variants need CPU offload; we lay out what fits. Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 11 min read
• Strix Halo Gaming Benchmarks: What AMD's APU Can Really Do — Public benchmarks and AMD's own data show how Strix Halo's integrated Radeon 8060S graphics perform in real games versus laptop and… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• Ryzen AI Max Mini PC 128GB: Specs, Uses, Alternatives — A synthesis of public AMD and manufacturer specs on 128GB Ryzen AI Max mini PCs — unified memory, iGPU, NPU, and what the platform is… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• Ryzen AI Max Mini-ITX: Framework Desktop Specs Explained — A synthesis of public specs and community data on Ryzen AI Max Mini-ITX boards like Framework Desktop, covering memory, cooling, and LLM… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• Ryzen AI Max 385 Mini PC: Specs and What It's Really For — Editorial synthesis of AMD's published specs for the Ryzen AI Max 385 mini PC — Strix Halo architecture, unified memory, and local AI… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• Ryzen AI Max LLM Test: What the Public Data Shows — Public specs and community measurements on Ryzen AI Max's unified memory reveal what it actually enables for local LLM inference — and… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• Ryzen AI Max+ 395 LLM Performance: What to Expect — A synthesis of AMD's published specs and community reports on how the Ryzen AI Max+ 395's unified memory shapes local LLM inference in 2025. Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• LiteLLM as a Fallback Router: Keep Working When Limits Hit — You automatically fall back to a local model when your API limit is hit by running a router — most commonly LiteLLM — in front of your… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 19 min read
• Best Sim Racing Gear for Beginners in 2026 — As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. See our review methodology. Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 18 min read
• Best GPU Under $400 for Llama-Class 8B Models in 2026 — As of 2026, the best GPU under $400 for running Llama-class 8B models locally is the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 3X 12G OC. Its 12 GB of… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 18 min read
• Noctua NH-U12S vs MasterLiquid ML240L for a Ryzen 7 5800X — For a stock AMD Ryzen 7 5800X in a case with decent airflow, the Noctua NH-U12S is the better default in 2026 — it holds the chip inside… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 13 min read
• Building a Period-Correct 2001 Win98 Rig With Parts You Can Still Buy — To build a period-correct Windows 98 gaming PC in 2026, target the 2001-era sweet spot: a Pentium III or Athlon XP board, a GeForce 3 or… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 19 min read
• Best SATA SSD for a PS4 Slim and Emulation Box in 2026 — If you want a set-and-forget answer as of 2026: put a Crucial BX500 1TB in your PlayStation 4 Slim. It's the cheapest 1 TB 2.5" SATA drive… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 15 min read
• Jellyfin on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB: What It Can and Can't Transcode — Yes, a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB runs Jellyfin well as of 2026, but only inside a narrow lane. It direct-plays 1080p H.264 to one or two… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 15 min read
• Pelican-Style Filament Dry Box: The Adafruit Build, Explained — > In brief — 2026-07-20 · A latching filament dry box keeps 3D printing filament dry by combining an airtight gasketed enclosure (a… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 15 min read
• DIY Steam Controller Puck Adds Xbox, Switch and PS Emulation Modes — > In brief — 2026-07-20 · The DIY Steam Controller puck is a community-built, palm-sized gamepad inspired by Valve's discontinued Steam… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 12 min read
• Claude Limits Cut: Why a Local Fallback Rig Just Got Cheaper — Yes, but only if your actual usage keeps bumping the new caps. As of 2026, a used MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 3X 12G OC paired with a… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 13 min read
• Inkling 975B: Thinking Machines' Open-Weight Speech Model, Explained — Inkling 975B is Thinking Machines' new open-weight speech-to-text model, weighing in at 975 billion parameters and priced at $6.60 per… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20 · 12 min read
• Ryzen AI Max for Local LLMs: What the Hardware Enables — AMD's Ryzen AI Max pairs a Zen 5 CPU with up to 128GB of unified memory, changing which local LLMs fit at all versus a discrete-GPU… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• RetroArch PS3 Emulation: What Actually Works in 2026 — RetroArch has no native PS3 core — PS3 games run through standalone RPCS3. Here's how to pair both tools for a complete retro-gaming setup… Mike Perry · 2026-07-20
• AMD Ryzen AI Max for Local LLMs: What the Specs Mean — AMD's Ryzen AI Max APUs use unified memory to run large local LLMs without a discrete GPU. Here's what that means for real-world inference. Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• Ryzen AI Max+ 395 LLM Inference: Specs, Bandwidth, Reality — AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 pairs 16 Zen 5 cores with up to 128GB of unified memory. Here's what its specs mean for running local LLMs, per… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• vLLM vs Ollama for a Single-User 12GB Rig in 2026 — vLLM vs Ollama on a single-user 12GB rig in 2026: setup complexity, throughput, quantization support and when paged attention actually… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• CompactFlash as a Win98 Boot Drive: Sizes, Limits, Gotchas — How to use a CompactFlash card as a Windows 98 boot drive: which cards work, the BIOS capacity limits, and where CF is the wrong answer. Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Best Raspberry Pi for Klipper in 2026: Pi 4 8GB vs Alternatives — Best Raspberry Pi for Klipper in 2026: Pi 4 8GB versus Zero-class boards versus alternative SBCs. Sized to real workloads, not… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• Best 27-inch 4K Monitor for PC and Console: Odyssey vs KOORUI — Samsung Odyssey 4K vs KOORUI QD-Mini LED for a shared PC and console desk: which panel wins on speed, which on picture quality, and how to… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5700X for a 24/7 LLM Server — Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5700X for a 24/7 local LLM host: PCIe lanes, idle power, and where the CPU choice actually changes throughput. Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Best Streaming Gear for PC Gamers in 2026 — Streaming gear buying guide for 2026: microphones, ring lights and monitoring headphones ranked for PC streamers. Best overall, best… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Asus ROG Xreal R1: 240Hz AR Glasses Hit Review — First reviews of the Asus ROG Xreal R1 confirm real 240Hz refresh on both microOLED panels. Here is where it earns its place and where a… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• Raspberry Pi Pico SDK 2.3.0 Ships: What Changed — Raspberry Pi shipped Pico SDK 2.3.0 on 2026-07-19. Here is what changed, which projects should adopt it now, and which should stay pinned. Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• Kimi K3 vs Qwen 3.8 for Local Coding Agents in 2026 — A head-to-head comparison of Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8 for local coding agents: where each wins, which fits on 12GB, and how to pick without… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Qwen 3.8 Open Weights: What Fits on a 12GB GPU — A practical guide to running Qwen 3.8 open weights on an RTX 3060 12GB: which checkpoint fits, which quantization to pick, and where the… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 11 min read
• Ryzen AI Max vs RTX 40 Series: Which Wins for AI and Gaming? — Ryzen AI Max vs RTX 40 series compared: unified memory for large AI models versus CUDA-accelerated gaming, creative apps, and power… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• Ryzen AI Max vs RTX 4060: Which Fits Your Build? — Ryzen AI Max and RTX 4060 solve different problems: unified-memory AI compute versus discrete gaming muscle. Here's how to choose. Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• Ryzen AI Max+ 395 vs RTX 4070: Gaming vs AI in 2026 — A synthesis of public specs and benchmarks comparing AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 unified-memory APU against Nvidia's RTX 4070 for gaming and… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• Unified RAM for LLMs: 2025-2026 Hardware Guide — How unified memory architecture from Apple Silicon and AMD's Ryzen AI Max changes local LLM hardware choices in 2025-2026, and how it… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• Mac Unified Memory for LLMs: What Matters in 2026 — How Apple's unified memory architecture changes local LLM inference on Mac, and where it still loses to HBM-equipped datacenter GPUs. Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• Raspberry Pi Projects for Students (2025 Guide) — A synthesis of public Raspberry Pi curricula and community builds, ranking beginner-to-advanced student projects in electronics, robotics… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19
• 4K 60Hz or 1440p 240Hz? Picking a Monitor for an RTX 3060-Class GPU — 4K 60Hz or 1440p 240Hz for an RTX 3060-class GPU? The right answer depends on which frames your card can actually deliver — with sourced… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 14 min read
• Best Storage Upgrades for Gaming and Retro PCs in 2026 — The best storage upgrades for gaming and retro PCs in 2026, from a 1 TB SATA SSD workhorse to a CompactFlash card that fixes 1998-era IDE… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 17 min read
• Hosting a Period-Correct LAN Party in 2026: Quake 3, UT99, and the Gear That Still Works — A 2026 LAN party for Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament 99: what the network needs to look like, which patches unbrick the master-server… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Build a Wall-Mounted Raspberry Pi 4 Arcade Cabinet: 3D-Printed Case, SSD Boot, Real BOM — A Pi 4 arcade build without the desk clutter — 3D-printed slide-in wall mount, SSD boot for real load times, and a bill of materials that… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• Open WebUI on a Raspberry Pi 4, Inference on an RTX 3060: The Split-Brain Home LLM Stack — Run Open WebUI on a Raspberry Pi 4 and let it wake an RTX 3060 box on demand. Here is the split-brain architecture, the wake-on-LAN… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• GameSir G7 SE vs DualSense: Which Controller Is Better on PC in 2026? — GameSir G7 SE vs DualSense on PC: Hall-effect wired versus haptic wireless at similar prices. Here is which pad wins on latency, comfort… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read
• Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X for a Dual-Duty Gaming and Local-LLM Build — Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X: same core count, different TDP, different cooler bill. Here is which AM4 chip makes sense for a 2026 gaming +… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 9 min read
• Raspberry Pi 5 IOMMU Support Is Landing in the Mainline Linux Kernel — Raspberry Pi 5 IOMMU driver work is heading to the mainline Linux kernel. Here is what an IOMMU actually does on an SBC, what it enables… Mike Perry · 2026-07-19 · 10 min read

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