PC Hardware News, Reviews & Buying Guides — Page 46 of 62
Daily news digests, deep-dive reviews, 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.
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- Best SATA SSD to Upgrade a PS4 Pro in 2026: Faster Loads on a Budget — Crucial BX500 1TB is the default; Samsung 870 EVO wins endurance; WD Blue is the compromise pick. Which SATA SSD earns your PS4 Pro slot… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- LiquidAI LFM2.5-8B-A1B: An 8B MoE You Can Run on a 12GB RTX 3060 — LiquidAI's LFM2.5-8B-A1B is an 8B MoE with ~1B active parameters per token. Yes, it runs on a 12GB RTX 3060 — here are the Q4 numbers and… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- Ryzen AI Max 400 'Gorgon Halo' 192GB vs RTX 3060 12GB for Local LLMs — AMD's Ryzen AI Max 400 brings 192GB unified memory to local LLMs. The $300 RTX 3060 12GB still wins on small-model speed. Honest… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Forza Horizon 6 on the Steam Deck: Settings, Frame Pacing, and the SSD Question — Forza Horizon 6 on the Steam Deck OLED holds a stable 40 fps with the right settings. Here's the per-slider config, the FSR3 frame-pacing… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Sound Blaster G6 in a Period-Correct WinXP Build: Modern USB DAC Meets Vintage Hardware — Wiring a 2018-era Sound Blaster G6 into a period-correct Windows XP build sounds like cheating — until you hear what it does to MIDI… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best SATA SSDs Under $100 in 2026: 5 Picks for Boot Drives, Upgrades, and Retro PCs — SATA still wins for laptop upgrades, retro builds, and secondary game drives where NVMe is overkill or impossible. Five SATA SSDs under… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best CPU for Streaming and Gaming Under $300: Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X vs 5600G — The Ryzen 7 5800X has the encode headroom, the 5700X has the price, the 5600G has the iGPU. Here's how each CPU performs on real streaming… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best Streaming Setup Under $400: G502 + QuadCast 2 S + Cam Link 4K vs the Bundle Alternatives — An a-la-carte streaming stack — G502 Hero, QuadCast 2 S, Cam Link 4K, ring light, Blue Yeti as backup — beats every $400 bundle in 2026… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX 3060 Ti 8GB for Local LLMs: VRAM Beats Bandwidth Every Time — On paper the RTX 3060 Ti 8GB beats the RTX 3060 12GB on every gaming spec. For local LLMs the 12GB card wins on every model larger than… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Google's Tiny Gemma 3 Board: What a $0 SBC Gemma Demo Means for Local AI — Google's Gemma 3 reference build on Pi-class SBCs nudges single-board computers from novelty to usable narrow-agent platform. Here's what… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Laguna XS.2 Lands in llama.cpp: What the Tiny Hybrid Model Means for Local Inference — The Laguna XS.2 llama.cpp PR puts a 3B-class hybrid-attention model on RTX 3060 12GB at ~95-110 tok/s. Here's how it benchmarks against… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best Budget 4K Gaming Monitor Under $400 in 2026: SANSUI vs KOORUI Mini-LED — The two budget 4K gaming monitors that matter in 2026 — SANSUI for value and dual-mode, KOORUI for genuine HDR and brightness. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best Mid-Range CPU for Streaming and Gaming in 2026: Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X vs 5600G — Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X vs 5600G for streaming and gaming in 2026, with real benchmarks, OBS tuning, and a $1,500 build recommendation. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Best Retro Gaming Storage Adapters for Win98 and DOS PCs in 2026 — The best retro-PC storage adapters for Win98 and DOS builds in 2026 — Transcend CF, FIDECO and Unitek USB adapters, Vantec for older USB… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 13 min read
- Best Wireless Streaming Microphones for Twitch in 2026 — Top streaming microphone picks for Twitch in 2026 — HyperX QuadCast 2 S leads, Blue Yeti is the value, and room treatment beats the spec… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 13 min read
- Cerebras Running GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.5 Internally: What the CFO's Slip Tells Us About Wafer-Scale Inference — What a public CFO comment about Cerebras hosting GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.5 internally tells us about frontier model maturity and the open-weight… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Why Direct3D Killed Glide: How the 3dfx Voodoo Empire Lost the API Wars — Why Direct3D killed Glide between 1996 and 2002 — the technical, business, and ecosystem forces that ended the 3dfx Voodoo empire. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 15 min read
- DwarfStar Distributed Inference: Splitting a Single LLM Across a Home LAN of Mismatched GPUs — DwarfStar's pipeline-parallel distributed inference handles heterogeneous GPUs, gigabit-LAN topologies, and node loss without melting your… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 13 min read
- Intel llm-scaler-vllm 1.4: What Arc Pro B70 Support Means for Sub-$1500 Local Inference — Intel's llm-scaler-vllm PV 1.4 ships first-class Arc Pro B70 support, putting a 24GB new-warranty card into the sub-$1,500 inference… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- 768GB Intel Optane DIMM Rigs: Can Cheap Persistent Memory Really Run a 1T-Parameter LLM? — Hobbyist 1T LLM rigs using 768GB of discontinued Optane DIMMs hit hobbyist-attainable inference at ~1.5 tok/s for under $5,000. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Sound Blaster G6 on a Modern Retro Build: When a USB DAC Beats an AWE32 — Sound Blaster G6 vs AWE32 for a 2026 retro build: G6 wins on SNR, headphone amp, and modern compatibility; AWE32 still wins on native… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- Best CompactFlash and SATA/IDE Adapter for a Retro PC Boot Drive in 2026 — Best CompactFlash + SATA/IDE adapter combo for retro PC boot drives: Transcend CF133 + FIDECO adapter is the safe pair. Pinout, jumpers… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best CPU Cooler for a Ryzen 5800X Under PBO + Manual Overclock in 2026 — Best CPU cooler for Ryzen 5800X overclocking in 2026: Noctua NH-U12S is the safe pick; DeepCool AK620 wins on $/°C; ML240L is the budget… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- Best Streaming Starter Kits in 2026: Mic, Light, Capture, and the One-Box Builds — Best streaming starter kits for 2026: HyperX QuadCast 2 S is the pick; Blue Yeti is the budget alt; Elgato Cam Link 4K is the upgrade… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- The vLLM MCP Vulnerability: What Local LLM Operators Need to Do — The vLLM MCP tool-call path has a pre-auth RCE that lets a prompt trigger host-level code. Patch is in 0.10.4. Here's how to audit your… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Local LLMs on Refurb M4 Max vs New M5 Max: What the LocalLLaMA Numbers Show — Refurb M4 Max or new M5 Max for local LLM? M5 Max wins outright tok/s by 15-25%. Refurb M4 Max wins on $/tok and is the right call for… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Qwen3.6-35B-A3B on an 8GB Laptop: What the Krasis Benchmark Means for Local Inference — Krasis got Qwen3.6-35B-A3B running on an 8GB laptop GPU at reading speed. Here's the VRAM math, the RTX 3060 12GB sweet spot, and what to… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- AI-Driven Driver Install on Win98: Using a Vision LLM to Recover a Voodoo3 PCI Card — A vision LLM plus a CompactFlash-to-IDE bridge turns Win98 driver work into a guided 20-minute procedure. Walking through a Voodoo3 install. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Logitech G502 Hero vs HyperX QuadCast 2 S vs Elgato Cam Link 4K: Building a Sub-$300 Streaming Starter Kit — Logitech G502 Hero, HyperX QuadCast 2 S, Elgato Cam Link 4K — the sub-$300 streaming kit for PC creators in 2026 that actually holds up. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best SSD for Steam Deck OLED Expansion in 2026: SATA Adapter vs M.2 2230 — M.2 2230 internal upgrade vs SATA-via-JSAUX-dock external library. Crucial BX500, Samsung 870 EVO, SanDisk Ultra 3D — the Steam Deck OLED… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best GPU for Llama 70B Local Inference in 2026: RTX 3060 12GB Dual vs RTX 3090 vs Gorgon Halo — Used RTX 3090, Gorgon Halo 192GB, dual-3060 stack, RTX A6000 — what actually runs Llama 70B locally, at what tok/s, and at what cost. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Best Sim Racing Wheels and Pedals for PC and PlayStation in 2026 — Logitech G920/G29, HORI Racing Wheel Overdrive, and Thrustmaster TH8A — the sim racing wheels and pedals worth buying for PC and… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Best PC Cooling Fans for High-Airflow Gaming PCs in 2026 — Picks across price tiers — Noctua NH-U12S, DeepCool AK620 White, Corsair LL120 RGB, Cooler Master ML240L — for high-airflow gaming PC… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Heterogeneous GPU Weighting and Layer Splitting: Mixed-GPU LLM Inference on Consumer Hardware — Mixed-GPU LLM inference works in llama.cpp via --tensor-split. The trade-offs of pairing mismatched cards on a Ryzen 7 5800X B550 platform. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 'Gorgon Halo' 192GB: What 192GB Unified Memory Means for Local LLMs — AMD's 192GB Gorgon Halo APU hosts Llama 70B and Mixtral 8x22B without GPU offload, but its LPDDR5X bandwidth caps tok/s. Capacity vs… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Gemma-4-Harmonia-31B Uncensored on RTX 3060 12GB: Quantization, VRAM, and tok/s — What quant of Gemma-4-Harmonia-31B fits on a 12GB RTX 3060, what tok/s to expect, and when to step up to a 16GB or 24GB card. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Sound Blaster G6 on a Modern Retro Build: When a USB DAC Beats an AWE32 — The Sound Blaster G6 is a modern USB DAC, not an ISA Sound Blaster. It wins on emulator + sleeper builds and loses on period-correct… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- Logitech G502 Hero vs MK270 Combo: Best PC Setup for Sub-$50 — G502 Hero wins for gaming-first builds; MK270 combo wins for clutter-free productivity. Pair either with a QcK pad for the complete… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best 4K Gaming Monitor Under $400 in 2026: SANSUI vs KOORUI vs Samsung — Sub-$400 4K is a real category in 2026. SANSUI 27 wins value; KOORUI QD-Mini-LED wins HDR; Samsung 32 G5 wins size. All three have HDMI… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best Mini PC for Local LLM Inference in 2026: Ryzen vs Apple vs Intel — Apple M-series unified memory wins for 30B+ models. Ryzen 5600G is the budget pick for 13B-class daily-drivers. Intel Arrow Lake is the… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best Raspberry Pi Accessories for Home-Lab Builds in 2026 — The five accessories that matter most for a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB home-lab: SATA-to-USB adapters, a quality SSD, an 8BitDo controller, and… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 12 min read
- Best CPU Cooler for AM4 + Ryzen 5000 in 2026 — AM4 + Ryzen 5000 stays the budget value champion in 2026. The Noctua NH-U12S wins overall; budget pick is DeepCool AK620 White. Air beats… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 13 min read
- Linux Driver to Expose Voltage Inputs for Raspberry Pi SBCs: What Tinkerers Get — A new Linux hwmon driver exposes Raspberry Pi voltage rails programmatically. Tools like Prometheus and lm-sensors now read undervoltage… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 7 min read
- Gemma-4-Harmonia-31B Heretic: What the Uncensored Merge Adds Over Base Gemma 4 — Harmonia-31B-Heretic is a Gemma 4 31B uncensored merge. Q4_K_M fits 18-20GB; on 12GB RTX 3060 expect mid-single-digit tok/s with offload. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 11 min read
- vLLM Framework Vulnerability: What Local LLM Operators Need to Patch in 2026 — A shared framework dependency just hit vLLM, MCP servers, and downstream agent tooling. Pin versions, isolate MCP, and rebuild from… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best Wireless Controller for PC Gaming in 2026 — DualSense at $69 is the best wireless PC controller in 2026; 8BitDo Pro 2 at $50 is the value pick. Full buying guide with 5 picks and… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- SATA/IDE to USB Adapters in 2026: FIDECO vs Unitek vs Vantec for Retro PC Data Recovery — Retro PC data recovery in 2026 still runs through a SATA/IDE-USB adapter. FIDECO is the right pick; Unitek matches it; Vantec wins damaged… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- Best SSD for a 1TB+ Steam Library in 2026: SATA vs NVMe Showdown — For a 1TB+ Steam library in 2026, mix NVMe for hot games and SATA for cold library. Saves ~$120 vs all-NVMe with no perceivable difference. Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 9 min read
- Best CPU for Local LLM Inference in 2026: Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X vs 5600G — Best CPU for a 2026 local-LLM build is the Ryzen 7 5800X; the 5700X is the value pick; skip the 5600G. Full comparison with prefill… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read
- Best Budget GPU for Local LLM Inference in 2026 — The best budget GPU for local LLM in 2026 is a used RTX 3060 12GB. Here's the full ladder up to RTX 3090 24GB, with Arc Pro B70 as a… Mike Perry · 2026-05-28 · 10 min read