The RAM Crisis has PC users gripped in fear as they're scrambling to buy as much storage space for their PCs as they can before their costs become too unaffordable for the average person, leaving many stores deprived of SSDs.

However, some SSDs have managed to slip through this shopping rush with their stock untouched, like the WD_Black SN8100 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD.

This internal storage unit, boasting insanely fast read speeds for work and gaming, is currently on sale at Best Buy for $269.99 for its 1TB model (listing price was $528.99), $399.99 for its 2TB model (listing price was $1,057.99), and $999.00 for its 4TB model (listing price was $2,069.99).

Why buy the WD_Black SN8100 SSD?

In an age where files for games, documents, 4K videos, and other pieces of media are taking up hundreds of gigabytes' worth of space, you're going to need a massive SSD to store them in while having high read/write speeds so transferring files won't be slower than snails.

SanDisk's WD_Black SN8100 SSD is one such storage unit, as it comes with 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB models, each one being equipped with high Read Speeds up to 14,900MB/s and Write Speeds up to 11,000MB/s.

This makes the WD_Black SN8100 SSD one of the best SSDs for gaming as these models will have plenty of space to fit your precious games in while cutting down on load times for rendering graphical assets and reducing lag so they feel smoother to play.

These read and write speeds are also good for productivity tasks, as the SSD can help your PC transfer files in mere seconds, which can be handy when you need to send work documents, videos, and other important data from one machine to another.

Just make sure your computer has a heatsink attached to its motherboard before installing the WD_Black SN8100, as it can get extremely hot when taking on heavy-duty workflows.

FAQ

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Trying to get your hands on a full desktop PC that won't force you to take out a loan during this price-hiking RAM crisis is like trying to punch through a brick wall: painful and futile.

In such grim times for tech, mini PCs can provide a much-needed reprieve with their more affordable prices that won't set you back thousands of dollars while providing fast performance for productivity, vast storage space for precious documents, and compact sizes that won't eat up your desk.

One such lineup of high-quality mini PCs is those produced by Geekom, many of which are currently on sale for Best Buy's 4th of July sale, which will last until July 5, 2026.

So, if you've been eyeing up a chance to obtain budget-friendly mini-PCs like the Geekom IT13 (now on sale for $569.99) or a pink-sized performance powerhouse like the Geekom AX8 MAX (now on sale for $629.99), now's a great time to capitalize on it before the RAMaggeddon jacks their prices for good too.

FAQ

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Update (06/29/2026, 4:20am EST): The WD_Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is no longer in stock at Best Buy. ~ Alexander Cope, Staff Writer

Original article (06/29/2026):

Seagate's Storage Expansion Cards are one of the most popular plug-and-play SSDs for Xbox Series X|S for their increased install space and high read speeds. However, their high listing prices make them somewhat undesirable for the average player, especially during the ongoing memory crisis that has made tech so unaffordable.

Fortunately, Western Digital's WD_Black C50 Expansion Cards offer a cheaper means of adding storage while maintaining similar read speeds, and its 1TB model is now on sale with a 58% discount for $149.99 at Best Buy.

Why buy the WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox?

The biggest draw for Western Digital's WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox, aside from having chunky install spaces (which include 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB models), is that they allow a player to play games directly installed on the card without having to move them into an Xbox's internal SSD, saving them from tedious game file shuffling and deletion.

Of course, being able to play games directly from the card won't mean much if they don't run well. However, with the power of Xbox Velocity Architecture, the WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Cards can deliver fast and seamless performance rates for games installed inside them while improving load times and input detection speeds using a Superspeed NVMe Core.

Other notable features include Quick Resume Support so it can suspend a game and let you pick up exactly where you left off, and ease-of-use as you only need to plug the card into Xbox Series X|S's dedicated expansion card slot for it to work - no wires needed.

So, if you're hungry for more space for your Xbox, especially as newer games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 require over 161GB (and that's just for the base game alone without DLC add-ons), then the WD_Black C50 1TB Expansion Card will satiate it for a good while.

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If you have an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, you probably need more storage. Having to uninstall a game to install a new game or an update to one of your favorite titles is a hassle.

The Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is a plug-and-play solution that lets you expand the storage of your console.

Right now, all sizes of the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S are on sale. The 1TB model costs $189.99 Best Buy (was $249.99), the 2TB version costs $259.99 (was $349.99) at Amazon. Best Buy's deal on the 4TB card drops the price to $549.99 (was $649.99).

Why buy the Seagate Expansion Card?

The Seagate Expansion Card is the simplest way to expand the storage of your console. There's no setup or configuration required to use the card.

Xbox Series X|S games can be massive. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 alone is 161GB, and that's without DLC. The Seagate Expansion Card delivers similar speeds to the native storage of the Xbox Series X|S, so you can store games on the card and play them without having to transfer files around.

The Seagate Expansion Card also supports Quick Resume, which is a feature that lets you pause your game and power down your console and then pick up exactly where you left off when you load the game again.

Considering how big games are and how many great games are available on the Xbox Series X|S and on the way to the consoles, an expansion card of some kind is a must have. The Seagate Expansion Card is the easiest to use, quick enough to play games off, and is a great deal during Prime Day.

Alternative discounts

Prime Day discounts and a deal at Best Buy provide the best prices on the Seagate Expansion Card, but if those deals expire, you can check out these alternatives:

1TB

• $189.99 at Walmart
• $189.99 at Amazon (was $249.99) (appears to be out of stock)

2TB

• $259.99 at Walmart (was $299.99)
• $259.99 at Best Buy (was $349.99)
• $259.99 at Newegg (was $279.99)

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Anyone who's looked at storage prices recently knows that they're completely out of hand. I've been waiting to add some storage to my gaming PC for about six months now, and it's getting to the point where I'll have to bite at a deal like this one on the Samsung 9100 PRO.

This high-performance M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD comes in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB configurations, with blazing fast transfer speeds and the regular durability you expect from Samsung.

"Regular" (inflated) prices have been cut by up to 49%, and you can now land a 1TB drive for as low as $206.99. Best part? You don't have to be a Prime subscriber to nab the deal.

• The best hand-picked Amazon Prime Day deals on Windows laptops, PC components, and Xbox gaming hardware chosen by our editors
• See all Prime Day deals at Amazon.com

What makes the Samsung 9100 PRO SSD so good?

The 9100 PRO was Samsung's first shot at a full-fledged PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, and to say the company nailed the execution is an understatement.

It's theoretically capable of hitting unreal 14,800MB/s read speeds and 13,400MB/s write speeds, and although those numbers may drop a bit in real-world practice, it's still an incredibly fast drive.

Our friends at TechRadar reviewed the 9100 PRO when it launched last year, and it was awarded 4.5 stars and a Recommended Award.

The TL;DR? It's an exceptional drive for professionals who frequently deal with oversized files and who don't want any hiccups in their workflow.

You do, of course, want to pair this drive with a PC that's capable of running a PCIe 5.0 drive to get the most out of it, but it will function at lower speeds in a PCIe 4.0 system. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're putting together a new PC piece by piece as sales come and go.

If I do buy one of these drives, I'll most likely go with the 2TB version at $349.99. It's the best value at 49% off, costing less per GB than the 1TB and 4TB versions.

I should also mention that these drives come with a 5-year Samsung warranty to protect your purchase.

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It feels like PC prices are climbing by the day, so it's refreshing to see a premium laptop like the XPS 13 on sale for $999.99. For that price, you get a Snapdragon X Elite and a whopping 32GB of RAM. At a time when laptop makers are resurrecting options with just 8GB of RAM for only a little bit less, the XPS 13 is quite the bargain.

Why buy the Dell XPS 13 (9345)?

Our Alexander Cope highlighted the best XPS discounts available through Dell right now, but the savings on the XPS 13 stood out. Getting any PC with 32GB of RAM for under $1,000 is rare these days, let alone an excellent laptop.

The XPS 13 easily delivers all-day battery life. It managed over 19.5 hours in a battery test done for our XPS 13 review. Of course, your results will vary depending on your workload. That test ran Microsoft Office on a loop. But even in real-world usage, our Zac Bowden took about 10 hours of constant heavy use to drain the XPS 13 from 100% to 15%.

This XPS 13 has the futuristic design many have come to know and love. That means a zero-lattice keyboard, a haptic trackpad, and extremely thin bezels. It's the pinnacle of this era of XPS computing, packing power and performance into a compact form factor unlike anything else on the market.

I don't want to bore you with a history lesson of the XPS lineup. Instead, I'll just say the new XPS 13 that came out this year is very different and aimed at a different type of customer.

The XPS 13 that's on sale for $999.99 has a Snapdragon X Elite processor, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. It pairs those internals with a lovely 2K, 120Hz display that can reach 500 nits of brightness.

If you want to upgrade, models with other display options are also $400 off. The 3K OLED screen is worth a hard look.

I love this version of the XPS 13. It took Dell years of refinement to get here, and the laptop maker should be proud. For my money, this XPS 13 is worth more than the new XPS 13 or any other laptop at this price.

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The real Surface Pro 12 is finally here. After a business-focused Surface unveiling that left people wanting, Microsoft has announced its latest flagship 2-in-1 powered by a Snapdragon X2 chip.

Microsoft will include a free Surface Pro keyboard with any Surface Pro 12 purchased before June 30 but that accessory needs to be physically attached to the Surface Pro to work and lacks a haptic trackpad.

Whether you want the absolute best Surface Pro 12 experience or want to upgrade another Surface Pro, the discounted Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is the way to go.

Why buy the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard?

The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is versatile, supporting both wireless and attached connectivity. With it, you can use a supported Surface Pro like a laptop or detach the keyboard and place the screen separately.

If you travel a lot and find yourself cramped on an airplane tray table or a small table on a train, being able to arrange the Surface Pro and its keyboard apart from each other is a must.

The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is also handy for those who dock their Surface Pro to an external monitor or a TV screen. When I had a Surface Pro as my main PC, I had an attachable keyboard for work on the go and a separate keyboard for my multi-monitor setup. You wouldn't need to do that with a Surface Pro Flex Keyboard.

The haptic trackpad of the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard provides physical feedback when you navigate around Windows 11 and certain apps. It's also more consistent than other trackpad types. Haptic trackpads don't have dead zones and are more customizable than traditional trackpads.

There's no debate that the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is the best Surface Pro Keyboard. The real question is if it's worth its hefty price tag. The Surface Pro 12 starts at $1,499 ($500 more than the starting price of the Surface Pro 11 at launch). That makes any additional cost sting.

If you want the best Surface Pro 12 experience, the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is a must-have experience. Best Buy's $70 discount on the keyboard comes at a great time.

FAQ

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We will need extra space to store our important files, digital art projects, and video games more than ever, as many PCs and gaming consoles' default SSDs can't keep up with their high demand for install space.

This would be easier said than done, as many storage expansion units have become so expensive these days, as many of them can cost hundreds of dollars.

Fortunately, one of the more affordable 1TB SSDs with commendable performance rates, the Samsung T7 Portable SSD, is now on sale for $189.98 at Amazon (was $274.99) as part of its early Amazon Prime Day sales.

Why buy the Samsung T7 Portable SSD?

The Samsung T7 Portable SSD comes in 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 2.1TB, and 4TB sizes. However, the one that's on sale right now for $189.98 at Amazon is the 1TB version, which is still a very good amount of install space for hundreds of productivity documents, personal files, photos, videos, and video games.

It also features 1,050MB/s transfer speeds, so you can move files between the SSD and whatever PC or console it's hooked up to quickly. Granted, it's not the best SSD in the world for running modern AAA games directly, but it's still plenty capable of running older games and light indie titles with little to no issue.

Other notable features of the Samsung T7 Portable SSD include a fingerprint scanner for extra security, an extremely lightweight design at 58g, with a thin, sleek chassis that is so portable-friendly, you could fit it into your coat or a bag pocket.

So, if you're looking for a convenient and affordable way to add space to your desktop/console or take your precious work documents/video games with you on trips, we highly recommend adding the Samsung T7 Portable SSD to your tech collection.

FAQ

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Amazon Prime Day is almost here, but that doesn't mean there aren't other great deals to be had on lucrative Mini-PCs that will help you cut through work faster elsewhere.

For instance, Geekom is currently hosting a summer sale on a few of its Mini-PCs, including a $649.99 deal on the A8 Mini-PC (was $899.99), a $1,399.99 deal on the A9 Max Mini-PC (was $1,799.99), and a $699.99 deal on the A7 Max Mini-PC (was $1099.99) exclusively on its website.

On top of that, if you use these "WCGKA820", "WCA9MAX26," and "WCGKA7MAX" promo codes during checkout, you will reduce their prices further and save even more money (and desk space) on these wonderful Mini-PCs for work productivity and light gaming.

Why buy these mini-PCs?

Each of these mini-PCs offers fantastic specs for heavy-duty workloads and light gaming in their own right, but our favorites of the bunch have to be the Geekom A8 and Geekom A9 Max, as they're some of the best Mini-PCs we've ever used.

The Geekom A9 Max is a monstrously powerful Mini-PC that lives up to its premium price tag. It's got exceptional performance rates for workloads and games (it can even run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and 60fps), 50 TOPS NPU to aid in completing AI tasks with Copilot+, and it's packed with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and dual 2.5G Ethernet connectivity.

The Geekom A8, meanwhile, is a much cheaper but still very capable mid-range Mini-PC. It features an elegant design with an aluminum chassis, outstanding performance rates when running productivity programs like Microsoft Office, creative programs like Adobe Photoshop, and internet browsers like Microsoft Edge without any slowdown, and a plethora of USB-C, HDMI, Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2, and 2.5G Ethernet connectivity.

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Despite an ongoing memory crunch that's affecting wide swaths of the tech market, a new report from Jon Peddie Research (JPR) reveals that NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel discrete GPU shipments in Q1 2026 remained relatively flat compared to the previous quarter.

As JPR points out (via PC Gamer), the first quarter of the year is generally expected to be flat. Consumers are tapped out after the holiday season, and the major sales events in the tech market are yet to arrive.

In any case, I wasn't expecting the market to hold as strongly as it did, considering the inflated prices that most GPUs are currently experiencing and the lack of any new card launches.

Approximately 11.8 million GPUs were shipped in Q1 2026, with NVIDIA making up the bulk of the hardware.

In Q1 2026, JPR posits that NVIDIA and AMD's overall market share both dropped by 0.4%, whereas Intel increased by 0.4%. That means that NVIDIA fell from 91% in Q4 2025 to 90% in Q1 2026. AMD remained at 8%, and Intel remained at 1% market share, comparatively.

What's more impressive is that the attach rate for discrete GPUs in desktop PCs climbed to 76%, a 33.2% increase from the previous quarter. That's a huge jump. Conversely, JPR also notes a significant 25% year-over-year CPU market drop and a 24% quarter-over-quarter drop.

The GPU results, at least, look good at first glance, but there's some nuance to the numbers.

JPR is known to track all GPU shipments rather than direct point-of-sale purchases to the likes of you or me. That means the data includes GPUs gobbled up by OEMs and other manufacturers, who are undoubtedly attempting to stockpile hardware as prices continue to rise.

I don't doubt these efforts are skewing the numbers, and future reports like these could show far worse results.

AMD's GPU struggles continue as NVIDIA holds its market dominance

If I break down the overall 11.82 million shipments in Q1 2026, it works out to roughly 10.7 million units for NVIDIA, 1 million units for AMD, and 100,000 or so for Intel.

Despite only dropping 0.4% in Q1 2026, AMD's struggle to gain ground on NVIDIA continues.

Looking at Steam's May 2026 GPU hardware survey, the first AMD GPU shows up in 13th place, and it's not a discrete card but rather integrated Radeon Graphics.

In 25th place is the first actual discrete AMD GPU, the Radeon RX 9070 XT, with a 1.33% share of use on Steam.

The rest of those top 25 spots? Completely dominated by NVIDIA, aside from integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics in 16th place with a 1.79% share.

Windows Central's take

Despite recent news from AMD regarding its FSR 4.1 tech coming to some of its older RX 7000 and RX 6000 GPUs, NVIDIA largely dominates the news cycle with its cutting-edge PC gaming advancements that AMD always seems to be chasing.

I can attest that many of those advancements feel like they border on magic. My RTX 5070 Ti has been treating me very well since I bought it last year, and I'm constantly amazed at the capabilities of DLSS and the overall performance the card can deliver across all games.

There's also the fact that NVIDIA dominates the high-end GPU market. And when I say dominate, I mean there's really no AMD alternative to an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090.

Considering how popular these cards are not just for developers, designers, and editors, but also AI professionals, you can see why AMD is having such a hard time clawing back market share.

I do hope that changes. NVIDIA might hold the biggest market share by far, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. An AMD Radeon revival would only benefit the overall market, providing NVIDIA with some much-needed competition.

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My wired external SSDs are convenient for portable storage, but cable management can be a drag. Backing up my biggest files, videos, photos, and games is getting difficult due to the space they demand these days.

There is a better way to back up mountains of data. UGREEN's NASync DH2300 NAS enclosure is now on sale for $186.99 at Amazon. It can hold two 3.5-inch internal hard drives, like Seagate's $1199 BarraCuda 2TB examples, but, as we tested, also works with drives ripped from an old desktop.

Why buy the UGREEN NASync DH2300?

For those unaware, a NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a home server of sorts that connects to your network router. It allows authorized users to access, store, and share files across multiple compatible devices from a centralized hub, and vice versa.

Most NAS enclosures can be complicated to set up, but UGREEN's NASync DH2300 is designed to be beginner-friendly and intuitive for users who have never used one before.

It supports up to 64TB of storage via two 3.5-inch drives, 4GB of internal RAM, a 1GbE LAN port, and up to 125MB/s transfer speeds with compatible HDDs. With these specs, you will never run out of storage space for your precious files and can quickly offload large files whenever you need more space.

Otherwise, the DH2300 includes a built-in AI photo album that automatically organizes libraries based on faces, objects, and locales; alongside security measures to protect your data, like two-factor authentication and encrypted transfers. It can also stream backups of your DVD and Blu-Ray collection with a home media service like Plex or Jellyfin.

If you need more storage space for your work documents, videos, and other sensitive data than regular internal SSDs can provide, or you aren't willing to pay monthly fees for cloud storage, the UGREEN NASync DH2300 is your best bet.

FAQ

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a cornerstone of the global chip supply, accounting for roughly 70% of the world's foundry production (and more if you're talking only about the most cutting-edge semiconductors).

Considering the Taiwanese firm supplies tech giants like NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, and Apple with chips, if there's one company that I don't want to see discuss price increases, it's TSMC.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. In a recent interview with the BBC, TSMC's Chief Financial Officer, Wendell Huang, cited inflation as a reason why the chip maker could be forced to hike prices.

The good news, at least for now, is that TSMC won't be hiking prices (if at all) in the same way that memory manufacturers have been doing for the last couple of years as AI's appetite grows.

Huang explicitly said that TSMC would not suddenly raise prices "fourfold, fivefold" for customers despite inflation causing the company's costs to increase.

TSMC is a publicly traded company, and so it rides the markets with plenty of pressure from shareholders. Indeed, earlier in the day, before the BBC interviewed Huang, TSMC's Chairman and CEO, CC Wei, reportedly told investors that he'd like to mirror his firm's competition and raise prices accordingly.

This is in line with a May report from Commercial Times suggesting that TSMC is planning a 2026 price hike of up to 15% on its 3nm products, some of the most advanced in the world.

TSMC is undoubtedly under a lot of pressure to deliver a lot of chips to some of the most valuable companies in the world, and its impressive stock price reflects that demand.

TSMC has a duty to maximize returns for its investors, and considering it's essentially working at maximum capacity in all of its operational foundries, it only makes sense, from a fiduciary standpoint, to raise prices.

The question of whether or not the AI revolution is a bubble doesn't seem to be playing a role in TSMC's operation. Huang told the BBC that "these [AI] companies are financially very strong with a lot of financial resources, so we believe that they're able to continue to invest."

Windows Central's take on rising TSMC prices

Although TSMC has not committed entirely to a price hike, it seems inevitable that the firm will eventually have to start charging more for its services. What would this move look like across the rest of the tech industry?

Considering TSMC's dominance, particularly in the world's most advanced chips, companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm would immediately be forced to either absorb the raised costs or pass those costs on to customers. I don't want to make any assumptions, but you can probably guess which avenue is more attractive to shareholders.

And I don't think these effects would be felt only in AI markets. Everything from phones to PCs to automobiles with a chip inside would go up in price. Do note that NVIDIA's new RTX Spark platform, announced at Computex 2026 and coming to the Surface Laptop Ultra, is manufactured on TSMC's 3nm process node

Considering how much almost everything already costs in the tech world, this news doesn't give me hope for the future of affordability. It's but another step toward the end of personal PCs, a once-upon-a-time "conspiracy theory" that's not so much of a conspiracy anymore.

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Mini PCs are great, cost-effective alternatives to bulky desktops if you're looking to work efficiently at home, at work, or abroad without taking up too much space (or much of your budget).

Geekom's A6 mini PC is one of our favorite examples of this, thanks to its reliable performance and compact design. It also has a usually affordable listing price of $649.99 for a mid-range mini-PC, though that has been reduced to $599.99 at Amazon — however, if you use promo code "WCGKA620", you can reduce that price further to $479.

Why buy the Geekom A6 mini-PC?

The Geekom A6 mini PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor and Radeon 680M graphics. With these specs, the Geekom A6 can process and run productivity apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, and browse the internet with reliable performance so you can get your daily workflows done faster and clock out of work on time.

Its specs are also capable of running lighter games like Minecraft locally with ease, and even running high-end AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 via cloud servers on NVIDIA GeForce NOW, as confirmed through our testing when our Former Editor, Rebecca Spear, gave the Geekom A6 a 4.5-star review.

Other specs we enjoyed about the Geekom A6 are its compact 4.42 x 4.42 x 1.45 design that preserves desk space, a healthy selection of USB and HDMI ports, VESA mounting compatibility so you can stick it under your desk, and solid thermal systems to keep it from overheating while not making too much noise.

So, if you need a dependable mini PC for work and some light gaming to unwind during your break hours, then we highly recommend the Geekom A6, especially now that it's 20% off at Amazon thanks to Geekom's "WCGKA620" promo code.

FAQs

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The RAM Crisis and videogames requiring more space to compensate for their increasingly advanced graphics and content have made SSDs needed to store them more valuable and expensive than ever.

Fortunately, some of the best SSDs still manage to get a discount now and then to avoid these price hikes for PC gamers to enjoy, like the Samsung 990 2TB SSD, which is currently on sale for $389.99 at Amazon.

FAQ

Why buy the Samsung 990 Pro?

We're not kidding when we say the Samsung Pro 990 is one of the best SSDs, as it's packed with tons of advanced tech that make it one of the best overall PC storage upgrades in the business.

This includes various size models to purchase (1TB, 2TB, and 4TB), optional heatsink versions that will improve its already outstanding thermal management system to negate thermal throttling, compatibility with the PlayStation 5, and a 5-year warranty.

The Samsung Pro 990's best feature is its impressive 7,450 MB/s Read Speeds and 6,900 MB/s Write Speeds. With these performance rates, your PC will be able to transfer files in a snap and cut down on video games' loading times exponentially with no lag or delay.

For example, when our former writer, Chuong Nguyen, reviewed the Samsung Pro 990, he tested it with No Man's Sky and God of War, and discovered he was able to shave off 7 seconds from their usual loading screen times of 15 seconds on his 12th Gen Intel Core i9 system equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti GPU.

So, if you're on the hunt for more storage for your PC, the Samsung Pro 990, whose $639.99 listing price has been reduced by 39% to $389.99 at Amazon, is a solid option.

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With workloads getting more demanding and games requiring more horsepower, upgrading your PC with top-grade CPUs is more vital than ever... provided they weren't so expensive thanks to the ongoing memory crisis raising component prices to absurd levels.

Fortunately, one of AMD's top-rated CPUs, the Ryzen 9 7900X, has managed to slip past these inflated price hikes with a big 45% discount, reducing its listing price from $549.99 to $309.86 at Amazon.

Alternative discounts

• $323.99 at Best Buy (was $549.99)
• $329.99 at Newegg (was $549.99)
• $339.99 at Walmart (was $398.99)

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X?

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is equipped with 12 Cores with 24 Threads, a max clock speed of 5.6GHz (compared to 5GHz), and 12MB L2 plus 64MB L3 cache memory.

With these specs, this CPU will ensure that your PC will have zero issues powering through heavy-duty productivity tasks like being knee-deep in video editing, creating massive spreadsheets, streaming video calls, opening dozens of web browser tabs, and more.

It's also fairly capable of putting out great performance rates for PC gaming. According to our colleagues at Tom's Hardware, when they reviewed the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, this CPU, paired with an RTX 3090, was able to run demanding AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 at around 186FPS on average, Hitman 3 at around 188.3FPS on average, and Far Cry 6 at around 178FPS on average.

The only real issues regarding this CPU are that it won't work on PCs that don't have an AM5 motherboard, forcing PC users using older motherboards to upgrade, and its overtuned listing price of $549.99.

However, with this 45% discount at Amazon, you won't have to worry about the latter issue and enjoy plowing through a day's work at the office, so you can clock out early and play your favorite PC games with smooth framerates.

FAQ

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Newegg's Memorial Day sale is underway, and it's offering major discounts on several valuable PC components that have been price-hiked thanks to the ongoing RAM Crisis.

One such lucky PC part in this sale is the popular WD_Black SN7100 M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, whose 2TB model is discounted to $299.99 at Newegg, down from its $499.99 list price.

Why buy the WD_Black SN7100 SSD?

The WD_Black SN7100 2TB SSD is a great upgrade for PC gaming. Not only will it improve your desktop's storage capacity to fit games that take up hundreds of gigabytes, but it will also upgrade its performance rates with up to 7,250MB/s read speeds and 6,900MB/s write speeds.

With these specs, your system of choice will be able to get past loading screens in a snap while reducing gameplay-intrusive texture 'pop-ins' and in-game stuttering. The 2TB model also features up to 1200TBW endurance, ensuring that this device will endure ten or even fifteen years of gaming, streaming, and other activities before degrading.

The WD_Black SN7100 SSDs also come with a five-year warranty to help you replace or fix them, should they get unexpectedly damaged when you first purchase them.

On top of that, these SSDs are also compatible with gaming handhelds like the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, and ASUS ROG Ally X, to name a few. Although some gaming handhelds will require adaptors to take full advantage of the WD_Black SN7100 SSD's capabilities.

So, if your computer's begging for a reliable storage upgrade that's managed to escape AI-induced price hikes, Newegg's $299.99 discount deal for the WD_Black SN7100 2TB SSD will provide the fix it needs.

This 2TB SSD is also on sale for $299.99 at Amazon after being discounted from its $349.99 "listing price", although camelcamelcamel reveals that its actual highest recorded price was $419.99 on Amazon.

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SSDs can add extra storage space and also upgrade your PC or laptop's ability to load programs, save data, and boot up quickly. The Samsung 9100 Pro, for example, is a PCI Gen 5 SSD that can significantly boost your PC's performance when tackling heavy professional workloads.

If the promise of getting work done faster sounds enticing, Samsung's 9100 Pro 2TB model has settled to $444.99 at Amazon after months of gradual price increases, but stock is running out. It's a mild downward trend, and still higher than it used to be, but still a chance for PC builders trapped by the pricing crisis.

That "listing price" should be taken with a pinch of salt, but a sub-$450 tag is better than nothing in the problems triggered by the AI-led memory shortage.

Why buy the Samsung 9100 Pro?

What makes the Samsung 9100 Pro a powerful SSD for professional tasks is its insanely high 14,700MB/s Read Speeds and 13,400MB/s Write Speeds.

While these specs are considered overkill for general use and gaming, they are outstanding for heavy-duty projects like editing 4K videos, creating 3D art, and saving media projects that are worth hundreds of Gigabytes.

This is especially useful for massive media projects that like to autosave because, as Tech Radar put it in their 4.5/5 star review for the Samsung 9100 Pro, "Nothing disrupts a workflow more than a project autosaving for up to half a minute or more, and this is where the 9100 Pro shines."

Other notable features of the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD include multiple size models (which include 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB), optional heat-sink variants, random read/write speeds up to 2,200K/2,600K IOPS to boost performance rates when running AI-empowered apps and moving game files, and cutting-edge thermal controls to keep it from overheating.

So, if you're a professional working in graphic design, photography, and similar other fields, the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD could be the secret weapon you need to hit your deadlines with time to spare, especially now that its implied "list price" of $679.99 has settled to $444.99 at Amazon — though camelcamelcamel exposes its actual highest recorded price at $505.46.

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Over the past few months, I've been slowly getting into handheld gaming, so I can play games while using my exercise bike to lose weight at the same time. But my goodness, its default 512GB internal SSD isn't good enough to contain many AAA games these days.

Thankfully, the WD_Black SN770M 2TB SSD is now on sale for $349.99 at Best Buy. With this SSD giving my Steam Deck more install space, I'll avoid the tedious task of deleting and reinstalling games for many months to come.

Why buy the WD_Black SN770M SSD?

Having 2TB's worth of install space isn't the only thing that makes the WD_Black SN770M SSD one of the best SSDs for gaming handhelds.

It also features massive read speeds of 5150 MB/s and write speeds of 4850 MB/s, which will significantly speed up your gaming handheld's boot times, game load times, file transfers, update installs, and more, with little to no lag.

Additionally, the WD_Black SN770M SSD is easy to install onto a gaming handheld, and it's less prone to overheating when inserted into an ASUS ROG Ally like microSD cards are.

If you've never tinkered with a gaming handheld before and you're scared of breaking it, don't worry, we have guides on upgrading SSDs on the Steam Deck and upgrading SSDs on the ASUS ROG Ally to help you out.

The only thing holding this SSD back from being perfect (aside from not having 4TB and 8TB models) is its steep MSRP, which can range from $429.99 to $700.99 depending on the retailer.

However, with this $349.99 at Best Buy for the WD_Black SN770M SSD's 2TB model, you will avoid having to pay these ludicrous prices and enjoy installing dozens of AAA games onto your Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally without micromanaging storage space.

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Amazon isn't waiting for Memorial Day on May 25, 2026, to host its stockpiled discounts as it has now opened its Memorial Day Sales event, reducing the price on various electronics like computing components.

One such component on sale is the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 270K Plus, a highly powerful CPU for productivity and mid-range gaming that's now available at a 22% discount for $279.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 270K Plus?

The Intel Core Ultra 7 278K Plus CPU has a fair number of selling points in its favor for enhancing productivity efficiency. It features 24-core threads (8 Performance-cores + 16 Efficient-cores) that provide whatever rig it's installed in faster multi-thread performance rates.

It can support DDR5 RAM up to 7,200 MT/s, so it ensures high processing speeds for your PC, and it has a base clock speed of 3.7GHz and a max clock speed of 5.5GHz to help boost your PC's performance rates while loading applications and user input responsiveness.

In short, this CPU will ensure that your PC will have no issue writing up mountains of reports and spreadsheets in Microsoft Office programs, booting up, or loading internet pages.

It's not too shabby when it comes to PC gaming either.

According to our friends, Tom's Hardware's review of the Intel Core Ultra 7 278K Plus, it was able to help a PC run high-end games like DOOM: The Dark Ages, Monster Hunter Wilds, Final Fantasy XIV, and Cyberpunk 2077 at around 60fps or even 100fps, thanks to its Intel Binary Optimization Tool (iBOT).

So, if you're looking to boost your rig's performance primarily for professional activities while having some extra horsepower for PC gaming on the side, then you can't do worse than the Intel Core Ultra 7 278K Plus CPU, especially now that its $357.12 MSRP is chopped by 22% for $279.99 at Amazon.

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With the RAM Crisis driving the prices of PC towers and laptops to ludicrous heights, Mini-PCs have become a popular alternative option for people who want to get their everyday tasks done without breaking their bank account.

One of our favorite examples of these compact-sized Mini-PCs is the dependable Geekom IT13, which is currently enjoying a 33% discount for $598.00 at Amazon (at the time of this posting).

Why buy the Geekom IT13?

The Geekom IT13 is outfitted with a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900HK CPU, an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

With these hardware specs, it can easily perform rudimentary and advanced productivity tasks like hosting video games, crunching numbers, and drafting documents in Microsoft Office, and browsing the internet for information in a speedy fashion with no lag.

It also features a varied selection of HDMI and USB ports for monitors and accessories, the ability to support four 4K monitors at once or one 8K monitor, and a compact design of 4.6 x 4.4 x 1.9 inches, so it will take up very little real estate on your desk.

The only downsides of the Geekom IT13 are that it uses DD4M RAM, which has been surpassed these days by DDR5 RAM in terms of performance and affordability, and its steep MSRP of $849.00, which is considered overpriced for a Mini-PC.

Thankfully, you won't have to worry about that, thanks to Amazon's $569.04 discount deal that will save you $279.96 off that pricey MSRP.

So, if you're looking for one of the best Mini-PCs that can help you clear your daily work chores with plenty of ports for 4K monitors, then the Geekom IT13 is for you.

Alternative discounts

• $599.00 at Best Buy (was $749.99)
• $599.00 at Newegg (was $849.99)

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE (05/13/2026)

AMD is a pioneer in the field of PC gaming components. Many of its CPUs have helped our desktops run games at their full potential for smoother gameplay and backing up GPUs with prettier visuals than home consoles.

One such CPU that lives up to AMD's lofty pedigree is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is currently on sale with a 16% discount for $419.99 at Newegg if you use this special promo code "SSF6798" during checkout.

On top of that, Newegg is offering a Corsair CX750M power supply worth $64.99 as a bonus gift along with this discount for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, so you can give your computer extra power to run its new CPU for free.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is an unstoppable CPU that trades processing power for productivity tasks, so it can focus all its power into empowering your rig for PC gaming, especially when paired with a high-end GPU.

With its 8 cores, 16 threads, 4.7 GHz base clock speeds, 5.2 GHz max clock speeds of 5.2 GHz, and second-generation 3D V-Cache with 96GB of memory (all built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture), this CPU can crush the specification requirements of any PC game thrown at it.

For example, our senior editor, Ben Wilson, confirmed during his review of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D that a PC outfitted with this CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU was able to run graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 266fps, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 305fps, Forza Horizon 5 at 387fps, and Black Myth: Wukong at 145fps.

In fact, it managed to run games with greater framerates than some of its competitors, like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The latter of which, by the way, has a more expensive MSRP of $599.99, which makes you realize that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has better value if it's able to run games with a lower MSRP of $501.49 at Newegg.

So, if you're building a PC rig purely for gaming and want the most framerates possible for smoother, more input-accurate gameplay, then the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is now 12% off at Newegg (don't forget to use the "SSF6798" promo code to drop it further to 16%), is a must-have for hardcore PC gamers.

Alternative discounts

• $439.99 at Amazon (was $479.99)
• $439.99 at Walmart (was $479.99)

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Original Article (05/12/2026)

PC gaming is becoming increasingly troublesome for those on a tight budget these days. Even without mentioning the ongoing, exhausting RAM crisis, AAA games are sometimes getting too big for a PC's default storage drive to handle, as they can take up hundreds of gigabytes and barely leave any space for essential programs.

One of the best ways to solve this conundrum is by upgrading your PC with SanDisk's WD_Black 4TB SN850X SSD, which is currently having its frankly absurd listing price of $1,701.99, reduced to a more reasonable price of $653 at Amazon.

Why buy the WD_Black SN850X 4TB SSD?

This model of the WD_Black SN850X SSD is equipped with 4TB of storage space, with lofty 7,300 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write speeds.

With these specs, you will be able to install a mountain's worth of AAA video games while having plenty of leftover space for other large-scale files like 4K videos, photos, Word documents, and more.

Plus, with these monsterously high read and write Speeds, transferring files into and from the SSD will be done in a snap, and loading times for video games or booting up programs will be significantly shorter.

On top of that, there are alternative heatsinks for each model. While the WD_Black SN850X SSD can operate just fine without one, it can still be recommended to acquire a model with a heatsink to improve its sustained performance rates and prevent thermal throttling in higher-end rigs.

The WD_Black SN850X SSD's major downside is its asking price, which grew worse in 2026 thanks to rising tech prices caused by the RAM crisis. Right now, SanDisk's listing price for this SSD is $1,701.99, but Amazon is currently selling it at 62% off for $653.

Now, while this is still pricey compared to the good old days, it's certainly a better offer than $1,701.99, and well worth the money if you never want to have to deal with constantly deleting your games off Steam to make room for essential Windows OS updates and other games ever again for years.

Alternative discounted models

1TB

• $258.95 at Amazon (was $425.99)
• $204.82 at Newegg (was $232.97)
• $269.99 at Best Buy (was $319.99)

1TB with heatsink

• $298.95 at Amazon (was $448.99)

2TB

• $325.99 at Newegg (was $374.30)
• $389.99 at Best Buy (was $593.90)

2TB with heatsink

• $419.69 at Amazon (was $885.99)

4TB

• $669.99 at Best Buy (was $799.99)

8TB

• $1,762.37 at Newegg (was $1,899.99)
• $1,762.37 at Best Buy (was $1,899.95)

8TB with heatsink

• $1,349.99 at Amazon (was $3,449.99)
• $1,549.02 at Walmart (was $1,632.74)

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We're quickly approaching the halfway point of 2026, and I'm seeing no signs that the ongoing RAM crisis will be solved anytime soon.

Prices remain high as AI datacenters eat up the world's supply of DRAM, and the effects are blooming into other areas of the market. I hate to say it, but the crisis could go on for years as supplies are purchased years in advance by corporations with a lot more money than you or I.

The RAM crisis has, of course, created a new graduating class of bad actors hoping to make some easy money by ripping you off. I've been following these fake RAM stories closely for months, and I have five top tips to help you avoid being ripped off the next time you purchase memory.

1. Fake RAM modules ... and I mean completely fake

One of the biggest cons going on right now involves the sale of RAM sticks with fake memory chips glued onto a PCB.

Although I'm sure this has been happening for a few months, it seems to have come to a head lately as Japanese X user @taki_pc_1115 recently shared a similar warning.

They were able to spot some fake SODIMM modules used in laptops, and upon removing the chips installed on the board, they discovered that they were nothing more than plastic made to look real.

In the example above, the biggest tip-off is the use of SK hynix chips on a Samsung module. I probably would have caught that just based on years of looking at RAM modules, but I imagine most potential buyers wouldn't notice.

It gets worse if you're dealing in desktop RAM, which often comes covered in a styled heatsink. No way to see inside means even fewer hints that it's fake.

TL;DR: If you buy RAM online, be sure to compare the provided images with images of what you know are authentic counterparts. Use serial numbers for easier matching. This will help you avoid buying fake RAM.

2. Junk RAM being sold as "untested" with "no returns"

"Oh, look — someone upgraded their PC and they're selling the old RAM for cheap! They must know about the ongoing RAM crisis!"

Second-hand auction sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace generally have a lot of RAM for sale, but it's certainly not all legit. Worse, there's a good chance that the seller knows exactly what they're doing.

👉 The RAM pricing crisis continues to attack affordable computing with more (and significant) hikes on Raspberry Pi

If you see a listing that mentions RAM is untested or freshly pulled from a PC, I would be wary. If the listing mentions "no returns," it's time to double your guard.

The RAM might not be fake, but it might not be in any sort of working condition. And since you can't send it back, you're left with less PC upgrade budget and the same amount of memory you started with.

TL;DR: Avoid second-hand RAM sales that mention "no returns" or "untested."

3. Huge RAM discounts that seem too good to be true

I've spotted more than a few RAM deals I consider to be excellent in our new memory market reality, but they're generally offered directly from first-party retailers or arrive as part of a bundle that helps ease the pricing burden.

As with just about any piece of tech, I can't stress enough that a deal that feels too good to be true is probably exactly that.

👉 This mad scientist pulled a Tony Stark and created RAM in a shed, with a box of scraps — and he's using the results to plan for bigger projects

Scammers love to grab your attention with a price that's lower than anything else. Once you're hooked with an unbelievable price, you're less likely to notice a potential issue. Once the shipment arrives, there's a good chance it'll contain fake RAM (or none at all).

TL;DR: If RAM is being sold for way less than it should be, there's a good chance it's a fake sale. In rare cases, you might miss a legitimately good opportunity, but the risks outweigh the benefits.

4. Bait-and-switch RAM sales

Yep, it's the ol' bait-and-switch method that's been plaguing online buyers for years.

In this case, you buy what you think is new RAM that hasn't been used. Whatever, you'll splurge a bit in order to finish your PC build. The RAM's packaging is still sealed! What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, buying a sealer and some plastic wrap is a cheap way to make some quick money. A scammer buys real RAM from a real store, removes it from the packaging, puts in some old or unworking RAM (or some rocks to make up the weight), and reseals it.

They then return the now-faked RAM to the store, where it's put back on sale after a quick inspection. You buy it next, and you're left with nothing. This seems to mostly happen with third-party resellers (even if they're hosting at a legit site like Amazon).

TL;DR: Always take a close look at the RAM you buy, even if it's "new." A pristine package's contents could have been swapped out before you bought the RAM.

5. Relabeled RAM that runs ... but not like it should

I hope that I would never fall prey to this type of scam based on how many PCs I've built, but I'm certainly not saying I'm immune. For those who aren't always dealing in the PC build world, this scam is particularly nefarious.

It's kind of a mix of all the other scams I've listed here. A bad actor buys real DDR5 RAM and removes it from the packaging. They then replace it with fake or rebranded RAM that's basically worthless.

But instead of the fake RAM not working at all, it functions enough that the fakery goes unnoticed. It allows a PC to boot and function, and the issues only arise under specific testing that casual users don't normally employ.

You're out some big money you spent on what you thought was DDR5 RAM, and you're wondering why everyone was making such a big fuss about a memory upgrade when it feels like your PC hasn't improved at all.

TL;DR: Some old RAM might be relabeled and sold as one thing, and it actually works when you install it in your PC. But it's not what you paid for, and it's not actually an upgrade.

Windows Central wants to know how you're avoiding RAM scams in 2026

Buying memory in 2026 is like navigating a minefield. I wrote this piece in the hopes that I can help a few of you avoid scams, but I'm sure there are some great tips out there that I haven't mentioned.

What sort of precautionary measures have you been taking? It doesn't necessarily have to be about RAM, as so many other components, like storage, have also risen in price.

Be sure to let me know in the comments section below!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

SSDs are absolutely vital for PCs because without them, where we would be able to install and play our PC games or store our vital documents away from thieving eyes, especially for those who don't have Cloud access?

Unfortunately, this dastardly RAM Crisis has made SSDs extremely more difficult to purchase with rising prices and stock shortages. However, one of our favorite SSDs has slipped through the RAM Crisis to obtain a 33% discount for $429.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Samsung 990 Pro?

The Samsung Pro 990 SSD has plenty of enticing selling points for gamers, content creators, and professionals alike.

It has a wide variety of size models available (1TB, 2TB, and 4TB) with alternative heatsink versions to prevent thermal throttling. It has fantastic performance ratings with 7,450 MB/s Read Speeds and 6,900 MB/s Write Speed, which immensely reduces loading times for games without lag or delay and boosts file transfer speeds when porting or extracting files to the Samsung Pro 990 SSD.

Other noteworthy features include solid thermal management (even with the non-heatsink versions), compatibility with PlayStation 5 consoles, a 5-year limited warranty, and RGB lighting for its Heatsink variants.

The only drawbacks of this SSD are that's not compatible with 5.0 PCIe slots and it's pricey $639.99 MSRP. However, with this $429.99 discounted price at Amazon, you will be able to dodge the latter issue and enjoying reaping the benefits of one of the best SSDs around while saving $210 in the process.

Alternative discounted models

• 1TB – $249.99 at Amazon (was $319.99)
• 4TB – $926.99 at Amazon (was $1,099.99)

Discounted models with heatsink

• 1TB – $309.33 at Amazon (was $339.99)
• 2TB – $499.99 at Amazon (was $669.99)
• 4TB – $852.99 at Amazon (was $1,139.99)

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Original article's last update (16/5/2026):

I know we're all sick of hearing this, but it bears repeating – that RAM crisis sucks. Not only has AI gorged on our precious memory, but it's also caused prices on all our beloved gadgets and PCs to skyrocket, including SSDs that are vital for storing our precious documents, videos, and video games.

Fortunately, one of WB_Black's powerful PCIe 5.0 SSDs is currently circumventing these price hikes with a special bargain sale at Best Buy, the most lucrative being this $459.99 discount for the 2TB model.

Why buy the WN_Black SN8100 SSD?

SanDisk produces some of the best SSDs on the market for gaming, and the WD_Black SN8100 is one of its finest, premium-grade offerings yet.

On top of multiple storage sizes available (1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB), the WD_Black SN8100 SSD features astronomical Read Speeds up to 14,900MB/s and Write Speeds up to 11,000MB/s (both of which are double the speeds of PCle 4 SSDs like the Samsung 990 Pro).

With these specs, loading times for rendering assets in games and transferring large files will go by in the blink of an eye, while reducing lag while playing games or editing videos.

However, as a result of these mighty specs, the WD_Black SN8100 can run really hot when put under heavy workloads, so make sure your computer's motherboard has a heatsink to keep the SSD from overheating.

If you can get past that hurdle, the WD_Black SN8100 is a phenomenal SSD for gamers, content creators, and office workers looking to future-proof their PCle 5.0 desktops for years to come.

And with this 54% discount, that's reduced the 2TB model's absurd $1000.99 MSRP down to $459.99 at Best Buy, it's practically a steal as far as long-term storage investment for your PC goes.

Alternative discounted storage sizes

• 1TB - $249.99 at Amazon (was $279.99)
• 8TB - $1999.99 at Amazon (was $2,599.99)

Alternative discounts

• $459.99 at Newegg (Free NordVPN Basic Product Key with purchase at Newegg for a limited time).

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SSD storage has recently been hit with price hikes caused by global supply chain issues and shortages, and just like RAM, an SSD has become one of the most expensive components in a PC.

One of the most popular and well-rated M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives, straight from the WD_Black factory, is enjoying a massive discount right now.

Can I use the WD_Black SN7100 for PC gaming?

Sandisk's WD_Black lineup of SSDs is indeed built for PC gaming, whether you're rocking a laptop or a desktop rig.

A combination of PCIe 4.0 and Sandisk's 3D TLC NAND provides superb performance, with the 4TB model reaching 7,000MB/s read and 6,700 MB/s write speeds. Performance only improves on the 1TB and 2TB models, hitting 7,250MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write speeds.

Endurance is also in line with top storage options, delivering a 600TBW rating for each terabyte of storage. For the 4TB model, that means you should realistically be able to write 2,400TB to the drive before a risk of failure. Not bad at all. The drives also come with a five-year warranty, should anything go wrong unexpectedly.

Our friends at PC Gamer reviewed the SN7100 1TB model, remarking:

"Despite product stack confusion, WD's latest Black SN7100 delivers some seriously impressive performance, particularly on the read front. It's cool, delivers where it needs to and is aggressively priced. Perfect for any gaming PC or console."

I haven't found a better price on these SN7100 SSDs anywhere else than Amazon, but do note that the sales are expected to end this weekend. That could change, but if you're interested, I recommend not waiting too long.

Having enough storage in a gaming PC is a struggle with which I can relate, and with prices normally so high these days, I'm seriously considering picking up one of these drives for myself while they're on sale at such a steep discount.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

We can always use more install space for our Xbox Series X|S, but using external SSDs is a pain because you can't play games directly from them, so you have to constantly transfer them back and forth between the Xbox's internal SSD if you want to play something.

Seagate's Storage Expansion Cards, however, bypass that limitation by allowing games to be played directly inside them while offering large quantities of install space for pricy MSRPs.

Fortunately, Amazon's Gaming Week sale has reduced this card's prices to more affordable levels for a short time. Meaning that the 1TB model is now $185.99 at Amazon (was $230.57), the 2TB model is now $274.99 at Amazon (was $349.99), and the 4TB model is now $549.99 at Amazon (was $659.99).

Why buy the Seagate Expansion Card for Xbox (and now PC)?

The Seagate Storage Expansion cards for Xbox come in 1TB, 2TB, and even 4TB sizes. This is a major boon in addressing the Xbox Series X|S's limited storage issues when installing newer AAA games that take up hundreds of gigabytes, like the 161GB-sized Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (and that's just the base game without DLC).

But that's not all this SSD card has going for it. It has a compact design that seamlessly integrates with the Xbox console without standing out, to prevent it from accidentally being knocked off.

Its Plug & Play design makes it easy to install without any wires, and it can allow games installed within the card to be played directly instead of needing to install them onto the Xbox's internal SSD.

What's more is that the Seagate Storage Expansion Card's performance speeds match that of the Xbox's systems, as it uses the Xbox Velocity Architecture. This means that playing games directly from the card won't negatively affect their performance, so you don't have to worry about issues like input delay or longer load times.

On top of that, it's compatible with the Xbox's Quick Resume feature. This allows players to pause their game when they power down the console and return to the dashboard, and continue from the exact place they left off once they return to the game.

So, if you don't want to deal with cable and file management while adding more space to your Xbox, you can't go wrong with the Seagate Storage Expansion cards. They're one of the most reliable Xbox SSDs on the market, and they're now affordable thanks to Amazon's discount for $185.99 at Amazon (1TB Model), $274.99 at Amazon (2TB Model), and $549.99 at Amazon (4TB Model).

Alternative discounts

When Amazon's discounts on these cards expire or they run out of stock, here are some alternative back-up bargains you can use:

1TB

• $199.99 at Best Buy (was $249.99)

2TB

• $275.88 at Walmart (was $299.99)
• $279.99 at Best Buy (was $349.99)
• $274.99 at Newegg (was $279.99)

FAQ

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With PC games in the AAA range requiring more and more power from our PCs, it's imperative to upgrade them with CPUs that can help them run these spec-hungry games at optimal graphical settings.

The AMD Ryzen 7800X3D is one such CPU, as its specs are built purely with high-end PC gaming in mind, and it's now on sale for $324.99 at Amazon as part of Amazon's Gaming Week sale.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is built with 8-cores, 16-threads, a 120W base TDP, a base clock speed of 4.2GHz, a max clock speed of 5.0GHz, and an L3 Cache with 96GB of Memory.

With these specs, this CPU absolutely dominates most PC gaming specs thrown at it. Case in point being my colleague, Ben Wilson's review of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, he was able to run games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider at over 250+ fps with an RTX 4090 using high graphical settings with ease.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D also features superb power management to keep its temperature from rising out of control, and compatibility with the Ryzen Master app that will allow it to overclock for an extra performance boost.

The only downsides of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D are that its AM5 sockets are not compatible with DDR4 RAM. Plus, its performance rates when it comes to productivity tasks, and apps are underwhelmingly slow compared to most of Intel's CPUs.

Then again, this CPU was never targeting apps from Microsoft Office or explicitly designed for creating art in Adobe Photoshop. The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D was meant to help your PC run the best PC games on the market with as many gameplay-enhancing framerates as possible.

In that regard, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D succeeds with gusto and at a surprisingly reasonable MSRP of $449.99, as other similarly powerful, all-rounder CPUs like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D run for much higher prices of $699.00.

However, with Amazon Gaming Week's 28% discount for $324.99 at Amazon, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is now one of the most affordable, high-end PC gaming components around that's worth every penny.

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Amazon Gaming Week has begun, and it's already bringing some generous discounts to items that are essential to enjoy PC gaming with the smoothest framerates and resolutions possible.

Fortunately, one of our favorite CPUs for gaming just so happens to be on sale for this event, and it's none other than the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is now available with an 8% discount for $439.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is one of the best overall PC gaming CPUs you can install in your PC and bring out its GPU's greatest performance, whether it's an RTX 4060 or an RTX 4070.

It can do this because the AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is outfitted with 8-cores, 16-threads, a base clock speed of 4.7GHz, a max clock speed of 5.2 GHz, and a second-generation 3D V-Cache with 96GB of memory, all built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture.

This allows a PC with a Ryzen 9800X3D to improve its performance significantly for gaming and achieve high framerates for more enjoyable and stable gameplay.

One of our tech experts, Ben Wilson, tested this CPU on several demanding AAA PC games during his review for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and discovered it could help a PC easily reach 266fps in Cyberpunk 2077, 305fps in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and 387fps in Forza Horizon 5 when paired with an RTX 4090.

It certainly crushes similar, more expensive rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (which has an MSRP of $599.99) in the gaming performance department, that's for sure.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is no slouch when it comes to productivity performance, either, as it features decent multi-core and single-core processing speed that make it around 21-22% faster than its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

On top of that, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is compatible with most AM5 CPU coolers without needing you to go hunt down new adapters for it to work, saving some of your budget in the process.

The only real issue is that if you're upgrading your PC's CPU from a Ryzen 5000X3D series CPU, you will need to acquire a new motherboard with DDR5 RAM to install the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Also, its pricey MSRP of $479.99 doesn't help matters either if you're conscious about your budget when buying PC upgrades. Fortunately, the pricing is somewhat lessened with this 8% discount for $439.99 at Amazon, giving you a chance to own this stellar PC component for less.

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Games and accessories aren't the only things on sale for Amazon's Gaming Week sale; Amazon is also hosting discounts on special components that will help your PC rig run the best PC games at their maximum graphical and performance potential.

One such component is the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, a high-end CPU for both gaming and workplace environments, which is now on sale with an 18% discount for $573.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D?

The reasons why the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is powerful is because it's equipped with a 3D V-Cache, 16-Cores, 32 Threads, a 144MB Cache Memory (specifically 128MB L3 and 16MB L2 Memory), a base clock speed of 4.3 GHz, and a max clock speed of 5.7GHz.

As you can see from the benchmark tests above, all this tech allows the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D to stand above most of its competition in terms of processing power and multitasking heavy-duty productivity assignments and/or content creation projects with ease.

These performance rates also translate to PC gaming. Our tests from our review on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D showed it can help PCs run demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, and Monster Hunter Wilds at high framerates near or well above 60fps on high graphical settings.

The only real technical issue with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is that its energy-thirsty 170W base TDP requires advanced cooling systems like an AIO liquid cooler to keep from overheating.

Plus, it has a rather pricy MSRP of $699.99, making it less valuable than other alternative AMD CPUs dedicated to specific needs with similar performance rates and lower prices, like the purely gaming AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

However, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D's pricing issue has been mitigated just for this week, as Amazon Gaming Week has reduced it from $699.99 to $573.99, making it more palatable for users looking to upgrade their rig with the best performance rates possible for PC gaming and work.

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Amazon is looking to close April with a bang for gamers as it's holding a special Amazon Gaming Week sale for various video games and accessories dedicated to them.

Xbox fans, especially, are in for a treat this week as all variants of the WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Cards are some of the lucky accessories going on sale this week. These include its 2TB variant for $213.99 at Amazon (was $624.00), 1TB variant for $149.99 at Amazon (was $374.99), and 512GB variant for $99.99 at Amazon (was $199.99).

Why buy the WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox?

Aside from having plentiful install space, Western Digital's WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox's major selling points include an eye-pleasing, compact design that makes it easy to store while traveling, a nice and simple installation method, and a durable build.

Performance-wise, these SSD cards can match the Xbox Series X|S's internal SSD Read Speeds of 2.4GHz and Write Speeds of 4.8GHz by using Xbox Velocity Architecture. This means that when you're playing games directly from the cards, their performance will not suffer for it and run as well as if they were installed in the internal SSD.

That's another cool thing about the WD_Black C50 Storage Expansion Cards: you can directly launch and play games installed in them, instead of having to constantly be shuffled to fit into the console's internal SSD like you would external SSD drives.

Combine this with Quick Resume compatibility to prevent you from losing progress while you turn the console off, and more affordable price tags compared to Seagate's Xbox Storage Expansion Cards (e.g., $212.49 for WD_Black's 2TB expansion card vs $274.99 for Seagate's 2TB expansion card), and you've got one of the best, bang-for-your-buck SSDs you can buy for your Xbox's storage unit.

Alternative discounts

When Amazon's discounts expire, or WD_Black Storage Expansion cards run out of stock there, here are some alternative discounts sold elsewhere you can use as backup options:

• 1TB Card — $149.99 at Best Buy (was $359.99)
• 2TB Card — $301.17 at Best Buy (was $559.99)

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The Xbox Ally is a great gaming handheld for enjoying Xbox Cloud gaming and Xbox titles in general on the go. Although one thing we can all agree on is that it's pretty bad at storing AAA games and tons of smaller games at once due to having a limited storage size of 512GB.

Thankfully, Sandisk's 512GB Extreme microSD USH-A Card is a great way to solve this because it can double the Xbox Ally's storage capacity while protecting your budget as it's currently on sale for $109.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Sandisk Extreme microSD card for gaming handhelds?

Aside from having a sizable storage capacity of 512GB, the Sandisk 512GB Extreme UHS-I microSD features 245MB/s Read Speeds and 170MB/s Write Speeds.

With these speeds, your Xbox Ally will be able to download games/updates much faster, and you will cut loading times by a huge margin, so you won't waste time staring at loading screens.

This microSD is also capable of storing photos or video footage in gorgeously detailed 5K[3] or 4K UHD resolutions with video speed class ratings of U3 and V30[4].

On top of that, it's waterproof, shockproof, temperatureproof, humidityproof, dropproof, magnetproof, X-rayproof, and wear-outproof.

For these reasons, the Sandisk 512GB Extreme microSD takes the cake for being the "Best budget UHS-I for doubling storage size" among our favorite microSD cards for Xbox Ally, and one we highly recommend now that its pricey $184.99 MSRP has been reduced to a more reasonable price of $109.99 at Amazon.

Alternative discounts

Amazon is also selling various sizes of the Sandisk Extreme microSD with the following discounted prices:

• 1TB microSD — $221.94 at Amazon (was $369.99)
• 256GB microSD — $64.90 at Amazon (was $99.99)
• 128GB microSD — $39.99 at Amazon (was $65.99)
• 64GB microSD — $27.99 at Amazon (was $36.99)

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Mini PCs are often mistaken for a budget downgrade compared to full-sized towers and laptops, but sometimes, premium-grade mini PCs come along to show that they can also hang with big-time desktops in terms of performance.

One of these ambitious examples is the Beelink SER9 Pro+, an all-rounder that can blaze through productivity workflows and even play mid-range games competently, and it's now on sale with an 18% discount for $748.98 at Amazon.

Why buy the Beelink SER9 Pro?

First off, the Beelink SER9 PRO+ has a compact form factor with 135 x 135 x 44.7mm dimensions, so you can easily fit it on your work desk without taking too much space, and easily store it in luggage bags while traveling.

It's also equipped with 32GB of RAM, an AMD Ryzen 7 H 255 CPU (with a max clock speed of 4.9GHz, 8 Cores and 16 Threads), an AMD Radeon 780M GPU, and a 1TB SSD.

This collection of hardware helps it confidently breeze through a variety of productivity workflow tasks in programs like Microsoft Office without having its systems make too much noise.

It's also a competent PC gaming option as it can run older games and indie titles at their max settings and even modern AAA titles at medium settings.

So, if you're looking for a premium-grade yet affordable mini-PC that can do more than just the bare essentials for work and play, then Beelink SER9 Pro+ won't steer you astray.

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Storing stockpiles of games on Xbox can be a drag these days, what with AAA titles costing hundreds of gigabytes worth of space and constantly moving them from external SSDs and consoles, as you can't play games directly from them.

Seagate's Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S, however, skip all the tedious file management while packing tons of space for your games, depending on what card you choose. These include 1TB cards (now 17% off for $190.50 at Amazon), 2TB cards (now 15% for $275.88 at Newegg), and 4TB cards (now 17% off for $549.99 at Amazon).

Why buy the Seagate Expansion Card for Xbox (and now PC)?

In addition to large storage spaces for games, Seagate's Xbox Storage Expansion Cards seamlessly integrate into an Xbox Series X|S and feature the ability to play games directly installed on them, unlike external hard drives.

They also include fast transfer speeds so you won't feel any input lag while playing games on them, and they're compatible with Xbox's Quick Resume feature, so you can continue playing where you left off after turning the console off.

What's more, they can double as storage units for PCs once you're done using them for Xbox consoles. That's right, it was believed that Seagate's Storage Expansion Cards were capable of only being used on Xbox Series X|S.

However, a Reddit user called u/Dramatic-Shape5574 discovered that a somewhat inexpensive PCIe adapter can combine with Seagate's Xbox Expansion Cards and use them on a PC to grant them extra storage while offering twice the speed of a normal SATA SSD.

With this finding, these expansion cards are now not just one of the best SSDs for Xbox, but for PC too. They may be pricey, but as someone who owns one of these cards, they're 100% worth the long-term investment.

Alternative discounts

If the above main discounts expire or run out of stock, here are some alternative back-up bargains you can use:

1TB

• $190.28 at Amazon (was $230.57)
• $199.99 at Best Buy (was $249.99)

2TB

• $275.88 at Amazon (was $349.99)
• $275.88 at Walmart (was $299.99)
• $279.99 at Best Buy (was $349.99)
• $275.88 at Newegg (was $349.99)

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Ever since the AI boom began more than a year ago, it's seemed like NVIDIA has had more important priorities than the consumer PC market. That makes sense, considering how much money the company is currently making from its specialized AI GPUs and support systems for datacenters.

This position seems to have shifted, at least if you're on the side of believing a new rumor originating at SemiAccurate. According to SA, NVIDIA is negotiating "a huge purchase that will reshape the PC and server landscape like nothing else has done since the computer was invented."

The SA piece also says that NVIDIA has been working on a potential purchase of "a large PC-oriented company" since at least 2024.

If the rumor is at all true, which it could certainly turn out not to be, we'll likely have concrete proof soon. SemiAccurate states that "the time is approaching to make a deal or walk" for NVIDIA and the PC company it wants to purchase.

Which PC company is NVIDIA rumored to be in talks to acquire?

The news that NVIDIA is hoping to purchase "a large company" in 2026 leads some to believe that it's one of the top PC manufacturers in the world. Although the rumor doesn't include any specific names, the list of top PC brands isn't exactly long.

According to a recent report from analysts at Omdia, Lenovo sold the most PCs in 2025 with 71 million units.

HP came in at second place after selling about 57 million PCs in 2025, while Dell hit third place with 42 million PC sales. ASUS and Acer both sold around 20 million and 17 million units, respectively.

While it makes more sense for NVIDIA to potentially be going after one of the smaller companies not mentioned in the list, like MSI or Gigabyte, Bloomberg was quick to report that it was Dell and HP's share prices that have made a significant jump today since the SemiAccurate story was released.

Is there any weight to a rumored PC company acquisition by NVIDIA?

NVIDIA has been in the PC rumor cycle of late, not because it plans to buy an entire company, but because it is working on a new chip for gaming PCs to rival those from Intel and AMD.

NVIDIA's N1X rumors began as far back as 2023, and only lately has there been further proof that an ARM-based chip is on the way from the company that has always mainly been focused on GPUs.

Buying an entire PC company in which the NVIDIA N1X chip makes its debut is certainly a possibility, at least for a company with as much money as NVIDIA.

This would allow Team Green to control everything from design to performance and battery tuning, and it would likely bring NVIDIA's new chip into far more PCs.

I'm filing the rumor under the "possible but not likely section," at least until more proof is shared.

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A free, open-source GitHub project called OpenNOW is gaining a lot of attention in the PC gaming community as an alternative to the native NVIDIA GeForce Now app.

OpenNOW, created and maintained by the OpenCloud community, is built for use with Windows (ARM64 support included), macOS, and Linux (x64 or ARM64), and as its creators state, it "aims to give players a transparent, customizable alternative to the official client without hiding the technical parts from contributors."

NVIDIA GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service that rivals Xbox Cloud Gaming in its reach and appeal, allowing gamers who don't necessarily have a powerful PC to enjoy games running on top-tier hardware.

Unfortunately, not all GeForce Now subscribers love the native app offered by NVIDIA. Those users now have this alternative, assuming NVIDIA's legal team doesn't get involved.

Why is OpenNOW getting so much attention as a GeForce Now alternative?

It's explicitly stated that you must use your own GeForce Now account with OpenNOW; this isn't some way to get around subscription fees. So why is OpenNOW getting so much attention? Although it's only been around and under active construction since late 2025, it has now picked up 1.5K stars on GitHub.

The biggest perk for many gamers is a lack of AFK limitations. You know how GeForce Now will drop you out of a game if you walk away and get distracted for more than a few minutes? That doesn't happen in OpenNOW.

It's also clearly stated on the OpenNOW GitHub page that the app does not collect any sort of telemetry. Authentication of your GeForce Now account is all done through NVIDIA servers, and game settings and any media you capture stay on your PC.

Beyond privacy and telemetry concerns, OpenNOW is just easy to use. It offers a robust set of stream controls you can use to adjust performance and graphics. It has built-in performance monitoring and diagnostic tools. Search is streamlined for your games and private games. And the app handles captures, audio, and controller navigation.

Perhaps the best part is that it's open source. That means savvy developers can fork their own version and apply changes as they see fit.

The OpenNOW app's website shows that it's working on adding features like voice chat, instant replay, themes, and custom scripts and extensions, and with the rate at which the app is currently being updated, I don't expect these features to be missing for too long.

NVIDIA GeForce Now vs. OpenNOW: Which one should you use?

OpenNOW does have some limitations compared to its official NVIDIA counterpart, and I'm sure that many PC gamers won't want to give up features like Discord integration or Android compatibility. Not to mention HOTAS support for all the flight sim enthusiasts out there.

Still, OpenNOW should be a great option for anyone who's into privacy and advanced streaming controls. For those who want a more streamlined experience with official support, GeForce Now remains the go-to option.

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Dell is celebrating the season of new beginnings with Spring Sales event, discounting several of its PCs, laptops, and other devices for a limited time.

One of these PCs is the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop, a mighty pre-built rig that offers high performance rates with a stylish, sci-fi design that just had its pricey $2149.99 MSRP cut down to a cheaper price of $1649.99 at Dell.

Why buy this gaming desktop?

Our friends at TechRadar favored this gaming laptop highly, giving 4 out 5 stars while saying, and I quote, "For gamers and creators alike, it remains a sleek, capable desktop that balances style with reliable all-around performance."

Dell's discounted configuration of the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU, an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU (20 cores), 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

The RTX 5060 Ti has received multiple positive reviews for enhancing a PC's capability to easily run demanding games at 60fps and 1080p at high settings. It can also boost their performance even higher to levels around 100fps and 1440p with the aid of DLSS 4/Multi-Frame Generation integrated into the graphics card.

Normally, this kind of power can be taxing on lesser rigs, but the Aurora's Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU helps maintain its energy output so it draws less power while preventing its systems from overheating with the aid of an air cooler system.

On top of that, 32GB of RAM is a blessing (especially in this RAM-deprived era) for its system as it helps reduce performance-hindering bottlenecking during multi-tasking or intensive gaming sessions, and its 1TB SSD provides a decent amount of space to install your games on.

If you feel its RAM and SSD don't meet your standards, the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop will allow you to replace them with larger componants up to max limits of 64GB RAM and 8TB of storage space.

So, If you're looking for a high-end PC built to run games at 1440p with gusto while packing a stunning yet durable design ripped out of a Sci-Fi flick, then the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop might be your next permanent upgrade now that it's 23% off for $1649.99 at Dell.

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PC gaming in 2026 is increasingly becoming a matter of AI upscaling and frame generation. Assuming you're comfortable with that, good on you. You're going to have a great time with smooth frames and higher framerates than ever before.

If you're not on board with the "fake frames" movement largely spearheaded by NVIDIA, I have some bad news. The use of AI by cutting-edge graphics cards from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel isn't going anywhere any time soon.

This has never been more evident than in the past day or two. NVIDIA launched the first portion of its DLSS 4.5 update earlier this year at CES 2026. A second-gen Transformer Super Resolution model was immediately available for NVIDIA's RTX cards, promising superior image quality thanks to significantly improved compute power.

The other portion of DLSS 4.5's feature update, Dynamic Multi Frame Generation with up to 6X Multi Frame Generation (MFG), finally launched in beta on March 31.

👉 NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, Intel XeSS, and Microsoft DirectSR explained

NVIDIA's frame multiplier was capped at 4X in DLSS 4, meaning that for each frame created "naturally" by the GPU, there were three other frames being pumped out using AI generation.

With 6X MFG, RTX 50-series graphics cards can now create five AI-generated frames for each natural frame generated in the "old-fashioned" method. In order to better balance display refresh rates and GPU output, NVIDIA's new Dynamic MFG can step in to automatically change the frame generation multiplier.

NVIDIA likens this process to a car's automatic transmission, and it's surprisingly apt. If your GPU is having a hard time matching your display's refresh rate, it raises the multiplier. If your GPU isn't struggling to hit a target framerate, it lowers the multiplier.

Early impressions of NVIDIA's Dynamic MFG 6X are very positive

All of those fake frames being generated by NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPUs should surely come with some drawbacks, right? As it turns out, everyone who's tested the new DLSS 4.5 features basically has the same positive outlook, with perks heavily outweighing downsides.

Perhaps the biggest news is that NVIDIA managed to push MFG from 4X to 6X without really affecting input latency (the delay between inputs from your mouse or keyboard and the actions showing up on screen) in any serious way.

Our friends at Tom's Hardware tested MFG 6X with Cyberpunk 2077. Input latency without any MFG was at 35ms. At 2X MFG, it climbed to 46.6ms. It only rose to 53.2ms at 4X MFG, and it actually fell to 52.6ms at 6X MFG.

Meanwhile, average framerates rose from 60 FPS all the way to 247.7 FPS using the exact same hardware and in-game settings. All that for just 17.6ms of extra input latency. It's a compromise that I know many PC gamers will gladly make.

Colleagues at PC Gamer discovered largely the same results in their initial testing of Dynamic MFG and MFG 6X, remarking:

This is but a small sample of hands-on reporting, but the response is basically the same everywhere you look. DLSS 4.5's Dynamic MFG and MFG 6X are worthy additions to NVIDIA's RTX toolbox.

That's not to say there aren't some caveats. You still need to have a decent baseline framerate to allow MFG to do its AI-assisted thing, and competitive gamers will still look the other way as they attempt to lower input latency as much as possible.

As PC Gamer points out after its testing, MFG 6X and Dynamic MFG are tools best viewed as capable of pushing good performance into great performance, rather than pushing bad performance into acceptable performance.

The future of PC gaming is all AI all the time, whether you like it or not

There are plenty of arguments to be made against the use of AI in PC gaming. One I hear most often is that developers should be optimizing their games to allow for reliable performance on raw hardware rather than relying on upscaling and frame generation.

I don't disagree, especially in the name of PC gamers who aren't blowing thousands on the latest hardware. Unfortunately, I don't think the industry is going to change any time soon. The AI path will almost certainly be the one we follow for years to come.

PC graphics keep improving as the engines that games are built on evolve, and even the most powerful consumer card, the NVIDIA RTX 5090, has trouble hitting high framerates without some form of AI assistance when path tracing and 4K resolutions are involved.

Whereas GPU hardware clearly has limitations on what it can achieve, software leveraging AI seems limitless in its abilities. Would you rather spend far more on GPU hardware or take advantage of "free" AI tools that boost performance well beyond what's otherwise expected?

I'll bet that in 10 years, the use of AI in PC gaming won't be controversial at all. It will be the accepted norm. Every modern mainstream GPU company is currently chasing some sort of AI upscaling and frame generation, and I don't see those efforts going away.

There are certainly going to be some speed bumps along the way, as is the case with any emerging technology that we're not quite ready to admit is the future.

For example, the outcry against NVIDIA's DLSS 5 reveal from a couple of weeks ago was practically unanimous, causing NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to backpedal a bit as it became clear that gamers aren't comfortable with a complete AI-generated reskin of their favorite games.

I'm certainly not on board with changing the entire look of the games I enjoy, although I also wasn't on board with MFG's initial 4X cap until I tested it myself in DOOM: The Dark Ages. It will be interesting to see how DLSS 5 is shaped by the PC gaming community and its strong opinions.

What do you think about the future of AI and PC gaming?

It might sound like I'm shilling for NVIDIA here, but trust me; I'm not. It's just hard to imagine a future of PC gaming, if we follow the current trajectory, that doesn't involve heavy use of AI to improve performance.

Do you agree that AI upscaling will no longer be a controversial topic in the future? Or could there be enough backlash that the entire momentum of the PC gaming industry changes course?

Will it be a hardware innovation that lets us go back to "real" frames? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Storage prices are out of control right now, and it's hard to recommend any new SSDs unless they're on sale. That's leaving a lot of PC builders and upgraders without enough storage space to hold all their data.

Luckily, B&H is currently taking advantage of World Backup Day to drop the price on a 1TB Kingston M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. This isn't just a wimpy $10 or $20 off, either. This is a full $106 discount that lowers the price to just $109.99. The deal is only live until midnight Eastern time tonight, so don't wait too long!

Is Kingston's NV3 a good M.2 SSD despite its budget pricing?

Although we haven't tested Kingston's NV3 here at Windows Central, our colleagues at Tom's Hardware reviewed it in 2024. They noted the SSD's respectable power efficiency, cool operation, and decent performance expected from the budget storage market.

Sure, you could spend hundreds on an M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with faster read and write speeds for enthusiast PC gaming or creative tasks, but not everyone has the budget or the need.

With read speeds up to 6,000MB/s and write speeds up to 4,000MB/s, the Kingston NV3 is going to beat any other drive available at the same price with ease. I haven't found any other SSD on sale for a similar price in recent months, and indeed, this one is only going to be discounted for today only.

The Kingston NV3 comes with a Terabytes Written (TBW) endurance rating of 320TB, plus it has an MTBF rating of two million hours. That's some respectable durability for a drive that's so affordable.

If you're making the switch from an older drive rather than just adding the NV3 to your system, the SSD comes with a copy of Acronis True Image software that can be used for easy drive cloning.

This massive $106 discount at B&H that drops the Kingston NV3's price down to $109.99 expires at midnight tonight.

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The AI-induced RAM Crisis has helped drive the price of electronic devices exponentially high across the board. One of the hardest hit pieces of tech hit by this crisis is storage units, as prices for them have skyrocket by hundreds of dollars.

Fortunately for you lovers of portable gaming handhelds, we managed to discover a charitable 25% discount for the WD_Black SN770M 1TB SSD, giving you the chance to install more games on your Steam Deck/ROG Ally for $249.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the WD_Black SN770M SSD?

The WD_Black SN770M is our top pick for the "best for handles" SSD among the best SSDs we've ever tested on Windows Central.

This model on offer features a sizeable 1TB's worth of install space, an insanely high sequential read speeds of 5150MB/s and write speeds of 4850MB/s, and it's incredibly easy to install onto your preferred gaming handheld of choice.

With these specs, you will be able to add tons more space to gaming handhelds with low storage sizes like Xbox Ally and boost their performance rates to the point where loading screens pass by within seconds.

On a side note, we have guides for upgrading SSDs on Steam Deck and upgrading SSDs on ASUS ROG Ally if you're not experienced with tinkering with portable handhelds.

Plus, this microSD is a sure-fire safe way to upgrade older ASUS ROG Ally models without resorting to microSD cards, as some units can overheat and damage microSDs.

The only major drawback of the WD_Black SN770M is its $334.99 MSRP, which is too rich for most people's blood to handle. However, you won't have to worry about that for today, as World Backup Day has given Amazon the green light to price cut by 25% to a more affordable price of $249.99, saving you $80 in the process.

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It's March 31, which means it's World Backup Day, and I'm double-checking that all of my PC's most important files are safe, and encouraging you to do the same. There's no strict method for doing it in Windows 11; you could still burn a 700 MB CD or copy your smallest files to a 1.44 MB floppy disk if you really wanted to. Whatever works for you!

Of course, Microsoft offers its cloud-based OneDrive storage service, and I already pay for a Microsoft 365 Basic plan with 100GB of space. Google Drive also gives away 15GB for free, so I divide my files up by platform, depending on their type. For the most part, I prefer the OneDrive app on Android phones because it automatically backs up my photo gallery.

However, local storage will always be one step ahead of cloud services because you shouldn't lose access during any internet outage (at least in theory). For that reason, I was always tempted to try a NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution that stays within my home network, loaded with always-on hard drives as a sort of personal server.

Sure enough, UGREEN was willing to send me its affordable and capable NASync DH2300 system 3 months ago, and it didn't take me long to understand how people go down a slippery slope into full-blown homelabs, self-hosting everything. It's not like I wanted to save the entire Internet to an SSD, so would I even benefit from gigantic NAS-centric mechanical hard drives?

Well, it turns out that NAS enclosures don't really care what kind of drive you plug into them. As long as it's physically compatible, it seemed to work just fine with an everyday SATA drive that had been gathering dust in one of my storage drawers. Your mileage might vary, but I certainly didn't have any issues putting an ancient drive back into use. Still going strong.

So, wait, what on Earth does a "NAS" actually do? To many casual PC users, it's just another weird-looking gadget with another acronym for a name. Well, it's quite similar to an external hard drive, except it can connect to multiple (if not all) devices on your home network simultaneously, whether on Wi-Fi or cable-connected LAN, depending on each model.

For example, the $180 UGREEN NASync DH2300 that I tested isn't wireless, but I prefer a hard-wired Ethernet connection to my router anyway. After that, any devices connected to my Wi-Fi can access folders and files on the NAS if I grant them the proper permissions. It sounds mildly complicated, but it really isn't. Everything can be controlled in an extremely simple dashboard.

Being so straightforward, I can quickly open a browser tab in Microsoft Edge every few days, navigate to the NAS dashboard, and drag important files into the shared folders to back them up. It didn't take me long this morning to identify a few critical files and back them up over my network, so any potential (and hopefully unlikely) system failure wouldn't be so disastrous.

Still, you don't need a NAS to have physical backups. Anything works, whether it's a standard USB thumb drive or a dedicated external drive; it's a gesture you might thank yourself for later. So, please, back up your Windows 11 PC either in part or completely. Take a moment to safeguard your most important files and preserve those memories. Many won't have to spend a penny to do it!

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The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are amazing handheld consoles for Xbox players, but trying to install games on them can be a pain due to their limited internal SSD sizes (512GB for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X) and modern AAA titles costing hundreds of gigabytes of space.

One of the best ways to solve this issue is by upgrading their storage space by adding the SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSD UHS-I Card (SDSQXH9-1T00-GZ6MA), which is now on sale for $219.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Sandisk 1TB Extreme microSD UHS-I Card?

The SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSD (SDSQXH9-1T00-GZ6MA) card is a pricier version of the previous SDSQXAV-1T00-GN6MN model, which we consider to be one of the best overall microSDs for Xbox Ally/Xbox Ally X.

In exchange for a steeper MSRP ($369.99 vs $299.99), the SDSQXH9-1T00-GZ6MA gains more advanced specs to complement its 1TB install size compared to its predecessor.

These improvements include faster 245MB/s Read Speeds and 170MB/s Write Speeds vs the 190MB/s Read Speed and 130MB/s Write Speed of the SDSQXAV-1T00-GN6MN model, and the ability to capture video footage in 5.3K resolution, not just 4K UHD.

The SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSD is also waterproof, shockproof, temperatureproof, humidityproof, dropproof, magnetproof, X-rayproof, and wear-outproof to keep your precious Xbox games and other data files safe from being damaged.

With these specs in mind, they make this $219.99 discount at Amazon is all the sweeter. Not only will you be getting 1TB's worth of extra space for your Xbox Ally/Xbox Ally X for 41% off, but you will be boosting their performance rates so you don't have to wait forever for loading screens to pass before jumping back into gameplay.

Alternative discounts

If this new version of the SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSD UHS-I Card expires/runs out of stock, or if you desire smaller or bigger versions of it for other purposes, here are some alternative backup discounts to consider:

• 64GB version (was $36.99, now $27.99 at Amazon)
• 128GB version (was $65.99, now $39.99 at Amazon)
• 256GB version (was $99.99, now $64.99 at Amazon)
• 516GB version (was $184.99, now $109.99 at Amazon)

FAQ

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It's no secret that newer Xbox games are getting bigger in terms of file size thanks to rapid advances in technology, content, and graphics.

As a result, it's getting increasingly difficult to fit even just a few AAA titles onto an Xbox Series X's internal 1TB SSD and an Xbox Series S' internal 512GB SSD without forcing you to delete several smaller games to make room.

So, in honor of World Backup Day, we have scoured the internet for the best discount deals for storage expansion cards, like this 60% discount for the 2TB WD_Black storage expansion card for $249.99 at Amazon. With these, you will be able to install Xbox games on your consoles and no longer have to worry about constant game file management again.

Alternative discounts

If the above main discounts expire or run out of stock, here are some alternative back-up bargains you can use:

1TB Storage Expansion Cards

• WD_Black 1TB C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S — was $359.99, now $149.99 at Best Buy.
• Seagate 1TB NVMe Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S — was $199.99, now $161.30 at Walmart.
• Seagate 1TB NVMe Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S — was $249.99, now $199.99 at Best Buy.

2TB Storage Expansion Cards

• Seagate 2TB NVMe Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S — was $349.99, now $277.70 at Amazon.
• Seagate 2TB NVMe Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S — was $349.99, now $277.70 at Best Buy.
• Seagate 2TB NVMe Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S — was $349.99, now $277.70 at Newegg.

FAQ

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Today is World Backup Day, and it's everyone's reminder that data isn't as safe as you think it is. Unfortunately, this year's event arrives as storage prices are hitting historic highs, caused by the ongoing RAMpocalypse.

The antidote? A quality NAS that's easy to use even for complete beginners. UGREEN's NASync DH2300, which we handed an Editor's Choice Award, has dropped to the lowest price of the year at 175.99 at Amazon, but only for a limited time.

• Shop all Amazon Big Spring Sale deals

Is UGREEN's NASync DH2300 a good option for NAS novices?

Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson got his hands on the UGREEN NASync DH2300 late last year, and it was in fact his first foray into the world of bulk storage capable of safeguarding your data and streaming to your other devices around the home.

What he found should be comforting to those who are perhaps a tad overwhelmed with the world of network-attached storage. Not only is the DH2300 an affordable, entry-level option (made better with this Amazon deal), but it's also super easy to set up and manage.

Wilson remarked in his NASync DH2300 review:

"I wanted to know if the simplest, entry-level NAS options could run a home media server without struggling with basic transcoding, and I'm satisfied that the DH2300 fits the bill. UGREEN doesn't expect you to have encyclopedic knowledge of networking or storage formats, and it even works with years-old mechanical drives if you don't want to commit to multi-terabyte server equivalents."

You can store all of your music, movies, and photos on it and access them from your other devices, and you can use the two-drive bay to set up a RAID system for better data protection.

The introductory cost might seem a tad high, but you have to consider how much you'll save by ditching costly cloud storage services. And with this limited-time 20% discount at Amazon, you're getting the lowest price of the year so far.

FAQ

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Solid State Drives (SSDs) are an extremely desirable commodity right now, as newer games and programs require more storage space on computers and fast read/write speeds to help boost a computer's performance when running games (especially for getting out of loading screens as soon as possible).

One of the most popular SSDs that is fit to meet these growing demands is the WD_Black 4TB SSD (SN850) with a heatsink, which is selling like hot cakes now as its steep $1249.99 MSRP has been chopped down to a more reasonable price tag of $699.99 at Newegg.

Why buy the WD_Black SN850X 4TB SSD?

WD_Black is a leading provider of the best SSDs on the market that provide a vast wealth of install space for games, personal photos and videos, or sensitive work documents.

The WD_Black 4TB (SN850X) SSD with a heatsink is no exception. This powerful component can store up to 4TB of data and process it with insanely high read speeds up to 7,300 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,600 MB/s.

It is also compatible with gaming PCs and PlayStation 5s, and has an attached heatsink.

With all these specs combined, the WD_Black 4TB (SN850X) SSD is more than capable of storing dozens of data-craving AAA titles like Monster Hunter Wilds and reducing their load times to mere seconds so you don't have to wait forever to get back into the action.

What's more is that the attached heatsink can keep the WD_Black 4TB (SN850X) SSD cool under extreme workloads and temperatures, so its performance doesn't suffer from thermal throttling.

The only negative drawbacks of the WD_Black 4TB (SN850X) SSD are its steep $1249.99 MSRP, which is too rich for most gamers' blood, and that its Game Mode 2.0 can feel a bit gimmicky depending on your perspective.

Fortunately, its biggest issue (the price) has been chopped down by a massive 44% discount for $699.99 at Newegg, making this the perfect time to grab more install space for your PC rig (I know mine certainly needs it).

Alternative discounts

If Newegg's stock or discount for the 4TB edition of the WD_Black (SN850X) SSD with a heatsink runs out, here are some alternative discounts for smaller or larger-sized versions you can use as backup options.

1TB

• $234.90 at Amazon (was $425.99)
• $244.15 at Newegg (was $266.00)
• $249.99 at Best Buy (was $286.99)

1TB with heatsink

• $331.00 at Amazon (was $448.99)

2TB

• $346.99 at Newegg (was $629.99)
• $399.00 at Walmart (was $466.09)
• $440.98 at Best Buy (was $593.90)

2TB with heatsink

• $449.99 at Amazon (was $885.99)

4TB

• $669.99 at Amazon (was $1,701.99)
• $664.99 at Best Buy (was $849.99)

8TB

• $1,299.99 at Newegg (was $1,749.99)
• $1,299.99 at Best Buy (was $2,098.99)

8TB with heatsink

• $1,293.48 at Amazon (was $3,449.99)
• $1,339.99 at Newegg (was $1,632.74)
• $1,339.99 at Walmart (was $1,632.74)

FAQ

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Shopping for a mini PC in 2026 is a minefield. For every legitimate deal, there are ten "no-name" listings packed with subpar cooling or, in the worst cases we’ve seen, pre-installed malware.

Finding a brand that doesn't cut corners on security or build quality is half the battle. Geekom is one of our most trusted mini PC brands and makes several of the best mini PCs.

While the "RAM crisis" has kept prices higher than we'd like this year, the Geekom A6 is currently sitting at a rare 15% discount.

• Shop all Amazon Big Spring Sale deals

The Geekom A6 is an unassuming box that you can easily tuck away at your desk. VESA mount compatibility gives you several options for mounting as well.

Its AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, AMD Radeon Graphics 680M, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage are enough for everyday productivity and getting work done.

In our Geekom A6 review, the mini PC performed well:

Port selection is a high point, though the layout is a bit lopsided. You get two USB-A ports and a jack on the front, but the lack of a front-facing USB-C is a disappointing omission for 2026. You’ll have to reach around the back to access the high-speed USB4 and secondary USB-C ports.

If you pop off the feet of the Geekom A6, you'll be able to open the device to upgrade it. The mini PC supports up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.

The Geekom A6 is a reliable mini PC that delivers great value thanks to its current discount. It's from a reliable brand that stands out in the flooded mini PC market that includes several dubious entries.

FAQ

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All-in-One (AIO for short) PCs are extremely convenient for people who want to save space on their desk while being able to work on their daily tasks or creative projects with decent performance.

Out of all the AIO PCs we've covered on this site, one stands as the cream of the digital crops for its convenience, performance, and design: the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27", which is now on sale for $849.99.

Why buy the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27" PC?

The Lenovo Yoga AIO 27" is packed to the brim with so much convenient, well-done tech that we named it the "Best All-in-One PC" in our best PC Desktops list for 2026.

For starters, it comes with a rotating 27-inch display that renders images with crisp 2560x1440p, QHD resolutions with 120Hz refresh rates, 99% sRGB color reproduction, and 400 nits of max brightness.

On top of that, the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27"'s Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, integrated Intel Arc graphics, 16GB RAM (LPDDR5X), and 512GB SSD empower it with strong performance for clearing out a day's worth of assignments and digital art projects.

Other notable features include a swivel with a built-in wireless phone charger, a plethora of USB and HDMI ports, display settings that automatically adjust with the screen's orientation, and a bonus mouse and keyboard packaged with it.

Aside from a washed-out and grainy camera and a display that's set too high at its lowest height, the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27" is practically perfect.

So, if you want to reduce cable management and avoid lugging around a giant PC tower everywhere for work, then the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27" is for you.

As a bonus, if you buy it from Lenovo's website, you will gain three months of PC Game Pass so you can play light games like Minecraft while on break.

Alternative discount

If Lenovo's stock of the Yoga AIO 27" PC runs out or its $849.99 discount expires, there's an alternative discount you can use at Best Buy for $1199.99.

FAQ

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Trying to build a PC yourself these days is financially risky due to the RAM Crisis, which is driving up the prices of crucial PC components.

Because of this, it's sometimes better to buy a prebuilt PC, as the whole is cheaper than the sum of its parts, especially when one is on sale, like the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) desktop PC, now available for $999.99 at Dell.

Why buy the Dell Tower Plus desktop?

The variant of the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) that's on sale is pre-built with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265 processor (with 20 Cores, a total cache 66MG, and 1.8GHz to 5.3GHz clock speeds), Windows 11, an Intel UHD GPU, 16GB of RAM (DDR5), and a 1TB SSD.

With these specs, the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250)'s performance can easily trounce mountains of work from writing up essays and reports in Microsoft 365, browsing the internet, hosting video call meetings, and booting its systems in mere seconds.

This PC can also be useful for playing PC games at higher settings once you upgrade from this discounted variant's Intel integrated GPU to a dedicated GPU like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series card.

The Dell Tower Plus's other noteworthy qualities include a sleek, minimalist design, top-notch build quality, a plethora of ports, superb thermal performance, and tons of upgrade possibilities, like increasing its RAM and storage.

The only downsides of the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) are that its fans can be loud when it's put under heavy workloads, and its usual MSRP of $1,399.99 may be too much for most people's wallets to handle.

Fortunately, Dell is kind enough to give PC users a chance to own one of the best PC desktops around for less, as it is now available for $999.99 for a limited time.

FAQ

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Processors are basically the crux of an entire gaming PC, needed to pair with a capable GPU and memory to run video games at their full potential and with smooth framerates for better gameplay, and they don't get much better than the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

This gaming powerhouse processor with 3D V-Cache has just reached its lowest price yet, now available for $419.95 on Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is capable of helping PCs run graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 with insanely high framerates when paired with suitable GPUs, compared to Intel's CPUs.

The only real downsides are that you might need a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 RAM if you are upgrading from AM4 systems, and its steep MSRP of $479.99 is $30 more expensive than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

However, its pricing issue has temporarily subsided due to Amazon's Spring Sale for 13%, which is the biggest discount the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has had so far. So, if you're thirsting for an upgrade to help you achieve peak PC gaming graphics, this $419.95 bargain on Amazon is now the best time to do it.

FAQ

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Intel is back in the desktop CPU space with another generational refresh, expanding on its Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. A technical duo of the new Core Ultra 200S Plus chips aims to surpass the likes of its last-gen Core Ultra 5 245K and Core Ultra 9 285K — though it's dropping the Ultra 9 variant this time around — and the company wants to appeal to PC gamers again. So, will it work?

Where can you buy Core Ultra 200S Plus?

There aren't many placeholder retail pages for each processor's March 26 launch at the time of writing, but Newegg lists the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, presumably at MSRP. It's the same for the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at Newegg. I don't see any reason to doubt that Amazon will list the U7 270K Plus at the same price (if stock is healthy enough) alongside similar Amazon listings for the U5 250K Plus — but I'll update this section whenever I spot some confirmed listings with availability.

What type of motherboard do you need?

Both of the new Core Ultra 200S Plus processors require motherboards with an LGA 1851 socket, which, like most modern examples, has pins on the board rather than on the CPU. You'll need an 800 Series motherboard to use the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus or Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, with an entry-level H810, mid-range B860, or high-end Z890 chipset.

For example, I used Gigabyte's $199.99 – $289.99 Z890 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE motherboard, with the lower price usually tied to sales events. It's a sample that the company provided for previous testing, and one that's likely overkill at its full MSRP, but a great deal for $200. Otherwise, something like MSI's $178.99 – $189.99 PRO B860M-A WIFI is a slightly more affordable option.

CPU coolers are a little more forgiving, as last-gen LGA 1700 brackets are broadly compatible with the new LGA 1851 socket, though a few considerations apply per individual brands. In my case, my personal choice of ARCTIC coolers includes contact frames, like in the $129.99 Liquid Freezer III Pro 360, which makes the installation process a little easier.

Testing the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus leads Intel's marketing for the new 200S Plus processor series, so it makes sense to start at the top. $289 – $299 for a 24-core, 24-thread processor clocking up to 5.5 GHz puts it up against the likes of AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X with its own 12/24-core/thread count and 5.6 GHz max clock speed, but at a much lower MSRP — and still lower than current $373.81 listings for the 9900X on Amazon, etc.

Somewhat comically, Intel pits the U7 270K against AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X, which now sells for around the same price when it's on sale. With today's listings, you could buy a 9700X for $299.65 at Amazon. It's part of why Intel can claim Core Ultra 200S Plus offers "up to 2x performance for creators versus competition", rather than a closer, apples-to-apples comparison.

Running my usual gamut of CPU-centric benchmarks saw a mix of expected results and caveats. Overall, the consensus is very similar to when I tested the Core Ultra 9 285K: Intel hits the top of the board in Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024, but AMD pulls ahead in 7-Zip's compression and decompression tests. The goal was always to deliver "significant boosts to multithread performance", and you can clearly see that in synthetic benchmark tests like these.

However, it's important to remember that the U9 285K launched with a $589 – $599 MSRP. That means Intel is beating its own high-end Arrow Lake chips with a refresh that saves you $300. Considerations like these are where the performance-per-dollar appeal hits the hardest, and I'm left rethinking which desktop CPUs to recommend to creators. If the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus maintains sensible pricing, then this could be a spectacular win for Intel.

Testing the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

For another $100 saving, you could pick up the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus with an 18/18-core/thread count and a 5.3 GHz max clock speed, albeit with the same 125W base TDP. Here, current comparisons to AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 9 9900X show much closer results in benchmark testing, but Intel's $189 – $199 MSRP still stands out for its phenomenal value.

If you were budgeting for that amount, you'd be looking at $189 – $279 for a Ryzen 5 9600X — a respectable entry-level CPU that I praised when it launched. Still, unless you have an unwaivering attachment to AMD's chipset and AM5 motherboards, it'll be overshadowed by the Ultra 5 250K Plus and its generous, more appealing pricing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus appear in new, affordable pre-built gaming PCs, regardless of whether Intel Binary Optimization makes a big difference on that front. So many gamers are moonlighting as creators that its appeal for video creation will likely carry over, at least in a much bigger way than the Core Ultra 5 245K tried to be.

Ultimately, this chip is the one that backs up Intel's claims against its competition, as it aggressively tackles AMD's Ryzen 9000 Series with an admirable move towards value for money. It's especially important as your average PC gamer is repeatedly beaten over the head by the ongoing memory and storage crisis; you might only need to commit to a new motherboard.

What is the Intel Binary Optimization Tool?

Putting value aside for a moment, Intel's marketing for the Core Ultra 200S Plus calls them the "fastest desktop gaming processors [it] has ever built". Besides the raw speed upgrades and support for 7200 – 8000+ MT/s memory speeds, this new Intel Binary Optimization Tool (IBOT) is part of what makes the new 200S Plus desktop (and 200HX Plus mobile) processors so interesting.

I had a chat with Rob Hallock, Intel's VP/GM for the Enthusiast Channel Business, to summarize that IBOT is essentially an x86 translation layer that identifies and reorders unnecessary steps of compiled machine code, such as error handlers, without ever editing the original human-written source.

So, if the Core Ultra 200S Plus processors can change the order that they process code, then they can focus on handling the instructions that a game needs processing more urgently, leading to better performance in specific games — a list of which is relatively modest right now, but Intel says it will "continue to explore titles both new and old".

Does IBOT make a difference?

For critical context, Intel's internal testing rig was a Windows 11 25H2 desktop running a third-party (PNY) variant of NVIDIA's top-end GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card — that's currently the best consumer graphics card in the world. It's pretty clear that high-end gaming PCs are where most of the IBOT benefits will be apparent, and even then, an average gain of +8% probably won't be very noticeable.

Out of curiosity, I also tested Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider with a few entry-level (and older) NVIDIA graphics cards. There wasn't any difference in FPS — and I didn't expect any, given the GPU bottleneck — but I had to know. So, yes, it can make a difference on a powerful rig with a defined list of single-player titles, and more should come, but it isn't a magic wand for every PC game.

Multiplayer games are currently not supported, but Intel says it will "work hand-in-hand with devs to ensure enthusiasts can benefit from this technology while enjoying anti-cheat protection". So, while the Core Ultra 200S Plus series is budget-friendly, that isn't necessarily the category that would see the greatest benefits of Intel Binary Optimization — at least not in the earliest days.

I'll check in on these processors in the near future to see how updates might affect the Intel Application Optimization (APO) app and the Intel Platform Performance Package (IPPP) it belongs to, which is an all-in-one package of libraries and frameworks that simplifies new PC builds with IBOT. Acronyms.

Should you buy a Core Ultra 200S Plus processor?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're migrating from another gaming/creation PC

✅ You have a limited budget

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You already bought into Core Ultra 200S

Pushing on with Intel Application Optimization is admirable, and as an Arc gaming fan, the Binary Optimization Tool certainly feels promising, but Intel should be lauded primarily for its pricing here. These Core Ultra 200S Plus chips offer tremendous performance at prices that so severely undercut their rivals to a point that it almost feels unsustainable (but hopefully not).

If you already have DDR5 RAM and solid-state storage, you won't have to cough up too much cash for a migration to LGA 1851 motherboards and a multi-generationally compatible CPU cooler. Otherwise, starting from absolute zero will still sting — a little less than some competitors at these prices, but sting nonetheless.

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