Microsoft has started testing a new File Explorer behavior in Windows 11 that keeps the shell preloaded in the background. The change ships to Windows Insiders in Dev and Beta channels as part of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271 (KB5070307) for version 25H2. The company openly admits this is about launch performance and says the preload should not show up as
Leaker shares first synthetic test results.
First, let’s recap what Intel has already said about Xe3 performance. Officially not much, but we did learn that Xe3 should be above 50% faster than Lunar Lake (using Xe2) and at least 40% more power efficient than Arrow Lake-H (Xe with XMX). Anything above those numbers would be even better to hear, but we are used to seeing official slides usually exceeding expectations
Limited to one North American retailer, why not global?
AMD has prepared a new Q4 2025 AMD Rewards bundle for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally with AMD Ryzen Z2, but only for Costco in North America . The terms describe a four game offer that adds:
with a combined value of about $20
Microsoft is bringing the Xbox Full Screen Experience to standard Windows 11 gaming PCs, just a week after Valve introduced its Steam Machine, a SteamOS based gaming PC. The feature is now live as a preview in Windows 11 Insider build 26220.7271 on the Dev and Beta channels. To use it you also need to enroll in the Xbox Insider PC gaming preview as well.
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HP and Dell have disabled hardware acceleration for the HEVC/H.265 codec on a range of newer business laptops, even though the processors inside these systems support HEVC in hardware. Users started to notice that HEVC video would no longer play in web browsers, despite working in dedicated media players. In many cases the only workaround is to buy a software HEVC codec or rely on CPU-based decoding, which can hurt battery life and performance.
HP confirms that hardware
MINISFORUM has started selling the MS-02 Ultra, a 4.8 liter Arrow Lake-HX desktop that sits between a typical mini PC and a compact tower. The system was first shown in October and is now live on the company’s store with multiple Intel Core Ultra HX options and workstation-style expansion.
At the top of the stack sits the Intel Core Ultra 9 285
Some people have access to unreleased hardware, and they are either testing it or offering it for sale.
If you’re one of those enthusiasts who tends to buy hardware as soon as possible, even if it does not provide the full experience, then the Chinese black market is probably where one should start looking for offers. We all know platforms like Goofish, which often list unannounced hardware from Intel, including next-gen CPUs and sometimes even entire platforms. For the upcoming
TUXEDO Computers has paused work on its first ARM based Linux notebook with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. The company spent around eighteen months on the project and showed an early prototype in 2024, but the planned retail system will not launch in its current form.
According to TUXEDO, the first generation X1E platform does not meet their expectations under Linux. Battery runtimes fall short of what users usually expect from ARM laptops. There is also no practical path for BIOS
16-pin power connector melting speed run.
This week ASUS launched its flagship RTX 5090 GPU called ROG MATRIX. This graphics card has a special design featuring a native 16-pin power connector and optional GC-HPWR adapter (as shown above), which enables additional power. ASUS says that with power sources active, the card should gain up to 10% better performance out of the
Sony has officially launched Black Friday 2025 discounts on PlayStation 5 hardware. The campaign starts on today and runs for a limited time, covering the standard PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, PS5 Pro at participating retailers, with availability and exact offers depending on region.