Hardware
GPUs, CPUs, peripherals, and the long-cycle architecture stories shaping every new build.
RTX 5050 Leaks at $249 — The Budget Card 2026 Actually Needed
$249, 6GB GDDR7, 75-90W TGP, DLSS 4 multi-frame gen — the leaked RTX 5050 looks like the true 1080p budget card 2026 needed.
Ryzen 7 9700X3D First-Look — The Cheaper X3D Pick
$429, 8 Zen 5 cores, 96MB cache, 12°C cooler than 9800X3D — the Ryzen 7 9700X3D is the easier-to-build X3D recommendation.
Best $800 Gaming PC Build of 2026 — Real April Pricing
Ryzen 5 9600, RX 9060, 32GB DDR5, $933 all-in — the $800 gaming PC build that holds up at 1440p in 2026.
AM6 Socket Roadmap Rumors — When AMD’s Next Pad Lands
DDR6 native, PCIe 6, 1855-pin LGA, H2 2027 window — AMD’s confirmed AM6 socket roadmap is a clean break from AM5 compatibility.
Z890 Motherboard Roundup — Picks for Arrow Lake Builders
MSI Tomahawk WiFi, Asus Prime Z890-P, Aorus Master Z890 — three Z890 motherboards that cover Arrow Lake builds at three price tiers.
PCIe 6 Progress Report — Why Consumer Boards Stay on Gen5
Signal integrity costs and unsaturated PCIe 5 — why consumer motherboards stay on Gen5 even as PCIe 6 is two years old.
Best Mini-ITX Cases of 2026 — Three Picks Worth Building In
Cooler Master NR200P MAX, ASUS A21, FormD T1 v2.1 — three mini-ITX cases that define the 2026 bracket at three price tiers.