Computing

Laptops, desktops, chips, and the things you plug into them.

updated
Sep 25, 2026
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September 20264 articles

What the Intel N100 does with each video codec, from Intel's own media driver table, read 24 September 2026. H.264: decode and encode. HEVC 8-bit: decode and encode. HEVC 10-bit: decode and encode. VP9: decode and encode. AV1 8-bit and 10-bit: decode only. MPEG-2 and VC-1: decode only. Footnote: Intel groups Alder Lake-N with Tiger Lake and Raptor Lake in one support column.
Computing · Explainer

What an N100 Can and Cannot Transcode

Intel's own driver lists Alder Lake-N as decode-only for AV1. H.264 and HEVC, 8-bit and 10-bit, it both decodes and encodes.

External GPUs, by port, pCIe bandwidth from Intel and PCI-SIG; Mac support from Apple. Desktop x16 slot: 256Gbps each way (PCIe 4.0). Thunderbolt 5: At least 64Gbps of PCIe. Thunderbolt 4: At least 32Gbps of PCIe. USB4: No PCIe minimum set. Apple silicon Mac: Not supported. Windows: Needs a port with eGFX support.
Computing · Explainer

eGPUs Work on Windows Laptops, Not on Apple Silicon Macs

The port decides it: Thunderbolt 5 guarantees 64Gbps of PCIe, Thunderbolt 4 32Gbps, USB4 no minimum. A desktop x16 slot carries far more.

macOS 27 Golden Gate, by Mac, from Apple's support articles and newsroom, released 14 September 2026. Installs on: Any Apple silicon Mac, and MacBook Neo. Dropped since Tahoe: Four Intel Macs, 2019–2020. Apple Intelligence: Every Mac that installs it. Expressive Siri voices: M3 or later, and 12GB of memory. Intel Macs: Stay on Tahoe; Apple gives no end date.
Computing · Explainer

macOS 27 Drops Four Intel Macs. Siri's New Voices Need M3

Every Apple silicon Mac that ran Tahoe runs Golden Gate. The expressive Siri voices need an M3 or later with at least 12GB of memory.

August 20267 articles

A slim laptop photographed side-on against a plain background.
Computing · Guide

Buying a Laptop in a Sale? Spend on What You Can't Change

Computers discount least of any big electronics category and push buyers upmarket hardest. Both facts point at one shopping list.

A mini PC on a desk with its status display lit, dwarfed by the monitor behind it.
Computing · Explainer

The Mini PC Quietly Became the Default Desktop

Searches for specific mini PC models are breaking out while the tower sits still. The reason is a change in what a desk actually needs.

Averaged review scores: Mac mini M4 9.0 from three outlets across a two-point spread, Geekom A9 Max 8.8 from four across one point, Geekom A5 8.7 from three across two points, Minisforum AtomMan G1 Pro 8.4 from three across 1.4 points.
Computing · Shortlist

The Best Mini PCs of 2026, According to the Reviews

Four machines the reviewers actually agree are good, sorted by what you want one for — and the one place they fall out.

The rear port cluster of a compact desktop computer, showing USB-C and several USB-A ports.
Computing · Explainer

What an Intel N100 Mini PC Can Actually Do

The cheapest mini PCs nearly all run one chip. Intel publishes three limits that decide whether it fits what you want.

Averaged review scores: MacBook Neo 9.0 from four outlets with no disagreement, MacBook Air M5 8.9 from five, ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 8.8 from three, Dell XPS 14 8.3 from three.
Computing · Shortlist

The Best Laptops of 2026, According to the Reviews

Fifteen review scores from six outlets, all re-read in October. The cheapest machine is the one they agree about most.

The inside of a laptop's cooling assembly: flattened copper heat pipes running from the chip to a small radiator beside the fan.
Computing · Guide

Why Your Laptop Fan Is Loud, and What the Makers Say to Do

Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP and Lenovo name the same few causes. Most need no screwdriver, and a grinding sound is a different problem.