12 overlooked PC building tools I wish I’d started using years ago
I’ve been building PCs for over 20 years, and though I’ve gotten pretty good at it, a big part of that is due to the tools I use. Everyone knows you need a decent Phillips…
building
Building a new PC from old parts? Don’t reuse these components
When building a new desktop computer, it makes sense to reuse as many components as possible from your old machine. That very flexibility is one of the greatest advantages of a self-built system! Nevertheless, it…
PC building is more fun when you have no idea what you’re doing
I don’t know about you, but the whole reason I got into upgrading and building PCs is because I wanted to play Doom II. My age hadn’t hit double digits by the time the game…
Microsoft is building a ‘quiet’ Windows, starting with animated grass
Imagine your Windows taskbar was replaced by a soft green meadow of gently swaying grass, with small bunnies hopping about. Or mechs stomping back and forth with hellfire. Microsoft’s suite of killer Windows utilities, called…
PC building has entered its chaos era—and I’m here for the ride
A lot can change in a year—and PC building sure took unexpected directions since I launched this newsletter in May 2025. Back then, tariffs were the big crisis. They spread uncertainty throughout the PC industry,…
Valve is quietly building its own AI tool called SteamGPT
Valve is apparently developing its own AI tool called “SteamGPT,” according to findings by Gabe Follower in a social media post. He found references to it in recently updated Steam files. The code for the…
Steam is building a game performance estimator for your PC
How well will a new game perform on your system? It’s a question that’s never far from the minds of PC gamers, and it’s only getting more relevant as hardware upgrades become expensive, shading to…
Mozilla is building ‘AI windows’ in Firefox and giving full control to you
In February, Mozilla Firefox revealed that the company was adding third-party AI to its browser. This week, the company further revealed that it’s doing so via “AI windows” for ChatGPT and other services. Back in…
Watch: PCWorld goes wild building a bunch of tiny PCs
Small things are cute. That’s practically the entire business plan behind everything from Polly Pocket to Reese’s Pieces. And it holds true for desktop PCs, where small form factor builds are all the rage now.…
Report: Apple is building an AI-powered web search for Siri
While we’re still waiting for the new Apple Intelligence-infused Siri to arrive on our iPhones, a new report claims Apple’s plans for its digital assistant go far beyond the scope outlined so far. According to…