Tom's Hardware: For The Hardcore PC Enthusiast

Near-packaged optics (NPO) gains ground as the industry hedges against CPO's growing pains

By Luke James Published 13 August 26

Premium SemiAnalysis calls NPO the interim step between pluggable transceivers and true CPO.

How optical interconnects and silicon photonics emerged as AI's next hot commodity

By Etiido Uko Published 12 August 26

Premium The U.S. wants Chinese optical transceivers out of future AI data centers, but China’s current dominance of the rapidly evolving photonics supply chain could make a ban complicated

Premium

FCC proposes import ban on Chinese optical transceivers

By Jon Martindale Published 11 August 26

Premium The FCC is drafting a proposal that would expand its list of equipment and services covered by the Secure Networks Act to include imports of new-model optical transceivers manufactured in China.

Premium

Hyperscalers commit nearly $2 trillion to secure AI hardware and memory

By Anton Shilov Published 10 August 26

Premium As hyperscalers increase their long-term purchase commitments, the high-tech industry faces a tectonic shift as CSPs overwhelm consumer electronics companies.

Premium

Over 70% of Americans oppose AI data centers; US protests intensify as more arrests are being made

By Jon Martindale Published 10 August 26

Premium The public pushback against data center construction projects is only growing stronger, even as some protesting local residents have been arrested in the process.

Premium

This week on Tom's Hardware Premium: August 8, 2026

By Sayem Ahmed Published 7 August 26

A redesigned Bench tool, inside China's domestic Chipmaking efforts, breaking, and we offer a free technical breakdown of Samsung's latest memory-related announcements.

Tech Industry

Quick Takes

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Reviews

JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro dual-screen portable monitor review: Jack of all trades, master of some

By Brandon Hill Published 13 August 26

The FlipGo Horizon Pro brings dual 15.6-inch displays and a built-in hub.

Portable Monitors

QIDI Plus5 3D printer review: The best one yet

By Denise Bertacchi Published 12 August 26

QIDI Plus5 is polished, huge, and produces excellent prints with some of the toughest technical filaments.

3D Printing

GMKtec Evo-T2 review: Panther Lake for a price

By Mark Tyson Published 12 August 26

With 64GB RAM, the Evo-T2 starts at $1,959.

Mini PCs

Razer Naga V3 Pro Review: My new 23-button mouse

By Sarah Jacobsson Purewal Published 11 August 26

Razer's Naga V3 Pro has the same form factor as its predecessor, but it features more buttons, an upgraded sensor and switches, and better battery life.

Gaming Mice

Acer Swift Go 16 AI (AMD Gorgon Point) Review: A balanced, affordable, big-screen portable

By Matt Safford Published 10 August 26

Acer’s Swift Go 16 AI is a capable mid-range laptop with a large touchscreen and a slim metal shell. It stands out among modern competition, if you can find it on sale for under $1,000.

Laptops

Best Picks

Best SSDs 2026: From blazing-fast M.2 NVMe down to budget SATA

By Paul Alcorn Last updated 13 August 26

We recommend the best SSDs for every need and budget based on our extensive lab tests.

SSDs

The Best 3D Printers for Home, Workshop or Business in 2026

By Denise Bertacchi, Anj Bryant Last updated 12 August 26

I’ve tested every well-known 3D printer consumer brand, from Anycubic to Voron, to help you find the best machine for your budget and needs.

3D Printing

Bambu Lab A1 Mini, Creality Ender 3 S1, Voxelab Aries

Best Budget 3D Printers 2026

By Anj Bryant Last updated 10 August 26

These are the best budget 3D Printers we tested and recommend.

3D Printing

CPUs

Qualcomm details Snapdragon C specs for $300 laptops for the first time

By Andrew E. Freedman Last updated 13 August 26

Qualcomm has detailed the specs for its Snapdragon C processor, with 8 cores and claimed "all-day" battery life.

CPUs

Analysts see 'increasing foundry success conviction' as Intel CEO puts $12 million more of his own money in company

By Anton Shilov Published 13 August 26

Intel's Lip-Bu Ran reportedly buys $12 million worth of Intel stock as analysts believe that the management is increasingly convinced about landing external customers.

CPUs

Nova Lake CPUs with cut-down E-core clusters may still retain full cache pool, says new leak

By Hassam Nasir Published 12 August 26

A new leak from Jaykihn says some Nova Lake SKUs, including mobile counterparts, will retain the cache config of their fully-enabled variants despite having reduced E-cores.

CPUs

Graphics Cards

Nvidia reportedly testing lower memory configs of Rubin Ultra as memory shortage bites back

By Jake Roach Last updated 12 August 26

Nvidia is reportedly testing at least three Rubin Ultra configurations that pack as little as 192 GB of memory, as opposed to the 1 TB of HBM4E originally announced.

GPUs

Nvidia doubles RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell's MSRP to a staggering $16,000

By Hassam Nasir Published 12 August 26

A doubling in price from March 2025.

GPUs

CoreWeave proves Nvidia's aging AI GPUs from 2020 can generate profit nine years after deployment, signs A100 contracts into 2029

By Luke James Published 12 August 26

CoreWeave reported $2.58 billion in quarterly revenue, up 112% year over year.

GPUs

Meet The Team

Jake Roach

Senior Analyst, CPUs

Running on coffee filters and isopropyl alcohol

Jeffrey Kampman

Senior Analyst, Graphics

A machine that converts espresso into game benchmarks.

Anj Bryant

Managing Editor

3D printing aficionado, content juggler, all-around TH MVP.

Stephen Warwick

News Editor

Drink energy drink, find news, repeat.

Paul Alcorn

Editor-in-Chief

Has more chips than a bag of Doritos.

Matt Safford

Managing Editor

18 years covering CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, and storage. 14 trips to Scotland.

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal

Senior Editor: Peripherals

Needs bigger desk for all these monitors.

Andrew E. Freedman

Senior Editor: Laptops and Desktops

Needs the right screwdriver bit for this upgrade.

Brandon Hill

Senior Editor - Monitors and Networking

Has anyone seen my patch cables or DisplayPort cord?

Stewart Bendle

Deals Writer

Potion seller, Azeroth adventurer, sales soothsayer.

Sayem Ahmed

Subscription Editor

Commands throughput, conjures reports — THP's pact-bound silicon warlock.

Joe Shields

Staff Writer, Components

Mage of motherboards, keeper of copper paths, warden of wires

Ben Stockton

Deals Writer

Laptops

Jump into PC gaming for under a thousand dollars with a $350 saving on this RTX 5060-powered laptop

By Stewart Bendle Published 13 August 26

Deals Bag a new gaming laptop for under $1K at Walmart, thanks to a $350 saving on the latest MSI Cyborg 15.

Deals

Save over $600 on a massive 18-inch gaming laptop as it falls to a new all-time low price at Amazon

By Stewart Bendle Published 12 August 26

Deals Acer's Predator Helios Neo 18 AI gaming laptop hits a new all-time low price at Amazon. This massive 18-inch laptop freefalls by $600 in price.

Deals

Features

Chinese chipmaking tool roadmaps examined — Beijing's nascent lithography tools target DUV production at five machines a year, and an EUV prototype with no chips

By Luke James Published 4 August 26

Premium Ultimately, three markers will indicate whether China’s domestic DUV program is a legitimate rival or yet more state-sanctioned hot air.

Premium

The Nvidia Spectrum-X SN6800 Ethernet Switch

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) foundry roadmaps — breaking down TSMC, Intel, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries' approach to next-generation scale-up connectivity

By Anton Shilov Published 3 August 26

Premium The CPO race is about to begin.

Premium

Inside optical and the battle for scale

By Chris Stokel-Walker Published 23 July 26

Premium With copper running out of road, photonic interconnects are becoming the new innovative solution for data centers.

Premium

PC Components

Best SSDs 2026: From blazing-fast M.2 NVMe down to budget SATA

By Paul Alcorn Last updated 13 August 26

We recommend the best SSDs for every need and budget based on our extensive lab tests.

SSDs

Intel CEO hints at return to the memory business

By Anton Shilov Published 12 August 26

Lip-Bu Tan says he has a pet project related to a new memory architecture.

DRAM

Save $106 on this 4TB Team Group SSD with Gen 4 speeds, now 10.2 cents per GB

By Ben Stockton Published 12 August 26

Get $106 off this 4TB TeamGroup T-Force G50 SSD, offering Gen 4 speeds and a huge capacity for a price that's hard to rival right now.

SSDs

Desktops and PC Building

GMKtec Evo-T2 review: Panther Lake for a price

By Mark Tyson Published 12 August 26

With 64GB RAM, the Evo-T2 starts at $1,959.

Mini PCs

Hoto 25-bit electronic screwdriver set deal

This $30 Hoto 25-piece electric screwdriver set is a must-buy option for PC builders and hobbyists

By Ben Stockton Published 11 August 26

Save 40% on this Hoto electric screwdriver with 25 bits, now just $29.99 for a limited time only.

PC Building

Grab an entire RTX 5090 PC for just $380 more than the standalone graphics card

By Stewart Bendle Published 7 August 26

Pick up an entire Alienware RTX 5090 gaming PC for just $380 more than the RTX 5090 GPU bought separately.

Gaming PCs

Deals

Best Back to School tech deals on laptops and essential tech

By Stewart Bendle Last updated 13 August 26

Deals Grab savings on the best back-to-school tech deals.

Deals

Best deals on PC desks, chairs, monitor arms, and more

By Stewart Bendle Published 13 August 26

We've scoured the internet and found the best deals on PC office and gaming furniture. Find the best desks, chairs, monitor arms, and more.

Gift Guides and Seasonal Sales

Jump into PC gaming for under a thousand dollars with a $350 saving on this RTX 5060-powered laptop

By Stewart Bendle Published 13 August 26

Deals Bag a new gaming laptop for under $1K at Walmart, thanks to a $350 saving on the latest MSI Cyborg 15.

Deals

Coupons

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Dell coupon codes in Aug 2026 |

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UGREEN coupons for August 2026

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Autodesk Promo Codes in Aug 2026 |

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SPONSORED Use one of these Autodesk promo codes to save on CAD & 3D design software to help you create the ideal designs for less.

Newegg Promo Codes in August 2026 |

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