Memory
SD cards cost way more now. Here's how to make yours last
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. SD cards cost way more now. Here's how to make yours last Memory card prices have jumped. Get the most out of yours by understanding how they die and what you can do to keep them going. Thanks to AI data centers, consumer SSDs, flash drives, and SD/microSD cards have doubled or even tripled in price.
Here's why Apple's Mac Studio has become so expensive
There's no question that Apple's Mac Mini is a great desktop computer, offering a surprising amount of power in a shockingly small size. However, it tops out at an M5 Pro processor and 64GB of RAM, with 307 GB/s of memory bandwidth. That's enough for many demanding situations, but AI and content creation power users may need more. The "base" version (starting at 2,500) has an M5 Max processor with an 18-core GPU and 32-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory, depending on the option chosen. That goes up to 5,899 for the 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU version with 128GB of RAM and 2TB storage.
Mac Studio (M5 Max) review: Shifting into overdrive
The odd M4 Max and M3 Ultra offerings Apple had with the previous Mac Studio were due to Apple skipping a generation with its Ultra chips . This time around, Apple decided that the M5 series would have an Ultra chip, so you can get either an M5 Max or M5 Ultra. The $2,499 M5 Max Mac Studio comes standard with an 18-core CPU (6 super cores, 12 performance cores), a 32-core GPU, 36GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD. However, this CPU is essentially fixed at 36GB of RAM; if you want more, you must upgrade to the 18-core CPU/40-core GPU, which technically costs $300 but actually adds $600 to the price when the cost of the 48GB RAM upgrade is factored in. It can further be upgraded to 64GB ($400) or 128GB ($2,000). This review looks at the M5 Max option with an 18-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, and a 4TB SSD, which adds $4,400 the price of the Mac Studio.
A Stealth Startup Thinks It Just Hacked the Memory Shortage
Kepler Computing claims a new approach to chip design--and a proprietary material--can help end the supply bottlenecks that have sent memory prices surging. An ambitious chip startup that has spent more than seven years quietly trying to redesign the architecture for computer memory has just come out of stealth mode and believes its new approach can help ease the global memory-chip shortage --provided it can produce its technology at scale. Kepler Computing, a San Jose, California-based startup founded in 2018 by a team of physicists and computer scientists, says it has developed a new architecture for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that directly addresses some of the chip supply bottlenecks that are constraining the computing market. While chipmakers typically rely on expensive extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) to shrink the transistors on a chip, thereby packing more technology into the same amount of space, Kepler claims that its "3D stacking" approach and a proprietary new material allow it to increase density without relying on EUV at all--and it can work with existing semiconductor fabrication plants. Kepler says it has made similar gains for the high-speed cache memory typically used in CPUs, GPUs, and XPUs.
Get a Lenovo 2-in-1 OLED laptop with 16GB of RAM for 799
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This laptop combines the latest processor with a great screen and battery life, for about the same price you'd pay a year ago. I don't drink liquor when I look for deals in the morning. But for most of the last year, I've wanted to do so. It's getting really, really hard to find decent prices for what used to be considered mid-range laptops. This touchscreen OLED laptop from Lenovo would have been $800 about a year ago and today it's $800 at Best Buy, allegedly $500 off.
This beefy Intel mini PC with 32GB RAM is just 549 today (45% off)
Acemagic is offering nearly half off the price of its Matrix Mini M5 with a 16-core i7 processor, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. The state of PC prices right now sucks. But if you hunt around, you can still find decent prices, at least in the context of the worst market I've ever seen. Case in point: Acemagic is offering a mini PC with a Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage for just $549 with a coupon -- use code at checkout! This Matrix Mini M5 is pretty typical of mini PC designs, with a 128mm (5-inch) square body that can be mounted to the back of a monitor, and it's using laptop parts.
GMKtec M3 Pro review: A powerful mini PC for offices, with 32GB of RAM
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The GMKtec M3 Pro comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a wide range of ports. Two M.2 slots allow for storage expansion in the terabyte range The GMKtec M3 Pro is a solid office computer with decent multithreaded performance, a generous range of ports, and a high-quality chassis. However, the platform is showing its age: When it comes to graphics and AI performance, the latest Core Ultra and Ryzen AI models are clearly ahead. Mini PCs are increasingly finding their way onto desks and into living rooms.
Act fast! This Acer laptop with 16GB of RAM is just 400
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Affordable laptops with decent specs are getting harder and harder to find, but this refurb deal is hitting a sweet spot. Hunting for an affordable laptop is an ordeal right now. I'm sorry to all the kids who need a decent machine for college. If you need a decent laptop at a reasonable price, you might want to head over to Acer's official eBay page.
GMKtec EVO-T2S review: Panther Lake raises the bar for mini PCs
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The GMKtec EVO-T2S packs Intel's new Panther Lake CPU, complete with an Arc B390 graphics unit, into a compact mini-PC case. We tested the computer with 64GB of RAM. The GMKtec EVO-T2S demonstrates what Intel's new Panther Lake platform is capable of. The CPU, graphics unit, and memory work well together, and even games run smoothly at reduced settings.
Microsoft silently deleted its 'ideal' 32GB RAM advice for Windows 11
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Microsoft silently deleted its'ideal' 32GB RAM advice for Windows 11 As RAM prices soar, Microsoft deleted Windows 11 support pages recommending 32GB of RAM--even though it still runs best with that much. Microsoft has silently removed all references to a support page that recommended lots of RAM for Windows 11. The now-deleted page stated that Windows 11 should ideally run with 32GB of RAM. The changes were first spotted by Windows Latest .