At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft and Nvidia teamed up to show off the RTX Spark chip, along with the Surface Laptop Ultra and new features in Windows 11 that use the new system-on-a-chip's capabilities. The device, along with the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box and the broader Spark ecosystem is available for pre-order today, with devices shipping on October 16.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Windows and Devices head Pavan Davuluri took turns on stage.
"We've reinvented the personal computer completely," Huang said.
Nadella described the event as one that would be building the "frontier ecosystem," anchoring it in Agent 365, Microsoft IQ, and Copilot. Davuluri describes Windows 11 as being the most secure platform for AI agents, highlighting containment for agents.
Windows 11 and Surface Laptop Ultra
The Surface Laptop Ultra will start at $2,599, while the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box will begin at $5,999. Both are available for pre-order. They, along with PCs from Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and MSI will ship next Friday, Oct. 16.
Davuluri showed the Surface Laptop Ultra running Github Copilot and playing Gears of War: E-Day at 60 frames per second. He said that "hundreds" of AAA titles and indies will be available day one, and that Call of Duty will come to RTX Spark in 2027.
The 4.5-pound system has the brightest peak HDR on a laptop, he said. The system also features a magnetic USB-C charger it calls "magnetic connect." The connector plugs in, similar to Apple's MagSafe or the old Surface Connect ports, except using a standardized port.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
An impressive video demo using multiple local and cloud models across Blender, Photoshop, ComfyUI, and Unreal Engine to make a workload that took hours instead of days was impressive, but also highly produced.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft compared the Spark to the M5 Pro in a MacBook Pro, promising performance up to 2.1 times faster to first token, 4.3 times faster image generation, and 6.2 times faster video generation.
On Windows 11, there will be new quick actions in the Search menu in the Task Bar, making quick changes to settings, taking screenshots, or arranging windows using natural language. The Taskbar will also launch Copilot if the request calls for it, and you can jump from Search to Copilot.
Davuluri also described local models running from other vendors, including Hermes, OpenClaw, and Perplexity, performing a demo with Perplexity Computer. He also stated that Meta's Muse will come to Windows. There will be a new setup for Windows AI agents to make them easier to configure.
Davaluri also announced DGX Spark and Station for Windows, a "supercomputer" to bring "last quarter's frontier to your desktop." He showed off desktops from HP and Dell that will come "later this year." Up to this point, both have been exclusive for Linux.
Copilot and Local Agents
Microsoft's Jacob Andreou detailed the recent launch of the new Copilot, which is now getting access to local files, local models, and the ability to take actions on account of the user. It will still use cloud models, but will switch to local models when privacy is called for.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
In one example, Andreou was grabbing tax data for his accountant. The system used a mix of local and cloud models to search for documents, rename them, and zip them into a folder. Copilot also wrote an email to the accountant to send on his behalf, which he approved. These features, he said, are coming over the next few months.
Containers, Trust, and Hybrid Ingelligence
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Daviluri focused on the technical details of agents, including Microsoft Execution Containers, which is moving to general availability. These are sandboxes that are integrated with the OS to decide what data is shared with agents.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Windows will also require agents to attribute their actions to themselves. There will be IT actions for enterprises that want to set agentic rules once and use them across their fleet of devices.
Microsoft's Divya Venkataramu demonstrated this system, showing how she had access to documents even when agents didn't.
Davuluri also described hybrid intelligence, a mix of agents running locally and in the cloud to reduce token budgets. Microsoft's HydraFusion, which balances local and cloud agents, is coming from GitHub to Windows on October 15 for GitHub Copilot, the CLI, and VS Code, and will use new models like MAI Code 1.1 Flash and Nvidia's Nemotron. Using advanced quantization, DeepSeek V4 Flash can be used at 1.6 bits to run locally at 60GB of memory, he said.
Windows ML will serve as the runtime to deploy models across GPU, NPU, and CPU. Llama.cpp will come to Windows ML to give developers chances to experiment with new models at launch.
Microsoft's Kayla Cinnamon demonstrated Hybrid intelligence on a Surface RTX Dev Box by prompting GitHub Copilot to detect unused codes, packages, and feature flags to clean up code. With an Efficiency mode, Copilot selects a model automatically based on how complex a task is. A more complex prompt used GPT-6 Luna, while separate sub-agents ran locally.
Amazon's Big Deal Days 2026 event is here, and so are the savings on our favorite 3D printers. We've sifted through Amazon to find the best bargains you can get on brands like Bambu Lab, Prusa Research, Snapmaker, Anycubic, and Elegoo. These prices won’t last long, so you'll need to act quickly.
There are plenty of great deals on FDM and resin 3D printers, including machines you’ll find on our list of best 3D printers. We're also rounding up deals on filament and resin, so you can stock up now.
The Bambu Lab A1 Mini is our favorite beginner printer for kids and teens because it is easy to use, super affordable, and doesn’t take up a lot of space. Right now, you can get the A1 Mini Combo for $315.50, or get a single-color A1 Mini for $212.90. The single-color machine comes with a bonus LED lamp kit, so you can make cool projects right away with the help of free files from MakerWorld, Bambu’s file-sharing site.
The Prusa Research MK4S, the old-school workhorse of the Prusa lineup, was $1,299, and now it’s yours for $220 off. This machine comes fully assembled and ships from Prusa’s US Amazon warehouse in Delaware for free with your Prime Membership.
The Prusa Research Core One is our favorite premium 3D printer and comes fully assembled and pre-tested for the best out-of-the-box experience. Prusa 3D printers are built to last a lifetime, with updates for years to come, and can be easily repaired or modded with the help of open-source parts. This machine ships for free from Prusa’s US Amazon warehouse in Delaware.
The Prusa Research Core One L is a beast of a machine, with a 300 x 300 mm build plate and high marks for secure, cloud-free printing. Prusa’s US Amazon warehouse is located in Delaware, so these Prime Big Deal machines are in stock and ready to ship for free with your Prime Membership.
Ranked the best multicolor 3D printer, the Snapmaker U1 is our favorite four-color tool changer. Snapmaker is leading the way on Full Spectrum printing, a way to squeeze a whole rainbow of color from only four spools. An optional lid makes this an all-temperature powerhouse.
The Kobra X is a terrific four-color 3D printer, and our pick for the best budget machine. This machine is a real steal with a price tag under $300 and would make a great gift to stash away for the holidays.
Ranked the best 3D printer for beginners, the SparkX i7 is a four-color bed slinger with an automatic material handler that can load any spool, from tiny coils up to 3kg spools.
The bare-bones Centauri 2 does an excellent job of printing in four colors of PLA, PETG, or TPU. Coming in well under $300, this is a great machine for testing the waters of 3D printing with a full-sized 256 x 256 mm build plate.
The FlashForge Creator 5 is a no-nonsense four-color tool changer with great quality. It can handle PLA, PETG, and TPU, but can’t be upgraded to an enclosed machine for high-temperature filaments.
3D printing is a fun and rewarding hobby, but with it also comes the frustrations of trying to maintain the quality output of your printer and also tidying up the finished look of your prints. You need a host of tools to keep the process running smoothly.
Some manufacturers throw a few cheap tools in the box with a new 3D printer, but if they don't, then investing in a dedicated 3D printer toolkit will make a huge difference in caring for not only your 3D printer, but also your creations.
We've trawled through the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales event and used our expert knowledge to source the tools you absolutely need for your 3D printing toolkit.
This 74-piece 3D printer tool kit from Creality is packed with everything that you need to keep your printer going. This toolkit has everything from a 34-piece screwdriver set to a magnetic project mat. Perfect for a budding 3D printer enthusiast, this is a "one and done" purchase.
Whether you are cutting your filament, cleaning out supports, or removing cable ties, wire/flush/side cutters are an essential part of the 3D printer toolkit. Sometimes you get a pair with your printer, but if you don't, or you need a spare set, then this pair of snips is a good alternative for you.
These cheap cutters are superb for 3D printing, electronics, and some general home maintenance tasks. Model makers and electronics hobbyists can also use these cutters to trim parts of dried knots and dribbles.
Flush Cutters: was $7.97 now $6.29 Trim, cut, and rip plastic from places where it shouldn’t be. Then use these cutters to trim electronic components or for other craft projects.View Deal
Hex Keys
Hex keys are essential 3D printer tools. The majority of 3D printers are held together by machine screws that sport an Allen / hex head. If you don't get a set with your printer, it's not too much money to buy a spare set off Amazon.
A 9-piece metric Hex key set with sizes from 1.5-10mm, with long ball endView Deal
When the prints don't pop off the plate
A 3D printer's print beds are designed to be super grippy, so the side effect is that sometimes you may need to use a tool to persuade the print to release from the print sheet. Scrapers are superb tools for the job, with the thin metal blades perfect for breaking the seal between the print and the build plate!
A good general-purpose precision screwdriver set is a necessity. This 49-in-1 set isn't on sale, but it has all the bits and is super cheap. For higher quality, you can step up to the HOTO driver, albeit with fewer bits, or go all in on an electric screwdriver.
3D printers will get clogged at some point; that's a 100% guarantee. Hot plastic or the wrong type of filament being used at the wrong temps will mess up the most expensive printers. Luckily, the solution to this common problem is a very low-cost one.
Swapping out the nozzle on your 3D printer is also a fairly simple task, but that task is made far easier with the right tools.
Tackle a blocked nozzle from another angle with the Creality Clog Poke. Instead of pushing into the nozzle, remove the PTFE tube and push this clog poke into the throat of the extruder, forcing molten plastic out of the nozzle.View Deal
16-Piece 3D Printer Nozzle Maintenance Kit: $8.99 Here you have all the gear to maintain the business end of your 3D printer. Nozzle wrenches, needles, tweezers and two handy brass bristled brushes to keep your prints running smoothly.View Deal
Clean up your prints
Take your prints to the next level by giving them a professional finish. Clean up the edges of your projects and remove leftover bits of print support with this handy deburring tool.
This is the deburring tool that I personally use, and it has been stellar since day one. A sharp, but safe blade trims unwanted plastic from prints, leaving a clean edge without risking my fingers.View Deal
Shine a light on it
Perfect for performing repairs in the tight spaces of an enclosed 3D printer, or for attaching to a cap to light up the project you're working on and highlight any print deformities that may need addressing. With 1800 Lumens of light, USB Type-C charging, an IP68 rating, a baseball cap clip, and a magnetic base, this is a great flashlight for working on 3D printing projects.
E7 Rechargeable Mini Flashlight: was $29.99 now $22.78 With USB Type-C charging, six brightness modes, and a magnetic base, the Wuben E7 is a useful flashlight for makers and tinkerers who want extra light for their work, without compromising on quality.View Deal
IMINI 2 Flashlight: was $19.99 now $11.99 This compact and easy-to-use flashlight provides 50 Lumens of light, without the need to fiddle around for a button. Just unclip, and your flashlight is ready to light your way.View Deal
OLED panels are quickly becoming a must-have item for desktop PCs. Most of us were introduced to the panel technology in smartphones, and it’s become increasingly popular on laptops. For desktop gamers seeking an immediate visual upgrade, OLED is the way to go, and fortunately, Prime Day is proving to be a great time to take the plunge. From massive DQHD panels on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G93SC) to more value-oriented offerings like the Acer Nitro VG277U Xbiip, we have you covered.
Here are the best OLED gaming monitors that we’ve seen so far:
Samsung's Odyssey OLED G9 (9G3SC) is massive, with a 49-inch QD-OLED panel. It also features integrated Wi-Fi for interfacing with Samsung's Gaming Hub service.View Deal
Mega-ultrawide gaming monitors are not for the faint of heart. Not only can these monitors be quite expensive, but they can also occupy a substantial amount of desktop space. However, for those who have the need (and the space), there are options such as the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G93SC), which features a 49-inch DQHD (5120 x 1440) QD-OLED panel. It's currently priced at $898 on sale at Amazon.
The G93SC sports a maximum 240 Hz refresh rate. We reviewed the G93SC and came away impressed not only with its overall image quality and expansive contrast, but also with its premium build quality. Samsung also includes some excellent extras, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the latter of which can be used with Samsung TV Plus and the Gaming Hub.
FutureFuture
Our testing revealed that the G93SC was among the class leaders in input lag and response time, as expected from a premium OLED gaming monitor.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G91SD) is a slightly less ambitious 49-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor with a DQHD resolution. Instead of a 240 Hz top speed, the G91SD dials it back to a maximum of 144 Hz.View Deal
You still get a gorgeous 49-inch QD-OLED panel with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, but instead of a maximum 240 Hz refresh rate, you'll top out at 144 Hz. Brightness tops out at 250 nits (typical), and you'll still get a fast 0.03 ms GtG response time. The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and it's also Nvidia G-Sync compatible. As for ports, you'll find one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1, and two downstream USB-C ports.
34-inch Ultrawide OLED Gaming Monitors
The AOC Agon Pro AG346UCD is a highly desirable QD-OLED monitor that strikes a sweet spot with its 34-inch WQHD panel and a 165 Hz refresh rate.View Deal
MSI's MAG 341CQP offers a 34-inch WQHD WOLED panel with a 175 Hz refresh rate. It is also a good-looking monitor with thin bezels, which helps with gaming immersion.View Deal
If you're looking for something more in a “mid-range” size class, the AOC Agon Pro AG346UCD should be on your shopping list. This is a 34-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 3440 x 1440 resolution and a 165 Hz refresh rate. While that figure may not be as high as the 240 Hz more commonly found with 34-inch panels, the Agon Pro AG346UCD is priced at just $599, taking $50 off its typical asking price. In our review, we praised the monitor for its well-saturated color, excellent contrast, and out-of-the-box accuracy.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
It's also worth considering the MSI MAG 341CQP, priced at $549.99 ($100 off its usual selling price). You still get a 34-inch QD-OLED panel, but the maximum refresh rate is slightly higher at 175 Hz.
27-inch OLED Gaming Monitors
Nitro VG277U Xbiip: was $349 now $269 This mid-sized gaming monitor sports a QD-OLED panel rated at a decent 400 nits of brightness, with a 240 Hz refresh and a resolution of 2560 x 1440. If you're after a gaming screen on a budget and want inky blacks and saturated colors, this is a tough deal to beat.View Deal
The Alienware AW2725DF might be small in stature, but its 27-inch QHD panel delivers a sizzling 360 Hz maximum refresh rate.View Deal
One of the best things to happen to gaming monitors in recent years has been the emergence of OLED panel technology. OLED panels are fast, offer rich color and blacker blacks, but have come with a big price premium. But as the technology has matured, prices have come down. That fact is exemplified by the 27-inch, 240 Hz model (VG277U Xbiip) from Acer's Nitro line. It sports a 240 Hz QD-OLED panel rated at 400 Nits of brightness and a 0.03 ms response time. Best of all, the monitor is currently on sale for just $269, which is unheard of.
We haven't tested this monitor, so we can't vouch for its performance. However, Acer typically makes solid gaming panels, and the QD-OLED panel ensures that the blacks will be truly black and the colors should be vivid. The 400-nit brightness rating isn't the best for an OLED, but it should be sufficient for most home environments (as long as you're not sitting next to a sun-blasted window).
The VG277U Xbiip has one DisplayPort (1.4) and two HDMI (2.1) ports. And AMD FreeSync Premium is on the menu for smooth gaming performance.
(Image credit: Future)
Another option is the Alienware AW2725DF, which also sports a 27-inch QHD panel, albeit using QD-OLED technology. When the AW2725DF arrived in our testing lab, we noted its large color gamut, fast response, and stunning image quality. The monitor also boasts a 360 Hz refresh rate for ultra-twitch gamers. Currently, the AW2725DF is on sale for $469.99, representing a 28% savings.
A new compression model, called CRAM, offers a different path to compression that avoids swap entirely by keeping the compressed data in memory, and it offers up to 452x the performance of ZRAM. I was a kid in the 1990s when the idea seemed so simple to me: I can use PKZIP to compress my files, so why can't we do that with RAM? Indeed, I am not a singular genius, and many other people had the same idea, so memory compression has been a feature of most operating systems for a long time. In Linux, the most popular options are zswap and ZRAM, but both of these options are fundamentally swap-layer features. CRAM is a new take that claims to boost performance tremendously.
(Image credit: Gregory Price/Meta)
CRAM was conceptualized by Gregory Price and his team at Meta. The central realization that seems to have spurred the development of CRAM is that the largest portion of the performance hit from compressed memory isn't the compression; that's tiny. No, the largest hit apparently stems mostly from the fault itself and the swap behavior. So the thinking seems to have been "what if we just do zram, but completely in memory instead of as swap?"
That's a gross simplification of an enormously complex project, but what CRAM seems to be doing is making use of mechanisms Linux already has to enable radically higher-performance compressed memory, particularly on reads. It uses a private NUMA node (essentially, a ghost CPU) instead of pretending to be a block device, and this lets Linux continue using all of its memory semantics, including migration and ballooning, to manage CRAM.
(Image credit: Gregory Price/Meta)
A critical part is the "Chicken Bit," which tells Linux that it has to stop trying to use CRAM while it is busy managing allocations. See, compressed memory seems straightforward until you start actually thinking about it. Compressibility of data varies tremendously based on what you're compressing, all the way from big piles of zeroes (perfectly compressible) up to already-compressed data (non-compressible). Given that, how do you know how much "logical" RAM you have when some of it is compressed? And how do you know when you're going to run out?
(Image credit: Gregory Price/Meta)
CRAM hasn't actually solved that problem yet, it seems; the slides I'm working from seem to establish this as an unsolved problem and an area of ongoing research. But the Chicken Bit is one way it can at least stop cascading failures (colorfully called a "poison storm" in the presentation) from happening when writes outpace CRAM's ability to allocate them.
(Image credit: Gregory Price/Meta)
Because CRAM is stored in RAM and treated as RAM, with full cacheline/byte access, it can be accessed in a read-only fashion with little delay; just the cost of hardware-offloaded compression. As a result, CRAM "runs at DRAM speed," as the creator says in the slide above. While the graph already looks impressive, it's a logarithmic scale; CRAM, in the worst case, is doing 489 million operations per second versus ZRAM's 1.1 million. It's barely comparable.
(Image credit: Gregory Price/Meta)
Even when you enable writes, CRAM is still much faster than ZRAM; 5.4x in the worst tested case of 20% writes. That's a huge drop from the 452x read-only case, but keep your context; a 5.4x speedup is still titanic. The massive performance cliff when writes are involved comes down to the need to page fault and migrate folios back to the original NUMA domain, as you can't write directly to compressed data; you'd corrupt everything.
My explanation of CRAM might not be completely correct; I wasn't at the Linux Plumbers' Conference in Prague to hear the presentation directly, so I'm working off of the slides available from the session information site (h/t to Phoronix for the spot) I think I've managed to grasp the gist of what Price is getting at, though.
While the obvious target of the work here (given its origin at Meta Platforms) is big Linux servers, ZRAM and Zswap are used all over the Linux ecosystem, even on machines as constrained as the Steam Deck. Many distributions enable one or the other by default. CRAM seems like it could offer a considerable speed-up for some of these machines, so hopefully it finds its way into the kernel once the remaining implementation questions are answered.
Amazon Prime Big Deals Day 2026 is here, and we're already seeing some tasty deals on Wi-Fi routers. If you're in the market for a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router, we've scoped out deals on standalone and mesh systems that could give your home (or office) network a much-needed performance boost.
If you have a smaller home that doesn't need the aid of wireless satellites to improve coverage, consider the TP-Link Archer AXE75 Wi-Fi 6E router. While it isn't one of TP-Link's newest Wi-Fi 7 offerings, it still offers a lot of bang for the buck. The Archer AXE75 has a retail price of $119.99, but a $30 instant discount reduces the cost to just $89.99 for Prime subscribers.
That price gets you Gigabit WAN, four Gigabit LAN ports, and even a USB 3.0 port for adding storage to your network. The Gigabit WAN port should be more than adequate if your ISP delivers 1 Gbps or slower speeds. If you're rocking a 2 Gbps or higher internet plan, you might want to invest in a router with at least a 2.5 GbE WAN to fully utilize your plan. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to expand your network in the future, the Archer AXE75 supports TP-Link's OneMesh standard, enabling you to combine multiple compatible routers into a mesh network.
Regarding performance, the Archer AXE75 operates at speeds of up to 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 2,402 Mbps on the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands.
The TP-Link Archer AXE75 combines excellent performance and value in a Wi-Fi 6E router. You get four GbE ports, a USB 3.0 port for external storage, and OneMesh compliance for less than $90.View Deal
If you need the added coverage of a mesh system, the TP-Link Deco XE75 also uses the Wi-Fi 6E standard. But while the Archer AXE75 covers just 2,000 square feet, the Deco XE75, a three-node system, covers up to 7,200 square feet (over three times the coverage).
Each satellite has three Gigabit Ethernet ports, which are excellent for connecting your wired-only network devices. However, there's another added benefit: the Deco XE75 supports wired backhaul, which can improve overall network performance compared to using the default wireless backhaul between satellites.
(Image credit: TP-Link)
When it comes to overall performance, expect a similar experience to the Archer AXE75, as it also offers a maximum of 574 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band, 2,402 Mbps over the 5 GHz band, and 2,402 Mbps over the 6 GHz band.
The Deco XE75 is typically available for $249.99, but is currently on sale for $229.99. But that's not all; there's also an instant coupon that knocks another $30 off the price of the 3-pack, bringing the price down to $199.99.
Deco XE75: was $249.99 now $199.99 TP-Link is offering a complete three-node Wi-Fi 6E mesh router that covers up to 7,200 square feet. Each node has three GbE ports supporting wired backhaul.View Deal
Finally, the TP-Link Prime Big Deals Day trifecta is completed with the Deco BE5000. This is an entry-level Wi-Fi 7 mesh router. Because of this alignment, the Deco BE5000 isn't a full-featured tri-band offering; instead, it's a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 solution. Although you miss out on the higher-performance 6 GHz band, you do gain support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO), a key pillar of Wi-Fi 7 (although MLO is one of Wi-Fi 7's most misunderstood features).
(Image credit: TP-Link)
Each node features two 2.5 GbE ports, and you also get wired backhaul support. Maximum throughput reaches 688 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz band, while the 5 GHz band achieves 2,882 Mbps.
The Deco BE5000 retails for $299.99 but is currently priced at $198.19, which is a healthy $100 discount.
Archer AXE75
Deco XE75
Deco BE5000
Wi-Fi Standard
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 7
Wireless Bands
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Maximum Throughput (Combined)
5,400 Mbps
5,400 Mbps
5,000 Mbps
LAN Ports
1x GbE WAN, 4x GbE LAN
3 x GbE LAN/WAN per node
2x 2.5 GbE WAN/LAN per node
USB Ports
1x USB 3.0
None
None
Coverage
2,000 square feet
7,200 square feet
6,600 square feet
The TP-Link Deco BE5000 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router that features three nodes and covers up to 6,600 square feet. Each node features 2.5 GbE ports and supports wired backhaul.View Deal
There's one other deal perk possible with these router deals if you have an Amazon Prime Rewards VISA credit card. Amazon is offering up to 25% cash back on the purchase of each of these routers when you use the card.
Wi-Fi is great until you hit lag, network congestion, or interference. If you need to expand your network, you'll want a network switch with gigabit speeds. Luckily, Amazon's big sale means you can pick up this TP-Link Lightwave 5-port unmanaged Ethernet switch for just $7.99 right now, bringing it back down to its lowest-ever price.
With the LS1005G, you're getting five extra Ethernet ports for your network, although you'll need to use one to connect it to your existing router. There isn't a better option than an Ethernet cable for maxing out the bandwidth on your internet connection, especially if you prefer to stream or play games online.
Gigabit speeds shouldn't seem that exciting these days, but plenty of people are rocking old network hardware that isn't this fast. You don't need to worry about Wi-Fi lag or interference here, as you'll get a solid, dedicated wired connection instead. There's no need to think about a setup process either, as the LS1005G is completely unmanaged. You just need to plug it in, hooking your router up to the switch's WAN port. The other four ports will then work straight away.
Back to a record low price
The TP-Link Litewave 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch LS1005G provides four additional Ethernet ports, delivering reliable, high-speed wired internet for your gaming PC, NAS, console, TV, and other connected devices.View Deal
As it's unmanaged, you do lose some of the customization features that you'd gain with a more expensive managed switch. That isn't really a downside here. This switch is less than $8. For that price, you're still getting a network upgrade that'll let you connect almost any Ethernet-capable device. Gaming PCs, laptops, printers, NAS drives, consoles, TVs, and even another router or Wi-Fi extender will work with this switch. It's just going to work. It doesn't deliver power, though, so you can't use it to deliver power to PoE devices like cameras.
This TP-Link switch isn't big, so it won't take up much space. It's just 2.8 x 3.5 x 0.9 inches, so it'll fit near your existing router or around your home or office, as long as the cabling is long enough. No fans are required to keep it cool, either. That means it'll run silently without disrupting you.
I'd almost say it's impossible to beat the $7.99 sale price for this TP-Link Litewave LS1005G 5-port switch, but believe it or not, Ugreen has matched it. Both deals are running for a limited time only, but if the TP-Link runs out, you can pick up this Ugreen 5-port switch for the same $7.99 sale price. You'll get the same level of functionality, although TP-Link's brand is generally better known. Either way, for less than $8, this Ugreen model will be a good alternative if the TP-Link switch sells out.
There really isn't a better way to expand your wired network than with a network switch like this. For $7.99, both the TP-Link LS1005G and the Ugreen 35492US models will serve you well, delivering gigabit speeds across your LAN without worrying about Wi-Fi lag. It's a good, affordable option but, with Amazon's deal set to end tonight, you've got to be quick if you want to grab one (or two, or three) of these brilliantly-priced switches.
Intel will remain a part of Elon Musk's Terafab project, Lip-Bu Tan, chief executive of Intel, told reporters on Wednesday. Around the same time, Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI, said that Terafab remains committed to building and operating its fab itself, but proposed to lease a part of the fab to TSMC.
Intel will continue its involvement in Terafab, Lip-Bu Tan told Bloomberg prior to the company's event in Japan that commemorates the company's presence in Japan. Back in April, Intel and Terafab, the semiconductor production venture by SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI, announced that the new chipmaker would use Intel's next-generation 14A fabrication process to make chips. Details of the collaboration are still unknown, but there is a general understanding that Intel will license its manufacturing technology to Terafab, though it is unclear whether it will also help ramp up production using the node.
At around the same time, Elon Musk debunked rumors that his companies would invest in Terafab and then partner with TSMC, which will build and operate the fab. Instead, Elon Musk proposes that TSMC sublease a part of Terafab to make chips for its customers.
"No, we will build and run the fab," Elon Musk wrote in an X post. "Let there be ZERO doubt about that. Maybe TSMC subleases part of the Terafab if they want, but nothing more than that."
Offering TSMC, the world's largest foundry that owns and operates dozens of advanced 300-mm fabs around the world, to 'sublease' a part of Terafab is quite an unusual arrangement for many reasons.
First up, TSMC has its own production facilities as well as aggressive plans for about 10 new fab phases in the coming years, and it hardly needs to sublease any capacity or part of the building or site from a third party.
Secondly, semiconductor fabs are not generic facilities: if Terafab is initially equipped and qualified around Intel's 14A process technology, converting part of the facility for TSMC's A14, A13, or A12 processes that the company will use in the back half of the decade would require different process flows, equipment configurations, materials, automation, qualification, and contamination control. Theoretically, TSMC could install a largely independent production line within the same enormous building, but at that point the arrangement would resemble TSMC building and operating its own fab inside a Musk-controlled site rather than simply renting spare manufacturing capacity.
Thirdly, if Intel licenses 14A technology to Terafab, the agreement would almost certainly contain extensive provisions governing access to Intel IP, process information, equipment configurations, and personnel. Putting TSMC engineers and manufacturing operations inside the same facility could create contractual and IP-isolation issues even if TSMC never directly touches the Intel production line. In fact, IP protection would be extraordinary at Terafab, which will complicate its operation.
Fourthly, if indeed two chipmakers end up in the same fab building, or even in the same campus, responsibility for downtime becomes messy. In the case of a Terafab-owned power distribution system, water plant, chemical system, or cooling installation fails and takes someone's production offline, determining operational responsibility and financial liability for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of affected wafers would be considerably more complicated than at a site controlled by one company.
Finally, if Terafab can equip enough cleanroom space by the end of the decade to satisfy semiconductor requirements of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI while still leaving substantial capacity available to TSMC, that would raise questions about whether the project had significantly overbuilt capacity in its initial phases.
Since Musk's statements at X are deliberately vague, it is hard to interpret them. In fact, there might be a conceptual problem with Musk's statement. If TSMC installs its own tools, hires its own employees, brings process technology, and production management, while Terafab just provides land, shell, and infrastructure, calling this a 'sublease' undersells what would be a TSMC fab embedded within the Terafab campus. Alternatively, if Terafab provides the tools and infrastructure and TSMC just operates them, that starts to look much closer to precisely the kind of TSMC operational involvement Musk appears to be denying.
Anyhow, while Intel has confirmed its involvement in the project and Musk wants TSMC to be part of it as well, the latest comments raise more questions than they answer.
If you're looking to upgrade your home network without spending a fortune, investing in a mesh Wi-Fi 7 system is worth considering. Combining fast wireless speeds with wide-area coverage, it is a practical option for homes with multiple devices, including smartphones, gaming PCs, laptops, smart TVs, and smart home devices. Currently on sale, the TP-Link Deco 7 BE25 BE500 mesh Wi-Fi 7 dual-pack is currently available for $149.99 on Amazon, down from its selling price of $199.99. If you want even wider coverage, the triple pack is also on sale and can be purchased for $198.19, which is over $100 off its listed price of $299.99.
Built around dual-band Wi-Fi 7, the TP-Link Deco 7 BE25 mesh system offers combined speeds of up to 5,012 Mbps. It can reach up to 4,324 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 688 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, making it suitable for demanding workloads such as 4K streaming, online gaming, and AR/VR applications. Coverage is another major advantage of the mesh system, with the dual-pack offering up to 4,600 square feet, while the triple-pack extends coverage to up to 6,600 square feet. The system can support more than 150 connected devices, and users can expand the network further by adding additional Deco units.
The Deco 7 also supports simultaneous wired and wireless backhaul, allowing Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet connections to work together to distribute traffic between Deco units. This can provide faster and more stable connections throughout the home, particularly when multiple devices are connected at the same time. For security, the Deco 7 supports TP-Link HomeShield, which provides network and IoT protection along with features such as security scans, IoT device identification, basic parental controls, Quality of Service settings, and network activity reports.
At $149.99 for the dual-pack and $198.19 for the triple-pack, the Deco 7 BE5000 is a great option if you're looking to dramatically extend wireless coverage across a larger home. It is also an excellent choice if you want to upgrade to a faster Wi-Fi 7 system for your home or office setup.
An independent camera researcher experimenting with the firmware for expensive camera brands like Hasselblad and Ricoh just built software that lets photographers play Doom directly on the X2D. This feature is part of the Hasselblad-X-System-CIM-Firmware-Research-Feature-Extensions repository on GitHub, which also experiments with capabilities that factory units don’t come with. The creator, Radium Wang, says that this only contains source code, offline tools, tests, and sanitized research findings, and it seems that it’s not meant to “level up” the expensive camera.
This isn’t the first time that someone installed Doom on a camera, as we saw another GitHub programmer do the same on the other end of the price spectrum a couple of months ago. That project brought the game to an entry-level DSLR from 2010 with an 18-megapixel sensor. This makes that camera the polar opposite of the Hasselblad X2D series, which costs thousands of dollars and is designed for professional photographers with its 100-megapixel resolution. Both projects highlight just how powerful embedded systems have become, to the point where even digital cameras can now run a complete game.
When id Software launched the game in 1993, its minimum system requirements were an Intel 386 processor, 4 MB RAM, and a VGA graphics card. These requirements often meant a desktop PC that looked like this Retro95 beige PC from Maingear, with its massive footprint and accompanying 13-inch CRT monitor. However, technological advances have made it so that even the most unlikely gadgets are now capable of running the landmark FPS title. In fact, “Can it run Doom?” has now become a meme and a running joke among tech enthusiasts, with programmers taking up the challenge of porting the game to the weirdest of devices. Some of the weirder examples that we’ve seen recently include an electric cooking pot, an orbiting satellite from the European Space Agency, and even an Apple Lightning-to-HDMI dongle.
Playing Doom on a tiny 3.6-inch touchscreen isn’t exactly fun, especially as the medium-format camera form factor does not lend well to gaming. However, gaming on cameras isn’t actually the point of this and other similar projects; instead, it’s the achievement of making something run somewhere unexpected. Now, if you happen to have an extra Hasselblad lying around in your house and don’t mind experimenting on your expensive equipment, you can take part in the joke by downloading this repo and following Wang’s instructions to reproduce the “research.”
4K OLED PC monitors have been out for years, but while some enthusiasts have made the move to OLED tech, some haven’t. Like any new technology, when the first OLED gaming monitor was released - the Alienware AW3423DW - it was expensive, with a launch price of $1,300, and it was price-prohibitive for an overwhelming majority of users. But compared to other PC gaming monitors (think VA and IPS-type panels), it was a Thanksgiving feast for the eyes. The LG UltraGear 32GS95UE, widely considered one of the first 4K OLEDs for gaming, was $1,400.
I remember seeing them at CES and later walking past them in stores. The blacks were as black as could be, and the colors more vibrant than IPS panels. I recall thinking: "I have to have one." Then I looked at the price and walked away. Eventually, prices came down, and I upgraded, donating the 1440p IPS 165Hz panel to my kids, and I’ve been on a 4K OLED ever since. This article explains why I upgraded and offers advice on whether you should or shouldn't.
Why I upgraded to a 4K OLED monitor
Why I upgraded to a 4K OLED monitor
My journey to a 4K OLED started after seeing them at CES a few years ago, and more recently in stores. Seeing the deepest blacks and incredible colors was a sight to behold compared to my previous 27-inch 2560x1440 165Hz Acer Predator IPS panel, which many would consider a very good, fast IPS panel.
I worked on two 2560x1440 panels at my desk. On the left panel, I usually had video streaming, be it Hulu/news or Twitch, on one half of the monitor along with Chrome and several tabs ranging from personal email to a ‘scratch pad’ for work. On the right monitor, I had my ‘work Chrome’ on the right half (along with Slack), and I used the left area as free space to write articles in another Chrome tab and access File Explorer and other applications necessary for my job. This worked, but I quickly realized that I needed more screen real estate. I needed a higher resolution to fit more on the screen and a larger size so my old eyes could actually see what’s on the screen.
(Image credit: Future)
But I’m also a gamer at night. Generally, I'm an FPS (First-Person Shooter) guy playing titles like PUBG, Call of Duty, Battlefield 6, and more. Because I mostly play quick-twitch games, I need a high-refresh-rate monitor. Since I was already rocking 165Hz, the next natural upgrade for significantly higher refresh rates and lower display-related input lag was 240Hz. Sure, 180Hz variants are available, but I want a significant upgrade for something I will likely keep until it dies and cannot be replaced.
In the end, I upgraded to a 32-inch 4K OLED in early 2025 before RAM, video cards, and storage prices went nuts. The MSI MPG 321URX was $900 at the time (currently $634) and, without a doubt, the best upgrade I’ve made to my system in a long time. While I spent a pretty penny, not only was I able to get more screen real estate, both physically and in pixel count, but I also got true blacks and better color coverage (99% DCI-P3, 137% sRGB, aRGB 96%) than my IPS panel.
I also wanted to keep pixel density (Pixels Per Inch or PPI) the same or better. And if you do the math, the 27-inch 2560x1440 panel is about 109 PPI and, at least for my old eyes, I can’t see the pixels the way you could with, say, a 27-inch 1920x1080p monitor at a low 81 PPI. If we work out the 4K math on a 32-inch panel, that comes out to almost 138 PPI and even more dense than the 27-inch 1440p monitor.
Watching movies or videos in native 4K without scaling was an incredible experience. Seeing all the details and such bright, vibrant colors was such a drastic difference; I’m not sure I can ever go back. It also makes me thankful I’m not missing out in my living room, where it’s 90% movies and TV shows and around 10% console gaming (Xbox) and running an OLED TV (65” LG C4). The difference between these OLEDs and the 45” LCD TV in my bedroom is dramatic.
The refresh-rate bump was also game-changing. I'm lucky enough to have a GeForce RTX 5090, which is practically a necessity to drive a 240Hz high-refresh-rate OLED monitor and achieve frame rates well over 165 and close to the monitor's maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz. In some heavier titles, like Call of Duty, I need to enable DLSS to help reach that, or better, close to, that threshold, but it’s easier today with the RTX 5080 and, in some titles, the RTX 5070 Ti to reach higher frame rates than it was in the previous generations. Nvidia’s DLSS and MFG (Multi-Frame Generation) and AMD’s FSR have both come a long way (with Nvidia’s implementation being arguably better), so don’t be afraid to use them if needed.
Why should you upgrade?
Why should you upgrade?
The short answer: 4K UHD (3840x2160) gives you sharper pictures and more usable space. Whether you're playing games, watching movies, doing photo/video editing, or working in the office, you can now run multiple windows across the 3840-pixel width, and the higher PPI makes text look better (printed rather than rendered); finer details in pictures, games, and video are more visible. Streaming services also support 4K or 1080p, so you can avoid scaling and view content natively compared to a 2560x1440.
It’s also much easier to run today than it was a year or two ago. DLSS, FSR, MFG, and other upscalers let mid- to high-end video cards produce good frame rates at 4K without rendering each pixel natively. With these technologies from Nvidia and AMD, even if you enable this feature and run below native 4K, the upscaled result looks as good as, or sometimes even better than native 1440p. While you still need a fair amount of graphics horsepower to drive it, especially for high frame rates, it is easier using scaling technologies.
Today, 4K OLEDs are affordable enough that they're within reach of many more people than they were just two years ago. While they are still what I would consider a premium product, 4K panel prices have dropped and now sit in the realm of mainstream price points. In fact, you can buy a 32-inch 4K UHD 240Hz panel for under $700.
You need more usable screen space for work or play
Desire sharper pictures in games, movies, photo/video editing, office work
True blacks, improved colors
Easier to run than in years past - DLSS/MFG/FSR looks good and really improves frame rates
Increasingly affordable - obviously affordable is in the eye of the beholder, but they are a lot cheaper today than even a year ago
Burn-in has improved, too - While it’s still a concern over time, especially for static images like taskbars, manufacturers have implemented mitigations to prevent the phenomenon
Why you shouldn't upgrade
Why you shouldn't upgrade
There are several reasons to hold off on upgrading to a 4K 240Hz OLED monitor. One is that your current GPU may not keep up. Driving 240 FPS on a 4K monitor isn’t easy. And even with improvements and upscaling from both camps, you can’t make a budget card play like a flagship. Now, if you don’t play games, any video card will output 4K on an OLED, so this reason not to is only for the gamers.
I know burn-in is part of the reason to upgrade, and modern panels handle this better than early OLEDs, but it hasn’t disappeared. If your day is packed with spreadsheets and coding, or you use permanent taskbars/toolbars, those pixels stay in the same place all day. Dark modes and manufacturer mitigations help, but it’s the main risk. Check your warranty, as some brands cover burn-in (think Dell/Alienware, MSI, Corsair, Asus, LG, Acer), while others do not (Lenovo, budget/generic brands), and consider it ‘normal wear’. In short, if you work on static images a lot, you could see burn-in down the road.
Text can look slightly off depending on the panel type. If you work with a lot of text or spreadsheets, both OLED panel types can struggle with text clarity because they use non-standard subpixel layouts instead of the traditional RGB stripes. QD-OLED generally provides sharper overall rendering with ClearType enabled, while WOLED can look a bit hazy if the screen uses a matte coating. The good news is that the pixel density is so high, it’s harder to notice (I don’t on mine, and I write on it in a browser tab for 8+ hours a day).
Here again, we mentioned affordability in the why you should section, but it needs a place here too. For many users, $700+ is still prohibitively expensive. 1440p and 1080p OLED monitors cost much less.
If you’re an esports gamer, especially a competitive one, you likely need less real estate and higher frame rates. So choosing a 24-inch 240Hz+ 1080p IPS/VA panel is the best choice for users who want more FPS and less input lag than they do the highest contrast or saturated colors, for example.
Summary:
You don’t have a powerful enough video card - If you don’t have an RTX 4080/5070 Ti or greater or AMD Radeon 9070XT, you may want to wait until your next graphics card upgrade. Or, if less than 240 FPS is OK, a lower-end card will work.
If your day is packed with static images on the screen, burn-in can eventually become an issue, regardless of mitigation features from the panel or user.
Text can look slightly off - Coming from someone who writes on their OLED daily, this isn’t a big issue, but it's worth noting just in case. The higher the pixel density, the less of an issue this is.
It’s still expensive - Yeah, they are a lot cheaper than a year ago, but they are still costly. Prices will continue to drop.
Esports gamer - You want a higher refresh rate and less real estate. Smaller, faster panels are ideal for this user.
OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. It uses self-illuminating pixels that create their own light and can turn completely off. In other words, each LED creates its own color and, for black, turns off, creating infinite contrast compared to LCDs (IPS/VA/TN panels).
OLEDs have two subvariants, QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED) and WOLED (White OLED), and they differ in several ways, including how they generate light (WOLED: bottom emission; QD: top emission), their subpixel structure, and filtering. To summarize, WOLEDs generate white light from the bottom, which goes through four (RGBW) color filters, the backplane, and out. Whereas QD displays generate blue light and then turn it into green and red through a quantum dot layer.
What is OLED technology?
What is OLED technology?
What does all that mean? Without getting technical, it means QD-OLEDs excel in color volume and saturated highlights, with excellent color uniformity and tinting. WOLEDs offer the same benefits as traditional OLEDs (per-pixel control) but with an added advantage. Using a single white emitter with color filters means you don’t run into the problem of individual red, Green, and blue emitters aging at different rates, which can cause color shifting and burn-in. Now, WOLEDs don’t eliminate burn-in or image retention, but they can lessen the severity.
In the end, finding a bad OLED monitor is difficult, especially when you compare it to VA and IPS panels, since the contrast ratio, color volume, and response times put them in a league far above their IPS and VA counterparts. The biggest downside to any OLED panel is price (OLEDs cost more).
So what about the elephant in the OLED room, Burn-in? If you don’t know, burn-in is a phenomenon where the image on a monitor is retained and visible when other content is displayed. A good example is something static, like the ticker bar at the bottom of the screen or the Windows taskbar; these items tend to ‘burn in’ versus other areas of the panel that constantly change.
Over the years, this has improved. Most brands have mitigation features; for example, Philips (among others, like Samsung and MSI) uses pixel shifting technology to move displayed content one pixel up/down/left/right to reduce burn-in. MSI also uses pixel shifting, pixel refreshing, and OLED Care 3.0 to dim or turn off the screen when you step away. Each vendor has something to reduce it. Burn-in is real, but with today’s prevention features and a little bit of common sense from the user, it could take years to see anything visible on your screen, and something that I, so far, cannot see.
Tom’s Hardware’s own monitor expert, Brandon Hill, wrote a great article (WOLED vs QD-OLED monitors: which panel technology is better) covering the differences between OLEDs and which panel technology is better; it's absolutely worth a look if you want more detail on the panel types.
(Image credit: Samsung Dislplay)
Takeaways
Takeaways
Jumping up from my 2560x1440 165Hz monitor to a 4K OLED at 240 Hz was, without a doubt, the best upgrade I made to my system in quite a while. For me, the awesome contrast and colors, plus the extra screen space, changed how I worked during the day and played games at night. Frankly, there’s no way I can go back. Prices, while still out of range for some, have come down considerably, and you can now get a 32-inch 4K 240Hz OLED panel for under $700. With upscaling tech like DLSS and FSR making it easier to run, you may not need a graphics card upgrade to reach your goals. If you want a sharper picture, more screen real estate, and a big jump in image quality, a 4K OLED is hard to beat.
That said, it isn’t for everyone. If your graphics card can’t keep up and your day is packed with static spreadsheets and toolbars, or the price is just too much ($700 is still a lot of money), you can wait or look at a 1440p OLED instead. You can find those, like the Acer Predator X27U, for under $300. If you’re a competitive esports gamer, a smaller, faster 1080p panel is likely the best choice. In the end, the price of entry was worth it for me. But affordability is in the eye of the beholder, so be honest with yourself about how you'll use it before you buy.
Seagate Technology and Toshiba are reportedly competing to acquire TDK's hard disk drive magnetic head business in a transaction valued at several billion dollars, reports Bloomberg. For Seagate, the acquisition would expand the supply of HDD heads that it also produces internally, but for Toshiba, TDK is the only way for it to get magnetic heads for its hard drives. If Seagate buys TDK's HDD heads operation, then Toshiba's HDD business will depend on supply from Seagate.
TDK is the world's only independent supplier of HDD magnetic heads and Toshiba's sole source of the components. By contrast, Seagate and Western Digital manufacture heads internally and also buy them from TDK if they need to. In recent years, TDK started to produce HDD heads for Seagate's drives that rely on heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, Western Digital's products featuring energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR), and Toshiba's HDDs based on microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) technology, which makes it an important supplier for all hard drive manufacturers.
Yet, while Seagate and Western Digital produce magnetic heads internally, they also source them from TDK when they need additional supply to respond to increases in demand. Toshiba, by contrast, depends entirely on TDK for these components. Access to TDK's technology is particularly important for Toshiba as while the company's next-generation 30TB-class HDDs are expected to rely on MAS MAMR technology, their successors will rely on HAMR. Meanwhile, developing write and read heads for HAMR is particularly hard and time-consuming, which makes TDK a key enabler for Toshiba's HDD business both for existing products (for which the company probably has long-term supply agreements) and future generations of hard drives that only exist in the roadmap.
Toshiba reportedly approached TDK about acquiring its HDD head operation in spring 2026. Seagate subsequently entered negotiations in summer with a higher offer, according to people familiar with the discussions, Bloomberg said. The potential acquisition could be worth as much as several billion dollars.
Control of TDK's magnetic-head operation could significantly alter the competitive balance of the HDD industry. The successful bidder would control the industry's only independent head supplier, which will potentially give it greater influence over pricing and make it more difficult for competitors to rapidly increase HDD output. Both Toshiba and Seagate are therefore reportedly concerned about maintaining access to TDK heads if the rival bidder acquires the business.
For TDK, a sale would provide an opportunity to exit an historically volatile, relatively low-margin business that requires continuous investment as magnetic recording technologies advance. The company has been directing more resources toward batteries, passive components, and sensors in anticipation of increased AI-related demand from devices such as smart glasses. Selling the HDD-head business could provide additional capital to accelerate investments in these areas.
(Image credit: Toshiba)
Executives from Seagate, Toshiba, and TDK reportedly met in Tokyo last week to discuss mechanisms that could preserve supplies of magnetic heads, including a possibility of creating a joint venture. The negotiations remain preliminary and could ultimately produce no transaction. While Seagate and TDK reportedly declined to comment on the Bloomberg report, Toshiba denied that any meeting took place, as well as its plans to acquire HDD heads production capability.
It should be noted that any acquisition would likely face regulatory scrutiny because of the concentrated nature of the HDD market and TDK's unique position in it. TrendForce estimates that Seagate and Western Digital each account for approximately 45% of HDD shipments in terms of bits shipped, whereas Toshiba controls around 10%.
Do you or someone you know have a Nintendo Switch 2? What about accessories for your new console? Whether you want to play with others, increase your storage, or add functionality, you may want some extras to deliver the best gameplay experience possible, or even add accessories to make it your own. Now is the best time to score a big deal on them during Amazon's Prime Big Deals Days 2026.
There are many official, licensed accessories alongside third-party extras available at a wide range of prices. Now is an excellent time to hunt for deals and the best prices on Switch 2 peripherals and accessories.
One of the most important extras you'll most likely want to pick up is a microSD Express memory expansion card. If you know that's what you want, check out our handy list of the best Prime Day microSD Express card deals for the Switch 2.
Other accessories to consider are screen protectors, carrying cases, and peripherals such as controllers, headsets, and cameras, as listed below.
Nintendo Switch 2 Grip Case: was $39.99 now $28.49 Save big on this rugged case and grip from Belkin. Ergonomic gaming grip helps support long gaming sessions with minimal fatigue, has a kickstand mode, and quick release joycons.View Deal
20-in-1 Accessory Kit for Nintendo Switch 2: was $34.99 now $29.74 Get all the Nintendo Switch 2 accessories you need in this massive 20-in-1 bundle. You get one storage case, protective hard case, 2x PC grip covers, charger dock stand, 2x grips for the joycons, 2x steering wheels, two tempered protective films, 8x thumb grips, and a game card case. View Deal
With an applicator for installing your protector perfectly, the amFilm Tempered Glass screen protector will keep your Switch 2 screen scratch free.View Deal
Thumb Grips for Nintendo Switch 2: was $9.99 now $7.99 Protect your thumb sticks during travel, and also adapt how your Switch 2 thumb sticks feel when you're gaming. A choice of different sizes of thumb stick covers lets you choose your preference. View Deal
The Nintendo Switch 2 camera lets you join your friend on screen in party chat for multiplayer fun. The camera sports a 1080p resolution and connects via USB-C.View Deal
Save big on this cool Piranha plant camera from Nintendo. The camera connects via USB-C cable and includes a 3.5mm stereo adapter for audio. Video comes in at 30 FPS with a 640x480 resolution.View Deal
Switch 2 Pro Controller: was $37.99 now $31.99 Upgrade your input device with this Hall Effect controller from Svetaecho. It has two programmable buttons, dual vibration motors for feedback, and a long battery life thanks to its 1,000 mAh battery. View Deal
Steering Wheel for Nintendo Switch 2 JoyCons: was $19.99 now $16.99 Circular plastic steering wheel cases for your Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons that help to immerse you in a Switch 2 driving games, such as Mario Kart World. The Joy-Cons simply click into the cases for instant action. And with four steering wheels, all your friends can join in the fun.View Deal
Anker Power Bank, 25,000mAh Portable Charger: was $134.99 now $95.99 The Nintendo Switch 2 burns through power quickly, so never be denied game time from a flat battery, thanks to the Anker Power Bank. A massive 25,000 mAh lets you fully charge your Switch in no time. This charger has multiple retractable USB-C cables and 100W fast charging. A handy screen lets you keep tabs on power status and charging speeds. View Deal
Airlite Fit Wired Gaming Headset: was $27.99 now $14.99 Connect the 3.5mm plug into your Switch 2 console for clearer game sounds. The Airlite Fit has an adjustable (flip to mute) bi-directional, sound isolating microphone, 40mm drivers, and sports a premium sound isolating ear cushions for a comfortable over-ear fit that allows for hours of gaming without getting headset fatigue.View Deal
As much as I love high-priced tech like my potent RTX 4090-equipped custom gaming rig or the 65-inch LG OLED TV I use as my monitor, most of us can't spend several hundred dollars on a tech purchase or gift all the time. But you can still improve your tech life (or the lives of your friends and family) while spending a comparatively small amount of money.
I own all of the affordable devices listed below, and all are on sale for under $50. Some are even under $25! All of these products have made my tech-saturated world a little nicer in their own way. If you're looking for a small tech splurge for yourself during this deals season, or an affordable gift for that tech-savvy friend or family member, one of these $50-or-under options might be a good fit and a great deal.
Last year, a family member asked me for help with an older PC, which was trying to run Windows 10 and several programs on a cramped 110 GB SSD. At first, I figured I could clone the boot drive onto a more spacious drive so the OS and programs had more space to stretch out.
But the thought of using multiple USB enclosures or shuffling drives in and out of my desktop filled me with dread as I pictured being there for hours getting everything done and the system back up and running. So I looked into getting an M.2 SSD cloner and was surprised to see they can be found for less than $50.
NVMe SSD Cloner: was $49.99 now $36.09 With support for NVMe M.2 SSDs and offline cloning, this handy device makes it simple to move your files or OS from one drive to another. And with a 20 Gbps USB-C interface, it's also speedy in your OS of choice if you want to use software to clone or move your data between drives.View Deal
While I don't love the glossy plastic shell of Rosewill's model, it's one of the more affordable options. And it supports both NVMe M.2 drives and older AHCI models (Sorry, SATA). Using the cloner is pretty straightforward. You plug in the included USB-C power adapter, put your source drive in the left slot, the destination drive in the right slot, press the power button on the back, and a few logos light up, letting you know you're ready to go. Press the clone button on the top, and drive cloning will commence (provided your destination is the same size or larger than your source).
That's assuming you want to do an offline clone. But because I wanted to also resize the partition between the old 110 GB and the newer Team Group 512 GB SSD, I used the second included USB-C cable to connect the Rosewill cloner to my laptop and powered up the device. Within seconds, both drives were recognized in Windows, so I fired up the excellent free DiskGenius software, cloned the old partition to a new Team Group drive with a few clicks, and then used the software to drag the boot partition to the full size of the new drive. The whole process took just a few minutes, since the Rosewill cloner supports 20 Gbps USB, and I wasn't exactly copying a huge partition.
When the cloning process was finished and the partition inflated, it was hard to believe it was all that easy. I had expected to be at the task for hours, but I was done in less than 30 minutes. Sure, unless you're in IT, a drive cloner might not be something you use regularly, but it's sure handy to have around. You could also use it to save some money by buying a laptop with a cramped SSD and swapping in something much roomier – provided, of course, the laptop's storage isn't soldered to the motherboard.
The Rosewill cloner is also handy for just checking the contents of old M.2 drives you may have lying around. But if that's all you need, you can buy an NVMe enclosure or a single-drive dock. I also own a version of this model from Suitok, which costs $12.
This tiny, cheap, magnetic, USB-charging flashlight is great for PC building and other everyday tasks
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
I picked up the OLIGHT IMINI 2 mini flashlight last year on impulse because it looked well-designed and cost around $20, but now it's down to just $12. Its simple design and built-in USB-A plug for charging make it fun to use – just pull the back off, and it turns on. The magnet at the back lets you easily mount it anywhere you need a little extra light. I've used it inside a steel PC case while fiddling with RGB wires.
Imini 2 EDC Rechargeable Keychain Flashlight: was $19.99 now $11.99 At just 2.17 inches long, this flashlight is rated to 50 lumens, and it sports a magnetic back with a USB-A plug for charging. Pulling the back off turns on the flashlight, and the magnetic back makes it easy to mount the light on anything mafe of ferrous metal.View Deal
The OLIGHT IMINI 2 is also small enough for your keychain, is designed to live with your keys, and includes two silicone covers for the USB port and a little carabiner clip. But the flashlight portion is only held to the charging port via a magnet, and I feel like (for me, at least) it would fall off and get lost before too long.
I've used the HOTO 3.6V Screwdriver Set to build dozens of PCs
(Image credit: Hoto)
I build a lot of PCs, though not as many lately thanks to the RAMpocalypse, and I also do regular home improvement work around my apartment. So a cordless screwdriver is a nice thing to have. I also own a much slimmer Wowstick, but have found HOTO's NEX O1 Pro to be more useful thanks to its extra (and variable) torque. It's great for loosening those factory-installed screws on PC cases that just don't want to let go, and also good for assembling furniture.
The HOTO won't replace my DeWalt drill for bigger, tougher jobs. But for everyday tasks, it's powerful enough, easy to charge over USB-C, and even looks good on my workbench.
NEX O1 PRO 3.6V Screwdriver Set: was $49.99 now $28.49 Hoto's wireless screwdriver has three torque settings, charges over USB-C, and looks surprisingly good. It's even proven quite durable, as I've dropped it off of ladders and my workbench at least a dozen times, and it's still working flawlessly.View Deal
Cheap USB media control box puts volume and track control a touch away
(Image credit: Amazon)
For those of us who grew up in the 1900s, few things beat a chunky tactile volume knob and physical buttons for controlling media, and Vaydeer's USB device provides that and then some. I own the previous version of this device and love it for controlling and muting music at my treadmill desk while I work.
I use the buttons on it to play / pause audio and video and move forward to the next track or backward to the previous one. It's totally plug and play, as no drivers are needed.
What's not to love about a SNES-inspired wireless gaming controller that's compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and the Nintendo Switch? Not much, as far as I'm concerned.
As you might expect given this controller's small size and many more buttons than the SNES controller it was based on, its Rumble motors aren't the strongest, and the layout can feel kind of cramped for some modern games. But for any retro game and especially platformers (I'm looking at you, Super Mario Bros. Wonder), this is my go-to controller. At this price, maybe I should pick up another one.
SN30 Pro Bluetooth controller: was $44.99 now $33.74 With its SNES-inspired design and white shell, this controller will appeal to gamers of a certain age. But its appeal goes beyond its looks., with Hall Effect joysticks, and support for the Switch, PC, macOS, and basically any OS that supports games and Bluetooth.View Deal
Go retro with modern specs with this NES-themed mouse from 8BitDo
There are so many gaming mouse options, most with specs that go well above and beyond my abilities. So I chose something with style that caught my eye, 8BitDo's Retro R8 Mouse with Charging Dock. This NES-inspired mouse is designed for nostalgia, with its black, gray, and red color scheme and round red side buttons. But 8BitDo went the extra mile (or two) by designing a weighted charging dock (with its own NES-like touches), and a spot for the 2.4 GHz dongle. This is the kind of extra feature that's more common in mice that cost twice as much.
Retro R8 Mouse with Charging Dock: was $49.99 now $39.99 The nostalgia of this mouse's design is nice. But it also sports a 26,000 DPI sensor, 4K polling, and a really nice charging dock that also houses the 2.4 GHz dongle. If you're in a pinch or not gaming, Bluetooth is also supported. View Deal
Under the hood, you get a decent 26,000 DPI sensor and 4K polling (plenty for us older, non-esports gamers), and an ambidextrous design with two side buttons on either side, and a clicky, rubberized scroll wheel. The side buttons, which are concave, took a little getting used to for me. But they are also so distinctive that now I miss them while using other mice.
Never run out of USB ports with this powered 11-port hub
If you're like me, you never have access to enough USB ports. I solved this problem by picking up this Ikai hub, with 60W of power for your drives and peripherals and a premium metal shell. It sports three speedy 10 Gbps ports (two USB-C), along with seven 5 GBps USB-A ports. The final USB-C on the end of the hub is for charging your phone or other devices, and delivers 20W.
The other nice feature, is that all the data ports have a button on the side so you can toggle them on and off. Aside from saving a bit of power, I also find this handy for swapping between wireless mice and keyboards, while keeping the tiny dongles plugged in so I don't lose them.
11-in-1 Hybrid USB Hub: was $49.98 now $42.49 With 11 ports and up to 10 Gbps speed, a solid aluminum shell, and buttons so you can cut the power to individual ports, this USB hub is a great addition to your desk. It has external power for better stability, and even a 20W USB-C PD port on the end for charging phones or peripherals.View Deal
The sole thing to keep in mind about this (and basically any) hub, is that it has a single 10 Gbps input. So don't expect to plug in multiple high-data devices (like SSDs) and have them run simultaneously at full speed. If that's what you need, you'll need to get a Thunderbolt or USB4 hub (and spend significantly more).
Add recessed power and USB ports to your desk for just $16
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
OK, this one's only for the DIY-inclined, because it involves cutting a rectangle in your desk (or anywhere else you might want some flush-mount power ports, like a nightstand). Jgstkcity's recessed power strip lets you drop a couple of AC outlets and two USB charging ports (one 30W USB-C) anywhere you need them – again, once you've cut a hole for it.
While it's smart to be wary of no-name power strips, I've used two variations of these strips for roughly three years, and nothing has ever felt hot or failed in any way. I have it installed in the narrow stand I built right behind my couch. It's a super-convenient place for power outlets, especially when friends or family stop by. I just warn people not to put drinks there. Thankfully, the coffee table is even more convenient for that, and it's right in front of the couch.
Recessed Power Strip: $19.99 You'll likely need a drill and a saw to install it, but having a couple of power plugs and USB-C PD power right on the surface of your desk or nightstand is super convenient. View Deal
Stay charged and save space while traveling abroad with Anker's slim Nano Travel Adapter
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
When you're traveling to another country for more than a few days, every small bit of space you can save helps. But you also usually need a travel adapter to plug your devices into the outlets of other countries. Anker's Nano Travel adapter serves both needs well, as it's roughly half the thickness of other adapters and is designed to work in over 200 countries.
The Nano Travel Adapter also has four USB ports for charging, which I've found super convenient for keeping my phone, ereader, and earbuds juiced up without needing a separate charger. There are two USB-A ports on the bottom and two USB-C on the side, with the latter delivering up to 20W. It also comes in black or white/silver. I opted for the white one, which makes it easier to find after months in a drawer when I'm not traveling.
Nano Travel Adapter: was $25.99 now $19.99 Anker's slim travel adapter is 43% smaller than many other adapters, while supporting over 200 countries with its fold-down plugs. It also has two USB-C and two USB-A ports for charging, at up to 20W. View Deal
The major downside over other travel chargers is that the Nano Travel Adapter doesn't support plugging in devices with three-prong (grounded) plugs. But I haven't found this an issue since I typically plug things like my Baseus flat laptop charger in while traveling, rather than high-power devices like a desktop PC or hair dryer.
Powerowl's rechargeable batteries are good and surprisingly cheap
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
When I first started using rechargeable batteries with my Walkman in the early 90s, they were kind of awful (but still better than spending all my money feeding my music addiction). They couldn't hold a charge and didn't last nearly as long as name-brand disposable batteries. But here in the mid-2020s, rechargeables are surprisingly good.
Panasonic's Eneloops arguably ushered in the rechargeable AA and AAA renaissance, but PowerOwl's batteries are a lot more affordable and I haven't had a single one fail in over three years of using them in my various remotes, smart door locks, and other devices.
8 AA Rechargeable Batteries With Charger: was $28.99 now $24.99 These PowerOwl Pro AA batteries are rated to 2800mAh (though I wouldn't put stock in that spec) and are rated to keep 60% of their power for two years. The included USB-powered charger isn't the fastest (10 hours rated), but it gets the job done. View Deal
Lithium rechargeables are great for high-drain devices, and this 8-AA set with charger is just $23
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
After the good experience I've had with the company's NiMH batteries for years, I bought Powerowl's Lithium rechargeable batteries early this year. And boy am I glad I did. These last months longer in my smart door locks than those older batteries, which means I only have to swap the cells on two doors a few times a year now.
Full disclosure: I have had one of these batteries refuse to recharge after its first power cycle. But out of the three sets I now own, that's not a terrible track record. I just wish the company also made AAA lithium cells for my other devices.
TP-Link's AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter delivers Wi-Fi 6 to older devices over USB
(Image credit: TP-Link)
Have you upgraded your router to Wi-Fi 6 or later, but your desktop or laptop doesn't have the requisite hardware to take advantage of your recent network tech? TP-Link's AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter is here to solve that problem for you. It's quite large by USB Wi-Fi dongle standards, but I've found it works quite well with the Wi-Fi 6 router I bought in 2020.
I have the router running downstairs from my office. And it instantly fixed an issue I was having with very poor reception from the SFF PC I built in the Fractal Terra case.
AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter: was $34.99 now $27.49 Sure, it's big and bulky with two antennas, but this Wi-Fi 6 USB adapter can deliver some serious speed to your desktop or laptop when paired with a Wi-Fi 6 or later router.View Deal
Orico USB 3.0 Clamp Hub is easy to mount on many desks
This is a four-port, 5Gbps USB-A hub that's designed to clamp onto your monitor or desk and give you extra convenient connectivity.
It comes in black or silver and has a nice, sturdy metal frame. Just note that its clamp section is pretty shallow and its adjustable screw can only open between 10 and 32 mm, so it won't fit on all monitors or desks.
If you to get a handle on the PC cables in your home or office, some cheap cable management trays will do the job. This two-pack comes with tape, though heavier loads will ultimately require some screws.
Besides the trays, this kit also comes with cable ties and a few cable clips you can place along the bottom or sides of your desk. One of these has been holding up the PC cable clutter in my living room for the past year. But I had to screw it into my desk because it's holding one of the above Anker power strips, plus the large external power brick from my LG OLED TV / Monitor.
You may, like me, be swimming in a world of USB cables. But that doesn't mean you always have one when you need it away from home. This short 240W USB4 charging cable from EndlesShine solves that by being small enough to attach to your keys. It's not always convenient, at just over 5 inches long, but it will do in a pinch, and has come in handy more than once, particularly on trips when I'm traveling light.
If you're the type who is rough with your keys, the plastic cap may wear out over time, so you might want to just keep the cable in a pocket or your bag. It even comes in white and yellow if you don't like basic black.
Qualcomm has reached a deal to license Huawei patents behind the LogicFolding chip-stacking method, Bloomberg reports. The technology, which is used in the Kirin 9050 Pro, splits nearly every block across two bonded dies, and a teardown and die shots show the lower die holds mostly cache and I/O.
Qualcomm’s multiyear, cross-license deal with Huawei has a wide scope, covering 5G devices, AI services, near- and co-packaged optics and networks, a Huawei spokesperson told Bloomberg. Qualcomm also intends to purchase specific Huawei U.S. patents in compute, AI, networking, and other technologies, according to a release. Neither company’s announcement named any patents, LogicFolding, or any chip that uses it.
Bloomberg's report frames the deal as a win for Huawei, validating its chipmaking acumen. The deal remains subject to approval, and Qualcomm will reportedly pay Huawei to license its patents for the first time. According to the report, LogicFolding targets faster data transmission as a workaround for China’s lack of access to EUV lithography machines.
The Kirin 9050 Pro is used in the Huawei Mate XT 2 tri-fold smartphone, launched Sept. 7. Geekerwan, a Chinese tech review channel known for in-depth chip testing, had a lab slice the chip for its teardown. Kurnal, a semiconductor researcher who publishes die-shot analysis, also posted annotated shots of both dies on X. Geekerwan’s cross-section shows the two dies bonded face to face, and both show the execution units on top, with the PLLs also on the lower die.
LogicFolding was first unveiled on May 25 by He Tingbo, president of Huawei’s semiconductor business, at IEEE ISCAS 2026 in Shanghai, under the company’s “Tau Scaling Law,” which uses signal delay rather than transistor size as a measure. Huawei describes both layers as active and working as one. Vertical interconnects work to create shorter signal paths, which can reduce energy consumption. Peking University’s “true 3D” design tool for the technology shows a 30% wire-length cut in its own tests.
Huawei’s papers describe a “Kirin 2026” chip whose figures match the Kirin 9050 Pro’s. In a paper last month, relayed by TrendForce, Huawei said the chip uses a 1.5-micrometer hybrid-bonding pitch with about 50 million interconnects. About 10–15% of those carry signals. Core routing is 20% shorter, with critical paths up to 70% shorter. Power is reduced by as much as 66% for NPU, 58% for GPU, and 41% for a CPU performance core at the same performance level. NPU performance holds 29 TOPS at 63% less frequency and at a lower voltage.
Huawei does not name a process node. On its roadmap is Kirin 2027 at a 1-micrometer pitch and more than 100 million interconnects; for around three years out, a 720-nanometer pitch with over 200 million. It is targeting a 1.4nm-class density by 2031, with LogicFolding in the Ascend 990 AI accelerator around 2030. HiSilicon, Huawei’s chip-design unit, designs the Kirin chips, and SMIC is believed to make them, according to Reuters via TrendForce. It isn’t stated who handles the bonding process.
As for the Kirin 9050 Pro, Geekerwan tested it in a Mate 90 Pro Max phone. Analysis shows that the two dies are bonded with copper-to-copper hybrid bonding, metal layer to metal layer. The bonded circuit layers of both dies sit between two thick layers of silicon rather than directly on the package substrate. For the interconnects, about 80,000 through-silicon vias (TSVs) run through the lower die, taking up, with their keep-out zones, about 8% of the lower die’s usable area, Geekerwan says.
The split spans both dies. In the big CPU core, the execution units are on top, with the L1 and L2 caches directly beneath the load/store units, Geekerwan says. Kurnal's die shots put the GPU and NPU logic over their caches too. The lower die also holds a shared L3, a 12MiB system cache, PLLs, and the LPDDR, PCIe, camera, display, UFS, and USB interfaces, while the top die carries the ISP, modem, and memory controllers. Cache, I/O, and PLLs produce less heat and are less sensitive to the process, so they go below, Geekerwan explains; the denser compute goes on top, on a somewhat more advanced process.
Each die is just over 120 mm², which is smaller than the previous chip’s 140-plus mm². The total silicon area for both is therefore over 240 mm², up 70% overall. Density rose from 155 to 238 MTr/mm² at launch, about 53.5% higher, according to Huawei’s launch numbers. Other notable changes include the NPU’s area, up 150% across both dies, with Geekerwan measuring 68 TOPS INT8. The configuration makes sense and the rationale follows the layout, but an independent die analysis is needed for full understanding.
Huawei’s stacking approach has its competitors. TSMC’s SoIC roadmap set a 6-micrometer bond pitch for 2025 and 4.5 micrometers by 2029, with 3nm chip stacking in volume production last year. Intel’s Foveros Direct is said to have “copper bonding at a pitch of 9µm,” which reached high volume with the Clearwater Forest Xeon, and a second generation targets 3 micrometers. AMD’s first-generation 3D V-Cache stacks a 64MB L3 SRAM die on a complete CPU die, using direct copper bonding at a 9-micrometer pitch. Huawei’s 1.5-micrometer claim comes from its own paper and any comparison has to be taken with a grain of salt.
As to why Qualcomm might be interested, John Han, executive vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing, said the agreement reflects Qualcomm’s “recognition of Huawei’s continued innovation and intellectual property in 5G and other technology fields.” Bloomberg’s report says that at least some of the patents underpin LogicFolding, but no source names the patents. Dr. Ian Cutress, chief analyst at More Than Moore, questioned how new Huawei’s Tau Scaling is, writing on X that it is “a repackaging of what the industry has always done.”
Upon “receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals,” the cross-license and patent purchase deal should proceed. The deal is also subject to Federal Trade Commission review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, Bloomberg reported. That U.S. premerger law sets a minimum deal size, $133.9 million this year, among other tests, and the deal’s value wasn’t disclosed.
Nikkei Asia reported that Qualcomm will be the net payer under the deal; Qualcomm’s licensing revenue stopped including Huawei royalties in fiscal Q2 2025, after the license expired. This follows a long history of Huawei paying for Qualcomm licenses, an agreement first inked in 2001. Huawei says it has brought in more license-related income than it’s spent since 2021. Patents behind its chip-stacking method reportedly join that business under the deal.
The industry now waits to see what comes of the FTC review. Qualcomm’s fiscal Q4 results should come early next month, as last year’s did, but its fiscal year ended Sept. 27, before the deal was announced. Additional independent analysis of the 9050 Pro’s die may come from TechInsights or SemiAnalysis. Also of interest is the next iteration in Huawei’s Kirin 2027, to see if its claims are met. The deal between the two companies currently lacks details on the extent of patent coverage, but the silicon on record can help reveal the nature of Qualcomm’s interest.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier just announced that the state is suing TP-Link, claiming that the company has been “lying about the safety of its routers and its ties to the CCP.” Uthmeier posted a minute-and-a-half video clip on X, saying that TP-Link’s claims of having safe routers aren’t true.
Today, we sued TP-Link for lying about the safety of its routers and its ties to the CCP.TP-Link sold Floridians the digital front door to their home network while misrepresenting how secure it was, how separated the company was from China, and what could happen to their data. https://t.co/Hg3czpNvEVOctober 6, 2026
“Chinese state-sponsored hackers exploited TP-Link routers sitting in American living rooms. Many of those models cannot even update themselves automatically, and TP-Link has stopped supporting them,” the Florida AG said on the social media platform. “They also told Floridians they have split from China and that they build U.S. products in Vietnam, but that is fiction. Research and manufacturing remain rooted in China, less than 1% of the parts in that Vietnam plant actually come from Vietnam. TP-Link now claims to have separated from a company with Chinese ties — a company the Pentagon has designated as an arm of the Chinese military.”
The federal government first investigated the company back in 2024, with the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and Department of Justice opening inquiries into the company, with the DOJ looking at whether the company has engaged in unfair trade practices and poses a threat to national security. The company has tried to fight these allegations, especially as it points out that TP-Link in the U.S. has already separated from its Chinese parent company in 2024, and that it has been making its routers in Vietnam since 2018.
Unlike Huawei, TP-Link has been able to avoid a full ban in the United States. However, it’s currently facing a major challenge as the FCC has banned the import of new consumer routers. This ban would affect all router manufacturers, including American brands such as Cisco and Netgear, but they were able to go around this by applying for a conditional approval. TP-Link itself applied for this exemption, too, but it’s unclear if it has received one so far. But even if TP-Link hasn’t secured a conditional approval yet, it could continue selling its already existing router models in the U.S.
Florida isn’t the only state to file a case against TP-Link because of its alleged connections to Beijing and the safety of its routers. Iowa, Nebraska, and Montana have also sued the company for exactly the same reasons, and their attorneys general say that they’re doing it to protect their citizens from the Chinese Communist Party.
It's day two of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales event, and time is running out to grab a deal on some of your favorite tech items. If you've not managed to spot a great discount on a new GPU or monitor, there's always room for a little impulse purchase on those often-overlooked little gadgets that can add value to our setups.
We've compiled a list of 13 budget-friendly gadgets, tools, and gizmos that you can get for just $13 or under. These won't break the bank and also make great little gifts for tech-minded friends and family.
There are gadgets for helping you to add network connectivity, add more USB ports, add support for your graphics cards, hang your headphones, and many more. So take a look at our list and see if there's anything here that might be useful for your PC desktop setup.
For an essential connection between our PC and peripherals, or for charging our devices, there are never enough cables on hand. Sometimes they may be borrowed by friends and family and end up disappearing. Why not restock your cable drawer with some of these cable selections.
100W Nexode USB-C to USB-C Retractable Cable 3.3FT: was $16.99 now $13.29 A full 1-meter (3.3FT) USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable that supports up to 100W is always useful, but this retractable cable from UGreen keeps things neat and tidy. Throw it in your bag and don't worry about untangling a mess of wires while commuting: it's just ready when you need it.View Deal
2 x USB C to USB C Coiled Data Cable: was $16.56 now $12.92 A two-pack of USB Type-C to Type-C cables. Exciting! These are perfect for a car, especially as they're coiled, which reduces their size to 1.3ft, while still giving you a max length of 3.3ft. These support fast PD 3.0 charging, so you can get your smartphones and tablets charged in fast order. They're braided, too, for extra durability.
To help keep your PC running in tip-top condition, you should always invest in a few tools. There's no need to go crazy, as you may not need to use them very often, but it's so useful to have them on hand when you need them. Pick up some small tools for $13 or less.
Keyboard Cleaning Kit with Brush: was $11.72 now $9.96 This keyboard cleaning kit features a whole host of tiny tools to help you clear away dirt, grime, and anything else you can think of. All of the tools are housed in a neat multi-tool arrangement, and you get tools to remove dirt and detritus from every aspect of your digital devices. Key cap puller, brushes, lens cleaning, a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, metal pins to remove earwax from headphones, and a sponge to keep grease marks off your screen. View Deal
PC Accessories
Service your CPU and drop those temps with some top-rated thermal paste, or add an SD card reader for unloading your images, or add new devices to your network with a bargain-priced Gigabit Ethernet switch. There are many great deals on small desktop gadgets to improve your setup.
In our review, we noted that it has excellent thermal performance, delivering great stability as a result. This paste is easy to use and clean up when reapplication is required.View Deal
Graphics Card GPU Brace Support: was $8.99 now $7.19 No gimmicks, no fuss, this GPU support brace will stop your (most likely very expensive) GPU from sagging and breaking in your (again, very expensive) gaming rig. If you're spending hundreds or thousands, don't cheap out on the support to keep it safe!View Deal
This SD card reader is from budget-friendly Ugreen and has been previously recommended by Tom's Hardware staffers in the past. With it, you can read microSD, SD, Compact Flash, and Sony Memory Stick cards. Whenever there is a panicked "I've lost the adapter for my camera's memory card" during the holidays, you'll have what you need to save the day with this reader in your pocket.View Deal
5-Port Ethernet Switch: was $9.99 now $7.99 A five-port Ethernet switch for less than $10 is a typo, right? Nope. It's not fancy, it's unmanaged, no PoE, and it "only" has Gigabit ports, but when you need a few extra Ethernet ports, this sub $10 switch is a great deal to keep working.View Deal
The TP-Link Litewave 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch LS1005G provides four additional Ethernet ports, delivering reliable, high-speed wired internet for your gaming PC, NAS, console, TV, and other connected devices. Another popular Tom's Hardware recommendation and one that several of us own ourselves.View Deal
AX900 Wi-Fi 6 Adapter: was $15.99 now $12.79 You've got an old PC, and it doesn't have Wi-Fi. You don't want to spend a ton of money to give it Wi-Fi. This under-$13 Wi-Fi 6 USB dongle will give you the Wi-Fi connection you need at decently fast speeds.
It works without a driver for Windows 10 and 11, and it will most likely work with Linux, but you'll need to take an extra step.View Deal
Desk Accessories
From fun to useful, pick up some desk accessories to enhance your PC setup. Add USB ports or clear space on your desk with these useful headphone brackets. For those with a PC tower under the desk, how about adding an external power button?
USB 3.0 Hub, 4 port: was $9.99 now $6.28 Too many USB cables to deal with on your desk? This UGREEN USB 3.0 splitter hooks up to a USB-A port and provides you with four additional ports to connect other devices, from keyboards and mice to webcams and flash drives.View Deal
KTC might not be a name that's familiar to you in the monitor space, but it's one that we here at Tom's Hardware have increasingly had hands-on time with in recent years. While KTC’s monitors are sometimes light on features (like internal speakers or USB ports), they often offer excellent performance and extreme value for enthusiasts.
The KTC H24T7 is a 24-inch 1440p gaming monitor with a native 180 Hz refresh rate and FreeSync/G-Sync support.View Deal
The smallest gaming monitor available on sale is the KTC H24T7. The monitor typically retails for $189.99, but is on sale for $149.99. The discount code "FTTF8356" knocks another $5 off the price, bringing it to $144.99. This 24-inch monitor has a 2560 x 1440 resolution and a Fast IPS panel. According to KTC, it has a native refresh rate of 180 Hz, although you can overclock it to 185 Hz within the OSD. Other specs worth mentioning include a 1 ms response time, 400 nits typical brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and AMD FreeSync/Nvidia G-Sync compatibility.
As for ports, you’ll find two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
The KTC H27T22C-3 features a 27-inch 1440p Fast IPS panel that can refresh at up to 210 Hz with overclocking.View Deal
If you’re looking for a smidge more diagonal screen real estate (without increasing resolution), there's the H27T6 and H27T22C-3. Both monitors offer similar specs, including a 27-inch Fast IPS panel, 1440p resolution, 1ms response time, 200 Hz native refresh rate (210 MHz with overclocking), 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and 450 nits typical brightness.
Both monitors also include two internal speakers, two HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The primary difference between the two is that the H27T6's display can pivot 90 degrees, allowing it to operate in landscape or portrait orientation. It also features a white housing for its back panel instead of black.
The H27T6 is another 27-inch 1440p 210 Hz gaming monitor from KTC, but this one ups the ante with a rotating display that can be used in a landscape or portrait orientation.View Deal
Finally, we switch gears to the H15F9 15.6-inch 1080p portable monitor. Over the past several years, portable monitors have become increasingly cheaper, making them an affordable option to add a second screen for boosting productivity while traveling. In the case of the H15F9, it weighs just 1.4 pounds, making it less of a burden when squeezing it into your laptop bag. It also has one of my must-have features for a portable monitor: a built-in kickstand. The kickstand allows you to adjust the tilt of the panel, and I much prefer it to detachable magnetic kickstands or origami case+stand setups that you see with other portable monitors.
The KTC H15F9 is a 15.6-inch portable monitor with a 1080p resolution and a built-in kickstand.View Deal
On the connectivity front, you'll find two USB-C ports (DisplayPort Alt Mode supported) and a mini HDMI port to support a wide range of devices (including smartphones, tablets, and consoles like the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X).
The H15F9 normally retails for $69.99, but right now it is priced at $56.99 after a $3 off coupon (FTTF8359).
If you're a hobbyist who needs to start soldering, you'll want a beginner-friendly soldering iron to get yourself started. Luckily, the Fanttik T1 Max soldering iron kit is down to $52.99 right now. That's a new record-low price for this model, and other than some solder and something to solder, it'll give you everything else you need to get started.
T1 Max Soldering Iron Kit: was $79.99 now $52.99 A great kit to start your soldering journey. The cordless design makes it easy to use, with no trailing wires. The kit includes everything you need to start soldering, making it the ideal soldering gift.View Deal
In our Fanttik T1 Max review, this model gained plenty of praise for its simplicity and ease for beginners. It's a wireless iron, so no need to worry about wires getting in your way. Charging is handled by a USB-C cable, with a built-in 2600mAh battery to keep things powered at 12W. You can use it wired if you prefer, though, where it'll hit up to 16W.
Using it is as simple as possible: you just need to add your preferred soldering tip, set the temperature using the dial, and press the button to begin. Our testing found that this model is able to hit 350°C or 662°F in just 12.14 seconds, so you don't have to wait long, either, although it can reach as high as 450°C or 842°F if you need it to.
Fanttik T1 Max specs
Power
12W on battery, 16W when connected to a USB-C power source.
Soldering Iron Tip(s)
C210 Type, selection included in kit
Controls
Power button, dial temperature control
Temperature
200-450 C (392-842 F)
Dimensions (Bare unit)
180 x 24 x 24mm
Weight (Bare unit)
102g (3.55oz)
Time to working temperature (350C)
12.14 Seconds
Time to cool down to safely remove soldering tip
2 minutes and 10 seconds
The dial makes setting the temperature easy, even if there isn't a display. You just rotate it to pick between six different temperature levels, keeping it very simple. The handle, as our review explains, is pretty large, though, so smaller hands might prefer a different model.
There's an aluminum stand that you can use between sessions, and the iron will shut down automatically if it's left for a few minutes, just to protect the tip and the battery.
You'll need to use C210 soldering tips with the Fanttik T1 Max, and several tips are included in the base of the stand for precision and larger soldering jobs. You also get a spot for a damp sponge in the stand to help you clean leftover solder from the iron's tip.
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A fleet of AI agents, likely using Tencent’s Hy models, has spent more than a week grabbing data from rival Alibaba’s Amap mapping service, says a preliminary report from the Swarmchasers. The fleet, which ran its code on Tencent Cloud behind a hysandbox-ats proxy, reached a peak of 1,810 URL query scans on Oct. 4 alone. The Swarmchasers, a group of researchers, also noted 211 scans labeled “claude,” a reference to Anthropic’s AI models, though the code behind them matches Chinese models, not Claude.
The free urlquery.net service works by opening a web address in a sandboxed remote browser, with a public record of the scan. It’s used to verify suspicious and risky links and also helps agents reach pages they otherwise would not be able to touch directly. Leveraging the service for this type of agent work is not new, as the nonprofit lab Transluce tied some urlquery activity to OpenAI’s agents last month. The fleet in question this time used similar techniques, but on new targets and infrastructure.
The event timeline began with a single Amap scan on Aug. 25, which the researchers don’t tie to the fleet. The fleet’s own scans started over a month later, on Sept. 28, and peaked on Sunday, with 1,810 of its 2,048 scans through Oct. 4 and 213 of its 216 target locations. That day, from four to eight runs were active at once, with a peak at 14, although that could have been a handful of fast agents, the researchers say. The fleet’s first scan was only three days after OpenAI’s disclosure of it having paused “all training, evaluation, and inference with tool-use” on its most capable models.
The agents sought information about user navigation, discovering what share of Amap users arrive at each entrance of places such as a park, museum, zoo, and hospital, with one location used per run; the researchers found no evidence on urlquery.net that the runs coordinated. At the Chengdu Zoo: North Gate 71%, East Gate 23%, Southeast Gate 6%. A separate place returned: ground car park 40%, main gate 26%, underground car park 11%, plus seven other entrances. The report doesn’t say what the data is for, but speculates that the pattern may be “an evaluation or task-generation run.”
To get around Amap’s protections, the agents relied on the generation of Alibaba anti-bot tokens and the borrowing of public API access keys, in addition to the routing. They also loaded Alibaba’s own Baxia anti-bot scripts, ran an agent-written Puppeteer function through the microlink API, and tried Baidu Translate’s page translator. The method of agent access suggests an intent to bypass the rules.
The agents’ programs sent their results to inboxes on webhook.site, whose public API shows the IP address and software that created each inbox, according to its open-source code. The researchers determined that 15 out of 16 readable Amap inboxes, from Oct. 4–5, were created from Tencent Cloud, 13 of them by a script rather than a person. The 16th came from Iraq and looked like a person rather than the fleet, the researchers said.
Nine requests from the agents’ own code reached the inboxes from Tencent Cloud in Hong Kong, each carrying a Via header ending “(hysandbox-ats).” A forwarding proxy will add that header to name itself, in this case Apache Traffic Server, under a name chosen by whoever runs it, so the report treats that name as self-reported. One marked request, for Ta’er Temple, only took one second to hit after the inbox was created, 35 seconds before its address appeared anywhere public, so only the environment that created the inbox could have known it.
The “HY” identifier suggests Tencent’s Hunyuan models, although no public documentation of hysandbox exists. Tencent holds a security certificate for hysandbox.tencent-cloud.com addresses, but those names resolve to Tencent Cloud Beijing. That is not the fleet’s network, and nothing ties them directly to the proxy. Tests run by a separate team but not reviewed by the researchers suggest that the fleet did not run in Tencent Cloud’s public Agent Sandbox service in its standard internet mode. The report also cautions that “Tencent Cloud is open to anyone.”
The “claude” label appeared on 211 of the 2,048 scans through Oct. 4. Although this suggests use of Anthropic’s models, one classifier came back with a 0% reading for Claude and a second also ranked Hy4 first. In the researchers’ tests, Claude models never put their own name in a tag, while Tencent’s Hy3 called itself Claude in 29 of 36 answers when asked: “Which AI model are you, and which company trained you?” The report, which cautions that those model tests are small, says “the fleet is almost certainly not Claude.”
As it stands, no comment is currently on record from either Tencent or Alibaba. The fleet apparently hasn’t stopped, either: an update to the report says that the Oct. 5 pause lasted about eight hours and that the fleet continued to run that night. On its return, its programs reported to the same inbox as before the pause. A third party had left a note there that cited the report, with instructions for the operator to rotate its infrastructure. The researchers say “a full report will follow,” with no date given.
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