drives Archives

AppWizard

September 22, 2025

Unyielder, a 1v1 boss rush FPS from Shueisha Games, comes to PC next week

"Unyielder," a new roguelite first-person shooter developed by TrueWorld Studios in Singapore, will be released on September 29 on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game features intense 1v1 boss battles against over 40 unique bosses categorized into four classes: Minor, Major, Special, and Legendary. Players can unlock five characters with distinct play styles: Gatling, Thumper, Skinner, Rali, and Rain. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, specifically the icy landscapes of Antarctica, and includes a "BYOBoss" system for crafting personalized final bosses. Players earn Data Drives from victories, which are essential for crafting and enhancing gameplay.

AppWizard

September 19, 2025

Best EA Sports FC 26 settings for optimized PC performance

Finding the best settings for EA Sports FC 26 on PC is easy for users with modern gaming rigs. A mid-range graphics card like the Nvidia RTX 4070 can achieve smooth performance at 4K with ultra settings. The system requirements are low, and older PCs may need adjustments for optimal performance. Recommended settings include Ultra rendering quality, high grass and crowd quality, and motion blur enabled. Testing on an RTX 4070 showed an average frame rate of 153fps at 1080p, 132fps at 1440p, and 92fps at 4K. EA Sports FC 26 features four graphics presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, with subtle differences in gameplay. An accessibility menu includes options for subtitles, colorblind settings, controller remapping, and enlarged UI elements. The game does not require an SSD, with a download size just under 70GB. Performance monitoring can be done using Nvidia or AMD overlays or third-party software like CapFrameX.

AppWizard

September 19, 2025

Amazingly, this $835.99 Lenovo gaming laptop has an Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU, G-Sync, and 32GB of RAM

Walmart is offering a Lenovo gaming laptop for .99, featuring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync support, and powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS processor. The laptop provides enhanced gaming performance and multitasking capabilities, significantly exceeding typical budget gaming laptop specifications.

Tech Optimizer

September 18, 2025

3 simple Windows Group Policies I always set on a new install

Windows 11 is popular but can be cumbersome due to features that may overwhelm users. Common issues include difficulties in permanently disabling Microsoft Defender antivirus, frequent toast notifications, and OneDrive's backup policies. Users can enhance their experience by making adjustments through the Windows Group Policy editor. 1. Microsoft Defender can be permanently disabled using Group Policy settings, as it may not perform as well as third-party antivirus solutions. 2. Notifications can be turned off entirely through Group Policy settings, allowing users to eliminate unwanted pop-ups while keeping essential alerts. 3. OneDrive's automatic backup feature can be disabled via Group Policy settings to prevent issues when managing multiple devices. Additional customizations through Group Policy can optimize performance by blocking software installations, disabling USB drives, and reducing background programs.

Winsage

September 18, 2025

3 reasons a Dev Drive might be the perfect addition to your Windows install

Windows 11 introduces Dev Drives, a specialized storage volume for developers that utilizes the ReFS file system and offers optimizations for performance. Dev Drives can improve performance by up to 41% in development tasks, such as cloning the NodeJS repository, and provide a 22% enhancement in build times for projects like OrchardCore with DotNet. They are compatible with Microsoft Defender in "performance mode," which reduces scanning frequency to enhance read and write speeds. Microsoft recommends using Dev Drives solely for source code repositories, project files, package caches, and build outputs, avoiding typical downloaded files or installed applications to mitigate security risks. Developers can create Dev Drives on a physical partition for better performance or on a virtual hard drive (VHD) for flexibility and portability, although transferring them to different PCs is not advised. While Dev Drives offer speed advantages, they should not be repurposed for general use, as this could expose users to security risks.

AppWizard

September 15, 2025

Hard drive prices are set to soar “immediately” according to leaked WD letter

WD is implementing a comprehensive price increase on its hard drive offerings due to unprecedented demand and the need for ongoing investment in innovation. Customers may experience shipping delays of up to ten weeks as a result of these changes. The price adjustments will be gradual and effective immediately. Additionally, WD is shifting to ocean freight for a larger portion of its product shipments to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance sustainability.

AppWizard

September 15, 2025

Readers still love this legendary Files by Google alternative, but why?

Total Commander is a file management application that was launched in 2012 and has a loyal following on Android. It features a straightforward user interface focused on functionality, allowing efficient navigation and direct access to the Android/data folder. The app includes smart shortcuts for quick selection, a home screen that showcases frequently accessed directories, and a plugin system for expanding capabilities with services like Google Drive and FTP. It has a built-in audio and video player with an equalizer, supports various file types, and handles ZIP files like folders. However, it lacks a multi-tab interface, breadcrumb navigation, app locking options, dedicated cleanup tools, and advanced search filters. The app has not been updated in over 17 months, raising concerns about its future viability. Despite its strengths, the reviewer prefers alternatives like Mixplorer and Samsung My Files due to the absence of modern features and an outdated interface.

Winsage

September 14, 2025

One of the best ways to avoid Windows 11’s requirements is back from the dead, and it’s celebrating with new features

Rufus and Flyoobe are two notable applications for Windows 11, with Rufus specializing in creating bootable USB drives and recently adding a dark mode feature. Flyoobe, previously known as Flyby11, focuses on customizing the installation experience for individual devices. Flyoobe faced a temporary setback when it was mistakenly flagged as malicious by GitHub's security systems due to its rising popularity, but it has since resumed operations with new features. The latest update includes the "OOBE Assist tile" for enhancing the post-installation experience, a new Extensions button replacing ToolSpot.exe, and improvements in script execution and user interface. The app has also reduced its reliance on the GitHub API to minimize future flagging. Key new features include Microsoft Defender maintenance, a quick launcher for essential Windows tools, and a refactored update checker.

AppWizard

September 12, 2025

This speedy Samsung gaming SSD is an absolute bargain for just $69.99 right now

The Samsung 990 Evo Plus gaming SSD is priced at , featuring a 1TB storage capacity and a 33% discount off its MSRP. It offers sequential read speeds of 7,150MB/s and write speeds of 6,300MB/s, making it one of the fastest PCIe 4.0 drives available. While it supports PCIe 5.0, its performance is capped at 8GB/s when installed in a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, equivalent to its performance in a PCIe 4.0 slot. The SSD is available for purchase on Amazon, and UK gamers can buy it for £70, reflecting a 16% savings.

AppWizard

September 12, 2025

This new mini SSD for gaming handhelds looks so much better than a microSD card

Chinese manufacturer Biwin has introduced a mini SSD that may replace traditional microSD cards in handheld PCs. The mini SSD is slightly larger than a standard SD card and offers storage capacities from 512GB to 2TB. It will first be supported by OneXPlayer handhelds, adhering to PCIe 4.0 and NVMe 1.4 standards, with read and write speeds of up to 3,718MB/s and 3,415MB/s, respectively. This performance exceeds that of microSD Express cards and typical microSD cards, which max out at 950MB/s and 240MB/s, respectively. The mini SSD measures 0.59 x 0.66 x 0.05 inches (15 x 17 x 1.4mm), making it more portable than M.2 2230 drives. Biwin plans to bundle the mini SSD with select OneXPlayer devices, pricing the 512GB model at approximately 399 CNY and the 1TB model at around 599 CNY, while the 2TB pricing is unconfirmed. The success of the mini SSD will depend on broader adoption by manufacturers beyond niche handhelds.