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Winsage
January 28, 2026

4 reasons why SteamOS is quietly winning over PC gamers — and why Windows won’t be dethroned any time soon

Windows 11 is versatile and meets user demands across various tasks, but it faces challenges in PC gaming due to its bloat and background processes. SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system, is gaining popularity among gamers, especially with the upcoming release of a new console-like Steam Machine in early 2026 and a variant of the Legion Go 2 gaming handheld in June 2026. SteamOS offers superior performance and efficiency, with less system overhead compared to Windows, although it still faces issues like anti-cheat compatibility. Community sentiment is shifting away from Windows due to dissatisfaction with Microsoft's updates and AI integration, leading many gamers to consider SteamOS as an alternative. Microsoft is aware of the need to improve Windows 11's gaming experience and has announced updates for 2026. Steam has a large user base, with 35 to 40 million users online at any time, providing a strong platform for promoting SteamOS. Despite the rise of SteamOS, Windows remains the most popular operating system and continues to manage a wide range of tasks effectively.
3 Windows 11 and Microsoft features you'll love in 2026 — and 1 you'll hate
Winsage
January 1, 2026

3 Windows 11 and Microsoft features you’ll love in 2026 — and 1 you’ll hate

In 2025, Microsoft faced public perception challenges, with accusations of "enshittification" of its products, including Xbox, Surface, and Windows, leading to a loss of support from former advocates. Windows 11 has been criticized for bugs and underwhelming AI features. Qualcomm introduced Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips, which will require an update to Windows 11 (version 26H1) for compatibility. Windows 11 will also see the return of the Agenda view in the Taskbar calendar flyout and improvements to dark mode, addressing previous inconsistencies. A controversial feature in Microsoft Teams will automatically update users' work locations based on Wi-Fi connections, raising privacy concerns. The Xbox Full Screen Experience is being rolled out to enhance the gaming interface, optimizing performance by reducing background applications.
Microsoft forced slow software-accelerated BitLocker on Windows, but will nearly double storage performance with new CPU hardware-accelerated crypto — will improve battery life also, but feature requires new CPUs that aren't available on the market yet
Winsage
December 25, 2025

Microsoft forced slow software-accelerated BitLocker on Windows, but will nearly double storage performance with new CPU hardware-accelerated crypto — will improve battery life also, but feature requires new CPUs that aren’t available on the market yet

Microsoft has introduced hardware-accelerated BitLocker encryption in Windows 11 (25H2) and Windows Server (2025 with the September Update), enhancing performance and efficiency. This feature, revealed at Ignite 2025, utilizes UFS Inline Crypto Engine technology to address performance issues associated with software-based encryption, which historically reduced SSD performance by up to 45%. The new technology can deliver up to twice the storage performance in certain workloads and is compatible with TCG Opal-compliant storage devices. Future implementations will use Intel Core Ultra series 3 CPUs with crypto offloading capabilities. Supported devices with NVMe drives will use hardware-accelerated BitLocker with the XTS-AES-256 algorithm by default, resulting in up to 70% fewer CPU cycles for BitLocker workloads and improved battery life for mobile devices. Performance tests show significant improvements, with read speeds increasing from 1632 MB/s to 3746 MB/s and write speeds from 1510 MB/s to 3530 MB/s.
Android will finally show you which app is draining your battery
AppWizard
December 4, 2025

Android will finally show you which app is draining your battery

Google has introduced a new system-level metric called “excessive partial wake locks” to identify apps that prevent Android phones from entering sleep mode, which leads to unnecessary battery drain. This metric, co-developed with Samsung, will be integrated into Android's core vitals metrics to help measure app performance and efficiency. Starting March 1, 2026, apps that keep devices awake for more than two hours unnecessarily will face penalties, including reduced visibility in Play Store recommendations and potential user warnings. This initiative aims to improve transparency for users and encourage developers to optimize their apps.
Grab an Nvidia gaming laptop for just $579 and save $170 in this incredible Black Friday deal from Acer
AppWizard
November 28, 2025

Grab an Nvidia gaming laptop for just $579 and save $170 in this incredible Black Friday deal from Acer

Acer's gaming laptop, the ANV15-52-586Z, is priced at 9 and features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, enabling modern gaming with ray tracing and DLSS. It runs Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p with high settings at over 60fps and Fortnite at over 120fps. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5-13420H CPU and has 8GB of DDR5 RAM. It includes a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS LCD display with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 512GB SSD for storage. Connectivity options include three USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, Ethernet, and HDMI. The laptop emphasizes functionality over design and is noted for being an affordable option in the gaming laptop market.
Qualcomm says 90% of top Windows games will run on Snapdragon X2 laptops — is Windows on Arm gaming finally here?
Winsage
November 21, 2025

Qualcomm says 90% of top Windows games will run on Snapdragon X2 laptops — is Windows on Arm gaming finally here?

Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, which are expected to significantly enhance the performance and efficiency of Windows laptops. Initial benchmarks show that the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme performs well in single-core, multi-core, and GPU metrics, making it suitable for both productivity and gaming. Over 90% of the most played Windows games will be compatible at launch on devices using these new processors, which offer up to 2.3 times higher efficiency than previous models. Qualcomm has also launched the Snapdragon Control Panel to optimize game performance and ensure up-to-date drivers. The Snapdragon X2 Elite supports AVX2 emulation for running certain games via Microsoft's Prism Emulator, and there is ongoing development of kernel-level anti-cheat support for Windows on Snapdragon. Microsoft reports that 90% of user activity on Windows 11 on ARM involves native applications, indicating improved compatibility. New laptops featuring these Snapdragon processors are expected to debut in the first half of 2026, with previews potentially at CES in January.
Windows 10 is dying — and Apple’s Macs are cashing in — but one Windows PC maker remains in the lead
Winsage
October 27, 2025

Windows 10 is dying — and Apple’s Macs are cashing in — but one Windows PC maker remains in the lead

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft ended support for Windows 10, leading to approximately 50% of Windows users still using the obsolete OS. This situation has resulted in a shift towards macOS, with Apple’s MacBook shipments increasing by 14.9% in Q3 2025 compared to the previous year. Lenovo saw a 17% increase in sales year over year, while ASUS reported a 14% gain and HP a 10% increase. Dell experienced a slight decline of 1%. Nearly 40% of PC users were still on Windows 10, but this figure is declining as users upgrade. The broader PC market saw a global shipment rise of 8.1% in Q3 2025. The growth in AI computing is expected to drive future increases in PC shipments, particularly after 2026, with advancements in new silicon technologies.
4 free yet game-changing upgrades I made to my ancient PC
AppWizard
October 18, 2025

4 free yet game-changing upgrades I made to my ancient PC

The PC is equipped with a Ryzen 5 1600 and a GTX 1660 Ti. The owner performed maintenance by cleaning the tower and replacing thermal paste on the CPU and GPU. Fan curves were adjusted to reduce noise levels, resulting in a more enjoyable gaming experience. The Windows 10 installation was converted from MBR to GPT to enable the Resizable BAR feature, leading to a 5–10% average FPS increase in games like Far Cry Primal and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The thermal paste replacement lowered idle temperatures for the Ryzen 5 1600 from around 45℃ to approximately 40℃, with similar reductions for the GTX 1660 Ti. Undervolting the GPU improved thermal performance and slightly increased average FPS. Overall, the upgrades enhanced performance, temperature management, and noise reduction without significant financial investment.
5 game-changing features coming to the Android phones of the future: From AI advancements to console-quality gaming
BetaBeacon
September 29, 2025

5 game-changing features coming to the Android phones of the future: From AI advancements to console-quality gaming

- The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor has a new, faster Hexagon NPU with more AI accelerators and an upgraded Sensing Hub for on-device AI learning features and agentic AI assistants. - The phones confirmed to have the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 include OnePlus 15, Xiaomi 17 Pro, Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, and the Honor Magic 8 Series, with other brands also planning to use it. - The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers more power and battery savings, with 35% more power efficiency and 16% overall power saving compared to its predecessor. - The processor is designed to offer better gaming performance and efficiency, with a 23% increase in overall performance and 20% reduction in power consumption. - The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 also enhances video capabilities with features like Advanced Professional Video Codec and Snapdragon Audio Sense for professional-quality audio recording. - The processor improves connectivity with AI-powered mobile connectivity, faster AI inferencing speeds, and lower gaming latency.
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