Tech & Hardware 24 Hours

Last updated: September 11, 2026, 6:04 AM ET

GPUs & Graphics

NVIDIA's 12V-2×6 connector saga continues to generate headlines, with two separate developments pointing in opposite directions. On one hand, a modding effort from the Brazilian YouTube channel Tec Lab has gotten an RTX 5090 running on three standard 8-pin PCIe connectors instead of the melting 16-pin design, potentially offering a safer alternative for high-power cards. On the other, an undervolting experiment on an RTX 4090 achieved identical DLSS 5 frame rates while cutting power draw by 47 W, suggesting that aggressive tuning could mitigate the thermal stress that has plagued the 12V-2×6 standard. Meanwhile, owners of older hardware got a surprise win: RTX 20-series GPUs can now run DLSS Frame Generation through community mods, extending the useful life of Turing-based cards well beyond what NVIDIA officially intended. On the software side, NVIDIA App version 11.0.9 has finally added CPU temperature, clock speed, and power consumption to its built-in Statistics overlay, eliminating the need for separate monitoring tools like HWiNFO or MSI Afterburner for GeForce owners who just want a quick glance at system health during gameplay.

CPUs & Silicon

AMD quietly expanded its processor lineup with two new budget offerings spanning both current and legacy platforms. The Ryzen 5 7500 joins the AM5 ecosystem as a slightly de-tuned variant of the existing Ryzen 5 7600, while the Ryzen 5 5500F brings integrated graphics-free computing to the aging AM4 socket. The launches came without fanfare, suggesting AMD is clearing inventory or filling channel gaps rather than making a major architectural statement. Over in the foundry business, TSMC reported record August revenue of NT$514.81 billion, or approximately $16.26 billion, representing a 10.1% increase from July's $14.49 billion. The surge reflects continued demand for advanced nodes driven by AI accelerators, smartphone processors, and high-performance computing, reinforcing TSMC's dominance as the world's most critical semiconductor manufacturer. Samsung, meanwhile, announced a strategic partnership with French AI startup Mistral AI aimed at enhancing semiconductor engineering and manufacturing capabilities, a move that signals Samsung's intent to integrate large language models deeper into its fab operations and chip design workflows.

Gaming & Software

Ubisoft has officially begun abandoning Ubisoft Connect, its long-maligned third-party launcher, in favor of a "simpler launch experience" that will route players directly through Steam. The change addresses years of complaints about forced account linking, redundant DRM layers, and performance overhead that made launching Ubisoft titles unnecessarily cumbersome. Valve, not to be outdone, rolled out a Big Art Mode in the latest Steam beta, overhauling the Big Picture and handheld client UI with expanded customization features ahead of the Steam Machine's retail debut. The update gives users more control over how their library is displayed on televisions and portable devices, continuing Valve's years-long effort to make Steam feel native on non-desktop form factors. In cloud gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW added WARDOGS alongside eight other titles this week, including the Valheim 1.0 Deep North update and Bus Simulator, as the service continues to expand its day-one early-access offerings. And in a surprising platform shift, Hideo Kojima's Physint has moved from PlayStation to Xbox after Sony reportedly pulled the plug on the stealth action project, a significant coup for Microsoft's first-party ambitions and a notable reversal for a game originally announced at a 2024 PlayStation State of Play.

Security & Privacy

Microsoft released fixes for 999 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, and Azure in September, one of the largest single batches of patches in the company's history. Of those, 723 were reported through the Microsoft Bug Bounty program, underscoring the role of external researchers in hardening the company's sprawling software estate. On the legal front, LinkedIn defeated the so-called BrowserGate lawsuits after a judge dismissed claims that the company improperly scanned users' Chrome extensions, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to allege any concrete privacy violation. The decision sets a meaningful precedent for how browser-extension data is treated under existing privacy law. Google, meanwhile, introduced a new Android feature that allows users to securely migrate logins between password managers, though app support remains limited at launch. The tool could reduce lock-in and make it easier for users to switch to more secure or privacy-focused credential managers without manually re-entering dozens of passwords. In a more troubling development, bankruptcy proceedings for Spirit Airlines have raised alarms over a planned data sale to Google, with critics warning that "bankruptcy cannot become the new land grab for AI" as consumer data becomes a valuable asset in insolvency auctions.

Displays & Peripherals

JAPANNEXT introduced a 7.8-inch vertical IPS display, the JN-MD-IPS7443, targeting users who need a compact secondary screen for vertical content like code, chat apps, or documentation. The Japanese manufacturer has built a niche reputation for unconventional form factors, and this latest portable panel continues that tradition. MSI officially announced the PRO MAX 341QPXW14G, an ultrawide monitor explicitly designed for Mac workflows, with color accuracy and connectivity tailored to Apple's ecosystem. The move reflects growing competition among display makers to capture the lucrative creative-professional market that Apple has long cultivated. Wallhack revealed its M-001 magnesium gaming mouse with a hefty price tag, bringing a premium magnesium alloy chassis and wireless connectivity to the competitive gaming peripheral space. The M-001 is set to launch on September 21, and its pricing positions it firmly in the enthusiast tier alongside established players like Logitech and Razer. Pulsar's new X2N Crazylight debuted a fresh ambidextrous shape weighing just 45 g in Medium and 40 g in Mini variants, equipped with the company's XS-1 sensor and optical main button switches, pushing the boundaries of how light a competitive gaming mouse can be without sacrificing build quality. Audio-Technica announced the ATH-AL5NC, open-back wireless headphones that combine the spacious, natural soundstage of an open-back design with the convenience of Bluetooth and active noise cancellation, a rare combination in the headphone market.

Laptops & Components

XMG refreshed its 16-inch laptop lineup with the APEX 16 and PRO 16 VE, now featuring NVIDIA's RTX 5070 with 12 GB of VRAM and improved cooling systems. The 2026 models differ from their 2025 predecessors in thermal design and GPU configuration, addressing the power-density challenges that have defined this generation of gaming laptops. OWC unveiled a USB4 hub alongside 3-meter and 5-meter 40 Gb/s active optical cables, targeting professionals who need high-bandwidth connectivity over longer distances than copper allows. The company also announced the acquisition of OpenDrives, expanding its enterprise storage portfolio and signaling ambitions beyond the consumer and prosumer markets it has traditionally served. DFI launched the ARH171/ARH173 Mini-ITX industrial motherboards, built for space-constrained physical AI deployments where edge inference and embedded computing must coexist in tight thermal envelopes. And for budget-conscious builders, Windows 11 Pro is available for just $9.97 through September 27, a lifetime license for one PC with no recurring subscription fees, down from an MSRP of $199.

Science & Society

Europe will proceed alone on its Venus mission after NASA withdrew its radar instrument, with the European Space Agency now looking inward and potentially toward China as the White House attempts to cancel several NASA partnerships. The decision marks a significant shift in transatlantic space cooperation and could accelerate Europe's push for independent deep-space capabilities. NASA's Artemis II commander and pilot have become the agency's first astronaut emeriti, a new designation signaling that the crew's training and mission preparation are complete. The "Artemis II is done" declaration suggests the agency is entering final readiness phases for the crewed lunar flyby. In a more whimsical scientific inquiry, a physicist has done the math on Star Trek's Picard maneuver, the fictional tactic of jumping to warp briefly to appear in two places at once, and found it would be even more effective in real life than depicted on screen. On the medical front, a boy developed a "toasted skin" condition from using a laptop every day, a reminder that prolonged contact with moderately warm surfaces can cause erythema ab igne even when temperatures never reach the threshold of a burn. And in a geopolitical twist, China's drone supremacy was on full display after Nepal's flood disaster, with DJI drones that already supply Mount Everest camps airlifting bodies and food to cut-off communities, demonstrating how consumer-grade hardware has become essential infrastructure in disaster response. In media and politics, Jimmy Kimmel's ABC show won't air an interview with a Democratic Senate candidate due to Trump FCC threats, with the Talarico talk moved to YouTube to spare ABC stations the hassle of dealing with regulatory retaliation. The incident raises fresh questions about political pressure on broadcasters and the role of platform migration in preserving editorial independence.

Gaming Industry & Modding

KO_OP, the indie studio behind the 3D puzzle game GNOG, conducted "democratic" layoffs affecting 13 staff members, a process the studio framed as collectively decided rather than imposed from the top down. The move reflects the brutal economics facing even small, critically acclaimed teams in an industry where layoffs have become almost routine. In the modding community, the developer behind GTA 5's Switch port is now bringing the game to Android, though only a small portion of phones will be able to run it at launch given the hardware demands of a full open-world title. The project underscores how far mobile silicon has come and how persistent modders are in pushing hardware beyond its intended limits. Meanwhile, a new Bitcoin mining device called the BlockChance Ticket Miner offers 1,000 KH/s of solo mining for just $49.97, down from an MSRP of $149.99, without requiring a dedicated PC. The device lowers the barrier to entry for hobbyist miners who want to participate in solo mining without building a full rig, though the odds of actually solving a block remain astronomically low.

Windows & Productivity

A majority of Windows 11 users report that they don't see Microsoft's promised improvements, according to a TPU survey, months after the company pledged a major overhaul to performance and stability. The gap between Microsoft's messaging and user experience highlights the difficulty of meaningfully improving an operating system that runs on millions of hardware configurations. For those looking to upgrade on the cheap, Windows 11 Pro remains available at a steep discount through the end of September, though the survey results suggest that the Pro edition's additional features may matter less to users than the core performance issues that remain unaddressed.