Features

The place for burning questions, in-depth thought, and a few tips and tricks on all things computing on XDA

latest

Image of a gaming PC running MSI afterburner Curve Editor.
I'm making these 4 PC tweaks non-negotiable before summer heat arrives

Don't let the heat beat your performance

A laptop running VLC Skin Editor to create a custom skin
I tried to customize VLC with its official skin editor, and I learned why nobody uses it
VLC

A wonderful idea that needs more love

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Your old Android phone has a sensor suite that most IoT devices can only dream of

Better specs and already in the junk drawer.

lg-ultragear-5k2k-oled-review-19
Your gaming monitor's refresh rate matters less than these 4 features

The immersion and responsiveness of your monitor are tied to a lot more than the refresh rate

replit lovable and claude code open on mac
I tried Replit, Lovable, and Claude Code to build the same app — here's the only one worth using

Same prompt, very different results.

1
notebooklm on a laptop
Most people use NotebookLM like a chatbot, and that's why they miss what it's actually good at

If you’re using NotebookLM like ChatGPT, you’re missing the one thing it actually does better than anything else.

1
CachyOS has a one-click Windows VM button - featured
CachyOS has a one-click Windows VM button, and dual-booting feels completely outdated

This Arch derivative makes Windows feel like a temporary tool rather than a second life, and that’s exactly why dual-booting now feels outdated.

1
By 
An image of an ultra-wide monitor running Cyberpunk 2077.
3 reasons your monitor upgrade matters a lot more than your next GPU upgrade

The GPU market will be a bit dry for a few years — invest in a better monitor instead

why I use Firefox over Chrome now
I ditched Firefox years ago, but the latest productivity update changed my mind

The productivity powerhouse.

1
By 
A photo of smart plugs, smart bulbs, smart speakers, and a laptop running Home Assistant
Network segmentation is the smart home security step nobody talks about

Don't stop at local control.

2
DeepCool LS720 AIO
Your gaming PC feels sluggish because you ignored these 3 upgrades

Your PC isn’t balanced if you're only upgrading your CPU and GPU.

Self hosted Booklore on Windows 11 laptop
Single-maintainer open source is a ticking time bomb, and Booklore just detonated

A warning about open-source projects that have only one maintainer

A TV displaying Elden Ring running on Bazzite with a performance overlay in the top left corner
You don't need to wait for SteamOS to have a great couch PC - here's what to use instead

Linux isn't a requirement, either

1
A side-view of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon
I stopped blaming bad luck on my 3D printer, and that's when everything changed
DIY

It only took me 2,000 hours to reveal these patterns I couldn't keep ignoring.

By 
Synology DSM homepage
The only reason I still recommend Synology is DSM, but even that's falling behind

The lack of updates to Synology's built-in apps is forcing users to look for alternatives.

Image of a game made with Claude Code.
I vibe-coded a fully functional game with Claude Code, and it doesn't look vibe-coded at all

Claude code just turned me into something of a game developer

nixos on a Windows laptop
Someone merged SteamOS with NixOS, and the result is the strangest Linux distro I've ever loved

Jovian NixOS is a strange but good combination that offers the best of both worlds.

3D printer extruder of anycubic
I ignored my hot end maintenance until it cost me half a spool of filament
DIY

Your 3D printer's hotend affects far more than most people realize, and ignoring it can quietly wreck print quality.

By 
Android Auto
4 ways Gemini transforms my Android Auto experience for truly complex tasks

Finally, automation that actually does more than spit facts.

Google Pixel 7 leaning against a chrome vase in warm lighting
These 4 Google Pixel tweaks fixed the slowdown nobody talks about

Instantly feeling faster.

See More