Stories by Brad Chacos

MSI's affordable Alpha 15 gaming laptop goes all-AMD with Radeon RX 5500, Ryzen 7, and FreeSync

The MSI Alpha 15 gaming laptop packs a solid loadout of all-AMD hardware for under a grand.

AMD's Radeon RX 5500 graphics card brings Navi to the masses with 'next level 1080p gaming'

AMD's Radeon RX 5500 graphics cards bring its the RDNA architecture's benefits to the masses, but in an unusual twist, it's coming to prebuilt systems first.

Ask a PC expert: AMD Radeon vs. Nvidia GeForce graphics cards

PCWorld graphics guru Brad Chacos breaks down the key differences between AMD Radeon graphics cards and Nvidia's GeForce GPUs.

Microsoft reveals Windows 10X, a 'new expression' designed for dual-screen devices

Windows 10X is a remixed version of Windows 10 proper that's been designed with comprehensive support for dual-screen devices like the Microsoft Surface Neo.

Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 finally adds USB-C

Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 remains largely the same as before, but USB-C is a nice touch.

Google's new Password Checkup tells you if your accounts can be compromised

Google's Password Checkup scans your saved Chrome passwords for weak, reused, and flat-out compromised credentials.

AMD adds Radeon Image Sharpening to Vega GPUs and Radeon VII after backlash

Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.9.3 adds support for Radeon Image Sharpening to AMD's Vega-based graphics cards, including Radeon VII, after some initial hesitation.

AMD bundles Ryzen, Radeon with Borderlands 3, The Outer Worlds, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint

AMD's latest game bundles give Borderlands 3, The Outer Worlds, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint to Ryzen and Radeon buyers, along with three free months of Xbox Game Pass for PC.

BitLocker, Windows' built-in encryption tool, no longer trusts your SSD's hardware protection

After reports of widespread flaws in hardware-based SSD encryption, Microsoft has pushed out an update that defaults BitLocker protection to software-based AES encryption.

Ask a PC expert: Should you buy a used graphics card?

PCWorld graphics guru Brad Chacos explains whether it's safe to buy a used graphics card, and what to look out for if you do.

The best 4K graphics card for PC gaming

PCWorld's graphics expert explains the best graphics card you can buy for gaming at 4K resolution, and other options for higher and lower budgets.

Nvidia's RTX Broadcast Engine taps GeForce AI cores to spruce up your game streams

Nvidia announced RTX Broadcast Engine SDKs at TwitchCon that use AI smarts to negate the need for physical green screens and add cool effects to your streams.

The best 1080p graphics card for PC gaming

PCWorld graphics guru Brad Chacos explains the best graphics card you can buy for gaming at 1080p resolution.

Nvidia bundles Call of Duty: Modern Warfare with GeForce RTX graphics cards

Nvidia continues to push ray tracing forward with the strategic use of game bundles. Now, all GeForce RTX 20-series buyers will receive a free copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 5700 XT review: Superfast and nearly flawless

The Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 5700 XT is as close to perfection as a graphics card can get, bolstered by ingenious software tricks.