Paul Lilly
Paul is a seasoned geek who was first seduced into the world of computers and technology by the Commodore 64, and through the years he’s courted a number of OSes and platforms from DOS on up to the latest version of Windows. Having joined the HotHardware team in 2011, Paul is now a mainstay of the site covering the news beat and reviews, and resident wiseguy who keeps the mood light. He’s also an experienced freelance technology writer whose work has appeared in a number of online and print publications.
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
MSI is rolling out a new and blazing-fast gaming monitor for players who are looking to have an edge-up over their esports opponents. Offering more sheer speed than almost ever other display on the market, MSI's new MPG 242R X60 is capable of hitting a blistering 600Hz refresh rate, along with a nominal 0.1ms...
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I don't know which is the worse scenario—lining up for the midnight launch of Nintendo's Switch 2 console and having it sell out before you can get your hands on one (womp womp), or scoring one of the most anticipated consoles of all time, only to discover that the clerk damaged it by stapling a receipt to the retail...
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As of this moment, NVIDIA's stack of desktop graphics cards for gamers based on Blackwell stands six models high, or seven models if you count the 16GB and 8GB variants of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti separately. However you want to audit the lineup, you can add one more to the mix, as rumors are swirling of a GeForce RTX...
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One of our favorite PC gaming handhelds is finally in stock at several U.S. retailers, though the timing of its release means it will be going up against Nintendo's Switch 2 console. We're talking about MSI's recently-minted Claw 8 AI+, which as we stated in our review "sits in the top tier of gaming handhelds on the...
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Jensen Huang, the head honcho at NVIDIA, poured on the praise for Nintendo's soon-to-be-released Switch 2 console in a video posted to YouTube, saying it signals the beginning of a "bold new chapter" in gaming. A big part of that claim lies with the custom silicon inside, which NVIDIA designed, just as it did with the...
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NVIDIA has released yet another out-of-band GeForce hotfix driver to resolve persistent crashing issues in a handful of games. Curiously, one of those games is Dune: Awakening (as pictured above), which doesn't actually release to the public at large for another six days. Even the 'Advanced Access' period for those...
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Microsoft is making a pitch to buy a new PC before Windows 10's support lifecycle expires, and ASUS is echoing the same sentiment. But what if all you really need to give your PC a jolt is some fast, new storage? Then you're in luck. Forget about tariffs and supply shortages and everything else—there are still...
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ASUS has a message for Windows 10 users and it's similar to the one Microsoft has been shouting from a mountaintop for the past several months (and longer): Your days are numbered. Or more precisely (and less ominously), "your computer's days of regular updates and supported are numbered." So, go ahead and start...
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Nintendo's Switch 2 figures to be one of the hottest console launches of all time. If you managed to secure a unit via preorder, you should be able to sit back, relax, and not have to worry about trying to track one down on launch day. In theory, anyway. In practice, there are reports of Walmart cancelling preorders...
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This year for Father's Day, may we suggest shaking things up a bit? Skip the tie or the dress shirt (button-up or polo), and ditch the customized coffee mug—he already knows he's the 'World's Best Dad'. Instead, consider making a splash with a soundbar so he can ditch your TV's built-in speakers for fuller audio that...
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Don't expect Qualcomm to pump the brakes as it accelerates further into laptop and desktop form factors with its Snapdragon X silicon. Just the opposite, Qualcomm has stated time and again that it plans on expanding its Windows on Snapdragon initiative, and so it's likely no coincidence that a reputable leaker has...
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We're having flashbacks of Samsung's original Galaxy Fold released back in 2019. Why is that? The manual for Nintendo's soon-to-be-released Switch 2 console explicitly warns against peeling off protected film that comes pre-applied to the handheld. It's not clear if you could damage the handheld if attempting to...
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It took a minute, but Samsung's ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge is now available to purchase in the United States. What's more, there are some bonus offers available, depending on where you choose to buy the newest (and thinnest) addition to the modern Galaxy family, including a store gift card, trade-in perks, or...
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If you go shopping for earbuds, you're bound to come across several premium models, some of which can cost several hundred dollars. That's fine and dandy if you have the coin and desire to spend that much on what ultimately is disposable tech (in most cases, you can't replace the batteries in wireless earbuds, or at...
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Sony and its retail partners are offering some great discounts on various hardware as part of a "Day of Play 2025" promotion, which runs through June 11, 2025. The event also entails other perks, like special gaming tournaments, new game trials, and other odds and ends, but we're most interested in time-sensitive...
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Looking for an affordable smart doorbell with video capabilities and exceptionally long battery life? Amazon may have just answered the call with a new version of its popular Blink Video Doorbell. According to Amazon, users can expect up to two years of continuous security coverage from three AA Energizer lithium...
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Valve's Steam Desk console just became an even more formidable handheld, and it's thanks to NVIDIA. No, there's not an upgraded model with a discrete GeForce GPU tucked inside. However, there is finally a native GeForce NOW app for the Steam Deck (just as promised at CES), which in some respects is the next best...
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There is a metric ton of uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs, and given that this is the case, you would think that PC shipments could take a massive hit as companies attempt to navigate a tumultuous situation (which has seen Nikon hike prices and concerns arise over a potential big increase in iPhone pricing, to...
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As of this moment, NVIDIA still has not added a GeForce RTX 5050 SKU to either its mobile or desktop GPU lineups. However, multiple leaks and rumors suggest it is only a matter of time, the latest of which comes from a major hardware partner—Acer, which jumped the gun by referencing the GeForce RTX 5050 in mobile form...
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NVIDIA continues to reap the benefits of skyrocketing demand for its data center solutions, and it also achieved record first quarter revenue from its gaming division. Combined with mostly steady performance from its other segments, the AI chip juggernaut reported $44.1 billion in revenue for its first quarter of...
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Razer just finished honing its big and bold Blade 18 gaming laptop with cutting-edge hardware upgrades (versus the Blade 18 we reviewed last year), and it's now available to purchase, provided you have the requisite coin. The asking price is as bold as the configuration—the cost of entry is $3,499 and it goes up from...
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As tempting as it might be, avoid using 0000 as your four-digit PIN code. Same goes for 1010, 1111, 1122, and 1212, which comprises the top five worst PIN codes, according to a list compiled by security experts. Just like a password, you should avoid using PIN codes that are commonly used. Yes, they can be easier to...
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