Michael Crider

Staff Writer, PCWorld

Michael is a 15-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.

Articles by Michael Crider

RAM prices are soaring. Framework may not survive it

RAM prices are soaring. Framework may not survive it

Framework's CEO is fighting back, but RAM prices, tariffs, and the AI bubble are looming over the beloved laptop maker.

By Michael Crider 1 day ago

Try out an open-source app to access GeForce Now, while you can

Try out an open-source app to access GeForce Now, while you can

OpenNow is an open-source alternative to the official GeForce Now apps and browser tools, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

By Michael Crider 3 days ago

Corsair's custom PC case builder is fun, but the math doesn't add up

Corsair's custom PC case builder is fun, but the math doesn't add up

The Corsair Frame 4000D builder has decent variety, but you won't save any money or even build time with it.

By Michael Crider 3 days ago

Your Nvidia GPU is your PC's newest security weakness

Your Nvidia GPU is your PC's newest security weakness

Security researchers found a way to manipulate GPU memory and elevate it into a system attack with root permissions.

By Michael Crider 4 days ago

Logitech's latest MX Master 4 mouse gets a rare discount

Logitech's latest MX Master 4 mouse gets a rare discount

Newegg is offering a price drop on Logitech's latest and greatest MX productivity mouse, but it may not stick around for long.

By Michael Crider 5 days ago

Steam is building a game performance estimator for your PC

Steam is building a game performance estimator for your PC

The latest versions of Steam include code that mentions a "Framerate Estimator" tool, though there's nothing user-facing at the moment.

By Michael Crider 5 days ago

Lenovo Legion Go prices have jumped by up to $650 in six months

Lenovo Legion Go prices have jumped by up to $650 in six months

Every Legion Go S and Legion Go 2 device I could find was more expensive than it was last year. Thanks, AI-driven RAM crunch.

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

Single-stick RAM tested: Fine for some games, a disaster for others

Single-stick RAM tested: Fine for some games, a disaster for others

Micro Center ran gaming tests with a single 16GB DDR5 DIMM to see what kind of performance hit you can expect on a Ryzen X3D setup.

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

I’m begging you: Stop calling mechanical keyboards 'creamy'

I’m begging you: Stop calling mechanical keyboards 'creamy'

"Creamy" keyboards are all over social media and retailer listings. ARGH, MAKE IT STOP! I HATE IT!

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

Outlook sucks, even in space

Outlook sucks, even in space

A NASA astronaut on the Artemis II mission asked for help from ground control when two copies of Microsoft Outlook got stuck on his device.

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

Linux users surge on Steam, doubling in a year

Linux users surge on Steam, doubling in a year

The Steam Deck is a huge part of that, obviously... but it's a smaller factor in the total Linux number than you might think.

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

'AI' is coming for your online gaming servers next

'AI' is coming for your online gaming servers next

A provider of online servers for games got bought out by an "AI" company, so Stormgate is shutting down its multiplayer options.

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

Cracking Denuvo games in Windows just got easier—and insanely dangerous

Cracking Denuvo games in Windows just got easier—and insanely dangerous

New hypervisor methods for cracking the despised Denuvo DRM are risky, even by the lower standards of game piracy.

By Michael Crider 1 week ago

Teenager's Gemini mistake locks entire family out of Google accounts

Teenager's Gemini mistake locks entire family out of Google accounts

A 14-year-old got his entire family locked out of decades of email and documents with one poor choice, throwing their lives into digital chaos.

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago

'AI' is making Major League Baseball players shrink

'AI' is making Major League Baseball players shrink

Thanks to the new Automated Ball-Strike System, hundreds of professional baseball players suddenly got a lot shorter a few weeks ago (at least according to their official stats).

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago

Get Acer's Aspire 14 AI laptop with 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD for $400

Get Acer's Aspire 14 AI laptop with 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD for $400

This refurbished laptop has a recent Intel processor and a touchscreen, now going for $280 off its original retail price.

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago

Want me to trust Windows 11 again? Bring back local accounts

Want me to trust Windows 11 again? Bring back local accounts

Microsoft knows we want local accounts, not Microsoft accounts, but I don't think they'll deliver it -- even on the Windows 11 apology tour.

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago

Samsung's new OLED monitor panels are built to battle glare and scratches

Samsung's new OLED monitor panels are built to battle glare and scratches

Thanks to new film tech, Samsung says that its new panels (also used by Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI) will let them show more vibrant blacks and resist scratches.

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago

A lucky Reddit user found an RTX 5060 Ti for just $80 at Walmart

A lucky Reddit user found an RTX 5060 Ti for just $80 at Walmart

In a post shared on Reddit, the user says they got nearly $300 off the price—and yes, they have the receipts.

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago

This Asus Snapdragon laptop with 16GB RAM is $400 (today only)

This Asus Snapdragon laptop with 16GB RAM is $400 (today only)

Best Buy is offering $350 off this Snapdragon-powered Asus Vivobook 14 laptop with incredible battery life.

By Michael Crider 2 weeks ago