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News, reviews, buying advice and how-to guides about CPU from Forge PC.
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Versus
Can you run local AI models without a graphics card? We explain why memory bandwidth decides speed, when running on the CPU makes sense, and what hardware to buy.
Forge PC Staff
Best Picks
Two 1440p gaming PC builds for about £1,500 at 13 November 2026 prices: an upgradeable AM5 system with an RX 9070, and an AM4 alternative with an RX 9070 XT and 32GB.
Forge PC Staff
Best Picks
You don't need to spend much to cool a modern CPU. Our picks, from an £18 air tower to Arctic's 360mm AIO, draw on Tom's Hardware's testing and UK prices on 12 November 2026.
Forge PC Staff
How-To
An NPU is a low-power AI engine, and Copilot+ PCs need one rated at 40+ TOPS. We explain what that means, why no socketed desktop CPU qualifies, and whether gamers should care.
Forge PC Staff
News
NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip is coming to compact Windows desktops from GIGABYTE and MSI, with up to 128GB of shared memory. We explain what's confirmed, what UK pricing exists and what it means for PC builders.
Forge PC Staff
How-To
A step-by-step UK beginner's guide to building a gaming PC, from checking compatibility and power to the first boot, BIOS settings and installing Windows 11.
Forge PC Staff
Best Picks
B850 is the sweet spot for most AM5 builds. We explain the chipsets and pick boards from £90 to £310 using TechSpot's 47-board roundup, plus the ASRock X3D caveat.
Forge PC Staff
Best Picks
Under £1,200, our pick spends on a 16GB Radeon RX 9060 XT rather than DDR5, at about £1,128. We compare it with an AM5 build and an RX 9070 stretch build at 12 November 2026 prices.
Forge PC Staff
Versus
DDR5 is faster in games, but in November 2026 it costs more than twice as much per gigabyte as DDR4 in the UK. We explain what testing shows and when DDR4 is still the smarter buy.
Forge PC Staff
Best Picks
At 12 November 2026 prices, £800 buys a capable 1080p gaming PC only on AM4 with DDR4. Our build pairs a Ryzen 5 5500F with an Arc B570 for about £792, with safer and faster alternatives.
Forge PC Staff
News
UK PC part prices have risen all autumn, so Black Friday "was" prices mean less than usual. We give dated price anchors for graphics cards, CPUs, RAM and SSDs, and explain which parts are worth buying in the sales.
Forge PC Staff
How-To
A new graphics card is still the upgrade most people feel first, but DDR5 prices have changed the case for a full platform swap. Here is how to decide what to change, what to keep, and how to do it safely.
Forge PC Staff
News
Current-generation graphics cards are selling well above launch price, the median DDR5 kit has roughly trebled in price in a year, and AMD has said AM5 will be supported through 2029. Here is what that means for UK builders in mid-November, before Black Friday.
Forge PC Staff
Best Picks
AMD still leads for gaming, Intel is competitive for heavy multi-threaded work, and the memory market has changed what an upgrade should cost. Here is how we would pick a processor in the UK in mid-November 2026.
Forge PC Staff