About Karthik Iyer
A senior evergreen writer at XDA Developers serving up reviews, buying guides, deals, and more on laptops, PC hardware, and smartphones that you care about. He's been covering the computing and smartphone industry for over seven years now and has worked with various brands to establish an authority in the technology space. Before joining XDA Developers, Karthik was a senior reviewer at Digit, a popular tech magazine in India. You will likely find him yelling at his monitors while playing an online shooter in his free time.
What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?
Everything that remotely falls under the umbrella of technology gets me excited, but I've been directing my attention more towards the day-to-day computing devices like laptops, desktops, and smartphones that are shaping the future.
How long have you been interested in technology?
I may have started covering the technology space "officially" in 2016, but I've been obsessed with technology and gadgets for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Motorola Razr V3 in 2006, shortly after which I started writing about technology on my blog.
What was your first computer?
I've been dabbling with computing devices for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until 2010 that I built my first computer. It coincided with the launch of Intel's 2010 Core processor family, and I vividly remember how excited I was to finish the build and install a copy of GTA IV. The good old days when choosing the right component or finding a stable game to run wasn't a chore.
Latest Articles
Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards: Switches, keycaps, form-factors, and more
Ready to buy or build you new mechanical keyboard and enter the rabbit hole?
Swapping out your membrane keyboard for a mechanical one is the best thing you can do to improve your typing experience. There are very few things that are as satisfying as pressing a mechanical key switch and registering an input with satisfying feedback. They're also great for gaming, especially if you use tactile switches that offer assuring feedback on every actuation.
Windows is universally considered one of the best operating systems for gaming, with both Windows 10 and Windows 11 being popular choices for gamers across the globe. There are some convincing reasons to stick with Windows 10 in 2024, but Windows 11 also offers some neat features for gamers like Auto HDR and the ability to run Android apps and more, making it a worthwhile upgrade for gaming enthusiasts. It can benefit from some optimization for gaming, though, as it's not tuned to deliver the best gaming experience out of the box. Optimizing Windows 11 for gaming will allow you to squeeze some extra performance out of your Windows PC, so it's highly recommended you spend some time on the initial setup to ensure you're getting the best experience and performance while gaming on Windows.
Guide to Intel processor suffixes: What the letters on names mean
An increasingly complex list of suffixes
Intel is home to some of the best and most trusted CPUs out there, powering both desktops and laptops in 2024. The company's processor lineup has grown significantly over the years, leaving us with several generations of processors that continue to evolve even now. However, the growing list of processors in Intel's stable makes it extremely hard to keep track of their names, model numbers, and suffixes.
How to install an M.2 SSD in a PC: A beginners guide
One of the easiest components to install on a PC.
The best thing about installing an M.2 SSD is that it doesn't demand a lot of space inside the PC case or requires any cables for connection. These SSD modules are small enough to be installed directly on the motherboard itself, and it only takes a few minutes to secure one of them in place. In fact, you can install an M.2 SSD very easily even on PCs that are already assembled. Installing an M.2 SSD is usually quite simple, even in a PC that's already been assembled.
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super Ventus 3x review: The awkward middle child
With its middling performance, the RTX 4070 Ti is having an awkward middle-child moment.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super is a good graphics card that dishes out great performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming. It can even handle 4K gaming, provided you drop the settings quite a bit or DLSS. It's still one of those products that's not very easy to recommend, though. I say that because it's stuck between the $599 RTX 4070 Super and the $999 RTX 4080 Super, both of which make much more sense than the RTX 4070 Ti Super at their respective price points.
CPU coolers for Intel socket LGA 1700: Everything you need to know
We're coming up to the end of the LGA 1700 socket's life cycle, but there's still some life to be had
The LGA 1700 socket was made specifically for Intel's 12th and 13th-generation CPUs, but its life got extended when the 14th-gen Raptor Lake refresh chips were released last year, and it's the socket you see on Intel 600 and 700 series motherboards. When it came out in 2021, it put Intel firmly ahead of AMD, and even though the Ryzen 7000 and 8000 have since come out on the AM5 socket to even the score, LGA 1700 motherboards are still cutting-edge enough. If you're looking to upgrade to LGA 1700, you probably don't want to buy a new cooler, but is the one you have compatible? Here's everything you need to know about coolers for LGA 1700.
How to install a CPU cooler: A beginners guide
Installing a CPU cooler is one of the most important steps in a PC building process.
Installing a CPU on the motherboard is among the first things you have to do while building a PC. It is, however, incomplete until you install a CPU cooler, which is essential to maintain the thermal output of the CPU. You can even install it at the end after you're done assembling other components, but failing to install a CPU cooler properly will result in extremely high CPU temperatures and your system will shut down before you even enter the operating system. Installing a CPU cooler is also fairly simple, but there are a few things that you must consider to ensure you're doing it properly.
4 mistakes to avoid when buying a gaming monitor
There are important things to consider before purchasing.
When you start looking for a new gaming monitor, you'll soon realize there are more than a handful of possibilities that stand out. Granted, it's great to have options that let you pick and choose features, but an over-abundance only makes things complicated. It's easy to get lost in all the options out there and get fixated on things that don't matter as much. Therefore, it's important to understand exactly what you need in order to avoid some common mistakes that can make you end up with the wrong product.
How to boot into recovery mode using button combos, ADB, and root apps
If you have an Android or iOS device and are wondering how to boot into recovery to clear cache or reset your device, this is how to do it!
All smartphones — including the budget-friendly ones — have a built-in recovery mode, which you can use for a variety of tasks depending on the operating system of your device. On Android smartphones, it can be used for things like performing a simple factory reset, installing update packages, and clearing the cache, among other things. On an iPhone, the recovery mode is used to restore the device using your computer if it's experiencing issues like being stuck on the Apple logo while booting.
How to install a motherboard inside a PC case: A beginners guide
Installing a motherboard inside a PC case is fairly simple, but there are a few important things to consider.
Picking the best motherboard may not be as exciting as, say, choosing a CPU or a GPU, but it's an important part of any PC build. It's the first component that you start your build with as it's essentially a platform on which you install the components on. Installing the motherboard inside the PC case itself is quite easy, but there are a few important things that you may not know, especially if you're new to the world of PCs. For instance, you might think the first step is to immediately install the motherboard inside the case, but it actually isn't. There is a lot that goes on a motherboard before it's ready to get inside the case, and there are a few prerequisites to take care of as well.
How to safely overclock your CPU: A beginners guide to unlock more performance
If you want to get into overclocking, whether for your Intel or AMD CPU, here's where to start.
Overclocking is one of the best things you can do to improve the overall output of your CPU and squeeze that extra performance out of your PC without spending any money. Combine that with an overlocked GPU, and you may end up with a significantly better performing PC that'll yield better framerates in games, faster render times in various editing programs, and more. Most Intel and AMD CPUs out there in 2024 have a little extra performance headroom which you can safely explore without worrying about damaging them. Modern processors usually have boosting technologies included that allow for some degree of stock overclocking, but you can push them further with overclocking methods, provided you have the supporting hardware.
How to use Nvidia GeForce Experience overlay to record, stream, and monitor gameplay performance
A do-it-all overlay tool that's completely free to download and use.
Nvidia's graphics cards rank among the best GPUs you can buy right now in 2024, especially if you're shopping for a high-end card. There are plenty of reasons to consider an Nvidia GPU over an AMD, but the main reason I keep going back to an Nvidia graphics card is for the handy GeForce Experience overlay while gaming. There's more to GeForce Experience than just the overlay, but it's a feature I use almost every single day, and I truly believe it's among the most useful tools you can have at your disposal as someone who plays games on a PC.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+: Best cases, screen protectors, and accessories in 2023
Equip your new tablet with the right accessories.
Samsung's budget-friendly Android tablets in the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series bring flagship-grade specs at much lower prices. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, in particular, is the more exciting option for those seeking a tablet with a bigger display, be it for media consumption or productivity tasks. However, you may find the overall footprint of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ a tad bigger if you're, say, coming from a relatively smaller tablet or if this is your first time using tablet. It's not the most expensive tablet out there, but it'll still cost you a pretty penny if you end up scuffing or shattering the front glass panel, which is why I highly recommend protecting it with a case and a screen protector.
3 reasons why 2024 is a crucial year for AMD
AMD appears to have a lot in store for us this year, but it needs to get a lot of things right.
Despite a few worrying wobbles, AMD managed to deliver a convincing portfolio of products for PC gamers in 2023. It didn't shoot for the stars with its RDNA 3 GPUs like Nvidia did with its RTX 4090, but it turned some heads with the reasonably priced RX 7900 XTX. Similarly, its Ryzen 7000 series chips delivered in spades for both laptop and desktop gamers, and I truly believe it had an edge over Intel with the likes of Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the 7950X3D leading the pack for both gamers and those who predominantly use their PC for work.
Google's Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are two of the best Android phones you can buy in 2024. These phones have been available for quite some time now, so you should have no issues grabbing one right now in the color of your choice. In fact, this is one of the best times to buy one of these phones as Google has just introduced a new 'Mint' color option for them too. With the inclusion of this new colorway, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones are now available in four colors each.
What's the difference between Samsung Galaxy Tab A and S-series?
To go with Galaxy Tab A or the Galaxy Tab S-series? That is the question.
Samsung reigns supreme as one of the best tablet makers out there with some really compelling options for those looking to buy reliable Android tablets. The company's Galaxy Tab S lineup gets all the attention and premium features, but its offerings in the Galaxy Tab A series are nothing to look down upon either. Both the Galaxy Tab A8 and the relatively new Galaxy Tab A9+ are pretty good options to consider, and they get many premium features that are usually reserved for the company's flagship Galaxy tablets. There are still plenty of differences that draw a line between Samsung's Galaxy Tab S and the Tab A series, so make sure you're picking the right tablet.
Best e-readers in 2024
Access to your personal library has never been easier, but with so many options for e-readers on the market how do you choose the one for you?
There's nothing quite like a paperback book that you can touch, smell, and hold in hand with confidence while reading. But it's not the most practical option for those who read a lot. Not only do physical books take up a lot of space and can also be quite expensive, but it's also a hassle to carry more than a few of them at a time when you're traveling. They're just not as practical as an e-reader.
Best phone case brands in 2024
Looking for a case for your smartphone? We've picked the best phone case brands on the market. These brands offer great quality phone cases.
Almost all modern-day smartphones out there are made out of metal and glass for a premium look and feel. But that comes at the cost of durability, and they're more prone to scratches or even cracks when you accidentally drop them. The priceand of these phones and their corresponding repairs have all increased over the years, so the last thing you want to do is deal with a broken phone, having to go back and forth with the service centers and prep it for repairs. You can greatly reduce — if not entirely avoid — the chances of breaking your phone's display or the back glass by using a protective case. As a result, for many people, protective cases have become an absolute necessity for smartphones.
OnePlus 12 debuts with a chip upgrade, wireless charging support, and better cameras for $800
OnePlus' latest flagship phone is here, and it packs a few highly-anticipated upgrades.
OnePlus today formally revealed its latest flagship, the OnePlus 12, although the phone was already available in China for over a month. The company's phones typically compete with the best phones of the year while hitting a lower price point, and that is truer than ever this year. To make things even better, the company is also bringing the OnePlus 12R to the global market, making it the first OnePlus R series phone to enter the U.S.
Galaxy Tab S9+: Best cases, screen protectors, and accessories in 2023
Unlock the full potential of the Galaxy Tab S9+ by equipping it with the most protective and practical accessories
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ brings a lot of noteworthy improvements over the previous gen model to become one of the best tablets on the market out there. The "Plus" variant, however, has a large 12.4-inch display, making it a bit difficult to use with one hand. That's why I highly recommend grabbing a case to protect it from accidental drops and scuffs. The best Galaxy Tab S9+ cases will not only protect your tablet from accidental drops and scuffs, but also change how it looks and feels.