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Jon Martindale

Jon Martindale

Evergreen writer

Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and explainers to help everyone understand the hottest new hardware and software in desktops, laptops, and on the web. He's also written articles on how to make your PC more efficient for the summer, and how he fixed his backpain with an annoying pop-up app.

Although Jon covers a wide range of topics at DigitalTrends, his particular focus is on PC components and peripherals, keeping our lists of best power supplies and best ergonomic mice up to date, as well as breaking down how to install the latest graphics cards to boost your gaming performance. He's also written gaming performance guides, and made sure that the crypto traders out there are using the best wallets for their digital tokens.

Alongside DigitalTrends, Jon also writers for Forbes, Lifewire, and Microcenter, has authored two novels, and provided back story and dialogue for a handful of games. He's an amateur game developer, and has made a few game prototypes in his spare time -- with a little help from ChatGPT. Jon's also an avid board gamer, getting in regular games of epic tabletop fare like Twilight Imperium and War of the Ring where he can. He's a father to two kids who recently discovered the joys of Pokémon, and keeps his aging French Bulldog cross busy on regular walks.

 

RTX 4090.

What is GDDR7? Everything you need to know about next-gen VRAM

GDDR7 VRAM is here, with it is a huge uplift in bandwidth. If combined with a wide memory bus, we could see next-gen GPU bandwidth explode.
Jensen Huang addressing an audience.

Nvidia’s graphics drivers are in worse shape than we thought

Nvidia's RTX 50-series drivers are a mess, and despite major updates, the problem is far from solved.
Microsoft at 50.

Microsoft just turned 50, can its dominance last another half a century?

Microsoft is now 50 years old and after 50 years it's seen some major changes. Here are some of its biggest milestones and where it might be going in the future.
An iPhone linked in Windows 11.

How to install Windows 11 with an offline account

The Ryzen 9 9950X between someone's fingertips.

The 9950X3D is king, but the 9950X is great for non-gamers

The 9950X3D and 9950X are AMD's two top 16-core CPUs, but do you need the X3D model if you aren't gaming? Let's take a look.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D held between fingertips.

The 9950X3D gives the gaming king a real run for its money

The 9950X3D and 9800X3D are two of the best gaming CPUs in the world, but which is the best? It depends what you use it for.
Gamer playing Overwatch on GIGABYTE G6X gaming laptop from GIGABYTE gaming laptop deals.

Laptop GPU names feel like a scam

Laptop graphics are misleadingly labelled in even the best cases, but they don't need to be. With some honest numbers, they could be far clearer.
ces 2025 what to expect from amd nvidia intel jensen ceo

Now is not the time to buy a new graphics card

Graphics cards are an absolute mess right now. I know, I’ve talked a few times about how awesome , and it’s certainly the best of the bunch, but just look at the state of things. Even that “value” buy in 2025 is out of stock everywhere and the alternatives are even worse. And it shouldn’t […]
The RTX 5090 sitting on top of the RTX 4080.

Would you pay less for a defective GPU?

RTX 50-series GPUs with missing ROPs are going back on sale as "B Stock" options. Would you pay for one if it came at a reduced price?
RX 7900 XTX installed in a test bench.

The 7900 XTX still beats the 9070 XT… just

The 9070 XT is taking on the last-gen king, the 7900 XTX. But can it compete? It has the features, but its specs suggest it'll be a close battle.
RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT on a pink background.

AMD’s new 9070 XT beats all but one Radeon GPU

AMD’s and that goes for almost everything that came before, too. Although AMD didn’t market its new card as a high-end option, it might as well have, because it can beat almost any other AMD graphics card you pit it against. Even potentially . But that last-gen card does have more memory, compute units, and […]
The RTX 5090 sitting on a pink background.

The RTX 50-series is the worst GPU launch in recent memory

Nvidia's launch of the RTX 50-series has been nothing short of catastrophic and months on, it's not getting any better.
An Asus RX 9070 XT TUF GPU.

Can the RX 9070 compete with the 5070 Ti?

The RX 9070 was designed as more of an RTX 5070 competitor, but it can actually compete and even sometimes beat the more-expensive RTX 5070 Ti.
AMD's RX 7700 XT in a test bench.

AMD 9070 XT is a good upgrade over the 7800 XT

AMD's new RX 9070 XT has proved itself a worthy upgrade for those with a 7800 XT, with better ray tracing and upscaling capabilities.
The Ryzen 9 9950X between someone's fingertips.

CPUs to buy instead of the Ryzen 9950X3D

The AMD Ryzen 9950X3D is amazing, but it's out of stock and not for everyone. Here's what you should buy instead.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang with a few Nvidia graphics cards.

When the AI hype dies, I hope Nvidia pivots back to gaming

When Nvidia's AI bubble finally bursts and it can't just print money anymore, I really hope it remembers its gaming roots to produce great GPUs again.
best graphics cards rtx 4070 super review 5  1

RTX 5070 is more like an RTX 4070 Super with multi frame gen

The Nvidia RTX 4070 Super is hard to find and the 5070 isn't that fast. Are either of these cards worth it in 2025?
Benchmark for the RX 9070 XT.

AMD did it! Now we need to keep the pressure up for price cuts

Price cuts. That's what graphics cards need more than anything right now, even with AMD's new mid-range value options. They should all be cheaper than they are.
Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI OTA receiver/DVR.

Best ATSC 3.0 tuners for watching NextGen TV

Tired of paying for high-priced streaming services? ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV may be the answer. Here are the best tuners you can buy.
Several AMD RX 9000 series graphics cards.

An AMD RX 9060 XT with 16GB would ruin Nvidia’s second-hand market

AMD's RX 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM could be the big GPU story of its generation if AMD doesn't mess it up.
A damaged 12V-2×6 cable placed on top of an RTX 5090 Founders Edition graphics card

PSA: If you bought an Nvidia RTX 50, check it for problems

If you were "lucky" enough to get hold of one of Nvidia's new RTX 50 graphics cards, you should really check it for problems.
CPU-Z.

How to check whether your graphics card has missing ROPs

Have a new RTX 50-series graphics card? Here's how to check if your card is missing ROPs and performance.
AMD's RX 7700 XT in a test bench.

Best graphics cards you can actually buy right now

The graphics card market is broken right now, but not completely. Here are some reasonable GPU offers you might consider if you don't want to wait.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 GPUs from different brands

AMD RX 9070 XT vs. 9070: Can they deliver?

AMD's next-generation 9070 XT and 9070 cards are almost here, but just how do they compare? We have the full specifications, but pricing remains unresolved.
Nvidia RTX 5080 render

Better value bust up: 5080 vs. 5070 Ti

The RTX 5080 and 5070 Ti are two of the most powerful graphics cards out there, when they're in stock. How do they compare?
RX 7900 XTX installed in a test bench.

AMD has another chance at greatness, but will it grasp it?

Nvidia has let its foot off the gas and AMD has a chance to capitalize. But will it grasp this opportunity, or let it slip through its fingers?
The RTX 5070 in a graphic.

Who’s the new mid-range gaming king? RTX 5070, or RX 9070?

Nvidia vs. AMD, it's another classic graphics card head to head, this time at the upper mid-range. Can AMD meet the moment and provide enough cards? Let's see.
Logo on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080.

RTX 5080 vs 9070 XT — battle of the stock

The RTX 5080 is out of stock almost everywhere, and the RX 9070 XT isn't even out yet. Your next upgrade might be decided by whichever is more available.
Fans on the RTX 5080.

Nvidia RTX 5080 vs. RTX 4080 Super

The RTX 5080 is Nvidia's new high-end, top-tier mainstream GPU. How does it compare to the last-generation RTX 4080 Super? Let's find out.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holding a Panther Lake chip.

Intel Panther Lake: Everything we know so far

Intel's Panther Lake mobile processors are coming this year. Here's what we know about them so far.
Intel CPUs.

Intel Nova Lake: Everything we know so far

Intel Nova Lake CPUs are under development and coming in 2026: Here's what we know about them so far.
The RTX 4090 Super installed in a motherboard.

Building the ultimate AI and machine learning PC

Building a PC for AI or machine learning is very different from making your own gaming machine. Here are some top tips so you won't go wrong.
Gigabyte's RX 9070 XT GPU.

Can the AMD RX 9070 XT beat the RTX 5070 Ti?

The AMD RX 9070 XT is targeting enthusiast, mid-tier performance with its new GPU, can it compete with Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti?
The RTX 5070 in a graphic.

Can the 5070 Ti offer a big upgrade over the 4070 Ti?

The RTX 5070 Ti is the next hot release from Nvidia, but does it offer a compelling upgrade over its predecessor, the 4070 Ti?