Intel Core Ultra 270K and 250K Plus review: Conditionally great CPUs
Great performance for the price, if you ignore the price of RAM, SSDs, and GPUs.
Andrew Cunningham
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Andrew Cunningham
Senior Technology Reporter
andrew.cunningham@meincmagazine.com
Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica with a focus on consumer tech, including in-depth reviews and updates about operating systems like Windows and macOS. He also covers improvements to computer components like processors and graphics cards, and information about how to keep older hardware useful for as long as possible. He has written about tech since 2011, with bylines at Ars, Anandtech, Wirecutter, and The New York Times. Before that, he worked on the front lines of IT for five years, fixing things and helping people figure their technology out. Andrew has a BA in Classics from Kenyon College and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. He lives in Philadelphia, PA. You can also find him on both Mastodon and Bluesky.
Recent stories by
Andrew Cunningham
Nintendo’s physical Switch 2 games will soon cost more than digital copies
The first physical game affected will cost $10 more than a digital copy.
Andrew Cunningham
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Apple releases iOS, iPadOS, macOS 26.4 with a long list of medium-size tweaks
The 26.4 updates are more significant than the last few updates have been.
Andrew Cunningham
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118
Apple confirms that its Maps app will begin showing ads to users “this summer”
Apple Maps ads will look and work a bit like current App Store ads do.
Andrew Cunningham
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122
Apple will talk iOS 27, macOS 27, and more at WWDC 2026 on June 8
WWDC is often light on hardware, but it’s where big software announcements happen.
Andrew Cunningham
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Microsoft keeps insisting that it’s deeply committed to the quality of Windows 11
“Reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points” is one of Microsoft’s action items.
Andrew Cunningham
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Major SteamOS update adds support for Steam Machine, even more third-party hardware
Both AMD- and Intel-based hardware is getting better support in SteamOS 3.8.
Andrew Cunningham
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Despite hardware limits, Parallels supports running Windows on MacBook Neo
“8GB unified memory is the minimum practical configuration.”
Andrew Cunningham
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Most Read
Switch 2’s new “Handheld Mode Boost” can run original Switch games at 1080p
Switch games running at 720p can look worse on the Switch 2’s 1080p display.
Andrew Cunningham
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M5 MacBook Air review: Still the best MacBook for almost everybody
The M5 MacBook Air is a minor upgrade, but minor upgrades add up over time.
Andrew Cunningham
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180
Apple’s MacBook Neo makes repairs easier and cheaper than other MacBooks
Neo is the first MacBook in a long time with an easily replaceable keyboard.
Andrew Cunningham
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92
Windows 11’s Steam Deck-ish, streamlined Xbox gaming UI comes to all PCs in April
Running Windows on gaming handhelds is currently a blessing and a curse.
Andrew Cunningham
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54
Intel shores up its desktop CPU lineup with boosted Core Ultra 200S Plus chips
New CPUs are a bit faster and a bit cheaper than the ones they replace.
Andrew Cunningham
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47
Apple MacBook Neo review: Can a Mac get by with an iPhone’s processor inside?
8GB of RAM is a bummer, but this $599 laptop cuts most of the right corners.
Andrew Cunningham
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Testing Apple’s 2026 16-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Max, and its new “performance” cores
M5 Pro Max’s “performance” CPU cores definitely aren’t just rebranded E-cores.
Andrew Cunningham
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Apple’s 512GB Mac Studio vanishes, a quiet acknowledgment of the RAM shortage
Announcements this week were mostly business as usual, but Apple isn’t immune.
Andrew Cunningham
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55
macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 update will “upgrade” your M5’s CPU to new “super” cores
In otherwise minor software update, macOS now uses M5’s new nomenclature.
Andrew Cunningham
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103
MacBook Neo hands-on: Apple build quality at a substantially lower price
The Neo won’t be for everyone, but Apple has managed to preserve a premium feel.
Andrew Cunningham
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245
The $599 MacBook Neo is Apple’s long-awaited colorful, lower-cost MacBook
Cute, colorful laptop takes the place of the old $599 M1 MacBook Air.
Andrew Cunningham
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488
M5 Pro and M5 Max are surprisingly big departures from older Apple Silicon
Apple is using more chiplets and three types of CPU cores to make the M5 family.
Andrew Cunningham
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148
New MacBook Airs come with M5, double the storage, and higher starting prices
New Airs leave more room underneath for the rumored low-cost MacBook.
Andrew Cunningham
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96
Apple intros M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pros and its first new monitors in years
New laptops come with more storage but also higher starting prices.
Andrew Cunningham
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189
$599 M4 iPad Air is a lot like the old one, but with a substantial RAM boost
Unexpected RAM upgrade is the highlight of an otherwise straightforward refresh.
Andrew Cunningham
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86
Apple’s new iPhone 17e has an A19 chip, MagSafe, and 256GB of storage for $599
New just-the-basics phone replaces the year-old iPhone 16e at the same price.
Andrew Cunningham
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128
AMD Ryzen AI 400 chips will bring newer CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs to AM5 desktops
First wave of Ryzen AI desktop CPUs targets business PCs rather than DIYers.
Andrew Cunningham
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89
How to downgrade from macOS 26 Tahoe on a new Mac
Most new Macs can still be downgraded with few downsides. Here’s what to know.
Andrew Cunningham
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112
Apple says it has “a big week ahead.” Here’s what we expect to see.
Apple is taking an “ain’t broke/don’t fix” approach to most of its gadgets.
Andrew Cunningham
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115
In a replay of 2019, Apple says a single desktop Mac will be manufactured in the US
Apple is still working to get favorable tariff treatment from the Trump administration.
Andrew Cunningham
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109
Nintendo brings GBA-era Pokémon to the Switch, but not Switch Online subscribers
Games appear to be mostly unmodified ports of the well-regarded remakes.
Andrew Cunningham
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50
5 changes to know about in Apple’s latest iOS, macOS, and iPadOS betas
The 26.3 updates were mostly invisible; these changes are more significant.
Andrew Cunningham
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140
RAM shortage hits Valve’s four-year-old Steam Deck, now available “intermittently”
Forget launching new stuff—Valve is even having problems with existing hardware.
Andrew Cunningham
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88
$1.8 million MST3K Kickstarter brings in (almost) everyone from the old show
MST3K‘s 2010s revival looked forward; this one is emphatically looking backward.
Andrew Cunningham
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112
DIY PC maker Framework has needed monthly price hikes to navigate the RAM shortage
And Framework expects things to get worse before they get better.
Andrew Cunningham
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38
“Windows 11 26H1” is a special version of Windows exclusively for new Arm PCs
Arm PCs have enjoyed special treatment from Microsoft for the past two years.
Andrew Cunningham
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55
Apple releases iOS 26.3 with updates that mainly benefit non-Apple devices
It’s getting a little easier to move from iOS to Android, if that’s your thing.
Andrew Cunningham
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Smart home PSA: Apple’s “new architecture” for Home app becomes mandatory today
Updated Home app is required for Matter support and some types of accessories.
Andrew Cunningham
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