Tom's Guide

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently declared that the RAM sitting inside your computer is a “terrible” allocation of scarce resources, arguing that the world’s memory belongs in data centers. If you want to know exactly how much that mindset is costing you, just look at the apocalyptic state of the PC hardware market. On April 1st, I predicted a market correction would cause RAM prices to drop by August. Now it’s October, it’s clear that I was spectacularly wrong, and the irony of publishing that on April Fools’ Day is not lost on me. You can see that in the gargantuan asking prices for the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, how Nvidia’s RTX 5080 is now peaking at over $2,000, and how a 32GB kit of DDR5 is now at $500 rather than the $400 it was when I wrote previously. We are currently in the middle of a brutal quadruple threat: relentless AI-driven demand, historically low inventory, geopolitical tariffs and foundries shifting advanced wafer capacity away from consumer memory into enterprise servers. If you are shopping for a PC right now, you are effectively paying a “cloud tax” on your local hardware. But before you remortgage the house and snag something, the tech landscape is violently shifting. Altman wants all the silicon, but the AI bubble is showing serious signs of bursting — and relief might actually be on the horizon.

Rivian is the EV maker to watch. It’s no coincidence that I’m seeing far more of its vehicles on the road, instantly recognizable by their distinct stadium-style halo headlights. While I came away deeply impressed with both the R1T pickup and the three-row R1S SUV, they’re simply too expensive and out of reach for most budgets. That’s why I’ve been so excited about the Rivian R2. It represents an ambitious push to reach the masses with a much lower price tag. By trimming down its footprint compared to the full-size R1S into a practical midsize frame — while keeping its starting price under $60,000 — Rivian finally has a vehicle with mass-market appeal, and I’m all for it. After spending a full week behind the wheel of the 2027 Rivian R2 Performance, I can honestly say this eagerly awaited EV lives up to the hype and is one of the best electric cars out there.

Foldables have been around for several years, but the recent launch of the iPhone Duo means the foldable market could be on the verge of changing in a big way. To the point where Samsung is reportedly looking to mix things up, and offer an even more diverse range of foldable-centric devices than it already does. The latest rumor claims that Samsung is currently working on a companion for the Galaxy Z Fold 9, sharing the same wider passport-shape of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. According to a leak on Korean network Naver, Samsung is testing two possible options, including a Galaxy Z Fold 9 Plus and a lower-priced Galaxy Z Fold 9 FE. I've already expressed some confusion as to how a Z Fold 9 Plus would sit between the Fold 9 and Fold 9 Ultra. But an FE-branded model? That's actually a very good idea, especially in the current climate. Just as long as Samsung doesn't mess things up, like it did with last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.

Oh. My. Goodness. This thing is large. The LG UltraGear 52G930B is a massive 52-inch gaming monitor that makes you feel like you’re the main character in your favorite games. With its 5K2K resolution, excellent color coverage and accuracy, and strong SDR performance, it delivers beautiful visuals. Thanks to its 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, the 52G930B doesn’t give you much to complain about. But it does have a couple of shortcomings. While its VA LCD panel is detailed, it doesn’t deliver the inky blacks I’ve come to love on OLED panels. It’s also very expensive, priced at nearly $2,000. Oh, and you should forgo getting it if you’re short on space. Could this still be the best curved monitor for you?

After a long wait, Apple revealed the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the first MacBook to feature a touchscreen. Powered by the M5 Pro or the M5 Max chip, these MacBooks are surely going to rank among the best laptops in no time. Meanwhile, M1-based MacBooks are slowly slipping into irrelevance. The chip is now six years old. With each passing year, the upgrades get bigger and bigger, and now, Apple finally pulled out the big guns: it's not just raw performance you're getting. You're getting a whole different device. Should M1 Pro MacBook Pro owners finally pull the trigger and upgrade? And are these OLED MacBooks really the best option?

Streaming was supposed to make television better. Instead of being at the mercy of a rigid TV guide and an evening spent mindlessly channel-hopping, we were promised total freedom — whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. No waiting for the next episode, no missing the start of a film and no being stuck with whatever happened to be on. Which all sounds brilliant ... on paper. However, somewhere along the way, we lost something vital: structure. These days, deciding what to watch can take longer than actually sitting down to watch it, leaving us bogged down in constant decision paralysis. So, for one week, I decided to fight back and bring back the old cable TV experience using nothing but modern streaming services. The idea was simple: build my own evening schedule — assigning a drama at 6 p.m., a film at 7 p.m., and a lighthearted sitcom to round out the night — so I’d know exactly what was on the menu ahead of time.

I’ve spent years championing the original Sonos Beam and Beam Gen 2 as the best soundbars for anyone living in the “real world,” a.k.a. living arrangements where cavernous ceilings and elaborate home theaters aren’t the norm. But as much as I loved the Beam Gen 2, the lack of physical height channels was noticeable despite impressive software-simulated Dolby Atmos for a soundbar of its size. The newer Sonos Beam Ultra ($699) addresses that shortcoming with 7.2.1 Atmos powered by dedicated upward-firing drivers and a completely redesigned acoustic system. It also arrives alongside Sonos 27, the company's next-generation OS, which introduces smarter controls, AI-powered features and new ways to connect speakers throughout the home. And somehow, Sonos has squeezed all of that audio hardware into a soundbar barely wider than its predecessor. On paper, it's the upgrade I've been waiting for. But what surprised me most was just how much bigger it sounds.