Sprint to Create New Crypto Hoarders Worries Even Their Backers
So-called digital-asset treasury firms, or DATs, have announced plans to raise a combined $79 billion so far in 2025 just for Bitcoin purchases, according to advisory firm Architect Partners. But it's the trend of expanding into smaller tokens — along with the sheer number of such efforts — that has market participants on edge.
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Digital Trends
16 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
My secret to improve your PC gaming performance for less? It's literally just air
When planning your next PC build, you're probably focused getting the best CPU and GPU combo. Maybe you're thinking about upgrading your storage speeds or RGB aesthetics. Case airflow? That takes a backseat… if it's even thought about at all. But how you move air through your case can dramatically impact your system's thermals, performance, acoustics, and even lifespan – and give you the gaming focus your heart desires. Recommended Videos In fact, case airflow is one of the few areas in PC building where you can make a noticeable impact without spending a whole lot of money. Whether you're trying to lower CPU temperatures by a few degrees or silence an aggressive GPU cooler, airflow is the foundation. Understanding how airflow works in a PC case In simple terms, airflow is the movement of air through your case from one side to the other. Cool air is drawn in from the front or bottom, and warm air is pushed out the top or rear. When done correctly, this creates a controlled stream of air that cools your CPU, GPU, VRMs, and even SSDs or RAM by directing airflow over them before the hot air is expelled. What's often misunderstood is how small changes in fan placement or orientation can disrupt or improve this flow. Think of airflow like a wind tunnel, you want it smooth, linear, and with minimal turbulence. Cables, cramped GPU spacing, and poorly placed fans all break that tunnel. In most situations, front-to-back airflow can be regarded as the gold standard. That means fans at the front pull in cold air, which is then pushed across your components and out through exhaust fans at the top and rear. However, this may change depending on the type and design of your PC cabinet. Positive vs. negative air pressure One of the most overlooked factors when cooling your components inside your PC case is air pressure. This refers to the balance between how much air enters versus how much exits the case. Positive pressure means there is more intake airflow than exhaust. This causes excess air to be pushed out through the gaps in the case, helping to keep dust from entering where it shouldn't. It's generally preferred for quieter, cleaner builds especially when all intake points are filtered. Negative pressure is where more air is being exhausted than brought in which tends to create stronger airflow through the case, but it also sucks dust in through unfiltered cracks and gaps. While potentially better for GPU thermals in some configurations, it can be noisier and dustier over time. Balanced or neutral pressure aims for a near 1:1 airflow ratio between intake and exhaust fans. This can be ideal for neutral thermals and consistent airflow but requires deliberate fan placement and matched fan speeds. Fan types and placement Most cases support 120mm or 140mm fans, but 80mm, 92mm, and even larger sizes exist. Consider your case's support for different sizes and prioritize larger sizes as they can move more air at lower speeds, which makes them quieter. However, placement is more important than size alone. Static pressure fans are ideal when blowing through resistance like dust filters or radiators. On the other hand, high airflow fans perform better in open areas, such as the rear or top of a mesh case. For the best effect, fans should be unobstructed. That means cables should be routed cleanly out of the airflow path, and radiators shouldn't block airflow from other components. As a rule of thumb, intake fans should be at the front or bottom, drawing in the coolest ambient air, while exhaust fans go at rear and top since hot air naturally rises. This ensures consistent thermal movement from front to back and bottom to top. It is important to note that this may not apply to every single PC case on the market, so it is recommended to follow the instructions given by the case manufacturer. To understand which side of your fan is intake and which one is exhaust, check for marked arrows on the fan's frame where one points to the airflow direction and the other shows blade rotation. If there are no arrows, the airflow almost always goes from the open fan blade side to the side with the support struts and hub, unless you are dealing with reverse flow fans. Case size and orientation The design and size of your PC case can heavily influence the airflow setup. A mid-tower ATX case, for example, typically benefits from two or three front intake fans, a rear exhaust fan, and possibly one or two top-mounted exhausts. In full-tower cases, you can add bottom intake fans or side-mounted fans to bring extra cooling to high-wattage GPUs. These larger cases also support more complex airflow patterns like vertical airflow (bottom-to-top) combined with front-to-back. For small form factor (SFF) builds like mini-ITX cases, airflow can be trickier. With limited space, every fan must be positioned carefully. Intake usually comes from side or bottom vents, and exhaust is often limited to one top or rear fan. In these cases, pressure balancing becomes harder, and static pressure fans are essential. Horizontal cases for home theater PCs (HTPC) like the Fractal Design Ridge (pictured above), or custom open bench designs flip expectations. Here, air may flow vertically or from left to right depending on the motherboard orientation. You'll need to evaluate cooling based on how hot air will naturally rise within the layout. Optimizing for noise and performance Good airflow isn't just about temperatures, it's also about noise. A cool PC runs quieter, as fans don't need to ramp up as aggressively. The trick is to move enough air without overworking your fans. Take out some time to understand and set up fan curves by heading to your BIOS or alternatively using your motherboard's dedicated software. You can even try Fan Control, a highly recommended open-source utility that offers a wide range of controls for almost every single fan in your PC. A well-tuned curve lets fans stay at low speeds during idle or light tasks and only ramp up under load. Larger fans help here, as they can deliver better airflow at lower RPMs. Avoid stacking fans redundantly. More fans don't always mean better airflow, sometimes, they add turbulence. Instead, focus on smooth, directed airflow from intake to exhaust. Test your system by logging CPU and GPU temperatures during idle, gaming, and stress testing and accordingly adjust fan speeds or placement if hotspots appear. Regular maintenance goes a long way Even the best airflow setup can fail if your fans are clogged with dust. Clean filters every month or two and remove dust from fan blades using compressed air or a cleaning brush. It is also recommended to replace the thermal paste on your CPU every 2-3 years, especially if your temps start creeping up over time. Check your fan orientations once in a while too, mistakes happen, especially when fans look identical from both sides.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Is Qualcomm the Best Semiconductor Stock to Buy Right Now?
Valued at $157.4 billion, Qualcomm (QCOM) has positioned itself as a strong contender in the semiconductor space by leading in mobile processors, making a significant push into artificial intelligence across devices, and expanding into automotive, internet of things, and data centers. The company just reported strong fiscal third quarter results and is still on track to meet its ambitious fiscal 2029 goal of $22 billion in combined automotive and IoT revenue. If the company's current trajectory continues, it could be one of the best growth plays in the semiconductor industry. QCOM stock is down 3.8% year-to-date, compared to the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index's ($NASX) gain of 10.9%. Let's find out if QCOM stock is a buy now on the dip. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Processors Are Leading the Charge In its fiscal 2025 third quarter, the company reported adjusted revenue of $10.4 billion, up 10% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings per share of $2.77 increased by 19% YoY, placing the company near the top of its guidance range. Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT), the company's core chipset business, generated $9 billion in revenue, up 11% YoY, with Automotive (up 21%) and IoT (up 24%) showing particularly strong growth. Qualcomm's licensing segment, Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL), generated $1.3 billion in revenue. More News from Barchart Elon Musk Predicts Tesla Will 'Have Autonomous Ride-Hailing in Probably Half the Population of the US by the End of the Year' Should You Buy the 40% Post-Earnings Plunge in The Trade Desk Stock? Wedbush Thinks Palantir Is Speeding to $1 Trillion. Should You Buy PLTR Stock Now? Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. Qualcomm's Snapdragon Digital Chassis continues to win contracts in the automotive industry, with 12 new designs introduced this quarter and 50 vehicle launches planned for fiscal 2025. Qualcomm and Xiaomi (XIACY) have signed a multi-year agreement to collaborate on smartphones. Xiaomi's Snapdragon 8-series processors will power multiple generations of flagship devices in China and around the world, with shipment volumes increasing year after year. The Snapdragon 8 Elite continues to set the standard for mobile innovation, particularly in enabling the transition to AI-powered smartphones. Qualcomm reports that 124 AI smartphone designs have been shipped or announced, and AI adoption is accelerating. Qualcomm's push into PCs is only a year old, but it is already gaining traction. The Snapdragon X Series powers devices from Acer, Lenovo, Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), and Samsung, with over 100 designs planned for commercialization by 2026. Management also stated during the Q3 earnings call that the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform continues to dominate AI-powered smart glasses. Qualcomm now supports 19 partner designs, including Meta's (META) AI smart glasses, which have outperformed sales expectations, as well as the new Meta Oakley and expanded Ray-Ban lines. In Q3, Qualcomm returned $2.8 billion in share repurchases and $967 million in dividends, aligning with its policy of returning 100% of free cash flow. CEO Cristiano Amon forecasts fiscal 2025 to be its second straight year of over 15% year-over-year growth in total QCT non-Apple revenues. Total revenue could increase by 12% with a 16% increase in earnings, in line with consensus estimates. Currently, QCOM stock trades at 12 times forward earnings, lower than its five-year historical average of 21x, making it a reasonable AI-led semiconductor stock to buy now. New Growth Opportunities Qualcomm is expanding into data centers with NPU-based AI inference accelerator cards and custom SoCs based on its Oryon CPU. Qualcomm's planned acquisition of Alphawave IP Group, a leader in high-speed connectivity for data centers, AI, and networking, will strengthen the company's data center strategy. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026. Furthermore, the company is in advanced discussions with a major hyperscaler, with potential revenue beginning in fiscal 2028. Qualcomm also signed a memorandum of understanding with HUMAIN to build advanced AI data centers in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Qualcomm also sees personal AI devices like smart glasses, wearables, and earbuds as a separate growth category from smartphones. With strengths in connectivity, low-power AI processing, and sensors, the company anticipates becoming the preferred supplier in this space. In Physical AI, Qualcomm is focusing on robotics, automation, and humanoid robots with its automotive-grade silicon, sensing, and AI capabilities. The company estimates that this could be a $1 trillion total addressable market opportunity over the next decade. Financially, the company is in a strong position to invest in its growth strategies. At the end of the third quarter, it had $12.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities. What Do Analysts Say About QCOM Stock? Overall, Wall Street rates QCOM stock a 'Moderate Buy.' Out of the 32 analysts that cover the stock, 15 rate it a 'Strong Buy,' one suggests a 'Moderate Buy,' 15 rate it a 'Hold,' and one rates it a 'Strong Sell.' Its average target price of $178.65 suggests an upside potential of 21% from current levels. Its high target price of $225 implies a potential upside of 53% in the next 12 months. The Key Takeaway Qualcomm is executing on all fronts. It is strengthening its mobile dominance, expanding into PCs, leading in XR, accelerating automotive and IoT growth, and creating a new revenue stream in data centers. Its aggressive push into AI-enabled devices and infrastructure positions it for long-term double-digit growth, and a strong capital return program continues to reward shareholders, making it an excellent semiconductor stock to grab now. On the date of publication, Sushree Mohanty did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Entrepreneur
an hour ago
- Entrepreneur
Power and Portability Meet In This Near-Mint 13″ MacBook Pro
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. The right laptop isn't just about specs — it's about keeping your operations running smoothly wherever you are. This near-mint refurbished 13‑inch MacBook Pro from 2017 delivers reliable performance, pro‑level features, and the kind of portability that makes it easy to work from the office, client meetings, or the airport lounge. Under the hood, the 3.1GHz dual‑core Intel Core i5 processor (with Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz) and 8GB of RAM handle everything from financial modeling to presentation design without lag. The 512GB SSD offers fast load times and secure storage for critical business files, so you can access what you need instantly. The 13.3‑inch Retina display keeps spreadsheets sharp and client presentations vivid, with 2560×1600 resolution and 500 nits of brightness. The Touch Bar streamlines your workflow with quick access to app‑specific tools, while Touch ID offers secure logins and quick Apple Pay transactions when booking travel or making purchases. With four Thunderbolt 3 ports, you can connect to external displays for presentations, high‑speed storage drives for project backups, and even charge multiple devices at once. The backlit keyboard and Force Touch trackpad make typing and navigation comfortable and precise, whether you're working late at night or on the move. Weighing just over 3 pounds and encased in a durable aluminum chassis, this MacBook Pro is built for mobility without sacrificing performance. Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth connectivity keep you linked to your team and tools, no matter your location. As a grade-A refurbished unit, it arrives in near‑mint condition with minimal to no cosmetic wear, giving you premium Apple hardware at a fraction of the cost — a smart investment for any professional looking to maximize value. Equip yourself with a business‑ready MacBook Pro refurb with a Touch Bar for $324.97 (MSRP $1,499) and keep your work moving wherever opportunity takes you. StackSocial prices subject to change.
