Maximum PC – September 2024 (Vol. 29, No. 9)

Inside Maximum PC September 2024

The September 2024 issue of Maximum PC (Vol. 29, No. 9) puts artificial intelligence, next-generation PC building, and the state of Windows under the microscope. Editor-in-Chief Guy Cocker opens with a look at two forces shaping the desktop PC world: the rapid spread of AI and the arrival of the BTF form factor, which moves power and data connectors to the rear of the motherboard for cleaner builds.

AI in the Real World 🤖

Zak Storey leads a cover feature on today’s AI tools, asking what ChatGPT and related services can actually do, where the technology may be heading, and why the term “artificial intelligence” now provokes both excitement and skepticism. The issue examines practical uses alongside the cultural and technical questions surrounding AI.

A First Look at BTF PC Building 💻

Maximum PC assembles its first BTF PC, a build that aims to make desktop systems easier to assemble and tidier to look at. The project explores how the new standard changes cable management and what it signals for future PC construction—even if the resulting build carries a premium price.

Windows 12 and the Future of the OS

Contributors share what they want from the next version of Windows, while a feature on cyberwarfare traces the history of digital conflict. The issue also covers Windows repair problems, file deletion, DNS security, and other practical fixes.

Hardware Reviews and Buying Advice ⚙️

The reviews section turns its attention to the best NVMe SSDs of 2024, the MSI MPG321URX, the OneXPlayer X1, the NZXT H7 Flow, and the Asus Vivobook S 15. A head-to-head comparison puts OneDrive against Google Drive, and the Quickstart section rounds up news on AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X, HP’s AI laptop, NVIDIA’s open-source GPU kernel modules, and the global IT outage.

Regular Columns and Reader Favorites

Letters, comments, and columns return with reader questions and industry commentary, including Trade Chat on Intel’s processor troubles. The issue closes with the familiar mix of in-depth analysis, hands-on advice, and opinion that Maximum PC readers expect.