Even if your network knowledge runs deep there’s a high chance you haven’t heard of Nagle’s Algorithm. Named after its creator, John Nagle, this algorithm plays a part in the efficient operation of your router’s TCP/IP traffic.
That being so, savvy gamers have added it to a list of things to disable to decrease their network latency. Admittedly, it’s so obscure that taking the time to disable this setting, which is quite involved, places you squarely in Saturday night Windows Club kind of territory (you’ve been warned!).
Then again, when microsecond reductions in latency could be the difference between winning or losing in your next game of Counter-Strike 2, who’s going to judge you?
What does Nagle’s Algorithm do?
I could pull out a complex flow diagram to show you exactly what Nagle’s Algorithm does, but for the purposes of this article it’s enough to know that it prevents traffic congestion on your network by reducing the number of data packages your router transmits.
To elaborate on that, instead of sending every single datagram out individually, the algorithm holds some back until it can accumulate enough to send a full packet.
While that’s mostly a good thing in that it stops your router having to work overtime, when it comes to multiplayer gaming online, even slight delays in transmission can increase latency. In first-person shooters these delays can even cause some stuttering.
Nagle’s Algorithm can cause some stuttering in first-person shooters.
Nagle’s Algorithm can cause some stuttering in first-person shooters.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Nagle’s Algorithm can cause some stuttering in first-person shooters.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
That’s the main reason to switch it off. As with most Windows 11 features that you can disable in pursuit of better gaming performance, you aren’t guaranteed performance gains for every game.
Some Minecrafters have reported strange player movements when the algorithm is switched off, so keep that in mind if you do decide to go ahead.
How to disable Nagle’s Algorithm
You’ll need to change settings in the Windows 11 registry to disable it. I recommend this how-to guide from Make Use Of (entry 6), which is straightforward enough.
If you’re a little worried about fiddling with Windows 11’s registry, that’s understandable. Doing so can cause your PC problems. My advice, then, is to back up Windows before doing this, follow the steps very carefully, and remember that any typed changes you will have to make are case sensitive.
It may ease your mind a little to know that you can also reactivate Nagle’s Algorithm if you encounter any problems. Good luck and happy tweaking!
Colin Farrell’s portrayal of The Penguin in The Batman was praised by critics and fans, mainly due to his comedic timing and the thrilling chase sequence with the Batmobile. But in his spin-off series, his character delves further into the complex, criminal underworld.
Bruce Wayne’s fight with the Riddler turned Gotham to ruin. On the remains of the old order, new leaders are coming to power, and fresh alliances are being born.
Oswald Cobb, known as The Penguin, has appeared multiple times in films and series about Batman. So far, the most famous interpretation of this character has belonged to Danny DeVito in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns.
However, in Matt Reeves’ movie from 2022, Colin Farrell took on the role, and he was almost unrecognisable under a thick layer of makeup. The new version of the Penguin spoke so strongly to audiences that HBO decided to create a series covering the gangster’s march for power in Gotham City.
We’ve rounded up all the essential information about this new production from the DC universe. You can also check out our official review after watching all eight episodes of the drama.
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
Macall Polay/HBO
What channel is The Penguin on?
Episodes of The Penguin are rolling out now. DC fans in the US can catch the show on HBO and Max.
In the UK, episodes air at the same time as they do in America on Sky TV and streaming service Now. That means viewers will get episodes the day after due to the time difference (more on that below).
If you don’t want a late night, then you can also view the episode on Sky Atlantic the following evening at 9pm BST.
The Penguin episode release schedule
Despite debuting on a Thursday, future episodes of The Penguin won’t be released on the same day every week. There will be a little break between episodes 1 and 2 before the show settles into a regular pattern.
Here’s the full episode release schedule for The Penguin:
The Penguin episode 1 – ‘After Hours’ – Thursday 19 September at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US), Friday 20 September at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 2 – ‘Inside Man – Sunday 29 September at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 30 September at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 3 – TBA – Sunday 6 October at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 7 October at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 4 – TBA – Sunday 13 October at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 8 October at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 5 – TBA – Sunday 20 October at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 21 October at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 6 – TBA – Sunday 27 October at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 28 October at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 7 – TBA – Sunday 3 November at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 4 November at 2am BST (UK)
The Penguin episode 8 – TBA – Sunday 10 November at 9pm ET/6pm PT (US)/Monday 11 November at 2am BST (UK)
HBO
HBO
HBO
What is the plot of The Penguin?
The series picks up right after the finale of The Batman movie. The clash with the Riddler led Gotham City to ruin, with large areas of the city ending up underwater. Chaos also reigns in the criminal underworld, which, after the death of the mafia boss Carmine Falcone, is left without leadership.
In the new HBO series, Penguin tries to take over power in the world of criminals – the creators describe the project as a Scarface-like story.
One of the most important characters in the series is Sofia, the daughter of the late Carmine Falcone. In comic books, she made her first appearance in 1997’s Batman: The Long Halloween. As a serial killer named the Hangman, she spent a year eliminating members of the Gotham City Police Department. She was, however, released from prison early at her father’s request.
The Penguin seems to use at least parts of Sofia’s comic book arc. In the latest trailer for the series, she appears as a power-hungry successor of Carmine, who will cause Oswald a lot of trouble.
HBO
HBO
HBO
Another important character in the series is Victor Aguilar. He is Penguin’s young driver and protégé, who accompanies him during his fight for power.
As Sarah Aubrey, head of originals at Max, said in an interview for Variety:
The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can. As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions. It is a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters. It’s very much going to be about Gotham at that street level because he’s not flying around like Batman does. We are all embracing that as a very specific experience for audiences to have.
Even more interesting is that The Penguin will serve as an introduction to The Batman: Part Two. It seems that the series is planned to be a must-see for all fans of the rebooted Dark Knight franchise.
Is there a trailer for The Penguin?
The first teaser shows a slice of the Penguin’s world:
The latest teaser for the show reveals a bloody fight for power between Gotham’s mobsters:
The official trailer, presented at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, reveals Oswald’s foes and allies:
You can also watch more about the creation of the Penguin here:
Who’s starring in The Penguin?
The following actors are confirmed to star in The Penguin:
Colin Farrell – Oswald “Oz” Cobb / The Penguin
Cristin Milioti – Sofia Falcone, the daughter of Carmine Falcone
Michael Kelly – Johnny Vitti, the underboss of the Falcone crime family
Clancy Brown – Salvatore Maroni, a mob boss
Michael Zegen – Alberto Falcone, Carmine’s son and Sofia’s brother
Rhenzy Feliz – Victor Aguilar
Deirdre O’Connell – Francis Cobb
Shohreh Aghdashloo – Nadia Maroni
James Madio – Milos Grapa
Scott Cohen – Luca Falcone
Carmen Ejogo – Eve Karlo
Theo Rossi – Dr. Julian Rush
Fans of the DC universe have been wondering if Robert Pattinson will appear in the series as Batman. However, that has since been disputed by Matt Reeves himself.
The series is created by Lauren LeFranc. Matt Reeves and Colin Farrell serve as the executive producers, among others.
Will there be a season 2 of The Penguin?
HBO has not announced another season of The Penguin. The first season will lead directly into The Batman: Part Two, so it’ll likely depend on the events of that film, and if the cast and crew are willing to come back.
For Colin Farrell, the ordeal of going through all the make-up was a lot for the series, according to GamesRadar. We may learn more after The Penguin debuts on TV and streaming services.
A leak on AMD’s incoming Strix Point Halo chips shows the configurations and apparently official names for these powerful CPUs for driving gaming laptops (and maybe handhelds) – but less welcome is a fresh hint that these processors might be eye-wateringly expensive.
If you’ve missed the fuss around Strix Point Halo (often referred to as simply Strix Halo), these are the top-end Strix Point offerings, and with vanilla Strix Point chips being called Ryzen AI 300, the Strix Halo CPUs are reportedly going to be named Ryzen AI Max 300.
VideoCardz picked up on the rumor that comes from Golden Pig Upgrade, a well-known leaker on Weibo who furnishes us with the initial three processors that AMD will release in this range, and their key specs.
They are as follows:
Ryzen AI Max+ 395 – 16-cores (Zen 5) + 40 Compute Units (RDNA 3.5 graphics)
Ryzen AI Max 390 – 12-cores + 40 Compute Units
Ryzen AI Max 385 – 8-cores + 32 Compute Units
Of course, we need to be skeptical here – as with any chatter from the grapevine – but the specs align with what we’ve heard before, and the naming makes sense to us. ‘Max’ seems like a fitting label to adorn these CPUs with (giving us a hint of Apple-esque vibes, it must be said).
The leaker also observes support for up to 96GB of video memory with Strix Halo, indicating that AMD is going to target professional users and the notebook workstation market with the chip, not just gaming laptops.
Here’s where there’s a slight worrying twist in that VideoCardz also noticed a post on X (from Hoang Anh Phu) highlighting that GPD, a manufacturer of gaming laptops and handhelds, recently dialed back a notebook from being equipped with a Strix Point CPU (HX 370) to an older Hawk Point processor (Ryzen 7 8840U).
GPD representative suggested the price of HX 370 (Strix Point) for OEMs. No surprise.Perhaps AMD is taking more Zen 5 profits from laptops to compensate for desktops.Imagine how high Strix Halo will cost ! pic.twitter.com/gkrFfgGPf1September 20, 2024
The reason? The report claims that the Strix Point chips will cost twice as much, and therefore GPD scaled back to keep the cost of the bill-of-materials of the laptop to a more reasonable level.
Now, the concern is that if Strix Point is that pricey – again, add seasoning, and lots of it – what sort of financial toll is Strix Halo going to exact? As we said at the outset, this is fueling fears that Halo will be prohibitively pricey.
(Image credit: Future)
Analysis: End of the supercharged handheld dream?
We were always worried about pricing for Strix Halo, given just how powerful these mobile offerings are rumored to be. To put the (purported) performance of the integrated RDNA 3.5 graphics in perspective, AMD’s standalone GPU, the RX 7600 XT (RDNA 3), has 32 Compute Units, like the lower-end Ryzen AI Max 385 – so the top-end Max+ 395 outstrips it considerably for that key spec with 40 Compute Units. Plus Halo is on RDNA 3.5, meaning a refreshed RDNA 3 architecture that’s fine-tuned, so it’s going to be speedier on that basis too.
So, these are seriously supercharged chips, and if Strix Point is causing laptop makers to pause for thought on the basis of its cost, what is Strix Halo going to be like? Will these heavyweight chips even be suitable for, say, a gaming handheld at all, given the pricing premium? Or is Halo really more destined for workstation laptops, given AMD’s apparent positioning as noted above?
As ever, we can’t get too carried away with rumors, and this is just one isolated case from a single laptop vendor, anyway. However, it’s easy to see why there’s now something of an air of concern around the future, certainly regarding handhelds being pepped up by Strix Halo (or Ryzen AI Max, rather), and exactly how pricey this silicon might make thin-and-light gaming laptops, too.
Still, as already observed, nobody was expecting Strix Halo to be anything like affordable – it’s just that this is a hint it could be even pricier than most folks were imagining.
Everyone deserves to experience high-performance PC gaming, but that can be tough when gaming laptops are so expensive. That’s why I can’t help but share whenever I spot a hot deal on a great gaming laptop.
Running on a fast Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, this laptop can handle anything you throw at it. Whether you’re editing videos or multitasking apps, it won’t struggle at all. It also doesn’t hurt that this laptop features 16GB of RAM to chug along nicely, plus a 1TB SSD for speedy load times and fast file transfers.
More importantly, though, this HP gaming laptop features a dedicated graphics card in the form of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060. That’s a powerful setup, enough to game at high FPS.
And you’re going to enjoy it because it also has a proper screen for displaying those lush graphics. Equipped with a 14-inch OLED display with a 3K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, this laptop is simply gorgeous, vivid, and smooth.
Yesterday, Microsoft announced in a blog post that Windows App has finally been released to the general public and is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and web browsers.
In a nutshell, Windows App is a “unified experience” that lets you securely connect to a Windows device from any other supported device. It’s a simplified way to connect via Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, or Microsoft Dev Box. That means on most platforms you’ll end up replacing whatever remote desktop app you’re using with Windows App.
But that’s not all it does. Windows App a few more tricks up its sleeve that makes it a nifty tool for both IT professionals and home users.
What can Windows App do?
Windows App is ultimately aiming to be a one-stop shop for efficiently managing the content on your connected Windows devices. According to Microsoft, it’s also fitted with advanced security functions so you can work securely from any location and still have peace of mind.
In the blog post, Microsoft shared one user’s experience with Windows App and what they thought of it:
“We’ve been using Windows App through the private and public previews, and we were given the opportunity to submit recommendations for feature enhancements to ensure it has the functionality we need. During our recent go live, we received great feedback: it provides seamless access from any device and massively improves our end-user experience.”
Suppose you’re commuting to work or traveling on vacation but you need to read or edit important documents on your PC. Windows App makes it easy to remote in and access those files in a snap.
Other features include:
Unified access to multiple Windows services from one interface (including cloud PCs, virtual desktops, and local PCs)
Multi-factor authentication
Customizable start screens
Support for multiple monitors and dynamic resolutions
USB redirection
Optimizations for Microsoft Teams
Easy account switching via Microsoft Entra ID
Relayed Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Shortpath
In-app feedback function
How to download Windows App
Windows App is now available via the respective app stores for each device platform. Microsoft recommends that IT administrators use the “Get started with Windows App” documentation to update internal processes and guide users and helpdesk teams.
