Thanks to mods, your entire PC gaming experience can be improved by the work of dedicated fans. Because some mods are so extensive, transforming almost everything about the source title, we felt it was only fair to list 12 of the best of them here, since they may as well count as their own new games.

It's an exciting year for gamers as we approach the next console generation and new software projects inevitably hit the PC as well. We've assembled a list of the hottest PC games expected to hit shelves over the next 12 months. Our selection includes 35 games and 10 bonus mentions we're lukewarm about.

What Western gamers think of PC games - the games from developers like Valve and Blizzard - aren't. When many Japanese gamers think of the country's PC gaming industry, the kneejerk reaction is to think of either dating or first person shooters.

Once you settle on the idea that you are not having a hardware problem and you are unable to boot up, your best bet is to try to fix the MBR (Master Boot Record). With a long history of dual booting different versions of Windows over the years, finding a corrupt MBR, boot sector, or Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is nothing new.

In the wake of last month's tragic shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school, and the revelation that killer Adam Lanza had enjoyed shooter games like Call of Duty, violent video games have again become a significant topic in national conversation. But have researchers found any links between video games and violence?

During the past 10 years Apple has systematically attacked and conquered from several fronts. Here's a brief recount of those winning products, and where it applies, the industry incumbents that for one reason or another failed to innovate or at least failed to beat Apple at breaking products to the masses first.

This year we have divided stories in 12 heavily packed categories, with nearly 500 hand-picked headlines total. Feel free to jump around between your favored topics, but try not to miss the tech culture section where we revisit some of the most entertaining stories we covered this year. Here's our take on 2012...

Video games and gaming in general had its highs and lows during 2012, but more importantly, we've all turned those highs and lows into animated GIFs for the rest of the internet to behold.

Before we move on to the latest and greatest devices of 2013, we figure it's worth revisiting some of 2012's most popular devices as suggested by our Product Finder, which includes reviews by hundreds of seasoned specialists across the Web. We've included 59 products across 14 categories along with their aggregate review score and a brief commentary that explains why they're special.

In September, I got myself a gaming laptop (yes, yes, I know, but it's a powerful one). I installed Steam and started downloading games. These games started updating themselves, snatching whatever files they needed, installing DirectX and god knows what else. I was trusting Steam and it was making my return to PC gaming a cinch.

Being one of the most prolific sources of security vulnerabilities in Windows and other platforms, Adobe Flash Player needs no introduction. In spite of that reputation, and the fact that the rest of the industry is moving away from Flash, it'd just seem Adobe is making all possible efforts to make its software more bloated and less attractive to all consumers alike.

AMD has long been subject of polarizing debate among technology enthusiasts. Considering that it was once considered equal to Intel, many wonder why AMD is failing. However, it's probably fairer to ask how the company has survived so for long -- a question we intend to explore as we revisit the company's past, examine its present and gaze into its future.

Although you're working against the clock, the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales make this a fairly sensible time to dive in and ensure your loved ones are sufficiently showered in silicon-laced trinkets and baubles on the morning of December 25. As it happens, we have a soft spot for said gadgets and we've compiled a list of over two dozen things spanning all budgets that we'd love to find under the tree this year.

While manufacturers haven't exactly flooded the market with touch-enabled laptops, there are some good options out there already. Expect a crush of touchable Windows 8 machines at CES early next year, but for those shopping this holiday, we have cherry picked the best touch-enabled, Windows 8 laptops.

The holiday season is right around the corner and so is Black Friday, when the Christmas shopping season officially begins. But actually, if you've been following recent deals you may have noticed several major retailers will launch their Black Friday sales ahead of the date. The best way to make the most of Black Friday savings is to be prepared.

Windows 8's new Start screen has been hotly debated, but beyond not offering a way to bypass this screen, surprisingly Microsoft is also limiting your options when it comes to customizing the Start screen's appearance. Here's a quick and practical way to change the Windows 8 Start screen wallpaper / background.

Last weekend I was feeling a bit nostalgic and fired up Windows 2000 on my home computer. Win2k has a special place in my heart. Sadly, due to planned obsolescence it's no longer possible to use this fantastic operating system with the latest software available.

No one is more excited about the launch than Microsoft. The company has launched pop-up holiday stores at malls across America to promote the new OS and the Surface RT. I had a chance to check in with one of these stores at Aventura Mall in Miami, Florida.

Microsoft sits on the edge of a product launch that is plainly among the most important in the company's history. However, what might be more useful is looking at Microsoft's other make or break moments. A careful evaluation of them may provide a better, ahem, window into the company's chances this Winter.

Malwarebytes started its life as a company in 2004 as a one-man operation, but it wasn't until four years later that its star product was released, simply called 'Anti-Malware'. Since then the company has rapidly grown to establish itself as a serious player in the computer security industry.

A recent Caribbean cruise vacation provided the perfect opportunity to test whether or not my iPad would make a suitable travel replacement. As such, I decided to put several products spanning multiple categories to the test to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses based on my hands-on experience.

Currently in beta, Ravaged is the brainchild of Boris Ustaev and his crew at 2Dawn Games, who have spent the last few years toiling away on a fast-paced post-apocalyptic multiplayer shooter with a strong focus on skills, teamwork, vehicular combat and most importantly, fun. In other words, it's everything the folks at 2Dawn have wanted in a modern PC shooter, but have been unable to find.

Online services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Spotify, Steam and many others have brought upon an era of instant, on-demand digital media consumption, but unfortunately this is a revolution not everyone can partake in as such services employ region locks. In this article we'll offer you three alternatives to get around these restrictions.

As Facebook closes in on one billion active users, its overwhelming success is mostly why I've decided to end my long-standing relationship with the social network. Seven years is a long time to maintain any online account, much less one that demands almost daily attention.

A relative newcomer to the search market, DuckDuckGo isn't shying away from the monumental task, however. In fact, with a simple, straightforward interface and clean results they've come up with one of the most appealing Google alternatives to date.

A relatively new web service, IFTTT (If This Then That) lets you automate tasks between other popular services such as Dropbox, Twitter, Evernote, Facebook, Instapaper, and many others. IFTTT works by telling it what task you want carried out, what will trigger this task, and it will put it into action for you.

Easing the hassle of going through countless notebook releases week in and week out, we've compiled a list of our favorite notebooks available right now and grouped them into five different categories: ultraportables, business & general purpose, desktop replacements, gaming notebooks, and budget laptops.

Although every product deserves healthy criticism, many opinions of Windows 8 seem to be based on misconceptions, especially when it comes to the viability of Metro as a Start menu replacement.

When Windows 8 starts, it displays a lock screen that you have to move out of the way before entering your credentials, and then you have to dismiss the Metro interface before accessing the desktop. Like I said, I'm cool with Metro, but I have no desire to see a full-screen Start Menu when I log into my PC.

Now we're taking a look at another area of the PC market that's experiencing healthy growth in recent times, comparing Apple's 27-inch iMac to all-in-one alternatives from the likes of Dell, HP and newcomer Vizio. Is this Apple Tax real for AIOs?