TechLinked – Episode Summary: “DLSS 5, Win11 C: drive issue, ASRock DDR4/5 motherboard + more!”

Date: March 17, 2026
Host: Linus Media Group
Podcast: TechLinked

Overview

In this episode, the TechLinked team jumps into the latest and quirkiest news in tech and gaming culture. They cover Nvidia’s controversial DLSS 5 graphics technology, the bizarre C: drive bug plaguing some Windows 11 Samsung laptops, ASRock’s hybrid DDR4/DDR5 motherboard, looming RAM shortages, and rapid-fire “Quick Bits” about everything from the AirPods Max 2 to the Xbox One getting hacked and new privacy challenges on Instagram. The signature snark and skepticism keeps things lively throughout.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nvidia DLSS 5: Pushing the (AI-Generated) Envelope

Timestamp: [00:38]–[02:31]

• DLSS 5 Reveal: Nvidia’s new upscaling tech, DLSS 5, drops to a mixed reception; the hosts joke the initials now mean “damn low key slop SIS.”
• Critique & Humor: “Watching the demo video feels like your fingers slipped and you accidentally opened Facebook again.” – Host B ([00:44])
• AI Filter Accusations:
  • Host B humorously accuses DLSS 5 of just running an “AI Yassify” filter over everything:

    “Nvidia seems to have thought the best way to continue developing their genuinely impressive DLSS tech was to run every frame through an AI Yassify filter..." ([00:49])

  • Nvidia insists it’s not a filter, but the hosts are skeptical:

    “Which just sounds like explaining how an AI filter works. But hey, I’m not an expert. This isn’t leather.” ([01:09])

• Performance Stats: Demo required two RTX 5090s: “first one actually rendered the game, while the second one was on sloppification duty.” ([01:28])
• Customizability: Developers will be able to tone down the effects; launches this fall.
• Nvidia GTC Keynote: “Mostly CEO Jensen Huang’s excuse to rant … about vertically integrated accelerated computing infrastructure for two hours. See, you just fell asleep for a second.” – Host B’s dig at Nvidia’s corporate jargon ([01:46])

2. Windows 11 “C: Drive Access Denied” Bug on Samsung Laptops

Timestamp: [02:31]–[03:44]

• The Issue: After a recent security update, some Samsung PCs running Windows 11 lose access to their C: drive, causing errors across the board.
• Workarounds & Frustration: Users share fixes “over on Reddit” involving admin accounts and permission resets.
• Root Cause:
  • Turns out Samsung’s Galaxy Connect app is actually responsible, not Microsoft directly.
  • Quote: “The son of a–" ([03:17]) — indicative of the host’s exasperation.
• Resolution: App pulled, stable version released, but recovery for affected laptops is “limited.”
• Positive Note for Windows: New Insider builds now officially support monitor refresh rates above 1000Hz, up to 5000Hz in theory.

  "So for those of you rocking 1000Hz Predator F6 monitor, you're finally gonna be getting what you paid for. A barely perceptible decrease in motion blur.” ([03:39])

3. ASRock’s DDR4/DDR5 Combo Motherboard & The Great RAM Shortage

Timestamp: [03:44]–[04:48]

• Product Reveal:
  • ASRock quietly announces the H610M Combo 2, a rare 12th–14th Gen Intel board offering “three DIMM slots, two for DDR5 and one lone DDR4 slot.”
  • But: Only one DDR4 slot (single-channel) and you can’t use both types at once.
• Budget-Build Options:
  • Prevailing sentiment: “At least with this motherboard you get options.”
• Market Context: RAM shortages will persist; Samsung expects issues “until late 2028.”
• AI Demand & Manufacturing Woes:

  • “Manufacturers now hesitant to build too much new capacity for fear of over investing before the AI boom cools off.” ([04:31])

• Host’s Humor:
  • “Maybe light a candle for your wallet and then sell the candle because you’re gonna need the money for a single stick of DDR4 memory to sit beside your empty DDR5 slots.” ([04:41])

4. Quick Bits: Turbo News Roundup

Timestamp: [06:19]–[09:20]

• AirPods Max 2 Announced:
  • $549, “studio quality mics, live translation, and a camera remote.”

    “For just $50 more, you could get the MacBook Neo, an entire computer. Or for $150 more, you could get the Mac Pro wheels, which are wheels.” ([06:32])

• Xbox One Finally Hacked:
  • Security researcher Marcus Gasse de Lin reveals the “bliss exploit,” making it unpatchable for original models.

  • “Honestly, 12 years unhacked is a solid run. The PS4 only made it three. So I guess Xbox did win at least one battle in the console war. The one that mattered the least.” ([07:13])

• Instagram DMs E2E Encryption Killed:
  • Meta will end support after May 8th—users urged to download their data.

  • “Apparently not enough people were using the opt in feature, probably because like me, they didn’t even know about it. I could have been securely ordering Chinese peptides on Instagrams this whole time.” ([07:35])

• Niantic & Coco Robotics Collaboration:
  • Pokemon Go’s massive visual database now powers delivery bots; > “Getting Pikachu to realistically run around and getting Coco’s robot to safely navigate the world is actually the same problem.” ([08:15])
• Noctua-Themed PC Case:
  • Teases the Antec Flex Pro Noctua Edition, “decked out in their signature brown with a wood grain front panel.”
  • Hosts’ take: “Everything’s brown, but it’s a nice brown like a station wagon.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On DLSS 5:

  “Nvidia seems to have thought the best way to continue developing their genuinely impressive DLSS tech was to run every frame through an AI Yassify filter ...” – Host B ([00:49])

• On Windows 11 Samsung C: Drive Issue:

  “God damn it, Windows March was going so good for you.” – Host B ([02:37])

• On ASRock’s Combo Motherboard:

  “Maybe light a candle for your wallet and then sell the candle because you’re gonna need the money for a single stick of DDR4 memory to sit beside your empty DDR5 slots.” ([04:41])

• On Xbox One Hack:

  “So I guess Xbox did win at least one battle in the console war. The one that mattered the least.” ([07:13])

• General Tone:
  • Sarcastic, irreverent, and filled with self-aware, internet-era humor.

Episode Flow & Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:29–02:31| DLSS 5 Announcement & Criticism | | 02:31–03:44| Windows 11 C: Drive Bug & Fix | | 03:44–04:48| ASRock DDR4/DDR5 Motherboard, RAM Shortage | | 06:19–09:20| Quick Bits (Apple, Xbox, Instagram, Niantic, PC) | | Post-Advert| Closing thoughts & conspiracy joke |

Conclusion

This episode delivers classic TechLinked: rapid, cheeky coverage of major tech stories, with hosts balancing genuine analysis with tongue-in-cheek jokes. DLSS 5 and Samsung’s Windows bug headline the news, but there’s plenty of fun in the rapid-fire “Quick Bits.” Whether you’re concerned about graphics, RAM shortages, or just want a laugh at Apple’s pricing, there’s something here for you.