PatrikStar24

Bump.

Specs: - CPU: Ryzen 7 3800x - Motherboard: MSI B550M MAG Mortar - RAM: G.Skill 32 GB (2x16) DDR4 3200 MHz 14-14-14-34 - GPU: EVGA 2060 KO Ultra - PSU: EVGA G2 550W Problem: This has been happening for the last several weeks, and I am at my wits end. Every time I do a cold boot, the video signal comes up on screen and hangs with the VGA debug LED on the motherboard remaining lit. When I do a full power cycle afterward in relatively quick succession, it boots as normal. Steps tried: I have replaced the CMOS battery, reseated the GPU, reseated ALL the power cables on both ends (EVGA G2 is fully modular), reseated the RAM, and updated my BIOS to the latest version. Additional information: 12V rail at idle is about 12.28V (12.24V-12.26V at full benchmark load), which seems just a bit high even if it is technically within spec. The PSU is also old enough to be outside the 7 year warranty that came with it. Also, if it is determined that a part has to be replaced, I'm SOL, because I'm broke. Final thoughts: It could be the PSU or the GPU or the motherboard, I really don't know at this point.

I'm surprised nobody is talking about this little but equally important detail. (Bolded for emphasis) Market share graph in the spoiler: This is bad news for everyone. Nvidia is bordering on Microsoft levels of market share (i.e. monopoly levels), and the consequences of Radeon Technology Group being unable to get their S%#@ together for years on end have finally caught up with them (for too many reasons to get into here). On topic: I'm content with running my 2060 KO into the ground, as the games I play aren't all that demanding in the first place, and the most demanding game I do have is 5-7 years old, or along those lines. I suspect (but could be wrong) that I will still be fine as I upgrade to 4K in the near future. If not, integer scaling is my friend.

Chiptunes; the tunes I listen to are typically composed on 8-bit machines such as the NES and Commodore 64, so the resulting sound almost all bass and treble w/ basically no mids. Sometimes I'll listen to tunes that used FM Synthesis (ie Sega Genesis/MegaDrive) which is more rounded out toward the lower mids (depending on the game). On the other hand... Heavy Metal; I typically stay within 5 genres and subgenres of Heavy Metal. Those being Thrash Metal (early Metallica, Slayer, et al), NWOBHM (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, et al), Doom Metal (Black Sabbath and the many bands inspired by them such as Pentagram, Candlemass, and more), Funeral Doom (basically Doom Metal mixed with Death Metal growls), and any metal genre that can implement operatic vocals into the mix (ie Epic Doom Metal). Without going into great detail as to what the average sound of the above genres/bands sound like, I want it to be as versatile as possible given my budget. As big of a soundstage as one can get with closed-back headphones. Open-back headphones are not an option between noisy siblings and fans running 24/7 to keep me cool in the heat.

I'm coming from Status Audio CB-1 closed back headphones, and they recently broke (right speaker hanging by a wire, technically still works as of this writing). One of the main things I liked about it, and what helped it to last so long (just over 2 years), is that you could detach the cable from the headphones if you wanted to transport them outside your home. Any recommendations?

What was the verdict for the EVGA B3 to eventually land it in Tier 4? I don't want to go through 100+ pages (page 135 or so, onward, when the initial bait and switch controversy happened).

Can I have a dumbed down TL;DR so I can explain the upcoming situation to my tech illiterate family?

Ask and ye shall recieve: OpenRA, an open source client capable of running the original C&C (aka Tiberian Dawn), Red Alert, and Dune 2000. TF2 falls under my criteria of games with Free-to-Play mechanics. In TF2's case, it is not much (hats), but it is there.

DISCLAIMER: First, I want to apologize for the admittedly clickbait title, I couldn't think of anything better given the topic. Second, the following games and links do not involve Free-to-Play mechanics, piracy, or grey market sites. Third, I am not associated with any of the following developers or (if applicable) publishers. My reasoning for this post is because I am sick (almost literally) of what AAA gaming has become, and it is too much of a hassle to sift through the indie games market. As such, my logic is this: The only way to go is back. 1. First on my list is the original DOOM released back in 1993-94. You would be hard pressed to set up a multiplayer match by itself, but with Zandronum (https://zandronum.com), you would be able to play not just in its original form, but heavily modded as well, on servers from all parts of the globe. 2. Halo: Combat Evolved on PC. This listing pertains more to its modded variant, Halo: Custom Edition. It amazes me how large the population of this game is to this day, typically peaking around 1000 players a day. Between the numerous custom maps (which sometimes include custom vehicles and weapons) and general versatility (when used with HAC2, enables automatic map downloads, FOV adjustment, and more), it makes for a great game to go for. If you just want to play the campaign, the 1.10 patch removed the CD-check and enabled support for 4K resolutions. The main drawback is that you will have to somehow obtain a physical copy of the game and (for certain members) you will have to dig up your optical drive again . 3. Renegade X This is a fan remake of the multiplayer portion of Command & Conquer: Renegade. Unfortunately, it has been suffering from a low population as of recently, with only 1 server being populated at a given time. Here is hoping this thread gives it the boost it needs. 4. Recently revived fan project Mechwarrior: Living Legends After being shut down by what was presumably a C&D by IGP (then publisher of Mechwarrior Online), it has been brought back from the dead, and is better than ever, with new features and fixes. For those who want their Mecha fix and don't want to give IGP (or Piranha Games) any time of day. 5. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005) No, not the EA crap version, the real deal . As of a couple weeks ago, it received an update allowing it to play multiplayer online again (since Gamespy shut down). 6. Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance Forever Just as a note, you will require a copy of SupCom:FA in order to use this community maintained version. For those of you familiar with Total Annihilation (which I equally recommend w/ the Total Mayhem mod btw), it is a Real Time Strategy which involves massive armies (upwards of 500 units per player, 8 players max) and the chaos that comes with such large battles. Honorable mentions of games I was unsure where to put on this list include: Age of Empires 2 (any version), Insurgency, Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance (via Game Ranger, joystick or controller required or it simply won't start), and Heroes of Might and Magic III: Complete (found on GOG, played online via Game Ranger, best played with the HoMM 3 HD mod). I await your feedback, and I hope to see you in one of these games.

Linus Trollface!!!

My brother is requiring more power to drive his new headphones (Status Audio OB-1), which is quite high in its requirements (1,600 mW @ 54 Ohms). As a result, the onboard audio on the motherboard isn't sufficient anymore. I’m looking for a solution capable of driving these headphones, averaging $100 USD, the highest I'll go is $120 USD. If you want me to spend more, you will need to do some convincing.

You would be able to run it just fine, as long as you have at least 2 GB of RAM. You would be able to run with less to an extent, but it wouldn't run as smooth.

I will try that when the fans arrive. In the mean time, his computer will remain off since I don't trust the default airflow configuration (2 x 120mm exhaust, 1 top, 1 rear).

I built one of my brothers his own computer today, and he intends to get case fans to put in the front panel within the next few days. The problem is... I can't get the thing off to save my life. It is a NZXT Source 530. Instead of flexible clips that snap to an inner edge in the case (a la OEM cases), there are these knobs of some sort (pictured below). Now, according to the manual, I'm supposed to remove both side panels, then (somehow) lift the front panel from the bottom. Does it just come out with some force? I should also mention that my other brother's case (Rosewill Armor EVO) faces the same situation, so if this gets solved, I end up killing 2 birds with 1 stone. WARNING: LARGE IMAGES PS My cable management sucks

There's promoting it, and then there's shoving it down people's throats. This is a list of the KBs (so far) that involve Windows 10 upgrade and/or its backported telemetry. Source: https://github.com/th3power/aegis-voat Many of these KBs try to hide themselves as "Important" or "Recommended" updates.

Or even worse, their computer doesn't support it. I've been continuing to update, and periodically removing any Windows 10 BS using this: https://github.com/th3power/aegis-voat Uninstalls any (known) Windows 10 Upgrade KBs, Telemetry KBs, and more. Whatever isn't hidden by this, I check each one and hide it myself.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042155/microsoft-windows/windows-patch-kb-3139929-when-a-security-update-is-not-a-security-update.html#comments Disclaimer: I have no association with infoworld.com or any of its authors, I am spreading this around because I feel like it. This latest wave of insanity makes want to switch to linux, if only the games I play supported it. From KB 3139929's description: Emphasis mine. These so called "nonsecurity-related fixes" are basically stealthy attempts to get more people on Windows 10. I don't use IE, but I know many people that STILL do, including a family member who clings to it like it's the last Vinyl LP on Earth. Despite the clickbait, the author couldn't trigger the banner ad himself, and wants people who can manage to verify these claims to email him screenshots. For obvious reasons, you will have to dig for the email address yourself. As for my opinion. Regardless if this is true or not, I find it ridiculous that Microsoft is showing higher and higher levels of what seems like desperation to get as many people on Windows 10 as humanly possible.

There is a workaround that fixes this

Rate the build in my sig.

Without any monitoring software, just eyeing it, I averaged in the 30s with occasional jumps into the 50s and occasional drops into the 20s.

It just finished downloading and I got into the video options, it defaulted to the "Ultra" preset. Menu is running about 50-55 FPS, I'm assuming it will run much harder once I'm in the game.

I got Arma 3 on sale, but I've heard that it can bring even the best of builds to a crawl. Given my specs, how high do you think I can run it without dropping below 30 FPS? CPU: Intel Core i7-2600 (OCed to 3.8 via "Limited Unlock")\ GPU: PNY XLR8 GTX 970 @ Stock (but can OC to 1416 MHz on the core w/o problem, which is my Folding OC. As such, it could probably go higher.) RAM: 16 GB (2x8) G.Skill TridentX 2133 MHz CL9 (OCed RAM helps with minimum framerates as opposed to max frames)