LooneyJuice

So back to my previous point, to determine whether or not this is just bad luck when it comes to both these games. Have you tried any other games or synthetic benchmarks to verify the cards are indeed scaling? An issue with say, Heaven not scaling would signify an issue with either a specific driver release, one of the cards, or the SLI bridge.

Well, Witcher 3 can be demanding as all hell depending on the area, so I'm not really surprised. I'd expect it to give any system a workout even at 1080-1440p. FO4 on the other hand I think still likes doing its own thing. Have you verified with any other games? Have you verified proper scaling in a synthetic benchmark? If for some reason you think you may be experiencing driver issues, use DDU to nuke your drivers and start over. Also, this is a very dumb thing, but SLI = Fullscreen only. If you're doing borderless, forget it. There may be a couple of applications that do nowadays, but the overwhelming majority only function properly in SLI when in Dedicated Fullscreen. Just something to check. Additionally, it's always a good idea to have something like MSI Afterburner handy to monitor concurrent GPU usage when you're playing something. It always helps to troubleshoot issues like these.

Doesn't seem to be so. I mean, there are lots of Extreme Overclockers who grab old mining cards since they don't plan on having them live for very long, but somehow, a lot of them keep on chugging. That being said, determining exact lifespans is very flaky business, and full of uncertainty, inadequate sample sizes and testing to be able to draw a concrete conclusion. Most people are going off the fact that these operations haven't - to my knowledge - resulted in a massive cascade of dying components. Unless we're talking something like busted fans, which is still, AFAIK, the no.1 Graphics Card malfunction. But, if say you're pressed for cash, and you find a good bargain on a used card, even if it's a mining card, I wouldn't shy away from it. Hell, if the guy even tells you its a mining card, I'd be even more willing to buy it. So many ads abound where people go out of their way to say "only used for gaming". Like "What else could it have been used for...? "

Well sometimes there's this paranoia on account of people buying up GPUs and sticking them in confined spaces with lackluster airflow or temperature control. Working full blast 24/7 in those conditions would tax everything. Fan motors, VRM, core, memory, you name it. But honestly, if it's kept reasonably cool (and assuming the user hasn't tampered with it by way of VBIOS modding and such), it still operates within its rated specifications, and won't really come to any harm the way I see it. The only issue other than temps I see is the fact that most PC components nowadays go through load cycles, resulting in a lot of time spent idling. This means that voltage and frequency drop, measures which save a heck of a lot of lifespan and heat, resulting in less current going through the card (a good thing). Add to that 0 RPM fan modes and the like, and you have minimal stresses on a component which greatly improve its longevity. Now, talk about longevity aside, the truth of the matter is, a lot of modern PC components are way, way, way more durable than we give them credit for. Users around here (including myself) are running overclocked CPUs/GPUs/Memory for years and years on end. And some, for some reason, even elect to kill all the power saving features and run full voltage/frequency even at idle. So I think the bottom line is, at worst, you'll shave a little bit of lifespan off the card due to it running max voltage/frequency 24/7 (assuming it wasn't overheating), but like overclocking, it'll probably be obsolete by the time it matters.

I wanna say I see doublers in the screenshots? But I'm not 100% sure. At any rate, it's no slouch for power delivery. I've handled a few different implementations of GM204s and I'm inclined to believe this was one of the more well-behaved when close to the limit of the core. Alternatively, if you really want a temp horror story, check out the Maxwell Strix stuff. It's the stuff your parents wouldn't let you watch 'cause you wouldn't be able to fall asleep after. (it worked sure, but it wasn't pretty)

In that case, if it's worth the extra time you'll save (for productivity), and the extra cores, and the relative pricing, I'd say why not? Otherwise you're looking at a new platform which will cost you way, way, way more than that if you decide to buy something decent and not a cheapo ITX board and an R5. Ivy Bridge E was actually pretty good too, so there's some OC headroom.

This is FLIR from Guru3D if you want to cross-check http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_980_gaming_oc_review,9.html The thing I will give it is the PCB design. It's also a 10-phase VRM. It really isn't the worst card in the world, it just suffers a little bit when it has to actually cool itself proper.

Just for reference, that +87mv on the slider is bogus on every single Maxwell card bar maybe the lightnings and the kingpins. You only get the typical ~1.250v tops for GM204. Additionally, mine both have the VRM fan running almost constantly when under any kind of load, so it shouldn't be an issue unless yours aren't spinning at all. I don't know if this issue is a vBios revision or what. Admittedly, It's not the best when it comes to cooling, they were definitely geared more towards noise. The experiences I've had with the Maxwell GB Windforce coolers were far better when it came to actual temps. Also, if you really want more voltage, it's vBios mod or bust. Maxwell isn't pascal when it comes to nannying, but that's when they started clamping down.

You are going from 4 to 6 and one gen up, but I still think it may be a tad steep if that 4930k is used.

Whatever you decide to do, do not kill speedstep and C states, unless you're benching on LN2 or something. I would also suggest not going apeshit with the voltage, that being said, I'm pretty sure that the worst thing you can do besides being generous with voltage is run constant voltage/frequency all day long. It makes a massive difference to power consumption, average voltage and temps to just let the power saving features be. Constant voltage kills.

Just take the money. Buying gift cards is like changing universally accepted currency into fairy dust. It could very well be that. Just take the money, and if you want the best of both worlds, splurge on something with the 50-70 bucks and save the rest in a "Pending Splurge" bucket.

And so it begins. Yet again.

Oh I totally understand. No one I think ever said it was faulty, especially within the envelope a lot of users would stick to (non delidded chip, within standard current spec etc). But if it's really something which concerns extreme overclockers, on an extreme overclocking board, then that's a bit of a miss on ASUS' part I guess. That being said, Roman went out of his way to eliminate safeguards and draw as much current as he could, among other things. It really is as much a first world problem as first world problems can be, but for the time being, I don't see a massive issue seeing that it was a relatively minor change on a board which will also be asked to accommodate 12+ core parts coming out later (which judging by what we have already, may tax the board proper). Like I said, granted, it was a typical internet knee-jerk reaction, but if it produces an objectively better product in the meantime, I won't say no.

This is basically what it boils down to IMO. There was a distinction made when it came to the product tier and the marketing. And it's all fine and dandy that safeguards are in place and the board's throttling so it doesn't kill itself when overclocking as far as you can go. And it's fine that VRM components are rated up to these crazy temps. But what about users with more moderate overclocks, going through way wider heat cycles in general over time? It probably won't, but people could argue that it could cause a longevity concern even for those who aren't going to run a 5GHz delidded chip on a custom loop. The point is, it's a silly thing, it's machining a few extra fins on a pretty expensive board. They added a better heatsink, and excessive outrage at least contributed to making a product better. I can't honestly see that as a bad thing. Sure, you could take issue with the fact that they didn't stick to their guns and gave in to PR, but why not, in this case? People weren't arguing over an RGB header. Edit: Retracted that bit as I think it came out of my posterior somewhat.

Therein lies a distinction and the reason I think a lot of people took umbrage with this malarkey. It wasn't any manufacturer, product tier or random component. It's, I think, very succinctly, a motherboard, in this case by ASUS, marketed as an enthusiast-grade board for overclocking. If we're talking about a bargain bin B350 B250 motherboard, no I wouldn't expect it to run anything past rated specs. We're not though. Not to mention that even if this was somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction, it did help to make a decent product, even better, rather than go unchecked. So, I can't really blame people for dropping a hot load on it, even if, in some cases, the reaction was a bit disproportional. EDIT: Apologies, my finger slipped, I meant B250.

Not quite sure which one of the 3 posts to quote, but I'll pick this one. By hardware mods, I meant stuff like soldering additional components to a VRM and such. Just for clarity. Also, there's I think a bit of a problem when it comes to the argument that they aren't obligated to accommodate every eventuality, seeing as a lot of these guys (Der8auer included) get invited to pre-launch gatherings and crank the absolute shiz out of the boards. I mean, before these boards were even out, Roman was lathering them with vaseline and sticking LN2 pots on them. They do know what they're supposed to be put through, it's just that for some reason, they elected to knock the overall quality down a notch by not machining fins into their already existing heatsink block design. It's just a silly thing is the point. They had fins, why not now? It's just an overall better thing for the product. The bottom line is always what matters in the end, but we're not talking budget boards.

Hmmm, I haven't heard anything to that extent. I sure wish it's true. I'd kill for some more modded spaceflight-oriented content. Also, yeah, if you do eventually one day get to design your own little game, there's plenty of moddable successful indie projects out there. First one which comes to mind is The Binding of Isaac. Modding really can't hurt if you're open about it and you're not being a penis.

Well, the way I see it is that an ideal situation is a middle ground between something like Bethesda and CD Projekt to put it extremely broadly. That is, to have a very open policy regarding modding your game (which involves an SDK, some rudimentary tools and free reign), but also be able to produce a complete and functional experience without the mods (I'm looking at you Bethesda...). It is a matter of fact, a rich modding ecosystem drives sales, whether you augment it with official DLC or not. So, the only reasons why Devs or Publishers wouldn't want mods, or wouldn't endorse mods are: 1. Inability to supply guidelines or tools to decompile/compile game files (due to time constraints or company policy) 2. Fervent protection of intellectual property or code for no reason other than "Muh IP" 3. Maintaining strict control over content in order to drip-feed paid content in the future according to a Publisher's or Developer's pre-described timeline/milestones. It's sad considering that a lot of developers could have their cake and eat it. But for a multitude of reasons decide not to, and mostly due to antiquated business practices regarding control of property or stockholder pandering. Again, this is strictly what I've gathered, not the rule of law.

Well, I have no issue with DLC as a whole. The way I see it, DLC mainly has bad connotations on account of the metaphorical and literal "horse armor". When DLC is minor cosmetic trinkets or major slabs of gameplay cut from the final product, it drives me nuts, indeed. But when DLC is just a more modern name for something like an Expansion Pack, I'm all for it. It's Developer-grade content, it extends a game I really enjoy, and if it's reasonably priced, even better. I am a bit biased as to the game, but an example of this is Witcher 3 with Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Not to mention all the stupid amounts of free DLC that came before that. Stuff like added quests, armor, alternate appearances. You give some, you get some, it's how it goes. It's a symbiotic relationship between developers and consumers the way I see it. But golden AKs and animal print knives can suck it.

Yeah EA has copped enough shit to the point where they're treading very lightly. They will eventually make a mistake again out of complacency, I'm almost 100% sure. But hopefully, outraged social media hordes will react violently enough again to keep them in check. It's the ebb and flow of Publishers prodding consumer cash cows, seeing how far they can go until the eventual outrage and apology. Rinse and repeat. It's I guess a weird form of consumer protection, but it works.

Well, I mean, I don't like being the guy who says "bah, games aren't what they used to be". I mean, sure, there were lots of great games released in the early/mid 2000s, lots of great games. On the other hand, the technical ability of a lot of dev teams has gone up to the point where it's really hard to bring something that groundbreaking to the table (coupled with corporate policy, sure). But when it comes to Star Wars specifically, yeah, I have to agree, I do feel that it has simply turned into a skin to clothe all of the cookie-cutter modern mechanics in the arsenal. Battlefront 2 is going to have a proper singleplayer campaign at least, so yes, I'm anxiously waiting for it. MP is cool and all, but MP isn't everything. And MP only lasts as long as you can take the same choke points, the same killing zones, the same plays and the same mechanics ad infinitum.

Yep, that's the one. I sure hope it makes it through. Also, if you just want to make a bit of a repository page for SW games, you can just list them as "Other SW" games. There's RC, X-Wing(+Special Edition), TIE Fighter (+ Special Edition), XW vs TF, X-Wing Alliance, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast, KOTOR I / II, and that's pretty much all I can think of off the top of my head when it comes to the ones that mattered.

I remember that too, and I seem to recall Disney giving it a tentative "okay" on legal grounds for now.

Sorry, I'm an idiot. My brain just quit there. Yes, Republic Commando, derp...

Nah, SWG is dead and burried. It was a very interesting MMO in its hayday. It was something like a mix between KOTOR and Freelancer. But it you find a good offer on IC, it might be worth your time. It's a pretty typical shooter, but they do a pretty good job with the story and the squad interaction as well.