Wolfca

Hi guys - I kickstarted an ITX case a few years back and it's about to be delivered. Currently I've got an EK Fluid Gaming loop in a 011 dynamic (includes a Vega 56) and had planned to use this new case as an excuse to build a new PC. Except graphics card prices. I still have the stock cooler (reference) for my Vega 56, and figured I'd reattach it and put it in the new case (only supports 2 slot, air cooled GPUs) while I wait for the market to stabilize - but I know I'll need new thermal pads. Anyone have any thermal pad recommendations? I see a bunch on Amazon but I'm not sure how to determine what size/quality I need. Thanks in advance!

Dunno if someone's given the psa here but I got a free Google stadia for having YouTube premium and decided to get Cyberpunk for it. It actually runs pretty well and looks great, esp considering you can't get a new card or console right now and stadia is cheap. I even think they're giving it out free (chromecast, controller, and 3mo of premium) of you buy cyberpunk. Latency is kind of a mess sometimes and I hate this controller but honestly it's mostly a good experience. Figured some of you guys might be better off with this route if you want the best looking cyberpunk experience

Clarify - I'm referring to it pushing air towards the backplate. "back" is relative, maybe "through" is a better word.

Hey guys, I'll be trying my hand on a SFF build later this year, and I've kickstarted the Thor Zone Mjolnir ITX case. That should line up nicely with the new gen of Nvidia GPUs/AMD CPUs, but I'm concerned about GPU cooling. Given that there's going to be GPU exhaust through the "back" of at least the FE cards, won't it be dangerous to leverage that in any ITX case with a seperate GPU chamber (or, similarly, any vertical GPU mount) that would essentially block the exhaust? I guess AIBs might have more traditional cooling solutions but the thermals have me REAL worried. Thanks for the thoughts!

Only just saw this - any chance of still of still being able to get into the party?

What color fluid should I use to cool my monitors? Will I get better contrast if I use opaque fluid?

So, red for GPU loop, blue for CPU loop, and Green for my RAM loop?

Hey guys, I have a custom loop with red coolant, because red coolant makes your PC run faster, but I see it run the same as my clear coolant did. Should I just swap it out for blue coolant so that my computer runs cooler? Thanks in advance for the help.

Not a hard stop on size, but at the least I know ~13" works well for me. Display matters little to me, and non-upgradable ram is fine if it already has 16Gb-I can't imagine needing more than that for the next few years for my use case. Given your first comment, I'm really leaning towards the thinkpad carbon I linked to. Any thoughts? It even comes with the Costco "I can always return it for basically any reason" guarantee.

Some options I've looked at XPS 13 9380 $1400 (This years model, but fewer nice to haves than below) https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/new-xps-13/spd/xps-13-9380-laptop/xnita3ws604h XPS 13 2018 $1200 (Crappy web cam but other nice-to-haves) https://www.costco.com/Dell-XPS-13-Touchscreen-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---4K-Ultra-HD.product.100403152.html XPS 15 2-1, $1779 https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/2-in-1-laptops/xps-15-2-in-1/spd/xps-15-9575-2-in-1-laptop/fncwlf405sv2 Thinkpad Carbon $1300 https://www.costco.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X1-Carbon-Business-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---1080p.product.100398789.html Surface Pro 6 $900(Only 8GB ram ) https://www.amazon.com/Surface-Pro-Touchscreen-Quad-Core-Accessories/dp/B07KXR6QWW/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=surface+16gb&qid=1557073162&s=electronics&sr=1-10 LG Grab $1400 https://www.amazon.com/LG-Gram-Thin-Light-Laptop/dp/B07NGHQFNQ/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=lg+gram+16gb&qid=1557073607&s=gateway&sr=8-6 Zenbook 14 $1250 https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ZenBook-Thin-Light-Laptop/dp/B0768M9KVY/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=zenbook%2B14%2B16gb&qid=1557073708&s=gateway&sr=8-9&th=1

Hi Fam, I have a 2016 Dell XPS 13 with a i5 5200U, 8GB of ram, and a 256GB NVME SSD. I love this machine. My laptop use case is mostly web browsing, Youtube, word processing, etc. Unfortunately, I loved this laptop a little too much and ended up hitting it hard with with my elbow while I was getting up, and now two of the internal standoffs are broken and the chassis is slowly disassembling. Not sure I can fault any laptop for breaking a little when it gets hit with 180lb of elbow force, but regardless I'm likely going to need anew machine soon. My gut says get a new XPS, but a lot has happened since then. Do I get the new XPS13 with the massively improved webcam? Do I get the 15" 2-1? Do I say screw it and get a Thinkpad Carbon? Maybe I branch out, and get a gram. Or a surface. Or a Zenbook. Just because I can afford a $2000 machine doesn't mean it's smart to buy one. I'd like to get your thoughts and recommendations. Some fairly firm requirements are: Build Quality. I want another laptop that will last me 3+ years and won't break as soon as it's out of warranty 8+ hour web browsing battery life. My XPS has spoiled me and I can never go back. 16GB of ram. I like me some chrome tabs and I can't really justify "not" upgrading the ram from where I am now. 256GB SSD (minimum). My 256Gb I have now will probably continue to suffice, but I can't see myself doing with any less Quad-core processor. See future-proof comment about the ram, and Intels recent U-series stuff seems quite good. I'm not opposed to their low power stuff either if it can hold its weight in my mentioned use cases. Minimalist form factor/aesthetics. I'm an adult darnit and I want to look like it. A keyboard/trackpad that doesn't suck. Super happy with the current XPS ones if you need a reference. Keyboard must be backlit Touch, >1080p display, and dedicated GPU are nice to haves but not required. Some kind of non-password authentication (fingerprint, windows hello, etc) would go a long way into not making me think I'm a caveman anymore. Not HP. I've had two HP machines and had supper crappy experiences with both of them. Mostly, I want to get your thoughts on what's a good high build quality laptop for light use, and what are your thoughts on picking a nontraditional form factor (2-1, surface, etc). Keep in mind I have a desktop for gaming, and a Macbook pro from work. Thanks! EDIT USB-C charging is also a nice to have so I can consolidate between work laptop, home laptop, and cell chargers when traveling. Also, holy crap 16GB of ram is expensive across the board.

Ah I forgot. womp.

<sarcasm> I was sold at "wire-free". You you think it would be worth it to get the "expert installation"? </sarcasm>

I 100% don't need a $800 phone, but the fomo is real o.0 Thanks for the recs, guys

Hey guys, I have a pixel 2 XL and love it except for: The screen is a little big for comfort in pockets I get interference from the phone when using wired headphones (I've tested this repeatedly) Although the battery typically lasts through the day, some things I do (using it as a tuner/metronome) kill it pretty fast from having the display on I use my phone for Calls and messaging and stuff Using Google calendar and outlook Banking Watching videos w/internal speakers Litening to music over wired headphones w/external DAC Tuner and metronome I've been quoted $150 on repairs from ubreakifix on a port replacement, which they diagnosed at the issue. I'm considering trading in my pixel 2xl for a pixel 3 (non xl). I'm interested in the higher display quality, wireless charging, improved battery life, the louder speakers, and slightly less tight pockets. With a trade in, and not having to spend money on the repair, do you think it would be worth the ~200-300 price differential? I'm not the biggest power user, I just get annoyed by the recurring little things.