Questions About LTX 2018? AMA.

[benwubbleyou]

On 2/27/2018 at 10:22 AM, CPotter said:

No worries! Picked up in person.

literally the only thing I want from LTX. I was gonna buy a shirt last year but y'all didn't have any in person so I didn't.

[CPotter]

7 minutes ago, benwubbleyou said:

literally the only thing I want from LTX. I was gonna buy a shirt last year but y'all didn't have any in person so I didn't.

Yeah that was stupid, I can confirm that this year there will be merch to purchase on-site.  

[benwubbleyou]

Just now, CPotter said:

Yeah that was stupid, I can confirm that this year there will be merch to purchase on-site.  

excellent! I will bring bags of money.

[JR88]

I do not know the Proceeds and Direction trying to go. I think it all feels old and more tiring and it aggravates me sometimes. But I mean if people can still use the stuff for something applicable and or have some fun, I do want to see that still and they might need some help you know. 

[wade805]

If I am planning on going to LTX, and staying in Vancouver for a few extra days what are some things I can do? What are some recommendations for an American to experience in Canada? Recommendations in general? Thanks!

[JustMATT]

1 hour ago, wade805 said:

If I am planning on going to LTX, and staying in Vancouver for a few extra days what are some things I can do? What are some recommendations for an American to experience in Canada? Recommendations in general? Thanks!

most of the tourism stuff is in downtown vancouver, traffic sucks there, if you like hiking theres a bunch of mountains if you wanna get in a car for a few hours, also stanley park is nice

[JustMATT]

My mom got my ticket for me and her on her phone, and it was locked to a "mobile ticket" option, can you explain how that works? also I got the Overclocked ticket, any details on when and where I get the extras? Thanks!

[b3ar]

19 hours ago, wade805 said:

If I am planning on going to LTX, and staying in Vancouver for a few extra days what are some things I can do? What are some recommendations for an American to experience in Canada? Recommendations in general? Thanks!

Depends on what you're into and how much cash you want to blow. I'll warn you, downtown Van is on a $ par with other major international cities like New York, London, Tokyo, etc. Outlying areas like Richmond (where the venue is) are less expensive to stay at.

 

If you're outdoorsy there's a veritable fuckton of places to go, and this is probably the cheapest option. If you're crunchy granola outdoorsy, I'd recommend taking a few days and hitting up some of the Gulf islands: Hornby, some of the most epic scenery you'll come across; Saltspring, larger and a ton of artists and decent camping; Gabriola, where the Malaspina Galleries are wave-cut sandstone formations that are pretty spectacular and were painted by the Nanaimo First Nations. Ferry-hopping can be cheap if you walk on.

 

If you're into the whole British Colonialism schtick, then my hometown of Victoria will scratch that itch.

 

Living the highlife of expensive restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs is downtown Van. Money will buy you a world-class adventure.

 

Decent surfing in Tofino, if you don't mind wearing 5mm neoprene. Amazing scuba in the Saanich inlet. Whale watching, fishing, museums, whatever man. Tons of stuff out here.

[xmx1024]

On 2/23/2018 at 6:15 PM, JDE said:

 

don't use ATMs here if you don't have a canadian bank account

 

 

not sure why youre saying this, all the ATMs I have used on vancouver have only charged me a $3 ATM fee with no other fee. if you dont use one in a dark alley and your bank/credit union here isnt garbage you'll be all good.

Spoiler

my credit union is BECU in seattle and on their debit mastercard there's no foreign transaction fees as well as some consumer protection things like travel insurance via mastercard etc.

 

[LienusLateTips]

8 minutes ago, xmx1024 said:

not sure why youre saying this, all the ATMs I have used on vancouver have only charged me a $3 ATM fee with no other fee. if you dont use one in a dark alley and your bank/credit union here isnt garbage you'll be all good.

  Reveal hidden contents

my credit union is BECU in seattle and on their debit mastercard there's no foreign transaction fees as well as some consumer protection things like travel insurance via mastercard etc.

 

Most people I know here find that $3 ATM fee to be a scam. They apply it even on Canadian bank accounts if you're from another bank.

[Drakeblade]

All the ATM's when I traveled there last year were fine, and if you're traveling from the US, thats pretty much what all banks charge. Yeah its a bit silly that they take 3$ a transaction. But I don't know anyone who travels to other countries that considers that a deal breaker for the convenience of having another countries currency.

[xmx1024]

On 4/2/2018 at 7:16 PM, JDE said:

Most people I know here find that $3 ATM fee to be a scam. They apply it even on Canadian bank accounts if you're from another bank.

if you are using an ATM that isn't in your bank's network, you'll probably be charged a transaction fee which is set by your bank. Sometimes the ATM owner will also put their own surcharge on there if its an ATM in a high volume area and they want to make money off of you.

A common network is Interac in Canada.

 

More info on ATM networks (Interbank/Financial networks)

 

[LienusLateTips]

2 minutes ago, xmx1024 said:

if you are using an ATM that isn't in your bank's network, you'll probably be charged a transaction fee which is set by your bank. Sometimes the ATM owner will also put their own surcharge on there if its an ATM in a high volume area and they want to make money off of you.

A common network is Interac in Canada.

 

More info on ATM networks (Interbank/Financial networks)

 

(I LIVE IN CANADA, SO I KNOW THIS STUFF)

(INTERAC IS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY SYSTEM)

[xmx1024]

On 4/2/2018 at 7:37 PM, Drakeblade said:

All the ATM's when I traveled there last year were fine, and if you're traveling from the US, thats pretty much what all banks charge. Yeah its a bit silly that they take 3$ a transaction. But I don't know anyone who travels to other countries that considers that a deal breaker for the convenience of having another countries currency.

I visit Victoria every ~3mo from Seattle.

Debit cards will work fine, same with credit cards. Some may assess a foreign transaction fee of 1-3% the transaction.

Debit MasterCard usually has to be processed as credit in Canada. The cashier will have to select "credit" or the transaction will fail. You'll also probably be required to sign your receipt. A way to avoid this is to use Apple pay/Samsung pay/Google pay as tap to pay is very widespread in Canada. For some reason they don't ask me for a signature on either my Visa debit or MasterCard debit when I use mobile wallet. 

 

Discover/American express is rarely accepted.

[LienusLateTips]

On 31/03/2018 at 9:24 AM, wade805 said:

If I am planning on going to LTX, and staying in Vancouver for a few extra days what are some things I can do? What are some recommendations for an American to experience in Canada? Recommendations in general? Thanks!

Only in Vancouver: hiking up on the north shore, stanley park i guess. Both easily accessible by public transit from LTX. If you have a accommodation planned I could give directions or good eats/stuff nearby

[LienusLateTips]

On 03/04/2018 at 10:37 AM, Drakeblade said:

All the ATM's when I traveled there last year were fine, and if you're traveling from the US, thats pretty much what all banks charge. Yeah its a bit silly that they take 3$ a transaction. But I don't know anyone who travels to other countries that considers that a deal breaker for the convenience of having another countries currency.

It's generally cheaper just to go to a currency exchange most of the time.

[xmx1024]

Just now, JDE said:

It's generally cheaper just to go to a currency exchange most of the time.

or to just use your debit/credit card like you would in the US.

[SirMonti]

On 2/23/2018 at 9:15 PM, JDE said:

don't use ATMs here if you don't have a canadian bank account

About ATMs: A note about money and avoiding fees for international travelers

(ik its a lot to read but it can save some serious $$$ and headaches)

Tl;dr : Using ATMs, debit, and credit cards can be: 1. verrrry expensive, 2. absolutely free, or 3. somewhere in between.  Do your research to find the cheapest option.  Don't let the bank fees cost more than the trip.  Younger people talk to your parents.

 

ATMs can be a great or terrible to get money abroad, depending on your account.  For a lot of people the bank will charge both a fixed foreign ATM usage fee (like $5 per use) and a foreign transaction fee for some percent of the transaction (generally 1%-3%) on top of the fee the ATM itself charges.  That can add up to be a lot of money really fast and for people with these accounts it can be a terrible way to get money.

GOOD NEWS: A bunch of banks (especially online banks and credit unions) have the perk of free ATM usage where they will refund any fees from the machine, and will even refund those fees internationally.  If they are refunding the normal ATM fee they also shouldn't charge their own international usage fee, but most will still charge the small foreign transaction fee. 

If you are lucky enough to have an account like this where you only have to pay, say 1% to use the atm, it could be MUCH cheaper than using a traditional currency conversion, and could be cheaper than the fees on a credit card as well.  Check the terms on your bank account to see what charges you will face at a machine or by using the card at a store. This should be available online in the details of your account or by calling and asking.

 

Credit cards are a similar story.  While you do not use a credit card at an atm, most cards will have the foreign transaction fee for anything you buy.  Many premium and travel cards have no foreign fee at all, so if you have one, bring it.  For most of you who probably don't have a credit card, talk with you parents about all of this.  They can help you out and may know what the best option for you.

 

It all depends, personal example: the last time I went to Canada the cash exchange fee was huge, my credit card had a 3% fee in store, my debit had a 3% fee in store, but only 1% at ATMs and refunds all other associated fees. So my best option was to pay for everything with Canadian dollars I got from an ATM after I got to the country.  My best friend would have been charged $8 plus 3% every time she used an ATM with her card.

[Wyrmthalak]

I plan on bringing my i5-4690k to the event to delid it.
Do I need to bring conformal coating, liquid metal or anything else?

 

Can't wait for LTX!

[JustMATT]

On 3/30/2018 at 7:56 PM, JustMATT said:

My mom got my ticket for me and her on her phone, and it was locked to a "mobile ticket" option, can you explain how that works? also I got the Overclocked ticket, any details on when and where I get the extras? Thanks!

Is anyone able to answer my question here? Its been a while.....

[Canada EH]

On 3/26/2018 at 3:04 PM, benwubbleyou said:

excellent! I will bring bags of money.

Which motel hotel you staying at?

 

 

Get a "helping hand" from a couple winners from the corner of Wastings and Pain

 

[CPotter]

17 hours ago, JustMATT said:

Is anyone able to answer my question here? Its been a while.....

Sorry! Not sure how I missed this one.

 

Mobile ticket just means we can scan your ticket through your cell phone. All goodies for the Overclocked ticket will be given to you at the door, and the additional floatplane membership will be activated the day of the event as well. No specific details on designs as of yet, but everything is coming soon.  

[CPotter]

18 hours ago, Wyrmthalak said:

I plan on bringing my i5-4690k to the event to delid it.
Do I need to bring conformal coating, liquid metal or anything else?

 

Can't wait for LTX!

I want to say no but let me get back to you on that, follow up if I don't answer within the next few weeks. We've got the initial booth list planned and are now in the process of figuring out specifics and adding more booths as we go.

[JustMATT]

On 4/13/2018 at 9:57 AM, CPotter said:

Sorry! Not sure how I missed this one.

 

Mobile ticket just means we can scan your ticket through your cell phone. All goodies for the Overclocked ticket will be given to you at the door, and the additional floatplane membership will be activated the day of the event as well. No specific details on designs as of yet, but everything is coming soon.  

sweet, thanks for the info, cant wait!

[PCPartListsYT]

For CPU Shuffleboard, are the processors going to be 8700k's from amazon or Pentium 4's from Free Geek? Also, can we bid on the Corsair Concept Slate? Because Corsair says they aren't selling it.