Thread for Linus Tech Tips Video Suggestions

[Klips_USA]

I think a great video could be made taking an old school gamer (me) that started with pong, Atari 2600, etc. back in the 1970’s and help bring him up to speed with 2020 gamer PC builds.  My latest PC gaming hardware dates back to more than 10 years ago.  Honestly, there are just too many products to choose from these days.  I’m am seriously overwhelmed in trying to make a PC build.  I need it all and have a moodiest budget.  Just have more questions than answers on every component.  Too many to list here...

 

So, think of the different approaches you could have with a guy that has been gaming since the 70’s...  could be a lot of fun and help this old guy out...  

[Klips_USA]

I’d like to see a short video that explains sizing needs of AIO’s.  With the 3 basic sizes for example, how do I determine if I need a 120, 240, or 360 size cooler???  People keep telling me that I need a AIO, but air cooling sure seems to be a safer build.  How often do these things fail?

[MAKerr]

I’d love to see a video where Alex and Linus build a PC from scratch. Any parts that can be machined (case, water block, IO shield, and maybe even case fans) should be made instead of purchased. Obviously the MB, RAM, PSU, CPU, et cetra. would be purchased. Get that nice new workshop some more use and air time!  

[kepstein]

I'd like to see a video reviewing VR Headsets only for viewing media.  I think a lot of us are not interested in VR Headsets for gaming, but like the idea of having a virtual big screen to watch movies and other video using streaming media platforms (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, CBS All Access, Plex, HBO Go, etc.).  Review criteria as simple as image quality, audio quality, platform integration, comfort, battery life, wear, maintenance, ease of use, and the like would be really useful.

[dytch2220]

Dear Linus & Co.,

 

I heard Der8auer in a recent video say he's working on a 3M Novec system where the fluid is being used primarily to isolate the CPU block which is attached to a chiller from exposure to air preventing condensation. I'm curious if mineral oil would so the same thing since it's hydrophobic. This could be a fun thing to do with the mineral oil PC and might let you chill on full blast without paper towels for worry of water droplets.  Although, I'm not sure the current case would work as the lines would likely need to be plumbed in below the oil line to avoid condensed water dripping down coolant hoses that are in open air. Hopefully this has piqued your curiosity as much as mine.

Your Truly,

-Nate from 'Murica

[Russell Garrard]

You've done cell phones in the past... Linus also has a reputation for dropping things... LET'S COMBINE THEM!

 

Grab both of them, review the whole entire premise of these phones and then compare them both.

 

https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-blackview-bv9900

 

and

 

https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-doogee-s95-pro

 

Purchase:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000503839825.html

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000206637770.html

 

I personally use them (not this exact model) but think they are incredible. These are the top of the line ones with a price to match but the features...

[Elektra57]

Taran - can you do a Linus dropping things compilation video?

[PianoPlayer88Key]

I posted this in another thread where someone had posted a GPU-Z screenshot of a couple PCI video cards, and thought I'd also mention it here.

 

Basically, Über CPU vs Scheiße GPU or vice versa - worse bottlenecks?

 

Reference would be Titan RTX with 9900KS or similar.

System 2 would be mid 1990s PCI card with 9900KS, system 3 is Titan RTX on Socket 478 or 754.

 

More details at this linked post.

[SpikeSpiegel]

Do a video about the fastest PCI Video Cards. Not PCIe I mean the standard PCI video cards.

 

Like this guy did.

 

 

[songwriter123]

Hey Linus,

could you guys make a video comparing an eGPU used with IceLake TB compared to one plugged to a KabyLake CPU?
Since Ice Lake has TB integrated, I was wondering how much of a difference in performance or lag this actually is.

Thank you and Best Regards, Timo

[LikeableArtist]

The greatest scam of the decade, printer ink!

 

I'm very surprised you guys haven't talked about probably the biggest scam that has lasted the entire decade! INKJET PRINTERS! This channel has never done anything with inkjet printers(excluding tech quickie 4 years ago) even though it is something everyone needs, there is nothing on YouTube or tech sites that shows real world results for inkjet. So what I would like to see is a video seeing if the scam that is the razer blades of the electronic industry, has change at all in the last 10 years, and if there has been any innovation at all in offering customers a better experience both in quality and price. In tired of paying $200 for just color ink for my HP printer and only having it last less than 150 photo prints because it uses half the cartage for cleaning and calabration!

 

This has been a huge frustration for me lately, not only because it's expensive, but it's extremely wasteful. And when it's cheaper to just buy a new printer rather than the ink cartage, something is wrong.

[Kilrah]

Epson ecoTank and equivalents.

[Opium_Dreaming]

On 4/13/2015 at 8:32 AM, CGM Studios said:

i am not sure if there is a place to send in video ideas to the guys but if not, here we go!

Awesome that this exists - here it is. A "how many cores for gaming" type video but for smartphones where they take an octa core and disable cores to simulate a 1,2, 4, 6, and 8 core device and how the performance trade off with battery is, and multitasking etc. I think they will conclude like in PC, 4-6 high clocked cores is better than 8 lower clocked even for multitasking in a well optimised system and if PC GAMES can't make good use of 8 cores in many cases or can't fully utilise them, then certainly smartphones can't. I know Big.Little (two fast cores and 2 medium and two slow aka two "big" cores and two "little" cores), so only ~2 of the cores are intended for high performance/gaming stuff... but think of all the background crap and unoptimised apps that are just dyeing to hog some of that sweet, available 2 Ghz 6 core sweetness, and especially when your phone gets older, it's gonna end up giving advanced apps one or two cores each and draining the battery. I wish there would be just one Samsung flagship (I'm a Samsung fanboy despite the software update situation), well anyway they could have 2-4 high quality cores and one VERY low clocked core that runs all background at like 800 Mhz or something which is plenty to do notifications and even wait for a call or connect to WiFi, but that is only really used with screen off and can run at full speed for 24hrs+ without draining the battery. Could even have a separate 100 Mhz super little core purely to run an always on display, and that way when your phone is locked but always on it could have legitimately "locked" battery drain with no apps running other than notifications (and it wouldn't matter if they tried because the processor would prioritise and reduce their total CPU time allotment to run everything else smoothly. Another cool idea is non-root manual disabling of cores or a more advanced task manager like windows to set core affinities, maybe battery saving mode has an advanced option to manually disable up to 7/8 cores for ultra low power mode, and instead of giving full aspects, it can just use the clock speed to say low power, medium, and fast. So optimised mode disabled one fast core when the battery starts to go down, and medium power savings maybe has the option to disable one of each medium and fast, then ultra power has just 1-4 of the lowest power cores running. I know it's not trivial to do, but very low power savings mode where the launcher is changed and screen in black and white requires an almost reboot anyway so it can be an optional reboot.

 

I haven't tested it myself and there are other variables, but I imagine if you had a pixel 3a and pixel 3 with literally identical specs used for the exact same thing, except 3a has the fewer cores and lower power processor, there would be no perceivable speed or gaming FPS difference in a blind test, but the 3a would last longer.

 

Off topic:

That and the headphone jack made the 3a runner up to Note 9 for me last year, I sided with the much worse (in terms of battery and software-hardware optimisation) for the better features. Even with a 3500 mAh battery I wish I could have both worlds, I "*only*" get 5 hrs screen on time which i guess is typical but I wish I didn't feel like every single app in mining BTC in the background on android - and it kinda is in the sense that it's tracking your very move and doing a lot with advertising and notifications behind the scenes. Really hope Google continues to un-fuck the mess of betrayed permission settings like apps that refuse to run without all permissions, and that need to read "files, media, and photos" on your device just to be able to read/write to disk. Is it really that hard to have a separate access read only to gallery for instagram and for every app just a closed system single folder in the apps section of the drive to read/write all data as an obvious standard permissions, and only very few apps should have TOTAL ACESS to every single file on my device. probably a slightly NSA tactic here, but of course most companies sell you as the product via advertising profile (and yes, even apple to some third party devs and services but I suppose they're better).

 

Back on topic (somewhat):

So long rant but yeah android is basically in a position to have the lowest possible processor power, just like an ultrabook has a 5-10W core m chip and thus runs quiet and cool, often fan-less, and can still 100% pull it's weight in productivity and multitasking especially a 4-6 core. Also I want maximum GPU power on the SoC no matter what because GPU is active only when needed and always benefits gaming much more than CPU, so if we can have a gaming phone that also has power savings via less cores, that would be great. Just like a balanced gaming and productivity desktop could still have a decently clocked 4-6 core paired with an RTX 2080 and still be optimal for games, the logic should follow since the rendering principles of CPU vs GPU don't change just because it's ARM, although power characteristics obviously do.

 

 

 

 

 

TL;DR - "how many cores for gaming" type video but for smatphones where they take an octa core and disable cores to simulate a 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 core device and examine how the performance reduction (if any?) and multitasking impairment compares with the potentially massive battery life improvement.

[strajk-]

I would really appreciate a video about Low Latency Earbuds.

Been shopping lately for one, and god damn is the market flooded with Earbuds claiming to be Low Latency yet they're not.

 

There are a couple APTX-LL capable earbuds in the market, but not many, some of them even being unreasonably expensive...Sennheiser is selling one for over $200!

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/truewireless-details

 

Has been a pain finding anything decent that supports that codec, just want something comfy to use for watching media on the couch with almost no noticeable latency and only APTX-LL can deliver that.

Many even claim to be Low Latency, which is false, at most they just have lower latency than whatever other product with high latency...

Many are even just the first generation of APTX, not even APTX HD which is lower latency (but still noticeable).

 

My Sony WH-1000XM3 are APTX HD, the latency is incredibly low on it in comparison to other Bluetooth products, but still noticeable, mostly on stuff that requires your focus to be noticed like Lip-flaps. But aside from that APTX HD is pretty damn good for media consumption, doesn't come even near to APTX-LL though.

 

Would be cool to have an extensive LTT video about earbuds or even Bluetooth Codecs in general, I was pretty critical about the last BT Headphone video because only Noise Canceling and Comfort were addressed, yet at least IMO the most important feature is the codec, aka, audio quality and latency.

 

For this review you will need a device that supports transmitting APTX, APTX HD or APTX LL, for my personal rig I for example use the following product to transmit sound over Bluetooth:

https://avantree.com/oasis-bluetooth-transmitter-receiver

 

The practicality of doing this instead of buying WiFi headphones (if you don't care about the mic), is being able to buy whatever headphones you want, and you can take them with you for traveling to pair with whatever other device you want, meanwhile with WiFi headphones you're forced to take a dongle with you which only works on certain devices.

[DanTooker]

Hi, 

I have no idea if this is how I suggest a video idea but....

 

Idea #1:

Vacuum seal a laptop, drop it in ice water, see how it performs.

 

Idea #2:

If you completely dehumidify a case, then get it to sub zero, will it still condense water? 

 

These are the questions that haunt me, please solve them. 

 

Kind Regards, 

Dan 

[StruanCaughey]

Do a pc build where every component costs the same(ish) amount (say $100) and see how it performs (inc. cast, mobo, cpu + accessories and monitor). Be a good laugh and probably low effort as I imagine you'll have most of the stuff already. Plus could talk about getting stuff second hand.

[Russell Garrard]

On 1/19/2020 at 2:13 AM, LikeableArtist said:

The greatest scam of the decade, printer ink!

 

I'm very surprised you guys haven't talked about probably the biggest scam that has lasted the entire decade! INKJET PRINTERS! This channel has never done anything with inkjet printers(excluding tech quickie 4 years ago) even though it is something everyone needs, there is nothing on YouTube or tech sites that shows real world results for inkjet. So what I would like to see is a video seeing if the scam that is the razer blades of the electronic industry, has change at all in the last 10 years, and if there has been any innovation at all in offering customers a better experience both in quality and price. In tired of paying $200 for just color ink for my HP printer and only having it last less than 150 photo prints because it uses half the cartage for cleaning and calabration!

 

This has been a huge frustration for me lately, not only because it's expensive, but it's extremely wasteful. And when it's cheaper to just buy a new printer rather than the ink cartage, something is wrong.

I used to pay $6-8 for a full assortment of cartridges from China for mine. 90% of the quality too!

[Elektra57]

I am in the market for a new router, mesh Wi-Fi. I've looked at Eero, TP Link, Linksys, and Google. Can we get an update to this video? Also miss Luke being in videos.

 

[samcrut]

TL;DR: Build a ballin' Hackintosh in a dolly toolbox stack for me to use on feature film sets.

 

I recently saw a "Sleeper PC" ep of LTT cramming a wicked PC into an old beige vintage case. How about a series cramming wicked PC parts in non-traditional cases? I bring it up because I want/need to stick a Hackintosh in a dolly toolbox tower.

 

I frequently work in film as a Digital Image Technician (DIT). The job is mostly copying files to multiple destinations to protect the footage, but there's a lot of video processing and transcoding that goes with it as well, and portability is a must. I need to be able to pack up and move in a few minutes, and it needs to be quiet, rugged, and able to operate in adverse conditions, like dust storms, and of course it needs to keep the data safe. 

 

I got an idea to put a Hackintosh into a Craftsman Versastack tower, or a Milwaukee Packout. Rigid and DeWalt have their own versions of these dolly toolbox towers.

 

 

 

The gist of them is that the boxes latch together so they become one unit you can move around with ease and then you can take them apart when you need to get into them. 

 

I want a Hackintosh for DaVinci Resolve and Adobe's CC suite and Avid. I'm thinking about an i9 with a good AMD GPU (since Apple is ghosting Nvidia). I do crank a lot of h.264 files, so Intel Quick Sync is a big help. I don't think I want the whole IO shield exposed, unless it has a cover to protect the ports from the elements. I need externally accessible USB3-A, Thunderbolt 3 USB-C (bonus if GPU is injected), HDMI, and Ethernet. In my head I'm seeing a small wall plate that would have the necessary ports that are connected to the mobo as a pass through the toolbox wall.

 

 

I have a backplate for 8 drives that I'm thinking about incorporating, so I can hook up 8 internal drives in the box on which the film footage will be copied. I have to have a minimum of 3 drives for triplicate backups, but additional drives become necessary as long shoots roll over onto multiple drive sets. It's from a SuperMicro server that should allow me to hook up 8 drives. it's basically just a way to not have to deal with a mess of cables to hook up drives. https://www.ebay.com/itm/324021507787

 

Getting the heat out is going to be a major issue, so I really want a water cooled system that passes all of the heat out to an external radiator. If you do quick connects, you can have one toolbox that's just for blowing out BTUs. That toolbox would also have quick connects on it and be full of radiators and fans. Airflow will need a filter of some sort, even if it's just a magnetic square to hold foam in place. When you shoot in the desert, dust gets everywhere so it needs to be designed to keep the insides clean when the outside is attacking.

 

I haven't figured out how to do the monitor(s) yet. The smaller toolbox has a 19" diagonal lid that might hold an 17-18" display. I'd rather not have a slick Dolly Mac and then the display is tucked up under my arm with a cable wrapped around my neck. If the monitor can be integrated with the design, that would be fantastic.

 

Oh, and safe electrical power too. Right now I use a 300W CPAP portable power unit to make sure my drives don't lose power in the event somebody unplugs something. It's a 280Wh Lithium Ion battery with a charger and inverter. Essentially a double conversion power system in a box. It cleans sketchy power and keeps me running when the gaffer trips a breaker. Right now I use a MacBook Pro on set, so it has its own battery, but this would need enough power for the computer and the drives with enough juice to give me like 5 minutes to restore power or shut down.

 

I think it will need a 3D printed floor that the mobo will attach to. Also a 3D tray that goes into the toolbox to sit on the lip that the tool tray usually sits on that would hold the drives and possibly channel some airflow if it's not all water cooled. 

 

It's a pretty stealthy concept, so not much chance to do a bunch of RGB. I know how y'all love your RGB. I would like to have status lights that show outside what's happening inside. Drive access lights for individual drives, networking, maybe a thermal display, ooh, and power displays would be sweet. I don't tend to need much audio while I work on set, but some small speakers would be nice just for basic sound playback. Something like a small sound bar integrated into the toolbox wall. Of course, Craftsman also has this beast of a worksite radio system that snaps into their system, so maybe use it. 

 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-VersaStack-Water-Resistant-Cordless-Jobsite-Radio/1000595395

 

So that's the gist. Dolly toolbox form factor. Good bit of processing power. Liquid cooling to get the heat out. 8 internal 3.5" drive slots. If the bottom toolbox could be reserved for actually being used as a toolbox for the rest of my gear, that would be great, but I can always add more boxes to make a taller stack.

 

I know this is a super ambitious build, and if I had an Alex Clark with all of LTT's wonderful shop toys available to me, I'd do it myself, but I don't, so I'm reaching out hoping this is an LTT worthy project. 

 

PS: Somewhere in the build, I really must insist that one or more of this sort of safety switch be incorporated. I mean look at it! That takes it to 11!

 

 

PS: We have Micro Center here in Dallas. I know you like them.  

Edited February 8, 2020 by samcrut

[Naxila]

Can you make a video on whether it's worth ponying up $3000+ for a top of the line PC right now even when we're soon getting PCIe 4.0, DDR5, new CPUs and probably new GPUs as well? I've had my shitty gaming laptop for 8 years and I could probably wait (at least until Cyberpunk 2077 comes out) until I get a more future-proof PC. Is it even worth the wait?

[Alex Culliere]

Ok, I've signed up specifically to make this one suggestion, I think it's quite fun.

 

Extreme CPU overclocking - Feldspar method
The main problem with CPU overclocking is thermal throttling - when your CPU gets too hot, on-chip thermal sensor detects that and adjusts clock speeds to cool it down, which results in performance drops. The conventional way of dealing with this is to provide sufficient cooling, so your CPU stays within certain thermal threshold. Now, let me present you the alternative - Feldspar method (named after a character from Outer Wilds).

Assuming we are air-cooled:

1. We attach the beefiest heat sink to the CPU;
2. We adjust fan curves to blast at max speeds at all times;
3. We remove CPU temp management or find a way to disable thermal sensors;
4. We hope to pass benchmarks before your stone melts down;
5. ...
6. PROFIT (or fire, it depends)

Bonus tip: remember to bring a fire extinguisher. Hypothesis: it might work for a short time, so we need to choose our benchmarks carefully.

[Nyftn]

could you guys include an excel benchmark in future videos ? 

 

in our case we need to figure out what cpu is fast enough so excel can keep up with a fast typing person . 

the file we use is confidential, so can't upload it . 

 

but every 2 key strokes is a few thousands of calculations 

 

also should we consider ecc memory ?

 

i'm just a pc enthousiast.

setting up benchmarks isn't my cup of tea. 

 

 

 

[Frandesktop]

You can make a weekly (or so) show where you host and talk with the people who develop the tech you're using, such as Intel or AMD engineers and together review their products. For example talking with an AMD engineer about an upcoming CPU.and what was his role in the chip development, and so on

 

It's really cool, like you're the front end (marketing, reviewing part) and he's the backend guy

[Kilrah]

Good luck with that. Companies don't often let their engineers talk, especially not pre-launch.

[Jimble]

I've found on the older tv I use that your FF GFX template falls out side of safe on my telly. Would you mind applying a 5% safe action and title? I just cant see for example which processor is being displayed because it hidden by my telly's 3 inch bezel. This is not a troll post. Just asking?  like please......