Dewar Posted March 8, 2016 I forgot to post this last night, but don't update your NVidia drivers. I had to spend an hour un-scrambling a driver install that blue-screened half way through. http://www.destructoid.com/don-t-install-the-newest-nvidia-driver-it-s-breaking-pcs-347362.phtml Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben X Posted March 8, 2016 Holy shit, thanks Dewar. My Nvidia update manager is borked and I was on the verge of finally downloading the latest myself. Lucky that one Nvidia botch job saved me from another... EDIT: that page just started 404ing seconds after I posted this... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
undermind9 Posted March 9, 2016 anyone with thoughts to the next generation of nvidia/amd cards? The latest articles i can find talk about 2nd half of 2016, but no hard release dates yet I am ready to dump my 6850's (xfired like a fool) - and am ready to also switch to the Nvidia train, it is The Way Its Meant To Be Played™ The price range in the mid 300's, which in current gen is the 970 model. Presumably the next generation will have a similar tier of pricing, that 980 and TI tier is going to be very hard to fit in budgets Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SecretAsianMan Posted March 28, 2016 Can anyone recommend a good VPN? Specifically one with access to a lot of countries, namely China. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erkki Posted April 1, 2016 So I bought a 6 GB HDD and it's making a noise every 5-10 seconds, the kind I would usually associate with heavy disk activity, but it's making it even when it should be idle. Is it likely to fail soon? Should I take it back just based on a noise even if it appears to be working well? Also I had a problem where the computer wouldn't boot if this disk was connected before boot, although it didn't happen the first time. Maybe I have too many disks connected - 3 HDDs, 1 SSD, 1 DVD-drive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erkki Posted April 1, 2016 Fuck, I just may have bought a stupid noisy model. It's exactly like this one: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erkki Posted April 1, 2016 Ok, I'm setting power plan to turn of drives after a few minutes of idleness. This eliminated the noise, because the disk is actually mostly idle when I'm behind the computer. It can go ahead and keep making that noise while I'm streaming a movie from it from the other room. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bakelite Posted April 2, 2016 So I just discovered that DDR4 is a thing. Will I regret buying a DDR3 motherboard in 2016? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
undermind9 Posted April 2, 2016 I'd think yes, but all budget dependent. DDR 4 means a z170 board, skylake chip, etc. I regret pulling the trigger a little impulsively last summer and got the 4970k i7 and z97 board. Still going to be fine for a while, but may keep me from that vr life down the road. There are some z170 boards that take the new chipsets but ddr3 - but I don't think any that are dual compliant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erkki Posted April 14, 2016 I started having more and more troubles with my PC after adding more disks, so I decided to do a more complete upgrade now since my CPU was from 2011 IIRC (i7 2600 or something) and have to prepare for VR anyway. I have GTX 970 so I'll leave that for now, but I changed mobo to Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 and CPU to i7 6700K, and DDR4 ram. So far seems a good bit faster, but I haven't tried any games yet. However, why I posted is that I am quite happy that this is probably the 4th major upgrade I've done on this machine, with the same Windows license (initially was Windows 7, now running Windows 10), and I've never had any activation problems. So maybe it's that if you change just enough components, windows doesn't consider it a new computer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
undermind9 Posted April 18, 2016 I thought windows activation was tied to motherboard information - maybe mac address? So with only changing your mother board once you've only really (in windows 7's eye) only changed once...whereas a video card, ram, or even hard drive change shouldnt affect any activation issues Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erkki Posted April 18, 2016 I've changed the motherboard at least once before. PS. So I've now probably got a really good computer for playing games... But I didn't really upgrade with any specific purpose in mind -- I was just having a lot of problems with the old MoBo and generally thought it would be good to be more ready for HTC Vive the moment I can order/buy one. But I'm actually getting really estranged from playing games nowadays. Of course I played The Witness and Firewatch because I had been looking forward to them for years, but I just can't get excited about new games easily. I've liked trying out some new games for half an hour or an hour, but they just don't hold my interest that long. Is there currently something amazing that I just have to try that can take advantage of the computing power I now have? Maybe I should just play the Witcher 3 expansion? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rohlfinator Posted April 19, 2016 Shoutout to Microsoft for horribly breaking the Xbox One controller driver in Win 10. That was a fun evening of troubleshooting why Enter the Gungeon was running at seconds-per-frame. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dewar Posted April 19, 2016 Man, I was set to finally get Windows 10 on my main PC, went to install Win7 on a new SSD so I could upgrade it and get my license, but it won't install to that drive siting a vaguely useless error code. Now I'm left trying to decide whether to fight with Win7, or just pay for a Win10 license and see if it installs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Irishjohn Posted May 12, 2016 Can anyone recommend a good VPN? Specifically one with access to a lot of countries, namely China. I like Private Internet Access. It has China, though I haven't connected there myself. I use it for Ireland and it works well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Irishjohn Posted May 12, 2016 anyone with thoughts to the next generation of nvidia/amd cards? The latest articles i can find talk about 2nd half of 2016, but no hard release dates yet I am ready to dump my 6850's (xfired like a fool) - and am ready to also switch to the Nvidia train, it is The Way Its Meant To Be Played™ The price range in the mid 300's, which in current gen is the 970 model. Presumably the next generation will have a similar tier of pricing, that 980 and TI tier is going to be very hard to fit in budgets I look forward to hearing what more knowledgeable Thumbs think. I have an HD 7870 screaming to be replaced (hopefully soon), but I'm not buying a new monitor soon so I really just need the best card I can get for 1080p gaming. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JonCole Posted May 12, 2016 I also use Private Internet Access and I'm a fan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dewar Posted May 16, 2016 I look forward to hearing what more knowledgeable Thumbs think. I have an HD 7870 screaming to be replaced (hopefully soon), but I'm not buying a new monitor soon so I really just need the best card I can get for 1080p gaming. Next NVidia cards have been announced for late May (for the 1080) and early June (for the 1070.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
undermind9 Posted May 19, 2016 AMD is doing their release/announce at Computex June 1 some other info has dropped - http://techfrag.com/2016/05/19/amd-polaris-10-11-specs-hit-web-8-gb-gddr5x-memory-clocked-7-gbps/ im going to hold my purchase till some real comparisons are made between the 1080/1070 VS the new Polaris 11/10 cards - and then make a selection. It is extremely tempting to get a 1080 on order and dump these AMD 6850 power suckers - but hoping patience will pay off Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
undermind9 Posted May 19, 2016 sorry for double post but totally unrelated to video cards - I recently got forced into a new PC gaming headset - my Logitech G35 is getting USB errors on any port i try it on..i think the cat bit the wire and finally shorted it out I am looking at G633 or G933 just because logitech has always been reliable. Does anyone have any experience in the Siberia line from SteelSeries (staying <$200) or Razer headsets. I am seeing a lot of buzz about the HyperX brand...but never seen any commentary I know there are a lot of amazing audiophile headphones out there but i think I'm sticking to the "gaming style" - wireless is not a must...but if its wired needs to have a cloth/braided cord, I like the 7.1 surround effect too, and a good built in (yet hide-able) mic is necessary. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SecretAsianMan Posted May 19, 2016 The HyperX is the current Wirecutter pick for gaming headsets. They also liked the Steelseries H for wireless. I personally prefer wired as I've had a lot of problems with wireless in the past. I used to use a Logitech headset but I don't like the build quality. They feel like cheap plastic. I also had a Razer Blackshark for a while but I found it not very comfortable to use and felt really silly wearing it. I'm currently using a Sennheiser GAME ONE headset (also a Wirecutter recommendation) and I'm very happy with it. It's lightweight and comfortable to wear for an extended amount of time (several hours), has a volume knob and a mic which mutes when in the up position, and has an open back design. This means that the ear cups are vented and the drivers aren't completely encased so your ears won't heat up nearly as much. As a consequence some of the sound can leak out so other people nearby can hear what you do if you have the volume up enough. It also means that you'll be able to hear some sounds from the room around you, but I find this to be a plus because I can hear things like my phone ringing, something I used to miss all the time with an enclosed headset. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
graddy Posted May 19, 2016 I currently run an HDMI cord from my tower to TV to get picture and sound. Is there a dumb obvious way to get sound from a sound bar if I buy one? Saving up currently for the wirecutters pick http://m.thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-budget-soundbar/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clyde Posted May 19, 2016 The hyperx (first series) has no audio-controls such as volume and mute on the headset itself. The hyperx2s sounded like crap on my machine when I plugged them into the usb-adapter for volume control and "surround-sound". They also felt painful for me to wear because they squeeze kinda hard on my head. They might be the best gaming-headsets out there for all I know. I quickly realized that I'd much prefer a good pair of headphones even though the mic part is inconvenient. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
undermind9 Posted May 19, 2016 ty Sam & Clyde for feedback. I play at night while my child and wife are usually 1 room away and sleeping so sound leak is bad news. Also comfort is important since when i do find time to sit down...its usually 2-4hrs at a clip (then need days to recover from lack of sleep...holy hell do i feel old) Logitech G35 & G930 are notoriously cheap feeling - especially the G930 - but i haven't had any issue with things breaking...but i put them back in a cubby hole each time and generally keep them from accidental drops or sitting. All reviews say the G633/G933 are much better builds - but the G633 has a solid cord so is prone to kinks and tangle. (reading that wirecutter review they indicate it feels flimsier...so who knows) this generally sucks, maybe i'll get another g35 and be boring for another 5yrs *last question - on those Senheiser Game One's - i get a lot of background noise from my sugar glider's cage directly behind me. is it a lot of noticeable sound? or more like the loud ringing of a phone / angry spouse Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SecretAsianMan Posted May 20, 2016 *last question - on those Senheiser Game One's - i get a lot of background noise from my sugar glider's cage directly behind me. is it a lot of noticeable sound? or more like the loud ringing of a phone / angry spouse If you're at a moderate volume level, then you're probably only going to really hear noises about the level of a phone or person yelling from across a room. Incidentally I had a friend in college who had sugar gliders and I took care of them for about a week while he was out of town. You probably won't hear most of the sounds they make while jumping around but that dog-like barking they do at night might come through, especially if it's right behind you. Some additional things. While the sound does leak due to the open back design, I wouldn't categorize it as super loud. I have both speakers and a headset connected to my computer. The sound plays through both all the time and I just mute my speakers when I'm using the headset. When I'm not using the headset it sits about a foot from me and I don't hear the sound from it unless it's something super loud, even with the speakers muted. I'd say anyone more than a few feet away probably wouldn't notice unless they can hear like a bat or you have the volume cranked up to 11. If they're in another room then it's probably not an issue at all. Also the cord is braided and not solid, which seems to be important to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites