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| PC gaming hardware thread. https://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5402 |
Page 91 of 119 |
| Author: | TheVision [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 20:05 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
At first glance I thought that was an engagement ring in that pink box. |
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| Author: | Doctor Glyndwr [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 20:09 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
devilman wrote: What's the reason for the switch back to PCs? Gaming Apple binned off Aperture, which ended my lock-in with OS X. Then my iMac died, leaving me with only an ailing PC as my single computer, which won’t do. I don’t know how much gaming will happen — I expect to still use the PS4 for that, mostly — but being able to finally play through XCOM 2 will be nice. |
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| Author: | Bamba [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 21:39 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Grim... wrote: Bamba wrote: Lonewolves wrote: People shut down their PCs? Why leave it running overnight (if you're not downloading something or serving content up)? PCs are (should be) busy overnight. Downloading updates, virus scanning, etc. Mine barely ever gets turned off. If your pc is genuinely busy all night installing updates then I'd suggest there's something wrong with it. And what about the other shitload of hours a day when you're at work or eating or just not using it? |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 22:11 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Bamba wrote: Grim... wrote: Bamba wrote: Lonewolves wrote: People shut down their PCs? Why leave it running overnight (if you're not downloading something or serving content up)? PCs are (should be) busy overnight. Downloading updates, virus scanning, etc. Mine barely ever gets turned off. If your pc is genuinely busy all night installing updates then I'd suggest there's something wrong with it. And what about the other shitload of hours a day when you're at work or eating or just not using it? Mr Chris uses it to watch movies. |
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| Author: | Bamba [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 22:29 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Grim... wrote: Bamba wrote: Grim... wrote: Bamba wrote: Lonewolves wrote: People shut down their PCs? Why leave it running overnight (if you're not downloading something or serving content up)? PCs are (should be) busy overnight. Downloading updates, virus scanning, etc. Mine barely ever gets turned off. If your pc is genuinely busy all night installing updates then I'd suggest there's something wrong with it. And what about the other shitload of hours a day when you're at work or eating or just not using it? Mr Chris uses it to watch movies. To be fair, I did say in my original response "if you're not serving up content" because that obviously an always on scenario. |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 22:32 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
I never turned it off while that was on a separate server either, though. |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 22:43 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Bamba wrote: Grim... wrote: Bamba wrote: Lonewolves wrote: People shut down their PCs? Why leave it running overnight (if you're not downloading something or serving content up)? PCs are (should be) busy overnight. Downloading updates, virus scanning, etc. Mine barely ever gets turned off. If your pc is genuinely busy all night installing updates then I'd suggest there's something wrong with it. And what about the other shitload of hours a day when you're at work or eating or just not using it? That is the only time I will ever leave my PCs running unattended. When basically I've put off all of the updates and leave them until I shut down. |
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| Author: | myp [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 22:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
PUBG downloaded and installed a 6GB update at 3:42am today so it means I didn't need to do it now like some kind of chump! |
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| Author: | KovacsC [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:02 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Bamba wrote: Grim... wrote: Bamba wrote: Lonewolves wrote: People shut down their PCs? Why leave it running overnight (if you're not downloading something or serving content up)? PCs are (should be) busy overnight. Downloading updates, virus scanning, etc. Mine barely ever gets turned off. If your pc is genuinely busy all night installing updates then I'd suggest there's something wrong with it. And what about the other shitload of hours a day when you're at work or eating or just not using it? You can set them to use low power over night. I don't turn mine off, as it does updates and AV checks. |
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| Author: | GazChap [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:21 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Why is it that PC motherboards never seem to include WiFi and Bluetooth chipsets any more? |
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| Author: | Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:35 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
GazChap wrote: Why is it that PC motherboards never seem to include WiFi and Bluetooth chipsets any more? They do if you spend more. |
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| Author: | DavPaz [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:53 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
GazChap wrote: Why is it that PC motherboards never seem to include WiFi and Bluetooth chipsets any more? Did they ever? I've seen plenty with add in Wifi but not onboard. Even laptops tend to have them as an add on through mini pci or similar. |
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| Author: | GazChap [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:06 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Doctor Glyndwr wrote: GazChap wrote: Why is it that PC motherboards never seem to include WiFi and Bluetooth chipsets any more? They do if you spend more. I was looking for one a few months ago and couldn't find one - although of course that might just be because most listings on places like Amazon are terrible at actually listing the motherboard's features, and they never include things like that in "refine your search" filters. |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 12:57 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
You can get WIFI on a lot of boards but you will pay a chunk extra for it. Bluetooth is quite uncommon though. |
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| Author: | asfish [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 13:39 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Quote: You can get WIFI on a lot of boards but you will pay a chunk extra for it. Bluetooth is quite uncommon though Would you not just get a Bluetooth USB dongle? I bought one in 2013 to use WII controllers with the Dolphin emulator, its still working fine today. They cost £6 on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/EkoBuy%C2%AE-B ... 0V31DDAEH6 This example is gold plated so will be even better 
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 13:48 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
asfish wrote: Quote: You can get WIFI on a lot of boards but you will pay a chunk extra for it. Bluetooth is quite uncommon though Would you not just get a Bluetooth USB dongle? I bought one in 2013 to use WII controllers with the Dolphin emulator, its still working fine today. They cost £6 on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/EkoBuy%C2%AE-B ... 0V31DDAEH6 This example is gold plated so will be even better I have a couple of cheap dongles. Like, £4-£7 cheap. They are fine for controllers and so on but for audio they *suck*. Stuttering, stopping etc. I would look into something a lot better if you are sending sound Oh yeah, my Aquacomputer Poweradjust and Splitty 9 are now one. Made a host board and shortened the link cable from 70cm to 4cm. Braided a molex to power it up, too. 
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| Author: | GazChap [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 13:48 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Yep, I have a bluetooth dongle on my main PC (and I don't use wifi on it anyway) but it uses up a USB port which is frankly unnecessary, when as far as I can tell there's no justifiable reason not to have it built into the mainboard. If I can buy a wifi dongle for £5 and a bluetooth dongle for £5, logically it must cost a fraction of that to stick it into the mainboard. |
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| Author: | devilman [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 13:52 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
GazChap wrote: Yep, I have a bluetooth dongle on my main PC (and I don't use wifi on it anyway) but it uses up a USB port which is frankly unnecessary, when as far as I can tell there's no justifiable reason not to have it built into the mainboard. If I can buy a wifi dongle for £5 and a bluetooth dongle for £5, logically it must cost a fraction of that to stick it into the mainboard. I don't know if there's something odd about the case that HP used for my PC, but with PCI and USB Wi-Fi adaptors, I'd never get a good enough signal just to reach downstairs. How I ended up working around the problem was to use a USB extension cable with a Wi-Fi adaptor on the end and trail the cable well away from the PC. Looks stupid, but the connection has been solid ever since. (Not all that relevant to your point, but I'm killing time before lunch )
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| Author: | Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 13:54 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
PC cases are Faraday cages full of EM interference, and Bluetooth signals are weak as piss. I could believe it’s a pain to engineer an internal antenna that isn’t frustratingly unreliable. |
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| Author: | GazChap [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 16:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Doctor Glyndwr wrote: PC cases are Faraday cages full of EM interference, and Bluetooth signals are weak as piss. I could believe it’s a pain to engineer an internal antenna that isn’t frustratingly unreliable. Yeah, makes sense I guess - although I'd have figured laptop cases would be similar. Guess they're thinner, though. |
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| Author: | DavPaz [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 16:56 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
GazChap wrote: Doctor Glyndwr wrote: PC cases are Faraday cages full of EM interference, and Bluetooth signals are weak as piss. I could believe it’s a pain to engineer an internal antenna that isn’t frustratingly unreliable. Yeah, makes sense I guess - although I'd have figured laptop cases would be similar. Guess they're thinner, though. Laptop cases use 'external' antennas |
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| Author: | Cras [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 16:57 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
They're also typically much more constrained on availability of USB ports for dongles |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 16:57 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Finished.  I think that ought to do it. I should be able to see my GPU WB now   I like how the frame goes 3D when viewed from certain angles. I wasn't expecting that tbh. Just to show how much aggro the bottom frame was to make. 
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| Author: | GazChap [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 17:10 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
DavPaz wrote: Laptop cases use 'external' antennas 
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| Author: | Hearthly [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 20:27 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Trousers wrote: That's only because you always have autotrader open in Chrome. |
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| Author: | asfish [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 21:06 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
The Scan PC made it to my office on Wednesday after 10 days being fixed and tested. It was brought down by my reseller who was coming over to work on a system he is doing for me. I was busy so hardly had time to speak to him and he left before my run of meetings finished At 4 pm we decided to open it, it was in 2 boxes and the outer one had tape on with “this way up” arrows. We respected the arrow direction provided and carefully cut the boxes away until we revealed the PC which we then lifted out. Next job was to remove all the bubble wrap Scan had put inside the PC, there was a piece of A4 on the side of the PC advising us not to turn it on until we finished doing this. 20 seconds into this I felt water on some of the bubble wrap, so we carried on and then noticed the SLI Bridge was off and broken. Once all the bubble wrap was off we could see liquid on the main tank of the cooling system, nowhere near as much as last time though. So, we get back to Scan who tell us to take pictures and that they will arrange yet another collection. It was during the picture taking that I noticed that the PC which had been lifted out of the box had been packed 90 degrees clockwise the wrong way. (So the front was the top and the back was on the bottom. ) Not really sure if this how it should have shipped and we asked Scan if we should repack it this way or pack it in the position that you expect when in use, no reply on this point. So hopefully 3rd time is the charm, luckily there has been some delay in getting furniture for the area this is going into so nobody cares about the delay. I would tell Scan where to stick it, but I’m struggling to find anywhere that does systems as nice as this. Putting aside their screw-ups, it’s a really nice PC. |
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| Author: | Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 21:14 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
All done with my build. Mostly went smoothly, some messing about with the Windows licence. Twitter thread here for people who’d like to see pictures: https://twitter.com/PenLlawen/status/951524474511413248
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 22:37 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
If memory serves you can use a Windows 7 key to activate Windows 10. You don't need to install 7 and then update it. https://www.thurrott.com/windows/window ... o-activate |
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| Author: | BikNorton [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 22:42 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
By now if a Windows <10 key hasn't already been used to upgrade to 10 that won't work. But maybe I misunderstand. |
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| Author: | Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Jan 12, 2018 22:52 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
BikNorton wrote: By now if a Windows <10 key hasn't already been used to upgrade to 10 that won't work. But maybe I misunderstand. I believe that is true, now (it wasn’t previously.) I’ve resolved the issue now, anyway, and have a fresh W10 install with my old Win7 retail key. |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Sat Jan 13, 2018 16:50 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
There was still a way to do it. Something to do with being disabled or something I don't recall. I activated Win 10 on the very first release and after 90 days it stopped my Alienware serial working on 8.1. Wasn't best pleased then, as 10 was very bad but it's gotten better. I have, however, had to reinstall it from nothing three times now as the builds I used could not be upgraded (remember that calculator mystery thing?). So yeah, kind of annoying but not much you can do about it really. |
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| Author: | DavPaz [ Sat Jan 13, 2018 16:57 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Windows 10 has been nothing but excellent for me. You can buy OEM codes off eBay for a fiver, too |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Sat Jan 13, 2018 18:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
DavPaz wrote: Windows 10 has been nothing but excellent for me. You can buy OEM codes off eBay for a fiver, too Yup I have had a couple of copies of Pro from Amazon for £8. They both needed phone activation and thankfully MS said they could not be switched ever again (which I am happy with, in case the seller sells them again !) so yeah, easy enough to get now Today I hooked up everything on the desk to test, running from an external PSU (not the pump obs)    And then started the very slow and tedious task of creating my own AS page.  Still need to learn that, but thankfully it is very similar to AIDA 64 and a emulator I used to work with (MPU34 hilariously !) The PA is now fitted after I made a bracket for it. |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Sun Jan 14, 2018 15:24 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Another 14 hour shift yesterday. It has taken me 6 days so far.  AC is nestled in nicely down here.  Temp drops are massive. 25c+. I can now clock the core to +225mhz (for an overall boost total of 2088-2100mhz) and max temp so far has been 41c. It usually got to mid 60s playing Fallout 4. I am beginning to suspect that buying the cheapest rad on sale (the one I had in there before) was a mistake. I think it was very old stock tbh. Ah well, all's well that ends well. I got rid of the noise initially, and had the chance to wait until I had more cash to throw at it. Still got to get an EL wire light for the sound card back plate (the mirror) as well as make a custom USB header cable (or you are stuck at 12v on the AC). But the main stuff is done now. |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 17:50 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Got this yesterday.  Seriously amazing bit of kit. I forgot how much fun surround headsets were when my Turtle Beach (that I bought in the early pages of this thread) died. The amp went and there was no left channel 
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| Author: | MaliA [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:12 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
£300 for some headphones seems steep. |
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| Author: | DBSnappa [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:15 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
MaliA wrote: £300 for some headphones seems steep. That's where decent cans start. |
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| Author: | Cras [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:17 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
DBSnappa wrote: MaliA wrote: £300 for some headphones seems steep. That's where decent cans start. Bloody plastic surgeons. |
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| Author: | ApplePieOfDestiny [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:18 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Don't know where you shop. I can get 2 for 20p in Lidl, cheaper if I accept dents. |
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| Author: | Squirt [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:18 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
I hope they're not bluetooth. |
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| Author: | ApplePieOfDestiny [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:20 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Squirt wrote: I hope they're not bluetooth. They have gold plated Bluetooth chips. |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 18:24 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
MaliA wrote: £300 for some headphones seems steep. Oucho, certainly not ! not spent that much since I bought my Grado RS2E and probably never will again. https://www.overclockers.co.uk/b-grade- ... 1o-as.html Came boxed as new. Even the protective stuff was still on. It turns out (hilariously) that they need a BIOS flash   Or they sound like the music is being played through a piece of tinfoil. Very odd sound. Any way yeah that was a ten second fix and I've advised OCUK that it may have been the reason they got them back so they are going to flash what is left before sale DBSnappa wrote: MaliA wrote: £300 for some headphones seems steep. That's where decent cans start. Yup. The most expensive cans I ever bought were my Grado RS2E. I paid £350 sealed new, but they are £500 cans. The pads were malformed because of the way the cable has been packed, so I got £20 back. I bought a pair of the massive big pads. No change in sound at all. And tbh? every pair of stereo headphones I have bought since those are just a waste of money. The Grados are the best headphones I've ever heard. They lack deep low down grunt but I have Beats for when I feel irresponsible. But even going away for a week and then returning home that feeling you get when you hear them again is just indescribable. The detail is frightening and the sound stage? I've seriously turned my head around thinking some one was playing a trombone behind me. To best them I would need to spend over £500. And I am not doing that. |
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| Author: | asfish [ Mon Jan 22, 2018 15:36 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
The sorry tale of Scan continues.. The PC was collected for the 2nd time last Monday by DPD. So I called my reseller and asked them when it might be coming back. They checked on line and said that the online tracker from Scan said they hadn't recived it. So they called Scan and were told there is no dispute that it was collected from me, but DPD have lost it. So if its not at Scan within the next 24 hours, they will build another one and DPD pays for it (through insurance I guess) Thinking maybe Scan rethink their delivery policy as DPD have damaged this twice in delivery and now lost it
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:11 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
asfish wrote: The sorry tale of Scan continues.. The PC was collected for the 2nd time last Monday by DPD. So I called my reseller and asked them when it might be coming back. They checked on line and said that the online tracker from Scan said they hadn't recived it. So they called Scan and were told there is no dispute that it was collected from me, but DPD have lost it. So if its not at Scan within the next 24 hours, they will build another one and DPD pays for it (through insurance I guess) Thinking maybe Scan rethink their delivery policy as DPD have damaged this twice in delivery and now lost it Sounds like the stuff of my worst nightmares. I truly shudder to think... Well I decided to put some old parts to use. I dug out the X99 Alienware board I lobbed into the closet last July.  Bought another ES CPU for cheap (this one) https://ark.intel.com/products/92981/In ... e-2_20-GHz And bought a new water block on clearance.  I will need to get new "arms" for it as it is a AM3 bracket. They are easily gotten though and not too much money then I will be upgrading Dianoga from the Phenom 2 X6 with 8gb DDR2. Because it's really showing its age now. Not bought any DDR4 for it yet. Dreading it tbh
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Thu Jan 25, 2018 19:23 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Yay X99 arms and new 45 degs ordered !   Not looking forward to draining it. Always messy lol. |
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| Author: | asfish [ Fri Jan 26, 2018 21:02 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
So Scan have come back with more problems, they took 4 days longer to confirm they would build another PC at the expense of DPD Then they came back with some more excuses about not having cooling parts and telling my reseller it would be 26th of February. You can go to their website and right now and they will tell you that the same PC is on next day delivery  So I cancelled it, waiting to get the confirmation and then will probably get an Alienware as at least I know Dell will deliver it. Dell looked to have dropped Intel CPU's in Area 51 so looking at their AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper 1950X model 16 cores in a CPU! |
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| Author: | Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Jan 26, 2018 21:52 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
16 threads. Eight cores. Edit — nope, got my model nunbers mixed up, that one has sixteen actual cores. |
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| Author: | myp [ Fri Jan 26, 2018 21:54 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Get an Xbox One X |
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Sat Jan 27, 2018 14:51 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
I know you're not gonna want to hear this but please, avoid the TR Alienware. The board is not good enough, the cooling is not good enough (it just throttles) and so on. It really isn't a good TR platform. It was poorly thought through, IMO. If it weren't for GPU prices being silly I would go to OCUK. 8 Pack makes some awesome systems. But it's just crazy right now
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| Author: | JohnCoffey [ Sat Jan 27, 2018 21:41 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PC gaming hardware thread. |
Sorry Fish was pushed for time earlier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=decz1N9YpOw |
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