Random Hardware topics

[Zed Clampet]

'The game is ass on anything else but a 9800X3D': Esports players are complaining about using Intel CPUs at sponsored tournaments rather than AMD X3D chips, with multiple claims of crashing and significantly worse performance

Intel might be inside, but some wish it wasn't.

www.pcgamer.com

EUREKA!

Now I finally understand the 9800x3D hype. It doesn't apply to me, but I get it now.

So here is the explanation:

Almost all games are GPU bound. This means that in these games, the 9800x3D doesn't provide any benefit over a similar priced Intel CPU (although the Intel CPUs from a certain period of time were garbage and crashing quite frequently).

HOWEVER, the exception to this rule is how Esports players set up their games. They basically trash the graphics so that they can get higher FPS. They make the graphics settings so easy on the GPU that these games become CPU bound. This is where you see phenomenal differences between the 9800x3D and similarly priced Intel chips. You get vastly higher FPS with the 9800x3D, which is very impressive.

For me, it doesn't come into play. I always play my games with the graphics turned up. My games are always GPU bound. My AI work also is primarily performed by the GPU, although there are a couple of processes that I am questioning whether the 9800x3D might help. It certainly wouldn't hurt, but the next thing I'm doing to this PC is upgrading to a 5080 Super or whatever that ends up being (so long as it has a minimum of 24 GB of VRAM). That's my top priority by a long shot, although I may add another 32 GB of RAM in the meantime since that is fairly cheap. After that, I'll revisit the CPU.

 

[Colif]

Why bother having best gaming CPU/GPU when most of the games that need them are crap now, and most indie titles don't need either.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Why bother having best gaming CPU/GPU when most of the games that need them are crap now, and most indie titles don't need either.

For me I want to be able to run AI training and play a game at the same time. Right now I don't have enough VRAM to do that. If I get enough VRAM, then there is a good chance that the extra processing power of the 9800x3D may well come into play.

Also, there have been many times when I wished I could run a dedicated game server, so I might take my old stuff and make a server out of it. FunCom is under a lot of pressure to let people make their own Dune Awakening servers, for instance.

However, I suspect that most AI programs will max out any GPU that I have, so the whole thing is possibly not doable.

 

[Colif]

I was going to buy one of these:

UTESPELARE gaming desk, ash effect/grey, 160x80 cm - IKEA

UTESPELARE gaming desk, ash effect/grey, 160x80 cm

www.ikea.com

But I don't think I want to take my entire room apart to put it together, and getting it out again would be a pain...
So instead I might buy a TV cabinet instead and use it to be my PC table - I wanted to put all my music hardware on it too, it hadn't occurred to me to put it all underneath instead

Shame most of them expect me to build the bloody thing after, that or they charge a fortune. There is a 3rd option... don't do anything and just put up with what I have and save my money.

 

[Zed Clampet]

I was going to buy one of these:

UTESPELARE gaming desk, ash effect/grey, 160x80 cm - IKEA

UTESPELARE gaming desk, ash effect/grey, 160x80 cm

www.ikea.com

But I don't think I want to take my entire room apart to put it together, and getting it out again would be a pain...
So instead I might buy a TV cabinet instead and use it to be my PC table - I wanted to put all my music hardware on it too, it hadn't occurred to me to put it all underneath instead

Shame most of them expect me to build the bloody thing after, that or they charge a fortune. There is a 3rd option... don't do anything and just put up with what I have and save my money.

That's a beautiful desk, but maybe with all your audio stuff you need something like this . Maybe not that one exactly, but I like the looks of it. It a little less wide but quite a bit deeper than the one you listed.

 

[Colif]

Something like
https://www.alfordson.com.au/alfordson-entertainment-unit-tv-cabinet-stand-180c~222582
Is all I need, put monitor on top and I can put the audio gear on the shelves, and have 4 drawers to use for... I am sure I can think of something.

I am being given a new set of drawers, but its possible all my junk won't fit in them from my current drawers, which I intend to throw out. I am discarding two pieces of furniture and just need the desktop space to put my monitor and audio gear.

I don't want a table as such as I don't have the floor space free for a chair... nor do I want to buy a chair. The cabinet will be sitting right next to my bed, it will never have a TV on it.
My room dimensions are the biggest restriction. I don't have a lot of space so the Ikea desk would have been difficult to get into here. and if constructed in here, unlikely to ever get out again.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Something like
https://www.alfordson.com.au/alfordson-entertainment-unit-tv-cabinet-stand-180c~222582
Is all I need, put monitor on top and I can put the audio gear on the shelves, and have 4 drawers to use for... I am sure I can think of something.

I am being given a new set of drawers, but its possible all my junk won't fit in them from my current drawers, which I intend to throw out. I am discarding two pieces of furniture and just need the desktop space to put my monitor and audio gear.

I don't want a table as such as I don't have the floor space free for a chair... nor do I want to buy a chair. The cabinet will be sitting right next to my bed, it will never have a TV on it.
My room dimensions are the biggest restriction. I don't have a lot of space so the Ikea desk would have been difficult to get into here. and if constructed in here, unlikely to ever get out again.

So the way you use it you don't need space for your legs?

 

[Colif]

So the way you use it you don't need space for your legs?

exactly, I lie on my bed with a keyboard on lap. I have done it this way for about 23 years at least.
The 1st computer table I ever had was one of these:

which, while offering plenty of space for mum's PC, soon started to be too small for my PC cases about... 23 years ago. So I used to use that as the stand for monitors, and have PC next to it, but eventually my monitors also wouldn't fit in the space + my speakers either side, so I swapped to using the box my PC sits on now as monitor stand, until I got the current Coffee Table I use now.

The thought of actually getting a desk never crossed my mind until last year sometime.

 

[Zed Clampet]

exactly, I lie on my bed with a keyboard on lap. I have done it this way for about 23 years at least.
The 1st computer table I ever had was one of these:

which, while offering plenty of space for mum's PC, soon started to be too small for my PC cases about... 23 years ago. So I used to use that as the stand for monitors, and have PC next to it, but eventually my monitors also wouldn't fit in the space + my speakers either side, so I swapped to using the box my PC sits on now as monitor stand, until I got the current Coffee Table I use now.

The thought of actually getting a desk never crossed my mind until last year sometime.

Wow, I don't even remember PC cases ever being that small, but I guess my old Atari and Apple computers were about that size and had the keyboards on them.

 

[Colif]

Mums Dell is smaller than an A4 size piece of paper, and its only 8 years old. Its got no Graphics card, and its always been slower than a PC I bought 2 years before it.
I am replacing that with my old PC soon... she just isn't in a rush. End of Life Win 10 is reason I am replacing it, it can't be upgraded. And its so slow...

 

[Zed Clampet]

I'm guessing it has an HDD? A W10 PC without a decent system drive sounds unbearable. You probably turn it on and leave for 15 minutes.

***

I'm getting annoyed with fan control. Every reboot stuff changes, and I have to go through it again. I probably need to figure out how to do it in the Bios.

 

[Colif]

Yes its a hdd... I should have swapped an ssd in at some stage but I didn't want to go through hassle of cloning drive and swapping it in... and mum doesn't like me playing with her PC, and often asks my brother instead... which is fine by me.
She doesn't realise the speed difference between what she has now and what I want to give her. I expect she might be more willing to swap if she knew... from a hdd to a PCIe 3 nvme in one jump.
Maybe I show her how fast it starts tomorrow... I need to use it for my course presentation tomorrow... easier to move it than my current one.

she rarely uses now, she been using a tablet my brother gave her. So its not really a priority to swap yet.

Why not use the GCC? Since I know you have it. It takes over from BIOS at start, its already running for my lighting so I still haven't set up BIOS yet. Need to flash BIOS soon so would be a waste of time.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Why not use the GCC?

I don't remember exactly. Didn't you tell me it had a security problem? Or maybe that it kept trying to install bloatware?

 

[Colif]

GCC actually didn't try to install Norton Antivirus last time so maybe they fixed it. I just ran it then and it didn't even show Norton as an option... yay.
And it only did that if you ran its update function.
GCC doesn't have any security problems AFAIK.

 

[Zed Clampet]

GCC actually didn't try to install Norton Antivirus last time so maybe they fixed it. I just ran it then and it didn't even show Norton as an option... yay.
And it only did that if you ran its update function.
GCC doesn't have any security problems AFAIK.

Thanks. I'll reinstall it.

 

[Colif]

So I got this today and was thinking, how are we going to be able to see them in future since one of the restrictions for size of ram has been removed and it can keep shrinking

I guess flash isn't really ram... it might benefit from changes.
USB sticks can only shrink as small as their connection

chances of keeping its cap are slim since there is no where to attach it when its in use.

 

[neogunhero]

When it comes to gaming monitors, is it smart to buy something overkill with the expectation to use it for years to come?

More specifically, I’m wondering if there is a monitor that exists that is able to switch between 1080p and 1440p as well as switch refresh rates. Most games I play, my PC can’t be run at 1440p. A lot can barely go over 60fps 1080p.

I want to buy a monitor that I can use for a long time as I upgrade my PC or build a new one. I still have a lot of games that can run higher than 60fps and even some games especially 2D that could run at 1440p over 60fps, but that’s not every game. I would like a monitor where I can freely switch between those modes to match the game I’m playing.

In the future I’d like to be able to play games 1440p standard. Over 60FPS would be nice. But I don’t have the hardware for that now and I would need the monitor for it later, and my current monitor is really just a TV from 2013, so I figured that could be my next upgrade. If I got a new monitor I want to switch it manually between different games I play.

Games that can go over 60FPS but not hit the full 144hz or 180hz that's standard in monitors, I figured I can just cap the FPS in game while running the monitor at a higher refresh rate. Does that work as well as I think it would?

 

[Colif]

i think most of the monitors with switches that let you choose the resolution are all 4k/1080p combos

Some website had an article on them recently

Now that 4K/1080p dual-mode monitors are officially a thing, it's the perfect time to play a game of guessing what madcap tech monitors will next sport

4K for work, 1080p for competitive gaming, all in one display.

www.pcgamer.com

You may have heard of them.

There are no 1440p/1080p Dual mode monitors due to scaling issues with the screens - 1440p isn't a multiple of 1080p, unlike 4k.

1440p likely to be phased out, the largest ones you can buy now are 27inch. Screen makers want us to buy 4k.

I was looking for a 2nd 1440p screen just to find that I can't get one at the same size I have now. Only 27inch.
My GPU perfectly matches my screen size/refresh rate - okay, it can run faster but I like having wiggle room. Its not a 4k GPU. Until I replace my GPU I am not in a rush to replace my monitor. Next will likely be 4k - I had 4k 10 years ago, at least the next time my GPU will be able to run it at 4k 60 or higher in games.

Having a screen your GPU cannot really use to fullest is something I have already had. My 1st 4k screen was such a thing. Windows scales 4k screens by 150% so essentially I had a 1440p screen... years later I just bought a 1440p, it better suited my game play. It was only when I got the 7900xt that I could get its refresh rate to 144. My previous GPU max was 100.

it took 8 years to get a gpu that matches the monitor I was using at time, not really in a rush to change it.

When I first got the 4k screen, my GTX 960 couldn't even sustain a 60hz refesh rate and screen would turn off. Sometimes having something really good can cost money, I had to get a GTX 980 to sustain 60hz.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

When it comes to gaming monitors, is it smart to buy something overkill with the expectation to use it for years to come?

More specifically, I’m wondering if there is a monitor that exists that is able to switch between 1080p and 1440p as well as switch refresh rates. Most games I play, my PC can’t be run at 1440p. A lot can barely go over 60fps 1080p.

You can use any resolution on any monitor. The problem is like Colif said, with 1080p and 1440 the number of pixels dont divide into each other exactly so running 1080p on a 1440p monitor looks blurry. Personally Ive tried it before and it looks bad, but some people swear it looks alright, probably depends on the monitor as well the viewers own eyes.

4k divides perfectly into 1080p so doesnt have this problem.

Also if you use DLSS or FSR in a game then you are already running at a lower resolution. Most games seem to have it now.

In the future I’d like to be able to play games 1440p standard. Over 60FPS would be nice. But I don’t have the hardware for that now and I would need the monitor for it later, and my current monitor is really just a TV from 2013, so I figured that could be my next upgrade. If I got a new monitor I want to switch it manually between different games I play.

Games that can go over 60FPS but not hit the full 144hz or 180hz that's standard in monitors, I figured I can just cap the FPS in game while running the monitor at a higher refresh rate. Does that work as well as I think it would?

I think pretty much every gaming monitor available now has either Freesync or Gsync (VRR). You can use Vsync or a frame cap, I like to get things over 80-100 if I can in action games, but I'll usually cap a strategy game around 80 or whatever depending on which way the wind is blowing that day.

 

[Colif]

All monitors can run at different resolutions but I think the ones with the physical switch use something other than just switching the resolutions... otherwise, there is no need for the switch. I guess it could just be for show but that implies they all in on the joke.

It seems its the panel tech that switches between two distinct modes - 4k at 180hz or 1080p at 360, just using this as an example

Alienware 27 Dual-Resolution Gaming Monitor - AW2725QF | Dell Australia

Shop the Alienware 27-inch Gaming Monitor AW2725QF with IPS Dual-Resolution 3840x2160 @180Hz & FHD @360Hz modes, and NVIDIA G-Sync.

www.dell.com

it has a switch on base you have to press to swap

I expect screensize chosen as 1080p doesn't look great at 32inches.

 

[neogunhero]

There are no 1440p/1080p Dual mode monitors due to scaling issues with the screens - 1440p isn't a multiple of 1080p, unlike 4k.

1440p likely to be phased out, the largest ones you can buy now are 27inch. Screen makers want us to buy 4k.

That was exactly what I was hoping to find, though I did not think about the math not scaling correctly between 1080 and 1440. Understandably, 1440p is only a minor step up from 1080p, 4K is the logical next step forward, but GPUs that can run games at 4K 60fps+ are very expensive. 1440p could be the new low-end standard but jumping further up to 4K makes a bit more sense.

I expect screensize chosen as 1080p doesn't look great at 32inches.

Tell me about it, my 2013 32in TV has the pixel density of a screen door.

 

[neogunhero]

I used to have a nicer Philips monitor that was 32 inch, 75Hz and curved. I broke it while moving apartments a few years ago and never bothered to buy a new monitor. My current one is "good enough" as long as you don't look too hard at it. Most of the time I can ignore the terrible colors and pixels.