Random Hardware topics

[Zed Clampet]

I think I run the case fans harder than GPU and CPU fans, so I could definitely get away with raising those curves and keeping case fans pushing a bit harder.


Do you secretly enjoy putting your body into fight-or-flight mode? The way you describe it, I imagine your PC looking like a bomb that's about to blow

I've got all the lights except for the RAM green, not flashing, just a steady color. But I have the RGB on my RAM red and they are flashing in sync. It actually looks kind of cool. Like you found a panel in a game, but you can't access it.

 

[Colif]

Lian Li O11 Vision

very popular case, it seems everyone has it. Or could be other makers copied the look.

This one looks cool but does it tie you into using their fans, I would want answer to that before buying.

LANCOOL 217 INF - LIAN LI is a Leading Provider of PC Cases | Computer Cases

Infinity Mirror, Now Breathing LANCOOL 217 INF continues our signature high-efficiency airflow design with an infinity mirror front panel for a striking visual effect, while dual tempered glass cutouts ensure ample airflow. Tempered-glass front panel Built-in infinity-mirror fans BTF motherboard...

lian-li.com

I haven't bough a Lian Li case in... 20 years now. It was my 1st really good case and spoiled me from then on. Before it I was happy with any box, ever since the case has been top of my list. If you have to look at the same box for 5 years, it might as well look good.

I still have that lian li case... I couldn't bring self to throw it away. Now its due. I currently have 3 semi working PC already, I don't need a dead one anymore.

Shame I can't use the corsair RGB program to control my lights, its the best software I have used so far but I don't want any of their fans in PC. Too expensive and can get better for less.

Most of the choices in the Gigabyte RGB program are useless. At least you found a use for flash. I sort of miss the moving light I had on my last GPU but I can't use its software to control lights on new GPU, just the motherboard. All the motherboard companies make it harder to use 3rd party programs to control them, which sucks as one program to control it all is the ideal solution. No one wants to give up control.

 

[Colif]

I knew I was one bios behind but it seems two more came out while I wasn't noticing. One was in beta and the other two snuck out in last 2 months.

So now on F10 which only came out last month. I don't generally update BIOS just because they exist but PC is still fairly new... or feels like it. I will slow down soon.

It changed something I had managed to avoid for the last 6 years, it enabled Secure Boot by default. Lucky my nvme have never been formatted as MBR so I didn't need to worry about a blank screen afterwards. I was a little concerned as I had seen it happen on Gigabyte boards in the past. Not to me, other people.

Guess I can play some of the new games that require it now.

One thing I forgot about BIOS flashes. They reset the TPM which in turn resets your PIN. Not ideal when you don't know what your password is. I thought I had it but turns out that password was for Google, which did help in the long run. As I had to logon to the account to get an email from Microsoft to confirm I am me. All this work to just set the PIN back to what it was. They can't tell, PIN only saved locally... which does explain all the steps required to confirm ID.

I think I now have to set that password for office as well. I do that tomorrow. At least PIN remains the same so I shouldn't have any problems on my old PC.

Set Expo so ram at right speed at least.

BIOS update program couldn't see my USB C flash drive with the BIOS files on it, but it could see my 4tb ssd so I just unzipped it into a folder in windows, and flashed it from there. I had problems getting program to see USB drives last time as well. Need to remember it sees ssd for next time.

I had noticed the segmented display on motherboard was showing different values and thought it was just cause I had ram installed that isn't on QVL. I then found out I could change the value to show CPU Package temps instead so I went into BIOS to change it, just to find it was already showing CPU temps. Which now that I look on HWINFO makes sense. It showing all the time on board means I don't need to track package temps in HWINFO.

 

[Zed Clampet]

I knew I was one bios behind but it seems two more came out while I wasn't noticing. One was in beta and the other two snuck out in last 2 months.

So now on F10 which only came out last month. I don't generally update BIOS just because they exist but PC is still fairly new... or feels like it. I will slow down soon.

It changed something I had managed to avoid for the last 6 years, it enabled Secure Boot by default. Lucky my nvme have never been formatted as MBR so I didn't need to worry about a blank screen afterwards. I was a little concerned as I had seen it happen on Gigabyte boards in the past. Not to me, other people.

Guess I can play some of the new games that require it now.

One thing I forgot about BIOS flashes. They reset the TPM which in turn resets your PIN. Not ideal when you don't know what your password is. I thought I had it but turns out that password was for Google, which did help in the long run. As I had to logon to the account to get an email from Microsoft to confirm I am me. All this work to just set the PIN back to what it was. They can't tell, PIN only saved locally... which does explain all the steps required to confirm ID.

I think I now have to set that password for office as well. I do that tomorrow. At least PIN remains the same so I shouldn't have any problems on my old PC.

Set Expo so ram at right speed at least.

BIOS update program couldn't see my USB C flash drive with the BIOS files on it, but it could see my 4tb ssd so I just unzipped it into a folder in windows, and flashed it from there. I had problems getting program to see USB drives last time as well. Need to remember it sees ssd for next time.

I had noticed the segmented display on motherboard was showing different values and thought it was just cause I had ram installed that isn't on QVL. I then found out I could change the value to show CPU Package temps instead so I went into BIOS to change it, just to find it was already showing CPU temps. Which now that I look on HWINFO makes sense. It showing all the time on board means I don't need to track package temps in HWINFO.

I have a BIOS update, but I'm waiting until something goes wrong before I update it. Last time I did a BIOS update, it borked my computer

 

[Colif]

Normally you don't need to update the bios unless you upgrading CPU or if it might fix a problem you have. They not something you do on a whim. I had been stalling mine for a while and knew one had come out of beta, but had missed the last two.

I would do it if it fixes a security problem. Mine fixed a few
I had been on F7 before tonight

top one could help my ram as I do have sk hynix ram but the attacker needs to be local to even attempt the attack, and bios blocks it now.

But if PC is working fine, I would just leave it alone. Why break something that works.
All things considered it was one of the easier bios updates I had done. The Segmented display thing confused me for a while, would have been nice if one of the updates mentioned it enabled that by default as well.

Newer boards have ways to fix bad flashes. You just use bios flash back and put a new one over broken one. Most gigabyte boards let you flash bios without even having a CPU installed.

you probably have a specific USB port on back of board and maybe a button there as well.

if you use the Q flash tool inside the bios it can access your local drives, which made installing mine faster once I realised.

 

[neogunhero]

Cases have always been one area of PC building that I don't put much thought into. My next build I'd like to have something that is actually good and provides great air cooling performance.

My current case, Rosewill Challenger S (couldn't embed pic)


Definitely an "old school" look to it. The front USB hub barely works anymore. No side panel, and it has a mesh side which may not be good for cooling, but my temps are rarely ever above 50c so I don't mind it.

I like how there is a lot of space inside, but there is a lack of cable management features. I just have all the loose cables stuffed behind the mobo.

I have a bad habit of updating BIOS whenever I notice a new one available. The only time I was required to was when installing my 5700X. Besides that, I have a weird feeling that if I don't have the latest drivers and updates on everything I could be missing out on performance, functionality, whatever, or it's just a peace of mind thing knowing I have the latest updates. Thankfully I never had a BIOS update bork my PC, but it could still happen one day. I'm the same way about CPU chipset drivers, most people never think about them but I update mine every few months. No real reason to, it doesn't improve performance, just a weird thing I do.

 

[neogunhero]

I forgot to mention that I also ripped the HDD bay from the case. It had a couple screws holding it down and last year I decided it was not needed and could be removed to give front intake fans more space to push air. It made no sense with it directly in front of the intake fans, it wouldn't push the air through the case very well while having that bay obstructing it. Also top clearance of the case is very minimal. With my Deepcool air cooler, I had to get a Slim version of an Arctic fan to put up there. It's a hassle to build in but I've used it for 7 years now, and my previous case was the Rosewill Challenger non-S version, so I'm used to it I suppose.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Not many cases even have 3.5 inch Hard drive bays now, Ive always pulled them out for the same reason you did, they just obstruct airflow.

I also tend to update BIOS whenever I notice a new one, theres always something it improves even if its not noticeable. Always worth checking the reaction to it first though, doesnt have to be done until its a month or more in the wild. Never had one fail yet so havent felt the need to be cautious.

 

[Colif]

My next build I'd like to have something that is actually good and provides great air cooling performance.

Best idea is to look at Gamers Nexus case reviews and see what is at top of their cooling charts and go from there. That is how I picked my current one. There would be better choices now, I just decided I didn't want to know once I had mine... its too late. Mine was best Air cooling case of 2024.

Not many new cases include space for hdd. Some will in the PSU area. Mine came with this part that I could have put two drives in and mounted under blue fans in base of case (seen behind in shot below), but I don't have any and not having it in may help with air flow.

though looking at it, one would have to be an ssd.
I also have 3 drive bays attached to back of motherboard tray, and 2 ssd trays as well, I tend to forget those.
they don't obstruct air flow, my ssd is installed in one at back of board and its always coolest drive,

New motherboards are reducing number of sata ports as well, nvme replacing them. So there is that obstacle to new hdd as well. Honestly you should go nvme anyway. Mine only has 4 sata ports. That will cause problems in future for fan hubs that use them for power.

If your PC is a few years old and you haven't changed any hardware, new bios updates unlikely to do anything helpful. After a while I just stop looking.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I think mine has them under the PSU shroud but my last 2TB hard drive went bad and I never bothered getting another. I only really keep games and old photographs on discs, and my photos are all in the cloud these days anyway.

 

[Colif]

All my documents are created and saved on Onedrive. The only things on drives are the same as you, and applications. And flac files, but I think I copied those onto a USB drive now. Need to load them onto DAP as well.

10tb of space, about 7tb free.
2tb drive for C with only 287gb used
4tb Nvme just for games. 3tb free still
4tb ssd with a massive 55gb used on it.
Some of the games were there just to fill in space. I removed some last week.

multiple drives is just a left over from the bad old days when drives died faster than they do now. Last drive I had die was in 2012 or so. But memory of lost files keeps me wanting multiple drives, even if need no longer exists.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I've got 3 drives, guess I could put in another SATA one but at this point Id rather just put in a bigger NVME. That is, if and when prices ever come back to earth, luckily I can probably wait a couple of years and only have it be an inconvenience.

 

[Colif]

I wish the bios update notes had mentioned that the segmented display now showed CPU temps in windows, as I wouldn't have panicked like I did. I had no clue what the numbers meant, I just noticed it kept changing and after looking the numbers up on Google thought it meant ram errors or something.

At this point I read that you could change them to show temps, so I figured... windows seems okay, I just change what the display shows. Then BIOS showed it already was showing temperatures.

Now its an easy way to tell if I need to open door to let cool air in, if it goes over 50c at idle. From memory my last PC used to idle warmer than that already. In summer anyway.

 

[Colif]

OMEN by HP 45L Gaming Desktop GT22-3090, Windows 11 Pro, Intel® Core™

OverviewBuilt for extreme performance, the OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop PC is designed for gaming from the ground up. Powered by the latest Intel® Processor, the OMEN by HP gaming desktop takes cooling to incredible heights with a unique cooling chamber. Created for easy tool-less upgradeability with...

hyperx.com

Hope they have fixed it in the last 4 months.

64gb of ram is not bad these days, not fastest ram but can't really complain now.
Shame current intel isn't best choice for games PC.

At least they saying its from HP and not just labelling it HyperX.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Shame current intel isn't best choice for games PC.

They might be soon, but it might not last long. The new Ultra Core 9 mobile CPU for laptops is an absolute beast of a mobile CPU. It's the best on the market right now. Even the lowly Ultra Core 3 beats the AMD 9000HX. And the integrated graphics are as good as an RTX 4050.

The 18A fabricator that will be making the new Nova Lake chips. It's even more advanced than TSMC's new fabricator, and it's already in production. Nova Lake will, supposedly, have a massive cache designed for gaming, and it's predicted it will have a huge jump in single core and multi core processing.

I'm not sure what they are basing their guesses on, but everyone seems to be in agreement that Nova Lake will beat the current AMD lineup. However, AMD is coming out with Zen 6 in 2027. My guess just from reading up on it is that we'll be back to parity between Intel and AMD at that point, but no one really knows anything until the chips actually arrive and are tested. It's not hard to imagine AMD regaining the lead at that point.

One big advantage AMD will have is that you won't need a new motherboard, unlike Nova Lake.

Also, Intel has fallen short on it's promises lately, almost as bad as AMD used to with their GPUs, so it's probably best to take a "wait and see" attitude.

 

[Colif]

Another advantage many on AMD upgrading will have alongside using same motherboard is they can use the same ram.

Ramogeddon will make buying new ram for an Intel desktop an expensive choice.

Not looking at Zen 6 this year unless they surprise everyone and release the X3d now and not in 2027 as expected.

Amd also holding the 9950x3dx2 in wings, was expected at CES,

I don't count laptops as PC so don't care who wins that argument. Most force you to have co pilot more heavily used than on desktop, whereas I can just ignore it exists.

unrelated
Top of my case too dark now, might buy something like

RAYWE Magnetic ARGB LED Strip Dual Side Lighting Strip Rainbow PC Case Light Bar with 5V 3Pin ARGB Header Sync Lighting Effect : Amazon.com.au: Lighting

RAYWE Magnetic ARGB LED Strip Dual Side Lighting Strip Rainbow PC Case Light Bar with 5V 3Pin ARGB Header Sync Lighting Effect : Amazon.com.au: Lighting

www.amazon.com.au

and attach to top of the case to even the lighting out.

 

[Colif]

Report claims Nvidia will not be releasing any new RTX gaming GPUs in 2026, RTX 60 series likely debuting in 2028

It might be two years before we see Nvidia launch new RTX GPUs.

www.tomshardware.com

Nvidia just needs to reset the expectations of gamers as to what a GPU offers them. They been expecting too much recently and need a wake up lesson
The 6050 will start at 10k USD and maybe have Ray Tracing

People will be begging for them by then. Buying space on all the AI servers will also be about only way anyone can afford a GPU going forward.



Someone with more contacts in the industry is saying there is no actual decision made about 2027 yet, as no one knows what future holds. AI bubble might pop and we could be in a different place by then.

Lots of rumours but no actual facts.

 

[neogunhero]

Report claims Nvidia will not be releasing any new RTX gaming GPUs in 2026, RTX 60 series likely debuting in 2028

It might be two years before we see Nvidia launch new RTX GPUs.

www.tomshardware.com

Nvidia just needs to reset the expectations of gamers as to what a GPU offers them. They been expecting too much recently and need a wake up lesson
The 6050 will start at 10k USD and maybe have Ray Tracing

I’m in a privileged position to say this because I have a latest series GPU but I think it’s about time we hit the pause button on GPUs, though not for the reasons that’s causing it. GPU generation for a while have gotten pretty incremental when gamers would like to see larger performance boosts. They do bring good changes but not a major generational leap that we wish we could see.

I’ve said this before in the past but with the memory shortage, I hope that this starts to shift the focus on game engine optimization and upscaler improvement. DLSS 4.5 and FSR Redstone are nearly perfect but that doesn’t mean we should stop improving them. More widespread adoption of the latest tech is also important. Perhaps also focus on trying to improve upscaling for older cards since people are going to be stuck with what they got for a while.

GPU pricing is creeping up again so not making any new cards and focusing on the software side of things seems like a good approach moving forward. Unfortunately it’s all due to bad circumstances.

 

[Colif]

Problem with wanting more increases in power is that the top end is running into power issues, I have said this before. the 6090 either has to have two of the 600watt cables attached or use more features, as we getting to the silly end with how much it takes to increase power.
The rest of cards are stagnant though. As since top isn't getting increasingly powerful, Nvidia been forced to release incrememntal increases. They had planned on releasing the Super series with better specs and more ram... but the ram situation has cancelled those.

Ideally they don't plan on a Super series, and just make the release cards better, but well... profit. Always someone out there who wants a Nvidia card, no one else makes cards after all... what choice do they have?

AMD: I don't have as much background buying their cards to know what they are like. the raster increase on my new one compared to last isn't that massive but the RT ability is better. They were already pretty good with raster, RT is where they playing catch up still.
If Nvidia too busy making AI stuff, perhaps AMD can catch up next gen. There are rumours but nothing actually exists yet.
I hadn't really planned on getting a 9070, it just sort of happened. I was going to wait for next gen but like Nvidia AMD haven't said anything about next year yet.

I still have my last two GPU so I am not overly concerned about it.

 

[Colif]

One of its new features is Multi LInk Operation which means it can broadcast on 3 bands at once to speed up communication.
Most new models advertise they can do it all

None of them actually do. Many of them do the bare minimum and have relied on fact no one checked.

If the known brands are lying I hate to think what the cheaper ones offer

No reason to buy Wfi 7 router until they do. Perhaps in a a few years... meanwhile early adopters get burned.

 

[Zed Clampet]

@Colif AMD is like a little puppy following Nvidia around and just copies its tech. Every single advancement in GPUs has been done first by Nvidia and then copied by AMD. I don't care. They just seem like an odd company to idolize.

 

[neogunhero]

No reason to buy Wfi 7 router until they do. Perhaps in a a few years... meanwhile early adopters get burned.

I'm barely on Wifi 6 let alone Wifi 6E...
The only devices that support Wifi 6 in my house: Our phones and a tablet.

@Colif AMD is like a little puppy following Nvidia around and just copies its tech. Every single advancement in GPUs has been done first by Nvidia and then copied by AMD. I don't care. They just seem like an odd company to idolize.

Eh, I get what you're saying but I also have to disagree. It's no secret they've always been behind Nvidia in terms of graphics, but if you look at AMD as a whole, they are every bit as interesting and important as Nvidia is. They may not get the massive government and AI contracts but they keep their head down and work hard. They are at the top of their game in the CPU space and seem to be doing good with their business IT side. However, criticism is due when needed, they have made some absolutely baffling business choices over the years, and their graphics division is just not up to par compared to Nvidia.

AMD never really focused on graphics until acquiring ATI in 2006, and by then ATI themselves were starting to struggle. Only a few short years later and AMD starts splitting ATI off. One of their biggest business blunders was selling ATI's mobile graphics division to Qualcomm in I think 2009, right before the major smartphone SOC goldrush. They missed out on some major money there, presumably because they still didn't fully understand graphics at that point.

Overall I still see them as the "underdogs" amongst the big three - AMD, Intel and Nvidia. They're not perfect, their graphics division could use a major kick in the pants, but I still support them now more than ever. I just want to see them win and not get completely monopolized by Nvidia.

 

[neogunhero]

Speaking of all that, I have gotten pretty interested in the GPU scene of the 90s. Did you know at some point in the 90s there was estimated to be up to 70 different companies making computer graphics solutions?

One of the most interesting companies from that time was BitBoys Oy from Finland. They started out as a demogroup, another major interest of mine, and split off into making graphics hardware. They struggled to come out with an actual marketed product because their team was so small. Whenever they announced something new, another company surpassed them shortly after. They had the knowledge and experience to make GPUs, but again being a small team, could not deliver it in time. They also had issues with their manufacturers, before eventually being bought by ATI and started working on mobile graphics for them. As mentioned above, AMD sold off ATI's mobile graphics divions to Qualcomm, meaning that in the end the BitBoys mission paid off. Over a decade of being the butt-end of jokes lead them to being apart of the most important mobile graphics companies in the world. No one really knows who left from the original team still works at Qualcomm, presumably none, I just hope that they got the legacy they deserved. I should make Youtube videos on the obscure history of GPUs and the people making them.

 

[Zed Clampet]

I'm barely on Wifi 6 let alone Wifi 6E...
The only devices that support Wifi 6 in my house: Our phones and a tablet.


Eh, I get what you're saying but I also have to disagree. It's no secret they've always been behind Nvidia in terms of graphics, but if you look at AMD as a whole, they are every bit as interesting and important as Nvidia is. They may not get the massive government and AI contracts but they keep their head down and work hard. They are at the top of their game in the CPU space and seem to be doing good with their business IT side. However, criticism is due when needed, they have made some absolutely baffling business choices over the years, and their graphics division is just not up to par compared to Nvidia.

AMD never really focused on graphics until acquiring ATI in 2006, and by then ATI themselves were starting to struggle. Only a few short years later and AMD starts splitting ATI off. One of their biggest business blunders was selling ATI's mobile graphics division to Qualcomm in I think 2009, right before the major smartphone SOC goldrush. They missed out on some major money there, presumably because they still didn't fully understand graphics at that point.

Overall I still see them as the "underdogs" amongst the big three - AMD, Intel and Nvidia. They're not perfect, their graphics division could use a major kick in the pants, but I still support them now more than ever. I just want to see them win and not get completely monopolized by Nvidia.

You're misreading me a little. First of all, just as an FYI, I'm not a member of any of these weird hardware fanboy communities. I genuinely like AMD, Intel and Nvidia exactly the same, although I'm beginning to feel a bit neglected by Nvidia. The only company in this universe that I'm a genuine, and reluctant, fanboy of is Valve. I never wanted to be a Valve fanboy. I didn't ask to be one. It just happened as I watched them through the years. They are simply the best at what they do, and they seem to be honest and to genuinely like gamers. So many other game companies don't really like gamers.

But on to my actual response, I like AMD. I do believe they have become a company that follows the leader (in GPU terms), and that disappoints me somewhat because when they first arrived on the scene to challenge Intel, they were the rule breakers, the disruptors. I want them to be that again. They have done much better recently in the CPU space, but that's not where I want them to lead, and it's largely because Intel just dropped the ball. But GPUs are where we need the help. They were mildly disruptive with the new GPUs, creating a true value competition with Nvidia for the first time in ages. I want to see them continue down that path.

And this is not because I dislike Nvidia. I like Nvidia. But we need major competition in this area, especially as Nvidia is, rightfully so, spending every moment of its day in AI fueled fantasies. It's developed a "Not now, gamer friends. Can't you see we're vacuuming up Benjamins? We'll get back to you." attitude. And this is going to take a lot longer to get to the end of than the crypto nonsense.

 

[neogunhero]

But on to my actual response, I like AMD. I do believe they have become a company that follows the leader (in GPU terms), and that disappoints me somewhat because when they first arrived on the scene to challenge Intel, they were the rule breakers, the disruptors. I want them to be that again. They have done much better recently in the CPU space, but that's not where I want them to lead, and it's largely because Intel just dropped the ball. But GPUs are where we need the help. They were mildly disruptive with the new GPUs, creating a true value competition with Nvidia for the first time in ages. I want to see them continue down that path.

Spot on. Intel was failing to deliver when AMD started picking up steam in the CPU space. That's kind of what happened to Nvidia as well, AMD's graphics cards were lackluster and Nvidia saw an oppurtunity to surpass the competition and took it. AMD was mildly disruptive with their great pricing on current gen cards and held down prices a lot longer than Nvidia, so props to them for that. I do wish they'd accelerate the graphics team more, pushing them to at least *try* and surpass Nvidia. It seems like they're comfortable being in second place which is never a great mindset to have.

Nvidia has absolute truckloads, no, BOATloads of money, they could drop their single biggest investment into GPU R&D, but the returns aren't as great as if they put that money into AI R&D.