PC Advice. Keypads/GPUs etc.

SoloFlyer

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May 27, 2018
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I have what amounts to no more than a rudimentary level of knowledge when it comes to PC stuff. I still wanted to build my own PC though, hadn't done it before. I ended up looking at Tom's Hardware a lot for reviews and recommendations on gaming parts whenever they had an updated comparison list and pcpartpicker to make sure that what I settled on was actually compatible. That was two years ago and I'm still fairly happy with the results, though of course I had buyers remorse at first because "if I only had waited X more months I could have had the new shiny".
 

Vavrik

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I have what amounts to no more than a rudimentary level of knowledge when it comes to PC stuff. I still wanted to build my own PC though, hadn't done it before. I ended up looking at Tom's Hardware a lot for reviews and recommendations on gaming parts whenever they had an updated comparison list and pcpartpicker to make sure that what I settled on was actually compatible. That was two years ago and I'm still fairly happy with the results, though of course I had buyers remorse at first because "if I only had waited X more months I could have had the new shiny".
In the computer industry, the new shiney is old before you get the old shiney home from the store.
 

Blind Owl

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(Any company names are for example only, and this might become kind of thick to understand.) I can talk about some of it, there isn't much secret here it's just that we don't know where everything is headed exactly. What's possible? Well a lot. There's a kind of convergence happening in technology development.

So yes, everything is going to cloud based, for one thing. In a few years, there won't be much of a reason to have a PC at all. You can already use a Google Chromebook, but that's not exactly what I mean. That's essentially a PC laptop that uses the internet instead of local storage. It's certainly a start though. You can play SC with a cell phone as a result but that's a kinda small screen. Try a tablet instead. Check out Samsung Galaxy X, or better known nowadays as the Galaxy Flip. Expect that technology to expand considerably in the next few years. Then there is also 5G "cellular" network, except that it's 10 times the bandwidth as we have been seeing. Wireless, to the next generation. 5G's 20Mb/s bandwidth is enough to a single device and that is the guarantee bandwidth for 5G. (Note... not the guarantee for throughput... networks can get busy.)

I'm having a bit of a problem explaining more, but there is a lot more. An area that I have spent a bit of time looking at for the last few years is generically called vision augmentation technology. You know those 3d headsets? Oculus and Vive for example (I like Vive too btw) yeah that... except not that. What I mean isn't even the next generation of VR. We have teams working on sending the video output of a computer system, directly to your brain. This is 25% of my life right now, kind of accelerated because I became a subject of the technology last summer. If IBM or Tesla wants a volunteer to test their research on, I'm their guy. Except that I have a competing idea, and not a lot of money. Basically I'm spending between 10 and 20 hours/week working on a way to replace human vision. It's a prototype at the moment. Edit: that's a comment that means "not quite working yet"

Also, you saw me talking about an AI I was working on a few times last year. This is part of the technology. I was talking about it because I was ecstatic that the damned thing worked first time. It still needs some tweaking, but I actually use it now, every day. It's the only way I can read anything, including posts in TEST, unless I want a massive headache because of the amount of concentration it requires. I'm trying to get the thing to work in 1 Gb of RAM. I'm using a Raspberry PI. It's opened up a whole plethora of "wearables technology", but I don't have time for everything. Or the money.
Jesus. Ok, so that explains why some people are saying that although the PlayStation currently outsells the XBOX, in the end, XBOX (Microsoft) will win out, as they are developing all their platforms into cloud based gaming. Same with Stadia. With a Stadia system, you can basically play anything you want, no multiple systems required. So is it even worth buying a new PC? Well, aside from SC, lol? In 5 years all games may just be cloud games that you can play through anything. Very, very interesting.

Also, those are some damn neat projects Vavrik. Colour me impressed.
Not a massage... I do hot showers instead. But some roasted chicken would be great. All I've had for the last 5 months is frozen fried crab from HEB and Costco.
Jesus brother, do I need to come down there and cook you a meal?
 

PeppaPigKilla

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Sep 15, 2019
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Cloud based gaming opens up pc gaming for the masses On Cheaper scale ( google stadia, shadowtech being a couple to mention). However I’ll be holding out for hardware for as long as the manufacturers make it, with data being the most valuable thing in the world I really dislike the idea of having cloud as my only option and the risks that come with it.


Also I’m totally uncool with subscription services. Instead of owning something outright we will all be renting technology and software, apps for your phones are making the shift now because the money in a subscription based service massively outweighs a one time cost.

forum software companies have been at it for ages, xenforo which this site uses and ipb be a couple to mention.
 

Vavrik

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Jesus. Ok, so that explains why some people are saying that although the PlayStation currently outsells the XBOX, in the end, XBOX (Microsoft) will win out, as they are developing all their platforms into cloud based gaming. Same with Stadia. With a Stadia system, you can basically play anything you want, no multiple systems required. So is it even worth buying a new PC? Well, aside from SC, lol? In 5 years all games may just be cloud games that you can play through anything. Very, very interesting.

Also, those are some damn neat projects Vavrik. Colour me impressed.
You've nailed it @Blind Owl, and you also related what I'm predicting to things you've noticed too. This is going to take a while so, go ahead and buy a PC just don't think that's what you'll be using forever - but PC's will just fall out of favor as it happens. It'll be a more natural transition than a revolution. What I said so far is kind of reading tea leaves. "Forward looking statement" and I don't have ESP. It's just a sense of what's happening.

Jesus brother, do I need to come down there and cook you a meal?
My youngest daughter and her fiance are staying here for a while to make sure we eat lol. She's just learning really so it'll be fun, but she bought the right groceries for it, for a change. Either my wife or I is going to need to supervise her.. I had to tell her how to boil eggs tonight. Then she tried to make rice for two people.
  • 1/2 cup of rice... Correct...
  • dash of salt. .. Correct...
  • 2 1/2 cups of water... Corr... Wait WAIT! How much rice?
 

Blind Owl

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What I said so far is kind of reading tea leaves. "Forward looking statement" and I don't have ESP. It's just a sense of what's happening.
In my line of work we call that an assessment, haha. Using confidence based upon the knowledge that you have.
You've nailed it @Blind Owl, and you also related what I'm predicting to things you've noticed too. This is going to take a while so, go ahead and buy a PC just don't think that's what you'll be using forever - but PC's will just fall out of favor as it happens. It'll be a more natural transition than a revolution.
Evolution. Dammit, Darwin was right!
My youngest daughter and her fiance are staying here for a while to make sure we eat lol. She's just learning really so it'll be fun, but she bought the right groceries for it, for a change. Either my wife or I is going to need to supervise her.. I had to tell her how to boil eggs tonight. Then she tried to make rice for two people.
  • 1/2 cup of rice... Correct...
  • dash of salt. .. Correct...
  • 2 1/2 cups of water... Corr... Wait WAIT! How much rice?
Oh dear. Oh my. Haha, so back to my question, do you need someone to come and cook for you?
 

Talonsbane

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Instructions unclear:
.bought amd cpu and intel gpu. added frozen rice. it all went up in a cloud.
No beer came out of the machine.
What am I doing wrong?
@Lorddarthvik , I suspect what you did wrong was not take into consideration the stealth abilities of most owls. I suspect a certain @Blind Owl might have used those skills to change the shipping address from that of the machine so that when he returns home, there will be a horde of accumulated forms of beer for him to enjoy as he adjusts back to normal. No worries though, I'd wager that I make that mistake all too often, but I keep forgetting that I have until I do it again & feel all the more stupid for doing so. Cheers!
 

Blind Owl

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@Lorddarthvik , I suspect what you did wrong was not take into consideration the stealth abilities of most owls. I suspect a certain @Blind Owl might have used those skills to change the shipping address from that of the machine so that when he returns home, there will be a horde of accumulated forms of beer for him to enjoy as he adjusts back to normal. No worries though, I'd wager that I make that mistake all too often, but I keep forgetting that I have until I do it again & feel all the more stupid for doing so. Cheers!
Stealth Owl? But I'm BLIND!!!


man that beer sounds and smells good though . . .
Naw, we definitely maybe got this. But if you want to come for a beer...
Hahaha, best of luck my friend. If I'm ever south, we shall meet.
 

Blind Owl

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Wow, was gunna make a thread about this, but it turns out that Past Owl already did, probably in case Future Owl needed it. And now Present Owl, who is kinda like Future Owl but just more present, does indeed have another question that Past Owl didn't ask (I don't think. I haven't actually re-read the thread).

So:
1440 vs 4k? What is best for gaming, and why? Further to that, is I go with either, what is the best monitor setup. I'm leaning towards a wide 1440, based on nothing at all. But I thought I'd ask all of you for your expert, or not so expert, opinions and advice.
Edit: I think they're called ultra wide monitors? Is that a thing? And is it good for gaming? Or am I better off with a widescreen monitor?
 
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Lorddarthvik

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Wow, was gunna make a thread about this, but it turns out that Past Owl already did, probably in case Future Owl needed it. And now Present Owl, who is kinda like Future Owl but just more present, does indeed have another question that Past Owl didn't ask (I don't think. I haven't actually re-read the thread).

So:
1440 vs 4k? What is best for gaming, and why? Further to that, is I go with either, what is the best monitor setup. I'm leaning towards a wide 1440, based on nothing at all. But I thought I'd ask all of you for your expert, or not so expert, opinions and advice.
Edit: I think they're called ultra wide monitors? Is that a thing? And is it good for gaming? Or am I better off with a widescreen monitor?
I'd go for a 1440p with high refresh rate (120hz+).
Also this:
View: https://youtu.be/ehvz3iN8pp4


Yes they are called ultra wide monitors. Lots of games (especially older ones) do not support them properly so you end up with a stretched image or the game running in a 16:9 box anyways.
I don't know what the final direction is on this, but if you recall the first implementations of helmets, most of them with smaller eyeslits (heavy armor, raider armor and such) had obscured visibility even on 16:9 monitors, thus fully negating the fov bonus that an ultrawide monitor gives. It seems like they are not doing this anymore, so it might be worth having ultra wide?
I dunno, all I know is I'll stick to my 16:9 and 16:10 monitors cos I like it that way (Also the 16:10 is necessary for my work)
 

Radegast74

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Blind Owl

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I'd go for a 1440p with high refresh rate (120hz+).
Also this:
View: https://youtu.be/ehvz3iN8pp4


Yes they are called ultra wide monitors. Lots of games (especially older ones) do not support them properly so you end up with a stretched image or the game running in a 16:9 box anyways.
I don't know what the final direction is on this, but if you recall the first implementations of helmets, most of them with smaller eyeslits (heavy armor, raider armor and such) had obscured visibility even on 16:9 monitors, thus fully negating the fov bonus that an ultrawide monitor gives. It seems like they are not doing this anymore, so it might be worth having ultra wide?
I dunno, all I know is I'll stick to my 16:9 and 16:10 monitors cos I like it that way (Also the 16:10 is necessary for my work)
Whaddaya know, Linus also did a video on best monitors for 2019, at various price ranges:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFZ5ofmZt58


and while we are at it, he also did a buyer's guide for video cards, although I'd hold off...AMD is about to release some new cards, maybe first quarter of 2020, so wait and see if Nvidia will lower hteir prices (ha ha hahahaha)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoDPTJ-3qCM
Thanks for the input lads. I'll watch these videos after work.
Just trying to ascertain which way I want to go come the new year when I look at getting a new system.
 

Lorddarthvik

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1440 - 144hz. Done. And damn, I was going to wait for the new Ampere architecture in the summer to get a new system, but maybe not. 2080 may do the trick, lol.
I just ordered a 2060 Super yesterday, should have it on Monday. That should be enough for me to get by for at least another 1-2 years (replacing my 1060 which goes into the wife's pc). The 2080 seems to be a not so great value/money option, you might want to look into it some more if it's worth it for your use case.
Thumbs uo for the 1440p 144hz. I'm looking into getting one myself later next year. Which one did you get?
 
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