The Computer Thread

Intel’s new memory format is 1,000 times faster than current flash memory: "Tech giants Intel and Micron have announced a new class of computer memory called 3D XPoint, which the companies say is up to 1,000 times faster than the conventional NAND flash memory we use in devices today.

The new form of non-volatile memory is the first new category of memory technology since NAND flash was invented nearly three decades ago, marking a major turning point in how we could be storing and accessing data in the near-term future. In addition to the phenomenal speed gains, 3D XPoint is said to provide 1,000 times greater endurance when saving new data to the memory. It’s also 10 times denser than current flash, meaning it could lead to smaller components and ultimately even smaller devices."

Very impressive. We've been due for a breakthrough in that area for a while.

Windows 10 has some privacy issues:

The Guardian has more...

I still want it.

Installing anything "express" is always going to give problems. You're always encouraged to go custom and tick off anything you don't like.

Anyone who accepts default settings on any program without at least checking them, even if no changes are desired, is at best ignorant, and at worst a fool.

Well I got my Windows 10 installed. Everything went well and it's all nice and pretty.

All my drivers for my parts and so on have been restored but I've got one problem. Apparently my speakers don't exist.

Tried everything but I can't get the computer to recognize them. They are pretty cheap and old and shitty though so I'm thinking maybe I should just get rid of them.

Any suggestions for new speakers? I don't have a lot of money, mind you.

I'm not too much of a speaker guy, but anything within your price range, whatever it should be good enough.

I decided to try out Edge for a while. I imported the bookmarks from Chrome and Edge put all my bookmarks in reverse order and I can't rearrange them. Stupid.

Researchers design first firmware worm that can attack Macs: "For many of us Mac users, the fact that there aren’t a whole lot of viruses and malware out there that can mess with our browsers and operating systems is one of the brand’s biggest draw-cards. For some, it will be the deciding factor when figuring out whether to go the Mac or PC route.

But it’s time to dial back the smugness for a minute, because a couple of researchers in the US have designed a firmware worm that can infiltrate your MacBook, undetected, and then spread from MacBook to MacBook to MacBook, even if those MacBooks aren’t connected to a network."

iTunes is "illegal" in the UK. Dumbest thing I've read this week. Ripping CDs should not be considered a criminal offense!

Apparently people are still in that "don't copy that floppy" era.

I just upgraded to Windows 10. Loving it so far. Since Windows 10 plays nicely with ultra-high resolutions, I'm thinking of getting such a monitor. Not 2560x1440, but something beyond that, either 3200x1800 or 3840x2160.

I'm aware of the fact that you'd need to spend a ton of money on a graphics card for high-end gaming in 4K. I might just play those games at a lower resolution, like HD. But I think 4K would be awesome for stuff like Rayman Legends and Ori and the Blind Forest. I am not a realism chaser, and few games with realistic graphics (aside from, most recently, Skyrim) have gotten my attention.

What parts would you recommend? What things are compatible with each other that would be great for such a computer?

I realize I'll need to reinstall Windows, which doesn't make me happy, but I'd be okay with doing it. Might there be a way around it? I guess not if I'm installing a new motherboard.

If your copy of Windows is OEM, as comes with an off-the-shelf computer, then you would have to get a new license if you upgrade your motherboard. Otherwise, you're probably good. Seriously, though, if you're able to plunk down the cash for a 4K monitor and the graphics card you'll need to drive it, a Windows license is the least of your concerns.

My installation went off without any serious hitches, although GeForce Experience failed to automatically reinstall itself, so I had to re-download it along with the graphics driver. Some of my other apps errored on initial boot, but worked after I restarted them.

I also ran into a headache with Turbo LAN, a piece of software that came along with my Asus motherboard. It claims that a newer version is required for Windows 10 compatibility, but the download page it takes me to is for the shareware version. I can't find a way to get it to upgrade to the licensed one.

edited 10th Aug '15 6:37:31 AM by Fighteer

I'm in need of a good 5-7 port USB hub. My Belkin hub is on the fritz. It malfunctions when I hook up my USB drives (one is USB 3.0). The 3.0 device causes the hub to glitch out: freezing, locking up programs as they transfer data, loss of connection to my other USB devices.

What are some good brands? Belkin hubs seems to last for 2-3 years then crap out or die right out of the box. I wanna try another brand.

Try Orico or TP-Link.

Depth-sensing camera gleans 3-D information in bright sunlight as well as darkness: "Depth-sensing cameras, such as Microsoft's Kinect controller for video games, have become widely used 3-D sensors. Now, a new imaging technology addresses a major shortcoming of these cameras: the inability to work in bright light, especially sunlight."

I thought the "hardware ID" was based on your motherboard, CPU and GPU together?

If you're upgrading your motherboard, one presumes you're upgrading your CPU as well, and it was already stated that the purpose of this upgrade is to permit a beefier video card that can run a 4K monitor.

I'm having issues with my monitor. Every so often, maybe every half hour or so, the screen blacks out for a second or two. I had this problem before (with this same monitor), but realized it was caused by a loose power cord. Doesn't seem to be the case this time. Any suggestions?

Ok, my plan of getting a new PC has hit a snag.

Due to financial contraints, my PC budget is now reduced to $500 something and I need help to get specs for it.

Can someone give me a list of parts for this?

I assume you'll be keeping your existing peripherals, like monitor, speakers, and mouse/keyboard. Building on that kind of budget requires severe compromises. MMO-Champion publishes a "Setup of the Month" article every so often; here's the latest. Skip to the bottom to see the recommended parts for each build. The "Puppy" should come in under $500 with shipping, but don't count on capping framerate in any recent games.

edited 19th Aug '15 6:19:43 AM by Fighteer

You could take a look at this one. It's a pretty good bang for your buck setup that stays in your price range. It might not max out modern games at 1080 p ,but it gets pretty darn close.

So what is the verdict on Crossfire and SLI configurations? Obviously one card is more stable than two, but I currently have an R9 280x and am interested in increasing performance by buying another one. At the same time, people on other forums are complaining about compatibility problems and unbearable microstuttering. What do you think?

edited 19th Aug '15 10:09:41 AM by shooterboss

Compared to Xbone and PS 4, how do they perform?

Microsoft and Sony use dedicated hardware and sell consoles below cost as a loss leader, so it's not directly comparable by price. For pure gaming, a console will outperform a PC of the same price because it's optimized for that purpose.

But the PC wins in the variety department because of one word: Steam. Plus, you can turn down settings in games to improve framerates, although they won't look as pretty as they do on your 50" HDTV.

A $500 PC is not going to compete with a console on performance, in other words.

edited 19th Aug '15 11:55:30 AM by Fighteer