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FMod

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  1. After my last install failed after reinstalling the OS, I've been very cautious with mods this time. No merging the Strip, no wall removal, nothing heavy except for the essentials such as PN. Everything was installed with Vortex, it's managing the load order as well. Wrye Flash only used for diagnostics. I've got 78 ES* files running fine so far.

     

    However, installing any out of a number of unrelated mods causes a freeze-on-exit problem.

    (The game can only be ended by win+tab and a task manager on a new desktop. Alt+F4 makes it worse, have to sign out.)

     

    The mods in question include:

    https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/48863 (Penguin Remodels---Boulder City)

    https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/49695 (Novac Public Library) - both original and self esp-ified version

     

    Also had this with https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/52581 - but only base version, not EC (have EC installed). So narrowed it down to the two above. I'm sure there's a lot more that will cause the same problem.

     

    That's 3 mods that do almost nothing but change a few cells. These look too unconnected to be problems on their own.

    Experiment 1: Activating just the "problem mods" and nothing else works fine. No FOE.

    Experiment 2: Activating 5 extra random plugins (total 83 ES*) caused no problem. Merging mods didn't solve the problem. So it's not just total mod count.

    Experiment 3: Disabling EC and ILO does not remove the issue.

     

    So this looks like some compatibility issue, but... I have no idea what could be messing with what in this order. Sure, EC and ILO mess with everything, but removing them doesn't help. I can totally live without these mods, but I'm concerned that it's a symptom of a worse problem that will mess with other mods.

     

    Any idea what it could be? What direction to look into?

     

     

    Active Mod Files:

     

    00  FalloutNV.esm  [CRC: 26D5B980]
    01  DeadMoney.esm  [CRC: D70F165B]
    02  HonestHearts.esm  [CRC: 2352B189]
    03  OldWorldBlues.esm  [CRC: 7F8F8225]
    04  LonesomeRoad.esm  [CRC: 30073D50]
    05  GunRunnersArsenal.esm  [CRC: 0AAC938D]
    06  ClassicPack.esm  [CRC: 41F95714]
    07  MercenaryPack.esm  [CRC: D377B2B9]
    08  TribalPack.esm  [CRC: 0DE09873]
    09  CaravanPack.esm  [CRC: 228740D1]
    0A  YUP - Base Game + All DLC.esm  [CRC: 2E0991C7]
    0B  ACES - Casino Data Extension.esm  [CRC: 3F9BA785]
    0C  Interior Lighting Overhaul - Core.esm  [Version 6.9.0]  [CRC: 2B1102F9]
    0D  IWR.esm  [CRC: 5B668AA2]
    0E  ELECTRO-CITY - CompletedWorkorders.esm  [CRC: EC7EB1BE]
    0F  SaxxonsQuestPack.esm  [CRC: DF6EFEF5]
    10  Less Empty Primm.esp  [CRC: 34F4D6DF]
    11  The New Bison Steve Hotel.esm  [Version 107]  [CRC: 7D80DE01]
    12  More Traits.esm  [Version 1.0.0]  [CRC: 820E087D]
    13  Project Nevada - Core.esm  [CRC: 2345512B]
    14  More Perks.esm  [CRC: 28CE3B92]
    15  FCOMaster.esm  [CRC: D8252B38]
    16  oHUD.esm  [CRC: 279B63E9]
    17  Project Nevada - Equipment.esm  [CRC: 2B4F3224]
    18  Project Nevada - Rebalance.esp  [CRC: E22291D8]
    19  Project Nevada - Cyberware.esp  [CRC: 2E724F8C]
    1A  Project Nevada - Extra Options.esm  [CRC: AB2F211D]
    1B  Interior Lighting Overhaul - L38PS.esm  [Version 1.1]  [CRC: 60C4877D]
    1C  YUP - NPC Fixes (Base Game + All DLC).esp  [CRC: 30286109]
    1D  Base items.esp  [CRC: 7C6CA697]
    1E  Hardcore Needs Adjusted.esp  [CRC: B52E10EF]
    1F  MassRecalibration.esp  [Version 2]  [CRC: B79CDC5F]
    20  Mark and Recall.esp  [CRC: 37DF6B74]
    21  ExtendedNVRadio.esp  [CRC: 5188930F]
    22  FCO - NPC Changes.esp  [CRC: 0FFAA819]
    23  Vurt's WFO.esp  [CRC: 31B1B874]
    24  BTB - Beyond the Borders.esp  [CRC: AEECD948]
    25  NiptonRebuilt.esp  [CRC: D6AA660B]
    26  Primm Reborn.esp  [CRC: 480E0AAB]
    27  MJVEOutpost.esp  [CRC: 4D71F416]
    28  outsidebets.esp  [CRC: 270E2BFD]
    29  Novac Reborn.esp  [CRC: 95879E69]
    2A  More Perks Update.esp  [CRC: B6C3123B]
    2B  ACES - Casino Overhaul.esp  [CRC: 4387782C]
    2C  Project Nevada - Rebalance Complete.esp  [CRC: 5A9BCC6D]
    2D  Project Nevada - All DLC.esp  [CRC: AEE75381]
    2E  EVE FNV - ALL DLC.esp  [CRC: 6C17EC3E]
    2F  WeaponModsExpanded.esp  [CRC: 92A9B6AD]
    30  Goodsprings Reborn.esp  [CRC: 1538A484]
    31  More Traits Update.esp  [CRC: 62C8F5A5]
    32  WMX-DLCMerged.esp  [CRC: B8E04023]
    33  ACES - Extra Slots.esp  [CRC: A2DA4223]
    34  NV_STTraitsandPerks - NVSE.esp  [CRC: A0F97819]
    35  DYNAVISION 3.esp  [CRC: 9F6EDF5F]
    36  FCO - The New Bison Steve.esp  [CRC: 86FB3708]
    37  Project Nevada - Cyberware Additions.esp  [CRC: BBFBAFD5]
    38  The Mod Configuration Menu.esp  [Version 1.5]  [CRC: ACBFF898]
    39  WMX-EVE-AllDLCMerged.esp  [CRC: 4256050B]
    3A  ILO - YUP Patch.esp  [Version 1.0]  [CRC: 9E34DA2D]
    3B  CASM with MCM.esp  [CRC: C000DBE2]
    3C  IWR - Rebuilt.esp  [CRC: C141CBD1]
    3D  CourierCacheWSE.esp  [CRC: D6957F21]
    3E  Goodsprings Filler.esp  [CRC: 52E822F2]
    3F  WorkingCrimsonCaravanTraders.esp  [CRC: 5A98F21F]
    40  Radiation Radio.esp  [CRC: 7E7459EA]
    41  OldWorldRadio.esp  [CRC: AC42984B]
    42  myradio.esp  [CRC: 8725BB31]
    43  mojave music radio expanded v1.1.esp  [CRC: 76342D3C]
    44  Ultra Luxe Fountain Cut Content.esp  [CRC: 36C3353E]
    45  Radio Free Wasteland.esp  [Version 1.0]  [CRC: FB058042]
    46  Cyber Crown Radio.esp  [CRC: 8B33E73E]
    47  WMX-ModernWeapons.esp  [CRC: 3556EA2A]
    48  WMX-POPMerged.esp  [CRC: 852FA7C2]
    49  Conelrad 640-1240.esp  [CRC: B8E7A2BF]
    4A  R.A.C.E. Station.esp  [CRC: 3280F4E7]
    4B  CaravanOverhaulCompilation.esp  [CRC: 5733D03B]
    4C  FCO - OHSB NPC Edits.esp  [CRC: 6CFD2C0F]
    4D  Base_Tweaks.esp  [CRC: 592B2EC5]

     

     

    NVSE DLL: NVAC, MCM, JIP_NVSE, UI_Organizer. No ENB. 4G-enabled Steam exe.

    System is W10 1809, Z390/9900k/64/1080Ti*2, no OC, almost new W10 install. Not even Alchemy.

  2. Does anybody know if SAS drives could be used on modern X299 chipsets?

    I know that's beside the question, but why? "Modern X299 chipsets" is an oxymoron; you're looking at 3 year old technology, repackaged with more cores.

     

    Intel Z370 is better at less-recent games, AMD Threadripper at everything else. There might be a narrow niche where you need specific games at a certain level of performance, but not at their best, for the sake of still second-rate multithreading performance - but there's a lot fewer people actually inside that niche than people who think they are.

     

    FWIW, Intel plans to release an 8-core 1151/Z390 chip later this year. If X299 was waiting for something to completely obsolete it, this is it. It will easily outperform 10-core and match 12-core X299 chips in productivity, wipe the floor with them in games. Still won't match Threadripper, but the latter is there and it's finally competitive in games as well. Unless you're one of the few people who will get the 16-18 core version, the X299 isn't worth bothering with.

  3. Hurray, I'm FINALLY getting a new desk! Trouble is, the blasted thing doesn't have a bottom to rest my CPU tower on like the old one did (but it DOES have a cupholder, so I'd call it a fair trade!). I can't just leave the poor thing sitting on the carpet...

     

    So far, searches online for "CPU stands" have turned up a few promising results, but a little digging revealed a LOT of complaints from unhappy customers.

    That thing is called a PC, not a CPU. The CPU is just the little chip inside. That might interfere with your searches.

     

    On the carpet is not a great place for the PC, though, because carpet fibers are very good at blocking ventilation flow. Like said above, a computer caddy should be what you need.

     

    Your case is actually not that large... try taking a full tower case with 10 PCI slots (clearance for that 3rd GPU), 20 kilos empty, fitting those GPU, filling it with hard drives, and adding water cooling. Now that makes for a heavy PC.

  4. Unscrew everything that unscrews. Take it apart. Assuming it's a cheap membrane - hopefully with a solid rubber pad, not a tiny dome per key - remove the membranes and the board, clean them separately. You should be left with a few hard plastic parts that hold 99% of the dirt.

     

    Don't bother removing the keycaps. Just open warm/hot water under as high pressure as you can get and wash it from both sides, the keycaps will pop out to let water in. If called for, add a bit of dish detergent, wait a while, use more water and a hard plastic brush. Remove some keycaps if there's something large stuck under them.

     

    Let dry for half a day on radiator or a day without once done.

    Leave compressed air for cleaning PCBs and mechanical keyboards. Water+surfactants are far superior for membrane ones.

  5. I'm usually the one helping people with problems, but this one has me stumbled.

    A month ago, my W10 Insider crashed irreparably, and I had to do a clean install. Clean formatted GPT SSD, UEFI boot, non-insider version this time.

    I reinstalled New Vegas via Steam and merged my previous New Vegas folder with the new one, my usual procedure. All games on a separate SSD.

     

    The game's mods were installed via NMM (last time I use it, promise) and I lost a couple files due to VirtualInstall bugs, all meshes. These included a few in \Data\meshes\characters\_male\, mentioning this in case it is serious.

     

    Now the game starts normally, but freezes in 2-3 minutes of loading a pre-reinstall save, consistently. It doesn't seem to matter whether I run around doing area loads or just stand still. Starting a new game (not that I want to) causes an instant freeze.

     

    Disabled CASM, no difference. Actually the game saves fine.

    Without NVSE, the game won't start at all, CTD.

    Without NVAC, also CTD in main menu.

     

    Active Mod Files:

     

    00  FalloutNV.esm
    01  DeadMoney.esm
    02  HonestHearts.esm
    03  OldWorldBlues.esm
    04  LonesomeRoad.esm
    05  GunRunnersArsenal.esm
    06  MercenaryPack.esm
    07  CaravanPack.esm
    08  YUP - Base Game + All DLC.esm
    09  ACES - Casino Data Extension.esm
    0A  The New Bison Steve Hotel.esm  [Version 107]
    0B  NVInteriors_Core.esm
    0C  Sortomatic.esm
    0D  NVEC BugFixes + NVCE.esm
    0E  IWR.esm
    0F  Caliber.esm
    10  CaliberXhonesthearts.esm
    11  NVInteriors_ComboEdition.esm
    12  More Perks.esm
    13  RustTownV1Master.esm
    14  NVStripOpen.esm
    15  More Perks for Honest Hearts.esm  [Version 1.0.0]
    16  Afterschool Special.esm  [Version 2.01]
    17  More Traits.esm  [Version 1.0.0]
    18  Project Nevada - Core.esm
    19  Project Nevada - Equipment.esm
    1A  Project Nevada - Cyberware.esp
    1B  Project Nevada - Rebalance.esp
    1C  Animated Eating and drinking.esm
    1D  CaliberXgunrunners.esm
    1E  More Challenges.esm  [Version 1.0.0]
    1F  More Perks for Old World Blues.esm
    20  More Perks for Companions.esm  [Version 1.0.0]
    21  Selective Fire.esm  [Version 1.4]
    22  Project Nevada - Extra Options.esm
    23  NPC Project.esm
    24  NVR-Strip.esm
    25  JIP Selective-Fire.esm
    26  oHUD.esm
    27  Tuneable Radios.esm
    28  More Perks for Dead Money.esm  [Version 1.0.0]
    29  YUP - NPC Fixes (Base Game + All DLC).esp
    2A  NVCE Main.esp
    2B  BTB - Beyond the Borders.esp
    2C  NiptonRebuilt.esp
    2D  MojaveExtended100.esp
    2E  Project Nevada - Rebalance Complete.esp
    2F  Project Nevada - All DLC.esp
    30  DarNifiedUINV.esp
    31  More Traits Update.esp
    32  More Perks for Companions Update.esp
    33  More Perks for Dead Money Update.esp
    34  More Perks for Old World Blues Update.esp
    35  DYNAVISION 3.esp
    36  ELECTRO-CITY - Imaginator.esp
    37  EVE FNV - ALL DLC.esp
    38  Project Nevada - EVE All DLC.esp
    39  NVCE DLC02.esp
    3A  NVCE DLC03.esp
    3B  XFO - 4a - Perks - Paths.esp
    3C  NVInteriors Addon.esp
    3D  NVInteriors_Rewritten.esp
    3E  LFox Bottle That Water.esp
    3F  Project Nevada - Cyberware Additions.esp
    40  RustTownAdditions3.esp
    41  Mark and Recall.esp
    42  outsidebets.esp
    43  Factions Reloaded Legion.esp
    44  Fixes.esp
    45  Reborns.esp
    46  NellisAFBRemade.esp
    47  More Perks Update.esp
    48  Freeside Food & Supplies.esp
    49  factions reloaded followers.esp
    4A  NVNovacApartament.esp
    4B  populatedcasino-light.esp
    4C  ACES - Extra Slots.esp
    4D  Machienzo - Regional Slots.esp  [Version 1.3]
    4E  Goodsprings Filler.esp
    4F  More Perks for Honest Hearts Update.esp
    50  NovacPlus.esp
    51  ProjectRealityMkIv5HDR.esp
    52  Lucky Dice.esp
    53  Vault Diner & Casino.esp
    54  BCFollowersClinic.esp
    55  Animated Eating PN.esp
    56  Mojave Express Expanded.esp
    57  WildBillsPawnArmory.esp
    58  SadiesSundries.esp
    59  Radiation Radio.esp
    5A  myradio.esp
    5B  NPC Project - Freeside.esp
    5C  New Vegas Trade Center.esp
    5D  NVR-NPCs.esp
    5E  NVR-Version_10.esp
    5F  NVFR-NVR-NVTC-Version_2.esp
    60  Existence 2.0.esp
    61  Dry Canyon.esp
    62  Radio Free Wasteland.esp  [Version 1.0]
    63  Cyber Crown Radio.esp
    64  Conelrad 640-1240.esp
    65  MassRecalibration.esp  [Version 2]
    66  R.A.C.E. Station.esp
    67  XFO - 6aa - Epic Skills - Effects Over 100 (NVSE req).esp
    68  BOSOffices.esp
    69  BOSAlphaBunker.esp
    6A  BoSUnforgotten.esp
    6B  HZFollowerCheatMenu.esp
    6C  Companion Sandbox Mode3.esp  [Version 3.1]
    6D  CaravanOverhaulCompilation.esp
    6E  Brotherhood Armor.esp
    6F  Companion Follows-Chalk.esp
    70  The Mod Configuration Menu.esp  [Version 1.5]
    71  ACES - Casino Overhaul.esp
    72  NukaCola-Ojo.esp
    73  Base_Tweaks.esp
    74  DialogueCut.esp
    75  Overrides.esp
    76  Merged Patch.esp
    77  Bashed Patch, 0.esp


    The last 5 plugins are my own low-risk tweaks (cut the frequency of random dialogue, change a few item stats) and two auto patches.

    NVSE plugins:

     

    10/04/2015 14:37 471,040 jip_nvse.dll
    10/04/2015 14:37 470,528 jip_nvse_ng.dll
    09/27/2015 14:20 428,032 lutana_nvse.dll
    12/27/2015 06:09 171,008 MCM.dll
    11/22/2015 11:23 150,016 nvac.dll
    09/30/2015 18:35 122,368 NVSE_EnhancedCamera.dll
    10/02/2015 18:14 1,949 NVSE_EnhancedCamera.ini
    10/24/2015 13:52 92,672 pn_nvse.dll
    09/27/2015 14:45 191,488 ui_organizer.dll

     

    Any ideas what could be the issue, what to investigate?

  6. Don't mean to be insulting, but... grow up, new hardware fails as much as used hardware.

     

    Your GPU chip's connection to the board is breaking apart. Thank the EU for the "ROHS" act, which has led to the premature dumping of half a million tons of electronics, soldered with leadless alloys, which don't last (and thus probably a hundred times the environmental damage ROHS sought to prevent).

     

    Nvidia's cards were hit the hardest, since they didn't pay much care to keeping their chip compatible with new inferior solders. Their 480 to 780 generations are especially infamous for breaking apart mid-life for no visible reason.
    It's kinda temperature related, your video card still works until temperature forces its broken solder apart. It will gradually get worse until it refuses to start altogether.

  7. Not to dump on the tool, but please keep in mind -

    - there have been no known attacks so far exploiting Spectre or Meltdown vulnerabilities.

     

    There are no developed-but-unused implementations, either. Such attacks are very difficult and generally not worth it in the world where people turn UAC off and click on whatever site they think might be funny.

     

    What makes Meltdown and Spectre significant is that they allow for a security breach on hardware level, which was previously thought implicitly secure and safe to rely on.

  8. If you're still around in 2108, I recommend that you feel no hesitation about using Windows XP. Any infection is still a probabilistic effect, and with your Luck maxed out, you have nothing to worry about.

     

    XP is not "popular", there's simply a large number of users, as in overwhelming majority, who would've had zero idea how to upgrade it, if they were aware of such a concept at all.

  9. While there are some extra features in Pro, I just don't see the probability of someone who isn't a serious power user ever using any of them as more than maybe 2%. And most have free alternatives, which tend to be more popular outside of corporate environments. For a novice user, some of the features (deferred updates and RDP) are outright counterproductive.

     

    Unless you actually want something in W10 Pro, I'd save the cost, small as it is, for something else. If you were buying it retail, Pro is the one to get (since it's transferable and can be used to upgrade another system), but this is just OEM OS tied to the rig.

  10. Nothing you really *need* to add, but there are ways to improve it, if you're ordering on the official website.

    Specifically, the config I've adjusted produced this at $2,103:

        Operating System: Windows 10 Home (64-bit Edition)
        New Year Featured Promotions: CYBERPOWERPC Skorpion K2 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, and more(1)
        Gaming Chassis: Cooler Master MasterBox 5t Mid-Tower Gaming Case with Fully Modular HDD/SSD cages & Side-Panel Window
        Laser Engraving: None
        Lighting: None
        Extra Case Fans: Default case fans
        Noise Reduction Technology: None
        CPU: Intel® Core™ Processor i7-8700K 3.70GHZ 12MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1151 (Coffee Lake)
        Venom Boost Fast And Efficient Factory Overclocking: No Overclocking
        CPU / Processor Cooling Fan: CyberpowerPC Asetek 550LC (White Color) 120mm Liquid Cooling CPU Cooler (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
        Coolant for Cyberpower Xtreme Hydro Water Cooling Kits: None
        Motherboard: CyberpowerPC Z370 SLI Xtreme ATX w/ RGB, 802.11ac WiFi, USB 3.1, 2 PCIe x16, 4 PCIe x1, 6 SATA3, 2 M.2 SATA/PCIe [Intel Optane Ready]
        RAM / System Memory: 16GB (8GBx2) RGB Lightning DDR4/3000MHz Memory Module (GSKILL Trident Z RGB)
        Video Card: EVGA GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti SC GAMING iCX Black Edition 11GB GDDR5X (Pascal)[VR Ready] (Single Card)
        Sli Bridge: Standard SLI/Crossfire Bridge
        EVGA Power: None
        HTC VIVE Virtual reality Headset: None
        Video Capture Card: None
        Power Supply: 850 Watts - EVGA 850W GQ 80 Plus Gold Power Supply
        M.2 SSD: 256GB WD Black Series PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD - Seq R/W: Up to 2050/700 MB/s, Rnd R/W up to 170/130k (Single Drive)
        INTERNAL PCI-E SSD CARD: None
        Hard Drive: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
        Freebies: Free 256GB WD Black Series PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for Desktops
        Secondary Hard Drive: None
        Hard Drive Cooling Fan: None
        External Storage: None
        Optical Drive: None
        Optical Drive 2: None
        External Optical Drive: None
        WiDi Router: None
        Internal Wireless Network Card: None
        Sound: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
        LCD Monitor: None
        Cables: None
        Speakers: None
        Internal Network Card: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
        Keyboard: CyberpowerPC Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
        Mouse: CyberpowerPC Standard 4000 DPI with Weight System Optical Gaming Mouse
        Mouse Pad: None
        Headset: None
        Gaming Apparel: None
        Gaming Gear: None
        Internal USB Expansion Module: None
        External Wireless Network Card: None
        Wireless Routers/Hubs: None
        Bluetooth: None
        Flash Media Reader/Writer: None
        Video Camera: None
        Power & Surge Protection: None
        USB Hub & Port: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
        External USB ADAPTER: None
        Professional Wiring: None
        Ultra Care Option: None
        Warranty: STANDARD WARRANTY: 1 Year Parts WARRANTY
        Service: 3 Years FREE Service Plan (INCLUDES LABOR AND LIFETIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT)
        Rush Service: Standard processing time: ship within 12 to 15 Business Days
    


    List of specific changes to make to arrive at this:

    Core Components tab, at the top:
    Click checkbox on CYBERPOWERPC Skorpion K2 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard ($5), mousepad ($0).
    Perhaps the headset too ($5). Don't select the mcafee thing however, nor the cable, it's 1.4 (you need 2.0).

    Video Card: EVGA GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti SC GAMING iCX Black Edition 11GB GDDR5X (Pascal)[VR Ready] ($50)
    Optional. Adds $50, but worth it. It's a custom 1080Ti version is quieter and clocked a little higher.

    Sli Bridge: Standard SLI/Crossfire Bridge ($0) - comes in the mobo box, you might need it later

    Power Supply: 850 Watts - EVGA 850W GQ 80 Plus Gold Power Supply ($20)
    Optional. This is a known high quality quiet unit, while IDK what their standard unit is. The price difference is small enough to make sure.

    M.2 SSD: 256GB WD Black Series PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD (-$9)
    No-brainer. A faster SSD (not that you'll notice, but why not) for less.

    Freebies: Free 256GB WD Black Series PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for Desktops [+0][New Year Daily Deal - Today Only!]
    Strange they're just including these, but they are today. Will probably be something else tomorrow.
    Fortunately the mobo does support two M.2 drives.

     

    As said above, these video and PSU upgrades aren't all that necessary, but I think they're worth the extra. The rest doesn't add to cost.

  11. That's a good one. Not as good as the X900E, but quite good.

    To run 4K@60@4:4:4 (which you should), you'll also need a "Premium Certified" HDMI 2.0 cable, like Monoprice ones. Might need to try different ports to get a 2.0 link.

     

    You'll want a powerful video card to drive it at 4K resolution. A 1080Ti will be best, suitable even for very demanding games at reasonably high settings. The 1080 will do most games at high settings, but dip a bit. HDR might be limited, but not a lot of PC games work well with it.

     

    I checked Alienware's website and the configuration in your initial post is weird. 32GB RAM is unnecessary, but they only seem to spec 16GB modules. A 460 watt supply, are they serious? The 8700K is a power-hungry CPU and so is the 1080. Even a very good 460W will run too close to its limits for comfort. It will be noisy, it won't overclock well, it will limit the PC's life. Dell dropped the ball here.

     

    The configuration you'd want would cost you $2,570. Since you've got (are getting?) an X850, not a Z9D or at least an X940E, I presume price matters.

     

    A similar prebuilt PC can be bought for less: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-xtreme-desktop-intel-core-i7-8700k-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-2tb-hdd-240gb-ssd-black/6163800.p?skuId=6163800

    That's $1,880 from Best Buy. It's not as compact, but for $700 I think you can live with that.

     

    I'm not specifically advocating for CyberpowerPC, it was just the first thing I found. Most 1080Ti's have been bought out by miners, so they're not cheap. I could build a slightly better PC at $1,800, all included, but $1,880 is a good deal for a prebuilt.

  12. What are you going to do about Meltdown? It's not a problem that you can fix.

    Furthermore, unless you plan to follow security best practices 100% of the time, a potential attacker won't even need these exploits. Their main purpose will be to install a rootkit or a hidden mining program on your PC.

     

     

    Veloth60, what's your budget? Name the number or the range and we can pick the optimal system for you. Also, what is your display, or what do you plan on getting for one?
  13. I can recommend... oh wait, it's only $5,000.

     

    You're in a difficult spot. 32" is right at the bottom end of the range for TVs, which since 2010 consistently offer much better picture quality than monitors. You could get a FALD with 500 nits brightness - a massive improvement over your average edge-lit 300 nit monitor.

    However, most 32" are out of production. None are 4K. 1440p is nonexistent. If you're interested in going down that route - 1080p, 32", possibly hard to find, and will be refurbished or used - please say so, I'll try to see what's good and can be found.

     

    With 1440p IPS, one way to go is Korean Crossover panels that can be overclocked up to 120-144 Hz. But they're 27". Very good for a 27" though.

     

    But an okay 32" will always be better than a good 27". In that range, the only 1440p close to your price range is this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J90PKPG/?tag=pcpapi-20

     

    Do you mine? If not, it's hard to imagine why might one spend $1,500+ on PC hardware and only leave $300 for the display. If yes, you should be getting over $100/month now from a single 1070 with gaming breaks.

  14. Optical beats laser in precision and thus game performance for a skilled user. Laser beats optical in surface recognition.

    Currently, major gaming-oriented makers are generally switching to optical (LED) over laser for new products.

     

    If you're using a crappy mousepad, or none at all, laser wins. But given that a cloth mousepad costs $5, and cheap and expensive ones offer equally perfect surface recognition, why bother?

     

    Hard mousepads make sense for people with limited hand precision, who need a fast, smooth, unyielding surface, to get reasonable performance at low sensitivity.

  15. I'm using a similar mousepad now, aluminum+plastic, but a Thermaltake one.

     

    It sucks. (Hey, don't judge me for buying it, like much of my rig it was a review sample.) The TT pad is a little thinner, but adds rubber corners - they help a lot against wrist scrapes, but no glue seems to hold them steady! - and a rubber mouse cable holder. The latter works.

     

    The "control" side sucks donkey balls. The "speed" side is usable, but it's not as good as a cloth pad (80% vs 90% surface recognition on Avior), and it keeps collecting dirt. Once it gets dirty, it makes the mouse skip for real, and the mouse gets to collect that dirt itself. The only reasons I keep using it are the mouse cable holder and the ability to get it 25% or so off the table edge. If I don't mind getting my wrist scraped by its aluminum core, that is.

     

    A cloth mouse pad just absorbs the dirt, you have to throw it into the machine every couple months, but that's it.

  16. In all games. And I'm not some intel-fan, I've specced my company to buy mostly AMD CPU - better value for money. But every time you're not dealing with a fully parallellized task, that 4.6 GHz (or 5 OC'd) comes in handy.

     

    You're gonna render in HD+ or do major FEA, cool, get a Threadripper. Better still, get a dual-socket 7301 (higher chips perma-throttle, though are faster anyway) and a good cooling solution. And you need that dual-socket RAM for demanding renderers and solvers, desktop RAM is nothing for them; 256 is good, 512 is better.

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