General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Nvidia to Bring Back Overclocking of GTX 900M Series GPUS

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 02:39 PM PST

Nvidia GeForce logoNo more clockblocking with March update

Last week, Nvidia released a driver update that removed the ability for consumers to overclock their GeForce GTX 900M Series GPUs. The reason for this, the company explained, was that, "GeForce notebooks were not designed to support overclocking." Since then, there has been a general outcry from PC enthusiasts who might wish to overclock, or underclock, their mobile GPUs. In response, Nvidia has decided to restore the ability to overclock the GTX 900M series with a driver update that will be available in March.

"As you know, we are constantly tuning and optimizing the performance of your GeForce PC," said an Nvidia customer care representative in a support forum thread. "We obsess over every possible optimization so that you can enjoy a perfectly stable machine that balances game, thermal, power, and acoustic performance. Still, many of you enjoy pushing the system even further with overclocking."

The representative continued, "Our recent driver update disabled overclocking on some GTX notebooks. We heard from many of you that you would like this feature enabled again. So, we will again be enabling overclocking in our upcoming driver release next month for those affected notebooks." 

For those who would like to overclock their GPU, but are not willing to wait for the new driver, the representative added that consumers can revert back to driver version 344.75.

Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: CyberPower Intelligent LCD Series 600W UPS, Thermaltake 700W PSU, and More!

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 01:32 PM PST

CyberPower UPSnewegg logo

Top Deal:

Why is it that we never think about backups until it's too late? That's true whether the subject is storage or a power outage. Having a hard drive go bad or unexpectedly losing power will quickly remind you why you need backup. After all, you never know when someone's going to veer their vehicle off the road, onto the sidewalk, and knock down a massive utility pole, killing power to your home and everything electronic component inside, including your PC. To protect your computer from such an incident, check out today's top deal for a CyberPower Intelligent LCD Series 1000VA 600W Universal Power Supply for $95 with free shipping (normally $100 - use coupon code: [EMCANKX46]). This unit features nine outlets, USB and serial ports, noise filtering, and a whole lot more.

Other Deals:

AMD FX-6300 Vishera 6-Core 3.5GHz Socket AM3+ 95W Desktop Processor for $100 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCANKX24])

Thermaltake TR2 TR-700 700W Power Supply for $55 with free shipping (normally $60 - use coupon code: [EMCANKX32]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Western Digital Elements Black 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for $60 with free shipping (normally $65 - use coupon code: [EMCANKX35])

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4x4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory for $120 with free shipping (normally $135)

Microsoft Gifts Dropbox Users 100GB of OneDrive Storage for One Year

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 01:09 PM PST

OneDriveMore free storage

Like an overzealous patron at a gentlemen's club who just inherited a fortune, Microsoft can't help but to make it rain. Free storage, that is. It was only a week ago that Microsoft offered up 100GB of free OneDrive cloud storage for a year for signing up for Bing Rewards, and now Microsoft is taking aim at Dropbox users with a similar deal -- 100GB of free OneDrive cloud storage for a year simply for verifying their account.

Unlike previous offers, however, this latest giveaway isn't limited to Dropbox users living in the U.S. -- this one's good for all Dropbox users regardless of where they call home. To qualify, Dropbox users will have to register with OneDrive and save a "Get Started" PDF file to their Dropbox account. Once that's done, the 100GB of free OneDrive space will appear.

These offers aren't of any real benefit to paid Office 365 subscribers who receive unlimited storage as part of their subscription. At the same time, it doesn't hurt to take advantage of thse offers anyway, which can serve as insurance in the event that they stop subscribing.

I applied both the Bing Rewards and Dropbox offers to my account and it currently shows 10.2TB. Even though I have unlimited storage through my Office 365 subscription, the storage space is doled out in 10TB increments on an as-needed basis.

With this latest promotion, it would seem that Microsoft is trying to poach Dropbox users over to OneDrive, though that isn't necessarily the case. The two companies recently teamed up to improve integration between Office and Dropbox.

If you're a Dropbox user want to claim your 100GB of OneDrive storage, go here.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Graphics Porn (February 2015): Space Engine, Skyrim, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and More

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 12:34 PM PST

Need for SpeedShowcasing the sexiest, most photogenic game screenshots this side of the Internet

We're celebrating February with a gallery full of amazing screenshots. As always we've got a few obligatory Minecraft and Skyrim screens, but we've also got shots from newer games like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Ultraworld. Some supremely helpful folks over at /r/GamerPorn have again volunteered their work for this month's edition of Graphics Porn.

Whether you've been following our handy-dandy guide on how to capture beautiful-looking game screens or simply print-screening some beautiful wallpaper-worthy game moments, we want to be able to share your captured works of art with the world. If you think you can do better than the pictures submitted below, please email your screenshots to mpcgraphicsporn@gmail.com so we can show them off. Make sure to include the name of the game, a title for the screenshot, and a description of what's happening on-screen.

Misinformed Comcast Rep Told Customer Data Caps are Mandated by Law

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 12:31 PM PST

FacepalmBetter fact check whatever you Comcast agent tells you

It's getting increasingly difficult not to get pissed off every time Comcast makes the news. This is one of only two companies that's been voted "The Worst Company in America" more than once by readers of Consumerist (Electronic Arts being the other), and it's because of the negative experiences that customers report, like a woman who received a bill addressed to "Super Bitch." Way to keep it classy, Comcast. These incidents aren't as rare as they should be, and if Comcast's agents aren't insulting their customers, they're spreading misinformation, like the Comcast rep who recently told a customer that data caps are mandated by law.

This came to light when a Comcast customer posted to Reddit that he called in to cancel service after being charged $120 in overage fees. He recorded the conversation and posted a one minute clip of the exchange. Here's how it went.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is the reason why you would want to disconnect your service," the Comcast support agent asked.

"Your outrageous data usage plan that is completely archaic and unnecessary," the subscriber answered. "I am apparently in a trial market for it, it's not everywhere, and I've been getting charged for going over my data cap and I'm going to find somewhere where that's not going to happen to me."

"Okay I understand, but every Internet service provider has a data cap. It is mandated by law," the agent replied.

The Comcast subscriber did the only that was appropriate in that situation, which is to laugh at the claim and set the agent straight.

ArsTechnica contacted Comcast about the incident, and lo and behold, the cable giant confirmed that its agent was misinformed and in need of training.

"This representative is wrong," Comcast said. "There is no law requiring ISPs 'to have data caps' and Comcast discontinued having a cap in May 2012. We are currently conducting trials of a more flexible data usage plan in a small number of markets, and this representative's statements are not consistent with the training and messaging we provide. We will work to retrain this representative and will reach out to the customer to clarify this information."

It's been less than five months since Comcast vowed in a blog post to fix its customer service. Unfortunately, it looks like the company is aiming for a record third "Golden Poo" award the Consumerist instead.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Lenovo Apologies for Superfish Scandal, Offers Uninstall Instructions

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 08:21 AM PST

Uninstall Superfish

World's top PC supplier admits it "messed up"

Lenovo took to Twitter to issue an apology over Superfish, the visual search software it installed on consumer laptops and desktops without permission, and has posted instructions on how to remove it. Initially Lenovo issued a statement saying that it installed the software with good intentions and that there's nothing to be concerned about from a security perspective, though evidence points to the contrary.

"We're sorry. We messed up. We're owning it. And we're making sure it never happens again," Lenovo posted to Twitter, along with a link instructing users how to remove the program and its digital certificate.

The problem with Superfish is that it worked as adware by inserting ads into searches performed on Internet Explorer and Chrome (Firefox appears to be unaffected). Furthermore, it left a gaping security hole on users' systems that could allow for man-in-the-middle attacks.

After news spread of the nefarious software, Lenovo tried to downplay the issue, saying that its relationship with the Superfish "is not financially significant" and its only goal was to "enhance the experience for users." In the same breath, Lenovo said it understood the concerns and had stopped preloading Superfish in January.

One of our readers sent us an email to dispute Lenovo's claim, saying that "their statement that says they stopped pre-loading Superfish in January is false -- my laptop (a Y40-80) was manufactured on February 9, 2015, and included Superfish and its root certificate."

It appears Lenovo got caught with its hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, and is now hoping that an apology and a bit of humility will win back the trust that helped it become the world's number one supplier of PCs.

"We messed up badly here," Peter Hortensius, Lenovo's chief technology officer, told Bloomberg in an interview. "We made a mistake. Our guys missed it. We're not trying to hide from the issue -- we're owning it."

It's not enough to simply uninstall Superfish, as it leaves behind a root certificate that must also be removed (manually). Lenovo's instructions linked above detail how to perform both.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Crowfall: Examining The Hunger

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 06:39 AM PST

Examining The Hunger

What is the end game? This is the quintessential question in the making and maintaining the average Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) game. How will it keep players engaged when they hit level cap while the developers furiously work on the next major patch that will expand or change the static world.

Guild Wars 2: The Daily Quest - Got Questions About Heart of Thorns?

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 05:56 AM PST

The Daily Quest - Got Questions About Heart of Thorns?

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is one of the biggest topics in the MMO world right now, being the first official expansion to ArenaNet's sequel. As it happens, we're headed to Seattle to see the game next week, and we want your questions to take with us. Post them, as many as you have, beyond the break.

World of WarPlanes: New German Planes Fly Into Game with Latest Update

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 04:42 AM PST

New German Planes Fly Into Game with Latest Update

World of Warplanes has been updated to v1.7 that brings new German aircraft into the game as well as a pair of new locations for budding pilots to check out.

Runescape: Old-School Version Turns Two, Adds F2P Features

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 02:51 AM PST

Old-School Version Turns Two, Adds F2P Features

Fans of the 2007 version of Runescape will want to check out the "Old School" rebooted version of the game as it celebrates its second anniversary. It is even easier to do than before as Jagex, at the behest of its players, is introducing free to play aspects into the game.

Trials of Ascension: Phase Two KickStarter Begins

Posted: 20 Feb 2015 02:44 AM PST

Phase Two KickStarter Begins

Forged Chaos has announced that the KickStarter campaign to fund the next stage of development has begun for Trials of Ascension. Last year, the team successfully completed its initial fund raising effort to bring a playable demo of ToA to the world. Having released the demo, Forged Chaos is ready to get working on the next phase.

Defiance: Carble Cheung Steps Up As New Creative Lead

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 02:40 PM PST

Carble Cheung Steps Up As New Creative Lead

Trion Worlds has announced that Trick Dempsey is leaving the Defiance project for another within the company. In his stead, Carble Cheung will take over as Creative Lead. Cheung has been working on Defiance since 2013 and is said to have worked on some of the best encounters in the game.

General: Trion Reporting Ongoing DDoS Attacks

Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:24 PM PST

Trion Reporting Ongoing DDoS Attacks

Trion Worlds is reporting that its Dallas server farm is currently undergoing a DDoS attack that began at approximately 1:00 pm Pacific today. As of an hour ago, many ArcheAge, Defiance and Rift servers are back online but other are still under attack. Trion is working to remedy the situation but there is not yet any timeline for resolution.

Elder Scrolls Online: New Loyalty Rewards Revealed

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 12:15 PM PST

New Loyalty Rewards Revealed

Elder Scrolls Online players who have been playing for the past nine months have a new loyalty reward to look forward to in the form of the Mask of Cheerful Slaughter. Those subscribing for 300 days can score the Striped Senche. Check out the video below to see what these items look like and more.

General: Duty of Heroes: A Barely-There Boobilicious MMO

Posted: 18 Feb 2015 08:44 AM PST

Duty of Heroes: A Barely-There Boobilicious MMO

Duty of Heroes is a light RPG and barely there MMO set in a generic fantasy world complete with Merlin, beautiful boobilicious elves, barely dressed female characters, orcs, undead and cherry-on-topped with poor localization. It is a port of a free to play FaceBook type time management game with an RPG theme.

Diablo 3: Patch v2.2.0 Shows Off New Sets, Legendaries and More

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:42 AM PST

Patch v2.2.0 Shows Off New Sets, Legendaries and More

The next Diablo 3 patch will be featuring a host of improvements that are sure to bring a smile to players' faces. Among others, new armor sets will be introduced along with updates to some of the existing armor sets.

Skyforge: The Pantheon System Revealed

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:30 AM PST

The Pantheon System Revealed

The Skyforge site has been updated with a big new article to explain the Pantheon System, the game's equivalent to guilds in other MMOs.

General: The Mass RNG Effect

Posted: 18 Feb 2015 08:54 AM PST

The Mass RNG Effect

World of Warcraft is much like walking into a Las Vegas casino; each zone, dungeon, or battleground being its own pocket dimension divorced from reality and filled with scenic grandeur and the promise of wealth. Except for when such promises are at the mercy of pitiless random-number-generators (RNG).

General: 3 Tips on Visually-Boosting Your YouTube Gaming Channel

Posted: 18 Feb 2015 08:36 AM PST

3 Tips on Visually-Boosting Your YouTube Gaming Channel

As the network for gamers on YouTube, we're always looking for ways to help our community partners thrive online! Any YouTube gamer will tell you, success comes down to a few fundamentals. Step one is obviously all about the content you're producing. If people don't like what you're posting, they'll stop watching, period. But even if you are producing gamer videos people are into, grabbing a larger audience can come down to pumping up your personal brand.

Crowfall: Two New Archetypes & a Bit About Physics

Posted: 19 Feb 2015 08:59 AM PST

Two New Archetypes & a Bit About Physics

The Crowfall site has been updated with a trio of treats for fans. The team has posted a first look at two more archetypes, the Elven Frostweaver and the Guinecean Duelist. Each class has its own page with basic information about stats, a backstory and some images too.

Crowfall: Voxel Farm and the Destruction of Worlds

Posted: 18 Feb 2015 03:29 PM PST

Voxel Farm and the Destruction of Worlds

Earlier this week, Artcraft announced that they've signed a deal with Voxel Farm to use their technology to power the worlds of Crowfall. Some may immediately think, "oh great, more voxels". But put down the pitchforks. In Crowfall, voxels are not about building random things in the world but rather destroying the very ground you walk upon and tearing down the castles of your enemies.

Total Pageviews

statcounter

View My Stats