General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Enermax Coenus ECA3290A-G Review

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:46 PM PST

Great case, but what the heck is a Coenus?

It's easy to dismiss Enermax's new Coenus line of computer cases the moment you lay eyes on the gunmetal-gray ECA3290A-G. It's a tiny Pomeranian of a case—only microATX and ATX motherboards need apply—and it feels every bit as flimsy to hold as its front panel and bulky top are goofy-looking.

The Coenus features a nifty drive bay that converts in size.

The Coenus features a nifty drive bay that converts in size.

The Coenus case might look like something you'd find warming the bargain bin at your local computer store, but its insides are far more satisfying. In fact, there's not much about this case's functionality that irks us at its $70 asking price.

Enermax wisely gives system builders easy access to the case's three screwless 5.25-inch bays via removable covers on the case's front. Popping off the front panel to access the case's preinstalled, red 12cm fan requires just a good tug from the bottom—we'd likely then move this fan to blast air over the case's three 3.5-inch bays (or install a second 12cm fan) instead of its four 2.5-inch "SSD" bays.

In fact, you might wonder why Enermax even bothers to include so much support for SSDs. Does the company really expect a typical desktop builder to max out expensive storage in a $70 case?

Maybe not: Remove two thumbscrews and you can slide back the leftmost wall of the 2.5-inch bays to convert them into extra 3.5-inch bays. We love the little trick—as much as we appreciate the handful of drive rails Enermax provides for tool-free installations—even though the conversion reduced the space between the bays and our Nvidia GTX 480 card to nearly nothing.

Thankfully, Enermax provides four holes on the motherboard tray for all your cable routing needs, including a giant cutout behind the general area of your CPU that greatly eases the process of installing an aftermarket cooler. You get around 3cm of space between the tray and the case's side panel—plenty of room to string cables hither and yon.

The wires for the case's front-panel connections—two USB 3.0 ports, HD audio, and the usual wires for the power button, reset button, and power LED—come stretched nearly to the case's rear in their default configuration. Which is to say that Enermax gives you plenty to work with if you want to play with your system's cable-routing setup. Two rubberized holes on the case's rear tempt those of you looking to liquid-cool your rig, and the case itself supports a two-bay radiator on top, thanks to predrilled holes for two 12cm or 14cm fans.

$70, www.enermaxusa.com

How to Repair Your Computer

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 03:22 PM PST

We tackle the five most pressing problems in each major component category!

It's happened to us all. You get home from a long day at work and you want to blow off some steam with an hour of gaming or maybe browsing the web, but when you tap your mouse button or punch the power switch, the unthinkable happens. You're SOL.

Whether the system is red-lining, the OS is BSODing, or your Internet is slow, this frustration is familiar to any person who drives a PC. You're faced with a problem that stops you dead in your tracks. If you're a savvy self-tech, you run through your proverbial checklist of areas to look at. But not everyone is so experienced, and even old hands have holes in their troubleshooting repertoire. So, in the interest of providing the most useful advice to the greatest number of people, we've compiled a list of the top five problems that could impact each of your computer's major hardware or software subsystems and our best advice on how to fix them. This is our indepth computer repair guide.

Storage Problems

What to do when your hard disk is dying and your SSD is sputtering

Problem: Hard Drive Disappears

Solution: If it's a drive that was previously visible, the first step is to see if the drive shows up in the BIOS (check under Boot). If not, swap out the SATA and/or power cables. If the drive shows up, run CHKDSK on it by right-clicking the drive in My Computer, choosing Properties, then the Tools tab, and then "Check now" and "Automatically fix file systems errors." If the drive continues to give a ton of errors, and is behaving erratically but is visible in Windows, copy all data off it immediately if you can, or run Data Recovery on it STAT. If the drive is not visible in Windows, your options are limited to the Freezer Trick (an hour or so of extreme cold sometimes sets things straight) or expensive forensic-style data recovery.

If this is a brand-new drive that's not showing up, you need to initialize it first. Right-click My Computer and select Manage, then Disk Management and follow the prompts.

Problem: Optical Drive Disappears

Solution: This classic conundrum involves either a missing drive or one that stops functioning suddenly. Put on your big-boy pants and type regedit in the Start menu search box, then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}. If you see an entry named UpperFilters, delete it. If you see an entry named LowerFilters, delete it. Once you've done this, exit Regedit and reboot your system. In most scenarios, your optical drive will reappear and/or magically begin working again. Note that you may have to reinstall software that accesses the optical drive (e.g., burning software) to get back to 100 percent functionality.

Problem: Drive Not Reporting Full Capacity

Solution: This is usually an issue with 3TB or 4TB drives, as 2TB drives should have zero issues in Win7 (WinXP users might have to download a utility from the drive's manufacturer to allow for a drive with 4K sectors). Out of the box these 3/4TB drives are typically MBR disks, which limits a partition to 2TB (actually, 1.8TB or so) relegating the rest to a separate partition. If you want the full capacity in one partition, you need to convert the disk to GPT. To do this, type cmd at the Start search box; at the prompt type diskpart, then list disk, then select disk X (substituting X for your drive number), then convert GPT. Now go to Disk Management and create your massive single partition.

Problem: SSD Performance Is Slow

Solution: If you're using a hard drive and it feels slow, don't worry; that's how they are for the most part. If you're using an SSD and its slow, there is a problem. If you're not sure if it's slower than spec, download CrystalDiskMark and see what kind of sequential-read/write speeds you are getting. Second, make sure the drive is connected to the native SATA 6Gb/s ports on the motherboard. You can't rely on color, only your mobo manual, to tell. Third, go into the BIOS and make sure the SATA port for that drive is set to AHCI mode instead of IDE mode, as that will usually give you better performance.

Problem: AHCI Causes BSOD (blue screen of death)

Solution: Sometimes, people install Windows 7 without AHCI enabled, only to find out that enabling it after the install causes a BSOD. To fix this, you have to edit the registry. Press Windows + R key, type regedit, then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\msahci. Then right-click the word Start on the right-side and click Modify. Change the value in the window to "0" and click OK. Exit Regedit, reboot the system, and change your SATA controller to AHCI; you will boot right into Windows.

USB

What to do when it won't plug nor play

Problem: Some USB Ports Don't Work

Solution: Nonfunctional USB ports could be caused by a few things. If the ports are front-mounted, make sure the internal cables are connected properly and that the requisite USB header is enabled in your system BIOS. If the ports are soldered on the motherboard (and enabled), open up Device Manager and see if any USB root controller or hubs are reporting a problem. If so, a driver update/reinstallation may resolve the issue. It's also possible that the physical connectors have been damaged (or a fuse has blown), in which case you'll have to re-solder some new ones onto the board. If the USB ports are associated with a third-party controller, be sure its drivers are installed, because Windows may not recognize the controller automatically.

Problem: Slow File Transfer over USB

Solution: Windows Vista and 7 have some known USB performance issues, so the first thing to do is run Windows Update and make sure your OS is fully patched. We'd also advise installing the latest drivers for your motherboard's chipset and any discrete USB controllers. You could also try setting the USB drive to performance mode. Open Device Manager, right-click the USB drive, and choose Properties from the menu. In the resulting window, click the Policies tab and tick the option labeled "Better performance." Please note, this feature will enable write caching, so you'll have to use the Safely Remove Hardware option when disconnecting the drive to prevent any data loss.

Problem: USB Hub Doesn't Work

Solution: This problem is almost always caused by insufficient power being supplied to the hub. If the hub came with an AC adapter, make sure it's plugged in and working properly. And if you've got the hub plugged into a front-mounted USB port, try connecting it to a rear port that is soldered onto your mobo. Rear-mounted ports can usually provide more power (or more stable power), which can resolve some issues with finicky hubs.

Problem: Charging Phone over PC's USB Port Takes Forever

Solution: Standard USB 2.0 ports connected on a root hub have to share 500mA of current (USB 3.0 powers up to 900mA). If you've got a bunch of USB devices connected and the port your phone is plugged into is competing for limited power, it will take much longer than normal to charge. Try plugging the phone into a different port (preferably USB 3.0, if possible) or disconnecting other USB devices while charging.

It's worth noting that some motherboard manufacturers—such as Gigabyte—have begun incorporating high-powered USB ports that can deliver up to 2.7A of current onto their boards. If you want to rapidly charge devices while they're connected to your system, it may be worth checking out one of these boards.

Problem: USB Device Is Not Recognized

Solution: USB devices are usually as plug-and-play as you can get, but if a particular device isn't recognized properly, it may be incompatible with your USB controller or require drivers to be manually installed. Compatibility is very good with USB controllers native to modern chipsets, but we've seen some incompatibilities with some discrete USB 3.0 controllers that are yet to be resolved. Should you need to install drivers for the device, plug it into a USB port, then go to Device Manager, right-click the device, and choose Update Drive Software from the menu. Then, you can search the web for drivers automatically or point the wizard to any drivers downloaded from the device manufacturer's website.

Video Cards

Gee, pee-yew!

Problem: GPU Is Slow

Solution: If your GPU is lagging, the first stop on the road to redemption is a driver update. Both Nvidia and AMD are engaged in a drivers arms race, with each company updating its drivers with an OCD-like frequency that's impressive. And always check to see if there's a new driver before you launch a brand-new game. You can find your driver version easily in both Catalyst Control Center under Information/Software, and in the Nvidia Control Panel. Overheating can also cause the GPU to throttle its clock speeds, so monitor your temps using the software provided by your GPU manufacturer.

Problem: Multicard Setup Not Working

Solution: Dual-card setups can be problematic for a number of reasons, and getting them recognized by Windows is the first challenge. If CrossFireX/SLI isn't an option you see in the software, ignore your motherboard's color coding and move the second card to a different PCIe slot. Games are a different story, as the drivers have to include a profile for a certain game, benchmark, or application to allow both cards to function, so there is usually a bit of a wait after a game comes out for a compatible driver (EVGA uniquely offers temporary profiles for new games). Assuming dual-card mode is enabled in the drivers, and the game has been out awhile, your SLI/CrossFireX bridge could be faulty, but that is rare. You can try forcing dual-card mode via the Catalyst Control Center or Nvidia Control Panel, but success is hit-or-miss when doing this.

Problem: Screen Corruption and Artifacts

Solution: Graphical corruption is usually due to one of two things: a video card that is either overheating or dying. First, check your temps using software like MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision X, Asus GPU Tweak, GPU-Z, etc. Anything below 80 C is fine but a well-cooled card typically doesn't exceed 70 C. Second, take your GPU out of the case and give it a good cleaning with compressed air, and after you reinstall it, put some cool air on it by removing the case door for a bit, or manually turn up the fans to 100 percent using the above-mentioned software. To see if your card is dying, try running it in a friend's system to test; conversely, use his or her card in your system. Also, if you are overclocking, immediately go back to stock speeds.

Problem: Display and Resolution Issues

Solution: While not as common, you should never overlook a cable/connection issue as the cause of your problem. If you are running 2560x1600 resolution, you probably need a dual-link DVI cable (and therefore a dual-link DVI port on the video card, as well—some DVI ports are single-link, so check). DisplayPort also runs at 2560x1600, but VGA and single-link DVI do not. Also double-check the input source for your LCD, as that's a mistake that even non-rookies make. And double-check the cable you're using—swap it out if possible.

Problem: Second Display Not Recognized

Solution: First, make sure you are running the latest drivers. Many systems that are running the default Windows drivers have issues with this. Second, make sure you have gone into the control panel of the drivers to enable the second display. Third, some DVI ports do not work if you are using a VGA-DVI adapter, so if there are two ports on your card, try them both. If you have everything set normally in the drivers, make sure your Windows settings are configured properly, and that you have multiple displays enabled.

Click the next page for CPU fixes and more!

 

 

CPU

It's usually not the culprit

Problem: CPU Is Overheating

Solution: Don't assume that high temps automatically warrant a new heatsink. The cooler is likely dust-clogged (try cleaning it), or the fan is dying (requiring a replacement). Or the heatsink has been poorly installed—remove it and remount it with new thermal paste. (Incidentally, degraded thermal paste alone can be the culprit. Here are our picks for the best thermal paste). Other possible causes include the case fans—clean and check them. Or a newer, hotter GPU could have swamped your case's ability to stay cool. A BIOS update could also change the fan profiles from what you had set. Also keep this in mind: If your CPU is seemingly running "hot" but the machine isn't blue-screening or throttling clock speed, you probably don't have to sweat it.

Problem: CPU Is Slow

Solution: CPU performance issues typically come from misconfiguration in the BIOS or overheating. First, verify your chip's clock speed by running CPU-Z (www.cpuid.com) while running a CPU load in Cinebench 11.5 (www.maxon.net). If the clocks are correct (remember, chips don't Turbo under heavy loads on all cores), compare your Cinebench 11.5 scores with others on the Internet. The scores should be within a few percentage points of others. If the scores are close, the CPU is not "slow;" it's something else in your system. If the scores don't match, you may have a thermal issue. Check that your heatsink hasn't come loose, reapply thermal paste, and clean the heatsink and fans. A BIOS update could also be needed, as well.

Problem: CPU Is Unstable

Solution: CPUs rarely "go bad." They typically work or don't work. Usually, it's everything around them that breaks. If you're overclocking, stop. Try to isolate CPU problems by running a CPU-intensive app such as Prime95. If it blue-screens, check thermal issues first (see "CPU Is Overheating"). Also check your RAM with Memtest86+ (www.memtest.org). Check your power supply connectors to the mobo and GPU. If the PSU is overheating and failing, it could cause crashes. Failing PSUs cause power sags, which can look like a bad CPU, too. If you have a known good PSU you can swap in, do so. Oddly enough, a failing GPU can resemble a CPU failure, so if you have a spare GPU or an integrated option, try switching to it and testing again.

Problem: CPU Is Always Under a Heavy Load

Solution: Heavy CPU usage can be a sign of malware, so make sure your AV is updated and run a full system scan. Also consider running a secondary scan using Malwarebytes Free (www.malwarebytes.org) and any of the free web-based scanners such as those from Trend Micro, Bit Defender, or ESET. Also check to see that your own AV app isn't thrashing the system by doing a scan—check the running processes in Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del, Start Task Manager, select Processes.) Click the CPU column to sort by usage and begin searching the Internet for each suspicious process name.

Problem: CPU Only Works in Single-Channel Mode

Solution: First, make sure the RAM is OK by running Memtest86+ (www.memtest.org). If the RAM clears, check the slots for debris and swap out the DIMMs for known good RAM. If crashing persists when put into dual-channel mode, you likely bent a pin installing your CPU. We've seen this on LGA1366 and LGA1155 platforms several times. It can be fixed by taking a sharp knife and carefully straightening the pin in the socket (or on the CPU in AMD chips).

Network

Why can't it just work?

Problem: Internet Connection Drops

Solution: The most likely culprit is your ISP (Internet Service Provider), so prepare to wait on hold. Before you do, though, try some basic troubleshooting.

If your system(s) connects through a router, connect the system directly to your modem to see if the router has a problem, and also cycle the power on your broadband modem. But don't just quickly hit its power switch or reset button. Unplug it from power for a few seconds. Plug it back in and wait for the modem to resync with your ISP's network before testing the connection again. If you find yourself resetting your modem monthly or even weekly to resolve Internet connectivity issues, a call to your ISP is in order. There may be an issue that only a modem replacement or a service tech can fix.

Problem: File Downloads Take Forever, Ping Times Suck

Solution: Contrary to popular belief, there aren't any tweaks that will significantly speed up or improve Internet connection speeds. If your connection is usually fast, but slows during peak hours or only when connecting to certain sites, there may not be much you can do. You should certainly run a broadband test to see where your speeds actually are. ISPs usually have a guaranteed speed band that, if you're under, they will either fix or charge you less for. Also, power cycle your modem and router. Check your router's log to see if you have an unauthorized guest sapping speed. Streaming Internet cameras, or streaming Netflix to multiple devices will also sap performance.

Problem: Can't Access New Server/NAS/PC from other Systems

Solution: There are a number of things that could cause a new system/NAS to be inaccessible from other machines on a network. First, make sure the new system is definitely connected to the LAN properly and that its network controller is active. And also check that the system's configured with the correct IP address. If the server or NAS is on a different subnet, for example, it may appear to be connected to a network, but it won't be visible to your other systems. With a standalone NAS device, you'll have to log into its configuration menu, navigate to the LAN settings, and then enter the proper IP address (or set it to DHCP). To change an IP address on Windows 7 systems, you'll want to go to Network and Sharing Center, click the Local Area Connection, then click the Properties button, highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties again. You can change the system's IP address on the General tab.

It's also possible that your client PC has network discovery disabled or an overzealous firewall that won't let the system see other devices, so check that, too.

Problem: SSID Appears but Can't Connect Using Wi-Fi

Solution: Wi-Fi connectivity problems are almost always caused by interference or firmware and/or driver incompatibilities. The first thing to try is to simply reset your wireless router in case something's gone wonky that a reboot might fix. Pull your router's power cord, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in. Once the router has fully booted, try to connect again.

If the issue persists, the wireless channel being used by your router may be congested. Download a utility like Insider (www.metageek.net) to your laptop, or Wi-Fi Analyzer to your smartphone, and scan the wireless networks in the area. If your router is using the same channel as many others within range, log into your router's configuration menu, navigate to the wireless network section, and change the channel to the one that's least used in the area.

If that doesn't help, try updating the router's firmware. Hit your router manufacturer's website and check for a firmware update. If one is available, download it, and then log into the router's configuration menu and apply the update (this process will vary from router to router—consult your manual). Once the firmware update is installed, configure the wireless network settings and try connecting again. Updating the drivers for your wireless network controller is worth a shot, too.

Problem: Internet Connection Is Unreliable

Solution: Unreliable or intermittent Internet connections are usually the result of a hardware or signal problem at some point between your PC and the web. Some of these problems you can fix, others may require a service call from your ISP.

The first thing to try is resetting your modem and router and swapping out the network cables between them. Kill the power to your modem and router, wait a few moments, and then power them back up. Also, be sure to use known good cables to connect the devices together. We can't count how many times a faulty cable has caused funky issues on a network. If the problem persists, give your ISP a call and have it run a diagnostic to check the signal strength and quality on your line. Should your ISP find a problem, odds are it can be fixed by a service technician.

Windows

What's made of 50 million lines of code and rarely breaks? Nothing

Problem: Windows Is Freezing

Solution: The biggest culprits here are usually malware (malicious software, whose favorite installation method is through browser exploits) or high temperatures in your case. With malware, there are no real standards for quality, so badly written ones can cause all kinds of performance issues. The stuff is also designed to be hard to find and hard to remove, so your antimalware software (Norton, McAfee, or Malwarebytes) might not remove it. In which case, you may need to reinstall Windows.

But before you nuke it from orbit, how dusty is your case? The stuff insulates whatever it's collected on and will clog fans over time. But a can of compressed air held upright and triggered in short bursts should take care of most of it.

Case vibration over time can also loosen cables and cause random loss of signal, so make sure those are all squared away (and not chewed up by gremlins).

Lastly, if you're overclocking your CPU or GPU, you may just need to tone that down a bit.

Problem: Blue Screen Error

Solution: The usual villains are beta GPU drivers and overclocked CPUs (but feel free to Google specific error messages). GPU drivers see the most frequent changes in enthusiast PCs, and beta versions are sometimes shaky. You can uninstall these drivers in the Add or Remove Programs section of your Control Panel (Programs and Features in Windows 8), where the files are labeled according to your brand (usually Nvidia or AMD, sometimes Intel). Then reboot and install an older version of the driver obtained from the manufacturer's website, preferably the drivers labeled "WHQL" (for Windows Hardware Quality Labs), Microsoft's seal of approval. Didn't write down the BSOD info? Check out BlueScreenView (www.nirsoft.net).

Problem: Windows Slows Down

Solution: The most common source of this problem is a program eating up your CPU power or RAM. Sometimes it's a memory leak, which means that a program isn't releasing RAM that it's no longer using, which can snowball over time to occupy all available memory. Restarting the program should fix the leak temporarily, but the long-term solution usually requires the program's creator to produce a new version. Other times, it can be a scheduled virus scan running in the background, or even a virus or other malware.

To check background programs, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, which opens the Task Manager. You can click the labels at the top of each column to sort alphabetically, or by CPU or RAM usage. Save your documents or whatever else you were working on at the time. Then, if a program is eating up your resources and you don't recognize it, Google its name to determine its danger level. If it's not supposed to be there, you may need to manually run a virus scan to remove it. Or you may just be able to right-click the program in the Task Manager list and select End Process. In some cases, simply rebooting can make sluggishness issues disappear.

Problem: Windows Update Hangs

Solution: First, is the time and date right on your PC? Microsoft has a "Fix It" file available on its support page that talks about this issue, Article ID 2700567. Just run that, and it may fix your issue. If not, you may have to use System Restore to reset Windows to before it hung on Windows Update. In Windows 8, you get there by restarting your PC, clicking the power icon on the login screen, holding down the Shift key, and selecting Restart. That will load a screen with some troubleshooting options. Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options. When you click System Restore, your PC will reboot in the Restore mode. Select your account, select Next on the next screen, choose your Windows drive, hit Next again, then wait for the restore process. You can hit Restart when that's done, then redo Windows Update.

If your system isn't booting in Windows 7 and you need to restore, you need the installation disc and access to an admin account (home desktop users have this account type by default). Pop in the disc, reboot, and press any key when your PC prompts you to (shortly after the POST, but before your current Windows installation would start loading). Click through the CD's language, time, and input settings, select "repair your computer," and follow the onscreen instructions. The most recent Restore Point should work. After this process reboots your computer, try Windows Update again.

Problem: Low memory

Solution: If it's not a memory leak (see "Windows Slows Down) or other program hogging your RAM, you can try increasing your virtual memory, which is a cache that Windows stores on your hard drive. Right-click the Computer icon on your desktop and select Properties. (In Windows 8, switch to Desktop Mode to see the icon.) Click Advanced System Settings on the left. In the section labeled Performance, click the Settings button. Click the Advanced tab and click Change. Uncheck the box at the top and select Custom Size. A good rule of thumb is to set Initial Size and Maximum Size to 1.5 times your amount of RAM (listed on the Properties window you opened earlier). More than that can actually slow down your PC. Click Set and then click OK.

Editing high-def videos, high-res photos, or large audio files can eat up gigs of RAM, too. If that's something you do, adding more RAM is not a bad idea, assuming you have available slots on the motherboard and you can find sticks of the same type and speed.

What to Do When Windows Won't Start

Let's say you can get your computer to perform its POST (power-on self-test, which ends with a single, short beep from your motherboard if you have a speaker installed on it), but Windows itself won't load. Before you start sweating through Google searches, sometimes the problem is temporary and random; simply restarting your PC can make the problem go away.

If your PC tells you that a file called NTLDR.exe is missing, the problem may be more serious. Sometimes you can just create a new version of this file. For Windows 7, reboot and hit F8 just before Windows would start loading. This loads a troubleshooting menu, from which you select Repair Your Computer. This is mostly an automated process; you follow a few onscreen instructions and let Microsoft take the wheel. For Windows 8, you boot from its installation disc to access repair options, or you may have a Recovery Drive on a USB stick. To make your computer boot to those devices instead of Windows, consult your motherboard manual for the keyboard shortcut that can open your boot menu during the POST.

Sometimes, you can still boot into Safe Mode to diagnose the problem. This is a stripped-down environment—only the minimum necessary services and drivers will load. For Windows 7, this is accessed via the F8 menu mentioned above. For Windows 8, you must also hold down the Shift key when pressing F8. It may take several tries to get your timing right, because your window is small. This will load Windows 8's recovery mode. Once there, click Troubleshoot to get a number of options, including loading a restore point, recovering from a backup drive image, accessing the command prompt to enter text commands, and altering Windows startup settings. It's not a bad idea to try the restore point or drive image options, if you created those recently. If not, then click the Startup Settings button, then click Safe Mode. Once this mode has loaded, you can try running a virus check or uninstalling recently installed programs or drivers.

It could also be a loose data cable on the storage device that contains your Windows installation, making it invisible to your PC. You'll want to shut down your rig, open the side panel, and do a spot check.

It's also possible that the drive Windows is installed on is dead. Storage devices usually do not give much warning of imminent failure. At most, you'll hear some crunchy sounds or clicking before they give up the ghost. If you install the drive in another computer and you still can't "see" it, it's probably a goner.

Sleep

Even PCs can get insomnia

Problem: When PC Goes to Sleep, I Can't Wake It Back Up

Solution: Systems that don't wake up after going to sleep usually have a device connected or an internal component that misbehaves when the machine enters the sleep state. If you're lucky, the device is throwing an error before the system hangs and you can ascertain the culprit by checking out Event Viewer (click your Start button, type event viewer in the search field, and hit Enter. Then check the system log for critical errors). If your system isn't providing any clues, though, run Windows Update to ensure the OS is fully patched and also try updating your device drivers, especially for components like graphics cards, chipsets, and storage controllers.

It's also possible that a device connected via USB is the root cause of the problem, so try disconnecting any nonessential devices until you figure out which one's at fault.

Problem: Waking PC Causes Crash

Solution: A vital component or driver that doesn't reinitialize properly when the system is coming out of the sleep state is most likely the cause of the crash. More often than not, driver and/or firmware updates can resolve issues like this one. A flaky piece of hardware, like a bad stick of RAM, can also be the root cause, but software issues are much more likely, especially if the system is stable and behaves normally otherwise. Add-in storage controllers and older graphics cards are commonly the cause of sleep-related instability, so make sure you're using the latest drivers and firmware for both. Installing the latest BIOS on your motherboard and using the latest drivers for your chipset are also recommended.

Problem: PC Crashes When It Goes to Sleep

Solution: A few things can cause a system to constantly wake from sleep. One of the more common problems is a pesky  malware infestation that triggers some sort of scheduled task, so run a scan on your system to be sure it's not infected.

A component in the system can also be the culprit. To find out exactly what caused your system to wake up, open a command prompt with elevated privileges (type cmd in the Start search, right-click and Run as Administrator); at the prompt type: powercfg /lastwake and the utility will list the device or service that last woke the PC. If it turns out it was a nonessential service, you can simply disable it. If a system component was the cause, open Device Manager, find the component, right-click it, and choose Properties from the menu. In the window that pops up, click the Power Management tab and uncheck the field labeled "Allow this device to wake the computer." 

Problem: PC Won't Go to Sleep

Solution: If your PC won't go to sleep, check that you've got it configured to go to sleep in the first place. Click your Start button, type power options in the search field, and hit Enter. Then click the "Change plan settings" link for the plan you have selected and make sure there is a value in the "Put the computer to sleep" field.

If you're certain the system is configured properly for sleep, but it still won't power down, open a command prompt with elevated privileges and at the prompt type powercfg /requests and hit Enter to see a list of items that are preventing the system from going to sleep. Once you've found the culprit, disable it (if it's nonessential) or change its Power Management settings (see above) and your PC should go to sleep.

Click the next page for the 10 Commandments of Troubleshooting.

 

 

The 10 Commandments of Troubleshooting

Important life lessons for dealing with a broken PC

1. Pause Your Overclock

Overclocking is indeed a wonderful way to get free performance, but when you are troubleshooting a mysterious issue, put a pause on your extracurricular clock-pushing.

2. Do Not Use Microsoft as a Boogey Man

It's easy to point fingers at Microsoft for everything from the JFK assassination to, well, the Modern UI, but usually OS problems can be traced to buggy applications and drivers rather than the OS itself. Don't get us wrong, there are still many, many bugs in Windows' probably more than 50 million lines of code, but blaming Microsoft while throwing your hands in the air with defeat, rather than really investigating the problem, is a cop-out.

3. Unplug It

It's common to begin working on your system with the PSU still plugged in or switched on. People forget that when the PSU is hot, power is still running through the RAM and PCIe slots. It's very little power but there's still a small risk of damaging components when removing parts from the motherboard, so switch off your PSU before you tinker.

4. Blame the Builder

Wires don't unplug themselves and RAM doesn't back out of a slot. In such cases, it's usually a sign that the original system builder made a boo-boo. If you're a DIYer, like us, you know who gets to eat the turd sandwich.

5. Always be Grounded

Granted, donning a grounding strap or ESD smock just to pull out a stick of RAM is a tad overkill, but you should at least touch a large metal object such as file cabinet to discharge any built-up static before touching any sensitive electronics.

6. At the First Hint of Trouble, Back Up

When your drive makes one mysterious click or when even a single NAS fan fails, do a complete backup rather than waiting and potentially feeling remorse that you didn't act sooner.

7. When in Doubt, Reboot

Rebooting will fix more things than you can imagine, especially for those folks who put their PC to sleep rather than shutting down.

8. Retrace Your Steps

If something just broke, it's usually the last thing that you did. So, if you installed a new AV program, a new stick of RAM, or mucked with the registry to improve performance, put the truck in reverse and beep your way back.

9. Choose the Right Time for Maintenance

Your term paper is due tomorrow morning, so it probably isn't a good time to flash your BIOS and firmware and resize your disk partitions. Rather than turn a standard repair job into a critical emergency, choose the right time for maintenance.

10. Most Hardware Problems Can't be Fixed

The sad thing about integrated circuits is that 80 percent of hardware issues can't be fixed by you. Sure, you can replace a burst capacitor or bend back a socket pin, but a fried CPU, bad stick of RAM, or disabled SSD can't be fixed no matter how many hours you burn on it. Sometimes, it's better to just know when to fold 'em.

Valve-Developed VR Prototype Expected at Steam Dev Days Conference

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 01:36 PM PST

Steam Dev Days LogoIt's not Half-Life 3, but it's something

Steam Dev Days is a recently announced, two-day developer only conference where devs can meet "in a relaxed, off the record environment."  At the January 2014 conference, Valve will give attendees the opportunity to go hands-on with Steam OS, prototype Steam Machines, and Steam Controllers. They'll also have the opportunity to get a first look at Valve's prototype VR hardware.

Eurogamer noticed that the Steam Dev Days website lists a talk titled: "What VR Could, Should, and Almost Certainly Will Be within Two Years." The description of the presentation by Valve Developer Mike Abrash is embedded below.

Oculus Rift

We wonder how Valve's prototype will stack up against the Oculus Rift.

"We've figured out what affordable Virtual Reality (VR) hardware will be capable of within a couple of years, and assembled a prototype which demonstrates that such VR hardware is capable of stunning experiences. This type of hardware is almost certainly going to appear in short order, and the time to starting developing for it is now. This talk will discuss what the hardware is like, and the kinds of experiences it makes possible. A few attendees will be randomly selected to try out the prototype following the talk."

Abrash has been blogging about VR since last year. There's also another talk titled: "Virtual Reality and Steam" that mentions Valve's efforts to "support and promote Virtual Reality (VR) games."

It's interesting that Valve has gone through the trouble of creating its own VR prototype considering the popularity of the Oculus Rift. Many of Valve's games already have official Oculus Rift support. Coincidentally, Oculus VR Founder Palmer Luckey will also be giving a talk about porting games to VR.

What do you think Valve has planned? Tell us in the comments!

Follow Ben on Twitter.

PC Gamer Shows Off PC Building Savvy by Constructing the "Large Pixel Collider"

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 01:21 PM PST

PC Gamer LPCFasten your seatbelts, this thing's wicked fast!

We know a thing or two about building insanely fast PCs, budgets be damned. If you need reminding of that, just take a look at our 2013 Dream Machine loaded with over $16,000 worth of parts. Sure, it's over the top (and without apology), but if we didn't build it, who would? There are only a few answers to that question, and one of them is our sister site PC Gamer. Giving our Dream Machine a run for its money is PC Gamer's Large Pixel Collider, "the most irresponsibly powerful gaming PC we've ever built."

Building the LPC wasn't about gaming at 2560x1600 or even at a 4K resolution. It was about pushing gaming to new heights and without making compromises along the way. Like our Dream Machine, that meant nestling four Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan graphics cards into an Asus Rampage IV Extreme motherboard and supplementing it with 64GB of Corsair Dominator Platinum memory.

This isn't the Dream Machine rebuilt, however. PC Gamer opted to cram its parts into a Digital Storm Aventum II chassis. Other components include an Intel Core i7 4960X processor, XSPC Razer water cooling setup, 480GB Corsair Neutron GTX solid state drive, 4TB Western Digital Black Edition hard drive, and Corsair AX1200i 1200W power supply.

Here's a well directed video of the build process:

Simply building the LPC isn't the end of the road. PC Gamer will use the LPC to deliver high quality gameplay footage and to experiment with future upgrades. So no, you can't have it when they're done with it, but you can sit back and watch it evolve.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Asus Launches Mars 760 Graphics Card with Dual GPUs

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:29 PM PST

Asus Mars 760Two mid-range chips tackle a Titan

To take down a Titan of the GeForce variety, you don't necessarily need a bigger, burlier GPU. Multiple mid-range GPUs can do the trick, according to Asus, which just launched the Mars 760 under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) division. The Mars 760 consists of two GeForce GTX 760 graphics chips bolted onto a single slab of silicon, and though they're mid-range GPUs, Asus says the Mars 760 is faster than the GeForce Titan.

Each GTX 760 GPU has 1,152 CUDA cores, so there's a total of 2,304 underneath the hood. By comparison, a GeForce GTX Titan has 2,688 CUDA cores. To make up for the discrepancy, the Mars 760 is clocked at 1GHz and 1,072MHz boost, making it "even faster than Titan, and the Ti 780 in some games!," according to Asus.

Other features include soft-touch rubber paint against anodized aluminum, a red pulsating Mars light you can see through your case windows, a dual-slot design, DirectCU II technology, and a completely custom PCB with a 12-phase DIGI+ VRM design using high-end components.

Asus Mars 760 Naked

No word yet on when the card will be available or for how much.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

GeForce 331.82 Driver Boosts Performance Up to 50 Percent in Several Titles

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:36 AM PST

GeForce TitanNew WHQL-certified GPU drivers from Nvidia now available

Want to speed up your Nvidia graphics card without overclocking? Lucky for you, Nvidia today released new WHQL-certified drivers -- GeForce 331.82 -- that the GPU maker claims will increase performance by up to 50 percent for GeForce 400, 500, 600, and 700 Series graphics cards in "several PC games." One of those titles is Metro: Last Light, though beyond that specific game, Nvidia didn't say which others receive such a generous boost.

Other examples Nvidia provided include up to 26 percent better performance in Crysis 3 and up to an 18 percent boost in Battlefield 4 after installing the new driver (versus GeForce 327.23).

In addition to performance gains, GeForce 331.82 also introduces new and updated SLI profiles, it enables GameStream technology, and it enables ShadowPlay technology. Other than those tidbits, you can expect the usual round of tweaks that result in better performance and bug fixes.

You can grab the new driver from Nvidia. It's also bundled with GeForce Experience v1.7.1.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Sony Posts Troubleshooting Guide for Bricked PlayStation 4 Consoles

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:52 AM PST

PS4Sony offers up some tips for bringing a bricked PS4 back to life

We're not trying to beat a dead horse here, but there certainly exists a problem with an unknown number of recently released PlayStation 4 consoles that's prevented affected units from booting up. Following a mountain of online complaints and media attention over the issue, Sony has come out and confirmed that there are PS4s exhibiting the so-called "Blue Light of Death" (BLoD) syndrome.

According to Sony, blinking blue lights could be indicative of TV compatibility, issues with the power supply, issues with the hard drive, or issues with other PS4 hardware, among other things. The bottom line is, a blinking blue light that stays that way means there's something wrong.

Sony posted an extensive troubleshooting guide on its support forum offering up tips on how to fix a PS4 that appears to be broken. Some of the steps include reseating the hard drive, attempting a boot into Safe Mode, checking cables for damage, and more.

If you own one of the affected models, give the guide a once-over and see if there's anything in there that helps solve the issue.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

ASRock's Bitcoin Mining Motherboards Each Supports 6 Graphics Cards

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:05 AM PST

ASRock BitcoinLive out your dream of being a real-life miner

So here it is, black sheep, your shot at going against the grain and becoming a modern day miner while the rest of your family pursues careers in the field of medicine, law, science, or whatever else they're doing. ASRock has your back with a pair of motherboards designed specifically with Bitcoin mining in mind. Each board supports half a dozen graphics cards, allowing you to mine for virtual currency like a madman, if that's your thing.

Let's step back. If you haven't been following the whole Bitcoin craze, this short YouTube video (embedded below) will get you up to speed on what Bitcoins are and how they're mined:

Today, a single Bitcoin is worth around $785. Just two days ago, they were worth around $500 a pop. Bitcoins are currently surging, though they're also prone to dramatic dips in value, such as when the FBI busted a website called Silk Road that was selling illegal drugs and dealing exclusively with Bitcoin currency.

In any event, if you want to become a miner, ASRock has two boards of interest: H61 Pro BTC and H81 Pro BTC. Both sport six PCi-E slots and extra four-pin connectors. The primary difference between the two comes down to processor support; the H61 Pro BTC is an LGA1155 board with support for up to Ivy Bridge, and the H81 Pro BTC is an LGA1150 board for Haswell chips.

Whether or not you're interested in either one, it's kind of neat to see ASRock think outside the box and come up with unique slabs of silicon. In addition to Bitcoin mining boards, ASRock recently announced a mobo with 22 SATA slots.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Hanns-G 27-inch LED Monitor, AMD A10-6800K Richland Processor, and More!

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:23 AM PST

Hanns-G Monitornewegg logo

Top Deal:

If the eyes are the window to your soul, then your monitor is the window to your PC. And the Internet. And your games. And...well, you get the idea. It's the one component you stare at intently each and every time you use your PC, so why not invest in a good one? If cost is your concern, then check out today's top deal for a Hanns-G 27-inch Widscreen LED Monitor for $190 with free shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code [EMCWWWR56]). Ith as VGA, DVI, and HDMI connectivity options, built-in speakers, a native Full HD 1080p resolution, 30,000,000:1 active contrast ratio, and 2ms response time.

Other Deals:

Samsung D3 Station 3TB USB 3.0 Black External Hard Drive STSHX-D301TDB for $100 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code [EMCWWWR53])

AMD A10-6800K Richland 4.1GHz (4.4GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 100W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - Black Edition AMD Radeon HD 8670D for $130 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code [EMCWWWR29])

Asus Maximus VI Hero LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $190 with free shipping (normally $220 - use coupon code [EMCWWWR34])

Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model BLS8G3D1339DS1S00 for $60 with free shipping (normally $70)
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Neverwinter highlights new paragon paths for Devoted Cleric, Trickster

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST

Filed under: , , , , , , ,

Last week, Cryptic announced Neverwinter's new paragon paths for all classes coming with the Shadowmantle module. This time around, the studio is detailing more of the how and why of those new paths, focusing on the Devoted Cleric and Trickster classes.

The Anointed Champion path for Devoted Cleric offers this class more of a healing role, unlike the DPS path currently offered; it gives the cleric a chance to perform last-minute saves with a brief invulnerability bubble that surrounds both the Cleric and a groupmate. With the Whisperknife path, Tricksters get more up close and personal, using new utility skills that mark and debuff a target before the rogue teleports in to inflict damage.

MassivelyNeverwinter highlights new paragon paths for Devoted Cleric, Trickster originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2's latest release will bring together new Fractals

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:30 AM PST

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Mai Trin boss Fractal
Guild Wars 2 players voted Ellen Kiel into a position on the Lion's Arch captains' council during the Cutthroat Politics release. In the newest update, Fractured, Kiel will keep her campaign promises by opening up new areas in the Fractals of the Mists! You'll be able to revisit the popular Molten Weapons Facility and Aetherblade Retreat dungeons in Fractalized form, with the final bosses from each joining the Jade Maw as Fractal bosses. Kiel has also sponsored research into the Thaumanova Reactor meltdown, giving players a chance to explore that slice of history for the first time.

In addition, Fractals of the Mists will be getting a coat of polish on rewards, progression and Agony resistance. This release will also include the opening of an arena in World vs. World's Obsidian Sanctum, giving players a dedicated space in which to beat on each other mercilessly for the fun of it. Have at you! Enjoy the new trailer after the break.

Continue reading Guild Wars 2's latest release will bring together new Fractals

MassivelyGuild Wars 2's latest release will bring together new Fractals originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Eve Online: Rubicon launch-day roundup

    Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:00 AM PST

    Filed under: , , , , , ,

    With the launch of Rubicon today, New Eden's space will start getting just a little more crowded as EVE Online pilots start deploying personal structures in their quest for wealth and power. There's little doubt that said space will also be littered with plenty of blasted ship debris, perhaps even from the hulls of the new and shiny white Sister of Eden ships.

    If you can't get strapped into your virtual cockpit because you're stuck behind a desk (or some other meatspace employment cage), you can still prepare yourself for your next trip into space with these in-depth features, ship highlights, and videos below while listening to this newly released Rubicon track. Just think of it as a preflight check.

    Continue reading Eve Online: Rubicon launch-day roundup

    MassivelyEve Online: Rubicon launch-day roundup originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Massively Speaking Episode 273: Expansions and reveals and launches, oh my!

    Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:00 AM PST

    Filed under: , , , , ,

    You want expansion talk? Bam, you've got it! You want launch chatter? Bam, wish granted! You crave update gossip? Bam, we're on it! You even want a juicy game reveal? Bam, we've got a migraine, but sure, we'll do that! It's so much big news this week that Bree and Justin have to smother it with secret sauce just to choke it all down.

    Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

    Get the podcast:
    [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
    [MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
    [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
    [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio.
    Listen here on the page:



    Read below the cut for the full show notes.

    Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 273: Expansions and reveals and launches, oh my!

    MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 273: Expansions and reveals and launches, oh my! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      WildStar gears up for another class livestream this weekend

      Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PST

      Filed under: , , , , , , ,

      I'm thinking about it right now.
      Are you ready for the next re-revealed class in WildStar's lineup? Because another livestream is coming up on Saturday, and based on the hints in that announcement you can take a shot in the dark and know that it's going to be the Spellslinger.

      Wait. That wasn't a hint at all. And it makes sense, as the class was the third class originally known for the game. Not that this would prevent the team from throwing everyone for a loop, of course. But whether or not a loop is thrown, you can make a point of catching the next stream on the game's official livestream channel, which will feature the usual array of gameplay mixed with banter for fans.

      What's that? You missed the most recent livestream and want to catch up? Well, that's all right, it's archived and viewable just the same. Due to minor technical issues it's broken up into two parts, but that shouldn't be an insurmountable issue. Check out the Esper in all its mentalistic glory just past the break!

      Continue reading WildStar gears up for another class livestream this weekend

      MassivelyWildStar gears up for another class livestream this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Should old content be made easier or relevant?

      Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PST

      Filed under: , , , ,

      It's getting hot in here, but no one really wants to farm this for vanity.
      There's probably no one in the world who really wants go back through the Cataclysm raids in World of Warcraft. It's something you do because you like the looks of items and want to walk around looking pretty, not because you just can't get enough of that content. Since this content generally can't be just powered through alone, you have to get several like-minded people willing to revisit old content in the hopes that you might get some vanity items... which is easier said than done, and it's not all that easily said.

      Pretty much any game has a backlog of old content that's no longer relevant. An obvious solution is to just make this something that players can explore alone and easily; if no one's going back here as a challenge, wouldn't it make sense to just let everyone cruise on through as a tourist? But there's also the option of making it relevant in some fashion again, some way to make you feel you're not just pounding your head against content that provides a non-trivial but irrelevant challenge. So what do you think? Should old content be made easier for newer players or characters? Should it be made more relevant in some way? Or is it just fine to let it lie and let the people who missed out just keep on missing out?

      Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Should old content be made easier or relevant? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Not So Massively: Dota 2's Three Spirits, Star Citizen's anniversary, and Diablo II's ladder reset

        Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PST

        Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

        Game title image
        Blizzard has revealed details of changes coming to Diablo III's difficulty settings in its upcoming pre-expansion patch; monsters will now level up with the player to make all content the appropriate difficulty. Path of Exile announced that its first expansion will be coming in March and released the first of seven major content updates that should keep players very busy until then. It was announced that Diablo II's ladder will be reset on November 26th, giving players a rare chance to start playing the old-school dungeon crawler in a completely fresh loot-economy.

        Star Citizen is celebrating its first year anniversary with a limited-time relaunch of several previously released limited-edition ships. The game also passed the $27 million mark to unlock the Banu Merchantman ship and revealed its next stretch goal. Details of the huge Dota 2 update that caused Valve to cancel its Diretide holiday event this year have now been released, including information on three new heroes, a new crafting system, and a Coaching feature that lets players virtually watch over their friend's shoulders. And SMITE's latest update visually revamped Chinese character He Bo, God of the Yellow River.

        Continue reading Not So Massively: Dota 2's Three Spirits, Star Citizen's anniversary, and Diablo II's ladder reset

        MassivelyNot So Massively: Dota 2's Three Spirits, Star Citizen's anniversary, and Diablo II's ladder reset originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          BioWare highlights SWTOR's Scout starfighters

          Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:30 PM PST

          Filed under: , , , , , , , , , ,

          SWTOR Scout Starfighter
          Hey, Star Wars: The Old Republic fans, BioWare has released a Galactic Starfighter-themed dev diary that you might want to read. It's penned by designer Bret Hoffman and it features Scout Class Starfighters.

          Hoffman says that Scouts are designed for "speedy gameplay" and evoke "classic Star Wars ships like the A-Wing and TIE Interceptor." In SWTOR's PvP-themed space expansion, Scouts are the fastest ships and therefore are often first into battle. Superior maneuverability makes them effective dogfighters, but not all Scouts are the same. Some are built almost entirely for speed while others boast more powerful weaponry and defenses. Click through the links below to learn more.

          MassivelyBioWare highlights SWTOR's Scout starfighters originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Stream Team: An eight-year-old's view of Super Hero Squad Online

          Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:00 PM PST

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          The Stream Team: An eight year old's view of Super Hero Squad Online
          Dinner's done; it's time to save Hero City! Massively's Larry Everett and his youngest son, Zach, will don their favorite world-saving outfits to play Super Hero Squad Online. Join us at 7:00 p.m. EST to see whether this crime-fighting duo has what it takes to defeat Dr. Doom on family MMO night.

          Game: Super Hero Squad Online
          Host: Larry Everett and Zach
          Date: Monday, November 18th, 2013
          Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

          Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

          Continue reading The Stream Team: An eight-year-old's view of Super Hero Squad Online

          MassivelyThe Stream Team: An eight-year-old's view of Super Hero Squad Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Chaos Theory: Surviving a second look at The Secret World's scenarios

            Posted: 18 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST

            Filed under: , , , , , , ,

            Thanks to a pre-launch taste test, I was really looking forward to serving myself up some more of The Secret World's new scenarios when Issue #8 finally went live. I made no secret of the fact that I enjoyed that first experience, even though our dev-led group was getting its keister kicked! But it is fair to say that a single swing though a scenario couldn't provide a balanced assessment of the new feature, especially since said scenario itself wasn't balanced. So as soon as The Venetian Agenda launched, I went back for seconds... and thirds... and so on.

            Now that I've indulged in heaping helpings of scenarios over the past two weeks, have my thoughts about TSW's newest feature changed? Has my excitement diminished? Have I had my fill now and am I just looking forward to moving on to Tokyo, or am I still standing at that Council of Venice's console with my bowl held high saying, "Please, sir, I want some more"? To answer, let me show you my snazzy bowl! Then I'll share why I think the scenarios are more than worthwhile in spite of the naysayers.

            Continue reading Chaos Theory: Surviving a second look at The Secret World's scenarios

            MassivelyChaos Theory: Surviving a second look at The Secret World's scenarios originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot arrives on Steam

              Posted: 18 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

              Filed under: , , ,

              TMQFEL
              The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, the game with the cheeky title that turns into a monstrosity of an acronym, has arrived on Steam.

              Ubisoft Montreal's free-to-play game is available as part of Steam's Early Access program, and while it's free, there are several bundled packages for sale. The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is a multiplayer action game that incorporates castle-building (and pillaging) and is currently in closed beta.

              Massively will be taking a closer look at this game in the near future, but in the meanwhile, why not give it a whirl and sound off in the comments?

              MassivelyThe Mighty Quest for Epic Loot arrives on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              EVE dev blog covers Rubicon ship rebalancing

              Posted: 18 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

              Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

              EVE Online
              EVE Online's 20th expansion, Rubicon, goes live on November 19th. Rubicon brings many changes to EVE including mobile structures, new faction ships, controllable customs offices, and a completely overhauled warping system. And of course, Rubicon includes adjustments big and small to a wide variety of the ships already flying in New Eden.

              CCP today posted a summary dev blog outlining the changes due with Rubicon for each ship type. Interceptors are receiving role bonuses that make them immune to warp bubbles, electronic attack ships are seeing range increases and general upgrades, interdictors are getting increased survivability and higher damage output, and marauders are receiving a complete functionality revision that splits the ship type into two distinct roles.

              Check out the full post for details. And if you haven't already, have a look at Brendan's EVE Evolved from yesterday so you'll be ready for these and other big Rubicon changes.

              MassivelyEVE dev blog covers Rubicon ship rebalancing originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Trials of Ascension gives pay model details... sort of

              Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:30 PM PST

              Filed under: , , , ,

              Trials of Ascension
              Trials of Ascension has announced some -- but not all -- of the details of its pay model, which will be primarily buy-to-play with an optional subscription.

              In a new post, Forged Chaos outlines some of the preliminary details of its pay model, although the developer allows for enough wiggle room in case of changed minds. As it stands, Trials of Ascension will be playable as a one-time purchase, although adding on a monthly subscription (30 days of which is included in the box) opens up more races, the discovery of innovations, and the ability to be a lord, lady, king, or queen. The team is also "considering" a skill cap for non-subbers. A loyalty program will reward faithful subscribers with fun goodies like a treasure map and t-shirt.

              There will be other ways for you to spend some dough in Trials of Ascension, including purchasing Writs of Time, acquiring permanent race access, and making a custom crest.

              [Thanks to Android for the tip!]

              MassivelyTrials of Ascension gives pay model details... sort of originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Stream Team: Exploring the MMOness of Minecraft with Beau

              Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST

              Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

              Minecraft screenshot
              Have you been curious about how massive Minecraft can be? Should we consider it an MMO, and what would the relevant criteria be? Join Beau as he lands on the Split Infinity Radio server to see just how it works out when you have scores of players working together. Watch live at 4:00 p.m. EST!

              Game: Minecraft
              Host: Beau
              Date: Weekday, November 18th, 2013
              Time: 4:00 p.m. EST

              Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

              Continue reading The Stream Team: Exploring the MMOness of Minecraft with Beau

              MassivelyThe Stream Team: Exploring the MMOness of Minecraft with Beau originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                SOE president 'can't wait' to see EverQuest Next on PS4

                Posted: 18 Nov 2013 12:30 PM PST

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                EverQuest Next
                In an interview with GamerHubTV, Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley hinted at a PlayStation 4 release for the studio's next big MMO, EverQuest Next. Smedley was coy on the details, explaining, "We haven't announced technically that we're putting it on the PlayStation 4, but it's fair to say that we're a Sony company, so I say that with a smile on my face. Can't wait to see it on PS4."

                Smedley cited the PS4's eight gigs of ram and connection to the PlayStation Network as major strengths for the SOE development team, claiming that developing for PS4 is like "developing on a really super high-end PC." SOE is no stranger to console MMOs; the studio brought both DC Universe Online and Free Realms to PlayStation 3 and is porting both DCUO and PlanetSide 2 to PS4 with the former already live.

                MassivelySOE president 'can't wait' to see EverQuest Next on PS4 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Neverwinter dev blog unveils Sword Coast Adventures

                Posted: 18 Nov 2013 12:00 PM PST

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                Screenshot -- Neverwinter's Sword Coast Adventures
                So you're a mighty adventurer of Neverwinter who has travelled the lands of Faerûn and amassed a small army of companions to accompany you on your travels, but what exactly do those companions get up to when they're not fighting by your side? Well, the folks at Cryptic Studios are giving you the chance to find out with the introduction of a new Neverwinter Gateway game called Sword Coast Adventures.

                Sword Coast Adventures is described as "a press-your-luck, dice-matching game in which players send a party of 4 companions into a series of random, mysterious locations to earn rewards and gain companion experience." Players assemble a team of four companions and send them on a perilous adventure that consists of a number of challenges. Challenges are completed by rolling a character's power dice (which are unique to each companion) and matching symbols on the dice to those presented by the challenge, which should be a familiar mechanic to fans of tabletop games such as Elder Sign. Completing challenges rewards players with treasure and/or companion XP, and the overall goal is to complete the final challenge and complete the adventure. For the full run-down on the rules and mechanics of Sword Coast Adventures, check out the full post at Neverwinter's official site.

                MassivelyNeverwinter dev blog unveils Sword Coast Adventures originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Elder Scrolls Online devs talk war campaigns, lockpicking, and lore in latest Ask Us Anything

                Posted: 18 Nov 2013 11:30 AM PST

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                Screenshot -- The Elder Scrolls Online
                It's time once again for another installment of The Elder Scrolls Online's biweekly Ask Us Anything feature, in which the folks at ZeniMax Online tackle a number of questions from information-hungry fans. This round of questions is a true grab bag, and topics run the gamut from PvP mechanics and lockpicking to character naming and a few lore tidbits to boot.

                On the character naming front, many players (especially those fond of Argonians and Khajiit) will be pleased to know that character names will be able to include "a maximum of four hyphens, apostrophes, or spaces in total," so players should have plenty of room for creative and lore-appropriate (or not) names. The devs also clarify that war campaigns will feature a "soft cap to limit the number of participants from one alliance," so no one faction will have the advantage of overwhelming numbers. Other highlights include details on how lockpicking will function in ESO, plus a couple of lore questions that shed some light on the presence (or lack) of characters such as M'aiq the Liar and the vampire Serana. For all the fine details, check out the full post at ESO's official site.

                MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online devs talk war campaigns, lockpicking, and lore in latest Ask Us Anything originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Captain's Log: Arc Q&A with Perfect World's Noel Holmes

                Posted: 18 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST

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                Arc Header Proportionate
                A week or two ago, I came across a dev blog about the new portal called Arc on the Star Trek Online website that seemed to raise more questions than provide answers. Not unlike most passionate gamers, I reacted emotionally and admittedly with some unfounded anger. I realized very quickly that if I was having that kind of reaction, then there were likely many others who were having similar reactions.

                So I did the only thing that I could: I contacted the representatives of Perfect World to gain some clarification to the blog and hopefully ease my concerns. Instead of a shoving a palm to my face, Perfect World made available Noel Holmes in the hopes he would be able to clarify not only my concerns but also concerns borne by other Star Trek Online players as well.

                Continue reading Captain's Log: Arc Q&A with Perfect World's Noel Holmes

                MassivelyCaptain's Log: Arc Q&A with Perfect World's Noel Holmes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Chris Roberts addresses Star Citizen PS4 hullabaloo

                  Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST

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                  If you were part of the throngs worrying over the weekend that Star Citizen was jumping ship from the PC to the PS4 because a devkit for the console was spotted on a dev's desk, you can breathe easier. Creator Chris Roberts addressed this wild speculation in a new dev post, stating:
                  "Star Citizen IS a PC game. It will NEVER be dumbed down for a lesser platform. We will NOT limit the input options or supported peripherals to the lowest common denominator. We will NOT pass on features and technology just because they will only run on some hardware configurations."
                  So lay those console fears to rest; the PC is the platform for Star Citizen. Is there some snippet of possibility that the game could also be available via a console at some point in the future? Roberts answered yes: He'd consider it if certain conditions were met. He'd require that his devs be able to update their code without any restrictions and the community be able to interact freely across platforms.

                  MassivelyChris Roberts addresses Star Citizen PS4 hullabaloo originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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