General Gaming Article |
- How to: Boot Directly into Steam Big Picture Mode
- AMD Launches Affordable A8-7670K Kaveri Refresh APU
- Newegg Daily Deals: Keep Your Cool Edition!
- Benchmarks Compare Skylake Performance Using DDR4 and DDR3 Memory
- Overclocker Takes Intel Core i7-6700K to 5.2GHz on Air
- Hackers Infiltrate Adultery Website Ashley Madison, Threatens Mass Data Dump
- HP is Offering Steep Discounts on Some of Its Windows 8.1 PCs
- Replacing Intel Compute Stick’s Stock OS is a Surefire Way to Void Your Warranty
- Acer Readying Dirt-Cheap Windows 10 Notebooks to Take On Chromebooks
- Microsoft Flips Switch on Xbox One’s In-Home Streaming Feature
| How to: Boot Directly into Steam Big Picture Mode Posted: 20 Jul 2015 03:30 PM PDT Turn your Windows PC into a Steam MachineWith the upcoming Steam Machines, Valve is making a big play to bring PC gaming into the living room, but if you're unwilling to wait for them to launch this fall, we've got a big tip that will help you bring PC gaming into your living room today. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know about Valve's "Big Picture Mode." This mode is basically a 10-foot UI for Steam that's designed to work well with controllers in a living room setting. Problem is, it's a little annoying having to set up a keyboard and mouse, just so that you can launch Steam's Big Picture Mode from the Windows desktop. Luckily, there's a way to set up your PC to boot directly into Steam Big Picture Mode upon startup. Here's how you do it: Create a text file (you can use Windows Notepad) and call it "BigPicture.cmd". Inside the file, paste in the following lines: @echo off title Enable Steam Big Picture @ Startup echo Enabling boot to Steam Big Picture mode for all users... %WINDIR%\System32\reg.exe load HKLM\DefaultUser C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT %WINDIR%\System32\reg.exe add HKLM\DefaultUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v SteamBigPicture /d "\"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe\" -bigpicture" %WINDIR%\System32\reg.exe unload HKLM\DefaultUser echo. echo Steam Big Picture mode enabled for all users! pause After you've saved the file, right click it and run the file as Administrator. Type in any administrator password you may have. From here, you're nearly done, but you'll need to create a new Windows user profile after this step to boot into Big Picture Mode, as it only affects new user accounts created after this step. We called our new login "Steam Big Picture Mode," but you can call it whatever you want. Another requirement is that this process requires Steam to be installed to the default C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam folder; otherwise, you will need to change the path name in the script above to get it working. The next time you boot your Windows PC up, it will briefly boot up to the Windows desktop and then after a few short seconds, will launch Steam's Big Picture Mode. |
| AMD Launches Affordable A8-7670K Kaveri Refresh APU Posted: 20 Jul 2015 03:09 PM PDT For budget builds AMD today introduced the newest addition to its A-Series line of desktop processors, the A8-7670K APU. Billed as an "affordable APU that combines the energy efficient processing power of an AMD CPU with the pixel pushing power of AMD Radeon graphics in one convenient package," the new chip brings to the APU party 10 compute cores, including four Steamroller CPU cores clocked at 3.6GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) and six GCN Radeon cores clocked at up to 757MHz. The A8-7670K leapfrogs the A8-7650K APU as the top-end A8 Series APU, as it's a faster all-around part. According to AMD, it's appropriate to compare the part to Intel's Core i3-4160 and Pentium G3258 processors. In marketing materials sent to members of the press, AMD shows the A8-7650K trumping both aforementioned Intel chips in PCMark 8 (Work), Passmark CPU, and 7-Zip. Here's a look: AMD also claims superior performance in overall productivity chores and makes a pitch for Windows 10 and online gaming. "AMD takes great strides to deliver innovative technology that provides the performance and convenience customers need today and tomorrow. The AMD A8-7670K APU is no exception. Our newest APU provides a smooth user experience and is engineered for Windows 10 and eSports online gaming," said Kevin Lensing, Sr. Director, Client Business Unit at AMD. Those looking to build a budget box should be able to find the A8-7670K immediately -- Newegg has it listed for $110, which is a little cheaper than AMD's $118 MSRP. Motherboards that support the A8-7670K are fairly cheap too -- the APU will slip right into socket FM2+ motherboards, some of which sell for right around $50. |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Keep Your Cool Edition! Posted: 20 Jul 2015 01:04 PM PDT Top Deal: If this heat wave has you sweating profusely, can you imagine how the poor components in your rig feel? That's especially true if your cooling scheme isn't up to par. Luckily it's pretty easy throw some fans at the problem, and if you're looking for a big one, check out today's top deal for an Antec BIGGOY200 200m Computer Case Cooling Fan for $13 with free shipping (normally $26 - use coupon code: [EMCAVKV37]). This big size fan has a three-speed switch and offers up to 134 CFM. Other Deals: Corsair Air Series AF140 140mm Purple LED Quiet Edition High Airflow Fan for $9 with free shipping (normally $17 - use coupon code: [EMCAVKV37]) Fractal Design Dynamic GP-14 140mm Fan for $7 with $2 shipping (normally $14 - use coupon code: [EMCAVKV37]) Fractal Design Silent Series R2 120mm Fan for $6 with free shipping (normally $11 - use coupon code: [EMCAVKV37]) Fractal Design Silent Series R2 140mm Fan for $8 with free shipping (normally $15 - use coupon code: [EMCAVKV37]) |
| Benchmarks Compare Skylake Performance Using DDR4 and DDR3 Memory Posted: 20 Jul 2015 12:50 PM PDT DDR4 and DDR3 duke it out One of the nice things about Intel's Skylake microarchitecture is that it supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory standards. That means you can dive into Skylake without having to buy new RAM, assuming you already own DDR3 memory. However, just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should. The question is, what kind of performance benefits will end users gain from upgrading to DDR4? We won't have the full answer until we get a chance to run and publish the results of our own comprehensive testing, but in the meantime, there are some benchmarks on the web that show how a Core i5-6400T performs when paired with DDR3 and DDR4 memory. Unfortunately, it's far from an apples to apples comparison. Here are the two setups that were used:
It would have been better if the same amount of RAM was used in both configs, but that wasn't the case. As for the CPU, it's a quad-core part that runs at 2.2GHz base / 2.8GHz boost with 6MB of L3 cache and a 35W TDP. The integrated graphics on the 6400T is a GT2 with 24 execution units and base clockspeed of 350MHz (boost speed isn't known). It appears that the original source replaced the benchmark screenshots, likely due to hotlink abuse. However, WCCFTech managed to grab a few results before they disappeared. Here they are:
There's also a discrepancy in the DirectX version used to test Resident Evil 5 -- DX9 on the DDR4 setup and DX10 on the DDR3 system. So, what can we gather from these benchmarks? Even though the test systems use different amounts of RAM that heavily favor the DDR4 config, the performance gains don't blow the DDR3 setup out of the water. That's good news if you're hoping to recycle your DDR3 system memory and want to upgrade to Skylake, and potentially bad news if you paid a premium on DDR4 expecting big performance gains. That said, it's a bit early to really know how things will shake out. Higher end motherboards, mature drivers, and evening the playing field with the same amount of RAM could paint a different picture. However, if you're rooting for DDR3 to remain relevant, the above results are at least encouraging. |
| Overclocker Takes Intel Core i7-6700K to 5.2GHz on Air Posted: 20 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT Sky's the limit for Skylake-S Intel is gearing up to launch its Skylake processors at the beginning of next month (the rumored launch is August 5), and most of what we've seen so far about the new architecture has been impressive. You can add overclocking potential to the list. Chinese-language website HKEPC posted a CPU-Z image to its Facebook page that shows an Intel Core i7-6700K running at 5.2GHz (well, 5,198.75MHz, to be exact), which is a pretty significant jump from its stock 4GHz core and 4.2GHz boost clockspeeds. What's even better is that the overclock didn't require an insane amount of voltage or exotic cooling. According to HKEPC, the overclock was achieved at 1.35V using air cooling, not water or LN2. Assuming the overclock is legit, this bodes well for Skylake-S, and the Core i7-6700K in particular. As a refresher, the 6700K is quad-core processor built on a 14nm manufacturing process. In addition to the aforementioned clockspeeds, it also has 8MB of L3 cache, 95W TDP, and can support DDR4-2133 and DDR3L-1600 memory. On the graphics side, WCCFTech reports it's running a GT2 graphics part with 24 execution units, 350MHz base and 1,250MHz boost clockspeeds, and full support for DirectX 12. The specs are similar to the Core i7-4790K (Devil's Canyon), but with faster graphics, a 200MHz slower boost, and of course several architectural upgrades that improve the performance per clock and power efficiency. Skylake-S processors will require a new socket -- LGA 1151. We've already seen a spattering of Z170-chipset boards, and when the line of CPUs launches, you can bet there will be a fair number of mobos to choose from as well. |
| Hackers Infiltrate Adultery Website Ashley Madison, Threatens Mass Data Dump Posted: 20 Jul 2015 09:14 AM PDT Over 37 million accounts compromised"Like us or not, this is still a criminal act." Those are the words of Noel Biderman, CEO of Avid Life Media, the Toronto-based firm that owns AshelyMadison.com, a hookup website with the tagline, "Life is short. Have an affair." He said them in a statement to KrebsOnSecurity after it was discovered that a person or band of hackers broke into the site's database and stole personal details of more than 37 million members. The person or people responsible used the name The Impact Team. There's already been a data dump containing personal information about a large number of users, but there's a lingering threat to publicize the details of each and every member if Ashley Madison doesn't shut itself down. While The Impact Team clearly takes issue with the site helping to facilitate affairs, it's an an allegedly misleading $19 service that purports to erase all details about a customer that seems to have prompted the attack. "Too bad for those men, they're cheating dirtbags and deserve no such discretion," The Impact Team stated in a manifesto posted to Ashley Madison. "Too bad for ALM, you promised secrecy but didn't deliver. We've got the complete set of profiles in our DB dumps, and we'll release them soon if Ashley Madison stays online. And with over 37 million members, mostly from the U.S. and Canada, a significant percentage of the population is about to have a very bad day, including many rich and powerful people." Since the attack took place, Ashley Media said its been able to "secure" its sites "and close unauthorized access points." It's currently working with law enforcement agencies to track down the person or people responsible. ALM also issued the following update today: Following the earlier unprovoked and criminal intrusion into our system, Avid Life Media immediately engaged one of the world's top IT security teams to take every possible step toward mitigating the attack. Using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), our team has now successfully removed the posts related to this incident as well as all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about our users published online. We have always had the confidentiality of our customers' information foremost in our minds and are pleased that the provisions included in the DMCA have been effective in addressing this matter. Our team of forensics experts and security professionals, in addition to law enforcement, are continuing to investigate this incident and we will continue to provide updates as they become available. The security breach comes less than two months after hackers stole and leaked information about millions of members of another hookup site, AdultFriendFinder. |
| HP is Offering Steep Discounts on Some of Its Windows 8.1 PCs Posted: 20 Jul 2015 06:36 AM PDT "Buy one, get '10' free"With the countdown to Windows 10 in its final phase, don't be surprised if you find PC vendors offering some steep discounts on older, Windows 8.1-running models like Hewlett-Packard is currently doing. The company is offering discounts of up to $350 on some of "our most popular Windows PCs." As of writing this, the company's "win8 clearance" sale includes as many as 19 different items. There are six all-in-one PCs, five desktops and eight laptops. Here are some of the top deals (as first identified by Windows Central):
The best part is you won't have to put up with Windows 8.1 for too long should you opt for one of these devices, for all these machines are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10. |
| Replacing Intel Compute Stick’s Stock OS is a Surefire Way to Void Your Warranty Posted: 20 Jul 2015 04:50 AM PDT Intel wants you to stick to the original operating systemAs you may be aware, Intel has plans to offer a Ubuntu 14.04-running variant of its Compute Stick, PC-on-a-stick device that's powered by the chip maker's quad-core Atom Z3735F "Bay Trail" processor. While this new model will be a good $40 cheaper than its $150 Windows-running counterpart, you'll have to settle for just 1GB of RAM (versus 2GB in the latter) and 8GB of storage (versus 32GB in the latter). That being said, what's to stop an open source enthusiast in possession of the more powerful variant from replacing the stock OS with Ubuntu or some other Linux distro of their choice? According to our friends over at Softpedia, installing any other operating system than the one your Intel Compute Stick came with will void the device warranty. The site found this info hiding in plain sight on the chip maker's website. This could be a deal breaker for some, especially considering how the PC-on-a-stick isn't a particularly great device to begin with. Here is what the page in question says: "Operating system other than the ones listed [Windows 8.1 Bing for the $150 model and Ubuntu 14.04 for the $110 variant] are not supported and do not have drivers available. Installing a different operating system voids the Intel Compute Stick warranty." |
| Acer Readying Dirt-Cheap Windows 10 Notebooks to Take On Chromebooks Posted: 20 Jul 2015 12:56 AM PDT The Acer Aspire One Cloudbook will undercut the company's own Chromebook offeringsThe upcoming launch of Windows 10 could see Microsoft approach its fight against Chromebooks with renewed vigor. The company offered a glimpse of what's to come on this front at its Worldwide Partner Conference, where it showcased a dirt-cheap Windows 10 notebook from Acer. The device in question is called the Acer Aspire One Cloudbook and will be available in mid-August. It was further revealed that the notebook will be available in 11- and 14-inch sizes, with prices starting at $169. Although the exact specs aren't known at this stage, it's perhaps safe to say that whatever's in there is unlikely to set the world on fire. At that price point, the forthcoming device's base variant will be a good $30 cheaper than the least expensive Chromebook from Acer's own stable. (Note: The latter isn't available yet, but should go on sale very soon.) And to think this is the same company that usually takes great pride in its dominance of the Chromebook segment. |
| Microsoft Flips Switch on Xbox One’s In-Home Streaming Feature Posted: 19 Jul 2015 11:24 PM PDT Open to all those who've a Windows 10 PC and an Xbox One consoleA little over a month after Microsoft enabled it for members of the Xbox One preview program, the ability to stream Xbox One games to Windows 10 devices is now available for everyone. To be clear, "everyone" here means anyone with an Xbox One and a PC running the latest build of Windows 10 Insider Preview. With this functionality, you're not merely limited to streaming individual games but can access the entire Xbox One interface from your PC. However, this is strictly in-home streaming that we're talking about here — one that requires both the console and the PC to be on the same network. If you tick all of the above boxes, it's fairly easy to get started. Simply toggle the in-home streaming option by going to Settings > Preferences > Allow game streaming to other devices on your Xbox One. Once that's out of the way, move to your PC, fire up the Xbox One app (make sure you've version 7.7.16004.00000 or higher), and add your console from the Connect > + Add a device. Finally, select the console you just added from Home > Game Streaming to begin streaming. (You can also directly go to a game by using the Play from Console option under Home > Recently Played.) |
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