General Gaming Article |
- Nintendo Eyeing Re-Entry into VR Industry
- Writers Wanted
- This Tool Reveals Which VPN Server Is the Fastest
- Newegg Daily Deals: EVGA 80 Plus Gold 550W PSU, Seagate 3TB HDD, and More!
- AMD Radeon Software Crimson 16.1.1 Hotfix Driver Now Available
- AMD Launches Quieter Stock Cooling Solutions and New Processors
- Asus Gives Swift PG348Q G-Sync Monitor Flagship Status, Still Mum on Pricing
- Game Performance Using Different Storage Media
| Nintendo Eyeing Re-Entry into VR Industry Posted: 02 Feb 2016 03:35 PM PST Nintendo first entered the virtual reality industry back in 1995 with the launch of Virtual Boy. The product tanked in Japan and North America, which led the company to refrain from selling the device in other regions. Complaints about the device included headaches caused by the monochrome screen, the high retail price, and its failure to create an immersive experience. Virtual Boy only lasted seven months (give or take) on the North American market. Despite its Virtual Boy failure, Nintendo may not be entirely out of the VR picture. Nintendo's new president Tatsumi Kimishima told reporters during a news conference on Tuesday that the company was indeed researching VR products. He called the technology "interesting," but only that: he gave no sign that the company would produce a product in the near future. News of Nintendo's new journey into VR isn't surprising. Sony is developing a VR product of its own called PlayStation VR that's slated to arrive in the first half of 2016 for the PlayStation 4 console. The headset packs a 5.7-inch OLED display with a 1920x1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Microsoft, on the other hand, is currently developing HoloLens, which is powered by Windows 10 and supports holographic computing. The HoloLens developer kit is expected to arrive in early 2016. Nintendo is currently working on its next gaming console, codenamed the NX, which is slated to be revealed later this year. Unnamed sources said back in October 2015 that the company was handing out the software development kit to third-party developers, and that the NX will be a console/mobile hybrid device sporting "industry-leading chips." If Nintendo is indeed working on a VR headset, the console powering the device will definitely need all the horsepower it can get. Nintendo is in need of new streams of revenue, and VR certainly could pay off if applied correctly. The company just announced falling numbers in its fiscal third quarter earnings report, revealing a net profit of Y29.1bn ($241m) in the October/December quarter, down from Y45.2bn earned in the same time frame last year. The company saw a 2 percent decrease in Wii U sales compared to a year ago, and 3DS sales saw a 28 percent drop. One stream of revenue Nintendo investors are banking on is in the mobile sector. The company's first mobile game is called Miitomo and is slated to arrive in March 2016. The game will be free-to-play but offer in-app purchases. Nintendo plans to launch a total of five mobile games before March 2017, the second of which promises to feature a "best-known character." On a whole, Nintendo will need to impress both consumers and investors with its new hardware to regain the momentum generated by the original Wii console. And because of the Virtual Boy failure, the company may face some hesitation from consumers regarding the introduction of a new VR headset. Still, if the recent high demand for VR equipment is any sign of things to come in 2016, we'll likely see a VR hint from Nintendo before the end of the year. | ||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Feb 2016 01:04 PM PST Freelance for Maximum PC Do you write well and know PC hardware and/or software like the back of your hand? If you've been building PCs since before you could walk and would like to contribute to Maximum PC, we would love to have you on board. We're currently looking for PC experts who can write about the following categories: Software (Windows/Linux/Multimedia Production/Editing) Cases Building PCs Cooling Overclocking Modding Peripherals (headset, keyboards, mice) NetworkingHome automationSecurityNAS Basically, if you write well and consider yourself an expert in any of the aforementioned categories, we would love to hear from you. Writers should be able to write a variety of content that could include how-to guides, tips articles, and informative features. Freelancers should be assertive and willing to take the initiative to pitch article ideas.To be considered, please send resumes/written samples to comments@maximumpc.com and let us know what hardware/software beats you specialize in/like to cover! | ||||||||||
| This Tool Reveals Which VPN Server Is the Fastest Posted: 02 Feb 2016 12:20 PM PST Looking to stream Netflix in your territory? Need to extend your private network to a location overseas? There's a new free tool that monitors the upload and download speeds of specific Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers located around the globe. Even more, it lists the details of each provider's servers, showing which connection is best for your VPN needs. Upon first loading the site, new users are greeted with a popup welcoming them to the world's first localized VPN speed testing tool, which was in development for two years before recently going live. The tool is sponsored by Private Internet Access and six other providers, and is accepting donations. Across the top is a list of social networks that allow the user to post news about the new tool. "We have set upfew servers in multiple locations across North America, Europe & Australia," the site states. "Multiple intelligent software robots check internet speed of different VPN providers at their VPN servers at every hour every day. Every robot updates speed result at a centralized database. Another robot cleans this data with machine learning algorithm and finally sends accurate speed data to a Web server. The more data it receives the more accurate result it can produce, our current accuracy is more than 90% and at the end of 2015 the estimated accuracy will be 99%." On the left of the browser window is a sidebar with a list of VPN providers and a list of territories for testing the VPN speed in near real time (if a provider isn't listed, you can request it to be added). The world map spread out across the window displays blue spheres that indicate the location of a VPN's server; each sphere contains a number that displays the server's download speed. Double-clicking on a sphere reveals the server download and upload details. You can zoom in and out of the map using the mouse wheel, and click the wheel to pan around the map. AS an example of how the tool works, we checked out PIA's server located in Florida. Using a test location in New York, the server had a download speed of 4.42MB/sec and an upload speed of 5.69MB/s. By changing the test location to London, that same server had a download speed of 7.69MB/s and an upload speed of 12.50MB/s. Not too shabby. As for supported VPN providers, the list includes Private Internet Access (the default), VPN-S, Black VPN, Liquid VPN, Vyprvpn, Invisible Browsing VPN, Cactus, TorGuard, IP Vanish VPN, CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, and Hide My Ass. Test locations include two in the United States, Singapore, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Sydney, Toronto, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ultimately users can walk away with valuable information that will help them choose the right VPN for their needs. While privacy is a very important factor in choosing a service, so is speed, especially when streaming video is involved. This tool, which updates server information on an hourly basis, is ideal because users can compare multiple providers in one sitting. News of the tool arrives as Netflix begins to crack down on users who are using VPNs and proxies to stream content into geographic territories that don't have licensing rights to the media. In other words, they're getting access to movies and TV shows that aren't legally available in their region. Only the US military is purportedly allowed to stream Netflix's US catalog overseas via VPNs. Netflix vowed to beef up its proxy and "unblocker" detection in mid-January. The company said this detection technology will continue to evolve, and should not affect members who are not using proxies. VIA: Ghacks.net | ||||||||||
| Newegg Daily Deals: EVGA 80 Plus Gold 550W PSU, Seagate 3TB HDD, and More! Posted: 02 Feb 2016 10:51 AM PST Top Deal: Look, we're fans of excess—it doesn't read Modest PC on our magazine cover, but Maximum PC. That doesn't mean we suggest being careless with your component selection and going over the top at every opportunity. Let's say you're putting together a respectable mid-range system with a quad-core processor, SSD, and a mid-level graphics card. You could spurge on a 1,200W power supply to run the thing, or make a much wiser choice with your money, such as today's top deal for an EVGA 550W Power Supply for for $75 with free shipping (normally $85; additional $20 Mail-in rebate). There's plenty of power here to play with, and it's a high-quality unit that's 80 Plus Gold certified. It's also modular and comes with a 5-year warranty. Other Deals: Seagate Desktop HDD 3TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive for $85 with free shipping (normally $100 - use coupon code: [ESCEGEF22]) LG 25-inch IPS 2 x HDMI FHD Ultra-Wide LED Monitor 250 cd/m2 5,000,000:1 for $160 with $1 shipping (normally $190) MSI Radeon R9 380 DirectX 12 R9 380 GAMING 4G 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support ATX Video Card for $225 with free shipping (normally $239; additional $10 Mail-in rebate) NBA 2K16 - Xbox One for $50 with free shipping (normally $54) | ||||||||||
| AMD Radeon Software Crimson 16.1.1 Hotfix Driver Now Available Posted: 02 Feb 2016 10:36 AM PST Best performance for Rise of the Tomb Raider Rise of the Tomb Raider is out now for PC (it has been for the past several days) and whether you use an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card, there's an optimized driver release available to download. For NVIDIA graphics cards owners, it's the 361.75 driver release, which was made available a couple of days before the game's release. And for those on team AMD, it now has your back as well with the release of its new Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.1.1 Hotfix. The highlights of the hotfix are short and simple—performance and quality improvements for Rise of the Tomb Raider plus a Crossfire profile, and also a Crossfire profile for Fallout 4. AMD also resolved a bunch of issues with the latest hotfix. They include:
Rise of the Tomb Raider is the second title since 2013's Tomb Raider reboot. It's not overly demanding, though it definitely can be taxing if you crank up the eye candy and resolution. If you're thinking about jumping in or just want to know more, check out our separate Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmarks and optimization guide. AMD's hotfix is available here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook | ||||||||||
| AMD Launches Quieter Stock Cooling Solutions and New Processors Posted: 02 Feb 2016 10:05 AM PST Achieving a library level of quietness Reference coolers aren't usually all that exciting or particularly newsworthy, though in this case, AMD deserves a shout out for finally introducing some new air cooling solutions. First up is the Wraith. It replaces the stock air cooler that AMD's been using for the past several years, though as of right now it's only available with the company's FX 8370 CPU. The Wraith is noticeably bigger than the one it replaces, and that added footprint is put to good use—it has a larger fan that spins at a low RPM to deliver what AMD claims is 34 percent more airflow than its predecessor, while the body offers 24 percent more surface area to dissipate heat. That allows it to do a better job cooling than its predecessor, while operating at a "near-silent 39 decibels, about as quiet as a library," which is one-tenth the noise level of its predecessor, AMD says. The fan also brings a unique styling to the table with a fan shroud and backlit illumination for added bling. In addition to the Wraith, AMD trotted out a new 95W stock cooler that it's including with half a dozen other processors, including a pair of new ones. They include the following:
The Athlon X4 845 is AMD's first desktop chip based on its Excavator x86 architecture. It's a quad-core part clocked at 3.5GHz to 3.8GHz with 2MB of L2 cache and a 65W TDP. It doesn't have any built-in graphics, but in lieu of that, AMD touts a high IPC (instructions per clock) and budget friendly price tag ($70). AMD's other new addition, the A10-7860K, features four Steamroller cores clocked at 3.6GHz to 4GHz. It also has 4MB of L2 cache, a 65W TDP, and eight built-in Radeon R7 graphics cores clocked at 757MHz. It's priced at $117. | ||||||||||
| Asus Gives Swift PG348Q G-Sync Monitor Flagship Status, Still Mum on Pricing Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:12 AM PST Shipping this monthAsus has been teasing its 34-inch PG348Q monitor since around last summer, first by trotting it out to Computex and IFA 2015, and more recently at CES where it won the convention's Innovation award. If you were starting to wonder if it would ever come to market, wonder no more, it's now officially part of Asus ROG's Swift lineup. The flagship monitor boasts a curved panel with an ultra-wide QHD (3440x1440) resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio. It sports a frameless design and adopts the ROG "Armor Titanium" and "Plasma Copper" color scheme that Asus seems infatuated with as of late, plus some fancy built-in LED effects. As for the panel itself, it's an In-Plane Switching (IPS) display with a 100Hz refresh rate, Nvidia G-Sync support, 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 5ms gray-to-gray response time, and viewing angles (horizontal and vertical) of 178 degrees. One thing Asus warns is that 34 inches is a lot of real estate, especially if you're used to sitting close to your monitor. "A 34-inch display so close to your face is simply massive. Initially it would take a little time to get used to it if you're upgrading from a smaller display, [but] after spending some time with it, you simply can't go back," Asus says. The Swift PG348Q has a pair of 2W speakers built into it. Connectivity consists of a DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, four USB 3.0 ports, and an earphone jack. As for the ergonomic stand, it supports height adjustments up to 115mm, tilt (+20 to -5 degrees), and swivel (+50 to -50 degrees). Asus still hasn't said how much it's new flagship monitor will command, but did indicate that it will begin shipping this month. | ||||||||||
| Game Performance Using Different Storage Media Posted: 02 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST How different storage media affects in-game performanceOne of the biggest questions when choosing your storage setup is what kind of device you want to use to store and run your games. While 1TB SSDs have fallen to about $300 as of early 2016, this may still be too pricey for those looking for large amounts of storage. But if you use an HDD when you don't have enough storage to spare on your SSD really going to be a painful experience? Since hard drives are slower than SSDs, using one may affect not just the loading time of the game, but performance can suffer if the game accesses content from storage regularly and the hard drive can't keep up. With this conundrum in mind, let's take a look at how games perform using different types of storage media. Why would storage media affect performance?Your choice of storage media can make a difference if an application halts its processing when requesting data from storage. Because the data it wants isn't in RAM, it waits until it can get it from storage. This can either result in a small hiccup or a long pause, depending on how long it takes to get the data. We're testing to see if putting a game on a hard drive will impact in-game performance over running it from an SSD, as hard drives have notably slower response times. To clarify, in-game performance is the frames per second the system can sustain. Testing setup and methodologyThe following system setup is what we used to test:
The games we tested:
Each of the tests has scenarios that are repeatable, but in a real-world situation, i.e., no benchmark tests were used. We used both Performance Monitor and Fraps to gather data; Performance Monitor for gathering the number of bytes read per second, and FRAPS to capture the rendering time of each frame, with capture starting just before each scenario starts. For each game, we looked at storage activity in relation to performance to see if storage activity affects it. To avoid the possibility of Windows caching games ahead of time into RAM, Superfetch was disabled. In addition, after each run for one type of storage, the PC was reset in order to flush out RAM. Note that for some of the graphs, they may have data points that go off the chart in order to make seeing the rest of the data easier. ResultsARMA 3For ARMA 3, we ran through the Showcase mission "Armed Assault." This was done up until the second major checkpoint was reached. From this scenario, ARMA 3 regularly accesses the storage but the bandwidth is under 20MB/s most of the time. Still, with a lot of activity happening toward the middle, let's see how this affects performance. It does appear the hard drive has more stutters in the middle, but the average framerate isn't too much worse than the SSDs. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 For this first-person shooter, we ran the first part of the mission "New World." With very little reading going on during the game, we can expect it to run with similar performance on all three storage types. Interestingly, Black Ops 3 is one of the few games in this test to exceed 200MB/s on the SSDs, and the HDD even managed to spike as high as 120MB/s. As there wasn't much storage activity, all three runs performed practically the same. Civilization V In this large-scale turn-based strategy game, we loaded up a game 400 turns in, then played 10 turns. Similar actions were performed for consistency. Surprisingly, Civilization V does very little reading, and it topped out at 120MB/s for the SSDs. We can expect to see similar performance across the board. All three storage types exhibit the same performance in-game. All the sudden jumps in rendering time were due to the computer players taking their turns. Company of Heroes 2 In this World War II strategy game, we ran a 4 vs. 4 skirmish map, and stopped once the game timer reached 10 minutes. Another interesting case, Company of Heroes 2 is a high-bandwidth performer, topping the NVMe drive at almost 450MB/s while the hard drive achieves a respectable 120MB/s. However, the game practically doesn't touch the drives afterward. The game has a few jumps in rendering time for each run, but for the most part, the performs the same on all three storage types. Crysis 3 In this large-scale shooter, we played the mission "Welcome to the Jungle" up until the player character Prophet meets up with his teammate Psycho, the second major objective. With its large environment for this map, Crysis 3 does a lot of accessing during the run with lots jumps in read bandwidth. Despite reading a lot from the storage, even using a hard drive doesn't result in any appreciable performance loss, with the exception of that sudden jump in the middle. Final Fantasy XIV The test for this MMORPG from the popular Final Fantasy series consists of doing a Chocobo Porter run between three major areas. Despite the areas being lively and covering large areas, there's fairly little loading going on until the transition to another one. However, the game's performance on all three storage types remains effectively the same. One caveat is that your experience may vary on the server you use and what sort of activities you do. However, seeing that the game doesn't make a lot of storage requests should instill confidence that there is plenty of wiggle room. Grand Theft Auto V In this large, lively open-world game, we be started from Franklin's home, went to the nearest interstate on ramp to do a lap around Downtown Los Santos, then back to Franklin's home. Refer to the image below for the route.  This route was chosen for having some of the most detailed scenery in the game, as well as having a high chance of dense population in the mix. GTA V frequently accesses the storage devices, floating around 20MB/s to 30MB/s, with some peaks of 40MB/s during the run. There was almost no idle time for storage until the end. This should be a good candidate to see if what kind of storage you have affects performance. However, GTA V offers the most surprising result: Despite constantly reading from storage, there is little to no appreciable variation in performance between devices. The Witcher 3 For this open-world RPG, we played through the first few objectives of the early quest, "The Beast of White Orchard." Despite having open spaces, The Witcher 3 doesn't read a lot from storage. Storage type doesn't affect performance all that much either. A quick recap: 95th percentile rendering timesTaking all of that data, we'll also look at the 95th percentile for rendering times on each game. This means 95 percent of all frames were rendered at or under the reported time. Digging a little deeperLooking at all of the data from the games we tested, performance doesn't seem to be affected by the type of storage it's on, save for loading. Not content with leaving it at that, we decided to take a deeper look into what one of the games was doing during the test. For this test, we looked at GTA V, since it had the most storage activity, using a tool called Process Monitor. This tool examines a program that's running and tracks its events. In this case, we're only interested in when the program reads a file and how long it took for the file to be accessed. We examined the GTA V test running from the hard drive: If this chart is unfamiliar to you, the horizontal axis represents if a request time falls between the two values. In this case, it starts at request times up to 1 millisecond. Every bar after that is 1 millisecond intervals. The vertical axis is how many requests fall in between the times. According to the data pulled from Process Monitor, most of the requests made on the hard drive were finished in a millisecond or less. This seems strange when typical access times for a hard drive are around 8 to 10 milliseconds. However, the following may explain the low access time:
Wrapping it up From the data collected, storage devices have little to no impact on performance while the game is running. Where it impacts the most is where there's lots of loading, such as starting a new game, loading a new level, or loading from a save file. While we recommend putting what you can on the SSD for maximum performance, if you're stuck deciding what to put on your SSD and what to leave on the HDD, here are our recommendations:
We also still recommend fitting an SSD into your PC build if you can, but if you're having trouble budgeting for one, don't worry about losing out on much in-game performance by using an HDD. A low-end processor or video card will hurt your performance more than running on an HDD. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Maximum PC latest stories. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
