Tech Corner

[Pol]

Effectivity and easy maintenance. That said I usually try to avoid it, as air cooling + pipelines can prove to be very effective combination.

On the other side, when you computer is silently bubbling it's a very nice for ears. If there are not any remaining sounds from the pc and you can hear it at all

When we are talking about the sound from the coolers. Some vendors were using sound suppressors with a great success. The cooler is equipped with sound unit/reproduktor which negates the blades/rotor sound.

Water Cooling in my eyes start here:
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/co ... -lite-240/
https://dotesports.com/hardware/news/be ... er-coolers

Myself not using it, just watching it once per time.

[mr.hackcrag]

I have a problem where every 5-10 seconds, some kind of application on PC pops up for less than half a second and then disappears and I don't know how to isolate what it is and stop it. When I am playing a game, the game will abruptly tab back to desktop because of the appearance of the app that pops up. What do I do?

[mr.hackcrag]

Another question is that my fans are always so loud and this is when I am not even doing anything besides browsing internet. Is something wrong with either the temperature sensor or AMD? I've noticed that the GPU & VRAM change any second by over 1000, the temperature changes from one second to another from 40-50 which is impossible, and fans are running 24 hours around 3000 rpm no matter what I am doing on my PC. What's going on here?

https://postimg.cc/qtJ2FQFc

[Pol]

Applications popping in once per a few seconds can be a nag screen. So either broken app (no completely uninstalled) or virus.

How to?

Launch Ctrl+Alt+Del, pick "Task Manager" check applications after startup and running app. As of Startup app disable these, which you don't need.

And ofc, proceed with AV malware checks.

If you would have Windows Pro, then there's a way how to log running processes. Otherwise, perhaps some utility.


==>

Bios is everything. Bios rule your board and graphic unit. And will continues so one, despite being called UEFI or anything else. If bios or sensor is broken, the result is a mismatch.

Therefore upgrade bios (if you can), check temperature within your computer (you need external sensor - thermometer) for that. And if everything fails, set up in bios to ignore that and buy a cooler with sensor and external regulation. Or liquid cooler, how you were thinkig.

From my experience broken bios or relative windows driver, if it's not controlled directly via board but via some app, is often a cause of such troubles. But, you can have broken sensor too. Anyway mostly it's app or bios reading it bad.

[mr.hackcrag]

I've tried disabling everything in startup and it didn't do anything. Windows Defender didn't detect any virus either. I have Windows Home.

I recorded the my screen with my phone and I caught the popup that appears using slow-motion. It says something like:

Microsoft.net\Framework64\v4.01031\addinprocess.exe

https://postimg.cc/G8JYQSr1

What do I do about this?

Regarding the bios, if I build new CPU, motherboard, GPU, etc. that should fix this right? Because I am overdue for an upgrade, but the reason I have been waiting is because GPU is ridiculous price these days and I don't want to pay.

[mr.hackcrag]

Upon further research, it seems like the two problems I described were related. I found the solution here:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... d71d1b6ce8

Windows Defender is unable to detect the malware. I had to use the apps described in that thread. When I followed those steps and cleared the malware, my fans instantly stopped whirring and my system is finally quiet. I can't believe how many months I was living with that problem and didn't realize it.

https://postimg.cc/tZKqs98q

[Pol]

Interesting, I'm glad that you found out.

So, apart from popping up it was also causing 100% CPU. Hmm. What malware (or add-aware or whatever) it was?

I don't use Windows Defender, instead I'm using Kaspersky (paid ofc. ). Point is, that you should not rely on Windows Defender alone.

--
Ridiculous prices are our future, when the market saturate they will drop but never the way they were before. Until there would be some serious pressure.

[mr.hackcrag]

I don't recall what malware it was but it quarantined about 23 files.

[Pol]

Graphic card prices are a little bit dropping. Unfortunately huge drop is possible only if all bitcoin miners give up and start to have a normal job.
For all stats see it here:
http://www.3dcenter.org

These graphs can compare how much are card overprices in comparison to recommended price, which is usually also overpriced. Because it was normal, before Bitcoin strikes, that recommended prices dropped in half from two to four yrs. When new available models ousted the previous line.

See the img on the link:
https://www.3dcenter.org/dateien/abbild ... 022-v3.png

So, no we are roughly at 150% of recommended prices.

[Pol]

Bought myself new monitor: MSI G251F. Tweaked driver's settings. As normally it went with strong blue shift and 60Hz/SDR. So, with worse display settings by default, than was my old monitor using DVI-D.

Monitor:
Gaming > Game Mode > User
Gaming > Response Time > Normal (Yes, it affects image and I'm also no playing anything.)
Professional > Pro Mode > sRGB

In AMD Driver, tab Display:

Left:
AMD >> Display 1 (with your monitor: MSI G251F)
VRR: Yes
HDMI Link Assurance: No (Shouldn't be needed)
Pixel Format: RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard (Full RGB)

Right:
Custom Color: Enabled
Color Temperature Control: Enabled
Color Temperature: 6500 (is the default, used 5700 in my case and changed to 4900 in not so sunny day)

Windows:
"Microsoft key" > Settings > System > Display
Use HDR: Yes
Advanced display settings:
Refresh Rate: 165Hz

Adjust ClearType text for better reading

This is different, with DVI-D, first part was auto-setuped, now is not with HDMI and internet sources say that the same apply also for Display Port. Driver will set up worse image quality by default.

Once is image good, you may go and download f.lux to work in night, this will remove blue colors in night hours. It's still more convenient, than any other in-built night displays in windows or monitor.

In my case colors are not perfect but are very close

Which is all for HDR, if you have all your content as it. Unfortunately when you are also going to watch some normal (SDR) videos or doing desktop screenshots, you are out of luck and you need to switch back to SDR. The temperature control still works, maybe there's some util doing switching for you?

[Pol]

In Chrome or Opera just press Shift+Esc to pop-up browser task manager.

Whereas Ctrl+Shift+Esc pop up Windows Task Manager..

[Pol]

As every few years, there's time of upgrading or building a new computer. For a decent price.
I was looking myself, regarding price and components availability and if you want something which could last for a long time and be decent for causal playing, this is possible:

AMD RYZEN 5 5500 @ 3.6GHz - https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-5-5500
ASUS TUF B450M-PLUS GAMING II - https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Compo ... /techspec/
GIGABYTE RTX 2060 WindForce OC - https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/ ... -rev-10#kf
32GB of fast RAM - till 4400Mhz
M.2 disk as primary
be quiet! Pure Power 11 600W CM - https://www.bequiet.com/en/powersupply/1535
Some good case, additional coolers if you wish for more silent setup.

For Windows 11, which you would need to buy together with all components to qualify for OEM license, it's also recommendable to obtain separate TPM SPI module, like this one - https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Compo ... s/TPM-SPI/
The price is around 11€ still somewhere. But it's seemingly ramping up to 25€, which is pure silliness.

CPU - 123.6€
ASUS TUF B450M-PRO GAMING II - 92.56€
GIGABYTE RTX 2060 WindForce OC 4G - 349.08€
G.Skill Ripjaws V Black 32GB (2x16GB) - 148.16€
Cooler Master Silencio S600 - 112.28€ /Lian Li PC-101B - 51.6€
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB - 62.88€
TOTAL CM Silencio 600 case: 888.56€
TOTAL LL 101B case: 827.88€

Limitations:

• CPU and chipset max PCI is 3.0, so it lack sense for the new cards
• Withou TPM 2.0 module you are set to go with software emulation by AMD fTPM, this is know to affect computer performance
• With use of 1xM.2 disk you have only 4xSATA left
• Tower cooler recommended, as you need to keep space for memory modules

This is now relatively cheap way to get yourself a good computer. And as things goes, it might be valid only during August, until price and components availability change again.

Note: "It's having very good price/performance ratio but it's not meant in any way to be a top gaming PC. This is only price calculation and evaluation. No PC like that was assembled and tested."

[mr.hackcrag]

I'm planning on new PC build, but is there anything I should wait for that will be releasing soon?

[Pol]

Nope, if you would like to consider good perf/price ratio as well. New models are coming (both AMD/Intel) but price won't be shaking so soon. Probably first in January a bit. That apply to GPU too, as ethereum changed their mining algoritm - to be more eko. But, will it last..?

GPU are delayed, as storages are full of overpriced pieces and junk.

[mr.hackcrag]

For CPU, I'm considering:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/630 ... t-included

https://www.microcenter.com/product/641 ... t-included

GPU Considerations:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/634 ... phics-card

https://www.microcenter.com/product/649 ... phics-card

https://www.microcenter.com/product/648 ... phics-card

Any thoughts?

[Pol]

Now, an important question. How you are going to use it, for what?

And should it be still silent?

[mr.hackcrag]

The computer I built ~6 years ago is still good enough to do everything I want so it is not necessary to build a new one. I could wait. Silent is best, but I don't know how.

Here are options of the rest of the build:

Ram

https://www.microcenter.com/product/646 ... z5s-silver

https://www.microcenter.com/product/646 ... tz5k-black

Power supply

https://www.microcenter.com/product/642 ... wer-supply

https://www.microcenter.com/product/621 ... wer-supply

Case

https://www.microcenter.com/product/643 ... case-white

https://www.microcenter.com/product/606 ... lack-white

SSD

https://www.microcenter.com/product/651 ... tate-drive

[Pol]

I see. That means that there's plenty of time to refine your goals. Lets use it

The exact processor doesn't matter so much. Intel or AMD is baseless question. You should pick the one providing the better performance for you, for less money. Currently they are on par. Sometimes one wins a bit, in another test the other one.

If you have time, new ones are behind the corner but, as it is in this world, they will come to good prices in years.

AMD is planning new 7k line with DDR5 only clocked at 6000MHz and calls that a "sweet spot".

Cases which support water cooling have that in description. It also means that you replace most of cooler CPU+VGA by water cooling systems.

What to watch?

Motherboard, quality, ports, slots, memory support, should have wi-fi, good sound?

SSD - Price is usually similar, other parameters can vary a lot. Take a look here. Much faster, that that one linked.

Case - depends on the board and otherwise. Ie ATX or MicroATX?

RAM - against depend on the architecture, for new ones DDR5 should be fine. These sounds very good for both processors but better for AMD

[Pol]

If you would be ever thinking to using new service from google for real, check this first.
This is a long and still growing list of google abandoned services. Many of them were propagated a lot. Currently last victim is Stadia.

[Pol]

Completed new computer, with some possible longevity at pretty low cost. Office work, more monitors, very rare up to casual game playing. Cheap CPU, cheap MB with fast memory support and good audio. Fast M.2 disk. And a lot of memory. In fact pretty much silent.

CPU: AMD RYZEN 5 5500 @ 3.6GHz / Turbo 4.2GHz / 6C12T / L2 3MB L3 16MB / AM4 / No VGA / 65W
MB: ASUS TUF B450M-PRO GAMING II / AMD B450 / DDR4 / SATA III RAID / USB / GLAN / M.2 / sc.AM4 / mATX
Flashed latest bios without CPU and Card inserted, bios 3211 with ASUS TPM-SPI (14-1 pins) / (TPM 2.0,Nuvoton NPCT750)
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V Black 32GB (2x16GB) / 4000MHz / DDR4 / CL18-22-22-42 / 1.4V / XMP 2.0
HDD: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB / M.2 2280 / PCIE Gen3 x4 / 3D TLC / R: 3500 MBs / W:2300 MBs / IOPS: 390K 380K
PSU: be quiet! Pure Power 11 600W CM / 600W / 80+ GOLD / Active PFC / 120 mm / Semi-modular
GPU Sapphire RX570 ITX Pulse 4GB DDR5 (not a new, current driver Adrenalin 22.10.3 Optional (WHQL))
OS: Windows 10 Pro Full (not a new)
Case: Already had one CM something from Elite Series for miniATX boards
TOTAL: 666€

Unigine Superposition graphic test with high settings scored a bit over 4911 points.