PC Gamers and Tech

[Geek]

On 6/13/2023 at 9:39 AM, minutemancl said:

I have no desire to build a gaming PC. I'm a dad now who really doesn't play video games all that much anymore, but I love playing my single player FromSoft and Bethesda RPGs. Those are the only games I play anymore. I have an Xbox One, but we have reached the point where these new games coming out aren't going to be playable on that console anymore.

I thought about just buying the new Xbox, but I think a handheld PC, like the Steam Deck, would be better for someone like me. I have a pretty extensive Steam catalog from when I used to play a lot more and had a PC I played games on. Also, it helps to not be stuck in one spot when I want to play and my wife or kid can make use of the TV. Looking through this thread, I see mention of something called an Ally; what is that? I was thinking I'd just buy the mid or high tier Steam Deck, but are there now competing handheld PCs? Which is the best?

Basically, there really is no best, just what's best for you. Handheld PCs are super awesome but they're not really an outright replacement for a console. They're more of an accessory meant to complement your pc gaming. They can function as a console/PC replacement if you really want to but it won't be the best experience. I wouldn't want to play a multiplayer fps on my deck. FromSoft and Bethesda games work fine but again you are giving up a little bit of the experience to play it on a handheld. You can only mod Bethesda games lightly and something like Elden Ring or Sekiro IMO deserves to be played on a larger screen where you can really immerse yourself. That said, something like the Steam Deck is perfect for indie games and emulation. Like there isn't a better way to play them. Games like Dead Cells, Dredge, Vampire Survivors, Fear and Hunger, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Persona 3/4/5, Katana Zero and tons more are all games that rival the very best triple AAA games and are/were GOTY contenders that run fantastic on handheld. Add the fact that the Steam Deck and emulate pretty much every old console ever made and there is a huge log of fantastic games to play. It's really up to you if that is the sort of experience you are looking for. If not consoles are still a perfectly fine way to play (especially with how bad prices have gotten for PC parts in the past few years)

As far as Steam deck vs Ally my general takeaway is this. Ally has much better hardware at a very competitive price (its still $700 though, so competitive for the hardware you're getting), but the software experience isn't as smooth as the Steam deck, has less customization ability within the software, you can't easily repair it or upgrade its parts like the steam deck, and the biggest deal breaker for me was the fact that Asus is making it. They have a pretty terrible reputation for QA issues and a worse reputation for customer service, to the point they've damn near outright scammed people. But again the Ally itself is a pretty crazy piece of tech for the price so you gotta ask yourself if you are fine with those disclaimers for the superior hardware. It's a better console killer than the Steam deck from what I've heard at least but @Squanchy actually has hands-on with it so he might be able to tell you more.

[Squanchy]

Do to some scheduling things I haven’t gotten to do much of  anything crazy with it.  The asus suites do run well and are customizable. Making changing from resolution to framerate is very easy.  
 

I was able to utilize just like a windows device. Downloading different games in unorthodox ways with torrents.  And it works just as well as a desktop. 
 

The one hiccup i keep getting is there’s some bug with just unlocking the device.  It forgets your pin so you have to reset, the fingerprint unlock is never an option anymore.  Sometimes you can’t get the screen to turn on with the button.  You’ll have to plug it in to get the screen to pop on.  That could just be my unit.  I don’t know.  
 

I’ll keep reporting on how it’s going.  So far I’ve only downloaded Hades. 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Squanchy

[minutemancl]

1 hour ago, Geek said:

Basically, there really is no best, just what's best for you. Handheld PCs are super awesome but they're not really an outright replacement for a console. They're more of an accessory meant to complement your pc gaming. They can function as a console/PC replacement if you really want to but it won't be the best experience. I wouldn't want to play a multiplayer fps on my deck. FromSoft and Bethesda games work fine but again you are giving up a little bit of the experience to play it on a handheld. You can only mod Bethesda games lightly and something like Elden Ring or Sekiro IMO deserves to be played on a larger screen where you can really immerse yourself. That said, something like the Steam Deck is perfect for indie games and emulation. Like there isn't a better way to play them. Games like Dead Cells, Dredge, Vampire Survivors, Fear and Hunger, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Persona 3/4/5, Katana Zero and tons more are all games that rival the very best triple AAA games and are/were GOTY contenders that run fantastic on handheld. Add the fact that the Steam Deck and emulate pretty much every old console ever made and there is a huge log of fantastic games to play. It's really up to you if that is the sort of experience you are looking for. If not consoles are still a perfectly fine way to play (especially with how bad prices have gotten for PC parts in the past few years)

As far as Steam deck vs Ally my general takeaway is this. Ally has much better hardware at a very competitive price (its still $700 though, so competitive for the hardware you're getting), but the software experience isn't as smooth as the Steam deck, has less customization ability within the software, you can't easily repair it or upgrade its parts like the steam deck, and the biggest deal breaker for me was the fact that Asus is making it. They have a pretty terrible reputation for QA issues and a worse reputation for customer service, to the point they've damn near outright scammed people. But again the Ally itself is a pretty crazy piece of tech for the price so you gotta ask yourself if you are fine with those disclaimers for the superior hardware. It's a better console killer than the Steam deck from what I've heard at least but @Squanchy actually has hands-on with it so he might be able to tell you more.

Aren't there docks that allow you to display the steam deck games on your TV?

I don't play online multi-player games. I also don't mod games. I play my single player RPGs and that's it. I refuse to spend the time and money necessary required for a full gaming PC. I also don't like being confined to one area of the house. 

[Squanchy]

Update on the Ally.   Looks like an update fixed those issues with turning on/off the screen of the device.  I think the pin issue and the reason why it was reset was because of a windows update.  
 

I played a bunch of Hades.  Game run smooth. I do like the overlay they have.  I’m sure I can still use afterburner if I want but I’m fine with the built in overlay.  
 

Im currently downloading FF7 remake to test out a bigger game. 

[AkronsWitness]

So recently Ive noticed my PC fans have become louder and seem to be working overtime. I have my PC on most of the day either working/playing. My PC never really made noise when I built it but now its much more noticeable and my room is getting hotter and hotter.

Ive checked my temps and everything is fine--CPU at 66*C and GPU at 71*C so its not like its overheating inside.

I have 3 fans on the side of my case + 2 fans on the CPU liquid cooler that blow out the top. Still have 3 spots on the bottom of the case for fans. 

Should I be worried about the amount of heat this thing is pumping out now and how loud the fans are working? Would adding 3 more fans to the bottom of the case help the noise/heat? I put my hand over the top of the PC and its blowin HOT air from the 2 CPU cooler/radiator fans and I have no idea why my GPU usage is nearly 100%

Tagging @Squanchy @elevators_rule @Geek

 

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[Geek]

3 hours ago, AkronsWitness said:

So recently Ive noticed my PC fans have become louder and seem to be working overtime. I have my PC on most of the day either working/playing. My PC never really made noise when I built it but now its much more noticeable and my room is getting hotter and hotter.

Ive checked my temps and everything is fine--CPU at 66*C and GPU at 71*C so its not like its overheating inside.

I have 3 fans on the side of my case + 2 fans on the CPU liquid cooler that blow out the top. Still have 3 spots on the bottom of the case for fans. 

Should I be worried about the amount of heat this thing is pumping out now and how loud the fans are working? Would adding 3 more fans to the bottom of the case help the noise/heat? I put my hand over the top of the PC and its blowin HOT air from the 2 CPU cooler/radiator fans and I have no idea why my GPU usage is nearly 100%

Tagging @Squanchy @elevators_rule @Geek

 

 

 

 

Is that GPU usage when you are idling? There is definitely something wrong there. It should be half that or less unless you are playing video games or something else intensive. Your GPU shouldn't be at 71C. On a 3080 browsing I'm at around 45-50 and that's with rainmeter on in the background which is pretty gpu intensive. CPU is fairly normal.

 

When was the last time you dusted and cleaned your PC? Sometimes dust will clog up fans, reducing their cooling ability, the fans will then speed up to compensate. Also with it being as hot as it is your home might have a  higher ambient temp than normal so that could also lead to the fans having to push harder.

 

But back to the main issue that GPU shouldn't be that way. Are you on the latest Nvidia driver? Are you on a recent BIOS? Open up your task manager and check what programs are running you should be able to see what program is using the GPU if you scroll over. Try running windows defender and Malwarebytes just to make sure it isn't a Bitcoin miner or something.

[AkronsWitness]

8 hours ago, Geek said:

Is that GPU usage when you are idling? There is definitely something wrong there. It should be half that or less unless you are playing video games or something else intensive. Your GPU shouldn't be at 71C. On a 3080 browsing I'm at around 45-50 and that's with rainmeter on in the background which is pretty gpu intensive. CPU is fairly normal.

 

When was the last time you dusted and cleaned your PC? Sometimes dust will clog up fans, reducing their cooling ability, the fans will then speed up to compensate. Also with it being as hot as it is your home might have a  higher ambient temp than normal so that could also lead to the fans having to push harder.

 

But back to the main issue that GPU shouldn't be that way. Are you on the latest Nvidia driver? Are you on a recent BIOS? Open up your task manager and check what programs are running you should be able to see what program is using the GPU if you scroll over. Try running windows defender and Malwarebytes just to make sure it isn't a Bitcoin miner or something.

Not when idling, I took the screen cap at a very weird time. The PC had been on all-day at that point and I was running a game on Steam in the background. Im just browsing the internet right now with Youtube playing and it is staying between 5-15% GPU usage and the temps are 55*C. No fan noise at all-perfectly quiet. 

Ill try to keep an eye on it but things seem to be happening when I multitask and run games. Thats when everything seems to go into overdrive. But normal browsing everything is great. No dust and updated drivers. 

Thats why I cant help but think adding 3 more fans at the bottom might help it out a bit for longer more intensive days. I would also love to find a way to not have the office Im sitting in turn 79 degrees from all the heat this thing is pumping out lol Would more fans help that?

Edited July 6, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[Squanchy]

11 hours ago, AkronsWitness said:

Not when idling, I took the screen cap at a very weird time. The PC had been on all-day at that point and I was running a game on Steam in the background. Im just browsing the internet right now with Youtube playing and it is staying between 5-15% GPU usage and the temps are 55*C. No fan noise at all-perfectly quiet. 

Ill try to keep an eye on it but things seem to be happening when I multitask and run games. Thats when everything seems to go into overdrive. But normal browsing everything is great. No dust and updated drivers. 

Thats why I cant help but think adding 3 more fans at the bottom might help it out a bit for longer more intensive days. I would also love to find a way to not have the office Im sitting in turn 79 degrees from all the heat this thing is pumping out lol Would more fans help that?

To me it sounds like ambient temp rising up in the room itself is causing a bit of the issue.  My temps are higher now when I’m not running my AC.  
 

Keep an eye out. If you’re not seeing anything too crazy under load or idling temperature wise and you’re worrying about noise factor run a different fan curve if available. 
 

Also do you have a 240 or 280 rad and what cpu?  
 

As far as the extra fans go it will help.  But not significantly maybe like 2 degrees. 
 

I would just keep an eye out.  Play around with fans curved. Some stronger some weaker.  See how everything reacts.  If temps are getting worse on just the cpu maybe your pump is slowing down.  If it’s the gpu could be a paste issue.  If both then it’s an overall system issue and troubleshooting becomes more complicated. 
 

Nice rig. 
 

Edit:  Could honestly be a program or game issue.  Some just have higher usage.  I remember playing Metro Exodus and that think would ramp my cpu like crazy 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Squanchy

[AkronsWitness]

1 hour ago, Squanchy said:

To me it sounds like ambient temp rising up in the room itself is causing a bit of the issue.  My temps are higher now when I’m not running my AC.  
 

Keep an eye out. If you’re not seeing anything too crazy under load or idling temperature wise and you’re worrying about noise factor run a different fan curve if available. 
 

Also do you have a 240 or 280 rad and what cpu?  
 

As far as the extra fans go it will help.  But not significantly maybe like 2 degrees. 
 

I would just keep an eye out.  Play around with fans curved. Some stronger some weaker.  See how everything reacts.  If temps are getting worse on just the cpu maybe your pump is slowing down.  If it’s the gpu could be a paste issue.  If both then it’s an overall system issue and troubleshooting becomes more complicated. 
 

Nice rig. 
 

Edit:  Could honestly be a program or game issue.  Some just have higher usage.  I remember playing Metro Exodus and that think would ramp my cpu like crazy 

Yeah it seems to be a GPU thing more than a CPU thing. Ive been checking my temps and the CPU is always fine even under heavy loads. Its the GPU that worries me. Its always fine (stays in the 40-50s) when Idle/Discord/Youtube/Browsing but man whenever a game (New World) gets fired up its like the noise starts coming from the fans working overtime on the GPU and the temps go from 40-50 to 60-70s......along with my room increasing 5* in temp 😁

When I have my system on for a few hours then stress it with some games; it turns my PC into a space heater 

[Geek]

It also might just be coil whine from a bad fan. If you just started it notice it it might be because your room is getting hotter the fans are ramping up so you're just now noticing the coil whine. Try to listen to see if it's like a high pitch sound coming from one of your fans.

 

Case fans don't actually cool anything themselves they just create a pressure system inside your case that theoretically should pull in cooler air from your room into your gpu and heatsink (or a radiator in your case) and expel the hot air that comes off those components. If the air you're pulling in to cool those components is already hot you're just going to end up with more hot air in your office. I usually run just 3 fans and my computer has survived North Carolina summers in a barracks room with no ac. After a certain point the way your fans are setup are going to matter a lot more than the number of fans you have.

 

As for why your gpu is 100% I think squanchy is right. Some games just aren't well optimized and can draw a lot more power to play, which ramps the gpu usage, and the fans/heat.

[Geek]

Oh New World? That might explain something. That game was(is?) pretty notorious for being poorly optimized. Like it was outright bricking people's 3090's 😬

 

I imagine it's probably a mixture of coil whine being noticed from high ambient temperatures plus a difficult to run game.

[AkronsWitness]

8 minutes ago, Geek said:

Oh New World? That might explain something. That game was(is?) pretty notorious for being poorly optimized. Like it was outright bricking people's 3090's 😬

 

I imagine it's probably a mixture of coil whine being noticed from high ambient temperatures plus a difficult to run game.

lol yeah I have 1,200hrs in that game Im surprised it hasnt killed my entire system yet. It could just be the quality of fans too, lets be honest they were fans from a company called CoolID off Amazon lol They are not top of the line by any means (but they had good reviews lol)

[Squanchy]

I’d get some be quiet fans.  They’re incredible and relatively cheap compared to some others.  
 

Quick question.  How are your 3 side fans oriented?  Are they intake or exhaust?  You want to make sure they are intake because if not then all you have in your case is 5 exhaust fans so no fans are bringing in cooler air.  
 

Also your gpu running at 100% and in the 70s is perfectly normal.  If your gpu hits upper 70s 80s consistently then keep an eye out more.  Also haven’t played New World myself but I’ve heard the same things. It’s tough on PCs.  

[AkronsWitness]

2 hours ago, Squanchy said:

I’d get some be quiet fans.  They’re incredible and relatively cheap compared to some others.  
 

Quick question.  How are your 3 side fans oriented?  Are they intake or exhaust?  You want to make sure they are intake because if not then all you have in your case is 5 exhaust fans so no fans are bringing in cooler air.  
 

Also your gpu running at 100% and in the 70s is perfectly normal.  If your gpu hits upper 70s 80s consistently then keep an eye out more.  Also haven’t played New World myself but I’ve heard the same things. It’s tough on PCs.  

All my fans are exhaust to help get the hot air out. Ive never seen a build with the fan logos not facing inward towards the components to I just figured all extra fans should be exhaust

Edited July 7, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[Squanchy]

4 minutes ago, AkronsWitness said:

All my fans are exhaust to help get the hot air out. Ive never seen a build with the fan logos not facing inward towards the components to I just figured all extra fans should be exhaust

I could be wrong but I think that’s called “negative pressure”.  If it wasn’t such a pain in the *** I’d say flip them around and see what that does.  I’ve seen build in that case that are intake.  If you do get fans for the bottom definitely have them as intake. 

Your temps don’t seem bad at all.  Like we’ve said could just be that game.  If the noise bothers you from the fans either adjust the fan curve or get higher quality fans.  
 

There doesn’t seem to be anything crazy wrong with what you’re saying. Maybe a minor tweak if anything.