I would have pulled out when Zen 2 launched or at the very latest when the 3950X/Zen 2 Threadripper came out. The fact that Intel would drop hard in the future was painted all over the wall by that time.

Yeah, let me just call Vanguard to take Intel out of their ETF.

LG goes big on small OLED TVs, as new factory doubles panel production

https://www.techradar.com/news/expect-more-lg-oled-tvs-than-ever-as-production-finally-ramps-up

Good news for me as I am looking at that 48 inch to eventually replace my current desktop monitor unless they make one that's even smaller.

LG Recalls 60K OLED TVs Due to Overheating Problem

https://www.pcmag.com/news/lg-recalls-60k-oled-tvs-due-to-overheating-problem

Intel Core i9-10850K 10 Core CPU Launches Tomorrow for $450 USD

https://techplusgame.com/intel-core-i9-10850k-launches-tomorrow/

"This reference is positioned on the high-end CPUs with 10 physical cores and 20 logic cores. The set comes with 20MB of L3 cache. On the frequency side, we have 5.2 GHz. Faced with the current hardware specs of the Core i9-10900K, the difference is in the frequency with 100 MHz less and the absence of Thermal Velocity Boost technology. For the rest, we have an unlocked multiplier officiant."

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 GX550LXS in Review: Unique Gaming Laptop with Lots of Performance Below the Hood

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Zephyrus-Duo-15-GX550LXS-in-Review-Unique-Gaming-Laptop-with-Lots-of-Performance-Below-the-Hood.483002.0.html

One of the more interesting laptops to come out as it has dual screens.

While the specs are impressive, it costs a ton and the battery life is shit so it's more of a desktop replacement. Least it has USB-C charging.



Infinity Ward is telling people to please stop cheating in Warzone

https://twitter.com/infinityward/status/1286753054381883393?s=21

Correct. PCI-E x8 is because of it's mobile roots.

It's not so much to keep chip size reigned in though... It's actually mostly to do with power consumption.

Still, x8 PCI-E 4.0 lanes is equivalent to x16 PCI-E 3.0 lanes, so plenty of bandwidth for the fastest of GPU's except for a few edge-case scenarios like compute or sharing with multiple nvme drives... But by extension those same users shouldn't be buying an APU if they intend to run a discreet high-end GPU with a heap of SSD's in Raid, it can be done, just not optimally.

How to be Australian with one picture. We just don't care.

the thing with those waifu cases, i can explain having a normal case with a dbz art or rgb but that i just cant

That meme is not going to go away for a long long while. The meme thread on Neogaf is pure comedy gold.

Intel Ponte Vecchio GPU Will Be Made On TSMC’s 6nm Process, CPUs Could Be Made On TSMC 3nm As Well. Take it with a grain of salt.

https://wccftech.com/intel-ponte-vecchio-gpu-tsmc-6nm/



At this rate, there might be price hikes due to limited capacity from TSMC than anything else as everyone and their dog wants a piece of TSMC's pie.

It's time for the Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Batman: Arkham City sold 12.5 million, generated over $600 million in revenue
https://www.pcgamer.com/batman-arkham-city-sold-125-million-generated-over-dollar600-million-in-revenue/
Arkham City was always going to sell well, what with being a sequel to the best Batman game made up until that point (some might say still the best), but we now have a clearer idea exactly how well. Back in February of 2012 Gamespot reported that Arkham City shipped six million copies within four months of release, but thanks to Twitter sleuth @bogorad222, we have some more detailed figures.
Looking at the Linkedin profile of Warner Bros.' global franchise marketing manager for Arkham City, they pulled out the detail that in its first year alone Arkham City sold 12.5 million copies. Another note mentions that it raised over $600 million in revenue.

GOG's weekly sale features up to 90% discounts and is called the Grand RPG Sale, so you know what to expect: https://www.gog.com/promo/grand_rpg_sale

Steam has two new daily deals:

• Deliver Us The Moon is 33% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/428660/Deliver_Us_The_Moon/
• And Daymare: 1998, that has a demo, is 70% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/842100/Daymare_1998/

And Fanatical has three new sales:

• The new Star Deal is Monster Prom, 60% off during the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-prom
• 2K has put its games on sale, up to 81% off during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/2k-games
• And there's the new Very Positive Bundle 3, with 87 games with a 96% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/very-positive-bundle-3

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Nvidia's new hotfix GPU driver resolves Death Stranding texture corruption
https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidias-new-hotfix-gpu-driver-resolves-death-stranding-texture-corruption/
Nvidia has made available an optional 'hotfix' GPU driver update that addresses several bugs, including one that is causing texture corruption in Death Stranding when playing with a GeForce RTX 20 series or GeForce GTX 16 series graphics card. The hotfix is based on its latest 451.67 driver update, which Nvidia rolled out a few weeks ago. That driver release brought 'Game Ready' optimizations for Death Stranding, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and F1 2020.
>> Available from here.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

PC gamers can now play Crysis Remastered via the Nintendo Switch emulator, yuzu
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-gamers-can-now-play-crysis-remastered-via-the-nintendo-switch-emulator-yuzu/
While Crytek has not announced yet when Crysis Remastered will come out on the PC, PC gamers can play it via the Nintendo Switch emulator, yuzu. Crysis Remastered released on Nintendo Switch on July 23rd, and YouTube’s ‘reznoire’ shared a video showing the game running on yuzu.
In order to capture the following footage, reznoire used a mid-range PC configuration. The YouTuber used an Intel Core i5-7600k with EVGA GTX 1080 FTW2 and 16GB of DDR4 3200Mhz RAM.
Now as you will see, yuzu cannot run Crysis Remastered at locked 30fps. It’s obvious that the emulator still needs some additional performance optimizations. Additionally, there are some graphical glitches and artifacts. Not only that, but we don’t know whether the game is playable from start to finish. Still, it’s incredible that yuzu can even run this latest – and really demanding – Nintendo Switch game.
>> This is like some sort of joke: play, on PC, the remastered version of Crysis, that comes from a console.

The Witcher 3 Redux V3.2 released, adds new craftable sword, redesigns Deadly Precision & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-witcher-3-redux-v3-2-released-adds-new-craftable-sword-redesigns-deadly-precision-more/
Aleks Vuckovic has released a new version of The Witcher 3 Redux Mod. Version 3.2 adds a new craftable steel sword “Alzur”, and improves Caranthir and Eredin’s stats. Moreover, it redesigns the combat skill “Deadly Precision”.
In case you weren’t aware of, this mod is a major gameplay overhaul for CD Projekt RED’s RPG. Its main purpose, according to the modder, is to make the gameplay feel more realistic and lore friendly where preperation is key.
Going into more details, The Witcher 3 Redux Version 3.2 also lowers potion duration secondary bonus from Alchemy skills from 25% to 20%. Additionally, it makes Rotfiends immune to instant kill so Geralt doesn’t die from their explosion when the effect activates.
>> As always, you can find it at Nexus Mods.

Halo 3 looks absolutely incredible with Reshade Ray Tracing
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/halo-3-looks-absolutely-incredible-with-reshade-ray-tracing/
Earlier this month, Microsoft and 343 Industries have released Halo 3 on the PC. And today, YouTube’s ‘Digital Dreams’ has shared a video, showcasing the graphical improvements that Reshade Ray Tracing can bring to this old Halo game.

You can now play as Kara from the PS3 Tech Demo in Detroit: Become Human
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/you-can-now-play-as-kara-from-the-ps3-tech-demo-in-detroit-become-human/
As we all know, Detroit: Become Human started as a Tech Demo for Playstation 3. And while the game features Kara, it has a completely different model for her. Thankfully, modder InterestingMK has released a mod that allows you to play with her 3D model from the PS3 Tech Demo.
Do note that her 3D model will not appear in the Fugitives, On The Run, and Zlatko chapters. From the looks of it, this Kara model has full facial expressions, and works as you’d expect. Now it doesn’t make sense to have this semi-naked model in snowy environments, but I’m pretty sure that some will want Kara look just like her first appearance.
>> You can find it at Nexus Mods.

This mod brings Nico Goldstein from Devil May Cry 5 to Resident Evil 3 Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-mod-brings-nico-goldstein-from-devil-may-cry-5-to-resident-evil-3-remake/
Modder ‘Wiwilz’ has released a pretty cool new mod for Resident Evil 3 Remake. As the title suggests, this mod brings Nico Goldstein from Devil May Cry 5 to Resident Evil 3 Remake. In other words, this is a simple character swap mod.
Similarly to all other character swaps, Nico’s model features full facial expressions and animations. So yeah, I’m pretty sure that some Devil May Cry fans will find it interesting.
>> Sadly, they forgot to put the link, but you'll probably find it at Nexus Mods.

Banjo Kazooie meets The Legend of Zelda in this free fan game, available now for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/banjo-kazooie-meets-the-legend-of-zelda-in-this-free-fan-game-available-now-for-download/
Banjo Kazooie and Zelda fans, here is something special for you today. Mark Kurko has released a new free fan game that merges Banjo-Kazooie with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This fan game is called The Legend of Banjo-Kazooie: The Jiggies of Time, and is available for download right now.
The Legend of Banjo-Kazooie: The Jiggies of Time features nine worlds, 100 jiggles, 900 notes and a lot of easter eggs. Moreover, this free game is compatible with the real Nintendo 64 console.
Naturally, PC gamers can use a Nintendo 64 emulator in order to play it. And, if you are big fans of these two franchises, we strongly suggest doing so.
>> I think this is the link to the game (Mega).

GAMING NEWS

SUCCUBUS: Prologue is now available for download on Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/succubus-prologue-is-now-available-for-download-on-steam/
Madmind Studio has announced that a free demo for its upcoming first-person Agony spin-off, SUCCUBUS. This prologue features two levels from the base game, as well as a ranked Arena with global leaderboards.

First gameplay trailer for RIDE 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-trailer-for-ride-4/
Milestone has released the first gameplay trailer for RIDE 4. According to the team, this is an in-engine trailer, and showcases the graphics/visuals that players can expect from it.

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is coming to the PC in 2021
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/phantasy-star-online-2-new-genesis-is-coming-to-the-pc-in-2021/
SEGA has announced that the latest entry in the PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2 universe, PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2: NEW GENESIS, will be coming to the PC in 2021. SEGA has also released a teaser trailer, alongside a follow-up video which details the link between PSO2: NGS and PSO2.

CrossfireX’s impressive campaign trailer was rendered on PC and not on Xbox Series X
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/crossfirexs-impressive-campaign-trailer-was-rendered-on-pc-and-not-on-xbox-series-x/
During Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase, Remedy presented a new impressive in-engine trailer for CrossfireX’s upcoming campaign mode. And, according to DigitalFoundry, this trailer was rendered on the PC and not on Xbox Series X.
>> Shocking.

First dual-reality gameplay trailer released for The Medium
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-dual-reality-gameplay-trailer-released-for-the-medium/
Bloober Team has released the first proper gameplay trailer for its upcoming horror game, The Medium. This trailer showcases the never-seen-before and officially patented Dual-Reality gameplay that plays out across two worlds displayed at the same time.

The source codes for SNES Star Fox, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario RPG & more have been leaked online
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/source-codes-snes-star-fox-yoshi-island-super-mario-rpg-leaked/
It appears that the source code for a lot of classic Nintendo games have been leaked online. Due to a data breach, hackers were able to leak the source codes for Star Fox, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario RPG, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and more.
>> Check the article for the 19 leaks, but...

Source codes for Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Ocarina of Time & more have been leaked
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/source-codes-for-super-mario-64-mario-kart-64-star-fox-64-ocarina-of-time-more-have-been-leaked/
Yesterday, we reported on a huge leak regarding the source codes of some iconic SNES games. However, it appears that things are even worse for Nintendo. Another big leak occurred, this time for some of the most well known Nintendo 64 games.

COD 2020 will be called Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War according to latest leak
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/cod-2020-will-be-called-call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-according-to-latest-leak/
While Activision hasn’t officially announced yet the next part in the Call of Duty series, a new leak has most likely revealed its title. According to this leak, COD 2020 will be called Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

First details for Obsidian’s Avowed; mod support, real-time weather, fully open world & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-details-for-obsidians-avowed-mod-support-real-time-weather-fully-open-world-more/
Twitter user “Joe Sinister” has apparently leaked the first details for Obsidian’s upcoming RPG, Avowed. And, from the looks of it, this leak is legit as industry insider “Klobrille” has vouched for his credibility.

Here are some of the new weapons & equipment in Halo: Infinite, including the Grappling hook
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/here-are-some-of-the-new-weapons-equipment-in-halo-infinite-including-the-grappling-hook/
Microsoft recently released the first official gameplay video for Halo: Infinite, showing us 8 minutes of in-game footage. Halo single player campaigns used to be linear and straightforward experiences, but Halo: Infinite actually appears to be an FPS-RPG hybrid. Halo is no longer just a shooter.

Part two of the Monday news:

League of Legends just revealed its latest champ, Yone, with a killer 10-minute cinematic
https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-just-revealed-its-latest-champ-yone-with-a-killer-10-minute-cinematic/
After Lillia the fawn, the next hero to enter League of Legends is Yone, Yasuo's brother. This won't come as a surprise to many LoL fans, as Yone's addition to the roster has been teased as far back as last year and was speculated after images of the current seasonal event were leaked earlier this month.

Clown protest pays off: Red Dead Online is getting an update
https://www.pcgamer.com/clown-protest-pays-off-red-dead-online-is-getting-an-update/
Impatient for more to do in Red Dead Online (the Moonshiners update came out a long seven months ago) players began recently dressing up as clowns as a goofy form of protest.
Well, they can wipe off that greasy facepaint and hang up their red noses: new stuff is coming to Red Dead Online at last, including another Outlaw Pass and a new Frontier Pursuit. It won't be long to wait, either: Red Dead Online's next update is coming on July 28, which is just next week (and probably means the clown protest had nothing to do with it after all, but we can pretend).

GTA Online is getting new Heists in 'an entirely new location' later this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/gta-online-is-getting-new-heists-in-an-entirely-new-location-later-this-year/
Rockstar Games has been busy—today it announced a new update for Red Dead Online, including another Outlaw Pass and a new Frontier Pursuit arriving on July 28. There's also a summer update for GTA Online "on the way" that will presumably arrive before summer actually ends.

Anthem 2.0 concept art reveals new pirate faction
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-20-concept-art-reveals-new-pirate-faction/
Christian Dailey, studio director at Bioware Austin, recently revealed concept art of the Pirates of the Blood Wind, a new pirate faction coming to Anthem 2.0—an entirely reworked new version of the unsuccessful loot-shooter.

343 shoots down the rumor that Halo Infinite will launch without multiplayer
https://www.pcgamer.com/343-shoots-down-the-rumor-that-halo-infinite-will-launch-without-multiplayer/
Thursday's Halo Infinite reveal had a rough landing. Criticism of the graphics spawned a pile of new memes. Some fans called for a delay; others searched for an explanation, pinning their hopes on the idea that it was a six-month-old build. That upset and confusion made it a little easier to believe a rumor that popped up Friday claiming Infinite might not be launching with multiplayer alongside its singleplayer campaign.

Yesterday's Halo Infinite gameplay reveal was a 'work in progress,' Microsoft says
https://www.pcgamer.com/yesterdays-halo-infinite-gameplay-reveal-was-a-work-in-progress-microsoft-says/
Yesterday's big Halo Infinite reveal did not exactly blow us away. Not that it was bad, but as a centerpiece for a big, E3-style game show, it felt lacking—"toothless," as Steven put it. Aside from looking like a very safe, conventional Halo game (which, again, is not a bad thing if that's what you're after), it really just wasn't the visual firecracker we were expecting.

Be a coffee tycoon and private eye in the newest genre: business management noir
https://www.pcgamer.com/be-a-coffee-tycoon-and-private-eye-in-the-newest-genre-business-management-noir/
The screenshots for Coffee Noir feel like they're from three different games. One looks like a moment from a visual novel where you speak to a young woman working at a bakery. Another shows a hard-boiled detective in a trench coat at a rainy, darkened train station with a comic book narration box providing some exposition. A few more show the complicated control panel of a coffee manufacturer with dials and knobs labeled "Packaging Facility" and "Roaster" and "Forklifts," pictures of ledgers, and what looks like an entire book of business negotiation strategies.

Steampunk RTS Iron Harvest begins open beta testing next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/steampunk-rts-iron-harvest-begins-open-beta-testing-next-week/
I don't play a lot of RTS games, but I'm keeping my eye on Iron Harvest. It's set in the early 1920s of an alt-history world where, in the aftermath of the First World War, three nations—Polania, Rusviet, and Saxony, based on Poland, the Soviet Union, and Germany—decide that they want to go a few more rounds. What makes it stand out is that their armies are built around sometimes rickety-looking steampunk mechs, based on art by Polish artist Jakub Różalski, illustrator of the similarly-set board game Scythe.

Valve and Bungie team up to fix Destiny 2's Beaver errors
https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-and-bungie-team-up-to-fix-destiny-2s-beaver-errors/
Good news for Destiny 2 players who've been struggling with Beavers recently: Bungie has finally brought the gnawing little beasties to heel, with some able help from Valve.

Fortnite's cars are delayed 'a few weeks'
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnites-cars-are-delayed-a-few-weeks/
Hopes that cars would arrive in Fortnite sooner rather than later have been dashed. Epic said on Twitter yesterday that it will be a few weeks yet before cars actually come to the game.

Cult indie RPG Earthlock is getting an action-RPG sequel
https://www.pcgamer.com/cult-indie-rpg-earthlock-is-getting-an-action-rpg-sequel/
Norwegian developers Snowcastle have announced they're returning to the world of Earthlock, their 2016 cult game inspired by the turn-based 3D RPGs of the 1990s, for a sequel. (Snowcastle has said since the first game that Earthlock was planned as a trilogy.) Earthlock 2 will take inspiration from action-RPGs, rather than turn-based ones, but will still be set on the world of Umbra. The short announce trailer shows a blasted landscape in the game's distinctive style, and a hogbunny with a sword, and a little magical mote-creature that heals some of the land and sprouts a new tree.

Flight Simulator teases a partnership with online flight network VATSIM
https://www.pcgamer.com/flight-simulator-teases-a-partnership-with-online-flying-network-vatsim/
Microsoft Flight Simulator has teased a partnership with the Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network, or VATSIM, for the release of the upcoming new edition of the simulator on August 18. VATSIM is a long-standing institution in the flight simulation community, a nonprofit organization that provides a network where users either fly as pilots or direct air traffic as controllers to produce a simulation of real-world air traffic. VATSIM has confirmed that their network will be compatible with Flight Simulator at launch.

Fight with furniture in surreal puzzle-adventure Creaks
https://www.pcgamer.com/fight-with-furniture-in-surreal-puzzle-adventure-creaks/
Fine purveyors of very weird, often funny adventure games Amanita Design released side-scrolling platform puzzler Creaks this week. It's a beautifully illustrated, fantastically scored adventure about a man who crawls through a wall and into a surreal world of bird people and furniture monsters. What happens next is, predictably, rather strange.

Phantom Doctrine 2 will be real-time and third-person
https://www.pcgamer.com/phantom-doctrine-2-will-be-real-time-and-third-person/
Phantom Doctrine was a turn-based tactics game about espionage, with brainwashing, double agents, and a conspiracy corkboard. Its newly announced sequel, Phantom Doctrine 2: The Cabal, seems more like a third-person stealth-em-up in the vein of Hitman. It's such a big shift I had to double-check it's the work of the same developers, CreativeForge Games (it is, though with PlayWay publishing rather than Good Shepherd this time).
>> So it will be nothing like the first game.

Apex Legends crossplay will not match PC with Console by default
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-crossplay-will-not-match-pc-with-console-by-default/
Apex Legends is getting crossplay this fall across its Origin, Steam, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch versions, which dredges up the age-old crossplay problem of "people on PC with a mouse and keyboard and an ultrawide and a jacked-up FOV keep winning." OK, maybe only parts of that are age-old problems. (Apex legends is also coming to Steam.)

Space station sim Spacebase Startopia now has beta access for pre-orders
https://www.pcgamer.com/space-station-sim-spacebase-startopia-now-has-beta-access-for-pre-orders/
Kalypso has announced that upcoming sim Spacebase Startopia now includes closed beta access for anyone who pre-purchases on Steam. If you were holding off on this one because you wanted the Steam version, and you'd like to play the (unfinished) game now: Congratulations.

Hideo Kojima wants to work with manga artist Junji Ito on a horror game
https://www.pcgamer.com/hideo-kojima-wants-to-work-with-manga-artist-junji-ito-on-a-horror-game/
Ever since Konami killed off Kojima Productions' Silent Hill, leaving us with just the playable teaser, PT, people have been keeping their fingers crossed that Hideo Kojima will return to horror. These hopes have been stoked by the designer himself, but we still don't know what the studio's next game will be. According to manga artist Junji Ito, however, a horror game is on the cards.

Ooblets' latest update lets you release your surplus critters into the wild
https://www.pcgamer.com/ooblets-latest-update-lets-you-release-your-surplus-critters-into-the-wild/
Glumberland's cute life-sim Ooblets launched on the Epic Games Store this month, at least in early access, letting players start collecting huggable creatures in the world of Oob. Thanks to the latest update, you can now start getting rid of them, too, by releasing "excess" ooblets into the wild.