Oops finger slipped and ordered a 5600X lol. Now need to find a decent B550/X570 motherboard.

One and done. Gigabyte B550 Gaming X coming my way Monday. Basic, no frills board, but won't be overclocking or any of that jazz. CPU and Mobo for just over £310.. not too shabby for a massive upgrade for my gaming rig (from the 1700!)

Noice and congrats!!!

Cheers! The upgrade was long overdue. My current CPU is getting long in the tooth, especially for gaming. And since I play a lot of WoW; which is a notoriously CPU intensive game, this should get me a solid boost in fps. Was going to wait for Alderlake but upgraditus got me and Intel could disappoint like with RKL.

Yea plus Alderlake is gonna be a lot more expensive regardless and not to mention you will be beta testing DDR5 and PCI-E 5. Not to mention the quirks that will come with big.LITTLE and the mobos will also be more expensive.

I think you made the correct choice!

I finally got my memory upgrade. I gave up on trying to get 3200 mhz ram, impossible to get. I finally got a refund from newegg after the ram I ordered Feb 1st never even shipped. Meanwhile prices have gone up again so I ended up with more expensive 2667 mhz ram.

Anyway, should have done it a lot sooner. Everything runs much better now. 16GB is really on the low side for Windows 10, 32GB and everything is snappy again, no more page file use and a lot more cached. FS2020 also runs a bit better but is kinda broken since the last update a couple weeks agai. (There should be a hotfix today to address some of the crippling bugs) And it remains a memory hog. This is London, high settings, 1080p, LOD 1.0

No clue how they're ever going to fit this on Series X and especially Series S. (And the reason for the current broken mess is most likely due to 'optimizations' to get it running on XBox, Asobo is trying to reduce memory usage) Dumbest decision launching this console generation with only 16GB RAM, FS2020 benefits from 64GB ram to run at Ultra 4K with higher LOD settings.

Anyway, waiting for the hotfix, hope it helps and I won't have to restart every few hours after fps dips below 5 again while memory usage creeps up over over 30GB in use.

This is true, there's always a lot of bugs at launch with new hardware and early adopter tax to deal with. I remember having so many issues with my V1 X370 and 1700 and RAM comparability. Its probably worth waiting a gen or two after when all the kinks are ironed out. I'm gonna use the 5600X for a good few gens before a full overhaul again with the latest spec/s. But for now I need to find a good GPU to finish my rig (the hard part!)

Also with RE8 releasing soon, I want to be able to play that game as best I can. Still interested to see how Alderlake performs though.

That ship sailed long ago. Now, adding more than 16GB of RAM to a console would push prices over the $599 price tag and make them a premium product of sorts. As we've seen, consoles are going towards more portability instead of raw power. I think PC will be the last man standing in the "power user and gamer" front. 

Also, I ain't touching Flight Sim 2020 until I'm done ultra-modding Skyrim like I always wanted. Too many issues to sort out even with an enthusiast GPU. 

Besides, I'm not going to be plugging this stuff to a TV, so I am still bottlenecked by a 1080p monitor with a fairly standard refresh rate. 

I just really hope Intel gets on the GPU race and fast: they might be what the market needed to knock some wind off Nvidia's overly expensive sails. 

AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Meta Review: 15 reviews & 4240 benchmarks compiled

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/mdh00n/amd_radeon_rx_6700_xt_meta_review_15_reviews_4240/



The source site gathered info from all the main review outlets out there and compared it into an average. There's more comparison in the link. If it was priced better, it would be been a good gpu to recommend.


[Rumour] NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti could feature 8GB and 16GB GDDR6X variants

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-could-feature-8gb-and-16gb-gddr6x-variants

If true, probably will be a better value than a 3080


Intel confirms Discrete Graphics2 (DG2) will offer up to 512 Execution Units

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-confirms-discrete-graphics2-dg2-will-offer-up-to-512-execution-units



"DG2 GDDR6 speed from 14 to 18Gbps"

While it's still quite hard to tell where it will land, hopefully it will bring some much needed competitive pricing in the mid ranged.


TSMC and Micron now face 'red alert' as Taiwanese water crisis worsens

https://www.pcgamer.com/tsmc-micron-taiwan-red-alert-water-crisis/


AMD Set To Roll Out AGESA firmware USB Fix For Ryzen, Coming April

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16554/amd-set-to-roll-out-agesa-firmware-usb-fix-for-ryzen-coming-april

Some motherboard vendors already have the beta bios out such as Asus

Let's go with the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

There's no article about it, but the new free game at the Epic Store is Creature in the Well. Next week, the free game will be "Tales of the Neon Sea".

At Humble Store there are two new sales:

• The Better Together Sale comes with up to 80% discounts during the next 3 days. The keys are mostly for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/better-together-sale/
• The Square Enix Publisher Sale comes with up to 90% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/square-enix-publisher-sale/

And Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is AVICII Invector, 85% off during the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/avicii-invector
• And Everspace Ultimate Edition gets a big 81% discount during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/everspace-ultimate-edition

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Monster Hunter Rise is already playable on PC via the Nintendo Switch emulator, Ryujinx
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/monster-hunter-rise-is-already-playable-on-pc-via-the-nintendo-switch-emulator-ryujinx/
Capcom has just released Monster Hunter Rise on Nintendo Switch and PC gamers can already play this new Monster Hunter game via the Ryujinx emulator. Yeap, you read that right. Monster Hunter Rise is fully playable on launch day on the Ryujinx.
Now according to the developers, emulation is not perfect yet as there are a couple of small bugs. For instance, navigating to the in-game album crashes the game. Additionally, performance is not that great and the devs promise performance improvements in future versions.

The Witcher 3 mods add Zelda’s Master Sword, improve Elves, and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-witcher-3-mods-zelda-master-sword-improve-elves-more/
A number of mods came out last week for The Witcher 3. As such, I’ve decided to collect the ones I thought were cool and present them to you in one article. So, below you can find mods that improve the game’s Elves, bring Zelda’s Master Sword, overhaul Resources and Perks, and make the swords from Silver & Steel standalone items & craftable.

Valheim mod makes deer sound like deer instead of 'crazy duck-monkeys'
https://www.pcgamer.com/valheim-mod-makes-deer-sound-like-deer-instead-of-crazy-duck-monkeys/
Valheim proved to be engrossing and enchanting from the moment we started playing, with a massive and mysterious world, beautiful visuals, and compelling combat and activities. And yet I'd wager every single player, no matter how immersed they were in the survival and exploration experience, at some point wondered this:
What the hell kinda noise are those deer making? I mean... what is that supposed to be?
Valheim's deer make kind of a hoot, kind of a honk, and kind of a sad moan, all at once. It's like a trumpet stuffed with mashed potatoes being played by a depressed donkey. It's a bit baffling. Toot toot? Toot. Wahhhh. Hardly the idyllic sound of nature, and pretty distracting until you eventually just agree to accept it. "Fine. That's what deer sound like on the 10th plane of the Norse afterlife, I guess."
But the Realistic Animal Sounds mod is here to make the deer sound more like real deer. In the modder's words, the mod "changes deer idle sounds from crazy duck-monkeys to actual grunts and calls used by wild deer" and "changes deer alert sounds from the sound of a rubber chicken being stepped on to an actual recording of a deer blowing its warning snort."

Here's McDonald's, in Morrowind
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-mcdonalds-in-morrowind/
Given there's a player out there building Pizza Huts and KFCs in No Man's Sky, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise to see the golden arches over Vvardenfell. No, I'm still a bit weirded out by what modder Ignatious has done in Welcome to McDagoth's, a mod that adds a familiar fast-food restaurant to the town of Balmora in Morrowind.
At McDagoth's the menu includes Big Guar, Skooma Shake, Big Red Mountain, and Quarter-Khajiit with Cheese—which I hope is a euphemism for a burger that weighs as much as a quarter of a Khajiit, given that they are sentient cat people who don't deserve to be ground into burger patties. McDagoth's also sells equippable hats with the logo on them.
Weirdly, this isn't the first mod for adding a burger joint to Morrowind. There's also Balmora Burger Franchise, which puts a Whataburger into the same town if you want to imagine competition between two chain restaurants in your otherworldly fantasy RPG.

GAMING NEWS

Gameplay trailer for EA’s team-based multiplayer game, Knockout City
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/gameplay-trailer-for-eas-team-based-multiplayer-game-knockout-city/
EA and Velan Studios have released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming team-based multiplayer game, Knockout City. This trailer will give you an idea of what you can expect from this new dodgeball-inspired game.

Warner Bros delays Back 4 Blood until October 12th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/warner-bros-delays-back-4-blood-until-october-12th/
Warner Bros has announced that Turtle Rock Studios’ co-op first-person shooter, Back 4 Blood, will be delayed. According to the publisher, the game will now release on October 12th.

New gameplay trailer released for Back 4 Blood
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-released-for-back-4-blood/
Yesterday, we informed you about the delay for Turtle Rock Studios’ upcoming co-op first-person shooter, Back 4 Blood. And today, during the Future Games Show, Warner Bros released a new gameplay trailer for it.

Life of Delta is a new point n click adventure game for PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/life-of-delta-is-a-new-point-n-click-adventure-game-for-pc/
Deadalic Entertainment has announced a new sci-fi point n click adventure game that will come out on PC in 2021, Life of Delta. Life of Delta promises to feature post-apocalyptic environments, interesting characters and engaging puzzles.

New gameplay trailer released for the beautiful JRPG, Cris Tales
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-released-for-the-beautiful-jrpg-cris-tales/
Modus Games has released a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming JRPG, Cris Tales. Cris Tales is an era-bending JRPG where past, present and future are brought together on one screen.

First gameplay trailer released for the multiplayer combat game, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-trailer-released-for-the-multiplayer-combat-game-naraka-bladepoint/
24 Entertainment has released a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming multiplayer combat game, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT. This trailer will give you an idea of what you can expect from this new title.

New gameplay video released for Oddworld: Soulstorm
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-video-released-for-oddworld-soulstorm/
During the Future Games Show Spring Showcase, Oddworld Inhabitants presented a new gameplay video for Oddworld: Soulstorm. This gameplay video shows one of the game’s missions and looks pretty cool.

Haunted Space is a next-gen sci-fi space combat game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/haunted-space-is-a-next-gen-sci-fi-space-combat-game/
Merge Games and Italian Games Factory have announced their next generation of space combat game, Haunted Space. In addition, the publisher released the game’s debut trailer that you can find below.

First official gameplay teaser for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-official-gameplay-teaser-for-the-lord-of-the-rings-gollum/
Daedalic has released the first gameplay teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Since this is a teaser trailer, it does not pack a lot of gameplay footage. Still, it will give you a glimpse at what you can expect from this new LOTR game.

Rainbow Six Siege Y6S1.1 Update released, full patch notes revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rainbow-six-siege-y6s1-1-update-released-full-patch-notes-revealed/
Ubisoft has announced that the Y6S1.1 Update for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is now available on the PC. Moreover, the team has also revealed its full patch notes that you can find below.

New trailers for Sifu, Axiom Verge 2, Worms Rumble, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-trailers-for-sifu-axiom-verge-2-worms-rumble-elite-dangerous-odyssey-and-more/
A lot of publishers presented new trailers for their upcoming games during the Future Games Show Spring Showcase. Thus, below you can find the trailers for Sifu, Axiom Verge 2, Worms Rumble, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey and many more!

STALKER 2 dev diary gives a first look at updated costumes, several guns & unique custom teeth tool
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/stalker-2-dev-diary-gives-a-first-look-at-updated-costumes-several-guns-unique-custom-teeth-tool/
GSC GameWorld and Microsoft have released a new dev diary for STALKER 2. In this dev diary, GSC GameWorld gives us a first look at the updated costumes, several guns and unique custom teeth tool.

First in-game screenshots released for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/first-in-game-screenshots-released-for-warhammer-age-of-sigmar-tempestfall/
Carbon Studio has released the first in-game screenshots for its upcoming Warhammer VR game, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall. These screenshots will give you an idea of what you can expect from this new Warhammer game.

Tencent announces a new open-world co-op survival RPG shooter, Undawn
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tencent-announces-a-new-open-world-survival-rpg-shooter-undawn/
Tencent Games has announced Undawn; a new open world co-op action game created by the development studio and team members responsible for PUBG MOBILE. Set in a dangerous and unforgiving world where players must fight for survival against the dual threats of zombies and other humans, Undawn will launch on iOS, Android and PC later this year.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update 1.2.0.1 fixes Ostara Festival crashes, restores content
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/assassins-creed-valhalla-update-1-2-0-1-fixes-ostara-festival-crashes-restores-content/
Last week, Ubisoft released a hotfix for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that removed some content due to crash issues. Thankfully, the team released today a new update that resolves those crashes and restores the cut content.