Welcome to the thread!

That PC seems very balanced. Your niece will be able to enjoy it for years.

I wasn't aware of those problems. Well, in that case, the Phanteks it is.

That's too much for a 1660 Super imo.

You can get a 3060 Pre-built from newegg for about the same price

https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali564/p/N82E16883360194?Description=3060%20pc&cm_re=3060_pc-_-83-360-194-_-Product&quicklink=true

You can get one with a 8 core i7 + 3060 for slightly more:

https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali519/p/N82E16883360119?Description=3060%20pc&cm_re=3060_pc-_-83-360-119-_-Product&quicklink=true

Or you can get one with a 3060 Ti which performs similarly to a 2080 Super for more than that

https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali475/p/N82E16883360070?Description=3060%20pc&cm_re=3060_pc-_-83-360-070-_-Product

For good or bad. China declares all crypto-currency transactions illegal.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58678907

The Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Europa Universalis 4 is going free on the Epic Store
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/europa-universalis-4-is-going-free-on-the-epic-store/
Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'd really like to try one of those massive Paradox grand strategy games, but I don't want to invest any money into it because the whole thing is likely to end quickly and badly?" I certainly have. Then one day, many years ago, I threw caution to the wind and bought Europa Universalis: Rome, determined to scratch that itch. 30 minutes later, as I flipped hopelessly through the phone book-sized manual, I realized that I had been right all along. I was way out of my depth.
The good news for anyone in a similar situation is that you will soon have the opportunity to embark on a journey of grand strategy self-discovery without having to drop a penny: The acclaimed Europa Universalis 4, "a textured and engrossing simulation that conquers the common ground between your average Civilization V player and the long-time devotees of grand strategy," is slated to go free next week on the Epic Games Store.
(...)
Ahead of that, though, is The Escapists, this week's giveaway game, an also-acclaimed indie prison break simulator. Do it quietly (dig a tunnel), do it loud (start a riot), or do something else entirely—it doesn't matter, as long as you get out. Epic still doesn't support user ratings but it's got a "very good" overall ranking across more than 13,000 user reviews on Steam (it's been out since 2015), and that's pretty solid stuff.

The Humble Store features the new SEGA Discovery Sale, with up to 85% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/sega-discovery-sale/.

Fanatical has two new sales:

• The new Star Deal is the Hard Reset Redux + Redeemer Double Pack, 96% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/hard-reset-redux-redeemer-double-pack
• The SEGA Discovery Sale brings up to 87% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/sega
• And we can't forget about the BundleFest, with two new bundles just added: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Easy Anti-Cheat now supports the Steam Deck
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/easy-anti-cheat-now-supports-the-steam-deck/
Valve's made it clear that it wants every game on Steam to be playable on the Steam Deck at launch, and one of the few major obstacles to that goal has been anti-cheat technologies that only work on Windows. That problem has now been at least partially solved—Epic, which bought Easy Anti-Cheat back in 2018, announced on Thursday that it's added support for both Linux and Mac OS.
And it gets better: Easy Anti-Cheat doesn't just offer native Linux support now, but also support for Wine and Proton, the compatibility layers used to run Windows applications on Linux. Proton is what Valve is using to make the entire Steam library playable on the Steam Deck, even though relatively few games have native Linux ports.
"Starting with the latest SDK release, developers can activate anti-cheat support for Linux via Wine or Proton with just a few clicks in the Epic Online Services Developer Portal," the update reads.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This mod adds an incredible photo mode to almost any UE4 game
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/universal-unreal-unlocker-photo-mode-mod/
At this point we practically expect photo modes in certain kinds of games. If you're playing a fancy open-world or action game with exquisitely detailed graphics, it's a surprise to find the developers didn't implement a good way to capture the perfect freeze frame of a lush landscape, a cool pose, or a detailed facial expression.
And even when games do have their own photo modes, these proprietary versions can have limitations. If you've been looking for a more multi-purpose photo mode tool, you'll be glad to know that screenshotting aficionados already invented it: the Universal Unreal Unlocker, or "UUU."
The UUU mod lets you trigger a free cam mode in a lengthy list of Unreal Engine 4 games (more than 300, according to UUU's creator), disable HUDs, and recreate the in-game console. Plus it adds a frame skip function. The result is a lot of freedom to capture exactly the right moment—even during cutscenes, which are usually off-limits.

GAMING NEWS

2K Games has removed Denuvo from Mafia: Definitive Edition
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/2k-games-has-removed-denuvo-from-mafia-definitive-edition/
2K Games and Hangar 13 have removed the Denuvo anti-tamper tech from Mafia: Definitive Edition. In addition, the publisher is offering the game with a 40% discount on Steam until September 30th.

Actraiser Renaissance is a remaster of the classic Actraiser, now available on Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/actraiser-renaissance-is-a-remaster-of-the-classic-actraiser-now-available-on-steam/
Square Enix has just announced a remake/remaster of the classic Actraiser game, Actraiser Renaissance. The game has just been released on Steam, and it comes with some free stuff until November 1st.

The Elder Scrolls Online – DLSS vs DLAA vs TAA Comparison Video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/the-elder-scrolls-online-dlss-vs-dlaa-vs-taa-comparison-video/
Last week, we informed you about a new patch for The Elder Scrolls Online that will add support for DLSS and DLAA. And yesterday, YouTube’s MxBenchmarkPC shared a comparison video between these DLSS, DLAA and TAA.

Perfect Dark is now developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/perfect-dark-is-now-developed-by-the-initiative-and-crystal-dynamics/
In December 2020, Microsoft announced a new Perfect Dark game. And today, The Initiative announced that it will be working with Crystal Dynamics in order to develop it.

New Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy trailers highlight its combat and exploration systems
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-marvels-guardians-of-the-galaxy-trailers-highlight-its-combat-and-exploration-systems/
Square Enix and Eidos-Montreal released two new videos for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. According to the teams, each video features insights directly from Senior Gameplay Director Patrick Fortier. In the first video, Fortier hones in on how the Guardians synergize in battle. In the second, he focuses on how players can lead the Guardians outside of it.

Dark space-shooter Chorus releases on December 3rd
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dark-space-shooter-chorus-releases-on-december-3rd/
Deep Silver has announced that its dark space-shooter, Chorus, will release on December 3rd. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher has also released a new trailer that you can find below.

FATAL FRAME: Maiden of Black Water releases on PC on October 28th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fatal-frame-maiden-of-black-water-releases-on-pc-on-october-28th/
KOEI Tecmo has announced that FATAL FRAME: Maiden of Black Water will release on PC on October 28th. Maiden of Black Water will be the first FATAL FRAME game that will come out on PC, and below you can also find its official PC system requirements.

F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is coming to PC in October
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/f-i-s-t-forged-in-shadow-torch-is-coming-to-pc-in-october/
TiGames and bilibili announced that F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch will release on PC in October 2021. The game is using Unreal Engine 4 and will be available on both Steam and Epic Games Store.

The news, part two:

Being a disembodied hand won't stop this cop from dealing out justice
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/being-a-disembodied-hand-wont-stop-this-cop-from-dealing-out-justice/
What happens when you take Thing from The Addams Family and give it a handgun license? You get Michael McWrist, a loose cannon detective packed into a single disembodied right hand.

Diablo 2: Resurrected system requirements are just a wee bit higher than the original
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/diablo-2-resurrected-pc-system-requirements/
Diablo 2: Resurrected is out today, and if you're eager to descend into the hellish realm of Sanctuary but uncertain whether your PC has the muscle to support the experience, the system requirements are here to help you figure it out.

Blizzard says Diablo 2: Resurrected's disappearing characters bug should be fixed
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/diablo-2-resurrected-characters-are-disappearing-blizzard-is-working-on-it/
Diablo 2: Resurrected launched today, and it's having a bit of a rough start. Multiple players are reporting on Reddit and the Blizzard forums that their characters and progress are disappearing after play sessions, forcing them to start over again. One lost their character after beating all of Tristram, Diablo 2's first area—a frustratingly big chunk of the game to power through so quickly and then lose.
Update: Blizzard says the problem should be fixed. "Servers should be available again in all regions," Blizzard Customer Support tweeted. "We will continue to monitor performance. We've also applied a fix that should help unlock characters and will continue to review for any we've missed."

Disney Classic Games Collection update adds Jungle Book, SNES Aladdin
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/disney-classic-games-collection-jungle-book/
An updated version of the Disney Classic Games Collection has been announced, adding The Jungle Book and a new SNES version of Aladdin.
The original version, released in 2019 and developed by Digital Eclipse, included the NES version of Aladdin and The Lion King, two of the early to mid 90's most popular platformers. That includes both "Console S" and "Console N" versions of both Aladdin and Jungle Book, if you're curious to check out the differences in ports.

In Lumencraft, drill your way to safety or into a physics-based lava flow
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/lumencraft-impressions/
There's a moment in Lumencraft's debut trailer that absolutely sold me on its concept. Between all the bug shooting and rock-blasting particle effects, it's a simple river of physics-based lava that looks like the biggest threat, trickling its way into every tunnel you dig, overflowing into every moat you make.

Gloomhaven, the digital version of the acclaimed board game, leaves Early Access on October 20
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/gloomhaven-the-digital-version-of-the-acclaimed-board-game-leaves-early-access-on-october-20/
It's been a couple of years since we took a look at the Early Access release of Gloomhaven, the digital version of the 2017 tabletop tactical RPG. It was promising but incomplete, with no multiplayer support and a limited number of enemies, classes, and tiles compared to the boardgame. "But the pieces are in place to eventually create a worthy adaptation," we wrote.

Ten years after launch, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine gets a major free update
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ten-years-after-launch-warhammer-40000-space-marine-gets-a-major-free-update/
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is now ten years old, having originally launched on September 6, 2011. To celebrate the big birthday, Sega has released an Anniversary Edition of the game on Steam, the "ultimate version" of the famed shooter, and it's available as a free update for anyone who owns the original.

Fortnite leak shows Tom Hardy's Venom is joining the battle royale
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/fortnite-venom/
Marvel anti-hero Venom is coming to Fortnite again, as if we ever doubted it. His nemesis Carnage was already added to the season 8 battle pass, but a new leak from data miner HypeX shows that cinematic version of Venom will finally be added as a skin.

Castlevania Advance Collection is real and it releases today
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/castlevania-advance-collection-is-real-and-it-releases-today/
The announcement of the Castlevania Advance Collection at today's Nintendo Direct was no surprise: it was outed by the Australian Classification Board back in June. Today Konami officially announced it, and better still there won't be a wait because it's scheduled to release on Steam today.

Unique SNES platformer and city-builder hybrid Actraiser just got a remake
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/unique-snes-platformer-and-city-builder-hybrid-actraiser-just-got-a-remake/
Today's Nintendo Direct was a good one for fans of retro platformers: Castlevania Advance Collection was announced and released, but arguably more exciting is the re-emergence of Actraiser. Originally released in 1990, Actraiser is a unique blend of platforming and city-building. It's a bit of a cult deep cut, so it's surprising that Square Enix has not only exhumed it, but delivered something close to a full remake.

Monster Hunter Rise's Sunbreak expansion is coming to PC next summer, too
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/monster-hunter-rises-sunbreak-expansion-is-coming-to-pc-next-summer-too/
During Thursday's Nintendo Direct livestream, Capcom announced that the first expansion for Monster Hunter Rise, titled Sunbreak, is coming out next summer. The announcement was obviously for the Nintendo Switch version, but a follow-up blog post confirms the expansion "will launch simultaneously on Nintendo Switch and PC in summer 2022."

Company of Heroes 3 dev amps up how much the community's shaped the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/company-of-heroes-3-dev-amps-up-how-much-the-communitys-shaped-the-game/
Company of Heroes 3 is due to launch next year, and our grizzled veteran Fraser reckons it's coming to wake up the RTS genre. A major part of the game's development, which Relic has been highlighting ever since announcement, is how the studio is using player feedback: allowing series fans and community figures extremely early access to the game, well before its official reveal, and changing elements based on their experiences.

Let's check now the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• The Weekly Sale features up to 90% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210920_weekly_sale
• The Weekend Sale is full of "Fun and Relaxing" games up to 90% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210924_weekend_sale
• Publisher Wired Productions offers its games with up to 85% discounts during the weekend: https://www.gog.com/promo/wired_productions_sale
• And the Hack'n'Slash RPG Sale comes with up to 90% discounts during the next 5 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210922_rpg_month_hacknslash

+Steam

• The new daily deal is King of Retail, still in Early Access, 33% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/968250/King_of_Retail/
• The first Weekend Deal is the Early Access title Phantom Abyss, 25% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/989440/Phantom_Abyss/
• The VR Only title The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners will be 30% off until the 27th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/916840/The_Walking_Dead_Saints__Sinners/
• Forza Horizon 4 will be 50% off until Monday 27th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1293830/Forza_Horizon_4/
• Publisher XSEED Games puts its games up to 75% off until Monday 27th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/xseed2021
• Publisher Spike Chunsoft also puts its games on sale, up to 90% off until September 29: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/spikechunsoft2021
• Staxel will be 25% off until September 30: https://store.steampowered.com/app/405710/Staxel/
• The SEGA Discovery Sale features up to 90% discounts until September 30: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/segadiscoverysale
• ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV is going to be 40% off until October 4th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/872410/ROMANCE_OF_THE_THREE_KINGDOMS_XIV/
• And last, but not least, there's also the weeklong deals.

And we're done. Until next time, have a happy and gaming weekend.

Oh! That's really interesting. I wonder how long it will take to have an impact on the cryto prices and also the GPU demand... if there's one.

Intel Core i9-12900K & ASRock Z690 Phantom Gaming 4 spotted, 2K points in Cinebench R23 teased

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-core-i9-12900k-asrock-z690-phantom-gaming-4-spotted-2k-points-in-cinebench-r23-teased



If all these are true, it certainly sounds like Intel is back in full force!


TechPowerUP GPU-Z will now report if GeForce RTX 30 card is a Lite Hash Rate model

https://videocardz.com/newz/techpowerup-gpu-z-will-now-report-if-geforce-rtx-30-card-is-a-lite-hash-rate-model


ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI to launch custom Intel Arc ‘Alchemist’ graphics cards

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-gigabyte-and-msi-to-launch-custom-intel-arc-alchemist-graphics-cards#disqus_thread


Kioxia PCIe 5.0 prototype SSD bandwidth reaches 14 GB/s of sequential read

https://videocardz.com/newz/kioxia-pcie-5-0-prototype-ssd-bandwidth-reaches-14-gb-s-of-sequential-read

Remember guys, technology moves really fast... But you don't need the latest and greatest! You just need what suits your needs! Still, quite impressive none the less.

PCIe tech moves so fast lol. Just last year we were fawning over 7Gb/s speeds and now we're double that.. not that it makes a difference for the average user but still insane. Though it is the next gen spec so its expected to have quite a boost.

Also, Crystal Dynamics confirms new Tomb Raider in the works. Alongside them working with Microsoft on Perfect Dark and Avengers. How big are their teams? 3 projects at the same time :o

We’re thrilled to add Perfect Dark to our development efforts alongside Marvel’s Avengers and Tomb Raider.

— Crystal Dynamics (@CrystalDynamics) September 24, 2021

^The most surprising part of the news about Crystal Dynamics working on Perfect Dark is that they're owned by Square Enix. How did MSoft convince SE to let them use them?

Alder Lake seems to be really fast. We'll have to wait and see foe how long can it mantain its max clocks and the final power consumption.

And that Kioxia drive is insanely fast, but it's also an enterprise model. I'd bet that it will take a while until we see those speeds in "mainstream" products.

Just checked they have 362 people at CD. Iirc the head at The Initiative is the same guy that worked as the head of CD for a decade. So he connections. And after SoTTR failed to reach expectations and Avengers flopped maybe it was a way for them to the majority of keep the teams busy. Like, if we go by head count 150-200 people working on a AAA game sounds about right.

Microsoft essentially pays SE the the project so not risk for them and both parties happy xP Tbh doesn't really have a good look for the The Initiative which MS was hyping to be and all star 'AAAA studio' but hey as long as PD turns out good, I don't think many would care.