Yeah you'll have to be fast to get in. There's a lot of excitement for this gen already and we're several months away.. and people are already holding back for Ada and to a lesser extent RDNA 3 cards.

I'd do this accept a lot of retailers are a pita to deal with cancellations lol and I'd probably end up with 3 preorders of cards I'd have to buy lol. Not that its an issue with my bank but it would look a bit sus spending several hundreds on different sites xD I've never preordered from these sites though so may have to do some research first.

Defo going straight in there this gen, no messing about! You never know with chip shortages, or another mining boom is going to take off.

I think I'll be aiming for Asus TUF/Strix and Evga FW3. Evga technically had a number of issues this gen but their customer service has continued to be top notch. Asus has basically been flawless other than their dumb fan problems I experienced. I think I'll be satisfied with MSI if it comes to that.

I am going to avoid Gigabyte and Zotac. Zotac cause Zotac and Gigabyte had some of the worst GPUs this gen. Their 4 slot 3090 had worse temps than a Dell 3090 if I remember correctly from Gamers Nexus. It's gonna be exciting times but boy, is it gonna get hectic.

I have bad news for you, then: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Gets 24 GB GDDR6X Memory at 21 Gbps & 600W TDP, RTX 4070 Gets 12 GB GDDR6 Memory at 18 Gbps & 300W TDP https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4090-24-gb-21-gbps-600w-rtx-4070-12-gb-18-gbps-300w-graphics-cards-rumor/

It's a rumor, of course, but if the 4070 is indeed a 300W card, then the 4060 could be 250W, and the 4050 around 200W.

The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Resident Evil Village & Elden Ring have sold 6.1 and 13.4 million copies, respectively
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/resident-evil-village-elden-ring-have-sold-6-1-and-13-4-million-copies-respectively/
Capcom has announced that Resident Evil Village has sold 6.1 million copies worldwide on all platforms. Similarly, Bandai Namco revealed that as of March 2022, it has shipped 13.4 million copies of Elden Ring.
(...)
Capcom has also revealed that Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has sold 1.5 million units worldwide on both Nintendo Switch and PC.
Lastly, and speaking of sales numbers, Stardew Valley has sold 20 million copies. According to ConcernedApe, the PC version sold 13 million copies (which is more than half of the total sales).

GOG has three new flash deals and three new sales:

• The first flash deal is Recompile, 40% off during 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/recompile
• The second flash deal is Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, with a 67% discount until Friday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sniper_ghost_warrior_contracts
• The third flash deal is Stranglehold, 79% off until May 13: https://www.gog.com/en/game/stranglehold
• The Midweek Sale features adrenaline-fueled games up to 90% off during 4 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220511_midweek_sale
• Slitherine puts its games up to 80% off during 5 days: https://www.gog.com/partner/slitherine
• And 505 Games also puts its titles on sale, with up to 90% discounts during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/partner/505_Games

Steam has two daily deals:

• The first one is Rakuen, 70% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/559210/Rakuen/
• The second one is Cattails | Become a Cat!, with an 80% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/634160/Cattails__Become_a_Cat/

The Humble Store has a new flash deal: Back 4 Blood will be 55% off during 25 hours: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/back-4-blood

And Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Devil May Cry 5 Deluxe + Vergil, 58% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/devil-may-cry-5-deluxe-vergil
• The new Mystery Vault Bundle features 8 unknown games: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/mystery-vault-bundle
• And, as part of the May Madness event, there's a new contest to win the items on your wishlist (up to $500). Learn more here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/win-your-wishlist

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Command & Conquer is being remade in C&C Generals Zero Hour
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/command-conquer-is-being-remade-in-cc-generals-zero-hour/
A team of modders is currently working on C&C Tiberian Dawn Redux, a full remake of the original Command & Conquer game in the C&C Generals Zero Hour SAGE 3D game engine. And yesterday, the team released a brand new version of it.
According to its description, Version 1.5 adds many new features, including naval warfare and much more polished gameplay. It also improves the graphics and scenery of this total conversion mod.

Special Delivery! is a new fan quest campaign for Fallout New Vegas
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/special-delivery-is-a-new-fan-quest-campaign-for-fallout-new-vegas/
Modder Davo has released a brand new fully-loaded quest campaign for Fallout New Vegas, called Special Delivery!. Special Deliver! comes with 3 hours of voice acting from 20 actors, as well as 3 hours of jazzy music on a radio station with a DJ.
Moreover, this new fan quest campaign has oodles of documents, holotapes, and terminal entries. It also has puzzles, side quests, a companion, and – as the modder claims – an “utterly superfluous and needlessly complex content “.

This cool Elden Ring Mod allows you to play as Batman
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-cool-elden-ring-mod-allows-you-to-play-as-batman/
Modder ‘az3163693’ released a pretty cool mod for Elden Ring, allowing PC gamers to play as the Dark Knight, the Batman. However, this mod does not feature any of Batman’s moves from the Arkham games. As such, and in other words, this is just a skin swap mod.
Now the good news here is this Batman mod features a cape with proper physics. So while there aren’t any custom melee combat moves, Batman will at least move with his iconic cape.

New The Witcher 3 mod adds new quests, explorable area & gameplay features
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-the-witcher-3-mod-adds-new-quests-explorable-area-gameplay-features/
Yudotbm has released a cool mod for The Witcher 3 that adds new quests, a new explorable area, new enemies and some new gameplay features. Since this mod adds new content to the game, we highly recommend downloading it.
Going into more details, The Witcher Alterverse adds three new quests. These three quests are Wild Orchad, Cursed Vyzima and The Devil’s Pit. Below you can also find videos from these new quests. From the looks of it, these three quests offer an hour of new gameplay.
As said, this mod also packs some new gameplay features. For instance, it introduces a Teleport Bolt via which you can reach higher places. Additionally, and by completing minor quests, a character from that quest can help you in combat (when your health is below 50%).
The Witcher Alterverse also introduces Immersive Knockdown. Thus, if a guard knocks you down, you will be unconscious and will wake up in a different place, undressed and bald. Not only that, but the mod adds an “Elden Ring/Dark Souls” NPC invade mode. Thus, and if you have more than one trophy in your Inventory, Shades Hunter will randomly spawn and try to loot/take it from you.

GAMING NEWS

Gotham Knights will be current-gen only, won’t have MTX, new gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/gotham-knights-will-be-current-gen-only-wont-have-mtx-new-gameplay-footage/
Warner Bros has announced that Gotham Knights will now release exclusively on the current-gen platforms. Moreover, the publisher released a new gameplay video, featuring Nightwing and Red Hood, that you can find below.

EA announces EA Sports FC & FIFA will release a new sim soccer rival
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ea-announces-ea-sports-fc-fifa-will-release-a-new-soccer-rival/
Electronic Arts has announced the termination of its long-term partnership with FIFA. As such, the next soccer game from EA will be called EA Sports FC. EA Sports FC will have 300+ license partners across the sport.

The news 2:

Gabe Newell once wondered if Left 4 Dead really needed zombies
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/gabe-newell-once-wondered-if-left-4-dead-really-needed-zombies/
Left 4 Dead is one of the most famous and successful zombie games of all time. It even presaged the runaway success of The Walking Dead television show. But there was a time when the presence of zombies in the game wasn't quite a sure thing, because Valve boss Gabe Newell wasn't certain they were the best way forward.

Riot sues Mobile Legends: Bang Bang maker for reasons you can probably guess
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/riot-sues-mobile-legends-bang-bang-maker-for-reasons-you-can-probably-guess/
League of Legends studio Riot Games is suing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang developer Shanghai Moonton Technology Company, saying the studio is engaged in a "deliberate and sustained campaign to free ride on Riot’s highly valuable rights in the mobile videogame League of Legends: Wild Rift."
>> Given that it involves mobile games, I'm not sure why I'm posting this.

Battlefield 2042 is using the 'Vince Zampella-slash-Respawn model' now, EA CEO says
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/battlefield-2042-is-using-the-vince-zampella-slash-respawn-model-now-ea-ceo-says/
Electronic Arts said in its Q3 investors call back in February that the much-maligned military shooter Battlefield 2042 did not meet the company's expectations. CEO Andrew Wilson cited both technical problems and design choices as the reasons the game "did not resonate with everyone in our community," although luckily for EA the ongoing success of games like Apex Legends and FIFA meant that Battlefield's relative failure would have little impact on the company's overall fortunes.
Despite all of that, Wilson said in today's Q4 call that EA isn't giving up on the game, or the series as a whole. "We take a long view here," he said in response to a question about EA's relative silence on Battlefield 2042 over the past several weeks. "This is one of the great franchises in our industry, built by one of the great teams in our industry, and our expectation is that it will continue to grow and be a really important part of our portfolio for many many years to come."

Gwent's first two seasonal journeys are back, without the time limits
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/gwents-first-two-seasonal-journeys-are-back-without-the-time-limits/
Since 2020, the standalone version of collectible card game Gwent has had a battle pass equivalent called journeys, which gave players three months to earn rewards including avatars, animated borders, card backs, and skins, with the shiniest ones only available on a second reward track you had to pay to unlock. Most of the journeys were based on a character from The Witcher, with an original short story about them appearing chapter by chapter each week.
Journeys gave players a reason to keep coming back to Gwent, with quests that encouraged trying different factions and decks. They were also controversial due to the brutal grind it took to earn the best rewards before the next journey came along. That's changed as of Gwent's May update, which has brought back both of the first two journeys, Geralt's and Ciri's, for an unlimited time. Some extra rewards have been added too: auras based on witcher signs for Geralt and trophies for Ciri.

Former 3D Realms owners clash over Duke Nukem Forever blame
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/former-3d-realms-owners-blame-each-other-for-losing-duke-nukem-forever/
Apogee, which also went by 3D Realms at one time, published a number of successful and super-influential games, but is best known for its greatest disaster: the 15-year-long development of Duke Nukem Forever, which was ultimately completed by Gearbox. After footage of a 2001 build of the game leaked this week, Apogee co-founders Scott Miller and George Broussard opened up, just a little, about what "killed the original 3D Realms"—and the former high school friends are pointing their fingers at each other.

Mass Effect store listing that mentioned Shepard was a mistake, apparently
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/mass-effect-store-listing-that-mentioned-shepard-was-a-mistake-apparently/
Back in November, BioWare issued a teaser image for a forthcoming Mass Effect game, depicting four characters walking from a shuttle towards a geth-shaped crater. As of recently, you've been able to purchase a high-quality lithograph of said image, which is so high-quality that, according to its store listing, "no detail is lost, right to the specks of dust and snow."
But that store listing made a bit of a boo-boo, apparently. According to YouTuber MrHulthen (via VGC), the listing originally alluded to the possible return of Commander Shepard, the beloved protagonist of the original Mass Effect trilogy. (...)
But Michael Gamble, project director on the still-unnamed Mass Effect game, says that it was indeed a mistake.

Core Keeper gets dedicated servers, teases first big content update
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/core-keeper-gets-dedicated-servers-teases-first-big-content-update/
Core Keeper, the Terraria-like underground survival sim that blew past 500,000 downloads on Steam just a couple weeks after launch, now has dedicated servers. The new feature, added in an update that rolled out today, will give Core Keeper players the ability to host their own multiplayer worlds for up to eight players.

Epic defeats Fortnite cheat seller, donates settlement to kids' hospitals
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/epic-defeats-fortnite-cheat-seller-donates-settlement-to-kids-hospitals/
Epic Games took an Aussie Fortnite cheater to the Federal Court of Australia, and torched his ass. Brandon Despotakis, who went by the online handle BlazeFN, sold Fortnite cheats and in-game accounts to other players, and Epic took action against him in April 2021.

Intel: Desktop Arc A-Series Launch Now Staggers in to Q3'22

https://www.anandtech.com/show/17383/intel-desktop-arc-a-series-launch-now-staggers-in-to-q322

AMD graphics driver preview delivers up to 17% better performance for DirectX11 games

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-graphics-driver-preview-delivers-up-to-17-better-performance-for-directx11-games

The Times of Israel: "Nvidia to further expand R&D operations in Israel, hire 1,000 engineers"

https://www.timesofisrael.com/nvidia-to-further-expand-rd-operations-in-israel-hire-1000-engineers/

Intel shows off 14th Gen Core “Meteor Lake” mobile packages at Vision conference

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-shows-off-14th-gen-core-meteor-lake-mobile-packages-at-vision-conference

Valve Loses Bid to End Antitrust Case Over Steam Gaming Platform

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/valve-loses-bid-to-end-antitrust-case-over-steam-gaming-platform

"Judge John C. Coughenour let part of the case move forward in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, saying it’s plausible Valve exploits its market dominance to threaten and retaliate against developers that sell games for less through other retailers or platforms.

The company “allegedly enforces this regime through a combination of written and unwritten rules” imposing its own conditions on how even “non-Steam-enabled games are sold and priced,” Coughenour wrote. “These allegations are sufficient to plausibly allege unlawful conduct.”"

I personally don't think a 4060 will be 250 Watts as they are aiming to be more "efficient" than Ampere. Just the wattage is going up for the class of GPU.

For example, if a 4070 is 300 Watt TDP, that is more efficient than a 3090 at 350 Watt TDP even though both of them should have a similar performance target.

So a 4060 Ti will probably be around 280 Watts as that will compete against 3080 12GB and 4060 will probably be around 200 Watts as the TDP of a 3070 is 220 Watts. But anyway you cut it, 500 watt PSU will probably be a 50 class at this point.

Yeah sadly, both parties are pushing these silicon to their limits and past the efficiency threshold. You can undervolt these cards for lower power draw at the expense of losing some game clocks and a few percent performance - which I plan on doing, once I get a hold of these new power hungry GPU.

About your PSU, yeah I can see why you'd want a lower power GPU. And a 3070 would probably be too much for that. A 3060Ti is also going to be hard ask as well seeing as Nvidia recommends a 600W PSU for that graphics card. With a power draw of 200W.

While you could potentially run a 3060Ti on your system I wouldn't recommend it and suggest you'd be looking at a new PSU or something like a regular 3060. Not enough power could cause instability or even damage components. But yeah a 3060 may be a better fit for your build (500W requirement) and that would be a massive upgrade over your 970.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I have no doubts that the new cards will be more efficient, but that wont stop them from using more power than the ones they replace. And yes, part of that comes from having more, and faster, memory.

In any case, that doesn't change Marth's problem.

I think going forward, the PSU you have will determine the class of GPU you have.

500 Watt = 4050/4050 Ti
650 Watt = 4060/4060 Ti
700 Watt = 4070
850 Watt = 4080
1000 Watt = 4090