Pretty bad transient power spikes and horrible coil whine according to GN:

The Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam's Top 10

Tekken 7 has sold over 10 million copies
https://www.pcgamer.com/tekken-7-has-sold-over-10-million-copies/
As game director Katsuhiro Harada announced in a tweet, Tekken 7, the fighting game that combines anime with animal cruelty, has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. This brings the sales figure for the entire Tekken series to over 54 million.

Surprise Mother****ers! GOG has launched its Winter Sale featuring over 4500 games with up to 90% discounts! But that's not all they have:

• First of all, there's a GIVEAWAY: Ghost of a Tale will be free to get during the next 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/game/ghost_of_a_tale
• The first of the three Deals of the Day is Chernobylite, 42% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/chernobylite
• The second one is GOG Kinky Bundle, with 3 games and a 57% discount. Be aware that there are only 2000 units, so be quick or they'll disappear: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gog_kinky_bundle
• And the last DotD is the GOG Strategy Bundle, also with 3 games and a 90% discount, this one only has 900 units: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gog_strategy_bundle

Steam has two new deals:

• Retreat To Enen will be 50% off until December 18: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556490/Retreat_To_Enen/
• And the The Coma: Back to School Bundle has a 76% discount. There's no mention of how long it will last, but the individual games are on sale until the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/15986/The_Coma_Back_to_School_Bundle/

There are a lot of new deals at Humble

• At Humble Bundle we find two new bundles:
  • The Runerscape: Paths to Adventure Bundle come with up to 8 items to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/runescape-paths-to-adventure-bundle
  • The Tactician's Bundle features up to 8 different games to get during the same 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/tacticians-bundle
• The Humble Store has three new deals/sales:
  • The 48 hours Flash Sale features Far Cry 5, 85% off during 41 hours. The key is for UPlay: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/far-cry-5
  • The Team17 Holiday Sale features up to 90% discounts during 7 days. There are keys for Steam and GOG (5): https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/team-17-holiday-sale/
  • And Quantic Dream puts its games on sale, with up to 50% discounts during 11 days. The keys of the three games are for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/quantic-dream-holiday-sale/

And Fanatical... has also launched its Winter Sale! But there are some others deals as well:

• The Star Deal is RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard Gold Edition, 78% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/resident-evil-7-gold-edition
• The The Jackbox Quintpack Bundle features 5 games with a 54% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/the-jackbox-quintpack
• Also, if you want to know what will be happening during the next 12 days of the Winter Sale, like contests and free stuff, check this out: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/12-days-of-festive-deals-on-cheap-pc-games-enter-contests-win-prizes-and-giveaways

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Unreal Engine 5.1 Nanite Redwood Forest Demo available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/unreal-engine-5-1-nanite-redwood-forest-demo-available-for-download/
MAWI United GmbH has shared a new tech demo for Unreal Engine 5.1 which uses full Nanite for foliage and trees, Lumen and Virtual Shadow Maps.
This tech demo showcases all of the new features that Unreal Engine 5.1 brings to the table. Moreover, it can give you a glimpse at what the forest areas in some upcoming games may look like.
According to MAWI United GmbH, the minimum required GPU for running this tech demo is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080. The team also recommends using an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Here are the mods that CDPR included in The Witcher 3 Next-Gen
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/here-are-the-mods-that-cdpr-included-in-the-witcher-3-next-gen/
Earlier this week, CD Projekt RED shared the list of the most popular mods that will be compatible with The Witcher 3 Next-Gen. And a couple of days ago, Marcin Momot revealed the mods that the team has added to this upcoming free next-gen update.
According to Momot, The Witcher 3 Next-Gen features The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project, HD Monsters Reworked, Immersive Real-time Cutscenes, Nitpicker’s Patch and World Map Fixes.
>> Why work to improve your game when you can grab the work that modders have done for you for free?

Chapter 4 released for the Half-Life Blue Shift Fan Remake in Black Mesa
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/chapter-4-released-for-the-half-life-blue-shift-fan-remake-in-black-mesa/
As promised, the team behind the Half-Life Blue Shift Fan Remake in Black Mesa has released its fourth chapter. In order to celebrate this release, HECU Collective has also shared the following trailer.
In Black Mesa: Blue Shift, players will relive the Black Mesa Incident as Gordon Freeman’s best friend, Barney Calhoun. This fan remake currently has the first three chapters of Blue Shift. These chapters are Living Quarters Outbound, Insecurity and Duty Calls.

Skyrim DLSS2/FSR2/XeSS Upscaler Mod is now available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/skyrim-dlss2-fsr2-xess-upscaler-mod-is-now-available-for-download/
Last month, we informed you about a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that would be adding support for DLSS 2, FSR 2 and XeSS. And today, we are happy to report that this Upscaler Mod is available for download.
For those wondering, this mod supports VR. However, there are currently very few performance gains with it due to the wasted performance for processing the whole VR texture when lots of the pixels are empty or unseen. The modder is working on a specific-VR version that has fixed foveated DLSS and other optimization specifically for VR.

Check out this ambitious Final Fantasy Tactics mod
https://www.pcgamer.com/check-out-this-ambitious-final-fantasy-tactics-mod/
A mod for Final Fantasy Tactics two years in the making looks like it'll launch in 2023, bringing a new campaign, story, and characters to the classic tactics RPG—it'll also have an aesthetically appropriate version of Triple Triad, the fan-favorite card game introduced in Final Fantasy 8 and reintroduced in MMO Final Fantasy 14.
The mod will have the expected new classes and abilities to go with its new characters and missions, but on top of that will have unique systems for its protagonist. Maine's unique "Hero" class will enable him to use up to three abilities in specific combo sequences over the course of a single turn—something that in the framework of a game like this must have required more than a bit of modding wizardry.

This Marathon mod 15 years in the making is practically an entirely new game
https://www.pcgamer.com/marathon-mod-apotheosis-x/
It feels like every other day there's some cool new Doom WAD that spits in the face of God and turns id's classic shooter into FEAR or Super Mario 64 or something, but how about some love for Marathon, Bungie's Mac-exclusive Doom clone and clear spiritual predecessor to Halo? On October 1, modder hypersleep released Apotheosis X, an ambitious total conversion of Marathon Infinity well worth the attention of retro FPS enthusiasts.
Its aesthetic appeal is immediately apparent: Apotheosis X is much more colorful than the original Marathon games, with redesigned weapon and enemy sprites, as well as high resolution textures and a custom soundtrack. The first few missions are set on a human cruiser, the amusingly named UESC Gingerbread Man, and they remind me most of the starting level of Halo 2. It looks like Apotheosis X's 23 levels eventually take players down to the surface of an alien world and its requisite eerie glowing ruins.

Unsurprisingly, there are already nude mods for Midnight Suns
https://www.pcgamer.com/unsurprisingly-there-are-already-nude-mods-for-midnight-suns/
Given how quickly nude mods for Spider-Man Remastered followed the wall-crawler's appearance on PC, it should be no surprise that modders have set to work removing the superhero underoos of Marvel's Midnight Suns as well. While mods for the XCOM games are traditionally a pretty big deal, the only mods I can find for Firaxis's latest are the horny ones. Its ModDB entry remains empty and there's no page for it at all on NexusMods yet.

GAMING NEWS

Dying Light 2 Update 1.8 brings graphical and Ray Tracing improvements, adds benchmark tool, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/dying-light-2-update-1-8-brings-graphical-and-ray-tracing-improvements-adds-benchmark-tool-full-patch-notes/
Techland has released a new major update for Dying Light 2. According to the release notes, Patch 1.8 brings numerous graphical and Ray Tracing improvements. Moreover, it adds an official benchmark tool, and optimizes memory usage in d3d12 mode in order to improve game stability.

Six minutes of gameplay & PC requirements for Crime Boss: Rockay City
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/six-minutes-of-gameplay-pc-requirements-for-crime-boss-rockay-city/
505 Games has shared a new video for its upcoming mafia game, Crime Boss: Rockay City, featuring six minutes of gameplay footage from it. In addition, the publisher has revealed the game’s official PC system requirements.

Monday news, part two:

Class action lawsuit comparing Fortnite to cocaine will be allowed to proceed
https://www.pcgamer.com/class-action-lawsuit-comparing-fortnite-to-cocaine-will-be-allowed-to-proceed/
In 2019, Canadian law firm Calex Legal sought approval to file a class action lawsuit against Epic Games on behalf of parents who claimed that their children were addicted to Fortnite. As reported by CTV News, a Quebec judge has now authorized that class action, meaning the lawsuit can proceed.

The Outbound Ghost dev defaces his own Steam page in dispute with publisher, legal action ensues
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-outbound-ghost-dev-defaces-his-own-steam-page-in-dispute-with-publisher/
The developer of the indie adventure-RPG The Outbound Ghost is asking followers not to buy the game on any platform, because it is not currently up to the quality standards that he expects. He has also disabled sales of the game on Steam—the one platform where he says it was up to snuff—and is threatening legal action against publisher Digerati, who he says refuses to return control of the game to him.

An upcoming RTS will incorporate the rollback tech that took Fighting games by storm
https://www.pcgamer.com/an-upcoming-rts-will-incorporate-the-rollback-tech-that-took-fighting-games-by-storm/
Upcoming RTS Stormgate will use an engine that incorporates rollback netcode, the tech that has become a standard in competitive fighting games over the past few years. In a new video talking about technology and revealing some new concept art, Frost Giant Studios talks about their RTS engine SnowPlay, and how it incorporates modern tech like rollback in order to make the game more responsive.

Here's a rhythm game powered entirely by chill vibes
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-a-rhythm-game-powered-entirely-by-chill-vibes/
Here's a cute game coming this week: Melatonin, a rhythmic indie that is for all appearances powered entirely by chill vibes and doodles of pizza. It's composed of miniature rhythm games united by the overall aesthetic and dreamlike themes, but also by an interesting twist: It doesn't have the overlays you'd expect from a rhythm game.

Activision to 'nerf' chart-topping Call of Duty skin by making it more visible, with some players seeking refunds
https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-to-nerf-chart-topping-call-of-duty-skin-by-making-it-more-visible-with-some-players-seeking-refunds/
Well, that didn't take long. Less than two weeks after an all-black premium skin took Call of Duty by storm, even cracking the top 20 best sellers on Steam (by dollars paid, mind you, as a $10 purchase,) Infinity Ward has showcased a higher-visibility version of the same skin in its mid-season update blog post for Warzone 2.

If you liked both politics and flirting in Game of Thrones, here's your visual novel
https://www.pcgamer.com/if-you-liked-both-politics-and-flirting-in-game-of-thrones-heres-your-visual-novel/
Was your favorite bit of Game of Thrones the parts with the flirting and political intrigue? Preferably both at the same time? Was it even better when combined with the harsh realities of medieval politics?
Well, Imperial Grace might just be a visual novel for you. A combination of dating sim, visual novel, and resource-management political strategy, it's a game that asks you to choose whether you'd rule with your head or your heart as a main character who has just ascended to the throne of an empire in an imaginary medieval world.

Surf a magical archipelago in Wavetale, a former Stadia exclusive coming to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/surf-a-magical-archipelago-in-wavetale-a-former-stadia-exclusive-coming-to-steam/
Thunderful Development's former Stadia exclusive Wavetale hits Steam this week, bringing its island-hopping story to the broader world just before Stadia's demise. Wavetale tells the story of Sigrid, aided by her wave-surfing shadow, on a quest to save a magical and ruined archipelago from its own past.

One of the best-reviewed games on Steam is about watching plastic ducks
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-of-the-best-reviewed-games-on-steam-is-about-watching-plastic-ducks/
Valve's own beloved sci-fi puzzle comedy Portal 2 has a user rating of 98% positive on Steam. A handful of indie hits like A Short Hike, The Case of the Golden Idol, TOEM, and Frog Detective 3 go as high as 99% positive. About to join their number, with a rating of 98% positive trending up to 99% in the last 30 days, is Placid Plastic Duck Simulator.

WoW's most stubborn peacenik hits max level without hurting anyone once again
https://www.pcgamer.com/wows-most-stubborn-peacenik-hits-max-level-without-hurting-anyone-once-again/
World of Warcraft's foremost conscientious objector has done it again. Without hurting a fly, and without ever leaving the Wandering Isle starting zone (meant for level 10 players and below), the pandaren known as Doubleagent has managed to hit the MMO's max level of 70. All it took was dedication, effort, and the ability to endure mind-numbing repetition for thousands of hours.

Yet some how, these two are with in single digit % of each other in Raster and around 30-40% difference in Ray Tracing in favor of the 4080. This is like the inverse of Ampere vs RDNA 2 just that Ampere had the Ray Tracing and DLSS advantage while RDNA 3 has no advantage other than price. But when a person is spending $1000 and the competition is $200 more but gives you superior Ray Tracing + DLSS while being more power efficient... AMD just might have sold the 4080...

Idk how a company can create a chiplet architecture that is more inefficient than monolith but here we are... Even their transient spikes feels like Ampere spikes but on TSMC.

Overall both the 7900XTX and 4080 are terrible products for the price. Hopefully both will get a price cut sooner than later.

Well, it's certainly not a great GPU, and the reference card with its poor power delivery system isn't the model to go for, but overall it's not as bad as I feared. It's ok in raster, trading blows with the 4080 as shown by TPU:

And while it's much worse in RT, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It even surpasses the Ampere cards in games that aren't heavy on RT, which is a surprise given what AMD said during the presentation.

The power consumption isn't great, tho, and it can be a problem for some.

I'm a bit meh on the XTX. I expected a definitive 10-15% lead but instead, it's a low single digits advantage over the 4080. For the same power consumption, they'll probably be about the same. Their performance per price is also the same if we're talking about RT on average. So it boils down to someone being willing or not to spend $200 more for an extra 16-26% RT performance.

While there are bugs to be fixed on the voltage curve that might improve power consumption, I doubt that will allow for much higher clocks without a refresh. The saving grace here is the chiplet design allowing the Navi 31 chip to be cheaper to manufacture than AD103, so at least RTG can compete in a price war.

Agree, overall. As I mentioned in my post above, when dealing with high-tier cards, people go for the sheer performance. If RT is one generation behind, and there's no advantage in wattage, the selling points decrease for AMD. People are counting cost-per-frame, but failing to take into consideration the superior RT performance, as well as what will likely be immense strides in DLSS 3.0 in the coming 1-2 years. I really can't believe how poorly they managed the efficiency on these cards, they're thirsty as hell. I was equally surprised by the new line of Ryzen CPUs; they have some insane consumption figures attached to them.

Personally, I think that the 4080 will still be tough to move, at this price at least. There were probably a few gamers on the fence, waiting to see what RDNA3 could provide. I have a feeling most of them were a bit disappointed, I know I was. This reminds me of when I waited to get the 980 Ti, waiting to see what AMD had to offer. Turned out to be a waste of time back then, I believe this to be the same case. As you say, a couple of hundred dollars this way or that isn't much when dealing with folks willing to dish out 1000$ + on a GPU.

History really does repeat itself considering the current GPU climate lmao

The efficiency when using FPS limiters (tested by Computerbase) is beyond abysmal :

Doom Eternal 144FPS Limit
4K
4080=222W
4090=244W
7900XTX=345W

1440p
4080=125W
4090=139W
7900XTX=248W

— Taxxor (@Taxxor90) December 12, 2022

Power consumption when playing a 4K, 60fps Youtube video -

Radeon drivers must me borked because wth is up with that.

It's vega all over again. All that work that went into RDNA 2 took a giant 180 with this launch.