AMD Radeon RX 6000 “RDNA 2” GPUs Get Up To 40% Ray Tracing Performance Boost In 3DMark DXR With Latest Drivers

https://wccftech.com/amd-radeon-rx-6000-rdna-2-gpus-40-percent-ray-tracing-performance-boost-3dmark-dxr-latest-drivers/

Very impressive uplifts. I'll be interested to see how the ranking is once reviewers redo their benchmarks. At the very least, it should be reflected in the next GPU launch whenever that is. But I also wouldn't expect any improvements outside of 3dmark.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D 3D V-Cache CPU Appears In Ashes of The Singularity Benchmark

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-9-7900x3d-3d-v-cache-cpu-appears-in-ashes-of-the-singularity-benchmark/

Ah yes, Ashes, the game that keeps getting revived in leaks but it's never easy to tell how to performance actually compares against other products

Mechrevo Gaming Laptops With AMD Ryzen 7 7735H CPU & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Pre-Order Starts Below $1000 US

https://wccftech.com/mechrevo-gaming-laptops-amd-ryzen-7-7735h-cpu-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060-pre-order-starts-below-1000-us/

Corrosion Is Killing ASUS’s ROG Z690 Formula Motherboards, Replacement VRM Waterblock In The Works

https://wccftech.com/corrosion-is-killing-asuss-rog-z690-formula-motherboards-replacement-vrm-waterblock-in-the-works/

Watercooling is always risky for reasons like this

I sense a storm coming

A trip down memory lane

This is how Linus ranks them:

He put the 30 series in twice because the launch was "S" tier with the pricing and performance they showed but once the mining boom hit, it went to shit so he also put it in "C" tier.

The problem is from Asus, that failed to tell its customers that the block was made from aluminium, not cooper. That's why corrosioin has appeared, because users are using radiators and maybe GPU blocks made with cooper and, when you mix two different metals with water, the weaker one starts to corrode.

It's well known and easily avoidable if you make sure that everything is made of the same metal.

Crazy to think something as recent as the 3080 feels like just a dream of affordability now. Relatively it would be like an Ada 102 GPU with ~14,000 shaders for less than $900...

Also the GOAT 8800 GTX monstrously consuming a whopping 150 Watts. Oh man.

Here come the Friday news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Fanatical has a new Star Deal and a new bundle:

• The new Star Deal is Learn Japanese to Survive Complete Pack, 96% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/learn-japanese-to-survive-complete-pack
• And the new bundle is the Prestige Collection BYOB, with 16 titles to choose from to build your 2, 3 or 4 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/prestige-collection-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc & Iris Graphics Driver 31.0.101.4125
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-iris-graphics-driver-31-0-101-4125
Highlights
Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics for:

• Company of Heroes 3
• The Settlers: New Allies
• Atomic Heart
• Wild Hearts
• Like A Dragon: Ishin!

>> There's a lot of known issues listed in the article, but not a single fix is mentioned.

NVIDIA DLSS 2 V3.1.1 & AMD FSR 2 V2.2.0 have been released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nvidia-dlss-2-v3-1-1-amd-fsr-2-v2-2-0-have-been-released/
NVIDIA and AMD have released new versions of their upscaling techniques, DLSS 2 and FSR 2. These new versions of these techs aim to improve image quality, and provide some QoL improvements.
Going into more details, DLSS 2 V3.1.1 adds the ability to stay up-to-date with the latest DLSS improvements. Moreover, this new version adds the ability to customize DLSS based on different scaling ratios and game content. Not only that, but it updates DLSS Programming Guide for new API additions, packs performance and optimization fixes, and brings stability improvements.
On the other hand, AMD FSR2 V2.2.0 promises to improve on FSR 2 V2.1.2 in multiple ways. According to AMD, this new version increases overall image quality and significantly reduces artifacts, such as high-velocity ghosting and shimmering.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Elden Ring gets the ultimate Harry Potter Mod, featuring spells & flying broomsticks
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/elden-ring-gets-the-ultimate-harry-potter-mod-featuring-spells-flying-broomsticks/
Garden of Eyes have just released the ultimate Harry Potter Mod for Elden Ring, featuring Harry himself, numerous spells, and flying broomsticks. This is a must-have mod for all Harry Potter fans, as it will completely change the way you experience the game.
Going into more details, the modding team has added a 3D model for Harry Potter that players can use. Additionally, it has implemented numerous spells, including Expecto Patronum and Avada Kedavra. However, its biggest feature is the flying broomsticks.
Players can use broomsticks to fly and explore the huge environment of Elden Ring. And yes, you can cast spells while riding your broomstick. Not only that, but you can even fight PvP battles in the air.
The only downside here is that this Harry Potter Mod is behind a Patreon-wall. Yeah yeah, this is another paid mod. However, it appears that the team has put a lot of work into it, so we can at least congratulate it for delivering a polished mod.
>> There's a roughly three and a half minutes video of the mod.

GAMING NEWS

Genshin Impact Patch 3.5 releases on March 1st, key features revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/genshin-impact-patch-3-5-releases-on-march-1st-key-features-revealed/
miHoYo has announced that Patch 3.5 for Genshin Impact will release on March 1st. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team shared a new trailer and revealed its key features.
>> PCGamer has the codes from the livestream. Redeem them quick!

Dark Souls-inspired game, Bleak Faith: Forsaken, releases on March 10th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dark-souls-inspired-game-bleak-faith-forsaken-releases-on-march-10th/
Archangel Studios has announced that its Dark Souls-inspired game, Bleak Faith: Forsaken, will release on March 10th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team has also released a new gameplay trailer that you can find below.

Friday news, the second part:

Wait, there are 5 Lord of the Rings games due in the next 2 years?
https://www.pcgamer.com/wait-there-are-5-lord-of-the-rings-games-due-in-the-next-2-years/
In August 2022, Embracer Group added Middle-earth Enterprises to its ever-growing lineup of studios and properties. And it's not wasting any time doing something with it: Embracer revealed in its Q3 2022 financial report that it now has no less than five LotR games in development.

Resident Evil 4 Remake system requirements are pleasantly mild
https://www.pcgamer.com/resident-evil-4-remake-system-requirements/
Resident Evil 4 Remake promises to surprise us with its modern survival horror reimagining of the Capcom classic. The PC system requirements, however, offer no surprises: they're exactly the same as 2021's Resident Evil Village, promising solid fps at 1080p on modest hardware.

Bungie is going to sell a 'booster' that unlocks the new Destiny 2: Lightfall subclass on your alt
https://www.pcgamer.com/bungie-is-going-to-sell-a-booster-that-unlocks-the-new-destiny-2-lightfall-subclass-on-your-alt/
When Bungie added the Stasis subclass to Destiny in the Beyond Light expansion, one of the chief pieces of negative feedback was that it was too grindy to unlock on your alts. Having acquired the new power on your main character by finishing the Beyond Light campaign, you also had to repeat the entire process on your other toons, including a lengthy time-gated questline.

Ubisoft has an 'improved version' of Skull and Bones that it hasn't shown anyone yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-has-an-improved-version-of-skull-and-bones-that-it-hasnt-shown-anyone-yet/
It has not been smooth sailing for Skull and Bones, Ubisoft's oft-delayed and much-derided game of high seas piracy that, for those keeping score, still doesn't have a release date. It's fair to say that what little we've seen of the game so far hasn't made a great impression, but chief financial officer Frederick Duguet thinks that will change once we all get a look at an "improved version" of the game that, for now, remains behind closed doors.

This solo-developed 'cross between Dark Alliance and Dark Souls' is shaping up to be my next RPG obsession
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-solo-developed-cross-between-dark-alliance-and-dark-souls-is-shaping-up-to-be-my-next-rpg-obsession/
Mortal Crux is one of those independent projects that's slowly assembling itself in front of our very eyes on Twitter and TikTok. We last checked in on this solo-developed action RPG last February when it was only a few months into development, but since that time it's been accumulating a laundry list of interesting features for its frigid fantasy, all demoed for an eager audience on social media.

Here's a thoroughly Slavic cyberpunk stealth-action game
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-a-thoroughly-slavic-cyberpunk-stealth-action-game/
Indie studio Red Square Games just announced SlavicPunk: Oldtimer, an isometric shooter/hacker/sneaker based on the fiction of Polish author Michał Gołkowski. You play a private detective with a whole lot of issues and an intimidating sitcom dad moustache who goes up against the usual assortment of gangs and corrupt corporate executives.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened delay announcement doubles as a short war documentary
https://www.pcgamer.com/sherlock-holmes-the-awakened-delay-announcement-doubles-as-a-short-war-documentary/
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened—a new entry in the long-running series, which pits the iconic detective against Lovecraftian weirdness—has been delayed "to March, or April at the latest". The accompanying video by Ukrainian developer Frogwares paints a bleak picture of daily life in the country.
>> Well, it's hard to develop a videogame (or do almost anything), when you get power cuts.

Wild Hearts devs acknowledge the PC port runs terribly and promise fix next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/wild-hearts-devs-acknowledge-the-pc-port-runs-terribly-and-promise-fix-next-week/
Wild Hearts is Koei-Tecmo's new attempt to get in on that sweet monster hunting action and, while it's not perfect, there's lots to like. PCG's Wes Fenlon mostly enjoyed his time with the game, but a dearth of monsters and terrible issues with performance saw the game limp off with a 63% score. I've been playing Wild Hearts and, yep, this thing runs badly and suffers from constant frame drops and stuttering. It's a sentiment shared by the wider community, with the game's Steam reviews currently sitting at mostly negative and summed up by this devastating one-liner from Katsummie: "The price is higher than the FPS you will be able to pull in this game." The development team, Omega Force, has now acknowledged that the PC version is not in a good state, and claims it has identified the problem and a fix is due imminently

It's a great weekend for trying big games for free
https://www.pcgamer.com/its-a-great-weekend-for-trying-big-games-for-free/
If you can't find anything to play in your game library this weekend, there's some good news in the form of a bunch of free weekend deals on Steam and Ubisoft Connect. Along with Firaxis' platonic superhero dating sim Midnight Suns being free to try until Sunday, you can also dabble in Age of Empires 4: Anniversary Edition and Far Cry 6, all without dipping into your wallet.

Deeply weird Alice video basically begs EA to fund the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/deeply-weird-alice-video-basically-begs-ea-to-fund-the-game/
Designer American McGee is best known for his striking videogame adaptations—though adaptation may be too weak a word—of the children's classic Alice in Wonderland. The last game, Alice: Madness Returns, was released in 2011 and is still available on Steam, though 2000's American McGee's Alice is much harder to get a hold of.
McGee has in recent years made his intentions clear and public: He wants to make a third game, Alice: Asylum, and has a Patreon dedicated to funding the game's development (which has 3,224 paying subscribers). Thing is, though, the game isn't actually in development: It's still in pre-production. McGee released a draft script for the game back in 2021, but now he's gone all-in on trying to get old publishing partner EA interested in funding it.

Firaxis announces new Civilization game as XCOM director Jake Solomon leaves
https://www.pcgamer.com/firaxis-announces-new-civilization-game-as-xcom-director-jake-solomon-leaves/
Jake Solomon has announced he's leaving Firaxis after over two decades, during which he helmed the excellent reboot of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its sequel, before most recently directing Marvel's Midnight Suns (which is also excellent, if you're the kind of person who wants to take yoga classes with Blade). Firaxis announced the news with a bit of a consolation prize: A new Civilization game is on the way.

And now, the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend:

+GOG

• There's a new GIVEAWAY: Biing!: Sex, Intrigue and Scalpels, free to keep during 70 more hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/biing_sex_intrigue_and_scalpels
• These are the 9 Deals of the Day, available until Monday;
  • Sephonie is 10% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sephonie
  • Re-Volt gets a 12% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/revolt
  • Expeditions: Rome is 40% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/expeditions_rome
  • Cossacks 3 gets a 60% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/cossacks_3
  • Smart City Plan gets a 65% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/smart_city_plan
  • Pid will be 70% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/pid
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat gets a 70% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/stalker_call_of_pripyat
  • Mortal Kombat 1+2+3 is 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/mortal_kombat_123
  • The last one is Lock's Quest, with a 95% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/locks_quest
• And there's a new collection for the We Love Games Sale: the NSFW Collection. Do I need to explain what's in there? I don't think so. Just remember that it will last until three days, just like the WLG Sale: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_nsfw_week

+Steam

• To celebrate Bruce Wayne's birthday, the Batman games are on sale with up to 90% discounts until next Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/WBGames/sale/brucewaynebday
• Besides being free to try, Age of Empires IV will also be 40% off until the 23rd of February: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466860/Age_of_Empires_IV_Anniversary_Edition/
• Fabled Lands, that has a demo, will be 50% off until the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299620/Fabled_Lands/
• Disney puts its classic videogames (and also the LucasArts ones) on sale with up to 75% discounts until February, 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/disneypublishersale2023
• Book of Demons will be free to try during the weekend and gets an 80% discount until next Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/thingtrunksale
• The Wargaming Publisher Weekend features up to 95% discounts until Thursday, 23: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/wargaming2023
• Publisher Spike Chunsoft puts its games up to 90% off until February 27: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/spikechunsoft2023
• Pharaoh: A New Era gets a launch discount of 15% until the 1st of March: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1351080/Pharaoh_A_New_Era/
• And Publisher 2K puts its games on sale with up to 90% discounts until the 2nd of March: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/2K/sale/2kpublishersale2023

And that's all. I wish you a happy and gaming weekend. See you next time!

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 3D V-Cache CPU Benchmarks Leak: 10% Slower In Multi-Thread & Similar Single-Core As 7950X

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-9-7950x3d-3d-v-cache-cpu-benchmarks-leak-10-percent-slower-versus-7950x/

Unsurprising as Geekbench isn't a gaming benchmark

AMD FSR 2.2 Open-Source Code Released, Allowing all Devs to Access the Upscaling Tech

https://wccftech.com/amd-fsr-2-2-open-source-code-release/

Tuned NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Outperforms The RTX 3090 Ti Desktop Card In 3DMark Time Spy

https://wccftech.com/tuned-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4090-laptop-gpu-outperforms-the-rtx-3090-ti-desktop-card-in-3dmark-time-spy/

175 Watt TGP beating a 450 Watt TGP 3090 Ti is insane. While I am sure the laptop will not be any less than $5000, the fact that a desktop 4080 can be power limited to 175 watts and still beat a 3090 Ti is crazy.

NVIDIA confirms GTC 2023 Jensen Huang’s keynote on March 21st

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-confirms-gtc-2023-jensen-huangs-keynote-on-march-21st

Leather jacket man returns. It's unlikely I will be covering it as I won't be back from my trip until the 28th.

Unique GeForce RTX 4090 Need For Speed edition shows up on second-hand market

https://videocardz.com/newz/unique-geforce-rtx-4090-need-for-speed-edition-shows-up-on-second-hand-market

Returnal PC - DF Tech Review - Optimised Settings, PS5 vs PC Comparisons + More

Pretty big improvements to the PC version and runs very well even on a 2060 Super with RT. It even has Ray Traced audio. But keep in mind that RT has a stutter and RT off has a traversal bug that is found on the ps5. The devs are working to fix it with a future update.

Not a bad result given that it's one entry against dozens and that half its cores run slower because of the extra cache.

Impressive, but it makes you wonder why the desktop 4080 needs 300W to be 15-20% faster than a 3090Ti. But well, we know that synthetic benchmarks don't represent actual gaming performance.

It could be the place he announces the 4070 and hopefully 4060Ti, but we'll see.

Since it's closer to a 30% advantage in 3DMark, maintaining 77% of the performance for 55% of the TDP isn't that outlandish. The 3090 Ti itself could pull 88% of the performance for 66% of the power (see here).

In gaming, it'll probably be behind by some 15% still, so it's more comparable to that 300W card in the Tom's Hardware article.