Cards below MSRP is always good news. Let them fall some more.

By the way, beware what you do with your GPU, even more when AI is involved...

An AI company has been generating porn with gamers' idle GPU time in exchange for Fortnite skins and Roblox gift cards
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/an-ai-company-has-been-generating-porn-with-gamers-idle-gpu-time-in-exchange-for-fortnite-skins-and-roblox-gift-cards/
If you've got a powerful GPU in your machine, it may seem like a bit of a waste to leave all the computing power sitting in the background, doing relatively little at idle. In which case, Salad, a company that offers game codes, gift cards, and other items in exchange for users GPU resources, might seem like a reasonable way to put your machine to work.

However, by default the software settings opt users into generating adult content. An option exists to "configure workload types manually" which enables users to uncheck the "Adult Content Workloads" option (via 404 media), however this is easily missed in the setup process, which I duly tested for myself to confirm.

In the Salad Discord server, moderators maintain that the adult content workloads option is unchecked by default, and that any Stable Diffusion image generation job is automatically considered adult content. When several users asked whether they would generate less money on Salad with the setting off, it was explained that "There might be times where you earn a little less if we have high demand for certain adult content workloads, but we don't plan to make those companies the core of our business model."

I doubt that these "game codes, gift cards, and other items" are worth more than the additional electricity costs and the additional "wear and tear" of your GPU and other PC components, higher temperature in the summer, unnecessary noise...

The electricity cost may not be a problem for some. I don't know how it's called in English, but some people pay a fixed amount each month, no matter how much electricity they use, and if they do it while at work, noise is also not a problem.

Wear and tear is the biggest concern but, once again, we don't know what kind of user they can be. Maybe they're the kind of people that get new cards each gen, and so they won't use the cards enough to deal with that kind of trouble.

a kWh is about 12 cents. That means running a 500 watt GPU cost about 6 cents per hr, so yeah electricity is no problem.

Well, the year has 8760 hours (this year even 8784 hours). So if your computer runs 24/7 with 500 Watts, that would be over $500.

if your computer only runs 8 hours per day (probably less "Salad rewards" this way) with 500 Watts, that would still be $175.

48 cents per kWh for me. - But that is offset by my roof-top solar... Doesn't cost me any energy during the day to run.

This is beyond scary and silly at the same time.  Back in the day I was worried about my laptops's etra gpu would be used for crypto mining. 

0.28 Euro per kWh for me, so 0.30 USD when the sun doesn't shine.

When the sun shines it is technical free for me, but I could sell that solar energy otherwise for 0.11 Euro per kWh.

Oh god I have not tipped when buying all 4000 plus steam games and never tipped when I used to go to the gamestore! 

Let’s get to work, my friends, because this Monday has a lot of news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

For $8, you can get 373 games, digital comics, and more in a new charity bundle for Palestinian relief
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/for-dollar8-you-can-get-373-games-digital-comics-and-more-in-a-new-charity-bundle-for-palestinian-relief/
First launched on April 12, you still have a little over eight days to take advantage of the Palestinian Relief Bundle on itch.io. The 373 games, comics, soundtracks, and other goodies would usually command $1,657, but are currently selling for a minimum payment of just eight bucks. The proceeds go to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), a nonprofit working to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza.

GOG doesn’t have a new sake, so they’ve decided to launch six Deals of the Day, that will last until Wednesday;

• The first one is Dungeon Vixens: A Tale of Temptation, a NSFW game with a 10% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/dungeon_vixens_a_tale_of_temptation
• Next is Islands of the Caliph, 20% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/islands_of_the_caliph
• World Racing 2 - Champion Edition can be yours thanks to its 30% discount; https://www.gog.com/en/game/world_racing_2_champion_edition
• The fourth DotD is FLAKE The Legend of Snowblind, 45% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/flake_the_legend_of_snowblind
• Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far features a 49% discount (and brings the first one for free, even if it only works with Win 7&8): https://www.gog.com/en/game/close_combat_2_a_bridge_too_far
• The last one is The Forgotten City, 60% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_forgotten_city

Steam has two new deals:

• The Early Access title Clanfolk will be 40% off until the 5th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1700870/Clanfolk/
• The Matriarch has a 60% discount until the same May 5: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1773180/The_Matriarch/

There’s a new Humble Bundle: the Down on the Farm Bundle, featuring up to 8 games to get during 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/down-on-farm.

And Fanatical has:

• The new Star Deal is Ghostrunner, 78% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle
• The Star Wars Collection is back, with a 79% deal during 2 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/star-wars-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 31.0.101.5444 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-31-0-101-5444
Highlights
*Nothing written, only a table with 18 games that have gotten a performance uplift*

Fixed Issues

Intel® Arc™ A-Series Graphics Products:

• No Rest for the Wicked (DX11) may experience application crash while launching prologue gameplay.
• Assetto Corsa (DX11) may exhibit full screen corruption while switching windows using Alt+Tab during gameplay.
• Halo Infinite (DX12) may exhibit corruption with ray traced shadows enabled during gameplay.

Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs:

• Diablo IV (DX12) may exhibit corruption on the terrain during gameplay.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Here’s Cyberpunk 2077 in 8K with Ultra+ Path Tracing Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-cyberpunk-2077-in-8k-with-ultra-path-tracing-mod/
Thanks to its modding community and the efforts of CDPR, Cyberpunk 2077 is still considered one of the best-looking PC games. And earlier today, YouTube’s ‘Digital Dreams’ shared a video, showcasing the game in 8K with a new Ultra+ Path Tracing Mod.
The Ultra+ Path Tracing Mod makes CP2077 look better and run smoother. The modder behind it says it fixes problems with Path Tracing on AMD GPUs. It also speeds up Path Tracing by 30-40%. It even has a new PT21 Turbo Mode to further improve the game’s performance.
Now what’s cool here is that this mod can also improve the quality of Path Tracing. It also enables colour integration of particles into path tracing. As such, smoke, steam, sparks, and electricity will be improved, and will cast light on the PT scene. Not only that but it reworks hair in path tracing so it looks more realistic in full sun, indoor lit and unlit areas. Plus, the mod adjusts skin for when using path tracing and ray tracing.
The Ultra+ Path Tracing Mod makes reflections on surfaces like wet grass look more realistic. It also improves how things like weapons, plants, and skin reflect light when using Path Tracing. Additionally, it fixes issues with overly bright or white see-through materials like glass, bottles, cabinets, and windows. Plus, it adds more detailed shadows when using Path Tracing.
And the visual improvements don’t stop there. The mod will also improve object pop-ins, and it will even enable ambient occlusion on eyeballs. Oh, and it fixes the stutters, FPS slow-downs, crashes, and out-of-memory problems with the vanilla game on GPUs with less than 12GB of VRAM.
>> The video is a bit over 8 minutes long.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Unofficial PC Port V1.4.3 Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/marvels-spider-man-2-unofficial-pc-port-v1-4-3-released/
The team behind Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PC Brazil, the unofficial PC port of the PS5 Spider-Man game, has released a new version of it. This new version packs numerous fixes and visual enhancements, and below you can find a gameplay video from it. The modding team improved a lot in version 1.4.3. For instance, it updated the Web and the Windtunnel Shaders. It also fixed and improved the Symbiote Shaders. This version also updates the Fullscreen Effects Shader for Top Speed and fixes the NPCs’ Skin Shaders. Players can also look forward to more shader fixes and fewer placeholders in this update.
>> The video is over 11 minutes long.

After playing hundreds of hours of The Witcher 3 since 2015, I can't believe I'd never heard of this mod that squashes 5,400+ bugs and restores cut dialogue
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/after-playing-hundreds-of-hours-of-the-witcher-3-since-2015-i-cant-believe-id-never-heard-of-this-mod-that-squashes-5400-bugs-and-restores-cut-dialogue/
While checking out the latest Witcher 3 secrets from xLetalis, I came across something that startled me: The Witcher 3 has its very own Unofficial Patch-style mod, Brothers in Arms, that not only gets after persistent bugs left in the nine year-old game, but also restores some minor cut content to boot.
A great preponderance of the bug fixes are the sort of things a lone player might never notice: journal typos or missing text fixed here, Witcher sense clues scrubbed from the open world after quest completion there, you get the idea. Taken all together though, these thousands of minor bug fixes from multiple mod authors add up to an even more consistent, polished game.
The cut content is definitely the most interesting stuff though, especially since much of it blurs the line between bug fix and restoration. Take my favorite that I've noticed so far: a bit of dialogue with Temarian spymaster Thaler that wasn't "cut" from the game, so much as the flag it relies on just wasn't working. With that issue taken care of, you now get dialogue options with Thaler that confirm his connection to the "A Frying Pan, Spick and Span" quest from White Orchard.

GAMING NEWS

The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Leaked Source Code Fully Unlocked to Everyone
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-witcher-3-next-gen-leaked-source-code-fully-unlocked/
In June 2021, we reported on a huge leak regarding The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. As we claimed back then, the source codes of these two games were leaked online. However, there was a catch to this. Apparently, the source code archives were password protected, meaning that most who got their hands on them could not unpack them. Until now.
While I won’t be sharing any links to the place where you can find the passwords for the archives, we can confirm that these work. The passwords that were shared were for The Witcher 3 (both the original and the next-gen versions), Gwent and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.

Bloober Team has apparently changed the face of Silent Hill 2 Remake’s main protagonist
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/bloober-team-has-apparently-changed-the-face-of-silent-hill-2-remakes-main-protagonist/
A lot of people criticized Bloober Team when Konami revealed its upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2. Die-hard fans were not happy with how the main protagonist, James Sunderland, looked in it. And, from the looks of it, Bloober Team has decided to slightly change his face.

Here are over 3 hours of gameplay from Where Winds Meet’s Closed Beta
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-over-3-hours-of-gameplay-from-where-winds-meets-closed-beta/
Everstone Games has launched the closed beta phase for Where Winds Meet. And, since the beta does not come with any NDA, you can find below a video showcasing over three hours gameplay footage from it.

Valheim: Ashlands Patch 0.218.9 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/valheim-ashlands-patch-0-218-9-released-detailed/
Iron Gate has just released Patch 0.218.9 for the latest official expansion of Valheim, Ashlands. To celebrate this announcement, the team has shared the full patch notes of this update, as well as a new trailer for it. So, let’s take a closer look at them.