Whatever you end up doing, do not get a Kingston NV2 SSD. It's an M.2 drive instead of a SATA one, just for clarity. Anyway, I got one earlier, and supposedly it was not broken, but it would lag the whole OS at times until at some point it would lag it so badly I couldn't even move the cursor and even if I could, I would not be able to shut down the PC. You don't necessarily need a fancy SSD to beat an HDD (supposedly almost any SSD will beat an HDD by a large margin!), but do not get a Kingston NV2.

Have you looked into Jensen and Lisa?. Like I've looked at China/Taiwanese business, and over there it's basically operated by companies owned by larger fish and made to look like there's competition going on, but there really isn't, because everyone's on the same side so to speak.

In the West it's starting to become that way (MS/Sony/Apple/Google/Epic and so on buying up tons of little and middle fish), and when you have both the East & West operating like a Chinese market, then none of us are going to win, because the biggest fish can fuck around with the pricing all they want, or just sit back, because they're the only ones in town.

LIke yeah, I get it, we're to blame, but at the same time we're also not?. We buy shit for sure, but these companies have all ventured into different markets and made multiple rev streams that have allowed them to become this big, so really we're a fraction to blame for this result, the other is that they have reached a point where they don't care and don't feel they have to compete at all. We keep pissing on AMD to stop fumbling the job, but do they really care?.

When I phrase it like that it will come off as a legit question of "do they care?", but when you look at how "competition" works in regions like China, it's obvious that there was no caring to begin with, only duopolies. The way AMD is acting right now, despite them having far less market share and brand awareness, still tells me they are just doing this because they can, not because they "need to", or "it's the only logical thing to do". I'm starting to think this is on purpose, because then when 2 out of the 3 are busy just not giving a shit multiple gens in a row, we're left with just Intel, and we know how Intel has been like for decades, are they truly the last one to actually care?.

I just think at this point we are being played for suckers and think there's "real" competition. I've seen how Disney, WB and more operate. This current era we're in feels like no one wants to directly compete, but rather passively exist and not provide good value/pricing (hence why we're seeing every fucking thing being turned into either always online-based spy crap, or "rent a product/service/house" business model). 

I definitely believe Jensen and Lisa keep in regular contact, because this fits the same way how business "competition" is done in China, and I fucking hate it, because it's not competition at all, it's playing everyone for idiots while skimming off at the top. It's like if Stalin liked Capitalism, but also wanted to dictate a market rolled into one (Jen/Lisa deciding how the market will play out ahead of time and making sure things happen according to their desires may as well be a form of dictatorship of a market, instead of letting competition occur organically, and within actual capitalist rules).

RTX 5090 Lottery in Japan ends in chaos: buyers climb fence of next-door kindergarten

https://videocardz.com/newz/rtx-5090-lottery-in-japan-ends-in-chaos-buyers-climb-fence-of-next-door-kindergarten

Truly nuts for what is essentially a meh generation.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards released

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-and-rtx-5080-graphics-cards-released

NVIDIA DLSS4, DLSS4 Overrides and Smooth Motion now available

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-dlss4-dlss4-overrides-and-smooth-motion-now-available

UE4 and traversal stutter? Say it ain't so! Seriously Unreal Engine is such a garbage engine for pc gaming. Least DLAA cleans up image quality very nicely.

Time for the Thursday news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

This week, the Epic Store gives away Undying: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/undying.
Next week, the free game will be Beyond Blue.

Steam has these deals:

• The Myths & Legends Sale features demos and games on sale with up to 80% discounts. The Sale lasts until the 4th of February, but I’ve seen deals ending on the 3rd and the 5th, so be wary: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/MythsandLegendsSales
• tinyBuild’s Everything Must Go Sale is back with games up to 80% off until February 5, but better check it out by yourselves: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6858705/sale/everything
• Chornobyl Liquidators will be half its usual price until the 12th of February: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1113010/Chornobyl_Liquidators/
• Builder Simulator will be 75% off until February, the 12th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1120320/Builder_Simulator/
• And Anshar Publishing puts its games on sale with up to 75% discounts until the 12th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41215820/sale/januarysale2025

And Fanatical has a new Star Deal and a bundle:

• The new Star Deal is Frostpunk 2 - Deluxe Edition, with a 33% deal during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/frostpunk-2-deluxe-edition
• The new BYO Pedal to the Metal Bundle has 17 games to build your 3+, 5+ or 7+ bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-pedal-to-the-metal-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.6557/6262 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-6557-6262
Highlights
Gaming Highlights:
Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ B-series, A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs for:

• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII

Game performance improvements on Intel® Arc™ B-series Graphics GPUs versus Intel® 32.0.101.6259 software driver for:

• F1® 24 (DX12)
  • Up to 15.1% average FPS uplift at 1080p with High settings
  • Up to 12.1% average FPS uplift at 1440p with High settings

Game performance improvements on Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs versus Intel® 32.0.101.6460 software driver for:

• F1® 24 (DX12)
  • Up to 12.3% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Medium settings
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (DX12)
  • Up to 7.7% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Medium settings

Fixed Issues

Intel® Graphics Software Fixed Issues:
Intel® Graphics Software may incorrectly report number of Xe Cores for certain Intel® Arc™ B-Series Graphics Products.

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 572.16 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/nvidia-geforce-game-ready-572-16
Highlights
Game Ready for GeForce RTX 5090, GeForce RTX 5080, and DLSS 4
This new Game Ready Driver supports the new GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs and provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS 4 technology including Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars Outlaws, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Further support for new titles leveraging DLSS technology includes Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Gaming Technology
Adds support for the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs.

What’s New in Release 570

• Support for CUDA 12.8
• Adds the latest performance improvements, bug fixes, and driver enhancements.

Fixed Issues
Fixed Gaming Bugs

• Certain G-SYNC Compatible monitors may display flickering when game FPS drops below 60FPS [5003305]
• [G-SYNC] Indiana Jones and the Great Circle may display micro-stutters when Vertical Sync is disabled [5015165]
• Improved stability for Ubisoft games using the Snowdrop engine [4914325]

Fixed General Bugs

• [Evernote/QQ/Asus Armoury Crate] displays higher than normal CPU usage [4730911]
• Motion blur renders incorrectly in some more cases in Blender Cycles [4912221]
• [KeyShot2024] TDR on loading the scene Camera Keyframe Animation [4909719]

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty-

GAMING NEWS

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, The Last of Us Part II Remastered & God of War Ragnarok will no longer require a PSN account
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/marvels-spider-man-2-horizon-zero-dawn-remastered-the-last-of-us-part-ii-remastered-god-of-war-ragnarok-will-no-longer-require-a-psn-account/
Now here is a pleasant surprise. Sony has just announced that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, The Last of Us Part II Remastered & God of War Ragnarok will no longer require a PSN account.
>> While this is good news, my problem is: can you really trust them? They’ve changed their stance of PSN accounts for PC titles several times, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they change it again sooner or later.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Ray Tracing PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/marvels-spider-man-2-ray-tracing-pc-requirements/
Sony, Insomniac Games and Nixxes have revealed the PC system requirements for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and detailed its Ray Tracing features. So, let’s take a look at them.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gets official PC system requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/clair-obscur-expedition-33-gets-official-pc-system-requirements/
Sandfall Interactive has shared the official PC system requirements for its upcoming RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics, and it will be powered by Unreal Engine 5. So, let’s see what kind of PC you’ll need.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Black Myth: Wukong & Marvel Rivals do not have day-0 support for DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-black-myth-wukong-marvel-rivals-do-not-have-day-0-support-for-dlss-4-multi-frame-gen/
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Black Myth: Wukong were two games I really wanted to test with DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen. Sadly, though, there won’t be support for DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen at the launch of the RTX50 series GPUs. This information comes straight from NVIDIA.
>> The headline and first paraghrap miss NARAKA: BLADEPOINT. Also, Indiana Jones, Marvel Rivals and NARAKA are two of the 75 games listed by Nvidia to support DLSS4, but BM: Wukong wasn’t in it.

Thursday news, part number two:

Don't worry, Mass Effect 5 is totally fine, EA reassures as BioWare downsizes, moving 'many' employees to other studios
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/dont-worry-mass-effect-5-is-totally-fine-ea-reassures-as-bioware-downsizes-moving-many-employees-to-other-studios/
One week after revealing that Dragon Age: The Veilguard significantly underperformed by missing its sales expectations by nearly 50%, Electronic Arts has announced that "many" of the studio's employees have been moved to other EA teams as part of an effort to make the company—you guessed it—"more agile."
"Now that Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been released, a core team at BioWare is developing the next Mass Effect game under the leadership of veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others," BioWare general manager Gary McKay wrote. "In keeping with our fierce commitment to innovating during the development and delivery of Mass Effect, we have challenged ourselves to think deeply about delivering the best experience to our fans. We are taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare.

This ancient city sim constantly simulates 1000 NPCs in a clockwork murder sandbox where you can poison someone's drink and leave 'confident that you've pulled off the perfect crime'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/this-ancient-city-sim-constantly-simulates-1000-npcs-in-a-clockwork-murder-sandbox-where-you-can-poison-someones-drink-and-leave-confident-that-youve-pulled-off-the-perfect-crime/
Speaking as someone with a pathological fascination with procedural simulations, following the development of Streets of Fortuna feels like watching as my time and attention are steadily pulled toward the event horizon of a distant black hole. Considering it's coming from Kitfox Games, who we can thank for ushering Caves of Qud out of early access and publishing the Steam release of Dwarf Fortress, it should come as no surprise that Streets of Fortuna is aiming to simulate its ancient, Constantinople-esque sandbox cities so thoroughly that it already feels like beholding the works of a mad wizard.
And based on a devlog video Kitfox published yesterday, that sandbox looks like the wizards in question have a lot of murder, arson, and general skulduggery in mind.

The cyberpunk immersive sim I've been itching to play finally has a release date
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-cyberpunk-immersive-sim-ive-been-itching-to-play-finally-has-a-release-date/
Peripeteia is an upcoming indie immersive sim where you're an out-of-work cyborg mercenary living in a dilapidated post-Soviet city full of homeless people, gas-mask thugs, and talkative bartenders. "It's Deus Ex except you're Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell, retired, in Poland." That's how I summed up the demo for Peripeteia when I played it in 2021, and I've been waiting to play more of it ever since.
I'll get my chance soon. Developer Ninth Exodus has announced that an early access version of Peripeteia will be out on February 21—the same date on which Marx and Engels published the Communist Manifesto. Coincidence? Yeah, probably. It's also the birthday of Ranking Roger from The Beat but that doesn't mean we're about to play an immersive sim soundtracked entirely by second-wave ska. (God, I wish.)

Overwatch 2 prepares to share 'Groundbreaking PvP gameplay changes,' and players can't decide whether this means we're getting 6v6 back or skill trees
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/overwatch-2-prepares-to-share-groundbreaking-pvp-gameplay-changes-and-players-cant-decide-whether-this-means-were-getting-6v6-back-or-skill-trees/
Things have been a little quiet for Overwatch 2 over the last couple of months. Despite having its 14th season, releasing new Mythic weapon and hero skins, and hosting a couple of 6v6 tests, it hasn't really been able to compete with the hype surrounding Marvel Rivals. But apparently, Blizzard has an ace up its sleeve.
"In 2025, Overwatch 2 is going to be packed with groundbreaking changes to the PvP experience that will be unlike anything you’ve seen before," a blog post says. "But it’s going to take more than a blog or a developer update to let you know what we have coming this year."

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 is out so get ready to meet 'Doey the Doughman' and find out if he really is 'fun until the day that you die'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/poppy-playtime-chapter-4-is-out-so-get-ready-to-meet-doey-the-doughman-and-find-out-if-he-really-is-fun-until-the-day-that-you-die/
When I started playing the first installment of episodic first-person horror game Poppy Playtime back in 2021, I thought it might be just yet another Five Nights At Freddy's-alike. I was quickly proven wrong thanks to some top-notch voice acting, inventive puzzle-solving systems, and excellent character design. It may have a lot in common with many of the jump scare-fueled streamer-bait games that Steam is bursting at the seams with, but Poppy Playtime is pretty successful at doing its own thing.
Its fourth chapter, Safe Haven, launches today, and takes you deeper into the Playtime factory than ever before. Call it Hell, call it Toy Prison, call it whatever you like: it's a place "where the devil never sleeps," as some graffiti scrawled on the wall informed me when I played a bit of Chapter 4 this week. It's a deeply unsettling sub-sub-sub basement of the factory, where discarded toys are piled so high they seem to form mountain ranges and it feels like tiny button eyes are watching you everywhere you go.

Path of Exile's community is losing it over the news that the next expansion has been delayed because of Path of Exile 2: 'I need to make peace with myself and let go of this burden'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/path-of-exiles-community-is-losing-it-over-the-news-that-the-next-expansion-has-been-delayed-because-of-path-of-exile-2-i-need-to-make-peace-with-myself-and-let-go-of-this-burden/
Hoo boy. Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has released a new update video, delivered by Path of Exile 2 director Jonathan Rogers, which delivers some bad news to fans of the original Path of Exile. And in its wake there are tears aplenty, tearing of garments, and an awful lot of copium being huffed.

To celebrate Spider-Man 2 coming to PC, Marvel Rivals is adding a new Spider-Man skin, and saying fans are excited is an understatement
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/to-celebrate-spider-man-2-coming-to-pc-marvel-rivals-is-adding-a-new-spider-man-skin-and-saying-fans-are-excited-is-an-understatement/
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is finally out today for PC, but for those of you who aren't really interested in the 2023 sequel but still want to celebrate, boy, does Marvel Rivals have news for you: there's a new Spider-Man skin in the shop.

That Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles roguelike I refuse to stop going on about is adding Casey Jones as a playable character and a junkyard full of frogs to goongala your way through
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/that-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-roguelike-i-refuse-to-stop-going-on-about-is-adding-casey-jones-as-a-playable-character-and-a-junkyard-full-of-frogs-to-goongala-your-way-through/
One of my favourite surprises of 2024 was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, a pretty unassuming licensed roguelike that turned out to be really good fun. It's basically Hades with turtles and four-player co-op, but as I said in my review, it's "a clever take on the formula with lots of ideas and personality of its own".
Before the PC launch, developer Super Evil Megacorp promised plenty of ongoing support, and it's staying true to its word with a new DLC expansion, due February 5th. Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam introduces everyone's favourite hockey-themed vigilante as a playable character, with a fighting style that, uniquely for the roster, features ranged attacks (that is, whacking hockey pucks at people).

The 4080 lined up with the 7900XTX because AMD missed their performance targets by 15 to 20%. The 7900XTX's performance ended up where they though the 7900XT's performance would land. While it wouldn't have matched the 4090, the 7900XTX would have been far enough about the about the 7900XT and 4080 to be legit 90 class product  IIRC They would have had to re-tapeout the die to resolve the issue with Navi 31. There was some brief talk of them doing that and then releasing those dies as a revision for the 7000 series but that never came to fruition. I always wondered if RDNA3.5 was just what RDNA3 was supposed to be originally.