Reusing broken Series X's thats pretty cool. Would cut ewaste and these machines would make a great low cost mini PC/HTPC's. Shame about the disabled iGPU and RX550.

Nice. Yeah that's a great board, I would probably invest in something like that if I went high end CPU. In the end you get what you pay for usually when it comes to motherboards. But yeah, good shout and not doing gen 1 launches. Things are never stable on the first runs; motherboards usually are the main culprits here. Plus RAM is usually a sidegrade or even downgrade from current high end RAM because the first batches of new DDR usually have high latency.

Posted a while ago but.. Facebook leak. Big yikes.. who uses this junk anyways

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/04/tool-links-email-addresses-to-facebook-accounts-at-scale/

Intel 2021

Is that so really? I thought my RAM slots had come defective perhaps. I guess, good thing I managed to make XMP work in the end.

The Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

DSOGaming Giveaway – Win a free copy of Oddworld: Soulstorm
https://www.dsogaming.com/editorial/dsogaming-giveaway-win-a-free-copy-of-oddworld-soulstorm/
Another month, another giveaway. This month, we’re giving away a free copy of Oddworld: Soulstorm. Oddworld: Soulstorm is a new platformer that uses Unity Engine and appears to be running smoothly on the PC.
As with our previous contests, you can participate in this giveaway by simply leaving a ‘Thank You’ comment below. We will delete both duplicate and off-topic comments. We will also delete comments from all the accounts that were created for this or previous giveaways (Disqus provides information on when you signed up).
Moreover, your account must have at least 70 comments. We’ve implemented this rule so that we can prevent all the accounts that some users have created solely for giveaways. Comments from accounts that have less than 70 total comments (or have comments only on giveaways) will be deleted. If you are new, you can start engaging with all other users in the Comment section and then participate in future giveaways.
The winner will be picked randomly via Random.org and comments will be counted from oldest to newest. This giveaway contest will end this Sunday (April 2nd) at 22:00GMT.
>> Good luck.

GOG sees the release of two classic games from Ziggurat: Super Chopper and Super Huey 1 & 2. Read more here: https://www.gog.com/news/2_classic_simulators_from_ziggurat_interactive_are_here

Steam has several new deals, including the new set of weeklong deals:

• The new daily deal is RAD, 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/722560/RAD/
• And here are some of the weeklong deals:
  • Mixolumia is 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1414020/Mixolumia/
  • Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut is 35% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/209830/Lone_Survivor_The_Directors_Cut/
  • ELDERBORN is 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/727850/ELDERBORN/
  • Stela gets a 60% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1048600/Stela/
  • Fate Hunters gets a 75% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/920680/Fate_Hunters/
  • And Zeon 25 is 88% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/882620/Zeon_25/

At the Humble Store there's a new Degica Publisher Sale, with up to 85% discounts during the next 3 days. All but one key are for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/degica-publisher-sale/

Fanatical has new bundle, the Build Your Own Hidden Object Bundle 2, with 17 games to choose your 1 5 or 10 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-hidden-object-bundle-2

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Dark Forces Fan Remake in Unreal Engine 4 gets a new short gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/dark-forces-fan-remake-in-unreal-engine-4-gets-a-new-short-gameplay-video/
Shadow Art Games has released a new short gameplay video for its upcoming fan remake of Star Wars Dark Forces in Unreal Engine 4. The last time we took a look at this fan remake was last month. And, according to the team, this project will receive an overhaul.
Dark Forces 2.0 will be more faithful to the original, along with a massive asset overhaul. Moreover, it will have original voice sounds, characters and more.

You can now play as Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza: Like a Dragon
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/you-can-now-play-as-kazuma-kiryu-in-yakuza-like-a-dragon/
RyTmo77 has released a pretty cool for Yakuza: Like a Dragon that allows you to play as Kazuma Kiryu. Kiryu was the protagonist of all previous Yakuza games, and this is a mod that most die-hard fans will appreciate.
This mod replaces Ichiban with Kiryu as your squad leader. According to the modder, thole story is playable. However, RyTmo77 recommends using Kiryu after Ichiban arrives in Yokohama for the first time, otherwise it can freeze or crash your game.
This mod gives Kiryu two new jobs, ‘Legend’ and ‘Rush’. What this basically means is that Kiryu can have his own moves. Additionally, Kiryu can use any job players want him to use.
>> Available from Nexus Mods.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 gets a 4.7GB AI-enhanced HD Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/final-fantasy-xiii-2-gets-a-4-7gb-ai-enhanced-hd-texture-pack/
Modder ‘MJB’ has released an AI-enhanced HD Texture Pack for Final Fantasy XIII-2. This HD Texture Pack is 4.7GB in size, and uses AI techniques to improve most of the game’s textures.
This pack increases the resolution of numerous textures to bring out detail and sharpness to the images. It also improves many models with a higher number of polygons, providing a more natural look to the characters.
As the modder noted, though, not all of the game’s textures have been overhauled.
>> You'll find it at Nexus Mods.

Resident Evil 4 Ada Wong Mod released for Resident Evil 3 Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/resident-evil-4-ada-wong-mod-released-for-resident-evil-3-remake/
EvilLord has released a new mod for Resident Evil 3 Remake that brings to it Resident Evil 4’s Ada Wong. This mod adds Resident Evil 4 Ada’s dress to RE3 Remake with full costume dress physics.
Now instead of also porting Ada’s 3D model, the modder made Jill look like Ada Wong. The good news is that this “new Ada” also has proper facial animations. Furthermore, her hair moves nicely (though there is some clipping with both the hair and the dress).
>> You'll also find this mod at Nexus Mods.

Black Mesa opens an interdimensional 'Xen Museum'
https://www.pcgamer.com/black-mesa-opens-an-interdimensional-xen-museum/
Black Mesa took its time getting Xen right. The Half-Life overhaul notoriously spent the better part of the 2010s trying to nail the original's divisive final chapters—and now, you can retrace those steps with an official "Xen Museum" workshop mod.
Containing over 56 maps and framed around a Jurassic Park-style main lobby, the Xen Museum tracks over 5 years of experimentation and iteration on Half-Life's borderworld. The hub itself contains a gallery of unused and previously-unseen assets, but the real exhibition lies in the museum's three wings.

GAMING NEWS

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection releases on PC on June 1st
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ghosts-n-goblins-resurrection-releases-on-pc-on-june-1st/
Capcom has announced that Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection will release on PC on June 1st. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team also released a new trailer that you can find below.

Watch Dogs Legion Update 4.0 has been delayed until May 4th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/watch-dogs-legion-update-4-0-has-been-delayed-until-may-4th/
Ubisoft has announced that Watch Dogs Legion’s latest update, Title Update 4.0, will release on May 4th. Ubisoft was planning to release this update in April. However, the team encountered some issues and needed more time in order to resolve them.

Non-linear sci-fantasy RPG, Dark Envoy, gets a story trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/non-linear-sci-fantasy-rpg-dark-envoy-gets-a-story-trailer/
Event Horizon has released a story trailer for its upcoming non-linear sci-fantasy RPG, Dark Envoy. This trailer will give you a closer look at the game’s sibling leads: Malakai and Kaela.

Here is your first look at Resident Evil Village’s Mercenaries Mode
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-is-your-first-look-at-resident-evil-villages-mercenaries-mode/
IGN has shared a new video for Resident Evil Village that gives us our first look at its Mercenaries Mode. In this mode, players must complete increasingly challenging objectives before the clock runs out.

Tuesday news, part two:

Apex Legends' next season will nerf Octane and remove low profile
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-next-season-will-nerf-octane-and-remove-low-profile/
Did you know that, thanks to something called "Low Profile", smaller heroes in Apex Legends take 5% more damage per hit? It's not a fact worth knowing for long, mind—because Respawn is planning to bin it with the game's next season, Legacy.

9,000-player games are right around the corner, and here's what one looks like
https://www.pcgamer.com/9000-player-games-are-right-around-the-corner-and-heres-what-one-looks-like/
Scavengers does the usual multiplayer thing pretty well. It's a unique spin on large scale competitive multiplayer, like battle royale meets a survival game meets Far Cry. For the rundown on what Scavengers is and why I think it could be a surprise multiplayer hit, check out my video preview.
But Scavengers also has an upcoming experimental multiplayer mode that I'm not even sure how to define. Developer Midwinter Entertainment is using Scavengers to play with multiplayer design at a scale like I've never seen. After my last preview round in the base game, I was invited to a weekend ScavLab test session, where over 1,700 live players joined the same game at once with thousands more virtual players waiting in the wings to see if we could burn it all down. Here's how it all went.

Resident Evil Village's upcoming PC demo has been mercifully extended
https://www.pcgamer.com/resident-evil-villages-upcoming-pc-demo-has-been-mercifully-extended/
Resident Evil Village is releasing its third and final demo this weekend, and Capcom is finally letting PC players get a slice of the spooky pie, with a mercifully larger window of time to play it.

Leaked EA documents lead to more FIFA loot box scrutiny
https://www.pcgamer.com/leaked-ea-documents-lead-to-more-fifa-loot-box-scrutiny/
The CBC says that leaked internal documents provided to it by a "gaming insider" show that Electronic Arts wants to "funnel" FIFA players into the game's Ultimate Team online mode, which enables them to spend more money through the purchase of loot boxes.

Capcom Arcade Stadium hits PC in May and will charge you to cheat
https://www.pcgamer.com/capcom-arcade-stadium-hits-pc-in-may-and-will-charge-you-to-cheat/
Capcom Arcade Stadium released for Nintendo Switch earlier this year, and as of May 25 it’ll be available on Steam. Just like the Switch version, it’ll release as a free container app with one game—1943: The Battle of Midway—and if you want more you’ll need to purchase packs for $15 each, or $40 for all three. It’s not a bad deal, and more packs are promised in the future.

Red Faction Guerrilla's lead tech designer reveals a smashing new destruction sandbox
https://www.pcgamer.com/red-faction-guerrillas-lead-tech-designer-reveals-a-smashing-new-destruction-sandbox/
One of the people behind Red Faction Guerrilla's endlessly delightful architectural carnage is bringing back his building-smashing expertise with the newly-announced Instruments of Destruction.
Announced earlier this week, Radiangames' latest is a vehicular destruction sim in the vein of games like Besiege. Build spectacular contraptions out of modular components, and then use them to absolutely ruin some poor fortified building.

Assemble a tiny pixelated army in Warpips
https://www.pcgamer.com/assemble-a-tiny-pixelated-army-in-warpips/
Warpips, a military tug-of-war strategy from Skirmish Mode Games, is hitting Early Access on Steam later this week.
The game comes from a handful of devs from Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica, and its sequel Below Zero. Warpips will feature short, snappy rounds of around 10-20 minutes, with Skirmish Mode Games promising "lots of replayability" with randomly generated battles.

Dodgeball brawler Knockout City will be on Game Pass at launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/dodgeball-brawler-knockout-city-will-be-on-game-pass-at-launch/
EA's arena ball-hucker Knockout City will be available on Xbox Game Pass and EA Play at launch, the publisher announced in a blog post this week.
Arriving on Origin, Steam, and the Epic Games Store on May 21st, the 3v3 dodgeball arena will also be available via Xbox Game Pass for PC, by way of that service's integration with EA Play. Combined with the cross-platform support already shown in the game's recent beta, it looks like EA wants to ensure there's a strong playerbase at launch.

Fortnite Crew is offering permanent access to Save The World next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-crew-is-offering-permanent-access-to-save-the-world-next-month/
Having long since been overtaken by its battle royale sibling, the original Fortnite: Save The World is now being given away as a small bonus in the Fortnite Crew subscription service's May offerings.

[Rumour] NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Gaming Graphics Card Unveil on 18th May, Reviews on 25th & Launch on 26th May

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3080-ti-gaming-graphics-card-unveil-18th-may-launch-26th-may/

Preview of the stock levels:



ASUS to unveil its Intel Tiger Lake-H laptops on May 11th

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-to-unveil-its-intel-tiger-lake-h-laptops-on-may-11th

I am certainly looking forward to Tiger Lake H before purchasing a new laptop. Should be a beast as it's based on 10nm.


[Rumour] AMD 3nm Zen5 APUs codenamed “Strix Point” rumored to feature big.LITTLE cores

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-3nm-zen5-apus-codenamed-strix-point-rumored-to-feature-big-little-cores

If true, it sounds like both Intel and AMD will be going big.LITTLE for their future cpus. We will see if AMD will limit it to APUs only or if they will go all out like Intel is doing with their future desktop cpus.

So I did get around to benchmarking my Strix 3080 at stock clocks

The guys at GOG have revealed some numbers and stats about the platform, and made it with an infographic. It's very long so I'll post a cropped version and you'll have to click it to see it bigger:

Looks like 2020 was a very good game for GOG! (I wonder why...)