W♥M (Archive)

iBuyPower Fallout PC: One Month Later

Read More Site Update Since owning the new iBuyPower’s Fallout computer, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the computer. I’ve been really into RGB lighting for my computer and recently purchased and added 16GB of G.Skill RGB DDR4-3000 Ram …

Just a quick update on my iBuyPower Fallout PC. As you recall, I bought a gaming computer in early March 2019 at a reduced entry price point of $710.

I knew going in that I had to replace or upgrade the interior components, so buying cheap, with its basic parts, was really the way to go. I’m still very happy with the original build, but obviously I just wanted it better. After all the upgrade, the Fallout Computer will land in the $2,500+ range… which is an expensive for a computer, but not unheard of for a full gaming PC.

The original basic computer will actually run and work just fine for the majority of light gaming users. However, if you want to play modern games, you do need to upgrade the video card.

The basic computer, right out of the box, will able to run any applications you can throw at it without any problems. Even games will work great, granted that you don’t run them at the highest/ultra setting, but you should be able to run most games.

I’ve ever own an iBuyPower computer before, but based on my experience, it worked out just great. I’ve heard bad things about the company, but I didn’t experience any of their problem… especially getting such a “cheap” gaming computer at around $700 originally.

To summarize, I love the iBuyPower Fallout Computer, it’s the best computer I’ve ever own… and highly upgradable. You can go as cheap or as expensive as you like, there’s enough options for every need.

So here’s the breakdown of the computer parts (and the price I paid):

COMPUTER:

iBUYPOWER Fallout Basic Limited Edition Gaming PC Computer Desktop ($710)

MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ($300)

G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) ($120)

LG Electronics 34WK650-W 34" Ultra Wide IPS Monitor with Free Sync ($280)

STORAGE:

SanDisk Extreme PRO 1TB 3D NAND PCIe NVME ($154)

Inland 1TB 3D NAND PCIe NVME ($140)

WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB PC SSD - SATA III ($50)

M.2 PCIe Adapter M.2 NVMe SSD NGFF to PCIe Adapter ($20)

SOUND:

Razer Nommo Chroma 2.0 PC Gaming Speakers ($140)

Corsair VOID PRO RGB Wireless SE Premium Gaming Headset ($75)

CORSAIR ST100 RGB Premium Headset Stand with 7.1 Surround Sound ($60)

INPUT:

Razer Lancehead Tournament Edition ($50)

CORSAIR K70 RGB MK.2 SE Mechanical RAPIDFIRE Gaming Keyboard ($120)

CORSAIR MM800 Polaris RGB Mouse Pad - 15 RGB LED Zones ($40)

Fallout T-51 Nuka Cola 4 Port USB Charger ($70)

MEDIA:

LG 6x WP50NB40 Slim Portable Blu-Ray Writer ($100)

UGREEN USB Card Reader USB 3.0 Hub 3 Ports with SD TF MS M2 Card Adapter and Phone Stand Dock ($20)

TOTAL PRICE: $2,449

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Site Update: RGB Ram and Ultrawide Monitor

Read More Site Update Before I bought this iBuyPower Fallout PC, I had two “gaming” computers: one running an Nvidia 750Ti that I bought for $400 (plus $150 video card) in Dec 2013, and an AMD Radeon R9-based computer that I bought in Jun …

Since owning the new iBuyPower’s Fallout computer, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the computer. I’ve been really into RGB lighting for my computer and recently purchased and added 16GB of G.Skill RGB DDR4-3000 Ram for $120 via MicroCenter (a little more expensive on Amazon). I originally kept the existing (slower) 8GB-2666mhz RAM DDR4 ... but after failing to boot up the first time and general slowdown of conflicting speed and manufacturing - it’s probably the right decision to only use the same make and model of RAM.

According to experts, you only need 16GB to run any game, but I think maybe I’ll just invest and buy 32GB to light up the whole RAM area (especially since I think it’s priced just right).

Just a note, but even though I purchased the 3000Mhz Ram, system benchmark only shows it running at 2733Mhz... this may be because of my motherboard or I have to overlock the Ram. In either case, I didn’t do the research or, honestly, don’t really care since the extra speed is not very evident to me. So, maybe save some money and buy middlerange speed vs the ultra highend.

I also swap out my old 27” ACER monitor for an old LG Ultrawide Monitor 29UM58 (29 inches). It’s not curved and it’s not the greatest (it feels smaller - even though it’s much wider). I did buy it a few years ago (the monitor shows a date of January 2016) and didn’t love it, because most games didn’t support Ultrawide (at the time). I retired the monitor as a Roku/Movie display ... but with the Fallout Computer, I’ve decided to give the Ultrawide monitor another chance.

If you’ve ever used a dual monitor setup, then you basically would want to replace that setup with an Ultrawide. You’re basically getting two monitors, but without the terrible black center bezel. Also, gaming on an ultrawide gives you a better gaming experience, since you can see much more gaming area. First person shooters gives you a fuller picture, Diablo-style games gives you a playing field advantage. Overall, the bigger the viewing area, the better it is.

I think the next step, after I upgraded all the RAM and add a 1TB NVMe, I’m going to have to think about getting a larger display, maybe 34 inches... maybe curved.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

iBuyPower Fallout Gaming PC

iBUYPOWER Fallout Basic PC Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 6-Core 2.8 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) RAM: 8GB-2666mhz RAM DDR4 Hard Drive: 240GB SSD Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 2GB (VR Ready | Display Connectors: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI) Software: Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit Connection: 802.11AC Wi-Fi, RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 Connectivity: 4 x USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 2.0 | Audio: 7.1 Channel Special Add-Ons: limited edition Fallout case | Liquid Cooled | 16 Color RGB Lighting Remote Controlled Case | Free iBUYPOWER Gaming Keyboard & RGB Gaming Mouse | No bloatware Enough space for more Fallout Bobble-heads! Read More Site Update I have been meaning to upgrade the graphics card in my computer for a long time now. The integrated Intel video card, for the most part, worked fine, but it won't exactly run graphically intensive games (shooters, big diablo-style …

Before I bought this iBuyPower Fallout PC, I had two “gaming” computers: one running an Nvidia 750Ti that I bought for $400 (plus $150 video card) in Dec 2013, and an AMD Radeon R9-based computer that I bought in Jun 2017 for $500. As you can tell, I’m a cheapskate gamer, and I’m not running the latest and greatest, but it works for me. In fact, both computers were running just fine and dandy and I really, really didn’t have the need to spend more money on yet another gaming computer.... but... this Fallout Computer just looks so cool!

I knew I wanted it, but I didn’t want to pay full retail price. Recently, they had a sale, and on the cheapest model, the “Basic”, had an $80 off discount. I also had a couple of $5 coupons off from Best Buy, so I decided to pull the trigger. Honestly, on reflection, I should have just bought it from Amazon has they would’ve shipped it to me in two days. With Best Buy, they had to build-to-order (which took a week) and then they shipped it (which took another week). Waiting two weeks for this computer just felt too long, but it’s not unheard of, since I bought an Alienware computer that took nearly a month to ship to me (I’ll never do that again).

Now that I have the computer as my daily driver, I had to retire the 2013 Nvidia Computer. Switching over to the new computer was a little harder to do than I thought, as I had to research all the bookmarks and re-enter in all my passwords and re-authorized everything on the new device. Plus, all the softwares that I need, I had to re-hunt them down and re-install. Trust me, it was a pain in the butt to get everything back and running to the way I had it originally set up.

So far, the Fallout Computer is pretty amazing. It’s whisper quiet, thanks to the liquid cooling and quiet RGB fans. The clear glass window lets you look at the internal and admire all the custom Fallout custom designs. The RBG lights were actually way cooler than I thought. I’ve never own a computer that had a lighting system, so I was pretty impressed with it. Despite what I might gripe about, I think $799 is a fair price for this computer: considering that you are getting an SSD Harddrive (these are expensive probably $200), the custom Fallout artwork case (probably worth $300), the Nvidia 1050 card (probably $240). Trust me, if you were to build from scratch, it’ll probably cost you about the same or more, but you don’t get the amazing Fallout design.

Now for some disappointment: no optical drive (CD/DVD/Bluray drive), no media card reader, poor design of the case blocks off thick HMDI cables, generic iBuyPower keyboard & mouse, bobblehead won’t fit on the mount, and oddly missing a screw (which points to poor quality inspection or lackthereof). They’re minor complaints, but I would’ve liked to have at least a card reader, since that is how I import photos and videos from my computer. Not a big deal, since I have several USB readers around the house. For the Bluray drive, I’ll just have to buy another one... it’s not a problem. The iBuyPower keyboard and mouse that comes with the computer is usable, but you should just provide your own mechanical keyboard or optical mouse.

I’ve also read that not all the motherboards are the same across the line. Mine is an ASRock B360M IB-R1, but someone else said the had an MSI Z370-A Pro (I’m assuming they get an upgrade if they pay more). With the bobblehead situation, it depends on the bobblehead’s base. Most of the recent bobbleheads, they have a bigger base, so it won’t fit correctly on the mount. You can just use tape or replace the bobbblehead with a smaller base one. Not everyone is going to have a spare bobblehead (like I do), so that’s going to be annoying to some fans. But again, you can just buy a different one or use tape.

Finally, it’s limited to 2,000. I think the 2k number applies to all the Fallout PC together, because unique number on my sticker does not say “Fallout Basic”. That’s my theory, I could be wrong. What that means is that once all 2,000 PCs are sold, iBuyPower (in association with Bethesda to market Fallout 76 online game) will not re-issue these beautiful computer case. So, if you’re a Fallout fan or just want a unique and cool computer, you should get it now that it’s currently on sale.

If you’re interested in purchasing one, please use our Amazon Affiliate link, no additional cost to you - but Amazon will give us a little money in return.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Reflections at Fallout Urban Art Center, Minneapolis (25 Mar 2016)

Setlist Pseudo Autumnus Sadist Limbo Shadow Self Butterfly Effect Amulet Actias Luna Translucence Transparence Read More Reflections All of the bands, including headliner Reflections, Toothgrinder, Yüth Forever, Exalt, Soulkeeper, etc., that played last night at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul, were on point. There was not a single band that I didn't enjoy. ...

A group of just under 500 kids packed into the Fallout Arts Initiative in Uptown, Minneapolis to film three music videos for local favorites Reflections. Sure, there were a million other things going on in the Twin Cities that we could have all done last night including the huge show at the Skyway Theater in Minneapolis featuring Killswitch Engage but all of us decided we would rather spend our night in a sketchy space surrounded by new and old friends and supporting a band full of people that we have seen go from just another local band to superstars in the scene.

There were all kinds of people at this show. There were young kids that had their parents there to chaperon. There were people that drove all the way from New York and were showing off their new Reflections tattoos that they had gotten earlier in the day. There were people there that probably had no clue what was going on but, because of the hype, they came out to check it out. There were die hard Reflections fans that had been waiting in the line for hours to insure that they could get up front and get in the music video. There were people like me who aren't the biggest Reflections fans ever but just wanted to come out and show their support. Regardless of who they were or why they came, everyone came together over the love of this scene and their friends.

Jake Wolf

As soon as the music started, the crowd went off. People were climbing over each other to get to the front. Jake Wolf, singer of Reflections, told us to "ruin this place" and that's exactly what we did. It was insane. It was one of those shows where all I could do was step back and wonder if this is really my life. This is what I get to do night after night? For real?

The space we were at was a bit strange. It was tiny. We definitely probably shouldn't have fit as many kids in the space as we did but it added to the "underground" feeling that I think they were going for in the video. The rafters near the stage turned into a place for kids to literally hang out and jump back into the crowd or jump onto the stage. There were bodies flying everywhere. Eventually you couldn't tell the difference between the small stage and the actual crowd area. It was truly a giant clusterf**k and it was truly perfect.

Even though we were told to "ruin this place", people did it in a Minnesota nice kind of way. They were respectful towards the space and the other people in the crowd. As far as I could tell, there was no damage to the building and I didn't see anyone getting hurt other than the predictable hits and kicks that people would take like champs along with outside of the pit. So maybe we didn't ruin the place but it was extreme and people went ape shit crazy just the way you would want them to for a live music video shoot.

It was hot in there. Super hot and sweaty. The odor of BO was prominent and, although I was covered in sweat by the time it was said and done, I believe only 10% of it was my own sweat. I didn't care. That is the way you're supposed to feel after a show. You're supposed to feel exhausted and disgusting. You're supposed to want to jump right into a shower afterwards, if you don't get that feeling, you're doing something wrong or you're at the wrong show.

Reflections played through their new album The Color Clear but honestly it didn't feel like they played through a full album. The night went by too fast because we were all having such a great time. It was one of those nights where I wish it would have never ended. When it was said and done, we all raced out the door for the fresh, cold air and then just lingered. It was friends talking to friends, people meeting people, it was everything that the Minnesota metal scene stands for... friendship and family.

I stood in the back for majority of the show. I wanted to take it all in. I'm sure I didn't make any footage for the music video but I'm more than okay with that. It wasn't my video to be in. Like I said, I just wanted to support the scene and support these guys that have put the Minnesota metal scene on the map. That means more to me than a little bit of screen time.

Reflections at Fallout Urban Art Center, Minneapolis (25 March 2016)

langen ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Attack of the EPs, Part 4

Matthew Perryman Jones - Don't Fall In Love Matthew Perryman Jones Matthew Perryman Jones http://sites.goog... Matthew Perryman Jones gives away first album in prep for new release Swallow the Sea (8/19)

One thing before we begin on another very diverse set of 6-EP pack: you can download Matthew Perryman Jones's first album for free or a mere $1 via noisetrade.com. I will admit that I could not get noisetrade to work (it was only offering Kate York and I could not browse through their artist), but maybe you'll have better luck.

Noisetrade looks interesting, you can pay $1 or tell three of your friend for a free download. It's a great idea, and I've been trying to saying for a while now: make download free or cheap and it will encourage people from seeing you on tour and/or buy merchandise from you.

This promotion is due to his upcoming album, Swallow the Sea to be released on Thirty Tigers on August 19^th. You can even preview Swallow the Sea album on breakingoutthewindows.com, although it does require you to register.

Also, for more downloads, check out free downloads on site.w♥m.

FALLOUT 3 fallout.bethsoft.com ♥ gamestop.com     The Ink Spots - I Don't Want To Set The World On fire I'm a longtime Fallout fan, and I recently put down some preorder money for the Deluxe Edition because Gamestop was offering a free 5-track CD. The Fallout 3 Soundtrack features their theme song of The Ink Spots' "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". I might try and dig up the first two Fallout games and replay them in anticipation to the third game, revisit the classic Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" as that was heavily used in the second game. Anyway, if you were intending on getting Fallout 3, you might want to get a bonus EP out of by going to Gamestop. PS, my character of choice was a sharpshooter with lots of strength to wear the Brotherhood of Steel's armor and to shoot those heavy guns.	MtO mr-mto.com ♥ myspace.com     MTO - Bring It On Now (Hatchmatik Remix) I had a pretty hard time locating mister MtO, as there is a rapper crew from California, also called MTO. This MtO is a DJ from Paris, France. This latest release is Bring it On Now, a three-track EP with three different version of the same song. At first listen, all three sounds basically the same, but the Remote mix seems to be slowed down a bit (this is evident on the vocals "bring it on now"). I thought the Original mix is pretty accessible/poppy, complete with backup "oy" sound. It ends up that Hatchmatik stood out here, I think mostly because I like the clapping used on the mix. Like all remix/DJ releases, I think that the real talent is actually live mixing and I don't know if that translate well on a recorded medium. If you're a fan trance and beats, definitely give this a spin, you can get the record from Coco Machete Records.
MIDDLE CLASS RUT reverbnation.com/middleclassrut ♥ myspace.com     Middle Class Rut-New Low The "MC" in MC Rut does not stand for Master of Ceremony, but "Middle Class". Another misconception you might have is that this "EP" contains nine songs (officially 8 songs, but there is a not-so-hidden 9th called "Start To Run"), clocking over 40 minutes - longer than many punk albums I own! Apparently this band consists of only two members, guitarist Zack Lopez and drummer Sean Stockham, both of whom were on a major label band called Leisure when they were only in their teens. By default, I usually think the first song on a single or EP is the most important, but I'll have to say that I will pass that up for "New Low" - which contains a catchy line "I got a new low, all fifty-two cards in a row". Middle Class Rut is playing one show at the end of the month (August 31st) with The Force at Anaheim, California. Be sure to pick up their latest EP, MC Rut EP from their myspace.	THE JEFF MICHAEL BAND thejeffmichaelband.com ♥ myspace.com     The Jeff Michael Band - When Will I See You Again Despite what you may think, I actually really like Country music, and the Jeff Michael Band does have a little bit of a country twang to them. Check out "When Will I See You Again", their lead song on The Other Side EP. Although it looks like he does have a full band backing up mister Michael, you never really see them in photographs on his myspace or official website. All the photos shows off a handsome Jeff Michael. The Other Side is the second EP from this talented young musician, whose influences includes classics like The Beatles (especially on "Let Her Go") to John Mayer, but I do get a sense of a little Dylan (on "Enjoy the Ride"). He's playing one date (Sep 24th) at the M Bar in Hollywood, California. Be sure to grab his latest EP at CD Baby.
ETERNAL DESCENT eternaldescent.com ♥ myspace.com     Eternal Descent - Phantom We previously mentioned Eternal Descent before, and I said they reminded me of Evanescence. As a cover lover, when I got their latest EP, The Phantom of the Opera, I instantly needed to hear their cover version of this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. Wow, it didn't disappoint me, this song is an industrial metal with a "duet" of a demonic-sounding Phantom. The b-sides consists of only two mostly-instrumental songs "Legends" and "Fallen", both are good, but I felt was overshadowed by the first track, "Phantom". I think they were really designed as background music, as you're reading the comic book (you can see a preview of it on their myspace, I couldn't find any details on how to actually get a copy of the book). With Losing Faith, I previously mentioned looks kind of anime, but this new cover art by Jason Metcalf feels more superhero. The art reminds me of Michael Turner, who unexpectedly died this year. Anyway, you can pick up the latest EP from cdbaby, be sure to read about Losing Faith.	SPiN spinrocks.com ♥ myspace.com     Spin - Not In Love This is SPiN, a Philadelphia band with their 2007 EP called, er, what else? EP. In a recent discussion with cranky, she pointed out that Music Exchange was cross-promoting Philadelphia and Minneapolis bands. This is kind of interesting, because previously, I wouldn't associate these two cities together, you know? Plague with a common moniker, searching for SPiN's website was really hard. I eventually found it, but if I had trouble... then there's a problem for fans to find you. Apparently the band is sponsored by their drink of choice, Jagermeister, an interesting choice, since I get the impression that they sponsor more harder music such as Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica. If you listen to them, they sound more like powerpop/rock. Check out their burst of energy song, "Not In Love". You know, the more I hear "I'm not in love, I'm not in love, no no, not in love with you", the more I get the feeling that he's actually in love with her. Still the chorus is pretty catchy. Be sure to check out these live dates: 08/23/08 Dr. Watsons Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 08/28/08 The National Underground New York, New York

Read more Attack of the EPs.

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