W♥M (Archive)

Raspberry Pi 4

Raspberry Pi 4 Specifications Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz 1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (depending on model) 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE Gigabit Ethernet 2 USB 3.0 ports; 2 USB 2.0 ports. Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backwards compatible with previous boards) 2 × micro-HDMI ports (up to 4kp60 supported) 2-lane MIPI DSI display port 2-lane MIPI CSI camera port 4-pole stereo audio and composite video port H.265 (4kp60 decode), H264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode) OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics Micro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage 5V DC via USB-C connector (minimum 3A*) 5V DC via GPIO header (minimum 3A*) Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled (requires separate PoE HAT) Operating temperature: 0 – 50 degrees C ambient Read More Raspberry Pi I've recently poo-pooed Plex's useless $40 annual subscription just to access your local media. Instead, I told you to just buy a Raspberry Pi instead. I have good news, the new Raspberry Pi 2 is out now and retails for the same price ($35) …

I’ve been playing around with my Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB Model), a lot lately. I’ve had the single-board computer since November 2019, even though the RP4 wasn’t supposed to launch until 2020. As a result of it being released early (it came out in June 2019), a lot of software did not work on the new board.

So even though I’ve had the board for over three months, I’m only started playing around with it – simply because they’ve finally patch out all the bugs as more developers got their hands on the new units.

Let me tell you: the new Pi is pretty awesome. It has a new Quad core ARM chip, which is a 64-bit chip running at 1.5GHz (but can be overclocked to 2GHz), and, for the first time, it comes with a variety of RAM options - maxing out at 4GB.

Just to give you a little background to my love for the Pi, I’ve had the original $35 computer since Raspberry Pi 1 in 2014. The original version wasn’t very good, by today’s standards. It lacked wireless and only had two USB slots. In order to properly use it, you had to buy a USB expander, a wireless USB (alternatively, you can always plug in the Ethernet port), a power supply, a keyboard, and a mouse. All that would add up to about $75, depending on how cheap you want to go. Most of these items, you may have lying around the house, so that’s another factor to consider… but I wanted to mention that you might have to spend more money.

My original RP1 was stolen! So that sucked, and I ended up buying the Raspberry Pi 2. With the 2, they’ve finally added the much-needed wireless chip, so you no longer had to use an extra dongle. They upgrade to 4 USBs, so that eliminated needing an extra USB expander. The second version addressed so many of my complaints of the original… so in some ways, having my original pi stolen was a small blessing.

I never did upgrade to the Raspberry Pi 3. The main reason, in my opinion, is that it was only a minor upgrade – just a faster chip – and absolutely no change to the hardware or form factor. I didn’t feel like it worth an upgrade, as I was happy with the Pi 2.

When I saw the Raspberry Pi 4 at my local MicroCenter in 2019, I had no idea they had released it! As I previously mentioned, it was released early, and when I bought it originally, I did somewhat regret it as nothing really worked out of the box. Over time, Lakka was compatible, and finally, Retropie is working… so in 2020, I can finally recommend buying a Raspberry Pi 4. Plus, by this time, more cases and accessories are available now.

There are some things to consider: If you’re buying a Raspberry Pi 4 for retro gaming, I recommend spending a little more money to buy the 4GB RAM version. It’ll cost about $55 (I bought it on sale for $50), but I think it’s worth the extra money. After all, you cannot upgrade to more RAM later if you buy the 1GB version.

Like all Raspberry Pi’s, they’re running Linux… so if you’re uncomfortable with command lines, it might be a tough sell. I’ll have to confess that I think it’s still pretty easy to use, given that Raspbian is a GUI (Graphic User Interface). You’ll still have to use the command line for a variety of things, but it isn’t as hard as you might think.

My complaint about the new Raspberry Pi 4 is that it does get hot. It’s understandable, considering that this tiny computer is cranking out a lot of computation. If you decide to overclock your Pi 4 to 2GHz, you absolutely need to run an active fan on the chip.

My second complaint is that they’ve changed from a full HDMI to Micro HDMI, which was necessary to fit a dual micro HDMI setup. Personally speaking, I don’t need the second HDMI… but I understand that some people out there might want two monitors. I also like the option; I just don’t like having to buy a micro to full HDMI adapter.

I’m also disappointed that after four generations of the Pi, that it still does not have a power off button. You can get around this by buying a case with a soft power switch, or you can buy an USB extender with a power on/off switch.

If you’re going to buy one, these are the free software you should get:

LibreOffice - an OpenOffice free software with a word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), presentation software (Impress), a vector drawing program (Draw), a math creation and editing tool (Math), and a database (Base).

Kodi - a home media solution… which will play all your videos, plus the ability to have add-ons for video streaming

RetroPie - turns your Raspberry Pi into a retro-gaming machine, using EmulationStation and RetroArch.

Lakka - similar to RetroPie, it transforms your Pi to a full blown retro-gaming console.

Fruitbox MP3 Jukebox - a virtual Jukebox for your MP3 music collection

Below is a video of me playing around with the Raspberry Pi 4, running Damaso's Nostalgia Loaded 128GB build, which you can download at arcadepunks.com. You will need to buy a Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB Ram) and a 128GB SD Card.

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

GOG Galaxy 2.0 Closed Beta

Read More GOG I’m already a big GOG fan (it’s my launcher choice over Steam), so I was very happy to hear about GOG Galaxy 2.0. According to the developer, it’s the one launcher to unite them all. If it works, all my games on (Steam, Epic, …

As you know, I’m a huge GOG (Good Old Games) fan and was very excited about the news of GOG Galaxy 2.0 in June 2019. I have been using the GOG Galaxy 2.0 closed beta this past few weeks and here are some of my thoughts on it.

If you didn’t know, GOG Galaxy 2 was supposed to unite all the game launchers out there under the GOG launcher. At the time of this writing, there is only one official integration, which is Xbox. The rest, Epic, Steam, PS4, Origin, etc., are all community-created. And not all launchers are available to connect either, we’re missing some major ones like Blizzard’s Battlenet and Bethesda. I suppose you have to keep in mind that it’s still early days, and GOG is working on connections to all the major players out there… but that does mean that the problem mostly lay with the other launchers.

When everything does work, it’s beautiful. You get to see all the games you own under one area and see immediately your duplicate games or history of your game play. You can see all the games you own (I’m seeing that I own 672 across the various platforms… which is nice to know), achievements, and hours you sunk into your games.

In addition to the games, GOG also unite all your buddies and friends from across the board, and you can get a broad overview of how all your friends are doing. It also keeps track of games you recently played, as well as recent plays from other users (so you can see what’s popular with all the GOG users). It’s all very cool.

The other nice thing is that you may see games you didn’t know you own or hadn’t seen in a long time (because it’s on a launcher you rarely use).

Now for some bad news. And again, I should stress that this is still in Beta, it could change or improved by the time it’s officially launches.

First of all, your connected launchers will randomly disconnect and required you to re-log back in. I understand this is a security thing, but some launchers require more frequent passwords than others. It’s gotten to a point that it’s so annoying to put in passwords and second authentic codes that I had to disable the two-factor authentication to make it less of a pain to log into Epic every two or three days.

The other problem is that you still need those other launchers to run your games. It can get annoying, when there are multiple launchers tied to one game. For example, if I wanted to run For Honor on Epic Games, it also launches Ubisoft’s Uplay. This isn’t a problem if you’re always up-to-date on your patches, but chances are these launchers may take an additional two or three minutes to patch and update. Then, once those launchers are running, they remain running until you manually shut them down. The automatically closing down the other launchers is forthcoming, as an option you can choose, but is not available in my closed beta.

Finally, although you can connect to the two major consoles, Xbox and PS4, you can’t obviously play your games on your PC. What you can do is view your achievements and install games remotely on your primary consoles. It’s a nice feature, but it’s probably something that I probably won’t be using in the future (considering that I haven’t really used either of my consoles since I bought the Fallout iBuyPower PC in March 2019).

Hopefully, GOG will address a lot of these problems, and get official integration with the popular launchers (especially for Steam), so you won’t see these random disconnections. Plus, I’d like to see these other launchers open up and share achievements and friends (not all launchers will allow this).

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

Weekend Gamer: Baldur's Gate 3, GOG Galaxy 2, and Stadia

Baldur’s Gate 3 GOG Galaxy 2 Stadia Read More GOG At least there’s still GOG (Good Old Games)... which will likely be my #1 PC gaming solution now. This company doesn’t require you to be online to play games you own. . … Nvidia I wanted the best of the best Android TV, and eventually just bought the Nvidia Shield when they had a sale. I was holding out for a new model of this device (since the internal hardware had not been changed … Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker is not out yet, but I was so excited about this game coming out on GOG that I pre-ordered it. This game is based on the Pathfinder tabletop game, which was and offspring of Dungeon and Dragons…

As a Weekend Gamer, I’m very excited about some of the news that is coming out from the forthcoming E3 2019 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). Ahead of the expo (officially starting June 11 to June 13), there are a ton of news that leaked (intentional or otherwise).



BALDUR’S GATE 3
baldursgate3.game

First, I’m very happy to hear that Larian Studios will be making Baldur’s Gate 3. The last Baldur’s Gate game came out in 2000, so it’ll be a good 20 years since the last game (considering that BG3 probably won’t launch until 2020).

As you know, I’m a huge Black Isle Studios (the original Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale game developer) and would love a modern version of their games. I’m already familiar with Larian Studios via their excellent Divinity series (owning the semi-recent Divinity: Original Sin one and two).



GOG GALAXY 2.0
gogalaxy.com

I’m already a big GOG fan (it’s my launcher choice over Steam), so I was very happy to hear about GOG Galaxy 2.0. According to the developer, it’s the one launcher to unite them all. If it works, all my games on (Steam, Epic, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Blizzard) will be accessible with Galaxy 2. On top of that, any of your friends on various launchers will also make it out - you’ll just have to authorize them once for GOG.

It sounds too good to be true and I can’t wait for it. I’ve already signed up for the beta, so I’ll let you know if it’s any good.

This could potentially fail if the other launchers refuse to play ball (or even block GOG from access).



STADIA
stadia.google.com

I think the biggest loser in this gaming news is Google’s Stadia platform - set to launch in November 2019. I will be avoiding Stadia, and you should too.

I’ll break down the problem that I have with Stadia:

It’s a subscription service at $10 a month (at launch only 31 titles will be available). That price doesn’t include any modern games. Current games, you’ll still have to shell out another $60 (or retail price) per title. Compare that to Xbox’s Game Pass ($15 a month for more games and no additional cost for current games) or Sony’s PlayStation Now ($20 a month but no additional cost for current games) or NVIDIA’s GeForce Now (currently free), it’s a hard sell.

In order to use Stadia in 2019, you’ll also have to spend $130 for their “Founder’s Edition” (which includes 3 months free… after that, you’ll have to spend another $10 a month).

You need a very fast internet connection. WiFi gaming is really not an option. This is based on my own personal experience with game streaming using other services over WiFi.

I’m not exactly sure who Stadia is meant for. As someone who buys and plays games regularly, this Stadia service is not very appealing to me at all. Hardcore games cares about frames and buffer, so playing it on their high-end CPU is preferred. Casual games don’t care about Doom or other Triple-A titles. General gamers already own a game console like PS4 or Xbox One.

Stadia just sounds like a bad joke. I can’t see a future where they’ll be the dominate format. If that’s the future, I want no part of it.

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

GeForce Now

GeForce Now Benefits Underserved Mac gamers, now you can play any PC game on your Mac without Bootcamp or Parallels. It also supports macOS 10.10 or better. All supported GeForce NOW titles work on Macs. With over 400 supported top games, like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, Fortnite, and more from Steam, Uplay, and other popular digital stores, you can play your favorite PC games on nearly any device anywhere you go. Select games from your personal PC game library or purchase new ones, with new games being added all the time. Your favorite titles load faster and stay up-to-date with the latest patches when you stream from the GeForce NOW cloud service. Ease and Accessibility: With the technology of tomorrow available today, it’s never been easier to use your existing devices as high-powered gaming rigs. Transform nearly any laptop, desktop, or even your SHIELD TV streaming device into the gaming PC you’ve been dreaming about with GeForce NOW. It’s powered by NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, so quality and performance are covered. Winning the game is up to you. AAA Windows PC Games: You provide your own game content--whether it’s your own vast library of titles or your collection of free-to-play favorites. Don’t own a game? Look at our GeForce NOW supported games list to see where you can get started. Enjoy your favorite PC games, like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, Fortnite, Far: Lone Sails, and access to over 200 pre-installed popular titles, with new games getting added all the time. Instant Installs; No Maintenance Required: Instantly install supported games on GeForce NOW directly onto your cloud gaming rig in seconds. Say adios to long wait times for game patches and driver updates. GeForce NOW eliminates the lengthy wait so you can focus on the win. Ultra Streaming Mode: This mode increases the speed that GeForce NOW streams games to your Mac, Windows PC, or SHIELD TV from 60 FPS to 120 FPS or higher, reducing latency. You’re welcome. Read More Nvidia I wanted the best of the best Android TV, and eventually just bought the Nvidia Shield when they had a sale. I was holding out for a new model of this device (since the internal hardware had not been changed …

When I first heard about Google’s Stadia cloud gaming service, I thought that there are several services out already, including Sony’s PlayStation Now and Nvidia’s GeForce Now… so why is anybody excited about Stadia? If Google could solve the latency problem of WiFi, perhaps by a combination of compression and auto-downloading in the background… then streaming games might be more attractive.

I haven’t used PS Now, since it’s expensive at $19.99 a month, but I have dipped my foot in the water with GeForce Now. Originally, I used GeForce Now via my Nvidia Shield… but later I started using it on my PC.

The GeForce Now service is currently free, while Nvidia’s service is in beta. The price they want to charge is $7.99 a month. That price is low, because you can only stream games you already own. You’re essentially paying for the option to stream a game from one of Nvidia’s computers.

The beauty of GeForce Now is that I might play a game on a low-powered laptop instantly (without having to download the software), and then continue the same game (using cloud saves) on another local (but more powerful) computer.

With that in mind, here’s a scenario you might have: While you install a game on a local computer, you could potentially be playing that same game using GeForce Now. By the time your regular computer downloads and installed your game, you can pick it up right where you left it off from GeForce Now.

Now for the negatives:

For streaming purposes, resolution is reduced to 540 or 480p.

Does not support Ultrawide resolution (21:9)

Not recommended playing over WiFi (you need to be on a fast network).

Lots of artifacts and frame skipping if you’re on WiFi

Not intuitive, for example it’s not clear that you have to “install” the game first

Cannot change third party login option, especially if you don’t have an account with another service.

If you’re on WiFi, the service will work, but based on the low resolution and video artifacts, I can’t really recommend playing games over WiFi. I haven’t tested it out using a direct connection to the router, but my computer situation prevents me from trying. I can imagine the game will run much better.

Is the service worth $7.99 once they start charging for it? I would have to say no for now. For $0.00, I do think you should at least give it a try. You do have to request a key from nvidia.com, but it’ll be worth it.

For now, I think I’ll be gaming on my computer… unless I’m in a bind and need to continue the game on my television (using my Nvidia Shield).

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

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

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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

Arcade1Up Wave 2: Mortal Kombat II, Final Fight, Golden Tee, Space Invaders, and Karate Champ

Read More Arcade1Up So, I accidentally bought my second Arcade1Up, an Atari's Asteroids machine. Of all the cabinets that Arcade1Up released, this was my least desirable.…

With CES 2019 (Consumer Electronic Show) running all week, our favorite home consumer arcade cabinet maker Arcade1Up announced their Wave 2 of games:

Mortal Kombat II (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3)

Final Fight (Final Fight, 1944, Ghosts 'N Goblins, Strider)

Golden Tee (GT Classic '01, Golden Tee '2k, Golden Tee '99, Golden Tee '98)

Space Invaders (Space Invaders Color, Space Invaders Black and White)

Karate Champ (Karate Champ, Bad Dudes, Burger Time, Caveman Ninja)

I’m really excited about these new games coming out, because it sounds like they did okay (and maybe made some money) on the first wave to continue on this venture. I’ve already bought Street Fighter II, Pac-Man (what a beautiful machine!), and Asteroids (intending to mod it with a Pandora’s Box).

Looking at the Wave 2 lineup, only two games are on my want list: MK2 and Final Fight. I’ve always been a SF2 fan vs MK2, but I can understand the appeal: “realistic” animation and bloody violent. The artwork for the cabinet looks awesome. As for Final Fight, I mainly want it for the 1944 game (I love shoot ‘em up)... but still, I know I’ll have a lot of fun if a friend can jump in to help the beat ‘em up game. It’s kind of funny, but pre-SF2, most of the popular arcade games that I love were co-operative beat ‘em up, which Double Dragon made popular. In fact, now that I think about it, I kind of wish Arcade1Up would release Double Dragon and other beat ‘em games in one cab.

Anyway, as far as I know, according to their website Wave 2 is coming out “as soon as February”... but I’ll keep an eye out at Walmart.

Update: Official release dates will be Final Fight and Space Invaders will be out February, Golden Tee in June, and MK and Karate Champ in September.

Below is a video of me playing Pac-Man for the second time on the Arcade1Up machine, if you’re interested in seeing how the game runs. Pac-Man Plus seems like a hacked version of Pac-Man, but it’s incredibly difficult to play. You can see me just struggling to make it to the second level.

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

Sword Legacy Omen

Sword Legacy Omen Read More Banner Saga The Banner Saga, a game by Stoic, released on Tuesday, January 14th, is one of the best games I've ever played. The graphics is hand drawn and reminds me of Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings and pre-CGI Disney animation…

Trying to make the most out of my free Corsair’s Void Pro Wireless headphone and headphone stand (thanks to gift cards and my employer), I decided to buy a few games on my computer.

Before I talk about the game, just an update on my Void headset - I am kind of regretting on buying it. After numerous charging problem (leaving it overnight or overcharging the headset may result in it not powering on). Searching online, people mentioned it was “bootloader” mode. I don’t believe it’s bootloader, but actually the way Windows charges the headset via USB (you can turn off suspend in power option). Since I fixed it, it works great. Still, there was nothing wrong with my old wired headset to begin with.

Having said that, I love the fact that I can watch a video and walk away and still hear the audio. I walk around the house and the freedom of wireless is just great.

As usual, my go-to for PC games is GOG, and, just in the nick of time, they were having their annual Winter Sale. Great, I picked up a few games, including one for under $15 called Sword Legacy Omen. The game went DRM-free on December 7th, but it was originally released in August 2018.

Anyway, the name is not good, in fact, I actually forgotten what it was called a few times. It’s just a bad, forgettable name. Why not call it something Arthurian? Sword Legacy Omen sounds like a weird horror game.

Prior to my Christmas break, I beat the game. I may have put in about six hours, but that’s fine for a $15 game. The way I see it, is that you can spend that money on a movie - and that’s only two hours long. So a game lasting four to six hours is okay at that price. I got a lot of enjoyment out of it, even if there’s no game+ option.

The game is a turn-based tactical game. The theme is King Arthur-ish, with some familiar characters like Merlin and King Arthur (Uther). The artwork appears to be hand animated, and the whole game seemed to be inspired by another great (but short) game called Banner Saga (which I absolutely loved). So if you love Banner Saga, you’ll really like Sword Legacy Omen as well.

The music by composer Bettina Calmon is also good, and if you enjoyed it, you can also purchase the Sword Legacy Omen Soundtrack (10 tracks) for an additional $5.

As for difficulty - you can’t change it... but if a regular player, like myself, can beat the game, you’ll do fine. The trick is to not lunge into battle, but draw out your enemies. Archers won’t follow you (a poor A.I. programming), so you can exploit that to your advantage.

Like I said, I did really enjoy my time with Sword Legacy Omen.... unlike some recent big budget ($60+) games like the disappointing Fallout 76 (there’s nothing to do in the game!) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (which I accidentally beat and didn’t realized I was so far in the game!)

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

Corsair Void Pro and Gaming ST100 Headset Stand

Read More Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker is not out yet, but I was so excited about this game coming out on GOG that I pre-ordered it. This game is based on the Pathfinder tabletop game, which was and offspring of Dungeon and Dragons…

I recently got two great gifts for Christmas - a Corsair’s Void Pro RBG SE Wireless Dolby 7.1 Headset (Best Buy Exclusive) and Gaming ST100 RGB Premium Headset Stand with 7.1 Surround Sound.

A brief overview, the Gaming ST100 is basically a headphone stand that costs $60. That’s a pretty hefty price to pay for a stand, but to Corsair’s defense, it does come with an onboard soundcard to simulate 7.1 Surround Sound for any headphone and two additional USB 3.0 ports. Oh, the base and logo lights up, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The headphone stand is very solid and heavy. Compared to its Razer’s $60 headphone stand, which is made of plastic and no soundcard, the Corsair version is a much better buy... but when it comes down to it, it’s still a $60 headphone stand.

For the Void Pro RBG SE Wireless Dolby 7.1 Headset, this was a much-needed upgrade for me. I was still using a cheap over-the-ear Turtlebeach and really wanted to transition to a wireless headphone. The problem with all wireless products is that you have to occasionally charge your devices, but according to Corsair a full charge will get you about 16 hours of use. Which is more than enough for most users.

On retrospect, it would’ve been pretty sweet if the Corsair headphone stand also charges your wireless headphone... That’s just a wishlist for these two Corsair products.

This particularly Void Pro headset is a Best Buy exclusive, and you can tell by the bright yellow. At first the yellow was discomforting, but taking a closer look at the brushed look, it’s not that bad. The Void Pro retails for $129, but for the weeks leading up to Christmas, Best Buy is knocking 50% off, making it $65.

Like all gaming Corsair products, its logo and mic lights up. You can control how the lights are displayed using Corsair’s iCUE software. Some compatible games will sync with the lights, for example, when you take heavy damage or level up on Diablo III, the lights will change accordingly. It’s a nice feature.... unfortunately, the iCUE software usually crashes or stops working. Corair is a good hardware company, but just terrible at software.

Over the years, I’ve used many, many headsets, and I have to admit, the Void Pro is the most comfortable of them all. It doesn’t hug my head too tightly. It’s also not as heavy as I initially thought. There are two metal pieces, which is probably the heaviest part of the headphone.

The microphone on the headset is mute if you set it vertical, but will automatically turn on when flip the mic down. Doing some mic recording testing, I found out it’s a stereo mic. Possibly the two mic input is meant for noise-cancelling.

The Void Pro also came with a USB extender (which doubles as a phone tray) and base receiver that automatically connects to the headphone. I wasn’t a fan of the bright white light when the headphone is connected to the base, but you can easily just put electrical tape over the light.

What I did not love is the audio announcement when you power up or use the mic. It’s very loud, and I didn’t see a way to lower the volume. Thankfully, you can turn it off using the iCUE software.

According to Corsair, the low latency, 2.4Ghz wireless audio will perform with “up to 40 ft”. I don’t know if the 40 feet is in the perfect scenario and no obstruction, but in my test, talking outside my room the audio degraded after about 30 feet. Still, it’s a good enough distance that I can make my way to the bathroom and still hear audio (great for taking a break during a long gaming sessions).

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the headphone. If you have the money or gift cards, the Corsair headphone and stand is a great pairing. If price is a concern, don’t bother with the stand... it really doesn’t offer much in usefulness (but it sure looks cool).

UPDATE: After a few days of usage, my Void headset wasn't charging or turning on! It was extremely frustrating. I was about to return the headphones, when I read that this is a common problem with Corsair's Void Wireless headset. Apparently, the Void was in Bootloader mode which kicks in when you press a button and plug in the charger chord. To recover from Bootloader, all you have to do is force update the firmware on your Void and it should set things back to normal. If you are having the same problem, head over to their forum at forum.corsair.com and follow the instruction on how to fix Bootloader. This is so very annoying, I'm not sure why Corsair designed it this way. Perhaps make it it harder to go into Bootloader mode (for example, press both mic and power button at the same time).

Also, like so many other reviewers out there - Corsair's software (the iCUE) just sucks. They're great at hardware, but just poor at software. iCUE is a bother to use, and I wish I didn't have to rely on it to their products to work properly.

Update 1/2/2019: I was still having problem with the Corsair headset shutting down after the bootloader fix. In fact, I do not believe it was a bootloader issue, but rather the way Windows 10 was over charging the headphone. Here's how to fix it: go to Control Panel --> go to power options --> advanced settings --> USB suspend settings --> Change this to Disabled. Also, you can charge the headset in a wall socket or if you're charging on your computer, don't turn off the headset - just plug it in to power. You can long-hold the power button to turn on the headset if you plug it into a USB wall socket. If nothing is working, you can try opening the right cup (not the one with the mic) with a small screw driver and loosen the battery?

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