#much appreciated. *is sucked into a gpu fan*

[as-if-and-only-if]

Time to choose a GPU for my new PC! 🙂 *is confronted by the horror of complexity inherent in engineering machines in many-dimensional domains with high functionality gradients* ok no big dealio! umm, eenie, meenie…

[fereldanwench]

Some spoilery thoughts on Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Not comprehensive at all because there’s so much I could say about any TR game, but this is pretty lengthy.

I’m at 66% right now, and I’ve done a good bit of challenge tombs, side quests, and artifact hunting, but I think the bulk of the progress reflects the story, which I will delve into:

The Visuals In terms of graphics, especially the environments, the game is pure eye candy. I’m so glad I upgraded my GPU in time for this game, because playing it at the ultra settings is just a beautiful, immersive treat. The lighting, the richness of the vegetation, the colors--It’s so nice to see some saturation in a Tomb Raider game again.

The main characters look really good, too. Sometimes the animation for Lara’s worried/stern mouth movement looks a little weird to me, but overall, I think everyone looks solid. Good animations, good textures, long hair--even if it’s not as refined as Lara’s--has a lot of movement and fluidity to it, highly detailed clothing.  

My biggest gripe here is the fact that all the village NPCs have like the same 3 faces repeated over and over. Some variations to scarring, injuries, and hair diversify the population a bit, but it’s a pretty glaring visual deficiency compared to how lush and rich the rest of the world feels.

The Audio/Soundtrack I’m generally not much of an auditory person--I can absolutely appreciate a nice soundtrack and quality voice acting, but it’s usually the visual stuff in a game that really draws me in. But the sound effects and soundtrack really stand out to me here, especially in the areas where it’s just Lara. There’s so much rich ambient noise and the music does a lot to add to the atmosphere.

Having just replayed Rise last week and 2013 a few months ago, I don’t recall feeling that same audio engrossment that I have here.

The Gameplay Shadow offers different difficulty settings for its 3 pillars of gameplay: combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. I’ve kept combat and exploration at the default normal setting, but I bumped puzzle-solving up to hard because of my own personal play style quirk: I like using the survival instinct mode a lot to help me keep my bearings, but Lara’s advice on how to solve puzzles gets repetitive to the point of irritation.

I’ve been saving most of the challenge tombs for my stream tomorrow, so I probably have a comparatively low exposure to them versus everything else, but I have loved solving every single tomb/crypt puzzle I’ve come across. They’re hard enough that they make you think and you feel accomplished after solving them, but not so difficult you get frustrated and want to resort to a walkthrough. They definitely stand out as a vast improvement over the previous two games.

Exploration is very similar to Rise, but with some enhancements. I was a little wary of the wall run because it’s implementation in Anniversary was a glitchy mess that sucks the fun out of a lot of the later levels, but it’s very smooth in Shadow. I’ve had a few jump misses in general that were bullshit, and sometimes it’s unclear how the game wants you to respond to certain platforming areas, but overall, her movement through the world is engaging. Effortless or challenging as appropriate to the task at hand.

My favorite addition to the exploration is definitely the underwater areas. Lara swims a little bit in Rise, but it’s mostly through linear caverns and often just on the surface. We get full underwater areas to explore, complete with treasure hunting, resource gathering, and even piranhas. The controls here took some getting used to for me, but it’s smooth sailing now. Or swimming, as the case may be.

The combat really takes a backseat to the exploration this time around, and I am a big fan of this--I found the seemingly endless shootouts with bullet sponge enemies in TR ‘13 to be a little at odds with the proper exploration-puzzles-combat ratio for a TR game, and I think that was greatly improved in Rise, but the big story advancements were still heavily centered around big gun fights. These are still a part of Shadow, but now the story moves more through exploration and discovering secrets in crypts and tombs. And that is exactly how it should be.

Shadow puts more emphasis on stealth combat as well, which I’m mostly okay with. I typically did prefer going stealth, especially in Rise because it felt like another type of puzzle, but there are a few areas where the game doesn’t really give you a choice. Just on principle, I’m not super keen on that, but overall, I still think the combat here works well as a part of the gameplay. It’s there for some action, but it’s not stealing the show.

So far my least favorite part of the gameplay is all the goddamn villager fetch quests. The rewards for most of the ones I’ve done have been pretty good, and some have some mildly interesting stories, but on the whole, they feel empty and... Well, like fetch quests. I don’t mind back-tracking for things like artifacts or unlocking new secret areas and tombs, but I’m not playing Tomb Raider to interact with people and do their errands for them. I’m playing Tomb Raider to uncover secrets and explore ruins and be alone. (Mostly. I don’t mind another sidekick from time-to-time.)

I think sometimes the fast travel system and map interface made these even worse. If it was easier to get to the locations/people you need for the fetch quests, it might feel less tedious. But when you can only fast travel through camps, and you and your destination aren’t anywhere near one, it starts to feel like a chore running through a crowded town.

The Story Like I mentioned, I’m not done with it yet, but I’m definitely towards the final third or so of the main plot.

I’m... Not feeling quite as sold on this one as I did on the previous two games.

Let me start with the stuff I do really like:

I really like the relationship between Lara and Jonah; I think their conversations are some of my favorite parts of the game. I really like Dominguez as an antagonist. I find him very compelling. I love how the supernatural stuff has been infused into the world, especially with the creatures that were apparently protecting the silver box. I love Unuratu, up until she dies, which really sucked.

I like seeing Lara get unhinged; I really like the idea of a darker Lara, and I loved the scene when she thought Jonah was dead and just went full-fucking Rambo on Trinity. I generally like the way the story uses Maya, Inca, and Christian mythology/symbolism/riddles/etc. The setting alone is one of my absolute favorites, and I’ve been wanting to see Lara return to the region of the world since 2008.

I think ultimately it just doesn’t feel as tightly focused as 2013 and Rise. I’ve never really played Tomb Raider games for the story, so I tend to be pretty forgiving and just kind of roll with the punches, but this just feels like they’re trying to pull too much into one game. Although personality-wise I find Dominguez excellent, his strong ties to both Paititi and the Crofts just make him feel kind of spread thin for some reason. And I kind of had a hard time following the politics of Paititi and the rebels and the Cult of Kulkukan and how they’re related to Trinity and and Dominguez being Amaru and Unuratu being his sister-in-law and family legacies and sons to be kings and then the scary people living in the cenote and the oil company in that other city--It just was... A lot.

I do not dislike it, and I’m totally onboard to see where it goes, but again, having 2013 and Rise so fresh in my mind, something about Shadow has felt a little off comparatively in this respect. 

And just as a side note: the longer Jonah is at Lara’s side, the more I expect he’s not going to make it, and I’m not sure I can brace my enough if she does lose him.

Final Thoughts On the whole, I am loving this experience. Minus my grievances with the story and fetch quests, I am completely enthralled with this game. So much of the gameplay evokes the same response I had to Core’s early games--This really feels like what a modern Tomb Raider game should be. The puzzle-combat-exploration ratio is perfect, the environments are so lush and immersive, the tombs are challenging and atmospheric. I just want to explore every inch of this world.

Having played and finished all major TR titles (except AOD), Rise ended up bumping TR2 from my all-time favorite TR game. I was really hoping that Shadow would be able to de-throne Rise, and in some ways it does, but I don’t know that the overall package is better. I’m guessing I’ll probably know by tomorrow or Monday night, though.

[straourgtech-blog]

Enough of this support drivel: It's an ideal opportunity to put a gaming PC in my parlor My front room setup needed an entire upgrade—another gaming PC and an executioner NAS.

Way back toward the start of 2015 I entrusted myself with building a gaming PC for the family room. after 12 months lastly—in the wake of coming to work for Ars, voyaging most of the way around the globe a couple times over, and calmly sitting tight for somebody to discharge a comfort like case that didn't suck—it is finished.

As is generally the situation when setting out on some crazy thought to utilize innovation to enhance your life—or for my situation, give a prettier approach to dawdle—there's a propensity to over-muddle things. A valid example: I as of now had a PC in my lounge room; an extremely old, boisterous, yet at the same time flawlessly practical HP Microserver that I utilized as a NAS and media player. The gaming PC could supplant the media player part, yet shouldn't something be said about the capacity?

So I required a gaming PC, and some kind of system connected stockpiling (NAS)— it is possible that one worked out of old parts, or something sparkly and new from Amazon. At that point I recollected that on account of my current securing of different bits of IoT apparatus, including two new gadgets rather than one would shortchange me an Ethernet attachment—and no, even with a switch equipped for 802.11ac, Wi-Fi still doesn't trump great ol' molded links for speed and unwavering quality.

So that is a gaming PC, a NAS, and another Ethernet switch. Gracious, and I required new electrical extensions, since it turned out I'd came up short on attachments. Like I stated: tech has a tendency to get muddled.

The issue with PC cases

Luckily, the electrical extensions and the unmanaged 8-port Ethernet switch were simple fixes, bar the difficult procedure of rewiring everything. The gaming PC notwithstanding, was trickier. The nuts and bolts are sufficiently basic: at least an Intel i5 processor, a respectable measure of RAM and capacity, and a decent representation card. The was one clear confusion, however: in light of the fact that the case will be situated in the lounge room, it should be as careful and as tranquil as would be prudent.

There are some pre-constructed alternatives. Alienware's Alpha, for example, is a small and shockingly downplayed machine—for Alienware at any rate—that games a Core i5-4590T, 8GB of RAM, and 1TB hard drive for £630 (less expensive models with an i3 and less RAM are accessible). In any case, the custom 2GB Nvidia GPU it ships with isn't upgradable, and is generally as effective as 860M versatile chip. That is fine for 1080p at medium or high settings, yet insufficient to bulldoze reassures, and absolutely insufficient to drive the 4K TV I'd be stopping it into.The venture up from the Alpha, Alienware's X51, is a superior alternative, yet costly when you consider the £630 demonstrate just accompanies an i3 processor and frightful Nvidia GTX 745 illustrations card. Bouncing up to the model with an obviously better AMD Radeon R9 370 and Core i7 pushes the cost up to barely short of £1000. That is also that, while you can update the design card, you're constrained by space and the custom power supply.

The X51's frame element is a decent one, however, the thin vertical game plan being much more engaging than the 3D square molded PCs that have a tendency to command little shape calculate (SFF) assembles. Much appreciated to some extent to Valve's Steam Machine activity, case producers are at long last beginning to offer vertical cases for building little PCs utilizing off-the-rack parts.

Silverstone, for example, has the extremely all around surveyed RVZ01 smaller than normal ITX case, which I'd have utilized if not for the way that it's still very extensive by SFF principles. Next on the rundown was Fractal's Node 202, a case I'd at first settled on account of its downplayed look and clean inside outline. Sadly, getting hold of a Fractal 202 demonstrated dubious on account of an entire absence of stock here in the UK.

At that point, come October, Overclockers UK gave me a bump and informed me concerning a refresh to the RVZ01, the RVZ02—and it was wonderful. Not exclusively is the RVZ02 slimmer than both the RVZ01 and Core 202 at only 87mm, it's generally modest at around £76. There's space inside for two 2.5-inch drives, representation cards up to 33cm long and 12cm wide (making it perfect with essentially every one of them), and it brandishes a pleasingly sharp, however unpretentious outline.

There's dependably a catch

Normally, there are a few bargains. For one thing, there are no outer cooling fans at all on the RVZ02. The GPU and CPU depend on their implicit fans alone to remain cool, which dangers throttling, and unquestionably discounts any outrageous overclocks. The CPU cooler can't be taller than 58mm either. The RVZ02 additionally just works with littler SFX or SFX-L control supplies, which have a tendency to be pricier than their ATX partners. Notwithstanding all that, the RVZ02 stays one of the better choices for a thin case that takes a full-estimate design card.Working inside the case is a breeze, something that can't be regularly be said for smaller than normal ITX cases. The two side boards slide off to uncover a shockingly vast compartment for a motherboard, PSU, two instrument free 2.5-inch drive mounts, and a slimline optical mount, while the opposite side has a space for a GPU that sits on an included riser card. It's an odd design, yet it keeps the case thin, and the CPU and GPU well separated, which assists with keeping them both cool. It's important that the reasonable plastic adaptation of the case doesn't include any clean channels as an afterthought boards, which—given they're essential air consumption for every one of the parts—is an odd exclusion. Cheerfully, the model with dark side boards does, so in the event that you do purchase a RVZ02, make certain to get that rendition.

There are other pleasant touches all through that make establishment less demanding: pre-introduced motherboard standoffs, a vast cut-out behind the CPU for cooler establishment, and a lot of space around the PSU to mount links. Notwithstanding utilizing a bigger SFX-L PSU—which, until Corsair starts acting responsibly and discharges its 600W SFX PSU, is the best SFX-sized PSU going because of its bigger and calmer 120mm fan—works without issue. Link administration is continually going to be a battle in thin case, however I was enjoyably shocked to find that there's adequate space around the PSU to stash any abundance link.

Staying with the Silverstone subject, I picked the organization's SST-AR06 CPU cooler. While I can't state I like its startling blue fan, the cooler is the best alternative for the RVZ02, since it's the most extreme tallness of 58mm, putting the 92mm fan straight up against the side board to suck in air. Something like the Noctua NH-L9i would work as well, yet it's considerably shorter at 37mm. For the CPU I utilized an Intel Core i7 6700k, which may appear like pointless excess yet I anticipate clinging to this PC for a little time. There's a non-"K" adaptation of the chip accessible in case you're not wanting to overclock, but rather the value distinction in the UK is negligible.Housing the CPU is MSI's Gaming Z170I Skylake load up. MSI's sheets have gone ahead a wide margin lately, their unwavering quality and strength up there with any semblance of Asus and Gigabyte. It has a rich arrangement of components, as well, including an Intel i219 NIC, double reception apparatus 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and a completely confined sound PCB. Sadly, the M.2 space is restricted to 60mm SSDs, so something like the Samsung 950 Pro won't fit, and there's just USB 3.0 support, not 3.1. Those aren't major issues for me, and given exactly what a limited number of smaller than usual ITX Skylake sheets are available right now—and that it's one of the less expensive ones—the Z170I is an incredible arrangement.

Whatever is left of the segments are comprised of a couple of odds and ends I pulled from old PCs, including a 250GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD, a Seagate 1TB SSHD with 8GB of glimmer stockpiling, and, uhh, a Nvidia Titan X. The Titan X has been sitting to a great extent unused in my workstation/gaming PC (I do the greater part of my gaming on the lounge chair nowadays), so I figured why not utilize improve utilization of it? Also, it'll be intriguing to perceive how it manages without wind current and with the stock Nvidia cooler. In case you're doing this manufacture yourself, the less expensive 980 Ti will give you a similar execution for way less cash, while the 970 is perfect for 1080p. AMD fans ought to look at the recently discharged 380X for 1080p, or a Fury for 4K.

The aggregate form cost if utilizing the more sensible GTX 980 Ti is around £1300 (presumably about $1600 in the US). With the Titan X it comes to around £1600. Considering the specs, that is obviously better an incentive than a pre-manufactured machine.NAS bad dreams

I was touch presumptuous when it went to the NAS part of the lounge room redesign. That is to say, how hard would it be able to be correct? It is possible that you assemble a NAS from an old PC and load it up with something like FreeNAS, or you get one off-the-rack. The inconvenience is, the sheer volume of choices with regards to organized stockpiling is dumbfounding. Barring the construct your-own particular course for the occasion, there are several distinct NAS fenced in areas accessible from spots like Amazon and Overclockers, all with various sorts of programming bundles, processors, and capacity limits.

At the extraordinary end of the shopper well disposed determination are the Western Digital My Cloud gadgets, which are fixed units with pre-introduced drives that run decent Web-based interfaces and guarantee simple setup. At that point there are business-centered gadgets and rack-mounted units from any semblance of QNAP, Buffalo, and Synology that game at least eight drive coves and bunches of customisability. I knew I needed the adaptability of utilizing my own drives, which precluded gadgets like the My Cloud, yet I didn't require something as huge as a 8-narrows NAS.

To be sure, it was estimate that put me off building my own NAS. The default arrangement for building a NAS—a small scale ITX board with loads of SATA ports and low-control CPU—is awesome from an execution perspective, yet most NAS cases tend to game at least five hot swap coves, with space for a normal ATX PSU. Of the cases I discovered—which incorporated any semblance of the Silverstone DS380B and Lian-Li PC-Q25—all were greater than the HP Microserver I had been utilizing, which implied they wouldn't fit in a similar bureau.