Hi,

I’m trying to decide between upgrading my current PC into a “living room Steam machine” or just replacing it entirely.

Current 9 year old hardware:

cpu + mobo: i5 8600k , msi z370 sli plus

Ram: G.Skill Aegis F4-3000C16D-16GISB

psu: Corsair rmx 650x

ssd: sata 525 gb

Upgraded ~ 3-4 years ago:

msi RTX 3060 ti gaming x trio

Samsung 980 evo 1 tb SSD

Current usage

The past few years I’ve barely gamed. Maybe ~30 hours/year on average, except for one “Palworld phase”.
Most played game recently was actually on Switch: Slay the Spire

What I want now is mostly:

• couch co-op
• convenient console-like experience
• Steam Big Picture / Bazzite / SteamOS vibes
• occasional AAA games

Games we play / want to play:

Split Fiction, Dysmantle, Cuphead, Baldur's Gate 3, and any other couch co-op game.

maybe:

- Forza Horizon 5

- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

4K with upscaling would be nice, but honestly I’m fine dropping to 1080p sometimes.

Current issue:

Micro stutter when we play baldurs gate 3 co-op. CPU @ 100%

Option A: Total cost 28 - 128 euro.

- Keep current system. Buy k400 plus and optional steam controller.

- Fresh windows install / bazzite. Steam big picture mode.

Pro's Cheap

Cons: k400 plus ( meh ) , Still micro stuttering @ baldurs gate 3, and potentially more titles.

Option B: Total cost: 265 - 440 euro

- Install bazzite

Sell:

- Sell cpu + mobo + phanteks p400s ( -75 euro)

upgrade:

- Ryzen 5500x3d aliexpress : 150 euro's

- Am4 motherboard : 70 euro's.

- Thermal assisan x120 cpu cooler: 15 euro

- Small form factor case (~ 100 )

Re-use: ram, psu, ssd's , ( maybe gpu )

Total cost: (150 + 75 + 15 + 100 ) - 75 = 265

pro's: Hopefully no micro stutter anymore, case fits neatly behind TV.

Cons: Spend money on a dead platform

Optional:

Sell 3060 ti - 150 euro

Buy 9060 XT ( used market, warranty left ) 325 euro.

Total cost: 265 + 175 euro =440,00 euros

pro's: SteamOS supports 9060 XT so could re-create a better steam machine

Cons: 3060 ti to 9060 Xt isn't that big of a leap?

Option C: Total cost: 375 - 675

Sell:

PC ( excl. SSD's ) : 225 euro

Buy:

Steam machine + controller : 600-900 euro.

pros: Ease of use, just works.

Cons: Probably still weaker than my previous system, more expensive , no upgrade path.

TLDR:

See system specs above. Should I:

• do nothing,
• upgrade to AM4/X3D (~€265)
• UPGRADE GPU to 9060 XT? ( ~ 175 euro )
• or buy a Steam machine?

Use case:
Living room friendly device with couch co-op as the main focus.

Hi everyone,

Just tried out geforce now for the first time. Free version to see if it works well. Wired and stable connection in Europe.

I tried resident evil 7 trial and wow the input lag is so insane! I got nauseous. Is it because it is the free tier or will the paid version have similar input lag?

Hi all,

I used to be heavily into headphones, but over the years I sold almost my entire collection because I ended up preferring speakers for music listening.

My current stereo setup consist of a pair of Arendal 1961 bookshelves + 1961 subwoofer + iotavx sa3 . I used a +1.5 to +4 db bass boost ( 30-80 hz) depending on the music / movie.

I’ve also demoed several speakers including the KEF R3 Meta, Dynaudio Special Forty, Buchardt S400 MK2, Triangle BR03, etc. The KEF R3 Meta with a well-integrated subwoofer was probably my favorite overall.

My current headphone is the Philips Fidelio X2. I barely use it for music anymore, but I still love the comfort and it’s perfectly fine for YouTube/videos. In the past I owned: ATH-M50x, DT770 Pro, Fostex TR-X0 and Audeze LCD-2C

The ATH-M50X and DT770 were not for me at all. From memory, the Fostex was probably my favorite. The LCD-2C was technically good, but somehow never really “wowed” me emotionally.

Nowadays I mainly need IEMs for:

• sound isolation during work
• background music during work ( jazz, acoustic )
• Some EDM / upbeat music to counter the afternoon dips

I recently found my old Shure SE215 again and was honestly shocked by how much I dislike them now. I remember liking them years ago, but my preferences have clearly changed. To my ears the bass seems weak / muddy, the male vocals are recessed and thin and the highs are extremely fatiguing and genuinely hurt my ears. Overall they somehow sound V-shaped/muffled at the same time.

I genuinely cannot listen to them above ~30% volume from my M4 MacBook because the upper mids/treble become painful within seconds. The dynamics also feel quite compressed.

I’m not looking for the brightest or most analytical “detail monster.” I think I prefer something smoother, natural and fatigue-free with good vocals and strong yet controlled bass/subbass. The pair doesn't need to compete with my current stereo setup, but it needs to be acceptable enough.

Is this possible under 100 euro's?

Oh yeah, I have a smsl sp200 amp lying around, but I still have to purchase a dac.

Hi all.

I sold my windows desktop and bought an m4 air for my studies and some light coding / video editing work.

use case:

60% use case = studying + light coding , 15% gaming ( geforce now ), 5% photo/video editting and 20 % is watching videos.

For this use case I think I need:

1. Ethernet cable ; mainly for geforce now + quicker download.

2. 10 gbps usb port for external SSD. I have a samsung gen 3 1tb. Full speed isn't needed since I don't think that I'll notice a difference between 10 gbps versus 40 gbps for my use case.

3. 3x usb A port for mouse + game controller ( 2x dongle) + keyboard

4. (Micro)sd card reader

5. Maybe a free usb c port could always be handy.

6. I currently use my mac screen + 1 external display. I use a usb C cable to displayport cable for that. However an extra hdmi / displayport would be a nice bonus, in case I want to add a second display.

I really want to find some value pick for this, since I don't do anything too heavy. If in the future I need something better, I'll probably buy a mac mini + thunderbolt dock or build a new pc.

The: UGREEN Revodok Pro 9 in 1 USB C Hub does seem to do all. Can anyone confirm this, or perhaps come with ( better ) alternatives?

Thank you in advance.

Currently I use a 27" 1440p 144Hz monitor together with a secondary 60Hz screen and a MacBook Air. In both setups I definitely notice the difference between 60Hz and 144Hz.

I want to go back to a single-monitor setup because I had to down grade to a smaller desk and 2 monitors + macbook feels too cramped.

The BenQ RD280UG looks almost perfect for me because of the high PPI, better contrast, and 120Hz refresh rate. The problem is that it’s more expensive than I’m willing to spend on a monitor right now.

Someone nearby is selling the previous model, the RD280U, for around €300 (roughly half the price). The only thing holding me back is the 60Hz refresh rate.

My usage is probably around:

90% coding/writing/productivity

10% gaming

I game much less than I used to, and when I do it’s mainly single-player AAA games. I also have a 65" LG C5 right next to my desk, so I could always connect my PC to that for couch gaming if needed.

For people who switched back from high refresh rate to 60Hz for productivity-focused setups:

Did you get used to it again?

Does 60Hz still bother you after a while?

Would you personally sacrifice 120Hz for a better productivity-focused monitor?

Hi all,

I’m deciding between the Osmo Pocket 4 Creator Combo and the regular version and could use some advice.

We don’t really need the DJI Mic 3 since we want to use a dual mic setup anyway. Because of that, I’m considering getting the Creator Combo and possibly selling the mic, but I’m not sure if that’s actually worth the effort. We got a great deal where we only pay 80 euro's more for the creator combo though..

The reason I’m the combo is because we do want the wide angle lens, tripod and filler light.

We’ll be traveling to Vietnam next month, so ND filters are important for us. One thing I’m unsure about is that the DJI wide angle lens can’t be used together with ND filters.

That makes me wonder whether it’s better to go with the DJI wide lens at all, or if a third-party option would make more sense. Are there setups that allow using a wide lens together with ND filters?

For ND filters, we’re not looking for anything high-end, just good value for casual travel videos. I’ve been looking at Neewer and K&F Concept, but not sure how they perform in practice.

Also still unsure about fixed vs variable ND. I know fixed is technically better, but I’m wondering how inconvenient it is to swap filters while traveling.

Would appreciate any advice.

Hi,

I know that with a regular griddle you’re supposed to keep the lid open. Does the same apply when using a Weber Genesis E-435 with the Crafted griddle insert?

I’m planning to do some lower temp cooking on burners 1 and 2 with the lid closed, then move everything over to the griddle side to sear.

Also wondering about preheating: is it fine to close the lid for 5–10 minutes to get the griddle up to temp? The lid on the E-435 sits quite a bit higher than something like the Slate, and temps would stay under ~200°C.