Case: Phanteks P400S (reuse) PSU: Corsair RM850x (reuse, upgraded together with RTX) CPU: Intel i7-12700K Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4 RAM: 64GB (2x32GB) Crucial Ballastix RGB DDR4 3200 SSD: 2x 1TB WD black SN750 (reuse 1) GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 (reuse) CPU cooler: EVGA CLC 280, 280mm rads, Asetek pump, hence the NZXT LGA1700 bracket. GPU holder: Antec Fans: stock fan for rads. Stock phanteks fans mounted to the top. Old Zalman silent fan for exhaust. Previous build was a i7-7700K. In the first picture, MSI software turns off RAM and RGB when Windows turns off the monitor. In the second picture, the glass is removed to show internals. Crucial MOD software for RAM sucks, can never get it to work with the RAM RGB. MSI software can't control the RGB speed or brightness. People like to route the GPU cables down, I route it upwards. The connectors are less ugly that way, and doesnt touch the glass. Having some stability issues with the RTX. Not sure if it's a faulty card or heat soak. All temps showing 60s to 70s GPU/CPU. Reconfigured the rads and fans, hopefully more airflow. Picture 3. Fans in front of the case frame. Poor airflow, too close to case bezel. Picture 4. Fans move to the back of the case frame. Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
Nice! I'd love to get a new desktop with 12th gen Intel, but currently 3080ti prices are out of this world!! Even on the laptop front, the new batch of 12gens with 3080ti are crazy
Yeah. It is ridiculous. I would have gone with a 3080 but could not get hold of one. Manage to snag a EVGA 3070 FTW3 at Nvidia MSRP. Microcenter mess up their 3070 launch, and they honored the $499 MSRP and send any aib 3070 to legit customers.
My first entry into the VR world - HP Reverb G2 These controllers appear to run on AA x2 batteries each, and connect via Bluetooth? Anyways, didn't bother with them and left them in the box - I'm primarily gonna use the headset for racing so the controllers are redundant there. Wrong plug! But fortunately my AVR supports it... Also got a cheap generic plastic stand for the headset Inside look... the glass kinda looks very vulnerable to scratches and dust... probably gonna keep the thing covered when not being used. Only gotten as far as to set it up in Windows Mixed Reality, adjusted IPD, looked around and it seems okay. Head tracking seemed alright, despite reviews saying the tracking wasn't very good. Interestingly I did not need to wear my glasses with the headset; with glasses it felt uncomfortable and I always worried it might cause scratches, so I took them off and luckily could still see everything clearly. Gonna try racing in them later, once I get it configured correctly. - x - x - x - x - Update: Ugh, that was a disaster, lol. Looking and moving around the default Windows Mixed Reality environment is one thing, jumping into a race car is a completely different thing altogether. Managed to survive one lap of Monza before I needed to stop or throw up! Need to take things slow and easy............. - x - x - x - x - Update 2: Okay, getting the hang of it now. Changed various settings to get 90fps, used motion sickness bands, put some fans in front of me, taken Mo Far Kor ... but one week later, can do full race pace for at least an hour. Almost ready to race with actual people soon!
At long last, my sim racing setup is... "mostly" complete! There are a couple of things that I will probably upgrade in the future, but I will need a more dedicated space for everything before any of that happens. Also since Fanatec isn't available in SEA (outside of parallel imports and other grey area methods), I'll be waiting to see what sort of DD wheel Thrustmaster comes up with later this year. PC: i7-11700k, 32GB RAM, RTX 3080 10GB, 1TB SSD main, 2TB HDD secondary Monitor: 49" Samsung Neo G9, Next Level Racing free standing single monitor stand VR: HP Reverb G2 Rig: Logitech G923, Thrustmaster TH8A, Thrustmaster T-LCM, Next Level Racing GT Lite Audio: PreSonus Studio 24c, Rode NTG2 shotgun mic The input section: Microsoft All-in-One Media Keyboard, along with a Logitech trackball for navigation while in VR. The PC is attached to a rolling platform so that I it can be pulled forward along with the monitor, when using the monitor instead of VR headset. Cables all need to be slack in order for both monitor and PC to be adjusted independently though... In-game chat needs a bit of work though. The mic has to be really in my face to get decent volume, so this may see a change or upgrade in the near future. The seat isn't actually comfortable for long stints, using these KoYoTo memory foam products makes all the difference in ergonomics and comfort! Cable management is a bit of a mess at the back, but it's a bit tricky to get it nice and tidy when there are components that need to move forward and back depending on the setup. The cockpit can actually fold into a lot more compact form, but it's major pain to do, so I just fold up the pedals and seat and push it close to the wall when done.
Just received my Audeze Penrose... wasn't really expecting a Penrose X though, I thought it was just a color choice of blue or green when ordering. Not liking the extra long USB dongle... it's an accident waiting to happen. A little bit bass-shy. But I'm not getting any amp noise from the headset @Chai - there's a bit from the mic but muting the microphone solves it. Increasing volume to a very high level does reveal some of the noise floor, but at normal listening levels I don't hear it.
Now I'm worried, should I send the unit back? Adjusting the volume of both mic and headphone has no effect on the noise. But I'm using it for work everyday, I just can't go back to crappy ear buds... haha...
This setup was meant to replace my old setup of Topping D10 with NAD C320BEE. Now it is powered by Topping DX3 Pro+ as my DAC/headphone amp, together with Topping PA3s to drive my bookshelf speakers.
If you're still within the return/warranty window, and are bothered by the amp noise, I guess it's a good idea to give it a try...
Playing Tunic really wore out the thumbstick on my old controller So I got myself a new one to finish the game with b Unfortunately it's not as smooth sailing as I expected. Firstly, after pairing Bluetooth to PC, the A button also triggers the Xbox game bar, but that was an easy fix - just do a firmware update via the Xbox Accessories app. Then I get intermittent connection drops while playing... for maybe 1-2s the thing doesn't respond to any controls, then everything goes back to normal. Direct wired connection seems to solve that issue, but it's definitely a buzzkill to be using a wireless controller in wired mode. So I read online that some people have had luck with the wireless adapter, so I've ordered that and hopefully when it arrives, it will solve the connection problems.
Needing to pay for the shipping back to US puts me off. This is what they said. - As with any headphone amplifier, a certain degree of electrical noise should be expected - particularly when no audio is playing. This is unavoidable as such noise is a normal byproduct of a high-powered amplifier. High-powered amplifiers such as the one we use provide greater control over diaphragm movement and a broader, more lifelike dynamic range. We felt that it was necessary to include such an amplifier as we always strive to provide the absolute best sound quality possible. - Most active headphones on the market do not have audiophile-quality drivers. Our planar magnetic drivers are extremely detailed and accurate. This means that they are able to reproduce this kind of signal noise, whether it's coming from the amplifier or from an analog recording, to a much greater degree than a dynamic driver would be capable of.
Uh... I did mention early last month that my sim racing setup is mostly complete... but.......... ... ...
Jumped in on the Moondrop Chu internet hype/bandwagon. Wow, these sound really good for their very measly RM84.99 price! There's also another headset version (with inline microphone) but it was out of stock; too bad the cable is not removable but at this price, no biggie.
Beware the Moondrop trap... you start with Chu, you may end up with Starfield... KXXS... Blessing 2... Blessing 2usk... Variations...
Another internet darling - the 7Hz Timeless. Not as bargain basement level as the Moondrop Chus, but at RM769 they are pretty much up there, relatively speaking, in terms of sound quality for a mid-fi product. Even comes with a very wide selection of tips as well as a decent metal storage case.
Luckily I won't fall into the trap, because I need mic... So I bought these instead. Sony Linkbuds S.
