TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Computer Hardware

Thursday Random Stuff…

By

Firefox Quantum 57.0.1
Download
Release notes
Thanks Scott!

New GPU Drivers
AMD Radeon Crimson ReLive Edition 17.11.4 Drivers. Release notes here.
Related: Coming December 2017: Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition
Nvidia GeForce Game Ready 388.43 WHQL Drivers. “Provides the optimal gaming experience for DOOM VFR”
Nvidia Linux users may want to look at this: NVIDIA has confirmed a driver bug resulting in a loss of performance on Linux

Android Tracking
Yalies analyzed 300 Andoid apps. 75% of them “contain the signatures of trackers“. I put the blame right on Googles doorstep. Of course if they spoke up about it it would be met with “pot meet kettle” analogies.

It’s Called Reddit, Not Read It
Some Fighting Irish researchers found, “73 percent of posts on Reddit are voted on by users that haven’t actually clicked through to view the content being rated.” Surprised? Nah, me either.

Windows 10 Disable Power Throttling

By

I have seen 2 posts about Win10 FCU messing with peoples power plans. One of them even intimated Win10 was somehow covertly throttling CPUs. A dastardly deed if there ever was one.
There is in fact a super-duper-top-secret way to disable CPU throttling in Windows 10. I’m going to show you but you must promise to keep this very covert and dangerous information away from… well, somebody. In fact this message may self-destruct any moment.
[Read more…] about Windows 10 Disable Power Throttling

New Nvidia Drivers

By

Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver 385.69 WHQL
Provides the optimal gaming experience for Project Cars 2, Call of Duty: WWII open beta, Total War: WARHAMMER II, Forza Motorsport 7, EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone, FIFA 18, Raiders of the Broken Planet, and Star Wars Battlefront 2 open beta
Download
Release Notes

Thursday Random Stuff…

By

Software Updates
AxCrypt 2.1.1534
Google Chrome 60.0.3112.113 Google Chrome Web 32-bit  or  Google Chrome 64-bit
Kodi 17.4

New Nvidia Drivers
Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver 385.41 WHQL
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for Destiny 2 PC Open Beta, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, ARK: Survival Evolved, F1 2017, Pro Evolution Soccer 2018, and Quake Champions Early Access.”

FCC Refusing To Release Net Neutrality Complaints
Stop hiding 47,000 net neutrality complaints, advocates tell FCC chair
“The FCC has refused to release the text of most neutrality complaints despite a Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request that asked for all complaints filed since June 2015. The FCC has provided 1,000 complaints to the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), which filed the public records request but said last month that it’s too “burdensome” to redact personally identifiable information from all 47,000.”

HaPpY BiRtHdAy WiNdOwS 95!
Apparently there are only 7 Windows 95 machines still connected to the internet.
Here is my Windows 95 virtual machine (network disabled).

Monday Morning News

By

Classic Shell 4.3.1
I mainly use Classic Shell for Classic Start Menu.
“Here’s what’s new:
– Official support for the Creators Update version of Windows 10
– Added a setting to clear icon cache
– Multiple minor improvements and bugfixes
Download
Release Info

Wise Disk Cleaner 9.52
– Improved cleaning for Windows Winsxs Backup.
– Updated various translations.
Download

New CPUs

AMD Threadripper vs. Intel Core i9: The best CPU for enthusiasts
“We pitted both chips against each other in a grudge match… and each walked away claiming victory. If you’re obsessed with single-threaded performance (including games), back the Core i9 and its higher clock speeds. Threadripper 1950X’s outsized core count punches way higher in multithreaded performance, though, and it’s the people’s champion in everyday tasks and price.”

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and 1920X CPU Review
“These High End Desktop (HEDT) systems are certainly not meant for everyone. Many folks simply do not have a need for this many cores/threads and certainly the expense of the CPU itself and subsequent motherboard and RAM are going to put it out of reach for many. That said, if you do actually have the need for a 1950X or 1920X, you can certainly put these work. Content creation professionals and hobbyists are going to love having these CPUs on their desktops.”

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and 1920X Review: CPUs on Steroids
“If I were to turn around and say that Threadripper CPUs were not pure gaming CPUs, it would annoy a fair lick of the tech audience. The data is there – it’s not the best gaming CPU… You need a lot to do in order to fill 16 cores to the max, and for those that do, it’s a potential winner. For anyone that needs hardcore throughput such as transcode, decode, rendering such as Blender, Cinema 4D or ray-tracing, it’s a great CPU to have. For multi-GPUs or multi-storage aficionados or the part of the crowd that wants to cram a bunch of six PCIe 3.0 x8 FPGAs into a system, AMD has you covered.”

Etc
Is Alexa spying on us? We’re too busy to care — and we might regret that
No, the Google manifesto isn’t sexist or anti-diversity. It’s science

I Need A New PC Case

By

I’ve finally had it with my Rosewill Blackhawk-Ultra case (my Amazon review). Looking for a new one. Suggestions/input wanted.
Kinda have green in mind, don’t know why.
Full or mid-tower. Absolute ceiling of $200 but would prefer cheaper.
Saw this on Amazon. Not the cats’s meow or anything but it might work:
Apevia X-SNIPER2-GN ATX Mid Tower

Might even consider going retro. Always liked they look of the old Alienware cases but they are commanding high prices on Craigslist.

Tuesday Random Stuff…

By

New Win10 Update
April 25, 2017—KB4016240 (OS Build 15063.250)
“This non-security update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update.”
As always keep an eye on AskWoody for advice on the latest Windows Updates.

I Have No Words
Speed Up Windows by Disabling and Removing HomeGroup

Tweak Guide Worthy?
I experimented with this new feature: Lock your Windows 10 PC automatically when you step away from it
Kinda neat. Would be better if it worked like a USB key (can’t login without it).
Not sure if this is worth putting in the Tweak Guide. What do y’all think?

Does This Make Me Look Fat?
Rafael Rivera says “Yes”. Windows is Bloated, Thanks to Adobe’s Extensible Metadata Platform
Basically Windows images contain a lot of useless data that can be stripped away.
“Windows Explorer, for example, is a critical Shell component in the startup hot path. But despite its importance, it’s comprised of ~20% pure garbage. ApplicationFrame.dll, responsible for Windows app title bars and frame gizmos, is ~41% garbage. Twinui, imageres, and other related components scored with much lower numbers but couldn’t fully escape Adobe XMP.”

Cool Story Bro!
Video at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBG03A49-0Y
“Tom Sitter won The Moth in Madison StorySLAM at the High Noon Saloon February 13, 2017. Tom scored our first ever 10 with his winning story tonight. The memory of the girls he carefully selected to give his five valentines to in 1933 was strong enough that 84 years later he still knew their names.”