All posts by Brian Pool

My Fortnite Experience

Video Card Reviews

I am an avid Fortnite player and love the game, but my PC was recently ruined by my little brother and I had to start from scratch with a donated PC. First of all, for you newbies, what is Fortnite? According to CoPilot, “Fortnite is a trendsetting multiplayer online battle royale game developed by Epic Games. In this intense survival experience, players drop onto an island map alongside 99 other competitors. The goal? To be the last person standing. As you explore the island, you’ll scavenge for weapons, gear, and resources while constantly navigating shrinking safe zones. What sets Fortnite apart is its unique building mechanics: you can construct structures—towers, walls, and more—to defend yourself or gain tactical advantages. Whether you prefer solo play or teaming up with friends, Fortnite offers various modes, including Duos, Trios, Squads, and even a building-focused Team Rumble. So, whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer, Fortnite’s dynamic gameplay and ever-evolving world await!” (“Microsoft Copilot Conversation on Fortnite,” 22 Apr. 2024)

The system requirements of Fortnite are relatively low, thankfully.  The replacement PC I have has the recommended specs for the CPU but has no GPU, and I only have $150 to meet the recommended GTX 660.  I opted for the GeForce 1650, which is the best I could find in my price range.

PNY GeForce® GTX 1650 for $149.99

The PNY GTX1650 is 49% better than the recommended GTX 660.  While this video card is only ranked 258 on the passmark rating, it will easily play FortNite.

The GTX1650 GPU is made by Nvidia and has a 1410MHz core clock with 896 CUDA cores.  The 4GB od GDDR6 runs at a bandwidth of 192GB/s.

The PCIe interface is slightly older and is PCIe 3.0 with APIs still supporting DX12 and OpenGL4.6.  It only pulls 75 Watts of power and has a single 6-pin power connector. It has a DVI, HDMI, and Displayport outputs and takes 2 slot spots on the back of my PC.
Overall my new setup seems to be playing Fortnite again very well.  I am far enough over the recommended settings, even at my $150 budget, that the experience has me back on the leaderboard.

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

Works Cited

PNY GeForce® GTX 1650, www.amazon.com/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

PNY GeForce GTXTM 1650 4GB gddr6 dual fan. PNY Technologies Inc. (n.d.). https://www.pny.com/geforce-gtx-1650-gddr6-df

“Microsoft Copilot Conversation to proof final draft.” Microsoft, 24 Apr. 2024.

“Microsoft Copilot Conversation on Fortnite.” Microsoft, 24 Apr. 2024.

I used CoPilot to review the post above by asking “Please review the following blog post and give me any inputs to improve it.” and then dropping in the text.  Here is its reply.

 

Your blog post provides a solid introduction to Fortnite, especially for newcomers. Let’s break down the key points and offer some suggestions for improvement:

  1. Introduction to Fortnite:
    • You’ve done a great job explaining what Fortnite is. The description covers the basics, including the battle royale concept, island map, and the goal of being the last survivor.
    • Consider adding a brief mention of the game’s vibrant art style and the ever-changing in-game events that keep players engaged.
  2. Unique Building Mechanics:
    • Highlighting Fortnite’s building mechanics is crucial. You’ve touched on it, but you could expand a bit more. Mention that players can construct walls, ramps, and platforms on the fly, allowing for creative strategies and intense battles.
    • Explain how building structures can be used defensively (blocking enemy shots) or offensively (gaining high ground advantage).
  3. Game Modes:
    • You’ve mentioned Duos, Trios, Squads, and Team Rumble. Consider briefly describing each mode:
      • Duos: Teams of two players.
      • Trios: Teams of three players.
      • Squads: Teams of four players.
      • Team Rumble: A large-scale mode focused on building and combat.
    • Emphasize that Fortnite caters to both solo players and those who enjoy teaming up with friends.
  4. System Requirements:
    • You’ve covered the system requirements well. However, consider organizing this section into bullet points for clarity.
    • Add a sentence about how Fortnite’s optimization allows it to run on a wide range of hardware, making it accessible to many players.
  5. PNY GeForce GTX 1650:
    • Good choice! Mention that the GTX 1650 strikes a balance between affordability and performance.
    • Clarify that while it’s ranked 258 on the PassMark rating, it still handles Fortnite smoothly.
    • Briefly explain what CUDA cores are (they assist with parallel processing).
  6. Technical Details:
    • Expand on the PCIe interface. Explain that while it’s PCIe 3.0, it’s still compatible with modern motherboards.
    • Mention that the single 6-pin power connector makes it easy to install.
    • Add a sentence about the card’s compact form factor, which suits various PC builds.
  7. Conclusion:
    • Wrap up by emphasizing that the PNY GTX 1650 is a budget-friendly choice for Fortnite players.
    • Consider adding a positive note about how the game’s dynamic updates keep it fresh and exciting.

Overall, your blog post provides valuable information. With a few tweaks, it’ll be even more engaging for readers. Keep up the great work!

Level Up Your Game with Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 RAM

Memory Reviews

 It’s Freakin’ Insane!

Yo, gamers! Tired of your PC lagging out like your grandpa’s dial-up internet? Want frames so smooth you could butter them on toast? Then ditch your dusty DDR4 RAM and get ready to unleash the beast with Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 memory!

This ain’t your average RAM upgrade, it’s a full-on performance overhaul that’ll leave your old setup whimpering in the corner. We’re talking speeds that’ll make your games feel like they’re on fast forward, load times that vanish quicker than your lunch money.

But hold on, there’s more! This beast ain’t all bark and no bite. Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 rocks something called “ODECC” tech, which basically means it protects your data like a mama bear guards her cubs. No more crashes or stutters, even when you’re pushing your PC to the limit. Plus, it’s got this sweet heatsink that keeps things cool under pressure, so your RAM won’t throttle down like a car with a busted radiator.

And let’s not forget the looks! This RAM ain’t just fast, it’s stylish too. With a sleek design and optional RGB lighting, you can personalize your rig to match your gamer vibes. Whether you’re feeling like a neon ninja or a blackout assassin, there’s a Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 setup that screams “you.”

So, here’s the deal: if you’re serious about gaming and want the best performance your money can buy, then Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 memory is the upgrade you need. It’s like having a cheat code for your PC, giving you the edge you need to dominate the competition and level up your game like a boss. Trust me, once you experience the beastly power of DDR5, you’ll never go back. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you – your friends might accuse you of hacking when they see how smooth your gameplay is!

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

Resources:

https://www.kingston.com/en/memory/gaming/kingston-fury-beast-ddr5-memory

https://gemini.google.com/

AMD Ryzen 3 3200G Review

CPU reviews

The  Ryzen 3 3200G is a low-level processor made by AMD for the lower-priced market.  Currently available on Amazon for $93, I would not recommend this CPU for any mid to high-end user.  Although it has integrated graphics and includes the CPU cooler, the overall benchmark score is fairly low with a Passmark score of only 7144 at the time of this posting.

Experience:  Most games were extremely laggy with this processor if they installed at all.  Basic web browsing was fast and responsive.   Word processing and office tasks were also snappy and responsive.  The system I tested this on had 8GB of RAM and Windows 10 was installed on a SSD.  The CPU cache on this processor is comparatively low and I would not suggest limiting the system RAM below 8GB or putting your OS on a traditional HDD.

CPU Specifications

  • # of CPU Cores – 4
  • # of Threads -4
  • Max. Boost Clock -Up to 4.0GHz
  • Base Clock – 3.6GHz
  • L1 Cache – 384KB
  • L2 Cache -2MB
  • L3 Cache -4MB
  • Default TDP -65W
  • Unlocked for Overclocking – Yes
  • CPU Socket – AM4
  • Launch Date – 7/7/2019

Overall, as I stated earlier, I was not happy with this CPU.  There are other options far superior for near the same cost.  I would avoid purchasing this option if possible.

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

Resources:

https://www.amd.com/en/support/apu/amd-ryzen-processors/amd-ryzen-3-desktop-processors-radeon-vega-graphics/amd-ryzen-3-1https://shop-us-en.amd.com/amd-ryzen-5-7600x-processor/

https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-3200G-Unlocked-Processor/dp/B07STGHZK8?th=1

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+3+3200G&id=3497

Solving Windows 10 Update Issues

IT Support

Here at school, and at my home, we use an SSD for the OS and programs, and a traditional HDD for user files and data.  This requires a registry edit before a user logs on, and has worked great to save SSD space for those items that need SSD speed.

However, it appears to cause issues with major updates in Windows.  While minor updates happen frequently, major ones always fail.  I needed the major upgrade to 21H2 to make Starfall work, so it was a priority!  🙂

To fix this issue I had to do the following.

  1.  Logon with the admin account that was originally setup with windows.  This account is stored in the User folder where windows was installed.
  2. Undo the registry hack to put user folders on the D: Drive.
    1. [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList] should be returned to %SystemDrive%\Users
  3. Run the following in an administrator command prompt.  In short, it repairs the Windows installation folder.
    1. DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
  4. Now I ran an upgrade from a flash drive with the current Windows release…and it worked!

Hope this helps anyone else with Windows upgrade issues, or more importantly, Starfall issues!

Adding a NAS Drive to a Windows 2016 Server

NT IT Reviews

We recently acquired 3 IceBreaker 4936 servers from DoDCFL (for free) and were looking for the best use for these bad boys.  We landed on our CCTV setup.

They are all 36-thread servers with 256GB of RAM and 216TBs of HDDs.  While the storage isn’t blazing fast by today’s standards, it is great archival storage.

Our CCTV system is Milestone, which requires the storage drives to be local.  We decided to try and set up TrueNas on the Icebreaker to allow us to greatly enhance our storage longevity.  The RAID and TrueNAS install are covered in a separate post by my excellent Miami intern (Maverick Peck), that completed that part of the process.

After TrueNas was installed we had to first setup iSCSI on the NAS.  We tried other solutions but in the end, the only one that worked with Milestone was having the drive on the recording server connect with iSCSI Initiator.

Step 1 – On the server that is connecting to the NAS, install iSCSI Initiator.  By typing iSCSI in the start bar you will get the best match of iSCSI Initiator, simply click on it.  Click the Yes button to make it a service that starts automatically in the future.

 

Step 2 – Set up the iSCSI Share you will be using on TrueNAS.  This YouTube video capture covers the process of:

  • Setting up the Zvol storage pool
  • Configuring the iSCSI Block Share
  • Enabling the TrueNAS iSCSI Service
  • Connecting the NAS Volume to iSCSI Initiator on your server
  • Finally, setting up the new disk in Disk Management

Hopefully this helps anyone else looking to setup a NAS and getting drives mapped as local drives on their server.

Cleaning Up BSOD NTFS Issue

NT IT Reviews

Occasionally a Windows system will decide to bother us with a blue screen of death.  There are a few things we can do that may (and usually does) fix the issue.

  1.  Open Powershell as an administrator and run: sfc /scannow
    • This will search for bad windows files and replace them.
  2. Now run : DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
    • This will really do the same but replace them from Microsoft services if the above command could not fix them.
  3. Lastly, run: chkdsk /r /f
    • This will do a checkdisk on your OS drive and attempt to repair the errors.  You technically could do this first, but I got the BSOD when I did it in that order, and fixed my issue when I did it in this order.
    • You will have to do a restart to allow the chkdsk to run on the OS drive.

My First Blog

My First Post

Summer Plans

This summer I am planning on visiting the Maldives to scuba dive.  “Although home to just over half a million people the Maldives has its own unique culture and traditions. While heavily influenced by various cultures around the rim of the Indian Ocean, the Maldivian culture, craft and traditions have been shaped by the island environment and the seas that surround us.” (Maldives)

 

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project. 

References:

https://visitmaldives.com/en

NVidia 3060ti Review

Video Card Reviews

“The GeForce RTXTM 3060 Ti and RTX 3060 let you take on the latest games using the power of Ampere—NVIDIA’s 2nd generation RTX architecture. Get incredible performance with dedicated 2nd gen RT Cores and 3rd gen Tensor Cores, streaming multiprocessors, and high-speed memory.” (Nvidia)

This video card is my personal favorite for the money and is a fantastic addition for any price-minded gamer.

Rated 4.7 out of 5 eggs on Newegg.  Currently lowest priced at $419.99 on Newegg.com

  • NVIDIA Ampere architecture, 2nd Gen Ray Tracing Cores, 3rd Gen Tensor Cores
  • Boost Clock 1695 MHz, 8GB 256-bit GDDR6, 14 Gbps, PCIE 4.0
  • White LED Logo Lighting, IceStorm 2.0 Advanced Cooling, Active Fan Control, Freeze Fan Stop, Metal Backplate
  • 8K Ready, 4 Display Ready, HDCP 2.3, VR Ready
  • 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1, DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan RT API, OpenGL 4.6
  • LHR 25 MH/s ETH hash rate (estimate)

Performance

Card Images

Summary

I have used this card extensively for 3 months now and cannot recommend it more.  It also has the advantage of working with NVidia Broadcast!  This allows the removal of background sounds and images.  I highly recommend giving it a try!

NOTE:  This is part of a class project.

References:

https://www.newegg.com/zotac-geforce-rtx-3060-ti-zt-a30610h-10mlhr/p/N82E16814500518

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/30-series/rtx-3060-3060ti/

G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series – Memory Review

Memory Reviews
List of Specifications:
  • Capacity – 32GB (2 x 16GB)
  • Speed – DDR4 3600
  • CAS Latency – 18
  • Access Time – 5 ns
  • Dual-Channel – Yes
  • ECC – No
Thoughts:

My first thoughts were that this is an exceptional piece of hardware.  The price of $144.99 for 32GB of memory is an exceptional value.  Couple the value with the access time of 5 ns, and you are making a great purchase.  This memory is as fast as almost every more expensive option. The memory was delivered in delicately designed and easy to open packaging.  This RAM looks fabulous inside of any machine. The RGB lighting is great quality and the lighting choices are highly customizable.  These sticks also have a sleek design, making them perfect for a minimalistic design. This is a great choice of memory for anyone looking to game or even use them for the look.

http://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb

Reviews of this RAM on NewEgg verify my conclusions.

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

Intel Core i9-11900KF Review

CPU reviews

The Intel Core i9-11900KF is currently the fastest-rated LGA1200 CPU on the market today.  If you have an LGA1200 compatible motherboard, it is the best CPU for you!

Currently listed for $499 on Newegg, it has excellent reviews by other users.  With 5 out of 5 eggs by all reviewers.

 

The specifications on the CPU are impressive.  The most important of the specs are:

  • Total Cores 8
  • Total Threads 16
  • Max Turbo Frequency 5.30 GHz
  • Processor Base Frequency 3.50 GHz
  • Cache 16 MB Intel® Smart Cache

 

Passmark ratings of this CPU are great. It is rated the highest among LGA 1200 CPUs.  With a combined rating of 25675 and a single thread rating of 3596, this CPU will not disappoint any avid gamer.  It does show it is rated for DDR4 3200, so use caution if you are attempting to use it with other rated memory.

While there are other, faster, Intel CPUs for LGA2066 and LGA1700 motherboards, if you currently have an LGA1200 rig, this is your best choice for a quality upgrade.  The single threat rating is superior to many of the options listed above it in PassMark, and it is the more important number for many gamers.  Game on!

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

NewEgg. “Intel Core i9-11900KF – Core i9 11th Gen Rocket Lake 8-Core 3.5 GHz LGA 1200 125W Desktop Processor – BX8070811900KF.” Newegg.com – Intel Core i9-11900KF, https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i9-11900kf-core-i9-11th-gen/p/N82E16819118259.

“Product Specifications.” Intel Core i911900KF Processor 16M Cache up to 5.30 GHz Product Specifications, https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/212321/intel-core-i911900kf-processor-16m-cache-up-to-5-30-ghz.html.