All posts by Brian Pool

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.

Intel Core i5-9600KF Review

CPU reviews

The Intel Core i5-9600KF is a relatively inexpensive Intel CPU (Central Processing Unit.)  The CPU is the brains of a PC.  Intel is the oldest, most established maker of CPUs.  This CPU would be great for a gamer PC.  It is a 9th generation processor (the newest models from Intel at the time of posting) and runs at a frequency of  3.7 GHz.

Frequency is the speed at which a CPU handles information.  In this case, the CPU works at 3.7 billion cycles per second.   FYI, that is alot. This CPU ranks at 254 on the PassMark rating, but it’s price and performance make it more than good enough for a gamer PC.

Two other really important things to consider when buying a CPU are computing cores and memory.  The i5-9600KF has 6 cores, meaning it can compute 6 different processes at the same time.  More cores means that more things can be happening in the background without slowing down the overall performance of the system.  The memory on this CPU is 9MB of L3 cache.  This is memory that the cores use while it is handling the processing on the system.  9MB is about mid-range, but will again be sufficient for a gamer PC.

The reviews on this CPU are actually great on NewEgg.  NewEgg gives it 5 eggs(the best possible) and you can read all the reviews by clicking the image below.

I should also note that this CPU will automatically increase its speed to 4.6GHz when needed, this is called the “Turbo” frequency.

This CPU needs to be paired with a motherboard with an LGA1151(300 series) socket.  Any other motherboard type will not work.  It will support DDR4 2666 memory on the motherboard, which will also be a consideration when making related purchases.  Finally, a good CPU cooling solution needs to be purchased for it, this CPU does not come with a stock fan.

I highly recommend this CPU for purchase!  It will make a very responsive gaming system, as well as supporting any other needs (like research and homework.)  It is currently listed for $217.89 at NewEgg and $206.99 at Amazon.  Since the price is less, and shipping is free, I would recommend the purchase at this time from Amazon.

Works Cited

“Intel Core i5-9600KF @ 3.70GHz.” PassMark, www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel%2BCore%2Bi5-9600KF%2B%40%2B3.70GHz&id=3443.

“NewEgg.com.” NewEgg.com, www.newegg.com/core-i5-9th-gen-intel-core-i5-9600kf/p/N82E16819117996.

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project