May 17
I build a new production system every couple of years. This time around, I thought I’d use AMD’s intriguing Ryzen 7 1800X. I haven’t used an AMD CPU for my main production system, well, ever, as far as I can recall. Let’s define what I mean by production system. I work out of my house …
May 16
Welcome to a new Improbable Insights Podcast. Since we’ve been away a bit, David Bryant and I talk about some recent bits in the news, including Nvidia’s GTC, net neutrality, more Amazon Echo, and Microsoft late to the party once again. Tools & Fun David and I talk about the games we’ve been playing: Ghost …
Apr 24
I confess the title of this article isn’t completely accurate because I don’t talk about a single Ryzen 5 gaming PC, but several different possible options. However, I only build one of these options. Each option differs in cost and configuration somewhat; one even dips below $1,000 while still offering the same graphics hardware. Before I discuss …
Apr 13
I recently acquired a Sigma 50-100mm f1.8 zoom lens, part of the company’s Art lens series. At first blush, a 2x zoom ratio seems pretty limited, but two things set this Sigma apart from other zooms. The first is the optical quality, which is outstanding. The second is the f1.8 maximum aperture, which can be …
Apr 11
Scott Gardner, former industry analyst and tech company executive, joins David Bryant and me on the Improbable Insights podcast to discuss the impact of AMD’s Ryzen CPU release will have on the industry. AMD just began shipping the Ryzen 5 CPUs, which sport four or six cores, with two threads per core. More importantly, AMD …
Apr 10
I ended part I of this ongoing Ryzen system diary on something of a cliffhanger: the PC had suddenly stopped booting. I’ve been away from the AMD fold for years when it comes to actual system building, so blaming the Ryzen system for the boot issue was my first reaction. I shrugged that immediate, admittedly …
Mar 28
Mass Effect Andromeda Updates the Formula Eric and I bring on a guest host, Ron Talbot, to discuss Mass Effect Andromeda. We all took an afternoon on release day to play single player and multiplayer in the same room. We all came away impressed at the overall mechanics but less impressed with the user interface …
Apr 25
Improbable Insights Podcast: Should You Buy a Game Console?
Game consoles once ruled the roost when it came to AAA game titles. The major console companies vied for exclusive titles and had unparalleled ease of use. Consoles even offered performance superior to the best PCs of the day. The PC looked like it would be relegated to more complex strategy games, with the big …
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