Personal computing discussed

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by nico1982
Sun Aug 19, 2018 3:30 am
Forum: Developer's Den
Topic: Swift 5: async/await pattern
Replies: 4
Views: 9786

Re: Swift 5: async/await pattern

derFunkenstein wrote:
That kind of looks like it could block on the main thread, though.

Yes, wait will block the thread. However, notify returns immediately and accept a block that will be executed when the group is empty.
by nico1982
Sat Aug 18, 2018 1:11 pm
Forum: Developer's Den
Topic: Swift 5: async/await pattern
Replies: 4
Views: 9786

Re: Swift 5: async/await pattern

I'm not really familiar with C# async/await and my iOS skills are a bit rusty now, but I'd take a look at dispatch_group.
by nico1982
Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:19 am
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Power precision screwdriver
Replies: 45
Views: 10527

Re: Power precision screwdriver

Sometimes, putting a thin piece of rubber - cut a piece from a balloon - between the screwdriver bit and the screw head helps.
by nico1982
Tue Apr 11, 2017 2:40 am
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: Nokia to go Full Nexus?
Replies: 16
Views: 2772

Re: Nokia to go Full Nexus?

The title of the thread should be "HMD Global to go Full Nexus?" Nokia has nothing to do with the new "Nokia" phones apart from the licensing of their name. The Nokia you think has nothing to do with the new "Nokia" is not the old Nokia anyway. HMD is more Nokia than t...
by nico1982
Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:02 am
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Console peasants....
Replies: 82
Views: 26562

Re: Console peasants....

whm1974 wrote:
Beg your pardon, but since most console games are limited to 720p@30fps, that is being [i]crippled[./i] And there is no good reason why Destiny(and other console exclusives) is not on the PC.

Such comments make me miss the the PSX 240p era - and earlier - when games were either fun or not fun.
by nico1982
Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:35 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Standing desks?
Replies: 58
Views: 18008

Re: Standing desks?

One of my colleague has one since last year. He actively used it when a novelty, not anymore. Spare the money for a better seat and/or monitor setup, IMHO.
by nico1982
Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:28 am
Forum: Processors
Topic: Tips for Overclocking a Slow Processor
Replies: 6
Views: 1562

Re: Tips for Overclocking a Slow Processor

DPete27 wrote:
First I'd suggest telling us:
1) What processor you have
2) Is this an OEM machine (ie, Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, etc)?

Aslo, slow doing what? Chances are the CPU might be not be the culprit, or not the only responsible for the slowness.
by nico1982
Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:11 am
Forum: Processors
Topic: You will do elaborate power efficiency tests of Ryzen won't you
Replies: 10
Views: 2678

Re: You will do elaborate power efficiency tests of Ryzen won't you

rutra80 wrote:
TechReport was the only site with fancy power efficiency tests, performance per watt etc. Lately you don't do such tests anymore :( Hopefully you're going to perform them on Ryzen?

This. I always found the task energy test quite interesting.
by nico1982
Sat Feb 11, 2017 2:26 pm
Forum: Processors
Topic: Ryzen Passmark: Prime and Physics are off, excels at everything else.
Replies: 213
Views: 26003

Re: Ryzen Passmark: Prime and Physics are off, excels at everything else.

Slightly off-topic, but Wccftech has some photos of very appealing box coolers for Ryzen, which seem to add significant added value. Apparently, they even tested them in an anechoic chamber for noise. Some believe (hold your breath)  that the coolers even include RGB led (meaningless waste of money...
by nico1982
Fri Feb 10, 2017 7:14 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Just lost my cat Zoe
Replies: 40
Views: 17079

Re: Just lost my cat Zoe

I have been there too, I always miss my dog :/ I'm sorry for your loss.
by nico1982
Tue Feb 07, 2017 12:07 pm
Forum: Processors
Topic: i5 with SMT inbound?
Replies: 33
Views: 8376

Re: i5 with SMT inbound?

Isn't an i5 with SMT just an i7 with a bit less cache? Yes. I guess it might also sport a different turbo boost scheme.  Maybe they are paving the way for a six-core only i7 to match Ryzen in the naming convention: SR-7/i7 six core, SR-5/i5 4 cores, SR-3/i3 2 cores. On top of that, we'll get that t...
by nico1982
Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:17 am
Forum: Apple Sanctuary
Topic: Disappointed with 2016 15" MBP
Replies: 28
Views: 10365

Re: Disappointed with 2016 15" MBP

End User wrote:
Thresher wrote:
No more lighted Apple
Thank goodness for that. The modern (unlit) logo looks far better.


Mah, should have been either lit or engraved. The current one is just bland.
by nico1982
Thu Feb 02, 2017 3:54 pm
Forum: Apple Sanctuary
Topic: Even Without A Headphone Jack, iPhone 7 Boosts Apple’s Sales
Replies: 19
Views: 6537

Re: Even Without A Headphone Jack, iPhone 7 Boosts Apple’s Sales

Yep. The uproar over headphone jack was ridiculous. Clearly the market didn’t care. http://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/02/01/iphone-7-jack They cared. However, Apple gave them the chance to courageously partecipate the cause by shelling off $150 for a pair of air pods and they happily did.  I no...
by nico1982
Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:20 am
Forum: Apple Sanctuary
Topic: Apple working on ARM chips for Macs
Replies: 77
Views: 28211

Re: Apple working on ARM chips for Macs

Oh, and as a followup, if Apple really cares about battery life so much, changing the chip ain't going to cut it. Figuring out how to reduce the power consumption of the display... that could be worthwhile. The panel is alreay off when the machine is sleeping, but the sleep battery life of a Macboo...
by nico1982
Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:02 am
Forum: Apple Sanctuary
Topic: Apple working on ARM chips for Macs
Replies: 77
Views: 28211

Re: Apple working on ARM chips for Macs

The other thing of note is that this could be a play to increase performance at the lowend.  Intel's lowest power products are still dual core and adding several ARM cores to offload system tasks would be a means of freeing up CPU time for user space applications.  The performance increase would en...
by nico1982
Sat Jan 28, 2017 2:51 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: USB thumb drives: good or bad brands?
Replies: 22
Views: 18269

Re: USB thumb drives: good or bad brands?

Quite happy of my Transced Jet 720 (https://us.transcend-info.com/Products/No-620). Thumb sized, literally, metal body, shock and splash proof, no parts to break or lose*. Just add it to the key ring and forget about it.

Edit: replaced "it" link with "us" link.
by nico1982
Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:59 pm
Forum: Networking
Topic: Dying router, suggestions to replace?
Replies: 15
Views: 9396

Re: Dying router, suggestions to replace?

How much do you want to spend? Ubiquiti's Edge Router X is a fantastic deal at $50. Pair with a UniFi AP AC-Lite for $80 and you got yourself enterprise WiFi for cheap. Highly recommended. Seconded, but only if you have networking expertise above layman level. I think Ubiquity'UIs, while well done,...
by nico1982
Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:56 pm
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: What would you use...
Replies: 59
Views: 9723

Re: What would you use...

please enlighten me. 90% of the public isn't playing PC games that require discrete graphics. A Core i3 with 8GB of RAM and a 5400RPM hard drive is all they need.  The HP AIOs I can use at school are overkill - Core i5 4570R, 16GB of RAM, 7200RPM hard drives, 1080p TN displays. I'd say that 500 GB ...
by nico1982
Mon Jan 09, 2017 6:08 am
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: What would you use...
Replies: 59
Views: 9723

Re: What would you use...

If he wants an all in one, help him pick a good all in one. I concur. Especially if the current monitor is worse than the AIO one. On top of that, chances are that the NUC is no more upgradeable than the AIO: memory and storage, that is. However, if you want to purse the discrete solution, consider...
by nico1982
Wed Nov 30, 2016 12:18 pm
Forum: Networking
Topic: What Router do you use?
Replies: 108
Views: 14992

Re: What Router do you use?

Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite for routing, and Ubiquiti UniFi AP AC Lite for wireless clients. I hate customer-grade routers, my experiences with every single one were pretty bad. Therefore, this year I splurged out and got myself a setup that works rock solid, without any "but"'s. I'm on an A...
by nico1982
Thu Nov 24, 2016 4:36 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: SSD Suggestions
Replies: 15
Views: 3200

Re: SSD Suggestions

What do people recommend in general in this price range?  Thanks a lot! The "old" MX200 250 GB is under USD 80 on Newegg right now. It is a better driver than those three, but I'm nitpicking. The extra capacity of the MX300 is tempting though. Is 100 an hard limit? The MX300 525 GB is 119...
by nico1982
Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:16 pm
Forum: Overclocking, Tweaking, & Cooling
Topic: Testing a new mATX build
Replies: 8
Views: 4315

Re: Testing a new mATX build

If you're not overclocking, why pay the large premium for a K-variant processor and Z-series motherboard? Couldn't agree more. Providing adequate thermal headroom, you don't even get an extra 200 MHz bump with the K. Check the turbo boost bins per core load: *-------------------------------*-------...
by nico1982
Wed Nov 23, 2016 11:46 am
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Thin and light laptops with 14nm GPUs
Replies: 24
Views: 4006

Re: Thin and light laptops with 14nm GPUs

Chrispy_ wrote:
Sooooo......

Where are the Polaris 11, GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti laptops then?

Apple is likely snatching up every mobile-worthy Polaris chips. I'm not joking.
by nico1982
Tue Nov 22, 2016 5:28 am
Forum: Hot Deals
Topic: Dell UltraSharp U2414H 23.8 inches in $200!
Replies: 7
Views: 3370

Re: Dell UltraSharp U2414H 23.8 inches in $200!

Just found Amazon's Today's deals and this one caught my eye:  Dell UltraSharp U2414H 23.8 inches in $200! Just be aware that is a 6-bit + AFRC panel and not an 8-bit one. It is not uncommon in this screen size. Thanks for the heads up! Anything better in similar cost? Honestly, I'd try to reach th...
by nico1982
Mon Nov 21, 2016 6:35 am
Forum: Hot Deals
Topic: Dell UltraSharp U2414H 23.8 inches in $200!
Replies: 7
Views: 3370

Re: Dell UltraSharp U2414H 23.8 inches in $200!

seankay wrote:
Just found Amazon's Today's deals and this one caught my eye: Dell UltraSharp U2414H 23.8 inches in $200!

Just be aware that is a 6-bit + AFRC panel and not an 8-bit one. It is not uncommon in this screen size.
by nico1982
Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:52 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Tesla Model S Totaled Due To Battery Malfuntion
Replies: 109
Views: 9251

Re: Tesla Model S Totaled Due To Battery Explosion

Before anyone jumps on the bandwagon (not that I necessarily expect that around here), just know that plenty of test drives with ICE cars have ended in similar disaster yet have gone widely unreported.  Teething issues with electric cars are to be expected, and the Model S is still an outstanding a...
by nico1982
Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:48 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: I'm looking for a new wallet
Replies: 38
Views: 4776

Re: I'm looking for a new wallet

I'm getting tired of carrying a thick object in my front pocket everywhere I go. I want to (really really want to) get a more minimalist wallet, but I am having trouble finding something that would work. [...] I need help and I'm sure that some of you will have some very clever and workable solutio...
by nico1982
Mon Nov 23, 2015 8:47 am
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Frame Time Benchmarking - Question on Time Spent Beyond 50ms
Replies: 16
Views: 5381

Re: Frame Time Benchmarking - Question on Time Spent Beyond

I certainly notice when going from 60FPS down to 50. Actually for me, 30FPS is just awful. There is one game I play, I always assumed I was getting like 20FPS but when I finally measured it it was in the 30s-40s. For me, time spend beyond 50ms measures unplayable trash. I always think this when I r...
by nico1982
Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:19 am
Forum: Processors
Topic: The Skylake Prediction Poll!
Replies: 61
Views: 10060

Re: The Skylake Prediction Poll!

I'm optimistic and say 10-15%.

That said, I'm fine with it ending up in the 0-5% range. Just give me a 25-30W 4C/8T to upgrade my 13" MBPr (I keep saying this in every Skylake thread, maybe someone is listening).
by nico1982
Wed May 13, 2015 11:38 am
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Core i5 4460 or A8-7600 with SSD?
Replies: 28
Views: 5260

Re: Core i5 4460 or A8-7600 with SSD?

Yeah, if budget is an issue you're probably going to be better served by an i3 with HD4600 graphics and a B85 motherboard. This. I'd even consider an H81. Even cheaper and she will not notice the difference. By the the time a CPU upgrade will be necessary, both Intel and AMD will be on different so...
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