The simplest fix is to call your ISP since you are paying for the service. However, the problem may be something simple like a loose cable. Let’s explore a few common solutions:

1) Check the Physical Cables

First, ensure that your physical connections are secure. If you reset your router manually, a cable might have come loose. Check the router/ONT’s power connection cable and the Ethernet cable in the LAN port. If you have a Fiber Optic connection, examine the Fiber Optic cable from the Fiber Termination Box to the ONT.

Routers nowadays have multiple LAN/Ethernet ports. Check all LAN ports one by one, after verifying that the cable itself is functional.

2) Power Cycle Your Router

Power cycling involves turning hardware off and then on again. A restart usually fixes most connection issues. If you have a router and modem combo, turn both devices off, wait for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then turn them on again.

The process is the same for an ONT. Unplug or turn your ONT off, wait for 30 seconds, and then turn it on again to complete the power cycle.

3) Internet Outage

If your ISP is experiencing an outage or conducting maintenance, you are likely to be informed beforehand. If not, contact them via their customer service helpline.

Some ONTs indicate an Internet outage with a red light, meaning the router cannot connect to the Internet because there is an outage in your area.

4) Faulty Hardware

After checking your settings, router, and cables, consider if the Ethernet Controller on your motherboard might be at fault. Try using the same Ethernet cable with another device like a laptop.

Most motherboards now come with built-in Wi-Fi. If Wi-Fi works flawlessly and the cable is not damaged, the issue might be with the Ethernet port or controller.

5) Check the Log Files

Your router’s web interface contains log files that can help diagnose the error if you can decode them. This option may be found under the “Maintenance” or “Diagnostics” section; consult your router’s manual for specifics.

You can share these logs (while hiding sensitive information) on Reddit with experts for advice. Alternatively, reach out to your ISP; their technician will likely use the log files to diagnose the issue.

6) Reach Out to Your ISP

If you have exhausted all troubleshooting steps, contact your ISP. Remember, you are paying for both Internet and after-sales service.

If the issue cannot be fixed remotely, a team from your ISP may visit to find the root cause of the problem.

If your Internet is provided by a local ISP sharing bandwidth from a larger national ISP, your router is likely configured manually by the ISP during installation. If you reset your router, these settings are lost, and only the ISP can fix it.

The post No Internet After Resetting Router? Here’s What to Do! appeared first on Appuals.

So, what exactly is the difference between an EVO SSD and a QVO SSD? Let’s find out in this guide.

SSD Basics

SSDs store data in flash memory chips, more specifically NAND flash. Inside these flash chips are billions of small memory cells arranged in a vertically stacked arrangement, commonly known as 3D NAND or V-NAND. A cell is the smallest unit of an SSD.

Cell Types

Cells store data by trapping electrons or charges. The market is filled with four different types of cells. The underlying physics is quite complicated, so we won’t dive into the details of their construction.

• SLC (Single Level Cell) – Stores 1 bit per cell | High Speeds | Costly
• MLC (Multi Level Cell) – Stores 2 bits per cell | Slightly Lower Speeds | Less Expensive
• TLC (Triple Level Cell) – Stores 3 bits per cell | Lower Speeds | Cheaper
• QLC (Quad Level Cell) – Stores 4 bits per cell | Slowest Speeds | Cheapest

For example, if you wish to store “255” (11111111 in binary) in a QLC SSD, you might only need a part of a single cell since QLC cells can store up to 4 bits (16 different states) each. However, an SLC SSD would require eight cells because each cell stores just one bit. It’s important to note that this simplification ignores complexities such as wear leveling, error correction, and actual write amplification which affect how data is physically laid out in the SSD.

TBW (TeraBytes Written)

The endurance of SSDs is measured in TBW or TeraBytes Written. Once this value is exceeded, data cannot be stored reliably. Reading data from SSDs is less taxing on the lifespan compared to writing, but very high-read scenarios can still contribute to wear through mechanisms like wear leveling and background activities. However, this impact is minor compared to the effect of write operations.

Read/Write Speeds

The term “Sequential Read/Write” represents the speed you should expect from your SSD when reading from or writing to files that are placed next to each other.

Random Read/Write speeds are expressed in IOPS (Input Output Operations per Second). These speeds indicate how quickly data can be read from or written to randomly. Higher speeds can improve day-to-day usage and fluidity.

SLC Caching

Most buffering on your SSD is done through a process called “SLC Caching.” A small part of your SSD is converted to fast SLC and acts as a cache. Writing data directly to QLC SSDs is slow, so manufacturers convert a part of your SSD into SLC Cache to speed up the process.

This was a basic rundown of the terminologies we will focus on later. For a very in-depth guide regarding SSDs, we suggest you read to read our detailed SSD Buying Guide.

EVO vs QVO

Initially, Samsung only offered PRO and EVO SSDs. However, this changed in 2020 when Samsung introduced its first QLC offerings. QLC is intended to offer higher capacities, but the tradeoff is reduced speed and lifespan.

For context, here is a comparison of Samsung’s 860 series, which launched in QVO, EVO, and PRO variants. Let’s go over the primary differences.

1) NAND Type

Samsung’s QVO SSDs are cheaper and denser since they use QLC memory. Meanwhile, the EVO lineup is equipped with slightly better TLC, and the PRO series uses MLC. SLC is reserved for military-grade and enterprise-level equipment due to its cost.

Raw QLC performance can be slower than that of hard drives and flash drives once the SLC cache fills up. QLC stores 4 bits per cell, resulting in 16 different voltage thresholds or possible values that can be stored.

Samsung rates the raw speeds (once the SLC cache is exhausted) for the 870 EVO at 530 MB/s. The 870 QVO can slow down significantly once its SLC cache is exhausted, sometimes reaching as low as 80 MB/s under certain conditions.

However, it’s essential to note that the actual slowdown can vary based on workload and firmware optimizations. Some lower-end HDDs might have sequential write speeds comparable to or even lower than a QLC SSD operating without cache.

2) Lifespan

The Samsung 860 EVO 1TB has a TBW of 600 TeraBytes Written, while its QVO counterpart has just 360 TBW. If you write 50GB/day, here’s the average lifespan of both drives:

1. Samsung 860 EVO – 32 Years
2. Samsung 860 QVO – 20 Years

That’s a significant decrease. Why? QLC SSDs need to distinguish 16 different voltage levels, twice as many as TLC. Consequently, QLC cells undergo increased degradation compared to TLC cells. This is due to the higher number of voltage levels required to store 4 bits per cell (16 levels for QLC) versus 3 bits per cell (8 levels for TLC). The tighter voltage tolerances lead to higher error rates and faster wear over time.

3) Storage Capacity

The Samsung 870 QVO offers up to 8TB of storage, whereas the 870 EVO tops out at 4TB. A QLC cell can hold 4 bits, but a TLC cell can only store 3 bits, allowing QVO SSDs to store 33% more data with the same number of cells.

1. Samsung 870 EVO: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB
2. Samsung 870 QVO: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB

4) Price

SSD prices vary over time. At launch, the 870 QVO was actually more expensive than the 870 EVO by $20. However, SSD prices can fluctuate rapidly.

1. Samsung 870 QVO 4TB Launch Price: $500
2. Samsung 870 EVO 4TB Launch Price: $480

Nowadays, the 870 4TB EVO is 10% more expensive than its QVO counterpart. Given this price difference, it’s important to consider the trade-offs in speed and TBW before making a choice.

So, which SSD is for you?

The most recent QVO SSD from Samsung is the Samsung 870 QVO, launched in 2020. Due to the marginal price difference with its EVO equivalent, it typically makes sense to go for the Samsung 870 EVO.

However, in a general sense, QLC SSDs aren’t inherently bad if you’re using them for read-only purposes. If you want to use it as a game drive or a Plex drive, you probably wouldn’t mind the drawbacks of QLC.

For your operating system, longevity and sustained write speeds make TLC (EVO) equipped SSDs a better option. The choice is yours.

The post Samsung QVO vs EVO: Which is Better? appeared first on Appuals.

So how much does your PC cost? Whether you’re upgrading your current rig or saving money for something else, it always helps to know how much cash you can expect after selling your system. In this guide, we will focus on what aspects make your PC more expensive and which tools you can use to get an estimated figure.

Nominal Price vs Real Price

A PC comprises many different parts, and within those parts, you have many models. The Nominal Price of your system can be determined by a tool such as PCPartPicker; which does not account for regional pricing and other factors. This can give you a quick estimated figure but can vary wildly based on where you live or the condition of your parts.

Nominal Price

The Nominal Price is the retail price of your PC right now, globally. When calculating the Nominal Price, we’ll assume the parts to be brand new since if your build is 2-3 years old, chances are there isn’t a huge price gap between used and old components, if they are still being produced that is.

As an example, the i5-11400 had an MSRP of $182 at launch. After a few generations, its price has gone down to as low as $119.99, brand new. This is the Nominal Price.

• The nominal Price is the current MSRP of your components.
• It reflects the price you’d pay right now for your components, brand new.
• If your build is newly built, the Nominal Price and MSRP could be similar.

Real Price

The Real Price is the Nominal Price adjusted for your regional market. This is basically what you can expect to get if you sell your system right now.

Sticking with the i5-11400 example, in Pakistan, the Real Price of that processor (Used) is approximately $106 as per our research. While the difference isn’t huge in this example, parts with limited availability can see a significant bump or fall in the Real Price.

• The Real Price is the Nominal Price but is based on the regional market and how much the product has been used.
• This quotation represents the resale value of your PC in the local market.

Likewise, using the principle of supply and demand, your Real Price could be significantly lower than the Nominal Price since the current global retail value (Nominal Price) of a product will not always reflect the price in your local shops. For example, while the Vega 64 can beat the GTX 1080 in some cases, it is always cheaper given the low demand.

Enough talking, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how you can determine your PC’s Nominal and Real price.

READ MORE: How to Find Out How Old Is Your Computer – Windows & Mac ➜

How to Determine the Price of My PC?

Before we go in-depth, our guide focuses on two aspects; the Real Price and the Nominal Price. The former will be discussed later on, with a more hands-on approach. Meanwhile, the latter is rather simple to calculate.

1) PCPartPicker — Nominal Price

PCPartPicker is a website that allows users to compare and check the compatibility of various PC components. It works by scraping data from a large number of retailers online to give you the best prices. Consider it the go-to place for “Drafting a PC“, literally. Here’s how you can use this tool:

1. Search the term “PC Part Picker” on Google. Make sure you double-check the URL; “https://pcpartpicker.com“
   
2. Click on the “Start Your Build” button as shown in the image.
   
3. Once you’re presented with the interface, select all the parts inside your PC in the respective fields. Be mindful to add the correct models, as they have a substantial impact on the price.
   
4. Keep in mind, you might not find the prices for every single part here, especially if it is restricted to a few regions only. The final estimate for our build comes out to be $570. On purchase, this PC cost around $720. We’ll share a detailed chart below.
   
   

While you can set an asking price of $570 for this build, this is around $70 more expensive than our estimated Real Price. Again, $570 does not account for the fact that our PC has been “used” and the local market’s variance.

Using the previous Vega 64 vs GTX 1080 example, users in our local community were willing to pay a maximum of 45000 PKR ($161) for a top-of-the-line Asus ROG Strix Vega 64 8GB. Meanwhile, Dual-Fan GTX 1080s go for around 50000 PKR – 60000 PKR ($180–$215).

While we’re at it, based on eBay’s data, the GTX 1080 has a Nominal Price of $100–$120 in the US, much lower than in Pakistan. This is why it is important to not only rely on the Nominal Price but also research your local market as well.

2) Manually Searching — Real Price

There are two ways to go this route; scour the physical market or search local online marketplaces. We’ll opt for the latter as it is simply more convenient. There are several websites and services you can use such as:

1. Facebook Marketplace
2. Subreddits
3. eBay
4. OLX (if available in your country)

Every country has that one specific online marketplace that everyone loves, so finding buyers and a community to get quotes from should not be that difficult. Anyhow, using the same PC we used in PCPartPicker to get a Nominal Price, let’s try and find the Real Price.

We’ll use the PPG Facebook group from Pakistan in our case to get the required data. As can be seen, the Real Price is 10% lower than the Nominal Price using PCPartPicker. Moreover, after 2 years of use, our parts have devalued by almost 30%, without taking into account inflation.

1. The nominal Price has been calculated using PCPartPicker. ︎
2. The Real Price has been gathered from various sources; PPG, OLX, and Facebook Marketplace. We have taken upwards of 5 samples for each part and calculated the average. ︎
3. Appropriate USD to PKR rates have been used for calculation; 1 USD = 215 PKR (July 2022) / 178 PKR (December 2021). ︎

Now, you might say that 10% isn’t large enough to warrant this level of research. And you’re partially correct. However, what if your Real Price was actually 10% higher, instead of lower like in our case?

The next step is to visit local markets and get an estimate for your build. It is best you not only stick to 1 shop but try at least 5-6 different ones to get multiple opinions. We’ve seen time and time again that users end up getting ripped off because of this mistake.

READ MORE: How Much Does It Cost to Replace A Phone Screen in 2024? ➜

What Factors Increase Your PC’s Value?

Now what exactly can you do to increase your PC’s worth? Aside from the typical; don’t break it, don’t damage it… There is a chance you may be able to get a higher asking price based on your components and a few important quirks.

1. CPU — Tray vs Boxed

Be it tray or boxed, the physical chip (CPU) is the same. The only difference is the warranty (and the cool packaging). If your CPU is boxed, you can directly contact Intel or AMD for a replacement in case of any issues. If you bought a tray CPU, however, you’re reliant on your distributor since tray CPUs are supplied in bulk to OEMs.

If you’ve been up to speed with the recent Intel 13th / 14th Generation fiasco, Intel initially only extended warranties for Boxed CPUs. However, after some backlash, Tray CPUs were later included in the list as well. The caveat is that you’d still need to contact your distributor and not Intel.

2. GPU — The AIB Tax

Is it really worth spending extra money on a supposedly “better” GPU model, even though the chip inside is physically the same? Take this example, the ZOTAC Trinity RTX 4090 costs 574,999 PKR ($2068). The same shop sells the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 4090 for 764,999 PKR ($2751).

Now we won’t question your purchasing habits, but generally, high-end models can sustain this “AIB Tax” for a few generations even. But again, it will be a hassle finding someone who’d be willing to pay 35% more for the same GPU.

3. RAM — RGB & Better Timings

It will be blasphemous not to mention RGB if we’re talking about PC gaming. Users are willing to pay more for RAM with RGB, simply due to their aesthetics. Likewise, we strongly advise you to not overlook your RAM’s specifications as speeds and timings really matter.

Two similar kits of Corsair Vengeance 2x16GB DDR5 memory have a 22% price difference only because the more expensive one is faster (5600MT/s vs 6200MT/s). So, faster RAM (with RGB of course) not only impacts your PC’s performance but also increases its overall value.

4. Motherboard — Expensive is Better?

Getting a high-end motherboard is almost always better than sticking with the budget or entry-level options. The answer is pretty much self-explanatory, you get better VRMs, memory overclocking, CPU overclocking, extra ports, more NVMe slots, and memory channels.

There is a caveat, however. Intel is infamous for its short platform support, meaning that every 2 years you will need to upgrade the motherboard to use your shiny new processor. An expensive Z790 might be tempting but note that in just 1-2 years you’d be selling a motherboard based on an outdated platform, which is easier said than done.

5. Peripherals — The More the Merrier

Your chosen accessories can contribute quite a bit to your PC’s cost. Used keyboards and mice don’t usually sell for that much cheaper, typically losing 15-20% of their value at best, based on the condition.

What we do recommend is replacing the foam pads on your headphones since they generally get worn out pretty quickly. Gaming monitors are actually better if purchased used since the end-user has a sure way of knowing whether the display has dead pixels or scratches; you don’t get that luxury with new box-packed monitors.

6. Miscellaneous

To sum it all up, here is a list of things that could potentially lower or increase your system’s value:

• There should be no visible cracks or damage to the exterior.
• The hardware should not be faulty, for example, malfunctioning motherboard ports.
• GPUs opened for maintenance such as repasting are cheaper than sealed GPUs.
• Modded peripherals, especially with optical switches may fetch a higher price than brand-new ones.
• Any product in warranty will automatically increase its value.
• The more RGB, the more your PC will stand out.

READ MORE: PC Gaming Peripherals – Are Racing Wheels Really Worth the Money? ➜

Conclusion

Selling your PC is often not an easy thing to do, even if you plan on upgrading. Many people mistakenly sell their PCs at 10-15% lower than their Real Price, because they didn’t do ample research.

If you want to increase your PC’s value, try focusing on the small things such as RGB SSD heatsinks (Yes that’s a real term), a GPU bracket, and whatnot. Try undervolting or even overclocking your CPU/GPU to the max. This will make your listing more enticing and save the end user the hassle of finding these values from scratch.

The post How Much is My PC Worth? Find Out Your PC’s Actual Value appeared first on Appuals.

What is Host Attestation?

In simple terms, Host Attestation verifies the integrity of your computer (the host) on which various Virtual Machines are running through vSphere. This ensures that the system has not been tampered with and offers a safe environment for the VMs on it. Consider how you (the VM) would want your house (the host) to be secure.

A report containing vital data regarding your system is created and used to identify against known or expected values to see if the host is trustworthy. This becomes indispensable in server environments where data worth billions of dollars is being fed into remote machines, and you’d want to make sure these machines are trusted.

Typically, TPM is not required in vSphere. Each VM in a vSphere environment uses a vTPM (Virtual TPM), to ensure security at the grassroots level. You don’t need a physical TPM to use vTPM. A vTPM allows the use of services like BitLocker per each VM separately.

The “Host TPM Attestation Alarm” issue occurs because of the physical TPM. This could be due to many reasons; adding a new TPM chip, insufficient TPM hardware, incorrect UEFI settings, or vSphere/vCenter version.

READ MORE: PTT vs TPM: Microsoft’s Security Effort for Windows 11 ➜

How to Fix “Host TPM Attestation Alarm”?

Luckily for us, fixing the Host TPM Attestation Alarm is not that difficult. First, we need to find the root cause of the problem. To do so, we can either view the respective error message or go through the logs.

1. Connect to the vCenter Server.
2. Select a data center and go to the “Monitor” tab.
3. Under “Performance“, click on “Security“.
4. Locate the machine that is facing this issue and check the error message in the “Message” column. (Credits: VMware)
   
5. If the message says, “Host secure boot was disabled“, then follow Step 1 below to enable Secure Boot from your UEFI settings. If the “Attestation” column simply states “Failed“, then you’ll have to check the vCenter Server log files. For more information regarding log files, follow this guide.
6. Once you’ve found the vpxd.log file, check to see if it contains the log, “No cached identity key, loading from DB“. If so, then follow Step 2.

1) Does Your Host Meet the Requirements?

If your VM is configured to use host attestation, then you must meet a few requirements, which are:

• A physical TPM 2.0 chip
• Secure Boot must be enabled
• TPM must use SHA-256 based encryption
• vCenter Server and ESXi versions must be updated to 6.7 or higher

In almost all cases, either the user has accidentally disabled TPM or Secure Boot. To re-enable these settings, follow these steps:

1. Restart your PC and press the “Delete“, “F1“, “F2” or the “F10” keys.
2. Navigate to the “Boot” tab and find a setting that says “Secure Boot“. Set this to “Enabled“.
   
3. Next up, we need to enable TPM. Go to the “Settings” tab. In our case, TPM was present under the “Trusted Computing” section. This could be different for your system, so it is best to consult your motherboard’s manual.
   
4. If your applications are not up to date, you should upgrade them to at least version 6.7, according to the requirements. As vSphere and vCenter are sophisticated applications, it is recommended you follow the proper guides (vSphere, vCenter) to ensure no unforeseen problems occur.

READ MORE: How to Enable TPM 2.0 in BIOS on Asus Devices ➜

2) Installing a TPM Chip in an Existing Host

If your log files contain the text “No cached identity key, loading from DB“, this essentially means that you installed a TPM 2.0 chip in a host that is already managed by vCenter. To fix this, simply put your host in maintenance mode, disconnect your ESXi host from the vCenter Server, and reconnect it.

1. Log in to the vSphere Client.
2. Right-click on the respective ESXi host.
3. Select “Maintenance Mode” and click on “Enter Maintenance Mode“. (Credits: StarWind Software)
   
4. Once in Maintenance Mode, again right-click on the server. Go to “Connection” and select “Disconnect” as shown. (Credits: VMware)
   
5. After successfully disconnecting the server, right-click on the server once more, go to “Connection” and select “Connect“. Wait until the task status updates to complete.
6. If the vpxd.log file doesn’t have the same message anymore, then Reset the alarm to Green manually. (Credits: Lenovo)
   

How Reliable is TPM?

Host Attestation relies on TPM (Trusted Platform Module) hardware on the host. A report is generated by the system which contains a hash of its current state, software, firmware, and whatnot. When combined, it is almost impossible to spoof or recreate a copy of this hash, thanks to a process called hash-chaining.

The physical TPM on your host cannot be passed on to the VMs installed on it. The VMs use what is called a vTPM (Virtual TPM) which offers the software-level functionality of a TPM 2.0 chip. The physical TPM assures that the host booted securely and has little to nothing to do with the VMs installed on it.

There can be a situation where if your server uses “Host Attestation” and the attestation fails due to the physical TPM, the host becomes unable to decrypt the VM configuration files because the vCenter Server doesn’t trust it.

Therefore, TPM can become extremely useful if you’re all in for that extra layer of protection and security. However, be mindful of its drawbacks since services like BitLocker can encrypt your entire drive and make it inaccessible without valid credentials.

READ MORE: Is It Safe to Clear TPM When Resetting Windows 10/11? ➜

Conclusion

The “Host TPM Attestation Alarm” is a very complex and detailed topic if you get into the nitty-gritty, however, fixing this problem involves just 2 simple checks. Do note that there can be a large number of issues if you’re setting up this feature, such as hashing algorithms, managing many hosts, and whatnot, but they can get extremely specific.

However, thanks to abstraction and a streamlined process, this error is mostly caused by incorrect UEFI settings or improper installation of the TPM chip. In any case, while TPM does have its benefits, it also poses the risk of completely locking you out of your system in rare scenarios. Therefore, we recommend users to assess the risks and benefits and proceed with caution.

The post How to Fix “Host TPM Attestation Alarm” in VMware? appeared first on Appuals.

All of this discussion begs the question, “What PSU do I currently have?“. Whether you believe in the philosophy of pre-builts / OEMs or have built your PC by yourself from the ground up, finding what PSU you use is as simple as looking at the supply itself, for the most part. After this guide, you too will know what power supply you have.

What is a Power Supply?

Put simply, the PSU of your computer converts AC Power from the mains into DC Power. While doing so, it also steps down the voltage from say 220V to +12V, +5V, and +3.3V DC to power your PC’s crucial components. You can probably understand how even a slight hitch in power delivery can literally set your PC on fire.

Unlike the CPU, motherboard, GPU, and whatnot, your PSU is not a smart device. Therefore, no amount of software can ever determine your current PSU, unless, if you have an OEM-specific application but that’s the exception rather than the rule.

READ MORE: PC Power Supply Buying Guide – How to Choose The PSU For Your Gaming PC ➜

How Do You Know Your Power Supply Model?

In almost every case, you’ll have to physically inspect your system to see what PSU you have. Let’s go over this step by step.

1) Pre-Builts and Gaming PCs

1. Unplug your PC from the mains by pulling out the socket and switching the PSU button (if any) off.
   
   
   
2. Locate screws (if any) on your PC’s side panel and unscrew them. Some pre-builts such as Dell OptiPlex may have a case that uses a latch mechanism. From the image attached below, it is quite obvious that our system is equipped with an XPG Pylon PSU, however, just to get the point across, we’ll unscrew the side panel and give you a better view.
   
   
   
3. After removing the side cover carefully and placing it aside, we can have a better look at the PSU.
   
   
   
4. This information is not enough to pinpoint the exact model. In most cases, it is possible to view the sticker containing detailed specifications of the PSU in question without unplugging it from the system.
5. From the top of the PSU, we can clearly see that this is the 650W (Total Continuous Power) variant of the XPG Pylon. If you have difficulty viewing the sticker, you should search for your unit on the Internet since specifications from most renowned vendors are easily accessible.
   
   

2) OEM Systems

A quick word of advice, we strongly suggest users swap their OEM PSU for a more reliable and well-known brand for performance and safety reasons. While OEM PSUs can be decent or even good at times, there is no sure way of knowing unless someone has extensively tested that unit, the chances of which are low to none.

Anyhow, if you still want to know the maximum power output or detailed specifications of your OEM PSU, there are a few methods.

1. Remove the front panel as explained above.
2. Inspect the sticker on the Power Supply. You typically want to look for something that says “Maximum Power“. In this case, the PSU is rated at 250W maximum and is certified for 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency. If for some reason, you want an even more detailed overview, try looking for a serial number, which in this case is “CN-0W72XN-7130B. (Image Credits: Reddit)
   
   
   
3. A simple Google Search against the term “CN-0W72XN-7130B” brings us to a digital spec sheet of this unit.

3) Check the Purchase Receipts

If you still have the receipt of the purchase of your PC, then you can consult that to go over all the components; including the PSU. Even if you don’t have the physical copy, try going over your old messages with the seller since most online vendors also send you a soft copy as well.

In addition to knowing your PSU model, you can gain insight into other parts of your PC as well with this method.

4) Use Software to Check Your PSU Model

Remember when we said that the PSU is a “dumb” component? That is still technically true as all your PSU does is supply power and regulate it. There needs to be some data connections between the PSU and motherboard, for which we currently do not have an industry-wide standard.

Some brands do offer a feature in higher-end PSUs and motherboards that allow users to monitor their PSUs using software. An example is Corsair’s iCUE software that can monitor PSUs (Corsair AXi, HXi, and RMi series). Since this feature serves a small niche of the entire market, most brands don’t bother adding software monitoring options for PSUs.

So if you want to know your PSU using software, you’re basically at the mercy of your brand at this point.

READ MORE: The 5 Best Entry-Level Budget PSUs For Gaming PCs ➜

How to Pick a Good PSU?

Never cheap out on your Power Supply! Your PSU can make or break your PC. Those $20 you just saved could cost you your entire system in the worst-case scenario. Good PSUs sacrifice themselves before any damage occurs to the system. So, in light of this argument, what exactly qualifies as a good Power Supply?

1. How Much Power Do You Need?

The first step is to determine your needs. You may use online tools such as Newegg’s Power Supply Calculator to see how much power your system may require at full load. Assume you are pairing an RTX 3060 (TDP: 200W) with a Ryzen 5 7500F (TDP: 65W), this puts us at 300–350W, considering additional headroom for other components.

Despite this, many (including the online PSU Calculator) will suggest a 500–600W PSU, to be in the safe zone.

2. Choosing the Appropriate PSU

Once you have decided on the required wattage, it’s time to pick the Power Supply of your choice. Word of advice, don’t blindly trust all numbers you see by manufacturers. We strongly recommend users go over independent reviews consult the PSU Cultist tier list and make sure your PSU isn’t below Tier C (Low-end).

 Single vs Multi Rail PSUs

On a PSU, you’ll typically see 3 rails; +5V, +3.3V, and +12V. These serve different purposes;

1. 12V: CPU, GPU, Fans and PCI-E cards
2. 5V: HDD, SATA SSDs, Optical Drives, PCI cards and USB
3. 3.3V: RAM and Motherboard (Deprecating Slowly)

A while back, PSUs used to come with single or multiple +12V rails. The +12V rails carry the most power, so, for safety reasons, they were split up into multiple channels. In the case of MSI’s MPG A850GF, you’d expect that the +12V rail can deliver 850W in all conditions, but that’s partially true, as in the given example, the +12VVGA1 (1st GPU) can only be supplied with 480W of power (12V x 40A).

As you can see, the XPG Pylon 650 can deliver 648W from the single +12V rail (12V x 54A), ample for most budget CPU+GPU combinations. Therefore, while rare, it is still important to check whether the PSU you’re choosing has a single-rail or a multi-rail setup.

 Output Wattage and Efficiency

The “Total Continuous Power” figure is a combination of total power drawn across all the stated power rails at any given moment. The “Output Wattage” on the contrary is the theoretical maximum of what each power rail can deliver. All these rails cannot achieve their peak output wattage concurrently and will add up to the Total Continuous Power.

Moreover, efficiency is more important than you think! If your PSU is 80% efficient (80 PLUS) and uses 500W at any given moment, then 625W will be drawn from the wall due to efficiency losses. At 94% efficiency (80 PLUS Platinum at 50% load), this would reduce to 532W.

These values are measured from 20% load to 100% load. Your efficiency could drop if your system uses <20% of the total PSU’s capacity. In any case, 50% load seems to be the sweet spot for efficiency. In a theoretical system that has a 2000W PSU and the total load is at 50% (1000W), here’s the difference you’d see between an 80 PLUS PSU and an 80 PLUS TITANIUM PSU:

• 80 PLUS: 1250W From the Wall
• 80 PLUS TITANIUM: 1063W From the Wall

That’s a near 200W difference. If the system is run 24/7 for 30 days, then you’d see a 144 unit (kWh) energy consumption difference between the two. Electricity rates in California are around 19.90 cents per kWh, so you’re looking at $30 savings per month.

READ MORE: The Difference: Gold vs Bronze Rated Power Supplies ➜

Conclusion

Long story short, if you want to know what PSU your system uses, just remove the side panel and look at the PSU sticker. If there is no sticker present, however, you could search online for your OEM system (OptiPlex, ThinkCentre, etc.) and try to match the exact model.

There are many reasons why you’d want to know your PSU’s details. If you’re looking to get a new GPU, many old supplies simply lack a 1×8 pin or a 1×6+2 pin connector. You do want to look out for motherboards in OEM builds that lack a 24-pin connector. In that case, if you wish to replace the PSU, you might have to swap the motherboard as well.

The post How to Know What Power Supply You Have? [4 Easy Ways] appeared first on Appuals.

Phone Repair Guru on YouTube recently compared the process of replacing the battery on Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Apple’s AirPods Pro. While both use a very similar design and internals, Apple’s approach was, to say the least, extremely unfriendly for repairing.

Apple’s AirPods Pro offer an IPX4 rating whereas the Buds 3 Pro offer IP57. Here, IP57 is a bit more protective as it provides protection against dust and water immersion up to 1m for 30 minutes. Despite this, Samsung’s Buds 3 Pro is much more repairable than Apple’s AirPods Pro, completely negating Apple’s claims:

Designing for repairability

This may not appear as a friendly contest since Apple has released its 2nd Generation AirPods Pro. However, even they suffer from more of the same problems and land another 0/10 in iFixit’s book. Adding insult to injury, their IP54 rating does not protect against water immersion.

Here’s how both devices compare in their disassembly process:

The AirPods Pro: A Gluey Mess

First things first, in order to access the battery, users need to open the AirPods through heating. Using a clamp specifically designed for AirPods, which mind you, also fits the Buds 3 Pro (we wonder why), the glue loosened and the stems came apart, to some extent. But here’s where things start to get worse.

Apple’s connectors are so tiny and hard to remove that this repair would be impossible without a special micro soldering station. Here’s our first problem, removing the Bluetooth module’s ribbon cable. The not-so-fun part is that Apple has used glue to keep the ribbon cable in place, to prevent water damage, we presume. One wrong step, and you may end up with a broken pin or cable.

After a lot of alcohol and heat, the ribbon cable finally came off. Oh don’t worry, it gets even more difficult. Apparently, the entire earpiece is engulfed in some white adhesive, again for water resistance we guess. After that is painstakingly taken off, your next job is to remove the speaker from the battery — by desoldering it.

Once the speaker and battery have been desoldered, the battery is popped out with a tweezer. It almost feels like this product wasn’t made with repairability in mind. Don’t take our word for it, iFixit gives the AirPods 2 Pro, which is supposed to be an improvement over the originals, a 0/10 in the repairability score.

“Personalized spatial audio can give you a great audio experience but can it mute the guilt of wearing unrepairable future e-waste?“

iFixit

You can imagine how hard it would be to connect the new battery. The repair afterward involved soldering millimeter-wide connections, with zero margin of error, doing everything in reverse, and hoping that these AirPods just work, provided if you didn’t break any connections.

Over to You Samsung

While we don’t usually compare aesthetics, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro looks awfully inspired by Apple’s AirPods. Not to say that’s a bad thing, especially when they could make Apple rethink their stance on repairability.

The case was rather easy to disassemble. You’re practically a few Phillips screws away from removing the case battery and inserting a new one. The one thing that isn’t easily repairable is the Type-C port which is soldered, one point to Apple for that, but you can make do if you know how to solder.

Moving over to the Buds themselves, we hope you remember the steps involved with the AirPods Pro. Let’s compare them against the Buds 3 Pro. Using the same clamp and some heated air, the stems came off partially. The one downside is that the stems are glued together, so when reassembling, you’ll have to glue them back.

The ribbon cable clips out easily, as there is no adhesive involved. Since we’re doing a battery replacement, yes, there will be some desoldering but that’s it. You won’t need a micro soldering station and hands with 100% precision and accuracy to repair these, unlike the AirPods Pro.

On loosening up just 2 solder joints, you can pry the battery open and voilà. If you’re careful and don’t damage the protective layer on the flex cable, this repair could potentially retain Samsung’s advertised IP57 rating.

Conclusion

Samsung is not exactly renowned for its support of the Right to Repair (1) (2), but it is good to see that its actions may push Apple to do better. If the giants in our industry make devices easier to repair, this paves the way for smaller brands and promotes a repair-friendly ecosystem.

Do you believe Apple’s next-generation AirPods will improve repairability? Moreover, how long will it take until we see mobile phones with swappable batteries like in the good old days? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Phone Repair Guru – AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The post Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Crush the AirPods Pro in Repairability appeared first on Appuals.

Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling offloads most of the GPU’s tasks and memory management to a dedicated processor on the GPU. This eliminates the need for the intermediary (CPU) and mitigates most of the input latency issues introduced by traditional methods.

All said and done, does HAGS actually increase performance? Theoretically and technically, it should. Microsoft claims that HAGS will not cause performance regressions, whereas both NVIDIA and AMD claim that this feature could improve performance and latency.

We’ve observed and will cover many instances where HAGS can lead to a significant performance boost at no cost. However, in some other cases, HAGS can cause instability and crashes. We’ll discuss these in a later section.

How to Turn On Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling

First things first, does your GPU support HAGS? Let’s see the supported GPUs and architectures from all three major GPU manufacturers.

• NVIDIA: GTX 10 or Higher with the GeForce 450 Driver
• AMD: RX 7700 and Above (On Windows 11 Only)
• Intel: Not Supported Yet

Here’s how you can turn on Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling if your system and driver support it:

1. Press the shortcut Win + I on your keyboard as shown in the image.
   
   
   
2. Once the Settings tab opens, type “Graphics” in the Search Bar and select the option that says “Graphics settings“.
   
   
   
3. When the Graphics page opens, click on the highlighted option saying “Change default graphics settings“.
   
   
   
4. Turn on the “Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling” option as shown.
   
   
   
5. It’s recommended that you restart your PC to ensure everything works properly.

Should You Turn HAGS On?

While only NVIDIA realistically supports HAGS (and AMD to some extent), let’s discuss whether you should use this feature. We’ll go through various benchmarks, both synthetic and gaming, to see if HAGS makes a difference.

Generally, a small performance loss/gain should be negligible and will be within the margin of error. What we want to look for are outliers and check if the performance drops significantly in specific scenarios.

Fortunately for us, Puget Systems conducted a large number of synthetic tests a while back. We’ll use their numbers as a reference to see if HAGS is really worth all the hype.

1. Synthetic Testing

Again, credit goes to Puget Systems for investing valuable time conducting these tests. From the results, we find that HAGS has very little impact on synthetic benchmarks. So, if you’re looking to impress your friends with a higher score, HAGS won’t do the trick.

Starting with Photoshop, the largest difference was with the AMD Threadripper PRO 5995WX and the RTX 4080 system where a configuration without HAGS leads to 8% better performance.

In After Effects, there is a consistent lead when HAGS is turned on, with the largest performance gap at 10%. Moving over to Unreal Engine 5.2, most results are within the margin of error, so no conclusive decision can be made in this case.

Blender in CPU mode encounters much of the same fate, with little to no contribution in performance after toggling HAGS on. Moving over to Blender with Optix, here HAGS once again shows an almost invariable lead, extending up to 7% with systems having extra GPU headroom.

HAGS has both upsides and downsides, at least in synthetic tests: at one extreme, we gain 10% extra performance but lose 5% at the other. Let’s move over to gaming next, where one might expect some actual differences.

2. Gaming

Let’s rip off the band-aid: HAGS is a mixed bag, and we’ve seen cases where different architectures caused HAGS to result in either a +15% or a -15% performance delta in the same game. It is that variable. While most games won’t show a massive uplift in the average FPS, we want to keep an eye out for the 0.1% and 1% lows, as these numbers determine how stuttery or smooth your gaming experience will be.

NVIDIA

The first set of benchmarks features NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 paired with a Ryzen 7 5800X (Credit: DannyzReviews). Users can review all the benchmarks, but we found most to be within the margin of error. However, the ones displayed in the images below showcase a substantial improvement in the experience and fluidity of the game, with HAGS turned on.

The RTX 4090 at stock in Far Cry 6 dipped as low as 62 FPS, almost entering the “unplayable” territory. Upon turning HAGS on, the 1% lows improved to 82 FPS. In Gears 5, the average FPS improved from 107 FPS to 118 FPS and the 1% lows also jumped from 62 FPS to 90 FPS. Combined with ReBar, HAGS offers an almost free-of-cost improvement in your performance.

AMD

On the AMD side of things, Ancient Gameplays conducted various benchmarks a few months ago with the RX 7700 XT + Ryzen 5 7600X and the RX 7900 XTX + Ryzen 7 7700X. To our surprise, there is an endless tug of war between HAGS on and HAGS off. This can be attributed to the hardware differences between RDNA3 and Ada Lovelace. Anyhow, let’s go over the final results.

The slower Ryzen 5 7600X + RX 7700 XT setup managed to deliver worse performance with HAGS on. At 1080p and 4K, not only was the average FPS slightly lower, but the 1% lows didn’t see any increase, either. Would you consider a 1-2% decrement within the margin of error? The difference isn’t much, but the headline is that this setup didn’t see any notable improvements.

Moving over to the Ryzen 7 7700X + RX 7900 XTX, the opposite is seen here as this configuration delivers better 1% lows at 4K and 1440p, whereas 1080p experiences a marginal regression.

Edge Case Testing

Interestingly, in CPU-bound scenarios, HAGS almost becomes a necessity. YouTuber 5700X BAE often conducts tests in CS:GO 2 and Valorant using different new technologies. With the June 2024 patch in CS:GO, the RTX 3060 12GB and Ryzen 7 5700X deliver consistently better averages and lows with HAGS on. Additionally, HAGS also flattens out the frametime graph as shown in the video.

Valorant experiences a similar impact from HAGS, where the 1% lows improve by almost 100 FPS. Likewise, the framerate also jumps from 500 FPS to 600 FPS in some scenarios. So yes, in some edge-case scenarios, turning HAGS on is a no-brainer. It is best to try your games with and without this setting, do a bit of testing, and see if you find any noticeable differences.

From what we’ve seen thus far, turning HAGS on does you more good than harm. Sure, you may lose 1-2% performance, but that’s within the margin of error. In the best-case scenario, your game will run much smoother, and the worst that could happen is that it may crash, especially if it is an older title.

Just like how you need to try on a new shirt to see if it fits your size, it’s best if you try HAGS yourself to see if it suits your needs.

The post Keep Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling On or Off? appeared first on Appuals.

As the name suggests, qBittorrent is at its core, a torrent client. A very simple definition of a torrenting client is software enabling P2P (Peer-to-peer) sharing using the BitTorrent protocol. In fact, if you’re not up to speed with the concept of torrenting, here’s a general overview.

Why qBittorrent?

BitTorrent is the pioneer of torrenting, in fact, the word “Torrent” is derived from “BitTorrent“. Another fun fact, torrenting revolves around the BitTorrent protocol, which as you guessed, is linked with the BitTorrent client. Then why are consumers willingly shifting to open-source alternatives like qBittorrent?

 uTorrent’s Mining Scandal

In 2015, uTorrent received an update to version “3.4.2,” which infamously included bundled Bitcoin mining software. This small mistake took away the trust of many customers and warranted a shift to other options. Another factor is that uTorrent is closed source and shows ads unless you pay $4.95 yearly.

Even if installing the miner was consensual, who reads the EULA these days? People simply press “Next” and try to install the required program as soon as possible. If you’re downloading uTorrent, you expect the installer to only install uTorrent and not anything else.

 BitTorrent’s Ad Problem

BitTorrent and uTorrent are owned by the same company, Rainberry, Inc. As such, BitTorrent (the client) also comes jam-packed with ads and requires a subscription if you wish to remove them.

At this point, you’d question yourself, “Why even bother?“. Both applications are proprietary and adware. What is so incentivizing that users would not jump ship and move to a trusted, open-source, and ad-free alternative?

What is qBittorrent?

qBittorent is an open-source and cross-platform torrenting client written for Windows, Linux, macOS, and various other Operating Systems. It was originally developed in March 2006 and is currently being maintained by various contributors globally through donations.

Since the code is open source, you may compile the program yourself if you so desire. You can easily access and review the code if you have safety concerns. So, without bringing into question legality, qBittorrent is absolutely safe, if your downloaded files are virus-free.

Is qBittorrent Safe?

The real question should be, “Is torrenting safe?“. In most third-world countries, the policies aren’t stringent enough that you’d have the cops knocking on your door minutes after you download a torrent. Let’s discuss why some people may get filed DMCA notices by their ISPs and could potentially be sued.

If you use a public tracker, which most of us do, there are tons of services and websites that log which IP is downloading which torrent. Don’t trust us? See for yourself. Your ISP will generally not care if you pirate something until they get served with a subpoena from the law office of the respective copyright holders.

When large multi-billion corporations pressurize ISPs, they are forced to either cut off your internet service or take the matter to court. In Singapore, Anime distributor Odex sent legal threats to users for downloading fansubbsed anime in 2007. Court orders caused the disclosure of many identities with settlements coming in at a minimum of $2,000 (USD) per person.

In the US, the US Copyright Group obtained the IP addresses of users downloading copyright-protected movies, mostly through the transparency of public trackers. Again, ISPs were forced to disclose identities, and settlements were offered in the range of $1000–$3000. In just 9 months, over 16200 people were served with legal notices.

Torrenting does come with a lot of risk, but there are certain ways you can get around these issues, for the most part.

Down the Privacy Rabbit Hole

Using a VPN is a very simple way to mask your identity when torrenting. Since users are tracked and pinpointed via their IP address, with a VPN, public trackers are unable to reveal your real IP. That is unless authorities or your government forces the VPN providers to hand out personal information. Therefore, make sure you use a privacy-focused VPN.

For context, Mullvad was subject to a police search warrant, but they couldn’t find any data since Mullvad doesn’t log its users. The short answer is that unless you’re distributing stuff that could compromise national security, the FBI won’t use underhanded trickery to apprehend you.

Most ISPs are still using IPv4, which basically means that your IP is likely shared amongst many users. Thus, it becomes a chore, even for the ISP to precisely point out the specific internet connection. Alternatively, users also opt for seedboxes which are PCs set up somewhere else for seeding purposes.

While it is possible to track you down, if your seedbox is hosted in another country and your seedbox actually cares about your privacy, it simply wouldn’t be worth the extra cost for the authorities.

Conclusion

There are open-source alternatives to qBittorrent as well such as Deluge, Transmission, and whatnot. But qBittorrent is generally accepted as THE alternative, not something you’d find alternatives for. We have not explicitly stated that uTorrent and BitTorrent are unsafe, however, there are other better and hassle-free options.

Lastly, always use a VPN when torrenting. You may pair this with a VPS, seedbox, or a docker setup but they have diminishing returns. Torrenting is safe if you take the necessary precautions and keep away from malware-infested files.

The post What is qBittorrent & Is it Actually Safe to Use? appeared first on Appuals.

In terms of large game distributors, we have the Epic Games Store, GOG, and Steam whose catalogs seep through every genre and distributor. If you wish to purchase a game common amongst these platforms, it becomes a tricky choice as to which platform you should choose.

Today’s guide revolves around Steam and GOG, wherein we will discuss what each service has to offer and its drawbacks. To the average user, price is all that matters but sometimes you may run into situations where you require better customer service, community features, or DRM-free software.

What is Steam?

Steam is a digital video game distribution service that launched back in late 2003. It is undoubtedly, the largest video game platform on PC, and the backbone of PC gaming that makes it a strong competitor against consoles.

By default, gamers name “Steam” as their go-to choice for purchasing any game. With time, Steam has expanded its services and even launched its own handheld device, the Steam Deck. Likewise, the Steam platform is not just for playing games, rather it has its community, and an entire marketplace.

READ MORE: How to Fix Steam Library Not Loading? 10 Easy Fixes ➜

What is GOG?

Similar to Steam, GOG (Good Old Games) is another digital video game distribution platform that was founded in 2008. It is operated by a subsidiary of CD Projekt, famous for developing Cyberpunk and the Witcher series.

It is easy to push GOG aside as a secondary choice, given it has a limited number of titles as compared to Steam. However, GOG offers something unique and that is a DRM-free experience. We’ll talk in detail regarding this later.

READ MORE: How to Fix GOG Galaxy Not Launching Issue? ➜

Differences Between GOG vs Steam

Let’s discuss the major differences across various segments between GOG and Steam. The question of “GOG or Steam” will boil down to your preferences in the end.

1) Game Library

By game library, we are not referring to the UI or layout, but the total number of games each service offers. Going by Backlinko’s statistics, Steam has 101,035 games in total, which increases up to 179,934 titles if you include DLCs and soundtracks.

If we visit the “All Games” section on GOG, the store currently hosts 9837 games. It can be said that Steam’s game library is almost 10x what GOG has to offer. This is mainly attributed to the fact that GOG only allows games without any DRM protection, which are limited in number.

In terms of exclusives, GOG offers users many DRM-free classics. Steam doesn’t push developers to forgo other stores and opt for a “Steam-only” experience. That said, many games can only be found on Steam at times, for PC.

• Steam has a much larger library than GOG.
• GOG’s primary focus is classics and DRM-free games.

READ MORE: Steam Community Market – The Ultimate Guide for Everyone ➜

2) Linux Experience

In recent years, thanks to the Steam Deck, Steam has been one of the pioneers of the concept of “Gaming on Linux. You can play most Steam Deck-verified titles on Linux using the Proton compatibility layer, a derivative of Wine.

GOG doesn’t have a native launcher and you’ll need to install a 3rd party app like the Heroic Games Launcher. Heroic Games Launcher can easily add your purchased games on GOG to Steam to run them through Proton. It is pertinent to mention that Heroic Games Launcher (HGL) is a partner of GOG and open source.

However, the added necessity of requiring a 3rd party tool with GOG does give 1 point to Steam. It is to be noted that not all games will run via Proton and you may need to do some research. Visit this website to see if your game is Steam Deck verified or not, ensuring that it’ll run on PC through Proton.

• You can play Steam Deck-verified titles through the Steam launcher on Linux with Proton.
• With GOG, you have to install 3rd party launchers (HGL is an official partner of GOG) to play any non-native game on Linux.

3) Pricing and Sales

Pricing is a twofold topic that concerns sales and regional prices. Steam has 4 guaranteed major sales each year, with Summer and Winter being the largest and lasting for 2 weeks each. The remaining Autumn and Spring sales stick around for a week or so.

There are also small weekly genre-based sales for specific titles and genres. You can get an idea regarding the next Steam Fest or major sale at SteamDB. As for regional pricing, Steam offers this feature in almost every major country/region. Again, we suggest you search for your favorite game at SteamDB and check the price in your region.

GOG also offers 4 major quarterly sales for each season like Steam. It also has specially themed sales for different occasions. The regional pricing part is tricky since GOG only supports a limited number of regions. If you’re one of the unlucky folks, you may have to pay through the nose.

• Steam and GOG have comparable sales and prices.
• Steam has better regional pricing support than GOG.

READ MORE: How to See Any Game’s Steam Price History in 2024 ➜

4) DRM

The largest reason people prefer GOG over other options is its DRM-free policy. Games you find on GOG will be free of any DRM or Digital Rights Management protection. This is an additional layer of security on the software level that prevents games and other media from being distributed.

DRM often impacts game performance negatively. When purchasing a game on Steam, you don’t own the game, but acquire a digital license that may be revoked at any moment. In contrast, GOG is entirely DRM-free, allowing you to enjoy your favorite games offline and without restrictions on how many times you play them.

Steam does not endorse or promote DRMs, but it depends on the publishers. Most games on Steam use SteamDRM, which is basically for ownership purposes and not for anti-piracy reasons. However, this only allows 1 instance of the game on your account and has other limitations.

On the other hand, GOG hands over the complete setup files which do not ask for any verification or CD Key whatsoever. You can use it offline, hand it over to a friend (Technically piracy), store it on a Hard Drive or USB, and brag 20 years later if the game gets removed from other digital stores (Yes, that happens frequently).

• Steam games either use Denuvo or SteamDRM, limiting the shareability and usability of your game files.
• GOG provides users with a DRM-free version with no ownership verification, log-in checks, CD Key requirements, or middleware software.

5) UI and Features

A large differentiator between GOG and Steam is the UI and software experience. Steam is much more mature and is undoubtedly superior in terms of features. On Steam, you have workshops for mods, a marketplace for selling in-game items, a large community for support and many argue that Steam is not a game launcher, but an ecosystem in itself.

GOG has most of the basics nailed down, however, it misses out on other stuff such as a marketplace, workshop etcetera. Essentially, due to its DRM-free nature, GOG games can run standalone without using any launcher at all. However, if you care about achievements, cloud saving, multiplayer, and play time records, you have to use the launcher in the background.

Aside from the glam and glitter, while playing games you’ll barely make use of these features. It can be argued that Steam’s overlay is better than GOG. In the end, it depends if you prefer fewer features and a straightforward UI to play your games for a DRM-free experience or not.

• Steam takes the lead with its marketplace, workshop, trading, and feature-rich User Interface.
• GOG prefers simplicity with the reason being that most GOG users appreciate the DRM-free experience and have the option to play their games without a launcher.

6) Customer Support

In terms of customer service, both Steam and GOG have decent reputations. Steam is known for offering an automatic refund within the first 2 hours of playtime. There are popular series on YouTube by various YouTubers where they try to speedrun a game in 2 hours and see if they get a refund. Spoiler: They do.

GOG has a manual refund option that is human-verified to protect developers which can be availed in the first 30 days of purchase. While GOG’s policy seems lenient, they rely on their customer base to not abuse this system.

• Steam’s automated policy is convenient for users who don’t want too much hassle and a guaranteed refund.
• GOG’s policy is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and is longer than Steam’s, however, a refund is not guaranteed.

READ MORE: How to Make an Account on Steam in 8 Easy Steps [Pictures] ➜

The DRM-Free Experience

Since both platforms offer you the same playable game, the devil is in the details. If you like using community features such as the marketplace, showing off your badges, and whatnot, Steam is the go-to option.

Often overlooked, GOG’s motive is to offer game preservation. If you purchase a game from GOG and download the install files, you’re not tied to a server, a DRM, or anything if you want to play the game. You only need a computer and a house (optional), that’s literally it.

It is your choice if you want to store those files on a USB for future use. Just recently, Ubisoft delisted The Crew, a full-price game that requires an active internet connection from Steam. The result? You cannot play the game, even in single-player mode or against an AI. That game is now lost to history, which would not have been the case if it were DRM-free.

As much as we hate to say it, digital copies with DRMs like Denuvo put you in no less than a complete hostage situation. If said developer wishes, they can revoke your “digital license” and ability to play the game at all, no matter if it is single-player or not. This is why there has been a large uproar against online-only and Denuvo game titles.

All things considered, you won’t expect Denuvo or online-only games to be readily available at GOG. It’s not like developers will explicitly choose to launch a game with Denuvo on Steam and launch the same game, DRM-free on GOG. That rarely happens (An example is Middle Earth: Shadow of War).

Steam is Not at Fault

It’s not like Steam is asking developers to add pesky DRMs and invasive software to their games. As we said above, if a game has Denuvo, you won’t likely find it DRM-free on GOG due to piracy concerns. Technically, you can run games on Steam in Offline Mode indefinitely, so what’s the point of this “DRM-free” thing we’ve been saying for a while?

Imagine this, Steam is inaccessible in your country due to sanctions and you forgot to log in or accidentally pressed logout. Now you cannot access your library at all. On the contrary, if you have an offline installation from GOG stored on a USB (Remember what we said), no one can stop you from playing your favorite games.

Generally, Steam has one of the best DRM policies after GOG so the difference is minimal between the two. Having access to complete installation files that can be used launcher-free, is again, for greater assurance and peace of mind.

Ownership Crisis

Do you actually own the games you purchase? It is undeniable that physical media is king, well until it isn’t. Steam and other platforms cannot really do much when the developers themselves decide to pull the plug on a certain game or franchise. A popular example is Helldivers 2, where a sudden bizarre policy change by Sony rendered millions unable to play the game.

A digital copy is nothing more than a subscription or a license. The best course of action is to review the policies and track record of the publishers, rather than the game launchers. There are many different routes that publishers may choose. They may delist the game, but allow future downloads indefinitely and multiplayer access (Forza Horizon 4).

Another possibility is to shut down multiplayer access and future purchases, but enable users to download what they digitally own (Wii U & 3DS EShop servers). It is sad to see that slowly but surely, physical media is being phased out. Moreover, the inclusion of online-only DRMs in single-player titles not only sounds absurd but poses a serious threat to game preservation.

“You’ll own nothing and be happy“

World Economic Forum

READ MORE: How To Play PC Games On Your Android Phone – Detailed Guide ➜

Conclusion

As we’ve discussed above, Steam packs a richer UI and much more features than GOG. Steam is more of an ecosystem at this point rather than a game launcher. GOG, on the other side, makes you feel as if you actually own the game, instead of borrowing it.

Coming back to what we said in the beginning, if you just want to play your games without spending a fortune, just choose the cheaper platform. Both platforms have their pros and cons which are indispensable for some.

The post GOG vs Steam: Which Platform is Best for Buying Games? appeared first on Appuals.

BlissOS: Requirements and Targeted Audience

As of Q4 2022, BlissOS requires the following hardware at a minimum:

Intel:

• Intel Core i Series (i3/5/7/9) – Fully Supported
• Intel Celeron M – Fully Supported (Kernel 5.4+ recommended)
• Intel Atom – Mostly Supported (Kernel 5.10+ recommended)
• Core2Duo – Not Fully Supported (Needs SSE4.2) (May require 32-bit builds)

AMD:

• A Series – Mostly Supported (Needs SSE4.2) (Kernel 5.10+ recommended)
• Ryzen Series (1k-7k) – Fully Supported (Kernel 5.10+ recommended)
• Athlon Series – Mostly Supported (Needs SSE4.2) (Kernel 5.10+ recommended)

BlissOS is primarily built for low-end devices and is a complete operating system, unlike an app that you’d launch within Windows. These operating systems are intended for developers and users who want something other than basic Windows. BlissOS is not the strongest recommendation for gaming enthusiasts as you’d be better off with something like Bluestacks or Gameloop.

If you have an older laptop or another compatible device, why not consider getting the Android experience with an operating system like BlissOS? Many people prefer Android for media consumption, and for developers, such systems can be invaluable for testing and debugging software without needing a physical mobile device.

Disabling Secure Boot, TPM, and Setting SATA to AHCI

From the official documentation of BlissOS, you’ll need to change a few settings in your BIOS:

• Disable TPM (drive encryption).
• Disable Secure Boot.
• Make sure drive access is set to AHCI.

1. Open the BIOS of your system by pressing the “Delete“, “F1“, “F2” or the “F10” keys.
2. Navigate to the “Boot” section, find “Secure Boot” and set it to “Disabled.”
   
   
   
3. Next, you need to find the SATA Controller setting which is commonly present in the “Settings” tab. Set the SATA Mode to “AHCI” instead of IDE/RAID.
   
   
   
4. Lastly, disable TPM (Trusted Platform Module). Again, find this option in the “Settings” tab under the “Trusted Computing” section. You may want to refer to your motherboard manual for more details.
   
   

Installation via the Windows Installer

We believe the reason why BlissOS hasn’t seen widespread adoption is due to its complicated installation procedure. Multibooting Bliss using GRUB requires some experience and know-how about how partitioning works. Luckily for us, BlissOS offers users a Windows Installer, which is much easier than the aforementioned method.

The only caveat is that a standard EFI install is always better in terms of stability, updates, and other features compared to the Windows Installer. If you only wish to boot using Bliss, the process is straightforward. However, complications arise when you dabble into multi-OS territory. We will discuss the EFI method in a later section.

1) Preparing the Windows Installer

1. Use the following link to visit the GitHub repository containing the Androidx86 Installer. The latest .exe file usually resides in the /bin/make_installer folder.
   
   
   
2. Afterward, simply click on the highlighted .exe file. This will take you to a page where you can view the file, but due to its size, you will be prompted to download it instead. Click on the “Download raw file” option and the required .exe should start downloading in your browser or any other download management utility.
   
   
   
3. Once downloaded, keep this file somewhere you can easily find it, as we’ll proceed to download the main .iso file next.
   
   

2) Downloading the Bliss OS .iso File

1. Visit BlissOS’ website using the following link. Be sure to double-check the URL; “https://blissos.org“. In the top-right corner, you’ll find a “Download” button, click on it and you’ll be taken to another section of the same page.
   
   
   
2. As stated above, “Bliss OS 14” and “Bliss OS 15” are the most stable builds. We’ll go with Bliss OS 15 as it is based on the newer Android 12L. Moreover, we’ll select GApps as it is easier to set up than FOSS, which is an open-source alternative. Click on the “SourceForge” button and you will be redirected to a SourceForge page.
   
   
   
3. We’ll install the latest release, which is the version “Bliss-v15.9.1“. Simply click on the highlighted link on the page and it will redirect you to another page, and the download should start automatically. Depending on your Internet speed, this could take a while.
   
   
   
4. Once the file has been downloaded, the next step is to set up a partition to install your operating system.

3) Creating the Required Partition

Since we’re not following an EFI install, you must already have Windows installed on your storage device. Therefore, we have to create another partition for BlissOS. You can do so by simply shrinking an existing partition (one in which your Windows is installed) by around 15–20GB. Follow these steps to do so:

1. Open the Windows Search Bar by pressing the Windows icon in your taskbar or the “Win” key on your keyboard. Afterward, type “Disk” in the taskbar and you should see an option that says “Create and format disk partitions“.
   
   
   
2. Click on the given option and the “Disk Management” utility should open, giving you an overview of your installed storage devices and their respective partitions.
   
   
   
3. Choose the Hard Disk/SSD on which you wish to create a new partition. In our case, we shall select “Disk 0” (See the screenshot below).
   
   
   
4. If your disk only has 1 partition (like in our case), right-click on it and select “Shrink Volume“. In the case of multiple partitions, select the required one per your preferences; storage etcetera.
   
   
   
5. In the “Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB” field, type “20000“, which provides 20GB from your initial partition to a new one. Afterward, click on “Shrink“, and you will see a new unallocated partition.
   
   
   
6. The next step is to format this new partition as “NTFS“. To do so, right-click on the new unallocated partition, and click on “New Simple Volume“.
   
   
   
7. Follow the Wizard as required by pressing “Next“, in the “Specify Volume Size” page, leave the settings as default, in the “Assign Drive Letter or Path” page, choose a letter of your choice, and in the “Format Partition” page, select the file system type “NTFS“. You may choose a Volume label of your choice.
   
   
   
8. After you click on “Finish“, you’ve successfully created a new partition on which we will install BlissOS in the next section.
   
   

4) Installing BlissOS

1. Once the interface opens, in the “Android OS Image” section, browse and locate where you’ve downloaded the BlissOS .iso file.
   
   
   
2. In the “Target Drive” section, choose the new volume you’ve created with the designated drive letter. If you’re unsure or forgot, navigate to the “This PC” folder to see the associated drive letter. In our case, the drive letter is “G“.
   
   
   
3. Increase the “Data Size” to around 15–16GB and click on “Install“. Sit tight until BlissOS is installed.
   
   
   
4. Once installed, open the Windows Search Bar and type “Advanced Start“. Under “Recovery options“, in the “Advanced startup” menu, select “Restart now“.
   
   
   
5. Click on “Use a device” and on the next page choose “Android-OS“. (Image Credit: BlissOS)
   
   
6. Now you’ve successfully installed and booted into BlissOS on your system.

EFI Installation

In order to install using a USB bootable drive, we first need to install Rufus and flash the .iso file to our USB drive. Afterward, we need to create an unallocated partition, but this time, we won’t be formatting it. Through the installer, we’ll divide this main partition into two parts.

One part will contain the bulk/main data of our OS, which we’ll refer to as “A“. The second partition will be called “B“, and this will host the “EFI System“.

1) Downloading the Bliss OS .iso File

1. To download the appropriate version of BlissOS, visit their website using the following link. Kindly double-check the URL; “https://blissos.org“. Click on the “Download” button in the top-right corner of the page.
   
   
   
2. Our primary focus will be stable builds; “Bliss OS 14” and “Bliss OS 15“. Since Bliss OS 15 is the latest edition, based on Android 12L, we shall select this version. It is best to select the GApps variant since it offers ease of use, and you won’t need to install necessities from scratch. Click on the “SourceForge” link next to the version you want to install.
   
   
   
3. Once SourceForge opens, select the latest build, indicated by the number of “Downloads/Week“. We will download the version “Bliss-v15.9.1“. Click on the highlighted link, and the .iso should start downloading.
   
   
   
4. After you’ve finished downloading, the next step is to create a large partition, but we won’t be formatting it this time.

2) Creating a New Partition

1. Open the Windows Search Bar using the “Win” key on your keyboard or by clicking on the Windows icon in the taskbar. Type the term “Disk” in the search box and click on the first option, as shown in the image.
   
   
   
2. Once the “Disk Management” utility opens, you should see all your attached devices and their partitions.
   
   
   
3. If you have multiple drives, choose the most suitable one for partitioning. We will choose “Disk 0” for the sake of this guide.
   
   
   
4. If you have multiple partitions, they all must have their volumes. Choose the one that you’re most comfortable with shrinking. Once you’ve decided, right-click on the chosen partition and select “Shrink Volume“.
   
   
   
5. We typically recommend 15–20GB for BlissOS. So, in the “Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB” field, type “20000” (to be on the safe side) since it measures data in MegaBytes. Click on “Shrink“, and a new unallocated partition will be made.
   
   
   
6. This time, you won’t need to format the drive as NTFS/FAT32, as we’ll do that step during installation.
7. Lastly, right-click on the drive as shown in the attached image and click on “Properties“.
   
   
   
8. Once the Properties panel opens, navigate to the “Volume” tab and check to see if your drive is partitioned as per GPT or MBR.
   
   
   

3) Downloading Rufus and Flashing the OS

1. Type “Rufus” on Google and open the first link. You may also use the provided link. Double-check the URL; “https://rufus.ie/en/“.
   
   
   
2. Scroll down and select the “Standard” version for “Windows x64“.
   
   
   
3. After downloading Rufus, double-click on the .exe to open it.
4. In the “Device” tab, select your USB flash drive. Moving to the “Boot selection” tab, select the .iso file containing BlissOS that you downloaded in Step 1 from SourceForge. If your selected drive is GPT, set the “Partition scheme” to GPT and vice versa for MBR.
   
   
   
5. Click on “START” and wait until the image is flashed to your USB flash drive.

4) Booting From USB

Once you’ve copied the .iso to your flash drive, the last step is to install BlissOS. First, you’ll need to boot your system through the USB drive. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the BIOS/UEFI of your system by pressing the “Delete“, “F1“, “F2” or the “F10” keys. Once opened, navigate to the “Boot” section or something similar to that. In the Boot Priorities or Boot Option#1, set it to your attached USB drive.
   
   
   
2. Your next boot will use data from your USB flash drive. After a while, you should see an interface similar to the one in the image. Click on the “Installation” option.
   
   

5) Setting Up EFI and OS Partitions

1. If it says you have a UEFI-based system, press “Enter“.
   
   
   
2. Once the partition selection page pops up, move down until you find the “Create/Modify partitions” setting and press “Enter“.
   
   
   
3. Select the disk on which you’ve created the unallocated partition.
   
   
   
4. If you’re prompted to use “cgdisk” instead of “cfdisk“, select “No” and continue with cfdisk.
   
   
   
5. In the DOS-looking interface, locate the 20GB partition you created before, indicated with “Free Space“. After selecting that partition, select “New“from the bottom menu.
   
   
   
6. You will be asked to type a size. We’re creating another partition (B) from your original 20GB partition. B will be the EFI system partition (which contains the bootloader), whereas the bulk of BlissOS will be stored in A. Type “1G“, meaning we’re creating a partition (B) with a size of 1GB, more than enough for the bootloader. Hit “Enter“.
   
   
   
7. A new “sda” entry will be created with the size “1G”. We need to change its type to “EFI System“. To do so, select the new entry (B), which in our case is “sda5“, navigate to “Type” in the bottom menu, press “Enter“, move up until you find the “EFI System” file, and press “Enter“.
   
   
   
8. Next, select “A”, your original file now reduced by 1GB and still in “Free space“. In the bottom tab, select “New” and press “Enter“.
   
   
   
9. You will be prompted to enter the size of “A“. Use the default size, which in our case is “18.5G“. Press “Enter“.
   
   
   
10. Once created, remember the sda names. For example, “sda5” is the “EFI System” (B), and “sda6” is the “Bulk of our OS” (A), but this will be different for your system. Select “A” and in the bottom tab, choose the option “Write“, and press “Enter“. You will have to manually type “yes” on the screen for it to proceed further.
    
    
    
11. Now select “Quit“, hit “Enter“, and the installer will restart.

6) Installing BlissOS

1. Once you’re back to the partition selection page, select “B” or the partition having the type “EFI System“, which in our case is “sda5“.
   
   Double-check the drive name on the right.
   
   
   
2. On the next page, choose “fat32“, but make sure this is the proper partition. You may revisit the “Create/Modify partitions” section to recheck.
   
   
   
3. After formatting, you’ll be back at the partition selection page. This time, we have to select “A“, the large partition, which for us is “sda6“.
   
   
   
4. If asked for the filesystem to format with, select “ext4” as it is the most robust and compatible. You’ll be given a few warnings and might be asked to name the partition.
   
   
   
5. Once “A” has been formatted, the installer will ask if you wish to receive “OTA Updates“. Select “Yes” if you have allocated 30GB or more storage, and “No” if you haven’t.
6. If the installer asks you about the bootloader you wish to use, choose “Grub2 EFI Bootloader” and wait until it writes some data to “B“.
   
   

Setting Up BlissOS

1. Navigate to your BIOS on your next startup and in the same boot priority section, choose “Android-OS“.
   
   
   
2. Once the PC boots using BlissOS, select the first option, which is based on default settings and without any add-ons.
   
   
   
3. If, for some reason, you’re stuck on the “have a truly blissful experience” screen, you’ll need to go to “Advanced options” and start the OS without hardware acceleration. We hope the developers address this problem in future builds.
4. After the boot-up animation ends, BlissOS will start, and you are now free to explore the OS as per your desires.
   
   
   
5. It is generally recommended to sign in to your Google Account so you can access the Play Store and other features.
   
   
   
6. In the Settings menu, you can use almost every feature you’ll typically find on an Android device. Moreover, BlissOS has its own customization layer with “Blissify“. Don’t worry, we won’t spoil the fun for you.
   
   
7. Now you can enjoy the native Android experience on your PC/Laptop. You may play games from the Play Store but make sure to check with the developers to see if they allow an OS like this or key mapping tools.

BlissOS is one of many builds that are derived from Androidx86, porting Android to x86-based systems. While not as intuitive to install as, say, Windows, it can give you some experience if you want to install Linux or another OS later on.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. BlissOS is not as stable as Windows and you shouldn’t expect it to be. In our experience, we found multiple infuriating issues. A community over at Reddit does exist, but you’ll often find yourself stranded if you encounter a “not so common” problem.

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