Now, the real fun begins, okay not really but its been a while since I had made an upgrade to this thing. Since for the most paret it runs well, but especially with the video editing getting more intense and more streams planned, i think it was time to get a quad core for the PC. Costing me £150 from work, where as Amazon is about £145 at the time I purchased this, But enjoy some of the tests below in the video:
The Core i5:
In the sleek blue and green speed blur front, things looks nice and fast, which does indicate what the CPU is almost supposed to do. But the top is where the CPU is shown and the back doesn't really have a say in much except the small print, the sides show off the barcodes as well as the main features of this Intel Processor. Its not as heavy as it seems but the weight is mostly in the heatsink that is in the box.
The front of the Core i5
The side of the box with the features
The back of the box
The side of the box which has the serials and barcodes etc.
When you look inside, it is the same layout with the manual, the CPU in the plastic tray and the heatsink with the thermal paste underneath. But for this, we do not use it since the one from the 6100 works actually fine.
Inside the box for the Core i5
Flip the manual and the sticker is shown
The fitting:
Now since the decoration of the lounge was happening, it was a little bit easier to get things fitted with more room. So taking my PC into the lounge, i took it apart and got the i5 fitted. It was almost a pnaic moment when i got the i3 out but i didn't damage the pins this time.
just before fitting
The i5 was fitted.
The only problem twas that the Heatsink was getting hard to pop back in, one of the plastic bits was starting to bend out. So i managed to get it pushed into the hole and it was securely fitted to the H110n.
Well it posted, and it was working nicely, The temperature was actually lower than the i3 was and it was working nicely. Mac OS Sierra was working nicely after making the ig-platform ID relevant to the HD 630 and Windows was also coping nicely with it.
So ,it was then left to start testing things out, with games on the iGPU,
The Testing:
Gaming - Intel HD 630:
Note, the videos were recording with GameDVR and 60FPS setting.
PAC-MAN Championship Edition 2:
Actually this managed to run about 4FPS, the menu did actually run slower than the HD 530 but if the resolution was lowered, you could run this at 60FPS.
The Course Selection Screen
in game
Rocket League:
Actually this went slightly better than expected, and you can easily tune it to get 720 or even 1080 at 60FPS while recording via OBS,
The settings
In game
Fortnite:
This one was slightly more tricky to get right but it can be barely playable, but lasting pretty high up when online was reare, i meant its not like i just hid.....actually yes just hide on the outskirts of the maps before the storm comes helps me but the quality is odd with having 3D resolution and screen resolution but it makes things easier for couch players really.
Getting the settings right can help, but this was using both the 3D rs and screen Res as the Same
Thew view from the tower
Gaming - GTX 1050:
Well with the hype of miners sucking up the GPU market dry, I might be selling this toi help pay for the i5, but I did test it with a few things. Actually the same games, but hey, a test is a test. Lets dive in.. Oh also, this was recorded using GameDVR
Rocket League:
This was much better and i was going to get over 1080p 60FPS easily, even with HQ settings and recording as well .
The settings for the 1050
Nice Quality
Fortnite:
This was still as work in progress, since when the settings were turned, I could get about 108p 60FPS on medium or High. Epic will slow things alot down.
The settings that will get you a low FPS
Getting a chest
Stormy views
Rollercoaster Tycoon World:
This was actually more demanding than I guessed, but that might be since more VRAM was needed than what 2GB will offer me. But none the less, i did get 60 FPS when zoomed out of the par.
Better FPS when zoomed out
Adding things to the park
The settings used.
Streaming - OBS Studio:
With the help of the HD72A and a PS4, i can finally stream 720 60FPS with the Steambox. The settings can cause lag on the FAST preset as well as recording at the same time using a low CPU preset. But the bitrate is pretty good for what my connection, since it was wifi the bitrate had to be lower than i wanted it to be.
The settings that makes it just right
Video Editing:
FCP X:
This was a nice suprise, the times didn't feel different when using it for editing compared to the i3, okay the rendering when editing but it was slightly quicker, You could tell the boost when you added 3D text in.
Rendering a 1080p 60FPS video on H.264 Fast Encode took 8m24. That was for the Muxy Tutorial.
Movie Studio Platinum 12:
This was a bit easier for editing, but the playback was getting laggy when on Preview FULL. But once that was ready to render, it was taking 24m 30s to get this rendered before uploading to YT..
The rendering time for 1080p 60fps
Benchmarking.
So we come to the benchmarks, now this was actually surprising how the i5 performed. On both counts really. But it was still a higher mark than what it could of been. User benchmark was used.
Without the GTX 1050.
This was going to be shocking due to the HD 630 coming into play.
PArt 1
Part 2
Part 3
With the GTX 1050:
Now this was a shock with showing how much of a small improvement the 1050 gave this. But there was good results for the tests, but still a bit weaker than people would expect it to be.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The Conclusion:
In all honest, there was a major improvement when you notice it, but for day to day, use, there is some extras added and it did help me edit in 1080p 60fps. Was it worth the £150, it probably will be but only when streaming is when the performance really shines out for me.
Well thats the video done, a new part for the Steambox and things will be easier for editing soon, but for now, i can catch up on things to get done and the usual life, there are more reviews coming up soon too.
So, the second to possibly last review this year, which for this one we go out with a start and get a Hori PS4 Controller done. This one has recently been out and Soon to be a maybe good seller from everywhere like Amazon. This is a decent Deal and we test how this controller can perform too, the video is below.
Comes in either Red or Black
The Box:
This is a small, compact box with lots of detail, pictures and small print, so theres more to read but its important to be read, lets be clear there. The ease of pictures is clearly shown on the front and sides.
The front of the box.
The sides of the box
The top of the box
When we get to the back of the box, that is where the real details and small print come to fruition, this allows you to know what the pad can and CAN'T do such as no virbration, motion sensor, no speakers or headphone jack. But that also helps make it the price it is and attractive too. The bottom is full of warranty and the small print, which is not much of a worry for most.
The back of the box.
The bottom of the box.
Unboxing.
This is actually not as easy to get out, okay sure a knife to remove the tape is not too bad but its pulling it out of the cardboard which makes it tricky if you want to keep the cardboard intact. But once you have lifted it, it actually is nicely laid out. With the manual at the top and the Controller in the bag with cable at the bottom. You only get the manual and the gamepad, nothing else, which is easy to deal with. The manual is pretty big and dense (due to the languages), those folding ones I always have trouble with but none the less, its useful for how the touchpad works.
The Manual
The top part of the manual.
The bottom part of the manual.
The controller really is mini, its very lightweight too, which can be a good and a bad thing, my big hands almost cover the gamepad completely so its not going to make things accurate in one away or another. The Dpad looks better as well. The cable was tied but actually looked quite long as well, thats a nice bonus for most.
The controller in the bag
How the Cables looks
The gamepad in clear view
The L and R buttons
The bottom of the controller
Testing: How it performs
Well to set it up, its a plug and play affair. In the PS4, it does NOT let you turn the console on with the controller, so be aware that might upset some but USB controllers never have that ability anyway. But it was ready to get up and go,, plugged it in on the login screen and up and running. There might be a bit of a strain on the top part of the USB cable near where the controller connects, but that isn't too much of a niggle due to the length of cable. The clicking on the analog sticks is loud but not annoying, but the grip of them is nice.
The hands taking up most of the controller.
Test #1: WipEout: Omega Collection.
This initially felt smooth and I could control the craft better, using the airbrakes can be a bit trickier and tilting has always made it harder on any PAD, but i managed to only be 8 seconds off the elite pass time limit. Which since not playing from July, it was my own bad too.
Test #2: Crash 2 (N Sane Trilogy)
This was a little bit trickier, but only on some of the levels I did misplace my timings on the buttons, Hang Eight was a decent example of this, but I was part speed running due to the Gem time limit, but there was a tiny bit less issues with the Dpad moving on its own, the ice levels that did happen a bit more. But helped me finished the first warp room in just under 1 hour (gems and Crystals), so it didn't stop any major issues.
Test #3: Steam (PC)
I did mention that there should be no issues for getting this working on PC, I was ~Right. It was picked up with no hassle in windows itself. Steam did have some issues with button mapping and the dpad not working until it was configured.
The Gamepad into the PC.
Windows 10 Picked it up with no hassle
Setting up the controller in Steam Big Picture Mode. I have managed to upload the controller profile.
Test #4: Cuphead
This was actually trickier to use due to the size of the controller, I was also doing the rapid tap LT motion to make stronger hits by switching weapons, that didn't help. The sticks were smaller which can make it hard to move quickly to get parrying easier, but for casual gaming, it would do nicely.
Test #5 PS3
This was requested and actually, it WORKS. Like WORKS in the XMB with no quibble, i manged to update the PS3 for it and also test BBC iPlayer, which actually Does work but there is a problem with the PS button not working. aka, you can't get to the in game XMB with the controller, this is for some a major crisis but it can work in the basic sense.
Testing the hori on the PS3
Conclusion:
This has some potential and it performs well for smaller gamers and also retro ones alike. With USB. Almost anything can work with this, not just a PS4. Which has many uses on this one. This is aimed at smaller gamers so not everyone will benefit.
omracer's Rating: 7/10
The Good Points:
Nice design in terms of shape
Works on PS4
Works on PC
Nice D-pad
Responsive#
Good Value
The Bad Points:
Can be a bit tiny for older and bigger gamers
You will need to setup the controller for Steam
Some features missing that people need to READ before buying.
And that is is, this will be ok for the next few days and then a new review next week might be in the works between working and maybe other vlogs. See you then
Well, it comes to this, the part where we get out setup sorted and install windows and play some games. Which i've been delayed in time but luckily thanks to insomnia, I had a chance to film this setup. The video for this is actually in Part 2 of the steambox build. Since it was easier for me to get it done.
Part 1: Installing Windows
Well this was relatively simple, insert the USB drive (I made sure the copy of windows 10 pro I had lying around was on the usb as GPT UEFI via rufus) and boot then install. Which it was about a half hour wait to get it installed, the SSD on a SATA III port (one of the first times i've seen this happen on my own PC) is insanely fast boot timings to gander at.
Installing, this bit is usually the longest)
Getting ready before the welcome screen or OOBE is ready
Then it was a case of tweaking some settings, activating windows and then it was time for the drivers. But the funny thing is that most of the drivers were installed from the get go, like the ethernet and the Chipset ones.
Part 2: The Driver Disc
A) Installing the Drivers
Now this was a bit more complex since there was no DVD drive added in for this build. But luckily there was a normal sized internal with a IDE to USB adapter to use which got me going and those drivers installed. Now Gigabye offer Google and Norton products on the disc, which you have to UNTICK if you Don't want them, which for norton and google drive, I did (I don't use Gdrive much, mostly onedrive)
The Disc
Using the IDE to USB to get the drivers to install,
There was a reboot halfway due to the realtek audio drivers installing themselves, which is standard for the Audio Crab to do as its ritual to get nice budget audio working, especially with the yellow LED line on the motherboard for Audio signal. But once that was sorted, it was time go get the next part of the disc sorted, the Gigabyte Appware/Software.
B) Gigabyte's App Center and Intel Tuning to the Extreme
Well this bit was a longer wait from the disc to install, this was Gigabytes App Center to sort out after the Realtek reboot, which there was a specific purpose for this which was FaceWizard, which allows to change the BIOS logo, sure businesses do it on their OEM machines but for me a logo I made from a Goose Fair vlog would be ideal for it.
So I started installing the Extreme Tuning Utility first and this was more powerful than its leading you to believe, but there is a catch which this celeron processor. Overclocking will not work, since this is the problem. 223 was my Mark score on this after everything was installed. Once this was done, Face Wizard was running and I got it to change the logo, it suited the steambox incredibly well, I even had to censore the video since i was that happy with how it looked.
The @Bios getting FaceWizard sorted for me
Just look at this, its beautiful and cool and nerdy at the same time, but use something image wise less than 1000 x 1000 since it errored out for me over that.
Part 3: Steam and Time of Testing
Bascially as steam goes, its stimple from here but it was a case of getting my software setup, like SCP DS3 for controllers and Steam, Kodi, Movie Studio etc. Which that went fine, but installing the games i had from my exteral HDD was a mess, which after various methods of copying, library remaking, I got most games to be pickup-ed but 10 o so were doing updates which made it nasty.
But lets have a look at the games I tested which were actually more than the list but I chose these since they have different generations and some different Genres.
Castle of Illusion Remake
Rollercoaster Tycoon World
Ridge Racer Unbounded
Sonic Lost World
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
A) Castle of Illusion
Now this was a unexpected surpise, since this game was somewhat playable on 1080p on highest settings, which was 30 to 40 FPS, but tweaking some things got me to towards the high 50 fps range. Which is a good sign since this game does have its nice charm with it. Turning Post Process off did show a smooth framerate which is a handy life hack
The best settings i've used. Note, fullscreen was off due to the fact Microsoft Game DVR doesn't like fullscreen games
B) Rollercoaster Tycoon World
This is a demanding and for some people, Badly optimized but not a problem due to the early access stage of the game, but this managed to run on all high at 720o at 11 FPS, That is pretty poor but turning some of the effects off only raised this fps by 2 frames to 13-15 or so. But there was less lag compared to the laptop's SSHD, but no way smoother. As the Park expands, the FPS will drop.
the 720p settings i've used
In Game, starting out with the Canyon (not to interrupted a twitch playthrough of this going on
C) Ridge Racer Unbounded
Now this felt smooth considering it was at 19-20 FPS on 720p Windowed Mode with the Antisropy to the left of the slider on the Launcher. But in the recording there is some major restructuring, which means eventually people can buy this in a Humble Bundle, but unbounded was in one last year at some point.
The first course
D) Sonic Lost World
Now this is a new game i was supposed to do a lets play of this but that might be skipped due to the iGPU performance is not as fast as I was guessing but it worked and Sonic had a slo mo feel to the walking, then again the game is a locked 60fps. But I managed to get 20 to 24 FPS on 720p without major lag with some settings changed.
This settings will slow you right down, even the menu lags with this more
Considering the graphicces aren't as strong, this looks nice
E) Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number,
This was interesting since it gave me 60FPS on 1080p. I was excited to as how this one performed. Which is did even though the res was proper, there was lag in the video recorded so it can tell there wss struggling going on.
The settings are simple yet thats awesome
F:) Rocket League.
This is a new one since I decided to get it for £10.14 the day before its £9 from a steam sale. But anyway, I decided to and since i'm temtped to start streaming that. Normal settings were about 20 FPS and went up to 47 FPS after turning all Performance or Higher on 720p.
A ok look, with the bloom and all
These are the settings for the 47 FPS
It looks basic but fast for that action (on a budget pc)
The Render Quality Changes it though
It looks nicer while playable without recording
Part 3: Conclusion
With everything set up as a steam box, now i can catch up with the PCMR and feel like a gamer again, there are upgrades, sure but this one is pretty good for what I want it for right now, ok video rendering is a slow bit of work but it can do it nicely. There is also twitch streaming which will be fun to work on as time passes me by as well.
But for now, thanks for the wait and enjoy more posts soon
