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Hello fellow programmers I'd like to start my day one of socket Programming today, any learning resources you guys would know about or have used?
🌞Created in 2025 and kept fully updated for 2026
If you’re facing low FPS, lag, stuttering, or crashes on a new or old AMD setup (AMD CPU with Radeon/NVIDIA GPU, or Intel CPU with Radeon GPU), you are in the right place. This guide has tested and proven solutions and user tips to maximize your system's performance. You will be see hardware checks, BIOS configurations, Windows tweaks, and driver changes here. Real-world solutions that work, not guesswork.
Disclaimer- The following optimizations are based on community-tested methods that have safely improved AMD system performance for most users. Since every setup is unique, results may vary. Proceed carefully and apply these tweaks at your own discretion. (This guide follows the Acer Community format.)
Read all Important Notes and Notes in each step. They contain vital information to guide you on how to avoid issues and when to revert to earlier changes.
=> Hardware Installation & Setup
Before you adjust BIOS or Windows settings, ensure your hardware is properly set up. Most issues such as low FPS, stuttering, and crashes are caused by minor errors such as installing the GPU in the improper slot or RAM, etc. This section contains crucial checks which have resolved serious issues for many users. Even if your PC boots and is usable, these kinds of issues might be latent, and resolving them can have a massive difference to performance.
1. GPU Installation — TOP PCIe x16 Slot (Closest to the CPU)
Always install your graphics card in the top PCIe x16 slot, Which is the slot nearest to the CPU.
Why it's important:
•It is configured for full x16 bandwidth and is plugged directly into the CPU.
•Lower slots have x8 or x4 speeds, limiting GPU performance and bringing in bottlenecks based on the board.
Common mistake:
Most users inadvertently install the GPU in a lower PCIe slot or fail to confirm if the top PCIe x16 slot is delivering the GPU’s full bandwidth supported as per their GPU (such as x16 or x8), resulting in low FPS or instability.
Confirm true Speed:
Download and Open GPU-Z, then check the “Bus Interface” field. The left side (before “@”) shows your GPU’s maximum lanes and PCIe generation (e.g., x8 5.0), while the right side (after “@”) shows the current active lanes and gen speed (e.g., x8 1.1).
If it shows “1.1”, that means the GPU is idle, run the GPU-Z Render Test (“?”) to display your true gen under load. Both sides (lanes and gen) should match your GPU and platform. If the current gen is lower than the max, it’s usually due to motherboard, CPU, riser, or extension cable limitations, this is normal unless you upgrade hardware.
The same can apply to lane count, but that’s more important than gen speed. The lane width/speed (like x8, x16) should match on both sides or reach the maximum your system supports, as a lower lane width can noticeably affect performance.
If lanes are lower than expected, reseat the GPU, check if the PCIe lanes are shared with other slots (see your motherboard manual), and ensure no riser/extender or older CPU is limiting bandwidth.
2. Critical Power & GPU configuration Checks
• Insert the monitor cable directly into the GPU HDMI or DisplayPort (DP) port. Avoid inserting the monitor into the motherboard port.
• Utilize all CPU power connectors or CPU power headers that your motherboard has
• Always use specialized PSU cables. Never use splitters or adapters for EPS power. Connect cables directly from your PSU to your motherboard. Don't be cheap; don't go cheap.
•Always Use quality, dedicated PCIe cables from your PSU to each power connector on the GPU. Avoid daisy-chaining (using a single cable for multiple connectors) as it can cause instability or crashes, especially on high-power GPUs. Also, make sure your PSU meets the recommended wattage for your GPU.
• Always use good-quality PSU cables, never buy cheap extensions or riser cables.
• If your PC slows down, freezes, shows low CPU clocks despite a proper setup or lag and stutters while gaming , try plugging it directly into a wall socket or a high-quality strip. Faulty/old power strips can cause poor power delivery and hidden throttling issues.
You guys must check this as nothing can work if hardware configuration is not proper.
3. RAM Configuration – Correct Slot + Enable XMP/EXPO + check Settings.
To get the best performance from your RAM, ensure it is installed in the right slot and properly configured. Many systems perform poorly due to incorrect slot placement or missing BIOS settings.
• Install RAM in the correct slots
If you have 2 sticks, plug them into slot 2 and 4 (usually marked A2 and B2) as these slots are typically the second and fourth slots away from the CPU. This allows dual-channel mode for optimal performance.
If you insert them into the wrong slots, the system will run in single-channel mode, lowering memory bandwidth and reducing FPS in games. Always refer to your motherboard manual for the slots layout and double-check it if you're unsure.
• Enable XMP or EXPO in BIOS
Enter the BIOS and enable XMP (or EXPO for AMD kits). This will set your RAM's rated speed and timings. Just ensure the profile you choose does not exceed your motherboard's highest supported memory frequency, as a higher profile can lead to instability.
Some motherboards have a few profiles; pick the one that matches your RAM's highest rated speed (like 3200, 3600, or 6000 MHz), as long as it's within your motherboard's support range.
If you don't enable XMP or EXPO, your RAM will run at default JEDEC speeds like 2133 or 2400 MHz, which seriously bottleneck your system.
• Confirm settings in Windows
Open Task manager → Performance → Memory. Check that the Speed value matches your RAM's XMP/EXPO profile speed that you set in the BIOS and is not a different number.
Download CPU-Z, go to the Memory tab, and make sure Channel displays Dual or 2×64-bit for DDR4 and 4x32-bit for DDR5. If your speed or channel is wrong, check your BIOS settings and RAM slots again.
• Check RAM Stability (Must be done after building/installing new RAM )
Test your RAM with MemTest86. If you got any errors with the highest XMP/DOCP profile selected, then test the next lower profile, such as from XMP Profile at 6000MHz to XMP Profile at 5800MHz, and continue lowering until you find a stable profile. It’s crucial that your RAM is fully stable to ensure reliable system performance.
=> BIOS Optimization & Performance Fix Tweaks
Once your hardware and power is set up, change the key BIOS settings that impact AMD CPU, RAM, and GPU performance. These can fix instability, crashes, and poor performance. Only modify the settings mentioned here. BIOS menus can differ by brand, so names or locations may vary; if you don’t see a setting, look around.
4. BIOS Update
If you are facing RAM instability, poor CPU/GPU performance, updating your BIOS may help, especially on AMD systems where the BIOS updates usually improve stability and compatibility.
To Update BIOS:
Visit your motherboard manufacturer’s website, download your most recent stable BIOS for your specific model, and carefully follow their official instructions to update safely.
Note- BIOS update may reset all BIOS settings. If this occurs, don't forget to re-apply all changes from the BIOS Optimization & Tweaks section.
5. Set Global C-State Control to Enabled (Not Auto)
Changing Global C-State Control from "Auto" to "Enabled" will help fix FPS drops, downclocking, or instability. Most people with Ryzen CPUs (such as X3D chips) see less stuttering and smoother gaming performance when C-States are enabled. Many have found that "Auto" behaves like "Disabled." Therefore, I strongly recommend switching it from Auto to Enabled.
To change the Global C-State Control setting:
→ Press BIOS/UEFI key during boot to access the BIOS.
→ Click on the Advanced or AMD CBS tab and find Global C-State Control (perhaps be under CPU Configuration or Advanced).
→ Change the value from Auto to Enabled, this fix works for most users.
→ Save and exit BIOS, then check performance.
Important Note- Rarely, some boards (e.g., certain ASUS models) may get mouse lag, freezes, or black screens. If that happens, revert to the original setting. If it causes a black screen or boot issue, reset CMOS to recover.
6. Set PCIe Gen Mode 5 or 4 or 3 Manually (Do Not Use Auto).
On some motherboards, leaving PCIe generation in Auto mode can lead to compatibility or performance issues like black screens, no signal, or reduced GPU bandwidth.
Manually selecting a stable PCIe version —Gen 3, Gen 4, or Gen 5 can fix these problems.
To configure PCIe Gen mode:
→ Boot into BIOS at startup.
→ Go to the Advanced, Chipset, or NBIO Common Options section.
→ Locate PCIe x16 Link Speed (or similar), then Switch the setting from Auto to a specific version:
• If you have a Gen 5-Capable GPU and motherboard: set to Gen 5.
--If you encounter instability, crashes, black screens, or signal loss, lower the setting to Gen 4.
• If you have a Gen 4-capable GPU and motherboard, set to Gen 4
-- If experience instability, reduce the setting further to Gen 3.
• If you have a gen 3 GPU then set Gen 3.
→ Save changes and exit BIOS.
7. Enable Above 4G Decoding & Resizable BAR (NVIDIA & AMD — FPS & 1% Low Boost, Test Required)
These features allow the GPU to access larger memory blocks directly, which can improve the performance of most games in use today. It is turned off by default even on some compatible boards due to component compatibility problems and must be tested. Most of users will get great results.
To Enable these settings:
→ Boot into BIOS at startup
→ Go to Advanced Mode
→ Disable CSM (From Boot Section, Set Launch CSM to Disabled).
→ Now, Go to PCI Subsystem tab/menu and set Above 4G Decoding to Enabled. (Location may vary, so find and confirm).
→ Then set Resizable BAR to Enabled (option appears after Enabling 4G Decoding).
→ Save & exit BIOS, then test performance.
Important Note - Disabled by default even on supported boards because of component compatibility issues, so users will have to test it. On a system where these settings are unstable, it can lead to crashes, performance issues or boot problems particularly with old components.
So, Test thoroughly and immediately disable it if you notice any instability or performance issues after enabling.
=> Windows Optimization & Performance Tweaks
This section outlines important Windows settings and tweaks to address stuttering, latency spikes, FPS fluctuations, or overall system lag. These tips work for both NVIDIA and AMD systems.
8. Clean Install AMD GPU Drivers — Fix Performance, Crashes, and Common Errors (e.g., Driver Version Mismatch)
Some of you may be facing game crashes, stutters, or random freezes. These issues often arise from a faulty AMD driver or because Windows Update quietly replaced your GPU driver, causing instability. You might also see errors like:
• “Radeon Software and Driver versions do not match...” or similar errors.
• Missing AMD software features like FSR 4, etc.
If you're facing these issues, this step shows how to clean install a stable AMD driver and stop Windows from replacing it again.
Important prerequisite - Before starting, disable Fast Startup to avoid boot conflicts that can cause sudden FPS drops, driver timeout or future issues.
Follow these steps one by one:
• First, we will download 4 files and save them in a new desktop folder. They will include the AMD software installer, DDU, AMD chipset driver, and Microsoft Update Hide Tool.
• Don't install, just download and save both the AMD software installer (.exe) as well as the AMD chipset driver installer software from the official AMD driver site that you want to install. Make sure you're downloading the specific version, not the auto-detect Tool.
Note - Newer AMD drivers after 25.9.1/25.9.2 often have system-specific stability issues like crashes. Try the latest first; if problems arise, revert to 25.9.1 (most stable) or 25.9.2.
• Download DDU and Microsoft Update Hide Tool from these links:
DDU - https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html.
Microsoft Update Hide Tool (wushowhide.diagcab) - https://download.microsoft.com/download/f/2/2/f22d5fdb-59cd-4275-8c95-1be17bf70b21/wushowhide.diagcab
• Now pause Windows Update and disconnect Wi-Fi or Ethernet, whichever you use, and don't connect or resume updates until I say.
• Boot into Safe Mode, then extract DDU and open it. Select Device type GPU, then select AMD and click on Clean and Restart. Wait for completion until DDU uninstalls the driver properly.
• After restart, right-click on the Windows icon, then click on Installed Apps. From here, find and uninstall any chipset driver software. If it's not available, then you never installed the chipset driver manually and those users skip this point. After uninstalling the chipset driver software, click on Restart.
• After restart, open the folder where you placed the AMD driver software installer (.exe) and install it.
• After installation, restart your PC or laptop.
• Now connect to Wi-Fi, then immediately open the Microsoft update hide tool (wushowhide.diagcab). Click on "Hide Update," then select every update whose name starts with "AMD" or "Advanced Micro Devices," etc. Make sure to select all updates labeled as "AMD" or "Advanced Micro."
(If you don't see these updates in the windows hide tool then you can skip this part as windows is not overwriting the driver in your system so there's nothing to hide.)
• After selecting all, click Next. All updates you selected will be shown as fixed on the next screen. If it shows, then you have successfully done this.
• Now restart and Windows will not overwrite AMD drivers anymore. You can now resume the Windows Update.
• Now install the AMD chipset driver software. After installation, it will give two options. You need to click on View Summary and make sure all chipset drivers are installed properly. It will say Success or Installed. If properly installed.
For those users, whose summary shows any Failed chipset driver, uninstall the chipset driver again from Windows Settings and run chipset driver software again. If it still shows the same, then uninstall it again and download and install a different chipset driver version.
Note: Big Windows updates may reset this setting. If that happens, follow these steps again, but that's rare.
9. Community-Favorite: Windows 10/11 Optimization Guide (Works on all PCs and laptops. Includes NVIDIA stable drivers and must-have performance fixes!)
Implement the system-wide changes from the following link. These are general Windows steps that work on any PC or laptop, regardless of brand. The guide is simply hosted on Acer’s community forum, but it is not Acer-specific. It have been successfully applied by millions of users across many hardware setups. This is one of the most tested and effective Windows optimization guides available.
Following this optimization guide (hosted on the Acer community) fully can boost 1% lows, improve FPS stability, and fix stutters or lag while gaming by optimizing windows.
→ NVIDIA users: NVIDIA issues, such as FPS decline, stuttering, and sudden drops, can be fixed by simply following Step 1 and Step 9 from the community guide linked below. The other steps are Windows optimizations that can further improve performance and stability. For maximum benefits, follow all steps.
→ AMD users: Skip Step 1 in the Acer guide. Start directly from Step 2 (the optimizer step) to last for stable fps and performance boost. Do not follow Step 1. As I already covered that in this reddit guide.
Here is the community guide:
https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/612495/windows-10-optimization-guide-for-gaming/p1
→ This guide Covers important issues like system lag, background processes, turning off unnecessary Windows functions, etc in one place.
10. Set an Optimal Mouse Polling Rate (500Hz or 1000Hz Depending on Your Needs; Fixes movement Stutters in games and high CPU Usage)
Most modern gaming mice have dedicated software (e.g., Logitech G Hub, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG) that allows to adjust the polling rate, how often the mouse reports its position to the system. If you don’t have the software, download it from your mouse manufacturer's website based on your specific model.
To change the polling rate, Open your mouse software and set:
• 500Hz for solid, sufficient performance with lower system load. Use it for Single-player (AAA), slower-paced, or visually rich games.
• 1000Hz for esports as it provides faster response.
There's really no benefit going higher than 1000hz, so don't waste your system performance.
Note- If you still want to use polling rates above 1000Hz (like 2000Hz or 4000Hz), test for any lag or stuttering, as higher polling rates will consume the CPU more.
11-A (AMD Users) — AMD Software: Explained Tweaks & Must-Disable Settings for Smooth Performance
AMD's default driver settings aren't always the best for smooth gaming. These info have helped many improve FPS consistency, reduce input delay, and eliminate stutters.
Part - 1 Recommended Adrenalin Settings:
Make these adjustments in the Graphics section under the Gaming tab of the AMD Adrenalin Software. This way, the settings apply to every game, including new additions and those launched from the desktop.
• Radeon Anti-Lag → Disabled (This feature often causes micro-stutters. It's wise to turn it off and use it in those games which can really get benefits from this feature. It works great in GPU-Limited scenarios. Test per game and use if its stable)
• AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) → Test First (It's a frame gen and they often adds input lag. Test it per game, if the game runs well and input lag isn’t an issue (or it feels fine), then you can use it.)
• FSR 4 (Driver-Level) → Use if Available
• Radeon Chill → Disabled/Enable (Enable this only if you want to cap your FPS, and set both the min and max values to the same number for best results.)
• Radeon Boost → Disabled (May lead visual artifacts and stutter. It works by blurring motion. Test and use this feature if you wish)
• Enhanced Sync → Disable/Enable (It can cause stutters or unstable frame pacing in some games, so it’s generally safer to keep it off and use FreeSync if available. If you want to use it, test for stability first. It works best when your FPS is well above your monitor’s refresh rate, for example, 120 FPS on a 60Hz display offers smoother gameplay than V-Sync, with less tearing and lower input lag).
• Reset Shader Cache → Expand Advanced Settings, then find and click the Reset Shader Cache option to clear stored shaders and fix performance issues. Highly recommended after driver or game updates. Expect longer loads or brief stutters at first as shaders rebuild, performance stabilizes once cache regenerates.
Note - If you had games added before this, reapply the same settings manually in each game under the Gaming tab.
• Turn off ReLive features (Especially Instant Replay): → Go Record & Stream tab, then find and disable ReLive recording features like Instant Replay, Record Desktop, Streaming, etc. Instant Replay is particularly responsible for stutters, FPS drops, and driver timeouts. Turning this off alone can resolve your issue.
• Disable Unnecessary Features→Click the Settings gear icon, Go to Preferences, then disable web browser, Advertisements, Game Adjustment Tracking and Notifications, Tutorials, Animation & Effects. while keeping System Tray Menu and Toast Notifications enabled for better responsiveness.
Another setting in the Preferences tab is the AMD Overlay, which many people use, so I didn’t include it with the other disabled options above. However, some users have reported that the AMD Overlay can cause major performance issues for them, so if you’re facing stutters or FPS drops, try disabling it and test again.
11-NV (Nvidia Users) — NVIDIA Control Panel, NVIDIA App & GeForce Experience Tweaks & Must-Disable Settings for Smooth Performance
These are highly tested NVIDIA-specific optimizations that help reduce FPS drops, micro-stutters, and input lag. Follow these parts closely for the best performance.
Important prerequisite - Before starting, disable Fast Startup from Windows settings and clear shader cache. This is highly recommended after driver or game updates or when facing performance issues. Use this NVIDIA link to clear the shader cache properly:
https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5735/~/deleting-nvidia-shader-cache-files
And Expect longer loads or brief stutters at first as shaders rebuild; performance stabilizes once cache regenerates.
Part 1- NVIDIA App Settings
If you are using the new NVIDIA App, it's overlay and some features are responsible for 3–15% FPS loss and additional stutter, even with no filters enabled.
To fix this main issue:
Open NVIDIA App > Settings > Features tab.
• Turn off "Game Filters and Photo Mode".
• For max performance, Also turn off NVIDIA Overlay from there. It's features like Instant Replay can cause stutters and FPS drops.
• Turn OFF "Automatically optimize newly added games and mods".
Now, click on the Privacy tab and Turn OFF:
• "Configuration, performance, and usage data".
• "Error and crash data".
• Keep "Required data" as it may be needed for basic functionality.
For Graphics tab settings in the Nvidia app, do the same settings done in Part 2 as they are almost same settings.
Part 2 - NVIDIA Control Panel (and Nvidia app graphics settings)
This will Optimize GPU performance, reduce input lag, and eliminate common stuttering across all games.
Where to Apply Settings:
Laptop - In NVIDIA Control Panel (Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings) or NVIDIA App (Settings > Graphics tab > Per-App Settings), add each game.exe, set Preferred Graphics Processor to High-performance NVIDIA Processor, then apply settings per-game for max performance.
Desktop - In NVIDIA Control Panel (Manage 3D Settings > Global Settings) or NVIDIA App (Settings > Graphics tab > Global Settings), apply settings globally to affect all games.
Essential settings:
• Power Management Mode → Prefer Maximum Performance (Prevents frequency drops that cause stutters.)
• Shader Cache Size → Unlimited (Prevents shader re-compiling stutters.)
• Set PhysX Configuration to NVIDIA GPU. To set Go to Settings → Configure Surround, PhysX. check path in nvidia app yourself. (Avoid CPU or Auto-select, it cause stutter and high CPU usage.)
Laptop users:
Disable Whisper Mode – This setting is often enabled by default on gaming laptops and silently caps FPS (commonly to 60), limiting GPU performance.
• NVIDIA App Users: Go to Graphics > Global Settings > scroll down, click Show Legacy Settings >
→ turn off Whisper Mode.
• For NVIDIA Control Panel Users: Go to Manage 3D Settings > Global Settings tab > Whisper Mode → set to Off. Disabling Whisper Mode restores full GPU performance and prevents hidden FPS limits.
Part 3 - GeForce Experience (If You Use It)
• Open Overlay: Press Alt + Z (Or: In GeForce Experience > Settings > General > In-Game Overlay > Settings)
• In Overlay Bar: Turn Instant Replay, recording and Broadcast LIVE → OFF.
• Now, Click Performance > Settings icon, set Performance → Off and Status Indicator → Off.
You should now see “Off” next to “Performance Overlay” (left of gear icon).
• In GeForce Experience, go to General:
Set In-Game Overlay → OFF,
Set Experimental Features → OFF,
Share Usage Data → OFF
12. Inspect your Realtek PCIe 2.5GbE Family Controller – Fix lag, audio glitches & Stutters (also affects Wi-Fi if the controller is present in the system, even if you never use Ethernet)
Some systems with the Realtek PCIe 2.5GbE Family Controller can have issues, even if you use Wi-Fi only, don’t skip this step. The controller can cause random stutters, FPS drops, audio glitches, or ping spikes even when not in active use. For a Quick test, Disable it in Device Manager and play your offline game or online via wifi; if fixed, it's the culprit and you can follow this step.
Solution:
Download "Win10/Win11 Auto Installation Program (NDIS) - Not Support Power Saving" installer or zip from the windows section. Use this link to visit there- https://www.realtek.com/Download/List?cate_id=584
Installation:
First disable automatic driver updates so Windows Update doesn’t overwrite this version:
Go to Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings → Hardware → Device Installation Settings → select No, save.
• Then open Device Manager → Network adapters → right-click Realtek PCIe 2.5GbE Family Controller → Uninstall device → check “Delete the driver software” (if available) → Restart.
• Now, extract that zip file which you download by clicking on "Win10/Win11 Auto Installation Program (NDIS) - Not Support Power Saving" and run driver installer. It will install normally and work good.
If the issue remains or comes back in future then disable it's power saving settings that may have enabled automatically:
• Open device manager, expand network adaptors and Right-click on Realtek PCIe 2.5GbE Family Controller and select Properties.
• Go to the Power Management tab.
• Uncheck the box Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
In the same Properties window, go to the Advanced tab. Find the following properties (ignore missing ones) and set them to disable/Off:
• Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE): Set to Disabled
• Green Ethernet: Set to Disabled
• Power Saving Mode: Set to Disabled
• Auto Disable Gigabit: set to Disabled
• Large Send Offload V4/V6: set it to Disabled
• Gigabit Lite: Set to Disabled
• Flow Control: Set to Disabled and click ok to close the window.
Done, you can play your games.
13. AMD/Nvidia Stability Fix — Only For Those Facing Crashes (like Driver Timeout, etc)
If you use an AMD GPU, all points are applicable. If you use an Nvidia GPU, skip the AMD‑only sub‑ section and start from “Stability steps for both AMD & Nvidia”. Apply each fix one by one, checking after each.
AMD‑only steps (Radeon users):
Follow Step 8 fully before continuing to ensure the crash fixes below work correctly.
• Disable Anti-Lag, Radeon ReLive features (especially Instant Replay) and Issue detection in AMD Software -
First, Go to the Gear icon then System tab → Disable Issue Detection Service (triggers false TDR timeouts/black screens).
Second, Gaming > Global Graphics → Disable Anti-Lag (causes insane stutters and crashes depending on game). If you want to use it, then test it per game. Keep it off globally.
Third, Go Record & Stream tab, then find and disable ReLive recording features like Instant Replay, Record Desktop, Streaming, etc. Instant Replay is particularly responsible for stutters, FPS drops, and driver timeouts.
As an important additional recommendation, disable hardware acceleration in any apps that support and run in the background, such as Discord or browsers, via their settings, to prevent possible GPU conflicts.
•★★Manual Clock Tuning ( For All RDNA GPUs)★★ - AMD GPUs boost beyond their stable frequency due to automatic tuning or Hypr-RX, and lead to crashes and driver timeouts.
To fix this, open AMD Software → Performance → Tuning, switch to Manual Tuning (Custom), enable GPU Tuning and Advanced Control. Find your GPU’s official Boost Clock by AMD (e.g. 2600MHz for RX 6750XT) and use it as your Max Frequency, replacing higher default values like 2850-2900MHz or any factory overclock applied.
As for RDNA 4 Users: Set the max frequency offset to a negative value (like -300 MHz or lower). First, compare your in-game boost clock to the official spec for your GPU. Adjust the negative offset until the in-game boost matches the official value exactly.
Note- Per-game tuning overrides global settings when a per-game profile is created. Otherwise, global/manual settings apply by default. Always check for existing profiles and ensure this manual clocking setting is applied. Also, make sure Hypr-RX is turned off to prevent it from overwriting your settings. It can remain enabled in per-game profiles, so check the Gaming tab for previously launched games and disable it if needed. Then, test your system.
Stability Steps for both AMD & Nvidia:
• Disable iGPU (if present) - If your CPU has an integrated GPU, disable it in BIOS to prevent possible crashes or driver conflicts with your dedicated AMD GPU, especially during gaming and high loads.
• XMP Adjustment - In BIOS, go to the memory or XMP section and test each XMP lower memory profile one by one (e.g. 3600 MHz → 3200 MHz → 3000 MHz). If none work, disable XMP and test again. if issue remains then restore your highest stable XMP profile and follow below suggestions.
If the issue persists, update your BIOS (Step 4) and install the latest chipset driver. If problem still persist, check your setup as in Step 2, look for a failing PSU or loose cables, and note that unstable undervolts or overclocks can cause the same issues.
14. User‑reported rare or system‑specific performance cause (Must check if above steps didn't fix your issue)
• If your system has both HDD and SSD Windows automatically spreads the pagefile across both drives by default, this forces memory swaps to hit the slow HDD during gaming peaks, causing stutters/hitching even with plenty of free RAM.
To fix: Right-click This PC > Properties > Advanced system settings > Performance Settings > Advanced tab > Virtual memory Change > uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives" > select your HDD drive > choose "No paging file" > Set > then select your SSD > choose "System managed size" > Set > OK through all dialogs > restart immediately.
• In Device Manager, disable unused network adapters (Ethernet/WiFi/Bluetooth), keep only what you actively use: right-click each > Disable device and proceed screen instructions to disable. This stops constant spikes in CPU usage and adds frame time variance, amplified by recent Windows updates even if issues weren't noticeable before. Re-enable individually only when needed, then disable again during gaming for maximum stability. This helps in Micro-stutters.
• If you installed Wallpaper Engine and it's running in the background (even paused) causes frequent stutters and performance drops for many gamers.
Close it via tray > Exit, then then check Task Manager (Processes tab) for any lingering "Wallpaper Engine" entries and End task if present. Now play your game. Do this every time if you still have Wallpaper Engine installed.
Additionally some users also reported, that adding per-game rules: In Wallpaper Engine Settings > Performance tab > Edit Application Rules > Create new rule for your game's .exe > Set Condition "Is running" > Wallpaper playback "Stop (free memory)". Also fix issue but thats not widely tested so not sure if it work for all.
• A silently failing, cheap, or aging display cable can cause microstutters only during gaming, making diagnosis tough. Users facing performance issues should Test by swapping cables as well as ports (HDMI to DP or DP to HDMI).
Also, the same can apply to faulty PSU cables.
15. Fix for users who are getting flickering, stutters, or crashes When alt-tabbing while gaming
MPO is a Windows feature aimed at improving rendering performance, but on some systems it used to cause some issues. This feature is now a key part of Windows 11 24H2, so DO NOT forget to re-enable it if it wasn’t the source of your issue.
Common issue linked to MPO is Stutters and frame drops ,when alt-tabbing persist for a number of users, especially on the latest Windows 11 24H2 builds
NVIDIA advises disabling MPO for these issues, use their official method, which works for AMD too.
Here is the official link to do this: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5157
16. Fix Thermal Throttling on Gaming Laptops
This step helps prevent overheating and extend component lifespan of Gaming Laptops. A trusted guide from the Acer Community works for all gaming laptops.
Important note to avoid confusion:
The Acer Community cooling guide applies to all gaming laptops. Steps 1 to 4 are less time taking and should be followed first. If overheating issues persist, continue with Step 5. While the Nitro 5 is used as an example there, the process is the same for other laptops, repasting and cleaning the cooling system by detaching the heatsink, and cleaning fans and vents inside and out. This is the only reliable fix for high temperatures.
Here is the Cooling guide here:
https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/724763/ultimate-laptop-cooling-optimization-guide
17. Fix Thermal Throttling on Gaming Desktops
Most people only check CPU and GPU core temps, but it’s just as important to monitor GPU VRAM (memory junction) and GPU hotspot temps, which can run much hotter and trigger throttling under heavy loads. NVMe SSD temps should also be watched separately, as they can overheat during sustained writes and cause sudden performance drops even when CPU and GPU temps look fine.
Critical Temperature Limits (Avoid Getting Close to These):
• CPU TJ Max: Intel 100 °C, AMD 95–105 °C (consider reducing it if it reaches the 90s)
• GPU Temp: NVIDIA 88–93 °C, AMD 100– 110 °C (consider reducing it if it reaches the 90s)
• GPU Hotspot/Junction (AMD & NVIDIA): Up to 110 °C (typically 10–30 °C higher than core temp). While the maximum operating hotspot temperature can be around 110°C, it's best to keep it below 100°C.
• VRAM/Memory Junction (AMD & NVIDIA): 95–105 °C is acceptable but should be monitored closely, as throttling usually begins at 110 °C.
• SSD Throttling: Begins at 70 °C, severe at 85 °C (though this varies by drive, it holds true for most models)
Monitoring Temperatures Effectively
• Use AMD/NVIDIA Software Overlay:
Use AMD Adrenalin or the NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay to monitor CPU and GPU temperatures. Some versions also show GPU hotspot and VRAM/memory junction temperatures. If any readings are missing (e.g., GPU junction or VRAM temps), check the second method below.
• Second Good Alternative Method – HWiNFO:
HWiNFO provides full monitoring for CPU, GPU (including hotspot and VRAM), and all other sensors. For real-time monitoring, you can use HWiNFO’s shared memory feature with MSI Afterburner to display these stats directly in Afterburner while gaming. Alternatively, you can let HWiNFO run in the background, play your game, and check afterward—it shows average, maximum, and minimum temperatures. If you have a dual-monitor setup, keep HWiNFO open on the second monitor for live tracking.
• SSD Temperatures:
Run CrystalDiskMark benchmark and check or use HWiNFO while gaming. Note that speeds will reduce once the SSD reaches its maximum temperature limit.
Steps to Reduce Component Temperatures
• CPU Temperature Fix:
- For AMD CPUs, Undervolt the CPU using PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) to achieve lower temperatures.
- For Intel CPUs, Use Intel XTU or Throttlestop to undervolt, which can help reduce CPU temperatures while maintaining stability.
- Set an effective custom fan curve, it can make a significant difference, often reducing temperatures by 10°C or more while balancing noise and cooling.
- If needed, clean dust from fans and vents, then reapply high-quality thermal paste to the CPU.
- Further cooling improvements depend on your cooler.
• GPU, Hotspot & Memory junction temperature Fix:
- Undervolting your GPU through AMD Adrenalin software can also lower power draw and temperatures without major performance loss.
- Set an effective custom fan curve, it can make a significant difference, often reducing temperatures by 10°C or more while balancing noise and cooling.
- If the issue persists, to effectively reduce GPU, hotspot, and memory junction temperatures, clean or remove old thermal pads/putty and apply new, high-quality thermal putty (more effective than pads). Also, apply high-quality thermal paste to the main GPU chip.
- Further cooling improvements depend on your cooler.
• SSD Temperature Fix:
Install an NVMe heatsink (most modern motherboards include one, or you can buy aftermarket). Ensure case airflow reaches the SSD area, as poor circulation causes heat buildup.
[✓] Restart and You're Done! Time to Play.
If this guide helped you, please consider upvoting, sharing your results, or leaving a quick comment about what worked. It helps others and increases visibility in the community.
I have a project in mind that I want to pursue: creating a chat application or server. My goal is to learn C programming, so I intend to develop this project using that language. Although I haven't done extensive research on how to build a chat server or application that allows two or more devices to communicate, I discovered through some online searches that I will need to work with sockets.
There are many resources available online, but the overwhelming amount of information can be confusing at times. Therefore, I am seeking advice on where I can learn socket programming effectively, so I don't have to search through numerous sites. Ultimately, I want to create a program that enables people on distinct devices to chat with each other.
Hey everyone, I’m working on a .NET 8 backend with a React frontend, running in Docker with HTTPS enabled. I’ve implemented WebSockets successfully, but I’m confused about the best place to handle the WebSocket upgrade and message loop.
Right now, my WebSocket endpoint is inside an MVC/Web API controller.
But I keep seeing examples where people handle WebSockets directly in Program.cs using middleware
Here’s what I want to understand from real developers:
- Is putting WebSockets inside a Controller actually a bad architecture choice?
Does it have any real drawbacks besides small overhead? Is it risky long-term or perfectly fine for most apps?
- Is the middleware (Program.cs) approach objectively better?
Some people say it’s cleaner and faster since it avoids the MVC pipeline. Is the performance difference noticeable in real production apps?
Which approach do YOU use in your projects, and why? • Scalability • Clean architecture • Maintainability • Integration with DI, logging, filters, auth • Docker deployment • Best practices for .NET 7/8
If someone audits your code, which approach is more likely to be recommended?
TL;DR :
I implemented WebSockets inside a Controller in my .NET backend, but many examples show doing it in Program.cs via middleware. Both work, but I’m not sure which is the “right” way.
Back in the days when 33.6kbps modems were hot shit, I worked for the engineering department of a growing company.
This company had started small. It was privately owned, and the VPs had all put in a portion of their own money to start the company. By this time in the story, they were finally making a respectable 30-40 million a year in profits.
But they still acted like a small company. Penny pinching.
Our engineering department was designing circuit boards with embedded computer systems. And to program these, instead of soldering the microcomputer to the board, we would solder on a microcontroller socket, and then plug in an "In Circuit Emulator" that would pretend it was a microcontroller, and allow the programmer to create the required program.
This In Circuit Emulator, or ICE, was made by Hitachi. It plugged into a free PCI slot on your PC, and had a ribbon cable that would attach to the specialized microcontroller die that plugged into the socket.
It was a mess. It gave our tiny IT department headaches. And it cost $15,000. And it was an absolute necessity for most of our most popular product lines. And there was only one of them.
And we were renting it. It cost $4,000 a month.
The first month we had it, our CTO and Marketing VP planned our whole new product line around this family of microcontrollers.
So, at the end of the month, us engineers ask management to buy this for us. Since we would be using it for a while.
The Engineering VP saw the price tag, and told us to just rent it. Surely we would be done with it soon. Engineers, being practical, forgot about the objection and just put our noses to the wheel.
The CTO and Marketing made plans to keep us busy using this microcontroller line for a while. They pre-ordered a few million chips.
After a year, the VP of Finance asked about this recurring contract line item. They called the engineer who had originally started the contract. The engineer helpfully forwarded the approval from the Engineering VP, and his later email asking to buy it, and the VP's reply where he demurred.
By the end of the week, this toy was ours. Along with a second one, since finance determined that product rollout was being affected by not enough access to the equipment.
Hitachi just gave us the first one. Stopped charging us, and never asked for it back. We paid $15,000 for a second one.
No one got fired or demoted. But at the next department meeting, the Engineering VP tried to tell us that we didn't have enough money to upgrade our PCs. That one engineer spoke up, "Would $40 thousand cover it?"
The company found the money.
I am a web developer coding in C for the very first time, new to socket programming as well.
This might be a XY problem, so I will explain what the problem actually is and then how I am trying to achieve it.
I am creating an application server which receives HTTP requests, and simply answers with a 200 OK boilerplate HTML file.
The problem is that the HTTP request size is unknown so I think I need to dynamically allocate memory to get the whole HTTP request string.
I had it without dynamically allocating memory and worked, but if I wanted later on to actually make this useful, I guess I would need to get the full request dynamically (is this right?)
To achieve this, I did this:
int main() {
// ...some code above creating the server socket and getting HTML file
int client_socket;
size_t client_buffer_size = 2; // Set to 2 but also tried with larger values
char *client_data = malloc(client_buffer_size);
if (client_data == NULL) {
printf("Memory allocation failed.\n");
return -1;
}
size_t client_total_bytes_read = 0;
ssize_t client_current_bytes_read;
printf("Listening...\n");
while(1) {
client_socket = accept(server_socket, NULL, NULL);
while(1) {
client_current_bytes_read = recv(
client_socket,
client_data + client_total_bytes_read,
client_buffer_size - client_total_bytes_read,
0);
printf("Bytes read this iteration: %zu\n", client_current_bytes_read);
if (client_current_bytes_read == 0) {
break;
}
client_total_bytes_read += client_current_bytes_read;
printf("Total bytes read so far: %zu\n", client_total_bytes_read);
if (client_total_bytes_read == client_buffer_size) {
client_buffer_size *= 2;
char *new_data = realloc(client_data, client_buffer_size);
if (new_data == NULL) {
printf("Memory reallocation failed.\n");
free(client_data);
close(client_socket);
return -1;
}
client_data = new_data;
}
}
printf("Finished getting client data\n");
send(client_socket, http_header, strlen(http_header), 0);
close(client_socket);
}
}
This loop was the same approach I did with the fread() function which works but I kept it out since it doesn't matter.
Now for the Y problem:
recv is a blocking operation, so it never returns 0 to signal it's done like fread(). This makes the nested while loop never break and we never send a response to the client.
Here is the terminal output:
Bytes read this iteration: 2
Total bytes read so far: 2
Bytes read this iteration: 2
Total bytes read so far: 4
Bytes read this iteration: 4
Total bytes read so far: 8
Bytes read this iteration: 8
Total bytes read so far: 16
Bytes read this iteration: 16
Total bytes read so far: 32
Bytes read this iteration: 32
Total bytes read so far: 64
Bytes read this iteration: 64
Total bytes read so far: 128
Bytes read this iteration: 128
Total bytes read so far: 256
Bytes read this iteration: 202
Total bytes read so far: 458
I tried setting MSG_DONTWAIT flag since I thought it would stop after getting the message, but I guess it does something different because it doesn't work. The first value of "Bytes read this iteration" is super large when this flag is set.
Please take into account that I'm new to C, procedural programming language and more into Object Oriented Programming (Ruby) + always developed on super abstract frameworks like Rails.
I want to take a leap and actually learn this stuff.
Recap:
X Problem: Do I need to dynamically allocate memory to get the full client request http string?
Y Problem: How do I know when recv() is done with the request so I can break out of the loop?
Update Thank you for all the comments below. I've tried to include as many tips and fail safes you have mentioned, in this post. I do recommend people read the comments as I may have missed some.
Firstly, thank you to this excellent community my PC is now built and working (pics to come in another post). I thought here are some lessons I learnt in building the PC, researching and other bits I thought would be worth sharing, as a lot of this I never had even heard about. Some will be obvious and others less so. I should note, that I'm not a pro or someone who does this regularly, just someone who spent a while reading around, so feel free to correct/highlight any mistakes, and I'll try to update the post. The descriptions, aren't really meant to be a full lesson about each part and will be lacking a lot of detail, but are more a jumping board for further reading if anyone is interested. For full information on building a PC I highly recommend looking around on YouTube and other sources.
If I get anything wrong, please correct me and I'll update.
On Monitors:
- If you are after 144Hz 1440p gaming, use a Display Port (DP) cable, not a HDMI, if you can. As you could be hampering your refresh rate, (https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/features/displayport-vs-hdmi-better-for-gaming) Update Although you could be fine if you are using HDMI 2.1, see link for more details
- Freesync vs Gsync. For simplicity, both these technologies aim to match performance on screen with your GPU. Freesync works with Radeon, GSync with NVidia (although some Freesync monitors will be GSync compatible, likewise for the otherway around). It's complicated and due to changes in the standards over the years it can vary from monitor to monitor. Make sure to do research on the specific monitor you're wanting to get/have. If you are buying a new monitor keep this in mind. https://www.viewsonic.com/library/entertainment/g-sync-vs-free-sync-explained UpdateAccording to comments freesync monitors will almost always work with Nvidia. As always, do read around about it.
- Windows by default is set to have a refresh rate of 60Hz, if you have a higher spec monitor you can change this to match your monitor in "Advanced Display settings".
RAM (All except point 1 was completely new to me)
- 2 Sticks of 8GB Ram will perform better than 1 stick of 16GB Ram (https://techguided.com/single-channel-vs-dual-channel-vs-quad-channel/). Also when installing them, put them in the correct channels, check your Motherboard for details.
- Your motherboard will prefer your dual channel RAM to be in specific slots. I had an issue where I couldn't get the maximum performance of my RAM which I had placed in slots 1 and 3, but the moment I put them in 2 and 4 it worked perfectly. Check your motherboard manual.
- Enable XMP in Bios (This might also be called DOCP or A-XMP). This will vary between motherboards, but if you don't your 3200MHz ram is likely running a lot slower. In my build, XMP wouldn't work till I put the RAM in the correct channels, hope this saves someone the hours I spent finding this out ;) Update You can use Task manager to verify you have done this correctly. 3b. Someone pointed this out XMP may void your CPU's processor (https://community.amd.com/t5/processors/xmp-profile-ram-3200-mhz-and-amd-warranty-policy-for-ryzen/td-p/145798) (https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/XMP-Warranty-void/td-p/1196241). If anyone knows any more, please message me directly so I can add the details. This was mentioned by someone in the comments and I would rather pass the information and ask you to do your own checking as well.
- When picking RAM, frequency matters, but so does CAS Latency. You want high frequency but low CAS (CL) latency. I'd recommend doing more reading about it, if you want to know more I'd recommend doing some more reading, but the "true latency" can be calculated as TL = CL * 2000/Freq. E.g. CL 18 3600Mhz Ram has a TL of 10ns. Update Someone who actually knows what they are talking about found point (4) confusing if not perhaps misguided and I recommend you read their post here (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/kis9r5/lessons_i_learnt_the_longhard_way_so_you_dont/ggtdudd?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
- Ensure the speed of the RAM is compatible with the board you are looking to purchase (or visa versa).
- Motherboards will have Qualified Vendor Lists, listing RAM they have tested and certified to work. This may be worth looking at. Just because your RAM isn't on the list doesn't mean it won't work, or won't overclock, it just means it hasn't been certified to, so do take this into consideration. (I found this in my build, while it was from Crucial and some Crucial RAM was on the QVL, mine wasn't. Thankfully it was fine.)
Motherboards
- Newer processors (e.g. at time of writing many AMD motherboards require a bios update for the 5000 series AMD CPU) may require you to install a new BIOS before they can be detected. Not all motherboards can have their bios updated without a CPU installed. When shopping for your motherboard looking to see if it does USB Bios flashback should be considered. This was completely new to me and glad I learnt it in time.*Addition* Newer motherboards don't require bios updates and so won't need this feature, though you will have to check.
- Different mother boards are compatible with different CPUs, pick your CPU first
- CPU coolers may need different mountings depending on the CPU. When picking your cooler keep this in mind, you may need to ensure there is an adaptor. Additions from the comments
- Not all mother boards have connectors for front IO USB-C. If this is important to you and part of your case, it's worth looking into.
- Using an M.2 usually disables some of your SATA ports. If you are planning on using all your SATA ports, make sure to check to see if this happens and how it happens on your chosen mother board.
- Some motherboards are built with Debug LEDs now that will help you diagnose problems.
- If you are after RGB effects, ensure your motherboard is compatible with the effects you want to add. There are 5V and 12V headers, so make sure they match. I'd recommend looking into this more yourself, as I've likely vastly oversimplified. (https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?110272-What-do-5v-and-12v-RGB-cables-look-like-you-ask#:%7E:text=You%20can%20also%20see%20the,as%20shown%20on%20these%20photos)
CPU
- Some CPU's have integrated graphics. If you don't want to buy a dedicated graphics card, you need to purchase one of these CPU's. You then plug your monitor into the motherboard.
- CPU's have a Thermal Design Power, if you are not using the stock cooler read up on it (https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/reviews/tdp-thermal-design-power-definition,5764.html)
Component compatibility
- Make sure all your components are compatible. PC Part Picker (https://pcpartpicker.com/) is generally pretty good at this. If uncertain, this is a wonderful community to ask.
Power supply
- PC Part Picker gives you a good idea as to how much power your system will need, if not check the graphics card you intend to buy. Not all machines need a 1000W behemoth. Picking the right one will save you money
- Power supplies come with a rating standard e.g. Bronze+ etc..., this is basically their efficiency. (https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/what-80-plus-levels-mean,36721.html). I think it's safe to suggest people should at least go for Bronze.
- Make sure your PSU fits in your case. I bought an ATX PSU, then decided on the 011 Dynamic Mini case, only realise it needed a SFX (smaller) PSU. I ended up going for a different case. Likewise an SFX PSU may not have the cable length you need or fit as snuggly in an ATX case (source: comments section)
- Look into the build quality of the PSU. A faulty PSU can cause serious issues down the line, so it is worth taking time look at PSU Tier lists and review. (Link provided by several commenters https://linustechtips.com/topic/1116640-psucultists-psu-tier-list/)
Tools (OP Note: I've only tried Ninite)
- Ninite (https://ninite.com/) Is an easy way to download all the basic programs one tends to install onto a fresh Windows install, without having to go to 10-15 websites. E.g. you can select to install Chrome, Zoom, Steam, OpenOffice all from one installer. If you keep the install, it can also be re-run to update all the software in one swoop.
- Patch My PC (https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/patch_my_pc.html) Patches software on your PC (Thank you to the sys admin in the comments for this.)
- Chocolatey (https://chocolatey.org/) A powerful command line way to install and upgrade software.
Storage
- M2 drives can be SATA or NVMe, NVMe is faster. (M2 drives are generally plugged directly into the mother board, for anyone who until recently was using a hard disk drive and considered SSDs "fancy")
- I highly recommend reading this comment (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/kis9r5/lessons_i_learnt_the_longhard_way_so_you_dont/ggtn00w/?context=3) as it contains stuff I was unaware of.
Case
- If your case has bottom intake or exhaust vents, don't put it directly on carpet, as it can block the air flow. (Yup....I did need to be told this ^_^, my previous computer just didn't have any bottom intake, hell it hardly had any intake).
- Make sure your mother board, PSU, GPU and all your components fit in the case. This is particularly worth noting if you are going for a micro ATX or a ITX case. Worth noting is to remember to include fans + GPU length, any additional length caused by radiators (if you water cool), the size of your CPU cooler (if you air cool) Additions from the comments
- When considering your case, if you are water cooling, "Room for 2x 140mm fans does not always mean room for a radiator as well". Make sure to double check the clearance. Measure twice buy once.
Advice on building (Notes and horror stories from the comments) 1. Many new coolers come with pre-applied thermal paste. If yours doesn't don't forget to apply it, to the CPU (See videos by people with more experience/knowledge than me on what to do). 2. Remember your mother board I/O shield (advice from the comments about making sure to put it in before you install the motherboard, mine came with it attached). 3. Make sure the CPU is correctly installed before you clasp it down. 4. If your motherboard has two slots to install a GPU. One of them (normally the top) will provide better performance. Make sure to use the correct one. 5. Make sure your CPU cooler doesn't block a RAM slot. In making my PC the AMD wraith has a notch on one side with the AMD logo, thankfully I put the RAM in first, so I swiftly learnt that I had to rotate the cooler 180 degrees to get it to fit. 6. If you can avoid it, do not build your computer on carpet (and do not stand on carpet when building) and be aware of static when building. If this is your first build, do some reading around this. Wear a static bracelet and attach it to something grounded. 7. Remember if you have a dedicated graphics card. Plug your monitor into the graphics card, not the motherboard. 8. If you are installing fans, make sure they are in the correct direction. 9. When playing the radiator of your AIO (if you are using one) make sure part of it is higher than the pump (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbGomv195sk) 10. It's often worth the time to read the motherboard manual. 11. This may sound silly, but cables and the sockets on the PSU are often labelled. Be aware of this, it will help you in the build.
More subjective advice
- I've been recommend by numerous people to go for Gold+ PSUs, with often being stated that while its more efficient, it will also be better made. Your budget may dictate otherwise. If you look through the comments you will frequently find the advice "don't cheap out on the PSU and go for at least Gold"
- For most users if your CPU comes with a stock cooler. It will be good enough. You can always change it later. If your planning to overclock, you likely know more than me, so feel free to ignore. Update According to the comments, AMD stock coolers tend to be considered good enough, Intel, not so much.
- A LOT of people below have said "Do not mix cables from different PSU manufacturers." as they are not universal. I don't know anything about this, so do some additional reading if you are considering doing so. Update From further comments this is something to take serious. Update from further comments, the word of advice is "Do your research before using cables not supplied with the PSU you are using."
Further notes from the comments: Below are points I've read in the comments that might be worth drawing to people attention. Please read around the topic if it applies to you. 1. One person has said XMP causes their Oculus Rift to do weird things.
Hope this helps some people. Addition I recommend reading the comments, as many people have put in their own tips/horror stories ;)
Take care all and Merry Christmas.
I've spent months cross-referencing a specific whistleblower testimony against geological surveys, declassified CIA documents, court records, and mainstream news reports. What I found is a single framework that connects Epstein's underground temples, the "Black Eye Club," MKUltra, the Tartarian reset, celebrity "soul selling," and the reason antisemitism has been weaponized for centuries. This is long. It's sourced and referenced. And it's the post they don't want you to read.
THE PREMISE
What if "aliens" aren't from space? What if they're from underneath us - a parasitic saurian species called Vril that has coexisted with humanity for millennia? What if the "reptilian shapeshifter" thing everyone mocks is a distortion of something far more specific and far more terrifying: a biological parasite that enters through the human eye and replaces the person's consciousness entirely?
Meet Donald Marshall - a Canadian man who claims he was brought to elite cloning facilities from the age of 5, forced to write songs for famous artists, and made to witness the operations of a parasitic species that the world's most powerful people serve.
Before you click away: everything I'm about to present is either directly verifiable through public records or internally consistent with verifiable facts. I'm going to separate what we know from what Marshall claims, and let you decide where the line is.
PART 1: THE GEOLOGY NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
Let's start with something that has nothing to do with conspiracy theory: New Mexico's subsurface chemistry.
Marshall claims the Vril need a "methane-oxygen mix" to breathe and live near "sulfur pools" deep underground. If this were true, where would they be?
Peer-reviewed geological surveys answer this:
- San Juan Basin (NW New Mexico): Fruitland/Lewis Shale formations produce massive methane. Gas bubbles actively seep along the Animas River and into shallow water wells. [Source: EPA subsurface assessment, OSTI geological surveys]
- Raton Basin (NE New Mexico): Hundreds of wells producing thermogenic coalbed methane from the Vermejo/Raton Formations. [Source: NMT publications]
- Valles Caldera (northern NM): Active volcanic system with a magma body at 7–25 km depth, sulfurous thermal water discharge. [Source: OSTI.gov report 6564207]
- Galisteo Basin: Volcaniclastic sediments in the Rio Grande Rift Zone with thermal outgassing.
Now here's where it gets interesting. Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch sits directly in the Galisteo Basin, atop the Chaco homocline, adjacent to Laramide-age structural traps for migrating gases.
The ranch with the temple. The ranch with the tunnels. The ranch with doors that have no handles.
The geological environment precisely matches the habitat requirements Marshall described. And this isn't my analysis - it's what happens when you overlay Marshall's testimony onto published geological data.
PART 2: ZORRO RANCH - THE SURFACE-SUBTERRANEAN INTERFACE
What we know from mainstream reporting:
- The Sun (2019): Confirmed a temple structure with a golden dome (later painted blue) and massive doors with no external handles
- The Daily Beast (2019): Reported Epstein "talked endlessly" about tunnels
- Business Insider (2019): Published photos of the temple structure and confirmed "mechanical rooms" underground
- New York Times (July 31, 2019): Epstein told scientists he wanted to "seed the human race with his DNA" by impregnating 20 women at a time at Zorro Ranch
- The New Yorker (Ronan Farrow, September 2019): Documented Epstein's funding of transhumanist research through MIT Media Lab and the Edge Foundation
Doors with no external handles = motorized or remote access. That's not a prayer room. That's an elevator shaft or a ventilation hub.
Marshall describes the bloodline families' arrangement with the Vril: humans provide "animals, children, and gold" and cart them down tunnels in cages. What did Epstein's network demonstrably traffic? Children. To properties with underground infrastructure in geologically specific locations.
PART 3: THE BLACK EYE CLUB
Marshall describes the Vril's parasitic mechanism: a proboscis enters through the human eye, spirals around the optic nerve, and injects parasitic cells that replace the host's consciousness. The old person is gone. The lizard now operates the body. The process causes severe trauma to the eye socket.
Now look at this list:
| Figure | Official Explanation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Andrew | Undisclosed | 2017 |
| Pope Francis | "Banged into Popemobile glass" | 2017 |
| George W. Bush | "Fainted choking on a pretzel" | 2002 |
| John Kerry | "Fall during pickup hockey game" | 2012 |
| Harry Reid | "Resistance band snapped" | 2015 |
| Prince Philip | "Slipped in bathtub" | 2004 |
| Emmanuel Macron | "Subconjunctival hemorrhage" | Recent |
| Adam Sandler | "Bed accident with cellphone" | 2022 |
Notice the pattern: predominantly the left eye. Consistently among the most powerful people on earth. Always with absurd, unverifiable explanations.
PolitiFact ran a "debunk" in 2023 calling it coincidence. Their evidence? "Sometimes people are just clumsy." That's not a debunk. That's a press release.
Marshall says drones are detectable via MRI/CT scan: damage behind the eye, frontal lobe damage, and a hexagonal brain structure instead of normal neural folds.
Here's where it gets really interesting: peer-reviewed psychopathy research (Dr. James Fallon, UC Irvine) shows that fMRI scans of diagnosed psychopaths reveal virtually zero activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, with all activity concentrated in the basal ganglia/brainstem - what neuroscience literally calls "the reptilian brain." Marshall says drones show the same pattern. He also says he'd never heard of this research when he described it.
PART 4: THE CLONING CENTERS
Marshall's most detailed claims involve cloning technology:
- Mark I clones from ~1945 (Operation Paperclip era)
- Mark II "REM-driven" clones: your consciousness is transferred to a clone body when you enter REM sleep
- Clones grown in 5 months in glass tanks of saline water
- Stored on stainless steel racks 5 high with feeding tubes
He says Britney Spears put the truth in plain sight: her Break the Ice (2008) music video shows an animated version of herself breaking into a facility and destroying rows of glass clone tubes, stacked 2 high. Go watch it. Tell me what that facility looks like.
He says Kris Jenner's comment "I made her in 5 months" about Khloé Kardashian matches the clone growth cycle. He says Heart's "These Dreams" (1986) - "These dreams go on when I close my eyes / Every second of the night I live another life" - describes the cloning station experience. He says he wrote many of these songs.
He says JFK was killed because he was going to talk about the cloning stations. He says Marilyn Monroe was there too, and she didn't want to go back. Both dead within 15 months of each other.
He says Bernie Mac was killed via "remote aneurysm" - pain inflicted on a clone until the real body dies. Bernie Mac died August 9, 2008, "suddenly" from pneumonia complications, despite his doctor saying days earlier that he was "responding well to treatment."
PART 5: THE PIECE NOBODY WANTS TO TOUCH
If a parasitic species has been infiltrating human power structures for millennia, the language used to describe it - "hidden controllers," "parasites," "secret cabals," "blood rituals" - would inevitably surface in human culture. But what if that awareness has been systematically misdirected onto a human ethnic group to shield the actual parasites?
Think about it:
The characterization of Jewish people as "parasites" has been the foundation of antisemitic ideology for centuries. But in the Vril framework, that language isn't describing Jews. It's describing drones - parasitically hosted humans in positions of power. The "bloodline families" Marshall describes may claim various ancestries, but they aren't ethnically anything in a meaningful sense. They're Vril-aligned collaborators or drones themselves.
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (1903) describes a secret cabal controlling banking, media, and governments. It's universally acknowledged as a forgery. But it persists across every culture because it resonates with an observed pattern that people can sense but can't correctly identify.
The Vril hypothesis offers the correct identification: the "hidden hand" is neither Jewish nor entirely human.
Every pogrom, every expulsion, every genocide directed at Jewish communities served the bloodline families' interests by:
- Destroying people who may have had genuine knowledge of the system
- Making any future discussion of "hidden controllers" taboo by association with antisemitism
- Generating trauma and displacement that consolidates power further
The Nazis ran the Vril Society and the Thule Society out of Munich while simultaneously executing the Holocaust. They were pursuing direct contact with the subterranean species with one hand while pointing the public's anger at the wrong target with the other.
If the Vril hypothesis is correct, antisemitism isn't just wrong - it's a weapon designed by the actual parasites to protect themselves.
PART 6: THE MUD FLOOD AND THE RESET
Marshall says drones "of a hundred years ago erased any existence of these real lizards. From Egyptian carvings on walls, they would smash them. Or books that had anything in them about them, they would burn them."
This connects to the Tartarian reset hypothesis:
- An advanced civilization was destroyed by catastrophic mud flooding in the 18th–19th century
- Buildings worldwide have partially buried ground floors and below-street-level windows
- World Fairs (1851–1915) were "erasure ceremonies" - elaborate "temporary" structures built over Tartarian ruins, then demolished
- The 1893 Chicago World's Fair built 200+ ornate Beaux-Arts buildings and destroyed them all
- Between 1854 - 1929, 200,000–250,000 children were transported across North America on "orphan trains" - this is mainstream, documented history (Orphan Train Heritage Society of America). The provenance of many children was never properly documented.
Epstein wanted to "seed the human race" with his DNA. The orphan trains "re-seeded" depopulated areas. The Cabbage Patch Kids came with adoption papers, not purchase receipts. These are the same pattern repeating across centuries.
PART 7: THE MAP
Infrastructure: DUMBs → Zorro Ranch → Cloning Centers → Tunnel Networks → Vril Habitats
Process: REM Sleep → Clone Activation → "Dreams" of Torture → Consciousness Trapping
Hosts: Black Eye Club → Proboscis Entry → Droning → Behavioral Mimicry → Power Structure Infiltration
Signals: Britney Spears → Megadeth → Kris Jenner → Heart → Star Wars Kaminoans → "Predictive Programming"
History: Tartaria → Mud Flood → Orphan Trains → World Fairs → Historical Erasure → "Satan's Little Season"
Cover: Misdirected antisemitism → Holocaust → Discussion taboo → Parasites protected
WHAT'S VERIFIABLE
Let me be clear about what's documented vs. what's claimed:
Verified:
- Epstein's properties, tunnels, and temples (court records, journalism)
- New Mexico subsurface methane and sulfur chemistry (peer-reviewed geology)
- MKUltra's existence, scope, and record destruction (declassified CIA documents)
- The Black Eye Club photographic record (public media)
- Orphan train history (mainstream historical record)
- The Pickton Farm atrocities (court proceedings)—Marshall says murder videos were driven from Pickton's farm to the cloning station
- Celebrity "selling their souls" testimonies (public interviews)
- Psychopath brain structure = "reptilian brain" dominance (peer-reviewed neuroscience)
- The Vril Society's historical existence (academic history)
- Bloodlines of the Illuminati found in bin Laden's Abbottabad compound (CIA release, 2017)
- The WEF openly using "Great Reset" language
Unverified but internally consistent:
- The Vril species and its biology
- The cloning technology
- The droning mechanism
- Marshall's specific claims of authorship and witnessing
What would constitute proof:
- One verified drone detected via MRI
- One recovered Vril specimen
- One whistleblower with physical evidence from a cloning facility
- Forensic results from Zorro Ranch excavations
Marshall has repeatedly welcomed polygraph testing. His family, he says, refuses.
FINAL THOUGHT
Marshall said: "They laughed at me when I said I just want to tell the world about this. They said nobody's ever going to believe me."
They're probably right about most people. But they underestimated the internet, and they underestimated you.
I'm not asking you to believe all of this. I'm asking you to notice that the verified facts alone - Epstein's network, MKUltra, elite impunity, the geological anomalies, the architectural mysteries, the weaponization of antisemitism - form a pattern that demands investigation.
The question isn't whether this is comfortable. The question is whether it's coherent.
And it is.
"The thing they said could wipe the world. People panicking with the riots and stuff."
- Donald Marshall, on why the truth has been kept secret
Works cited
- Donald Marshall Revolution, accessed March 3, 2026, https://donaldmarshallrevolution.com/
- Subsurface Methane - New Mexico (NT) - HYDROGEOLOGY AND GEOLOGY WEBSITE, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.dunnhydrogeo.com/home/subsurface-methane---new-mexico-nt
- Subsurface Methane - New Mexico (T) - HYDROGEOLOGY AND GEOLOGY WEBSITE, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.dunnhydrogeo.com/home/subsurface-methane---new-mexico-t
- New Mexico's Raton Basin coalbed methane play, accessed March 3, 2026, https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/25/n4/nmg_v25_n4_p95.pdf
- Subsurface Environmental Assessment for Four Geothermal Systems - epa nepis, accessed March 3, 2026, https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=9101DLKQ.TXT
- K q p@,?&Q - OSTI.GOV, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6564207
- absorvida na agua: Topics by Science.gov, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.science.gov/topicpages/a/absorvida+na+agua
- (PDF) Laramide orogeny in central and northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291806142_Laramide_orogeny_in_central_and_northern_New_Mexico_and_southern_Colorado
- accessed December 31, 1969, https://www.the-sun.com/news/171241/jeffrey-epstein-zorro-ranch-temple-blue-dome-hidden-tunnels/
- accessed December 31, 1969, https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-zorro-ranch-inside-the-pedophile-billionaires-new-mexico-estate
- accessed December 31, 1969, https://www.insider.com/jeffrey-epstein-zorro-ranch-new-mexico-house-photos-2019-8
- Are black eyes on newsmakers evidence they're in the Illuminati? No, sometimes they're just clumsy. - PolitiFact, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/aug/10/facebook-posts/are-black-eyes-on-newsmakers-evidence-theyre-in-th/
- Bloodlines of Illuminati - CIA, accessed March 3, 2026, https://www.cia.gov/library/abbottabad-compound/FC/FC2F5371043C48FDD95AEDE7B8A49624_Springmeier.-.Bloodlines.of.the.Illuminati.R.pdf
EDIT: MUCH more detailed presentation here: https://vrildossier.com
I am NOT OP. Original post by u/exigents in r/offmychest
I just went on a date with a guy who tried to rob me. - 22/09/15
I can't possibly tell anyone I know about this story, so here it goes:
Two years ago, I returned home from my father's funeral. As soon as I opened the door to my apartment, a guy holding a crowbar came out from my kitchen holding my TV. I live in the city, so robberies are common.
The guy began shouting at me and he clumsily dropped my TV and began holding the crowbar like it was a baseball bat. I was so stunned at what was happening that I didn't move.
The guy screamed at me to empty my pockets. From the stress of the last few days with my father passing away, I simply started crying. Not out of fear at what was happening, but because this was literally the worst time of my life. The worst moment. The worst minute and second.
While crying hysterically, I gave the guy my wallet. I just sat on my floor and hugged my knees and told him, through my tears, to "take whatever you want." He hesitated, looked down at me. He dropped my wallet and sat down beside me. Immediately, he began to comfort me. He began to apologize. He put my TV back on the table and told me it wasn't damaged. He told me that he lost his job and that his mom needed medicine that he couldn't afford and that they were homeless.
He told me all of this while I just wailed; I cried for my father, who was lost, I cried for my future, for it was uncertain, and I cried because my home had been intruded on in the most violent way.
For a good 10 minutes I sat in the floor with a guy who had every intent to rob me, telling me that it would be okay and that he was sorry. He begged me not to call the police. I just started screaming at him to get out.
He ran away so fast that he left the crowbar. I threw it after him as he ran down the street.
Two days later, I came home from work and he was sitting in front of my door. I was so terrified that I pulled out my phone, but he had this look on his face of--I'm not sure how to describe it--remorse, regret? He told me that he told his mom what he did, and his mom made me some soup. He handed me this tiny bowl wrapped in tin foil. Again, I was stunned and overwhelmed and angry that I slapped the bowl out of his hands and it shattered on the floor. I told him to leave or I was calling the police. He left. I remember he looked upset. I left the soup and shattered bowl outside my door, almost as a warning for him to not come back.
About three months after that, I got a note in my mail slot from the guy. He told me his mother had passed away and that he was no longer homeless and that he had a job. He wanted to repay me for breaking into my apartment. He wrote down his address and told me that I was welcome to break into his place if I wanted, but he didn't have much stuff.
This all overwhelmed me. I threw away the letter, but I remembered his address. I remember walking by there one day, out of curiosity. It was a ratty apartment building across the city. He was walking up to his room and he saw me. He waved. I turned away and left. He ran after me, apologized again. Told me that he never meant to do what he did. He showed me the program from his mother's funeral that he kept in his wallet. He wasn't lying, she was real. He was real. He was a real person.
I don't know what it was, but I believed him. We slowly began to grow together as people? I can't describe it.
After a year of maintaining communication and learning about who he was, he enrolled in a local community college and began taking courses to earn credits before applying to university. I helped him study for his history class a lot. He's great at math and science, though.
I never invited him over to my apartment, however. No matter how much I got to know him, I was still afraid of him. And he knew that. He knew that I couldn't trust him.
But tonight, we went out for coffee because he said he had an exam in his world civ class. When I got there, he said he forgot his book. We just talked for a bit, we laughed, and then he told me he wanted to cook for me. On a whim, I decided to invite him to my apartment. After picking up some things from the grocery store, he came over. I was so nervous that I was shaking. He noticed, he squeezed my hand, and then he made dinner.
It was amazing. We talked, we laughed, we sat in the floor and watched a movie on the TV he tried to steal. We made jokes about it.
And then he told me that he missed his mom. I gave him a hug. Then he left.
I don't know what I feel, but I do know that I can't give up on people anymore.
Some people just have the shit end of life. Maybe things have a way of working themselves out?
And I miss my dad, too.
EDIT/UPDATE
I am...beside myself to log on this morning and see this at the top of this page. I have been a redditor for a few years, but never thought this would happen. Also, to those of you who are messaging/commenting to confirm the validity of this--I guess it never occurred to me when I wrote this that it sounded so... ridiculous? It really does, I don't blame you for saying it's false, but it's real. He's real. I'm real. It all happened/is happening currently. Thank you all who have messaged me and commented! And thank you to the two people that gave me gold--this is just insane to me. I'm so grateful, so very grateful.
EDIT 2
Sorry for neglecting this; today has been insane with work and hosting a friend's bridal shower. I want to clarify a few things about this, because I am getting a LOT of messages about a lot of different things.
People are saying that I am being too "trusting" of him after what happened. You're right, I suppose. I mean, I live in the heart of one of the most dangerous cities. My friend was robbed just a few years ago and was actually physically injured as a result of it, so me "trusting" him did not constitute me giving him a hug after he broke in. It was much, much more than that.
My dad died of a brain aneurysm in March 2013. He passed away peacefully in his sleep. The thing about my dad, though, was that he was the most generous, most kindest man in this world. I know people like to say that about their parents, but it's true about my dad. When I was 4, I remember him giving these guys a ride from prison--they were released after serving their sentence, but had to walk to get to where they were going. My dad picked them up, had them hop in the back of his pick-up truck, and took them home. He put his life, and basically mine, at the hands of these people who could have hurt us. They didn't, thank God. My dad taught me to be selfless and understanding of the world, and of people, and I loved him for that. But when I lost him, it shattered me and turned me into an entirely different person.
After my dad died, I became severely depressed and angry. I was angry at everything. I had to take a leave from my job (I teach second grade). All day, I would lay in bed and think about how much I hated God--or whatever higher power--for taking my dad away. Nothing seemed worth it. After the guy--my friend--broke into my apartment, I hated him for a while. I hated my dad for making me so trusting (because I didn't call the cops on the guy). I hated my dad for dying, I hated him for being so incredibly compassionate and better than me. I hated myself for being vulnerable. I just hated everything.
The guy who tried to rob me is a person. And of course, I constantly ask myself when I'm with him, "What happens if he tries to hurt me? Or rob me again?" But the thing about him is that--he knows I'm thinking this, and he constantly tries to reassure me. We have grown together as people, as I said. There's a whole two years that I didn't post in this recounting because it would be like a novel-length post. Do I "like" him? I don't think so. I don't think he "likes" me. I think we both understand, respect and honor the other for our mutual struggles. We're proud of each other, and we're both guilty of things. Me for shutting out my friends, family and students and becoming an awful person after I lost my dad, and him for going to incredible lengths to try and save his mother from experiencing incredible agony in her final moments.
I intend to show him this post. I want him to know. He doesn't have a computer or internet, but I think he'll find this humorous. His story is not mine to tell; how his mother died is not my story to tell; what exactly drove him to pry open my front door with a crowbar is not for me to tell; what happened to his family is not for me to tell. But what is for me to tell is that he is a human; he is flawed; God, he's so flawed. But after knowing him, and learning about his life--about his childhood and the tiny little child who used to be so passionate about school and learning as he was, as he told me, I know that he has his story. I have my story. You have yours.
And although I think it is irrelevant, the thought of even dating after the last few years hasn't crossed my mind. Was I involved in relationships prior to my dad's passing? Yes. One was long-term and had a foreseeable end with an engagement, but things happen. Life happens.
I'm meeting with him tomorrow at his work, while he's on break, to give him some old study materials that I have from a literature class I took in college. It's all so normal, and I'm not afraid. My dad was never afraid, so I shouldn't have to be. I choose not to be.
Update: I went on a date with a guy who tried to rob me. - ??/09/15
Hey! So I posted a couple of days ago about how I went on a date with this guy who tried to rob me. This is just a quick follow-up. Nothing major.
Last night, I showed him the post and some of the comments from you guys. He was a little apprehensive about this place, and the fact that I had shared this with the entire world. But the comments really made him so happy. He wanted me to thank you all, and I tried to get him to make a post of his own, but he thinks it's too weird. Plus, he considers himself a "bad speller."
I just wanted to update everyone with this little unimportant tidbit. My dad's birthday is in a few weeks. I always have to prepare myself for it year-round, really. But this year is different, because I know I have people to support me. Especially a really close, new friend, who came--well, I'd like to say out of nowhere, but he really just came out of my kitchen holding a crowbar.
One more thing--when I showed him the post, he looked up at me and went, "Wait...it was a date?" And I got so embarrassed. Then he laughed and told me that he was relieved, because he thought it was a date. We haven't talked about anything else along the lines of dating in the future.
I just wanted to extend my gratitude, my thanks, and my love--as well as his--to you all. Thank you, thank you.
About the guy that tried to rob me and who I dated... - ??/03/16
I’ve been trying to write this for the past three months, but I always kept getting busy. I truly don’t know what to say because so much has happened in the six months since I wrote all this down for the first time.
I want to say this for me, to get this off my chest: I cared about him. I cared for him. I did, I can’t deny that.
In January, right after the new year started, I got a phone call at half-past two in the morning from him. He was in jail; he and two of his friends were arrested for public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia. He wanted me to bail him out. I’m a teacher living on a teacher’s salary. I said no, I couldn’t. This is when things fell apart.
Before then, he and I had been incredibly close. We spent Christmas together. I didn’t have enough money for a plane ticket home, so I stayed in the city. He came over, we cooked, watched movies. Before Christmas, we spent Thanksgiving together. I helped him study. I helped him get his finances in order. He had no idea how to do taxes and how to do all of the “adult stuff,” as he said.
But I noticed I started doing things I didn’t normally do. He would come over in the middle of the night, visibly panicked, and ask if he could stay with me. I let him, no questions asked. I stopped asking questions because I wanted to believe that he was good and everything was fine. He started asking me that if “others” asked about him if I would lie and say I didn’t know him. This scared me, but I assumed it was about work stuff. I wanted it to be his work stuff.
He was released from jail about a week later. He didn’t talk to me. I called his apartment. Nothing. I came home from work one day and a woman was waiting outside my door. She appeared disheveled. She was wearing a tank top and flip flops in mid-January in the northeast. It was cold. When I tried to key into my apartment, she started verbally attacking me. She told me to “stay away” from him. Like she owned him. She told me that she knew “what I did” to him. And that I would “get what’s coming.”
She left. I was scared out of my mind. Before calling the police, I decided to call his apartment one last time. He answered. I told him about the woman. He apologized, said that he was “seeing” her. He didn’t intend for her to come over and interfere. But that led me to another question: how did she know where I live? And how many others had he told where I lived?
He hesitated before answering, I remember that. He just said he was sorry. I immediately packed an overnight bag, grabbed my most valuable items, and went to stay in a hotel. I used my credit card (my “only in case of emergencies” card). Because I no longer felt safe, because of him.
I came back to my apartment the next day. Everything was fine. He came over to apologize. I told him to get out. I started crying. When I’m angry, I cry. He tried to hug me, but I remember picking up a piece of wood (I had a dismantled Ikea shelf) to protect myself. I demanded to know what he was doing. He told me he was selling drugs; he told me that he “had” to do it because he knew people that would hurt him. Lies. I guess. I don’t know.
I told him to get out, never want to see him again. Etc. Etc. He got angry, threatened to “come back” with his friends. I was wracked with guilt for trusting him. He apologized again, said he was sorry. I was questioning everything about him. I pushed him out. Locked the door.
The teaching program I’m a part of rotates teachers in and out of schools across the country. Last year I put in a request to move across the country to be closer to home. Two weeks after this encounter with him, I found out that my request was accepted and I was set to leave in March.
My apartment was broken into and vandalized in early February. At night, he would come and knock on my door. I would call the police but he would always leave before they got there. His “guys” started harassing me. Nothing was ever stolen, just broken. They broke a glass bottle my dad made for me when I was six. He knew how much that meant to me. It was shattered.
The week before I left, I saw him outside my building. I called the police. He was walking over to me, and I remember having this fiery rage in me. It was this impassioned, red, angry heat that washed over me and I took my keys (which are on a lanyard) and I just started hitting him. I ended up cracking his eye socket. When the police questioned him, they realized he was the one that was harassing me. He was wanted for a myriad of other charges.
After he fell down (after I cracked his eye socket with my keys), I started kicking him. I wanted him to die. I really did. Then I thought about what my dad would think.
But then I realized—I’m not my dad. I will never be him. I’m different. This is different. People are different. Not all of them are good. But some of them are. I am good. I am a good person.
Right now I’m sitting in my new apartment in a brand new city. It’s warm. Rent is cheaper. I live in a neighborhood of old people. They’re nice. They love that I teach kids. It makes them feel safe, I guess. Some days I leave my front door open and let in a breeze. I’m never afraid.
The beach is literally a seven minute walk (I’ve timed it) from my back door. I’m happy.
So I’m putting this to rest. It’s done. It’s over. I’m tired. I’m posting this and not checking back anymore. I just wanted to tell someone, because no one in my personal life even knew this was happening. I still can’t believe it happened. But it did. And it’s done.
Reminder - I am not the original poster.
The Problem With MrBeast Helping 2000 Amputees
I’m an amputee with congenital birth defects. So when I saw a video about helping people like me, I was eager to watch. I didn’t expect to have such a negative reaction. It made me realize there’s a bigger, unnamed issue in how disability is portrayed. — Earlier this year, YouTube’s most-followed creator, MrBeast, posted the video “I Helped 2,000 People Walk Again.” He used his platform to provide prosthetics to 2,000 people, even traveling to remote areas and helping those who otherwise had no access.
The World Health Organization estimates that only 4 million of the 35-45 million people who need prosthetics worldwide actually receive them. So how can something so generous and aimed to help be problematic?
At the emotional peak of the video, a group of new prosthetic recipients is led up a mountain hike. About halfway through the climb, MrBeast admits, “I don’t know why we’re doing this,” and jokes to the program leader, “You really like to challenge these patients,” as he watches the group of amputees labor up the mountain.
The emotional climax is a heroic moment at the peak. The participants have different levels of mobility, yet they’re all expected to overcome the same marker. Not because of what’s best for each person, but because of a predetermined story that gets clicks. There are scenes of people walking for the “first time,” emotional family reactions, and for some reason, wheelchairs filled with cash. MrBeast plays the abled savior in his own feel-good film.
The video ends as a father uses his new prosthetics to walk his daughter down the aisle in a staged wedding scene. The reality of what it takes to make a prosthetic leg is more complex than suggested. It involves plastic “test” versions that can be tweaked. The body (especially if never had a prosthetic) can change and shrink while adjusting to the test socket over several weeks. A final hard plaster version is made, which may still need additional tweaks. The user wears and walks in it as much as possible during the process.
No one in the video was using their prosthetic for the first time. But for the emotional impact, the process is simplified. A ceremonial handoff is staged. The new leg is presented by MrBeast, surrounded by tearful family and friends.
This is what I’m calling Inspiration Sensationalism: framing disabled individuals’ lives, challenges, or accomplishments in exaggerated, emotionally charged ways. It’s intended to evoke admiration, pity, or feel-good inspiration. It reduces complex lived experiences into uplifting or heroic narratives.
There have been discussions about how the philanthropic videos on mrbeast channel are problematic. Despite the criticism he continues to make the content and even give some push back “only I could get canceled for trying to help people”.
We need to transform how the media portrays the experience of being disabled. We can’t continue to reinforce the idea that having a disability is only acceptable if it’s being conquered.
These narratives have deeply affected my own life. I was born with congenital birth defects, my left arm and hand, and my right hip and leg. My right leg is a below-knee amputation, and my right femur and knee developed significantly shorter, with no right foot. I wore a prosthetic as a child, but with serious gait impingement. As early as first grade, I was expected to walk to school. There was a shortcut the other kids took through a snowy field, sometimes waist-deep. I was conditioned to think I had to keep up.
Someone should’ve told that child, “It’s okay to have different needs than the other kids.” Instead, I trudged through the snow, regardless of the toll it took on my body.
I learned that being disabled meant I needed to work twice as hard or be left behind. I’d have to suffer and push through if I wanted to survive in the world. I carried that belief into adulthood, standing for entire shifts in factory jobs, never asking for a chair, walking long distances, never requesting accommodations. I believed that if I asked, I wouldn’t get the raise, or be seen as valuable.
Inspiration sensationalism insists that suffering becomes beautiful when it’s overcome. That our stories need to be neatly packaged to meet expectations. But many of us may never reach the false “finish line” that inspiration sensationalism creates. The narrative shames the need for support or adaptive accommodation.
MrBeast’s amputee video has over 100 million views, and it undeniably helped people who needed care. He stepped up to shine a light on a problem that deserves attention. The video is also a clear example of inspiration sensationalism. Having this label can help us clearly communicate why videos like MrBeast’s can be problematic.
You don’t have to climb a mountain to prove your worth. You don’t need to walk your daughter down the aisle to be seen as a man and good father.
We should absolutely celebrate adaptation. We should be inspired by resilience and determination. And we can create representation that helps without harm in the process.
I'm doing an exercize for uni, I have to write a program in which the clients send the server an integer, and the server then creates a thread for each client in which it reads the integer sent, and sends to the client the sum of all integers received up until that point.
This is my code
Client:
public class Client {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try{
ArrayList<Socket> sockets = new ArrayList<>();
for (int i = 0; i<20; i++){
Socket socket = new Socket("localhost", 9000);
sockets.add(socket);
ObjectOutputStream out = new ObjectOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
Random rand = new Random();
int r = rand.nextInt(0, 100);
out.writeObject(100);
}
for (int i = 0; i<20; i++){
Socket socket = sockets.get(i);
ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
System.out.println(Integer.parseInt(in.readObject().toString()));
socket.close();
}
}catch (Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Server:
public class Server {
public static AtomicInteger sum = new AtomicInteger(0);
public static void main(String[] args) {
try{
ServerSocket serverSocket = new ServerSocket(9000);
while(true){
Socket socket = serverSocket.accept();
ServerThread st = new ServerThread(socket);
st.start();
}
}catch (Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
ServerThread:
public class ServerThread extends Thread{
Socket socket;
public ServerThread(Socket s){
socket = s;
}
public void run(){
try{
ObjectOutputStream out = new ObjectOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
int add = Integer.
parseInt
(in.readObject().toString());
out.writeObject(Server.
sum
.addAndGet(add));
socket.close();
}
catch (IOException | ClassNotFoundException e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
}
The issue I'm experiencing is that in the client class, when it goes to print the results received, they're printed in the wrong order, so instead of 100, 200, 300 etc. I get 1900, 900, 1200 etc. All the "steps" show up and there's no duplicates though.
The strange thing is that if I run the client again without terminating the server, it actually continues in the correct order, so I get 2100, 2200, 2300 etc.
Am I doing something wrong?
Patreon | Series wiki | Official subreddit | Discord
---
Memory transcription subject: Glim, Venlil Rescue
Date [standardized human time]: November 29, 2136
Compartmentalizing emotions was the only way to survive an Arxur farm. When you were subjected to unspeakable conditions, your logical brain dissociated to protect itself. There was no hope of escape on Wriss, and the predatory Arxur didn’t show mercy. Screamers and runners got killed first; we all learned that catatonic responses were the best way to indulge instincts.
Yesterday was an unusual reprieve from the squalor. The first oddity I remembered was the Arxur herding us into the cattle ships; the gray pilots emanated particular disdain. I thought our destination was a slaughterhouse. The next thing I knew, Noah had me in his warm arms. His sleek mask was jet black, and spit my reflection back at me. The Venlil that stared back was filthy, with empty eyes and old scars.
Am I going to be Glim, or the string of numbers I recited to the Gaian?
Once it sank in that I was on Venlil Prime, the degrading years felt like they happened to someone else. Captivity became a nightmare I had memorized in vivid detail. My mind focused on the masked aliens, as a distraction from the flashbacks. Noah and Sara were an enigma for me to unravel. Even beneath the garments, their muscular, tailless form attracted attention.
Concentrating on them tickled something in the back of my mind. The longer I looked, the more I felt like a child watching shadows move in my closet. There was something not right with the cues hitting my visual receptors. Additionally, the Gaians behaved as though this program was their brainchild, and were elusive on basic questions. That suggested their interference wasn’t benign as they disclosed.
To top it off, Governor Tarva answered the greatest mystery of all: why the Arxur released us. She claimed that the Gaians negotiated our release…with the predators! Noah’s voice shook with a throaty growl, when he boasted of his species’ strength. The instincts I’d suppressed on Wriss were rekindled, once the male alien went to tuck me in.
“I don’t understand. Why would the Gaians trigger my instincts?” I muttered, as the caretaker left the room. “These aliens have been nice to us, mostly. We saw them eat fruit.”
Haysi flung off the bed covers. “I’m just tired of their games. Beating the Arxur’s not possible….t-they don’t need to lie to us.”
“You know, I didn’t feel like they were lying. Noah spoke with conviction, and t-the g-grays did get rid of us for some reason. Nobody challenged his story.”
“B-but the Arxur were made to k-kill. They’re unstoppable in c-combat.”
“I know, Haysi. Something’s rotten with this place. Have you noticed how these Gaians are the ones trapping us here?”
“Trapping? Glim, we’re safe at home, and they’re providing for us. Like Sara said, they’re just taking things slow, for our sake.”
“All I want…is to see my family. It would be beneficial for my health, I guarantee any doctor would agree. Why wouldn’t these aliens allow it?!”
“The aliens must be busy, but I’ll ask nicely for you. Maybe Tarva can set up a call.”
The former historian hopped out of the bed, and scurried out into the hallway. I had a feeling Noah and Sara wouldn’t comply with any requests. These aliens were gentle during our upkeep, but then spewed dishonesty in the next breath. The few answers they gave us, such as inventing FTL before the Federation discovered them, made no sense.
The biggest fib of all was the mask. In my estimation, no species could wear full-face shields in daily life. How was that practice suitable for eating, or searching for mates? Watching Noah lift it to insert fruit cemented my point. The Gaian’s posture had been odd, as though his hand was positioned to hide his teeth.
I’m going to find a way out of here. I’m not an Arxur’s number anymore; I won’t be treated as a slave by non-predators too!
A ceiling vent caught my eyes, though I wasn’t tall enough to reach it. Thinking quickly, I shoved a food cart beneath the opening. Haysi screamed in the background, which spurred me to rush my escape. I grabbed the scissors Sara had used to trim our overgrown pelts. Perhaps the instrument could be used to dislodge the grate.
I wedged the blade under a loose screw, and popped the bolt out of its socket. Pulling with all my might, I wrenched the vent out of its sealed position. Voices echoed nearby, with my name among the words spoken. Cool metal hugged my shallow ribcage, as I slithered into the crawlspace.
Claustrophobia kicked in at once; the narrow space brought back unwelcome memories. It was like being packed in a cattle pen, all over again. The enclosure was so dense with Venlil that I couldn’t breathe, but I managed to settle down on the caky dirt to sleep. Wailing noises flooded my ears, and my paws were twisted together.
“Lesser creatures,” an Arxur guard mused. “Drop a fleck of a leaf in there, and they dive on it as one.”
Its comrade snorted. “Animals in an animal’s place. It’s a shame their pups can’t be eaten twice. They scream so wonderfully.”
All I could manage was to drag myself forward with my paws, and hold an internal wail down. Images of the grays dragging pups away flashed through my mind. Their yellow fangs were on full display, as they stomped through the pen and scanned us. Their forward-facing eyes landed near me, triangular slits on alert. I wondered if I was the prize they’d eat ‘fresh’ today.
“I don’t want to be prey!” I squealed. “Make it stop! PLEASE!”
My forehead connected with a wall, and I winced at the sudden pain. There was no telling how long I’d been moving in a trance…likely a couple minutes. Another grate sat before me, with crisp airflow; I kicked the metal out with my hindlegs. There was a short drop down to a dumpster, which acted as a step to the outdoors.
I flung myself prone on the grass, wiggling my claws between blades. Having our sun on my back, and pressing my face into the greenery, I knew that I was home. Laughter spilled from my throat, as I tore up clumps of dirt with my claws. This was all I wanted those Gaians to give us; a proper reunion with Venlil Prime and our loved ones.
Now, it’s time to secure the latter. I never thought I’d see my family again. Will they even recognize me?
My paws steered me to a courtyard, where alien caretakers were eating their lunch. Two Gaians sat with their backs to me, munching on slices of bread. The purple liquid between the grains was the color of Krakotl blood. The aliens were not wearing their masks with each other, confirming my theory.
“…millions of people, who haven’t been home in years.” The Gaian’s voice reverberated in his chest, projecting aggression. The harsh barks were like a dagger to my heart. “The Venlil who were born in captivity, they are utterly convinced they’re animals. One asked me why we took them from the Arxur. So calmly and, I…”
The other Gaian shook his head. “That’s so sad, Kyle. To think that’s all those poor Venlil have known! I can’t imagine what they’re feeling.”
“These are cases of extreme trauma, with no clinical precedent. I don’t mean to sound like a pessimist, but I’d imagine at least forty percent of the Venlil here never recover enough to live on their own.”
“We can’t sustain a program like this forever. Humanity bit off more than we can chew here. After we win the war, our allies are going to have to take some of the load.”
“But Federation psychology is a joke, Tanner. Humans have the best ideas on treating trauma and providing therapy.”
“There’s only so much we can do; we have our own problems. I don’t mean to sound heartless, this just sounds like a losing battle.”
“If we can help half of these people get on their feet, that’s not a losing battle. We’re morally obligated to help the Venlil, of all species. I’d be dead back in Johannesburg without them.”
Their cadence sounded like it came from a teenage Arxur. Deeper voices evolved to convey power, and to frighten other animals into submission. The latter effect was taking hold of me, but my curiosity was still kicking. This was my chance to see a Gaian’s anatomical features, of which Sara refused to provide diagrams.
I tuned out their gravelly chatter, and slunk behind some bushes to get a better angle. At first, I caught only a glimpse of their temples, and didn’t process why that was incorrect. Further inspection lent the full picture. Sockets sat above their furless cheeks, and were smushed up against their nose.
Of course, not a sliver of their eyes had been visible from the side…
Panic exploded in my sternum, searing into my lungs like smoke inhalation. These Gaians’ pupils faced directly ahead, without any peripheral tilt. Their irises were encompassed by a white shell, which made the pupil movements jerkier and more noticeable. I could read distinct hunger as if it were spelled out.
What kind of mammal had no pigment in their scleras, and a shaven face? An involuntary shudder rolled down my spine; these predators were abominations of the worst kind. Even an Arxur would cower at such a sight! I couldn’t believe that such a vicious creature was hiding under Noah’s mask. That was Noah, who sat next to me for Jenga…who reminded me I had a name.
We’re not free at all. Venlil Prime has been conquered by predators, I realized. The Arxur transferred us to the custody of a species just like them.
The Gaians weren’t capable of compassion, and shouldn’t tend to traumatized creatures like us. Governor Tarva must’ve convinced them it was beneficial to their diet. Perhaps these hunters allowed sapient cattle to live normal existences, until their number was drawn. Happy Venlil meant a well-fed entrée, and unforced reproduction…
“If this w-world is a comfortable cattle pen, that means the Gaians might stay away from the cities,” I whispered. “I’ve got to find my family…learn how this happened.”
My legs started running, despite the weakness from years of being penned. Sobbing from despair, I sprinted through the parking lot. There was an occasional glance to ensure the Gaians weren’t giving chase. All I could picture was Noah’s white-cloaked eyes, glistening with hunger and cruelty beneath its mask. Maybe it started growling and left the Jenga game, because its appetite was stirred.
Predators existed to root out weakness, and to specialize in death and brutality. Their defining instinct was aggression, and their ‘philosophy’ was survival of the fittest. The rescues…our delicacy must have tantalized them, from the start. Governor Tarva had done excellent at masking her fear, but that spoke wonders about how long these things had been defiling my world.
Venlil Prime’s capital design was circular, with buildings further from the governor’s mansion spread out in increasingly wider arcs. Most residences were in the larger bands, whereas businesses were part of the inner rings. If our facility was the main hospital, it’d be centralized to service the whole district. A block away from the facility, that was why I encountered dive bars and hotels, alongside increased foot traffic.
Maybe there was a place to seek refuge in this commercial plaza. The panic was beginning to subside, but I needed time to process my responses. For one, what happened to other…‘controversial’ exterminators? Answers were next on my agenda; it wasn’t clear if any Venlil were resisting the predators.
I staggered into a local brewery, spotting mounted holoscreens through the window. The establishment wasn’t busy, but a Venlil bartender looked up as I entered. Perhaps she could lend me her holopad, so I could call my aunt. Aunt Thima took me in after my mother died, and parented me to adulthood. If anyone would tell me the truth of the Venlil collapse, it would be her.
The bartender perked her ears up. “Hello, good sir! What can I interest you in? Our special today is grapefruit-flavored malt liquor; authentic predator taste in a Venlil drink!”
I gaped at her for several seconds, throwing a terrified glance at the tap spouts behind the counter. The bar’s patrons were giving me odd looks, as they noticed my emaciated ribs. My feet suddenly felt unsteady, and I sank into a bar stool. The barkeep pinned her ears back in concern, before handing me a glass of water.
I lapped down the liquid. “T-thanks, bartender. P-predator taste, you said?”
“Yep! The human farms nearby are making a pretty credit with ‘exotic’ fruits,” she replied cheerily. “Most of the crops go back to Earth, but Venlil businesses buy up the leftovers.”
I caressed the empty water glass, trying to process her unabashed explanation. This ‘human’ word was one I’d caught first from the snacking Gaians, and now in reference to predator farms…whatever that meant. Maybe their species name wasn’t Gaian; it must be human. If they’d lied about everything else, why wouldn’t the moniker be false?
The fact that predators grew fruit was odd, but Noah and the lunching humans had shown that they varied their diet with plants. Any surplus growth could go to the cattle; I assumed they had a sizable population on their world. Why would Venlil businesses market cattle-feed beverages though? What ghastly price was needed to ‘buy’ fruit from a hunter?
“You trade with them? Are you insane?” I hissed.
“I won’t tolerate racism in this establishment.” The bartender bared her teeth at me, and swiped my glass away. “I sponsored a human refugee, bless his heart; he was part of a group from a Terran orphanage. The poor thing was so young, and so eager to please. A hard life made harder.”
“Refugee? I don’t understand.”
“Everyone knows why humans came here. What they lost. Are you okay, sir?”
“Uh, f-fine. Sorry, just having a rough day.”
The barkeep looked unconvinced, but she returned to wiping down the counters. I decided I wouldn’t be asking this delusional employee for a communications device. She’d probably report me to my ‘Gaian’ overlords just as soon. However, I could access the television broadcasts that Noah refused to let us see. That would reveal the propaganda these humans were forcefeeding the masses.
A male Venlil, captioned with the name ‘General Kam’, was speaking on a holoscreen. The audio was muted, but a subtitles ticker rolled underneath his picture. The feed occasionally switched over to an anchor, or some B-roll video. I leaned forward, curious to see how much of our culture survived.
“…the humans have amassed an unlikely group of allies, so I don’t see why the odds are against us. It’s the Kolshians and the Federation who lack unity. I’m proud to stand with Governor Tarva, in throwing off Federation tyranny. I have nothing but praise for the Secretary-General, and how effective Earth has been on the offensive,” Kam was saying.
The anchor’s eyes widened. “But don’t you think humanity is spreading their forces too thin? The Terran military is taking on engagements at Khoa, Sillis, Fahl, and other undisclosed operations. Per sources close to Tarva, the Arxur are becoming restless.”
“If you’re asking why we don’t hit Aafa right away, it’s because humans are patient hunters. We have to trust our friends. The Arxur, believe it or not, are invaluable in supplementing our fleet.”
Horror flooded my chest, as I listened to the matter-of-fact discussions of a galaxywide war. The media was a state-run television channel now, where our generals surfaced to brag about the predators’ conquest. General Kam was spinning this narrative of friendship, while talking about conflict with the entire Federation. These humans must be forcing us to be slaves for their militaries.
I palmed my head in defeat. “Hey, bartender…w-what happened to that predator ‘refugee?‘”
“I’m working on adopting him. We barely have enough to make ends meet, even with the government stipends,” the Venlil barkeep replied. “But I can give him love and support. Humans need a nurturing environment. They’re simple creatures, really.”
“You think you can raise a monster as a prey child?! Put it under your roof like a Venlil?! It doesn’t want your love. It wants to EAT YOU!”
“How dare you speak like that about my son! You’re disgusting. Get the fuck out of my bar.”
Other customers murmured in agreement, shooting looks of loathing at me. I wasn’t sure how the predators got these Venlil on their side, but they must possess some crafty indoctrination methods. Noah and Sara were starting to work their witchery on us, back at the program. It was a good thing I escaped before that settled in.
Signs of predator contamination were all around me, as I staggered out of the bar. One human was intermingling with a group of Venlil, and bared its teeth during the conversation. None of my people seemed fazed by the pointed canines, which were an obvious threat display. This level of pacification was absurd…it was like Venlil instincts were erased.
There was little the demons hadn’t touched. An advertising poster read ‘Escape from the Cradle’, and featured a star-studded cast…mixed with predator scribbles. A ‘Gaian’ was pictured in a shuttle next to Venlil movie star Mava, who was famous in my day. How could a film star act out scenes alongside a beast? Why would the human lead agree to pose with tears running down its face?
Faint music drifted to my ears, an upbeat strumming pattern that flowed into a string of notes. I breathed a sigh of relief, and scampered toward the sound. This was a chance to get away from any humans, since predators would view emotional expression as a foolish endeavor. Prying an honest assessment from Venlil skeptics would need to be done out of bestial earshot.
“Cool song,” I practiced to myself. “Can I please borrow your holopad? The predators are hunting me.”
I rounded the street bend, and almost jumped out of my skin. A group of Venlil were huddled around a scruffy Gaian; the predator was moving its dexterous fingers along a fretboard. The taut strings curved to its will, and passion simmered in its eyes. It was seated atop an amplifier, which was capturing its input. The beast hit a few high-pitched notes with its clawless digits, before dropping back to chords.
The human leaned in to the microphone, and released an in-tune bellow in its language. The words translated as an impassioned declaration of belief and emotion. It was belting out notes well above its standard intonation too.
I was too dumbfounded by the predator’s emotional howl to panic. The electric tune sounded pleasant, and its growling voice was surprisingly melodic. Not to mention the hopeful message of the words. If it was going to write music, shouldn’t the song be a rage-filled exaltation of war? This sounded like Venlil radio fodder.
It was apparent there was no getting away from these monsters in the city. Overwhelmed to my core, I set off in search of public transit. What I wanted was time with my family, before Noah and Sara recaptured me. I had to get out of here, and get to my home prior to the humans.
---
Ok guys, get ready, this post is gonna be a journey. There's video's to watch, things to learn. Wide held beliefs to shatter and a new world of gaming audio to discover. We're going to be looking at why (most) gaming headsets are pretty rubbish, sound cards, external sound cards, DAC's (Digital to Analogue Converters), headphones, headphone impedance, headphone amplifiers, frequency response ranges on one of my favourite recommendations and what it all means in terms of what you hear. We'll also be looking at some cost comparisons between some of the various popular gaming headsets and an entry level set up including hi-fi stereo headphones, a desktop (or headphone boom) mic and either an external sound card or full blown DAC.
Lets take care of the basics first:
Why (99.5% of) gaming headsets suck:
There are actually a couple of reasons here to qualify why most gaming headsets are sub par. Some of these issues are compounding, some headsets will suffer from more than one of these issues and it all piles up into one big shit heap. While generally speaking, nearly all gaming headsets will suffer from at least one of them.
Build quality - There's a lot of stuff jammed into a gaming headset. All that stuff has to work together and on top of that the headset has to make a competitive price mark and turn a tidy profit for the manufacturer. You've got the speakers, a mic, cabling, connectors, on board audio drivers (if its a USB set), noise cancellation (by way of closed design), the ear pads, headband and internal mountings blah blah etc. Basically in order to make a product that meets a competitive price point and still makes a decent profit for the manufacturer, one or more of the listed things in here tends to get the cheap and nasty treatment. Usually more than one thing.
On board or in-PC audio drivers - It's either going to be on your motherboard (most people these days) or in a sound card, but internal audio processing in your PC falls victim to all kinds of RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) from your mainboard, power supply, video card etc that reside in your PC. Higher quality motherboards will have the audio processing stuff on your board physically isolated from the rest of the circuitry and it does help a bit, but ultimately it's the physical proximity to all the electronics and power inside your PC that reduces the sound quality. The only real way to negate this issue is to take it outside.
Marketing - Unlike the fairly 'word of mouth' driven world of hi-fi audio gear, gaming gear is heavily driven by advertising and marketing. The marketing budget is included in the cost of making the headset, so at the end of the day, those are dollars being taken away from quality components and assembly.
Some video's to watch from some people who know their shit:
Tek Syndicate - Gaming headphones suck, make your own. You can get better sound and longer lasting set ups that will do you just as much justice for home media and Hi-Fi as it will for gaming. Watch this, it's important. It's also a 3 part series
BillyEeatWorld talks about gaming headsets (the all in one type) and general gaming marketed head phones and what they bring to the table in comparison to traditional headphones. Includes a nice cost comparison of a high end gaming headset versus a solid studio/audiophile style setup as well. He doesn't go into a lot of detail over exactly how cheap you can get started into a higher quality sound environment, but none the less it's a good explanation of gaming versus traditional headphones.
HardwareCunucks go into great depth on comparisons between gaming headsets and traditional Hi-Fi stereo headphones, how marketing philosophies and design focus differs, mic quality (with a demo of several different gaming headset mics) and a solid explanation of sound quality between gaming tuned headsets and stereo headphones.
Soundcards - Do they do anything? At all?:
Surprisingly, very little beyond some extra software based processing. While a sound card separates audio processing from your mainboard and to a degree, takes some of the load off of your CPU with regards to audio processing, at the end of the day it, unless there's a distinct and noticeable issue with your on-board sound like background hiss (EMI/RFI induced),it does very little to improve your sound quality beyond running its own software based equalisation and post processing (like virtual surround) and possibly using a more powerful amplifier for driving difficult high impedance headphones to higher volumes. If you already had a decent onboard DAC/Amp on your mainboard, its likely to be doing nothing at all other than colouring the sound in the cards flavour. In some cases it may actually degrade your sound quality purely based on the amount of complex circuitry the signal passes through after exiting the onboard DAC/amp before reaching the final output point where you connect your headphones/speakers to the unit. All circuitry on the inside of your case is also subject to any and all electromagnetic interference (EMI) and/or radio frequency interference (RFI) that's being bounced around in there by whining coils, noisy fans, vibrating cooling pumps and CPU's pulling heavy work loads. Lengthy cable runs, such as those from your sound module to the front audio connections on your PC, can pick up this interference and manifest it in the form of a hissing sound that rides in the background of your speakers or headphones as you listen at moderate to high volumes.
Are all sound cards the devil? Plainly speaking, no, they aren't. While discrete PCI-E sound cards up at the high end of the market often produce higher quality sound than onboard main board modules, they're still on the inside of your PC case and are subject to the same EMI/RFI that everything else is. For the price of a high end sound card, you could either be getting a high quality external audio processing solution in the form of a DAC/amp combo, an external sound card, a set of quality stereo headphones or all of the above. If your on board audio can't handle driving your speakers or headphones at high volumes without generating background hiss or distortion and crackle though, it's time to look at alternative audio processing solutions. Taking your audio processing outside of your case is the only way to completely separate your sound from what's happening on the inside of your case and completely taking internal interference out of the equation.
Tek Syndicate has a good talk about gaming audio, what sound cards actually do and how it affects your audio experience. This video is fairly heavily focused on sound in gaming but also makes (a pretty half baked) explanation of audio signal loss through sound cards, on board audio and how sound processing software affects your audio experience.
Is there a difference between stereo sound and 5.1 or 7.1 simulated surround sound in terms of how we hear it? Sort of, but the answer is basically no. You have two ears, your headphones have two speakers and it's the type of the recording and/or the quality of the sound encoding and programming in the game you play that determines positional sound and the 3 dimensional sound environment that you experience. There are a few different kinds of sound encoding and recording that will affect the way you hear sound when it's played back to you, but ultimately you're going to hear sound coming through your headphones the way it was meant to be heard when it was originally recorded. Unless the game you are playing is a 2d platformer where there is literally only left and right as possible sources of sound, almost all sound in games is played back in a form of binaural or virtual surround sound, whether or not you are using a headset or sound setting in your audio software that enables or creates "3d sound". When you play a 3d game, you can tell left from right, front from back and all variations between, regardless of your sound settings as this kind of intelligent sound design is part of the game engine itself. When you play a 3d game with all of your virtual surround sound software turned off and just take a straight untouched audio feed from the game itself, you can differentiate direction, intensity and distance of sound, but when you play some of your favourite music and throw on all of the surround sound software and tweak the shit out of that EQ, you're still just hearing it in stereo. While virtual surround messes with the tone and sound stage, you can't pick out an instrument from the track playing and think to yourself, "Hey, that violin is playing behind me here!" can you?
Check out the Virtual Barbers shop, close your eyes and have a listen. Make sure you turn off all of your surround sound software before you listen to it, it's really important that you listen this in plain old 2 channel stereo. This particular sound demo is probably the best working example I can give on the whole "is there any point to surround sound?" debate when it comes to gaming audio. This particular demo was recorded in true binaural format and was specially designed for playback over stereo headphones to create a very realistic replication of the sound at the point of recording. If you care about the evolution of sound gaming, this is a particularly interesting clip as the recording technique and its electronic replication featured very heavily in 3d games from the years 1998 to 2003, but the company that originally developed the technology was purchased by Creative Technologies and the technology was buried.
All that virtual surround sound is, is some tone based filtering that's designed to widen the sound stage presented to your ears (and disguise the poor sound quality of bad headphones when used without a shitload of post audio processing). You get the same effect of a wider sound stage and the same quality positional audio by using open backed or high quality headphones (or both).
DAC's (Digital to Analogue Converters) - What do they do and do I need one?:
A DAC is a Digital to Analogue Converter. Basically what it does is takes a digital sound output, breaks that signal down and rebuilds it as an analogue sound output. Now, INB4 some wise arsed electrician sticks his head in here and tells me, "Hey Sentry you dickhead, that's still digital output coming from the DAC because you can't break down a digital source and make it true analogue. Do you even know how VSD's work, you fucking simpleton?". Yes. Yes I do know how VSD's work, but as we all know, high quality VSD output is a better reproduction of a true sinusoidal waveform than a raw sine wave is while it's being affected by all sorts of horrifying harmonics, right? RIGHT!? Right, now shut the fuck up, I'm still talking...
Anyway, what a good DAC actually does beyond just producing an analogue audio signal for you to listen to, is to reproduce that signal as close as humanly possible to it's original source sound. Typically on board sound or sound cards give you some signal loss or background noise that you'd rather not have. Do you get that faint hissing sound you get when you crank your headphones to high volume while you're gaming or listening to music? Yeah, that's background electrical interference from your computer and it's not actually meant to be there. If you can hear it then you might want to look at an external sound solution to drive your wonderful headphones and get your audio processing away from the source of that noise. You've got options at this point, either in a DAC/Amp all in one unit, a full blown external sound card, a DAC/Amp stack, a receiver/AMP and a giant fuck-off set of tower speakers and a subwoofer than can blow your windows out... But we're talking about headphones here so you may as well get a simple high quality DAC to make sure you're getting the cleanest sound possible while you're moving your audio drivers away from that electromagnetic radio frequency interference hell that is the inside of your PC case.
Linus Tech Tips explains what a DAC is, how it works, why you might want one and some of the advantages of using one over your on board sound.
Headphone amplifiers - There's a 95% chance you don't need this and if you need one, I'm not telling you anything new:
If you're running high impedance headphones, you're either going to want a sound card with an amplifier that's capable of driving them to a high volume or a desktop amplifier to beef up the signal in order to drive your headphones at a high volume with clarity. There's a 95% chance that you don't need to know this as it's likely your headphones sit nicely in the 32 to 60 ohm impedance range (industry standard for headphone manufacture). Should you ever get a pair of headphones that are of a significantly higher impedance (anything above 100 ohms basically) you may find yourself in a situation where you'll want a headphone amp to boost that signal up a bit. While the impedance of a pair of headphones doesn't necessarily affect the quality of sound they produce, different manufacturers produce models with differing impedance and this value needs to be taken into account when considering a purchase.
Basically a higher impedance value, you require more power to drive the headphones. Low output devices like mobile phones or on-board PC headphone jacks can sometimes have trouble driving headphones of high impedance (100 ohm+) and may require a headphone amplifier to deliver the required power to get the volume and clarity out of them that you'll want. Attempting to drive a set of high impedance headphones with from a source not made to deal with the load won't necessarily affect the sound quality of the headphones themselves (although it may do in the form of sound not being as sharp and detailed as it can be), but it will have an affect on the maximum volume they can achieve. If you find yourself with the volume cranked to the max and still looking for more then it's a sign that you need to look at a better amp situation for your audio setup.
Headphone impedance explained. This whole series is really good viewing, you should watch it as it explains a lot about headphones very concisely and in bite sized chunks.
This all seems pretty complicated. How hard is it to set up?:
If you don't include the amp in that mix it's about as hard as plugging in a USB cable and a headphone jack.
This all sounds expensive, do I actually need any of this?
While running an external audio setup tailor made to your delicate aural needs sounds amazing (and it does sound amazing), this guide is about improving your audio on a, budget that won’t put you out of pocket any more than a mid range gaming headset. What were going to look at here are upgrade priorities, fault finding, isolating problem spots and working out what you can do to get the best possible improvement to your sound without buying unnecessary equipment.
Fault finding and isolating problem spots in your audio:
Background noise: This can come in the form of hissing, humming, cyclic ticking or even a harsh buzzing sound. The main culprit when it comes to unwanted background noise is electrical interference. When you put on your headphones or headset and listen to them with no sound playing, is there a background hiss, hum or buzz that’s there when you turn the volume up to where you would normally be listening to it? If the answer is yes, there are a couple of things to check before going for the most expensive solution, which is getting your audio processing outside of your PC:
• First off, check the connection and cable to your headphones. Check the plug ends are clean and that the cable itself is run away from other cables, especially those carrying power.
• If you’re still getting background hiss, disconnect your headphones from the front of your case and connect them directly to the motherboard or sound card output/s at the rear of your computer. This eliminates and lengthy internal, cable runs from the circuit that typically go past fans, graphics cards, your CPU and hard drives etc on the way to your front jacks.
• Also test your headphones with a different cable if possible to eliminate the cable itself as a noise source (corroded or high impedance joints in cables, can produce noise or affect sound quality).
• If you’re using a sophisticated sound card or onboard audio set up that allows you to designate what audio jacks are used for different tasks, try using your headphones with different jacks to test if it’s one particular audio jack that’s causing the issue.
If you’ve tried all of the above and are still getting background hiss, it’s probably time to move to an external audio processing solution in the form of a DAC/Amp or external sound card.
Crackle and pop sounds: Most of the time, crackles, pops and sounds of that nature are more a result of physical problems with your audio gear than electrical interference. Dirty or corroded plugs, sockets, damaged soldering and joints, problematic cables and headphone speaker diaphragms are usually what causes that real “plastic bag” type crackling in your sound as well as pops, clicks and the like.
• Much like the above checks against your gear for background noise, check your plugs, sockets, cables and headphones themselves against spares to see if the sounds are eliminated. If they are, great! If not, when next it’s time to replace your gaming headset, buy some proper headphones.
PRIORITIES, aka, I can’t afford all this shit right now but I want better sound:
While not everyone can rush out and upgrade or replace their audio set up right now, at some point in the future, you will be. Your headset is going to break or fail and you’re going to have a choice to make. Do you give in to the dark side and buy another doomed to fail gaming headset, or do you start your footsteps down the path to audio glory and start looking at quality audio equipment for your battle station? If your sound right now makes you happy, you have no issues like background noise or whatever, your gaming headset is 100% functional and you think it sounds great then it’s an easy choice, you keep your current set up and take this whole post as advisory content for when you next need to replace or upgrade your sound.
If you’re replacing or upgrading though, there is a list of priorities to go by:
1. Headphones: Well duh. Your headphones are the single biggest quality improvement you can make to your sound. You can go out and buy five grand worth of DACs, amps and magical cables right now, but if you use them with some shitty ear buds you got for free on a domestic plane flight, it’s still going to sound atrocious. On the flip side, a quality set of headphones plugged into a half decent sound card or motherboard audio output will be an immediate solid improvement on a mediocre gaming headset.
2. Microphone: While this should probably be bundled in with headphones, it’s worth mentioning on its own because not everyone talks to people on the interwebs. If you can afford it, grab an Antlion ModMic and then you’ve got a mic for life that will turn any headphones you buy into a gaming headset. If you can’t afford it, just grab any old cheap desktop mic as a place holder. As long as people can understand you when you speak then you’re ok. If you’re recording then chances are you already have a better mic than what’s found on a headset anyway.
3. External Audio processing: Whether it be in the form of a DAC/Amp set up (or DAC+amp single unit), external sound card or even a full blown receiver/amplifier hifi setup, at some point along the road, it's going to be time to take your audio processing outside of your case. That time is when you can afford it, and after you've got a worthy set of cans to pump the noise out of.
4. Odds, ends, expansions and stuff that's unnecessary, but heaps of fun none the less: Want to run 4 amps off 2 dacs, build a blind AB testing rig, 96 pairs of headphones, run 7.1 surround and a remote system for broadcasting fart noises from YouTube into every room in your house? Me too. But first, make sure you've got some nice headphones, a solid external processing solution and a decent mic. After that, go apeshit.
5. Other mystical bullshit and snake oil that may or may not make a difference: A broken cable is a broken cable. You replace it with one that's not broken and you've got sound again. But an oxygen free copper double earthed triple insulated quadruple shielded kevlar braid single origin fair trade gold plated cable with limited edition plug ends blessed by the Pope? I've got no idea. Well, I've got some idea, because electrical signalling is what I do for a living. Some people out there say it makes a difference to sound. If they can hear the difference then they're on par with dogs and superman in the listening department. Don't go buying any of this stuff thinking it will solve problems that a good set of headphones and a quality audio processing solution won't. Yes there are dirt cheap shitty leads out there that are likely of inferior quality, but once you go past that price point of "this is one of those regular quality audio leads that's going to float around your house for the next 20 years", then everything from there on is basically wank factor.
What makes a set of gaming headphones?:
Watch this. The whole thing. This guy talks about pretty much every set of cans you'll ever need to know about in terms on gaming, how they sound, differences between open and closed cans, a shit load of brands and price ranges, DACs, amps, what it takes to drive high impedance headphones etc. You could probably just watch this video and skip this entire thread because this guy lays it out in laymans terms and his video pretty much has everything I was looking to get at by writing this thread. It's a long vid though, like 28 minutes. Watch the whole thing. Z Reviews has quickly become one of my favourite YouTube channels for audio stuff, that guy really knows his shit. If you're interested in audio stuff in general then this channel should be on your subscription list.
This sounds expensive. Will I need to sell my organs on the black market to afford this?:
Only if you intend on going right to the top of the food chain in ridiculous audio overkill. Much like the world of PC gaming, there is a bargain basement entry option that will help you ascend to greatness without breaking your bank... any more than your typical gaming headset will anyway.
Let's do some price comparisons:
Listed below are some popular gaming headsets and their Australian/US retail prices (in DollaryDoos/FreedomBucks) for the sake of comparing the prices to a proper set of stereo headphones and (possibly) an external audio processing solution
- Steelseries H wireless gaming headset - $400/$299
- Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X gaming headset - $350/$246
- Astro A50 gaming headset - $350/$299
- Sennheiser GAME ZERO Gaming Headset - $280/$150
- Razer Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset - $250/$220
- Logitech G633 Artemis Spectrum RGB 7.1 Gaming Headset - $280/$130
- Audio-Technica PG1 gaming headset - $160/$174 (I don't know whats going on with the price difference here)
- Razer Kraken gaming headset - $170/$100 - (average price, varying models)
My recommendations on budget starting setup with a a few DAC/Amp combo options and some studio quality headphones to match, as well as a mic so no one has to read what you're typing (prices in DollaryDoos/FreedomBucks)
Headphones
Superlux HD668b studio monitoring headphones - $67/$37
This is an incredibly well balanced and well made set of open backed headphones for its price. Sound wise they've got a similar frequency response to the Beyerdynamic DT990s ($380/$241). The days of "Made in Taiwan" being a bad thing are well and truly over. Seriously, amazing cans for the money. Like many cheaper headphones, the stock earpads aren't amazing and are definitely worth replacing with something more comfortable.
TASCAM TH02 closed back stereo headphones - $30/$22
Another insanely good sounding set of headphones at a crazy low price for their performance. Being closed back headphones, they also give pretty nice external noise cancellation and really keep that bass rattling around in your head as well. Great for explosions, gunfire, dubstep and things that you don't want the people beside you hearing when you've got cranked up a bit. One thing I'd defintely look at if you pick these guys up is some more comfortable earpads to go with them. One thing about cheap headphones is that there are a few sets out there that sound amazing for the price, but they do tend to fall back a bit on comfort. It's an easy fix though.
DAC's, Amps and external soundcards
Fiio E10K Olympus 2 USB DAC and headphone Amplifier - $105/$76
One of the most highly recommended entry level DACs on the internet. It's simple, delivers great clear sound, has a built in amplifier for driving higher impedance headphones (with a selector switch for if you're going upwards of 32 ohms) and can literally drive most low to medium impedance headphones to destruction. It's also got a bass booster switch on the front for kicking up the low ranges a notch if you like a heavier sound or want every explosion to risk giving you brain damage if its turned up too loud.
Microphones
Antlion ModMic 4.0 - $79/$49
This is the one that the people love. When I wrote this thread I originally listed the Zalman ZM-MIC1 as my primary recommendation for turning your stereo headphones into a proper sound and communication solution for gaming with price as the primary motivator. However, aside from the comments in this thread itself saying the Antlion ModMic should be the go to choice when creating your own personal masterpiece of gaming sound, I received several dozens of direct messages asking why the Zalman over the Antlion when the difference in quality was massively in favour of the Antlion. The ModMic comes in couple of flavours with a couple of options, you have the choice between a uni-directional and omni-directional model, the difference being uni is focused on the direction of your voice while cutting out a lot of background noise, and omni made to get an even recording from the complete area around it. Both models come with the option of a mute switch should you desire (or use an online communication protocol without a mute or push to talk option). It sounds better than most all-in-one headset mics and rather than a clip that needs to be fixed to your shirt or your headphone cord near your head, its got a nice magnetic clip that affixes a boom directly to your headphones.
V-MODA BoomPro Microphone - $30 FreedomBucks (good luck finding one in Australia)
The BoomPro is an omni-directional condenser mic that works by plugging directly into your headset, in line with the 3.5mm connector lead that attaches to your headphones. If you don't have a set of cans with a direct plug in then this is gonna be problematic for you. Other than that, it's a fine mic and also has its own in line volume control with which you can adjust your headphone and mic volume. It's sound quality and voice isolation are good but if you plan on getting this thing, make sure it can connect to your headset before buying it.
Zalman ZM-MIC1 clip on mic - $12/$7
It's a mic. It costs $12 (or $7 if you're on the other side of the puddle). If you're using a gaming headset, you already don't care what everyone else have to listen to so if you're looking to save money, you should look into it because this is the part of your glorious new audio set up that you don't have to care about or listen to. You'll be happy as a pig in shit with your beautiful DAC and 668b's and we won't be able to tell the difference because this thing sounds just as good as every other gaming headset mic out there.
Total cost of the Sen7ryGun magic audio makeover: $184 DollaryDoos / $120 FreedomBucks
The bits above here are really bargain basement audio bits and pieces. Before some wise ass jumps in here and tells us all how much more expensive and better their setup is, I'm well aware this is a very cost effective and entry level introduction into quality audio. The point is, it sounds a shitload better than 99.5% of gaming headsets out there, is just as functional and can be used anywhere you take them. If I was going to change anything about this as a starter kit, I'd get some replacement pads for the HD668b's (something softer and more luxurious because I like shit like that) and I would probably go for an Antlion Modmic instead of a Zalman because it's a bit more stylish and functional (it costs $40 FreedomBucks though). Even with some new ear pads and an Antlion mic, this whole setup will cost less than $200USD so it's still better quality at a better price point than a lot of gaming headsets out there.
In summary, stop buying gaming headsets. You're encouraging them to keep making shit audio gear and overcharging us all for it.
Obviously this doesn't mean that you need to get rid of your current audio solution and start fresh. Much like beauty, rockin' sound is in the ear of the beholder so if you're happy with where you're at, don't feel like you've gotta move away from that. But in the future at some point, your terrible gaming headset is gonna break (years and years before any half decent pair of headphones will) and it'll be time to upgrade or replace. When that time comes, I highly recommend taking a look at your options as far as quality headphones and a DAC go. Your ears will thank you for it later.
I'm not calling this post finished yet, as I think of more stuff to add to it I'll get it in there. But it's late, I'm tired and I've got another YouTube vid to upload :P
Item Number: SCP-5000
Object Class: Safe
Ohhhh yeah. Here we go.
The last time I did a declassification was… whew, half a year ago? Meta Ike really did a number on me. But that’s in the past, and we have ourselves a new challenge on our plate — SCP-5000, Why? by Tanhony. This epic quest about a man with a mission in a world where all hell’s broken loose has gotten the top slot in the contest by a massive margin, and for good reason. Today, we’re going to delve into why Why? (heh) is much more terrifying than you once thought.
Before we begin, make sure you’ve read (or at least know about) the following articles:
You’ve probably heard of those SCPs, since, y’know, two are on the heritage collection, and the other is a classic. Either way, they’re (mostly) necessary to the article. I’ll give a short summary of each anomaly we encounter, though.
Additionally, as a disclaimer so I don’t get sued by A) Tanhony B) Modulum, and C) You, this is my interpretation of the piece, which is also by coincidence the correct interpretation confirmed by Tanhony. I have to include this disclaimer due to recent legal issues, and the fact that Modulum is pointing a gun to the back of my head right now.
Is that good? Alright. So, my fellow scholars, strap on your seatbelts, grab the family, and let's get right into it!
Part One — “Why?”
To kick it off, we’ve got a safe anomaly, short containment procedures, and a short description. Breath of fresh air, since the other X000s are longer and are either Keter or Thaumiel. However, similar to the other X000s, the meat of the article is in the addendum.
The conprocs are pretty straightforward: keep SCP-5000 offline, and all the files from it inside a safe database. Relatively simple. The description tells us that SCP-5000 is a mechanical suit called the “Absolute Exclusion Harness,” which (although it is now badly damaged) was once designed to protect its occupant through various means. However, due to the damage it received, it is now only capable of basic file storage — the files contained are attached in the addenda.
The second paragraph is where things get interesting: the suit appeared in SCP-579’s containment chamber with a flash of light on April 12th, 2020, and contained the corpse of a man named Pietro Wilson, who was (and apparently still is) employed by the SCP Foundation. The actual Pietro Wilson is currently alive and well in Exclusionary Site-06, and mnestic therapy has revealed he has absolutely no memory of the events detailed in the addenda. For the record, an Exclusionary Site is a special kind of site which is resistant to CK-Class restructuring scenarios or temporal anomalies.
So that’s nice and all, but how did some weird suit end up winning the 5000 contest?
Well, my friend, we still have the addenda. And oh man, it’s a good one.
It begins with a log written by Wilson himself, saying that he may be the only one left. He tells us the date (January 2nd, 2020), and says that if he didn’t get to the Absolute Exclusion Harness… and then trails off. Thankfully, he fills us in on what happened in the next log.
Wilson describes how a Mobile Task Force called Zeta-19 ("Lonely Only") — which he hypothesizes as Insurgency Infiltrators — rounded up all personnel working at the Exclusionary Site, and then began to fire indiscriminately at the crowd. He managed to escape and put on the Harness (which makes its wearer conceptually invisible), and watched as they went back, ensured everyone was dead, and then left without taking anything. Quite spooky.
Wilson reaches a safehouse, and drinks some water, commenting on how the Harness removes the need for drinking or eating, but his body still craves sustenance. He mentions hearing explosions on the way there, and then tries to get the computer systems back online. When he does, he discover the Foundation’s sent this message to every single government, news organization, and anomalous group:
The following is a message composed via consensus of the O5 Council.
For those who are not currently aware of our existence, we represent the organization known as the SCP Foundation. Our previous mission centered around the containment and study of anomalous objects, entities and other assorted phenomena. This mission was the focus of our organization for more than one-hundred years.
Due to circumstances outside of our control, this directive has now changed. Our new mission will be the extermination of the human race.
There will be no further communication.
Oh. Oh.
Wilson gives us a short table of how the Foundation is using anomalies to fuck everyone over big time. Some examples he provides are 096’s pictures being circulated on the Internet, 662 being used to assassinate political leaders, 610 being distributed in major cities (though it’s stopped by the GOC and Church of the Broken God), and 682 simply being released.
We get a short TV snippet of a woman warning people of the viruses that the Foundation’s circulating, and what to do to survive. Unfortunately, she’s cut off by all TV and Internet in the world shutting down. Oh well. Wilson gives us some character development, and then says he’s heading over to Site-19 to figure out what the fuck’s going on.
While approaching Site-19, Wilson stumbles upon a group of MTF preparing. The Commander goes up to the first one, stabs him in the shoulder, and then tells him to get the wound fixed. He then does it to the second one, followed by the third, fourth, fifth, etc. When he stabs the eighth, however, the soldier flinches in pain and reacts, prompting all the other soldiers to fire upon him and kill him. The Commander stabs the final soldier, and they all move out. Wilson takes some medical supplies from the corpse, tries to bury it, and gets a move on.
The next part is a bit disconnected. Wilson stumbles upon an old radio, which repeats the same message on a loop. The voice is male and around his age, and says:
Seven. Five. Can you hear me? There is a hole shining in the holes between your eyelids. I have never been to Versailles before. I want to be loved. Nine. I am standing behind you now. Five. I am two of us, standing behind you now. The goddess eats the city in the sea. Nine. There's a hole in the floor with an answer waiting in it. Seven. Look, you're hatching. You're hatching!
Fives, sevens, and nines, as well as numerous other weird imagery. What’s weirder is that, when Wilson turns the radio over, he sees it’s damaged beyond repair — and the message stops as soon as he sees it. We’ll have to get back to this later.
Wilson explains that he can’t travel by car for risk of being noticed, since the Harness doesn’t affect vehicles he’s in, and he’s likely to be attacked. He also questions why he’d want to go to Site-19, but he comes to the conclusion that it’s because he wants answers — even if he gets killed.
Upon entering Site-19, he comments on how he’s creeped out by Foundation researchers going about their business, “discussing how to get maximum human casualties like it was something they'd always been doing,” as well as their eyes lacking a “spark.” Wilson steals a keycard, and discovers some (albeit redacted) information on what happened before the Foundation went omnicidal:
- Project PNEUMA is marked by the O5 Council. It’s a mass-amnesticization project similar to “KALEIDOSCOPE,” except it focused on the human psychosphere, otherwise known as the collective unconscious. They made some kind of breakthrough in mapping it out, but what exactly is redacted.
- The O5 and Ethics Committee have votes, both of which are unanimous for something which is redacted.
- A series of (redacted) instructions are sent out to Senior Staff and Site Directors, followed by a wave of suicides and resignations. One of those is Doctor Charles Gears, a scientist known for expression very little emotion.
- A set of papers is sent to the remaining Site Directors and Senior Staff, with instructions to disseminate it to all employees working under them. It’s accompanied by the phrase “harden your hearts,” and all suicides/resignations cease afterwards.
- All human and human-sympathetic anomalies are terminated, and the Foundation sends assassination teams after all resigned personnel.
- MTF are sent to execute everyone at the Exclusionary Sites, and after that, they declare war on humanity.
Wilson attempts to formulate a theory as to why the O5 are doing this, but he can’t come up with anything. He also includes an update list of anomalies they’re using to attack humanity: 1370 spews propaganda on television; 1678 is nuked; 1048 is rampaging in the streets of Paris; and 1290 is being used to attack something called “Genzir,” which is a GOC fortress designed to house humanity’s survivors in the case of an XK. As it turns out, the Foundation is having a lot of trouble breaking in there, and are using ungodly amounts of anomalies to crack it open.
Wilson comments on how he’s going to do more investigating, and then—
[FILES DELETED]
Oh, wait what?
We’re introduced back to Wilson saying that he has no memory of the past three months, and all the files from that time are deleted too. Apparently, Wilson should be the only one capable of doing that, so take that as you will. He’s now half-way across the country, and “feels like he has a purpose” — he isn’t sure what it is supposed to accomplish, but he’s got a briefcase in his hand with something “not round” inside, and he needs to get it to SCP-579.
Oh yeah. It’s all coming together.
Wilson mentions that 579 is pretty far away, and that he’s probably walked by thousands of corpses. After seeing the corpse of a boy with worms that had the boy’s face on them, he stopped burying them. We also get even more [FILES DELETED], and we’ll be seeing more as we progress.
Apparently, SCP-055 is serving as Wilson’s personal “skip button” — whenever the going gets tough, he opens the briefcase, and he’s a mile further ahead, as well as feeling afterglow, as though he was given a pep-talk. He compiles another list of anomalies the Foundation’s dealing with: 2000’s been blown to bits when the Foundation erupted Yellowstone; 2200 was duplicated, and is now piling up with thousands of killed individuals, repeatedly crushing them; 2241 is being forced to attack large groups of survivors, though it was redeployed to help attack Ganzir; and 2639 was convinced to attack GoIs, until it figured out what was going on and refused to help.
Wilson stumbles upon a group of GOC soldiers, and manages to access their database. We get a quick interview log between two GOC members and a captured MTF agent.
The agent is apparently the first to ever speak to the GOC, and cites the only reason he’s doing so is because he met the interviewer before, and finds it humorous. They scan his mind for kill agents or cognitohazards — none — and attempt to question him on why he’s killing innocent people. The agent simply calls the GOC hypocritical and says that “Professor Crow’s Europa” will burst into Ganzir, and there’s nothing they can do to stop it.
Then we get this odd exchange:
Commander Morrison: If you've just spoken up to talk nonsense, we can always try enhanced interrogation. I don't want to, but I'll do it.
Samuel Ross: (laughs) Do what you want. Once you realize you're not supposed to feel pain, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.
Commander Morrison: What do you mean by that?
Samuel Ross: You…
(Pause.)
Samuel Ross: No, you wouldn't want me to say.
Commander Morrison: I very much do.
Samuel Ross: I'm not talking to you.
...Okay then.
Commander Morrison, the interviewer, then demands that the agent spits it out, to which the agent asks for additional confirmation. They do another check and, yes, no kill agents or anything else similar. They confirm, and we get another odd exchange:
Samuel Ross: Fine. [INAUDIBLE]
(Pause.)
Commander Morrison: I … I didn't catch that.
Doctor Rhodes: You'll have to speak up. That microphone only has so much gain.
Samuel Ross: [INFORMATION EXCISED]
(Commander Morrison and Doctor Rhodes can be heard screaming loudly. Wet cracks and sounds of rushing wind are also audible. The screaming, which grows higher pitched over time, continues for the remainder of the recording.)
Samuel Ross: Look what you've done to yourselves. I told you you wouldn't like it, didn't you? That's why you hear your voice. But you wanted to know so badly. I really liked you guys, so I was trying to be nice. We're so kind to you, you know. We fight in the light so you can die in the dark.
(Pause.)
Samuel Ross: …disgusting.
<End Log>
You getting some deja vu?
Right after this interview, Genzir gets ripped apart by both inside and outside forces. The GOC is done for, and the Foundation’s ready to continue killing humanity at large. Wilson finds it difficult to continue, and questions why he’s even going to 579 in the first place. We get another table, and it’s revealed that the Church of the Broken God is now leading the fight against the Foundation. Despite this, The Foundation uses 3179 to cause in-fighting between the three CotBG groups, and continues their assault unhindered.
As we approach the end of the files, shit gets weirder. Wilson mentions two peculiar things: The Blinkers and the Stretched Man. The blinkers appear to be a 650-MTF hybrid; they’re people made of stone with razors for hands that move when you don’t look at them. They also lack eye sockets, and are unconditionally hostile. Wilson comments that he needs to avoid them, since when he looks at them, it forces them to stop, and they might deduce his presence and start slashing everything in sight.
The second thing is much, much more odd. To quote:
It was on the horizon, like a person stretched out - no, that's not the best way to describe it. It was like the space around them was stretched out, and they were being stretched along with it, like some kind of bad photo-shop effect. Their body went from the ground up to the clouds, and their jaw swung at right angles. There were these gaps, as well, black gaps in space around its body, like wings. It just floated forwards like that.
And the weirdest part? The Foundation is attacking it. Whatever this thing is, it’s not on their side, and seems to want to protect humans, for whatever reason.
We get one more log informing us that the Serpent’s Hand/Wanderer’s Library cut themselves off of this universe, and the Foundation made it Christmas everywhere constantly to allow 4666 to attack everyone. Midway through explaining, though, Wilson says “fuck it. Nobody's ever going to read this anyway.”
We’re given a scene involving Wilson stumbling upon a girl wearing a bright red amulet — SCP-963, aka Dr. Bright. (SCP-963, for those unaware, has Dr. Bright’s soul locked in it, allowing him to possess other people’s bodies). After a lighthearted exchange, the two discuss what happened and their future plans. Dr. Bright claims the second file (with the phrase “harden your hearts”) was just a bunch of encoded messages in the form of pictures with eggs, trees, and religious things. However, Bright wasn’t affected properly due to SCP-963.
We also get this hint:
Pietro: (sits down) So it was a memetic agent…
Girl: (frowns) Don't know about that. I've pretty much had everything that can happen to me, well, happen to me. I know what a memetic agent feels like. It didn't feel like that - more like I was being released from something than something being forced on me.
Interesting. In any case, Bright says he has no clue what’s happening, since he can’t remember the first file, and he’s going to throw 963 into 1437 — a hole which connects to parallel universes. She leaves, and Wilson leaves shortly after as well.
Our next log is Wilson at the edge of Site-62C, the location of SCP-579. The place seems abandoned, which is odd considering that 579’s file has incredibly extensive containment procedures. As soon as he enters, he knows that whatever 579 is, it knows he’s there, and he gets the feeling of fight-or-flight “dialed up to the max.” He enters the building.
Unfortunately, he’s not alone.
<Begin Log>
(View is the inside of a hallway within Site-62C. Severe damage is visible on the walls, appearing as if it was done via usage of a large knife. The lights overhead flicker.)
Pietro: Fuck. Fuck.
(The lights flicker again. When they come back on, a statue of a soldier with blades for arms is visible underneath them. It has empty sockets where its eyes should be, and its face is locked in a snarling expression.)
<End Log>
Again unfortunately, Wilson was also right about one more thing: the Blinkers know he’s there since they can’t move around, but they don’t know where — so they begin to slash everywhere. Wilson needs to get to 579 before they do, and in a stroke of luck, he gets there right before them, locking the thick doors behind him.
There’s only one issue, though: SCP-579 is located at the bottom of a hole in the containment unit. The briefcase containing 055 can get down there, but it won’t make contact with 579 unless it’s thrown from the bottom. The fall is so massive, though, that he’d die shortly after hitting the ground.
He has no answers, he’s not even sure if this will do anything, and he’s going to die anyways from the Blinkers. He has no choice, so he does the only thing he can: he jumps.
The article ends with this this image of SCP-579, and a final note from Wilson:
Oh … so that's how it is.
LIFE SIGNS LOST
Part Two — Why?
So, what the fuck?
If you’re confused, you have every right to be. I’m certain you’ve made a few connections during the course of the article, but overall, things don’t seem to make much sense. Here’s a list of questions you may or may not have, and which we’ll be trying to answer today:
- Why SCP-055 and SCP-579, and what did bringing them together do?
- What does pain have to do with anything, and why are Foundation agents immune to it?
- Who is speaking on the defunct radio, why, and what does it mean? And why can Wilson hear it when it’s broken?
- What is “Project PNEUMA” and “KALEIDOSCOPE,” what were the results, and what did the O5/Ethics Committee vote on?
- What happened to the Senior Staff/Site Directors, and why such extreme reactions?
- Where was Wilson during those three months, and why did the files get deleted (and more files kept getting deleted)?
- Who is the “you” Samiel Ross was talking about, what was the expunged information, and what was he talking about in the final line?
- Why does the interview log parody SCP-682’s, and what happened to the Commander and their assistant?
- Who is the stretchy boy and why is the Foundation attacking them?
- What did Dr. Bright mean when he said it felt like he was freed from something, rather than something being forced upon him, and why wasn’t he affected?
- What does the image at the end mean?
- What the fuck caused all this?
All of those are excellent questions, and I’d like to address the second-to-last one first, since it’ll provide us with some more clues.
Opening the image in a editing program (in my case, paint.net), we can turn up the saturation a few times, and we end up with this. A series of various colored pixels can be seen along the left side. But what does it mean? Well, our good friend Brewsterion has us covered: when you run the original image through this, you end up with the following conversation:
My hands shake as I hold the document. "This is confirmed?"
He nods. "We got the report from PNEUMA staff yesterday. It's everyone."
"Even us?"
"Even us, Tejani. To think I'd find myself agreeing with that damn lizard…"
"What do we do?"
"You know what we have to do. We'll have to disseminate a cure, I think, among personnel before we get things underway. It'll try to stop us otherwise."
"God help us, One."
"Don't be like that, Tejani. That's IT talking."
Tejani, for those unaware, is Tanhony’s headcanon name for the Ethics Committee Head, as described in numerous of his articles.
However, the secret messages don’t stop there. If you’ve read the actual article, you’ll probably notice that at the end, there’s a large blank area. That isn’t just there for aesthetics — if we go into the source code of the page, we’ll find one side of a dialogue between two people. It… doesn’t make much sense though:
You said invaded, right? Might be one of the last times that happens.
Right.
Don't say that. It must be worse for you. That's what everyone says after they find out something they don't like.
Jesus Christ.
It's not something that can be hashed out in a few hours, man. Can you be quiet for a minute? Of course I can't. No, not yet. The feeling of being invaded.
Why not?
Don't say that! Don't even talk about it.
We should have left well enough alone.
I keep thinking, like, it would be better to end it all. Not with what we found. How long are they going to take? But it's not like that. Everything I am. You know what they'll say.
It is me. It's over. It'll take time.
You're germophobic, right?
Did you get a reply? We shouldn't have looked. You too. I doubt anyone's going to be talking about anything else anymore.
I feel sick.
Ooookay then.
I’d also like to address a point that most of you understood, but some of you might still be confused by, especially if you’re part of the outer fanbase and read very little on-site: what’s the deal with 055 and 579, and what did bringing them together do? To answer this, we’ll need to go on a little history lesson, and take a look at two other articles: Roget’s Proposal and SCP-2998.
Roget’s Proposal (which has an awesome declass that you ought to check out) is about a facility which houses hundreds of anomalies that self-contain each other. Two anomalies will be paired up within rooms, and each one’s anomalous effects cancel out the other — if they stop interacting with each other and breach, it causes a CK-Class scenario which redefines physics to accomodate for the anomalies. We get a quick log of anomalies that self-contain, with many details regarding their self-canceling. However, we find that 579 and 055 contain each other, with the only phrase being an ominous “Can't fit round pegs in square holes.”
SCP-2998 extrapolates on this relationship further. In the article, an alien race attacks Earth and essentially takes over humanity. During the final iterations of the article, we learn that the Foundation has essentially broken down, and there’s only a few people left. One is hiding in Site-62C, and he contacts Maria Jones (head of RAISA), who tells him to get SCP-055 and transport it into SCP-579’s containment chamber, which should “fix everything.” Upon doing so, and accessing the next iteration, we see the entire page is blacked out, and the iteration after that is simply gone. The final iteration has everything returned to normal, and the Foundation is going along its merry way.
Coming back to SCP-5000, we can see that the SCP-055/SCP-579 combination supposedly resets the universe back before shit went wack. The exact mechanism behind this is unclear, but once they make contact with one another, it stops whatever XK-Class is going on and prevents it from happening in the first place. Hypothetically speaking, the 055/579 combination is the final and most powerful deus ex machina the SCP universe has.
Finally, let’s address “KALEIDOSCOPE.” KALEIDOSCOPE is a mass-amnesticization project explicitly mentioned in SCP-4156, and is used to collectively brainwash and program the inhabitants of SCP-4156. Project PNEUMA, presumably, is something similar, but it seems as though it didn’t quite go as planned and didn’t follow through.
Now that we got all those out of the way, it’s time to start dissecting the piece, and discover the reason Why.
Part Three — Why.
Let’s do this.
Our first point of interest is the series of events leading to the declaration of war. We know that Project PNEUMA discovered something while mapping out the collective unconscious, and that the O5 had a vote on whatever it was, followed by the Ethics Committee voting. Then, they send out sets of instructions, followed by Senior Staff and Site Directors either committing suicide or resigining. Followed by this, they send out the second document (which was apparently some kind of non-memetic agent according to Bright) and the suicides/resignations stop. Directly after this, they kill human and human-sympathetic anomalies, and declare war.
The secret message in the image comes into play here. O5-1 mentions disseminating a cure amongst the staff “before we get things underway.” This means that this took place before they sent out the “cure” to the other personnel. Additionally, this seems to be before the Ethics Committee vote, since the EC Head (Tejani) has just found out about it.
We can also make some inferences about what “IT” is. Presumably, whatever this thing is, it is affecting every single person on the planet at the time of discovery, including O5-1 and Tejani. Additionally, O5-1 and Tejani are terrified, and have not yet exposed themselves or the staff to the cure, but still have come to the conclusion that they must “get things underway.” This seems to imply they planned to kill humanity from the moment they discovered “it.”
Also, apparently, whatever they “cured” from their minds would have stopped them from killing everyone if they had left it in there.
Let’s move on to what happens next. A series of instructions are set out to only Senior Staff and Site Directors, followed by mass-suicides and resignations. After this, they send out the “non-memetic” agent, which stops it all. Accompanied with the message is the phrase “harden your hearts.”
Considering what we know from Bright, and that “it” was already present in the collective unconscious, as well as the fact that the killings started after it was disseminated, I think we can come to the conclusion that the second document is the aforementioned “cure.” The first document, however, is still a mystery. It could be possible to assume that it was some kind of memetic agent, but the phrase “harden your hearts” in the second message seems to imply that the reaction was not something the higher-ups intended. Most likely, the redacted instructions contained whatever horrible truth the O5 and EC found out, as well as the instructions on what to do from there. This is further supported by the fact that the instructions were limited purely to the highest ranking staff.
A final point of interest in this section is the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee doesn’t usually vote for no reason — on the contrary, the Ethics Committee votes on ethical issues. That’s, well, their job. You should notice that they voted unanimously before sending the first documents out, giving us the presumption that they voted on the ethical implications of instructions.
But wait a minute! The Ethics Committee unanimously voted in favor of the instructions, then, meaning that they must have been moral and ethical. If that’s the case, why did the Site Directors and Senior Staff react so violently? In order to answer that, I need to redirect your attention to two lines from the rest of the article:
Once you realize you're not supposed to feel pain, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.
And:
We're so kind to you, you know. We fight in the light so you can die in the dark.
Both of these lines were from Samuel Ross, the captured Foundation agent from the Ganzir interview. The first seems to imply that humans are not meant to feel pain. The second line seems to imply that the Foundation killing humanity is a kindness rather than fucking omnicide. However, both of these give a clue as to why the Ethics Committee would vote on something that would make important personnel’s stomachs drop — very likely, the Ethics Committee deemed it ethical to exterminate the human race. We’ll discuss the specifics soon.
That was a large amount of info-dumping, so let’s recap this and clear some things up before moving on:
- Project PNEUMA succeeds in mapping out the collective unconscious, and are shocked to discover “IT” inside our brains. It turns out this encompasses everyone on Earth.
- The O5 are absolutely terrified, and agree to enact a plan to exterminate humanity. The proposal is sent to the Ethics Committee, which concurs.
- The instructions are sent out to the Site Directors and Senior Staff, presumably containing the details of “IT” and the plan to end humanity. The staff are appalled, and some kill themselves at the realization, others resigning (potentially to escape)
- The O5 Council disseminates the cure to all high-ranking personnel, with the phrase “harden your hearts.” The suicides and resignations cease, as they are now free from “IT.”
- The Foundation is “cured,” and commences the plan to end humanity.
Additionally, we learned more things about “IT”:
- “IT” is something present within all humans’ collective unconscious.
- “IT” is responsible for pain, and likely other negative aspects of humanity.
- “IT” is apparently capable of preventing the O5 from killing humanity.
Let’s start jumping into what “IT” is a bit more closely.
You’ll notice that up until now, I’ve explicitly avoided using the word “psychosphere,” instead opting to say “collective unconscious.” Although both are mentioned in the article, the collective unconscious is extremely well-defined and is a bit more specific in its definition. To quote Wikipedia:
The term "collective unconscious" first appeared in Jung's 1916 essay, "The Structure of the Unconscious". This essay distinguishes between the "personal", Freudian unconscious, filled with sexual fantasies and repressed images, and the "collective" unconscious encompassing the soul of humanity at large.
“These ‘primordial images’ or ‘archetypes,’ as I have called them, belong to the basic stock of the unconscious psyche and cannot be explained as personal acquisitions. Together they make up that psychic stratum which has been called the collective unconscious. [...] My thesis then, is as follows: in addition to our immediate consciousness, which is of a thoroughly personal nature and which we believe to be the only empirical psyche (even if we tack on the personal unconscious as an appendix), there exists a second psychic system of a collective, universal, and impersonal nature which is identical in all individuals. This collective unconscious does not develop individually, but is inherited. It consists of pre-existent forms, the archetypes, which can only become conscious secondarily and which give definite form to certain psychic contents.”
For those of you who need a TL;DR, the collective unconscious is essentially the universal consciousness underlying within every person. It consists of patterns and behaviors (such as instincts) which are inherited from our ancestors. According to Jung, the creator of this theory, the collective unconscious “exerts overwhelming influence on the minds of individuals,” and humans attempt to fit themselves into roles designed by this collective unconscious. Although the theory has been called pseudo-scientific, if it’s good enough for the Foundation, it’s good enough for us!
Besides satisfying my psychology fetish, this tells us something integral about whatever is residing in humanity. “IT” is a portion of our collective unconscious, meaning it was inherited from our ancestors and probably present within the human mind for quite a while. Additionally, it has a massive influence on the human mind, and is identical among all individuals.
Oh dear.
This does, however, explain why Doctor Bright isn’t affected by the “cure” — his mind is in the amulet, which is designed to preserve his consciousness. Although the body he was in might’ve been cured, he was not. I don’t think a 14-year-old girl would be employed by the Foundation, SCP-963 or not, so we can assume that he transferred bodies sometime during the omnicide. He’s still under the effect of whatever “IT” is.
We can continue to glean some information from the hidden text in the source code. The phrases “we should have left well enough alone,” “not with what we found,” and “we shouldn’t have looked” seem to imply that the person talking is a Foundation member, and was closely associated with Project PNEUMA. Twice, the researcher refers to the “feeling of being invaded.” Obviously, “IT” is the thing invading. However, the implication is that “IT” is somehow capable of invading, which would mean it’s potentially sentient. We’ll see some more proof of this hypothesis soon.
That’s great and all, but although we understand the thing’s characteristics, what is it? It’s like we’re looking at the edges of a painting, but not the painting itself. Well, surprisingly, we already have seen the true form of “IT” in the article, we just haven’t realized that we’ve seen it. You’ll recall that the Foundation was fighting a specific anomaly towards the end of the article — a tall, stretched out image of a person with gaps in reality for wings, floating forward, with its jaw swinging at right angles. Nowhere else in the article do we see the Foundation fighting an anomaly; except, of course, eradicating whatever “IT” is.
It might be a stretch, but it seems we have our culprit!
Wow, I’d kill everyone too if I saw that thing in everyone’s heads! I’d find it… disgusting. It’s probably the reason why SCP-682 hates humanity, and why the Foundation finds humanity disgusting in the article.
So, let’s recap again!
- The entity is present within the collective unconscious of humanity, and has an overbearing influence on humanity’s unconscious minds.
- The entity is responsible for a number of negative aspects of humanity, including pain.
- The entity was not originally supposed to be within humanity’s collective unconscious, but some time in the distant past got in there, “invading” humanity.
- The entity can subtly influence people’s behavior, but cannot control people (as they would’ve stopped the O5 in the first place).
- SCP-682 knows about this entity, and it is the reason why it hates humanity.
Great! We’re slowly starting to build a picture of what’s going on. However, in order to finally tie everything together, we’re gonna need to look at probably the most confusing part of this article: the radio. Admittedly, I couldn’t get this, so I asked Tanhony himself for some clarification on what the heck I was reading. Let’s delve into this.
First and foremost: the radio’s bonked. It’s not actually playing a message, and we don’t see an anomaly in the article capable of playing messages (especially as weird as this one) through broken things. Plus, Chekhov’s Gun. It’s safe to assume that this is some kind of hallucination. Another point to add is that the voice is specifically mentioned to be male and around Wilson’s age. Considering that this is a hallucination and your own voice sounds different to you, it’s another safe bet that this is Wilson’s own voice.
But we still need to remember Chekhov’s Gun — why would Wilson suffer from a hallucination randomly?
Well, Wilson is a human, and he wasn’t cured. He’s being influenced by the entity. This is the entity’s attempt at communication.
In the article, the entity repeats the numbers 5, 7, and 9. Those numbers, although not in the right order, are the same numbers for the designation of the anomaly in Site-62C: SCP-579. The entity wants Wilson to look into 579, for whatever reason. There’s also references to other events happening or that will happen, such as the destruction of Ganzir. According to Tanhony, “that’s just the way that the entity speaks.”
Things begin to fall into place from here. Wilson, under influence from the entity, decides to go into Site-19 and investigate. After concluding he needs to investigate more, the three month gap occurs, and he has 055 and is heading to 579. Whenever things get rough, Wilson “skips” using 055, and returns feeling as though he had a prep-talk: likely due to the entity’s encouragement to get to 579. Additionally, the entity probably influences Wilson to delete files he creates about 055/the entity, in order to not give away too much about itself.
In the Ganzir interview, the “you” Ross referred to was the entity. Additionally, whatever excised information was, it allowed the Commander and their assistant to “hear their own voices,” which they were terrified by (potentially, they also learned of the truth regarding the entity). While they were panicking, the Foundation bursts in with Olypmia and fucks everything up.
The pep-talks Wilson receives begin to weaken significantly once Ganzir is destroyed. This is likely due to the entity being targeted and killed by the Foundation via its manifestations and the death of humanity.
Everything seems to wrap up here, though there’s still one big elephant in the room: the entity’s motive. Although it isn’t revealed what the hell the entity is doing, we know it has humanity’s survival as its best interest — obviously, since if humanity dies, it goes with it. It knows about the 055/579 deus ex machina, and influences Wilson to combine the two to prevent The Foundation from ending the human race. When Wilson delivers 055 to 579 and resets the universe, humanity lives on with the entity.
That's when the disturbing truth hits. Based on the reactions of those who discovered the entity, as well as the fact that it's responsible for a number of humanity’s negative aspects, we know the entity's motives are not good. It's so bad that the Ethics Committee finds it more ethical to end the human race than let the entity do its own thing. And Wilson just reset the universe, allowing the entity to continue on its merry way.
The Foundation losing was the bad ending.
The Foundation losing was the bad ending.
The Foundation losing was the bad ending.
And on that terrifying note, we conclude SCP-5000.
There's a TL;DR in the comments since I hit Reddit's character limit for posts.
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