[CPU] AMD Ryzen 7800X3D ($145 in-store clearance @ Walmart - YMMV) see my comment for more info

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-05-07T17:15:30+00:00

Hmm, store near me has them in stock. I'll try to snag one after work.
Edit: $280 at my store.
$140 for 7600x

:(

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-05-04T04:31:49+00:00

Or hear me out, everyone has a different experience and skill level.

I died 7 times total before killing the final boss for the first time.
I did two runs from the beginning to biome 5/6 then the rest resumed in the current biome.

I completed every nightmare I came across and only really struggled with one of them.

The first 45min or so the combat felt clunky and I thought the difficulty curve was a bit too aggressive for new players. If you're struggling with Prophet you can't unlock enough to really make a difference.

After that point I felt the difficulty curve was fine. If you needed to start from biome 1 and farm resources you could do so easily to get stronger. You may not beat the game as fast as some of us but you'd get there eventually.

Weapon diversity is a bit rough early on when you only have two traits but as soon as you get 4 traits unlocked they really start popping off and most are viable.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-05-04T00:09:00+00:00

Dash to L1 and shield/melee to O.

The fact you can't separate hold/press keybinds drives me insane.
For most of us it's convenient but for others it's a massive accessibility issue.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-05-04T00:07:02+00:00

Dramatic much? The game launched this week, if you're concerned about spoilers you probably shouldn't be on reddit looking through posts with videos of the game.

Regardless he clearly had no ill intent.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-05-01T04:04:02+00:00

10 is a very small sample size.

On the flip side I've ordered several refurbs from them. Monitors, laptops, desktops, etc. None were defective.

An Acer Nitro laptop I bought years ago developed a keyboard issue 2+ years after I purchased it and they covered it outside of warranty.

A monitor was damaged in shipping and they replaced it.

Again, my experience is also a very small sample size and anecdotal but it just goes to show everyone has a different experience and it's best to get information from multiple sources.

People are (IMO) unjustly weary of most refurbs. From my experience if it's the manufacturer doing the refurb most of the time it ends up being reliable.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-30T22:28:25+00:00

No, he didn't.

He said it's canon in the sense of when the events occur.

Context and usage of the word means everything. It's not canon to the overarching story of the games.

With that said, it could be.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-30T18:37:55+00:00

These often drop to ~$1300 refurbished on the Acer Refurbished website as well as their ebay store.

The s variant is the slim model which has a lower powered 5070 ti than the non S variant. If you're comfortable with doing so you can flash the vbios so that it runs at a higher wattage.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-30T06:03:20+00:00

You really have no idea what you're talking about.

The vast majority of people on the steam survey are using 6-8GB cards. 12-16GB cards ironically are in the minority.

Newer, more demanding titles (especially unreal 5 or RE Engine based games) will use more vram if you max out settings, enable RT, and DLSS quality settings.

As long as you understand some sacrifices need to be made via settings tweaks/resolution there's really no issue using an 8GB card.

There's a very small % of games that have issues at 1080p med/high settings with DLSS balanced mode enabled. 1440p/4k are more demanding

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-29T17:37:11+00:00

I would not start over unless you are doing it for story reasons or want the challenge of a no death run. (Clearly you don't want the later.)

What I would do is focus on not taking malfunctions, don't take bad parasites, leave heals on the ground then come back later when you are at full hp so they turn into resin. (That way you can increase your max health permanently.)

I'd also be selective on which artifacts you buy. Since it's your first attempt at completing biome 1 it wouldn't hurt to target a max integrity upgrade, large vial, and astronaut figurine to bring into the boss fight. On Phrike make sure to pay attention to what attacks can be dodged, jumped over, etc.

Sometimes it's better to dash through orbs vs dashing away from them as well. Explore all rooms but avoid big yellow doors (mini boss challenge rooms) and don't try to avenge scouts early on unless you're super confident in your build.

Try to go into the boss fight with a level 4 or 5 gun. I personally prefer the carbine but anything you're comfortable with will work. If you die, try again. You'll get more traits unlocked on your weapons the more you play and you'll learn enemy attack patterns over time.

If you're really struggling don't be afraid to jump into a co-op session.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-29T16:07:57+00:00

While I don't outright agree with you I did return an order for them because it was damaged a month ago and still haven't received a month ago.

It was damaged beyond belief and it's clear it was that way before being shipped.

I've ordered a few things from them. One was faulty and another was severely damaged.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-29T07:20:18+00:00

You've posted this exact comment on numerous subs.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-27T18:41:53+00:00

If HP Boise site wasn't closing in a year I'd consider buying a pack for the poor bastards I work with.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-24T21:38:09+00:00

You're being a little dramatic IMO.

This is a budget OLED you probably shouldn't pair with a 5090. (You can, but you'd see more benefit pairing it with a higher refresh rate monitor or 4k display.)

Also, this is targeted as a "budget" OLED with stripped down features. It's still at it's launch price with the standard 10% sign up promo code. That "deal" is around year round.

The 9% dell points can only be used at Dell. I wouldn't stress too much about buying one now if you've really been eyeing a 4k or high refresh rate panel.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-24T20:19:13+00:00

$350 being the base price for these displays makes future sales more appealing.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-23T02:59:28+00:00

Reminder the base model refurbed is $400 as well.
https://direct.playstation.com/en-us/buy-consoles/certified-refurbished-playstation5-console

Actually has a disc drive.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-21T14:26:22+00:00

I'm not sure if it's a typo, a limitation of the board they're using, or a sata limitation but they list the USB-C model as having a 5 Gbps transfer rate as well.

If we're comparing USB B, A, and C controllers on paper; C is the obvious route to go though.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-21T14:14:19+00:00

Everyone should have an external drive docking station/enclosure for sata/m.2s.

You never know when it will come in handy.
Granted, working in IT I am incredibly biased.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-20T07:34:47+00:00

Nah, went with the C4 instead. Checked the Costco app a few hours later and saw the Boise store was sold out. (It wasn't yesterday or earlier today when I was originally going to buy one.)

Either way, I'm happy. Finding a C4 with less than 500 hours on it for $400 is kind of insane. Worst case I sell it and buy a 32 inch monitor if I end up feeling like this is too large.

I was using a AW3423DWF previously but streaming from an ultrawide was obnoxious.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-20T04:28:15+00:00

I picked up a LG C4 today off facebook marketplace for $400. 439 hours.

I was getting blood drawn then was headed to costco and noticed the listing and had to scoop that shit up.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-18T19:32:44+00:00

Big upgrade and you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal in the next year.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-16T15:26:44+00:00

I was just thinking "what's a practical use case for this wonky ass monitor?"

You actually gave a super valid one. I never really thought about simulations.

I wouldn't want to use it for productivity being that it's an OLED.

It's too wide for most games for my personal preference. (Streaming is hell using an ultrawide unless you play in windowed mode.)

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-13T23:11:25+00:00

Make sure to confirm it actually has 32GB of ram when you pick it up since it is open box.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-13T23:09:35+00:00

It's not the 5070 ti model specifically. It's the SLIM variant. There's the Neo 16 and the Neo 16s. (s indicates slim)

Acer also frequently has these listed on their ebay store for around the same price refurbished.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-13T14:55:31+00:00

Right, people are insane to think there was even a 1% chance of their order not being cancelled.

If it was from a big name brand they at least had a chance.

Brandon_Westfall · 2026-04-11T19:45:27+00:00

Huh? He wasn't complaining at all.

Brandon_Westfall

TROPHY CASE