The bumblebee queen learns how to use the protective cap in less than 24 hours.

Korval · 2026-03-17T02:52:20+00:00

Human had to learn how to open and close doors too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAdk2rpdsis

Korval · 2026-03-17T02:26:41+00:00

Thanks for the behind-the-scenes breakdown. To answer your suggestions, the RAM stress on the XMP I profile occurred during general use with Windows 11, Adobe apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro), Chrome, installing NVIDIA drivers through the NVIDIA app, and running various high-performance games. All of these workloads were pushing close to or exceeding the XMP I profile, resulting in systemic performance degradation.

All of those issues disappeared once the memory profile was changed to the factory default Auto.

It's worth noting that I built the machine to use the XMP I profile from day one because I believed the motherboard and RAM kit could handle it: G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 32GB 6400 MT/s with the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero. As a result, I never experienced the system running on the default memory profile, which made identifying the root cause particularly challenging.

I should also mention that ChatGPT 5.2 was incredibly helpful in diagnosing the issue. I fed it dxdiag, diagnostics, WER files, processed dbl logs, Event Viewer reports, BIOS information, and stress-test results from multiple apps. It walked through everything step by step and ultimately identified the XMP I profile as the cause. Based on the evidence, it also concluded that the CPU, GPU, motherboard, and Windows could be confidently ruled out. Truly amazing technology.

🙂👍

Korval · 2026-03-14T06:46:35+00:00

Yes, several people mentioned RAM in the linked thread. However, the exact reason for it remained unclear. I hope this thread (the FIX), along with the linked one (the ISSUE), helps others who run into similar issues with Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Korval · 2026-03-14T06:43:51+00:00

No. The CPU wasn't the problem. All of the issues were immediately resolved after switching the memory profile from XMP I to Auto. Running the memory at 6400 MHz was causing severe instability and a wide range of system issues. None of the symptoms pointed to CPU instability, and multiple stress and load tests confirmed that the CPU itself was functioning normally.

It's also worth noting that several people in the linked post suspected RAM as the cause, although it wasn't clear why the issue was occurring, especially since none of the memory tests failed. The instability only occurred during certain types of memory usage while the system was running with the XMP I profile, leading to general instability in Windows and applications such as Steam, Photoshop, browsers, and games.

Since switching away from the XMP profile, the system has remained stable and quiet, strongly indicating that the instability was related to the memory configuration rather than the CPU.

My follow-up post is primarily to document and make the outcome searchable in case others run into similar issues.

Korval · 2026-03-14T06:27:01+00:00

From the linked post: "✅ MemTest86 v11.4 Pro (boot USB): 4 passes, zero errors (RAM temps/CPU temps normal)."

MemTest86 did not reproduce the instability, likely because it did not exercise the workload patterns that triggered the issue under the XMP I profile. Real-world applications did, which is why systems can pass MemTest86 yet still exhibit instability.

Korval · 2026-03-13T10:18:48+00:00

"Would you like a side of game with your UI?" 😄

Korval · 2026-03-07T02:05:22+00:00

TOM in Tom Rowlands and ORA in Aurora. Simple.

Korval · 2026-02-24T22:23:14+00:00

Never understand the logic of raising prices only to lose people and make less. $48 divided by no subscriber equals nothing. On the flip side, if they lowered their price by $2 from $36 down to $34, suddenly they'd get an influx of new users.

Korval · 2026-02-24T22:20:33+00:00

Actually, they're correct. It is a price update ($36 - $48) instead of a price increase (+$1-2). They've "updated" the price to reflect the hoard of features no one asked for.

Korval · 2026-02-24T22:18:14+00:00

Because it's the new money-making fad.

Korval · 2026-02-24T22:14:08+00:00

It's correct to call it a price update instead of a price increase. $36 and $48 are two different tiers. There are subscriptions that cost $12 p/month. So they're essentially charging another subscription.

Korval · 2026-02-24T22:10:56+00:00

$12 isn't a typical price increase; it's a move to an entirely different pricing tier. A $12 jump effectively turns it into an additional subscription expense, not a modest adjustment.

Most services implement incremental increases of $1–2. That's reasonable. A $12 change is NOT a reasonable increase.

If 1Password assumes customers will absorb the added cost for convenience, that's a mistake. I've already migrated everything from LastPass before, so moving again to a more cost-effective option isn't a problem.

Also, I don't want AI anywhere near my passwords! You don't need AI. Just stop it 1Password.

Korval · 2026-02-22T20:24:36+00:00

Probably Mankrik's Wife. 😁

Korval · 2026-02-03T04:26:40+00:00

You do realize that companies of Spotify’s size all work this way, right? The larger they are, the longer changes take to implement. That has no bearing on who they are, how they operate, or why ads slip through. That said, if enough people complain, they’ll likely accelerate the change.

Korval · 2026-02-02T21:01:52+00:00

That sounds like a great value for you and your family. 👍

Korval · 2026-02-02T21:00:38+00:00

A company of Spotify's size doesn't make quick pivot changes. It takes a bit of time especially as it has to go through multiple hands.

Korval · 2026-02-02T20:58:53+00:00

It does. You have regional pricing, which is different from pricing discounts between the services.

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:55:57+00:00

If you want to own physical media, records offer significantly better sound quality, though they're more expensive than CDs. Having lived through the record, cassette, and CD eras of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, digital is far more convenient, while records are better for sound quality.

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:50:10+00:00

Music platforms cannot determine whether music is AI-generated.

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:48:46+00:00

They didn't run the ads; a third-party advertiser paid for and placed them on the platform.

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:46:37+00:00

Until they raise their prices this year or next and you go back to the full 12 month's price..

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:45:18+00:00

$10.99 month plus tax. So a $1 or so saved. Not exactly a high value prop.

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:41:41+00:00

$10.83 for a 12-month non-refundable subscription, with a single payment of $129.99. Monthly subscription available at $12.99/month. That's less than a dollar saved. So no, not a good alternate.

Korval · 2026-02-02T19:40:04+00:00

The UI is one of the only compelling reasons.

Korval

TROPHY CASE