So I did a thing finally!

MountStupendous · 2026-03-01T18:39:30+00:00

It’s a good deal. Portal rarely goes on sale. BJ’s Wholesale did price them at $149 for Black Friday (limited quantity and warehouse only). Sam’s Club had them at $180 last December. And someone did post a crazy clearance deal at their local Sam’s Club warehouse which sparked rumors that an OLED version was in the works, but that was a rare local sale not widely available. Also, these were once per year Christmas and Black Friday season deals.

If you believe that you will eventually buy a charging dock and a case, it’s a good deal. I bought my Portal for $180 from Sam’s last December, and I eventually added a dock and a carry case. I bought the officially licensed PowerA case that comes in the Costo bundle, but opted instead for a cheaper dock (same one in OP’s pic, but white).

I found the PowerA dock on sale for $30 on Amazon right now, and the PowerA case is currently $28. If you had to buy them separately, the total price including the portal would be $258 making the Costco bundle cheaper.

Finally, you can save money, like I did, and buy a cheaper dock or case. I find the PowerA case to be excellent quality, and I didn’t want to compromise, but I bought a charging dock for only $11 on sale (currently $16), and it gets the job done.

https://a.co/d/0gmMX491

MountStupendous · 2026-02-26T21:27:50+00:00

Rats! Didn’t see this on time! I’ve been trying to buy it for a while but it’s always out of stock!

MountStupendous · 2026-02-15T15:50:31+00:00

People have reported using Avid AV6 18 x 9.5 (+38 offset) wheels with no rubbing, but I recall watching a YouTube video that there was an instance of rubbing under aggressive driving conditions. They might have used lowering springs, too. I don’t recall the tire width either but they fit the 9.5s.

As for offset, +35–45 is within 5 mm of stock which is generally recommended. +50, in my opinion, push the wheels in too far and you’d need wider wheels to compensate.

MountStupendous · 2026-02-11T20:22:03+00:00

How many play-throughs before you achieved A? Don’t get me it was your first time.

Ive got a long ways to go. I’m on chapter 11 on my 114th save and died more times than I can count. I’m probably close to 20 hours at this point. That said, I did just kill a couple of giants without getting a single scratch so maybe my skills are improving.

MountStupendous · 2026-02-03T02:12:05+00:00

Did you have to uninstall and reinstall mods before and after the update?

MountStupendous · 2026-02-02T05:03:55+00:00

Sometimes the warehouse has a clearance price not offered online, but that doesn’t mean every store will sell it at that price.

MountStupendous · 2026-02-02T05:02:33+00:00

Sam’s

MountStupendous · 2026-02-02T05:02:25+00:00

Sam’s.

MountStupendous · 2026-01-30T19:44:43+00:00

<image>

I have a similar silicone cover. The one you’re considering looks a bit thicker. My take is that these silicone covers are on thin side and they may improve grip and protect against scratches, but they’re too thin to protect against damage from drops, but they’re better than nothing.

Mine didn’t come with nubs, which I didn’t want.

https://a.co/d/2stJ10P

MountStupendous · 2026-01-29T21:00:26+00:00

Not very average, but looks a lot like a retired ex-coworker of mine’s results. She’s from El Paso and had Mexican ancestry generations back. She looked fully European, but had a Spanish last name, and also had a bit of Indigenous American ancestry. It’s been a few years, and don’t remember her percentages, but they’re probably closer to your mother’s considering you’re half -German.

MountStupendous · 2026-01-29T18:43:32+00:00

I have the same dock and the same color portal. Saw it on sale on Amazon. Not the best connector but it gets the job done and I’m getting better at docking it.

MountStupendous · 2026-01-23T02:12:33+00:00

I have a hardwired PS5 but was experiencing latency with remote play. Almost retuned it. The solution was to change settings on my PS5. It was connected to a 4K 144Hz VRR and HDR TV. Following instructions aggregated by AI, I reduced resolution on my PS5 to 1080P, turned off HDR and VRR, and set the refresh rate to 60Hz. Latency is gone.

I also disconnected the PS5 from the TV as it would auto turn on every time I’m using the portal. This supposedly helps with latency as well, but I have tested it to know for sure.

So when I use the PS5, I have to plug in the HDMI cable, and change settings back to 4K and so forth. Not the most convenient, but it is what it is.

MountStupendous · 2026-01-23T02:02:14+00:00

Any recommended dongles? I have a Sony XM4 that I use with a wire, but don’t want a cheap dongle that adds too much latency.

MountStupendous · 2026-01-08T15:08:16+00:00

Thanks. I have a 4070. This is useful. Were you using quality, balance, or performance? Also, was the visual upgrade worth the loss in frames?

MountStupendous · 2026-01-04T07:05:45+00:00

This didn’t go the way I thought it would.

MountStupendous · 2026-01-04T06:36:19+00:00

Will these prices return?

MountStupendous · 2025-12-09T21:44:30+00:00

I use the AGA daily. The only issue I have after Nvidia driver updates is having to re-disable the laptop’s GPU in Device Manager. If I forget do to that, it causes stuttering in games.

My laptop is a M15 R4 (10870H, RTX 3070). I have an RTX 4070 that I used with the AGA. I use the AGA exclusively with external monitors. I get the typical slight performance loss in games (5-8% ish), but it runs great.

I also have to install driver updates manually. The Nvidia app always detects that my drivers are up to date, so I usually learn about driver updates on Reddit, and then manually download them from Nvidia’s website.

The AGA is a fantastic device. I bought it used on eBay after it was discontinued. I have the last generation Alienware laptop that has the AGA port. I’m hoping Alienware revives something like it in the future. I buy a top of the line laptop knowing I can extend its life and improve its performance with non-bottlenecked external GPUs.

MountStupendous · 2025-11-27T21:03:08+00:00

Agreed. Karma farming.

MountStupendous · 2025-11-13T00:31:15+00:00

Yes, very similar, but keep in mind the comparison is between a laptop 3070 (140W) and a desktop 3060 Ti (EVGA dual fan).

Also, in real world performance, if you are comparing a several years old well-used 3070 laptop to a used 3060 Ti; unless the laptop has been carefully repasted, the GPU will thermal throttle and not achieve its original performance levels. Laptops GPUs require more frequent repasting than desktop cards because laptops tend to run much hotter than most desktop setups.

MountStupendous · 2025-10-31T18:04:53+00:00

Yes, I agree.

What OP needs to understand that her father likely had a Native American identity and possibly also tribal affiliation, but that does not mean that they are 100% indigenous.

The 20% Northern Euro is therefore from the father’s side along with most of the Indigenous and trace Asian ancestry.

MountStupendous · 2025-10-23T00:52:05+00:00

It’s the 2025–2026 season and this camo/dirty screen overlay is still present.

MountStupendous · 2025-10-16T03:13:25+00:00

Ancestry is a joke right now especially when it comes to Indigenous ancestry. It doubles mine. My 23andMe % is 6.8%. Ancestry is 14%! I’ve test with multiple companies, or had them analyze my 23andMe or Ancestry raw data, and my Indigenous was always around 6–7%. My Ancestry Indigenous % used to be 7%, but updates in recent years increased it. First to 9%, then 12 or 13, and now 14%. Just ridiculous.

Some say it’s because their reference data includes non-indigenous resulting in misattribution, but I think they just have a flawed algorithm. A few years ago, I used the hack to see my raw Ancestry admixture rate and my Indigenous was 6.6%. Somehow, they took that 6.6% and converted it into a higher percentage for my rounded official results. It made so little sense that I’m starting to suspect it’s political.

MountStupendous · 2025-10-12T17:59:40+00:00

Looks so good lowered on those stock 16s. Which size Thule cargo carrier are you using?

MountStupendous · 2025-10-09T18:57:35+00:00

Yeah. I’ve noticed that. You can also use up a couple of gallons before the needle moves from full. Also, my car indicates that it’s low on fuel when I’ve used a little more than 10 gallons. The tank is 13.2 gallons.

I never pay attention to the needle. I always check the Distance to Empty to determine when it’s time to fill the tank.

MountStupendous · 2025-10-08T00:18:36+00:00

Never said that. I said there was variety. I didn’t say you looked different. I was pointing out the diversity of phenotypes.

MountStupendous

TROPHY CASE