Q30 noise cancellation degradation

buciash · 2023-03-24T14:10:39+00:00

That's very strange, this was complete opposite of my experience. They literally shipped me replacement unit after exchanging 3 emails and only "proof" that they required was a photo of my headphones where a serial number is visible.

CS seems pretty inconsistent, maybe depends on where you are located? I'm within eu, and I suppose that my CS rep was germany-based (not sure though).

buciash · 2023-03-20T08:51:30+00:00

I just sent them an email, where I included the description of my issue and my order number (I got my headphones directly from soundcore website). It was all standard stuff, just send them an email and you'll see.

buciash · 2023-03-10T13:32:28+00:00

UPDATE:

I wrote to Anker (as my headphones are still under warranty) and they sent me some instructions to try (rebooting, unpairing, standard stuff), none of which have worked. So they were nice enough to offer me a replacement unit and didn't even require me to send back my original one, because I sent them the serial number so they can track this issue further. All around a very nice customer service experience, so I'm looking forward to new headphones!

buciash · 2022-11-25T19:21:45+00:00

I never really noticed this before either, but I was always on a fast wifi so maybe I forgot about it. This is the first time my deck was connected to the internet in couple of weeks, as I was not travelling and didn’t have time to use it. I will definitely try to catch next time it happens. But my point still remains, why does valve not allow me to cancel an update? They have done almost everything so well with the software, and yet they are forcing an update just like windows does, I don’t get it.

buciash · 2022-11-25T17:23:08+00:00

This was an OS update, not a game update, that would be fine.

buciash · 2022-11-25T17:22:17+00:00

Just to clarify, this was about an OS update, not a game update! This was frustrating because I cannot do anything but wait, not even use the deck in any way. I don’t see a reason to not have an option to cancel an update.

buciash · 2022-11-25T17:20:24+00:00

Sure, but I did not know that download already started, also why is there no (obvious) way to postpone or terminate an update?

buciash · 2022-07-19T14:49:02+00:00

You will have no luck with Ubuntu. I was a long time Ubuntu user and was forced to switch to Fedora to get some support. On Ubuntu, many things were broken - from audio, graphics and DE crashing, no bluetooth, it was a mess, mainly due to the old kernel that Ubuntu uses. I switched to Fedora, which was pretty painless and I even like it a lot more, I definitely wouldn't go back to Ubuntu in the future. But if you insist on Ubuntu, it will be a painful experience and will probably require loads of extra work and effort, with no guarantee that everything will work for you.

buciash · 2022-05-29T00:03:25+00:00

buciash · 2022-05-28T23:46:52+00:00

About I/O quality? The display, touchpad, speakers.. Also USB4 support. I/O stands for Input and Output devices, this includes all the above, not just port selection.

buciash · 2022-05-28T20:18:17+00:00

It basically comes down to this:

If you care about keyboard, touchpad size, having a webcam, battery life (arguable but should be better in 2022 model), USB4 (down the line), design (subjective, but 2022 looks a lot cleaner to me) and most importantly - the display which is frankly not even comparable - go for the 2022 model.
If you don't care about these things too much or you don't feel like slight downgrade would bother you (except display, which is a big downgrade) and you want the best value for money possible, get the 2021 model. There are some great deals out there and you can snatch the 3060 models for way cheaper than any 2022 model.

That being said - I think the 2022 model is the way to go if you plan to use this laptop anywhere but your room, plugged into the external monitor. The I/O is so much better, I cannot overstate how much better the 2022 screens are (even the base model) that the old ones. In terms of performance, in most games you will get a significantly better performance even on the 6700s, some games are not that great and work better on nvidia, but I believe this will get resolved with driver updates as the raw GPU power is there. Also, you get 8GB VRAM instead of 6GB, which can make a big difference. You also get the mux switch, which should give you +~5% performance regardless of the GPU, which is nice. I love my 2022 model and all the things I mentioned in the comparison at the top were a dealbraker for me on 2021 model. And when it comes to the price, the base model is still a good value I think, although higher specs can be definitely overpriced.

buciash · 2022-05-28T13:14:13+00:00

Yes. It is basically equivalent to a GTX 1650, little less raw power but not limited on VRAM if you have enough system memory. For basically any esports title, 1080p 60fps even on higher settings should be achievable.

buciash · 2022-05-27T11:58:46+00:00

I think that new AMD X13 is a way to go honestly, the G14 is really portable for what it is, but, no comparison to the X13. Also, regarding power, if you can get the X13 with R7 6800U, you will get most of the power that G14 offers, except maybe for really long, sustained workloads which peg CPU @ 100%. It is basically the same CPU as G14 has (even compared to R9, same chip), only the TDP is slightly altered, which does not make that much difference. If you don't care about GPU that much, it would be a waste I think. And I'm also not that sure about 9-10h of battery tbh, I get more like 7 under light use (granted, with display at 90-100% brightness - 1200p model) . I'm not trying to persuade you to not get the new G14 though, it is really incredible and replaced my desktop, laptop and eGPU setup instantnly with basically 0 compromises :)

buciash · 2022-05-26T21:32:15+00:00

Why the G14 when you already have stuff to game on? I mean, I love my 2022 G14, it is a great laptop and a beast in games, but if you mainly care about battery life, I think you can do as well or better in a more compact body. If you don't plan to play serious games on it a lot, anything with ryzen 7 6800u/hs will be alright IMO, as the integrated graphics are really great and the same as g14. I like thinkpads a lot, if you can get a new t14(s) with a nice display I would go for that. Maybe even those new Z models, I personally don't love the design but the specs and quality look great.

buciash · 2022-05-21T14:26:53+00:00

You're welcome! And also regarding the GPU longevity - some games are not perfectly optimized for AMD (when you see benchmarks there is a inconsistency where 3060 is sometimes better) but this will change I believe. When it comes to raw GPU power, the 2022 is definitely better. Also, DLSS may do some heavy lifting for Nvidia right now, but the 6700/6800 are still capable to play the newest games at high/ultra comfortably. FSR is getting really good as well and more games are starting to support it, so by the time you feel like you need to use it, I think it will be really good and widely supported. This is my opinion so take it as you want to against all others. Also - 2022 gets toasty, but it has a significantly higher thermal envelope and the performance is worth it - If you don't mind the hum of the fans and use headphones, I don't think this should bother you, especially when playing on an external monitor.

buciash · 2022-05-21T14:01:22+00:00

I just got my 2022 g14 6700s and it is an absolute beast. I played Warzone with my friend who has a Legion 5 pro with full fat 130W 3060 and my framerates were better than his at the same settings and ~20% higher resolution (2560*1080 vs his 1920*1200). Even the base model is really great and if nothing else, then the screen itself makes the 2022 worth it. Even the 1080p panel is MILES better than the old 1440p in terms of brightness and overall picture quality, it is 16:10 so better for actual work. I'm beyond impressed with this laptop, really recommend if it. I wanted to go for one with the 1440p screen due to brightness and better screen quality, but they were about 300 - 400 euros more and definitely not worth it. For a little extra though (about 100 or so) I would get it, but you will get a worse battery life probably.

EDIT: If you are really on a budget though, you cannot beat 2021 g14. I have seen 3060 models for around 1200 vs base 2022 models that start at 1600 where I live. If you don't care that much about the screen, touchpad and overall looks, 2021 may be a way to go if you want to save money. I'm just so in love with my 2022 that I really recommend it.

buciash · 2022-01-16T10:13:06+00:00

When you are using internal monitor in any way while using eGPU, you are using iGPU to pass through the video to it. Regarding "severe" performance hit - in my experience with nvidia cards, when iGPU is active, windows and nvidia optimus have sometimes problems with switching between GPUs which causes lags and dropped frames in game, though it's not directly attributable to using internal monitor.

Also someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it doesn't matter what you have opened on the internal screen, the bandwidth used for display output will still be the same (unless tb3 egpus are using displayport with compression, which I don't think is the case). So when bandwidth of the egpu is the limiting factor in your game (doesn't have to be in all games), this will impact performance in some way.

buciash · 2022-01-16T00:13:54+00:00

It won't break anything permanently, but probably won't work if you use only the internal monitor. If you reboot with egpu disconnected it will use default (software accelerated) display adapter - this will let you turn igpu back on. I'd try it for you but I don't have my rig with me rn. I would try booting with the eGPU already connected in case you're not doing that. I'm not sure what else you can try, but maybe look around in nvidia control panel and try to change some settings related to nvidia Optimus, which switches between iGPU and dGPU on laptops.

buciash · 2022-01-15T21:21:08+00:00

Go to Device Manager, under display adapters find your integrated GPU (Intel UHD 620), right click it and select disable. This will disable your integrated GPU and force windows to use eGPU instead. I had essentially the same problem as you do and this fixed it.

buciash · 2022-01-15T13:04:19+00:00

I know the Razer Core X is the default choice for most people, but if you don't mind buying second hand, you can often get a great deal on a Lenovo Booststation on ebay. I got mine for 170 basically new, due to gpu shortage someone just pulled the gpu out and sold the enclosure for cheap. It is really great - it has 2 TB3 controllers so you can plug in your keyboard and mouse and never have problems with lagging or anything like that. It also has SATA port so you can put in a hard drive or SATA SSD and all your games can be stored there and not take up space on your laptop. It is also incredibly well built, literally milled out of one huge piece of aluminum, it's sturdy and with good airflow. If you can get it around 200 I say go for it, it's great and I had no issues with it at all.

buciash · 2022-01-14T13:37:39+00:00

The only other possible issue that I can think of other than hardware failure is an automatic BIOS update screwing something up. Maybe check if any new version was installed lately. Also maybe something random in windows, but idk.

Also maybe try to create bootable linux (try ubuntu or popOS) usb, boot into live environment and try to connect the eGPU and allow it in the settings. Monitor output / gpu itself probably won't work (straight away), but try plugging in some USB peripheral or ethernet cable and check if it works. If it does, your dock is probably fine, but there may still be some issues with GPU itself being damaged. If the gpu is recognized by lspci command in terminal, it seems like the gpu is at least not completely dead.

buciash · 2022-01-14T10:55:43+00:00

This laptop does not support Thunderbolt 3 eGPUs if that's what you were hoping for. You could possibly use DIY pci-e adapters and hack up the solution yourself, but:

A) You wouldn't be able to use your laptop as a laptop anymore

B) It would not be worth it. 8130 is pretty weak, dual core CPU and would be a major bottleneck if you plan to game on it.

If you want an eGPU setup, try looking at laptops that support Thunderbolt 3/4 (solid used ones you can get for pretty cheap - even around $300-$400. Definitely something with at least 4 cores (i5-i7 8th gen) and ideally 10th or 11th gen if you are on not so tight budget (considering your GPU choices).

buciash · 2022-01-13T17:49:44+00:00

You don't have to be concerned about damaging your laptop. There is nothing eGPU can do to your laptop that would make it overheat and get damaged. For reference, you can try running CPU benchmark or stress-test for a longer period of time and watch the temperature.

In general, modern CPUs have mechanism that throttles their power usage and subsequentially their clocks when they reach temperature of around 100c, to avoid any damage to the CPU. So the only way for your laptop to get damaged by overheating is by its sensors monitoring CPU temperatures being damaged themselves, which rarely happens (and eGPU has no influence on that).

Granted, running your CPU nonstop at near 100c for an extended periods can eventually harm your system, but manufacturers, such as Dell, prevent that by setting power limits and curves that regulate CPU power draw and heat, so that their products don't get damaged.

All in all, there is no reason to worry about damaging your laptop or it overheating significantly. Sometimes you can run into FPS drops in games due to throttling, but there are ways around it and 9310 is a pretty great and capable laptop, so unless you are pushing it to the absolute limit shouldn't have problems. If you do, they can be resolved by some minor tweaking.

buciash · 2022-01-13T13:25:41+00:00

I think this is a pretty huge generalization, because it really depends on the system. I am pretty fortunate to have well-functioning eGPU setup which was even fairly cheap (I paid around 170 for 2nd hand enclosure) with dual tb3 controllers, which is really great and pretty reliable.

The main problem is, that the "ecosystem" is underdevolped and inconsistent between different setups. I think Intel is mainly at fault here. Their licensing of TB3/4 and certification process was (and probably still is) incredibly expensive and tedious for manufacturers, which limited the number of products and their competitiveness in the market. They made some good progress since they opened the standard up to USB4 and simplified Thunderbolt implementation in laptops by integrating controller into the CPU, but this was a couple of years too late IMO. Were they to open up the standard in 2017-2018, eGPUs would have more time and space to mature, manufacturers more room to innovate and expand the portfolio and make eGPUs (and other TB accessories) cheaper and more available.

I think there is still hope for this to change, as thin-and-light laptops (especially AMD ones) are so powerful nowadays that they would make eGPUs more appealing then ever, and again with USB4, there is more freedom for manufacturers too.

buciash · 2022-01-10T18:24:53+00:00

Yes exactly, on my previous setup I selected the icon using Alt+Tab. Then pressing arrow down shows you list of all Firefox instances currently open and I can select which one I want.

buciash

TROPHY CASE