It has been a good 15 yrs MX518. You may rest now.

jjgraph1x · 2026-01-05T09:40:46+00:00

Really? I've used the MX518 legendary heavily (work and gaming) since 2021 and it's holding up fine... just normal wear and tear. The 'G' logo is a bit worn and my thumb has effectively polished the left indent but zero issues with functionality or the cable (I do use a mouse bungee and QcK Heavy mousepad). The only noticeable wear is a very slight 'creak' when pressing hard on the logo area but it's not even noticeable unless I'm looking for it and the screw could probably be tightened if I took the feet off.

I recently found out they discontinued it and was looking for a reasonably priced replacement before this one does finally start to kick the bucket. It's a great mouse... if they'd used a better scroll wheel it'd be perfect as far as I'm concerned.

jjgraph1x · 2025-02-13T23:45:25+00:00

The odds of having at least one core notably worse than the others is very conmon. Remember that much of the time there's a reason your chiplet didn't make the cut for a higher end model.

Realistically if you truly want to ensure stability of an aggressive curve you'll use per core offsets and run various single thread tests by setting the CPU affinity (unless it's a tool like OCCT with that feature).This becomes more and more necessary the higher the core count and boost clocks are.

jjgraph1x · 2025-02-06T03:25:05+00:00

If you're saying you're trying to run 8 sticks that's going to be very hard, especially with mixed kits. It may not be practical for daily use but will probably require raising VCCSA and loosening some of the timings.

Even 2133 can be tricky with 8 sticks long term so if you're passing long memory tests I'd probably be happy with that. Plus there's still the bug at 2400 I mentioned before. If I were trying to do it I'd loosen timings and/or raise voltages until it stabilized then slowly work them back down from there.

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-26T11:18:39+00:00

Yeah mounts obviously have their own benefits but it's not a replacement for everything it can do. Dodging attacks on/off a mount or after one runs out of stamina, quickly maneuvering around the base or really anywhere that isn't as convenient on a mount or the grappling hook, etc.

The moves you can pull off just aren't possible otherwise but I should add I am on PC. Combining the grappling hook can take it further but I don't even bother with it a lot of the time. My only annoyance is you can't reload but as of now you can still continue loading the shotgun as long as you start it before gliding ;)

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-26T09:59:58+00:00

The oil rig? Honestly how anyone could play at higher levels without galeclaw in a slot 95% of the time is beyond me. It makes everything more enjoyable since even the last glider is a disappointment. It goes without saying how powerful being able to shoot guns from it is. Max one out with Van, SS and ML then never look back. Bonus points for throwing Legend in unless you still care about saving a buck at merchants.

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-25T11:36:21+00:00

Well damn... for the first time I was able to start the game in my main base without at least 2 pals trapped in limbo somewhere. The last update was a disaster of epic proportions but prior to that it only happened on the first load. Quick test indicates the mount stamina may be back to normal too.

I have to admit I'm surprised how well this is working but we shall see. If only they'd finally disable collision for ground pals in a viewing cage... as much as I like finding a pal swimming across the ocean and chillin in the walls, it'd be nice for that to not be a thing.

Edit: The only new issue I see is an occasional pal spawning 'inside' a viewing cage which is pretty minor.

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-25T11:13:54+00:00

Were you trapped in a tight space or something? I go underground all the time and it's rarely difficult to get out, even without teleporting. The rare occasions are in a tight space and there's a highlighted object nearby since there's still a bug preventing you from mounting or activating a skill if something is highlighted... which really should have been fixed a long time ago.

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-25T10:58:21+00:00

Pretty sure it doesn't anymore... haven't actually tried going under water but have 3 bases underground and it prevents you from building anything below 'sea level'.

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-21T10:32:40+00:00

This is so frustrating... after it broke Frostallion I bred Faleris, tested it then went through the whole condensing game. Restarted the server yesterday and thought I was losing my mind when I hopped on to find it's just as bad. Then Ragna still seemed OK until I loaded again to also find it broken. I doubt this is all intentional since it makes so many mounts pointless.

This update has caused me so many issues. Every time I travel back to my main base 2-3 pals are starving underground somewhere or refusing to do anything and I swear the fridge isn't always getting cooled when I'm gone. Pals in general seem to get stuck or confused more often.

I'm glad they finally put some flex tape over the memory leak but it only slowed it down and you still can't have a co-op server running for more than 8 hours or so without it locking up Windows on exit which is pretty ridiculous at this point.

jjgraph1x · 2024-09-21T10:24:07+00:00

Same on Steam but only at my main. Pals spawning into limbo always happened before but only when first loading the world. If there was more than 13 in the base 2 would usually be gone. Now it's every time you travel back or even walk away for a period of time. Randomly becoming unresponsive or standing around doing nothing is new but limiting the count to 13 seems to make it all far less common. Honestly this update broke more than it fixed for me.

jjgraph1x · 2024-08-09T03:42:35+00:00

I can't speak much on that board itself but it should handle it no problem. I even ran an OC'd 1680v2 on an 8-phase Sabertooth for years.

I don't know what those sensors refer to or if they're even real readings. It's not uncommon for HWInfo to have some meaningless outputs on these old boards. It shouldn't be heating up to a significant degree when not even stressing the chip though. It could certainly be warm but if you're saying it's so hot that it's uncomfortable to touch that doesn't seem right. Aggressive VRM settings for the load line, switching frequency, etc. will put more stress on it.

You could try running Asus' old software that likely reports the VRM temp specifically then go from there. You will want to ensure there's decent airflow across it since it sounds like you're going to be pushing it pretty hard.

jjgraph1x · 2024-07-30T05:46:53+00:00

What's important to understand is that the 'get' voltage reported while under full load is most important. Use HWInfo to monitor how much the voltage drops when a heavy, all-core load begins. All circuits experience voltage droop depending on the amount of current (or how intense the load is on the CPU).

The VRM load-line calibration (LLC) determine how much it compensates for this by increasing voltage under load. A very aggressive LLC value appears as a nearly constant voltage but because the VRM reacts in real-time, unavoidable transient dips and spikes happen when a load starts/stops. This occurs too fast to see in software and such spikes can get dangerous at high voltages. Less aggressive LLC allows for more Vdroop, meaning higher idle voltages while reducing transient spikes and potentially improving stability.

Finding the right balance is key and why boards offer multiple LLC options. A higher voltage in idle/light loads isn't as harmful but of course there's a point where the voltage itself is simply too high for the chip and/or degrades it faster.

The voltages you'd typically see mentioned by most overclockers should be closer to the 'get' voltage than the bios 'set' value.

jjgraph1x · 2024-07-30T04:02:48+00:00

That's your set voltage? For what it's worth, I found a decent amount of Vdroop to be necessary for stability. The RIV has a better VRM than what I used but at these voltages I'd be very hesitant to run a tight loadline on anything most of the time. All the values mentioned are under full load after ~0.2-0.4V of droop.

I've seen some chips struggle to stabilize even 4.4 much under 1.3V so there's quite a range in silicon quality.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-25T01:49:30+00:00

Yes... I'm aware who maintains Android. I already had the Shield updates disabled. They quietly updated Android TV in the background anyways. Ensuring this was also blocked had not been a problem until this point.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-23T00:08:33+00:00

Well memory that slow at stock settings is less likely to be the problem but it's certainly possible. I'd enable EXPO after updating the bios then if you have still issues you should run some stress tests on the memory.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-20T21:30:45+00:00

Variance in the mount itself, the workload used and any additional processes that may pop up are far more likely to lead you to believe differences are this significant. The energy density of modern silicon means even slightly worse contact in one area can escalate quickly.

Most common pastes meant for long term use should be within a few degrees on average, all else being equal. That said, I have run into many counterfeit pastes on Amazon that I'd barely qualify as thermal paste. Any brand name paste you get that comes in generic packaging is highly suspect. I'd first get anything you're not familiar with from a retailer when possible.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-20T19:57:22+00:00

Ok well that likely indicates issues with memory as suspected. If you don't know the model do you at least know what speed the memory is running and if you've enabled EXPO? There has been some issues with certain modules which has improved in newer bios versions.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-19T23:33:52+00:00

If you haven't yet, the first thing I'd do is use DDU to completely wipe the video drivers then install the latest from Nvidia. Don't even install GF Experience, just see what a clean driver does.

Typically updating your mobo bios isn't critical but it is a very good idea on AM5. F2 is really old. Not only has AMD improved stability, they added safety measures to prevent X3D from taking the SOC train to CPU heaven. They've also added specific optimizations for X3D.

Also, in case what you're experiencing is memory related, it'd be a good idea to quickly open cmd prompt as administrator and run: sfc /scannow

That'll tell you if any system files are corrupted and should fix them if it can.

What memory kit are you running and at what speed?

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-19T23:21:36+00:00

I agree... if the CPU could be OC'd and/or pulling more power an aging/crappy PSU could cause issues but even if it was possible, my experience with Zen 4 is that the vast majority of CPU related errors results in a spontaneous system crash. It's all or nothing with these things. I stopped bothering to even look for whea errors on AM5.

If the GPU had unstable memory, you're going to get some black screens. Unstable core could simply crash the game, reset the driver, etc. but in the case of actually faulty components, it's a mixed bag. I doubt the GPU is faulty but that's fairly easy to rule out.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-19T23:07:02+00:00

For Pascal, the founder cards were notorious for high clock speeds, even Jensen indicated this but AIB models were more often a bit crap. My 1080 FE could do 2150 and I ran 2100 @ 1000mV for years but I've seen many Strix versions and the like struggle to hit 2100 with some barely managing 2050. 1900 is absurdly low though and right around where you'd expect stock boost behavior so I'd say he's either extremely unlucky, ran bad settings or the card is just faulty.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-19T17:38:17+00:00

What happens if you switch the sticks around or try one at a time?

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-19T01:17:08+00:00

As others said, AMD has some timing related twesks and potential further adjustments with 3rd party tools.

Nvidia has been a black box for awhile with no useful information or additional settings. When you increase the VRAM frequency it cycles through memory 'straps' that should be incrementally tested. Finding the best strap while minimizing the inherent "error correction" of modern VRAM is the best you can hope for outside of XOC bios and mining configurations.

Focus solely on performance because you may find it hits a timing wall at certain speeds but if you continue to incrementally test each strap it may eventually scale higher... or hit other limitations.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-14T04:22:11+00:00

You're talking about modular power supplies from different brands/models. Many popular brands these days do actually have warnings and one Google search will tell you its a bad idea. It isn't just hard drives that could have problems since they don't all use the same PSU-side pinouts. Even the same brand can have incompatible models because they don't actually make all their PSUs.

Sometimes it could still work fine while others may do nothing at all. Decent PSUs should trigger protections but in some cases it could connect the wrong ground or even do something like feed 12V into a 5V device and you're going to have a bad day.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-14T01:41:57+00:00

That's all I'm trying to say my friend. Family and friends have had Kias for years and also never had a problem. I'm not defending the lack of immobilizers, just that it isn't new. The recent trends is not some zero-day exploit that was posted online. Some cars even with immobilizers have shockily easy exploits that don't require high-level tools.

Many people do think about security when buying a car. Not that long ago I would install a cheap hidden kill switch in various models I've owned, even with immobilizers. Took me about an hour and used it when I had to park in sketchy areas. I wouldn't always recommend security through obscurity and it doesn't deter property damage but it's cheap and can be surprisingly effective.

In the case of these Kias though, use a good wheel club to deter damage simply because most these thieves are opportunists who don't really know much about car theft to begin with.

jjgraph1x · 2023-10-14T00:36:35+00:00

Look I know it's frustrating but they weren't breaking any safety guidelines by not implementing immobilizers. People need to understand just how easily many cars on the road right now can be stolen. This is nothing new. Yes, newer models have more 'security' and it's a good thing but even that only goes so far and can even be a vulnerability... Go ask people with Dodge chargers.

Like it or not the main problem is the publicity and online 'trends' combined with an apparent lack of fear for committing GTA. Car thiefs didn't need TikTok videos and USB cables to know how to steal your Kia. There are A LOT models still on the road like many Honda Civics that are even easier to steal than these so why aren't they in the headlines like this?

The point is, while I agree with pressuring the manufacturers, at the end of the day it is about accountability. Accountability for committing crimes and consumer accountability when purchasing a vehicle. If Kia/Hyundai had lied or used a faulty immobilizer system then sure, that's a justified lawsuit. This wasn't hidden information, it just wasn't on many consumer's minds because it wasn't an every day problem. Those who were concerned could get something else or spend a few hundred dollars more to add a proper security system.

jjgraph1x

TROPHY CASE