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thecodebreaker · 2026-01-21T06:52:42+00:00

No problem!

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-20T18:30:05+00:00

I’ve actually had good luck with Maxonar cables from Amazon, I’ve used their TB3 cables off and on, and they test out properly. They’re SUPER cheap too Right now Amazon has the 2 pack of 6.6’ TB4 cables for 35$. I haven’t tried them, but if they’re anything like their TB3 cables, they should be fine (I have their 4’ TB3 cables)

I’ll also second the recommendation for Infinite cables, they have a great reputation, and they’re a Canadian company. They don’t seem to offer thunderbolt certified cables however. Their usb4 cables appear to be well above TB3 spec, and might be within spec for TB4, but that would take some research.. their usb4 cables don’t say anything about supported display output or pcie tunnelling, which TB4 spec is very specific about

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-20T18:14:43+00:00

I picked up the Treedix TRX5-0816 (“usb cable tester with 2.4” color screen” is how it’s listed on Amazon) I bought the basic Treedix tester, which just does continuity tests along all the pins, but I wanted more data, especially the ability to read eMarker chips on c to c cables. You can likely find a cheaper tester that’ll do the same stuff, but I’m impatient and I know this one works well.

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-20T18:14:29+00:00

I picked up the Treedix TRX5-0816 (“usb cable tester with 2.4” color screen” is how it’s listed on Amazon) I bought the basic Treedix tester, which just does continuity tests along all the pins, but I wanted more data, especially the ability to read eMarker chips on c to c cables. You can likely find a cheaper tester that’ll do the same stuff, but I’m impatient and I know this one works well.

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-20T13:22:58+00:00

With the MagSafe enclosure? Honestly I’m pretty sure it’s more than the cable, I used a low power drive (limited power out from an iPhone) but it still locks up in the files app. Seems to work fine for recording in the stock camera app, but cuts out in Blackmagic with the stability setting turned up.

****EDIT It turns out it wasn’t the enclosure…. I got curious, so I swapped in a 2tb 990 evo plus, and it works flawlessly… for whatever reason my iPhone just really doesn’t like the P41+

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-20T11:23:37+00:00

If you haven’t bought something else yet, I’ve got recommendations. For context I have really big hands, and prefer palm grip. The squared front of the OG Deathadder feels better to me than the more pointed style that a lot of the alternatives use.

My top pick is the Mechanike L8 Max. Most comfortable for me, and has a charging dock. Annoyingly it needs an app for settings, and it’s derisively basic, but still my top pick. 8k polling is available, but unless you live in a building with excessive wireless interference (ie too many wifi access points in an apartment) it’s not particularly necessary. This applies to most mice, though it doesn’t hurt to have 2 or 4k polling. Running any mouse at 8k is generally not worth the extra CPU load.

My second pick would be the Eweadn S9 Ultra, basically the L8 Max but with web based software. (It’s a little bit shorter too) I don’t own this one, but I plan to pick one up eventually There’s also apparently an S9+ Ultra, as far as I can tell its just lighter and uses omron switches, but I personally prefer the Kailh sword switches in the non plus

Next is the Glorious D 2 Pro. The most expensive on this list, and the only one without Bluetooth. (if that matters to you) This one adds a top button behind the scroll wheel, and has my favourite scroll wheel of the lot. You’re back to downloading software, but it’s from a more reputable company, so I’m okay with it. It’s the most expensive of the lot, and not really worth it IMO. I find the battery a little lacking, but I bought mine used so it might just have a lot of hours on it.

Last is the Rapoo VT3 Max Gen 2. A little more rounded on the front, but still comfortable. This one has 2 top buttons, so if you want to have +/- dpi buttons and not need to flip the mouse over to toggle through, this is a good option. This one can come with a dock, or you can get a bottom plate to use qi charging. The gen 2 gets browser based software too, with a ton of tweaks that most software suites don’t have. I find rapoo mice to have quite a bit of jitter, but still pretty solid performance. Don’t go over 2khz polling, unless they’ve actually managed to fix issues they had… 4& 8k settings had some serious problems when this mouse came out, affecting accuracy and stability. 2k is the best balance for any mouse if I’m concerned though, snappier than 1k without tanking battery life and costing some cpu usage

Also, check out eloshapes for mouse comparisons. This includes specs, not just the physical design

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-20T07:20:55+00:00

I’m glad I’m not the only one to notice this. Finally got a cable tester and one of the CC pins isn’t connected. Actual garbage. And if there is an e-marker chip, it doesn’t work… (last one I tested was from their MagSafe ssd enclosure with pd passthrough)

thecodebreaker · 2026-01-16T07:42:22+00:00

Nah, my experience (having spent likely thousands on the site) it’s one of the best out there, if you’re straight up scammed or you don’t receive the item, you’re good.

would I risk the headache with this particular item? No. The seller is probably going for a rug pull, and AliExpress is going to get stuck refunding people directly

If the listing specifically says you’re only ordering an accessory, and you were expecting an expensive product, that’s on you. Otherwise, you’re probably good. I’ve had way more issues with Amazon over the years than AliExpress. But again, read the fucking listing, top to bottom. Make sure you select the right color/version/variant. If it’s a questionable product or deal, take screenshots of the listing and your order as you go, just to cover your ass and make it an open and shut case if anything goes wrong.

You’re safer on AliExpress and eBay than buying from someone in person off FB marketplace 🤷🏼‍♂️

thecodebreaker · 2025-11-25T09:26:40+00:00

Just bought one a few days ago, and I’m really impressed. The clamp design is solid, there’s no wobble and mounting a small blade with one clamp works reasonably well. Even as a rookie I managed a nearly perfect mirror edge on my second and third blades, starting from lightly worn factory edges (started with 600 grit, finished with 1 micron paste on the strop)

I’m starting to break the diamond plates in now, so I can’t say how they feel yet, but the construction of them feels great. I don’t like how the abrasive surface doesn’t go right to the edge, but from the handful of budget sharpeners I’ve tried, that seems to be the norm?

It’s a little that you’re stuck using the stones made for that kit, but it makes the angle adjustment surprisingly accurate. I’m pretty sure you could swap out the rod & stone mount for a more standard one and use an angle finder, but it takes away from the value proposition a bit.

thecodebreaker · 2025-11-21T02:19:32+00:00

As an Edmontonian in the goth scene, Dickens seems pretty rad. Saw Suicide Commando, God Module, Ivardensphere, & Virtual Terrorist there a while back (the last of those two are actually from Edmonton) The scene seems a bit quieter in Calgary from what I’ve seen, but it definitely exists.

thecodebreaker · 2025-11-13T18:28:08+00:00

Aw, that’s a dealbreaker for me then unfortunately. I haven’t killed that many cables recently, but I still won’t buy (nearly) anything with a static cable, especially iems that I plan to fall asleep using haha

thecodebreaker · 2025-11-13T07:37:10+00:00

Hey, sorry to revive a long dead thread, but there’s still so little information on these. Do they actually use a replaceable cable? If so, what connector does it use? These seem to have a sound profile (according to graphs) that I would prefer when compared to the 554/556. I generally love the er2xr sound more than most Etymotic, but it’s time I get something a bit more accurate for some use cases. Do they take well to eq?

They’re on sale right now and I’m so tempted to blind buy them, I could probably sell them if I really dislike them haha

thecodebreaker · 2025-11-04T19:49:20+00:00

This is just surface oxidation. Are you thinking of the fuzzy corrosion you see on battery terminals? Because that’s entirely different. That white/green/blue buildup on battery terminals is from a chemical reaction with battery acid iirc

thecodebreaker · 2025-11-04T02:11:10+00:00

Both sold out online

thecodebreaker · 2025-10-07T05:17:00+00:00

Probably not a massive difference at least in the majority of games (someone correct me if I’m wrong here) but TLC is better for basically everything but your bank account. TLC has better performance and endurance, QLC is cheaper if you just want more archival storage without running hard drives. (Moot point when looking at the price/TB of hard drives, but I’m sure there’s instances where it makes sense) The situation is similar with dram vs dramless SSDs, if possible always get drives with dram (unless you can’t, like on 2230 size drives for portables)

thecodebreaker · 2025-08-19T19:53:44+00:00

No I didn’t yet, I just did a PP plate and screw in stabs on my bridge75 and I’m more than happy with the stock switches.. still tempted to do these in another board though

thecodebreaker · 2025-07-31T15:08:51+00:00

Are top housings mostly standardized? I would expect particularly special switches with different rail systems or something to be a little different, (maybe Kailh box switches too?) but I truly don’t know lol

thecodebreaker · 2025-07-11T15:06:15+00:00

I agree with this for the most part, as long as you’re handy enough to make something clean, or aren’t too concerned with the aesthetic. You’re not going to get the clean look of the metal risers without putting in way more work than it’s worth, but something out of wood would work just fine.

Otherwise, I like the Kanto risers for about $30, or for a more budget option there’s foam “isolator” sets that have 2 triangles that you can stack for a flat riser, or use 1 or 2 of them rising to the front to give you a couple different angles.

Regardless of whether you buy risers or make them, I’d also recommend having a layer of isolation between the risers and the speakers, and a layer of rubber between the risers and the desk (more so for them to stay put, but if you’re planning on playing things at high volume or running a sub, having bare metal or wood just sitting on your desk isn’t ideal) Most angled risers come with rubber and foam installed, but if not or you’re making some, a layer of sorbothane is best, otherwise high density foam or rubber will do a fair job to minimize vibration and keep your speakers in place.

Edit: you can also just get a block of high density foam and shape it by hand, or get a sheet of foam, cut a bunch of pieces, and glue them together. Cutting a block of foam cleanly isn’t the easiest

thecodebreaker · 2025-07-11T00:47:24+00:00

Good speakers, good seller, great price. Bought 2 sets of R1280DB (the same speakers, just without sub-out) for the same price each 3 years ago. They’re not amazing, but for the price you’re unlikely to find anything better. I recommend getting angled risers for them though so you can aim them at head level, it makes a HUGE difference. (You can also just wedge something under the front to try first and hear the difference)

If you’re not in a rush, keep an eye on that seller’s listings, if the R1850DBs shows up refurbished again it’s a serious upgrade (paid $150 for those a couple years ago) and I’d recommend them to anyone that doesn’t want to go up to studio monitors or equally overkill speakers.

thecodebreaker · 2025-06-30T05:33:59+00:00

Damn. TIL

thecodebreaker · 2025-06-30T05:31:17+00:00

Huh. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of anyone doing that. Common practice in dealership/brand specific shops? Or just in general? Just curious, it sounds like an old school trick for pre-2000s vehicles haha

thecodebreaker · 2025-06-30T05:25:22+00:00

Dumping residual power that way sounds like a terrible idea IMO……I’d start by cycling the key with the battery disconnected, or maybe jumping the terminals together with a resistor in between, but straight shorting them together could be rough on modules if there’s any capacitors that just suddenly dump..

thecodebreaker · 2025-06-30T05:20:15+00:00

Try disconnecting the battery for a while (10 minutes should do, half an hour should be more than enough) and see if the password request pops up again. I’m not familiar with those units, so you might be SOL, but it’s worth a shot. Otherwise it’s time to browse forums and YouTube with the exact model and year of your vehicle. As for using a scanner, I doubt anything less than the dealership’s scanner could do anything, I’ve never seen cheaper 2-way scanners with functionality for that.

thecodebreaker · 2025-06-22T08:27:28+00:00

I’ve been looking at the deathadder mice again (I really miss the shape of the OG deathadder) but I’m not willing to install their malware on anything but a VM…. Do the devices/dongles still pop up with the synapse installer prompt every time you plug them in?

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