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Sunday, June 26, 2016

Testing the MSI GTX 960 2G OC with Heaven Benchmark 4.0

I have owned the MSI GTX 960 2G OC for quite some time now. Testing the MSI GTX 960 2G OC with Heaven Benchmark 4.0 would be a logical thing to do. I did not bother playing with the default settings it came with except for changing the pattern of the glowing MSI logo on the video card itself. I like to keep it in the "breathing" pattern. You can refer to a previous blog post by clicking on this link for details on the different LED light patterns available on this MSI GTX 960 2G OC card.

Downloading Heaven Benchmark 4.0

You can download the benchmark tool by going to the link below:

https://unigine.com/products/benchmarks/heaven/

It's a 247 MB file so the download could take up to a few minutes; at least for us in the Philippines who have relatively slow internet speeds. It took me about 10 minutes, I think, to download using my 5 Mbps connection.

Installing Heaven Benchmark 4.0

Installation is a breeze and all I had to do was accept all the default setting except for the install location. I have an SSD where I installed my OS but I have most of my applications installed on another physical drive.

My system

I do not have a "high-end" gaming computer but the card performs well on 1080p gaming. I really like this card and I would say it is a "bang for the buck" GPU.

Processor: Intel I5-2400 @ 3.1 Ghz
Ram: 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
GPU: MSI GTX 960 2G OC
GPU Mode: Gaming mode (default)

Results

I got fairly good results with FPS ranging from 40+ to 100+. It usually is in the 60+ range throughout the test. I also got a maximum GPU temperature of 60 degrees.

These are the default settings when I first opened Heaven benchmark and I didn't change anything before running the test.


Here are some of the screenshots that I took while the test was running.






I would strongly recommend this card if you want a good-performing 1080p gaming GPU. You can check out the link below if you want to order a GTX 960 online.

http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHGjUS

Sunday, June 19, 2016

I bought the Logitech F310 gamepad and I'm loving it!

I was looking for a relatively cheap, plug and play, and reliable gamepad for PC gaming. I was used to the PlayStation 3 Dualshock 3 controller and wanted to get something with a similar button setup. I went to the Cyberzone at SM Seaside City Cebu and found the Logitech F310 game pad.

The Logitech F310 is packaged in clear plastic. I had a hard time opening the package and I simply can't tear it with my bear hands even though there were tear marks at the back. I had to resort to using a utility knife.


A "what's in the box" and system requirements are located on the back of the package.



The Logitech F310 appears to be a mixture of the PlayStation controller and Microsoft's Xbox controller. The joystick and the shoulder button placement appear similar to the PlayStation controller. The shoulder button labelled RT is a variable control which means that it is able to gauge how hard/soft you press on the button.



The buttons on the right look the same as Microsoft's controller with a similar X, Y, A, & B labels.






The controller was immediately recognized as "Gamepad F310" when I plugged it into my computer. I did not have to do anything and it immediately worked when I tried to use it in a game. Do not that the controller has a mode switch at its back to toggle it between the X and D modes. It is default to X and you will mostly be using this mode. The D mode is used for legacy games that do not support the X mode. You can check the documentation that came with the product for more details on this function. I have personally kept it on the X mode and didn't have the need to switch it to D.





The F310 feels comfortable in my hands and the textured sides (the black part) makes it easy to grip even when you have sweaty palms. The gamepad measures around 6 inches wide.





Overall, the gamepad is easy on the hands, has good feedback, and feels solid. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cheap and reliable gamepad. I got if for a little over Php1000.00 at Data Blitz. If you want to order this gamepad and have it delivered to your door step, you can navigate to this link. This item is also available on Cash On Deliver (COD) in case you do not want or have a credit card.

The downside is that it doesn't have vibration support. That is, if your game supports it.

Refer to the link below, if you want to order this item and get it delivered to your address:

Logitech F310 gamepad 

Note: I did find an article with information on how to use a PS3 controller on your PC. It's easy and you'll need to install a little software. You can check out the instructions on this link.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

The capable Elephant ELE-M519 2.4 Ghz Wireless Mouse

I was looking for a mouse to replace my Rapoo M10 wireless mouse and saw this Elephant ELE-M519 at Data Blitz.The mouse and the packaging looked good so I went ahead and checked the specs.





Inside the package, you will find:

  • 1 x Elephant ELE-M519 mouse
  • 1 x AA battery
  • 1 x Micro receiver
Here is a summary of the mouse's features:




The mouse should be compatible with any computer Windows 7 and later. Here is what the package indicate about which OS supports this mouse plug and play.




Here is how the actual mouse looks like taken out of the package. Note that I kinda had difficulty removing the mouse from the packaging as I didn't want to damage the box.


The measures around 5 inches.


On actual use the mouse performed really well. It makes use of a blue sensor. The mouse itself is very silent and you do not here that clicking sound when you click on its buttons. Even though you do not hear any clocking sound, tactile feedback is very good. The size and shape of the mouse also feels really comfortable. You also have a button that you can click to quickly change between 600, 1000, 1600, or 2400 DPI; a similar function you see on more expensive mice.

The mouse goes into a sort of "sleep" mode if you do not use it for a while. The blue lights on the base of the mouse turn off and the mouse cursor does not respond when you move it. To wake the mouse up, simply click on any of the buttons or slide the scroll wheel. Saves a lot of battery.

Overall I really like this mouse and I think I am going to keep on using this.

Shop for wireless mice from the link below and get it delivered right on your doorstep.

http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SHGbKA

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Easy overclocking with the MSI GTX 960 2G

In a previous blog post, I upgraded my GPU to a MSI GTX 960 2G OC edition. You can view that blog post via this link.

This GPU comes factory overclocked. The reference base clock for this card is 1127 MHz with a boost clock of 1178 MHz. Out of the box, this MSI GTX 960 2G OC is clocked at 1190 MHz with a boost clock of 1253 MHz. The card also features the TWIN FROZR V. This feature allows the fans to turn off when they are not needed. On normal day to day use, I did not even notice the fans turn on at all. This means the card is dead silent.

The disc that came with the card comes with additional software aside from the device drivers. One of the software that came in the disc is the MSI Gaming App. Among other things, the card allows you to change the pattern of the MSI logo glow on the GPU itself from the default steady, to breathing, flashing, or double flashing. It also allows you to select which mode you want the card to be in. The default is the gaming mode which clocks the card at 1190 MHz with a boost clock of 1253 MHz. Other modes you have are the OC mode and the Silent Mode.

Here is the window where you can select the different MSI LOGO LED light mode. Unfortunately, there is no option to change the color of the light other than WHITE.


As for the different MSI Gaming App modes, here's a summery:
  • Gaming mode (default): Base clock 1190 MHz - Boost clock 1253 MHz
  • Silent mode: Base clock 1127 MHz - Boost clock 1190 MHz
  • OC mode: Base clock 1241 MHz - Boost clock 1304 MHz
While changing the mode, you can actually see the clock reading in GPU-Z change. Take a look at the images below:

Gaming mode

Silent mode

OC mode

Are you using the same GPU? What is your preferred MSI Gamin App mode?

If you want to get the GTX 960 delivered right into your doorstep, you can click this link.

Note: The item indicated in the link is the cheaper Zotac version. Still the same GTX 960 with 2GB of video RAM.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Poor performance on the Sun Cellular 3G network

I have previously posted about how satisfied I was with our PLDT DSL connection. You can refer to this link to check it out.

I, however, am not satisfied with the speed Sun Cellular 3G provides. In the past couple days, I have performed numerous speed tests on my Iphone 5S to see how it fared and it fared badly. The reason why I did these tests was that I have been called by a Sun Cellular representative offering me their pocket Wi-Fi product. I was told that they now have "fast" internet speeds. I have declined on, at least, 2 occasions.

To give them the benefit of the doubt, I used my mobile phone to test the network speed on a 3G connection and got, at best, 1.11 Mbps for download and a fairly good 1.59 Mbps maximum upload. These tests were done in Labangon and IT park areas.

I did not take a screenshot of the individual tests but here's a summary of a few tests that I made.






Mind you, this is not a problem with the phone as I could get about 3 Mbps using a Globe SIM on the same area. Last year, I tested Smart LTE at IT Park and was able to get over 20 Mbps for download.

I have been a loyal Sun Cellular subscriber for a few years now. My main reason for staying with Sun is their unlimited call/text options for Sun to Sun. This is really helpful since I could communicate with my family without the burden of having to take note of the minutes I used. A lot of the people I work with also use Sun.

Are you using Sun Cellular? Do you know which areas in Cebu I could get the best internet speeds for mobile data?

PLDT DSL at 5 Mbps

I've been a PLDT subscriber for almost 3 years now. I was originally subscribed to the 3 Mbps plan. However, a few months ago, my internet download and browsing speeds were noticeably faster. I thought it might be a temporary hick-up but the increased speed was consistent for the next month. So, I asked around and found out that PLDT increased the speed of their packages and existing users were automatically upgraded. I did not have to do anything. Good on you PLDT.

Here are a couple of screenshots that I took of my speed tests.



Thus far, I am satisfied with the connection speed and the service that I am given. They say DSL performance also depends on the area where your service area is. So, if you are living within Labangon area, you might want to check PLDT out.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

What I like about the new IOS 9.3 update

IOS 9.3 included numerous updates. However, the most notable updates for me will be the addition of the Night Shift feature and the ability to lock your notes.

Night Shift

Quoting the app website, "Many studies have shown that exposure to bright blue light in the evening can affect your circadian rhythms and make it harder to fall asleep. Night Shift uses your iOS device’s clock and geolocation to determine when it’s sunset in your location, then it automatically shifts the colors in your display to the warmer end of the spectrum.1 In the morning, it returns the display to its regular settings. Pleasant dreams."

I personally have mine set on a schedule turning on at 12:00 AM and turning off at 7:00 AM.

You can access this feature by going to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift

You can also easily access this feature by swiping up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the Control Center. It is conveniently added to one of the toggle buttons at the bottom of the Control Center; the same area where you see the flashlight.






Notes

Another feature that I really like is the ability to lock some, or all, of your notes. I personally keep a lot of sensitive information within easy reach by writing them in the notes application (e.g. Social security number, bank account number, etc) and this new added feature leaves me one less thing to worry about. You can unlock the note via the passcode that you set or, for device that support it, Touch ID.

You'll have to set your default notes password under settings by going to Settings > Notes > Password. You can set the password to match your phone's passcode, however, I strongly advice doing so. For "more" security, use a different password so someone who breaks into your device's password will have to break your notes password before they could gain access to it.

When you open a note that is locked by a password, the phone will prompt you that the note is locked. To unlock the note, simply tap the padlock icon on the top right side of the screen.