Table of contents for July 2020 in Maximum PC

USB Problems Filesystem Corruption Pair With Bluetooth AMD USB Problems I have an AMD R9 3900X build with an MSI X570 MPG Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard. I was having thermal issues with the voltage regulator modules, which meant the CPU was being throttled when the VRMs hit 95 degrees Celsius. I decided to replace the mobo with an ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair Hero VIII, which runs a lot cooler. I originally stuck with the same Windows install, which settled down after several reboots and driver updates, but have now run into some weird issues. USB flash drives are only recognized 50 percent of the time when plugged into any USB 3.0 port, forcing me to unplug and reinsert them. Sometimes I get an error saying the USB device wasn’t removed…

If you haven’t heard of Folding@home, you’re not doing your part to help mankind fight disease. At the bleeding edge of medical research, incredible amounts of processing power are needed to crunch the numbers and run the simulations that help researchers develop new medicines and treatments for a huge variety of ailments, and the need for this power is only ever expanding. Not every scientific research team can afford a supercomputer, though, so distributed computing projects are the next best thing: A vast network of systems around the world, volunteering surplus memory, CPUs, and GPUs to help chip-in to help solve massive, complex problems. Folding@home is one such project, leveraging the power of thousands of idling computers to simulate protein dynamics and aid in the fight against everything from Alzheimer’s to prion…

If you’re stuck at home, there’s no better time to upgrade an old PC and turn it into an ideal work machine. The necessary hardware for running common WFH software like Zoom is relatively minimal—four to eight gigabytes of RAM will suffice, along with a CPU that is dual core or better. If you’ve got an ancient system knocking about, now might be the time to salvage what parts you can and transplant the system into a new case with a few upgrades. Alternatively, you may want to consider snagging a GPU for any system running on integrated graphics, if only to make dualscreen setups run smoother. If your work typically involves any demanding software use (for example, the Adobe Creative Cloud suite or Blender), you’re going to need a PC…

In most cases your security software should stop infections, but if some creep through you may find them difficult to remove. Start by attempting to boot into Safe mode with networking—doing so usually cripples the malware enough to enable your security software to download the latest updates, perform a successful scan, and remove the malware. The quickest way to do this is to type “msconfig” into the search box and click “System Configuration.” Assuming you’ve not been locked out by the malware, switch to the “Boot” tab to tick “Safe boot” and select “Network,” before clicking “OK” and rebooting. If this doesn’t work, visit your security vendor’s home page on a clean machine to create a rescue disc. Failing that, use Kaspersky’s tool (https://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/rescuedisk), which is free for all. Boot from this,…

Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Pro AX THE Z490 INTEL CHIPSET is finally here, supporting the new 10th-generation Intel Core i9 through to i3 processors. These are the Comet Lake-S chips, boasting improved performance and hyperthreading in every chip, and at better value per core than previous generational pricing. Of course, we needed a new chipset—Intel’s answer to the high-end X570 boards AMD has been pushing. The Z490 chipset brings a bunch of changes, most notably a new CPU socket. It signifies a big step forward for Intel, as the new socket will support future Intel chips. This is a big shift and might annoy some Intel users looking to upgrade their systems, but there are plenty of more subtle improvements too. Maximum memory speed support is up, from DDR4 2666 to…

Nintendo Virtual Boy BACKGROUND The Virtual Boy is a strange piece of gaming history. Nintendo called it a “32-bit, 3D experience” that “eliminates all external stimuli, totally immersing players into their own private universe.” Even so, TIME magazine listed it as one of the worst inventions of all time, and PC World called it one of “the ugliest products in tech history.” So let’s delve into the mystery behind the Virtual Boy. MAJOR TECH SPECS • 20 MHz, 32-bit RISC Processor• 128KB dual-port VRAM• 384 x 224 pixel resolution• 2-bit monochrome display (black and three shades of red)• 16-bit stereo sound KEY FINDINGS • Taking the Virtual Boy apart is no walk in the park. Our 1/4” drive gamebit didn’t fit into some of the recessed screw holes, so we…

While most of the software and games we’ve listed here aren’t free, there are still ways to test your GPU’s capabilities without spending a dime. 3DMark has a free edition with limited features, but if you don’t want to pay, we’d recommend Unigine’s Heaven benchmark. The Heaven benchmark is a heavy-duty graphics test that can be used for systems running DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.0, testing all the usual elements, such as ambient occlusion and real-time lighting. A free “gamer: edition” of the benchmark is available online, with the paid versions offering additional (often unneeded) features, such as benchmark looping and frame-by-frame analysis. Heaven is straightforward to set up and run, and comes with a few useful GPU monitoring tools too. Another way to benchmark your system is to use…

As if Retroshare’s existing features weren’t enough, it’s possible to expand it further using plugins. Two are included with the Windows version but are disabled by default. Navigate to “Preferences > Plugins,” and click “Enable” next to the VoIP.dll plugin to add voice and video chat to Retroshare’s “Network” button; enable FeedReader to set up an RSS feed for your own use or to share via a forum. Once enabled, configure both via their own sections in “Preferences” (in the case of the VoIP plugin, both you and your chat partner need it to be installed and running to use it). Retroshare comes with a built-in web interface, giving you access to a limited subset of its features through your web browser. Navigate to “Preferences > Webinterface” to enable it.…

FULL-SIZE MECHANICAL gaming keyboard with addressable RGB lighting on a per-key basis, for just a hundred bucks? We were immediately intrigued by the Element, with its promise of highquality construction and performance, as well as super-immersive lighting that could react dynamically to what happens on screen. It’s an enticing prospect, but we’ve been burned before, so we approached it with a grain of salt in hand. Since this is the first Whirlwind FX product we’ve reviewed in Maximum PC, let’s take a brief look at the company that brought us the Element. Whirlwind FX is an American company dedicated to improving PC gaming immersion, first releasing the Vortx, a strange little box that produces wind and heat in response to pre-coded actions in any game. The Element keyboard is a…

FIRST-CONTACT situations tend to go badly in sci-fi. Aliens are generally resourcehungry asset strippers, perfect killing machines, or under threat from the Borg. With intellects that are vast, cool, and unsympathetic, they draw their plans against us. Fish? Not so much. And yet here we are. The game’s setting of Gliese 677Cc is real, an exoplanet 22 light-years away that orbits within the habitable zone of its red dwarf star, itself part of a triple-star system. In Fellow Traveller’s hands, it's reimagined as an ocean world teeming with life below the surface, begging to be explored. And so you do, through the game’s fantastic interface. You don’t play as xenobiologist Ellery Vas directly, but as her AI companion built into her diving suit. Thanks to the abstract way in which…

NVIDIA HAS a new GPU architecture called Ampere, and it is big. In fact the first Ampere chip is the world’s biggest 7nm IC, with 54 billion transistors. It took, according to a “keynote” speech made by CEO Jensen Huang from his kitchen at home, the result of the efforts of thousands of engineers over several years. The first card to use the Ampere architecture will be the A100. This is aimed squarely at the data center where it will toil away at cloud services, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. This is the world of high-performance computing, and Nvidia’s press materials are dotted with bar charts showing Ampere’s capabilities above its previous card, the Tesla V100. The A100 card will have, according to Mr. Huang, “a profound impact on how…

GREETING, LOYAL READERS. The Maximum PC team remains in lockdown at the time of writing, but with the aid of technology we’re adapting to our new working environment, and a host of apps, services, and specialized hardware is making it easier than ever. This is leading toward a time where working from home is the preferred option for many, whether they’ve experienced it recently or have been fighting for it for years. Corporations and employees alike are finding that their jobs can, in fact, be done remotely. We’re here to help you work from home, whether that’s during this accursed pandemic or beyond it. From the best ergonomic peripherals to the right way to use that video chat software your boss has been demanding you use, there are plenty of…

Windows 10 is a powerful and versatile operating system, and it’s important to make the necessary changes so that it can better support you when you’re working from home. If you prefer to work after dark, the removal of brightness adjustment in desktop PCs running Windows 10 is a pain, but there are plenty of lighting solutions you can use. F.lux is a free download that lets you adjust both the brightness and color temperature of your display. RedShiftGUI is another, slightly more basic option. Focus Assist is a Windows 10 feature that can be helpful and frustrating in equal measure. It’s easy to tweak so that it’ll only alert you to new notifications and alarms inside of specific hours, or not at all. It’s worth checking it out under the…

Working from home has plenty of benefits, but it’s undeniable that it can have deleterious effects in the long term. It’s important to look after your physical and mental health when you’re not going out to your place of work every day, and if you’re not careful you may find that your productivity actually decreases. Sticking to a regular work schedule is the main draw here: Just because you don’t have to get up at seven to catch the train to work, doesn’t mean you should be sleeping in. Don’t feel compelled to get up as early as you would normally (cutting out travel time will afford many commuters an extra hour or more of valuable sleep), but if your shift starts at nine, always aim to be ready to start…

KEEPING YOUR PC safe from malware is a never-ending challenge. With new threats popping up (and then fading into the background again) all the time, we’re indebted to security experts such as Kaspersky, Norton, and Bitdefender for their constant vigilance. Their security tools are constantly evolving to keep up with the changing malware landscape, but however hard they work, you can’t rely on them 100 percent to keep your PC protected. Cybercriminals are increasingly preying on us directly to try and trick their way onto our machines and into our wallets. These days, you’re as likely to be the architect of your own downfall by responding to a scam alert as you are to be infected by other means. But that doesn’t mean that you’re fighting a losing battle. In…

YOU’LL NEED THIS A PC OR LAPTOP WITH A DISCRETE GRAPHICS CARD A screen, mouse, keyboard, and internet connection. Some money to spend on benchmarking software. LAST ISSUE, we showed you how to benchmark your CPU just like the system-testing impresarios here on Maximum PC. Never let it be said that we can’t follow a theme; this time, we’ll be running through the tests we use to benchmark GPUs, for both builds and reviews. Unlike our CPU benchmarking process, some of this software isn’t available for free. Free trials are available for certain programs, but GPU testing ideally uses multiple gaming benchmarks, which could cost you. We’ll go through some of the games we use for testing later on, but if you don’t have any of those you may want…

YOU’LL NEED THIS RETROSHARE Download this free, opensource software from www.retroshare.net A FRIEND You need at least one privacy or security-conscious friend. IN THE PRESENT ONLINE WORLD, our data is continually copied and stored as we navigate the digital landscape. Big corporations, government agencies, and hackers all work continuously to erode our privacy and security, whether it’s by latching onto unencrypted communication or stealing personal information like email addresses or passwords. In order to help keep your online communications secure, Retroshare offers a “secure decentralized communication platform,” using a variant of P2P technology called F2F, or “Friend-to-Friend”. With Retroshare, you can build a private network of people you know without anyone else—including your friends—knowing who’s in it. This means no central servers for storing multiple users’ sensitive information, and no…

YOU’LL NEED THIS FIREFOX Download the free web browser www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ Firefox extensions can be found at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ TIRED OF GOOGLE CHROME, but worried that you won’t have access to those extensions you use if you change? Or perhaps you’ve already swapped to Firefox, but need some advice on which extensions you should pick up [Image A]? Don’t worry, Maximum PC has got your back. Extensions are the best way of customizing your browsing experience. Not only can they adjust and alter your themes and the look of websites, but many also provide useful utility features and privacy extras that the stock browser doesn’t allow for. We’re going to give you the lowdown on our top 8 must-have Firefox extensions, for those ready to ditch Google’s dominant web browser for something…

WE HAVEN’T SEEN a compact gaming laptop with this level of power for a while. 13 and 14-inch laptops built with gaming in mind seemed to be becoming a thing of the past, paving the way for two extremes; beefy gaming rigs with desktop-scale GPUs, and super-thin notebooks running on upgraded integrated graphics. Gaming laptops with a thin form factor are largely compelled to use of lower-power GPUs, like the respectable GTX 1650. Not the Zephyrus G14, though. Here, we’ve got the slender Max-Q model of the RTX 2060 6GB, joined by AMD’s shiny new Ryzen 4900HS CPU, the current pinnacle of the mobile Ryzen processor line (although we wouldn’t be surprised if a 4950 arrived at some point). The 14-inch QHD screen means that the overall chassis is very…

UNEXPECTED TURN-BASED tactics games are clearly the in thing right now, following last month’s out-of-nowhere Corruption 2029 (and hopefully we’ll have the really unexpected and slightly mindblowing Gears Tactics next issue too). Chimera Squad isn’t XCOM 3, it's a side story set after the events of the previous game that revolves around breach-and-clear operations against those who would continue the alien war from both sides. Following the withdrawal of the Elders and the Advent forces, plenty of aliens and alien/human hybrids have been left behind. The peace between them is fragile, and best defended by crashing through windows and doors before diving behind cover and opening fire. Chimera Squad is classic XCOM, but shaken up in the way only winning a war against an alien oppressor can. Moves are now…

WITH CLOUD-BASED storage solutions becoming more and more integrated into our digital lives, the external drive is in danger of fading into obscurity. Gone is the need for chunky backup hard drives, when we can simply punt our files off into the yawning data void that is Google Drive or Dropbox. Gone are the days when you’d need a USB flash drive to bring some files to a friend, now that wireless data transfer between devices is commonplace. It’s not just that cloud storage has become more effective and widely available, it’s the flexibility it offers. In the past decade, compatibility has massively improved, to the point where we can now save a document on our PC, then open it up on a smartphone or tablet to continue working on…

INTEL’S 11TH-GENERATION Tiger Lake is set to launch, and the company claims there are 50 “fantastic” notebooks ready to roll. Tiger Lake is the replacement for the Ice Lake series of low-power mobile processors with integrated graphics. It uses a 10nm processor and sports Intel’s most modern core architecture, Willow Cove, an enhanced version of Ice Lake’s Sunny Cove. The specifications read well: We have PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6, USB 4, Thunderbolt 4, deep-learning AI boost, HEVC, and VP9 hardware decoding. The two things that stand out are the graphics subsystem: This will be the first commercial appearance of Intel’s Xe graphics engine, with up to 96 execution units, against 64 in Ice Lake. The other is that Intel has managed to crank up the clock speeds while keeping power…

Do you need a printer, scanner, or copier? These days, those three are almost always contiguous: Modern printers contain the necessary technology to digitally scan and copy whatever documents you might choose. Think carefully about whether or not you need one, though. Many employers have moved steadily towards digitization over the past two decades, and old-fashioned paper files are on the way out. Let the door hit them as they go, we say. Our advice would be to not get a printer unless you absolutely need one. Even modern units are bulky, heavy, and usually quite loud—and don’t even get us started on the cost of printer ink. However, there are situations that necessitate a printer, such as printing labels for packages or leaflets for distribution. If you can’t access your…

Many websites that sell products or services rely on third-party payment providers. When you make a purchase, you’re redirected to that provider’s website to complete the transaction, before being redirected back. Scammers have ways of intercepting traffic to these sites to pop up their own fake version of the payment site to trick users into giving up their card details. This form of “man-in-the-middle” attack doesn’t target the payment provider, but instead alters the code on the merchant website to redirect your traffic to the phishing site. Malwarebytes Premium’s web protection offers real-time protection against known phishing sites based on their behavior, but you can take further steps: Verify the payment provider’s website using the information in the browser address bar. Click the padlock to view the site’s security and verify it’s…

Any network drive easily accessible from Windows is vulnerable to ransomware. Tightening security means changing your network shared credentials. First, if you’ve set up a user on your NAS that shares the same username and password as your Windows account for ease of access, log into your NAS’s user account settings and change the password to something unique. Also, make sure you’re not saving network credentials: When you’re next prompted to log on to a network share, make sure the box “Remember my credentials” is left unticked. If—as is likely—you’ve previously saved credentials, type “credentials” into the search box and click “Credential Manager.” You should see entries for each saved network password under “Windows Credentials.” Click the downward arrow button followed by “Remove > Yes.” If you’re accessing the network…

TIP OF THE MONTH CREATE A BETTER READING LIST WITH SAVE TO POCKET Another useful Chrome extension, Pocket (also known as Save to Pocket) is a tool that lets you quickly capture webpages and articles online for later reading. Pocket functions across devices, so you can save a news story on your desktop browser and then read it on your phone later. Pocket also provides reading recommendations based on the content you save! HANDHELD HEAVEN We’ve got a classic Nintendo teardown this issue; something that coincided with this writer’s decision to buy my partner a Switch Lite. Compared to my full-fat Switch, the Lite is a truly compact unit, with a tiny but bright 720p LCD display. It’s clear that Nintendo is (as ever) leading the charge in portable gaming.…

For real-time tracking of frame rates in games, you may need some extra software. While some games include live fps counters (like Destiny 2), you’ll likely need to activate a separate overlay to monitor your frame rate while playing. If you’re on Steam, then good news: Steam packs an in-game overlay that includes an fps counter. You can turn it on under “Settings > In-Game,” and then it’ll activate automatically in any game you boot up. You can’t turn it on while playing, though. Otherwise, you’re going to need some external software. Unfortunately this does mean there’s a bit of extra load on your CPU, but you shouldn’t notice much of a difference on modern systems. The GPU overclocking software MSI Afterburner is our goto program for this, as it…

To use Retroshare on more than one computer, you need to transfer your profile. First, export it from your PC: Select “Network > Keyring,” right-click your profile entry, and choose “Export/create a new node,” then “Export selected key.” Save the .asc file, and transfer it to your new computer. Open Retroshare on the second device, and click “Option > Advanced options,” then “Option > Use existing profile.” Load in your .asc file. This pre-fills the profile name—give your node a name to differentiate it from your main PC, then enter your password, move the mouse about, and click “Go!” By default, each node shares your name, PGP ID, and PGP fingerprint, but they’re assigned unique location IDs. Each node is, by default, isolated from the others, so you can choose…

YOU’LL NEED THIS AN ARDUINO NANO 33 IOT OR LEONARDO A BREADBOARD 2x M2M jumper wires. PROJECT 1: AN LED 330 OHM RESISTOR (Orange-Orange-Brown-Gold) PROJECT 2: PUSH BUTTON / MOMENTARY SWITCH (Any type should work here.) HERE, WE HAVE TWO SIMPLE PROJECTS. The first tests that we can wire up a simple circuit, while the second project enables our Arduino to emulate a USB keyboard, which we will then use to quickly change the screen when our boss walks in. There are two ways to code the Arduino: via an online editor, or via the traditional Arduino IDE (integrated development environment). Plug in the Arduino Nano 33 IoT, then in a browser visit https://create.arduino.cc and create a new account. Follow the instructions, and when prompted, download and install the Arduino…

> ITX Cases > Not All Gamers > Labrador Love April Mini ITX Build Christian built a mini ITX system that I wanted to build because I am retired and spend time visiting my kids around the U.S. But when I priced the mobo and the Ryzen CPU the costs have gone up dramatically. Is it because the hardware is now aged, or is it because of the COVID-19 pandemic? If I wanted to upgrade to a later-gen Ryzen and mobo, what would you recommend, and have the costs been inflated there also? –Dave Earls STAFF WRITER CHRISTIAN GUYTON RESPONDS: I’m pretty sure the CPU in question was on sale when I assembled this build. For now, a decent alternative might be the Ryzen 5 3600; at the time of…