Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Something not too challenging for my old PC.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
I play games on a 37 inch T.V. with a 1050 ti GPU. I have noticed that Fallout 4 and Halo CE struggle on my setup. MSI afterburner consistently says 90ish+ GPU usage while my CPU is hovering in the 20-30%. 

Question: Is playing a large monitor more stressful for a GPU? If I were to buy a new GPU, what should I look for? Newer GPUs or would something like a AMD 580 with 8 GB of RAM be better?
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
uziq
Member
+492|3422
it depends on the resolution more than the absolute size. you could have an ancient 50-inch TV that's 1080p that would be fairly trivial to power compared to a 24 inch 4k monitor. obviously the more pixels, the bigger the draw on your GPU. for large resolutions, e.g. 1440p+ plus or any sort of ultra-wide aspect ratio, you should think about getting 8Gb+ of VRAM. modern games will throw a shitload of texture caching and work at a high-resolution set-up. for example, the latest call of duty:modern warfare game on maxed-out settings at my 3440x1440 ultra-wide eats about 5.5Gb of VRAM. i'm pretty sure that a game engine like grand theft auto/red dead 2's would take as much as you could give it.

in terms of newer GPUs, the 5700/XT is the new mid-range standard for AMD. for nvidia, the 2070/super. they're all about $300-400 i think. 1440p at 100-144hz is considered the new mid-range gaming standard, with the aforementioned cards pulling decent performance (60fps+) on 4k resolutions.

there is nothing unusual about 90%+ GPU usage and 20-30% CPU usage. you're lucky to get 30% CPU usage in most games, which still in 2020 seem not to be very well optimised for multi-core/hyper-threading/whatever-the-fuck. i just bought a 6-core/12 hyper threads processor, modest in comparison to the enthusiast-level 8/12 core options which are popular, and i rarely get more than 20% CPU usage in any game. my GPU usage goes up to 99%, which is a good thing. you want your GPU to be unlocked to the full and not, say, bottlenecked by your slow-ass CPU.

the newer cards use fancier chipsets with built-in BIOS algorithms which max out their performance with the resources available. 99% usage is desirable because it means that the voltage/temperature parameters are within acceptable limits for the algorithm to boost the core/memory frequencies up to their maximum. cooling the cards is another matter. AMD sets their maximum core junction temperature limit at 110 degrees. things get a little toasty.

the current gen GPU i have regularly boosts to 2.1Ghz and has 8Gb VRAM. that's pretty insane to me. pretty sure that was a decent PC 10 years ago.

Last edited by uziq (2020-03-28 07:04:51)

SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
I feel like modern games really don't need high end CPUs if it wasn't for developers constantly upping the graphics. Like when I was playing Halo CE today, things were pretty hectic. But the new Doom didn't doesn't have more going on or more enemies on screen than Halo CE does. It actually has less at any moment.

I think these fancy 12 core CPUs can fit a lot more enemies on the screen and have more going on but people might not have the ability to keep up with the amount of stuff the CPU can throw at you before sensory overload kicks in. So we are going to get stuck with even older CPUs topping off at 30% while the GPUs are melting because of fancy lighting effects. Speaking of lighting effect..I don't see why these are such a big deal either. I don't notice lighting effects or shadows or any of that other bullshit in real life. Does anyone go into work and become dazzled by light reflecting off of your desk?
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
uziq
Member
+492|3422
i think you're either trolling or just intentionally ignoring the wealth of information on the internet.
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

IIRC BF1 caps out at about 6 cores. Games inconsistently take advantage of cores/threads, and have been known to dial things down before release. More of a critical item for productivity software.
uziq
Member
+492|3422
RTS games are probably the biggest core thrashers, but even then it's very low utilization compared to rendering/output tasks, yep.

the number of enemies on the screen doesn't have anything to do with CPU power.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Does anyone know anything about SQL databases?

Without going into the detail, and I haven't looked into it yet because I don't really care too much, we seem to have an SQL database with some front end or other originally on XP now running on 7. Some panic-ridden people are going into a panic over this and saying it all needs to be recreated as an access database because its too hard to bring it up to date, even so creating an access database will apparently be $20,000 for three weeks work.

Is there some up to date SQL database front end or something which can pick up an old database, or is there some way of porting it across easily?

I'm not really sure why I'm dealing with this as the mechanical engineer, it would be nice if the IT guy could do some work but apparently its not his responsibility, he's too busy staring at his laptop and stacking up empty cans of energy drinks. I still don't know if his sister-in-law's kid is his or not, he's been looking pretty miserable lately so I'm guessing it is.

The main driver is the woman who has to use the database is getting panicky about it failing and butthurt about having to deal with its foibles. This would be all fine and not my problem but if she's butthurt she's one of those people who is sure to spread the pain around and make other people suffer and I have to deal with the knock-on butthurt.
Apparently its easier to throw away parts someone has spent hours making and start again than have to go into a database and change a few numbers.
I need to make some more gun-barrels on the lathe and if the workshop supervisor is butthurt it just makes it all harder.

I suppose the first thing would be to find out a bit more of the current situation starting with which program its currently running with.
Is there anything else I need to know?

Also whether its the case that a portal from hell has opened and is focused on the quality office, or if it was originally built over an indian burial ground.
I had a desk in there for a few years and didn't notice anything obvious, but Bose headphones will cancel out pretty well anything.

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2020-05-22 23:18:16)

Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6707|Oxferd Ohire
after reading that my answer is no
https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
Dauntless
Admin
+2,249|6712|London

Ideally you should have gotten rid of all your Windows 7 machine in your workplace by now. What are you trying to achieve? You just want to move it to a new machine? SQL is pretty easy to work with and move around. Going from SQL to Access seems like a completely backwards move to me, I can't think of any use case where that would be the right move.

What version of SQL are you currently running? Do you know how big the SQL database is? Do you have any licensing for SQL? If the database is small enough (less than 10GB) you might be able to use SQL Express for free if it fits the requirements.

Who made the front end? Is it some old retail software not supported anymore or was it designed in house?
https://imgur.com/kXTNQ8D.png
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Thanks, thats roughly what I guessed, I'll get more detail on the current setup next week but I'm guessing its a bespoke front end from about 20 years ago.

Ideally you should have gotten rid of all your Windows 7 machine in your workplace by now.
Ha ha most computers are windows 7 at best, we still have Win 3.1 and 98 kicking around here and there on some machines.
You can't just throw out millions of dollars and tons of machinery every time Microsoft screw you with an upgrade.

My favourite is the $20,000 machine which is dependent on an old-style unclonable SD-type card not getting corrupted.
Quite often it has a techno-burp and reverts to a program we thought we'd deleted.

Eventually I'll probably tear out the internals leaving just the steppers and put in an Arduino card so I can run it from a PC.
How do I even know this stuff.

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2020-05-23 17:11:27)

Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

Dilbert_X wrote:

Does anyone know anything about SQL databases?
After reading your story, you probably shouldn't know about it either. Boss lady sounds like she might be the sort to pass the blame onto you if something goes wrong. I don't know if she's the sort to throw you under the bus, though.

This thread has some notions that you could research and pitch, if need be: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/ … -vs-access
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
This woman doesn't scare or bother me, and my manager has her figured out so its not an issue.
He tried to get her an assistant but she rejected all 300 applicants, its that level of crazy.

An option might be to mothball the old database and start anew.

Otherwise its only ever going to be a single user on a single PC, excel would be the best option, with PDFs dumped for unmeddlable audit purposes, not a stupid database which only lets you enter a value once, but thats waaaaaaaaay too easy.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

I would probably caution against using Excel as a database.

If I had the luxury of time to start afresh, I would probably aim for SQL back end on a Linux box, with an Access front end. But my options are limited by easily flustered people who balk at the thought of learning new software. I could try to describe where the color palette is on paintdotnet and some of them would hunch their shoulders and sigh, or throw their pen across the room. I'm already wearing enough hats as it is.


Of loose relevance:

MCSA, MCSD, MCSE certifications retire; with continued investment to role-based certifications
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learnin … ;Id=375282
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6707|Oxferd Ohire
I for one would like to fire whoever made our production trackers run through excel files.

Access might be fine if you make sure the UI is good enough. We had one and but the UI was bad for correcting errors.
https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

I write a lot of forms using Excel because I find it more robust for the process than Word (or maybe I just don't know how to fully use Word). I don't really have anything on it that goes beyond two or three sheets. Save as PDF, donezo.
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6707|Oxferd Ohire
It's good for that I use it for that and the smaller data collection I do. Problem is someone decided to use excel as the front end and database for the factory. It's not one file it's 20.
https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Excel has its uses, I've converted many shitty word forms, and many shitty users, over to Excel.

In this case the need is really more a record-keeping form than a dynamic database.
But the database front end does impose controls on who can change entries which is important for audit purposes.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

rant

I got a person who keeps jury rigging Word forms with little sense of linearity, proportionality, and alignment.

They can't retain basic Excel. That a value inserted into a cell will block display of any overrunning information in the cell to its left. That the value entered in a cell will show up in the formula bar even if it's a line of text.

"How do I see it?" "Look in the formula bar." "But I want to see it down here!" "Make the cell wider." "That's too wide!" "Make the cell taller." "That messes things up!" "Merge the cell down into the neighboring cell, wrap text, and realign."
I've made dozens of templates, some of them where most of it is locked, complete with printed guide versions with "enter data here, do not enter data there" highlights and notes, and they'll still find a way to break it or make it look sloppy. I'll be called in for help and get to endure their dramatically embellished frustration, becoming abruptly animated with it just as I walk through the door.

They say they don't have the time to learn. I would venture that it all gets sucked into tinkering with Word things (deciding on the amount of underscores to use or whatever) in an hour that could be hammered out with Excel in about ten minutes.

I could develop my Word 19 knowledge to the point where I could do just as well with a form there as in Excel, but then I would have to teach those features too. As soon as I drop a menu or open a context box, I get the great heaving sighs. Would be fun, I'm sure.

My templates can't be too stiff because their requirements will change from form to form.

I like to consider myself a patient teacher, but it's not easy if a student is combatively opposed to developing their skills.

/rant
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Its frustrating that people are dumb and lazy, but remember, if they weren't dumb and lazy they'd be in a better job and you'd be dealing with a different dumb and lazy person.

I see no reason to use word forms ever, not one single one.
There's nothing that can be done in word which can't be done more easily in excel, and the resulting data can then be used more usefully, for calculations, charts, etc.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

I think it's less them being dumb (very knowledgeable in other areas) or lazy than just being in their 60s stuck in a software rut. In their case, they can do things more easily in Word because that's the program they're familiar with to an extent. It gets the job done, but resultant uniformity and alignment is all over the place and it doesn't end up looking very good to put it nicely.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Thankfully I get to tell people what they're going to do and how they're going to do it.

Doesn't mean I don't have to retrain them on a monthly basis, in fact thats the least of the problems, the bigger one is them assuming they can remember something from a year ago and just start doing it without going back and revisiting the procedure.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+794|6654|United States of America
How many cellphones has everyone owned? I realized I'm on my 4th since ~2006 and am due for an upgrade since I have a Galaxy S5 from 2014. One of my friends was quite adamant that I should get a Note for my next one, but I really don't know anything about phones to ascertain whether that's a good shout or not.
Pochsy
Artifice of Eternity
+702|5513|Toronto
I think I've had 3 phones total since 2007. Currently on a Galaxy A8 and I constantly feel like I'm wasting 80% of its functionality. I feel like the most demanding app I use is Google Maps, so really I just need something good enough to run that. The only nice-to-have requirement for my next phone is that it have wireless charging, but by the time I'm out shopping for one I'm sure that'll be a common-as-dirt feature.
The shape of an eye in front of the ocean, digging for stones and throwing them against its window pane. Take it down dreamer, take it down deep. - Other Families
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
I am on my 5th since 2008. The persistent issue driving my upgrades is internal battery degradation.

Last edited by SuperJail Warden (2020-05-24 11:24:59)

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