Thursday, December 18, 2025

Battlefield 6 (BF6) - Winter Charms and the Little Things

Rocking around the Battlefield Christmas Tree sporting the winter tree charm and the Freedom sticker. Yeah, it's true. For me, the little things really are what gives life a kick in the right direction.

There are those who complain about the unlocks and free gifts available in Battlefield 6 and I don't really understand where they are coming from. What do these people truly want? What do they expect? Do they want a free t-shirt or maybe a brand new car? How about a cookie and some milk? I suppose maybe I don't know what motivates people, but I think these things are a fun addition to the game.

In any case, keep the charms and stickers coming! I dig 'em.

Take care and have fun out there! --Pilchuck

#BF6 #Battlefield6 #Battlefield

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Battlefield 6 (BF6) - The Winter Offensive Final Unlock

Say hello to my little friend the Nomad CX-12 climbing axe!

Today's rounds of Battlefield 6 were extremely enjoyable. I did not run into any crashes, disconnects, or visual glitches. Everything ran smoothly and the all of the players seemed to be acting in PTFO mode. It was truly enjoyable. 

And, finally, I was able to unlock the much desired climbing axe that was the final unlock of the Winter Offensive event. It took a lot of grinding to get there, especially considering the problems that were encountered after the event content and it's related patches were released. Things appear to have settled down now and today was a great day for playing. 

Thanks go out to the Battlefield developers for whatever fixes they have applied to both the client and server software. Since there didn't appear to be a download for today, I can only assume that maybe some backend server work has been completed. It is also possible that things just lined up nicely and there were no updates over the past 24 hours. I don't know and probably do not need to know. The good news is that I had a great time playing today. 

Take care and have fun out there!
--Pilchuck

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Battlefield 6 (BF6) - Hotfix 1.1.3.1 Bugs Still Crawling

There are definitely some wicked bugs crawling around in the Battlefield 6 code base. Prior to Hotfix 1.1.3.1, I did not experience the frame stuttering that many other players had reported. After that hotfix was applied, I now get some stuttering for a brief time just after a respawn. 

A handful of other new problems have struck my experience since the Battlefield team applied this hotfix on top of the 1.1.3.0 patch/update. For instance, the Recon class has hands that are invisible. You can see them partially if you wear the right gloves. There is also a glitch during the respawn screen when playing Gauntlet where the Squad "Place" list shows multiple entries for the same squads. It appears to be an overlay issue where the list is displayed on top of another attempt to display the list. See the photos for an examples. 

I should note here that I had the Battlefield built-in FPS overlay active. You can see this in the image to the right. Another player on X mentioned that his experience improved after turning off performance overlays like those from Battlefield, Steam, and Afterburner. I have yet to give that a try and will report back at a later time.

The real showstopper, however, is that 2 out of 3 of the matches of Gauntlet that I tried to play today ended up crashing. The system kicked me all the way back to the Steam application. First, the Battlefield interface lagged. Then it then froze. And finally, it terminated my instance with extreme prejudice. This experience renders the game unplayable.

Update: Not sure if it is just a coincidence, but I turned off Battlefield's built-in performance overlay and no longer experienced crashes nor any dropped connections. Was able to play 4 or 5 Gauntlet matches followed by at least a few regular multiplayer games.

This recent set of impactful problems really disappoints me as a long time Battlefield player. I don't know what is going on within the organization but something needs to change. The team, and I DO include management in this, needs to look toward the concept of "Continuous Improvement" and not just shipping something that they think will work. I do not want to condemn anyone because I know that developing complex software is difficult. But, something needs to change. 

I will commend the team on their transparency and openness regarding the problems that players are earnestly reporting. It must be difficult for the team to face this situation. Nobody wants things to be in this current state. We all just want to enjoy the fruits, so to speak. 

Here's to a better future for the franchise. I truly hope the current problems can be remedied soon. I really like Battlefield 6 otherwise. When everything works, it is a great game. I thoroughly enjoyed playing multiplayer for hours and hours before these latest patches/updates introduced the current instability. 

As always, take care and have fun out there.
--Pilchuck


Friday, December 12, 2025

Battlefield 6 (BF6) - Hotfix 1.1.3.1 is Live on Steam Today

The latest patch (Update 1.1.3.1) for Battlefield 6 is now live on Steam. This one targets the following concerns:

Click this link for the official statement

  • Micro Stuttering
  • Firing Range
  • Main Menu Display

While these fixes address the issues seen by those on PC, the developers state that they are working towards December 15th for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the EA app hotfix. Stay tuned!

I am currently downloading the roughly 217MB hotfix and sipping coffee. While this patch is claimed to address the issues listed above, I was playing late last night and the menu system was working normally for me. There was probably a server side patch that enabled the menus to work again prior to today's patch. Glad to see a client side update to address some of the other issues. There was still a problem with oversized hitboxes in the firing range last night. Hoping that today's hotfix takes care of that one as well. 

Well folks... It looks like my download is complete and I am ready to jump in and see how things play today. Comment below if you've had issues with the game and note whether this latest hotfix has impacted your experience. 

Take care and have fun out there!"
-Pilchuck



Thursday, December 11, 2025

Battlefield 6 (BF6) - REDESEC Elite Series Postponed

Mistakes were made... 

The REDSEC Elite Series has been postponed. 

The Elite Tournament was supposed to be the Battlefield team's big show to let everyone know that Battlefield is a serious player in the world of esports. 

Likely resulting from the software problems that were encountered with the "Winter Offensive" content and the patches that had been released just one day prior to the tournament, the Battlefield REDSEC Elite Series has been postponed. 

The development team states that the disruption was "due to an unforeseen technical issue that impacted the integrity of the competition" and they will provide updates after the start of the new year. It is unknown, by me at this time, whether the technical issue to which they refer was part of the December 8 "Winter Offensive" update or if there was something more.

The developers have released an official statement (see link below) with a sincere apology to the contestants and everyone who was interested in the game series. Their statement says they will provide updates to the situation "in the new year." ...so, it sounds like the problem might not be immediately fixable. If they don't already have it figured out, it's probably best not to rush things at this point. It's time to step back, regroup, replan, and redeploy.

I commend the developers on their transparency and wish the development team the best. Let's hope that the problems are easily remedied and we can all get back to having a good time very soon.

Link to the Battlefield developer's official statement: 
https://x.com/Battlefield/status/1998882936569905156

Take care and have fun out there!
--Pilchuck


Battlefield 6 (BF6) - The Offense of the Winter Offensive

Example of Good Comms from Devs
Battlefield 6 was running solid and providing awesome gaming fun after an initial patch to the new weapon mechanics was released shortly after launch to address a few problems with precision and recoil. The team even dropped welcomed new content with the "California Resistance" package and provided entertaining new challenges with cool rewards as part of the Red Bull Challenge event. This was all delivered with great success as part of the promised content drops for this season. Everything was great and people were raving online about this new version of Battlefield. Some folks were even saying, "Battlefield is Back!"

Then, on December 8th, they dropped the latest patches and some new content that had been promised. This new package was called "Winter Offensive." 

Oh, my... everything felt like it had fallen apart and many people declared that DICE/EA had destroyed the game with so many new bugs and glitches. Some players found the new problems to have rendered the game unplayable. The menu system, for example, was so scrogged that you would most often need to exit and restart the entire game if you wished to get a new match going. Many fans also reported frame stuttering and other broken mechanics. Myself, I ran into "invisible hands" and a thermal scope that showed nothing but a big black circle. 

Example of "Invisible Hands" Glitch

People are rightly angry. But, I'm not so bothered by the surprises. I just find it hard to believe that the team decided to release this build. There seems to be no explanation for why they didn't know the menu was so badly broken. It wasn't an isolated or rare occurrence. It was not limited to a fringe set of players with "barely in spec" equipment. I can understand (maybe) that they missed some of the other bugs... maybe... but the menu issues are quite prominent and can't be missed. 

It was a large download. Seems like probably every dev changed some code. I can't help but wonder if some coders had "great ideas" to improve their code and just checked it in without good reason. It would be interesting to know if the development team performs requirements tracking along with integration, regression, and robustness testing. Are the reports being reviewed? Are people feeling the heat in the office after this release? I wouldn't like to see anyone get into serious trouble, however. After all, everyone makes mistakes. Yet, clear communication of expectations and a process review seem due. The process is supposed to help catch the mistakes that will inevitably occur.

Did I mention that people are angry? Hah! The Battlefield internet is blowing up. Reddit folks are losing their minds.

It is understandably difficult to believe that AAA game devs would allow something like this to happen in 2025. In any case, I wish them the best and hope that the problems are easily remedied and we can all get back to having some fun on the Battlefield.

Take care and have fun out there!
--Pilchuck

Battlefield 6 (BF6) - Bloom and Recoil

BATTLEFIELD 6 - Weapon Bloom and Recoil Issue 

After a long time without playing any FPS games, I was having difficulty with weapons and aiming in the new Battlefield 6. Naturally, I assumed that I was very rusty and really needed to "get in there" and get accustomed to the controls, game mechanics, and the mindset that it takes to get good. 

Long story short, after a very successful beta, it turns out that the Battlefield team slipstreamed in an entirely new weapon system just prior to the official product launch. After the Battlefield internets exploded with complaints and video clips to back up the assertions, the BF6 team acknowledged that there was a bug within both the projectile dispersion mechanics and the recoil handling system. Naturally, this raises some questions regarding how well these new systems are tested before being included within the officially released builds. 

The good news is that they fixed the problem quickly and I'm actually glad that it happened. The aiming issues caused me me to pay more attention to weapon handling and the impact of attachments. I spent more time than ever testing attachments and practicing aim within the in-game firing range. 

But, still... it seems very odd to change a foundational system AFTER the beta and just before the official release. More testing would have been the best move. They could have delivered the updated mechanics at a later time. I realize this isn't safety critical software, but a gaming company's reputation should be considered critical to that company's bottom line. 

Anyway, try out the new Battlefield 6. You can download the free-to-play Battlefield REDSEC today and get started for no cost. You might just like it. Take care and have fun out there. 

--Pilchuck


Sunday, September 23, 2018

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Creates Enormous Multiplayer Advantage

GeForce RTX 20 Series logo with sloganThe NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti will create an enormous multiplayer gaming advantage. With the advent of Real-Time Ray Tracing, the astute gamer will notice that they will be able to "see around corners" and even know what is going on behind them if they pay attention to reflections and shadows.

The amount of detail given in reflections from glass, metallic surfaces, and puddles (yes, puddles) will not only provide a level of immersion never before seen, but those extra details will grant the most strategic players an ability to maintain "situational awareness" to a degree previously unobtainable. This will give the RTX user a true advantage over those who have not yet adopted this amazing technology.

Will some cry foul and say this isn't fair? Possibly. It has happened before. But, over time, the new technologies will become ubiquitous and everyone will eventually be on the same level.

...of course, it is inevitable that there will be users who early-adopt the next big advancement and the cycle will continue (as it should)...

Take a look at the video below for some examples of how Real-Time Ray Tracing will affect multiplayer gaming strategy. The new Battlefield V game is soon to be released and it takes advantage of the stunning capabilities of the GeForce RTX 2080 family of graphics cards from NVIDIA.




Another advantageous angle on what this new technology brings to the world of gaming is the freeing up of an incredible amount of development time (and budget) that game developers can, instead, devote to story and artistic realization. Once this technology becomes truly ubiquitous, developers will no longer need to spend hundreds of hours trying to get the lighting to look "just right" for most situations. With real-time ray tracing, developers will be able to set some "true" light sources and then let the RTX engine do the rest of the work in real-time. Amazing!

The NVIDIA GeForce 2080 Ti will not only boost gaming to new levels, it will create huge opportunities for graphic artists and movie makers. I cannot wait to see what Blender 3D and other modeling tools will be able to do with a real-time ray tracing engine such as this. I am very excited about this new generation of graphics cards.

This is an important point in the evolution of computer graphics. I am excited to see the incredible things people will be able to do with even a modest home computer. Warm up your rending skills because the future is about to get even more creative!

After nearly 10 years in development, the NVIDIA RTX technology will make possible things that we cannot even imagine today. The future is not tomorrow. The future is now!

My hat is off to NVIDIA and to their new Real-Time Ray Tracing technology. I really hope that I get the chance to use this new graphics card in the near future.

Search for GeForce RTX 2080 family of graphics cards on Amazon and NewEgg.

Get Skookum. Be Skookum. Stay Skookum!

Keep Coming Back!
Pilchuck
Skookum Valley Gaming

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Sunday, September 9, 2018

What's Happening in Skookum Valley

Hello, Denizens of Skookum Valley! Welcome back and please accept our apologies for what appears to be over a year without a post. It seems hard to believe that January 2017 was the last time we blogged about games or computers. This is almost inconceivable because there have been many exciting events during that long window of time.

Among the exciting events of the past year, Skookum Valley has acquired the parts for and has completed building it's own AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X gaming and media development machine with 32 GB of 3600 MHz speed Quad Channel RAM.


This amazing computing platform provides 16 Cores (with 32 Threads) of CPU data-crunching power. Gaming is much more responsive and, perhaps more importantly, media production performance is off the charts compared with the previous machine. Video, photo, and audio editing is smooth and fast. Gaming, when combined with the GTX-1080, is truly immersive and virtually glitch free. What's probably even more amazing is that all of these things can be done pretty much at the same time!

There will be more news about this machine along with photos and videos posted in the future. We realize that this news is rather late to the game. The machine was built in December of 2017 and video was captured during the process. Benchmarking was also performed and captured for future publication.

The reason for the long break in gaming, production, and blogging has many drivers. It will only be stated that many things had risen in priority above gaming for quite a lot of 2017 through 2018. The last game played in Skookum Valley this year was Rise of the Tomb Raider (which was awesome, btw). The gameplay was captured in it's entirety last winter and plans are still underway to get some of this footage and related screen shots out into the blog; as well as on twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

One contributing factor to the long gaming (and creative) hiatus should be noted here. It is old news but it did affect the morale of those in Skookum Valley. Because the Skookum Valley Gaming YouTube channel was considered a very small channel which did not meet the new requirements for YouTube monetization, the channel was de-monitized. Making money from the channel was never a main goal nor was it even considered when the channel was first created. However, it was a "nice" incentive to continue to create and deliver higher and higher quality gaming news, helpful tips, and entertaining videos.

Monetized or not, Pilchuck loves playing games and creating helpful (and hopefully entertaining) videos. Please expect more to come in the near future.  ...hint, hint, we are about to launch the Battlefield V Open Beta here in the Valley. Gameplay videos, screenshots, and first impressions are in the works.

Stay tuned! Skookum Valley Gaming is back on the air!

Get Skookum. Be Skookum. Stay Skookum!

Keep Coming Back!
Pilchuck
Skookum Valley Gaming

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Sunday, January 22, 2017

DOOM 4K - Taste of Doom - Ultra High Definition

DOOM - Taste of Doom - Fan Teaser Trailer - 4K UHD

- Video Link Below -
DOOM coming at you in Ultra High Definition. If your internet bandwidth can handle the throughput then check out this short video. You will definitely want to see DOOM in 4K UHD! Sit back and let the action begin!

How Was this 4K Video Captured?

The GTX-1080 allows gamers to both play games AND capture the gameplay footage in full 4K UHD at 60 frames per second (2160p60)! This graphics card is an absolute beast. I kid you not!

The gameplay in this video was captured in the early stages of the first level of the Campaign. There is still a long way to go and I can hardly wait to jump into an online multiplayer match. Stay tuned for more of DOOM in 4K!




Having Problems with the DS4 Controller on PC?

You may have seen some of the footage in the video above included as bonus gameplay at the end of one of my latest "how to" videos. That video demonstrated how to enable an option in DS4Windows which allows DOOM to recognize the PS4 controller.

If you are experiencing issues getting DOOM to see your PS4 Controller then click the link below and check out the video.




Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share these videos and blogs. If you like the videos, be sure to smash those like buttons and subscribe to the channel! 

Get Skookum. Be Skookum. Stay Skookum!

Keep Coming Back!
Pilchuck
Skookum Valley Gaming

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Saturday, January 21, 2017

DOOM - How to Force PC DOOM to Recognize the PS4 Controller Under DS4Windows

How to Force PC DOOM to Recognize the PS4 Controller Under DS4Windows


- Video Link Below -
If you have already installed DS4Windows and have been using your controller successfully with most games but have found that DOOM and other games such as Dark Souls do not seem to recognize the controller then the information below may solve your problem. 

If you do not have DS4Windows installed, there are links below which will assist you with getting DS4Windows downloaded and installed.

Do You Have DS4Windows Installed?


  • If you have already installed DS4Windows but are having problems getting PC games to recognize the controller then proceed to section titled "How to Get DOOM to Recognize the PS4 Controller."
  • If you have not installed DS4Windows then proceed to the second section labeled "How to Download and Install DS4Windows" for a link to a video on that topic.


How to Get DOOM to Recognize the PS4 Controller

By default, the DS4Windows service will advertise the presence of both an Xbox One Controller as well as the DS4 Controller whenever it is hosting a DS4.

You may have discovered that your DS4 Controller is not working with DOOM on your PC even though DS4Windows is running and works quite well with other games. You may have even noticed that the Controller option is "grayed out" in the DOOM Settings screen. Fear not! This is easy to correct.

Some games, such as DOOM and Dark Souls will fail to recognize that there is a controller present when DS4Windows publishes the fact that the DS4 Controller is online. This needs to be disabled in order for games like DOOM to be able to see the DS4.

DS4Windows Settings Tab

Go into the DS4Windows settings tab and look for the option labeled "Hide DS4 Controller" and check the box. This will tell DS4Windows to stop broadcasting the presence of the DS4. DOOM and several other games will now be able to recognize the DS4.

Click the video link to see this process and watch some bonus 4K UHD DOOM gameplay action!


How to Download and Install DS4Windows

If you have not already installed DS4Windows and would like to use your PS4's DS4 Controller, please click one of the links below for information about downloading and installing DS4Windows.

BLOG: How to Connect a PS4 Dualshock Controller to a PC
VIDEO: How to connect a PS4 Controller to your PC!


Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share these videos and blogs. If you like the videos, be sure to smash those like buttons and subscribe to the channel! 

Get Skookum. Be Skookum. Stay Skookum!

Keep Coming Back!
Pilchuck
Skookum Valley Gaming

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Monday, January 2, 2017

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8G Unboxing & First Look Review

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8G Unboxing & First Look

- GTX 1080 Unboxing Video -
Skookum Valley has recently acquired a brand new MSI GeForce GTX-1080 GAMING X 8GB Graphics Card. There's a new GPU in town!

Below is a link to an Unboxing and First Look video meant to give the viewer a quick overview of this powerful graphics card's appearance, take a look at what's inside the box, and see how this device looks when installed in the machine.

FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS

Boost Clock / Base Clock
1847 MHz / 1708 MHz (OC Mode)
1822 MHz / 1683 MHz (Gaming Mode)
1733 MHz / 1607 MHz (Silent Mode)

VIDEO MEMORY: 8192 MB GDDR5X
MEMORY SPEED: 10108 MHz Memory (OC Mode)

DisplayPorts: 3 - HDMI: 1 - Dual-link DVI-D: 1

Other Features
Virtual Reality Ready (VR Ready)
DirectX 12 Ready
Gamestream to NVIDIA SHIELD

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8G Unboxing & First Look Review



Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share the video and this blog. If you liked the video, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

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Monday, December 26, 2016

Battlefield 1 - GTX 660 + FX 8350 @ 1080p Ultra Settings Benchmark

Battlefield 1 - Live Gameplay Benchmark using GTX-660 + FX-8350

Can the GTX-660 and the FX-8350 provide enough power to drive Battlefield 1 at Full HD (1920x1080) resolution with Ultra settings? The answer is a resounding yes!

- Video Link Below -
This video captures Battlefield 1 Live Gameplay with MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner Statistics Server providing a nice, clean benchmark session running at 1080p against the GTX660 3GB GPU from 2012. This four year old graphics card is being hosted by an 8 core FX8350 of nearly the same vintage running at 4GHz with 16GB of RAM.

Quick Results:
~60 fps during prerendered cut-scenes
~30-40 fps during most gameplay
~20-30 fps during intense onscreen action gameplay

This card is also more than capable of handling Full HD (1920x1080) gaming at high settings for nearly every game out there. This is the resolution at which I do most PC gaming at this time. In this video, Battlefield 1 is running at 1080p with ULTRA settings. Yes! Ultra settings!

Also, if you are desiring to work on a 4K desktop then the GTX-660 is still very relevant! It will definitely do the job. I have been using this graphics card to support my desktop applications for quite some time.

NOTE: NVIDIA Shadowplay was used to capture the test and this tool had an inevitable impact on the test results. FPS counts were roughly 10% higher without Shadowplay running but the difference was not significant enough to alter the expected gameplay experience. ...well, maybe...more on that at another time.

Battlefield 1 - Live Gameplay Benchmark


The video linked on this page was created primarily to support research into GPUs and to capture a baseline by which to compare anticipated computer upgrades.

The live statistics seen in the upper left of the screen during the benchmark tests were made possible using MSI Afterburner and the RivaTuner Statistics Server. NOTE: RivaTuner installs with MSI Afterburner.

Skookum Valley Gaming will be receiving a brand new MSI GTX-1080 Gaming X GPU very soon and we are eager to see exactly how much performance was gained by this acquisition.

There is also some curiosity arising as to whether or not the FX-8350 will bottleneck the MSI GTX-1080. The procedures used to generate the GTX-660 baseline will be used to determine if bottlenecks are present in the newly upgraded system.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share the video and this blog. If you liked the video, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

Other FHD 1920x1080p GTX-660 Benchmark Videos

Rise of the Tomb Raider Benchmark
UNiGiNE Valley Benchmark
UNiGiNE Heaven Benchmark

All the Skookum Links!

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

GTX 660 + FX 8350 @ FHD 1080p Benchmarks

GTX-660 and FHD 1080p Gaming

How do the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 3GB Superclocked GPU and the AMD 8 Core 4GHz FX-8350 CPU handle PC gaming at Full HD (1920x1080) resolution? The answer is, "Very Well!"

- Video Links Below -
The videos linked below capture a series of benchmark sessions running at FHD (1080p) resolution with high detail settings using the GTX660 3GB GPU from 2012. This four year old graphics card is being hosted by an 8 core FX8350 of nearly the same vintage running at 4GHz with 16GB of RAM. Can the 660 and the 8350 do the job?

This card is more than capable of handling Full HD (1920x1080) gaming at high settings for nearly every game out there. This is the resolution at which I do most PC gaming at this time.

However, if gaming at 4K is what you are after then, unless you are satisfied with a frame rates averaging around 12-15 FPS, this will not be the greatest 4K solution for you. This older GPU can get the job done but the experience may be found lacking.

NOTE: NVIDIA Shadowplay was used to capture the tests and this tool had an inevitable impact on the test results. FPS counts were roughly 10% higher without Shadowplay running but the difference was not significant enough to alter the expected gameplay experience.

Below are links to the benchmark videos and the resulting statistics. Click on the video images to watch the live benchmark stats.

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

Mountain Peak: 35.71 (min/max 19.92/83.2)
Syria: 27.83 (min/max 13.26/45.04)
Geothermal Valley: 23.39 (min/max 19.39/33.53)
Overall Score: 30.81 FPS


UNiGiNE VALLEY 1.0 TEST RESULTS


MIN/MAX FPS: 20.9/102.6 (22.2/108.2 w/o Shadowplay)
SCORE: 2164 (2320 w/o Shadowplay
FPS AVG: 51.7 (55.4 w/o Shadowplay)

UNiGiNE HEAVEN 4.0 TEST RESULTS


MIN/MAX FPS: 21.7/99 (20.2/97.6 w/o Shadowplay)
SCORE: 1149 (1210 w/o Shadowplay
FPS AVG: 45.6 (48 w/o Shadowplay)


The videos linked on this page were created primarily to support research into GPUs and to capture a baseline by which to compare anticipated computer upgrades.

The live statistics seen in the upper left of the screen during the benchmark tests were made possible using MSI Afterburner and the RivaTuner Statistics Server. NOTE: RivaTuner installs with MSI Afterburner.

Skookum Valley Gaming will be receiving a brand new MSI GTX-1080 very soon and we are eager to see exactly how much performance was gained by this acquisition.

There is also some curiosity arising as to whether or not the FX-8350 will bottleneck the MSI GTX-1080. The procedures used to generate the GTX-660 baseline will be used to determine if bottlenecks are present in the newly upgraded system.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share this video and if you liked it, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

GTX 660 + FX 8350 @ WQHD 1440p Benchmarks

GTX-660 and WQHD 1440p Gaming

How do the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 3GB Superclocked GPU and the AMD 8 Core 4GHz FX-8350 CPU handle PC gaming at WQHD (2560x1440) resolution? The answer is, "Quite Amicably!"

- Video Links Below -
The videos linked below capture a series of benchmark sessions running at WQHD (2560x1440) resolution with high detail settings using the GTX660 3GB GPU from 2012. This four year old graphics card is being hosted by an 8 core FX8350 of nearly the same vintage running at 4GHz with 16GB of RAM. Can the 660 and the 8350 do the job?

This card is certainly capable of handling WQHD (2560x1440) gaming at high settings for nearly every game out there.

However, if gaming at 4K is what you are after then, unless you are satisfied with a frame rates averaging around 12-15 FPS, this wil not be the greatest 4K solution for you. This older GPU can get the job done but the experience may be found lacking.

NOTE: NVIDIA Shadowplay was used to capture the tests and this tool had an inevitable impact on the test results. FPS counts were roughly 10% higher without Shadowplay running but the difference was not significant enough to alter the expected gameplay experience.

It should also be mentioned that although the test was running at WQHD (2560x1440) and displayed on a WQHD (2560x1440) display, NVIDIA Shadowplay recorded a downscaled version at 1080p. It is hoped that the coming GTX-1080 will be able to record at WQHD (2560x1440). However, there is no reason at the moment to expect that it will be able to both display and record at WQHD (2560x1440).

Below are links to the benchmark videos and the resulting statistics. Click on the video images to watch the live benchmark stats.

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS


Mountain Peak: 25.99 (min/max 15.24/49.89)
Syria: 19.49 (min/max 9.91/47.29)
Geothermal Valley: 20.54 (min/max 15.99/25.18)
Overall Score: 22.15 FPS


UNiGiNE VALLEY 1.0 TEST RESULTS

MIN/MAX FPS: 16/60.7 (16.9/68.4 w/o Shadowplay)
SCORE: 1359 (1487 w/o Shadowplay
FPS AVG: 32.5 (35.5 w/o Shadowplay)


UNiGiNE HEAVEN 4.0 TEST RESULTS


MIN/MAX FPS: 14.2/54.9 (15.1/61.3 w/o Shadowplay)
SCORE: 635 (687 w/o Shadowplay
FPS AVG: 25.2 (27.3 w/o Shadowplay)


The videos linked on this page were created primarily to support research into GPUs and to capture a baseline by which to compare anticipated computer upgrades.

The live statistics seen in the upper left of the screen during the benchmark tests were made possible using MSI Afterburner and the RivaTuner Statistics Server. NOTE: RivaTuner installs with MSI Afterburner.

Skookum Valley Gaming will be receiving a brand new MSI GTX-1080 very soon and we are eager to see exactly how much performance was gained by this acquisition.

There is also some curiosity arising as to whether or not the FX-8350 will bottleneck the MSI GTX-1080. The procedures used to generate the GTX-660 baseline will be used to determine if bottlenecks are present in the newly upgraded system.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share this video and if you liked it, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Sunday, December 4, 2016

GTX 660 + FX 8350 @ 4K Benchmarks


GTX-660 and 4K Gaming

Can the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 3GB Superclocked GPU and the AMD 8 Core 4GHz FX-8350 CPU provide enough power to drive PC gaming at 4K (3840x2160) resolution? The answer is yes! However, the question might be whether or not you would really want to do such a thing.

The videos linked below capture a series of benchmark sessions running at 4K with high detail settings using the GTX660 3GB GPU from 2012. This four year old graphics card is being hosted by an 8 core FX8350 of nearly the same vintage running at 4GHz with 16GB of RAM. Can the 660 and the 8350 do the job?

If you are desiring to work on a 4K desktop then the GTX-660 is still very relevant. It will definitely do the job. I have been using this graphics card to support my desktop applications for quite some time.

This card is also more than capable of handling Full HD (1920x1080) gaming at high settings for nearly every game out there. This is the resolution at which I do most PC gaming at this time.

However, if gaming at 4K with a frame rate averaging around 12-15 FPS is going to prevent the gamer from truly enjoying smooth gameplay then, perhaps, this isn't the greatest 4K solution. This older GPU can get the job done but the experience may be found lacking.

NOTE: NVIDIA Shadowplay was used to capture the tests and this tool had an inevitable impact on the test results. FPS counts were roughly 10% higher without Shadowplay running but the difference was not significant enough to alter the expected gameplay experience.

It should also be mentioned that although the test was running at 4K and displayed on a 4K display, NVIDIA Shadowplay recorded a downscaled version at 1080p. It is hoped that the coming GTX-1080 will be able to record at 4K. However, there is no reason at the moment to expect that it will be able to both display and record at 4K.

Below are links to the benchmark videos and the resulting statistics. Click on the video images to watch the live benchmark stats.

RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

Mountain Peak: 13.41 (min/max 8.64/27.18)
Syria: 10.24 (min/max 5.26/22.40)
Geothermal Valley: 11.16 (min/max 9.16/13.23)
Overall Score: 11.56 FPS


UNiGiNE VALLEY 1.0 TEST RESULTS

MIN/MAX FPS: 8.9/24.0 (10.0/28.1 w/o Shadowplay)
SCORE: 580 (647 w/o Shadowplay
FPS AVG: 13.9 (15.5 w/o Shadowplay)


UNiGiNE HEAVEN 4.0 TEST RESULTS

MIN/MAX FPS: 6.6/21.4 (7.2/26.0 w/o Shadowplay)
SCORE: 243 (275 w/o Shadowplay
FPS AVG: 9.6 (10.9 w/o Shadowplay)


The videos linked on this page were created primarily to support research into GPUs and to capture a baseline by which to compare anticipated computer upgrades.

The live statistics seen in the upper left of the screen during the benchmark tests were made possible using MSI Afterburner and the RivaTuner Statistics Server. NOTE: RivaTuner installs with MSI Afterburner.

Skookum Valley Gaming will be receiving a brand new MSI GTX-1080 very soon and we are eager to see exactly how much performance was gained by this acquisition.

There is also some curiosity arising as to whether or not the FX-8350 will bottleneck the MSI GTX-1080. The procedures used to generate the GTX-660 baseline will be used to determine if bottlenecks are present in the newly upgraded system.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share this video and if you liked it, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Monday, November 7, 2016

Battlefield 1 - Airship Down - Fall of a Behemoth

Watch as a mighty World War One era zeppelin is dealt it's final blow from the courageous hands of a land based anti-aircraft machine gunner.

- Video Link -
The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And, oh! How the mighty have fallen! Watch as this majestic airship, once used as an instrument of war, falls gracefully from the sky onto the battlefield below.

These airships once gave an enormous tactical advantage to both attackers and defenders. Their main weakness lies in their inability to move quickly enough to evade anti-aircraft fire. They also provided a rather large target area and were known for their incredible flammability.


Tragically, many civilians were lost during times of peace as these early aircraft, often referred to as zeppelins, went up in flames and took many innocent lives with them. We at Skookum Valley Gaming have the deepest respect and sympathy for those whose lives have been affected by such tragic loss. This footage is from a video game based in World War I (WWI).

► World War I - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I
► Zeppelins - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin
► Airships - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airship
► Battlefield 1 - https://www.Battlefield.com

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share this video and if you liked it, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe to the channel, and comment in the comment box!

Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com

Artwork by Berdu - http://twitter.com/Berduu


Saturday, November 5, 2016

Battlefield 1 - Free Battlepacks from Monster Energy!

Look for specially marked packages of Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, and Monster Absolutely Zero to find redeemable codes for your free Battlefield 1 Battlepacks.

UPDATE: Codes for cases are found inside the box. Codes for cans that are sold individually will be found under the lids of 32oz varieties only.

- Free Battlepacks from Monster Energy -
Once you have your codes, you need to go to the Monster Energy Battlefield 1 website at http://battlefield.monsterenergy.com/ to redeem them. The codes are good for any platform that supports Battlefield 1 (PC, PS4, and Xbox One).

All you have to do is choose your platform, provide your email address, and enter the product code from the Monster Energy packaging. The promotional codes for your chosen platform will be provided to you instantly via a pop-up window. There is no need to worry if you accidentally close that pop-up window, however, because the platform codes will also be sent to your email account shortly after you have entered the product codes into the website.

If  you enjoy Monster Energy drinks and you like to play Battlefield then you are going to LOVE this deal. So, go grab a case of Monster Energy today and start opening up those free Battlepacks. Below is a short video demonstrating just how easy it is to redeem those codes!



StockholmWhile you are on the Battlefield Monster Energy website, you may also consider entering the sweepstakes to win the Ultimate Battlefield Experience. Grand Prize is a trip for two to Stockholm, Sweden and a chance to visit the Battlefield Development Studio. There will be a total of five of Grand Prizes given away. In addition to this, one hundred lucky First Prize winners will receive their very own Xbox One S and a copy of Battlefield 1! No purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes. However, you must purchase Monster Energy drinks in order to receive your Battlepack redemption codes.

Battlefield Monster Energy Giveaway Website
http://Battlefield.MonsterEnergy.com

Have fun and Stay Skookum!

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share this video and if you liked it, be sure to smash that like button, subscribe, and comment in the comment box!


Stay Skookum!
Pilchuck
of Skookum Valley Gaming

► YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/SkookumValleyGamingTube
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkookumGames
► Google+: +SkookumValleyGaming
► Blogger: http://www.SkookumValleyGaming.com