CPU and GPU Upgrade Paths Linux Drivers SLI Woes

CPU or GPU?

Currently, my build is an aging Core i7-980X with a GTX 670. I do some gaming, mostly FPS, and would benefit from an upgrade to a newer CPU. More and more, though, I find myself using VM and other non- gaming tasks. My dilemma is, would I benefit more from a better videocard or bite the bullet and get a new mobo and CPU, but maybe limit my VM and multi- use cases?

— Erick Smalley

EDITOR- IN- CHIEF TUAN

NGUYEN RESPONDS: Hi, Erick. The Core i7-980X is still a very capable CPU, even by today’s standards. If you’re concerned about gaming, keeping the CPU and upgrading your GTX 670 would be a better move, as a good number of games are more GPU- bound than they are by the CPU.

If you’re gaming less and are doing more productivity work, a newer CPU and motherboard will serve you well. If you want to make use of your current card, you could always try to find another used GTX 670 and run SLI, especially if you’re trying to avoid having to spend a lot to overhaul your system completely.

Sharing the Love for Linux

I am excited in the direction you’re taking with Linux. I’ve toyed around with several versions, but have never been able to successfully load Nvidia drivers. My last attempt with CentOS was unsuccessful. I would love to see how it is done. — Bob Z.

EDITOR- IN- CHIEF TUAN

NGUYEN RESPONDS: Bob, CentOS comes with its own drivers called Nouveau, which allow you to boot at high resolution and must be removed before installing Nvidia’s Linux drivers.

To do this, you need to first use “yum” to update your system and build tools by using the following three commands: yum update yum install kernel-devel kernel-headers gcc make yum –y upgrade kernel kernel-devel

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can use GRUB2 and add the following blacklist string to GRUB’s options in /etc/ default/grub:

rdblacklist=nouveau. Once that’s done, recreate the grub.cfg file by running: grub2-mkconfig –o /boot/ grub2/grub.cfg.

Reboot, enter runlevel 3 using the “init 3” command, install the Nvidia drivers, and then return to runlevel 5 using “init 5.” CentOS should now be running with Nvidia drivers.

FEW OF US GIVE A RAT’S ASS ABOUT TERMINAL COMMANDS NOWADAYS. WE’VE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.

Spurning the Love for Linux

I am happy to see that we will benefit from some qualified Linux coverage. Now, for the awkward part: It was all too much. Few of us give a rat’s ass about terminal commands nowadays. We’ve been there and done that and have no desire to go back in time. If you can’t explain how to do anything in Linux without invoking the stupid Terminal window and typing arcane commands, then I’m not interested.

— Darth Digital

EDITOR- IN- CHIEF TUAN NGUYEN RESPONDS:

Darth, not everyone has mastered the force of Terminal as well as you, and some prefer to use Linux for its powerful terminal. Yes, Linux has come a long way in becoming an excellent GUI OS, but there are some tasks that are done faster in the Terminal. Take a wedged system, for instance, where the GUI has locked, but the OS is still responsive.

If you knew your Linux commands and had SSHD enabled, you could SSH into the system and kill an offending process or restart the Window server. This is just one scenario. We believe that covering Linux from as many bases as possible will hopefully give a more complete and rounded experience.

Keeping on Track

I enjoyed the recent gaming mouse roundup, but I have always preferred a trackball. How come I never see them reviewed?

— Jack Perry

EDITOR- IN- CHIEF TUAN

NGUYEN RESPONDS: Jack, that’s an interesting article idea, we’ll consider it! However, the majority of users are accustomed to using a mouse, and most companies only produce mice. Choice is distinctly lacking in the trackball category. But, from our experience, Logitech still makes excellent trackball devices. If you’re really in a hurry for a good trackball, we would recommend Logitech’s Wireless Trackball M570.

Game over?

Whenever an operating system upgrade comes along, we’re forced to give up some of our favorite games. Would it be possible to include the effect on our games when reviewing a new operating system?

—Raymond Peterson

EDITOR- IN- CHIEF TUAN

NGUYEN RESPONDS: Hi, Raymond. Indeed this can be an issue, but it would be impossible to run through every popular game every time Microsoft decides to release a new version of Windows. But you do have options. Windows comes with a built- in compatibility feature that allows you to select which version of Windows you would like a program to run in. If you right- click a program shortcut, you can select different OS versions under the Compatibility tab. This has worked well for some games. For others, you might want to look through www.gog.com. It has a huge list detailing the games that have been made compatible with the latest versions of Windows.

Bridge Over Troubled SLI

I got two EVGA GTX 980s for my system. My primary graphics use is Far Cry 4, and I have been dogged with issues. My main complaint is a red tinting, and there can also be severe image flickering. Disabling SLI makes the problem go away, and I’ve tried four separate SLI bridges, but that defeats the purpose of a second 980 because I also have a 30- inch screen. Help!

— Chris Ajemian EDITOR- IN- CHIEF TUAN NGUYEN RESPONDS: Chris, that is indeed a headache, and one that would make us spill our lunch. Interestingly, when we did our threeway Titan X tests, we had tons of similar problems. We actually went through multiple different SLI bridges before we came across one that solved the problem. Have you tried playing around with both ribbon and PCB bridges? You may find that one works while the other doesn’t.