The Hardware Asylum Podcast

Our digital world has been changing at an alarming rate and we can see this from the advancements in movies where entire scenes are computer generated along with hologram pop stars with Instagram accounts and tv shows using real time motion capture. However, CGI is rather harmless when you start considering the power of “good” AI which can create deepfakes so good they fool professionals and chat...

In this double length episode we do a travel log for our most recent CES adventure which is special since it is the first time back to the show in two years. The topics include a basic CES schedule breakdown including some highlights with Gigabyte and a zero-emissions cargo ship.

Normal computer product cycles tend to slow down during the Holiday Season to give consumers a chance to buy the components and gadgets they want while giving retail channels time to stock up for the holiday shopping rush. In this episode the duo talk about the items on a few popular lists and throw in their picks for this shopping season.

In this episode we get an update on the various box configurations and designs that Dennis has experimented with in his question to build an extended range sound system for Retro and Modern PCs. The duo talk through the various designs and determine if they were successful or needed some extra work.

In this episode the duo talks about the current issues with the RTX 4000 series launch from melting power plugs to the “just kidding” removal of the 12GB edition of the RTX 4080. On the surface neither of these things are a huge deal however, for gamers and hardware enthusiasts when we see troubles at launch that usually indicates rocky times are coming, and exactly what needs to be avoided.

In this episode Dennis talks about an impromptu trip for some Retro PC Hardware that ended up being a nighttime cannonball run for an extremely successful grab of old PC games, some Commodore 64 parts and a number of desirable motherboards and video cards. The interesting thing Is that while trips like this are somewhat rare, they can oftentimes turn into a fun little adventure.

In this episode we talk about the NVIDIA RTX 40 Series graphics cards and dive into the specs to see if this will be the generation to buy and how to know if you should skip this generation. Unlike in previous generations there should be no shortage of RTX 40 Series cards making the decision to buy rather straight forward.

When building a PC you have many choices to make, do you go small and keep things functional or do you go big and start flexing for your friends and family. In this episode we talk about big computer cases and why you would want to build in one like the Cooler Master HAF 700.

In this episode we take a first look at the long awaited Z690 Dark Kingpin Edition from EVGA. This is a motherboard targeted at overclocking but does not skimp on the essentials needed to be a proper gaming or working station build. We later transition to some progress we made on the Retro PC Subwoofer project to bring boom to your beige box.

We talk about building your own PC and what parts you need to buy and how much you should spend but, then often take the stance that you should stop your building with the tower and then flood your build with purchased accessories. While this makes good sense from economical standpoint you are missing out on the point of building a PC. In this episode we touch of the subject of sound quality and w...

We all know that the current PC world is a price driven market and we have often spent hours comparing specs, reading reviews, checking forum posts and watching shitty YouTube videos all to determine “what is the best bang for the buck”. Hardware makers have caught on to this and have gone to great lengths to create products that conform to a level of Minimum Viable Product then promote these cut...

Many hardware enthusiasts question their system builds wondering if they have the best cooling or if they can get a little more performance from their processor of graphics card. These questions often lead to armchair wars about the best hardware and if the overall cost is worth the effort. In this episode we explore the world of high-end computers from popular boutique builders and then trash on...

Before the wide spread use of the Internet there were limited ways for computers to communicate and in this episode we will be taking a look at the parallels between the modern web comprised of Social Media, Various websites and Service providers and how all of that interaction finds its roots into a little known software package called a BBS.

We knew this day would come, the day when we could finally start buying video cards at or below suggested retail prices. In this episode we talk about the reasons behind this and take a look at some of the video cards that are currently available from basic RTX 3070 Ti’s to The Water Devil, EVGA Kingpin editions and the ROG x Evangelion Unit 01 RTX 3080 and Motherboard.

In this episode we talk about a rather niche part to the enthusiast keyboard market, the ergonomic keyboard. Strangely enough, there is a well-established standard for conventional keyboards but, when it comes to ergonomic designs it might as well be the wild west. So far, there is no perfect design but plenty of independent companies have tried.

In this episode the duo discusses some new keyboard form factors that may very well change the very fabric of reality when it comes to the human interface to your PC. For years we have suffered through using full sized keyboards with more keys than we know what to do with. But that is all about to change with the new and popular 80% and 65% mechanical gaming keyboards.

In this episode the Duo talk about the recent RTX 3090 Ti launch and discuss if the card is really worth your money. The elevated cost combined with a marginal performance increase and lack of aftermarket components makes it rather unattractive solution, even to us. This is followed up with a discussion about the Hardware Asylum YouTube channel and the Retro PC projects it has been featuring.

In this special episode Dennis is doing a live podcast recording at Hackfort 2022 and having a candid discussion with Rob Wakeley. Rob had just completed a presentation on the use of computers in early business from using an Apple II for spreadsheets to using an IBM PC to thwart check fraud.

In this episode the duo discusses the history of multiplayer gaming and how technology and ultimately changed some of the best parts of multiplayer gaming. What once was driven by massive death matches has transformed into 5 player squads.

During the lockdown many of us started working from home which allowed us to continue on with our lives but also increased our risk to security threats. The risk has always been there however one of the golden rules in security is to not make yourself a target. Keep a low profile and be smart about what you do. Of course, the same can be said for Dying Light 2, which has been shaping up to be a ve...

We picked up a 3D Printer over the holiday season and while it has been a blast to use and an integral part for some of the Retro PC YouTube projects it was not without its problems. In this episode we talk about getting into 3D Printing along with some of the things you should know and what you should pay attention to when printing your projects.

In this episode we talk about some of the Retro PC projects we have posted to the Hardware Asylum YouTube Channel including motherboard repair, retrobright and RestoMods using vintage hardware.

In this episode the duo talks about how with the chip shortage and out of control inflation has changed the PC gaming landscape and completely removed the lowest end segment of the PC market, the entry level gaming PC. Combine that with users building systems incorrectly with overrated components and you have a recipe for disaster.

With the ups and downs for 2021 we wanted to shed some light on one aspect of the year that did not disappoint, games. There were plenty of great games to play, some required the latest and greatest hardware while others remained great on older platforms.

One of the most important discoveries in the human race is the ability to save messages and this can take on many forms from notes, photos and even hieroglyphics. We save them so to tell a story and over the years the manner in which we save and store these stories has changed. As you would have guessed there are some good ones and some really bad ones.