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nickdalzell1

macrumors 68030
Dec 8, 2019
2,787
1,669
It actually has a separate GPU (Radeon RX570). It's a full blown build.

The biggest challenge was making much of my library compatible with Linux. With that, it performs much faster than with Windows. Only one game depends on Windows and that's Flight Simulator. It will open in Linux, and do all the updates and stuff, but freezes hard and makes all the fans run full hilt requiring a plug pull before showing the main menu. Never figured out where it was failing.

Building a PC gaming rig is a lot cheaper IMO than buying one pre-built.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,068
2,421
OBX
It actually has a separate GPU (Radeon RX570). It's a full blown build.

The biggest challenge was making much of my library compatible with Linux. With that, it performs much faster than with Windows. Only one game depends on Windows and that's Flight Simulator. It will open in Linux, and do all the updates and stuff, but freezes hard and makes all the fans run full hilt requiring a plug pull before showing the main menu. Never figured out where it was failing.

Building a PC gaming rig is a lot cheaper IMO than buying one pre-built.
Ah, the 570 is a good card (I gave mine to my brother). Have you tried SteamOS?
 

nickdalzell1

macrumors 68030
Dec 8, 2019
2,787
1,669
Nope. I'm running Linux already for all but the one game. It's set up exactly like I want and all my mods and stuff installed and working. I have no need to redo everything and hope all my saves transfer. It was hard enough transferring the saves and mods offline from another PC that this was an upgrade to.

I did attempt "Big Picture Mode" which I think is supposed to resemble the UX of SteamOS, but it froze the system after an hour or two, and I think the GPU had crashed from overload because the monitor said no signal and the GPU fans had stopped until I restarted manually.
 

Spaceboi Scaphandre

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 8, 2022
3,414
8,097
Nope. I'm running Linux already for all but the one game. It's set up exactly like I want and all my mods and stuff installed and working. I have no need to redo everything and hope all my saves transfer. It was hard enough transferring the saves and mods offline from another PC that this was an upgrade to.

I did attempt "Big Picture Mode" which I think is supposed to resemble the UX of SteamOS, but it froze the system after an hour or two, and I think the GPU had crashed from overload because the monitor said no signal and the GPU fans had stopped until I restarted manually.

You're using the old version of Big Picture Mode that's slow as hell and doesn't work right. Steam hasn't updated to the new one that debuted in the Steam Deck yet.
 

nickdalzell1

macrumors 68030
Dec 8, 2019
2,787
1,669
I also have no interest in updating the Steam client. I intended to fill the two HDDs with games and that's exactly what I did. There's zero room for more. I also refuse to update Steam 1) because I never do online multiplayer, 2) I can earn and see achievements offline with the older version, and all newer versions refuse to show or let you earn them offline, and 3) I hate the newest UI design.

I run Steam in permanent offline mode, and edited all the files and manifests to not force you to connect every so often to verify install. If you just leave Steam offline, and have the PC online for any reason, it still downloads and forces client updates, and if you keep it offline long enough (even with the Wifi NIC removed) eventually you get the infamous 'Steam Fatal Error' and it refuses to load period, unless you edit the steam.cfg to force default offline loading and bypass the prompt to go offline first.

Like I said, I don't have any interest in modern games; nothing interests me at the moment. Seems they want everyone on a rental model anyway (Stadia, Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass) so I won't doubt actual ownership is going to last much longer, and I'd rather reduce the chances it affects what I already have. I also hate mods breaking from game updates. As for Big Picture Mode, it looked cool, but really is just wasted GPU cycles that run in the background even if you're playing a game, and that means less frames. I actually disabled a ton of graphical eye candy on Steam and Linux itself to save those resources. So it's the only PC in my collection with a barren flat UI design with very little other than a pinned icon for Steam in my panel.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,068
2,421
OBX
I also have no interest in updating the Steam client. I intended to fill the two HDDs with games and that's exactly what I did. There's zero room for more. I also refuse to update Steam 1) because I never do online multiplayer, 2) I can earn and see achievements offline with the older version, and all newer versions refuse to show or let you earn them offline, and 3) I hate the newest UI design.

I run Steam in permanent offline mode, and edited all the files and manifests to not force you to connect every so often to verify install. If you just leave Steam offline, and have the PC online for any reason, it still downloads and forces client updates, and if you keep it offline long enough (even with the Wifi NIC removed) eventually you get the infamous 'Steam Fatal Error' and it refuses to load period, unless you edit the steam.cfg to force default offline loading and bypass the prompt to go offline first.

Like I said, I don't have any interest in modern games; nothing interests me at the moment. Seems they want everyone on a rental model anyway (Stadia, Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass) so I won't doubt actual ownership is going to last much longer, and I'd rather reduce the chances it affects what I already have. I also hate mods breaking from game updates. As for Big Picture Mode, it looked cool, but really is just wasted GPU cycles that run in the background even if you're playing a game, and that means less frames. I actually disabled a ton of graphical eye candy on Steam and Linux itself to save those resources. So it's the only PC in my collection with a barren flat UI design with very little other than a pinned icon for Steam in my panel.
(this is getting more and more OT) what resolution and quality settings do you run these older games at?
 
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