Performance Improvements Archives

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Oblivion Remastered PC: impressive modernisation blighted by dire performance problems

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered utilizes an Unreal Engine 5 wrapper to enhance the original game, but it carries over some of the original's issues and suffers from significant performance challenges, including frequent stuttering. Digital Foundry analyzed the remaster against the original 2006 version, highlighting advancements in graphics but also noting that the remaster struggles with limited polygon budgets and basic effects. The remaster's performance is inconsistent, especially on mid-range CPUs, leading to poor experiences even on high-end hardware. Disabling hardware RT-based Lumen global illumination can improve performance by about 35%, but at the cost of visual quality. Lowering settings yields only marginal performance improvements, and the game fails to deliver an attractive experience compared to the original. A recent patch did not resolve the stuttering issues, indicating that fundamental CPU-related problems remain unaddressed.

Winsage

April 22, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5562 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5562 (KB5055642) has been released to the Dev Channel, introducing new features and improvements. Key updates include: - New Text Actions in Click to Do: - "Practice in Reading Coach" allows users to enhance reading fluency and pronunciation. - "Read with Immersive Reader" offers a distraction-free reading environment with customizable text options. - Finding Photos Saved in the Cloud via Windows Search: Users in the European Economic Area can search for cloud-stored photos directly from the taskbar by describing them. - Improvements for Voice Access: Users can add custom words to the voice access dictionary and discover new features through an immersive experience. - Improved Windows Search: Users can disable cloud content searching via settings. - File Explorer Changes: Folders opened from outside File Explorer will default to opening in a new tab if an existing window is open. - Widgets Improvements: Notification settings can be controlled per feed or dashboard. - Windows Security Update: Additional details for Pluton TPM chips will be displayed in the Windows Security app. - Settings Update: The printer renaming dialog has been updated to align with Windows 11 visuals. - Fixes: Resolved issues include Start menu crashes, color display issues in snap layouts, slow loading times for search, and voice typing issues in the Chinese layout. - Known Issues: Some apps may not install from the Microsoft Store, and Windows Recovery Environment may not function properly after the update. - Reminders: Users can remove Recall at any time, and updates in the Dev Channel are based on Windows 11, version 24H2.

Winsage

April 21, 2025

I got my hands on the redesigned successor to 2024’s best gaming laptop for most people — I’m confident that I’m going to love it, but there is ONE downside

Lenovo has introduced the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10), a gaming laptop featuring the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, a 24-core processor, and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs, including the RTX 5090 with 24GB of VRAM. It supports upgradeable DDR5 RAM and SSD storage, with plans for PCIe Gen5 options. The laptop has a redesigned CNC-milled aluminum chassis and a QHD+ OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time. The charging adapter has increased from 330W to 400W to support a peak TDP of 250W. The Legion Pro 7i is slightly larger but about 8% lighter than its predecessor. It features improved thermal management and retains essential connectivity options, including HDMI 2.1, gigabit Ethernet, USB Type-C, and a new Thunderbolt 4 port. Initial gameplay tests show performance improvements, achieving 158 FPS in Forza Horizon 5 and 134 FPS in Gears 5. The starting price is ,599.99.

Winsage

April 20, 2025

Windows 11’s File Explorer is getting visual updates, and you probably won’t even notice them

Microsoft is piloting a feature for Windows 11 that allows users to apply their selected accent color to the selection box in File Explorer, moving away from the traditional gray or white. Users can modify their accent color through Settings > Personalization > Colors, choosing either automatic selection based on their background or a manual option. Additionally, Microsoft is refining the visual aspects of progress bars in File Explorer, with the storage progress bar now in a darker blue shade and the file transfer progress bar redesigned to a flatter, darker green tone.

Winsage

April 16, 2025

I disabled these 5 Windows services to improve my PC performance

Windows operating systems have numerous background services that can consume system resources and slow down performance. Users can improve responsiveness by disabling non-essential services. 1. Windows Search: Indexes files and data for quick searches; can tax CPU and RAM. To disable: press Ctrl + R, type services.msc, locate Windows Search, stop the service, and set Startup type to Disabled or Manual. 2. SysMain (formerly Superfetch): Preloads frequently used applications into memory but can lead to unnecessary disk activity on SSDs. To disable: access services.msc, find SysMain, stop the service, and set Startup Type to Disabled. 3. Windows Update Delivery Optimization: Shares update files with other PCs, consuming bandwidth. To disable: go to Settings -> Windows Update -> Advanced Options and turn it off. 4. Remote Desktop Services: Enables remote connections, which can drain resources and pose security risks. To disable: locate Remote Desktop Services in services.msc, stop it, and set Startup type to Disabled. 5. Connected User Experiences and Telemetry: Collects usage data and can transmit sensitive information. To disable: turn off the service and navigate to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Diagnostics & Feedback to disable Diagnostic data. Additional services that may be disabled include Print Spooler, Fax, Bluetooth Support, and Windows Error Reporting Service for further performance optimization.

Tech Optimizer

April 8, 2025

PostgreSQL Merges Initial Support For NUMA Awareness

The PostgreSQL open-source database server is integrating IO_uring support for asynchronous I/O operations and AVX-512 acceleration for CRC32 computations, potentially improving performance by up to three times. It has also introduced initial support for Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) awareness, aimed at enhancing performance on multi-node and multi-socket servers. This feature is available in the PostgreSQL Git repository ahead of the PostgreSQL 18.0 release scheduled for September and can be enabled with the "--with-libnuma" configuration option, currently limited to Linux systems. Enhancements include pg_shmem_allocations_numa for shared memory allocation insights and pg_buffercache_numa for buffer information across NUMA nodes.

Tech Optimizer

April 7, 2025

Scanguard

Scanguard is owned by Total Security LTD and offers a comprehensive security and optimization suite that includes virus protection, system performance improvements, junk file removal, a password vault, and a VPN. Its security features include real-time protection against malware, ransomware, spyware, and adware, facilitated by specialized guards. A free version is available for Windows, but it has limitations regarding update speed. The initial scan on a 512 GB SSD takes under five minutes and covers various checks. The app prompts users to upgrade for certain features, although discounts are available for first-time users. Core features include Malware Guard, Ransomware Guard, Spyware Guard, Aware Guard, and WebShield for real-time protection against malicious sites. Scanguard also offers identity theft protection services and a system optimizer that cleans junk files and manages applications. An Android app is available, but there is no iPhone app, and the Android version must be downloaded from the Scanguard website. Scanguard's pricing includes a free version and a paid plan with a promotional rate for the first year, with payment through PayPal. The paid plan offers real-time protection, cloud-based threat detection, and customer support. Recent evaluations show a detection rate of 96.94% in a VB100 test, with a 0.000% false alarm rate, but it is not currently VB100 certified. The user interface is modern and intuitive, though the installation process may take time due to database updates.

TrendTechie

April 4, 2025

Ремастер ПК-версии The Last of Us 2 слили на торренты

The Last of Us 2 has been released on PC via Steam, featuring a repackaged file size of approximately 116 GB, a complete Russian language translation, enhanced graphics for wide and ultra-wide monitors, Steam achievements, and performance improvements through technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3.1, and Intel XeSS. The PC version also includes new cosmetic items and 50 points for unlocking additional features and concept art. The game was pirated shortly after its launch.

BetaBeacon

April 2, 2025

iPhone can now play Nintendo DS games online with Android and consoles

Delta Emulator version 1.7 now allows users to play Nintendo DS games online through community WFC servers, offering pre-configured options like Wiimmfi, WiiLink WFC, or AltWFC.

Tech Optimizer

April 2, 2025

Bun 1.2 Improves Node Compatibility and Adds Postgres Client

Bun v1.2 has been released, enhancing compatibility with Node.js and introducing a native S3 object storage API and a built-in Postgres client alongside the existing SQLite client. The update focuses on Node.js compatibility, achieving a 90% pass rate on the Node.js test suite for core modules. The team adapted the Node test suite for Bun to address challenges with error message verification. New features include support for the node:http2 module, which offers a 2x speed enhancement, and additional support for node:dgram, node:cluster, and node:zlib. The built-in S3 support allows file operations with a 5x speed improvement over Node.js packages. The new Postgres client includes optimizations such as automatic prepared statements and connection pooling, potentially increasing read speeds by 50% compared to popular Node.js Postgres clients. Bun is developed in Zig and uses WebKit’s JavaScriptCore as its JavaScript engine, with the first version launched in September 2023.