MAR 2022MAXIMU MPC 95
I don’t want to spend
$299 on a high-end product
like the Audeze Penrose
because, while I’m sure
they’re amazing, I don’t
think I’ll be able to tell
the difference! I know I’m
asking for everything for
not much money, but what
can you recommend?
–A. Gray
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GUY
COCKER, RESPONDS:
When I joined Maximum
PC recently, I decided I
was due an upgrade from
my Razer Nari Ultimate
headset —not because it
was bad, but because I kept
forgetting to plug in the
charging cable at the end of
the day. I thought I’d found
the answer in the Astro
A50, which has a charging
dock, but they were a real
pain to work with PS5. So
I gave up and have stuck
with the Razers, for now!
I’d recommend the EPOS
Sennheiser GSP 370 or
670 headsets, which tick
every box in terms of the
features you asked for.
The 370s retail for around
$200, while the 670s are
made of more comfortable
materials and cost $250.
The Corsair HS70 is a
great value option for less
than $100 and supports
Bluetooth, but it requires
a wired connection to
your PC. I’m afraid there’s
usually a premium to pay
for the convenience of
wireless headphones!
Clone Wars
I just bought my first
M.2 NVME drive, a 1TB
Samsung 980 Pro, to
upgrade from my aging
Crucial 500GB SATA SSD.
I also bought the WD
Blue 2TB 7200 RPM hard
drive that featured in the
Maximum PC budget and
mid-range builds.
I know in the good old
days, it was better to
reinstall everything when
upgrading, but is that still
the case today?
My Asus TUF Gaming
X570 and AMD 3600 run the
Gen 4 980 Pro, but should I
do a clean Windows install,
or use the cloning software
that came with my 980?
–J. GiacchinoEDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GUY
COCKER, RESPONDS:
There’s no right answer
to the eternal upgrade vs.
fresh install debate, but
if you’re upgrading your
major components, I'd say
a fresh install is still the
preferred option to ensure
compatibility.
That said, I'd point you to
our September 2021 issue
and its guide to backing up,
to ensure you don’t lose
anything. Be sure to save
copies of your important
files either locally or in the
cloud and to be careful,
keep your old drive handy
for a couple of weeks after
making the transition.
You didn’t mention
whether you’re moving to
a new motherboard (if so,
cloning is generally more
suitable, whereas starting
afresh is better on new
hardware) but look at it as
a chance to have a clear out
and make sure no unused
software is slowing your
new system down. Enjoy!Irregular Inputs
My wife and I recently
bought new Windows 11 HP
computers (costing around
$600). Mine works fine, but
my wife’s model exhibited
the black screen of death
several times while web
browsing, which required a
reboot of the computer.After fiddling around and
swapping out the mouse
and keyboard, we decided
to take the computer back
to Best Buy (who offered
excellent service) and got a
replacement, but it had the
same problem.
We then swapped it for
a more expensive model,
which still exhibited the
black screen. I downloaded
a different browser, Brave,
but still had the same
problem. Last night, she
even got the BSOD when
she was away from the
computer with no app open.
This time, there was a
message moving around
the monitor: 'No program
open; input not supported'.
The computer was not
responsive and required
another hard reboot. Can
you help? –R. TamarinEDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GUY
COCKER, RESPONDS: How
frustrating! It sounds
as though you’ve done
the right thing in terms
of trying to isolate the
external parts that could
be faulty, but I'd be looking
at the monitor. 'I nput not
supported' suggests a
display issue.
First, check the cable
running from your
computer to your display
to make sure it’s correctly
attached and, if possible,
use DisplayPort or HDMI
over older DVI or VGA
cables. If you have a
picture, go to the desktop,
right -click , select Display
Options, and make sure the
output resolution matches
that of your display.
In that menu, also
click on Display Adapter
Properties to make sure
the refresh rate matches
the screen—if it’s an older
monitor, try dropping down
to 60Hz to see if this helps.
While you’re at it, go to
Windows Update and make
sure you’re using the latest
graphics card drivers. HP
may also have an Updater
program of its own where
you can download drivers.
If none of that works,you can try plugging in
a different monitor or
television to see if it solves
the problem. Hopefully,
you won’t need a monitor
upgrade, but at least you’ll
be able to isolate the issue.
Good luck!Zak’s All Folks!
I’ve been reading Maximum
PC since I grew up watching
the English wrestler Big
Daddy on television. I
know little about tech and
computers, although lots
on gaming from 20 years
ago, but I’ve always enjoyed
the mag each month to
keep up on things. Zak,
you’ve been the best editor
the mag has had. So all I
can do is wish you well and
thank you! –R. TuckerI just want to offer thanks
for the candid responses
to the first and last letters
published in the Holiday
2021 issue. I think that
Zak Storey’s leveling with
readers about some of
the challenges of making
a magazine during COVID
will be valuable for many
readers, who themselves
may have had similar such
challenges. It’s great that
your staff can convey that
they enjoy their work, but
admit that it’s really hard
sometimes and then come
through so successfully in
each issue. –G. MillerEDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GUY
COCKER, RESPONDS:
Imagine starting a new
job and opening an email
inbox full of compliments
like these about your
predecessor! Seriously
though, a huge thanks
to Zak and the whole
Maximum PC team for their
amazing work over the last
two years. I loved it as a
reader and can't wait to
continue it as editor.
Speaking of which,
please let me know if you
have any more feedback
by e mail ing editor@
maximumpc.com, and join
us on Discord at https://bit.
ly/MPCDiscord.The Corsair HS70 is a great
value option for less than
$100 and supports Bluetooth.