Borderlands 3 Over LAN

It has been awhile since I have played Borderlands 3.  Have had it for my PS4 for a long time.  Back in May (2022) over that the Epic Game Store it was one of the free games.  Now that I have a mini PC, Minisforum UM580, I installed it on that.  A few nights ago gave it a try.  I must say it worked great right away.  It was well optimized.  All so that night got to play it over a LAN connection.  This all so work with no problem.  Another awesome thing the game works with a PS4 controller and didn’t have to set anything up.  Can’t wait to try it again over a LAN.  Many be get to work with four players.

PS2 Emulation

How that I have my mini PC set up, Minisforum UM580.  Wanted to give some PlayStation 2 emulation another try with PCSX2 emulator.   This time with what they call Nightly Builds.  This is more like a beta or new version that has features not in the stable release.  Once installed it looks much better and it a lot easier to uses.  It all so configured my PS4 controller.  Only tired one game so far.  It can great.  Now I just need to start ripping some of my other PS2 favourites to try.

Minisforum UM580 – Arrived

After a bit of a delay and having to pay some duty/tax the Minisforum UM580 I ordered arrived yesterday (October 27, 2022).  First up I had to rearrange my desk a bit.  The USB C power cord for it is very short.  Ended up moving the power strip up onto the desk.  Next needed to setup the KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse).  The problem now is how to a cable manage the wires.  Will leave that for another day.   Once I got everything plug in, started the computer up.  The first thing was to make a recovery USB stick.  This took a long time.  After that update Windows, turned off all the stuff I don’t need and uninstalled some things.  There wasn’t any really bloat on there.  After customizing the look a Windows 11, downloaded Steam.  Installed Dinkum to the M.2 drive.  Next up attached the external hard drive.  This is were I will install all the big games, like New World.  That is what I installed next.

Have been very much looking forward to trying this game out.  Load the game up and it crashed.  Saying it the computer doesn’t meet the system requirements.  Tied again, the same warring came up but the game loaded any way.  It didn’t look very good.  Was running at 720p at an uncapped frame rate.  Change that to 1080 and set the frame rate to 30.  Then it looked much better.  Once I got into some gameplay, it ran great.  All the other setting are at low.  Might try some of them at medium.

Minisforum UM580 – Duty And Taxes

Have an update on the mini PC I ordered, Minisforum UM580.   It shipped to my province pretty quickly.  Then the tracking site said “Shipment is on hold” for many days.  Some time after that got a email from Minisforum that I need to pay duty and taxes.  However they didn’t say were to go or how to do this.  Email them backing asking how.  A few days later told me to contact DHL.  That is who it is being shipped though.  Well DHL websites are not very user friendly.  Ended up making three different accounts on three different DHL websites and go know where.  Next tired their robot chat box thing.  Got some where with that.  It gave me a link to where you pay this bill.  However, the site needs to send you cell phone a code.  But for some reason it had my home phone number in it.  There was know way to change it.  Was getting super pissed off at this point. Found a number to call that lets you pay with a credit card.  Didn’t really want to do this but was running out of options.  So did that.  Hopping the PC will ship to me now.  Never again will have buy something that ships though DHL.

Minisforum UM580 – Delay And Shipping

Have made a few post talking about the mini PC I ordered a, Minisforum UM580.  When I pre-ordered it the shipping date was for the end of September 2022.  When the last week of came around I looked everyday to see if it had shipped yet.  Then on October 9, 2022 looked that the website again and seen that the changed the time frame to the middle of October.  Was a big bummed out since I was hopping it would show up before my next vacation started.  But this stuff happens.  However the next day received and email saying it has shipped.  Not sure how long that will take.  Because in the email said, “ Express will not pick up the package until the export customs inspection is completed. Therefore, the shipping status will be stuck in “Shipping label has been created” or “Shipment information received”for several days.”.

Minisforum UM580 Another Video

Another YouTuber, Retro Game Corps, has a video on the same mini PC I ordered.  The Minisforum UM580.  Which will ship at the end of the month (September 2022).  So very much looking forward to getting my hands on it.  You can see the video > here or below.  The main use for the computer will be games.  Do have some on Steam, Epic and GoG.  Then there is the emulation side.  Which this can do really well.  Have a big stack of PS2 I would love to play again.  Will be back will more posts once I get it my hands.

KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse)

Have made a few posts talking about the mini PC I ordered a, Minisforum UM580.   That ships some time near the end of the month (September 2022).  In the mean time was looking into a way to add to my current computer desk setup.  Came across devices called KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse).  These things let you use one with a bunch of computes.  There are really fancy ones with a big price tag that can run up to four computers.  I don’t need anything that nice.  Took a look at few on Amazon.ca.  All most went this a USB 3.0 $750.00 one.  Then I seen this one > here.   It had lots of ratings.  Plus at the time of typing this (September 16, 2022) they had it for %15 off.  So saved on the tax and it had free shipping.  Should have it in my hands next week.

Minisforum UM580 Video

Blogged about the mini PC I ordered a, Minisforum UM580 a few times.  It hasn’t shipped yet.  That will not be until the end of the month (September 2022).  Talking about this again because the YouTuber ETA Prime put out a video on this very computer.  Which you can see > here or below.  While it is not going to run the newest AAA games.  There will be 1000’s of older ones.  All so planning on some emulation.

Minisforum UM580

For a long time now have wanted to get a mini PC.  Seen some videos of the upcoming Minisforum UM560.  That it was super cool and had the features I liked.  In my last posting talking about this was very much on the fence.  Thought about getting a Steam Deck but the wait list is far too long.  All so can’t get my hands on a PS5, which I was planning to buy a birthday gift to myself.  Well made up my mind and ordered a Minisforum UM580.  This is a bit more powerful than the UM560.  That model ships at the end of August.  The one I got ships at the end of September (2022).  So my guess it will be here some time in October.  All so even with the conversion of Canadian to US money it was still cheaper than a the middle model of the Steam Deck.

Minisforum UM560/UM580

Have been thinking about buying a mini PC for many years now.  Now that they have gotten better at running newest games and all so better at emulation.  Now might be the time to get one.  Did have my eye on getting a Steam Deck but that will be some time next year before you will be able to get your hands on one.  Seem some video’s on this > here Minisforum models.  They are running a pre-sale discount.  Then the ship out at the end of August 2022.  The price is right but think that is in US funds.  Need to look into it more.