AMD, Ubisoft, and Planned Obsolescence

Sat, 26 May 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Recently I upgraded my CPU from the original AMD Phenom II X6 1100T with an AMD FX-8530. This component was not upgraded to get better performance or because of a failure (the fan in my CPU cooler was seized). It was because certain game developers decided my CPU was outdated, either by using engine build switches or a particular DRM system. The straw that broke the camel’s back was Ubisoft with the release of Far Cry 5, but it goes back a bit further

I got this custom built system when I first moved to Scotland back in 2011, and it has stayed strong since then. Over time, I upgraded RAM from 8GB to 16GB, added more storage and swapped out the GPU (Nvidia GTX 560 to a Nvidia GTX 960). With these upgrades, it was running well, running most games in a state I would consider usable (I don’t need 4K at 120fps, 1080p at anything over 30fps is fine). I was hoping that this system could last a bit longer with the release of Ryzen so my next upgrade could have been an entirely new system. Unfortunately, at this point in time, Ryzen is the first of a new family, and DDR4 RAM still costs more than the soul of your firstborn.

Gaming on Home

AMD, Ubisoft, and Planned Obsolescence