WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.120 Over the years, there have been quite a few innovations for PC builders that have become 00:00:04.120 --> 00:00:09.880 very popular, but can sometimes be of questionable utility. 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:14.680 So at the risk of talking smack about things you know and love, here are our picks for 00:00:14.680 --> 00:00:19.760 a few different kinds of gear that, while not useless, you might want to think twice 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.080 about to see if you're really getting good value for money. 00:00:23.080 --> 00:00:26.960 Remember, overrated doesn't necessarily mean bad. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:32.880 First off, the modular power supply. Now the big advantage of the modular PSU is that it's supposed to help you keep your 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:37.520 system tidier as you can plug in only the cables that you're going to be using. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:42.240 Makes sense, but that doesn't mean you should automatically go drop extra money on one. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:48.120 For starters, that modular functionality costs the power supply manufacturers more to implement, 00:00:48.120 --> 00:00:53.200 and that cost is passed on to you, the consumer, as Corsair or whoever else isn't exactly 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:59.760 running a charity. But even if money is no object, a huge number of computer cases these days have power supply 00:00:59.760 --> 00:01:06.080 basements, which you can easily use to hide any extra cables on a non-modular PSU. 00:01:06.080 --> 00:01:11.120 And did you even know that although the power connectors on various PC components are standardized, 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:16.600 the ports where the modular cables connect to the power supply itself aren't standardized? 00:01:16.600 --> 00:01:21.320 Meaning you have to be very careful if you're buying third-party cables or trying to reuse 00:01:21.320 --> 00:01:26.580 ones from a different PSU. You could easily damage your poor components this way. 00:01:26.580 --> 00:01:30.820 So unless you have a case without a power supply basement, you may just want to save 00:01:30.820 --> 00:01:34.460 your money and opt for a simpler, non-modular unit instead. 00:01:34.460 --> 00:01:38.580 Speaking of cases, let's talk about the acrylic side panel. 00:01:38.580 --> 00:01:43.700 If you want to see through case, acrylic is marketed as a more affordable option to tempered 00:01:43.700 --> 00:01:48.860 glass. And bonus, it's more lightweight and doesn't have quite the risk of shattering like tempered 00:01:48.860 --> 00:01:54.540 glass does. So why are we including it in today's episode and calling it overrated compared to the more 00:01:54.540 --> 00:02:01.940 expensive tempered glass? Unfortunately, acrylic is far easier to scratch than tempered glass, and I'm not talking easier 00:02:01.940 --> 00:02:06.340 to scratch with a rusty nail, I mean you can scratch acrylic while cleaning it with a freaking 00:02:06.340 --> 00:02:11.300 paper towel. And to make things worse, you're going to need to clean your acrylic panel, as it tends 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:19.660 to attract dust more easily than tempered glass does. The one point acrylic does have in its favor is that its lighter weight and shadow resistance 00:02:19.860 --> 00:02:24.140 make it better for a PC that you're hauling around often, as long as you're careful about 00:02:24.140 --> 00:02:28.940 the scratches. But if you're just leaving your PC in one place most of the time, it might be worth it 00:02:28.940 --> 00:02:34.980 just to pay a little extra for tempered glass. Next, we're going to tell you about a component that actually affects performance. 00:02:34.980 --> 00:02:42.100 Or maybe it doesn't? Punch custom PC into Google images and the search results will almost exclusively show 00:02:42.100 --> 00:02:48.060 you water-cooled systems, many of which feature AIO closed-loop coolers you can buy off the 00:02:48.060 --> 00:02:55.100 shelf. And AIOs have become a bit of a default feature for folks building a mid-to-upper-range PC, 00:02:55.100 --> 00:02:58.100 but are they necessarily the best option? 00:02:58.100 --> 00:03:02.660 The main benefits of AIOs you typically see people talk about are better cooling performance, 00:03:02.660 --> 00:03:09.980 lower noise, and nicer aesthetics. But that better cooling performance may not end up being very consequential to you. 00:03:09.980 --> 00:03:15.420 A good quality air cooler should allow your CPU to hit its max frequency on stock settings, 00:03:15.420 --> 00:03:19.380 as long as you're not running your system in some kind of abnormally hot room. 00:03:19.380 --> 00:03:22.740 Turns out the house on the side of the volcano was really cheap for a reason. 00:03:22.740 --> 00:03:28.500 Now if you're overclocking, AIOs will generally allow you to push your system a bit harder. 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:32.700 But if not, keep in mind that AIOs can be more annoying to install due to having to 00:03:32.700 --> 00:03:36.900 screw the unwieldy radiator in from the other side of your case, it's possible for the 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:41.700 pump to be noisier than an air cooler with a well-made fan, and AIOs have more parts 00:03:41.700 --> 00:03:47.580 that can fail on you. Bottom line is that you shouldn't feel like you have to get one unless you have a specific 00:03:47.580 --> 00:03:51.740 need, or you just really like the way they look in your case compared to an air cooler. 00:03:51.740 --> 00:03:55.940 And finally, let's really give some hot takes about the mechanical keyboard. 00:03:55.940 --> 00:04:02.340 That's right. There seems to be an attitude out there that the more common membrane keyboard can cheapen 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:09.700 an otherwise nice setup. But mechanicals aren't necessarily superior to membranes in every case. 00:04:09.700 --> 00:04:14.100 So much of the argument in favor of mechanical keyboards comes down to how they feel when 00:04:14.100 --> 00:04:20.300 typing. And it's perfectly valid to prefer the feel of a rubber dome switch on a membrane board. 00:04:20.300 --> 00:04:24.500 Although some mechanical keyboards can give you tactile and audible feedback so that you 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:28.940 know when you've actuated a key, this isn't ideal for everyone, especially if you prefer 00:04:28.940 --> 00:04:33.700 a quiet environment or others around you find all your click-clacking distracting. 00:04:33.700 --> 00:04:38.780 And Doug's mad again. 00:04:38.780 --> 00:04:42.700 And for gamers, there are certain switches that actuate very shortly after you press 00:04:42.700 --> 00:04:47.180 them down, which theoretically helps you react to game events more quickly. 00:04:47.180 --> 00:04:51.060 But there's a good chance you may not notice this unless you're a super competitive player 00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:56.780 of specific genres. And many people have complained that these speed switches have led them to make more 00:04:56.780 --> 00:05:00.100 errors when typing. Doug can tell you all about that. 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:04.220 Of course, we have to mention that quiet mechanical keyswitches do exist. 00:05:04.220 --> 00:05:08.860 And that mechanical keyboards do tend to be more durable than their membrane counterparts, 00:05:08.860 --> 00:05:15.620 setting aside everything we just talked about. But since more basic keyboards are such cheap commodity items, it's probably a better 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:19.500 idea to just buy whatever kind of keyboard feels good on your little thingies, with the 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:25.180 point being that mechanical does not automatically mean better for you. 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:29.000 And to be clear, there are some nice keyboards that use membranes. 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:32.620 Some have very good build quality and features like water resistance. 00:05:32.620 --> 00:05:36.380 And there are even some high-end laptops like MacBooks that use membranes to protect the 00:05:36.380 --> 00:05:42.460 contacts from debris. Are there any other popular items for PCDI wires you think are a little overrated? 00:05:42.460 --> 00:05:47.340 Let us know down in the comments or scream at us if you disagree with our takes. 00:05:47.340 --> 00:05:53.340 But scream nicely, please. And it's so nice of you to get to the end of this video, haven't watched the whole 00:05:53.340 --> 00:05:57.340 thing, eh? Wow! Hey, you liked the video if you liked it, dislike it if you disliked it, check out 00:05:57.340 --> 00:06:04.620 our video on computer parts that disappeared completely. Comment with video suggestions and don't forget to subscribe and follow. 00:06:04.620 --> 00:06:08.780 To TechWiki. Alright, that's all for me, I'll see you later, bye!