WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 Have you recently received a new tech gift? We're going to help clear up some misconceptions that you should be aware of. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:10.240 Let's start out with one of the most coveted items for gamers, graphics cards. 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:14.640 We've covered them quite a bit on this channel, but here's a concern some gamers have expressed 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:21.120 that has nothing to do with how they actually perform. Could a GPU be so heavy that it damages your motherboard? 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:26.080 Should you shy away from buying the high-end GPU you've scrimped and saved for, 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:29.200 for fear of it collapsing before your very eyes? 00:00:29.200 --> 00:00:36.080 Certainly, we can see where these worries come from. There are plenty of photos online of PCI Express slots that have been straight up 00:00:36.080 --> 00:00:40.320 ripped off of their motherboard due to a heavy graphics card just collapsing. 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:45.040 And the largest consumer graphics cards these days weigh around five pounds, 00:00:45.040 --> 00:00:52.160 which certainly isn't light by any stretch. All that cooling that high-end GPUs require can make some cards pretty chunky. 00:00:52.160 --> 00:00:58.240 But here's the good news. Motherboard manufacturers are fully aware of how heavy graphics cards can get, 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.440 and slots are designed with the card's weight in mind. 00:01:01.440 --> 00:01:04.800 Lots of these horror stories you've seen have been on older boards, 00:01:04.800 --> 00:01:09.520 or when significantly more force than just the weight of the card was put onto the slot. 00:01:09.520 --> 00:01:13.360 This can be the result of someone trying too hard to insert or remove a card, 00:01:13.360 --> 00:01:18.080 or neglecting to remove the card before shipping or otherwise relocating the PC, 00:01:18.080 --> 00:01:22.480 where extra force can be put onto the slot if the PC gets bumped or jostled around. 00:01:22.880 --> 00:01:30.480 As long as you remember to screw the card into the case and don't put extra force on it, 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:33.600 you should be just fine even with the heaviest of cards. 00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:36.880 Although some larger cards do come with anti-sag brackets, 00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:41.360 because sagging can pose a risk of damaging the card if the sag is severe, 00:01:41.360 --> 00:01:44.480 these are more important if you're moving the system around a lot. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.160 They aren't necessary to prevent your PCIe slot from breaking off 00:01:48.160 --> 00:01:54.960 if you're keeping your computer in one place. Let's step away from graphics cards and talk about a hot ticket item for everyone. 00:01:54.960 --> 00:01:59.040 Alright, this tip is about none other than the venerable TV. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:02.880 Specifically, we're going to talk about High Dynamic Range or HDR, 00:02:02.880 --> 00:02:08.480 a feature that was once only found on high-end models, but has now trickled down to even budget TVs. 00:02:08.480 --> 00:02:11.840 But are you actually getting a good deal if you buy a discounted model 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:16.400 that prominently advertises HDR support? The answer might be no. 00:02:16.480 --> 00:02:21.520 You see, HDR is a hyped feature because it can make the image on your screen look more detailed, 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:26.480 especially in darker and brighter areas where traditional TVs often struggle, 00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:30.800 assuming of course that you're actually watching content recorded or mastered in HDR. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:38.080 But for HDR to make a real difference, the screen has to be capable of getting bright enough to reproduce these details accurately. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.120 This doesn't mean you need the highest-end panel in the market, 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:44.880 but most cheap TVs just can't get adequately bright. 00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:48.640 In fact, some of these budget models that technically support HDR 00:02:48.640 --> 00:02:53.040 don't even get bright enough to produce a good non-HDR picture in a bright room. 00:02:53.040 --> 00:03:00.640 So if you want a decent HDR experience, our opinion is that you should find a TV that can put out at least 600 nits of brightness, 00:03:00.640 --> 00:03:04.320 and definitely don't go for anything under 400 nits. 00:03:04.320 --> 00:03:07.440 Some models will list how bright they can get on the spec sheet, 00:03:07.440 --> 00:03:11.360 while for others you may need to hunt down a review on a site like Ratings. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.960 Buying a really cheap TV just because it has HDR support 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.640 is like going to a $15 buffet because they have unlimited steak. 00:03:18.640 --> 00:03:24.560 It might be technically true, but are you really going to enjoy gnawing on a piece of meat that resembles shoe leather? 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:29.680 If it tastes good. Finally, here's one for anybody who just got a new pair of headphones or earbuds. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:33.200 A common piece of advice you see on some headphone enthusiast forums 00:03:33.200 --> 00:03:36.720 is to burn in the headphones for a certain amount of time. 00:03:36.720 --> 00:03:42.960 We're talking 40 hours or more of playing music, white noise, or frequency sweeps through the headphones 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:50.160 before they're ready to listen to. The theory is that burning the headphones in will soften up the internals 00:03:50.160 --> 00:03:55.040 and allow them to respond more quickly to inputs, thereby producing a better sound. 00:03:55.040 --> 00:03:58.400 Kind of like breaking in a baseball glove until it becomes more pliable. 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:04.960 But think about this. A softer headphone driver also won't stop moving as quickly, 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:09.840 which would result in worse sound quality if you follow this burn-in logic. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:15.280 Furthermore, independent testing has already shown that various enthusiast-grade headphones 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:20.480 showed no perceptible difference in sound quality after lengthy periods of burn-in. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:24.000 Any perceived difference is likely due to a placebo effect 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:29.600 or a phenomenon some enthusiasts call brain burn-in, which is much more dangerous. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.760 This is the idea that after using an old pair of headphones for a long time, 00:04:33.760 --> 00:04:39.440 you get used to their sound. So when you switch to a new pair, the new ones don't sound neutral, 00:04:39.440 --> 00:04:42.480 leading you to think that they need to be burnt in 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:46.160 when the reality is that you're just not used to a different sound signature. 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:50.000 So the takeaway here is just to go ahead and start enjoying your headphones 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:55.440 as soon as you take them out of the package. You gotta take instant gratification in life, the rare times you can get it. 00:04:55.440 --> 00:04:59.360 And I am instantly gratified to see that you've watched this whole video! 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:03.200 Amazing! Thanks for watching! Like the video if you liked it, dislike it if you disliked it. 00:05:03.200 --> 00:05:07.680 Check out our other videos, comment below with video suggestions, and don't forget to subscribe and follow. 00:05:08.880 --> 00:05:12.000 I'm listening, I'm listening in my audio grade audio file grade headphones. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:13.200 I can hear you!