Yet More PC Peripherals or How I killed a Game Controller in Under a Year
I bought a new game controller for my PC last September. Specifically a PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller for £35. I chose this model as it has good reviews and is deemed a good alternative to the exorbitantly priced official Microsoft equivalent. I chose a wired controller to further keep the cost down. I mainly use a keyboard and mouse for PC gaming but specifically use a game controller for driving vehicles or for titles with simpler game mechanics like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Much to my surprise after less than a year this game controller has developed a problematic left thumbstick. It doesn’t register direct forward movement which is a major impediment. I have recalibrated the entire controller via Devices and Printers in Windows 10 but the problem persists indicating a physical fault with the controller.
PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller
I bought a new game controller for my PC last September. Specifically a PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller for £35. I chose this model as it has good reviews and is deemed a good alternative to the exorbitantly priced official Microsoft equivalent. I chose a wired controller to further keep the cost down. I mainly use a keyboard and mouse for PC gaming but specifically use a game controller for driving vehicles or for titles with simpler game mechanics like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Much to my surprise after less than a year this game controller has developed a problematic left thumbstick. It doesn’t register direct forward movement which is a major impediment. I have recalibrated the entire controller via Devices and Printers in Windows 10 but the problem persists indicating a physical fault with the controller.
It is disappointing that this PC peripheral has failed so soon. What makes it more frustrating is that this particular model feels very robust to the touch. It has a weight to it that implies a solid build and quality. However, after perusing Google, it would appear that thumbstick drift and failure are common problems and can affect most brands of game controllers, including the more expensive models. So rather than attempt a repair (as I did last summer which ultimately proved unsatisfactory), I have elected to buy a replacement. I recently installed Days Gone and so require a game controller for the parts of the game that take place while driving a motorbike. I briefly considered purchasing a USB Bluetooth adaptor and using my Nintendo Switch Pro controller. However, this requires additional software to make it PC compatible and then you have to customise the control settings for each game.
JAMSWALL Xbox 360 Controller
Last night, I spent over an hour trawling through listings for both high end and budget game controllers on various websites. User reviews strike me as capricious to say the least and models at both ends of the spectrum receive both high praise and scathing comments. I often find after reading such customer feedback, that I am none the wiser as to making a decision. However, considering the very specific use I have for a game controller, I eventually decided to purchase a low cost model. If it fails then the initial investment won’t add insult to injury. I ended up buying a generic Xbox 360 style wired controller for £14 from some “no name” brand. It arrives today and it will be interesting to see how it feels and performs. As for the old controller, that has been added to an ever growing pile of PC peripherals and electrical items that are destined to go to my local recycling centre.
Dual Monitors
After years of trying to come up with some sort of half-assed compromise, I’ve finally bought a quality second monitor. A 24 inch 16:9 1080p Dell monitor was delivered on Tuesday and integrated into my existing desktop setup. I bought this model as it had two HDMI inputs and integral speakers. As well as serving as a second monitor for my PC, I also wanted the ability to connect my Nintendo Switch. Needless to say it all works perfectly. My primary monitor is another Dell 24 inch model but with a 16:10 ratio and a resolution of 1920 x 1200. I use this for writing and gaming. The second monitor is for web browsing, Twitter and other stuff that I tend to keep running when either blogging or playing an MMO. I bought new monitor stands and spent some time working out the optimal height for each screen so I don’t have to look up or down continuously while working. Both screens fit well within my field of vision, so do not require me to turn excessively from one to the other.
After years of trying to come up with some sort of half-assed compromise, I’ve finally bought a quality second monitor. A 24 inch 16:9 1080p Dell monitor was delivered on Tuesday and integrated into my existing desktop setup. I bought this model as it had two HDMI inputs and integral speakers. As well as serving as a second monitor for my PC, I also wanted the ability to connect my Nintendo Switch. Needless to say it all works perfectly. My primary monitor is another Dell 24 inch model but with a 16:10 ratio and a resolution of 1920 x 1200. I use this for writing and gaming. The second monitor is for web browsing, Twitter and other stuff that I tend to keep running when either blogging or playing an MMO. I bought new monitor stands and spent some time working out the optimal height for each screen so I don’t have to look up or down continuously while working. Both screens fit well within my field of vision, so do not require me to turn excessively from one to the other.
I started using my Father’s old Acer flat screen monitor a few years ago but it had a low resolution and was not particularly large, so I only used it when I was experimenting with live streaming. I also tried to use my Fire HD 10 tablet as a substitute monitor but it wasn’t a convenient or efficient workaround. My recent purchase of a Switch proved the best incentive as I can’t always use it with the lounge TV. Although I will play games such as Mario Kart in handheld mode, I prefer other titles such as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag to be played via a more substantial screen. Hence I’ve finally embraced the practicality of dual monitors. I also took the opportunity to replace my ageing twin speakers and subwoofer with a convenient soundbar. One particular model appeared in several of the reviews I read, so I ended up buying the Majority Snowden II. It provides the required level of quality without costing a fortune.
These changes have certainly improved the cable management under my desk, although it still remains somewhat complex. Although adding both these items of kit was simple in principle, the reality proved quite different. I had to disconnect every peripheral to accommodate my new desktop layout and it took a couple of hours of scrabbling around in confined spaces to sort it all out. However, I colour codes both ends of all cables in use, so if at some future date I have to unplug things, it will be a lot easier to identify which lead belongs to which device. Overall, I am pleased with my new desk layout. I’ve removed my “in tray”, the piles of notebooks and the mug filled with pens. I have just one of each item discreetly hidden behind my soundbar. Whether these changes will improve my writing productivity remains to be seen. However, they have made me feel better about my work and leisure space, which is half the battle. Perhaps I should have done this a lot sooner.
Hard Drives and Data Migration
I recently bought three new drives. A 2TB external hard disk drive, a 1TB solid state drive and a 4TB internal hard disk drive. I got all three from Amazon for £250, which was a good price. The external 2.5 inch 2TB HDD is attached to the Blu-ray player in the lounge. This is used for the storage of TV shows and movies. The other two drives are upgrades for my PC. The 1TB SSD replaces an older 240GB model. This is mainly reserved for the operating system and programs such as Microsoft Office. The larger 4TB HDD is for game installations and data storage such as music and photos. All drives are branded names such as Western Digital, Crucial and Toshiba and were chosen because of their performance specifications and capacity. It’s all a far cry from the 120MB HDD that came with my first desktop PC in the middle nineties.
I recently bought three new drives. A 2TB external hard disk drive, a 1TB solid state drive and a 4TB internal hard disk drive. I got all three from Amazon for £250, which was a good price. The external 2.5 inch 2TB HDD is attached to the Blu-ray player in the lounge. This is used for the storage of TV shows and movies. The other two drives are upgrades for my PC. The 1TB SSD replaces an older 240GB model. This is mainly reserved for the operating system and programs such as Microsoft Office. The larger 4TB HDD is for game installations and data storage such as music and photos. All drives are branded names such as Western Digital, Crucial and Toshiba and were chosen because of their performance specifications and capacity. It’s all a far cry from the 120MB HDD that came with my first desktop PC in the middle nineties.
However, there is a downside to replacing drives in your PC and that is the prospect of data migration. Reinstalling an operating system is not as problematic as it used to be and there are now lots of useful tools to make this process easy. The most time consuming task is customising your installation and ensuring that you don’t overlook any important software and files. For example having to reload The Elder Scrolls Online from scratch and then set up all your add-ons is a pain in the ass and hardly a prospect that fills me with glee. The game has a notoriously slow client installer and then making sure your mods are correctly configured is very much a case of trial and error. So with this in mind, I decided to clone my existing C: drive to see if this approach would be easier and quicker. A colleague recommended using Macrium Reflect software as it has a 30 day free trial which doesn’t limit the scope of the software.
To cut a long story short, I successfully cloned the contents of the old SSD but the partition on the new drive was set to the size of the original, which was smaller. I then tried to extend the partition to encompass the entire size of the new Crucial SSD but here’s where the problems began. The drive refused to boot after this change. It was at this point I decided not to conduct some sort of tech based autopsy but to grasp the nettle and undertake a new installation of the operating system, games and apps. So I created a bootable USB flash drive containing Windows installation media and had a fully patched, up to date version of Windows 10 on my PC within two hours. I then started migrating my videos, music, photos, pictures and documents over to the new D: drive. I automated this process and let it run overnight. I use TeraCopy for file transfer, rather than the native Windows Explorer utility, as it is more flexible and reliable.
The Good: I was surprised to learn that it is easy to copy games that have been installed via Battle.net such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone. This was most gratifying as the current version is 225GB in size. All I had to do was reinstall the Battle.net client and then copy a single folder which contained the entire game. Similarly, The Elder Scrolls Online can be moved without any major problems. Minion mod manager can also be relocated. Just copy the main installation folder and then the additional “.minion” folder that can be found in the “users\your name” directory. There is also a further “Elder Scrolls Online” directory in the default “Documents” folder that needs to be migrated. Once these three data sources were relocated to reciprocal locations on the new drives, I could log into ESO with all my addons and settings intact.
The Bad: Older games such as The Lord of the Rings Online are temperamental and don’t like to be messed with. So rather than risk moving my current installation, I just started a new download. Again, this is another task I let run overnight as the patch servers are woefully slow. Before I logged into the game, I downloaded and installed DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer. This ensures you have the appropriate DirectX software that this older game requires. After successfully logging in, I migrated the following files from my old installation to ensure my custom settings were maintained. The “UI folder”, “UserPreferences.ini” and “UserPreferences64.ini”, all of which are found in “The Lord of the Rings Online” Folder, which is located by default in “Documents”. Although this is a fairly straightforward process it takes a long time to download the game and LOTRO isn’t always co-operative with more recent hardware.
The Ugly: I have a wireless HP Deskjet 3630 printer, scanner and copier. I can connect to it via a USB cable but wireless access makes it easier for Mrs P when she uses her laptop in the lounge and wants to print something. HP regularly produces comprehensive all in one driver and operating software for their devices. This is often bloated, resource heavy and the kind of program that likes to get it’s claws into every aspect of your operating system. I don’t like any software that doesn’t allow you to fully control its functionality. Hence, I was not impressed with their latest offering “HP Smart”. Admittedly, this software did set up access to my printer quickly and efficiently. But it also gated a great deal of functionality behind cloud based services. Therefore if you want to scan a document you have to “set up an account” and the data will be held online for you to “access anywhere”. Let it suffice to say a few choice Anglo-Saxon terms were bandied about and this software was summarily removed. I found an older version which provided the functionality I required and expected.
Two days later and I now have a fully functional PC once again. I used this opportunity to purge some software from my standard PC build and am now trying to maintain a policy of only installing programs that I use everyday. It is nice to have a PC free from bloatware and partially uninstalled software. The new drives are performing well and I certainly won’t have to worry about storage space anytime soon. I may even make backup images of both the C: and D: drives for any future eventualities and store them in one of the cloud storage options I currently have. Obviously, the temptation with additional disk space is to install more games, irrespective of whether I play them or not. In the meantime I have all the immediate benefits of a PC hardware upgrade as well as those that come through data “housekeeping”.
More PC Peripherals
Back in May I bought a new keyboard, mouse and headset and subsequently wrote about the alarming rate at which I seem to get through PC peripherals compared to other gamers. So far these new items are proving to be durable. More recently I tried to repair an Xbox controller which had a problematic thumbstick but that sadly did not yield satisfactory results. So I ended up replacing it with a new one. However, one thing that has served me well has been my computer chair. I purchased this in August 2016 and it has proven comfortable and hard wearing. I replaced the gas lift piston in early 2018 and that has kept it going up until a week or so ago. Finally after four years, the upholstery is worn and the foam padding has started crumbling. Repairing these parts of the chair are not really cost effective, so I decided to buy a new one.
Back in May I bought a new keyboard, mouse and headset and subsequently wrote about the alarming rate at which I seem to get through PC peripherals compared to other gamers. So far these new items are proving to be durable. More recently I tried to repair an Xbox controller which had a problematic thumbstick but that sadly did not yield satisfactory results. So I ended up replacing it with a new one. However, one thing that has served me well has been my computer chair. I purchased this in August 2016 and it has proven comfortable and hard wearing. I replaced the gas lift piston in early 2018 and that has kept it going up until a week or so ago. Finally after four years, the upholstery is worn and the foam padding has started crumbling. Repairing these parts of the chair are not really cost effective, so I decided to buy a new one.
The Xbox controller that I needed to replace was originally bought back in 2011. I don’t recollect it costing £50 plus at the time, as they do now. So rather than buying a Microsoft branded version, I decided to go with a generic model as long as there was no serious compromise in quality and performance. Naturally, you can find comparative reviews for virtually anything these days, so it didn’t take long to find a suitable recommendation. I eventually bought the PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller for £35. It is robustly made and offers identical functionality to that of an official controller. Plus it has programmable buttons for those who feel so inclined and like all PC gaming related peripherals, it has LEDs for pointless illumination. At present this new gamepad is to facilitate my playing of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout which it does admirably.
Buying a new chair is a more complex problem. I spend a substantial amount of my day in my office, at my desk, so it’s important to have a supportive and comfortable chair. Ideally, I would usually go to a showroom and try out what is on offer but the current situation in the UK makes that difficult. So again I read reviews and tried to determine whether the chair in question was “comfy”. The first thing I noticed is that office chairs seem to fall into three categories. Computer chairs, executive chairs and gaming chairs. All broadly offer the same thing; somewhere to park your bum. The only major difference is the style. Gaming chairs seem to focus more on back support and are frequently come in lurid colours. They also seem to have over inflated prices as they’re pitched at gamers. However, I found one store (Argos) that had its own brand of chair that was positively rated and £25 cheaper than others, so I bought the Raptor Ergonomic Gaming Chair for £95.
I feel that I have finally got my PC and desk setup as I like it. I upgraded my PC last September and it has performed well over the last 12 months. So far I have not encountered a game that I cannot run at the settings I choose. I have also taken time to manage my desktop peripherals. I have a USB cable conveniently placed so I can quickly attach my phone when required. My headset connects to an audio extension cable, that is similarly placed to make things easy. I have also given some thought as to whether I need a second monitor. As I no longer have any intention of live streaming and I shall not be returning to the IT industry as a source of employment, I do not see the need to buy another display. I prefer to focus on the one screen and concentrate on the task in hand. I sometimes use my Tablet if I need to consult a game wiki while playing an RPG or MMO and that works well. A second monitor would require a new stand and a reorganisation of my desktop. So I think for the present I will leave things as they are, as the current setup seems optimal.
Repairing an Xbox Controller
Avid readers of Contains Moderate Peril (as if there are such individuals) may already be aware that I get through a lot of computer peripherals. This week I thought that I’d damaged the left analogue stick on my Xbox controller. Upon closer inspection I found that it was just the plastic thumbstick cover that was worn out. I don’t use the controller for every game I play, as I prefer a keyboard and mouse. However, I’ve had the controller since July 2011 and mainly use it for driving in games, hence the excessive wear of the left analogue stick. I briefly toyed with buying a completely new controller but the exorbitant prices surprised me. Rather than buy a generic replacement that may be poorer quality than the official Microsoft version, I decided to see if it was easy to repair the existing controller. YouTube provided a quick and affirmative answer and Amazon Prime offered a way to procure replacement parts.
Avid readers of Contains Moderate Peril (as if there are such individuals) may already be aware that I get through a lot of computer peripherals. This week I thought that I’d damaged the left analogue stick on my Xbox controller. Upon closer inspection I found that it was just the plastic thumbstick cover that was worn out. I don’t use the controller for every game I play, as I prefer a keyboard and mouse. However, I’ve had the controller since July 2011 and mainly use it for driving in games, hence the excessive wear of the left analogue stick. I briefly toyed with buying a completely new controller but the exorbitant prices surprised me. Rather than buy a generic replacement that may be poorer quality than the official Microsoft version, I decided to see if it was easy to repair the existing controller. YouTube provided a quick and affirmative answer and Amazon Prime offered a way to procure replacement parts.
This afternoon a pair of black aluminium alloy thumbstick covers arrived so I set about replacing the two existing ones (as I didn’t want to just swap the worn one and have odd coloured sticks on my controller). The underside of the controller has seven philips screws. Six are in plain sight but the sevenths hides under a label. Pro tip, when taking the case of the Xbox controller apart, ensure that its facing buttonside down, so they don’t all fall out. The controller case splits in two relatively easily and it is not especially difficult to pull the thumbstick covers off the spindles. The replacements were easily enough fitted and the longest part of the process was putting the controller shell back together. Plastic can be very temperamental at times and you never know if it’s going to bend or break. I took the opportunity to clean the Xbox controller both inside and out with a microfibre cloth and some isopropyl alcohol.
I subsequently booted up my PC and tested the Xbox controller, via Device Manager in Windows Control Panel. The analogue sticks work but the new covers are not 100% identical to the originals. They seem a little larger and so occasionally stick. When this happens they do not immediately return to the centre position when released. The digital button functionality of the two analogue sticks is also a little hit and miss. However, despite these issues I can still play Fall Guys without any problems. Perhaps these matters may improve after further use. If not, I may consider replacing the alloy thumbstick covers with plastic ones. Another option is to see if I can acquire an old or broken Xbox controller and use it for parts. In the meantime, this was another interesting experiment in carrying out repairs. I don’t consider myself “cheap” but it is rewarding to occasionally fly in the face of a culture that by default expects you to buy a replacement.
PC Peripherals
I’ve mentioned it before that I seem to get through a lot of PC peripherals. I don’t consider myself heavy handed but I find that keyboard and mice just tend to wear out after about a year to eighteen months. Certain keys on the keyboard become unresponsive and have to be giggled to actually register use. The right hand button on my mouse often suffers a similar fate. Plus, I must have extremely acidic sweat as the plastic on both my current keyboard and mouse have shiny patches where I’ve worn through the surface. A few weeks ago, I took off my gaming headset after chatting with friends and the plastic headband just snapped in two. It was just over a year old and no, before you ask, I don’t have a head like The Mekon. All of which is a timely reminder that we live in a very disposable world and that plastic is a convenient but not necessarily durable material.
I’ve mentioned it before that I seem to get through a lot of PC peripherals. I don’t consider myself heavy handed but I find that keyboard and mice just tend to wear out after about a year to eighteen months. Certain keys on the keyboard become unresponsive and have to be giggled to actually register use. The right hand button on my mouse often suffers a similar fate. Plus, I must have extremely acidic sweat as the plastic on both my current keyboard and mouse have shiny patches where I’ve worn through the surface. A few weeks ago, I took off my gaming headset after chatting with friends and the plastic headband just snapped in two. It was just over a year old and no, before you ask, I don’t have a head like The Mekon. All of which is a timely reminder that we live in a very disposable world and that plastic is a convenient but not necessarily durable material.
At present I’m using a generic Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 which is beginning to come to the end of its lifespan. My Logitech G203 Prodigy Gaming Mouse, which is about 18 months old, is playing up. When I play Call of Duty Warzone, it doesn’t seem to want to aim down the sight when I press the right button. And I’m using a spare Logitech H600 Wireless Headset that works but the plastic creaks every time I talk and the mic picks the sound up. Plus the foam ear covers are perishing. So I decided that it was time to replace these items. My first port of call was Amazon and I was amazed to find such a wide range of brands and prices. I found some interesting bundles but a lot of them are manufactured by companies that I’m not familiar with, such as Havit. Although some of the product reviews were positive, I didn’t feel inclined to take a gamble. So I decided to go with Razer as I used their products before.
I bought the “Razer Epic Gaming Bundle” from Currys PC World for £110. This includes the Cynosa Chroma Gaming Keyboard, DeathAdder Essential Gaming Mouse, Kraken X Lite Gaming Headset and a Goliathus Mobile Stealth Edition Gaming Surface. Yet despite the self aggrandising titles that these PC peripherals have, they’ve all received favourable reviews and are built to a high standard. Sometimes it is worthwhile spending a little bit more on the items you use the most. The bundle is also very good value. If I bought all three items separately they would cost £150 plus. However, there is one minor downside. In fact it’s something common to all PC peripherals that are specifically marketed at gamers. And that is the penchant for adorning everything with lurid LED lights that change colour. A man of my age does not consider such ambient lighting or any superfluous adornment “cool”. I just find it irritating and a distraction when gaming.
My PC is a multipurpose tool that I use for both work and pleasure. I use it for writing, editing audio, gaming and watching streaming services. It is also my primary means of online access. I put a fair amount of time into researching what would be the optimal purchase within the budget that I set and my specific technical requirements. Yet often, we do not apply the same scrutiny when buying our peripherals. We either keep using what we have or go with whatever is thrown in with a new PC purchase. But a poor quality keyboard and mouse can be a major impediment to content creation and gaming. At the very least, their respective lifespan is relatively short and you find yourself in the situation that I now find myself in. I’m not advocating the profligate buying of top of the range items just for the sake of it. But it is important to buy to your particular need and cutting corners to save cash may cause inconvenience at a later date.