What are /r/AtariVCS's favorite Products & Services?

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I'm really just guessing to be fair at the moment. Try running some monitoring software to give you an idea.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trigonesoft.rsm

I use that software to monitor my main systems temps, GPU CPU RAM etc on an Android Tab.

Other users have had similar issues and I'm curious also.

What do you think about using these graphite pads instead of paste? I would love to do this once and never have to worry about the paste drying up or whatever, and being a beginner I fret about applying the right amount or overdoing it.

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https://www.amazon.com/Innovation-Cooling-Graphite-Thermal-Pad/dp/B07CK9SHZG

To get it to reliably boot into Ubuntu, I ended up going into the bios and disabling the internal emmc where the atari stuff is stored. (I was having trouble getting dual boot working and in my initial attempts may have messed up the boot config on the Atari part) There are some notes from someone who did this for Windows here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AtariVCS/comments/l80iia/what_is_the_current_best_strategy_for_windows/ The kicker is that Atari changed the BIOS password, so if you take their firmware updates you might not be able to get in (I'm unsure what the current state of bios locking is). So, in the end, we have 1 untouched AtariVCS we can keep for the console experience and 3 that are dedicated Ubuntu boxes.

Since I disabled the eMMC, I instead used 2 external HDDs (1 user, 1 os for easier reimaging) like this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PXCYCX1 The little 40GB drives are fast (faster than the emmc from what I can tell) and the systems are pretty responsive.

I kept a bunch of rough notes of the steps I took (pm me for a copy), but I will say it was harder than I expected. For example, I learned how to use grub console to boot during this process. On the bright side, my 3 kids have been using their systems for over 5 months now (with sudo permission even!) and I haven't had to reimage them yet ;) We typically keep the 3 VCSs offline, but local wifi lets them play multiplayer together on Minecraft, Mindustry, and modpacks like Pixelmon, RL Craft, StoneBlock, and Galacticraft. They also play more typical open source games like SuperTux, SuperTux Kart, Tux Racer, and MineTest. So far I haven't upgraded the stock 8GB of RAM. The modpacks generally play ok, but sometimes with stock ram they get stuck after a while of playing and have to pkill java to unfreeze the system. Someday I might fork out for a nice ram upgrade, but I consider occasional (every few hours?) computer trouble like that a good thing to be exposed to as a kid.

TEAMGROUP T-Force Zeus DDR4 SODIMM 16GB 3200MHz (PC4-25600) 260 Pin CL16 Laptop OC Memory Module Ram - TTZD416G3200HC16F-S01 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W2JV9R9/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_RX8FHEF81CNFVM80B15W?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought 2 of these and they work fine .

I put 32 GB in mine :
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B08C4X3F3S?ref_=pe_3044141_248816771_302_E_DDE_dt_1

Works perfect. I've dedicated 4GB on (internal) GPU to get some more FPS.

lakka is a OS that makes this much much easier. however afaik no one has gotten it to work on the vcs yet. because atari turned on secure boot only os'es that are signed or know about secure boot will work.

the workaround is to install ubuntu and then install retroarch onto that. you could also try retropi but im not sure if there is an x86 version. retropi is an os for the raspberry pi.

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addendum: you can run retropie on x86 debian. https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Debian/

I've got to go to work, but I'll try that out once I come home. I did swap it with 32gb of ram (Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083W5ZRJ1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). I'll swap it with it's stock 8gb of ram once I get home tonight

If your television was made in the last twenty years you likely have more than one HDMI port (which support video and audio for devices). Any device made in the last fifteen years or so will support HDMI (the last major devices that didn't were the Nintendo Wii and the originally released Xbox 360s (although the later Xbox 360 Slim models did)).

So yes, you can attach them both. Your real question is do you have enough available HDMI ports? If you have a lower end TV (like my 32" Vizio which only has two HDMI ports) which has a Blu-ray player and a Roku attached, I'm out of ports. If this is the case, you'll need an HDMI switcher which is a little box with multiple HDMI ports that attaches to an HDMI port on the TV. Your excess devices plug into it you press a button to change to the device on the switch. Mine is a four port device that makes my two HDMI device into a five HDMI device (remember the switcher takes a port).

The price of the switch will vary depending on the features. I would get one with at least three ports, a remote and 4K ability so you'll be able to use it for a few years.

UGREEN HDMI Switch 3 in 1 Out 4K HDMI Switcher Splitter, HDMI Switch Box Hub with Remote Supports 4K 30Hz HD 3D 1080P, Monitor Switch Compatible with Apple TV PS5 PS4 Xbox Fire Stick Blu-Ray Player https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0865JJLHD/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_YWPCM524RHH43NYW7TCG

Use CL 16 or higher RAM, if you can afford it. Buy your RAM in one package so you get two matched sticks of RAM. Google all of it if you want. The hard drive you selected should be okay. I bought the one below, and it works in my Atari.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B077SQ8J1V/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Go real retro- like in the 90's when we could swap a cpu, had an unlocked bios and could overclock it. :)

Or- do like my MSI laptop and put out your own software that allows (safe) overclocking from the factory.

https://www.msi.com/page/afterburner

Looks pretty weak for $5 a month. Many of the reviews say the UI is bad and the games are buggy.

It's funny that Atari is partnering with a budget game producer who has off-brand versions of game IP that Atari actually owns. I guess at some point Atari had to decide whether to sue them like Target or partner with them:

"Multiplayer arcade pong game" https://www.airconsole.com/play/sport-games/brick-wars

"One thruster per level, land it safely" https://www.airconsole.com/play/cooperative-games/rakete

It has AMD hardware, everything is supposed to work outside the box driver wise (if you're used to Windows's way of doing: no. There will not be drivers to install, setup.exe. Everything is supposed to works once the OS is installed and updated). As emulators, just try by yourself right now:

http://www.lakka.tv/get/windows/generic/ You need a USB3 dongle and any PC capable to boot from it. Windows will be left untouched... While in LAKKA you can access the Windows partition; but I strongly suggest you to let it alone until you aren't familiar with Linux's way of doing. Just be sure the USB dongle is big enough to carry also the ROMs you want to play.

You can potentially test your USB key on any PC you find around (libraries, internet cafe, friend house, other family PCs), but again: don't try anything unrelated to simply run ROMs and update Lanka until you are experienced with what you have

LibreELEC

You can also grab a usb flash disk, burn your favorite linux distro on it with your PC already, and make all the Kodi adjustment you need before boot it on your VCS.

here some more ideas

If you are the second owner, it seems almost certain that you've acquired a system with this installed: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-NAND-1TB-SSD-WDS100T2B0B/dp/B073SB2MXT/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Western%2BDigital%2B1TB%2BWD%2BBlue%2B3D%2BNAND%2BInternal%2BPC%2BSSD%2B-%2BSATA%2BIII%2B6%2BGb%2Fs%2C%2BM.2%2B2280%2C%2BUp%2Bto%2B560%2BMB%2Fs%2B-%2BWDS100T2B0B&qid=1635110180&sr=8-1&th=1.

From the screenshots you've posted, I can tell that it has been formatted to whatever file system the Atari OS uses, which I think is Ext4. Notice how your SanDisk shows up as unformatted? That's how the internal SSD drive that I installed on my shows as well. My SSD is formatted in NTFS and has Windows 10 Pro installed, but it shows as unformatted when I boot to the Atari OS.

Can't speak on Windows 10 but I bought this drive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P22RK1G?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share and it's worked well so far. Had some issues with getting Ubuntu on it but it finally settled down.