Steam+ Deals Mega Thread (All PC Gaming Deals)

Neuro5i5

Neuro5i5

CAGiversary!
Feedback
151 (100%)
This thread will attempt to provide a place to discuss past/present/future PC gaming deals. While mainly focusing on Steam games, any standout sales may also be presented. I will not be updating every Daily/Weekly/etc. sale. The tools to help individuals become a smarter shopper will be provided below.

See this POST for links to store sale pages, threads of interest and other tools to help you become a more informed PC game shopper.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 12 Downvote
MysterD said:
Performance seems a bit better. Not sure if it's the newer Nvidia drivers, CP 2077, and/or both here - but now at 1080p60fps w/ everything maxed-out with both RTX On (maxed-out) & DLSS On (at Quality Mode), it ain't budging below 60fps on my RTX 3070 desktop. Also really like that I saw FSR was added to this game - and that's great for AMD users and those who don't own NVidia 2xxx or 3xxx cards.
Click to expand...
I'd recommend looking at optimized settings for this game especially if you play uncapped or you have fps drops. There's some settings which can be lowered to get noticeably performance improvements with little to no visual changes.

 
etcrane said:
Modern Deus Ex never lived up to the original … in fact, I don’t think any game in the series has been as good as the original Deus Ex. Would love to see an all-in remake of Deus Ex with the same level of depth and choice. Seems like they don’t make games like that anymore … I find myself bored with so many modern games because they seem so shallow compared to some older PC games.

Diving back into Cyberpunk sometime this week, but first impressions weren’t good when I broke down and played it a few months ago. Wasn’t even the glitches that were the issue, it was the same feeling of rushed development, lack of depth and cut corners.

Total tangent, but I wonder if Starfield will scratch the Skyrim itch. That’s one of the few games that competed with Deus Ex for depth, choice and immersion in modern games.
Click to expand...
Human Revolution was fine. Nothing incredible, but was a decent play. Boss battles were garbage, but at least those got patched eventually. Original Deus Ex had a vision and its scope and world building are unrivaled in a lot of ways.

The less said about Skyrim and modern Fallout the better.

 
Tried playing more of Cyberpunk … disappointing crap … I really have no other words for it. The pop in is awful, the npcs are worse than Skyrim … it’s still hot garbage and this is from someone who somewhat defended the game and held out for the next gen version. Life is short … there are better games.
 
With the recent fixes i's nice to see Persona 4 Golden will be playable on Steam Deck at launch.

1643604723-comic756.png


 
TheKbob said:
But instead, I am playing through Divinity Original Sin 2 Def Ed again right after my first playthrough.
Click to expand...
That seems to be me anymore... I got one loot game I'm playing and then whatever the newest Forza game's new weekly content. And, by anymore, I mean like for years. Division, Division 2, Marvel Heroes, Diablo II: Remaster, Path of Exiles, etc.

Actually, like the biggest change was playing Borderlands 3... And its, well, a loot game but I never stayed around for the end game just ran the campaign, and story DLCs.
 
Lithium Flower said:
With the recent fixes i's nice to see Persona 4 Golden will be playable on Steam Deck at launch.

1643604723-comic756.png
Click to expand...
was that recent? Good for it. Ys celceta and a number of other titles wario posted wern't compatible semi recently though. Thought it was p4g but I must have just mixed those 2 up since they were both vita titles I enjoyed.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
BreadNiblets said:
I played every sidequest in Nioh but I never had to go back and grind levels I'd already finished. It's tough, though, and I can see how you could end up in bad spot if you weren't deliberate with your build. Early on I picked the weapon, gear, and skills I wanted to focus on and didn't waste points on stats or skills I didn't need. If anything the last few levels were too easy since I was able to wreck everything in sight. I think the endgame content would have pushed me but I was too eager to start Nioh 2 to mess with it. And yeah, the story is weird. It's one of those games where I started skipping cutscenes since I really didn't give a shit about what was going on.
Click to expand...
Yep I think that's it. I was trying to spread points out evenly, not specializing in any one particular build. As grindy as I made it, the gameplay was fun. I'll give it another shot.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pretty low to take away from any bundle junk previous redeemed. Looks like a crap game anyway, but that's a scum move.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
MysterD said:
Total War: Warhammer 3

Total War: Warhammer 3 is having performance issues, probably since it launches w/ Denuvo...which review-copies did not have:

Sources:

https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/total-war-warhammer-3-fans-say-denuvo-patch-has-harmed-performance-3164450

https://old.reddit.com/r/totalwar/comments/sv4bsx/the_review_builds_of_the_game_ran_much_better/?user_id=25085187&web_redirect=true
Click to expand...
Yup, I've not even bothered to install it. I've watched streamers seem to have enough problems with performance and stability. Some say the campaign map is pushing their cpu/gpu to 100% and overheating things. Some have switched to DX11 and things work better, others have added some ini file to get the cpu to use only certain cores or something.

 
So, as many of you know I tend to bounce around between Mass Effect and Skyrim (Borderlands is on hiatus). I recently decided to hit my backlog a bit by playing some of the more hyped older games I have.

During the holidays last year I finally played The Witcher 2. It was...ok?  It just was and wasn't what I was expecting, I guess. I knew going in it was heavy handed with story, but yeesh. Names, places, factions, etc....I was on story overload. I guess I gravitate to games that are heavy in lore, but your story is more or less yours to make. It's been a while since I played an RPG where the protagonist is mostly set and Geralt makes choices I normally wouldn't. Combat was mostly serviceable (though hit detection was a bit egregious), but the difficulty curve that I read about was absolutely on par with my experience. I played on Dark and died every time I turned my back early game, but by mid-end game was a magic monster. It was a good story and I'm glad I played it, but I'm glad I'm done. I likely won't be replaying to experience the other choices (I chose Roche's Path).  

As a palate cleanser I'm currently playing through (about 2/3 finished) Crysis 3. And it's, well, boring. It does look kind of graphically pretty (still not modded Skyrim pretty), but the gameplay is uninspiring. Maybe I'm missing something? I played though Crysis 2 back on my PS3 and I vaguely remember enjoying it, but 3 just feels lackluster. It's either cloak and mindlessly murder poor AI troops, or armor it up and slaughter everyone with the occasional cover to replenish energy. I haven't even found a need for specialized ammo yet. I'm playing on the Supersoldier difficulty since I read the game was fairly easy, but yikes. 

I guess, over the years, my game preferences have changed again. 

 
Neuro5i5 said:
So, as many of you know I tend to bounce around between Mass Effect and Skyrim (Borderlands is on hiatus).

During the holidays last year I finally played The Witcher 2. It was...ok?

As a palate cleanser I'm currently playing through (about 2/3 finished) Crysis 3.
Click to expand...
Sounds like we're in a similar game space. I love that Skyrim provides a world for you to more or less do as you choose. I've put a few hundred hours into that in the last couple of years. As you may have seen, a few days ago I was talking about starting The Witcher 3, having never played any game in the series. I did find myself missing the freedom to roam and do as I please, but I am enjoying the lore quite a bit and the characters are well written -- so I can appreciate that aspect. No idea how it compares with the second game though.

Funny you mention Crysis 3. It's been on my wishlist for years and it keeps hitting $7.49 and I always pass, thinking I'll pick it up later when I'm ready to play. Based on your assessment, I guess I'm glad I've held off on it. Maybe later.

I think I may try some of the Assassin's Creed games out of order to see if I get that nice open world feel. I tried the first years ago, but it didn't keep my attention. I'm thinking about trying Origins or IV unless I need a palette cleanser as well.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I like open-world games, but I've grown a bit tired of them. I wish games were not as big w/ the seamless one world/map to load, maps were smaller, had more meaning in decisions, and less UbiSoft side quests.

Doesn't help when I see a big map like HZD has - and there's icons everywhere. UBi games are guilty of this too. Even CP 2077 got smart and added custom filters.

I'll even take games that use each smaller open-world map as a Chapter (beat Chapter 1, unlocks new open-world map for Chapter 2, etc etc), even if they ain't totally open-world - even semi-open world.

Give me more Deus Ex HR's, Vampire Bloodlines, ME Trilogy/Legendary, Alpha Protocols, Metro Exodus and Witcher 2's - and less Skyrims, WD Legions, DA Inquisitions, ME Andromedas, Witcher 3's and Ubi games.

Give me more linear FPS's like Crysis series, DOOM, FEAR 1, HL1 and HL2, Bioshock games, and the old-school shooters - less Far Cry 2 and newer open-world FC FPS's, Homefront TR, etc etc.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
MysterD said:
Doesn't help when I see a big map like HZD has
Click to expand...
You say stuff... but I don't think you realize what you say. HZD actually caught grief when it came out that it's map was as SMALL as it is. And there's icons.. but most of them are just references. Just like the camps.

HFW is really good so far though. But I'm only like 5-6 hrs in.

HZD is one of the few games I 100%'d. The story was that good. And then... they went and made a second one that references the first... and was pretty faithful so far.

RIP Mako from Mass Effect. Still pissed me of my favorite part of #1 was ignored in #2.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
We all know HZD is good w/ its Lore, characters, story, and all of that stuff - but as soon as it opened-up after the first few hours, it began to be another open-world game. Like Witcher 3 and Mafia 3, pull open the map and see icons, references, or whatever you wanna call them - yeah, it joins that list; God knows when it'll ever get finished by me.

At least something like RDR2 - there ain't 50,000 icons and/or references on the map. There only seems to be a few and it makes it much easier to explore and feels more focused for me to push the main story along. Doesn't feel like I'm getting stuck and needing to other stuff just to be XYZ level to do a certain quest or mission either.

EDIT - About HZD being too small for many...well, I certainly don't need it to be any bigger. We got enough open-world games w/ big maps and worlds to explore already. Numerous from UbiSoft alone, nevermind everybody else all also trying to chase the UbiSoft and Skyrim open-world dragon.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
MysterD said:
Doesn't help when I see a big map like HZD has - and there's icons everywhere.
Click to expand...
Literally the reason why I can't play most open world games anymore. Zelda- Breath of the Wild wasn't the greatest open world game but it was great that you just did whatever you wanted to do without icons everywhere.

I have been playing Dying Light 2, and I think it is the best open world game I have played since Skyrim. The parkour is awesome. A lot to do and the day/night cycle keep it interesting. I also like open world games that has a first person view. I find it more immersive, hence why I don't play many ubisoft titles.

 
Tech question - is it a bad idea to mix and match RAM sizes in a PC even if they are the same brand?  And does the using same brand even matter?

My R1 Alienware Alpha I3 has a Kingston 4 GB RAM installed from the factory.  The Alpha has two RAM slots.  So I'm wondering if I should buy another Kingston 4 GB to install alongside it (I found a compatible one on Amazon), remove the installed 4 GB and replace it with an 8 GB instead, or if I should buy an 8 GB instead of a 4 GB and install it alongside the already installed 4 GB.

Most of the Steam games that I want to play are older ones, but they recommend 8 GB RAM for performance.  But my Google search seems to suggest that installing an 8 GB RAM alongside a 4 GB RAM in a PC might impact performance.

And yes, I already know an I3 Alpha is a low-end machine at this point, but since I already own it, I'd like to enjoy it.  Thanks.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
josekortez said:
Tech question - is it a bad idea to mix and match RAM sizes in a PC even if they are the same brand?
Click to expand...
You will benefit from having more RAM than you would have but you'll lose the benefit of dual-channel performance since it will run each stick as asymmetric single-channel. So a 4GB and 8GB is better than just a 4GB (more RAM and you're single channel with one 4GB stick anyway) but not as good as matching sticks. I assume it's a case by case thing whether or not 2x4GB beats 4GB+8GB -- I'd guess that if the program needed well under 8GB anyway, you'd be better with the faster speeds of dual channel, if it's memory hungry, probably better with mismatched higher capacity.

Edit: This site suggests that 4+8 will use the first 4GB in each stick as dual channel and only the seconds half of the 8GB will run in single channel. That ain't how I learned it but maybe stuff works better these days. Or maybe this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah, that's a thing and I've usually heard it called flex channeling.  But before anyone gets worked up about channeling, they should look up benchmarks.  Ram frequency, density, latency, capacity (if needed) matter much more than channeling.  So just use what you need and can get a deal on.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
hal said:
I think I may try some of the Assassin's Creed games out of order to see if I get that nice open world feel. I tried the first years ago, but it didn't keep my attention. I'm thinking about trying Origins or IV unless I need a palette cleanser as well.
Click to expand...
I tried AC1 like 3 times and just couldn't do it. I'm not a big stealth fan in general, but stealth focused games always seem to make you want to play them a certain way. And usually that's in a way that can't hold my attention for very long. I too, have been thinking about picking up Origins or Odyssey (likely the latter) since they seem to deviate from the old AC formula with the addition of loot and RPG-lite skills. And for all the AC stealth I've tried and found uninteresting, I absolutely love the Dishonored games. But, again, they give the player more freedom and more tools to play in other ways than just stealth.

I'm hoping The Witcher 3 grabs me more. I was going to start it, but was Witchered out for a bit. I do appreciate the lore and the detail at which the stories are crafted, it's just that 2's mediocre (imo) gameplay didn't quite reach the same level of the story telling, so the game felt unbalanced.

 
Hah... that was interesting.  i5-4590 w/ RX 480 8GB (Running 580 BIOS)

4GB+8GB config:

Fire Strike: 11,346

Time Spy: 4218

4GB+4GB config:

Fire Strike: 11,341

Time Spy: 4223

So both results within range of just random variance.  The CPU score for Time Spy was 3000 for the 4+4 set and 2897 for 4+8 set though for whatever that's worth.  Still talking a couple percent difference.

I guess I'd do the 4+8 since it won't hurt and, if you ever need more than 8GB RAM for something, you'll have it versus the hard cap of 4+4.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
MysterD said:
We all know HZD is good w/ its Lore, characters, story, and all of that stuff - but as soon as it opened-up after the first few hours, it began to be another open-world game. Like Witcher 3 and Mafia 3, pull open the map and see icons, references, or whatever you wanna call them - yeah, it joins that list; God knows when it'll ever get finished by me.

At least something like RDR2 - there ain't 50,000 icons and/or references on the map. There only seems to be a few and it makes it much easier to explore and feels more focused for me to push the main story along. Doesn't feel like I'm getting stuck and needing to other stuff just to be XYZ level to do a certain quest or mission either.

EDIT - About HZD being too small for many...well, I certainly don't need it to be any bigger. We got enough open-world games w/ big maps and worlds to explore already. Numerous from UbiSoft alone, nevermind everybody else all also trying to chase the UbiSoft and Skyrim open-world dragon.
Click to expand...
You can actually filter those icons off in HZD map. Most of those icons are where the machine spawns. I completed HZD last week and held off on playing it because I was fatigued with open world games. I got 100% completion and I did not visit all those icons nor was I planning to.

I agreed with you about these open world game getting bigger, I prefer good size games that I can enjoy playing and not feel overwhelmed.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
blueweltall said:
You can actually filter those icons off in HZD map. Most of those icons are where the machine spawns. I completed HZD last week and held off on playing it because I was fatigued with open world games. I got 100% completion and I did not visit all those icons nor was I planning too.

I agreed with you about these open world game getting bigger, I prefer good size games that I can enjoy playing and not feel overwhelmed.
Click to expand...
It's funny. B/c back when I was younger, it felt like many games were too short and there's not enough open-world or semi-open world games. Now, especially in AAA space, feels like there's A TON of them now; open-world fatigue basically set in.

Man, do they (the industry and AAA space) really milk and ride a genre...into the ground.

I'm gonna have to mess around more w/ HZD's map, if that's the case - it just might be what I need, to try to get over my hump w/ it. I love the art-design, Lore, story, characters, and the whole robotic-dinos & monsters everywhere in a post-apoc future where human groups broke into tribes setting.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Windows 11 Stuff.

W11 Changes coming soon...and it ain't good.

Tom's Guide - "Windows 11 will soon force everyone to have a Microsoft account:"

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/windows-11-will-soon-force-everyone-to-have-a-microsoft-account

Notes:

01. W11 will force everyone to have a Microsoft account to use & also install Windows 11.

02. The above will even include W11 Pro users to deal w/ the above nonsense.

03. Side Note - W11 Pro users were originally EXEMPT from the above nonsense. No longer exempt.

04. This was one of the reasons to go Pro, to avoid that nonsense. No more.

04. This means everybody will be basically need to be online to install W11 properly too.

05. This doesn't bode well for laptop users, who might not have WiFi, Ethernet ports...

06. ...and/or don't have the best connections to the Net somehow.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Neuro5i5 said:
I tried AC1 like 3 times and just couldn't do it.
Click to expand...
Same here. I did make it through AC Black Flag though. The story was janky and the parts where it jumps to the current world were jarring and took me out of the action I wanted. The stealth/parkour/open world were decent. I tried AC: Origins, love the Egypt setting, couldnt get into the story, and eventually bailed half way through cause it felt just like any other Ubisoft openworld game.

 
josekortez said:
Tech question - is it a bad idea to mix and match RAM sizes in a PC even if they are the same brand? And does the using same brand even matter?

My R1 Alienware Alpha I3 has a Kingston 4 GB RAM installed from the factory. The Alpha has two RAM slots. So I'm wondering if I should buy another Kingston 4 GB to install alongside it (I found a compatible one on Amazon), remove the installed 4 GB out and replace it with an 8 GB instead, or if I should buy an 8 GB instead of a 4 GB and install it alongside the already installed 4 GB.

Most of the Steam games that I want to play are older ones, but they recommend 8 GB RAM for performance. But my Google search seems to suggest that installing an 8 GB RAM alongside a 4 GB RAM in a PC might impact performance.

And yes, I already know an I3 Alpha is a low-end machine at this point, but since I already own it, I'd like to enjoy it. Thanks.
Click to expand...
You should use identical RAM sticks, brand, timings, and everything, or else you run the risk of having system failures, random crashes, or the machine not even booting.

Get a matching set of RAM sticks, run them in dual channel, and call it a day. You'll have better performance in dual channel with 2x 4GB than you would with a single stick of 8GB. You wouldn't want to buy another Kingston 4GB package and try to match them because the timings/specs could be slightly different. It would be best to get a whole 2x 4GB or 2x 8GB kit. Unless you can find the EXACT same stick of RAM for sale that's already inside of your PC.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
MysterD said:
Windows 11 Stuff.

W11 Changes coming soon...and it ain't good.

Tom's Guide - "Windows 11 will soon force everyone to have a Microsoft account:"
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/windows-11-will-soon-force-everyone-to-have-a-microsoft-account

Notes:
01. W11 will force everyone to have a Microsoft account to use & also install Windows 11.
02. The above will even include W11 Pro users to deal w/ the above nonsense.
03. Side Note - W11 Pro users were originally EXEMPT from the above nonsense. No longer exempt.
04. This was one of the reasons to go Pro, to avoid that nonsense. No more.
04. This means everybody will be basically need to be online to install W11 properly too.
05. This doesn't bode well for laptop users, who might not have WiFi, Ethernet ports...
06. ...and/or don't have the best connections to the Net somehow.
Click to expand...
I could have sworn W10 already made you have an account. I had to create one for my parents when I bought them a new prebuilt, and I don't think I would have done it if I could have easily avoided it
 
Kyle1022 said:
I could have sworn W10 already made you have an account. I had to create one for my parents when I bought them a new prebuilt, and I don't think I would have done it if I could have easily avoided it
Click to expand...
You can get around it. This was inevitable, Microsoft was basically letting people pay the Pro upgrade price to avoid the account requirement. They must have done a LTV calculation and the tipping point has been reached. Blech.
 
gospelman said:
Yeah, that's a thing and I've usually heard it called flex channeling.
Click to expand...
Curiously, my BIOS says that my 4GB Samsung stick and 8GB Crucial stick are running in Dual-Interleave mode which the Intel page says is when the RAM capacities match. CPU-Z also says I have 12GB running in dual channel. The Intel page also mentions your Flex mode and that it uses the full capacity of the smaller stick plus the matching capacity of the larger stick with the overflow running in single channel. Which is what I would have expected to see for mine but
shrug.gif


In the case of mismatching timings/speed, it'll just run all sticks at the slower specifications. My Samsung stick runs 800MHz and my Crucial is 889MHz but they just run at the Samsung settings. I won't say that no one has ever had a problem about it since there's a bunch of motherboards and BIOS and whatevers out there so I'm sure some combinations have caused issues but my experience with building computers out of my three giant bins of junk parts is that it's fine.

As for Win10, if you installed it and made the account saying you didn't have an internet connection, it would create a Local Account and not require an online Microsoft account. Once the Local Account was created, it wouldn't bother you about it again.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nothing- said:
You should use identical RAM sticks, brand, timings, and everything, or else you run the risk of having system failures, random crashes, or the machine not even booting.

Get a matching set of RAM sticks, run them in dual channel, and call it a day. You'll have better performance in dual channel with 2x 4GB than you would with a single stick of 8GB. You wouldn't want to buy another Kingston 4GB package and try to match them because the timings/specs could be slightly different. It would be best to get a whole 2x 4GB or 2x 8GB kit. Unless you can find the EXACT same stick of RAM for sale that's already inside of your PC.
Click to expand...
Thanks for breaking it down. I went with another 4 GB Kingston that was recommended on the Alienware Alpha Reddit thread just to be safe.

And thanks to everyone else who commented. Since I came to this thread from the console world, I've learned a lot from you guys.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/discount_rule_changes

Starting March 28th, a 90% discount on games will be the maximum sale price Steam allows. Probably to prevent those cheap asset flip "games" from manipulating the sales charts

Still kinda sucks though, as I've gotten multiple games/bundles for over 90% off over the years. But I doubt the difference between 94% off and 90% off would ever sway me to not buy something
 
I've rarely seen 90% off on anything noteworthy.  60% seems to be the steepest most popular titles settle at these days.  There are a few exceptions like the Serious Sam series.

 
Kyle1022 said:
But I doubt the difference between 94% off and 90% off would ever sway me to not buy something
Click to expand...
Have you forgotten where you are?

The difference between 94 cents and 90 cents is enough to make most CAGs spend the rest of their lives regretting the one deal that got away, furiously poring over trade posts in every spare moment, hoping one day to make up for that $0.04 difference.

 
Mooby said:
I've rarely seen 90% off on anything noteworthy. 60% seems to be the steepest most popular titles settle at these days. There are a few exceptions like the Serious Sam series.
Click to expand...
this, the closest you get is some stacking discount on completion bundles, and they are usually pretty good about making sure they dont end up discounting something below 90% anyway with one of those, even though they can still be the best deals around. I dont think this really changes anything (unless you give a crap about bundle and asset trash)

 
inm8num2 said:
Have you forgotten where you are?

The difference between 94 cents and 90 cents is enough to make most CAGs spend the rest of their lives regretting the one deal that got away, furiously poring over trade posts in every spare moment, hoping one day to make up for that $0.04 difference.
Click to expand...
I thought I told you to stop hacking my webcam.
 
inm8num2 said:
Have you forgotten where you are?

The difference between 94 cents and 90 cents is enough to make most CAGs spend the rest of their lives regretting the one deal that got away, furiously poring over trade posts in every spare moment, hoping one day to make up for that $0.04 difference.
Click to expand...
Remember the value -> 1 penny = 1 Metro Last Light.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top