SCRAPYARD WARS SEASON 5 ANNOUNCED! - WAN Show March 24, 2017

The WAN Show episode from March 24, 2017 opens with a jolt of industry-wide news, as the hosts acknowledge the shutdown of SourceFed, a move that mirrors broader shifts in online media and their own business modeling. They discuss how SourceFed had served as a validation point for the model of assembling a team across multiple channels, similar to what Linus Tech Tips has built, and they reflect on the impact of losing a platform with a sizable staff. The conversation then pivots to Ryzen coverage, with multiple segments dedicated to AMD’s Infinity Fabric, its relationship to memory speed, and the implications for desktop systems. The hosts explain that Ryzen’s architecture connects CCX modules through a 256-bit crossbar, which ties memory performance directly to core communication, opening a discussion about how memory speeds influence overall system bottlenecks. They clarify that this design choice elevates the importance of memory overclocking and explain the practical outcomes for enthusiasts who want to push Ryzen beyond stock settings. A core takeaway is that memory bandwidth can influence not just core-to-memory interactions but also how cores coordinate with uncore components, affecting real-world performance in workloads that matter to enthusiasts and professionals alike. The show then provides a running tally of Ryzen news, including rumored 180-watt 16-core parts and the potential for extreme cooling solutions, highlighting the ambition and risk in AMD’s roadmap. The team emphasizes that the market is watching, and even rumors about power envelopes can shift how builders plan cooling, chassis design, and motherboard support. The hosts segue into performance benchmarks and community-reported builds, noting Level1Techs’ performance in a high-end 1800X system and its single GPU configuration, which frames the context for whether Ryzen can scale in both multi-core and single-threaded workloads. Sponsorships appear next, with MOS, iFixit, and Zotac highlighted as their partners, each receiving an in-depth showcase of products and practical use cases for viewers who want to upgrade or repair their rigs. The MOS segment details a compact, modular approach to product organization, while iFixit pitches its professional repair toolkit and spudgers, underscoring how hardware maintenance remains central to long-term PC ownership. Zotac closes the sponsor slate by presenting a lineup of compact and portable gaming solutions, from the GTX 1080 mini to the VR Go backpack, illustrating the trend toward small form factor performance gear. The Scrapyard Wars 5 setup is teased with a reveal that the season will pit the WAN Show team against Paul and Kyle in Los Angeles, signaling a cross-country showdown that fans have anticipated since earlier seasons. The conversation then explores how the show will coordinate travel, location logistics, and budget, while the hosts confess that many details are still being ironed out as production ramps up. In a candid moment, they discuss the challenge of keeping long-form content engaging, noting editing timelines and float plane club access that will enable early viewers to see episodes ahead of the general release. They acknowledge that a three-part to four-part structure might emerge as episodes come together, balancing depth with YouTube audience preferences for shorter, more digestible videos. The pair also reveals a bold plan to potentially launch a Scrapyard Wars movie via Kickstarter, while acknowledging the enormous production demands such a project would entail, including travel and a week-long shoot, followed by substantial editor time. The episode closes with plans for a coordinated team battle, the decision to have Lukee and Linus on the same team, and a playful debate about home turf, Craigslist familiarity, and cross-border logistics that adds humor and tension to the upcoming competition. Throughout the show, they reflect on the evolving nature of content creation, distribution, and fan engagement, underscoring that transparency about the production process is part of the appeal for the audience. The WAN Show ends on a hopeful note, with the team looking forward to LA-based production, the potential for fan-driven support, and the ongoing mission to deliver entertaining and informative technology content that resonates with their community.

Topics · technology · entertainment · gaming · hardware · podcast · manufacturing