Experiment showcases 3D dental scanner capable of running Counter-Strike: Source
A 3D dental scanner powered by an old 5th-gen Intel CPU and an AMD Radeon R9 graphics card was able to run the game Counter-Strike: Source.
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r/AfternoonPutrid8558 on Reddit
One would assume that medical equipment is not as capable as a modern PC. However, in a surprising and creative tech experiment, Redditor u/AfternoonPutrid8558 demonstrated how Counter-Strike: Source could be played on a 3D dental scanner. The system, equipped with an old Intel processor and AMD GPU, proved surprisingly capable of running the popular first-person shooter at an impressive 600 to 700 frames per second (fps).
The post has gained a bit of attention on the r/pcmasterrace subreddit, highlighting the creative potential of reusing older hardware for gaming. The tech enthusiast repurposed the dental scanner’s hardware, which featured an older 5th-gen Intel Core i7-5720K and an MSI Raider X99 motherboard running at 3.3GHz with 32GB of DDR4-2999 RAM.
While the exact GPU isn’t confirmed, it is identified as an AMD Radeon R9 200 series card, likely an R9 270X, 280X, or 290X. These older cards don’t match the performance of modern RDNA GPUs, but remain sufficient for running indie and less demanding games. The dental scanner’s display, with a 75Hz refresh rate, and the midrange AMD GPU were sufficient for delivering smooth gameplay in Counter-Strike: Source, a game that launched in 2004.
Gaming on a dental computer
byu/AfternoonPutrid8558 inpcmasterrace
When tested with the more resource-intensive Subnautica, the system still managed to maintain a solid 60 fps, further demonstrating that the hardware can keep up with modern gaming titles, though it’s not optimized for them. The Redditor also mentioned that Subnautica‘s seamoth controls felt “surprisingly elegant” when played with the 3D dental scanner’s large trackball.
This experiment underscores the growing trend of repurposing and recycling technology, especially in the DIY community. This feat also highlights the flexibility of older hardware, showing that components from a few years ago can still perform admirably in less demanding games.
If quirky tech experiments interest you, check out the subreddit r/itrunsdoom. With over 100,000 members, it showcases the most unusual devices running Doom, including calculators, credit card terminals, a 2006 RS Media Robot, a Nintendo Alarmo, and even a Pioneer DJ multiplayer. The community is a treasure trove for fans of unconventional hardware hacks.
Kunal Khullar is a computing writer at Digital Trends who contributes to various topics, including CPUs, GPUs, monitors, and…
No, you didn’t miss it: Dell’s biggest sale of the year is live now
While the big holiday sales events might seem to be over, there's still one picking up steam. That's Dell's biggest sale of the year on AI-ready PCs, business laptops, and more. Now's an excellent time to save big on Dell gear from laptops and desktops to monitors and beyond. For select items, Dell has even taken as much as $845 off, which I probably don't need to say -- but still will -- amounts to huge savings. Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, XPS, you know and recognize the names, and they're all part of the big sale. If you didn't end up grabbing a laptop or new system in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, now's a great time to take the leap.
What to shop in Dell's biggest sale of the year
If you're looking for business laptops, there's . If you're looking for AI-ready PCs, there's , too. In fact, across both events, there are a lot of different options to shop, all from Dell's best selections. Both of these sales will be available until December 9, so now's your time to cram in some last-minute shopping, especially for anyone who needs a new laptop or computer.
Don’t bother with GPU deals during Cyber Week. Do this instead
You've probably been patiently waiting to score a deal on one of the best graphics cards this Cyber Week, and I don't blame you. We're not in a GPU shortage, but GPU prices aren't where they should be. Add on top of that signs that RTX 50-series and RDNA 4 GPUs are right around the corner, and now looks like the best time to score a deal.
I just don't see any good deals.
This Dell XPS Desktop with an RTX 4070 is $600 off during Cyber Week
For one of the best remaining Cyber Week computer deals, head to Dell right now. Currently, you can buy the a Dell XPS Desktop with GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card for $600 off. Normally $2,345, it’s down to $1,745, which is a great price for a desktop PC that is fairly well suited for gaming. All you need is to add one of the best monitor deals and you’re all set. Here’s what this desktop has to offer.
Why you should buy the Dell XPS Desktop
Well suited for gaming as well as working effectively from home, this Dell XPS Desktop is packed with great hardware. It has a 14th generation Intel Core i9-14900K CPU, which is the CPU that I personally considered kitting out my new gaming PC with. It also has 32GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. Best of all is its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 12GB of dedicated VRAM. That all makes for a PC that is perfect for gaming even if it doesn’t look like a gaming PC. This is easily one of the best desktop PCs around. The only consideration I’d make for gaming is wishing there was more storage space, but that’s easily added at a later date.
