The biggest hardware decision I had to make while choosing parts for the new computer was between a dual-core or quad-core processor.  The natural tendency for most people is to assume that if two cores are better than one core, four cores are automatically better than two cores.  But more CPU cores isn't automatically better.  Usually, and logically, a quad-core processor will cost more than a dual-core processor with the same clock speeds.  The quad-core processor in my price range had 2.4 Ghz cores as opposed to the 3Ghz cores in it's similarly priced dual-core counterpart.

If you're just running one program (for example, a game or an office application) a faster dual-core processor will allow that program to perform faster than a slower quad core processor (Windows can give the program a dedicated core and use the other core for all other system and background functions). But if that one program is muli-core aware, the performance gain on a quad-core processor could be anywhere from 5%-65% and higher.  And more and more programs and finally being released that are multi-core aware.  The two most resource intensive applications that my wife and I currently use on our computer are multi-core aware (Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements) and other software we use from time to time at home is also programmed to take advantage of more than two cores (Excel 2007, the latest Half-Life-based games, etc.).

But just as important as multi-core applications is multitasking.  With three (someday soon four) people sharing one computer, it's unheard of for me to come to the computer and find no major applications running.  My wife and daughter both have separate Firefox profiles kept open for easy access (we let my eldest daughter watch Sesame Street videos while we try to squeeze in some Google Reader or Kingdom Of Loathing time), and with the kids demanding her attention 99% of the time, it's not often that she's pulled away from the computer just after editing a photo but before she's started the next, so it's just as likely that I'll find a photo editor and organizer sitting on the task bar as well.  And while minimized, not in use programs should sit quietly out of the way, not taking up any resources but some virtual memory. In reality most programs are regularly trying to grab CPU time for checking for updates and patches, backing up data files, and other such stuff.  Not generally a problem, unless you're trying to do something else processor intensive at the time.  Similarly, actually choosing to do multiple tasks at once, like encoding video while using a heavily javascripted web page and watching a high-definition television episode, well, then it's nice to have enough cores to keep the CPU demanding processes spread out and runing smoothly.

Now, while all my justifications for getting a quad-core processor sound good to me in my head, I don't actually have any proof that my usage of multi-core aware programs and a cpu-intensive multitasking environment is really benefiting from having four cores.  I do know that I don't have to babysit processes like many hardware forum posters warned me when researching processors.  Windows Vista seems to be doing a very nice job of shuffling processes to the right cores to maximize performance without needing me to limit affinity.  And with more software becoming multi-core aware (Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 8 just stepped up to the multi-core/process plate) I'm sure that performance gains will continue to increase for quad-cores in the near future and beyond.

So don't be afraid to go quad-core. It's a superior technology that's finally getting the software developer support it deserves!

I may be an English PhD student, but I also enjoy working with computers.  So, it was only a matter of time before I built a new PC for fun, adventure, and a bit of World of Warcraft.  Don't get me wrong, I love my MacBook Pro, but I've been unhappy with Apple and Blizzard since the MacOS X 10.5.3 update, which effectively destabilized any attempts at playing WoW for more than a few minutes at a time (if it launched at all).  I had been running MacOS X 10.5.2 in order to enter WoW, but this was an imperfect solution, because I was missing out on all of the recent security updates and fixes.

I began researching the hardware that I wanted to use in the construction of my new rig a few months ago, but I didn't put a plan into action until recently.  I believe the fact that tipped the scale was that I learned that there was a Micro Center a short drive away in Cleveland.  I would much prefer a Fry's to Micro Center if I'm buying local, but I had to work with what's nearby.  I could have purchased my stuff online from a website such as Newegg, but I tend to go local due to problems I've had in the past with online ordered new system builds.

After comparison pricing, including rebates (oh, how Micro Center loves rebates), and checking in-store stock, Yufang and I drove to Cleveland one day, despite my being tired and not feeling well, and we spent a couple of hours at Micro Center.  I walked out the store with an Antec mid-tower case with 430 watt PSU, Biostar TP43DA2-A7 (supports DDR2-1066 and sans the bells and whistles I don't need), Intel Core2Quad Q6600 CPU (with lower price than Newegg!), 2GB Corsair Dominator DDR2-1066 (this was a next day exchange after my first XMS2 memory turned out bad), PNY nVidia Geforce 9600GT 512MB PCIe video card, Western Digital 160GB SATA Hard Drive, Samsung DVD+/-R SATA optical drive, and Acer 19" 5ms LCD display.  Besides the initial RAM problem, everything went together fine, and I was able to install Windows Vista Ultimate without headache.

I've found myself using the PC more and more since I've built it.  However, I've been using it for school rather than gaming.  In fact, I haven't played WoW since I built my new rig--there hasn't been any time for it.  That's okay though, because I've been getting a lot of good work done for my space exploration themed college writing course that I'm teaching, as well as my student research and professional duties for SFRA.

I'll report more on my PC soon, particularly when I get to actually relieve some stress killing Alliance characters on Ner'zhul.  Though, one thing that I don't think I need to talk about is the Fact, and I mean that with a capital F, that Microsoft actively designed Vista to be irritating, counterintuitive, and maddeningly uncohesive.

One final thought--I like to think how science fictional it is that I can build my own computer.  What would it have been like to imagine building your own computer prior to the introduction of the MITS Altair 8800 and later, IMSAI 8080?

Ho passato la mattinanata smontando, svitando pulendo soffiando e sistemando un pò l'interno del mio compagno di vita.

Visto il calore che sviluppa il Northbrige ci ho montato un dissipatore Zalman, molto bello a vedersi, e funzionerebbe anche, se non fosse che la stramaledetta dp35dp, con l'aiuto del fattore C (clima) scalda un totale. Da bios la massima temperatura letta e' stata 85°. così ho pensato bene di ventilare un po' la situazione. Ad ogni modo, mamma intel attraverso questo documento mi ha confermato che sono temperature medie di utilizzo dell'ICH (I/O Controller Hub) interno al Northbridge e può sostenere temperature di 105° fino a un massimo di 115°, temperatura nella quale la scheda madre entra in protezione; Praticamente, presumo io, se l'ICH è dentro al NorthBrigde sarà qualche millimetro, in sostanza è come avere una punta di spillo che varia dai 66 ai 100°(in un ambiente normale), mentre il resto del chip viaggia su temperature medie, 60 / 70 appunto, apprezzo molto il fatto che nel bios sia presente la temperatura dell'ICH perché e' effettivamente un componente delicato, stesso discorso vale per il Memory Controller Hub (MCH) che opera a temperature molto simili, se non superiori all'ICH, incredibile come ancora oggi si sviluppi calore e si disperda energia :(

Tornando alle pulizie, come potete vedere dalla foto qui a fianco, ho rimontato, il neon (quello regalatomi da Giovanni :D grazie !)

per questo il case è così blu :)
Ne ho approfittato per collegare un sensore all'interno della ram (e' quel filo che vedete sul primo banco di ram) così da poter tenere sott'occhio la temperatura del banco zero attraverso il display Termalthake.

Ho messo un paio di ventole aggiuntive che sono controllate dal pannello che ho preso alla Isy di Roma qualche mese fa e infine posto 3 foto dell'interno del case rassettato.

Today I finally finished putting together my new PC (R.I.P. P4). I got my hands on a brand new Asus P5Q3 Deluxe motherboard and an Intel Q6600. I am running 4 GB of corsair DDR3 1333 ram with an Nvidia Quadro FX1500 graphics card from PNY. I have O.C. the CPU to 3.0 GHz multiplying the FSB 9*333 and have been doing some stress tests in order to verify stability. Hopefully tomorrow I will have positive results and some action shot of the computer running for you guys.

AMD Phenom 9600 vs Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600

Intel ha publicado una nueva lista de precios sugeridos en donde se observa una fuerte rebaja a varios de sus modelos. Primeramente tenemos al Core 2 Duo E8500 de 3.16Ghz, que baja de USD 266 a USD 183, seguido del Core 2 Duo E7200 que pasa de USD 133 a 113 (o alguien metió mal el dedo) y siempre entre los Dual-Core tenemos al popular E8400 que baja de USD 183 a USD 163.

Pero de seguro la rebaja que más aplausos, abrazos, porras y cánticos va a sacar es la del Core 2 Quad Q6600, último representante de la generación Kentsfield que se niega a dejar las canchas y pasa de USD 224 a apenas 193 dólares convirtiéndose en el primer Quad de Intel bajo la barrera sicológica de los 200 dólares.

Alguno podría interpretar esta noticia como un intento de Intel de amargarle a AMD su política de competir en precio y, tal vez, algo de eso hay, pero si nos ponemos rigurosos, incluso bajando el Q6600 a USD 193 AMD tiene Quad-Cores más baratos, como el Phenom X4 9550 a USD 175. De hecho, por USD 195 AMD tiene una oferta como el X4 9350e con el valor agregado de disipar tan sólo 65W, un 30% menos que el Q6600.

Lo cierto es, en mi opinión, que en este item en particular Intel compite consigo mismo, o dicho de otra manera sólo hace esta maniobra para acelerar la salida del Q6600 -que según Fudo sigue siendo el rey en cuanto a popularidad- del canal de venta para concentrarse en el Q9300 y los demás Quad-Cores de 45nm.

Fuente: CHW

Mudar do Windows 98 para o Vista vai ser mais rápido que um raio de luz.

Garotos espertos pesquisam antes de entrar janela adentro.
Os preços variam muito.
Uma configuração que custa R$2.000,00 em uma loja, custa R$3.000,00 em outra.

Tenho pesquisado muito.

Vou de Quad, isso é minha única certeza.
A dúvida é quanto ao Q6600 e o Q9300.

Estive fuçando na Sta. "Esfingênia" esses dias e voltei iluminado.

O Q6600 é o processador mais em conta. Ele está custando entre R$499,00 e R$509,00.
Trabalha em 2.4 Ghz e para o que pretendo fazer está bom demais.

O problema ou a solução, dependendo do ponto de vista, chama-se Q9300. O irmão prodígio do Q6600.
Seu preço varia entre R$644,00 e R$659,00, mas minha amiga Valéria o cotou por R$560,00 no Mercado Livre.
Em fóruns especializados, elogios não faltam pra descrever este processador.
Além de trabalhar em 2.5 Ghz, é DDR3 e esquenta bem menos que o Q6600.

De todos os irmãos Quad, o mais intocável é o Qx9770, o "Extreme".
Intocável pela tecnologia e pelo preço ainda inviável: R$3.890,00.

Para abrigar o meu Quad, o vendedor me indicou a P5K PL Asus. Suporta até 4 Gb de Ram, tem placa de som integrada bacaninha High Definition de 6 canais, 8 USBs. Seu preço aproximado é de R$199,00.

Mas cheguei em casa e fui pesquisar outras placas.

A P5K SE Asus suporta até 8 Gb de Ram, sua placa de som é de 8 canais de alta definição. Segundo a minha amiga Valéria lá do trampo, ela tem um filtro para reduzir os ruídos básicos do Pc (fontes e coolers) na hora da captura do som. Ela possui 12 USBs e custa aproximadamente uns R$300,00.
Fiquei bem balançado por esta.

A P5K Deluxe Wi Fi FSB é a uma confusão dos diabos.
Não sei até que ponto ela é melhor.
Ela tem 4 slots DDR2 SDRam, até 8 Gb, 10 portas USBs e custa bem mais que as outras, R$510,00.

Mas æ começam as confusões, já que sou leigo no assunto.

Se eu pegar um Q9300 que trabalha em 6m e tem a tecnologia DDR3 e pegar essa placa mais cara que aceita DDR2 SDram, elas serão compatíveis?

Æ fui pesquisar memória Ram.
Disseram-me que tem que ser Kingston, um pente de 2 Gb 800. Preços variando de R$105,00 a R$120,00.

As coisas se complicam quando o assunto é vídeo.
O povo lá do trampo se divide em Editores 2D, que é o meu grupo e os Editores 3D.
Os Editores 3D são aqueles malucos viciados e entendedores dessas placas maravilhosas de vídeo.
Eles dizem que uma Nvídia GeForce 8600 GT 512 Mb está de bom tamanho pra mim. E está mesmo, pelo preço sugestivo dela de R$198,00 a R$229,00.
Mas æ, os mais xiitas dizem que eu deveria pegar 8800, pois pretendo rodar 3D, trabalhar com edição de vídeos no After Effects... O problema é o preço, R$550,00.

HD tem que ser esse tal de SATA, pois dizem que essa é a conexão mais rápida com a placa.
Vamos de SATA então, oras bolas!
Mas o foda, é que cada vez mais ouço um monte de gente dizendo que perdeu ou fudeu o HD e perdeu tudo!
Æ vem a solução ou mais confusão. Comprar 2 HDs de 500 Gb por R$209,00 e fuder a fonte ou comprar 1 de 1 Tb por R$538,00?

Ah, sem esquecer que vou ter que comprar um gravador de Dvd também, pois tem que ser SATA também.
Tudo bem, tudo bem, eu sempre usei muito os meus gravadores. Tá na hora de comprar um novo.
E o preço do DVD-RW SATA da Samsung tá bem convidativo: R$70,00.

O gabinete me cotaram o X Blade Preto, por R$138,00.
Achei muito escalafobético e fui pesquisar um mais discreto.
Acabei me apaixonando pelo Gold Ship Prata Cool Case 1458 ATX, por R$180,00.
Disseram-me que se este aqui acompanhar fonte de 500 reais, tá muito barato!

O cara disse que independente da minha placa de som ter 6 ou 8 canais, se eu quero mexer com som, o bacana é eu instalar uma Creative 7.1 Audigy Box Sound Blaster, por R$110,00.
E eu me pergunto, isso é compatível com o Vista?

Ah, vou querer rodar o Vista 64 Bits.
Marcelão lá do trampo disse que vai rodar redondinho!

Esses dias peguei o Vista de jeito.
Sentei na máquina do supervisor do 3D.
Ele precisava da minha máquina lá no trampo pra renderizar um trampo pra ontem.
Engraçado que o meu PC lá no trampo é um Octo, ou seja lá como se chama uma placa que abriga 2 processadores Quad. Sim, a minha máquina lá tem oito núcleos e custou R$15.000,00.
Agora eu pergunto: "-Por que lá eles não instalaram o Vista?"
Uso o XP 64 Bits lá e nuncaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa travei Corel ou Photoshop. É impressionante.

O foda é que não vou pegar monitor, teclado, mouse...
Pelo menos não agora.

Tava dando preferência pra uma tablet TB 420 9x12 por R$248,00, mas a Micheli, outra Editora de 2D que abandonou o mouse pela canetinha, disse que se não for uma WACON, que eu não perca tempo comprando outras marcas. A WACON é o Ipod das tablets.

O problema vai ser dar moradia aqui em casa pra um avião desses.
Minha rede elétrica não é das melhores.
Vou ter que desembolsar uma grana extra com filtros e quem sabe até um No Break...

Mas que é gostoso cotar e passar de leigo a curioso em poucos dias, ah, isso é.

E viva o Windows, ou não!

Ps: Essas fotos foram tiradas lá nos 100 Anos da Imigração Japonesa, estande da Hello Kitty!

What is the hardware of choice for 3D content creation...
VitalBodies impression is, that the CPU handles rendering on all computer except computer using Gelato.

FACTORS:

• 3D Rendering is where one can wait and wait and wait and...
• Rendering can make your computer unusable FOR HOURS for multi-tasking unless you have enough processing power. One frame of a 3D scene can take 24 hours or more to render.
• This type of issue can even happen with Photoshop doing certain processes on large photos or photos with lots of layers...
• Graphics cards only increase the on screen OpenGL speed.
• The hard drives are waiting and waiting for the rendered image so again CPUs mater here.
• Thus the bulk of ones budget should go to processing power.
  • Each core needs ram, and you should consider at least 1GB per core.

After quite a bit of research, here are the conclusions VitalBodies reached about what to buy to build a 3D Rendering Workstation.
VitalBodies goal was not the fastest and most expensive but instead to find a the best price performance ratio.
A workstation with 2 CPUs on one motherboard seems to be the best choice.

QUAD CORE XEON E5420: LGA771
2.5 GHz 45nm 820 million transistors, 12mb Cache, 64GB addressable memory and 1333MHZ front side bus.
Can use the Intel® 5000X, 5400A or 5400B Chipsets.

Here is how we came to our conclusions and you can too.

PassMark:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
If you look at the X5420 Xeons they look like they do really well in dual processor set ups for the price.

Intel Workstation Processors:
http://www.intel.com/products/server/workstation_processors/index.htm?iid=wsproc+tab_workstation

From Pricewatch:

(Note: be sure to check for the latest prices and perfomance)
$2529 -xeon x7350
$1355 -xeon x5482
$1026 -xeon x5472 - 3.00 GHz 1600Mhz FSB - PassMark 9790
$1252 -xeon x5460
$872 -xeon x5450
$1059 -xeon e5472 - 3.00 GHz 1600Mhz FSB
$850 -xeon e5462 - 2.80 GHz  1600Mhz FSB
$924 -xeon e5450 - 3.00 GHz 1333Mhz FSB - PassMark 8857
$688 -xeon e5440 - 2.83 GHz 1333Mhz FSB - PassMark 6992
$464 -xeon e5430 - 2.66 GHz 1333Mhz FSB - PassMark 6752
$322 -xeon e5420 - 2.50 GHz 1333Mhz FSB - PassMark 8118
$272 -xeon e5410 - 2.33 GHz 1333Mhz FSB
$222 -xeon e5405 - 2.00 GHz 1333Mhz FSB

Best Price Performance Ratio:

Intel Xeon E5420 (the one to beat)

Passmark:

8118 (Dual CPU) Xeon e5420

Pricewatch:

$322 x 2 = $644.

$357 NewEgg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117147

*Pricewatch prices are for reference only. You want to choose a reliable seller not just the lowest price...

So what did VitalBodies Get?

VitalBodies ended up getting a Lenovo ThinkStation D10 which is being built for us as this post is written.

Also, check back to see VitalBodies next post on Motherboards.

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Warum?

Warum nicht! Da dieser PC mich die nächten 3 - 4 Jahre begleiten wird, ist es doch dem Hausverstand nahe die zukunftsorientierte Plattform zu wählen.

Leute, hört nicht auf Aussagen wie: "Mit einem Core 2 Duo e6750 (2 x 2.66 GHz) zock ich ja immer noch schneller Crysis als mit nem Quad Core Q6600 (4 x 2,40)" ...

Ja, noch .... noch...

Guter Artikel zu diesem Thema: c´t 7/08 S.179

Occhio alla scatola. Lo stepping C0 ha come identificativo "SLAN6" mentre lo stepping C1 ha "SLAWR".

Al momento io resto per il Q6600 step G0... e voi?

ATTENZIONE...mi raccomando!

Ich werde die Kiste am Wochenede genauer unter die Lupe nehmen und kann euch bei der Gelegenheit auch endlichen meine Erfahrungen mit meinem Neuen Handy (Nokia N73, ich berichtete) beschreiben. So und weiterzocken ;)

Hier noch ein Überblick über die Spezifikationen, im Detail:

He aqui el final de mi odisea.
El listado de los componentes y sus respectivos precios.

- Carcasa TACENS SIGNUM.....40,20€
- Fuente de alimentación Be-Quiet Dark Power PRO 530W.....114€
- Placa base Gigabyte X38-DS5.....140€
- Microprocesador Intel QUAD CoreQ6600.....189€
- Ventilador Zalman 9700.....49,40€
- Memoria DDR2 1066 Kingston HyperX 4x1GB.....124,50€
- Grabadora DVD NEC 7203 SATA.....23€
- Lector DVD LG H20N SATA.....16€
- Disco duro Western Digital Raptor X 74Gb 10.000rpm.....69,60€
- Tarjeta Gráfica XFX 8800 8800 GTS 512M DDR3.....280€

TOTAL.....1045,70€

Finalmente se ha subido un poco más de precio por la gráfica y por la fuente, pero era lo que había disponible.

Las primeras impresiones muy positivas, tanto a la hora de instalar como de overclockear o mismamente en Windows. La rapidez que tiene es asombrosa.
Si hay alguien que se pregunte qué sistema operativo lleva puesto, de momento ha ganado el Windows VISTA en su versión ULTIMATE. Y digo de momento, porque tengo que ver como se desenvuelve cuando empiece a darle cañita de la buena.

Llegados a este punto tengo que dar las gracias a todos los que con sus comentarios y sugerencias hicieron que éste equipo haya sido posible, y como no, a los compis de VK INFORMÁTICA sin los cuales no hubiese podido hacer el montaje, ni conseguir los buenos precios en los componentes que me buscaron.
Gracias y como se dice en estos casos, a disfrutarlo!

PD : Está en preparación el making off fotográfico de como fué el montaje paso a paso. En cuanto esté lista os lo haré saber para que a quien le interese pueda descargársela.

Por fin tengo el listado final de componentes que irán en el equipo, excepto que ocurriese un cataclismo o algo similar, porque CASI todos los componentes ya están en mi poder.
Procedamos

- Carcasa ATX Tacens SIGNUM
- Fuente de alimentacion ¿? (aún por concretar)
- Placa Base Gigabyte X38-DS5
- Microprocesador Intel Quad core Q6600
- Ventilador del microprocesador ZALMAN 9700
- Memoria 4GB DDR2 1066 Kingston HyperX
- Tarjeta gráfica XFX 8800 GTS 512M DDR3
- Disco duro Westen Digital Raptor X SATA 74Gb 10.000rpm

El sábado es el gran dia. Prometido el reportaje fotográfico del montaje.

Segundo o Tech4pc, o site Fudzilla recebeu um destes brinquedos e forçou-o dos 2.3 GHz que vem de origem até aos 2.6 GHz sem problemas, com estabilidade entenda-se. Mas a grande desilusão vem a seguir. Atingir os 2.7 GHz não tá bem ao seu alcance, praticamente fora dos limites do processador e os 2.8 GHz foi praticamente uma miragem (não arrancou).

Em Novembro, uma amostra do 9900 tinha sido testada. Dos 2.4 GHz até aos 2.8 GHZ mostrando-se estável, enquanto que a 2,915 não foi assim tão estável. Este 9600 ainda mais perde. A pontuação do 9600 BE, no 3DMark06, a 2.3 GHz foi de 9510 e a 2.6 GHz foi de 10.080. Não é uma pontuação que agrade a muita gente, certamente.

Este 9600 BE em relação ao Q6600 fica muito aquém daquilo que era esperado. Enquanto que o Q6600 pode ultrapassar a barreira dos 3 GHz, este mal se aguenta pralém dos 2.6 GHZ (até 2.6 GHz o seu desempenho é semelhante ao Q6600 mas a partir daí ..).

A AMD, para poder concorrer directamente com a Intel, ainda precisa de muita coisa. Especialmente melhorar o overclock desta Black Edition. Se as pontuações não melhorarem é difícil concorrerem com os donos do mercado. O site Fudzilla diz que por volta do inicio do Segundo Quadrimestre a AMD promete voltar em forma para continuar a luta com a Intel. Espero eu (e mais alguns) que isto seja mesmo verdade.

Aqui ficam as imagens dos testes que o Fudzilla efectuou.

Fonte: Tech4pc via Fudzilla

Il fatto è che di per se stessa questa nuova soluzione non sembra essere un granchè come idea per il semplice fatto che un doppio RV670 lo si potrebbe già avere semplicemente mettendo in crossfire due HD3870 o due HD3850. Di certo la storia insegna che due schede in crossfire o SLI spesso non "raddoppiano" realmente la loro potenza ma regalano quel 30% di prestazioni in più di media. Probabilmente il fatto che con R680 i due RV670 stiano sulla stessa board potrebbe significare un incremento superiore come dimostrano anche le prime voci che parlano di un boost fino al 45% in più di una 8800 Ultra! Ci sono test nella rete che parlano di un punteggio di 9500 punti al 3Dmark 2006 alla lodevole risoluzione di 2560x1600! In più ci sarebbe anche da considerare il fatto che due di queste R680 in crossfire potrebbero rasentare una sorta di crossfire a 4 schede HD3870 di adesso...credo che il 2008 si aprirà con bello scontro ATI/Nvidia che nel frattempo stà preparando il suo G92 (anche se questo potrebbe non essere il nome ufficiale) capace di oltre 1 Teraflops di potenza!!! Davvero mostruosa. Non conosciamo il valore in teraflops dell'R680 quindi non posso dire nulla di certo. Proverò a cercare qualcosa in giro per la rete.

Il fatto, comunque, che questa scheda operi a risoluzioni tanto elevate con simile disinvoltura mi fa ben sperare anche perchè avendo io un Samsung Syncmaster 900NF e giocando ad una risoluzione di  1280x1024 potrei oltrepassare tranquillamente la soglia dei 10000 punti anche in vista del fatto che il test in questione è stato eseguito su di un PC equipaggiato con un processore E6600 dual core a 2.4GHz.

Utilizzando un quad core Q6600 a (2.4x4 cores) o un dual core E6850 operante a 3.0GHz si potrebbero avere prestazioni addirittura superiori. I presupposti quindi direi che ci sono. Diciamo che visto il recente passato  resto un po' scettico  sul futuro di  ATI ma pur sempre abbastanza speranzoso che non ostante gli intoppi, la stella R680 possa brillare ed illuminare un po' quelle belle piastre madri X38 tanto ambite dai fanatici di overclock come il sottoscritto.

Occhi aperti dunque ai prossimi tempi. Vi rimando per il momento all'articolo di Tomshw.

Download links:

CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Speedfan: http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php

CoreTemp: http://www.download-free.programas-gratis.net/php/software.php?id_programa=13734&download-CoreTemp-0.95

Prime95: http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103

Glossary:

Overclocking – Running a CPU at a higher frequency than it’s supposed to run at

BIOS - Basic Input Output System- This preps all of your system components and runs tests to make sure everything is functioning properly.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Processor - If you don’t know what this is you probably shouldn’t be over clocking in the first place. But, if you want to continue, the CPU handles all the data. Literally every shred of information is passed through this chip. Basically it just does a whole bunch of math very fast

FSB (Front Side Bus) - This relays information from the CPU and the north bridge. The faster this is the higher the performance.

Clock Multiplier- Basically this allows the CPU to run at a higher speed/frequency than the North Bridge and FSB. The CPU speed is found my multiplying the FSB with the clock multiplier. For example: 9 x 333= 2.997

Megahertz – A hertz is a standard unit of frequency. It basically refers to the cycles per second. 5 MHz means 5 cycles per second. A kilohertz is 10^3. A megahertz is 10^6. A gigahertz is 10^9

vCore – Is the amount of voltage that the CPU is receiving from the power supply.

TJunction - Refers to the thermal sensors (Digital Thermal Sensors) placed in each core.

TJunction Max- Shutdown

TCase - Refers to the thermal sensor (Case Thermal Diode) placed on the CPU die.

Ambient Temperature - Room temperature

Load - Refers to CPU under full stress, 100% usage in each core. These are the only temperatures that really matter

Idle - Refers to the CPU under little to no stress. These temperatures mean little to nothing.

Throttling - A safety feature included with modern processors to save components from damage. This occurs at about 5C below TJunction Max. It is said to "throttle back." If heating continues, the system will shut down.

Stepping - Means the revision on the processor.

Secrets of overclocking ;) :

The first unwritten secret of overclocking is quite simple: buy a motherboard conducive to overclocking. It's that simple. If you don't have a motherboard that lets you easily access the key settings involved in overclocking, you're in for hell of a hard time overclocking. I recommend purchasing enthusiast friendly motherboards such as EVGA, Asus, or sometimes Gigabyte. You should really research both your processor and motherboard to check to see if they are suitable for your overclocking desires.

The second secret to overclocking is picking a processor that overclocks well. Now, each processor overclocks differently, but some processors handle higher bus speeds and heat better than others. For example, the G0 revision of the Intel Q6600 overclocks much higher than the initial B3 processor. This is because it is a revision and Intel has made modification to the architecture and refined it to handle heat better. Also, the extreme series that Intel offers will overclock better because of their unlocked multipliers. But, believe me you will pay for that. The extreme series will run you an average of 500 USD more than a Core 2 Duo. To they joy of enthusiasts everywhere, Intel has recently embraced overclocking and has even showed a Qx9650 clocked somewhere over 5GHz at their annual press conference. AMD is lacking behind and has been for sometime. Long gone are the days when almost every enthusiast was sporting an AMD processor. AMD is now barely getting by as a budget processor company, and they failed to keep up with Intel with the release of their 65nm Phenom chip. So, what does this all mean? Do your research!

The third secret to overclocking is proper cooling. Bottom line stock cooling will simply NOT cut it. There is a reason that extreme overclockers use water cooling, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen when they overclock. Heat is the number one enemy of overclocking. While processors are made to run at sub-zero temperatures, they do not handle higher temperatures as well. Different processors have different points at which they will fail. Most, if not all, modern CPU's and motherboards will shot off before permanent damage is done. I recommend investing in water cooling if you really want to push your CPU up there. Or at least investing in some nice There are some terms you must know before you begin messing with settings. There are some inherent risks with overclocking one should be aware of. First, it will reduce the life of the component. This is because it is running outside of the recommended zone. Second, if proper cooling is not used the ambient temperature in the case could rise to dangerous levels potentially damaging other components. Third, overclocking can and probably will void the warranty on your CPU.

Rules:

1. Do not exceed 1.5 volts under the vCore setting.

2. All temperatures should be taken into consider when under load.

3. Always have some sort of active cooling.

4. Crashing is normal and part of the overclocking process. If your computer crashes and it doesn’t turn on right away, don’t panic. Turn it off at the power supply, wait 10-30 seconds, and try again.

5. Under no circumstances should you exceed the TJunction or TCase maximums.

So, you've bought a nice, shiny new processor, and you want to overclock the hell out of it? Who can blame you? Here's a general guide on how to overclock your processor; and, more importantly, do it as safely as possible. Must have software: CPU-Z, Speedfan or CoreTemp, and Prime95. CPU-Z is necessary for viewing what kind of processor you have, the multiplier, the FSB, operating frequency, and other crucial data. Speedfan and CoreTemp allow you to see the temperature of the processor. Prime95 is a stress test program that allows you to test the stability of your overclock.  Boot your computer and load your operating system.  Download and install the necessary programs.  Open CPU-Z and look on the left side to determine what stepping processor you have.  Newer revisions overclock better.  So, it’s better to have a newer stepping.  Open CoreTemp and take a look at your TJunction Max.  This is the temperature at which shutdown will occur, and throttling will occur at ~5C bellow the TJunction Max.  However, for 24/7 overclocks it is advised to stay at ~20C-30C below the TJunction Max. 

Note: Only trust CPU-Z for accurate clock speeds.  And only use Core Temp to monitor core temperatures if you have a quad core.  

1.  Restart your computer and enter your BIOS.  Each motherboard manufacturer has a different way of accessing the BIOS; so, take a look at the opening screen for the correct key to hit.  The most common key/key combinations are: Delete, F1, F2, F3, F5, F10, Escape, Insert, Control + Escape, Alt + Escape, Control + Alt + Escape, Control + Alt + Enter.  If none of that work, you either aren’t pressing them fast enough or your motherboard manufacturer has a different way of accessing the BIOS.  Find the manufacturer’s website and it should be listed there.

2.  Disable any type of Speedstep or power saving features your motherboard may have.  This is a power saving feature, but it can lead to system instability during higher clock speeds.  Stress test with out it enabled to find a stable overclock, and then enable it and stress test again to see if the system remains stable.  Intel uses speed step and is usually listed under EIST, C1E, and Speedstep.  AMD uses Cool’n’Quiet and PowerNow! 

3.  Raise the FSB is large increments until failure occurs.  It is normal for the computer to not boot right away.  Relax.  Just unplug it or turn it off at the PSU and wait 15-20 seconds.  It should boot up again.   Lower the FSB until you can boot again.  You can and probably will need to increase voltage to the vCore and the north bridge.  Up it in the lowest increments your motherboard will allow.  Raising this will increase heat.  Do not go over 1.5v to the core.

4.  Begin stress testing with Prime95.  Run small TFF’s for a minimum of 6 hours.  I recommend running it overnight to truly test system stability.  If a crash occurs, lower the FSB or raise the voltages until it becomes stable.  Watch temperatures using either CoreTemp or Speed Fan.  24/7 temperatures should not exceed TJunction Max – 25C.  So, if your TJunction Max is 100C, temperatures (under load) should not exceed 75C. 

5.  Enjoy the performance boost an overclocked CPU can bring to you! 

Feel free to leave comments and questions here.  I will answer them promptly.

Ya me han pasado el primer presupuesto de todos los componentes que quiero, algunos precios son orientativos porque no han podido confirmarlos.

Adelante...
- Carcasa TACENS AUDEO.....42,10€
- Fuente de alimentación Silverstone 500W.....65,35€
- Placa base Gigabyte X38-DQ6.....155€
- Microprocesador Intel QUAD Q6600.....185,50€
- Ventilador Zalman 9700.....47,10€
- Memoria DDR2 800 Corsair 2x2GB.....74,24€
- Grabadora DVD NEC 7170 SATA.....27€
- Lector DVD NEC.....20€
- Disco duro SEAGATE 500Gb SATAII 16M.....84,40€
- Tarjeta Gráfica XFX 8800GTS 640M DDR3.....301€
TOTAL.....1001,72€

Ahora lo único que me queda es esperar a ver si con la paga y con los ahorrillos me llega para ponerme manos a la obra.

In this tutorial, I will walk you through the over clocking process on a Asus P5K-E motherboard. First, you are going to need several programs to record temperatures, monitor your processes, and stress test. You are going to need coretemp to monitor your....well... core temperatures. A download can be found here: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ . You are also going to need CPU-Z to list all the different settings found on your processor and RAM. Download link: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php . Finally, to test system stability you will need Prime95 v25: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Prime95_d4363.html .

A very important note: Make sure you have proper cooling. Stock cooling will probably not cut it. The T-Junction on the Q6600 (G0) is 100C. The T-junction is the maximum temperature at the junction between the processor die and the PCB it sits on. I recommend you don't press past 75C. It will shut down to avoid damage, but it is best not to push it. I have a Thermalright 120 Extreme. That is one of the best heat sinks available right now. You will need proper cooling to over clock your CPU. Over clocking is a trial and error process. You will probably crash a couple of times. After a crash your computer might not restart right away. THIS IS NORMAL. Turn off your PSU, wait about 15-30 seconds and try again. Different CPU’s over clock differently. If you haven’t already done so make sure your chip is a G0 revision by looking at CPU-Z. This revision runs cooler and over clocks better. Your results will probably differ from mine. This is a very basic tutorial, and is written for those with very limited computer knowledge, so, vcore, North Bridge, and RAM voltages will not be altered. They will all remain on auto. This reduces the chances of damaging your precious new system.

Let’s start with a run down of all the terms you are going to need to know. Here is a very simple diagram of how the computer works: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Motherboard_diagram.png It is very important to understand how the computer works before you begin to tamper with it.

BIOS - Basic Input Output System- This preps all of your system components and runs tests to make sure everything is functioning properly.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) - If you don’t know what this is you probably shouldn’t be over clocking in the first place. But, if you want to continue, the CPU handles all the data. Literally every shred of information is passed through this chip. Basically it just does a whole bunch of math.

FSB (Front Side Bus) - This relays information from the CPU and the north bridge.

Clock Multiplier- Basically this allows the CPU to run at a higher speed/frequency than the North Bridge and FSB. The CPU speed is found my multiplying the FSB with the clock multiplier. For example: 9 x 333= 299.7

Let’s Go!

Restart your computer and hit delete during the first few seconds. This will bring you to the BIOS.

Use your keyboard to select the "Advanced" tab on the top. You will see a whole bunch of different settings; and, this is intimidating at first.

Switch the Ai Overclocking to manual. This begins the trail and error. The higher the FSB the higher the performance. So, drop your Ratio CMOS Setting (multiplier) to 7; and, try 475 for your FSB frequency. If, it doesn’t boot or it’s not stable in a stress test lower it by increments of 5. I found mine was stable at 7 x 470 which gives me 3.29. Not bad for no voltage increases. It runs at about 57C under load and 30C idle. Remember, idle temperature mean next to nothing. Load temperature is what matters. Your results WILL vary. You may find that your FSB is stable at 480. That’s great. Just always remember TEST STABILITY. Run small FFT’s and then Large FFT’s. I recommend doing stress tests of 5 hrs minimum. Prime95 is your stress test application, and you should see 4 instances of it running: 1 for each core. Remember to watch your temperatures during testing. They should not exceed 70C.

(For those of you wondering why your CPU-Z reads a low clock speed. It's because your CPU isn’t under stress, and you have C1E enabled on the CPU Configuration menu. This drops down you multiplier to x6 to save power during times of low CPU usage.)

Pictures:

As I looked through each mini-package inside, there is that happy feeling where you know that what you have purchased is going to be awesome. After leaving packages strewn across my bedroom, I plunged in and took the side panel off my case. I then proceeded to take out all my old components; memory, hard drives, wi-fi card, tv card, graphics card and motherboard. I then proceeded to retrieve my motherboard from the box it has resided in for the past week and place it on the floor in front of me. The first thing to be installed was the Intel Q6600 CPU. I took it out looked at it and thought, "Er, which way does it go in?"

Usually, I am good with building a pc, but I have never actually had the joy of using an Intel CPU, so that was the first trip to the manual set. Fastening in the CPU, it was now time for the heatsink-fan (HSF). I bought a Thermaltake Blue Orb II and crikey is this thing big!! It's about twice the size of my old CPU heatsink (that was a zalman custom fan). I dolloped a sufficient amount of thermal paste on the cpu, and then proceeded to attempt to fit the fan onto the cpu. I had to install two brackets (Which I put on the opposite way, so that was the first reason I thought it wouldn't fit on), then attach the HSF to those brackets. This was the tricky part. The first time, the fan power cable was unknowingly getting in the way. This was another reason for me to believe it wouldn't fit. Finally, my motherboard has very large copper heatsinks surrounding the CPU, which made it slightly more difficult than I expected to attach the HSF. I did, finally, manage to attach it, but it took more force than I'd usually like to apply.

Next I plugged in the memory, fairly straight forward - just a matter of plugging them in and fastening them - and they look great. I never thought memory could be so stylish. I have 2GB of Corsair PC2-6400 C4 PRO installed - they each have a heatsink, fitted with activity LED's for each memory bank.

After I had attached these, I continued to place the motherboard inside the case itself. There were no problems here and it fitted well. Using the bundled sound card from ASUS, I installed that and then installed my XFX 8800gt graphics card. Now I had already heard about the ridiculous length of the 8800 series cards, but, even though mine was a GT, it was still surprisingly long (about 10 inches). I was surprised to see the graphics card's length span the whole motherboard, and was thankful there was nothing to get in the way.

Now I had all the main components fitted, I screwed in my new hard drive into the HDD cage and then went around plugging all the components into the board and the power supply. This took about 5-10 minutes (Had a small problem with the sata cable on my hard drive. I had plugged it in, not realising it was the wrong way round : /)

Happy with the overall ease of installation of all the components, I then powered up the PC. It booted, which is the best sign and I went to the BIOS screen. The BIOS itself is brilliant - probably the best I have seen or used for a long time, and the numerous options leave nothing out to be configured. There is even an alarm you can set that runs a music cd from your cd drive!!

Installing Vista was a breeze and took less than 10 minutes. Once into the OS, everything was running smoothly, just as I expected. Updates were done, drivers were installed, and in about an hour overall, things are back to the way they are... with a bonus. Vista score sits at 5.0, with the memory taking the 5.0 spot, and everything else (Hard Drive, CPU, 3d Graphic, etc) scoring a nice 5.9.

Games - Now here's the good part. With the power of the 8800gt I bought, I can run any Valve Source game (Half-Life 2, CS:S, Ep. 1, Ep. 2 and Portal, etc. - Only ones I have tested at the moment) at my max resolution of 1280x1024 and crank up every graphics setting to high. That means 16x Anti-aliasing, 16x Anisotropic Filtering, High quality textures, shadows and models!! HDR is on, Colour Correction is on - Everything!! :D And, what's best is that I can still achieve 100+ frames per second :D So as you can tell, I am immensely pleased.

In EVE news, the new expansion pack comes out, offering a bundle of new ships and items, as well as the new graphical overhaul and, I assume, DirectX10 support :) I'm also back up to 5 million ISK, and skill training goes well.

For Uni, I have just completed the first assignment and had it handed in on Tuesday. I have four left, each due in at a different date over the coming months.

Went into Phones4U today to sort out my personal details so they can properly add me to the employee payroll. I also sorted out my working hours (I'll start tomorrow to catch up some hours) which are all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I am contracted at a minimum 21 hours a week, but nearing the Christmas sales period, this will most likely increase.

A companhia americana Acme Portable Machines está anunciando no site oficial da empresa o seu novo modelo LPG370TS, um computador de tela LCD tripla. Fechado, parece uma simples caixa.

Mas quando o usuário abre o computador, a surpresa: três telas de LCD, cada uma com 17 polegadas, resolução de 1280x1024 e tempo de resposta de 5ms.

O computador é equipado com o processador de quatro núcleos Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 de 2,4 GHz, 2GB de RAM, placa de vídeo dual nVidia 8800GTX e oito canais de áudio, entre outros recursos, como informou o The Red Ferret.

Entre as possibilidades de uso do LPG370TS, o artigo destaca a participação de seus futuros donos nas chamadas lan-parties, festas nas quais os participantes levam seus computadores para se divertir com jogos em rede.

Não há informações sobre o preço do computador, só sob consulta no próprio site da empresa - que curiosamente tem o mesmo nome da companhia fictícia Acme do universo dos desenhos animados da Looney Tunes, como "Papa-Léguas e Coiote" e "Animaniacs", cujos produtos são sinônimo de confusão, como observou o blog Crave.

Informações mais detalhadas sobre a configuração da máquina podem ser acessadas aqui.

Anyway, last night I finally found some time to crack open the E2180 that was still in its UPS box. I stuck it in the Asus P5LD2 box that I have laying around (most of the owners of this exact board should know exactly what I am using it for :) ) After a couple minutes of tweaking, it's sitting at 3.2ghz. I haven't spent too much time trying to max the clocks, but I do know that at 3.4ghz the setup wouldn't stay on reliably-- perhaps the chip is asking for more voltage, but I am unwilling to give it more than 1.4v

It is running at 3.2ghz stable. I am sure the chip can do much better in a more recent board, such as the 650i board I have sitting in the box still. But at $90, even if the chip is only stable at 3.2ghz, I'll be OK with that. :)

Update: The system primed overnight at 3.2ghz at 1.3v VCore-- going to try with less voltage tonight.

Even though this isn't quite as fast as my Q6600 @ 3.6ghz, the E2180 was also less than 1/3 the price-- and at 3.2ghz, it is definitely offers more than 1/3 the performance. A LOT more.