While sugar-laden milkshakes at McDonald's are convenient, I prefer mine sugar-free. I purchase the milk and shake-mix separately at Trader Joe's. If I run out of milk, I just go and buy more milk. I not only prefer it this way for my milkshakes, but also for my primary gaming system. Last month McDonald's introduced a sugar-free version. I no longer need to go to Trader Joe's.
We're seeing unprecedented technological growth in all areas, but none so much in the processing power of electronic devices we often take for granted. I used to buy a new CPU for my desktop PC on a yearly basis, until recently that is. We've already hit a plateau in processor frequency, as we have been hovering in the 3GHz range for the last few years now.
When was the last time you upgraded your co-processor (CPU), main memory, monitor, or other components of your desktop PC? When was the last time you even bought a desktop PC? Keep that period of time in mind, and then think back to the last time before that, and I almost guarantee the latter period was longer.
GPUs have had a similar effect, as we're seeing more units that combine power between many GPUs than faster single ones, though the GPU is still behind the overall curve. Input device needs were met over a decade ago, and sound over five years ago. GPUs are fast coming up on this curve with the "HD" revolution being one of the few things delaying it.
Game consoles have similar functions as a desktop PC, so they ultimately bend to the same curve. We can use them as a measure of what happens when upgrading a single component isn't feasible. I see a day in the near future where everyone buys their primary system much like they do a game console. And I may not complain about the lack of flexibility, because I simply may not need it.
This ability to upgrade one's desktop PC isn't disappearing overnight. What is changing today is the need for such a system in the first place. Why go through a costly upgrade when games run just as well on a $150 card from two years ago, as they do on a brand new multi-GPU $500 card from last month, which will be in notebooks the following year?
I like the feeling of mixing my own shake with the exact ingredients I want from a store I trust. However, I don't mind going elsewhere if the product is available pre-assembled and likely to satisfy my needs for years to come.
I used to spend well over a grand on computer hardware every year, just to keep pace with the need to run my games. I also upgraded for the fun of it because of new features introduced each generation. I'm either becoming old and not as interested as I used to be about upgrading at every product cycle, or there simply isn't the need.
I look at it another way. In 1994 I struggled to fit Windows 95, just the operating system, on my entire 512MB hard drive. I didn't have any room for anything else except one or two games. Mp3s didn't exist back then, so forget about a music archive, let alone movies. Space was at a premium for everything.
A few years later high speed internet arrives, hard drive storage space explodes, and suddenly there is more storage space available for all the music I could ever hope to listen to. Now we're seeing the same thing happen today for games and videos. I haven't bought another hard drive in over a year solely based on the need for more music space.
All software and media have a base level of hardware requirements to run that media at optimal performance. The most demanding ones being graphics based. Eventually we will develop GPUs capable of rendering photo-realistic images. Where will it evolve after that? Maybe we can finally concentrate on making quality games that take advantage of a consistent and reliable platform.
While we may not be hitting a plateau on graphics needs just yet, as we have a long way to go for photo-realistic graphics that run perfectly on a 1080p display, I am happy with what we have now. In fact, there may come a time when our thirst for better graphics simply stops, just short of that point where photo-realism takes place.
Would we notice?
Notebooks, netbooks, and even your iPhone will all become the dominant computing platform in the next decade. The curve for our need to keep pace is slowing. We may eventually run out of steam in our march toward progress. Like I mentioned above, would performance be the dominant feature that keeps us upgrading, or will it be convenience, quality, and style?
Because desktop PCs provide that ability to easily swap out individual components, we won't see these systems die anytime soon. We will see them as being placed on the back-burner of the computing market. They will remain there as more of a curiosity than a primary PC that you turn on after you've packed away your notebook after returning home from work.
Would you care to spend $2,000 every three years on a new notebook that is entirely mobile, or $1,500 on a new desktop PC that is bulky, laden with wires, and encourages you to upgrade components that cost you over that $500 you saved otherwise? And all assuming the games you want to play tomorrow would run just about as well as today's?
The brief era of computers being a novelty that need special attention is coming to an end.
Showing posts with label Electronics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electronics. Show all posts
Laptop GPU busted? A possible fix...
Laptop problems got you down? Not fast enough, battery constantly running low, and now it's overheating or causing weird display errors? Is the GPU causing reboots and BSODs when attempting to enter Windows? Does it feel like it will spontaneously combust in your face?
Fear not, for I have the answer, courtesy of a friend's diligent investigating after my own laptop went bust. Bake it! Solder points on laptops are sensitive. If you especially have a Dell e1705 Nvidia dedicated GPU (must be dedicated and NOT integrated (IGP)), here is a simple solution for when it goes bust:
Preheat your oven to 400f. Once it is nice and toasty warm inside, insert your laptop into it. Wait wait... if you know how, take out the GPU first from the laptop and insert THAT into the oven. If you don't know how, find a friend that does. Bake for 15-25 minutes. Take it out, let cool for 15 minutes.
Voila! You "may" have a working GPU now if the solder points reconnected (and that was the problem to being with). Insert back into laptop after a good inspection and cooling to test. It worked for mine! Really. I couldn't believe it, but I now have a working laptop again.
Disclaimer: I am not to be held responsible if you accidentally forget its baking in the oven, turn the temp to broil, or confuse an oven with a microwave...
Here ends the solution.
Fear not, for I have the answer, courtesy of a friend's diligent investigating after my own laptop went bust. Bake it! Solder points on laptops are sensitive. If you especially have a Dell e1705 Nvidia dedicated GPU (must be dedicated and NOT integrated (IGP)), here is a simple solution for when it goes bust:
Preheat your oven to 400f. Once it is nice and toasty warm inside, insert your laptop into it. Wait wait... if you know how, take out the GPU first from the laptop and insert THAT into the oven. If you don't know how, find a friend that does. Bake for 15-25 minutes. Take it out, let cool for 15 minutes.
Voila! You "may" have a working GPU now if the solder points reconnected (and that was the problem to being with). Insert back into laptop after a good inspection and cooling to test. It worked for mine! Really. I couldn't believe it, but I now have a working laptop again.
Disclaimer: I am not to be held responsible if you accidentally forget its baking in the oven, turn the temp to broil, or confuse an oven with a microwave...
Here ends the solution.
Hardware Review 002: The GPU
GPU Designers - ATI, NVIDIA, Matrox, and Intel
The existence of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) began in the 60s, well before modern personal computers came onto the scene. I'll skip a little bit ahead to the current era, which had its roots in the late 80s. During this time dozens of designers developed rival solutions, especially once the personal computer became a standard in the early 90s. Note that there are dozens of manufacturers of video cards, but they simply use existing GPU designs to market slightly different physical products.
To get additional terminology out of the way, a GPU is the main processor components of a video card, which is the physical form that can be removed from a computer. There is no such thing as "internal graphics cards", as these are simply referred to as GPUs themselves, since the "card" is part of the main components of the computer itself and not removable as a separate piece. I will use video card for this piece of hardware when appropriate, and GPU as the overall component. To note, in the early years (pre-1998), 2D and 3D graphics were on separate video cards, not integrated like today's cards are
Matrox, Nvidia, and ATI are the three main designers of the past decade. However, Matrox has recently fallen by the way-side in 3D graphics development, currently marketing their cards to video editing professionals. Founded in 1976, Matrox had one huge advantage for a long time and that was in the quality of 2D graphics, which is what you are using now to view this article. 2D graphics is the basis for displaying your computer's boot screen, interface layout, and just about everything else that isn't in a game or other 3D environment. Matrox was able to develop sharpness and quality in text and graphics that neither Nvidia nor ATI could match, up until the past few years at least.
ATI, founded in 1985 and bought out by the CPU manufacturer AMD in 2006, had a head start from Nvidia, often achieving great successes. Their Rage series were extremely popular, even though they fell behind Matrox in 2D quality and in 3D quality with Nvidia. ATI has almost always been on the leading edge in terms of innovation. This is not to say that Nvidia hasn't innovated, as they have produced amazing advances in graphics technology over the years. However, you will often see ATI ahead in technology and feature support. This is sometimes attributed to their balancing of features vs. performance. Until recently, Nvidia was the dominant performance leader, so they had to find a niche market to survive.
Nvidia, found in 1993, saw where the computer revolution was headed, and that was in advanced 3D graphics horsepower. They began with the product "NV1", a very simple video card that didn't do a whole lot compared to today's cards. In 2000, Nvidia bought out the manufacturer 3dfx, which was then developing their Voodoo line of video cards. 3dfx had a lot going for them, as the Voodoo series was quite popular. They required their own slots in a computer. After the 3dfx buyout, Nvidia quickly scaled to RIVA based cards which included the 2D component onboard, to the Nvidia branded "GeForce" series you have come to recognize over the past several years.
What is a GPU?
Just like everything else in your computer, electronic components are built on substrates called printed circuit boards (PCBs). This is where your transistors, capacitors, wires and all the processors are laid out. Without the PCB, it would be like a city without buildings. It has no infrastructure to work and maintain order with. GPUs have their own PCBs in two primary configurations: onboard and dedicated. As mentioned earlier, the dedicated solutions are referred to as video cards, and more often today as graphics cards.
Onboard GPUs are found right on the main circuit board itself (motherboard), right next to the chipset, memory, and other components. Dedicated GPUs are individual cards you insert into slots found on the motherboard, and can be removed for faster components as they are introduced. Since onboard GPUs are simplified (and thus often less powerful) versions of their dedicated brethren, I'll just be talking about the dedicated versions. These video cards will have several key components, found in two categories: Internal and External Connectivity.
Internal Connectivity Features:
There have been many ways over the years to connect video card to your system's motherboard. Video cards are perhaps the most diverse of components when it comes to this capability. While there are less-used slots, such as: MCA, VLB, and PCI-X, I will only focus on the more popular and significant ones to remember.
ISA - ISA slots (Industry Standard Architecture) were the very first type of slot found on motherboards for sound cards, video cards, network cards, modems (and now Ethernet cards), and many other components. They are no longer in use for mainstream systems and barely even supported video cards, as video cards grew in importance during the PCI era. ISA slots are black in color.
PCI - This is the slot many first and second generation video cards are connected to the motherboard with. They are similar to an ISA slot, except for one important feature-the cards are inserted upside-down! PCI offered a lot more power over ISA, but it wasn't until the AGP slot that video cards really started to increase in horsepower. PCI slots are white in color.
AGP - AGP slots (Accelerated Graphics Port) were the first slots developed exclusively for video cards. Now that they had so much power potential, games on the scale of what we see today became possible. Even with its potential as a dedicated graphics port, AGP's advances through speed increments of 2x, 4x, and finally 8x, were ultimately limited. There needed to be something even better, and thus we finally arrive at the new universal slot standard, PCI express. An AGP slot is gray or tan in color.
PCI-E - PCI-E (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) offered what ISA and PCI slots used to offer, the ability to connect anything to them, including video cards. There are different versions and sizes of these slots, however. PCI-E is a huge advancement over AGP, and is powerful enough to run the latest and greatest games for several years to come. PCI-E, with support for multiple video card connectivity, can have multiple slots on the motherboard, much like ISA and PCI have.
External Connectivity Features:
Now that we know how video cards are connected from within a computer, let's take a look and what options there are to connect the video card to a monitor or external display device. As with the internal components, we've cut out a few of the more miscellaneous and less-used references for the sake of simplicity and usefulness for you.
VGA - VGA (Video Graphics Array) connections began to appear in the late 80s and were the primary connection to the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based monitor. This is the same technology you find in many of your current, non-HD televisions. It offered versatility in resolution and color support. Its underlining caveats were its limited range and signal-to-noise ratio problems. VGA is an analog connection, while the superseding and superior connector is DVI.
DVI - DVI (Digital Video Interface) is the same basic idea of VGA, but in a digital format. Introduced in 1999 and still used as the primary display connection device today, it allows significant increases in quality, resolution, and distance to devices than VGA isn't capable of. The key with DVI is that it is digital and thus less susceptible to signal degradation.
Composite/S-Video/Component - All of these connectors are what I would call "Secondary Connections", in that they are not typically used for the primary output connection for your monitor or display device. A few years ago there were used to connect a computer to a CRT television or for input into the video card for incoming television and camcorder signals. They are a great way to record your home videos onto your computer!
HDMI/DisplayPort - HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a new standard developed in 2003 and just now beginning to supersede DVI in connecting your computer to your display, especially new HD television displays that allow connectivity to consoles as well. HDMI's key feature is its combination of video and audio connectivity. All previous technologies were video only. DisplayPort is similar to HDMI, with support for higher resolutions, encryption standards, and other miscellaneous features.
What are GPUs for, besides games?
GPUs have been used for just about everything from researching DNA to designing cars through a CAD program. I'll list here the four key areas of use, why they are used in those areas and by whom. Most users will reside in more than one of these areas. Video cards are extremely versatile in order to satiate the needs of as many users as possible. Today you will see companies like Intel and their "Larrabee" project only further driving this ‘universal support' goal.
The Gamer - The thirst for 3D graphics power is unquenchable here. The gamer must ensure liquid smooth gameplay, while maintaining beautiful graphics and sharp details in order to effectively defeat their opponent. The gamer has to upgrade their GPU every few years to keep up with this need. Owning a dedicated video card solution is usually the way to go here, in opposition to relying on integrated GPUs. Price vs. performance is especially important in this category.
The Graphics Designer - Has no use for games or plays them only on occasion. The graphics designer is all about the job and getting work done. Fortunately, there are video cards available to help in this role. Almost identical to the gamer's GPU, the video card of the graphics designer has one key difference-specialized software drivers. Tailored to enhance CAD-like functions and overall processing of design components, these drives will be inefficient when attempting to run a game with them. These types of GPUs are usually not found as an integrated solution.
The Number Cruncher - While the CPU until recently has remained the dominate processor for SETI, Folding@Home and other ‘floating point' heavy calculations, it has been found that a GPU can be designed for this task in an incredibly more efficient way than a CPU could ever do. Those doing research will find GPUs to be the dominant form of their processing in future.
The General User - This type of user might not even need a video card, well, a dedicated 3D one anyway. The general user will use the computer for office notes, writing documents, and listening to music or watching a video update from their favorite news website. The power of the video card is almost entirely wasted on these tasks, so upgrading is infrequent and not specific to any task they need an upgrade for, especially in the past few years as overall system horsepower has quickly risen above general usage requirements.
Performance of GPUs
Let's talk games... as that is what most of you reading this are likely interested in. I know I am! Speed in GPUs has naturally increased year-over-year. This has been a consistent phenomenon since the very beginning, much like how CPUs have advanced according to Moore's Law. So, we know that speed increases with each generation, but how? What do they do to these GPUs to make them faster? I won't get into nitty gritty details that will put you to sleep, so let's just go over the very basics, and that starts first with the size of the processors.
Like any processor, the GPU consists of nano-scale metallic wires running around each other, similar to the interstate highway system of the United States. Processors increase the number of total paths every generation, just like when adding new highways to connect growing cities. What is different is in the size of these highways. In processors, for each generation the highway is "down-sized", the wires are made smaller and smaller so you can pack in more and more that are for specific tasks. This is the key in creating faster, smaller, and more power efficient processors, and the chief reason today why you can run World of Warcraft instead of just Pong.
There are many other ways to increase the speed and efficiency of a processor. Adding buffers, much like car-pool lanes, as well as adding additional memory, like adding wayside rest-stops, are just a few possibilities. These are crude and slightly inaccurate depictions of what a processor's features consist of, but it's a start that should give you a beginning understanding of how the industry always seems to be able to make things faster and faster every year, without significantly increasing costs.
Value of GPUs
As the industry has matured, you see an increase in diversity of products offered from the increasingly few manufacturers. This is in an attempt to appeal to everyone's desires and needs, which are continually growing in diversity as well. Sometimes Nvidia will come out with a new generation of GPUs that beats performance and price of AMD's offerings. At other times it is AMD beating out Nvidia. Until recently, AMD was targeting the low to mid performance user with lower price points. With their current generation of GPUs, they have pushed farther into the high-end market, while keeping with lower price points. We'll like see this shift again as new generations of GPUs are introduced.
The Future of the GPU
The entire electronics industry, from Intel and their CPUs, to AMD and Nvidia with their GPUs, are realizing that the integration of the two is inevitable. While CPUs are good at the tasks they were designed for, the same going for the GPU, it has been recognized that games and other tasks are requiring the power of both of these types of processors in a way that simply requires the two to come together in one package.
Intel, a CPU manufacturer, has made a first-strike effort with their Larrabee project. Larrabee is a CPU/GPU hybrid processor. While in the short-term we likely won't see games use Larrabee based processors due to integration limitations, the future of the hybrid processor will eventually supersede any current performance shortcomings. You can bet laptops will see Larrabee processors early on, as laptops and other portable devices will have use for these "one-chip" solutions. On the opposite end of the battlefield, Nvidia is developing a technology called "CUDA", which is designed to bring the CPU closer to the GPU. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but both should be a win-win for the gamer.
As expected, there will be the continual advances in features within the GPU technology itself. One of the most exciting advances we're seeing at this time is a lighting technology called "Ray Tracing". In a simple explanation of the technology, it allows a more accurate calculation for how light reflects off surfaces, and thus how realistic you see shadows and overall lighting environments. The downside to this technology is a heavier processing load on the system, at least in its current state of development. Expect ray traced games to start appearing when DirectX 11 is released, sometime late 2009/early 2010.
The most exciting feature that gamers will be looking forward to in future GPU advances is not so much through the connectivity and merger of the GPU with the CPU, but GPUs with other GPUs. You've likely heard about Nvidia's SLI (Scan-Line Interface) technology, or AMD's Crossfire. SLI and Crossfire are ways to connect separate video cards with each other, so that a game or other graphics intensive program can take advantage of both. I mentioned the PCI-E internal connector. Thank this technology for making SLI and Crossfire so successful.
Another way to combined two GPUs is to simply slap two onto one video card itself! You only use one slot in the computer and get nearly the performance of two (and in the near future, more than two) GPUs. There are performance bottlenecks, driver disadvantages, and other issues with either of these technology choices, but they are slowly being resolved with each successive generation. Nvidia and ATI both see the future of the GPU as a "Many Core" platform.
In short, expect every year to bring about faster GPUs, which will spur games to develop more complex and beautiful environments and interactivity, which will of course spur the need for faster GPUs... and thus the cycle continues as it has since the race began. Enjoy your games in all their 2D or 3D glory!
The existence of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) began in the 60s, well before modern personal computers came onto the scene. I'll skip a little bit ahead to the current era, which had its roots in the late 80s. During this time dozens of designers developed rival solutions, especially once the personal computer became a standard in the early 90s. Note that there are dozens of manufacturers of video cards, but they simply use existing GPU designs to market slightly different physical products.
To get additional terminology out of the way, a GPU is the main processor components of a video card, which is the physical form that can be removed from a computer. There is no such thing as "internal graphics cards", as these are simply referred to as GPUs themselves, since the "card" is part of the main components of the computer itself and not removable as a separate piece. I will use video card for this piece of hardware when appropriate, and GPU as the overall component. To note, in the early years (pre-1998), 2D and 3D graphics were on separate video cards, not integrated like today's cards are
Matrox, Nvidia, and ATI are the three main designers of the past decade. However, Matrox has recently fallen by the way-side in 3D graphics development, currently marketing their cards to video editing professionals. Founded in 1976, Matrox had one huge advantage for a long time and that was in the quality of 2D graphics, which is what you are using now to view this article. 2D graphics is the basis for displaying your computer's boot screen, interface layout, and just about everything else that isn't in a game or other 3D environment. Matrox was able to develop sharpness and quality in text and graphics that neither Nvidia nor ATI could match, up until the past few years at least.
ATI, founded in 1985 and bought out by the CPU manufacturer AMD in 2006, had a head start from Nvidia, often achieving great successes. Their Rage series were extremely popular, even though they fell behind Matrox in 2D quality and in 3D quality with Nvidia. ATI has almost always been on the leading edge in terms of innovation. This is not to say that Nvidia hasn't innovated, as they have produced amazing advances in graphics technology over the years. However, you will often see ATI ahead in technology and feature support. This is sometimes attributed to their balancing of features vs. performance. Until recently, Nvidia was the dominant performance leader, so they had to find a niche market to survive.
Nvidia, found in 1993, saw where the computer revolution was headed, and that was in advanced 3D graphics horsepower. They began with the product "NV1", a very simple video card that didn't do a whole lot compared to today's cards. In 2000, Nvidia bought out the manufacturer 3dfx, which was then developing their Voodoo line of video cards. 3dfx had a lot going for them, as the Voodoo series was quite popular. They required their own slots in a computer. After the 3dfx buyout, Nvidia quickly scaled to RIVA based cards which included the 2D component onboard, to the Nvidia branded "GeForce" series you have come to recognize over the past several years.
What is a GPU?
Just like everything else in your computer, electronic components are built on substrates called printed circuit boards (PCBs). This is where your transistors, capacitors, wires and all the processors are laid out. Without the PCB, it would be like a city without buildings. It has no infrastructure to work and maintain order with. GPUs have their own PCBs in two primary configurations: onboard and dedicated. As mentioned earlier, the dedicated solutions are referred to as video cards, and more often today as graphics cards.
Onboard GPUs are found right on the main circuit board itself (motherboard), right next to the chipset, memory, and other components. Dedicated GPUs are individual cards you insert into slots found on the motherboard, and can be removed for faster components as they are introduced. Since onboard GPUs are simplified (and thus often less powerful) versions of their dedicated brethren, I'll just be talking about the dedicated versions. These video cards will have several key components, found in two categories: Internal and External Connectivity.
Internal Connectivity Features:
There have been many ways over the years to connect video card to your system's motherboard. Video cards are perhaps the most diverse of components when it comes to this capability. While there are less-used slots, such as: MCA, VLB, and PCI-X, I will only focus on the more popular and significant ones to remember.
ISA - ISA slots (Industry Standard Architecture) were the very first type of slot found on motherboards for sound cards, video cards, network cards, modems (and now Ethernet cards), and many other components. They are no longer in use for mainstream systems and barely even supported video cards, as video cards grew in importance during the PCI era. ISA slots are black in color.
PCI - This is the slot many first and second generation video cards are connected to the motherboard with. They are similar to an ISA slot, except for one important feature-the cards are inserted upside-down! PCI offered a lot more power over ISA, but it wasn't until the AGP slot that video cards really started to increase in horsepower. PCI slots are white in color.
AGP - AGP slots (Accelerated Graphics Port) were the first slots developed exclusively for video cards. Now that they had so much power potential, games on the scale of what we see today became possible. Even with its potential as a dedicated graphics port, AGP's advances through speed increments of 2x, 4x, and finally 8x, were ultimately limited. There needed to be something even better, and thus we finally arrive at the new universal slot standard, PCI express. An AGP slot is gray or tan in color.
PCI-E - PCI-E (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) offered what ISA and PCI slots used to offer, the ability to connect anything to them, including video cards. There are different versions and sizes of these slots, however. PCI-E is a huge advancement over AGP, and is powerful enough to run the latest and greatest games for several years to come. PCI-E, with support for multiple video card connectivity, can have multiple slots on the motherboard, much like ISA and PCI have.
External Connectivity Features:
Now that we know how video cards are connected from within a computer, let's take a look and what options there are to connect the video card to a monitor or external display device. As with the internal components, we've cut out a few of the more miscellaneous and less-used references for the sake of simplicity and usefulness for you.
VGA - VGA (Video Graphics Array) connections began to appear in the late 80s and were the primary connection to the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based monitor. This is the same technology you find in many of your current, non-HD televisions. It offered versatility in resolution and color support. Its underlining caveats were its limited range and signal-to-noise ratio problems. VGA is an analog connection, while the superseding and superior connector is DVI.
DVI - DVI (Digital Video Interface) is the same basic idea of VGA, but in a digital format. Introduced in 1999 and still used as the primary display connection device today, it allows significant increases in quality, resolution, and distance to devices than VGA isn't capable of. The key with DVI is that it is digital and thus less susceptible to signal degradation.
Composite/S-Video/Component - All of these connectors are what I would call "Secondary Connections", in that they are not typically used for the primary output connection for your monitor or display device. A few years ago there were used to connect a computer to a CRT television or for input into the video card for incoming television and camcorder signals. They are a great way to record your home videos onto your computer!
HDMI/DisplayPort - HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a new standard developed in 2003 and just now beginning to supersede DVI in connecting your computer to your display, especially new HD television displays that allow connectivity to consoles as well. HDMI's key feature is its combination of video and audio connectivity. All previous technologies were video only. DisplayPort is similar to HDMI, with support for higher resolutions, encryption standards, and other miscellaneous features.
What are GPUs for, besides games?
GPUs have been used for just about everything from researching DNA to designing cars through a CAD program. I'll list here the four key areas of use, why they are used in those areas and by whom. Most users will reside in more than one of these areas. Video cards are extremely versatile in order to satiate the needs of as many users as possible. Today you will see companies like Intel and their "Larrabee" project only further driving this ‘universal support' goal.
The Gamer - The thirst for 3D graphics power is unquenchable here. The gamer must ensure liquid smooth gameplay, while maintaining beautiful graphics and sharp details in order to effectively defeat their opponent. The gamer has to upgrade their GPU every few years to keep up with this need. Owning a dedicated video card solution is usually the way to go here, in opposition to relying on integrated GPUs. Price vs. performance is especially important in this category.
The Graphics Designer - Has no use for games or plays them only on occasion. The graphics designer is all about the job and getting work done. Fortunately, there are video cards available to help in this role. Almost identical to the gamer's GPU, the video card of the graphics designer has one key difference-specialized software drivers. Tailored to enhance CAD-like functions and overall processing of design components, these drives will be inefficient when attempting to run a game with them. These types of GPUs are usually not found as an integrated solution.
The Number Cruncher - While the CPU until recently has remained the dominate processor for SETI, Folding@Home and other ‘floating point' heavy calculations, it has been found that a GPU can be designed for this task in an incredibly more efficient way than a CPU could ever do. Those doing research will find GPUs to be the dominant form of their processing in future.
The General User - This type of user might not even need a video card, well, a dedicated 3D one anyway. The general user will use the computer for office notes, writing documents, and listening to music or watching a video update from their favorite news website. The power of the video card is almost entirely wasted on these tasks, so upgrading is infrequent and not specific to any task they need an upgrade for, especially in the past few years as overall system horsepower has quickly risen above general usage requirements.
Performance of GPUs
Let's talk games... as that is what most of you reading this are likely interested in. I know I am! Speed in GPUs has naturally increased year-over-year. This has been a consistent phenomenon since the very beginning, much like how CPUs have advanced according to Moore's Law. So, we know that speed increases with each generation, but how? What do they do to these GPUs to make them faster? I won't get into nitty gritty details that will put you to sleep, so let's just go over the very basics, and that starts first with the size of the processors.
Like any processor, the GPU consists of nano-scale metallic wires running around each other, similar to the interstate highway system of the United States. Processors increase the number of total paths every generation, just like when adding new highways to connect growing cities. What is different is in the size of these highways. In processors, for each generation the highway is "down-sized", the wires are made smaller and smaller so you can pack in more and more that are for specific tasks. This is the key in creating faster, smaller, and more power efficient processors, and the chief reason today why you can run World of Warcraft instead of just Pong.
There are many other ways to increase the speed and efficiency of a processor. Adding buffers, much like car-pool lanes, as well as adding additional memory, like adding wayside rest-stops, are just a few possibilities. These are crude and slightly inaccurate depictions of what a processor's features consist of, but it's a start that should give you a beginning understanding of how the industry always seems to be able to make things faster and faster every year, without significantly increasing costs.
Value of GPUs
As the industry has matured, you see an increase in diversity of products offered from the increasingly few manufacturers. This is in an attempt to appeal to everyone's desires and needs, which are continually growing in diversity as well. Sometimes Nvidia will come out with a new generation of GPUs that beats performance and price of AMD's offerings. At other times it is AMD beating out Nvidia. Until recently, AMD was targeting the low to mid performance user with lower price points. With their current generation of GPUs, they have pushed farther into the high-end market, while keeping with lower price points. We'll like see this shift again as new generations of GPUs are introduced.
The Future of the GPU
The entire electronics industry, from Intel and their CPUs, to AMD and Nvidia with their GPUs, are realizing that the integration of the two is inevitable. While CPUs are good at the tasks they were designed for, the same going for the GPU, it has been recognized that games and other tasks are requiring the power of both of these types of processors in a way that simply requires the two to come together in one package.
Intel, a CPU manufacturer, has made a first-strike effort with their Larrabee project. Larrabee is a CPU/GPU hybrid processor. While in the short-term we likely won't see games use Larrabee based processors due to integration limitations, the future of the hybrid processor will eventually supersede any current performance shortcomings. You can bet laptops will see Larrabee processors early on, as laptops and other portable devices will have use for these "one-chip" solutions. On the opposite end of the battlefield, Nvidia is developing a technology called "CUDA", which is designed to bring the CPU closer to the GPU. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but both should be a win-win for the gamer.
As expected, there will be the continual advances in features within the GPU technology itself. One of the most exciting advances we're seeing at this time is a lighting technology called "Ray Tracing". In a simple explanation of the technology, it allows a more accurate calculation for how light reflects off surfaces, and thus how realistic you see shadows and overall lighting environments. The downside to this technology is a heavier processing load on the system, at least in its current state of development. Expect ray traced games to start appearing when DirectX 11 is released, sometime late 2009/early 2010.
The most exciting feature that gamers will be looking forward to in future GPU advances is not so much through the connectivity and merger of the GPU with the CPU, but GPUs with other GPUs. You've likely heard about Nvidia's SLI (Scan-Line Interface) technology, or AMD's Crossfire. SLI and Crossfire are ways to connect separate video cards with each other, so that a game or other graphics intensive program can take advantage of both. I mentioned the PCI-E internal connector. Thank this technology for making SLI and Crossfire so successful.
Another way to combined two GPUs is to simply slap two onto one video card itself! You only use one slot in the computer and get nearly the performance of two (and in the near future, more than two) GPUs. There are performance bottlenecks, driver disadvantages, and other issues with either of these technology choices, but they are slowly being resolved with each successive generation. Nvidia and ATI both see the future of the GPU as a "Many Core" platform.
In short, expect every year to bring about faster GPUs, which will spur games to develop more complex and beautiful environments and interactivity, which will of course spur the need for faster GPUs... and thus the cycle continues as it has since the race began. Enjoy your games in all their 2D or 3D glory!
Hardware Review 001: Acer AL2216Wbd 22" Monitor
Introduction
The first thing to understand about purchasing a monitor is what type of panel is behind the display. Besides the panel manufacturer, there are three panel technologies in widespread use: TN (Twisted Nematic), PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment), and IPS (In-Plane Switching). All of these technologies can also have an "S-" prefix, which stands for "Super" -- indicating the use of an upgraded version of the original technology. There are new “H-IPS” panels coming out as well, which are superior to the S-IPS version.
Knowing the manufacturer of the panel as well as the type of panel will give you a good start when understanding how good, and expensive, the display is going to be. TN has been around the longest, and while it is inexpensive to manufacture there are certain performance characteristics that I dislike, specifically the limited viewing angles. PVA and IPS are both better technologies in terms of quality and viewing angles, but they cost more to produce and they usually have some sort of visual lag, a potential downside if you’re a serious gamer.
Today I bring you a brief to-the-point review of the Acer AL2216Wbd 22” LCD monitor. A combination of price vs. performance that should appeal well to those budget minded users.
Specifications
The Setup
Setting up the monitor was a breeze. One of the nice things about 22” and smaller monitors is the packaging they come in. I recently returned a pair of Doublesight 26” monitors and had a heck of a time getting them back in their boxes and in the car (not to mention the cost of return shipping). The base comes off with this monitor for easier storage, and the overall construction is solid enough to support moving the monitor around frequently.
Since this is a $200 monitor you shouldn’t expect any frills when using it. There are a minimal amount USB ports and only one DVI connector. The monitor does tilt but that is about it. No swivel or height adjustments, so if you need it any higher on your desk put a few books under it and you are good to go. I found the display to be perfectly adequate for my desk space and quite pleasing to the eye overall. I’m not one for being too picky about how fancy it looks, as it is all about how well it performs.
Visual Quality and Performance
Setup any LCD monitor and view it off to the side when its on, especially when its displaying a black screen. You should notice a lot of color or contrast distortion. On a black background when seeing this hazy light it is called “backlight bleeding”, a condition of the light not quite being blocked by the crystals. When the monitor is displaying an image and you view it at an angle, cheap monitors will not only show severe color distortion but overall contrast distortions. If you are sensitive to distortions of any kind when moving around, do not purchase a TN monitor such as this Acer! IPS panels are best for viewing angle stability. Viewing angles are a problem of visual quality. Some may notice these problems more so than others.
Another problem that users are sometimes sensitive too, especially gamers, is the more perceptive “lag” that occurs when moving around the mouse or viewing fast moving images. There are two actual kinds of this lag. Sensing lag when moving around the mouse may be attributed to the delay in the monitor processing the mouse signal, called Input Lag. Another type of lag is Response Time lag, which occurs when the image from the video card is not being updated on the monitor fast enough, causing blurring in fast moving images. Fortunately this is where TN panels excel. If you are a hardcore gamer and demand image clarity in fast moving images, this Acer monitor will work just fine for you.
Conclusion
You really can’t go wrong with this monitor at the near $200 price point level. You sacrifice a few features, but make up for it in a convenient size that sits directly between the outdated 20” monitors and the more expensive 24” cousins. While it does have its drawbacks in performance, mainly in the viewing angle department and somewhat in the contrast levels, if you aren’t picky or in need of photo quality images, I would highly recommend the Acer AL2216Wbd.
The first thing to understand about purchasing a monitor is what type of panel is behind the display. Besides the panel manufacturer, there are three panel technologies in widespread use: TN (Twisted Nematic), PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment), and IPS (In-Plane Switching). All of these technologies can also have an "S-" prefix, which stands for "Super" -- indicating the use of an upgraded version of the original technology. There are new “H-IPS” panels coming out as well, which are superior to the S-IPS version.
Knowing the manufacturer of the panel as well as the type of panel will give you a good start when understanding how good, and expensive, the display is going to be. TN has been around the longest, and while it is inexpensive to manufacture there are certain performance characteristics that I dislike, specifically the limited viewing angles. PVA and IPS are both better technologies in terms of quality and viewing angles, but they cost more to produce and they usually have some sort of visual lag, a potential downside if you’re a serious gamer.
Today I bring you a brief to-the-point review of the Acer AL2216Wbd 22” LCD monitor. A combination of price vs. performance that should appeal well to those budget minded users.
Specifications
| Video Inputs | 1x Analog (VGA) 1x DVI with HDCP support |
| Panel Type | TN (Twisted Nematic) |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.282mm |
| Colors | 16.2 million (6-bit) |
| Brightness | 300 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 700:1 |
| Response Time | 5ms gray-to-gray |
| Viewable Size | 22" diagonal |
| Resolution | 1680x1050 |
| Viewing Angle | 170 degrees H/V |
| Screen Surface | Matte (non-glossy) |
| Height, Pivot, Swivel, Tilt | No, No, No, Yes |
| Wall Mount Option | Yes |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 20.2"x16"x7.8" |
| Weight w/ Stand | 10.6 lbs. |
| Additional Features | None |
| Audio | None |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 3 year parts and labor limited |
| Price | MSRP $259 Online starting at ~$209 |
The Setup
Setting up the monitor was a breeze. One of the nice things about 22” and smaller monitors is the packaging they come in. I recently returned a pair of Doublesight 26” monitors and had a heck of a time getting them back in their boxes and in the car (not to mention the cost of return shipping). The base comes off with this monitor for easier storage, and the overall construction is solid enough to support moving the monitor around frequently.
Since this is a $200 monitor you shouldn’t expect any frills when using it. There are a minimal amount USB ports and only one DVI connector. The monitor does tilt but that is about it. No swivel or height adjustments, so if you need it any higher on your desk put a few books under it and you are good to go. I found the display to be perfectly adequate for my desk space and quite pleasing to the eye overall. I’m not one for being too picky about how fancy it looks, as it is all about how well it performs.
Visual Quality and Performance
Setup any LCD monitor and view it off to the side when its on, especially when its displaying a black screen. You should notice a lot of color or contrast distortion. On a black background when seeing this hazy light it is called “backlight bleeding”, a condition of the light not quite being blocked by the crystals. When the monitor is displaying an image and you view it at an angle, cheap monitors will not only show severe color distortion but overall contrast distortions. If you are sensitive to distortions of any kind when moving around, do not purchase a TN monitor such as this Acer! IPS panels are best for viewing angle stability. Viewing angles are a problem of visual quality. Some may notice these problems more so than others.
Another problem that users are sometimes sensitive too, especially gamers, is the more perceptive “lag” that occurs when moving around the mouse or viewing fast moving images. There are two actual kinds of this lag. Sensing lag when moving around the mouse may be attributed to the delay in the monitor processing the mouse signal, called Input Lag. Another type of lag is Response Time lag, which occurs when the image from the video card is not being updated on the monitor fast enough, causing blurring in fast moving images. Fortunately this is where TN panels excel. If you are a hardcore gamer and demand image clarity in fast moving images, this Acer monitor will work just fine for you.
Conclusion
You really can’t go wrong with this monitor at the near $200 price point level. You sacrifice a few features, but make up for it in a convenient size that sits directly between the outdated 20” monitors and the more expensive 24” cousins. While it does have its drawbacks in performance, mainly in the viewing angle department and somewhat in the contrast levels, if you aren’t picky or in need of photo quality images, I would highly recommend the Acer AL2216Wbd.
LCD Display Performance: Input Lag, Response Time, Latency
Want to know a little more about what you might be purchasing when in the market for a new computer monitor? I've written up a quick blurb here of some of the performance problems that have plagued monitors in the past, and what to watch out for when you are purchasing a monitor either for graphics work, gameplay, or general use purposes.
I will mention quite often "panel" references, because quite frankly of the dozens of monitors available today there are in fact only about four major manufacturers of the actual screen itself. It is like the dozens of video card manufacturers that buy the core processing chips and reference board designs from two key companies; ATI and Nvidia.
Here are some initial keynote differences between "Input Lag", "Response Time", and "Latency" for the performance of monitors and other LCD displays:
INPUT LAG
"Input lag is a phenomenon associated with some types of LCD displays, and nearly all types of HDTVs, that refers to latency, or lag measured by the difference between the time a signal is input into a display and the time it is shown by the display.
This lag time has been measured as high as 68ms, or the equivalent of 3-4 frames on a 60 Hz display. Currently, the only TFT panels known to have this phenomenon are so-called overdrive panels. These include S-PVA, S-MVA, and Overdrive-TN panels. S-PVA have been observed to suffer from greater input lag than P-MVA panels, while IPS, S-IPS and AS-IPS panels are not or only minimally affected."
RESPONSE TIME
"Response time is the amount of time a pixel in an LCD monitor takes to go from black to white and back to black again. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer visible image artifacts."
LATENCY
"LCD screens with a high response time value often do not give satisfactory experience when viewing fast moving images (They often leave streaks or blur; called Ghosting).
But an LCD screen with high response time AND significant input lag is unsuitable for playing fast paced computer games or performing fast high accuracy operations on the screen (e.g. CAD design) due to the mouse lagging behind. Manufacturers only state the response time of their displays and do not inform customers of the input lag value."
Both of these factors together are often referred to as "Latency".
Until recently these problems were extremely apparent, especially in your typical desktop LCD. They would suffer from either a larger Response Time or a higher Input Lag (but often not both as discussed below).
TODAY'S PANELS
The negative about many of today's panels is the trend towards more complex inputs that requires increased complexity in a panel's circuitry. This is where higher input lag is still apparent in several PVA/MVA panels (which are considered a mid-range performance product) when monitors introduce technologies like DisplayPort.
In positive contrast, most of these panels today have response times well within the acceptable levels of human vision (4ms and below is indiscernible due to the limits of the human eye's nerve impulse speed to the visual cortex).
This is especially true of "TN (Twisted Nematic) panels that offer lower quality overall, more basic "features" such as stand height/swivel adjustments, but at a lower price range as well. Their major advantage beyond price is 5, 4, or even 2ms response times (gray-to-gray).
What I've noticed in the industry recently is a shift towards these "cheaper quality" panels to help continue bringing down the price for the average panel in a series. Unfortunately, manufacturers are thus reducing or even eliminating PVA/MVA, and in some cases the higher-end S-IPS displays from lines that once were prominent mainstream products.
I've also heard about some real quality control issues in the industry recently, some panels that have potential but the monitor manufacturers alter them too much and ruin the overall display. Color banding, back-light non-uniformity, color "stains", poor OCD controls, and even monitors are there physically tilted when placed on a flat desk are just some of the reported problems.
Sometimes I think people like to whine, while sometimes these are truly common problems that are to be of a concern when purchasing a monitor in question. On the flip-side I've also seen some great monitors (if you're willing to pay the price, especially for S-IPS panels).
Those desktop LCDs to watch for extremely high Input Lag are currently the Dell 2408WFP (Rev. A01 just came out which may help) and Samsung 245T (same panel).
Those to watch for TN technology but may not necessarily state TN are monitors that have a lower viewing angle of either 160 or 170 degrees. Those that are 176 "full" viewing angle displays are either PVA/MVA/S-IPS. Reported response times of 2, 4, or 5 can also be indicators of TN technology use.
OUR PERCEPTIONS
I think a lot of this is "subjective" though, as the main monitor I am currently using is a SyncMaster 205BW, and while it is a TN display it really doesn't bother me. Yes, I can notice the common TN issues if I look for them, and a potential lack in color depth compared to my Dell laptop's display, but otherwise it isn't that big of a deal. Your experiences may also differ depending on its use (PC vs. Console, TV vs. Desktop, etc.).
On another personal note I do recall experiencing poor "Input Lag" on my old wireless mice. That was extremely annoying even when I was running typical desktop applications. While I couldn't see the actual lag, I could "feel it", so I know the effect is there in certain cases with these monitors.
What monitors, both for PC and console system uses, do you have and what are you happy or not happy about them? This summer I need at least one good 24" monitor (in the $400-700 price range preferably) and I don't want a high input lag lemon or a risky proposition off of eBay.
I will mention quite often "panel" references, because quite frankly of the dozens of monitors available today there are in fact only about four major manufacturers of the actual screen itself. It is like the dozens of video card manufacturers that buy the core processing chips and reference board designs from two key companies; ATI and Nvidia.
Here are some initial keynote differences between "Input Lag", "Response Time", and "Latency" for the performance of monitors and other LCD displays:
INPUT LAG
"Input lag is a phenomenon associated with some types of LCD displays, and nearly all types of HDTVs, that refers to latency, or lag measured by the difference between the time a signal is input into a display and the time it is shown by the display.
This lag time has been measured as high as 68ms, or the equivalent of 3-4 frames on a 60 Hz display. Currently, the only TFT panels known to have this phenomenon are so-called overdrive panels. These include S-PVA, S-MVA, and Overdrive-TN panels. S-PVA have been observed to suffer from greater input lag than P-MVA panels, while IPS, S-IPS and AS-IPS panels are not or only minimally affected."
RESPONSE TIME
"Response time is the amount of time a pixel in an LCD monitor takes to go from black to white and back to black again. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer visible image artifacts."
LATENCY
"LCD screens with a high response time value often do not give satisfactory experience when viewing fast moving images (They often leave streaks or blur; called Ghosting).
But an LCD screen with high response time AND significant input lag is unsuitable for playing fast paced computer games or performing fast high accuracy operations on the screen (e.g. CAD design) due to the mouse lagging behind. Manufacturers only state the response time of their displays and do not inform customers of the input lag value."
Both of these factors together are often referred to as "Latency".
Until recently these problems were extremely apparent, especially in your typical desktop LCD. They would suffer from either a larger Response Time or a higher Input Lag (but often not both as discussed below).
TODAY'S PANELS
The negative about many of today's panels is the trend towards more complex inputs that requires increased complexity in a panel's circuitry. This is where higher input lag is still apparent in several PVA/MVA panels (which are considered a mid-range performance product) when monitors introduce technologies like DisplayPort.
In positive contrast, most of these panels today have response times well within the acceptable levels of human vision (4ms and below is indiscernible due to the limits of the human eye's nerve impulse speed to the visual cortex).
This is especially true of "TN (Twisted Nematic) panels that offer lower quality overall, more basic "features" such as stand height/swivel adjustments, but at a lower price range as well. Their major advantage beyond price is 5, 4, or even 2ms response times (gray-to-gray).
What I've noticed in the industry recently is a shift towards these "cheaper quality" panels to help continue bringing down the price for the average panel in a series. Unfortunately, manufacturers are thus reducing or even eliminating PVA/MVA, and in some cases the higher-end S-IPS displays from lines that once were prominent mainstream products.
I've also heard about some real quality control issues in the industry recently, some panels that have potential but the monitor manufacturers alter them too much and ruin the overall display. Color banding, back-light non-uniformity, color "stains", poor OCD controls, and even monitors are there physically tilted when placed on a flat desk are just some of the reported problems.
Sometimes I think people like to whine, while sometimes these are truly common problems that are to be of a concern when purchasing a monitor in question. On the flip-side I've also seen some great monitors (if you're willing to pay the price, especially for S-IPS panels).
Those desktop LCDs to watch for extremely high Input Lag are currently the Dell 2408WFP (Rev. A01 just came out which may help) and Samsung 245T (same panel).
Those to watch for TN technology but may not necessarily state TN are monitors that have a lower viewing angle of either 160 or 170 degrees. Those that are 176 "full" viewing angle displays are either PVA/MVA/S-IPS. Reported response times of 2, 4, or 5 can also be indicators of TN technology use.
OUR PERCEPTIONS
I think a lot of this is "subjective" though, as the main monitor I am currently using is a SyncMaster 205BW, and while it is a TN display it really doesn't bother me. Yes, I can notice the common TN issues if I look for them, and a potential lack in color depth compared to my Dell laptop's display, but otherwise it isn't that big of a deal. Your experiences may also differ depending on its use (PC vs. Console, TV vs. Desktop, etc.).
On another personal note I do recall experiencing poor "Input Lag" on my old wireless mice. That was extremely annoying even when I was running typical desktop applications. While I couldn't see the actual lag, I could "feel it", so I know the effect is there in certain cases with these monitors.
What monitors, both for PC and console system uses, do you have and what are you happy or not happy about them? This summer I need at least one good 24" monitor (in the $400-700 price range preferably) and I don't want a high input lag lemon or a risky proposition off of eBay.
PC Hardware Guide: Part 1 (Desktop Purchasing Essentials)
The past few months I have studied extensively the computer hardware industry and all the upcoming products through 2008 and into 2009. Ok, I admit it, I always study the computer hardware industry, but particularly now so that I am considering a large purchase of components for my desktop systems this summer.
One of the things you should to consider when upgrading your computer, or building a new one, is what you really need the computer for. Will it be there as as simple web interface with occasional word and PowerPoint usage? Will it be running 24/7 as a server or some graphics processing workstation? Or will it travel to frequent LAN parties where intensive Unreal Tournament 3 style gaming will be played?
The decision really whittles down to "do I need an economy family car, a semi to haul products across the country, or a NASCAR Indy speedster to get from point A to point B before one can say "p0wn3d""?. If you play games or do design work you will want more in the way of graphics horsepower, while servers could care less what graphics you put into your system. The same considerations go for those looking to simply browse the web and check their e-mail on occasion.
The following are the key components you will need when building or purchasing a system on these three basic levels. These are my recommendations based upon price vs. performance. I did not focus exclusively on power saving capabilities, weight and space considerations, and did not keep the budget to an ultimate low, nor too high. Those options I will go into detail in a later article. These components are literally the best bang for your buck, if you are willing to shell out just a little more cash than the bottom-bin "stuff". There are plenty of other options, but you will certainly be satisfied with focusing on the following:
Computer Games (UT3 style, not games like "Checkers")
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn E8400
Memory: 4GB of DDR2 800Mhz CAS 5
Video: Nvidia 8800 GTX 768MB
Server-intensive/Graphics Applications
CPU: Intel Quad-Core Q6600, or Q9450 (for power-usage conscious buyers)
Memory: 8GB of DDR2 800Mhz CAS 5
Video: Nvidia 8800 GT 512MB
Browsing The Web
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn E8200
Memory: 4GB of DDR2 800Mhz CAS 5 (I would almost state 2GB, but memory is CHEAP, so just get the 4GB and be done with it.)
Video: Nvidia 8600 GT 256MB
Do you notice anything interesting about the combined list? There are two things to note. First, I only listed three different components, because quite frankly the rest do not matter nearly as much as these three. Second, YOU DO NOT NEED THE LATEST AND GREATEST! That's right. Take a look at the following table by Tom's Hardware for an interesting review of whether or not DDR3 memory is worth upgrading to:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/04/09/toms_ultimate_ram_speed_tests/
With games the graphics processor (GPU) is the key component above and beyond anything else. Once your CPU tops 3GHZ (and is a duo core configuration) it doesn't need to be the latest "Extreme" processor. You also do not need DDR3 at all right now, or even the fastest DDR2. Hard drives are all slow in general, so pick the best bang for the buck that you can. And finally, graphics cards today, as long as they aren't bottom of the bin bargain deals, will run most games sufficiently as long as you aren't an ultra hard-core gamer that seeks a minimum of 30 FPS in Crysis.
Last, but surely not least, a few things to keep in mind:
1) Ensure the hard drive is at least a 7200RPM speed, NOT a 5400RPM.
2) The motherboard should have a good rating, as bad motherboards can cause all sorts of problems.
3) Having a good power supply will ensure system stability. Get at least a 400watt, but don't waste your money on 800+!
4) A good sized Mid-Tower or Full-Tower case with large (120mm) fans will ensure a nice cool and quiet running system.
5) Get that 24" monitor! While monitor sizes and quality are pure preference, I have found the Dell 2408WFP is the sweet spot for gamers and designers alike. If you're seriously budget constrained, go with the Dell E248WFP, as it is the lower quality version (has significantly less color accuracy, so do NOT buy it for graphics work!).
Stay tuned for Part 2 of "PC Hardware Guide", Laptop Purchasing Essentials!
One of the things you should to consider when upgrading your computer, or building a new one, is what you really need the computer for. Will it be there as as simple web interface with occasional word and PowerPoint usage? Will it be running 24/7 as a server or some graphics processing workstation? Or will it travel to frequent LAN parties where intensive Unreal Tournament 3 style gaming will be played?
The decision really whittles down to "do I need an economy family car, a semi to haul products across the country, or a NASCAR Indy speedster to get from point A to point B before one can say "p0wn3d""?. If you play games or do design work you will want more in the way of graphics horsepower, while servers could care less what graphics you put into your system. The same considerations go for those looking to simply browse the web and check their e-mail on occasion.
The following are the key components you will need when building or purchasing a system on these three basic levels. These are my recommendations based upon price vs. performance. I did not focus exclusively on power saving capabilities, weight and space considerations, and did not keep the budget to an ultimate low, nor too high. Those options I will go into detail in a later article. These components are literally the best bang for your buck, if you are willing to shell out just a little more cash than the bottom-bin "stuff". There are plenty of other options, but you will certainly be satisfied with focusing on the following:
Computer Games (UT3 style, not games like "Checkers")
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn E8400
Memory: 4GB of DDR2 800Mhz CAS 5
Video: Nvidia 8800 GTX 768MB
Server-intensive/Graphics Applications
CPU: Intel Quad-Core Q6600, or Q9450 (for power-usage conscious buyers)
Memory: 8GB of DDR2 800Mhz CAS 5
Video: Nvidia 8800 GT 512MB
Browsing The Web
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn E8200
Memory: 4GB of DDR2 800Mhz CAS 5 (I would almost state 2GB, but memory is CHEAP, so just get the 4GB and be done with it.)
Video: Nvidia 8600 GT 256MB
Do you notice anything interesting about the combined list? There are two things to note. First, I only listed three different components, because quite frankly the rest do not matter nearly as much as these three. Second, YOU DO NOT NEED THE LATEST AND GREATEST! That's right. Take a look at the following table by Tom's Hardware for an interesting review of whether or not DDR3 memory is worth upgrading to:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/04/09/toms_ultimate_ram_speed_tests/
With games the graphics processor (GPU) is the key component above and beyond anything else. Once your CPU tops 3GHZ (and is a duo core configuration) it doesn't need to be the latest "Extreme" processor. You also do not need DDR3 at all right now, or even the fastest DDR2. Hard drives are all slow in general, so pick the best bang for the buck that you can. And finally, graphics cards today, as long as they aren't bottom of the bin bargain deals, will run most games sufficiently as long as you aren't an ultra hard-core gamer that seeks a minimum of 30 FPS in Crysis.
Last, but surely not least, a few things to keep in mind:
1) Ensure the hard drive is at least a 7200RPM speed, NOT a 5400RPM.
2) The motherboard should have a good rating, as bad motherboards can cause all sorts of problems.
3) Having a good power supply will ensure system stability. Get at least a 400watt, but don't waste your money on 800+!
4) A good sized Mid-Tower or Full-Tower case with large (120mm) fans will ensure a nice cool and quiet running system.
5) Get that 24" monitor! While monitor sizes and quality are pure preference, I have found the Dell 2408WFP is the sweet spot for gamers and designers alike. If you're seriously budget constrained, go with the Dell E248WFP, as it is the lower quality version (has significantly less color accuracy, so do NOT buy it for graphics work!).
Stay tuned for Part 2 of "PC Hardware Guide", Laptop Purchasing Essentials!
Out with the old, in with the new
A few blog posts ago I talked about my overheating laptop issue. To review, the GPU on my otherwise awesome Dell e1705 (don't forget to add the upgraded 4GB of memory to its awesomeness) is sadly overheating to the point of a complete burnout. If I do not get this fixed in the new couple of months, my hands will go up in flames as the laptop decides right then and there to spontaneously combust.
So, I've decided to balance the price of fixing this laptop with the price of a new system here in China. I've decided... neither. Instead, I went out shopping a few days ago and bought a nice medium sized floor fan that is currently blow a gust of air at its maximum rate alongside the laptop's surface. This has effectively cooled the laptop from an idle temperature of 85c down to an idle temperature of 78-80c. Enough for now... (although intensive games are still a no-go).
The long-term prospects are much more interesting. As long as I can keep this laptop on its last legs, I am quite looking forward to a new system back at home when I return at the end of June. First, I want to briefly mention the problems in China with getting components for a new computer system. Add to that statement a footnote that it is sometimes difficult to get any sort of electronic device to the exact specifications you want.
You see, there is no NewEgg, no Best Buy, no major retail computer stores of any kind that come even close to the aforementioned. You either have a) small outlets that sell misc. items, or b) major electronic "flee markets". The outlets hardly have enough to satisfy building a new system, let alone getting the exact components you want. The flee markets are almost worse. While they have more components, some are outdated and even "used" when sold new. Bargaining is a necessity here to get a decent price as well. Even when you find new components that you want, don't count on a satisfactory customer service support center when something goes wrong.
Back at home I plan to order straight from NewEgg.com. What a wonderful system NewEgg is to the PC enthusiast. If you are a PC enthusiast and can't imagine not being able to effectively shop for specific computer components, just come to China (or most of Asia for that matter). Keep your fingers crossed, hold your breath, and wish that in three months I will have a new system built specifically for my needs.
"What are your needs?" you might ask...
I am glad you asked, because I love talking about them. This summer/fall we will be seeing a new Intel CPU coming out based on the Penryn architecture (if I start to lose you here in a technical way, then just stop while you can...) codenamed "Nehalem". This new architecture, combined with DDR3 memory support, will significantly increase computer program speeds beyond what my current laptop is capable of. A leap in CPU architecture this significant hasn't come out since the Pentium named was branded.
Of course, I am a gamer at heart so I need a good GPU to backup that raw CPU horsepower. This is where the new upcoming Radeon HD 4870x2's come in. I will NEVER pay $600 for a video card, a.k.a. the Nvidia 9800GX2. If the Radeon HD 4870x2's are also too pricey, or disappointing in the performance category, I will settle for a 'Crossfire' configuration of two Nvidia 9600GT's. Throw in a Blu-ray DVD writer, 8GB of DDR3 memory (or DDR2 if DDR3 is still pricey in the summer), couple all that with a few 24" Dell monitors, and I'm set for a fresh fragging experience!
"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use." - ME
So, I've decided to balance the price of fixing this laptop with the price of a new system here in China. I've decided... neither. Instead, I went out shopping a few days ago and bought a nice medium sized floor fan that is currently blow a gust of air at its maximum rate alongside the laptop's surface. This has effectively cooled the laptop from an idle temperature of 85c down to an idle temperature of 78-80c. Enough for now... (although intensive games are still a no-go).
The long-term prospects are much more interesting. As long as I can keep this laptop on its last legs, I am quite looking forward to a new system back at home when I return at the end of June. First, I want to briefly mention the problems in China with getting components for a new computer system. Add to that statement a footnote that it is sometimes difficult to get any sort of electronic device to the exact specifications you want.
You see, there is no NewEgg, no Best Buy, no major retail computer stores of any kind that come even close to the aforementioned. You either have a) small outlets that sell misc. items, or b) major electronic "flee markets". The outlets hardly have enough to satisfy building a new system, let alone getting the exact components you want. The flee markets are almost worse. While they have more components, some are outdated and even "used" when sold new. Bargaining is a necessity here to get a decent price as well. Even when you find new components that you want, don't count on a satisfactory customer service support center when something goes wrong.
Back at home I plan to order straight from NewEgg.com. What a wonderful system NewEgg is to the PC enthusiast. If you are a PC enthusiast and can't imagine not being able to effectively shop for specific computer components, just come to China (or most of Asia for that matter). Keep your fingers crossed, hold your breath, and wish that in three months I will have a new system built specifically for my needs.
"What are your needs?" you might ask...
I am glad you asked, because I love talking about them. This summer/fall we will be seeing a new Intel CPU coming out based on the Penryn architecture (if I start to lose you here in a technical way, then just stop while you can...) codenamed "Nehalem". This new architecture, combined with DDR3 memory support, will significantly increase computer program speeds beyond what my current laptop is capable of. A leap in CPU architecture this significant hasn't come out since the Pentium named was branded.
Of course, I am a gamer at heart so I need a good GPU to backup that raw CPU horsepower. This is where the new upcoming Radeon HD 4870x2's come in. I will NEVER pay $600 for a video card, a.k.a. the Nvidia 9800GX2. If the Radeon HD 4870x2's are also too pricey, or disappointing in the performance category, I will settle for a 'Crossfire' configuration of two Nvidia 9600GT's. Throw in a Blu-ray DVD writer, 8GB of DDR3 memory (or DDR2 if DDR3 is still pricey in the summer), couple all that with a few 24" Dell monitors, and I'm set for a fresh fragging experience!
"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use." - ME
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)