14562866
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"Intel's Xeon 5600 series is the latest batch of CPUs to tap the company's cutting-edge, 32-nano fabrication process. Code-named Westmere-EP, these new server and workstation CPUs add two cores and 4MB of cache per socket while remarkably staying within the same thermal envelopes as their predecessors. When pitted against the last Xeon generation, the new chips predictably offer better performance and power efficiency. Intel's power-optimized Willowbrook server motherboard may be even more impressive, as it enables a dozen-core Xeon L5640 system to consume just 66W at idle."Link to Original Source
14353528
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"Apple might have an answer for the iPhone 4's antenna issues, but a potential problem with the iPad could be tougher to fix. At least one user's iPad nearly combusted while the device was plugged in, melting the charging cable in the process. Similar problems prompted mass notebook battery recalls a few years ago, although this seems to be the only case of iPad-related melting reported thus far. Have any Slashdot users observed similar behavior with their iPads?"Link to Original Source
14278240
submission
J. Dzhugashvili writes
"If you read Slashdot, odds are you already know about WiGig and the 7Gbps wireless networking it promises. The people at Atheros and Wilocity are now working on an interesting application for the spec: wireless PCI Express. In a nutshell, wPCIe enables a PCI Express switch with local and remote components linked by a 60GHz connection. The first applications, which will start sampling next year, will let you connect your laptop to a base station with all kinds of storage controllers, networking controllers, and yes, an external graphics processor. wPCIe works transparently to the operating system, which only sees additional devices connected over PCI Express. And as icing on the cake, wPCie controllers will lets you connect to standard Wi-Fi networks, too."Link to Original Source
14243702
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"Bargain-priced nettops have intriguing potential, but you usually have to accept the manufacturer's default configuration. Not so with Zotac's Zbox HD-ID11, which is available as a barebones affair sans hard drive, memory, and operating system. The Zbox comes with a dual-core Atom CPU, an Ion GPU with HD video and Flash acceleration, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and even Gigabit Ethernet. Although Wi-Fi reception is a little flakey, the system runs nice and quiet and handles HTPC duties and light gaming with aplomb. The Zbox also plays well with XBMC Live, making it easy to roll your own home-theater PC without paying the Windows tax, which counts for a lot given the nettop's $220 street price. This could be the ultimate budget HTPC for savvy DIY types."Link to Original Source
14196492
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"The GF100 GPU that underpinned Nvidia's first wave of GeForce GTX 400-series graphics cards was designed to moonlight as a GPU-compute engine in the company's Tesla products. Nvidia has now released a leaner version of the chip that drops Tesla-specific features to focus squarely on graphics performance. The result is a new line of GeForce GTX 460 graphics cards that can handle the latest and greatest games at high resoltuions without having to compromise detail levels. These new GeForce cards perform better than comparable Radeons while costing less, which could ignite a mid-range price war. Or so we can hope."Link to Original Source
14056272
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"Nvidia has long pushed its PhysX game physics middleware as a prime candidate for GPU acceleration. However, it seems that the company may have also taken steps to ensure that PhysX performs poorly when run on a modern CPU. Despite the fact that physics calculations lend themselves to parallel processing, games tend to implement PhysX with a single thread. PhysX also relies largely on x87 code rather than SSE instructions. The latter should run faster and make life easier for developers, and Nvidia has taken advantage of similar instructions with its console-specific PhysX implementations. But not on the PC, which smells like a willful attempt to hinder PhysX performance on anything but an Nvidia GPU."Link to Original Source
14030400
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"SSDs hardly offer compelling value on the cost-per-gigabyte scale. But what if one considers performance per dollar? This article takes a closer look at the value proposition offered by today's most common SSDs, mixing raw performance data with each drive's cost, both per gigabyte and as a component of a complete system. An even dozen SSD configurations are compared, and results from a collection of mechanical hard drives provides additional context. The data are laid out in detailed scatter plots that clearly illustrate the most favorable intersections of price and performance, and you might be surprised to see just how well the SSDs fare versus traditional hard drives. A few of the SSDs offer much better value than their solid-state competition, too."Link to Original Source
13814820
submission
J. Dzhugashvili writes
"Slapping together a lean, mean gaming machine has never been easier, especially with the trend of bargain-basement pricing in the CPU market. The latest edition of The Tech Report's build guide outlines a hexa-core gaming rig that costs only $850 to put together, not to mention a quad-core hot rod for $550. Both configurations have DirectX 11 graphics, bells and whistles like 6Gbps Serial ATA and USB 3.0, and quiet, highly efficient power supplies with equally discreet enclosures. Considering what you can get with careful component selection, a Phillips-head screwdriver, and some elbow grease, it's a wonder anyone still buys overpriced gaming PCs from Dell or HP."Link to Original Source
13646756
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"AMD introduced a slew of new server products today, including a fresh batch of Opteron CPUs and new FireStream cards based on the company's latest Cypress GPU. The Opteron 4100 series offers up to six cores and two memory channels per CPU, neatly halving what's available in the 6000 series. There's nothing new on the architectural front, but the 4100 line starts at just $99 and its power ratings don't exceed 75W, which fits nicely with AMD's desire to have the new CPUs deployed in "hyper-scale data centers" that fuel cloud computing. For those seeking an engine for high-performance GPU computing, the new FireStream 9300 series taps the same Cypress GPU found in Radeon 5800-series graphics cards. AMD claims that its new FireStream cards push more teraflops than equivalent Tesla offerings from Nvidia, but they're missing the ECC protection available in those Tesla parts. Nvidia also has a history of supplying better development tools for GPU computing applications."Link to Original Source
13572930
submission
EconolineCrush writes
"SandForce's SF-1200 is one of the most intriguing new flash controllers to hit the SSD market. Due to aggressive overprovisioning, the first wave of consumer-grade drives only squeezed 100GB of user capacity from 128GB of flash. SandForce has since dialed back the overprovisioning a little in its firmware, fueling a new batch of SSDs with more competitive 120GB capacities. As this review of Corsair's 120GB Force F120 illustrates, the increase in capacity has consequences for both longevity and performance. Desktop users looking for an SSD to house their OS and applications probably won't be fazed, but those contemplating the SF-1200 as a low-cost alternative to enterprise-class SSDs are probably better off with higher overprovisioning."Link to Original Source
