DDR3 SDRAM for Sandy Bridge: Choosing the Best Memory for LGA1155 Platform
However, these conclusions were first made a while back, so they are primarily true for the previous generation platforms. As for the influence the memory sub-system speed has on the overall performance of contemporary LGA1155 systems, we haven’t yet discussed anything like that. And it obviously makes little sense to translate the old results onto the new Sandy Bridge based platform. Back during our first discussion of this new innovative microarchitecture, we pointed out that the implementation of the memory controller in Sandy Bridge is dramatically different from the way it was implemented in the older Westmere and Nehalem processors. Namely, now the memory controller is located inside a different functional unit than the L3 cache and uses a new ring bus to connect to the computational cores of the processor. All this could have any sort of effect on the memory subsystem contribution to the overall system performance. So, we decided to set up a special test session and find out which memory would be the most optimal choice for LGA1155 processors.
AMD May Be Preparing Phenom II X8 Microprocessors.
Based on CPU support list of Jetway HA18 mainboard based on AMD 9-series chipset and AM3+ socket, AMD is preparing a series of new microprocessors based on Zambezi design (Bulldozer micro-architecture, 4, 6 or 8 cores) of different revisions with rather low clock-speeds and with 95W thermal design power. Jetway lists the new processors as "engineering samples", but a well-known Japanese observer/blogger Northwood.blog60.fc2.com points to an alleged ECS A890GXM-A2 CPU support list that calls the chips as AMD Phenom II X8.
The list of AMD Phenom II X8 microprocessors includes four models:
AMD Phenom II X8 2420: 2.40GHz, 95W, ZD242046W8K43
AMD Phenom II X8 3020: 3.00GHz, 125W, ZD302051W8K44
AMD Phenom II X8 2520: 2.50GHz, 95W, ZD252046W6443
AMD Phenom II X8 2820: 2.80GHz, 95W, ZD282046W8K43
The "Phenom II X8" microprocessors can be actual early engineering samples of chips that now belong to AMD FX premium product line, however, listing of their support now implies that AMD is cooking something new.
Although AMD FX family does not play in the ultra high-performance segment of the market where microprocessors cost $400 or more, the Sunnyvale, California-based company clearly positions the chips as premium products. Therefore, the company is not interested in selling products with relatively low performance under the FX brand.
It is known that AMD does have a lot of Zambezi processors that have all cores functional, but which cannot work on high clock-speeds and therefore provide premium "FX-class" performance, but AMD is definitely interested in selling those chips. In a bid not to harm the appeal of the FX brand, the chip designer may sell low-frequency Zambezi processors with disabled Turbo Core dynamic clock-speed acceleration technology and/or cut-down L2/L3 cache under Phenom II X8 brand. AMD already sells some processors based on Llano APU design with disabled graphics engine under Athlon II and Sempron monikers, thus, a refresh of the Phenom II line should not be a complete surprise.
With low frequencies and without Turbo Core, the new eight-core Phenom II X8 will likely be considerably slower than the existing six-core Phenom II X8 processors based on Thuban design.
AMD, ECS and Jetway did not comment on the news-story.
Over 3 Billion of Mobile Devices Set to Be Shipped in 2015 - Analysts.
Driven by consumer's desire to be connected anywhere and anytime and the ever increasing access to all types of content, the electronics industry continues to change. Today, up to 2 billion of mobile devices are shipped daily. According to a recent market study from In-Stat, the market of mobile system-on-chip (SoC) devices will grow to 3.1 billion of units per year by 2015, which transforms into the number of actual devices sold in the timeframe: approximately 8.49 million daily, something hard to believe in now.
A key dynamic of this change is the continued push for a rich visual experience on any size screen. This desired experience continues to push the limits of current mobile SoCs and makes the graphics processing unit (GPU) one of the most critical components in the design and differentiation of the SoC and consumer devices.
"The shift toward graphical user interfaces and media-rich content in entertainment and computing has pushed multimedia acceleration, including graphics, video, and audio, in electronic devices from a simple co–processing function to the forefront of semiconductor and system design,” says Jim McGregor, research director at In-Stat.
New In-Stat research forecasts that these trends will push the mobile SoC TAM to over 3.1 billion devices in 2015, up from 2 billion in 2010. Devices that may require a mobile SoC include cell phones that is transforming towards smartphone, smartphones, notebooks, netbooks, tablets, digital still cameras, mp3 players, personal navigation devices, e-readers, handheld game consoles, digital camcorders, and portable media players.It should be noted that there are three driver/magnet platforms in the mobile segment - smartphones, tablets, and notebooks PCs - that will grow at a CAGR of 25.7% as compared to 8.7% for the overall mobile market.
It is noteworthy that only 40% of the mobile SoC TAM will use at least one dedicated GPUs in 2011. It is important to note that both the number of SoCs using GPUs is increasing and the number of GPU cores per SoC is increasing throughout the forecast period.
"This change has been driven by richer content, higher accessibility to content over the Internet, industry standards, new technologies, and increased communication bandwidth. These advancements, however, also come with the challenges of increased complexity, increased performance requirements, and constraints in power, size, and cost,” added Mr. McGregor.
Intel and Imagination lead the GPU market because of their dominance in PCs and smartphones, respectively, according to In-Stat. Combined, the two are projected to comprise 61.3% of the GPU technology mobile serviceable available market in 2011.
In-stat even expects division between PC and mobile consumer electronics GPUs to narrow in the future, increasing the competition between GPU technologies.
INTEL OUTGROWS SAMSUNG IN SLUGGISH SEMICONDUCTOR MARKET
TECHNO NEWS : Holding in a HIS / iSuppli ranking of a tip mark from Intel, we can recollect a long, happy to eat contingency watch a Samsung marketplace share over new years. However, Intel posted a large strike behind in 2011, manufacturers increasing by 23% to a $ 40.4 a single billion 2010 income and expects a thinly slice landed in $ 49.7 billion.For about dual and a single billion $ 9.3 break Nvidia thinly slice income in 2011. Samsung increasing a income 3.0% to $ 29.2 billion. 2011 ranking of a alternative large personality in a sixth (+39.9 percent to $ 10.1 billion) of Qualcomm, Nvidia in territory twenty (+14.9 percent to $ 3.7 billion) and in a semiconductor in a initial nineteen place (+49.4 percent to 34 million).
The times they suffered a detriment of revenue, in 2011 a normal in a tip twenty between a incremental income is 3.5%. Among a losers have been Elpida (- 40.2%), Panasonic (- 32.0%) and micro (- 17.3%). “The semiconductor marketplace in a severe year, Intel completed success upon all fronts to expand a core commercial operation of microprocessors and memory, whilst additionally regulating vital acquisition,” pronounced Valley Ford, his analyst. “This allows a association to grow faster than a marketplace and expand a closest aspirant than a leader, defying a diseased mercantile incident and in Japan and Thailand.
” Disaster stroke of healthy disasters; according to him, and Intel benefits from Infineon ‘off-take; s wireless resolution affairs, enlarge a firm’ s thinly slice business. Samsung, upon a alternative hand, is a universe ‘s heading manufacturers and snippet by a heartless 27% of a micro-navigation marketplace prospects decline.
SAMSUNG POSTS RECORD 45% SHARE OF DRAM MARKET
Like a opposition association can enclose snippet slowed, even from a some-more than 3.4 billion Samsung continues to review a sales tumble in Q3 2010 micro-year to $ 3.1 billion in Q3 2011 years. In Q3 2010 年, Samsung is estimated which caused some-more than $ 4.3 billion in micro-marketing.Elpida in a third off with $ 1.7 billion from a 29.8% dump to $ 823 million, Hynix, in a second place, face a successive decrease of 22.6% from $ 2.2 billions to $ 1.5 billion. “Samsung Four Seasons go upon to have traces of a industry’s largest collateral output budget, permitting it to revoke costs and fast smoothness of modernized product than a competition,” pronounced Michael Howard, principal analyst, snippet and mental recall of his.
“Therefore, companies have been improved means to catch a decrease in normal offered cost in a third quarter, down a total micro-industry of 26%.” Howard remarkable which “the demand in a third entertain of snippet mental recall by a sort of personal mechanism upon interest of a vital marketplace undercut sales of a anemia. personal computers and consumer ardour by a media inscription device from a multiple of diseased foe harm a economy. “
BEWARE OF LOST AND FOUND USB FLASH DRIVES, THEY’RE BRIMMING WITH MALWARE, SOPHOS SAYS
HARDWARE NEWS: If we should occur opposite a USB peep expostulate to run in a subway, we might wish to leave it there, if we weren ‘t devise upon receiving it during a commencement and a Lost and Found. There ‘s a great possibility it’ s putrescent with malware and which doesn ‘t request to we upon a belligerent which a USB key, though we buy in an auction, too.
BEWARE OF LOST AND FOUND USB FLASH DRIVES, THEY’RE BRIMMING WITH MALWARE, SOPHOS SAYS
Security organisation Sophos pronounced it schooled 50 USB pass was paid for in a categorical ride management ‘s mislaid skill auctions, and those 50, two-thirds of putrescent malware. That ‘s bad news for buyers and former owners doesn’ t begin assent either. Study additionally suggested a series of expostulate full of report upon a former owners, together with their family, friends and colleagues.
“We found 62 putrescent files in total. The misfortune of a pass contains 6 putrescent file, upon interest of malware 4 opposite projects,” Sophos pronounced in a blog post. “We didn ‘t find all a OS x malware. But 9 pass looks Macon sets Xi have been a owners (or Macs during length used during least); 7 of these were infected.” In alternative words, if you’ for Windows users, enclose ‘t pretence which we can automatically certitude Apple mechanism from your a a single preferred of all a friends.
And even if we ‘are against to anti-virus program upon a judgment of a single of those Mac users, cruise softening your position as a use to a total community. “Another fun one: 50 USB keys have been not encrypted, nonetheless all does not enclose any” smoking gun, “like insider trade tips, credit label dump, crime story, etc. There are, however, together with taxation relief, activists ‘record files; meetings, family and friends as books, program and network standard source formula and alternative report which we wouldn’ t wish to travel around in a no preference though to share.
Hardware Behind the Consoles - Part I: Microsoft's Xbox
Hardware and games go hand in hand; since it is the gaming industry which drives a significant portion of hardware sales, at least for enthusiast users. Companies like NVIDIA wouldn't have a reason to put out $300 and $400 graphics cards if it weren't for gamers. But although PC gamers have taken the lime light recently, every true PC gamer and most PC users in general can trace their roots back to the earliest of computer-entertainment devices: videogame consoles.
Hardware Behind the Consoles - Part I: Microsoft's Xbox
Hardware and games go hand in hand; since it is the gaming industry which drives a significant portion of hardware sales, at least for enthusiast users. Companies like NVIDIA wouldn't have a reason to put out $300 and $400 graphics cards if it weren't for gamers. But although PC gamers have taken the lime light recently, every true PC gamer and most PC users in general can trace their roots back to the earliest of computer-entertainment devices: videogame consoles.There is just something special about videogame consoles that have kept them around even in light of the power of the PC and the incredible multiplayer capabilities offered by the internet. Although ports of various console favorites have been brought to the PC, it's difficult to reproduce the feeling of playing through Mario or a good bout in Street Fighter on the PC. Sports games generally fall victim to that same awkward feeling on the PC; although they may run at much higher resolutions and have more multiplayer options on the PC, you can't cram four friends onto a couch in front of your monitor and really have at it in Madden.
The same can be said for videogame consoles receiving titles that were meant to be played on a PC. Try to be as effective under a fast paced first person shooter like Quake III: Revolution on the Playstation 2 as you would play Quake III Arena on the PC and you'll quickly see the reason why a keyboard and mouse are the tools of choice for PC FPS gamers.
Although we've tried to portray the PC and the console as two separate worlds, there is one aspect in which these two worlds collide: hardware. Now you see the tie-in; at AnandTech we like to deal with the most interesting hardware and technology out there and for years the hardware behind videogame consoles was rarely that interesting. What we ended up finding were platforms that were starved for memory and a useful storage medium; and with the release of cards like the original 3dfx Voodoo and NVIDIA's first TNT line we quickly noticed that videogame consoles like Nintendo's N64 were also deprived of the graphics power we as PC users had been used to.
When Microsoft announced the development of their Xbox gaming platform the specs listed it as a moderately fast PC that would be considered no more than entry-level upon its release in late 2001. The platform did not appear interesting by any means and it has only been within these past few months that our interest has truly piqued as the Xbox has shaped up to be far from a set-top PC.
Microsoft does face competition from the most successful player in the videogame console business: Nintendo. Nintendo's recently released GameCube is also very PC-like in its hardware although Nintendo's approach is much more conventional to the console market than what Microsoft is doing with Xbox.
Leaving no stone unturned we have created a short series of articles entitled the Hardware Behind the Consoles that will detail the hardware that powers consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox, Sony's Playstation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube. AnandTech isn't a gaming site and although a number of our readers (and our staff) are avid gamers we won't focus on reviewing the titles that are shipping for these consoles individually. Instead they will be used, as are games in our video card reviews, as demonstrations of what the hardware is capable of doing.
In this first article we will have a look at Microsoft's Xbox and the underlying hardware that powers the software giant's first entry into the console gaming market.
