Before we could discuss of whether or not it’s useful to have more than 4 giga-bytes of RAM memory in a PC, some people had to work with slightly less space.
Category: CPU & memory
You may not know it but all processes and all programs are not running with the same energy in your Windows-based computer. There is something named “process priorities” that manages which program will run first or will run with the most direct access to the CPU. photo credit: Ioan Sameli All this goes quite transparently,… Read More
Fake Intels on sale
I already knew that there were fake electronic components of all kinds (don’t ask, but I work in the electronics industry and my own employer has sad stories to tell – but wouldn’t 🙂 ), but I believed that this was limited to small cheap components. I was wrong. The US retailer NewEgg indicated this… Read More
DDR3 memory set to rise
It had been quite some time that I did not comment price variations of electronic components. It was easy and acceptable: Everybody could observe the slow price fall under the pressure of recession. But there is a change worth mentioning (and not only the stabilization of LCD prices): DDR3-type of DRAM memory should see a… Read More
Memory is cheap
If you are visiting Paris, you must know about rue Montgallet. This is the nice little geek secret here. A street (and a couple of neighbouring ones) where you will find literally one computer shop every other door step. Prices are as low as they can get in France. I usually start from the top… Read More
If you have an old collection of PC MS-DOS games that has been sleeping at the bottom of a drawer, you may have two approaches: A/ you prefer to forget the old pixels and buy new games, B/ you were so found of those that you want to play even on your newest PC. However,… Read More
Shanghai IDF 2008: Assistance needs assistance
Intel has several Developer forums per year in the world. In Spring 2008, they went to Shanghai in order to reveal the future of computers, mobile data and processors. Oddly enough, I also was in Shanghai at the same time. I observed not the forum itself, but people going to the Forum (located in the… Read More
DRAM nightmares
Actually, this is DRAM manufacturers that have these nightmares. While prices have been regularlyfalling down for months (consumers love it), the financial results of most of the manufacturers are falling through the floor. It has been quite long in the making, but we can expect that there will be some consolidation when some manufacturer close… Read More
AMD starts shipping 3-core Phenom
2008 will be the year of the triple core CPU. AMD started to ship the Phenom chips in various configurations. As said before, this is a great way for AMD to differentiate itself, but the prices are not expected to go down immediately. Either because AMD does not want to shoot itself in the foot… Read More
According to a nice comparison article facing Intel and AMD on dual core CPUs (at XBit Labs), Intel is now the best supplier for processors: at the same price, its CPU are more powerful, except for games where the cheaper AMD ones are leveling the ground. AMD, wake up!
Phenom, incompatible with existing AM2 motherboards?
This is more or less what has to be concluded from reading the articles currently published about the compatibility (more supposed than real) between the new AMD 4-core processor and the existing AM2-socket motherboards. But it seems that AMD will have to be a little more patient. This is not a very good omen for… Read More
VIA ends its forays into CPU chipsets
According to Apply Daily (via Digitimes), VIA reorganized itself with the consequence that they will concentrate on their own line of CPUs and supporting chipsets, leaving the chipsets for Intel and AMD aside.
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but with the newest PC equipped with more than 1 gigabyte of DRAM, the 32-bit version of the Linux kernel is usually showing issues around the use of 2-4GB of central RAM. It appears that it’s only a matter of checking the kernel configuration to… Read More
DRAM and NAND Flash markets still very low
Manufacturers of DRAM chips and NAND Flash modules still see the market as one long nightmare they cannot wake up from. There is a permanent oversupply that does not seem to be reduced by the end-of-the-year purchases. Taiwan DRAM makers are worried because they do not even see a reason why this should improve in… Read More
Crysis minimum requirements
Since it appears that finding this information about the Crysis video game is a bit difficult, you can follow the link to Crysis minimum requirements here.
What good is the Crysis demo?
As plenty other people you may have already downloaded the Crysis demo because you wanted to taste the PC game of the end of the year. But some Internet web site went further and stressed the demo to the point that you can get a good feeling of what this video game will be capable… Read More
Today is Blog Action Day: The day that bloggers chose to try and help save the planet from the impact of Human activity. For my own part, I decided to collect a few ideas to save energy in your computer usage: Upgrade your gear Dim your screen Consolidate and virtualize computers Turn off peripherals Kill… Read More
November 2007: Giant leap for PC gaming
Do you remember 2004? In this year, we saw the birth of FarCry, Half Life 2 and Doom 3, three games that really redefined PC gaming. This year, in November, we will see a blooming of new games which are set to retrace the PC gaming industy. Expect no less than: Hellgate: London is for… Read More
Microsoft would have us believing that the hybrid disk drives (containing a standard magnetic disc drive, some Flash memory and the usual cache memory) are the solution to all world’s problems (including hunger and poverty), the culmination of technology finally allowed by Windows Vista. The basic principle of adding Flash memory to a disk drive… Read More
Triple core AMD
THe news of the week on the CPU front line is definitely the arrival of new triple-core CPUs from AMD. There is an obvious wish to take the marketing and technical lead again on a ground where Intel was starting to appear as the unchallenged leader. But there is also an interesting technico-industrial approach. When… Read More