My very long messages are going to waste)
I will create separate threads, Major Whirlwind.
There is a post length limit. Unfortunately, it is very small on the forum.... And right away, additional replies get attached. That's why the length becomes unrealistic.************************************************
News in briefSanDisk offers its own TurboFlash version
SanDisk, a well-known manufacturer of flash memory devices, will begin shipping a special PCI Express interface module containing an 8 or 16 GB flash memory array by the beginning of next year. The purpose of such a module is to support Microsoft's proprietary ReadyBoost technology built into the Windows Vista operating system. With the help of flash memory, the operating system can boot and enter Hibernate faster, accelerate the loading of frequently used libraries and drivers, etc. The SanDisk device has been named Vaulter Disk. Essentially, it is an analog of Intel's Turbo Memory development; the same principle is embedded in hybrid hard drives produced by Seagate and Samsung. However, the SanDisk device has a much larger capacity and therefore should provide a more significant speed boost.
Hynix also releases GDDR5 memory
Hynix has joined Qimonda and also begun experimental production of memory chips for the future GDDR5 (DDR5 SGRAM) standard. The use of new memory will allow for further increasing the performance of 3D accelerators, as its clock frequency is much higher than that of GDDR4. Hynix plans to start shipping 1 Gbit capacity chips produced using 66 nm technology by the summer of 2008. The first video cards with GDDR5 memory can be expected around this time.
New NVIDIA multimedia video card will appear in a month
NVIDIA intends to very soon introduce a new inexpensive video card oriented toward PC-based home media centers. The name of the novelty is currently unknown; only its characteristics are being discussed. At the core of the video card will be the new G98 chip produced using 65 nm technology. It will have only 8 shader processors (one block), and the memory bus width will be only 64 bits, so 3D performance will be quite low. However, the G98 chip supports a whole range of new interfaces — PCI Express 2.0, HDMI, and DisplayPort, and also contains an updated video processor. This is where the value of the new video card lies.
AMD announces Phenom X4 processors and Spider platform
Intel beat its competitor by a week; Penryn core processors have already gone on sale. AMD is only now announcing new products, but in its case, it's not just a processor, but an entire platform — chipset, processors, video cards. We have written repeatedly about motherboards with the AMD 790FX chipset; it supports HyperTransport 3.0 and PCI Express 2.0 buses, is capable of connecting up to 4 video cards, and combining them in a CrossFire X configuration. The most interesting novelty is the Phenom X4 quad-core processors, currently represented by two models — 9600 (2.3 GHz) and 9500 (2.2 GHz). New microarchitecture, memory controller with DDR2-1066 support, HyperTransport 3.0 bus, Socket AM2+ slot, 65 nm technology, third-level cache — this is far from a complete list of the advantages of the new AMD processors. The cost of the first Phenoms is $283 for the higher model and $251 for the lower one.
AMD prepares replacements for Radeon HD 2600 and 2400
If the Radeon HD 3800 video cards are meant to replace the HD 2900, then AMD also has a new option for the mid-range HD 2600 models, currently without an official name (most likely, it will be HD 3650/3670). At the core of the new video cards will be the RV635 chip, a cut-down version of the RV670, with frequencies from 600 to 800 MHz, and the memory bus width will be reduced to 128 bits. It is known that, following tradition, AMD will offer two video card models — one simpler, with DDR2 memory, and a second more expensive one, with GDDR3 memory. Simultaneously, the lower Radeon HD 2400 line will undergo revision, but little is known about the RV620 chip other than it is already being produced and the video cards may be presented as early as January 2008.
GeForce 8800M — the most powerful 3D accelerator for laptops
Specifically for gaming laptops (yes, such things exist), NVIDIA has begun production of new graphics chips. The GeForce 8800M series consists of two chips — with GTX and GTS indices. Both are produced using 65 nm technology and have a frequency of 500 MHz, but the GTX has 96 shader processors, while the GTS has only 64. Laptop manufacturers are free to equip graphics processors with memory frequencies up to 800 MHz and capacities up to 512 MB, as well as combine two video cards in an SLI configuration. The release of gaming laptops with new GeForce chips will be started by well-known specialists in this field — Alienware, Eurocom, Gateway, etc.
Standard for 3-layer HD DVD discs approved
The new three-layer HD DVD disc proposed by Toshiba was successfully approved by the DVD Forum; it has been included in version 2.0 as a full standard. This fact is very valuable for Toshiba, as the three-layer HD DVD disc has a capacity of 51 GB — more than the two-layer Blu-Ray. However, the question of compatibility with existing HD DVD players and optical drives for PCs and laptops remains. Whether support for 3-layer discs on old devices is possible has not yet been definitively answered. Nevertheless, given the very small distribution of HD DVD supported devices, the problem will not be very acute.
Pioneer updates DVD drive lineup
The recently popular drives from Pioneer have received another update. The new DVR-115/215 series not only increased the maximum recording speed for single-layer (up to 20x) and double-layer (up to 12x) DVD+/-R discs but also added several very useful technologies that improve recording and reading quality, as well as video disc playback. These are new methods of reducing disc vibration and noise (Disc-Resonance Stabiliser, Ultra Dynamic Resonance Absorber), skipping defective areas (PowerRead), three modes for re-reading defective areas (Pure Read), dynamic selection of rotation speed depending on the playback mode (Performance Adjusting Firmware), etc. A total of three models will be released: the base DVR-115D and two models with a Serial ATA interface — DVR-215D and DVR-215. All three drives are capable of reading DVD-RAM discs, but only the latter can record them (at speeds up to 12x).
GeForce 8800 GTS, new version
By the New Year, NVIDIA will present a new old video card — GeForce 8800 GTS. This time it will be based not on G80, but on the new G92 chip, upon which the GeForce 8800 GT is built. All 128 shader processors will be enabled in the chip, frequency increased to 650 MHz, and memory capacity up to 512 MB. Unlike the GeForce 8800 GT, the reference cooler of the novelty will be similar to that of the GeForce 8800 GTS. Different versions of the 8800 GTS can be distinguished, as before, by memory capacity — for the new video card it will not be 320 or 640, but 512 MB.
Intel prepares a whole series of processors for the New Year
According to recent data, dual- and quad-core Core 2 processors built on the new Penryn core will go on sale in early 2008. The new E8000 series will consist of 5 models — E8500, E8400, E8300, E8200, and E8190, all with two cores, half the cache (6 MB), and a 1333 MHz bus. Frequencies range from 3.16 to 2.66 GHz. Also presented will be Core 2 Quad Q9550, Q9450, and Q9300 quad-core processors, with frequencies from 2.83 to 2.5 GHz and 12 MB of cache (except for the Q9300 — it has only 6 MB). Of course, Intel will also release a cut-down series of dual-core E5000 processors, which should replace the popular E4000 series, but this will happen no earlier than April 2008. So far, among all new processors, only the very expensive (almost $1000) quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX9650 is available.
LG.Philips offers a coating that does not attract dust and stains
LG.Philips, a well-known manufacturer of LCD panels, has created a new LCD matrix for laptops that is resistant to stains and dust. Even ink and grease can be easily wiped from the surface of such a screen. Similar coatings, analogous to those used in non-stick cookware, existed before, but LG.Philips managed to do without a separate layer over the screen — the required properties were obtained in the standard anti-reflective coating. Production of new panels, which will initially be popular 15.4-inch matrices for laptops, will begin in early 2008.
New Intel 45 series chipsets not before a year
According to unofficial data received from Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers, the Intel corporation has pushed back the release date of the new chipset series to autumn 2008. The main characteristics of the 45 series chipsets are already known. The series will consist, as before, of four models — the discrete P45 and integrated G45, Q45, and Q43. The latter two chipsets will be intended for the office computer market; their capabilities will be cut — DDR3-1333 memory support disabled, HDMI port removed. Among the innovations, one can note support for the PCI Express 2.0 bus (including 8+8 mode for the P45 chipset), DisplayPort interface, 10 Gbit Ethernet network standard, a Wi-Fi controller, and a new integrated video card.
AMD announces Radeon 3000 series
Competition in the video card market has intensified, and manufacturers are forced to update their model lines at an accelerated pace. Before prices for the Radeon HD 2000 series models could fully settle, AMD released the first models of the HD 3000 series. Both video cards, Radeon HD 3870 and HD 3850, are based on the new RV670 chip. The use of a new technology with 55 nm norms (an intermediate stage between 65 nm and 45 nm) allowed AMD to significantly increase the chip's clock frequencies and place nearly 700 million transistors in it. The chip contains 320 shader processors, just like the top chip of the previous generation, R600. Characteristics of the new video cards are as follows: 256 MB of GDDR3 memory (900 MHz) for the HD 3850, 512 MB of GDDR4 memory (1.2 GHz) for the HD 3870, chip frequency no less than 670 MHz (manufacturers may vary this). Both video cards support dynamic frequency management and disabling part of the shader processors depending on driver settings, which helps save energy and reduce noise levels and temperature when all computing capabilities are not required. AMD expects that video card prices will soon drop to the $200 level.
(DDR4 and DDR5 are currently used only in video cards.)
