News

What is Google up to?

2008-09-04T11:37:32Z

This is a question that many people are asking right now. After months of denial Google finally released its Chrome browser. Many thought this was one of the best things since the invention of Linux. There were multiple articles praising the browser for the wonder that it is. Then, after a very short honeymoon some very disturbing information started to surface. It seems that the folks over at Google put a nice caveat in their EULA (something that most people do not read). The following text is enough...(read more)

Intel DG45ID HTPC Mainboard Evaluation

2008-09-04T09:40:00Z

Over the years we have had a couple of Intel Desktop boards in the lab, usually these are high-end parts that are designed for the enthusiast and are able to show off the performance of whatever Intels latest CPU is. Today we have something a little different. We have a G45 based Micro-ATX board that seems to us to only fit in the entry level or HTPC market. However, since we have been talking about AMDs 780G chipset lately we thought it would be a good idea to give Intel its time in the spotlight...(read more)

CoolerMaster GeminII S CPU Cooler Evaluation

2008-09-03T13:31:00Z

For our latest installment of CoolerMaster goodness we are taking a look at one of their CPU coolers. Named the GeminII S it is reminiscent of the Silver Stone NT06, but with a few differences. The CoolerMaster offering has cooling fins for (potential) extra cooling. Will this be enough for todays hot CPUs? Read on to find out. Product: CoolerMaster |GeminII S CPU cooler Author: Sean Kalinich Category: Enthusiast(entry)/High-End HTPC Reviewed on: August 26th 2008 Product cost: $35.99 Manufacturer...(read more)

Stack Corruption: Calling convention mismatch

2008-09-03T04:00:00Z

Stack is one of the most widely understood data structures in computer science. It is a general purpose data structure and is a part of most of modern day computer architectures as well. In the context of a thread running in an executing process, “the stack” is the memory specifically given to that thread for storing local variables, function parameters, return addresses, and other register values that need to be saved for later retrieval. Stack corruptions tend to be trickier memory corruptions...(read more)

NZXT Performance Power 600 & 800 Watt Evaluation

2008-08-29T23:45:50Z

Continuing on with our run of NZXT products, we are now taking a look at two of their power supplies; the Performance Power 600 and Performance Power 800. In case you just woke up that is a 600w rated PSU and an 800w rated PSU. NZXT is pretty new to us still and I have never seen their name on a PSU before. Hopefully these two new units will live up to their Performance Power name and impress us. View the full article...(read more)

One more time with nVidia denial:

2008-08-28T14:35:31Z

Although many had lambasted me and have called the Inq and Charlie Demerjian everything under the sun that means liar and FUD spreader. It is interesting to note the nVidia has now released a new PCN (http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/08/28/nvidia-55nm-parts-bad). This time for the G92 and G92b (almost all 65nm and 55nm parts), I think with the PCN for the G84 and G86 and now this PCN for the G92 we can safely say that nVidia is not being honest. Author: Sean Kalinich Published: August...(read more)

Native SLI support on X58?

2008-08-28T11:37:30Z

It seems that in a complete reversal of their previous stance nVidia has announced at the last minute of NVISION 08(Macworld Jr) they will allow the new X58 chipset to support SLI natively. Author: Sean Kalinich Published: August 28th 2008 Type: Editorial (Comment) Spelling and Grammatical editor: Planetx64 Staff View the full article...(read more)

Why Apple and nVidia are perfect for each other:

2008-08-28T10:42:55Z

I recently wrote a small editorial about why I think Apple will try to buy nVidias beleaguered chipset division (http://www.planetx64.com/index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1399 Itemid=19). The circumstantial evidence does fit this theory, but today I found myself thinking. I was not thinking that I was wrong, but that I was even more correct that I had thought. Yes there is still no evidentiary proof. But this does not require that type of proof. This is more of a Psychological profile of...(read more)

GIGABYTE MA78GPM-DS2H Mainboard Evaluation

2008-08-27T19:23:30Z

Not too long ago we took a look at an HTPC board from GIGABYTE with AMDs 780G chipset on it, the GA-MA78GM-S2H. This board was fairly nice and would be good enough for most HTPC usage. There was a problem though. When GIGABYTE designed it they did not make it able to support the high-end AMD Phenom X4 CPUs. These CPUs have a TDP of 125W (some up to 140watt). This meant that if you were goofy enough (I really do not know why you would put a 9650 or 9850 on this board) you were out of luck. Well GIGABYTE...(read more)

nVidia entering the software distribution market:

2008-08-27T08:10:15Z

Well I am sure no one will be surprised by this announcement, but it seems that nVidia now wants to distribute software. Yes that is right, according to Theo Valich at TGdaily (http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/39061/102/) nVidia wants to distribute, not only Cuda enabled apps but also games and other software optimized for their GPUs and systems. They currently have a limited for of this running on NZone where you can grab the latest folding@home GPU2 apps, and other nVidian projects. But the...(read more)

Interview with Mark Russinovich: the future of Sysinternals, Security, Windows

2008-08-26T23:22:03Z

David interviewed Mark Russinovich over on TechNet Edge. Don't miss the opportunity to get an inside view into Mark's life (well, his life at Microsoft at least). http://edge.technet.com/Media/Interview-with-Mark-Russinovich-the-future-of-Sysinternals-Security-Windows/...(read more)

nVidia Caught Lying Again (Say it aint so)

2008-08-26T07:10:44Z

It would seem that Charlie Demerjian over at the Inq has found a smoking gun in the issue with nVidias desktop GPUs (the same one that nVidia denies even exists). As we have reported before nVidia is claiming there is only a small number of mobile GPUs affected. They are also claiming (here) that they are stepping up and fixing it, (according to an interview with nVidias CEO) (http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/08/26/jen-hsun-nvidia-bad-chips). This same CEO (that Derek Perez...(read more)

More HPC love for developers on the HPC Show

2008-08-25T18:22:43Z

Steven Newhouse and Wenming Ye have spent some time together producing a great series of technical webcasts on Windows HPC Server 2008. Here's the 5 (in words: five) sessions plus a tiny teaser to wet your appetite. Teaser Intro HPC Basic Profile SDK Submitting a Job File Staging SOA Sessions Find out more about the different pieces, download, watch or comment on the Channel 9 HPC Show ....(read more)

HPC Webcasts in September and October

2008-08-25T18:13:16Z

A bunch of technology webcasts coming your way in September and October. A team of subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the company has put together 3 high value technical webcasts around high performance computing on the Windows platform. The sessions are about MPI , WCF and networking and performance in the light of HPC on Windows . Windows HPC Server Development, the MPI Application Model September 11, 2008, at 8:00am PDT and 7:00pm PDT Windows HPC Server 2008 introduces innovative features...(read more)

Favorite Posts of Week 34

2008-08-25T17:57:20Z

My collection of favorite blog posts from last week in no particular order. Intel backs Microsoft’s concurrent-computing play on Mary-Jo Foley's blog I found the first reference (I'm always a bit late) to Intel's plans on integrating plenty of their parallel computing tools into Visual Studio. And there's a beta program , too. Screencasts are an important arrow in our evangelism quiver. Smashing Magazine tells us " How To Start, Tools and Guidelines " on Windows and...(read more)