GeekTech: This Hard Drive Belongs in Mensa

PC performance buffs have long measured hardware advances using a few simple metrics: Is it faster? Is it bigger? Does it have more blinky lights?

Okay, that last one may just be my personal metric. But the point is that technology has always been more complicated than that. Processors, graphics cards, memory--each one is more than just the sum of its speeds and feeds. And now there's a new technology that promises to make a hard drive's performance more than just a reflection of how fast it spins.

At Microsoft's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (known as WinHEC) in early May Seagate demonstrated its newest serial ATA hard drive, which begins shipping to retailers in a few weeks. What's interesting about the new Barracuda 7200.7 isn't its spin speed, which is a standard 7200 rotations per minute. It's not the capacity, either--a fairly pedestrian 160GB. What's exceptional about this drive is that it includes a new technology called Native Command Queuing that effectively makes the drive smarter, allowing it to perform on par with notably pricier drives that spin much faster.

In its demo, Seagate showed its $150 Barracuda 7200.7 and Western Digital's $250 Raptor WD740GD (a 74GB, 10,000-rotations-per-minute drive) running an Intel I/O benchmark called IOMeter that measured the amount of time it took each drive to transfer a 4GB file. Seagate's 7200-rpm drive with NCQ won, proving brains can win over speed. (At PC World we haven't conducted our own tests yet, but I'm hoping we can benchmark the technology within the next few weeks.)

Seagate's Barracuda 7200.7 is the first desktop hard drive to include the new NCQ technology, says Joni Clark, product marketing manager. The reason Seagate is the first out of the gate with the industry-standard technology is that it requires a native Serial ATA drive, and the Barracuda is such a drive. Most current desktop hard drives from Seagate's competitors are based on older parallel ATA drives that they transformed into Serial ATA using bridge technologies, Clark says. (Expect NCQ-equipped drives from other vendors in the near future.)

The NCQ technology, engineered by the Serial ATA II working group, basically gives the hard drive a bigger, more effective brain.

When a PC sends a command to a standard parallel or serial ATA hard drive, the drive spins up its platters and dispatches its read/write heads to retrieve the data necessary to complete the command. During normal operation, a PC sends lots of commands to a hard drive. Since the drive completes these commands in the order in which the PC sends them, its read/write heads have to zoom around the platters in a fairly haphazard way, seeking out data that resides all over the place. This takes time.

NCQ allows the drive to handle multiple outstanding commands at the same time (a feature that first appeared in SCSI 2-based drives a while back). Using an internal queue that can store up to 32 commands at once, the drive quickly reorganizes the commands so the read/write arms can go after the necessary data in a more efficient manner. The drive is even smart enough to react to new commands while it's on the way to grab a previously requested bit of data.

In addition, the technology lets the drive use direct memory access for drive-to-memory transfers that don't require the PC's intervention. Essentially the drive is smart enough to know the most efficient way to transfer the data it's gathered, minimizing wasted spins.

A bonus of all this efficiency: Seagate expects drives with NCQ to last longer than drives without it, because their moving parts simply move less day to day.

Finally, one of the best things about this technology upgrade: It's cheap. Seagate says at first it expects to charge roughly an extra $5 for its NCQ drive, but that premium won't last long because the drives themselves don't require extra hardware. In fact, it's basically a firmware upgrade.

Before you rush out and buy Seagate's affordable new drive, however, there are a few things you should know.

Ain't that always the case?

First, you can't just plug the Barracuda 7200.7 into your existing Serial ATA motherboard or PCI-based Serial ATA expansion card. It'll still run, but you won't reap the benefits of the NCQ technology. To get that, you'll need one that includes NCQ compatibility, and Seagate says you can't download a firmware fix to bring current hardware up to speed. In other words, you'll have to buy a new PCI card, or a new motherboard based on upcoming chip sets that support the updated Serial ATA standard.

Second, not all software will take advantage of NCQ, at least not at first. Many programs only issue one command at a time, awaiting the drive's response before issuing another one, which pretty much nullifies the advantages of queuing. The good news, according to Seagate, is that it's fairly easy for software developers to tweak their products to move from synchronous to asynchronous command requests. Expect this to happen over time.

Third, multithreaded PCs will net the biggest gain from NCQ. In other words, computers running Intel's Pentium 4 processors with hyperthreading should see more of a boost than machines based on chips from Advanced Micro Devices. That's because P4 machines are more likely to have multiple apps making requests of the hard drive at the same time.

And finally, there's the little matter of bragging rights. Sure, at the end of the day what most PC enthusiasts want is the best performance they can get. But, you have to admit, a 10,000 rpm drive just, well, sounds cooler.

As in life, I guess sometimes you just have to decide what matters more when it comes to choosing a hard drive: being cool or being smart. Or maybe the smart move would be to wait for a 10,000-rpm drive with NCQ. Now that would be cool.

Merom Chaodidianyaban the outstanding use

In addition Chaodidianyaban Socket P will be in the third quarter of 2007 version of Core 2 Duo U7500. But there is no change in the specifications, simply change the socket. It said PC industry, 802.11N, and the growing popularity of Wi-Fi, the market for UMPC (Ultra Moblie PC), a large increase in demand, This low-voltage and the need to increase Chaodidianyaban. In addition, Intel is also bent on advancing Embedded IA market. Merom Chaodidianyaban the outstanding use of low voltage and power efficiency than with VIA fight over the carcass market.

Socket M processor interface used the same

Chaodidianyaban and will be until the second quarter of 2007 alone, Core 2 Duo U7500 model, the frequency of core 1.06Ghz. L2 Cache screen declining capacity to be only 2MB, frequentness rate has been reduced to 533MHz FSB. Socket M processor interface used the same platform to support Napa Refresh. 11W TDP is tentatively scheduled for the highest price yet. Low voltage and ultra low voltage Merom specifications According to the latest Intel specifications. They will be released in the second quarter of 2007 Santa Rosa platform. As M processor interface from Socket to Socket P, So the current Socket M version of Merom will not be able to transition to Santa Rosa platform. Socket P and Intel will also introduce a version of Core 2 Duo L7300 and L7500 Core 2 Duo to replace the old. frequentness enjoy and will be upgraded to 800MHz, and 1.6GHz frequency of 1.4 GHz wavelength for the other. 4MB L2 Cache capacity to maintain capacity.

Merom exposed low-voltage version of the specifications listed 07 January

According to Taiwan's PC industry, Intel will be formally announced in January 2007 low-voltage mobile processor Merom core, including Core 2 Duo Core 2 Duo L7200 and L7400. Chaodidianyaban Merom and will have to wait until the second quarter of 2007 will be listed. Food has begun to conventional version of Merom It said PC industry. Core 2 Duo L7200 and L7400 for the 1.33GHz and 1.5GHz frequency. frequentness have 4MB L2 cache and 667MHz FSB using Socket M processor interface Refresh Napa platform supports a maximum TDP of 17W only about half the normal version. priced at $ 1,000 each were $ 284 U.S. dollars and 316 U.S. dollars.

Core 2 Duo Merom core of the first half of next year

Two core delivery of the first two Celeron M 520 and No. 530, respectively. 65nm production process used, based on the Merom core, M Socket Interface. frequency of 1.60GHz and 1.73GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 533MHz front bus. The mix of new mobile chipset 943GML. To the third quarter of next year, will be the introduction of new dual core Intel Celeron M still based on the Merom core, but P use Socket Interface. Core 2 Duo Merom core of the first half of next year will also adopt this interface. and appeared in the Santa Rosa platform. Celeron M 520 at 134 U.S. dollars and 530 price unknown.

Two fourth quarter of a small amount of nuclear delivery Celeron M

According to previous information, in the first quarter of next year, Intel will release dual core Celeron M But DigiTimes learned This new Celeron M in the fourth quarter of this year will start small quantity shipped.Mobile dual core AMD Sempron Celeron M from view. If next year, so there is ample time to deal with AMD, and now, although it was unclear the volume of concrete. However, the limited time left for AMD.

Use Intel's flagship 955X chipset

GA-8I955X Royal Main Board You may have been just too much of the Pentium D 840 processor see their written reports. and we have not made a detailed tests, the dual-core processors face the highest level of performance in the end? 955X chip Main Board bring to us what kind of change? We got the core of the current Pentium-D 840 processor, Then the current flagship chipset Intel 955X match Jijia GA-8I955X Royal Main Board Main Board, the climax of Intel's most powerful processor and the main board there will be a joint performance of what performance? We are looking forward to and everyone else is, let us together open the answer to this riddle.

And the release of the Intel Pentium XE

There i955X platform for a new generation of chips and ICH7R South Bridge. High-ranking position in the mainstream -Pentium D 8xx series dual core chips warships. The "D" stands for double-core, In the past, and from behind the increase in the number of Pentium (or P4) microprocessor as a trademark, gradually with the naming rules notebook processor (Pentium M and Celeron M) line. They will become the future platform for Intel's dual-core processors into the main players commercial, home entertainment platform is the mainstay.

NO Planning 4GHz Intel became the rival attack blame

In fact, Intel is not difficult to upgrade to 4GHz, there would be serious shortage is only Liangpin rate, 4GHz has no significance So Intel and AMD also upgraded to the best frequency outside --Dual Core program. Intel, the industry has been waiting dull flicker new product news One hope is to lead people faster. PentiumD series of lower average power consumption processor. Dual-Core Processor internal structure U.S. Eastern Time on May 26, issued a two-core Intel Pentium D processor. Intel's old rival in the May 31 AMD will release dual core Athlon X2 desktop processors.

However, it appears that the price comparison, it Intel's Pentium D dual core processor AMD has relatively obvious advantage in price, This task for those who suffer from more frequent need to use money to buy people a pleasant surprise XEON processor, From the pricing strategy point of view, which also showed Intel's transition to dual core platform determination. Pentium D as the highest grades, before finally listed the Pentium D 840.

Two Super 4.2G! nuclear war maniac angry Jijia P4 955 Royal Main Board

Let us always remember one day AMD issued a 1GHz Sulong (Athlon) processors. It represents desktop processor era officially entered G. Hertz. AMD and Intel make every effort to fight for the "1G the first x86 processor" in 1970. AMD released their time in the Intel Pentium III processor 1GHz issued before their 1GHz Athlon. Since then, AMD and Intel in processor frequency began their frenzied struggle, When AMD their high-end Athlon processor to a 1.4 GHz wavelength of the frequency, Intel then obliged to immediately release the alarming frequency of 1.8GHz Pentium 4 processors. the frequency of competition has been going on for five years.

Now x86 processor technology development stagnation. Looking back over the past few years into a 3GHz processor from 1GHz suddenly seems like a dream, like, "CD-frequency" 2004 processor in the Intel earlier threatened to go beyond 4GHz. Results dreams into space to give a public apology to kneel in front of the Intel CEO.

Wang Asus A8N SLI-frequency voltage transformation of the entire board declassified

You open the Internet search 3Dmark2005 score on the world record so you can easily search for a piece of information to "create a 3Dmark05 score ASUS SLI Main Board sixth record" and "3Dmark05 record creator -ASUS A8N-SLI Main Board." Indeed, this is a very strong piece of the Main Board, ASUS has to gamers with the most reliable platform, regardless of the Main Board or unmeasured, ASUS have yielded remarkable results have been ASUS products has been talked about by fans, FutureMark company and the information provided more confirmation of the outstanding quality of ASUS products, I believe the future will see more players use ASUS platform to create more records.

Some gamers already got a break, the player is below its break in the process

The protagonist DFI NF4 Ultra-D The transformation tools : the need to use a sharp knife, a bottle of conductive silver.

1. Put fans on the main board chip removed. We can see chip can be used pencil law amended in the past has been painted AB. If you do not buy the Ultra-D AB, congratulate you can not turn! Chip need of transformation occurs Main Board

2. Need a sharp small knife, scalpel is very useful, however, if there turns out to be a knife. care across the renovation of other chips. Transform the sharp knife

3. Conductive silver bottle again is the need for welding or soldering iron can be used (if not using iron pieces to the skilled person, Using this move! ). The transformation is the best use of silver, dry quickly and to remove the decorations are very convenient. silver can be kept on the refrigerator, not on the hot, Otherwise, it will kill it with a very dry! Conductive silver

4. The most sharp knife to allow the Department of fortuneAfter short ends of the contact, that the location at which to blow up the ring, PVC can scratch his point! take a magnifying glass to see if it can not be supplemented. Transformation of the site was zoned open Dagger

5. James followed with a little silver pin, covering a good living just blown two separate metal point. After conductive silver link

6. This transformation has been completed. If so successful in transforming nForce4 SLI BIOS show on the screen. NForce4 SLI opportunity to demonstrate the successful transformation of the opening words

7. Transformation steps are not too complex, but still needs careful. After transformation, the main board has lost that quality. also changed sealed please think twice before it acts.

DFI again closed NF4! Conductive silver Ultra-D transformer sealed

The transformation of chips with a certain degree of risk and will lose the right users have access to the quality and paper for reference. view the text has nothing to do with the judge, does not belong to any liability. DFI NF4 Ultra-D most fans has been recommended as the principal. Unadvisable their distinguished ability and its beautiful appearance are important selling points. Not only was used "pencil law" would make it into the SLI-D. value it greatly enhanced. Taiwan recently received the news Recently DFI Ultra-D have on the commercial version of "seals" AB. wanting to know how to make sealed from the start, as the saying goes, "have a policy countermeasures."

DIY-frequency measured completely priceless !PCMark05 trial

Looking back in 2002. The company issued a small Madonion their first unified standard benchmark test software ─ PCMark2002. It has been widely used in testing machines and office machines all aspects of performance. Dizzying time, it is now the past three years. Futuremark to Madonion grew up.

Today they released a third generation of PCMark05. Since the past two years, the rapid development of PC technology. So the new version of the technology will also be included in the PCMark fall within the scope of the testing, Caliper including nVIDIA 7800, the dual-core CPU such as AMD and Intel. Next, let us closer PCMark05!

Sempron 2600+ open new offer only 595

Sempron 2600+ even older than the 690 yuan closed lower quotations. From price, the new Sempron enticement or significant. Only the actual frequency of 1.6GHz Sempron 2600+ new.

Palermo core and 90nm manufacturing process used. The benefits brought by such changes is self-evident, not only to a 50% reduction in chip area, upgraded 30% but also greatly reduces processor power consumption and heat, it is particularly important for Unadvisable gamers. Most of the new Sempron possesses a fairly good-frequency performance. the actual frequency of 1.6GHz Sempron 2600+ even the most-frequency can be relaxed to 2.5 GHz.

The emergence of a new Sempron to provide a low-cost entry-level K8 platform set up a good opportunity, as long as the combination of outstanding piece Cost Main Board on everything OK!

Who is the best running mate K8?

In the last six months, the low-end processor market, the Saillant Intel D processor can be brilliant and bright. As secondary cache capacity doubled upgrade Saillant Saillant D series processors finally rid of a bad impression on people. Saillant is generally coupled with the outstanding D-frequency processor potential even more fascinated by hand constraints of consumers.

But Saillant D of the heat has always been criticized, It also has become the ultimate reason for the many consumers discard them. When people's attention shifted from Intel AMD, Socket754 Sempron will find the new interface has intruded into our lives! To better carry out the all-round competition with Intel.

Saillant D processors come up against AMD's Sempron series of cross-platform processor. 2005 Spring Festival, AMD has introduced to the retail market three 90nm manufacturing process using the Socket754 Sempron processor interface. starting a prelude to the Socket754 platform replace SocketA platform. The new interface now Socket754 Sempron processor have been sold on the domestic market.

Main Board i955X+ICH7R use Intel chips

PentiumD/XE latest Intel dual core processor support, technical support EM64T CPU. I955X chipset codenamed : Glenwood, 925XE is the follow-up version, the same front-end support 1066MHz Bus and supports DDR2 667 and ECC.

The latest chips use Intel ICH7R South Bridge (82801GR) Compared ICH6 maximum support in the following areas : improvement of 6 × 1 PCI Express groove, Tracy Bowden Jayme Bruno II 3Gbps support equipment, transmission rate of up to 3Gb/s of external hard disks, RAID 5 ICH7R also supported.

Two pioneers Fushikang i955X core global test

Yesterday we PCPOP CPU channel cpu. Pcpop.com the first time. Global simultaneously published an article entitled "Global simultaneously! Intel has a dual core CPU depth, "the article, pre-empted the first episode of global dual core CPU Intel Pentium D 830, the test caused great concern readers, the test platform is the one used by the Main Board Fushikang i955X. This experience now is the time for us ahead of even the "FOXCONN 955A01-8EKRS2" Main Board! This Main Board Main Board companies -- Fushikang top up their outstanding world-class research and development capabilities of the motherboard design. We also work magic.

This tone for the main board to fire red PCB, black and white color combination vertical cell using ATXA large plate design all use high-grade materials and excellent alignment, rational layout, outstanding work, As the use of a large number of electronic components overall looks a little messy.

North Bridge chip heatsink + fan design with Fushikang genuine fans initiative to provide efficient heat dissipation. HF ensure the stable operation of the North Bridge, at the same time-frequency fully prepared.

GMA 950 GMA X3000 and contrast specifications

First specifications. GMA X3000 G965, as Intel graphics core of the fourth generation, specification has been further enhanced to be the first to support Direct X 9.0c. Sharder Model 3.0 and OpenGL 1.5, Intel IGP chipset. Pixel Shader 3.0 and Vertex Shader 3.0 support. GMA 950 instead of the software support.

GMA X3000 also supports hardware Transform %26;amp; Lighting (T%26;amp;L) GMA 950 and is not supported by the hardware implementation of this technology is driven by chip transferred to the CPU for processing.GMA X3000 will support DX10 Shader Model 4.0 specification and the GMA 950 only supports DX9.

A recent rash Tyakheke Evaluation Room G965 MDH received Main Board

The fourth-generation graphics products use Intel core --GMA X3000. For those users that do not require a high level of performance of the 3D chip, the use of the principal G965 chipset have more than P965 excellent cost performance and the cost savings required to buy separate chip, the G965 chipset with integrated use of the chip and sufficient to meet their daily needs.

Intel G965 chip (integrated with the X3000) Said so much, in the end have this new GMA X3000 specifications? Compared with the previous generation GMA 950 are those differences?

Main Board Tyakheke G965MDH Tyakheke G965 game vs. Intel chip old and new tests

Main Board today, the Main Board P965 is the best mix of Conroe elections But its high price and the chip group, the Main Board of economic integration as their overall costs. Meanwhile producer of Integrated Display System deployment increases, which can effectively reduce the cost of the system, Office of ordinary consumers and business users is particularly important. Therefore, the recent Intel GMA X3000 and GMA 3000 will be just the core chip integration. G965 Express and Express markers were used in the platform. Due to the positioning targeted at mainstream consumer G965 Express, the GMA X3000 chip In contrast with the more robust core compatibility effects.