Technology Speaks

Reseller Hosting:

2009-07-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

Reseller hosting is a form of web hosting wherein the account owner has the ability to use his/her allotted hard drive space and bandwidth to host websites on behalf of third parties. The reseller purchases the host's services wholesale and then sells them to customers for a profit. A certain portion of hard drive and bandwidth is allocated to the reseller account. The reseller may rent a dedicated server from a hosting company, or resell shared hosting services. In the latter case, the reseller is simply given the permission to sell a certain amount of disk space and bandwidth to his own customers without renting a server from a web hosting company he signed for a reseller account with.

The typical web hosting reseller might be a web design firm, web developer or systems integrator who offers web hosting as an add-on service. Reseller hosting is also an inexpensive way for web hosting entrepreneurs to start a company. Most reseller hosting plans allow resellers to create their own service plans and choose their own pricing structure. In many cases, resellers are able to establish their own branding via customized control panels and name servers.

Reseller hosting does not require extensive knowledge of the technical aspects of web hosting. Usually, the data center operator is responsible for maintaining network infrastructure and hardware, and the dedicated server owner configures, secures, and updates the server. A reseller is responsible for interfacing with his/her own customer base, but any hardware, software and connectivity problems are typically forwarded to the server provider from whom the reseller plan was purchased. It should be noted that being a profitable reseller firm usually involves extensive advertising to get customers. While the monthly fees with major hosts are only a few dollars a month, it's a low margin business, and resellers must devote large advertising budgets to compete with established competitors. However, web hosting is one of the biggest online businesses, because every website needs hosting.

Resellers can set up and manage customer accounts via a web interface, usually point and click "Control Panels."

Well-known Control Panels List:

* Cortex Provisioning System (Windows)
* WHM/cPanel (Unix)(Windows version coming soon)
* Reseller Hosting (Unix)
* Plesk (Windows/Unix)
* DirectAdmin
* Webmin (Unix)
* Ensim Pro (Windows/Unix)
* Helm (Windows).

Dedicated Game Server:

2009-07-22T03:23:00.000-07:00

Most games use a dedicated server application. This program collects data from players and distributes it to other players. This is more efficient and effective than a peer-to-peer arrangement, but it requires a separate computer to host the server application. The additional computer is a server.

Network bandwidth, in particularly upstream bandwidth is often one of the major limitations in hosting game servers. Home broadband Internet connections rarely provide the necessary upstream bandwidth to host dedicated game servers with more than 4-10 clients.

In the past, this is how the majority of game servers were hosted. This was the only option. The player would buy the game, and most households only had one computer, so the player would use this one machine host his or her server and play the game on, often simultaneously. The stress on the computer was enormous, and game performance was proportionately poor. Even if the bandwidth on the newest broadband Internet services could keep up with the load, the computer itself was still behind in computing the data needed. Process data for 3D graphics, game physics, sorting and distributing network data to the other players on one computer, places considerable demands on servers.

A professional server is a computer to read data and transmit vast amounts of data as fast as players need it. A handful of game hosting pioneers realized the need for such systems. They purchased rack mounted server machines and colocated them within datacenters to host their games. They paid between $200 and $700 a month for this luxury, and the teams that could foot such bills were few and far between, but these setups significantly improved the gameplay. Within a few years online multiplayer gaming became a huge success. Prices have lowered dramatically and subscribers increased 1000 fold.

Types of Game Servers:

Game servers can be classified as listen servers and dedicated servers. Listen server refers to a situation in which the server typically runs in the same process as the game client, allowing a player to both host and participate in the game. As a side effect, the server is usually terminated when the client is. Listen servers are operated mostly by individuals, often in LAN Party situations rather than over the Internet, and usually with a lower number of players due to the increased processing and bandwidth requirements associated with operating both server and client simultaneously on the same machine. Dedicated servers are servers which run independently of the client. Such servers may be run by individuals, but are usually run on dedicated hardware located in data centers, providing more bandwidth and dedicated processing power. Dedicated servers are the preferred method of hosting game servers for most PC-based multiplayer games. Massively multiplayer online games run on dedicated servers usually hosted by the software company that owns the game title, allowing them to control and update content. In many cases they are run on clustered servers to allow huge environments and large player counts.

Game Server Hosting:

2009-07-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

A game server is a remotely or locally run server used by game clients to play multiplayer video games. Most video games played over the Internet operate via a connection to a game server.

Game Server Hosting:

Game server providers (GSPs) are companies that lease game servers. Gaming clans will often lease one or more servers for their chosen game, with members of the clan contributing to the server rental fees. Game server providers often offer Web tools to control and configure the game servers; most allow those that rent or lease to modify the games being leased.

File hosting service:

2009-07-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

A file hosting service, online file storage service, or online media center is an Internet hosting service specifically designed to host static content, typically large files that are not web pages. Typically they allow web and FTP access. They can be optimized for serving many users (as is implied by the term "hosting") or be optimized for single-user storage (as is implied by the term "storage"). Related services are video sharing, virtual storage and remote backup.

Software file hosting:

Authors of Shareware, Freeware and Open Source/Free software often use file hosting services to serve their software. The inherent problem with free downloads is the huge bandwidth cost. These hosts also offer additional services to the authors such as statistics or other marketing features.

Personal file storage:

Personal file storage services are aimed at private individuals, offering a sort of "network storage" for personal backup, file access, or file distribution. Users can upload their files and share them publicly or keep them password-protected.

Prior to the advent of personal file storage services, off-site backup services were not typically affordable for individual and small office computer users.

Sometimes people prefer hosting their files on a publicly accessible HTTP server. In this case, they generally choose paid hosting, and use their hosting for this purpose. Many free hosting providers do not allow the storage of files for non-website-related use.

Content caching:

Content providers who potentially encounter bandwidth congestion issues may use services specialized in distributing cached or static content. It is the case for companies with a major Internet presence.

One click hosting

2009-07-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

One-click hosting generally describes web services that allow internet users to easily upload one or more files from their hard drives (or from a remote location) onto the one-click host's server free of charge.

Most such services simply return a URL which can be given to other people, who can then fetch the file later on. As of 2005 these sites have drastically increased in popularity, and subsequently, many of the smaller, less efficient sites have failed. Many internet forums exist in order to share such links; this type of file sharing has, to a degree, taken over from P2P filesharing services[2].

The sites make money through advertising or charging for premium services such as increased downloading capacity, removing any wait restrictions the site may have or prolonging how long uploaded files remain on the site. Some sites implement a CAPTCHA to prevent automated downloading.

Remote Backup Service

2009-07-22T03:08:00.000-07:00

A remote, online, or managed backup service is a service that provides users with an online system for backing up and storing computer files. Managed backup providers are companies that provide this type of service.

Online backup systems are typically built around a client software program that runs on a schedule, typically once a day. This program collects, compresses, encrypts, and transfers the data to the remote backup service provider's servers. Other types of product are also available in the market, such as remote continuous data protection (CDP).

Providers of this type of service frequently target specific market segments. High-end LAN-based backup systems may offer services such as near-realtime transaction-level replication or open file backups. Consumer online backup companies frequently have beta software offerings and/or free-trial backup services.

History:
Most online/remote backup services came into existence during the heyday of the dotcom boom in the late 1990s with the exception of a few early pioneers like industry originator Rob Cosgrove, CEO of Remote Backup Systems. While the initial years of these service providers were about capturing market share distributed among the top few providers, the large industry players took cognizance of the importance and the role that these online backup providers were playing in the web services arena and M&A activity has become quite predominant in the last few years. Today, most service providers of online backup services position their services using the SaaS (software as a service) strategy and its relevance is predicted to increase exponentially in the years to come as personal and enterprise data storage needs rise. The last few years have also witnessed a healthy rise in the number of online backup providers with them existing independently as also as part of a business unit of a larger industry behemoth.

Intel 486™ SX processor:

2009-07-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

The embedded Intel486™ SX processor provides high performance to 32-bit, embedded applications that do not required a floating-point unit. The embedded Intel486 SX processor is binary compatible with the Intel386™ and earlier Intel processors. Compared with the Intel386 processor, it provides faster execution of many commonly used instructions. It also provides the benefits of an integrated 8-Kbyte, write-through cache for code and data. Its data bus can operate in burst mode, which provides up to 106Mbps transfers for cache-line fills and instructions prefetches. Two component packages are available: a 196-Lead Plastic Quad Flat Pack (PQFP), and a 168-Pin Grid Array (PGA), both available for 5-volt designs. Both products operate at CLK frequencies up to 33MHz. The IntelDX2™ and IntelDX4™ processors bring the highest level of performance in the Intel486 family, created by such combined features as speed-multiplying technology, on-chip integration of Level I unified code and data cache, memory management unit with paging, and floating-point unit. The clock-multiplier allows the processor to operate at frequencies higher than the external memory bus. The integer unit uses RISC design techniques to provide single-clock-cycle execution of common instructions and general purpose registers for manipulating 32-bit addresses and data. The 8K on-chip Write-Through unified cache on the speed-doubled IntelDX2 processor, and the 16K on-chip Write-Back Enhanced unified cache on the speed-tripled IntelDX4 processor maintains the one-clock-per-instruction execution rate. Intel 486 processors provide support for multiprocessing systems. Support for multi-level caches reduces bus utilization, allowing multiple Intel486 processors to share a single memory bus. For the highest level of performance, choose the IntelDX2 and IntelDX4 processors.

Intel's Atom Processors:

2009-07-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Intel Atom processors, just like the latest Intel Core 2 and Intel Xeon chips, are produced using 45nm process technology. At present Intel has two 300mm fabs that produce chips using 45nm process technology – D1D in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Fab 32 in Chandler, Arizona. Given that Intel has a plan to aggressively ramp up production of new desktop processors using the new process technology, a slight mistake in demand prediction automatically means shortages of Intel Atom chips, which hardly received the first priority from Intel. Two additional 45nm, 300mm manufacturing factories are scheduled to open this year in Kiryat Gat, Israel (Fab 28) and Rio Rancho, New Mexico (Fab 11x), which will let Intel to manufacture sufficient amount of Atom, Core 2 and Xeon processors. Approximately 2.5 thousand Atom processors can be made on a single 300mm wafer.

Intel's Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor

2009-07-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

When more is better-with four processing cores the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor delivers unrivaled performance for the latest, greatest generation of multi-threaded games and multimedia apps.Now with a new version based on Intel's cutting edge 45nm technology utilizing hafnium-infused circuitry to deliver even greater performance and power efficiency. The Intel® Core 2 Extreme processor QX9770 running at 3.2 GHz delivers the best possible experience for today's most demanding users.

*12 MB of total L2 cache
*1600 MHz front side bus
*Intel Network Processors

Built on a high-performance fully programmable architecture, Intel network processors offer the speed, flexibility, and ease-of-use/reuse you need to accelerate time-to-market, extend time-in-market, and to enable a broad range of services from the customer premises to the core of the network. Network processors optimized for home, small-to-medium enterprise, and networked embedded applications. Flexible wire-speed processing for OC-3 to OC-12 multiservice network applications.
The Intel® IXC1100 control plane processor extends the benefits of Intel XScale technology, including its rich set of development tools, to meet the processing needs of multi-service switches, VoIP media gateways, wireless infrastructure and other networking equipment.The information on this page is provided for the benefit of customers with existing designs.

Intel's Core 2 Quad Processors:

2009-07-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q9300 has some rather large shoes to fill. This newly shipping, relatively low-cost (~$270) quad-core processor from Intel is a replacement for their long-standing price to performance champ, the Core 2 Quad Q6600. The Q6600 was the first quad-core in Intel’s arsenal which was actually affordable, and even today, it remains one of the best values on the market. Not only is the Core 2 Quad Q6600 inexpensive for a quad-core at around $230, but it is extremely overclockable and provides a significant amount of computing power for the dollar. Core 2 Quad Q6600’s are still in high-demand – a trend which is likely to continue until Intel physically removes from them from the market.

Like we said, rather large shoes to fill. Luckily, the Core 2 Quad Q9300 processor has some impressive new features under the hood along with a higher clock speed, all at a similar price point as the Q6600. As the Core 2 Quad Q9300 utilizes Intel’s new 45nm manufacturing technology (as opposed to 65nm of the Q6600), potential buyers will be expecting the Q9300 to perform better and produce less heat compared to its predecessor – certainly a difficult task but one which we believe Intel can meet. We’ve already seen what Intel’s 45nm manufacturing technology is capable of with its dual-core “Wolfdale” architecture, and if Intel can bring the same benefits to the quad-core market as it did for dual-cores with “Wolfdale”, Intel will be in good shape.

The Q9300 is coming to market at an interesting time. Intel has struggled somewhat to get their mainstream 45nm quad-core components on to market, and the Core 2 Quad Q9300 represents Intel’s first real attempt at holding on to the low-cost quad-core market against a newly resilient AMD. With AMD’s new lineup of quad-core Phenom X4 B3 processors bringing similar features at a lower price point than the Q9300, Intel may have to work a little harder in order to make the Q9300 a success. Let's see if they're up for the challenge.

Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9300 Engineering Sample

*2.5 GHz Clock Speed, Quad-Core

*"Yorkfield" Core Architecture

*45nm Manufacturing Technology

*256 kB L1 Cache (Data/Instruction)

*6 MB Shared L2 Cache (Full Speed)

*1333 MHz Front Side Bus Speed

*Socket-775 Form Factor Design

*1.225V Default Core Voltage

*Supports 32/64-bit Processing (EM64T)

*Supports SSE / SSE2 / SSE3 / SSE4.1

*Supports Intel Speedstep / C1E

*Supports Execute Disable (xD) Bit

This Core 2 Quad processor, as we mentioned before, is based on Intel’s 45nm “Yorkfield” architecture, which replaces their 65nm Kentsfield designs that dominated Intel’s product lineup throughout 2007 and most of early 2008. The “Yorkfield” architecture is, more or less, two 45nm “Wolfdale” cores connected together into a single chip design. The Core 2 Quad Q9300 is not a native quad-core like AMD’s Phenom processor, but rather is two dual-cores connected under a single heat spreader - a multi-chip module. As our tests have shown in the past, this does not affect performance in any real way, and shouldn’t be a consideration when thinking of buying one of these chips. However, it is just an interesting aspect to note, from a technology perspective.

The Q9300 is somewhat of an anomaly as it’s the only member of the Core 2 Quad 45nm family which has 6 MB of L2 cache (2 x 3 MB cache per dual-core die). All other members of the Core 2 Quad family have a double-sized 12 MB of cache, which will give an estimated 5-10% performance boost at the same clock speed compared to the 6 MB variants. Interestingly enough, with 6 MB of L2 cache, the Q9300 actually has less cache compared to its predecessor (the Q6600), which had 8 MB of L2 cache (2 x 4 MB). However, cache latencies have improved with the new architecture, so performance will not suffer greatly due to this design decision. We do find it strange that Intel is introducing only one model based with 6 MB of cache, although it's certainly possible that Intel will be introducing newer models to fit alongside this chip in the future.

While the Q9300 takes a hit on cache, its architecture is improved just about everywhere else. The Q9300 runs at a clock speed of 2.5 GHz with a front side bus speed of 1333 MHz (compare to the Q6600 at 2.4 GHz @ 1066 MHz FSB). In addition, the Q9300 supports Intel’s new SSE 4.1 instruction set, which unlike any other SSE release we’ve seen in the past, can offer huge performance increases with properly coded applications. The biggest benefactor of this new instruction set have been video encoding applications, which can see massive (30%+) performance gains with SSE 4.1 supported processors.

Even with all these new features under the hood, the Core 2 Quad Q9300 runs on a standard Socket-775 interface and is compatible with the vast majority of Socket-775 motherboards on the market today. Most motherboards require a BIOS update in order to see the proper CPUID’s of these new processors, but if your motherboard supports 45nm, 1333 MHz FSB processors, you’ll likely be able to run one of these new chips. The Q9300 has a TDP (thermal design power) rating of 95W, which means you likely won’t have to replace your existing cooler, either. However, if you buy a retail boxed processor, you’ll get one of Intel’s (decent) retail cooling systems. For our tests, we’ll be using something a little bigger – after all, we want to see what this chip is capable of without cooling being a limitation.

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor:

2009-02-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor The best desktop processors on the planet:

Brilliantly fast:

With faster, intelligent, multi-core technology that applies processing power where it's needed most, new Intel® Core™ i7 processors deliver an incredible breakthrough in PC performance. They are the best desktop processors on the planet.¹
You'll multitask applications faster and unleash incredible digital media creation. And you'll experience maximum performance for everything you do, thanks to the combination of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® HT technology)³, which maximizes performance to match your workload.

Intel Opens First High-Volume 45nm Microprocessor Manufacturing Factory
New $3 Billion Facility to Produce Processors with Intel 45nm Hafnium-based High-k Metal Gate Transistors
CHANDLER, Ariz., Oct. 25, 2007 – Production of a new generation of microprocessors for PCs, laptops, servers and other computing devices officially began today inside of Intel Corporation's first high-volume 45 nanometer (nm) manufacturing factory in Chandler, Ariz.
Called "Fab 32," the $3 billion factory will use Intel's innovative 45nm process technology based on Intel's breakthrough in "reinventing" certain areas of the transistors inside its processors to reduce energy leakage. The 45nm transistors use a Hafnium-based high-k material for the gate dielectric and metal materials for the gate, and are so small that more than 2 million can fit on the period at the end of this sentence. Millions of these tiny transistors will make up Intel's faster, more energy efficient lead- and halogen-free processors for PCs, laptops and servers, as well as ultra low-power processors for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices, and low-cost PCs. The first of the company's 45nm processors is scheduled to be introduced on Nov. 12.
"The opening of Fab 32 in Arizona today is a testament to Intel's continued investment in our most strategic asset -- the most advanced, environmentally friendly manufacturing network in the world," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "The magic of 45nm and our new transistor design allow us to deliver high-performance, energy-efficient processors to our customers across the entire spectrum of market segments, from the most powerful servers to a variety of mobile devices and everything in between."
Fab 32 is Intel's sixth 300mm wafer factory and its second factory to produce 45nm chips. Intel first produced 45nm processors in its Oregon development facility, called D1D, in January and is now moving into high-volume production with the opening of Fab 32. Two additional 45nm, 300mm manufacturing factories are scheduled to open next year in Kiryat Gat, Israel (Fab 28) and Rio Rancho, N.M. (Fab 11x). Using 300mm wafers lowers the production cost per chip while diminishing overall use of resources.
With 184,000 square feet of clean room space, the completed Fab 32 structure measures 1 million square feet, so large that more than 17 U.S. football fields could fit inside the building. More than 1,000 employees will operate the factory in such positions as process, automation and yield engineers and senior manufacturing technicians.

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology:

2009-02-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology is one of the many exciting new features that Intel has built into latest-generation . It automatically allows processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency if it's operating below power, current, and temperature specification limits.
Dynamically increasing performance
As an independent and complimentary feature, (Intel® HT Technology) along with Intel Turbo Boost Technology increases performance of both multi-threaded and single threaded workloads. Intel Turbo Boost Technology is activated when the Operating System (OS) requests the highest processor performance state (P0).
The maximum frequency of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology is dependent on the number of active cores. The amount of time the processor spends in the Intel Turbo Boost Technology state depends on the workload and operating environment, providing the performance you need, when and where you need it.
Any of the following can set the upper limit of Intel Turbo Boost Technology on a given workload:
• Number of active cores
• Estimated current consumption
• Estimated power consumption
• Processor temperature
When the processor is operating below these limits and the user's workload demands additional performance, the processor frequency will dynamically increase by 133 MHz on short and regular intervals until the upper limit is met or the maximum possible upside for the number of active cores is reached. Conversely, when any of the limits are reached or exceeded, the processor frequency will automatically decrease by 133 MHz until the processor is again operating within its limits.

Embedded Systems:

2009-02-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

In February 2002, AMD acquired Alchemy Semiconductor and continued its line of processor in MIPS architecture processors, targets the hand-held and Portable media player markets. On 13 June 2006, AMD officially announced that the Alchemy processor line was transferred to Raza Microelectronics Inc.
In August 2003, AMD also purchased the Geode business which was originally the Cyrix MediaGX from National Semiconductor to augment its existing line of embedded x86 processor products. During the second quarter of 2004, it launched new low-power Geode NX processors based on the K7 Thoroughbred architecture with speeds of fanless processors 667 MHz and 1 GHz, and 1.4 GHz processor with fan, of TDP 25 W. This technology is used in a variety of embedded systems (Casino slot machines and customer kiosks for instance), several UMPC designs in Asia markets, as well as the OLPC XO-1 computer, an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world.
For the past couple of years AMD has been introducing 64-bit processors into its embedded product line starting with the AMD Opteron processor. Leveraging the high throughput enabled through HyperTransport and the Direct Connect Architecture these server class processors have been targeted at high end telecom and storage applications. In 2006 AMD added the AMD Athlon, AMD Turion and Mobile AMD Sempron processors to its embedded product line. Leveraging the same 64-bit instruction set and Direct Connect Architecture as the AMD Opteron but at lower power levels and in smaller footprint packages, these processors were well suited to a variety of traditional embedded applications. Throughout 2007 and into 2008 AMD has continued to add both single-core Mobile AMD Sempron and AMD Athlon processors and dual-core AMD Athlon X2 and AMD Turion processors to its embedded product line and now offers embedded 64-bit solutions starting with 8W TDP Mobile AMD Sempron and AMD Athlon processors for fan-less designs up to multi-processor systems leveraging multi-core AMD Opteron processors all supporting longer than standard availability.
In April 2007, AMD announced the release of the M690T integrated graphics chipset for embedded designs. This enabled AMD to offer complete processor and chipset solutions targeted at embedded applications requiring high performance 3D and video such as emerging digital signage, kiosk and Point of Sale applications. The M690T was followed by the M690E specifically for embedded applications which removed the TV output, which required Macrovision licensing for OEMs, and enabled native support for dual TMDS outputs, enabling dual independent DVI interfaces.

Intel® Core™2 Extreme quad-core mobile processor (QX9300):

2009-01-04T09:23:00.001-08:00

Achieving clock speeds of up to 2.53GHz, along with an astounding 12 MB of shared L2 cache and a 1066 MHz Front Side Bus (FSB), the Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core mobile processor is your ultimate engine for hi-def multimedia while powering the latest generation of hardcore games.
The Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core mobile processor has four cores processing multiple threads and multiple tasks at blistering speeds for an incredible "like you're there" experience in advanced artificial intelligence (AI), particle systems, dynamic physics, and texture generation. As your ultimate engine for creating rich, HD videos with up to 50 percent faster performance when encoding³ and editingΩ video, these processors enable you to perform like a multiple armed monster.
And because you're looking for ultimate control in game, the Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core mobile processor bus ratio locks (overspeed protection) have been removed, so you can fine tune your notebook experience for maximum gaming performance.

Intel® Core™2 Extreme dual-core mobile processor (X9100):

2009-01-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

Designed for gamers and power-users, the Intel Core 2 Extreme dual-core mobile processor the is world's highest performing dual-core processor&sup2. For those who want an intense, high-performance mobile computing experience, the Intel Core 2 Extreme dual-core mobile processor delivers revolutionary mobile dual-core performance with 3.06GHz frequency, 6MB of shared L2 Advanced Smart Cache, and Intel® Smart Memory Access with a blazing 1066MHz Front Side Bus (FSB).
Experience excellent mobile gaming and multimedia with the raw power, responsiveness and realism of revolutionary mobile dual-core performance. The Intel Core 2 Extreme dual-core mobile processor brings a whole new intensity to mobile gaming.
And just like its quad-core big brother, the Intel Core 2 Extreme dual-core mobile processor also offers the ultimate control to with bus ratio locks (overspeed protection) removed, so you can fine tune your notebook experience for maximum gaming performance.

Intel® Core™2 Extreme Mobile Processor:

2009-01-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Designed from the ground up for extreme competitive gaming and HD multimedia on the fly, the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processors are the world's highest performing quad-core and dual-core mobile processors. Delivering all the performance of a desktop, enabled in a revolutionary, sleek, and killer notebook.
As your ultimate engine for hi-def digital content creation, HD multimedia, and a rockin' hardcore gaming experience, these notebooks provide the raw power, responsiveness, and realism you need for the most compute-intensive and multi-threaded apps-wherever you want to be.

Intel® Atom™ Processor smallest chip:

2008-12-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

Intel’s smallest and lowest power processor, the Intel® Atom™ processor will enable the industry to design new Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and affordable Internet-focused notebooks (netbooks), and desktops (nettops). This new processor also serves as the foundation for the all new Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology, a collection of chips that enables amazing Internet experiences in pocketable devices.Newly designed from the ground up, 45nm Intel Atom processors pack an astounding 47 million transistors on a single chip measuring less than 25mm², making them Intel’s smallest and lowest power processors.¹ All this, and while still delivering the power* Get a new range of power-efficient devices with excellent performance enabled by all new hafnium-infused 45nm high-k silicon technology* Increase energy efficiency in smaller more compact designs with a thermal design power specification ranging from subwatt to 2.5 watts for mobile devices* Extend battery life in select devices with an incredibly low idle power as low as 30 mW allowing the device to stay powered on while also conserving energyPowering the next generation of Internet-centric devices, Intel Atom processors will power the latest in pocketable, portable devices. Based on an entirely new microarchitecture, the Intel Atom processor was developed specifically for performance and low power while maintaining full Intel® Core™ microarchitecture instruction set compatibility. Some Intel Atom processors will also feature multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness.Devices powered by Intel Atom processors allow you to stay in touch on-the-go, connect to business and enjoy entertainment, remain connected affordably with a new series of netbooks and nettops, and so much more. source:- intel.com

Intel® QuickPath Technology:

2008-12-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

Unleashing performance with interconnect system architecture
Providing point-to-point high-speed links to distributed shared memory, Intel® QuickPath technology unleashes the parallel processing performance of next-generation Intel® 45nm microarchitectures (codenamed Nehalem and Tukwila). These microarchitectures, built from the ground up, will be the first to use the Intel QuickPath interconnect system and can see significant improvements in overall performance.
With new Intel QuickPath technology built into future Nehalem and Tukwila microarchitectures, each processor core will feature an integrated memory controller and high-speed interconnect, linking processors and other components to deliver:
• Dynamically scalable interconnect bandwidth designed to set loose the full performance of Nehalem, Tukwila, and future generations of Intel® multi-core processors.
• Outstanding memory performance and flexibility to support leading memory technologies.
• Tightly integrated interconnect reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) with design-scalable configurations for optimal balance of price, performance, and energy efficiency.

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processors:

2008-12-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

Based on Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, the Intel® Core™2 Duo processor family is designed to provide powerful energy-efficient performance so you can do more at once without slowing down.
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo desktop processors
With Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor, you'll experience revolutionary performance, unbelievable system responsiveness, and energy-efficiency second to none.
Big, big performance. More energy efficient.¹ Now available in smaller packages. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor-based desktop PC was designed from the ground up for energy efficiency, letting you enjoy higher performing, ultra-quiet, sleek, and low power desktop PC designs.
Multitask with reckless abandon. Do more at the same time, like playing your favorite music, running virus scan in the background, and all while you edit video or pictures. The powerful Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor provides you with the speed you need to perform any and all tasks imaginable.
Love your PC again. Don’t settle for anything less than the very best. Find your perfect desktop powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and get the best processing technology money can buy. Only from Intel.
• Up to 6MB L2 cache.
• Up to 1333 MHz front side bus.,

Intel® Core™2 Quad Processors:

2008-12-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

Introducing Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for notebook and desktop PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology. Optimized for the longest possible battery life without compromise to performance, Intel Core 2 Quad processors for notebooks allow you to stay unwired longer while running the most compute-intensive applications.
Providing all the bandwidth you need for next-generation highly-threaded applications, the latest four-core Intel Core 2 Quad processors are built on 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture enabling faster, cooler, and quieter mobile and desktop PC and workstation experiences.
Plus, with optional Intel® vPro™ technology, you have the ability to remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected desktop and mobile workstations wirelessly and outside of the firewall, even if the PC is off, or the OS is unresponsive.
Features and Benefits:
With four processing cores, up to 12MB of shared L2 cache,and up to 1066 MHz Front Side Bus for notebooks, and up to 12MB of L2 cache² and up to 1333 MHz Front Side Bus for desktops, the Intel Core 2 Quad processor delivers amazing performance and power efficiency enabled by the all new hafnium-based circuitry of 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture.
Whether you're encoding, rendering, editing, or streaming HD multimedia in the office or on the go, power your most demanding applications with notebooks and desktops based on the Intel Core 2 Quad processor.

AMD's Turion 64X2:

2008-11-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

Turion 64 X2 is AMD's 64-bit dual-core mobile CPU, intended to compete with Intel's Core and Core 2 CPUs. The Turion 64 X2 was launched on May 17, 2006, after several delays. These processors use Socket S1, and feature DDR2 memory. They also include AMD Virtualization Technology and more power-saving features.

AMD first produced the Turion 64 X2 on IBM's 90 nm Silicon on insulator (SOI) process (cores with the Taylor codename). As of May 2007, they have switched to a 65 nm Silicon-Germanium stressed process, which was recently achieved through the combined effort of IBM and AMD, with 40% improvement over comparable 65 nm processes. The earlier 90 nm devices were codenamed Taylor and Trinidad, while the newer 65 nm cores have codename Tyler.

Chipsets for AMD's Geode:

2008-11-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

1. AMD Geode CS5530A Southbridge for Geode GX1.
2. AMD Geode CS5535 Southbridge for Geode GX and Geode LX (USB 1.1). Integrates four USB ports, one ATA-66 UDMA controller, one Infrared communication port, one AC97 controller, one SMBUS controller, one LPC port, as well as GPIO, Power Management, and legacy functional blocks.
3. AMD Geode CS5536 Southbridge for Geode GX and Geode LX (USB 2.0). Power consumption: 1.9 W (433 MHz) and 2.4 W (500 MHz). This chipset is also used on PowerPC board (Amy'05).
4. Geode NX processors are "100 percent socket and chipset compatible" with AMD's Socket A Athlon XP processors: SIS741CX Northbridge and SIS 964 Southbridge, VIA KM400 Northbridge and VIA VT8235 Southbridge, VIA KN400A Northbridge and VIA VT8237R Southbridge.

Geode(AMD):

2008-11-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

In 2002, AMD introduced the Geode GX series, which was a re-branding of the National Semiconductor GX2. This was quickly followed by the Geode LX, running up to 667 MHz. LX brought many improvements, such as higher speed DDR, a re-designed instruction pipe, and a more powerful display controller. The upgrade from the CS5535 I/O Companion to the CS5536 brought higher speed USB.

Geode GX and LX processors are typically found in devices such as thin clients and industrial control systems. However they have come under competitive pressure from VIA on the x86 side, and ARM and XScale taking much of the low-end business.

Because of the relatively poor performance of the GX and LX core design, AMD introduced the Geode NX, which is an embedded version of the highly-successful Athlon processor, K7. Geode NX uses the Thoroughbred core and is quite similar to the Athlon XP-M that use this core. The Geode NX includes 256KB of Level 2 cache, and runs fanless at up to 1 GHz in the NX1500@6W version. The NX2001 part runs at 1.8 GHz, the NX1750 part runs at 1.4 GHz, and the NX1250 runs at 667 MHz.

The Geode NX, with its strong FPU, is particularly suited for embedded devices with graphical performance requirements, such as information kiosks and casino gaming machines, such as video slots.

However, it was reported that the specific design team for Geode processors in Longmont, Colorado has been closed, and 75 employees are being relocated to the new development facility in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is expected that the Geode line of processors will be updated less frequently due to the closure of the Geode design center.

AMD's Geode:

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Geode is a series of x86-compatible System-on-a-chip microprocessors and I/O companions produced by AMD targeted at the embedded computing market.

The series was originally launched by National Semiconductor as the Geode family in 1999. The original Geode processor core itself is derived from the Cyrix MediaGX platform, which was acquired in National's merger with Cyrix in 1997. AMD bought the Geode business from National in August 2003 to augment its existing line of embedded x86 processor products. AMD expanded the Geode series to two classes of processor: the MediaGX-derived Geode GX and LX, and the modern Athlon-derived Geode NX.

Geode processors are optimized for low power consumption and low cost while still remaining compatible with software written for the x86 platform. The MediaGX-derived processors lack modern features such as SSE and a large on-die L1 cache but these are offered on the more recent Athlon-derived Geode NX. Geode processors tightly integrate some of the functions normally provided by a separate chipset, such as the northbridge. The processor family is best suited for thin client, set top box and embedded computing applications.

The One Laptop per Child project originally used the GX series Geode processor in the OLPC XO; but has since moved to the Geode LX. The Linutop is also based on the Geode LX. 3Com Audrey was powered by a 200 MHz Geode GX1.

The SCxxxx range of Geode devices are a single-chip version, comparable to the SiS 552 or VIA CoreFusion, which integrate the CPU, memory controller, graphics and I/O devices into one package. Single processor boards based on these processors are manufactured by Artec Group, PC Engines (WRAP) and Soekris.

These processors are named after geodes.

AMD's Triple-core processor(Phenom):

2008-10-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

AMD’s triple-core processors have been on the horizon for months now and, after all the speculation and derision, they are finally here. The launch included three Phenom X3 processors: the 8750, 8650, and 8450, all of which will come in at under $200. AMD is, as expected, positioning these processors between their dual-core and quad-core offerings and is targeting cost-conscious consumers, people who will appreciate the performance boost but would rather save a few dollars than go with a quad-core.The three 65nm models will arrive at 2.1, 2.3, and 2.4GHz frequencies, respectively priced at $145, $165, and a hefty $195 for the 8750. These models have a TDP of 95W and 1.5MB total L2 cache per processors as well as 2MB shared cache. Also included is HT 3.0, a 1.8GHz memory controller, and Dual Dynamic Power Management. And because this is a 50 series processor we know it is a B3 revision model. They are AM2+ (940 pin) compatible so consumers won’t necessarily need new hardware to run an X3.Having the basic information in front of you, it’s not immediately clear whether AMD is fulfilling a need that no one has, offering an interesting new option to consumers, or just making the best out of their situation (by releasing “broken” quad-cores as X3s). What we do know though is that outside of enthusiasts circles there won’t be the clamoring and complaints about the third core, rather it’ll probably be seen as nothing more (or less) than something between two other options.AMD is also touting a platform approach–not exactly admitting that they can’t compete with Intel on a processor-by-processor basis, but rather than their entire package is better than the competition’s. Specifically, this platform is “Cartwheel”, AMD’s current take on a main-stream computer with integrated graphics. By using the 780G chipset AMD could actually produce a better system (dollar-for-dollar) than Intel, so long as you subscribe to their platform approach, something that may actually make sense considering that most sub-$200 processors are found in pre-built computers.

Intel® Xeon Processor 5000 sequence:

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Quad-Core® and Dual-Core® Intel® Xeon® processors for embedded computing platforms
Breakthrough performance, energy efficiency, extended lifecycle support and common socket Intel Xeon processor-based systems make them the ideal choice for compute-intensive embedded, storage and communications applications.
Lower thermal design power (TDP) and higher Tcase temperature Intel Xeon processor options are ideal options for low power consumption and/or compliance with the AdvancedTCA* form factor and NEBS level-3 thermal specifications These processors are validated with two different chipsets, providing a choice of flexible, dual-processor-capable platforms for a wide range of applications. These include storage area networks (SANs), network attached storage (NAS), routers, IP-PBX, converged/unified communications platforms, sophisticated content firewalls, unified threat management (UTM) systems, medical imaging equipment, military signal and image processing, and telecommunications (wireless and wireline) servers.
• Intel® 5000P chipset-based platforms are ideal for full performance and memory-intense applications by providing a maximum FB-DIMM memory capacity of 64 GB, 28 lanes of PCI Express* and accelerated I/O options.

• Intel® 5100 Memory Controller Hub (MCH) chipset-based platforms are ideal for bladed and dense bladed applications requiring less than 200 watts, including AdvancedTCA and NEBS-compliance.

AMD's High Performance Processor:

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According to AMD, rather than invest in traditionally large and expensive enterprise-class proprietary hardware, the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron SE processors empower businesses to scale up a datacenter by moving to servers that can offer enterprise-class functionality at industry-standard pricing. Adding more cores to 4-socket and 8-socket x86 servers can allow users to gain greater levels of performance and efficiency which is necessary to handle database and virtualization applications. The new Quad-Core AMD Opteron SE processors will be available in systems from OEMs and solution providers including Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Dell and IBM Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor Models 2360 SE (2.5 GHz), 2358 SE (2.4 GHz), 8360 SE (2.5 GHz), and 8358 SE (2.4 GHz) are widely available and have already set performance benchmarks in business-relevant testing, AMD noted.

AMD's Puma ready to pounce:

Notebook makers of all stripes are getting ready to launch systems based on AMD's Puma notebook technology, which consists of a new processor, a mobile chipset, and wireless chips from AMD's partners. The official announcement is expected to come later Wednesday at the Computex trade show in Taiwan, and notebooks with the chips will be arriving over the next several weeks from companies like Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Toshiba, said Bahr Mahony, director of AMD's mobile business.

Assuming those notebooks ship without incident, Puma arrives in far better shape than Barcelona, the quad-core server processor that was a year late after running into major technical glitches. Puma also arrives at a time when Intel has suffered a rare--at least over the last two years--gaffe inside its notebook group: the company's Montevina notebook platform will be delayed several weeks with chipset problems, which could affect Intel's performance during the important back-to-school shopping season.

AMD's new Turion X2 Ultra processor is the first designed-for-mobile processor that AMD has ever produced; the earlier versions of its Turion processor were essentially the same design as its Opteron design with a more power-friendly implementation.

AMD64 3200+ Venice S939:

2008-10-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

AMD recently released their Venice and San Diego core processors. The primary differences between the two, is that the Venice uses 512Kb L2 Cache, and the San Diego uses 1024Kb L2 Cache. Venice is for the casual mainstream computer user, while San Diego will be, or hopes to be, the hardcore gamers core of choice.

Both Cores, use a 90nanometer process, as all the current AMD chips being produced will. AMD recently got rid of the 130nm cores, and because of this, the potential of the chip is better.. lower temperatures and higher overlocks. Even the Winchester core at 90nm, couldn't handle higher frequencies, which held some overclockers back, and this is where Venice could make it's mark.

So what does the Venice bring to the table, to make it better than the Winnie? AMD added the SSE3 Instruction set to both the Venice and San Diego, which should help out in some areas, primarily media and development, but not gaming. It should be mentioned that this is not a simple copy/paste, so to speak, of the SSE3 instructions from the Prescott Intel chips. Prescott has a few more instructions in the set, that are used towards their Hyper-Threading technology. So if you were considering an Intel due to the Hyper-Threading factor, then the addition of SSE3 to the Venice/Sandy shouldn't sway you.

Another feature added, is a better memory controller. An issue with the controller on the Winchester chips, was that if you used 4 Single-Sided sticks of memory, it would force you to use 2T timings, which held back performance. This has been fixed on the new cores.

Lastly, another thing that makes the Venice so great, is that it runs using a relatively low 66W of power, meaning lower temps, and higher overclocks. In the review, I am going to benchmark the stock chip, and then see how far I can push the overclock. The Venice comes in four flavours, the 3000+, 3200+, 3500+ and finally the 3800+. I'll be taking a look at the 3200+, which comes in at a stock speed of 2.0GHz.

Processor

AMD 64 3200+ S939 "Venice" Core (512k L2 Cache)
Motherboard

DFI LanParty NF4 UT Ultra-D
Power Supply

Ultra X-Finity 600W
Memory

512 * 2 Samsung DDR400 (3-3-3-8)
Hard Disks

200GB * 2 Western Digital 8MB Cache160GB Western Digital 8MB Cache
Sound Card

Phillips PSC724 Ultimate Edge 5.1
Video Card

BFG 6800 GT OC 256MB
Etcetera

Running Windows XP Professional with SP2.Video drivers are Omega Drivers 1.6693 versions.Using 5/10 BIOS flash.

Intel Centrino:

2008-10-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

Centrino is a platform-marketing initiative from Intel. It is not a mobile CPU - rather, the term covers a particular combination of mainboard chipset, mobile CPU and wireless network interface in the design of a laptop personal computer. Intel claimed that systems equipped with these technologies should deliver better performance, longer battery life and broad wireless network interoperability.

Marketing:

Intel has reportedly invested US$300 million in Centrino advertising. Because of the ubiquity of the marketing campaign, many consumers mistakenly refer to Pentium M and Intel Core processors as Centrino processor. Many consumers have received the impression that only Centrino provides wireless connectivity in a laptop.

The Centrino marketing program has been widely assumed to be responsible for the success of Intel laptop PCs.

To qualify for a Centrino label, laptop vendors must use all three Intel qualified parts under each platform. Using only the processor and chipset will carry the Pentium M, Pentium Dual-Core, Celeron, Intel Core or Intel Core 2 label instead.

AMD Phenom (processor):

2008-10-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

Phenom (pronounced as IPA: as in the word phenomenon) is the AMD desktop processor line based on the K10 (not "K10h") microarchitecture,[1] or Family 10h Processors, as AMD calls them. Triple-core versions (codenamed Toliman) belong to the Phenom 8000 series and quad cores (codenamed Agena) in the AMD Phenom X4 9000 series. AMD considers the quad core Phenoms to be the first "true" quad core design, as these processors are a monolithic multi-core design (all cores on the same piece of silicon wafer), unlike Intel's Core 2 Quad series which are a multi-chip module (MCM) design. The processors are on the Socket AM2+ platform.

AMD has launched several models of the Phenom processor in 2007/2008.

Future Models:

Starting in the second half of 2008, AMD is expected to launch a series of 45 nm processors . As of October 2007, only the codenames are known to the public. They are Deneb FX for Phenom FX, Deneb for quad-core processors, Heka for triple-core Phenom processor and Regor for Athlon X2. These processors are expected to be available in late 2008 to early 2009, with the support of DDR3 memory and are expected to have larger shared L3 cache (6 MBytes) as well as the implementation of Socket AM3 for single-processor systems and Socket F+ for dual-processor Quad FX platform.

AMD Athlon 64 X2

2008-10-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

The Athlon 64 X2 is the first dual-core desktop CPU manufactured by AMD. It is essentially a processor consisting of two Athlon 64 cores joined together on one die with additional control logic. The cores share one dual-channel memory controller, are based on the E-stepping model of Athlon 64 and, depending on the model, have either 512 or 1024 KiB of L2 Cache per core. The Athlon 64 X2 is capable of decoding SSE3 instructions (except those few specific to Intel's architecture), so it can run and benefit from software optimizations that were previously only supported by Intel chips. This enhancement is not unique to the X2, and is also available in the Venice and San Diego single core Athlon 64s.

In June 2007, AMD released low-voltage variants of their low-end 65 nm Athlon 64 X2, named "Athlon X2". The Athlon X2 processors feature reduced TDP of 45 W.
'64' was omitted from the name of the Brisbane 'BE' series; the 64-bit marketing campaign initiated by AMD became insignificant once essentially all consumer CPUs became 64-bit processors.

Brisbane (65 nm SOI)

* CPU-Stepping: G1, G2
* L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions), per core
* L2-Cache: 512 KiB fullspeed, per core
* MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit, AMD Virtualization
* Socket AM2, HyperTransport (1000 MHz, HT1000)
* VCore: 1.15 V - 1.20 V
* Die Size: 118 mm²
* Power Consumption (TDP): 45 Watt
* First Release: June 1, 2007
* Clockrate: 1900 MHz - 2500 MHz
o BE-2300: 1900 MHz
o BE-2350: 2100 MHz (G1&G2)
o BE-2400: 2300 MHz (G2)
o 4050e: 2100 MHz (G2)
o 4450e: 2300 MHz (G2)
o 4850e: 2500 MHz (G2)