General Contacts
University Operator
(609) 258-3000
U-CALL voice directory (609) 258-2255
Academic
Dean of the College (609) 258-3040
Dean of the Faculty (609) 258-3020
Dean of the Graduate School (609) 258-3035
Registrar (609) 258-3360
Community Auditing Program (609) 258-0202
Continuing Education (609) 258-5226
Administration
President's Office
(609) 258-6101
Provost's Office
(609) 258-3026
Vice President and Secretary (609) 258-3019
Executive Vice President (609) 258-3108
Recording Secretary (609) 258-3305
Admission Offices
Graduate (609) 258-3034
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Alumni
Alumni Council
(609) 258-1900
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Art Museum (609) 258-3788
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Athletics (609) 258-1800
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Dean of Undergraduate Students (609) 258-3055
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Daily Princetonian (609) 258-3632
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Community House (609) 258-6136
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Annual Giving (609) 258-3373
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Health & Well-Being
University Health Services (609) 258-3129
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OIT Help Desk (609) 258-HELP (4357)
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Cotsen Children's Library (609) 258-1148
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Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) (609) 243-2750
Research and Project Administration (609) 258-3091
Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property (609) 258-1570
Safety
Public Safety (609) 258-1000
In an emergency, dial 911
from any land line on campus
or (609) 258-3333 from a cell phone.
Visitors
Conference & Event Services (609) 258-6115
Frist Campus Center Welcome Desk (609) 258-1766
Orange Key Guide Service (609) 258-3060
Traveling to Princeton by Car (recording) (609) 258-2222
University Services (609) 258-8500
University Affiliates
Princeton University Press (609) 258-4900
Princeton University Store
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
University of South Alabama
The Office of Admissions answers US citizen questions about first time admission for the future student to the University.
admiss@usouthal.edu
The International Services Office answers questions about first time admission for future students to the for University housing and other questions concerning residence hall areas.
housing@usouthal.edu
The University Library answers questions about use of the resources of the University Library including the SOUTHcat catalog.
webref@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
The Office of Alumni Relations answers questions about and from Alumni of the University of South Alabama.
alumni@usouthal.edu
The Office of Public Relations answers questions about official communications and official activities of the University. This includes information about the opening or closing of the University due to natural disasters or other extraordinary events.
kayers@usouthal.edu
The Athletics Office of Sports Information answers questions about Athletics, schedules, sports, and sport's scholarships.
strief@usouthal.edu
The Coordinator, Campus Involvement / Greek Affairs answers questions about student organizations, including fraternities, sororities, clubs, and student associations.
scobb@usouthal.edu
The USAOnline help desk answers questions about access to the USAOnline Distance Education application hosted by eCollege. This application is not administered by the Web Services department. Call (251) 460-6251 for telephone assistance.
helpdesk@usaonline.southalabama.edu
The USA Special Courses department answers questions about the non-credit courses offered to the community and about how to register for courses.
sallison@usouthal.edu
The Academic Computing department answers questions about student, faculty and staff E-mail accounts, Internet access, and faculty computing issues.
acad@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
The USA Webmaster answers general questions about the USA home pages, web page authoring by USA faculty and staff and the USA Web Server
(www.southalabama.edu.) Also, see
Web Services home page and FAQ.
webmaster@usouthal.edu
Please direct questions for a specific University academic department or service department to that department's E-mail address found on their home page.
admiss@usouthal.edu
The International Services Office answers questions about first time admission for future students to the for University housing and other questions concerning residence hall areas.
housing@usouthal.edu
The University Library answers questions about use of the resources of the University Library including the SOUTHcat catalog.
webref@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
The Office of Alumni Relations answers questions about and from Alumni of the University of South Alabama.
alumni@usouthal.edu
The Office of Public Relations answers questions about official communications and official activities of the University. This includes information about the opening or closing of the University due to natural disasters or other extraordinary events.
kayers@usouthal.edu
The Athletics Office of Sports Information answers questions about Athletics, schedules, sports, and sport's scholarships.
strief@usouthal.edu
The Coordinator, Campus Involvement / Greek Affairs answers questions about student organizations, including fraternities, sororities, clubs, and student associations.
scobb@usouthal.edu
The USAOnline help desk answers questions about access to the USAOnline Distance Education application hosted by eCollege. This application is not administered by the Web Services department. Call (251) 460-6251 for telephone assistance.
helpdesk@usaonline.southalabama.edu
The USA Special Courses department answers questions about the non-credit courses offered to the community and about how to register for courses.
sallison@usouthal.edu
The Academic Computing department answers questions about student, faculty and staff E-mail accounts, Internet access, and faculty computing issues.
acad@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
The USA Webmaster answers general questions about the USA home pages, web page authoring by USA faculty and staff and the USA Web Server
(www.southalabama.edu.) Also, see
Web Services home page and FAQ.
webmaster@usouthal.edu
Please direct questions for a specific University academic department or service department to that department's E-mail address found on their home page.
Stanford University
GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Telephone (campus operator):
650-723-2300
Primary address:
Stanford University
450 Serra Mall
Stanford, CA 94305–2004
Note: University departments / offices have unique mailing addresses. Please consult the campus directory or departmental websites.
ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
Undergraduate
Website: admission.stanford.edu
Address:
Office of Undergraduate Admission
355 Galvez Street – Montag Hall
Stanford, CA 94305-6106
Graduate
Website: gradadmissions.stanford.edu
HELPSU: TECHNOLOGY HELP DESK
Website: helpsu.stanford.edu
Phone: 650-725-4357 (5-HELP)
MEDIA CONTACTS
Stanford News Service
Website: news.stanford.edu
Phone: (650) 723-2558
WEB COMMUNICATIONS
University Website
Website: ucomm.stanford.edu/webteam
Questions / Comments? Contact us
Telephone (campus operator):
650-723-2300
Primary address:
Stanford University
450 Serra Mall
Stanford, CA 94305–2004
Note: University departments / offices have unique mailing addresses. Please consult the campus directory or departmental websites.
ADMISSIONS INFORMATION
Undergraduate
Website: admission.stanford.edu
Address:
Office of Undergraduate Admission
355 Galvez Street – Montag Hall
Stanford, CA 94305-6106
Graduate
Website: gradadmissions.stanford.edu
HELPSU: TECHNOLOGY HELP DESK
Website: helpsu.stanford.edu
Phone: 650-725-4357 (5-HELP)
MEDIA CONTACTS
Stanford News Service
Website: news.stanford.edu
Phone: (650) 723-2558
WEB COMMUNICATIONS
University Website
Website: ucomm.stanford.edu/webteam
Questions / Comments? Contact us
Add more RAM to boost your World of Warcraft Cataclysm experience
Add more RAM to boost your World of Warcraft Cataclysm experience
The millions of virtual citizens of Blizzard's hugely popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft, celebrated the recent launch of the game's latest expansion pack — World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Those of the game's 12 million-plus subscribers who meet only the minimum RAM required specifications of the new title, however, might want to look into upgrading their RAM and hard drives in order to maximize their Azeroth experience.
The minimum requirements for Cataclysm are not extreme compared to most games, but they are a jump from the last expansion pack, 2008's Wrath of the Lich King. Cataclysm requires 1GB of RAM, higher than the 512MB minimum by Wrath of the Lich King. However, as many gamers know, meeting only the minimum RAM requirement can lead to a choppy, frustrating gaming experience, especially as systems struggle to keep pace with the game's memory demands in highly populated areas.
Memory is not the only issue facing Cataclysm players, however. The game is also a hard drive hog, taking up 25GB of space. In comparison, Wrath of the Lich King used 15GB of hard drive space. For many gamers, the hard drive requirements will be the most difficult requirement to overcome. "There are no real surprises in store — the requirements are really very low, it's just the hard drive that takes a bit of a kicking," Experts sayings when the specifications were announced.
If your hard drive is already filled to the brim and you are in need of an upgrade to play Cataclysm, now might be a good time to consider investing in a new SSD. SSDsare faster and more efficient than traditional hard disc drives.
An upgrade will be worth it. Reviews of the game have been strong, indicating that it is yet another superb entry in Blizzard's flagship franchise.
"Simply put, it is World of Warcraft 2.0. Everything seems to fit in — overhauled graphics, new landscapes, additional quests," Experts.
If you're a WOW fan, you won't want to miss out on Cataclysm, especially due to a computer that is slow or out of space. The game is sure to be one of the biggest releases of the year and you owe it to yourself to make sure you have the hardware to run it.
The millions of virtual citizens of Blizzard's hugely popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft, celebrated the recent launch of the game's latest expansion pack — World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Those of the game's 12 million-plus subscribers who meet only the minimum RAM required specifications of the new title, however, might want to look into upgrading their RAM and hard drives in order to maximize their Azeroth experience.
The minimum requirements for Cataclysm are not extreme compared to most games, but they are a jump from the last expansion pack, 2008's Wrath of the Lich King. Cataclysm requires 1GB of RAM, higher than the 512MB minimum by Wrath of the Lich King. However, as many gamers know, meeting only the minimum RAM requirement can lead to a choppy, frustrating gaming experience, especially as systems struggle to keep pace with the game's memory demands in highly populated areas.
Memory is not the only issue facing Cataclysm players, however. The game is also a hard drive hog, taking up 25GB of space. In comparison, Wrath of the Lich King used 15GB of hard drive space. For many gamers, the hard drive requirements will be the most difficult requirement to overcome. "There are no real surprises in store — the requirements are really very low, it's just the hard drive that takes a bit of a kicking," Experts sayings when the specifications were announced.
If your hard drive is already filled to the brim and you are in need of an upgrade to play Cataclysm, now might be a good time to consider investing in a new SSD. SSDsare faster and more efficient than traditional hard disc drives.
An upgrade will be worth it. Reviews of the game have been strong, indicating that it is yet another superb entry in Blizzard's flagship franchise.
"Simply put, it is World of Warcraft 2.0. Everything seems to fit in — overhauled graphics, new landscapes, additional quests," Experts.
If you're a WOW fan, you won't want to miss out on Cataclysm, especially due to a computer that is slow or out of space. The game is sure to be one of the biggest releases of the year and you owe it to yourself to make sure you have the hardware to run it.
Emerging technologies are impacting the Flash memory market
According to a recent report from New Electronics, DRAM and Flash memory could be the only successful new memory-related technologies in recent years. The report said many technologies have been developed and pushed toward the market, but none of them have established the reliability, cost-efficiency or sustainability of DRAM or Flash.
As a result, if you are purchasing a new computer you can rest assure that your DRAM will remain valuable for the device's entire life cycle without being completely replaced by a new technology. However, you may need to adjust your notions of purchasing a traditional hard disk drive, because Flash memory technology is allowing solid state drives to become an important part of the hardware market.
SSDs use flash memory to read and write data stored on the device, allowing them to operate at faster speeds than traditional hard disks, which depend on a mechanical device rotating a disk that uses lasers to read and write data. As a result, SSDs are quickly becoming somewhat standard in laptops. The desktop market for SSDs is not necessarily as responsive because the moving parts of a hard drive are not as much of a factor in desktop models. However, SSDs are becoming popular boot drives to improve system startup and overall speeds.
The New Electronics report estimates Flash memory still has about 10 years remaining in its mainstream life cycle. The architecture behind the technology has become cheap enough to manufacture efficiently and sell to mainstream users, and devices that favor SSDs, such as laptops and mobile platforms, are becoming more popular. However, new technologies have the potential to emerge within the 10-year period that could challenge Flash's current stronghold.
One of those challenges, the report said, is the result of an upgrade to current Flash models that uses vertical 3D construction to improve memory capacity. Flash devices work by sending electric signal through small transistors that use the signal to read and write content. Current Flash architecture involves transistors places side-by-side on a memory chip. This not only limits storage capacity, it also allows the electric signal to be disrupted because transistors are closely packed.
According to New Electronics, researches have successfully developed new techniques to essentially stack transistors on top of one another in a vertical, 3D stack. As a result, the disruption between parts of the chip is removed and space limitations associated with horizontal construction is gone. The new method of constructing Flash memory is in the early stages of development, but the report said it could end up offering significant benefits for both the speed and reliability of Flash memory devices.
The report said the 3D method of constructing Flash memory could extend the production life of Flash technologies, such as solid state drives, beyond the 10-year period currently predicted for the technology. Furthermore, this manufacturing technique could keep other new memory-related technologies at bay, keeping Flash-based tools relevant.
According to recent research released by the Bedford Report, 3D Flash memory is already becoming an important tool for high-end Flash devices, and could become mainstream within the next few years. The report said 3D Flash construction makes the chips less expensive than current current Flash technology, which could provide significant benefits to consumers looking for a new memory solution.
Currently, the next technology is most popular in mobile computing devices, the Bedford Report said, but it could develop into a mainstream memory solution that enhances the benefits of Flash memory.
As a result, if you are purchasing a new computer you can rest assure that your DRAM will remain valuable for the device's entire life cycle without being completely replaced by a new technology. However, you may need to adjust your notions of purchasing a traditional hard disk drive, because Flash memory technology is allowing solid state drives to become an important part of the hardware market.
SSDs use flash memory to read and write data stored on the device, allowing them to operate at faster speeds than traditional hard disks, which depend on a mechanical device rotating a disk that uses lasers to read and write data. As a result, SSDs are quickly becoming somewhat standard in laptops. The desktop market for SSDs is not necessarily as responsive because the moving parts of a hard drive are not as much of a factor in desktop models. However, SSDs are becoming popular boot drives to improve system startup and overall speeds.
The New Electronics report estimates Flash memory still has about 10 years remaining in its mainstream life cycle. The architecture behind the technology has become cheap enough to manufacture efficiently and sell to mainstream users, and devices that favor SSDs, such as laptops and mobile platforms, are becoming more popular. However, new technologies have the potential to emerge within the 10-year period that could challenge Flash's current stronghold.
One of those challenges, the report said, is the result of an upgrade to current Flash models that uses vertical 3D construction to improve memory capacity. Flash devices work by sending electric signal through small transistors that use the signal to read and write content. Current Flash architecture involves transistors places side-by-side on a memory chip. This not only limits storage capacity, it also allows the electric signal to be disrupted because transistors are closely packed.
According to New Electronics, researches have successfully developed new techniques to essentially stack transistors on top of one another in a vertical, 3D stack. As a result, the disruption between parts of the chip is removed and space limitations associated with horizontal construction is gone. The new method of constructing Flash memory is in the early stages of development, but the report said it could end up offering significant benefits for both the speed and reliability of Flash memory devices.
The report said the 3D method of constructing Flash memory could extend the production life of Flash technologies, such as solid state drives, beyond the 10-year period currently predicted for the technology. Furthermore, this manufacturing technique could keep other new memory-related technologies at bay, keeping Flash-based tools relevant.
According to recent research released by the Bedford Report, 3D Flash memory is already becoming an important tool for high-end Flash devices, and could become mainstream within the next few years. The report said 3D Flash construction makes the chips less expensive than current current Flash technology, which could provide significant benefits to consumers looking for a new memory solution.
Currently, the next technology is most popular in mobile computing devices, the Bedford Report said, but it could develop into a mainstream memory solution that enhances the benefits of Flash memory.
Computer not cutting it? Upgrade it yourself
Technology moves quickly. Your state-of-the-art smartphone or television might become obsolete in what feels like overnight. Computers are no exception.
That shiny, brand new desktop of yours might impress your friends today, but this time next year it might be chugging along at snail-like speeds just to load videos or games. Likewise, that huge hard-drive might fill up sooner than you think, especially if you use your computer to store data for work or if you have a large game collection.
Fear not, however. You can install new parts yourself without having to shell out extra cash to a computer repair shop or purchase a new machine. It’s easier than you might think.
One of the first things you might have to upgrade is your hard drive. Space is always limited and, if your work or hobbies use up storage, at some point you will run out. Investing in a new hard drive is worth the price, whether you are low on space, want to back up your system or fully revamp your computer.
Solid state drives are a great choice for those looking to upgrade their machines. If you are building your own system or replacing an old hard disk drive, SSDs will provide you with faster bootup speeds and data access. The data remains static within the solid drive; you don’t have to wait for the disc to spin and process, allowing for rapid startup speeds. The new MacBook Air laptop, which has been hailed for its instant bootups, uses SSDs.
Installing a new hard drive is not difficult. All you need is the new drive, screws, a screwdriver, and the confidence to overcome any hesitation about opening your computer. An anti-static bracelet is also recommended, as even unnoticeable static shocks can permanently damage a computer’s motherboard.
Most computer towers contain multiple hard drive bays. Once you find the right size screw and screwdriver, you simply need to set your new hard drive as either the “master” or “slave” (the hard drive’s manual will have instructions for this), connect it to the motherboard with a cable, mount it in the bay and screw it in. Some desktop towers even have screw-free hard drive bays. They use plastic sliders instead, which make the process significantly quicker.
One hard drive manufacturer even includes a do-it-yourself installation kit. The bundles contain a 2.5-inch SATA drive enclosure, the SSD of your choice, a spreading tool, multiple screwdrivers and instructions. Users can choose between a 40 GB SSD kit to provide just enough extra space for backup, or a 480 GB kit for a full upgrade.
Memory poses another issue for computers. The amount of memory required for applications constantly increases. If you purchased your computer with too little RAM, it’s only a matter of time before YouTube videos and games look more like slide shows on your computer.
If you’re looking to upgrade your RAM, buying some DRAM is a good bet. Global DRAM prices are in flux and will likely remain so for some time. Dramatic overstocks by DRAM suppliers have reduced prices. Regardless of the price, purchasing more memory is a worthwhile investment.
Much like hard drives, installing DRAM is not difficult. It usually requires no extra equipment. Make sure you purchase DRAM that is compatible with your motherboard by checking your system specifications. When you install it, you simply need to locate your computer’s RAM ports and snap the RAM in place. It’s that simple. As soon as you restart your machine, you’ll notice instant results.
It’s not hard to keep your computer up-to-date. Just keep track of developments in application and software requirements and, when necessary, purchase some upgrades. Installing them yourself is both frugal and rewarding. Your wallet and your computer will thank you.
That shiny, brand new desktop of yours might impress your friends today, but this time next year it might be chugging along at snail-like speeds just to load videos or games. Likewise, that huge hard-drive might fill up sooner than you think, especially if you use your computer to store data for work or if you have a large game collection.
Fear not, however. You can install new parts yourself without having to shell out extra cash to a computer repair shop or purchase a new machine. It’s easier than you might think.
One of the first things you might have to upgrade is your hard drive. Space is always limited and, if your work or hobbies use up storage, at some point you will run out. Investing in a new hard drive is worth the price, whether you are low on space, want to back up your system or fully revamp your computer.
Solid state drives are a great choice for those looking to upgrade their machines. If you are building your own system or replacing an old hard disk drive, SSDs will provide you with faster bootup speeds and data access. The data remains static within the solid drive; you don’t have to wait for the disc to spin and process, allowing for rapid startup speeds. The new MacBook Air laptop, which has been hailed for its instant bootups, uses SSDs.
Installing a new hard drive is not difficult. All you need is the new drive, screws, a screwdriver, and the confidence to overcome any hesitation about opening your computer. An anti-static bracelet is also recommended, as even unnoticeable static shocks can permanently damage a computer’s motherboard.
Most computer towers contain multiple hard drive bays. Once you find the right size screw and screwdriver, you simply need to set your new hard drive as either the “master” or “slave” (the hard drive’s manual will have instructions for this), connect it to the motherboard with a cable, mount it in the bay and screw it in. Some desktop towers even have screw-free hard drive bays. They use plastic sliders instead, which make the process significantly quicker.
One hard drive manufacturer even includes a do-it-yourself installation kit. The bundles contain a 2.5-inch SATA drive enclosure, the SSD of your choice, a spreading tool, multiple screwdrivers and instructions. Users can choose between a 40 GB SSD kit to provide just enough extra space for backup, or a 480 GB kit for a full upgrade.
Memory poses another issue for computers. The amount of memory required for applications constantly increases. If you purchased your computer with too little RAM, it’s only a matter of time before YouTube videos and games look more like slide shows on your computer.
If you’re looking to upgrade your RAM, buying some DRAM is a good bet. Global DRAM prices are in flux and will likely remain so for some time. Dramatic overstocks by DRAM suppliers have reduced prices. Regardless of the price, purchasing more memory is a worthwhile investment.
Much like hard drives, installing DRAM is not difficult. It usually requires no extra equipment. Make sure you purchase DRAM that is compatible with your motherboard by checking your system specifications. When you install it, you simply need to locate your computer’s RAM ports and snap the RAM in place. It’s that simple. As soon as you restart your machine, you’ll notice instant results.
It’s not hard to keep your computer up-to-date. Just keep track of developments in application and software requirements and, when necessary, purchase some upgrades. Installing them yourself is both frugal and rewarding. Your wallet and your computer will thank you.
Crysis games demanding on machines, rewarding for gamers
With the accolades, however, came some reservations about the game's technical requirements. Crysis was one of the most technically demanding games of all time when it was released and its recommended specs, which include 12 GB of hard drive space, 2 GB of RAM and the equivalent of an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS card, are still demanding by today’s standards. Even these specs don’t allow gamers to run Crysis at its highest graphical settings.
In Gamespot’s review of the game in 2007, Experts“it's doubtful that a system has been built yet that can run the game at ultra-high resolutions with all the graphical sliders maxed out.”
That still seems to be the case. Experts say “Crysis remains the most technologically demanding video game ever made,” adding that “there is still presently no CPU and graphics card combination that can run the game on its highest settings at 1080p and v-synced 60FPS.”
While Crytek has moved away from PC exclusivity, the developer still stresses the technical superiority of PCs over consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360.
"PC is easily a generation ahead right now,” said Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli to Edge Magazine. “With 360 and PS3, we believe the quality of the games beyond Crysis 2 and other CryEngine developments will be pretty much limited to what their creative expressions is, what the content is.”
While the company has said that Crysis 2 will not be as demanding on this generation of computers as Crysis was to its crop, the game is still likely to require a fairly hefty system to run.
While the fact that Crysis 2 will be a cross-platform game has led to rumors that it will be easier on computers than its predecessor, don’t expect its developers to go soft simply because they are now designing games for consoles as well. These days, you’ll need at least 2 GB of RAM and 25 GB of hard drive space to play World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a game with a reputation for being easy on gamers’ machines.
Crytek is at the forefront of PC gaming technology and, to be ready for that technology, you will need hardware to match the requirements of the gaming industry. RAM is vital to running high-end games and there has never been a better time to invest in dynamic random access memory. DRAM prices have dropped 55 percent from their peak levels and are expected to continue falling. This should lead to reduced prices for consumers.
According to Experts, the drop in prices will lead to superior computers being built for the marketplace - perfect for gamers looking for an upgraded machine but unsure about building their own gaming rig.
“Instead, computer vendors will offer higher quality specs in order for vendors to preserve a certain price point. Your wallet may not see a difference, but when you go to use your system, you will notice improved functionality,” Experts.
Crysis 2 is slated to be released on March 11, 2011. PC gamers in particular will want to be able to take full advantage of a game that is sure to be gorgeous and that will undoubtedly look better on a PC than on the years-old Xbox 360 and PS3 technology. You are going to want your computer to be ready to play this game.
In Gamespot’s review of the game in 2007, Experts“it's doubtful that a system has been built yet that can run the game at ultra-high resolutions with all the graphical sliders maxed out.”
That still seems to be the case. Experts say “Crysis remains the most technologically demanding video game ever made,” adding that “there is still presently no CPU and graphics card combination that can run the game on its highest settings at 1080p and v-synced 60FPS.”
While Crytek has moved away from PC exclusivity, the developer still stresses the technical superiority of PCs over consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360.
"PC is easily a generation ahead right now,” said Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli to Edge Magazine. “With 360 and PS3, we believe the quality of the games beyond Crysis 2 and other CryEngine developments will be pretty much limited to what their creative expressions is, what the content is.”
While the company has said that Crysis 2 will not be as demanding on this generation of computers as Crysis was to its crop, the game is still likely to require a fairly hefty system to run.
While the fact that Crysis 2 will be a cross-platform game has led to rumors that it will be easier on computers than its predecessor, don’t expect its developers to go soft simply because they are now designing games for consoles as well. These days, you’ll need at least 2 GB of RAM and 25 GB of hard drive space to play World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a game with a reputation for being easy on gamers’ machines.
Crytek is at the forefront of PC gaming technology and, to be ready for that technology, you will need hardware to match the requirements of the gaming industry. RAM is vital to running high-end games and there has never been a better time to invest in dynamic random access memory. DRAM prices have dropped 55 percent from their peak levels and are expected to continue falling. This should lead to reduced prices for consumers.
According to Experts, the drop in prices will lead to superior computers being built for the marketplace - perfect for gamers looking for an upgraded machine but unsure about building their own gaming rig.
“Instead, computer vendors will offer higher quality specs in order for vendors to preserve a certain price point. Your wallet may not see a difference, but when you go to use your system, you will notice improved functionality,” Experts.
Crysis 2 is slated to be released on March 11, 2011. PC gamers in particular will want to be able to take full advantage of a game that is sure to be gorgeous and that will undoubtedly look better on a PC than on the years-old Xbox 360 and PS3 technology. You are going to want your computer to be ready to play this game.
The perfect gaming computer at the right price: How to find the parts
it can be difficult to find a computer that meets all your gaming needs. Gaming technology is constantly improving and systems can go from state-of-the-art to obsolete in a couple of years. Buying a computer presents a hassle as well. So many components determine the quality of a gaming system, how do you decide which computer to purchase without comparing every piece of hardware?
The answer is simple — decide your computer’s components for yourself and build your own gaming rig.
Building a computer is much simpler than it sounds. You need only to find the ideal components for your rig and assemble them.
Shopping for computer parts might seem intimidating, but it can be worth it. More than that, buying your own parts individually can help you save money.
The internal components you will need for your computer are a motherboard, CPU processor, hard drive, memory, graphics card and sound card. You will also need a case, monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers.
You will want your motherboard and case to be compatible. Some motherboards are reduced in size to fit smaller cases. Once you’ve chosen a motherboard, you will want to choose the right CPU chip. For gaming purposes, you want to decide what your priorities are. Do you intend to overclock? Do you want to be able to play the most graphically advanced games for years to come, or just run your current library at decent speeds? Either way, multi-core processors are the way to go.
When choosing a hard drive, don’t skimp on space. Purchase at least 400 GB of space. You might also want to invest in a smaller SSD drive to use as a boot drive, while keeping most of your data on a separate hard drive.
If you are “future-proofing” your computer, you might want to go with a fast quad-core CPU. Dual-core processors, however, can handle most games at a significantly reduced price. A computer with a 3.2 GHz Dual-Core processor, for example, can run most games at advanced graphics settings with a good graphics card.
Selecting your graphics card can also be tricky at first. Remember one thing - graphics card companies release new products every year at high prices. That reduces the prices of their previous lines, which are still capable of running games. Older cards, such as the later cards in Nvidia’s 8 and 9 series, are capable of running most games and can be found at very affordable prices. For future proofing purposes, shell out a bit more money, research the latest lines of graphics cards and buy last year’s releases. They will last you quite a long time.
Choosing RAM is less tricky. Again, if you wish to overclock, make sure you choose a brand designed to do so. Otherwise, peruse customer reviews and find a reliable brand that fits your budget. You will want at least 4 GB of RAM to ensure a quality gaming experience. The more the better.
Sound cards are not a major point of concern, for the most part. Anything that fits your motherboard can work, unless you are going for a home theater experience. This is up to you. If you wish to cut costs, an inexpensive sound card can cost about $30 and give you all the sound you’ll need.
Avoid expensive cases. A good, spacious case shouldn’t cost more than $100.
All told, a quality gaming rig should not cost you more than $1,200 to $1,400. Because individual parts are cheaper when purchased separately, building your own rig will cost you less. You will also get the satisfaction of running all the latest games on your computer and admiring your own handiwork. It’s a win-win situation.
The answer is simple — decide your computer’s components for yourself and build your own gaming rig.
Building a computer is much simpler than it sounds. You need only to find the ideal components for your rig and assemble them.
Shopping for computer parts might seem intimidating, but it can be worth it. More than that, buying your own parts individually can help you save money.
The internal components you will need for your computer are a motherboard, CPU processor, hard drive, memory, graphics card and sound card. You will also need a case, monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers.
You will want your motherboard and case to be compatible. Some motherboards are reduced in size to fit smaller cases. Once you’ve chosen a motherboard, you will want to choose the right CPU chip. For gaming purposes, you want to decide what your priorities are. Do you intend to overclock? Do you want to be able to play the most graphically advanced games for years to come, or just run your current library at decent speeds? Either way, multi-core processors are the way to go.
When choosing a hard drive, don’t skimp on space. Purchase at least 400 GB of space. You might also want to invest in a smaller SSD drive to use as a boot drive, while keeping most of your data on a separate hard drive.
If you are “future-proofing” your computer, you might want to go with a fast quad-core CPU. Dual-core processors, however, can handle most games at a significantly reduced price. A computer with a 3.2 GHz Dual-Core processor, for example, can run most games at advanced graphics settings with a good graphics card.
Selecting your graphics card can also be tricky at first. Remember one thing - graphics card companies release new products every year at high prices. That reduces the prices of their previous lines, which are still capable of running games. Older cards, such as the later cards in Nvidia’s 8 and 9 series, are capable of running most games and can be found at very affordable prices. For future proofing purposes, shell out a bit more money, research the latest lines of graphics cards and buy last year’s releases. They will last you quite a long time.
Choosing RAM is less tricky. Again, if you wish to overclock, make sure you choose a brand designed to do so. Otherwise, peruse customer reviews and find a reliable brand that fits your budget. You will want at least 4 GB of RAM to ensure a quality gaming experience. The more the better.
Sound cards are not a major point of concern, for the most part. Anything that fits your motherboard can work, unless you are going for a home theater experience. This is up to you. If you wish to cut costs, an inexpensive sound card can cost about $30 and give you all the sound you’ll need.
Avoid expensive cases. A good, spacious case shouldn’t cost more than $100.
All told, a quality gaming rig should not cost you more than $1,200 to $1,400. Because individual parts are cheaper when purchased separately, building your own rig will cost you less. You will also get the satisfaction of running all the latest games on your computer and admiring your own handiwork. It’s a win-win situation.
CMOS and RTC
There is other start-up information that normally stays the same but that we might want to change once in a while. This includes info about the various pieces of hardware connected to the system, which disk drive to check first for the operating system and that sort of thing. This data can’t be stored on the hard drive because we need it to boot up. It can’t be stored in RAM because it will be lost at power-off, and it can’t be stored in the BIOS because we might need to change it.
The problem is solved by a type of RAM chip that uses very low power, and it is connected to a battery. This type of low-power memory chip is called CMOS. It stands for the type of technology used in the chip, which is Complementary MetalOxideSubstrate. This is probably more than you need to know, but I’m a fanatic about defining things. By the way, since batteries don’t last forever, if you leave your computer unplugged for about 5 years you’ll find it needs a bit of trickery to get it to boot again, because the CMOS information will be gone.
There is another feature in the computer that has the same requirements as CMOS, and that is the date and time function. This obviously needs to change very minute, but we don’t want to lose track when the computer is turned off. The circuitry for this is called the RTC or Real Time Clock, and for convenience it is usually included in the same chip with the CMOS. A little trickle of juice from the CMOS battery keeps the clock running, and when you turn the computer on again it knows exactly what time and day it is. Convenient, isn’t it?
The problem is solved by a type of RAM chip that uses very low power, and it is connected to a battery. This type of low-power memory chip is called CMOS. It stands for the type of technology used in the chip, which is Complementary MetalOxideSubstrate. This is probably more than you need to know, but I’m a fanatic about defining things. By the way, since batteries don’t last forever, if you leave your computer unplugged for about 5 years you’ll find it needs a bit of trickery to get it to boot again, because the CMOS information will be gone.
There is another feature in the computer that has the same requirements as CMOS, and that is the date and time function. This obviously needs to change very minute, but we don’t want to lose track when the computer is turned off. The circuitry for this is called the RTC or Real Time Clock, and for convenience it is usually included in the same chip with the CMOS. A little trickle of juice from the CMOS battery keeps the clock running, and when you turn the computer on again it knows exactly what time and day it is. Convenient, isn’t it?
More About Video
The monitor is a passive device that just displays the video output from the system. However, so much data is needed for the constantly changing screen display that special provisions are made for it.
The video card (or video circuitry on the motherboard) has its own RAM memory just to hold the display information, and its own ROM BIOS to control the output. Some motherboards even have a special high-speed connection between the CPU and the video. It’s called the AGP, or Accelerated Graphics Port.
The important numbers in evaluating a video display are how many distinct colors can be displayed and also the resolution, which is how many pixels the image contains across and from top to bottom. Each dot of color making up the image is one pixel. As video technology evolved there have been a number of standards, and each one has its own set of initials like EGA, CGA or VGA. A common one isSVGA, which stands for SuperVideo Graphics Array and has a resolution of 800x600 (that’s 800 pixels across and 600 down). Some high-performance monitors use SXGA (1280x1024) or even UXGA with a resolution of 1600x1200.
The video card (or video circuitry on the motherboard) has its own RAM memory just to hold the display information, and its own ROM BIOS to control the output. Some motherboards even have a special high-speed connection between the CPU and the video. It’s called the AGP, or Accelerated Graphics Port.
The important numbers in evaluating a video display are how many distinct colors can be displayed and also the resolution, which is how many pixels the image contains across and from top to bottom. Each dot of color making up the image is one pixel. As video technology evolved there have been a number of standards, and each one has its own set of initials like EGA, CGA or VGA. A common one isSVGA, which stands for SuperVideo Graphics Array and has a resolution of 800x600 (that’s 800 pixels across and 600 down). Some high-performance monitors use SXGA (1280x1024) or even UXGA with a resolution of 1600x1200.
More About Disk Drives
Floppies – Although floppy drives are being phased out in some new computers, there are still millions of them out there and you should know something about them. The floppy drive has a little slot on the face of the computer cabinet, and into this slot you can slide a floppy diskette like the one shown here. One of the reasons floppy drives are still around is that it is very easy to take a floppy diskette from one system to another.
Inside the floppy diskette is a round flat disk coated with iron oxide on each side so that data can be stored on it magnetically. This disk is called a platter, and it spins underneath an electro-magnet called the write head that puts data onto the platter surface. There is another head called the read head that copies data from the platter.
Once the disk has made one complete revolution, data is written all the way around. That is called a track. The head then moves a bit and writes another circle of data to create a second track. Altogether, there are 80 tracks on each side, for a total of 160. Altogether, the floppy can hold 1.44 MB (megabytes) of data.
If we are looking for just a few bytes out of 1.44 million, it’s not enough to know which track it is in. To help narrow the search, the track is divided into 18 pieces, calledsectors, which look much like a slice of pie. Each sector holds 512 bytes of data, so if we know the track and sector number of the data we want it won’t be hard to find.
Hard Drives – On a hard drive, data is also organized into tracks and sectors. While each sector still holds 512 bytes, there can be many more tracks and sectors on a platter. There are also multiple platters, one on top of the other like a stack of pancakes. Hard drives can hold much more data than floppies, sometimes into the billions of bytes, calledgigabytes(GB).
Multiple platters require multiple read and write heads, all attached to the same arm so they move together. It’s called an actuator arm. When we are reading track number 10 on the top platter, the other heads are also positioned over track 10 of the other platters, and together all of these track 10s make up a cylinder. To specify the location of data on a hard drive it is necessary to say what cylinder, then the track and sector. Moving the heads from one cylinder to another is called a seek, and the amount of time this takes is the average seek time.
Although hard drives can hold much more data than floppies, the platters are sealed into a metal case that is fastened inside the computer cabinet, so it’s not an easy matter to move from one system to another like you can with floppies. A hard drive is sometimes called a fixed diskfor this reason.
Operating systems use a couple of different methods to keep track of what data is stored where on a drive. One common method uses a table called a File Allocation Tableor FAT, which is a section of the disk with pointers to data locations. There are two versions, calledFAT16 and FAT32. Windows NT, XP and 2000 use a similar method called NTFS.
There are two different interfaces commonly by hard drives to talk to the rest of the system. These are called IDE for Integrated Drive Electronics, and SCSI forSmallComputer System Interconnect. The technical differences are not important at this point, but you should know about the two types because they are not interchangeable.
Figuring out where the heads should go next and then moving them there is the job of some electronic circuitry called the disk controller. Every disk drive has its own controller, which may be on the motherboard or inside the drive itself, depending on the type of drive.
There are a few more things you should know about disk drives before we leave the subject. The first sector of Cylinder 0, Track 0 is called the boot sector, and it contains aMaster Boot Record (MBR) that shows whether the disk contains an operating system and the location of the code. If there is more than one operating system, the drive must be divided into multiple partitions. If not, then the whole drive will be a single partition. All of the disk space assigned to a partition is called a volume.
Another term you will encounter is a disk format. There is a high-level format, which creates a new file allocation table and is done with a FORMAT command. There is also alow-level format that creates a new pattern of sectors. A low-level format must be followed by an FDISK command to create a new Master Boot Record and partitions.
Last, we have the word media. This refers to the actual surface holding the data, which is the platter in the case of a disk drive. Because the floppy platter can be taken out of the drive, it is called removable media, while a hard drive is calledfixed media.
Other Drives – Most systems today, especially home systems, have additional storage drives that use CD or DVD discs. The technology for both is similar but DVDs hold much more data. These drives do not store data magnetically but use optical markings that are read with a laser. They are mostly used just to read data and not to write it. The full name for CD in fact is CD-ROM, which stands forCompact Disc - Read Only Memory. However, there are versions that can be used to write also, and these are called CD-RW and DVD-RW. Even so they are mostly used to write just once for permanent storage, and are not practical for constantly changing data.
Like hard drives, CD-ROM drives can use either an IDE or SCSI interface. The version of IDE for CD-ROM drives is called ATAPI, and for SCSI the CD-ROM version is ASPI.
Because the discs can be removed, CD-ROM and DVD are considered removable media. There are other types of removable media also that are not as common, such as tape drives and Zip disks, which are similar to floppies but with a storage capacity of 100 or 250 MB. Zip disks and tape drives also use the ATAPI interface.
Inside the floppy diskette is a round flat disk coated with iron oxide on each side so that data can be stored on it magnetically. This disk is called a platter, and it spins underneath an electro-magnet called the write head that puts data onto the platter surface. There is another head called the read head that copies data from the platter.
Once the disk has made one complete revolution, data is written all the way around. That is called a track. The head then moves a bit and writes another circle of data to create a second track. Altogether, there are 80 tracks on each side, for a total of 160. Altogether, the floppy can hold 1.44 MB (megabytes) of data.
If we are looking for just a few bytes out of 1.44 million, it’s not enough to know which track it is in. To help narrow the search, the track is divided into 18 pieces, calledsectors, which look much like a slice of pie. Each sector holds 512 bytes of data, so if we know the track and sector number of the data we want it won’t be hard to find.
Hard Drives – On a hard drive, data is also organized into tracks and sectors. While each sector still holds 512 bytes, there can be many more tracks and sectors on a platter. There are also multiple platters, one on top of the other like a stack of pancakes. Hard drives can hold much more data than floppies, sometimes into the billions of bytes, calledgigabytes(GB).
Multiple platters require multiple read and write heads, all attached to the same arm so they move together. It’s called an actuator arm. When we are reading track number 10 on the top platter, the other heads are also positioned over track 10 of the other platters, and together all of these track 10s make up a cylinder. To specify the location of data on a hard drive it is necessary to say what cylinder, then the track and sector. Moving the heads from one cylinder to another is called a seek, and the amount of time this takes is the average seek time.
Although hard drives can hold much more data than floppies, the platters are sealed into a metal case that is fastened inside the computer cabinet, so it’s not an easy matter to move from one system to another like you can with floppies. A hard drive is sometimes called a fixed diskfor this reason.
Operating systems use a couple of different methods to keep track of what data is stored where on a drive. One common method uses a table called a File Allocation Tableor FAT, which is a section of the disk with pointers to data locations. There are two versions, calledFAT16 and FAT32. Windows NT, XP and 2000 use a similar method called NTFS.
There are two different interfaces commonly by hard drives to talk to the rest of the system. These are called IDE for Integrated Drive Electronics, and SCSI forSmallComputer System Interconnect. The technical differences are not important at this point, but you should know about the two types because they are not interchangeable.
Figuring out where the heads should go next and then moving them there is the job of some electronic circuitry called the disk controller. Every disk drive has its own controller, which may be on the motherboard or inside the drive itself, depending on the type of drive.
There are a few more things you should know about disk drives before we leave the subject. The first sector of Cylinder 0, Track 0 is called the boot sector, and it contains aMaster Boot Record (MBR) that shows whether the disk contains an operating system and the location of the code. If there is more than one operating system, the drive must be divided into multiple partitions. If not, then the whole drive will be a single partition. All of the disk space assigned to a partition is called a volume.
Another term you will encounter is a disk format. There is a high-level format, which creates a new file allocation table and is done with a FORMAT command. There is also alow-level format that creates a new pattern of sectors. A low-level format must be followed by an FDISK command to create a new Master Boot Record and partitions.
Last, we have the word media. This refers to the actual surface holding the data, which is the platter in the case of a disk drive. Because the floppy platter can be taken out of the drive, it is called removable media, while a hard drive is calledfixed media.
Other Drives – Most systems today, especially home systems, have additional storage drives that use CD or DVD discs. The technology for both is similar but DVDs hold much more data. These drives do not store data magnetically but use optical markings that are read with a laser. They are mostly used just to read data and not to write it. The full name for CD in fact is CD-ROM, which stands forCompact Disc - Read Only Memory. However, there are versions that can be used to write also, and these are called CD-RW and DVD-RW. Even so they are mostly used to write just once for permanent storage, and are not practical for constantly changing data.
Like hard drives, CD-ROM drives can use either an IDE or SCSI interface. The version of IDE for CD-ROM drives is called ATAPI, and for SCSI the CD-ROM version is ASPI.
Because the discs can be removed, CD-ROM and DVD are considered removable media. There are other types of removable media also that are not as common, such as tape drives and Zip disks, which are similar to floppies but with a storage capacity of 100 or 250 MB. Zip disks and tape drives also use the ATAPI interface.
Google Inc. is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. Google has also developed an open source web browser and a mobile operating system. The Google headquarters, the Googleplex, is located in Mountain View, California. As of March 31, 2009 (2009 -03-31)[update], the company has 19,786 full-time employees. The company is running millions of servers worldwide, which process about 1 petabyte of user-generated data every hour. Google conducts hundreds of millions of search requests every day.
Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. The initial public offering took place on August 19, 2004, raising $1.67 billion, implying a value for the entire corporation of $23 billion. Google has continued its growth through a series of new product developments, acquisitions, and partnerships. Environmentalism, philanthropy and positive employee relations have been important tenets during the growth of Google. The company has been identified multiple times as Fortune Magazine's #1 Best Place to Work, and as the most powerful brand in the world (according to the Millward Brown Group).
Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful". The unofficial company slogan, coined by former employee and Gmail's first engineer Paul Buchheit, is "Don't be evil". Criticism of Google includes concerns regarding the privacy of personal information, copyright, and censorship.
Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. The initial public offering took place on August 19, 2004, raising $1.67 billion, implying a value for the entire corporation of $23 billion. Google has continued its growth through a series of new product developments, acquisitions, and partnerships. Environmentalism, philanthropy and positive employee relations have been important tenets during the growth of Google. The company has been identified multiple times as Fortune Magazine's #1 Best Place to Work, and as the most powerful brand in the world (according to the Millward Brown Group).
Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful". The unofficial company slogan, coined by former employee and Gmail's first engineer Paul Buchheit, is "Don't be evil". Criticism of Google includes concerns regarding the privacy of personal information, copyright, and censorship.
IBM briefly tops Microsoft in market value
A man walks past the IBM logo at the world's biggest high-tech fair, the CeBIT, in Hanover, Germany 2009. IBM briefly topped Microsoft in market value on Wall Street on Friday to become the second-largest technology company after Apple.
IBM briefly topped Microsoft in market value on Wall Street on Friday to become the second-largest technology company after Apple.
IBM briefly topped Microsoft in market value on Wall Street on Friday to become the second-largest technology company after Apple.
Understanding the Energy Consumption of Dynamic Random Access Memories
Energy consumption has become a major constraint on the capabilities of computer systems. In large systems the energy consumed by Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAM) is a significant part of the total energy consumption. It is possible to calculate the energy consumption of currently available DRAMs from their datasheets, but datasheets don’t allow extrapolation to future DRAM technologies and don’t show how other changes like increasing bandwidth requirements change DRAM energy consumption. This paper first presents a flexible DRAM power model which uses a description of DRAM architecture, technology and operation to calculate power usage and verifies it against datasheet values. Then the model is used together with assumptions about the DRAM roadmap to extrapolate DRAM energy consumption to future DRAM generations. Using this model we evaluate some of the proposed DRAM power reduction schemes.
Mobile Applications
Consumers have come to expect the entertainment experience of the living room from the mobile devices they carry every day. Advanced mobile devices offer high-definition (HD) resolution video recording, multi-megapixel digital image capture, 3D gaming and media-rich web applications. To pack all that functionality in a form factor that's thin, light and delivered with a pleasing aesthetic presents a tremendous challenge for mobile device designers. Chief among these challenges is the implementation of a high-performance memory architecture that meets the power efficiency constraints of battery-operated products.
In order to support these advanced mobile devices, memory bandwidth will experience significant growth. Over the course of the next 2-3 years, mobile gaming and graphics applications will push memory bandwidth requirements to 12.8 gigabytes per second and beyond. This bandwidth must be achieved within the constraints of the available battery life and cost budget.
In order to support these advanced mobile devices, memory bandwidth will experience significant growth. Over the course of the next 2-3 years, mobile gaming and graphics applications will push memory bandwidth requirements to 12.8 gigabytes per second and beyond. This bandwidth must be achieved within the constraints of the available battery life and cost budget.
Gaming and Graphics Applications
Gaming and Graphics Applications
Gaming and graphics are the performance applications for processors and memory. As such, leading-edge technology debuts here and eventually migrates to mainstream computing, mobile, and consumer electronics applications over time. State-of-the-art GPUs deliver functionality including photorealistic game characters and environments, support for multiple simultaneous displays, 3D image processing and video output, and full HD 1080p resolution. In order to support this functionality, the number of graphics processor cores and transistor counts per chip are skyrocketing. High-end GPUs have over 2 billion transistors and more than 1000 graphics processor cores up from less than 100 just 5 years ago.
Historically, these performance increases have come with a commensurate rise in power consumption. However, because of thermal, power supply and cost constraints that trend cannot continue. Top-of-the-line dual-GPU graphics cards and game consoles can draw as much as 300 watts (W) of power and must allocate a significant portion of the bill-of-materials (BOM) for the cooling system. While demand for higher performance will be ever present, power efficiency will increasingly become a first-order requirement.
GPU’s must also be scalable to support a broad range of performance levels and price points. Although they are the performance drivers, high-end graphics cards make up only a small percentage of the overall market. A single GPU platform must be configurable through the use of multiple memory types, or a single memory with a wide performance range.
The combination of these factors puts tremendous demands on the graphics memory system. Bandwidth requirements for next-generation gaming and graphics systems will exceed 500 gigabytes per second (GB/s). Meanwhile the total power budget must remain constant or even decrease. Similarly, price points must remain essentially unchanged for each of the respective performance segments.
Gaming and graphics are the performance applications for processors and memory. As such, leading-edge technology debuts here and eventually migrates to mainstream computing, mobile, and consumer electronics applications over time. State-of-the-art GPUs deliver functionality including photorealistic game characters and environments, support for multiple simultaneous displays, 3D image processing and video output, and full HD 1080p resolution. In order to support this functionality, the number of graphics processor cores and transistor counts per chip are skyrocketing. High-end GPUs have over 2 billion transistors and more than 1000 graphics processor cores up from less than 100 just 5 years ago.
Historically, these performance increases have come with a commensurate rise in power consumption. However, because of thermal, power supply and cost constraints that trend cannot continue. Top-of-the-line dual-GPU graphics cards and game consoles can draw as much as 300 watts (W) of power and must allocate a significant portion of the bill-of-materials (BOM) for the cooling system. While demand for higher performance will be ever present, power efficiency will increasingly become a first-order requirement.
GPU’s must also be scalable to support a broad range of performance levels and price points. Although they are the performance drivers, high-end graphics cards make up only a small percentage of the overall market. A single GPU platform must be configurable through the use of multiple memory types, or a single memory with a wide performance range.
The combination of these factors puts tremendous demands on the graphics memory system. Bandwidth requirements for next-generation gaming and graphics systems will exceed 500 gigabytes per second (GB/s). Meanwhile the total power budget must remain constant or even decrease. Similarly, price points must remain essentially unchanged for each of the respective performance segments.
XDR™ Memory Architecture
XDR™ Memory Architecture
The Rambus XDR™ memory architecture is a total memory system solution that achieves an order of magnitude higher performance than today's standard memories while utilizing the fewest ICs. Perfect for compute and consumer electronics applications, a single, 4-byte-wide, 6.4Gbps XDR DRAM component provides 25.6GB/s of peak memory bandwidth.
Key components enabling the breakthrough performance of the XDR memory architecture are:
XDR DRAM is a high-speed memory IC that turbo-charges standard CMOS DRAM cores with a high-speed interface capable of 7.2Gbps data rates providing up to 28.8GB/s of bandwidth with a single device.
The Rambus XDR™ memory architecture is a total memory system solution that achieves an order of magnitude higher performance than today's standard memories while utilizing the fewest ICs. Perfect for compute and consumer electronics applications, a single, 4-byte-wide, 6.4Gbps XDR DRAM component provides 25.6GB/s of peak memory bandwidth.
Key components enabling the breakthrough performance of the XDR memory architecture are:
XDR DRAM is a high-speed memory IC that turbo-charges standard CMOS DRAM cores with a high-speed interface capable of 7.2Gbps data rates providing up to 28.8GB/s of bandwidth with a single device.
Display Applications
Overcoming the Drawbacks of Fluorescent Lamps
Liquid crystal display (LCD), thanks to continued improvements in resolution, response rates and scalability, has become the pervasive display technology for mobile phones, monitors, notebooks, HDTVs and other consumer electronics. Since LCD panels are transmissive and emit no light of their own, they require a backlight to provide illumination. Commonly, LCD backlighting units (BLUs) employed cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), similar to those used for commercial overhead lights, as their light source. However, CCFLs have a number of drawbacks. They require a high voltage power supply and generally are the highest power consuming component in large format displays and HDTVs. CCFLs contain mercury which has special disposal requirements and faces increasing limits on its use in many countries. Also, the space needed by CCFLs constrains how thin an LCD panel can be made. And as CCFLs are a tube-based technology, they are usually the first component to fail in an LCD display.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) offer a semiconductor-based lighting solution which overcomes the limitations of CCFLs. With continued advancements in brightness and efficiency, LEDs are displacing CCFLs in backlighting applications, and as their price continues to drop, will take their place as a general lighting solution as well. LEDs deliver higher brightness than CCFLs and better power efficiency (more lumens per watt), use a lower-voltage power supply and generate less heat. LEDs can produce a much wider color gamut making movies and images appear more vibrant and lifelike. Because of their compact nature, LED backlights can enable ultra-slim displays and HDTVs less than half an inch thick. As a solid state component, like the other semiconductor devices in mobile phones, computers and HDTVs, LEDs have much longer lifetimes than CCFLs.
Harnessing the Benefits of LEDs
However, harnessing all the benefits of LEDs for backlighting still entails challenges. As point sources of light, LEDs can be used in an array topology in the backlight to directly illuminate the LCD panel. An array requires a high number of LEDs and therefore can be very expensive. In addition, in order to properly diffuse the light, arrays require a greater distance between the LEDs and the LCD panel, resulting in a thicker display. A thinner and more cost-effective solution is to use LEDs in an edge-lit configuration with a light guide panel (LGP) to turn the light into the viewing plane and distribute it across the display. This requires fewer LEDs but introduces the problem of maintaining uniformity of brightness over the entire backlight area. Maintaining uniformity and achieving the full benefits of edge-lit technology necessitates a high-efficiency LGP that can be economically manufactured
Liquid crystal display (LCD), thanks to continued improvements in resolution, response rates and scalability, has become the pervasive display technology for mobile phones, monitors, notebooks, HDTVs and other consumer electronics. Since LCD panels are transmissive and emit no light of their own, they require a backlight to provide illumination. Commonly, LCD backlighting units (BLUs) employed cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), similar to those used for commercial overhead lights, as their light source. However, CCFLs have a number of drawbacks. They require a high voltage power supply and generally are the highest power consuming component in large format displays and HDTVs. CCFLs contain mercury which has special disposal requirements and faces increasing limits on its use in many countries. Also, the space needed by CCFLs constrains how thin an LCD panel can be made. And as CCFLs are a tube-based technology, they are usually the first component to fail in an LCD display.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) offer a semiconductor-based lighting solution which overcomes the limitations of CCFLs. With continued advancements in brightness and efficiency, LEDs are displacing CCFLs in backlighting applications, and as their price continues to drop, will take their place as a general lighting solution as well. LEDs deliver higher brightness than CCFLs and better power efficiency (more lumens per watt), use a lower-voltage power supply and generate less heat. LEDs can produce a much wider color gamut making movies and images appear more vibrant and lifelike. Because of their compact nature, LED backlights can enable ultra-slim displays and HDTVs less than half an inch thick. As a solid state component, like the other semiconductor devices in mobile phones, computers and HDTVs, LEDs have much longer lifetimes than CCFLs.
Harnessing the Benefits of LEDs
However, harnessing all the benefits of LEDs for backlighting still entails challenges. As point sources of light, LEDs can be used in an array topology in the backlight to directly illuminate the LCD panel. An array requires a high number of LEDs and therefore can be very expensive. In addition, in order to properly diffuse the light, arrays require a greater distance between the LEDs and the LCD panel, resulting in a thicker display. A thinner and more cost-effective solution is to use LEDs in an edge-lit configuration with a light guide panel (LGP) to turn the light into the viewing plane and distribute it across the display. This requires fewer LEDs but introduces the problem of maintaining uniformity of brightness over the entire backlight area. Maintaining uniformity and achieving the full benefits of edge-lit technology necessitates a high-efficiency LGP that can be economically manufactured
Radio telescopes capture best-ever snapshot of black hole jets (w/ video)
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Merging X-ray data (blue) from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with microwave (orange) and visible images reveals the jets and radio-emitting lobes emanating from Centaurus A's central black hole. Credit: ESO/WFI (visible); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (microwave); NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray)
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international team, including NASA-funded researchers, using radio telescopes located throughout the Southern Hemisphere has produced the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy.
Merging X-ray data (blue) from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with microwave (orange) and visible images reveals the jets and radio-emitting lobes emanating from Centaurus A's central black hole. Credit: ESO/WFI (visible); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (microwave); NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray)
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international team, including NASA-funded researchers, using radio telescopes located throughout the Southern Hemisphere has produced the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy.
galaxies
"Advanced computer techniques allow us to combine data from the individual telescopes to yield images with the sharpness of a single giant telescope, one nearly as large as Earth itself," said Roopesh Ojha at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
The enormous energy output of galaxies like Cen A comes from gas falling toward a black hole weighing millions of times the sun's mass. Through processes not fully understood, some of this infalling matter is ejected in opposing jets at a substantial fraction of the speed of light. Detailed views of the jet's structure will help astronomers determine how they form.
The jets strongly interact with surrounding gas, at times possibly changing a galaxy's rate of star formation. Jets play an important but poorly understood role in the formation and evolution of galaxies.
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Left: The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 is the radio source known as Centaurus A. Vast radio-emitting lobes (shown as orange in this optical/radio composite) extend nearly a million light-years from the galaxy. Credit: Capella Observatory (optical), with radio data from Ilana Feain, Tim Cornwell, and Ron Ekers (CSIRO/ATNF), R. Morganti (ASTRON), and N. Junkes (MPIfR). Right: The radio image from the TANAMI project provides the sharpest-ever view of a supermassive black hole's jets. This view reveals the inner 4.16 light-years of the jet and counterjet, a span less than the distance between our sun and the nearest star. The image resolves details as small as 15 light-days across. Undetected between the jets is the galaxy's 55-million-solar-mass black hole. Credit: Credit: NASA/TANAMI/Müller et al.
NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected much higher-energy radiation from Cen A's central region. "This radiation is billions of times more energetic than the radio waves we detect, and exactly where it originates remains a mystery," said Matthias Kadler at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany and a collaborator of Ojha. "With TANAMI, we hope to probe the galaxy's innermost depths to find out."
Ojha is funded through a Fermi investigation on multiwavelength studies of Active Galactic Nuclei.
The astronomers credit continuing improvements in the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) with TANAMI's enormously increased image quality and resolution. The project augments the LBA with telescopes in South Africa, Chile and Antarctica to explore the brightest galactic jets in the southern sky.
The enormous energy output of galaxies like Cen A comes from gas falling toward a black hole weighing millions of times the sun's mass. Through processes not fully understood, some of this infalling matter is ejected in opposing jets at a substantial fraction of the speed of light. Detailed views of the jet's structure will help astronomers determine how they form.
The jets strongly interact with surrounding gas, at times possibly changing a galaxy's rate of star formation. Jets play an important but poorly understood role in the formation and evolution of galaxies.
Enlarge
Left: The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 is the radio source known as Centaurus A. Vast radio-emitting lobes (shown as orange in this optical/radio composite) extend nearly a million light-years from the galaxy. Credit: Capella Observatory (optical), with radio data from Ilana Feain, Tim Cornwell, and Ron Ekers (CSIRO/ATNF), R. Morganti (ASTRON), and N. Junkes (MPIfR). Right: The radio image from the TANAMI project provides the sharpest-ever view of a supermassive black hole's jets. This view reveals the inner 4.16 light-years of the jet and counterjet, a span less than the distance between our sun and the nearest star. The image resolves details as small as 15 light-days across. Undetected between the jets is the galaxy's 55-million-solar-mass black hole. Credit: Credit: NASA/TANAMI/Müller et al.
NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected much higher-energy radiation from Cen A's central region. "This radiation is billions of times more energetic than the radio waves we detect, and exactly where it originates remains a mystery," said Matthias Kadler at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany and a collaborator of Ojha. "With TANAMI, we hope to probe the galaxy's innermost depths to find out."
Ojha is funded through a Fermi investigation on multiwavelength studies of Active Galactic Nuclei.
The astronomers credit continuing improvements in the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) with TANAMI's enormously increased image quality and resolution. The project augments the LBA with telescopes in South Africa, Chile and Antarctica to explore the brightest galactic jets in the southern sky.
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