FSB... Bah!

[kchriste]

Never heard of ForeverSHUTDOWN?

Hahhaha! I can relate having just gotten a new machine. This thing boots up XP in under a minute, but it takes way longer for it to shut down. Go figure!
Thanks for the laughs.

 

[Marks256]

Yes. It either takes eight hours to boot, or eight hours to shut down.

I just calculated 2M digits of PI on my computer in 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Not bad... but not very good...

 

[Sceadwian]

Yeah, the bloatware on retail machines is pretty scarey. I wouldn't use one without a complete system wipe with updated drivers. S'why I prefer using a local PC manufactor and just supply my specs and install the OS myself. I used to build my own machines completly from scratch one component at a time but it's just not as much fun as it used to be. I'd rather let someone else end up with scratched hands from PC boards and just give it a look over before I install.

 

[Marks256]

I always build my machines from scratch. It is fun!

 

[Sceadwian]

I bought my fiance a motherboard/memory/cpu upgrade a ways back and had no end to grief, was going to save a few bucks and upgrade the video card later to a PCI-express card. Came to find out after going through two power supplies and a replacement motherboard that the manufacture of the motherboard didn't make a proper bios to support PCI video cards because it had a PCI-express slot on it, and there was no documentation mentioning the problem anywhere.. I almost knocked the tech out that told me it was the power supply the second time around.. After that I'll never piecemeal together a machine one component at a time and upgrade again. Not my idea of fun anymore.

 

[Marks256]

I hate tech people... I also hate PCI video cards... They lack power. I know i know, they DO work and some have 3d acceleration, but they suck. No speed, no power. Ever since i went AGP, i never looked back...

I am currently using a nVIDIA GeFORCE 6200fx (or something like fx...). I still whines when i kick ass on Half Life 2, but it doesn't get as mad as my 4000mx did!

 

[ParkingLotLust]

Not sure if it's the same as some Intel proc's, but the FSB and what it runs at are two different things (for the C2D's and P4's Ive used anyways). For example, my e6400 has a 1066MHz FSB, when it only runs at 266MHz. This is because it is 'quad-pumped', running at 1066MHz. If that didnt make any sense, I apologise in advance.

 

[Marks256]

I don't know. The FSB on my board is supposed to be 1.6GHz Hyper Trasport (or transit?)...

 

[Sceadwian]

It's just a wider data bus I think. The data is transmitted at the same clock rate but in parallel so the effective transfer rate is of the higher clock rate. That's another reason I'm not heavily into PC's anymore, they're full of hype and gimmicks that don't necasarily mean real world performance, no matter what the benchmarks say. They have to come out with new benchmark tests every so often because hardware makers cheat and optimize their system drivers to cheat them.

 

[Marks256]

In my opinion, the PC needs to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. We are relying too much on technology and concepts that were used since day one. Something needs to change to compete with current technological advances...

 

[Sceadwian]

I'm right with you my friend. But we now actually live in the age where Moore's law is beggining to falter. We're actually hitting the physical limits of the structures that still exhibit semi-conductor properties with usability. It's an honest to goodness paradigm shift (buzz word alert) era => We can not do much more with what we have. The X86 architecture has been carried about... 6 or 8 generations too far =) By reevaluating the functions and redesigning existing logic schemes Moore's law is probably going to be good for a few more generations at least. Problem is you have existing OS's to contend with and just completely re-engineering the entire fundamental basics on which they're based causes them to change to new OS's. It's a great big technical web of uselessness. By the time I die, or my kids are dead we will have absolutely hit the wall as far as current physics go with semi conductors. Lots of advances are being made in optical computing though, or at least the advancement of optical technology to the point where optical computing will be possible =)

 

[Marks256]

Is there a such thing as an optical transistor?

 

[mramos1]

The x86 (Intel 8088/86) stuff should have been put to bed in the early 80's . Motorola would have been my pick. But that did not work for Apple either..

But Intel seems to spend a lot of time trying to make it faster.

I will am waiting for affordable solid state hard drives and a good OS. Maybe the wrong people are running things. No matter what, looks like I will be waiting longer..

 

[audioguru]

I used my 486 pc for about 11 years waiting for a better processor. Then its upgraded hard drive (2.1GB) made terrible clattering noises and The Win98 operating system reported many hard drive errors.

So I got a Gateway Pentium4 2.93GHz pc for nearly nothing in a Boxing Day sale. Then I went back to the store the next day to get a rebate due to their Guaranteed Lowest Price (their online store had the same pc at a lower price, but it was sold out). Then a couple of weeks later rebate cheques came for the pc, for the monitor and for the printer which I haven't used.

 

[mramos1]

Funny, I went from a 200Mhz machine to a 1.2Ghz way back and wanted my old machine back. I guess about the time they make the X86 faster, MS releases a new OS and counters it.

 

[Sceadwian]

I'm still using a 1.7ghz machine that I bought when that was state of the art. I'm kind of bideing my time right now, probably for the next year or so before I get a new machine. If any decent linux distributions come out for the PS3 I might not even own a PC again =)

 

[Marks256]

I am not going to up grade again until college. I am thinking Alienware Laptop... I would like one now, but i can't afford it...


I really liked the 486's. Sure, they were before my time, but i still use my 486dx laptop every once in a while! (Compaq LTE 4/50e)

 

[Sceadwian]

Marks, didn't you say you lost a cell phone recently from going through a washingmachine? =) Alienware machines are really only for people looking for bragging rights or serious gamers. You can cut your cost in quarter or more by buying something a little more reasonable =>

 

[Marks256]

Umm, hello. You just answered the two reasons i want one!

1) I really just want the bragging rights...
2) I love to game (not as much as the REALLY serious ones...)

Also, what does a cell phone going through the wash have to do with an alienware laptop? I highly doubt i would let something THAT precious get wrecked... My laptop that i have had (bought new) for 3 years now i still in near mint condition...

 

[Sceadwian]

I'd spend the money for a decent gameing machine as a desktop, and buy a run of the mill general purpose laptop. You'll spend the same amount of money, end up with a Desktop machine with more horsepower and upgrade possibilities and still have a new laptop.