AGN Hardware heeft een review van de Hercules Terminator BEAST Supercharged, een opgekrikte versie van de oorspronkelijke BEAST.

Het verschil zit 'm in een snellere memory en core clock van 125 resp. 120Mhz. De prestaties zijn zeer vet:

e have finally arrived at the part of every review where I get to prove what I have been saying all along.  The 3D scores from the SuperCharged BEAST are downright phenomenal.  This may come as a shock to some of you, seeing that the BEAST has 1/2 the RAM that TNT and Banshee carry.  But when you consider that the BEAST was the only "Next Gen" card to deliver on true .25 micron die size, one of the few cards to carry SGRAM, and that every part had been prescreened to ensure performance and stability, the results become a bit easier to stomach.

Sorry, kon even geen zinnige vertaling vinden voor die headline van The Register. Best wel grappige info, over hoe Intel omgaat met de pers. Er staat ook wat in over Nederlandse journalisten.

Dutch journalists are generally a good lot, thinks Intel. They are down to earth but like the Brits dislike the "Goliath's" (sic) of this world. And, claims the document, journalists from The Netherlands operate counter moves against anything that is successful.

...en hoe verklaren ze dan de extreem pro-Mikroschoftige instelling van MS.IDG (Nepwereld, C!T enz.)? (oja, het zijn geen journalisten daaro :D)

Intel doet de laatste tijd super vaag over de toekomst van de Slot1 Celeron. De ene keer zeggen ze dat het ding foetsie gaat en andere keer beweren ze weer dat de Slot1 Celeron gewoon tot 2000 in produktie blijft. The Register heeft er een artikel over:

Last week we reported, on the basis of Intel information, that Slot One Celerons will continue until the year 2000. (see Intel to keep S1 Celerons until year end).

But now information from an internal document Intel has sent to its retailers plus other information from distributors, makes it appear that the platform is doomed to extinction, and quite soon.

A source at an Intel UK distributor, who declined to be named, said: "From a supply point of view, there will be no Slot One Celerons from February onwards. There is currently a shortage and I expect Intel to attempt to migrate smoothly in a few months. I was expecting Intel to bin it at the end of February, but currently availability of 370-Socket boards is short."

And a letter, seemingly originating from Intel, on the Ars Technica site seems to confirm the Slot One Celeron is doomed.

It says that Intel now recommends customers convert Intel Celeron processor-based PC offerings to higher performing Intel Celeron processors now. "Intel has begun to transition the Intel Celeron processor product line from SEPP to PPGA packaging."

Maxtrox gaat 0,25micron G200's bakken. Logischerwijs zou je dan ook snellere G200's mogen verwachten maar daar lijkt het niet op (in plaats daarvan gaan ze de heatsink eraf slopen). Matrox Users heeft wat info:

Matrox is transitioning all MGA-G200 production from .35 to .25 micron technology. This change allows Matrox to lower the heat of the chip, support 250MHz DAC speed on all products and lower overall production costs. The move from .35 to .25 micron technology does not represent an increase in performance but does reduce the chip's heat production and eliminates the need for a heat sink. Matrox will continue to market and sell the product as the MGA-G200.

Apple gewoon heeft de Firewire standaard dichtgegooid (niet ongewoon voor Apple, dat doen ze met al hun 'standaarden') waardoor andere fabrikanten 1 dollar per poort moeten betalen. Daar hebben ze vanzelfsprekend niet zo zin in en de geruchten gaan dat ze bezig zijn met de ontwikkeling van een eigen alternatieve Firewire standaard, en het is nog sneller ook:

According to a report in, a number of developers are proposing what they call 1394B. Not only is the specification twice as fast as current FireWire technology but avoids relying on the Apple-patented signalling techniques that Apple is using to justify charging a licence fee.

'Apple-free' 1394 would operate at 800Mbps instead of the current 400Mbps and use a signalling system borrowed from the Fibre Channel world. The next stage of the design process would be to incorporate support for current FireWire devices in a way that also eliminates the key Apple intellectual property.

However, Michael Teener, CTO of US-based Zayante, a 1394 infrastructure company, quoted in the EE Times report, reckoned it would take two years to progress the backwards-compatible 1394B specification to the point at which it could be widely deployed.

Zie The Register.

The Register heeft wat info over nieuwe mobieltjes van Intel. Er komen nu ook mobiele Celerons zodat we ook onderweg kunnen overklokken Ook nieuw is de L2 cache die nu net zoals bij de Celeron on-die zit:

ntel today introduced its mobile Pentium II processors as well as Celeron chips aimed at the notebook market.

The mobile PIIs come at speeds of 333MHz and 366MHz, have smaller packaging, use less power and include 256K of level two cache on one die.

That combination produces high performance than the Slot One Pentium II design where cache is separate from the processor. The last time we saw P6 architecture in this form was with the Pentium Pro.

The processors use a ball grid array package which allows Intel to manufacture the PII/mobile to a height of one tenth of an inch. Several OEMs are today expected to announce notebooks based on the design.

Intel has also upgraded its lower speed 266MHz and 300MHz mobile Pentium IIs to also include 256K level two cache on the processor.

Na alle kritiek van vorige week op het plan van Intel om een uniek identificatienummer op z'n chips onder te brengen lijkt Intel z'n plannen nu in heroverweging te nemen. ZDNet heeft een artikel:

Even as several advocacy groups were calling for a boycott of Intel products, the company announced it is backtracking somewhat in how the technology, which could be used to track chip users over the Internet, will be deployed.

Several privacy groups were scheduled to announce on Monday a boycott of products made by Intel.

The boycott was called by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center, a consumer advocacy group, and Junkbusters Inc., of Green Brook, N.J., a high-tech lobbying group.

Security features in chips

[..]But in an apparent bow to its critics, Intel announced Monday a change in how the ID technology will be used. Spokesman Chuck Mulloy said Intel has reversed an earlier decision, and that each machine will default to having the ID inactive. Before, Intel said the ID would automatically be activated unless turned off by the user.

Tom heeft z'n wekelijkse column weer geupdate, deze week met een tamelijk uitgebreid artikel over het samenstellen van een compleet systeem.

Naast wat algemene info ook wat interessante stuff voor overklokkers: er komt GEEN frequency lock:

It is official since last week, Intel is currently not planning to implement a bus clock lock into their Celeron processors, which means that EVERYONE can overclock Celeron to run with at least 75 instead of 66 MHz bus clock. The risk is less than minimal and at the same time you don’t need to jump on the ‘I have the longest’-trail, telling you about overclocking Celerons to some stupid 550 MHz and more. There is no reason for buying Pentium II anymore, you can even run the Socket370 Celerons as dual processors now! Plug them into a modified Slot1-converter card (like e.g. MSI’s MS-6905), as described by Tomohiro Kawada at http://kikumaru.w-w.ne.jp/pc/celeron/index_e.html.

AGN Hardware heeft wat info over fake retail Celerons die in feite omgeklooide OEM chips zijn:

I wrote you to let you know and so that you can help alert the online community that for various reasons OEM Celeron 300A cpu’s are being remarked to be retail Celeron 300A's. My experience started outwhen I went to purchase a retail celeron 300A this past week, since they have a near 100% overclock to 450 rate. I have had an OEM that runs at 374 for 3-4 months now and was building a second system with the 450 mhz overclock as the goal. I called many of the local shops-- there are several here in Dallas-- and found one that I could get a retail box for $90 (most places between $105-125), so I went and bought it at the place that offered $90 and another $124 for an Abit BH6. When I got the cpu, it had the heatsink with the fan bearing the intel hologram and came in a plastic (clamshell) with warranty/authenticity/ instruction paperwork rubber-banded to the side. The clamshell had already been opened but I though little of it as many of the local shops open stuff for testing before they sell it. I inquired about the lack of a cardboard box and was told that intel was sending them out like this for the 300A's. I figured no big deal-- I just wanted to go home and get to work overclocking ;-).

Meer leest je op de newspage van AGN3D.

Dit is best wel grappig Mocht je Celery zijn gestorven aan overmatig overklokken dan heb ik hier een site waar wordt uitgelegd hoe je je aangebrande Celeron tot ketting kunt verbouwen. Heeft het ding toch nog nut (en natuurlijk een waardig eerbetoon aan de korte doch heldhaftige verschijning van jouw doodgeklokte Celery). Hier alvast een plaatje:

Op coolinfo vond ik wat stuff over Sim City 3000. Even wat quotes:

"The graphics are beautiful in this game. I see a new type of building every time I play and the old one's are still as impressive. The game looks much better in 800x600 mode and scrolls relatively smoothly considering the large amount of items on the board."

"The car and train graphics are well detailed and change according to what action is occurring around them. Therefore the industrial zones have more trucks going through them and whenever a new building is being constructed it is possible to see dump trucks roaming the city streets. The disaster effects are pretty cool to watch as they tear through your well laid city and it actually makes losing the last three hours of work somewhat fun."

Gisteren werd in het radioprogramma "radio online" de award 'de meest zinloze website van het jaar' uitgereikt. De prijs ging naar icepick.com, een site van iemand die zijn hele huis van cams heeft voorzien en bijhoud wat er wordt weggegooid, hoe laat de WC wordt doorgetrokken, wie er aanbelt, enz enz. Al die gegevens kan je dus op deze site vinden...

Phew!! Het blijkt dat de producenten er net zo over denken als de meeste consumenten. De heffing op data cd-r's is belachelijk. Hij is dan ook voorlopig van de baan, maar het gevaar is nog niet geweken. De copyright mafia heeft nog meer voor ons in petto. Pas op als je onder de douche staat te zingen!

Lees hier het hele verhaal.

Voorlopig komt er geen heffing op de cd-r schijfjes die worden gebruikt in de snel populair wordende cd-branders. Maar de toekomst is allerminst zeker. De toeslag die per 1 januari van dit jaar is ingesteld, geldt nu nog uitsluitend voor audio cd-r's. Dit is een speciaal soort cd-r die bestemd is voor audio cd-recorders.

Er staat trouwens een hoop onzin in dit stuk, vooral over de technische kant van de zaak, maar de boodschap is het belangrijkste.

Ik kreeg zonet een ICQ message van Terry van Hardware Extreme met een link naar zijn exclusieve interview met Jeremy Smith van Abit. De eerste vraag:

TERRY: I just recieved some feedback from a friend. According to him, if ABIT can increase the BH6's multiplier from 5.5X to 8.0X then why doesn't ABIT up the FSB to 153MHz too ? :)

Verder staat er nog wat info over de beschikbaarheid van de BX6-II...

Anand heeft een review van de Hercules Dynamite TNT in elkaar geschroefd. Ik heb deze TNT zelf ook en ik ben er erg blij mee. Met de prestaties zit het ook OK:

The Dynamite TNT is clearly the fastest TNT board in this test, in many cases scoring significantly higher than the competition. Of course, the Dynamite TNT can be considered overclocked; but, the board are stable enough to run at Hercules' default speed, and warranty is not voided. In other words, Hercules guarantees that the Dynamite TNT will run @ 98/125 and is willing to back it up with the 5 year warranty available. Regarding the 32bit performance, it looks as if RAM speed makes a difference after all.

BTW: Intercom Mailorder heeft 'm voor 299,-

Heavy Gear2 en 3DNow! ondersteuning!

Darrell Mozingo scored this info about Heavy Gear2 and 3DNow!™ from a chat session on Friday with the developers. Here is the scoop: (CraftyBstrd) ok, how are the k6-2 opts coming? (GreyHawk_ATVI) AMD optimization code is tabled for right now.(GreyHawk_ATVI) AMD reniged on the deal to implement specialized code.

(GreyHawk_ATVI) Because of that, we aren't going forward with it until we can figure out how to afford the extra time involved. (GreyHawk_ATVI) However,we're testing the game on AMDs and it's running great so far.

Ok laten we eens zien wat er in die gloednieuwe board zit...

The packaging contains the manual, the Retention Module and the cables for HDD and FDD and 1 CD. From what I would see, The MSI 6163 looks very similar to the MSI 6119 that I reviewed earlier on. Both has the same footprint. Other than that, the MSI 6163 has 5 PCI, 2 ISA and 1 AGP port for expansion. The most appealing thing about this board is that it now supports the following FSB. 66, 68, 75, 83, 100, 103, 112, 117(2), 124, 129, 133, 138, 143, 148, 153 Mhz.

Other than that, it now includes CPU/System temperature detect, CPU/Chassis Power fan speed detect and CPU/System voltage detect. It also has an optional audio module based on Creative ES1373.

New Features Remote Power On/Off Switch : JRMS1 This is used to connect to a 2 pin push button switch, During OFF state, press once and the system turns on. During ON stage, push once and the system goes to sleep mode : pushing it more than 4 seconds will change its status from ON to OFF. This setting can be changed from BIOS Power Management Setup. TOP TECH II JT3 (Optional) : JT3

This 2 pin connector can be inserted with a 20cm length thermistor. It is located near the chipset heatsink that monitors the chipset temperature. The BIOS Setup for the "TOP TECH. II" should be set to enabled. Chassis Intrusion Switch Case : JCASE CPU Plug and Play II

Well, one of the selling points about ABIT BX6 and BH6 is that it's well known for it's SoftMenuII which you can tweak the multiplier, FSB and voltage for successful overclocking. Now, this useful feature has finally reached the MSI 6163 with the new addition of CPU voltage tweaking. The BIOS will detet CPU working voltage and offers users up to 10% adjustable voltage buffer for users to select them. One thing I find it good is that it's actually able to show you what speed is your PCI devices are running e.g. Adjust CPU Voltage : 2.00V CPU Speed : 350Mhz (100x.3.5) CPU Ratio : x3 CPU Frequency : 68 / 34 Mhz You can also adjust the voltage, CPU speed, CPU ratio etc.

Manual setting is also possible so that you could set the CPU ratio and CPU Frequency accordingly. Clock multiplers supported : 3x - 8x at 0.5 increments FSB supported : 66,68,75,83,100,103,112,117(2),124,129,133,138,154,153 Mhz. Note : If system cannot boot up due to wrong settings. Press F10 until bootup. 117(2) means you can have two different settings of 117mhz with the corresponding PCI speed.

hier meer informatie

Playstation emulator met 3Dnow ondersteuning....

Thanks to Mike Fricker for letting me know that Bleem (a Playstation emulator) supports 3DNow! Here's the scoop: 16. Do you support AMD's 3DNow? Yes! We're very pleased to announce complete support for AMD's 3DNow! technology within bleem!

Owners of AMD processors with 3DNow! can expect enhanced performance thanks to AMD's revolutionary microprocessor technology!

bij Bleem

Ik kwam via Slashdot op deze site over een webserver ter grote van een luciferdoosje. Het ding draait op een 66Mhz 486SX van AMD:

he web page you are reading is served to you by the computer in the photo (click on it for a closer look). It is Jumptec's DIMM-PC, a single-board AMD 486-SX computer with a 66 MHz CPU, 16 MB RAM, and 16 MB flash ROM, big enough to hold a useful amount of RedHat 5.2 Linux including the HTTP daemon that runs the web server. At relatively low usage levels it consumes 800 milliwatts from a 5V power supply, rising to 2 watts at 100% CPU usage.

En ze hebben ook een fotootje van het ding...

Ik heb hier een link naar een site met wat info en foto's over hoe je zelf een celery sandwich in elkaar kunt knutselen. Vraag nr1. is natuurlijk of dit geknutsel ook effect heeft:

efore doing this, I was running with only the Crystal Heatsink at 464@2.1v. My temp never got above 96F (summer) and 86F (winter) no matter what I did. I tried 504@ 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, but at best it would lock when loading Win98.

After doing this, I could run 464@2.05v. The temp sits around 74F (winter) and I will have to wait until summer to give that temp.

I tried 504@ 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 and it would lock up when loading Win98. Maybe after a burn-in process it might work, but I am not holding my breath.

--- I am running cooler and with a little less voltage, but other than that this didn't give me the boost I was hoping for. Oh well, I still got 464MHz for $193 and it beats a PII 450 that was $400 or more.

Infoworld heeft een artikel over de toenemende populariteit van Linux, nu steeds meer grote bedrijven hun steun aan Linux toezeggen:

Momentum behind the Linux platform will soon surge again with both Hewlett-Packard and Tivoli Systems planning to extend their management platforms to the open-source Linux platform, according to high-ranking officials at the two companies.

In addition, Compaq is expected to Linux-enable its Alpha systems soon, according to a source familiar with Compaq's plans. Also, Lotus officials this week confirmed that the company plans to release Notes on Linux before the end of the year in response to market demand.

In the midst of growing Linux activity, Linux inventor Linus Torvalds next week plans to announce Version 2.2.0 of the Linux kernel, which will feature improvements in file systems, multiprocessing, and security, as well as platform support for Sparc64, Alpha, and PowerPC.

Detecting an opportunity to move to the forefront of the Linux arena, HP likely will be porting its OpenView network management system to Linux in the near future, a move characterized as a "no-brainer" by HP's Nigel Ball, general manager of Internet and Applications Systems, in Cupertino, Calif. HP, which is a major Microsoft partner for NT in the enterprise, is also considering making available support services for Linux, according to HP sources.

IBM, meanwhile, has slowly been expanding is Linux commitment, first with beta releases of its DB2 database and Transarc network file system, and now with pending support from Lotus and Tivoli.

GASource, een nieuw onderdeel van Gamer's Alliance, heeft een review van de Diamond MX300. De first impressions:

WOW!!! I hooked 4 speakers up and used the flying helicopter demo that is part of the card's drivers and it sounded real. I felt like I had a helicopter circling around my head. I then decided to try a few games. I loaded Recoil first, and it's hard to truly pass along the feeling of hearing seagulls circling above you with rapid-fire machine guns, plasma weapons, and missiles going off all around you. In Half-Life the sound effects were almost disturbing... I felt so immersed in the game that I began to get scared at the little sounds I heard behind me. The difference in the way that echoes sounded-- depending on the room's wall and floor surfaces -- was fantastic. Unreal was also very good, especially the background music. Each of the instruments were seemingly suspended in space around me in different locations. Jedi Knight (which I bought when it came out largely because of the Star Wars authentic sound effects) was spectacular. Descent 3? Words almost can't describe it.

Op Slashdot vandaag het bericht dat er een progje geschreven is waarmee je niet alleen kan uploaden maar ook downloaden. Bovendien kun je nu elk fileformat gebruiken, niet alleen .mp3, wat het ding (naast een portable mp3 speler) ineens geschikt maakt als een 32MB portable hd. Altijd handig!

Previously you could ONLY upload files to the Rio, and you could only upload Mp3 files. With the Riogeo program, you can now upload and download any file format, With this, you'll have a 32 MB portable drive! Currently it is a simple DOS command line prog." What about a Linux port? More importantly, what is the RIAA gonna think about this? Maybe the next Rio (or comparable product) will have sync capabilities like a pilot- just connect with your friends and trade tunes? Oh dear, this industry is going to get crazy real fast.

Het complete artikel vind je op mp3place

MacWorld online heeft een review van de PowerMac G3/300. Als we ome Steven mogen geloven is het ding net zo snel als een PII-600. Dat die onzin is moge duidelijk zijn. Wel leuk is de kast waarin het appeltje verpakt zit:

Since much has been said about how easy these new Macs are to open, we naturally couldn't wait to try it out for ourselves. We weren't disappointed. The side door flips easily open and provides ready access to every component you're likely to touch–the G3 processor, the four SDRAM slots, four PCI slots (one–a faster 64-bit PCI slot–occupied by the ATI RAGE 128), modem connector, and internal battery are attached to the door and lie flat when the case is open. Apple even went to the extent of placing reinforcing plastic beneath pressure points on the motherboard–areas where you're likely to exert force–such as under the RAM and PCI slots. Very nice.

Upgrade Center heeft een review gepost van de Cyrix MII-333.

Cyrix blijft maar doorkutten met het twee jaar oude 6x86MX ontwerp (dat op zijn beurt weer een licht verbeterde versie van de nog oudere 6x86 was) en qua prestaties houdt Cyrix het dus niet helemaal meer bij, hoewel niet slecht voor een 250Mhz processor: performance redelijk is:

The business application speed was very respectable in relation to the K6-2 400MHz processor as you can see below.  Under Business Winstone99 it held it own very nicely.  Of the various Cyrix processors on hand, the nod goes to the black topped chip recently fabbed by National.  It was a real close grouping though at that point.  The slowest one of the grouping was the gold topped Cyrix made from IBM at the .30 micron process.  The .25 micron parts were noticeably faster.

Hopelijk komen er betere tijden voor Cyrix met de komst van de Japaleno...

De stroom reviews van kaarten met ATI's nieuwe Rage128 chipset beginnen op gang te komen. Review zone draagt z'n steentje bij met een erg vette en uitgebreide review van de Rage Fury. Hier wat algemene info over de Rage128:

Built using 0.25 micron core size architecture, the Rage 128 is a 128-bit 2D/3D and video accelerator that comes in two flavors: the Rage 128GL and the Rage 128VR. ATI is offering the Rage 128GL on the Fury and Magnum boards while keeping the VR mostly as an OEM solution. 

 

The Rage 128 includes a very unique Twin-Cache Architecture, incorporating an 8K texture cache and an 8K pixel cache, to increase efficiency of the memory bandwidth to gain some extra performance. The Rage 128 also includes one of the most sought-after features in 3D accelerators, which is Single-pass Multi Texturing ability, as currently offered by the Voodoo2 and nVidia’s Riva TNT chip. 

So the Rage becomes the third chip in the market to offer Multi Texturing. This feature is not broadly used in today’s games 

because most 3D accelerators available today–in fact, all but the abovementioned- conspicuously lack this feature.