VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Dec 2011 Issue 2

December 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

extract more performance out of it, Microsoft now has a kernel
patch for for its client and server OS.
Ever wondered why some benchmark results on Bulldozer and
its server version, Interlagos, look not just too low but outright
weird? Part of the explanation was that the fancy modular
architecture, where two integer and one FP block share one L2
cache and instruction scheduler, wasn't really supported that
well by the current operating systems. Add to it the Pentium 4-
style long pipeline and high latencies, and you got a problem.

Google first unveiled its self-driving car in Oct 2010 and
the company has applied for a patent on a "landing strip"
technology which allow the cars to go into auto mode as well as
to find parking spots. The patent has been approved by the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office on 13 December. According to Microsoft now has a kernel update solution that solves
sources, the "landing strip" is more than an embedded sensor one part of the problem, at least - if you go to http://
in the ground, be it radio, QR code, or some other means of support.microsoft.com/kb/2592546/ knowledge base page,
transferring information to the car. The key is the information you'll notice that there is a patch for Windows 7 and for
and how the car uses it. Although Google's self-driving cars use Windows Server 2008 R2.
GPS technology to orient themselves, but in certain situations
a GPS signal may not be obtainable. The patent also suggests
that user could give a set of instruction to the vehicle that This patch updates the thread management logic in the OS
commands it to drive itself to specific location. at the kernel level for the Bulldozer, and - interestingly
- proclaims it as a multithreading feature. With this
update, Windows sees each BD dual core block as A
SINGLE MULTITHREADED CORE, contrary to AMD's
official positioning. Therefore, BD is seen as a 4-core, 8-
thread chip, rather than a fully 8-core processors. This update,
nevertheless, brings a definite single-digit % performance
jump in lightly threaded applications, but it is still good
though as it helps the CPU fight higher speed grades of
Intel processors in benchmarks. So, naming or no naming
confusion, go ahead and have it, if you're one of the early
Bulldozer users.

Microsoft comes to AMD
Bulldozer rescue: Windows
Update speeds up things
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-comes-to-amd-bulldozer-
rescue-windows-update-speeds-up-things/14256.html
December 19th, 2011

AMD Bulldozer is, to say so, unusual in its modular dual-core
block architecture compared to the current X86 processors. To

21

December 22nd, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
The question is how much life MHL has now since the USB-
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication IF announced the audio/video devices class, as this allows
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks. you to do everything that MHL does, but presumably without
the need of extra chips on the mobile device side. That said,
MHL is already a somewhat established standard, but as we
Silicon Image team up know, it's never clear cut which standard will end up being
with Onkyo to deliver MHL the dominant one and it's not always the best one that's the
winner.
equipped A/V receiver
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/silicon-image-team-up-with-onkyo-to-
deliver-mhl-equipped-av-receiver/14331.html
Intel said to be dropping
December 22nd, 2011 Sandy Bridge CPU prices
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-said-to-be-dropping-sandy-
bridge-cpu-prices/14330.html
December 22nd, 2011

New connectors and interfaces always cause problems when
it comes to hardware compatibility and the Mobile High-
definition Link or MHL is one of those interfaces that is far
from widely adopted on anything but smartphones to date.
That seems to be set to change, as Silicon Image, one of the With Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge processors expected to
driving forces behind the MHL standard has teamed up with launch in April of next year, it appears that Intel is already
Onkyo to deliver A/V receivers with MHL support. concerned about having too much stock of its current Sandy
Bridge processors and is as such planning on reducing the
price on at least is mobile Core i3 and Core i5 processors. What
New connectors and interfaces always cause problems when isn't clear is if Intel is planning on doing the same for the
it comes to hardware compatibility and the Mobile High- desktop parts or not.
definition Link or MHL is one of those interfaces that is far
from widely adopted on anything but smartphones to date.
That seems to be set to change, as Silicon Image, one of the With Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge processors expected to
driving forces behind the MHL standard has teamed up with launch in April of next year, it appears that Intel is already
Onkyo to deliver A/V receivers with MHL support. concerned about having too much stock of its current Sandy
Bridge processors and is as such planning on reducing the
In practical terms the MHL interface is a combination of price on at least is mobile Core i3 and Core i5 processors. What
HDMI and USB 2.0 and the advantage it has over a pure HDMI isn't clear is if Intel is planning on doing the same for the
interface is that the device you connect up a smartphone desktop parts or not.
equipped with MHL to can power your smartphone. So far
it's mainly HTC, LG and Samsung that has adopted the MHL Digitimes is reporting that Intel has apparently told its
interface while Samsung and Toshiba have a handful of TV notebook partners that the company is about to drop the
models that supports it. The downside is of course that you processor pricing by some 10 to 15 percent depending on
need a dongle to connect your phone to an HDMI port, but it model, although for some reason the high-end Core i7's are
looks like this might just start to become less of an issue. apparently not part of this discount deal.

Onkyo didn't reveal a lot of details in the press release about its As to how much of an impact this will have on the final
new receivers as the company is planning on unveiling them product is a different matter, as many notebook makers are
at CES in a few weeks' time. What we do know though is already offering very cheap notebooks with Core i3 and Core
that Onkyo is using Silicon Image's latest MHL chipset with i5 processors and although we're expecting that some of this
supports something called InstaPrevue. This is a picture-in- discount will be passed on to consumers, we don't think we'll
picture solution for HDMI and MHL which allows a small see an equal reduction in price of the final product.
preview window of other attached devices to be overlaid over Even so, it might be worth hanging on for Ivy Bridge if you're
whatever is being displayed on the TV, must as you can do not in a rush to get a new notebook, as the new processors do
channel previewing on some TV sets. offer some advantage over Sandy Bridge, although most are
not CPU performance related. As we've seen in the many leaks
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to date, the overall platform as a whole is better than Sandy consumer boom in the cloud led by Apple, high consumer
Bridge and the cost isn't expected to be any higher than what demand for natural user interfaces, and potential micro-
a Sandy Bridge equivalent product costs today. segmentation of the industry that will lead the way to more
individualised marketing strategies.

AMD marketing chief steps
down, offers predictions for ASUS sued over "Transformer
2012 Prime" trademark
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-marketing-chief-steps-down- infringement
offers-predictions-for-2012/14329.html Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-sued-over-transformer-prime-
December 22nd, 2011 trademark-infringement/14325.html
December 22nd, 2011

AMD's Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President
Nigel Dessau is leaving the chipmaker to work on a book, but
he has made some interesting predictions for the year ahead.
AMD's Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President ASUS is now in trouble for using the name "Transformer" and
Nigel Dessau is leaving the chipmaker to work on a book, but "Transformer Prime". Toy maker Hasbro has filed a lawsuit
he has made some interesting predictions for the year ahead. against the Taiwanese company over the trademark on the
name that are more known for the toys, cartoons and movies.

Dessau said that he is excited about the prospects for AMD,
and with the upcoming Radeon HD 7970 and its all-star
reviews we are just as excited. However, he said that he had
reached a crossroads and decided to pursue the next phase of
his career outside of the company.

This next step will focus on a book based on his website, the
3 Minute Mentor, where he delivers career advice in three
minute podcasts.

The new ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Android tablet
was showcased at the AsiaD: All Things Digital event in
Hong Kong, and has garnered great popularity from the name
it bears, but this has apparently also brought along some
troubles. Toy manufacturer Hasbro has sued ASUS for the
use of the name which they had trademarked, and stated that
they will defend their brand. While the two companies and
their products may be targeting different market, Hasbro does
have a series of video games and accessories for PC and Xbox
360 game console which are under the name “Transformer”,
thereby providing the toy company with adequate relevancy
to be concerned that consumers may be misled into thinking
Hasbro had endorsed the ASUS product. As for now, Hasbro is
requesting for an injunction against ASUS, and a 21 day period
for them to respond.

Dessau has worked at AMD for four years, leading the Elpida to begin merger talks
marketing team that has helped keep AMD in a prominent
position within the industry. He will stay on to help in the
with Nanya
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/elpida-to-begin-merger-talks-with-
transition to a new head of marketing.
nanya/14328.html

Before he departs from the company he made a number
of predictions about what will happen in 2012, including a

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December 22nd, 2011 December 22nd, 2011

Elpida Memory is to begin talks in January with rival
DRAM maker Nanya Technology on a possible merger as Sony has developed a battery prototype that generates
the companies struggle to cope with falling prices and tough electricity from shredded paper, an achievement that could
competition. lead to more environmentally-friendly electronic products.
Elpida Memory is to begin talks in January with rival Sony has developed a battery prototype that generates
DRAM maker Nanya Technology on a possible merger as electricity from shredded paper, an achievement that could
the companies struggle to cope with falling prices and tough lead to more environmentally-friendly electronic products.
competition.

Sony unveiled the technology at the Eco-Products exhibition in
The Japanese and Taiwanese chipmakers have been losing Tokyo, where a fan was powered by scrap paper and cardboard
substantial market share to larger rivals like Samsung, which dropped into a mixture of water and enzymes, which was then
now rules 45 percent of the market, making it difficult for the shaken.
smaller companies to survive, particularly with DDR3 DRAM
prices dropping from $1.50 in July to just $0.90 in October.
The bio-batteries turn waste paper into sugar by using the
enzyme cellulase, and when the resulting glucose sugar is
A report in the Nikkei Business Daily suggested that the two combined with oxygen and other enzymes it turns it into
companies would begin merger talks next month in a bid to electrons and hydrogen ions, which are used to generate
restore profitability and curb their shrinking market share. electricity.
Elpida denied it had made any formal announcement in this
regard, however, and said it was considering multiple options,
including refinancing debt and requiring advance payment for
product orders.

"Using a 'fuel' as simple as old greetings cards - the sort of
cards that millions of us will be receiving this Christmas - the
Elpida is in third place in the DRAM market with a 12.1 percent bio battery can deliver enough energy to power a small fan,"
market share, behind Hynix' 21.5 percent, while Nanya is in said Yuichi Tokita, senior researcher at the Sony Advanced
fifth place with just 3.6 percent. Elpida saw a revenue decline Material Research Lab. "Of course, this is still at the very
of 29.8 percent in the third quarter, while Nanya experienced early stages of its development, but when you imagine the
an even larger revenue drop of 36.7 percent. possibilities that this technology could deliver, it becomes very
exciting indeed."

However, the possibility of a merger could be held up by
legal battles between the two companies over the alleged The technology could give people another incentive to recycle
infringement of patents, not to mention a partnership between paper, cut down electricity costs, and help move the industry
Nanya and Micron, another rival to Elpida. towards renewable and sustainable power, but it will likely be
years before a powerful enough bio-battery is developed for
use with, for example, mobile phones. However, the potential
to recharge your smartphone with a bit of newspaper while on
Sony develops paper-powered the go is an interesting and useful possibility.

battery prototype
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-develops-paper-powered-battery-
prototype/14327.html

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Scientists make self-repairing Intel Shows Its Atom-based
chip breakthrough Android Smartphone and
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/scientists-make-self-repairing-chip-
breakthrough/14326.html
Tablet Prototypes
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-shows-its-atom-based-android-
December 22nd, 2011
smartphone-and-tablet-prototypes/14321.html
December 22nd, 2011

Researchers are close to developing self-repairing electronic
chips, which could revolutionise the technology industry and
even lead to safer space travel. Faced with continuous decline of its Atom series of processors,
Researchers are close to developing self-repairing electronic the semiconductor giant from Santa Clara is showcasing
chips, which could revolutionise the technology industry and concept smartphone and tablet designs for 2012.
even lead to safer space travel. By all standards, Intel had a dream year - the company
achieved record revenue and record profits. However, there
was one dark spot on otherwise, a spotless record: Atom line
Scientists and engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
of products.
Champaign succeeded in creating a circuit that, when cracked,
heals itself by releasing a conductivity-restoring liquid metal,
which brings the circuit back online in less than a second.

The technology works by housing the healing liquid within the
chip, and if the chip is damaged it should also damage the
liquid container, releasing the liquid so that it can fill in any
gaps and restore the flow of electricity.

Intel Atom was introduced in 2008 as a byproduct of Intel
receiving back the P55C core from US Army. The second
byproduct of that heavily modified and optimized core was
Larrabee graphics core, which got canceled and is now known
as a HPC-accelerator Knights Bridge / Knights Corner. Intel
Atom enjoyed a lot of success in 2008-2010, with a lot of
Tests using gold and glass circuits with microcapsules analysts writing stories about the rise of netbooks and how
containing the metallic liquid eutectic gallium-indium showed netbooks will mark the end of PC as we know it. Sounds
a drop of voltage to zero when cracked and a return to almost familiar, right?
full voltage within one millisecond. These devices retained Fast forward to third quarter of 2011: Intel posted excellent
their conductivity for months after the damage and repair. sales and profit results, but the company also marked a 32%
decline in sales of Intel Atom platform. Indeed, when we look
at Atom as a whole, the product actually declined by over 60%
The breakthrough could affect every sector of technology, during 2011 alone - as tablets took over the hearts and minds
resulting in super long-lasting products. The scientists also of consumers, sales of netbooks came to a screeching halt.
believe it can help with satellites and space travel, since this is
an area where manually repairing and replacing electronics is Intel's answer to tablets is known for quite some time:
extremely difficult, expensive and time-consuming. Intel's second SoC design codenamed Medfield (first one
being Cedarview, D2x00 Series). Medfield is manufactured in
32nm process node and is consisted out of single Atom core
operating up to 1.9GHz clock, integrated graphics subsystem
(it is not known which one, but current Atoms utilize PowerVR
SGX545), Image Signal Processor, memory controller and

4


chipset features. Do note that SGX545 is more powerful than year, even ahead of its move to killing off the Ericsson part
SGX543MP2 used inside the Apple's A5 Dual-core chip. of its brand name. Details of an upcoming model called the
LT28at have leaked courtesy of the Bluetooth SIG and it looks
like Sony Ericsson is planning to launch at least one seriously
high-end handset next year.

Sony Ericsson has had its fair share of troubles this past year,
but it looks like the company is about to rebound come next
year, even ahead of its move to killing off the Ericsson part
of its brand name. Details of an upcoming model called the
LT28at have leaked courtesy of the Bluetooth SIG and it looks
On IDF Fall 2011, Intel showed its prototypes of smartphone like Sony Ericsson is planning to launch at least one seriously
and tablet designs, but the Android operating system was not high-end handset next year.
ready for the limelight. Few months after, Android 2.x and 3.x
long gone and the company is optimizing for Android 4.x Ice The expected spec of what will be an as yet un-named
Cream Sandwich operating system. Xperia handset targeted for AT&T in the US includes a 4.55-
inch Reality display with 1280x720 pixel resolution, LTE, a
You can expect the first smartphone and tablet designs coming 13Megapixel backside illuminated camera sensor and a 720p
in the first half of 2012. Second half of 2012 will see the front facing camera for video calls. Other features include
appearance of Windows 8 tablets, where Intel will argue 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, although only 2.1 + EDR
compatibility with full set of applications on Windows 8. Bear and strangely enough support for the Chinese TD-SCDMA
in mind that ARM-based tablets won't be able to run software standard.
compiled for the X86 instruction set.

According to the Xperiablog we can expect to see a 1.5GHz
dual core processor of unknown origin. The Xperiablog also
managed to track down a few photos snapped in what appears
to be San Francisco by the LT28at and although they’re not at
full resolution, they’ll give you a good idea of the kind of quality
you can expect from the 13Megapixel BSI camera. Hopefully
there will be a non US version of the LT28at and there’s really
no reason as to why Sony Ericsson wouldn’t have a version
with similar spec without LTE. The Xperiablog is expecting the
Still, Medfield is just the introductionary part and we're LT28at to be unveiled at CES, so we’ll just have to wait and see
not surprised ARM vendors are sound asleep at the market what will happen in a few weeks’ time.
acceptance. Real headache for every member of ARM
In related news, Sony Ericsson has announced that it’ll be
ecosystem is coming on CES 2013, the 22nm Silvermont -
rolling out its Android 4.0 updates for this year’s Xperia
completely new Atom architecture, which will go hand in hand
handsets from late March next year with some models getting
with the next-generation 22nm Haswell architecture for high-
the updates a bit later in April or May. Full details can be found
performance computers.
on the Sony Ericsson product blog.

The Bluetooth SIG leaks Sony Canon Singapore announces
Ericsson LT28at details CanonSGLens, free iOS app for
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-bluetooth-sig-leaks-sony-ericsson-
lt28at-details/14324.html digital SLR photographers
December 22nd, 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/canon-singapore-announces-
canonsglens-free-ios-app-for-digital-slr-photographers/14323.html
December 22nd, 2011

Sony Ericsson has had its fair share of troubles this past year,
but it looks like the company is about to rebound come next

5


With this iOS app, Canon photographers can now access - Depth of Field calculator
all the information including specifications on digital SLR
lens, learn about the physics behind capturing an picture - In-depth topic with interactive simulators explaining how
etc. The CanonSGLens app is free to download and is available aperture and shutter speed affect exposure, depth of field, and
on the Apple iTunes App store. motion blur in the various exposure modes
CanonSGLens is available on the Apple iTunes
App store - http://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/canonsglens/
id490527073?ls=1&mt=8

Nikon Singapore launches two
new Facebook applications
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-singapore-launches-two-new-
facebook-applications/14322.html
December 22nd, 2011

Canon Singapore has unveiled CanonSGLens, the company's
free iOS app for digital SLR camera users. Available from
today on the Apple iTunes App store, the app features detailed
lens specifications of all Canon digital SLR lenses that are Nikon Singapore has announced the launch of two Facebook
sold in Singapore. The application also contains a unique applications “Where’s the 1?” and "Psych'd by Nikon” contests
interactive simulator that allows users to compare the field whereby users stand to win attractive prizes including Nikon
of view between two camera-lens combinations, using the COOLPIX camera and Nikon 1 J1 with the 1 NIKKOR VR
current list of Canon EOS digital SLR cameras and lenses. The 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 lens.
CanonSGLens is designed to help beginners and professional
photographers. Beginners can learn more about the physics
behind capturing an photo, while professionals can make use
of features like the depth-of-field calculator to help them
achieve optimum focus.
App Features
- Highly visual interactive simulators

- Bookmark your favourite pages

- Add your own notes to any page

- Content optimized for both portrait and landscape
orientations

- No Internet connection required
Featured Content
- Detailed lens specifications of all Canon EF and EF-S lenses “Where’s the 1?” is a contest whereby you only have to answer
sold in Singapore four questions correctly by looking for the hidden Nikon 1
in the picture. If you have spotted all four cameras correctly,
- Compare lens specifications side by side, with differences you stand a chance to win the Nikon 1 J1 and 1 NIKKOR VR
indicated 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 lens. However, note that there is no lifeline
in this game, and you can only play it once a day. There will be a
- Compare high resolution MTF charts new set of questions and cameras for you to search every week,
and you can play up to once a day to increase your chances
- Compare high resolution lens construction diagrams to win the Nikon 1 J1 camera. The contest runs now till 19
January 2012.
- Field of View simulator featuring multiple photos taken
of the same scene in Singapore using different camera-lens "Psych'd by Nikon" was launched in the beginning of
combinations December, and the app is an easy-to-play contest to find out
which Nikon COOLPIX suits you. Just answer a few simple
- Depth of Field simulator questions and you can discover the Nikon COOLPIX camera
that best suits your needs and lifestyle, and find out if it is true
to your personality. One lucky winner with the most referrals
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via share will stand to walk away with a Nikon COOLPIX
camera.

Does PCIe 3.0 matter for
today's GPUs? We test with
the Radeon HD 7970
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/does-pcie-3.0-matter-for-today-s-gpus-
we-test-with-the-radeon-hd-7970/14306.html
December 22nd, 2011

For months now, certain smaller motherboard manufacturers
have been hyping up PCI Express 3.0 compatibility and
benefits to ignorant users, even going to the point of bashing
one another with libelous advertisements (lol hammer smash
motherboards into bits). Since the latest Intel's Sandy Bridge-
E processors and AMD's Radeon HD 7970 officially supports
the new signalling standard, we put that to the test to see if it
does improve things.
The following is rephrased and quoted from Wikipedia's PCI
Express entry:
The much delayed PCIe 3.0 standard is supposed to
bring signal transfer bitrates to 8GT/s (double that of
PCIe 2.0) and a number of optimizations for enhanced
signaling and data integrity, including transmitter and
receiver equalization, PLL improvements, clock data recovery,
and channel enhancements for currently supported topologies

The BIOS on our favourite ASUS Rampage IV Extreme (X79)
allowed us to select the PCIe signalling standard for our tests
(Editor's note: yes we did use the latest 1004 bios which has
the CPU Microcode and PCIe 3.0 fixes)
PCIe 2.0 Benchmarks:

PCIe 3.0 Benchmarks:

7


Our conclusions? Only a <1% miniscule benefit thanks to
tighter clock timings and PLL improvements - today's high
end GPU like the HD7970 and GTX590 barely even saturate
PCIe x8 lanes (4GB/s). Perhaps we might see a different story
with decent solid state storage setups and CPU interconnects. Testing with FurMark - with the fan left at auto, it was still
spinning silently and temperatures maxed out at a comfortable
86 degrees celcius
AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review
[Part 3/3]: Overclocking,
Benchmarks and Conclusion
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review-part-33--
overclocking-benchmarks-and-conclusion/14308.html
December 22nd, 2011

In the final part of our review, we look into the overclocking
abilities of the 28nm 'Tahiti XT' GPU, run extensive but
relevant performance tests, and give an objective conclusion The updated GPU-Z 0.5.7 allows you to read card information
of the AMD Radeon HD 7970. off the 7970's SMBIOS
Overclocking
The overclocking potential of the Radeon HD 7970 has been
much vaunted in the recent leaks and it certainly didn't
disappoint. Even without any software or hardware voltage
mods, we managed to bring the CPU core from the default
925MHz up to the maximum 1125MHz that CCC would allow.
We also turned memory up to 1500MHz and Power Control to
+20% to prevent throttling.

8


PCI-SIG approved 8+6 pin power connectors for up to 300W
of power consumption

Every increment on the way, we went the extra mile to ensure
that there was actually scaling (and not bs throttling). With
clocks like these on stock voltages and cooling, you'll wonder
how much higher it can go when software or hardware voltage
modifications together with better cooling are applied to this
card. Looks like the 28nm process die shrink did pay off...

No PCB Backplate on this reference card - hopefully the actual
Check also retail units will have them as they do provide some shielding
against accidental metal contact short circuits

AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review
[Part 2/3]: The Card Design
(Hardware Components and
Cooling)
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review-part-23--
the-card-design-hardware-components-and-cooling-/14286.html
December 22nd, 2011

The AMD Radeon HD 'Tahiti XT' 7970 features a redesigned
PCB, 3GB of GDDR5 384bit memory ring bus configuration
and an optimized heatsink design. More than a dozen screws binding the card to the heatsink -
which was a nuisance when we disassembled it
The dashing looking Radeon HD 7970 measures 11.5 inches
long (29.21cm), which should fit in most modern day gaming
cases

9


December 22nd, 2011

After a year of less than stellar CPU launches (Bulldozer)
and the fallout from the massive company-wide layoffs
and manufacturing delays, AMD and their fans finally have
something to cheer about this holiday season. Built on the
radical 28nm 'Graphics Core Next' architecture and numerous
another innovations, the US$549 Radeon HD 7970 flexes it
considerable muscles in the high end enthusiast GPU market.
3-way Crossfire connectors are still present, as are the dual In the first of a three part review, supercomputing expert and
BIOS Switch for flash experiments in-house Serbian Nebojsa Novakovic gives his take on what the
new architecture will bring..
When AMD unveiled its GCN - Graphics Core Next - new
generation graphics processor architecture as a part of its
FSA - Fusion System Architecture - at the last June's Fusion
Developer Summit in Seattle, it was quite a surprise: the
next-in-line future GPU was to be transformed into a general
purpose compute coprocessor, with far more flexibility and
aim at wider range of applications well beyond graphics only
- and, not to forget, easier memory space sharing with the
CPU. Half a year later, the first implementation of this new
architecture already sees the light.

Dual-link DVI, HDMI and Mini-DP ports for up to 6
displays. The half-height exhaust grill design from 58xx/69xx
cards is gone and replaced with a full height panel, which
should help reduce air turbulance.

The Radeon HD7970 is the fastest single GPU card today
in most of 3-D graphics runs, but its compute power
impresses, too: 3.8 TFLOPs peak single precision FP and,
Check also more importantly, 947 GFLOPs double precision FP at the
defauly 925 MHz clock. Since the card overclocks easily by
another 10% or so without even changing any voltages, you
can, for the first time, easily have a true (peak) Teraflop DP
AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review FP engine in the PC. The 384-bit GDDR5 memory path with
3 GB RAM gives some 260 GB/s bandwidth to feed all that
[Part 1/3]: Meet Tahiti XT from performance, with sufficient local memory for larger datasets
the Southern Islands than before. And, in those moments when the GPU does
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review-part-13-- nothing, the idle power drops to below 3 Watts - not bad at all.
meet-tahiti-xt-from-the-southern-islands/14307.html

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In addition to compute units, there are still dedicated
processing elements for 3-D graphics. Dual Geometry Units,
as well as eight render back ends, plus the usual video
acceleration hardware, complete the chip here. And yes, the
system interface is PCIe x16 v3, finally.

Now, how does GCN in HD7970 achieve, as AMD claims,
much better actual use of the underlying resources compared
to the previous generation? First, you'll notice that the
chip architecture looks far more symmetric and simpler
to understand than the GPUs of the past, which should
translate to the programs being able to use it more efficently.
Also, the separate dual asynchronous compute engines help
How did it achieve all this performance? The first schedule multiple tasks in parallel with the graphics command
implementation of GCN is based on the same 'Compute Units' processor, while dual direct memory access (DMA) engines
that we described post-AMD Summit in June, 32 of them help in fetching and sending data fast, able to saturate 16 GB/
in this chip. Each compute unit, able to execute code from s over PCIe 3 to the system itself.
multiple kernels at once, is a processor by itself, in a sense
a full-fledged 'core', the way we describe cores in general In some tests, like AES256, the resulting improvements in
purpose processors. So, each compute unit has a vector and actual performance are over four times, but even many others
standard scalar processor core, plus a texture block with have speed jumps higher than the theoretical FP speed boost
filtering and fetch units, all this with local registers, 64 KB from the 6970 to the 7970. Two times is a regular occurence
data share memory and 16 KB L1 cache with 64 bytes/clock in many GPU compute benchmarks here. And, very critical for
bandwidth. The branching and scheduling units complete the the computing usage, the FP here is fully IEEE754 compliant
picture. while, if aiming for workstation or compute server use, you
have ECC protection all the way, for both DRAM and SRAM
memory.

The new architecture should finally enable easy GPU
multitasking, not just many processes on one GPU, but also
one task being spread across multiple GPUs, something that
HPC users would welcome a lot - and high end PC users as well,
since, say, 4 GPUs in Quad CrossFire could be used for more
than just gaming FPS.

In summary, GCN in AMD Radeon HD7970 went a step
further than Nvidia did in its current 'Fermi' GeForce
generation in getting the GPU to become a more versatile
system compute coprocessor. There are still further steps to
The cache hierarchy is intriguing here: each set of four take in getting the GPU even closer to the CPU, including the
compute units shares an extra 32 KB scalar data cache plus 16 memory sharing and interconnect, however the improvements
KB instruction cache, backed by a common L2 cache, which seen in this brand new chip should be a good note to
totals 768 KB in the HD7970 chip across all compute units. both Nvidia and Intel, the latter with its Knights Corner
This L2 then interfaces to the memory controller. A Global accelerators, on the way forward.
Data Share unit is there to enable sync among all compute
units at the L1 cache level. This is far more complex cache
architecture than what you'll see in today's general purpose Check also
CPUs, by the way.

ASRock launches Atom
D2700 and D2500 mini-ITX
motherboards
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-launches-atom-d2700-and-
d2500-mini-itx-motherboards/14316.html
December 22nd, 2011

11


The ASRock related news aren't over quite yet, as alongside
its high-end boards, the company has also unveiled three new
entry level Atom mini-ITX motherboards, all with Intel's new
D2x00-series of Atom processors. One of the new models
sports the 1.86GHz Atom D2500, while the other two comes
with the 2.13GHz Atom D2700.

The ASRock related news aren't over quite yet, as alongside
its high-end boards, the company has also unveiled three new
entry level Atom mini-ITX motherboards, all with Intel's new
D2x00-series of Atom processors. One of the new models
sports the 1.86GHz Atom D2500, while the other two comes
with the 2.13GHz Atom D2700.
Starting at the bottom we have the AD2500B-ITX which is a The third and final board is the most interesting of the three
rather plain, almost dull looking board with a large passive and it's called the AD2700-ITX, a confusing similar name, but
heatsink covering the CPU and a really tiny one covering the an entirely different board in many ways. Although you'd be
NM10 chipset. The board has, rather unusually a pair of SO- forgiven for thinking it's yet more of the same if you take a
DIMM slots, although as the new Atoms can accept up to 4GB quick glance at the top down view of the board, ASRock has
of RAM, albeit in single channel mode, the two slots are at least overhauled the rear I/O entirely.
somewhat useful. Here we're looking at a single PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports,
two USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio with
optical S/PDIF out and a D-sub, DVI and HDMI port. The
general board layout is otherwise mostly the same, although
there's a pin-header for a parallel port and a serial port not
present on the first two models, but that's the only difference
we can spot. We checked the manual quickly as we wanted to
find out about the display connectivity and the good news is
that both the DVI and HDMI port can be used simultaneously.
The manual also suggested that there might be a version with
the Atom D2500 of this board, although without USB 3.0 and
with slower 10/100Mbit Ethernet.

There's also a pair of SATA 3Gbps ports, a single PCI slot
and a pair of headers for four USB 2.0 ports. The rear I/O
consists of a range or ports that feel more like 1991 than 2011
with two PS/2 ports, a serial port, a parallel port, a D-sub
connector, four USB 2.0 ports, a 10/100Mbit Ethernet port
and 5.1-channel audio via three jacks. Overall not the most
impressive board we've seen recently.
Moving up we have the AD2700B-ITX which swaps in the
Atom D2700 over the D2500, but it's not the only change.
Although the board layout remains identical to the AD2500B-
ITX, the AD2700B-ITX was upgraded with both Gigabit
Ethernet and a pair of USB 3.0 ports making it an interesting One funny thing in ASRock's specifications is with regards
board for a home server. to the GPU which ASRock lists as “Built-in Intel PowerVR
SGX545” which isn't entirely true as the GPU is by Imagination
Technologies and Intel calls it the GMA 3650 or GMA 3600
depending on which processors we're talking about. If nothing
else, ASRock has at least triple confirmed things for us. Once
again we don't have any word on availability and pricing, but
we'd expect these boards to be out shortly.

12


get two front USB 3.0 ports rather than four, again a non-issue
ASRock does more affordable for most people.
8-DIMM X79 motherboard Looking at the rear I/O we have two PS/2 ports, four USB
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-does-more-affordable-8-dimm- 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, an eSATA
x79-motherboard/14315.html port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, 7.1-channel audio with optical
December 22nd, 2011 and coaxial S/PDIF out and a clear CMOS button. The
difference here is very minor as the only missing feature is
the secondary Gigabit Ethernet port compared to the X79
Extreme7. However, because the X79 Extreme6/GB come
bundled with the Game Blaster, you get a second Gigabit
Ethernet port through it, if you chose to install it.

We're not quite sure we're following ASRock's X79
motherboard line-up as the company has introduced the X79
Extreme6/GB, a model inferior to the X79 Extreme7, yet
somehow packing more features and a bundle. The bundle is
ASRock Game Blaster, the same card that comes with the X79
Extreme9.

We're not quite sure we're following ASRock's X79
motherboard line-up as the company has introduced the X79
Extreme6/GB, a model inferior to the X79 Extreme7, yet
somehow packing more features and a bundle. The bundle is
ASRock Game Blaster, the same card that comes with the X79
Extreme9.
The X79 Extreme6/GB is a peculiar board and we're not quite
sure what ASRock was thinking about when the company
designed the board. So ok, it "only" has three x16 PCI Express It might sound stupid to suggest that you shouldn't, but due
slots compared to five for the X79 Extreme7, but at least all of to the slightly moronic slot layout of the X79 Extreme6/GB,
the ones on the X79 Extreme6/GB are usable. There are also a if you're using all three x16 PCI Express slots, then it's very
single x1 PCI Express slot and two PCI slots, although strictly likely that you won't be able to use the Game Blaster card,
speaking, only one of the PCI slots can be used if you have a as it requires a x1 PCI Express slot. That said, not that many
pair of graphics cards with dual slot coolers fitted to them. people are running three way SLI or CrossFireX, so this is most
likely not going to affect that many buyers of this board, but
it's still a peculiar omission in the design by ASRock. Beyond
the additional Gigabit Ethernet controller, the Game Blaster
also features a Creative Sound Core3D audio chip which adds
duplicate set of 7.1-channel audio with optical and coaxial
S/PDIF out, which once more makes us wonder about what
ASRock was thinking about when they designed this board.
We don't know when the X79 Extreme6/GB will be available,
nor how much it'll cost, but in theory it should end up being
similarly priced to the X79 Extreme7 due to the closeness in
features and the additional cost of the bundled card.

ASRock set to launch Fatal1ty
X79 Professional motherboard
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-set-to-launch-fatal1ty-x79-
professional-motherboard/14314.html
December 22nd, 2011
Moving on we're missing a couple of extra SATA 6Gbps ports,
but the X79 Extreme6/GB still manages four SATA 3Gbps and
five SATA 6Gbps ports, more than enough for most users. The
VRM heatsink is smaller, but the phase count is the same and
the X79 Extreme6/GB still sports tantalum capacitors. It also
has two extra DIMM slots over the X79 Extreme7, but you only

13


We're still not sold on the whole Fatal1ty branding
from ASRock, but the upcoming Fatal1ty X79 Professional
motherboard from the company is definitely a competitor
when it comes to high-end X79 motherboards. It's by far not
the most feature rich X79 motherboard out there, but it still
has enough features to make it an attractive choice for those
that are digging the colour scheme and branding.

We're still not sold on the whole Fatal1ty branding
from ASRock, but the upcoming Fatal1ty X79 Professional
motherboard from the company is definitely a competitor
when it comes to high-end X79 motherboards. It's by far not
the most feature rich X79 motherboard out there, but it still Around the rear we have a PS/2 port, four USB 3.0 ports,
has enough features to make it an attractive choice for those five USB 2.0 ports, a Fatal1ty USB mouse port, two eSATA
that are digging the colour scheme and branding. ports, a FireWire port, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio
The board hasn't been officially unveiled as yet, but pictures of with optical and coaxial S/PDIF out and a clear CMOS button.
the Fatal1ty X79 Professional appeared over at TechPowerUp A bracket for the front USB 3.0 ports is supplied with the
giving us a good idea as to what to expect. The good news is board, but the rest of the bundle isn't clear at this point. No
that the active cooling fan on the chipset is gone, although word on pricing or availability, but we wouldn't expect it to be
unlike other high-end X79 boards, ASRock didn't bother too long.
with a heatpipe connecting the chipset heatsink to the VRM
heatsinks. Speaking of the VRM, we're looking at tantalum
capacitors, although we don't know much else about the design SSD prices are falling faster
of it for now. than HDD
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ssd-prices-are-falling-faster-than-
hdd/14312.html
December 22nd, 2011

Solid state drives (SSDs) are dropping in price much faster
than hard disk drives (HDD), according to figures released by
website uptime monitoring firm Pingdom.
Solid-state drives (SSDs) are dropping in price much faster
than hard disk drives (HDD), according to figures released by
website uptime monitoring firm Pingdom.

The report shows that average HDD prices fell from $56.30/
GB in 1998 to $0.075/GB in 2011, while average SSD prices
The board has four x16 PCI Express slots in a dual x16 or quad fell from $40/GB in 2007 to $2.42 this year. The lowest prices
x8 configuration and there's also a single x1 PCI Express slot recorded this year are $0.053/GB for HDD and $1.50/GB for
and two PCI slots. ASRock went with a standard four DIMM SSD.
layout on this board and there are four additional SATA 6Gbps
ports in addition to the two from the chipset, as well as four
SATA 3Gbps ports. Other features includes a header for two While SSDs remain very expensive, the difference between
front USB 3.0 ports, a FireWire header, a Post80 debug LED them and HDD prices has dropped considerably over the last
and power and reset buttons. number of years. For example, in 2007 SSDs cost 120 times the
equivalent HDD storage, whereas that number has dropped to
just 32 times more expensive in 2011.

14


RIM's co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, do not
want the company to be bought, however, despite facing
plummeting market share as Apple and Android devices
continue to grow. They want to sort out RIM's problems
internally, including focusing on BlackBerry Messaging and
restructuring the company, rather than relying on a more
successful company like Amazon to do the job for them.

That trend is set to continue, with SSD prices likely to follow
HDD ones in a downward plummet, likely helped by the
shortage of HDDs on the market at the moment. For example,
SSD prices are currently the same on a per GB level as HDD
prices were in 2002, suggesting we're only a few years away
from an affordable alternative to HDD.

RIM did not rule out licensing deals or commercial
Pingdom predicts that in 2012 the average price for HDDs
partnerships, however, and this could be an area where RIM
will fall to $0.54/GB, a drop of around 28 percent, though it
benefits from the growth of other companies. Apparently
could be artificially bloated by the current market drought.
Amazon is still in talks with RIM over this. If Amazon was
SSD prices should drop to $1/GB, a significant decrease of
able to push a BlackBerry Kindle for businesses, or some other
around 33 percent on this year's prices.
combination of their assets, both firms could reap significant
rewards.
While SSD prices are unlikely to ever match that of HDD, it
looks like SSDs are as much party to Moore's Law as anything
Samsung and Microsoft have also considered bids for RIM
else is in the technology industry.
at some point, but interest is likely waning as the company
struggles to stay relevant, particularly with the lengthy delay
BlackBerry maker RIM refused of its BlackBerry 10 platform.

Amazon acquisition offer
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blackberry-maker-rim-refused-
amazon-acquisition-offer/14311.html Microsoft wins patent case
December 22nd, 2011
against Motorola Mobility
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-wins-patent-case-against-
motorola-mobility/14310.html
December 22nd, 2011

Amazon attempted to buy BlackBerry maker Research In
Motion (RIM), but the latter turned down the offer and similar
ones made by other companies, it has been revealed.
Amazon attempted to buy BlackBerry maker Research In
Motion (RIM), but the latter turned down the offer and similar Microsoft has won a patent battle against Motorola Mobility
ones made by other companies, it has been revealed. over the infringement of a patent used in its smartphone
products, which could result in a sales ban in the US.

The online bookstore turned tablet computer maker hired an Microsoft has won a patent battle against Motorola Mobility
investment bank during the Summer to review a potential over the infringement of a patent used in its smartphone
merger with RIM, according to Reuters, but it ultimately failed products.
to make a formal offer.

15


An International Trade Commission (ITC) judge gave a
preliminary ruling that Motorola had infringed one of seven
patents that Microsoft made claims for. The ruling will have
to be confirmed in April of next year, but generally speaking Rambus settles stockholder
most ITC preliminary verdicts are given the green-light by a
full ITC panel.
lawsuit for $10.85 million
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rambus-settles-stockholder-lawsuit-
for-10.85-million/14309.html
December 22nd, 2011
The patent in question relates to several techniques to
schedule meetings and synchronise group calendars, a
particularly useful feature for the mobile enterprise sector,
which Android has been expanding into.
Rambus has settled a lawsuit taken against it by a stockholder
for $10.85 million, marking a rare turning of the tables in the
Microsoft had previously filed a similar complaint with the company's frequent legal battles.
European Patent Office, but the latter dismissed the case
Rambus has settled a lawsuit taken against it by a stockholder
as it deemed that the technology in question was 'obvious'.
for $10.85 million, marking a rare turning of the tables in the
Microsoft is appealing that decision, and the ITC ruling could
company's frequent legal battles.
impact on that appeal.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2008 by investor Stuart
J. Steele, who claimed that Rambus had not correctly dated
and accounted for stock option grants prior to 2006, with the
majority of these occuring between 1998 and 2001.

The case would have went to court in March 2012, but Rambus
decided to settle out of court for $10.85 million instead,
suggesting it was not confident of winning.

This is an ironic twist of fate for the intellectual property
The ruling follows a similar verdict by the ITC yesterday which company, which is usually on the other end of lawsuits. It has
will result in a sales ban on HTC products found to infringe an gained notoriety for its numerous lawsuits against a number
Apple patent. While both Motorola and HTC have technically of chipmakers, primarily over patents relating to memory
lost their cases, they will be pleased that only one of the technology like DRAM. These included Micron and Hynix, as
multiple claims was validated. well as high profile cases against Samsung and Nvidia, which
have usually gone in favour of Rambus.

Microsoft already licenses technology to HTC, Samsung and
other Android supporters, but the case against Motorola has The payout today is relatively minor in the grand scheme of
potentially huge repercussions for the rest of the smartphone things, but it will likely put a smile on the faces of those who
industry using Google's operating system, particularly since believe Rambus is abusing its extensive patent collection to
Google bought the mobile division of Motorola earlier this secure lucrative licensing deals.
year.
AMD launching new A-series
Microsoft is attempting to get a sales ban put in place against a APUs for desktop and mobile
number of infringing Motorola phones, including the Droid 2, Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-launching-new-a-series-apus-for-
Droixd X and Backflip. However, Motorola could escape such desktop-and-mobile/14305.html
a ban by dropping the feature from its devices.

16


MSI announces GT780DX
December 22nd, 2011

gaming laptop
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-announces-gt780dx-gaming-
Not quite in time for the holiday shopping season, AMD has laptop/14304.html
announced that it will be launching no less than 13 new APUs, December 22nd, 2011
of which five are new desktop models and the rest are mobile.
Most of the new models are slight speed bumps, but the long
awaited unlocked K SKU for desktop is finally here.

Not quite in time for the holiday shopping season, AMD has
announced that it will be launching no less than 13 new APUs, MSI has recently unveiled their new powerful gaming laptop,
of which five are new desktop models and the rest are mobile. which comes in the form GT780DX. The gaming powerhouse
Most of the new models are slight speed bumps, but the long claims to pack second generation Intel Core i7 quad core
awaited unlocked K SKU for desktop is finally here. processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 570M discrete graphics card
with 3GB GDDR5 memory, as well as SteelSeries keyboard
The potentially two most interesting models for consumers
and high-end Dynaudio and THX TruStudio Pro for superb
on the desktop side are the A8-3870K and the A6-3670K,
system, video and audio performance.
both being the first multiplier unlocked APUs from AMD. We
should point out that the GPU core is also unlocked on these
models and we're of course looking at a pair of 100W TDP
chips here. Neither apparently have a turbo frequency, so it's
up to the user to overclock these two APUs if more than stock
clock performance is wanted. These models will only be sold
in retail box as far as we can tell.

The other three desktop models, the A8-3820, A6-3620 and
A4-3420 are all 100MHz speed bumps over the current models
and nothing else appears to have changed. Much the same
applies to the new mobile APUs, with the only exception being
the A4-3305M which appears to only have a higher clocked The MSI GT780DX gaming laptop features the latest Intel
GPU at 593MHz compared to 444MHz for the A4-3300M, Core i7 quad core processor and latest Nvidia's top-end
although for some reason it has a lower Radeon core (read GeForce GTX 570M discrete graphics card with 3GB GDDR5
shader) count at 160 compared to 240, so it's likely to have a memory, which boast superior gaming experience, even when
slower GPU regardless of the higher clock speed. running the latest games in high resolution and high detail
settings. On top of that, the MSI gaming notebook also sports
four DDR3 memory slots that can provide an unprecedented
32GB memory. It also comes with RAID 0 accelerated dual
hard disk architecture which doubles hard disk storage
capacity, while increasing read-write speed by 70%.
Incorporating the company's proprietary Turbo Drive Engine
(TDE) technology, just one touch of the luminescent Turbo
hotkey located above the keyboard instantly revs up the
As for pricing, well, AMD didn't provide any, but the A8-3870K system performance. The GT780DX also features MSI's own
is meant to have an MSRP of US$135 and the A6-3670K should powerful Cooler Boost technology to rapidly reduce system
retail for around US$115. That said, both models are listed temp to enhance system stability. The GT780DX is equipped
for pre-order on Amazon where the A8-3870K is going for US with 17.3-inch full high definition display and comes with
$160 and the A6-3670K for US$137 with a list price of US Cinema Pro technology for a rich, vibrant colors, as well as
$149.99 for the A8-3870K and US$129.99 for the A6-3670K, high quality Dynaudio and THX TruStudio Pro to provide
so in other words, both models are currently retailing for more crisp, and cinematic-quality audio. In addition, MSI has
than the list price which is fairly unusual for processors. Both collaborated with gaming equipment manufacturer Steelseries
models are expected to arrive on the 26th of December, with to create a keyboard for the GT780DX that is rugged with LED
the rest of the desktop line-up to follow. The mobile models backlighting. No word as to the pricing and availability for this
are already shipping in various notebook products. gaming monster at press time.

17


StarHub to offer free preview Chinese high end CPUs are
of over 140 TV channels for now in the game - details: Part
the New Year 1
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/starhub-to-offer-free-preview-of- Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/chinese-high-end-cpus-are-now-in-the-
over-140-tv-channels-for-the-new-year/14303.html game--details-part-1/14302.html
December 22nd, 2011 December 22nd, 2011

Good news to those of you who are staying at home this
festive season, and has a StarHub cable TV box at home. Last week's report on CPUs, mentioning the Chinese new-
The Singapore info-communications provider is offering free generation entries, did raise some waves on various online
previews of over 140 TV channels for customers and their forums. Here's a bit more on some of those processors.
families. China has now officially gone deep into the core of high
end computing, way to the deepest level - designing and
manufacturing its own CPUs - to complete the whole vertical
stack from the processor to the application. That includes
having own designs covering everything from smartphone to
supercomputer, based on three main architectural families:
ARM, MIPS and Alpha.

Our last week's report, and its coverage of the Chinese
CPUs, has sparked quite a few online comments on various
forums, from those of encouragement and seeking more
diversified CPU futures, to outright dismissal of these chips
as copies or inferior designs, or not having, out of all things,
X86 architecture - widely regarded as the worst ever CPU
From 30 December 2011 (12pm) to 3 January 2012 (6am), architecture from a design point of view - as a 'proof of true
StarHub customers will have free access to over 140 capability'.
channels ranging from world news, Chinese infotainment,
sports, movies to education, entertainment, kids, lifestyle and Well, let's take a look at the three chosen main architectures
international programmes. During this period, StarHub TV here. ARM, MIPS and Alpha are all native RISC architectures
will carry exclusive countdown events such as the Taipei 2012 - meaning simple, symmetric, orthogonal instruction sets with
Countdown Party on TVBS Asia (StarHub TVChannel 828) only a few addressing modes and options, uniform instruction
that let viewers usher into the New Year. format and easy scalability to both wide cores, multi-cores
and a range of speeds from low power to top performance,
Other key highlights include Kim Jong-Il: The Forbidden with much lower gate count required than any X86. Since
Biography on HISTORY (StarHub TV Channel 501), Korean China doesn't want to depend on Western software stack for
boy band 2AM Concert on E City (StarHub TV Channel its public and, especially, government use, it doesn't need to
825), blockbuster movies such as Inception on HBO (StarHub rely on X86 as this architecture's winning chip is software
TV Channel 601) and Let The Bullets Fl on STAR Chinese compatibility with hundreds of thousands of past applications.
Movies (StarHub TV Channel 866). Nickelodeon (StarHub TV
Channel314) will also be featuring a Spongebob Squarepants So, why bother with the X86 complexities - both technical and
48 hours Marathon Special for the young viewers. legal - then? The internal market is more than good enough
In addition, all 32 channels on StarHub TV on Mobile will be to, coupled with Linux and other open source stacks, provide
available to StarHub Mobile postpaid and prepaid customers. complete solutions and the volumes required to justify these
StarHub TV on Mobile customers with the supported handsets processors even commercially over long run.
can simply sms <LIVETV> to 6757 for postpaid and <SHTV>
to 6757 for prepaid to access the 32 free channels. Viewers can Talking about legality: No, these are not fakes or illegal copies
refer to www.starhub.com/freepreview for more details. right now. The ARM and MIPS processors made in China
are fully licensed by the relevant ARM and MIPS IP owning
Note: The free preview is not extended to STAR Chinese
consortia, while the Shenwei Alpha-compatible chip is based
Movies 2, STAR Chinese Movies HD, Cricket Group, RediGold,
on Digital (DEC) IP that is well over 15 years old now - quite
Horse Racing Channel, On-Demand Channels and Video-On-
ironic for a CPU that matches the best current X86 processors
Demand titles.
based on 2010 IP and in 2 generations later process.

MIPS - Dragon's Progeny
18


Loongson (Godson) is the name for the Chinese MIPS Be Quiet Straight Power E9
processors, developed by Institute of Computing Technology CM 580W PSU Review
(ICT) at Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences, with Prof Hu Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/be-quiet-straight-power-e9-cm-580w-
Weiwu being the design leader. Prof Hu also happens to be a psu-review/14301.html
deputy at National People's Congress, which surely is helpful December 22nd, 2011
in gaining support for the overall project. For the past 9 years,
the effort is run as a joint venture between the government
and private enterprises through a company called BLX, a
partnership between CAS and Jiangsu Zhongyi Group.

There were 3 major generations of these processors up to now,
with the latest one - Loongson 3B - being an 8-core 1.05 GHz Be Quiet is company originating from Germany and for
CPU, with each CPU having a 256-bit vector FP unit as well. the past several years has been creating computer related
Despite the low clock and 65 nm process, the efficient 4-way products for enthusiasts. The company offers a very long list of
out-of-order cores and vector units with dual 256-bit FP ops products, yet their primary focus lies on high quality and silent
per core per cycle, allow Loongson 3B to reach 16 GFLOPs power supply units. It is a power supply unit that we will put to
per core at 1 GHz, some 130 GFLOPs peak FP rate in double the test today, the 580W version of the highly popular Straight
precision at 1.05 GHz clock. For a comparison, the 3.3GHz Power E9 CM series.
Core i7 3960X with AVX would achieve some 160 GFLOPs
peak in DP, while the Westmere (Core i7 990X) and Bulldozer
CPUs would be at not more than two-thirds of this - Core i7 Be Quiet is company originating from Germany and for
990X is at 90 GFLOPs peak, and AMD FX8150 at some 110 the past several years has been creating computer related
GFLOPs peak, all in DP. And, oh yes, the Loongson 3B achieves products for enthusiasts. The company offers a very long list of
this performance at just 40 watts TDP, less than one third of products, yet their primary focus lies on high quality and silent
the above competing CPUs. power supply units. It is a power supply unit that we will put to
the test today, the 580W version of the highly popular Straight
Something even more interesting is that Loongson 3B has Power E9 CM series.
over 200 extra instructions in a separate box, which doesn't
affect the main core integrity, that speed up execution of X86
Manufacturer features and specifications
software when using QEMU translator. The benefit of this, at a
5% die area cost, is running lots of X86 software at near native · Extremely quiet operation thanks to SilentWings
speeds - an approach that Alpha perfected over a decade ago Technology
with FX!32 software that enabled Alpha Windows NT to run · Extremely efficient and economical operation - 80PLUS
many X86 titles at the time at high speed. Gold certification for top efficiency of up to 93%.
Anyway, since the core is reasonably efficient already, the · ErP ready. Stand-by energy consumption <0.3W.
next step for Loongson 3 is a 16-core version in 28 nm · Active clamp + SR technology for highly efficient and
process, expected sometime in min 2012. The minor core stable operation.
improvements will be there in addition to a much higher clock
rate, around 1.6 GHz, as well as larger L2 cache, greater than · Four independent 12V rails.
the current 4 MB. The 2 x 64 KB per core L1 caches are · Modular cable management system with numerous
expected to stay on. connection options.
· Maximum protection of components (OCP, OVP, UVP,
What about the software? Several major Linux distros do run
OPP, OTP and SCP).
- including Debian, Gentoo, Mandriva and China's own Red
Flag. The BSD OS ports are done quite a while ago, as well · 5 years manufacturer‘s warranty.
as Windows CE port. Since there are quite a few consumer Continuous power (W) 580
devices based on the previous Loongson / Godson processors,
Peak power 500 ms (W) 650
who knows, one day we may even see Android and Windows
8 ports, although there doesn't seem to be much pressure felt Form factor ATX 12V ATX12V Version 2.31
on the Chinese about it. Form factor EPS 12V EPS12V Version 2.92
Modular cable management Yes
In the second part, we cover Alpha, ARM and China's own Special technology Active Clamp + SR
instruction set attempts. Voltage (Vac) 100 - 240
Frequency (Hz) 50 - 60
Input current (A) 8-5
PFC Active
PF Power factor at 100% load 0.99

19

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Dec 2011 Issue 2

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Dec 2011 Issue 2

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