Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) You nerds! Update me on computers!

Well, as you may or may not know, I'm doing a work for school about computers. The point is that I am to build a computer in theory (and a website in practics). So far I've only read books about computers, but I'm getting to the part where I have to do some work on my own. And since my book where at least four years old, I expect that there have been some quite interesting changes. So, what are the new stuff? Or even better, what has happened the last few years in computers?

And what happened to Rambus RAM? And what makes DDR2 better than DDR? Is it only a more structured verision of DDR? So many questions... Read about some new internal bus too, called gen3 or something like that (third generation), what's up with that?

Oh, and if you feel like telling me how a graphic card works, I wouldn't mind. None of the books mention how they work <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" />...

Übereil

If I could empty my brain here ... you would've sufficient knowledge on most fields. But on the other hand ... how would I get my brain back again ?

I'll look around a bit for some information sources for you.

Edit : You can use this as a starting place : http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Computer

You are from Sweden, aren't you ?

I think you should use the English Wikipedia as well.

Remember to double ckeck information. Use two sources at least, which minimizes a bit the possibility to fall prey of false information.

I've allready read two books. Besides, Swedish Wikipedia su... is really bad. It has like a tenth of the info you can find on English... Oh, and thanks for the link <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />. Didn't think of Wikipedia acually...

Übereil

Search Google for "computer hardware guide".

Rambus remained too expensive compared to DDR/DDR2, without enough of a performance edge, so never gained much market share. When Intel started developing support for DDR2 rather than exclusively using Rambus for high end CPUs, that was the beginning of the end for Rambus.

Check your local public library and see if they carry any computing magazines (Maximum PC is good, PC World is ok, some contain reviews designed not to offend advertisers and are pretty much useless). Some magazines have articles explaining how various hardware or component technologies work, or compare different versions of the same type of hardware.

But then I'll have to read more <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />! And I'm running out of time, it's supposed to be in April 7:th, so I can't dig too deep. And makeing up for four years of happenings by reading magazines...

BTW as I see it (with my limited vision) Rambus problem seems to be that they're too greedy. The expencepart seems heavilly related to their expensive licenses. A pity, their tecnology seemed interesting (the bandwidth of Rambus RAM is insane compared to DDR).

Übereil

Wait for Lady Rain. She surely will have some links for you, if I she acts like I've learned to know her here. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Edit : Don't wait. Try other sources as well.

Besides : Don't you have magazines in Sweden ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> They ought to be able to explain some things as well.

Or maybe you could ask in a nice and polite way too? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> Remember, it's Mr.Nerds for you, green one <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

[color:"orange"]But then I'll have to read more[/color]

You will have to read more in any case, unless you are hoping someone will beam the information directly into your brain telepathically.


[color:"orange"]And makeing up for four years of happenings by reading magazines...[/color]

You don't need to read them cover to cover. Check the table of contents for any articles explaining specific types of hardware, skim through the start of editorials (where editors may talk about expectations for the next greatest thing coming, or discus what went wrong for a failed technology, like Rambus, for example) and maybe flick through the rest of the magazine quickly to see if anything interesting pops up. You may want to check a few computer reviews, but they would not be a great source for detailed information on individual components.

Ube, try this "TechEncyclopedia"; you should find answers there. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Tried the link out. Couldn't click at anything (it was as the whole site was a big picture), and there was a Microsoftcommercial blocking everything, which I couldn't close.

And I don't mind reading itself, it's juse the ammount of it I want to cut down on, since I need time to write the texts too.

Übereil

Hmm sorry Ube, using FF it worked fine for me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I allso used FF and it worked like I said it worked. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" />


Übereil

Try IEX if Firefox doesn't work. And also be sure you have JavaScript turned on.

You can also install java script blocker for FF... this will prevent that microsoft add to come up without you saying YES to it....

that works wonders for me

maybe the evolution in "multi cores".
there is a quad-core in progress, only problem is that the recent software doesn't support multi treading yet.

And the search for "faster/bigger data storage"
there are allready systems that replace your haddisk with ramdisks
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products...amp;ProductName=GC-RAMDISK%20(Rev%201.1)
mutch faster!
about disk space, there is this new technology calles perdiculum spacing (or something like that) wich allow that you canb store mutch more data on the same space.

new media types, blue ray disks, holografic disks...

better busspeeds, and data transfer rates on mobo's,
pci-express 2.0...

fatser ram modules, with lower latency's..
http://www.corsairmemory.com/

old & busted:

single core CPU and the "speed is everything" philosophy
new hotness: Dual core CPU's and in the future Quad core.

Even though most software hasn't been implemented in software it does increase performance. processes are split between 2 core (in dutch we call this grove granulariteit)) If a proces is made to be executed on 2 cores it is faster( in dutch fijne granulariteit)

Also 64-bit is the future(some say present) but most likely it will be with the release of vista 64 before we see wide spread 64-bit software.

old & busted: DDR1
new hotness:DDR2

It took a while but DDR1 will soon be no more. DRR2 has matured productioncoss have dropped and most of all the latency is better then in the early stages. Intel made uses of DDR2 relatively soon in comparison with AMD. This is because the memory controller is on the AMD CPU while intel puts it on the motherboard. Butr since AMD will soon switch from socket DDR2 will be in the next generation AMD CPU’s (some have even speculated that they will skip DDR2 and go straight to DDR3 http://www.anandtech.com/news/shownews.aspx?i=24145)

If you want more info over memory I will try and find my notes of 2 years ago (had information about sd-ram DDR1 DDR2 rambus…).


old & busted: IDE - PATA
new hotness: SATA

eventough the transfer speeds are the same(at this moment) SATA has several advantages over PATA. SATA is hotplugable and the wires are thin so it doesn't interfere with the airflow (you could use rounde IDE). Also the use of internal cache has increased speed and performance of HD's

Old : PCI
New : PCI Express

Personally I find the Cell processor highly interesting ... but that isn't for PC, is it ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

This core thing... Are you talking about dual processors (in that case, that isn't really something for a PC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />), or is it something that happens in one processor. And, in that case, what part of it?

And I still don't know what the real difference between DDR and DDR2 is. By reading my book it sais something like DDR2 being a more standardized verision of DDR.

And how is S-ATA developing? Have they reached any new verisions of it (it was brand new in 2002)? And what dooes P-ATA stand for?

Übereil

You have thwo things :

- Modern processors come more & more with TWO cores instead of just one (what had been normal for decades)

- Also there is "Hyperthreading", which emulates two processors inside of one REAL processor (core). Intel does this.

A new processor I read about has both : Two cores plus Hyperthreading. Which makes Windows show 4 processors.

Still have no real picture of what you mean with core. You mean the entire... center of the processor, the kernel of it? So, basiclly there's two processors nowadays, built in one?

Übereil