CPU
Latest
Apple Introduces $899 Education Configuration for 17-inch iMac
Apple has decided to show the EDU market even more love and has unveiled a slimmed-down 17-inch iMac for all y'all eating reheated Ramen noodles for breakfast in your dorm room right now. This model sells for a mere $899 (down from $1199 for the next model up) and includes a 1.83 Intel Core Duo CPU, as well as the typica 1440 x 900 resolution. However, the main specs that took a step down from the base retail version are a Combo drive, an 80GB Serial ATA hard drive and an Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64MB of shared memory, instead of the Radeon X1600 in the other retail versions.Students and EDU sys admins who have been pinching pennies can rejoice, for this model is shipping within 1-3 business days.
Dell-AMD partnership is supposedly official
Ever since Dell began relaxing its anti-AMD policy by incorporating Opteron processors in its server line and selling Athlon chips through its online store -- not to mention that little Alienware purchase -- there have been rumors that consumer desktops and laptops would also be outfitted with non-Intel CPUs for the first time, and now The Inquirer is reporting that a final agreement has been reached that will bring these very products to life. At a meeting which apparently took place at Michael Dell's Texas residence, the two camps reportedly concluded their courtship and began planning a series of AMD-powered machines --to be advertised as "Windows Vista Premium Ready" -- that will be available in time for the Back-to-School sales events. nVidia is said to be the manufacturer of choice for the upcoming Athlon boxes, while ATI will continue supplying graphics solutions for Intel-powered configurations and some AMD notebooks. One theory behind the deal says that even though Intel is in the midst of introducing a new architecture, most of the first-run Merom (mobile Core 2 Duo) chips have already been committed to Apple and Lenovo, so Dell needed a way to ensure that consumers wouldn't be kept waiting endlessly for back-ordered products. We're not sure about any of that, but we do know that we like having as many choices as possible when it comes to PCs, so we're sure hoping that The Inq's source is on the money here.
IBM, GIT overclock chip to 500GHz
If you were wowed by those Japanese modders who overclocked their stock CPU to 7GHz, wait till you hear about IBM's latest foray into the world of ultra-fast computing: together with researchers from the digital camera-hating Georgia Institute of Technology, Big Blue has managed to overclock a chip to an unheard of 500GHz. Granted, the model they used already had a blistering native clock speed of 350GHz to begin with, but we're still floored that you could actually coax a small silicon wafer into operating at an incredible half-terahertz. As you probably suspected, there's no way to achieve speeds like this at room temperature, so the team froze their high-performance silicon-germanium chip to a super-chilly negative 451-degrees Fahrenheit, which is just eight degrees above absolute zero. Unfortunately, after learning about this breakthrough, electronics giant Sony apparently felt that consumers would no longer be impressed with their much-hyped Cell processor, so they've once again delayed the PS3 until IBM can make the liquid helium-cooled CPUs suitable for mass production . Expect the 500GHz PS3 to hit stores sometime in 2011.[Thanks, bento-san]
iStat nano updated with support for Intel Mac CPU temp
iStat nano, a handy system monitoring Dashboard widget, has been updated to version 1.51b with support for CPU temps on Intel Macs. The one catch is that you'll have to install SpeedIt, a System Preference pane and kernel extension that allows this kind of functionality (and much more). We've heard nothing but good things about SpeedIt and the features it provides (such as controlling CPU whine by regulating voltage), but we'd understand if the thought of installing kernel extensions has already made you skip this post in your newsreader.If you're still reading this, however, it seems both iStat nano and the SpeedIt kernel extension are provided free, so have at it.[thanks Aaron]
Hacker installs Core 2 Duo chip in Mac mini, hangs on for the ride
Macenstein has blogged a Mac mini CPU swap, as a poster in a Taiwanese forum has switched out the Core Duo chip for a Core 2 Duo chip, a next-generation CPU from Intel. The brain upgrade has resulted not only in the Mac mini stomping a PowerMac G5 dual 2.5 GHz in an iTunes MP3-AAC conversion test (remember: Mac minis have slower laptop hard drives than desktop PowerMacs), but it also runs cooler, due to the new architecture of these Core 2 Duo (code name: Merom) Intel chips.Given reports like this of these new chips, we might as well talk about the elephant in the room: if these reports of cooler running and even more powerful chips so soon from Intel are true, I foresee a lot of criticism of Apple jumping the gun on cramming Intel chips into their present lineup, in light of all these complaints about heat.[via MacNN]
Intel reveals Core 2 Duo info and ULV Core Duo CPU
Intel is using this week's Computex trade show to reveal various bits of information about upcoming additions to the Core Duo family, including details on the chipset that will support the new Core 2 Duo (formerly known as Conroe) processors as well as the existence of an impending low voltage version of the current Core Duo CPU. Senior Vice President Anand Chandrasekher announced that the 965 chipset will come in three versions (P965, G965, and U965) sporting either Core 2 Duos or Core 2 Extremes -- the latter chip coming in July in a 2.93GHz version, followed by a 3.2GHz model later this year -- along with DDR2 memory as fast as 800MHz. As for the new ULV Core Duo processor, the company claims that it will sip an average of just 0.75 watts (compared to the one to two watts consumed by the already efficient Core 2 Duo), and be available in a 1.06GHz configuration called the U2500 for $289 this summer. Release dates for the Core 2 Duo chip are still unknown, although a press conference being held tomorrow may contain that key piece of info, which is already being reported by some sources as July 23rd.
AMD's "4 x 4" platform pairs 2 dual-core CPUs, 4 GPUs
Gamers gather 'round, for we have a tale of a new platform from AMD that will surely get your pulses racing, at least if the idea of having two dual-core processors and four graphics cards in one machine sounds as appealing to you as it does to us. Known as the "4 x 4" Enthusiasts Platform (four cores plus four GPUs -- we know, it's a bit of a stretch), the setup will allow manufacturers to offer configurations which users can upgrade over time, so consumers could start out with one dual-core chip and and one or more video cards, for example, instead of laying down what will likely be loads of cash on a maxed-out system. Another interesting bit of info revealed at the AMD analyst day in Austin, Texas was the fact that dual ATI Crossfire configurations can be used with 4 x 4, which indicates that AMD's possible acquisition target is probably working on a quad-SLI-esque solution to match rival nVidia. So start saving your pennies, dear gamers, because things are looking to get mighty interesting this year.
Gaming products dominate top tech list [update 1]
PC World's list of top 100 tech products of the year praised our sister blog Engadget and gave Apple lots of love but the categorical winner of the list is undoubtedly gaming. The following products aren't all directly gaming related (you could use some of them to run spreadsheets) although there's a quite clear video gaming subtext underlying many of the choices. Lets just say that they're as close to being gaming technology as Uri Geller is to being locked up in an asylum. 1. Core Duo - the first chip to enable desktop level performance in games on laptop computers.2. Athlon 64 X2 - for that ultimate gaming rig you always wanted (but couldn't, and still can't, afford).10. Boot Camp - Apple's Mac gaming solution.16. GeForce 7600GT - hits that price/performance sweet spot.19. Guitar Hero - we think that this is some kind of video game.55. Raptor X - 10,000RPM Hard Drives were invented for gaming.58. X1900 XTX - ATI's biggest, baddest GPU. Stupid name though.63. A8N32 mobo - it's all about the SLI, baby.89. Xbox 360 - we've heard of this! Isn't it designed to hold your lunch?92. GeForce 7900 GTX - nVIDIA's biggest, baddest GPU. Stupid name though.I personally own several products identical or similar to products on this list (a MacBook with a Core Duo CPU running Windows via Boot Camp is being used to write this post - I'm off for some Eve Online in a sec). Do you agree with these choices? What's missing?P.S. If anyone from PC World is reading this, I apologize for desecrating your logo.[Update: "top tech," not "top ten tech". Thanks Ahms!]
CoreDuoTemp 0.8
CoreDuoTemp, the handy little app for monitoring your Intel Mac's temp, CPU usage and frequency, has been updated to version 0.8. New features include: window position saved menu extra indicator new panel prefs correction of the English translation German language added You can grab your own copy here.
New Xbox 360 CPU should run cooler
Even though we've been able to keep our Xbox 360 from overheating by slapping on a Nyko Intercooler and dangling the power brick out a window, 360-lovers who can't take the heat will be happy to learn of Microsoft's plans to release a cooler-running 'box next year. Although the CPU upgrade, which takes advantage of a 65-nanometer manufacturing technique, may not be a direct response to what the company has said are only sporadic reports of overheating, the end result will be less heat dissipation due to lower power consumption. Like the current chips manufactured using 90-nanometer technology, the new CPUs will be produced by both developer IBM and OEM Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, and are not expected to offer significantly improved performance, to ensure compatibility with current titles.[Via Joystiq]
Xbox 360 to get CPU upgrade in 2007
In a joint announcement, Microsoft and the manufacturer of the Xbox 360's CPU, Chartered Semiconductor, have announced that the console's processor will receive an upgrade in 2007. The upgrade will move the chip's design to a 65nm manufacturing process (the existing CPU is based on 90nm technology) which will provide lower power consumption and a smaller heat output. It's expected that the upgrade will not alter the processor's performance as this could cause compatibility issues with games already released or currently under development for the Xbox 360.Although the launch of the Xbox 360 was touted by Microsoft as a successful one, a vocal minority of people reported that their consoles were crashing due to overheating. VNUNet points out that console manufacturers often take advantage of new processor technology as it becomes available, so this may not be a direct response to Xbox 360 overheating issues.[Thanks, SloopyDrew. Via VNUNet]
Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player goes topless
Although not the complete screw-by-screw disassembly that we're accustomed to, here's your first chance to get a glimpse inside Toshiba's new HD-A1 HD-DVD player and check out the magic circuitry delivering all that 1080p goodness. As we learned yesterday, a few retailers (we're looking at you, Best Buy) jumped the gun on Tuesday's scheduled rollout and began selling some of their stock early, much to the delight/frustration of early adopters who got the latest tech but no HD content to play on them. Luckily for us, one of those foolish trailblazing souls was kind enough to remove the lid from his unit's case (gently, we hope) and snap some photos of the guts for all Internetland to peep. Nothing really exciting here -- like the VCRs and DVD players before it, most of the content is air -- but there is a nice closeup of the rather imposing heat sink, along with the obligatory CPU and RAM shots. Click on for another pic, or hit the "Read" link for the entire set...[Via HD Beat, thanks Dave Z.]
Apple and Intel thinking differently together
Intel sounds excited about their relationship with Apple, as Deborah Conrad, vice president and director of Team Apple at Intel, spoke positively to a group of CNET editors yesterday about how things are going so far. Deborah was doubtful that an Intel chip would be powering the iPod anytime soon, but she mentioned the company was enthusiastic about the potential for their chips to show up in other future Apple gadgets. Thanks Deborah - I'm sure in the coming weeks the rumors sites will crank out all sorts of fantastic nonsense from that statement.The article isn't very long, but you can check out some more bits from CNET's meeting with Intel's Team Apple here. My favorite quote from Deborah, however, reinforces one of the big fundamental reasons why everyone knew Intel was happy to take on a partnership with Apple: "It's nice to have a customer that pushes us on a technology front." I know there was a time when this relationship was one of the last things on any Apple fan's predictions list, but it's really starting to sound like these two companies are going to make a great couple.
Widget Watch: SysStat nano
SysStat Nano is a great little system monitoring widget (similar to MiniStat 2) that gives you a quick, birds-eye view of various system statistics. Your processor, used memory, hard drive usage, IP and (very handy) external IP, amongst other things, are all at the press of a key.While SysStat Nano offers an overview of various stats (pictured), it doesn't offer quite as much information as the aforementioned MiniStat 2. Either way, it's a darn handy widget, doesn't seem to hog too many cycles and, best of all, it's free.
Powerlogix Upgrade for 10.4.4 compatibility
If you run a Powerlogix proc in your Mac then you probably are already aware that each OS upgrade means upgrading your CPU Director software. In case you were out of the loop or mesmerized by the keynote you've been looping incessantly for the past few days, be sure todownload the upgrade. I've been having kernel panics even with 10.4.3 if I don't run CPU Director in the background. Has anyone else had similar issues?
