RAM
Latest
WoW Rookie: Will my computer run WoW?
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Playing WoW is no fun at all if your system doesn't cut the mustard. If you've just started playing on hardware of questionable power, you may believe you're clicking along just fine -- only to watch your frame rate come to a grinding halt the first time you're faced with a raid or Battleground full of players moving, casting and otherwise wreaking havoc (to both the game environment and your system). Lots of players start out playing WoW on hand-me-down computer systems. In fact, the spouse who starts playing on an old hunk o' junk, only to become hooked and then upgrade to a hotter rig than that of the established player, has become something of a gaming cliché. The thing to remember here is that a system that will run WoW will not provide the same enjoyment as a system that runs it well.
Corsair's Peltier memory cooler gets demonstrated
Corsair's Dominator memory can apparently get quite hot, particularly if the overclocking bug catches you right. If a product shown off at CES hits the commercial market, however, everything is sure to stay cool. The Peltier cooling device is expected to play nice with second-gen Dominator modules, and when attached to existing heatsinks it can be used to cool a larger heat block in pretty much any water cooling setup. We know, you're probably scratching your head, but hop on past the break for a quick video demonstration.[Thanks, Ryan]
Korean scientists create transparent memory chip... or so they tell us
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology claim to have created a see-through non-volatile memory chip based on resistive random-access memory (RRAM) technology. Made with transparent oxide film and electrodes on clear glass or plastic circuit boards, the group believes commercial production could begin in 3 to 4 years and could be cheaply manufactured (current backers of RRAM include Fujitsu, Sharp, Samsung and others). They're hopeful the new technology will pave the way for transparent devices such as monitors and televisions. No images of the transparent chip have been published -- but they're not much to look at, anyway.[Via cellular-news]
Put Leopard on a diet while waiting for Snow Leopard to be released
We've all been there; we've all had that sickening feeling that comes from seeing "Macintosh HD" with less than 1 GB of available space. If you're staring at your Finder wondering where you can find some additional space without having to swap out the hard drive or buying a new Mac altogether Computerworld is here to help. They have an article up on the many ways it is possible to get rid of unnecessary files in Leopard as well as disable features you may not be using all in an effort to slim down and speed up your Mac while you wait for Snow Leopard.Many of the tips involve using software that we have previously mentioned, some of which are free and others are not. The list of tools used include such gems as Xslimmer for removing PowerPC compatibility, Monolingual for stripping out languages that are non-native to you, as well as DiskInventoryX for getting a graphical representation of where all your hard drive space went. The article also discusses improving performance by disabling 3D effects that use up GPU cycles for those users who prefer fast to pretty as well as increasing the amount of RAM installed in your system.While Snow Leopard may still be some time away the tips provided are a great collection of steps that can be completed to help any Mac squeeze out some better performance and additional hard drive space. If you have any tips that aren't mentioned add them to the comments!Finder icon courtesy of FHKE's Flickr stream
The Queue: For poops and giggles
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. I'm sure The Queue is the last thing you're all interested in the day the PTR goes up, but too bad! You get it anyway! Let's get the Q&A started, eh?Velina asked...I have a Shadow Priest I leveled to 34, then had her boosted to level 60 through Recruit-a-Friend level grants. She's now stuck in level 25-30-ish questing greens and SFK blues. I'm wondering what would be the best way to gear her. Would she be able to survive questing in Outland in her very low-level gear, or am I going to have to round up some gold for her?
New MacBooks said to have issues with maxed out RAM, faulty NVIDIA GPU
While most of the complaints about the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros have focused on things like the screen or the absence of a certain much-loved port, it appears that another problem has been bugging some folks that went ahead and maxed out the RAM on their shiny new laptop. Apparently, loading 4GB of RAM (either from Apple or a third party) has caused at least a few MacBooks and MacBook Pros to freeze up randomly which, for the time being at least, can only be remedied by dialing things back to 2GB or 3GB of RAM (something tested by jkOnTheRun). While Apple isn't saying anything publicly about this just yet, one member of the Apple support forum claims to have heard from an Apple engineer who says that Apple is, in fact, aware of the problem and that a software update is on the way to fix it, possibly within a few days.In related MacBook news, The Inquirer is now reporting that the new MacBook Pro's NVIDIA 9600M GPU suffers from the same so-called "bad bump" problem that has plagued previous generation MacBook Pros (and provided plenty of fodder for The Inq) which can, in some cases, lead to blank screens and other video errors. It's not clear, however, if the problem affects all MacBook Pros or just a bad batch, although there does appear to be a somewhat sizable number of complaints cropping up.Read - jkOnTheRun, "MacBook fussy memory situation- maybe 4 GBs is too much"Read - the Inquirer, "Inquirer confirms Apple Macbook Pros have Nvidia bad bump material"[Via Electronista]
Aluminum MacBooks unstable after 3rd-party RAM upgrade
Lucky enough to have purchased one of those shiny new unibody MacBooks? If you happen to be in the market for a RAM upgrade you may want to hold off for a little while. It seems the latest MacBooks are a little more fickle about the RAM they support than previous models.Users on the Apple Support Discussion forums are reporting problems with third-party RAM upgrades, noting system instability and lock-ups. Even users who have purchased RAM from providers that pride themselves on Mac compatibility such as Crucial and OWC are seeing the same issues. It seems that the only solution is to take out the third-party RAM and use Apple-branded RAM. International users with no access to an Apple store are currently out of luck. Of course, Apple will only officially support their own branded RAM from Samsung; upgrade kits of this sort are apparently working without issue. Unfortunately for many, however, acquiring these modules has become somewhat of an act of futility as Apple's online store says the upgrade kits are unavailable for owners of the 2.0 and 2.4 GHz MacBook. Many are guessing-slash-hoping that the problem is caused by the newness of the DD3 spec. modules in Apple's line of notebooks. Until the situation gets clarified, users are having to swap RAM repeatedly in search of a kit that will work. Hopefully Apple will shed some light on the problem and everyone can go back to getting RAM from third-party sources. Had any luck (good or bad) upgrading RAM in your new MacBook? Let us know in the comments![via jkOnTheRun]
The Queue: Reputation, daily quests, and performance in Dalaran
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.Daily quests and reputation has been a really hot topic lately, not only in The Queue but across WoW in general. Some of our questions today will focus on that, but I'd also like to let you guys know that WoW Insider will overall have more information on those things coming really, really soon. Keep an eye on the site today and in the coming days for all of that good stuff.Alright, let's gets started with my2cents' question... Where, if anywhere, is the quartermaster for Valiance Expedition? I'm almost revered and I'm curious to see if there are any rewards available.
New MacBooks and MBPs can handle up to 6GB of RAM
Is it just me or is it pretty mindblowing what Moore's Law is doing to our computers these days? I remember when 64mb of RAM was great, and even a few years ago, I wondered why anyone would ever use 1GB of RAM (I've got 2GB in my gaming PC, and I still almost think it's too much). But apparently TidBITS has been doing some testing, and they've discovered that not only can the new MacBooks hold 4GB of RAM as Apple recommends for a limit, but stuffing a whopping 6GB in there is possible and doable. There are two DDR3 slots in the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and they come with either 1GB or 2GB in each DIMM slot.TidBITS says you can switch out one of those 2GB DIMMs for a 4GB, and voilà, as long as they're the same speed and type, apparently almost everything is hunky-dory. TidBITS says there are two drawbacks: one, that dual-channel architecture requires identical DIMMs, so that's out if you're running a 4GB and 2GB configuration. Plus, it'll cost you an arm and a leg, especially if your leg is priced at around $600, which is what a 4GB stick runs. Even the DDR2 is pricey at that level (then again, if you don't like memory prices, just wait about five minutes, because that's basically how often they change).And for some reason, there's an issue with running two 4GB sticks in there (for a total of 8GB), but TidBITS surmises that may be fixed by the time Snow Leopard rolls around. Personally, I'd love to see a program that needs 6GB of RAM -- maybe a high end 3D modeler or a financial simulator of some kind. But it's good to know that if you really need that much memory (and have the cash to spend on it), there you go.
Hardware check before WotLK
All right, so not only are the system requirements out for Wrath, but new MacBooks came out yesterday as well, and we're just now heading into the holiday season. So now might be a great time to do a hardware check on your computer, and see how it stacks up to how you'll be playing WoW.So here's a quick look at who will be able to run what where in the future. Keep in mind that Blizzard is extremely kind on system requirements -- they design their games to run on almost anything (which is one reason why they have so many fans), so odds are pretty good that if you run WoW well now, you'll run it well after Wrath (though you may also have to tweak the ingame video settings a bit, and you may not get the benefit of the cool graphical touches they're adding in). But if you do want to upgrade the way you see the game, there are a few things you can do, from upgrading a few parts to getting a whole new computer.
HP allows MediaSmart Server memory upgrades, still wants you home before the streetlights come on
Congratulations, HP MediaSmart Server owners, you can finally undertake such drastic hardware modification as upgrading the RAM without voiding the warranty. A 2GB stick should help speed up the console and any particularly memory-hungry add ins you've loaded, but word is this can be slightly trickier than your average RAM upgrade and HP warns you're still on the hook for any damage incurred during an upgrade. Now, where'd we put that screwdriver?[Via eHomeUpgrade]
New research aims to speed up MRAM in a future you'll never live to see (probably)
A month after German researchers announced their latest breakthrough in MRAM design, physicists at Japan's Tohoku University now say that it is possible to use an electric field to manipulate the magnetic domains in a semiconductor -- eliminating moving magnets from MRAM completely. MRAM designed using the electric field method would be faster -- and would use less energy -- than earlier variations on the technology, thus making our lives easier and generally more awesome. Of course, none of this stuff actually exists yet, and it's still got fierce competition from competing ideas (like IBM's racetrack memory), so for now we'll just have to stay content with the four 128k chips we scraped out of our old XT.[Via MRAM Info]
Barrens Chat: Bubbles bubbles everywhere...
And way too much to drink.Just a short this week in honor of Brewfest. Which has ironically fallen on the same week as this school's homecoming, so no matter where I look there are parties and drunken revelry. Anyways, I haven't had the chance to participate in Brewfest too much this year, although I did roll up an alliance not long ago and rode the Tram for the first time.In closing, have a safe and happy World of Warcraft holiday, and don't drink and ride!See you next week. %Gallery-22361% Barrens Chat is a weekly comic strip that's been shortened today due to too many trips through the festival grounds. If you're looking for something longer, why not try an unwanted parody. Like 'em short and sweet? Try this shocking shorty. Come back next week for another comic!
Coren Direbrew now drops cross-faction Brewfest mounts, teleportation device
Brewfest is underway today, and with it comes more news of the new boss, Coren Direbrew. You may remember the hubbub surrounding the decision on Brewfest mounts: A Brewfest Kodo would be implemented, but rather than allowing Alliance a chance at it, it would be Horde only, with the Rams becoming Alliance only. Now that Brewfest is live, that decision has been reversed, at least partially. Now, neither mount can be purchased with Brewfest tickets. However, instead, both drop from Coren Direbrew down in the Grim Guzzler. That means that the Alliance and the Horde can both go after the Ram and the Kodo, but only as a rare drop.
Updated Intel SCH specifications reveal support for 2GB of RAM
Ready to inhale some serious Intel technobabble? Here goes. As it stands, MIDs and UMPCs that utilize Windows operating systems are pretty much restricted to using Vista due to their incongruence with the "low-cost" requirement for still using XP. On top of that, Intel's chipset used in these critters (you know, with those Silverthorne Atom CPUs) only supports 1GB of RAM. We don't need to explain how underwhelming performance can be when mixing Vista with just 1GB of RAM. Now, however, a new PDF from Intel details updated System Controller Hub (SCH) specifications that include support for up to 2GB of RAM. What isn't clear is whether current systems can be updated via a BIOS update, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground in hopes of hearing "yes."[Thanks, Itto]
16GB Hynix DDR3 RAM modules demonstrated at IDF
Remember that MetaRAM technology we figured was nothing more than a sophisticated joke back in February? Intel, one of the noteworthy backers, has proven that said tech actually is one rung above snake-oil at its own Developers Conference in San Francisco. Hynix-made DDR3 DIMMs packing 16GB of memory were reportedly created via the MetaRAM method (and subsequently shown off), and just in case you're not wowed by such wizardry, the demo system included no fewer than ten of these modules. Just in case that sort of flew over your head, the machine they were in possessed 160GB of RAM. Unfortunately, we've a feeling these are quite aways out from hitting the consumer market.
German researchers devise means for even faster MRAM
We've already heard plenty of claims about how MRAM (or magnetoresistive RAM) would leave traditional memory in the dust, but a group of German researchers are now saying that they've found a way to blow past the MRAM that IBM and others are just now putting the finishing touches on. Their big breakthrough, it seems, is a new spin-torque system that can flip the magnetic field storing the 1s and 0s with only a single "wobble" being allowed to take place. That's as opposed to the magnetic field in current MRAM systems, which requires some time to settle into place each time its flipped. There's apparently still some work to be done before we see any actual MRAM using this new system, however, as the current used by the German device too electrically dense to be supplied by the transistors used in MRAM circuits, although they seem confident that they can overcome that pesky little problem.
Infineon CEO wants to sell flagging Qimonda unit... badly
Little known tidbit for those not keenly watching the happenings at Infineon: the firm was forced to write down the value of its Qimonda stake by €1 billion ($1.57 billion) in April. Not surprisingly, Infineon's head honcho is about ready to rid the company of the flagging unit, making quite a few direct statements in a Germany daily saying as much. For starters, CEO Peter Bauer stated that "a complete sale is possible as is a sale of a minority stake," and he continued by affirming that it was already "speaking to financial investors and other companies in the industry." Just in case you had any doubts whatsoever that this cat was serious, he proclaimed that "[the firm] was working with utmost urgency on the question how to close the chapter on Qimonda as quickly as possible." Unrequited love at its finest.
Hynix set to close its Oregon plant, cutting 1,100 jobs
It may have once talked about toppling both Intel and AMD within a decade, but South Korea's Hynix looks to have been knocked back on its heels a bit amid a general downturn in the DRAM market, and it's now taken the rather drastic step of closing down its plan in Eugene, Oregon, eliminating some 1,100 jobs in the process. As EE Times points out, that move is at least partly due to the fact that 300mm plants are ramping up faster than expected, making 200mm plans like the one in Oregon far less cost effective to operate and, apparently, too expensive to upgrade. There's also the little matter of some tariffs the United States had imposed on Hynix, which it was able to avoid thanks to its plant in Oregon, but which now appear to be set to expire. For its part, Hynix denies that has anything to do with the plant closing, and it adds that it is still looking at ways to "have a presence" in Eugene.[Via The Wall Street Journal]
WoW Moviewatch: The Frozen Chronicles
We tried to hold out for Azerothian Super Villains - Episode 6, but it wasn't released in time for us to blog it this morning. In the meantime, we have a mystery machinimator on our hands! Ram, the creator of The Frozen Chronicles, registered for Vimeo in May, has no Warcraftmovies account, and barely uploaded the video anywhere. What we do know is that he submitted it to Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational machinima contest.In all actuality, this short film is as much of a mystery as the creator is. Regardless of the plot, which was not mentioned in English or their native French, it is an amazing film. It looks like a sequel may be in the works as well!If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
