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General Hardware 
HP Server Owners: Upgrade to Quad-core... or Not!
Posted by: Hooz on: 12/15/2006 02:12 AM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
I recently received some information that may come as a shock to owners of Woodcrest-based HP servers. This particular post was from someone who had recently purchased quite a few... And by "quite a few", I mean a LOT... Woodcrest-based blades and servers with the intent of upgrading to quad-core when the HP approved "upgrade kits" (basically a pair of processors) were ready.
All seemed fine until, upon HP's release of their "quad-core upgrade kits", said customer actually tried to upgrade a few machines to see how they ran. This customer was told by HP engineers and support staff that the upgrade would indeed work. But after multiple attempts at updating firmware, the servers kept reporting an
All seemed fine until, upon HP's release of their "quad-core upgrade kits", said customer actually tried to upgrade a few machines to see how they ran. This customer was told by HP engineers and support staff that the upgrade would indeed work. But after multiple attempts at updating firmware, the servers kept reporting an
Supercomputing 2006 Show Report(s)
Posted by: Hooz on: 11/16/2006 02:48 AM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
On the subject of supercomputers, Techware Labs got an opportunity to browse around the Supercomputing 2006 Show in Tampa, Florida. They also got to go behind the scenes a bit and talk to some of the manufacturers, but more important are the pictures! Loads and loads of pictures!
Day 1 coverage is here, Day 2 here.
Day 1 coverage is here, Day 2 here.
Interesting Intel Platforms, Present and Future
Posted by: Hooz on: 10/26/2006 06:20 AM [ Print | 5 comment(s) ]
I have spent the last few days in lovely Portland, Oregon as the guest of Intel. Unfortunately, the reason I came out here is something I can't talk about quite yet, but I promised you some juicy bits, and I'm here to deliver!
First up is the platform that will be replacing the current Xeon MP. The platform is Caneland, the processors, Tigerton. How does 4-way quad-core sound to you? Yeah. It sounded good to me too.
Intel was kind enough to have a fully functional machine (complete with benchmark suite) setup and running for us to play with and they informed us that we were free to publish the information and images for you guys. I wish I had the time to run the full benchmark suite on it, but suffice it to say that the few benches we ran were very impressive. So, without further ado, click here to see it in all of its glory!
Next on the list is another platform that Intel has quietly slipped into the mix. Port Townsend is a Xeon 3000 platform (it will officially support Kenstfield as well) of a different flavor. Geared specifically for the HPC market, Port Townsend a seriously scaled-down UP server platform that allows for increased density by cramming two full systems into a single 1U of rackspace.
As I said, the original aim of Port Townsend was to fill a gap between full-blown DP systems and blades in the HPC market, but I can personally see a world of other possibilities for something like this. According to Intel, their customers and OEMs are seeing multiple possibilities as well. As a currently shipping product, it'll be interesting to see where Port Townsend shows-up in the near future.
I would love to keep rambling on (about what few things I can actually discuss), but it is very late (Early, actually) and I have a plane to catch in a few hours.
First up is the platform that will be replacing the current Xeon MP. The platform is Caneland, the processors, Tigerton. How does 4-way quad-core sound to you? Yeah. It sounded good to me too.
Intel was kind enough to have a fully functional machine (complete with benchmark suite) setup and running for us to play with and they informed us that we were free to publish the information and images for you guys. I wish I had the time to run the full benchmark suite on it, but suffice it to say that the few benches we ran were very impressive. So, without further ado, click here to see it in all of its glory!
Next on the list is another platform that Intel has quietly slipped into the mix. Port Townsend is a Xeon 3000 platform (it will officially support Kenstfield as well) of a different flavor. Geared specifically for the HPC market, Port Townsend a seriously scaled-down UP server platform that allows for increased density by cramming two full systems into a single 1U of rackspace.
As I said, the original aim of Port Townsend was to fill a gap between full-blown DP systems and blades in the HPC market, but I can personally see a world of other possibilities for something like this. According to Intel, their customers and OEMs are seeing multiple possibilities as well. As a currently shipping product, it'll be interesting to see where Port Townsend shows-up in the near future.
I would love to keep rambling on (about what few things I can actually discuss), but it is very late (Early, actually) and I have a plane to catch in a few hours.
It's a cold day in... Dell
Posted by: Hooz on: 09/13/2006 01:30 AM [ Print | 13 comment(s) ]
The inclusion of AMD processors in Dell machines has been the topic of much, often heated debate over the last few years. Many swore it could/would never happen, but the rumors persisted. I guess that makes today's announcement from Dell a landmark event.
There are four new models total (two AMD based), but none of them are available on the website yet.
| Depending on the model, customers can select dual-core technology such as Intel Core 2 Duo processors and, for the first time, AMD AthlonTM 64 X2 dual-core processors to enable streaming music, watching movies and calculating spreadsheets simultaneously from the same PC. The new Dell Intel dual-core systems can also deliver better performance while drawing less power than previous-generation Intel products. |
Mac Pro + Clovertown = Anandtech
Posted by: Hooz on: 09/12/2006 05:55 PM [ Print | 6 comment(s) ]
I don't know how he does it, but Anand has gotten his hands on a pair of Clovertown CPUs (Core 2 Quad) and a Mac Pro desktop. As you can imagine, insane amounts of geeky goodness ensued.
The focus of the article is actually the new Mac Pro, but I skipped all that and went straight for the quad-core stuff first. Now I guess I should read the other 14 pages, huh?
| Later this year Intel will be introducing pin compatible upgrades to its Core 2 and Xeon lines, except instead of two cores these processors will feature four. Codenamed Kenstfield (Core 2) and Clovertown (Xeon), Intel's new quad-core processors will dramatically increase the amount of processing power you can have in a single system. Given that the Mac Pro features two LGA-771 sockets, you could theoretically drop two Clovertown processors in there and you'd have an 8-core Mac Pro. |
Intel to (Almost) Abandon FB-DIMMs in 2008
Posted by: Hooz on: 09/08/2006 02:55 PM [ Print | 1 comment(s) ]
After Intel's big push for FB-DIMM enabled platforms (and the subsequent delays), it looks like they will all but abandon the technology by 2008!
Apparently, new microbuffer technology offers a lot of the same benefits as FB-DIMMs, but without all the draw-backs.
| Intel is telling everyone who will listen that they are going back to rDIMMs in 2008 over about 90% of their server line. This is due to them not being able to hit power numbers, seemingly a problem with the tech itself vs implementations, and of course cost. Looking out at the numbers, 4S servers are about 10% of the server market, 2S make up most of the rest, so this would seem to indicate that FBDs will be relegated to high socket counts. |
Cavium Networks Article at RWT
Posted by: Hooz on: 06/13/2006 12:43 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
Cavium Networks was founded by a group of industry veterans, including ex Alpha designers from DEC, and made its mark producing security coprocessors for the networking industry. However, Cavium's plan is to expand their presence into general networking, integrating together MIPS compatible processors and dedicated security functions. The OCTEON family is a system on a chip that scales from 1 to 16 processors, with a bevy of coprocessors, integrated memory controller and networking functionality. Real World Technologies takes a dive into this system on a chip, and looks at the architecture and existing applications.
Full article.
Full article.
Sony Unleashes Blu-Ray Laptop and UMPC
Posted by: Hooz on: 05/17/2006 12:18 AM [ Print | 4 comment(s) ]
Today, Sony made two big announcements: the new AR series laptop that's equipped with an integrated Blu-Ray recordable drive, and the UX Series UMPC. The AX laptop will have a 17-inch XBRITE screen with a native resolution of 1920x1200, the Intel Core Duo T2500, and 2GB of RAM; The UX will weigh 1.2 pounds, sport a 4.5-inch touchscreen that slides upwards, and a wireless WAN cellular modem.
More here.
More here.
A Worthy Gaming Laptop
Posted by: Hooz on: 04/17/2006 01:20 PM [ Print | 3 comment(s) ]
The Velocity Micro NoteMagix M57 Ultra ($3,420 direct) notebook can handle the most intimidating of 3D games without flinching. Backed by the nVidia GeForce Go 7800 GTX, it comes with an integrated TV tuner, a great-lookng screen, and a modular slot for an extra battery. But, the mouse buttons are too far from each other, and you'll find that the notebook is a bit on the heavy side.
More here.
More here.
Lenovo's Low-Cost Laptop
Posted by: Hooz on: 03/21/2006 04:15 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
Lenovo didn't make much of a splash with the 3000 C100, the first notebook to bear its name. But round two is looking a lot brighter. The sleek-looking Lenovo 3000 N100 will make a better impression on consumers, giving them good processing power with a 1.67-GHz Core Duo T2300 and 512MB of RAM, and a decent price tag of $1,349 direct. Like the C100, the N100 uses the patented ThinkPad keyboard. It has four USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, a 100GB hard drive, and a fingerprint reader.
Full review.
Full review.
New SGI Blade Taps Xilinx Technology
Posted by: Hooz on: 03/17/2006 02:20 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
While the company may have been delisted, it hasn't stopped SGI from riding out the storm.
More here.
| "The RASC RC100 blade takes advantage of new FPGA (field-programmable gate array) technology from Xilinx; SGI's own servers and technology added to that can offer significant improvements in the performance of applications used in such fields as oil and gas, medical imaging and bioinformatics, said Bill Mannel, director of product marketing for Mountain View, Calif.-based SGI." |
Dell sells AMD systems. Maybe. Sort of.
Posted by: Hooz on: 03/15/2006 02:12 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
According to this C|NET article, Dell may have found a way to have its cake and eat, too. Here's a snippet:
| Owning a subsidiary that sells AMD-based systems could be an easier path for Dell toward reclaiming the performance crown, rather than incorporating Athlons or Semprons into its current Intel-exclusive assembly line. |
Sun: Shame on us if we can't grow!
Posted by: Hooz on: 02/03/2006 01:48 AM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
Sun Microsystems' current advantages mean it should be able return to revenue growth and profit, CEO Scott McNealy said Wednesday, in his latest attempt to restore Wall Street optimism about the server and software company.
More here.
More here.
HP debuts enterprise water cooling system
Posted by: Hooz on: 01/31/2006 02:06 PM [ Print | 2 comment(s) ]
"We used to talk to IT" when approaching customers, Perez said. But because of the power issue, "now we're talking to IT and facilities together. The customers ask, 'What should our power budget be over next three years?' After the sticker shock for energy costs, they say, 'How is HP going to help get the cost down?'"
More here.
More here.
64-Bit Power Struggle Heats Up
Posted by: Hooz on: 12/28/2005 05:13 PM [ Print | 1 comment(s) ]
In 2005, vendors competed to provide ever-increasing processor power, with 64-bit chips and dual-core technology. Now AMD and Intel are shaping their multicore plans for 2006 and beyond.
More here.
More here.
The New Fastest Workstation?
Posted by: admin on: 12/09/2005 06:11 PM [ Print | 3 comment(s) ]
Brian, from 3D Professor, has posted a look at a dual Opteron 254 system loaded to the gills with a pair Quadro 4500s in SLI.Last month we stated that the dawning of time is upon us
Asus preps carbon-fibre cased laptop
Posted by: admin on: 12/06/2005 07:54 PM [ Print | 7 comment(s) ]
The only other instance where carbon fibre and computers have come together, to my knowledge, is the Acer Ferrari laptop but now Asus will release a line of carbon fibre encased laptops referred to as the W1 Carbon family.
Read the rest here.
| The Taiwanese manufacturer last week introduced the W1 Carbon family, a line of Centrino laptops based on a range of Pentium M processors clocked from 1.6GHz to 2.13GHz. |
PCI-X vs PCI-express
Posted by: Hooz on: 11/25/2005 10:58 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
I figured this might be interesting to some of your readers. After all it is a lot of server operators out there 
It's a shoot out between the two interface technologies. Nothing extraordinary but it gives a good overview on the two technologies. All in all a nice read.
It's a shoot out between the two interface technologies. Nothing extraordinary but it gives a good overview on the two technologies. All in all a nice read.
Supermicro: Going Servers Was the Right Decision
Posted by: admin on: 11/22/2005 09:15 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
Xbit has posted an interview with the president of Supermicro, Charles Liang.Today we would like to offer you an exclusive interview with Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro Company, a well-known manufacturer of server solutions in the today
It's bad to worse @ Dell
Posted by: Hooz on: 11/02/2005 04:12 AM [ Print | 5 comment(s) ]
Projected sales and earnings shortfalls are the latest signs that Dell's days of domination over its PC-industry peers may be coming to an end.
Sun shines on Opteron
Posted by: Hooz on: 10/23/2005 05:26 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
These days, engineers at Sun Microsystems Inc. have their counterparts at chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. on speed dial.
Read more
Read more
More Bensley News @ Tom's Hardware
Posted by: Hooz on: 10/20/2005 04:23 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
While Jim and I were in Oregon at Intel's workshop, we had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Patrick Schmid, a Senior Editor over at Tom's Hardware Guide. Patrick is just an all-around good guy, and he has also posted his take on the information that we were given about Bensley, Dempsey and the like.
I guess it's just "Tom's Hardware Day" around here today.
| The reason why Intel wouldn't agree to a dual-core comparison test is simply a matter of processor performance. While even the upcoming dual core Xeons won't make much of a difference, the future holds much promise, as the Bensley platform will represent a significant departure from the Xeon architecture. |
New Xbox 360 Controllers Cross Platforms
Posted by: Hooz on: 10/20/2005 04:09 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
In an effort to make the gaming experience equally enjoyable whether you play on the Xbox 360 or a Windows XP-based computer, Microsoft has announced the retail availability of the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows. Gamers can simply unplug their controller from their Xbox 360 system and plug it into their Windows XP-based PC. According to a company statement, the controller is widely available in North America for an estimated retail price of $39.99, and is expected to be released in Europe and Asia in the coming months.
Full story: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1873465,00.asp
Full story: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1873465,00.asp
AMD's Future Technology Directions
Posted by: Hooz on: 10/17/2005 07:41 PM [ Print | 0 comment(s) ]
There has been a flurry of recent information regarding Intel's new platform directions, but AMD has been relatively silent. Everyone has been wondering if they've got any plans for next year other than just ramping clockspeed. Finally, at the Fab 36 grand opening in Dresden, Phil Hester (AMD's new CTO) gave a little (VERY little) bit of insight into AMD's direction for the next few years.
It seems that only a few people were on-hand to hear the news, but Tech Report's coverage is very good, as is Anand's.
It seems that only a few people were on-hand to hear the news, but Tech Report's coverage is very good, as is Anand's.
Intel Workshop - October 2005
Posted by: Hooz on: 10/11/2005 03:15 AM [ Print | 13 comment(s) ]
You all know by now that Jim and I spent the better part of last week in Oregon at Intel's Jones Farm campus. During the time we spent there, we were bombarded with information about upcoming platforms and processors as well as the technology and tools needed to drive them.
Well... Jim and I were finally able to organize some of our thoughts and we wrote a short article highlighting some of the key points of the trip. The article doesn't nearly cover everything we saw and/or heard, but we had to save something for future articles and reviews
Well... Jim and I were finally able to organize some of our thoughts and we wrote a short article highlighting some of the key points of the trip. The article doesn't nearly cover everything we saw and/or heard, but we had to save something for future articles and reviews