New SiS Chipset for Intel's "Penryn"

SiS prepares new single and dual-chip chipsets for Intel's "Penryn"

SiS plans to unleash a new family of single-chip and dual-chip chipsets for Intel Penryn dual and quad-core processors next year. The single-chip family consists of the SiS 680-series, in five different variants. SiS plans to cater the 680-series towards performance, mainstream and entry-level market segments.

The top dog of the SiS 680-series is the 680SCD with support for 1333 MHz front-side bus Penryn processors. The SiS 680SCD features a DDR2 memory controller with support for DDR2-800 and 1066 MHz memory. The single-chip solution is designed with single-graphics in mind with support for a single PCIe x16 slot. Other notable features of the 680SCD include support for four PCIe x1 slots, ten USB 2.0, four SATA 3.0 Gbps ports and Gigabit Ethernet.

On the mainstream side of things are the SiS 680SCE and 680SCH. The two chipsets are identical with the exception of front-side bus support. The SiS 680SCE supports 1333 MHz front-side bus while the 680SCH is limited to 1066 MHz, officially. The SiS 680SCE and 680SCH add a new Mirage 4 graphics core with HDMI output capabilities.

The SiS Mirage 4 graphics core is fully HDCP compliant for Blu-ray and HD DVD video playback. The SiS Mirage 4 graphics core is DirectX 10 compliant with hardware H.264 and VC-1 acceleration. Aside from the integrated graphics core, the SiS 680SCE and 680SCH are identical to the 680SCD.

At the bottom of the SiS single-chip Intel chipset lineup are the 680SCP and 680SCL. Once again, the SiS 680SCP and 680SCL are identical with the exception of front-side bus and memory support. The SiS 680SCP supports 1333 MHz front-side bus processors while the 680SCL is limited to 1066 MHz. The SiS 680SCL only supports DDR2-800 memory as well. The SiS 680SCP and 680SCL do not support HDMI and HDCP, however, the chipset feature an integrated TMDS transmitter for DVI output.

All SiS 680-series chipsets can use the same pin-outs and are drop-in compatible.

SiS plans to support DDR3 memory with its dual-chip designs. The upcoming 665, 673FX and 673 add DDR3-1333 memory support to an identical feature list as the single-chip parts. However, the upcoming SiS 665, 673FX and 673 will have a new 969 south bridge to pair up with.

The new SiS 969 features ten USB 2.0, one PATA133 channel, four SATA 3.0Gbps with RAID 0, 1, 5, JBOD and 0+1, one PCIe x16, four PCIe x1 and high definition audio support. The SiS 969 will also accept a trusted platform 1.2 module as well.

Expect SiS to begin sampling the new single-chip chipsets in Q4’2007 and the dual-chip versions in the first half of 2008.

Source from dailytech

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Scientists close in on “cyborg-like” memory chips

Two scientists from the Tel-Aviv University have shown that information can be stored in live neurons. The research results provide a new way to help understand how our brain learns and store information, but also indicate that a “cyborg-like integration of living material into memory chips” could become a reality in the foreseeable future.

The experiment published on May 16 in Physical Review E, is based on the idea that linking neurons can result in spontaneous, coordinated firing. Itay Baruchi and Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel-Aviv University said that they were able to create additional firings by using a special protocol of local chemical stimulations, which created multiple, rudimentary memories stored in the neuron network.




Neuron network with electrodes (c) Itay Baruchi and Eshel Ben-Jacob


To create stored memory in the neurons, the researchers introduced a chemical stimulant into the culture at a specific location. The stimulant induced a second firing pattern, starting at that location. The new firing pattern in the culture along coexisted with the original pattern. 24 hours later, they injected another round of stimulants at a new location, and a third firing pattern emerged. The scientists used an array of electrodes to monitor the firing patterns in a network of linked neurons, which revealed that the three memory patterns persisted, without interfering with each other, for more than 40 hours.

Previously published researched already indicated that coordinated neuron firing, referred to as synchronized bursting events, could be viewed as “memory templates” or “precursers of memory-related activity modes in task-performing in vivo networks.” However, Baruchi and Ben-Jacob are apparently first to actually “store” information in a cultured neuron network for an extended period of time.

Baruchi and Ben-Jacob concluded that chemical signaling mechanisms might play a “crucial role in memory and learning in task-performing [living] networks.” With some imagination, the experiment resulted in a chemically operated neuro-memory chip – which could show a way towards a memory chip that not only includes “dead”, but also living material.

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Intel Intros 3-Series Chipsets with FSB1333 and DDR3

The Bearlake Chipset Ready For 45-nm Processors



Once a year, Intel upgrades its chipset families. While the launch date for mobile and server chipset solutions keeps changing, June has been the traditional time frame for major desktop chipset releases. We've seen as many as five chipset generations for the Pentium 4 between 2000 and 2005, and the current 965/975 chipsets have powered the Core 2 processor family for almost a year. Intel will present its new 3-series chipset family June 5 during Computex in Taipei, Taiwan, while non-disclosure agreements with worldwide media end today. This article details the nitty-gritty of Intel's 2007 Bearlake chipset family, also known as 3-series.

Over the last few years, the importance of PC core logic has changed drastically. Back in the days when the Pentium or Pentium II was sold in the channel, your chipset choice had a noticeable impact on overall performance. This isn't the case anymore today, because the second-level cache (L2) was relocated from the motherboard (slow) onto processor boards (Slot A for Athlon, Slot 1 for Pentium II/III - faster) and, subsequently, onto the processor die (Athlon on socket 462 and Pentium III on socket 370 - really fast). Integrating the L2 cache into the processor has been the most effective way of accelerating your system, because highly-efficient caching logic is the key to maximum performance.

Yet the chipset probably is the most important building block for a computer, because it carries all the important interfaces and largely determines the feature set of your system. Very dense transistor designs not only allow the processor makers to build 45-nm and 65-nm chips, but they also boost manufacturing yields and facilitate the production of chipset components. The result is a level of integration that has increased tremendously. All modern chipsets, for example, include a multitude of interfaces for add-in cards (PCI Express or PCI), sophisticated dual-channel memory controllers (Intel platforms only), lots of USB 2.0 controllers (there are two ports per controller), a HD Audio controller, Gigabit networking controllers and modern Serial ATA storage controllers with four to six ports. Some chipsets also offer management features. Clearly, the purchase of a full-featured mainstream motherboard provides the components an average user needs, with the exception of powerful graphics.

It doesn't come as a surprise that the new 3-series chipset clearly is a winner from a feature standpoint. First of all, Intel releases the P35 (mainstream) and the G33 (mainstream with integrated GMA 3100 graphics). The faster G35 and the enthusiast version X38 (PCI Express 2.0) will follow in Q3. Both P35 and G33 carry a DDR3 as well as a DDR2 memory controller. Both also include an upgraded Serial ATA controller for six devices and eSATA support. The most important feature may be official support for FSB1333 system speeds, which is required for the next-generation Core 2 processor generation based on 45-nm manufacturing (Penryn).

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Which is the Best Mainstream CPU?

High-End Fell Below $200



If you're looking to buy a new system or a new processor, then you've come to the right place. A lot has been going on in the market, though Core 2 Duo is still the best choice, and AMD still has no technology to fight back. Its quad-core processor called Phenom is positioned to be a show-stopper - we will see. Then again, we've seen substantial price cuts that put even high-end processors at prices below $200. It's time to have another look around.

Intel's Core 2 Duo processor has been dominating benchmark results ever since its launch in the summer of 2006. Thanks to a large, shared L2 cache for both processor cores, modern 65 nm manufacturing, and the more advanced processor architecture, not even the top model 3.0 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 has a chance of winning many benchmarks. However, this applies purely to raw performance.

From the standpoint of performance per watt of power consumed, the Core 2 Duo may look better too, as all processors are rated at a maximum of 65 W, while AMD still has 89 W models. The Core 2 Duo, though, doesn't carry an integrated DDR2 memory controller, which is an integral part of every AMD64 processor and thus increases their power consumption. Even so, AMD doesn't look bad - if you compare entire platforms, Intel doesn't necessarily win the power race as well. Finally, there have been substantial price cuts both in the AMD and in the Intel camp, which has actively reshuffled the balance of power - and created confusion at the same time.

AMD's first quarter results were not very amusing for the firm, as it lost considerable market share and had to post losses. While the acquisition of ATI wasn't quite a bargain, the important issue is processor prices, which were almost cut in half in the firm's attempt to stay competitive. The result is obvious now: AMD may be able to sustain its weakened market share with its Athlon 64 processors, but it isn't making a lot of money.

You will find the latest processor prices at www.amd.com/pricing. A link to Intel's pricelist didn't work, so we recommend using the prices of a recent TG Daily article for the sake of comparison. Even after the latest price cuts, the Core 2 Duo E6700 (2.66 GHz) is tagged at $316. This is 30% more expensive than what AMD asks for the Athlon 64 X2 6000+ top model (3.0 GHz), which is priced at $241. The Core 2 Duo E6600 is indeed faster, but the percentage difference is in the single-digit range.

Taking into account the recent price cuts and looking back at how much processor performance has increased since the introduction of dual core CPUs, we clearly recommend against spending a lot of money on a CPU. You will spend at least double the money on a quad core processor versus a dual core, and many applications still don't benefit from the additional cores. At the same time, having a dual core versus a single core CPU is more important than fighting over a few hundred megahertz. The existing quad core products (Core 2 Quad) will be replaced by next-generation products in the third quarter of 2007.

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Bye Bye Tape, Hello 5.3TB eSATA

It's amazing how much disk you can buy for 60 bucks. For example, I just walked into a local retailer and purchased an 80GB hard drive for less than what my neighbor paid to fill the gas tank in her SUV...and I still overpaid. Years ago, I would have paid three times the amount for a drive a third the size of my latest purchase. Yes, storage hardware has gotten very affordable over the years and with all the breakthroughs in technology, what was once a data protection pipe dream, backup to disk, has become a stark reality.

If you need to backup large amounts of data, but aren't all that comfortable with a bunch of relatively slow USB or Firewire drives and you can't afford more expensive NAS and SAN solutions, consider an interesting answer from Highly Reliable Systems, the High-Rely eSATA Backup System. The e in eSata stands for external. This unit consists of a rack mountable chassis that uses seven SATA disk drives. It just might pave the way for future hard drive backup solutions. The important thing to understand about the High-Rely eSATA chassis is that it's not RAID configurable. The chassis simply provides you with 7 high capacity disk drives, each of which can be configured as a separate physical disk drive.

The High-Rely eSATA chassis is one of two seven drive disk backup systems produced by the Reno, Nevada based company. The other seven drive product is a USB based chassis that is just as nice a package as its sibling, but without the high transfer rate of eSATA. Finally for individual users, Highly Reliable also has five and single drive products that come in USB and eSATA models. Resellers can also find eight and ten drive models.

The High-Rely eSATA system I'll look at here includes a seven bay chassis, seven 750GB cartridge enclosed disk drives, a PCI-Express eSATA card, software and accessories.
Description
The Chassis And Related Parts

The High-Rely package includes the chassis, two single port eSATA adapters, a power cable, a dual eSATA cable, drive keys, software CD and warranty.

The eSATA metal enclosure I tested is a black 4U rack mountable device that, populated with drives, weighs in at a sturdy 50 pounds. The model tested has eight available hard disk bays with seven of them configured for disk use while the eighth drive slot has a vented cover. The eighth bay is for the eight disk version of the product available only to resellers.

Noise-wise, if you work in a data center you recognize the not-so subtle hum of a server-like fan. You may want install the device in a spot designated for noisier devices. A well cooled room or closet would be ideal, especially since you're dealing with a machine that houses seven heat producing disk drives.

All the cabling in the eSATA unit interfaces with the chassis from the back. The eSATA cables plug into two separate cards located on the rear of the case. The eSATA cable that comes with the chassis is composed of two separate eSATA lines joined together by a fabric mesh. For the test model, one of the pair of cables had blue tubing at the ends to distinguish it from the other cable.

The chassis is powered by a single 300 watt power supply that uses the same standard PC power cable that most of us collect and keep in our boxes of spare parts. At the front of the chassis is a rocker switch that turns on the power and a single LED that tells you the system is powered on.

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GeForce 8600: DirectX 10 For The Masses

Rehash Or New And Improved?

The consumer graphics market is filled with products these days. I remember when there were only a few products from a single company but there were many companies. Today we have to depend on two major players and a ton of products. In days gone by there were differing approaches to where companies thought graphics would move. Of course there were the application programming interfaces of OpenGL and Direct3D (DX video component), but there were others such as 3DFX's Glide. Multiple APIs made programming a bit of a challenge as developers tried to building their games to span as many platforms as possible. The move to only two core APIs has made it a bit easier to code games and applications but there has been another effect, the shrinking of main producers of graphics processors.

While Intel is the largest producer of graphics devices, there are really only two key players for the discrete graphics market, Nvidia and AMD (formerly ATI). This has changed the dynamic in the implementation of new devices and the number of product variants. Looking back to the card that put Nvidia squarely on the map was the GeForce 256. For ATI/AMD it was the 9700 and 9800 series cards. Ironically there were only a few variations of those cards. Radeon 9800 has basically two memory densities 128 and 256 as well as a few models like Pro, XT and XT Platinum Edition.

This made for only a handful of graphics cards on the market. It also allowed consumers the ease of knowing what they were getting in terms of performance and price. This has all but disappeared in recent history as we have a plethora of naming conventions, models, clock speeds, memory densities, and architectures. A diversity of cards is a good thing for the consumer but it is getting to the point that product differentiation has lost some of its meaning.

You might be asking, "So why the history lesson, I thought this was a product launch?" Simple, we have yet another series of cards hitting the market in a matter of months which will add yet another set of models that consumers will have to differentiate between. More is good but not always best. There are a couple of questions that need to be asked regarding this product launch. First, does this new offering give me something that the previous offering could not? Secondarily, is this new card really a better buy for the consumer?

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