If you look at this question from a purely technical point of view, AMD has simply integrated almost all the functionality of the north bridge into the central processor. On the block diagrams in "datasheets" it is indicated as follows: here is the processor core itself, here is the HT interface, and here it has Northbridge. But a "little" technological gimmick leads to a completely different computer architecture - SUMA, in contrast to traditional SMP. Let's briefly list the main advantages of SUMA over the "classic" SMP.
SUMA is based on the HyperTransport serial bus (you can read more about this bus, for example, at http://offline.computerra.ru/2004/547/34188). Server versions of AMD processors can integrate up to three independent HT links operating at frequencies up to 1 GHz (2 GHz with DDR data transfer mode) and 16-bit wide (4 GB / s) in each direction. Some HT links are used for point-to-point connections between processors, some are used to connect peripheral devices (via an external chipset, of course, since HT connects one of the processors to the chipset as a point-to-point one). For the programmer, HT is fully compatible with the traditional PCI programming model; at the same time, from a “logical” point of view, the entire computer is directly connected to a single HT bus, which unites all devices, from the central processor to the “last” PCI card inserted into a regular PCI slot.
Each processor integrates a "local" RAM controller (actually, compared to single-core AMD64 processors, the memory controller has hardly changed). At the moment, depending on the processor, it can be a one- or two-channel (for dual-core processors - only two-channel for now) DDR 200/266/333/400 memory controller (unbuffered or registered, with and without ECC support). The memory of "foreign" processors is accessed via the HyperTransport bus, and this "forwarding" of requests is done absolutely transparently for the processor's computational core - it is carried out by a switch built into the Northbridge (CrossBar) operating at full processor frequency. This same CrossBar provides "automatic" routing of messages from peripheral devices and other processors passing through the processor, including servicing "foreign" requests to RAM.
The HT bus was specially optimized for such a mode of operation with a lot of "service" messages (which arise when using MOESI, which we will talk about a little later) and provides extremely low latency of access to "foreign" memory and high (up to 4 GB / s) bandwidth when accessing the memory of "neighbors". The bus is full duplex, i.e. the bus allows you to simultaneously transfer data at this speed in both directions (up to 8 GB / s in total). The memory model turns out to be non-uniform (NUMA), but the differences in the speed of "own" and "foreign" parts of the RAM are relatively small.
The chipset is greatly simplified: all that is required of it is simply to provide "bridges" (tunnels) between the HT and other types of buses. Well, and perhaps at the same time provide a certain number of integrated controllers. This principle is especially evident in the AMD 81xx server chipset, since it is just a set of two chips - "adapters" for AGP and PCI-X buses and a chip that integrates a tunnel to "regular" PCI and a standard set of peripheral controllers (IDE, USB, LPC etc.). However, no one forbids using traditional "large" chipsets either: for example, NVIDIA successfully releases Force3 and nForce4, which combine all the necessary tunnels and controllers in a single die. But on the other hand, you can, for example, install an nForce Professional 2200 chip (an all-in-one solution from NVIDIA for workstations) on the board and add AMD 8132 as a partner to it, which will provide the motherboard with PCI-X bus support, which the nForce Pro 2200 does not have. Or use multiple nForce Pro 2200 chips to provide, for example, twice as many PCI Express lanes. Everything here is compatible with everything: any modern chipsets for the AMD64 microarchitecture, in theory, should work with any AMD processors ... and any “right” made “partners”. And in particular, all AMD dual-core processors should work with all previously released K8 chipsets.
The most significant event of 2005 in the field of microprocessors was the appearance on the market of the CPU with two cores. Moreover, the appearance of dual-core processors on the market happened very quickly, and without any particular difficulties. The biggest advantage of the new products was that the transition to a dual-core system did not require a platform change. In fact, any user of a modern computer could come to the store and change only one processor without changing the motherboard and the rest of the hardware. At the same time, the already installed operating system instantly detected the second core (a second processor appeared in the hardware list), and no specific software configuration was required (not to mention a complete reinstallation of the OS).
The idea of the appearance of such processors lies on the surface. The fact is that CPU manufacturers have almost reached the ceiling for increasing the performance of their products. In particular, AMD rested on the 2.4GHz frequency for mass production of Athlon 64 processors. For the sake of fairness, we note that the best samples are capable of operating at 2.6-2.8GHz, but they are carefully selected and marketed under the Athlon FX brand (respectively, a model with 2.6 GHz is labeled FX-55, and 2.8 GHz is labeled FX-57). However, the yield of such successful crystals is very small (it is easy to check by overclocking 5-10 processors). The next jump in clock speed is possible with the transition to a finer technical process, but this step is planned by AMD only at the end of this year (at best).
Intel's situation is worse: the NetBurst architecture turned out to be uncompetitive in terms of performance (max. 3.8 GHz frequency) and heat dissipation (~ 150 W). The reorientation and development of a new architecture should take some time (even with a lot of Intel's work). Therefore, for Intel, the release of dual-core processors is also a big step forward in improving performance. Combined with the successful transition to 65 nm process technology, such processors will be able to compete on equal terms with AMD products.
The main initiator in the advancement of dual-core processors was AMD, which first presented the corresponding Opteron. As for desktop processors, the initiative was taken over by Intel, which announced the Intel Pentium D and Intel Extreme Edition processors. A few days later, the AMD Athlon64 X2 processor line was announced.
So, we start our review of dual-core processors with Athlon64 X2
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processors
Initially, AMD announced the release of 4 processor models: 4200+, 4400+, 4600+ and 4800+ with clock speeds of 2.2-2.4 GHz and different sizes of L2 cache. The price of processors is within the range from ~ $ 430 to ~ $ 840. As we can see, the general pricing policy does not look very friendly to the average user. Moreover, the cheapest dual-core Intel processor costs ~ $ 260 (model Pentium D 820). Therefore, in order to increase the attractiveness of Athlon 64 X2, AMD releases the X2 3800+ with a clock speed of 2.0 GHz and L2 cache size = 2x512Kb. This processor starts at $ 340.
Since two cores are used for the production of Athlon 64 X2 processors (Toledo and Manchester), for a better perception, let's summarize the characteristics of the processors in a zero table:
| Name | Core stepping | Clock frequency | L2 cache size |
| X2 4800+ | Toledo (E6) | 2400MHz | 2 x 1Mb |
| X2 4600+ | Manchester (E4) | 2400MHz | 2 x 512Kb |
| X2 4400+ | Toledo (E6) | 2200MHz | 2 x 1Mb |
| X2 4200+ | Manchester (E4) | 2200MHz | 2 x 512Kb |
| X2 3800+ | Manchester (E4) | 2000MHz | 2 x 512Kb |
All processors have a level 1 cache memory of 128Kb, the nominal supply voltage (Vcore) is 1.35-1.4V, and the maximum heat dissipation does not exceed 110W. All the listed processors have the Socket939 form factor, use the HyperTransport = 1GHz bus (HT multiplier = 5) and are manufactured using the 90nm process technology using SOI. By the way, it was the use of such a "thin" technical process that made it possible to achieve profitability in the production of dual-core processors. For example, the Toledo core has an area of 199 sq. mm., and the number of transistors reaches 233.2 million!
If you look at the appearance of the Athlon 64 X2 processor, it does not differ at all from other Socket 939 processors (Athlon 64 and Sempron).
It should be noted that the Athlon X2 line of dual-core processors inherited from Athlon64 support for the following technologies: Cool "n" Quiet power saving function, AMD64 instruction set, SSE - SSE3, NX-bit information protection function.
Like the Athlon64 processors, the Dual-Core Athlon X2 has a dual-channel DDR memory controller with a maximum bandwidth of 6.4 GB / s. And if DDR400 bandwidth was enough for Athlon64, then for a processor with two cores this is a potential bottleneck that negatively affects performance. However, there won't be a serious drop in speed, since the support for multi-core was taken into account when developing the Athlon64 architecture. In particular, in the Athlon X2 processor, both cores are inside one die; and the processor has one memory controller and one HyperTransport bus controller.
In any case, the memory bandwidth mismatch will be eliminated after switching to Socket M2. Let me remind you that this will happen this year and the corresponding processors will have a DDR-II memory controller.
A few words about the compatibility of the new Athlon X2 processors. The top processor X2 4800+ worked on all the latest motherboards tested without any problems. As a rule, these were motherboards based on nVidia nForce4 (Ultra & SLI) chipsets, as well as a motherboard based on ATI Xpress 200 CrossFire ™ (ECS KA1 MVP Extreme). When I installed this processor on an Epox 9NDA3 + (nVidia nForce3 Ultra) board, the second processor core was not detected by the operating system. And the firmware of the latest BIOS version did not fix the situation. But this is a special case, and in general the statistics of compatibility of dual-core processors with motherboards is very, very positive.
It would be appropriate to note right away that the new dual-core processors do not have any specific requirements for the design of the motherboard power supply module. Moreover, the maximum heat dissipation of the Athlon X2 processors is not higher than that of the Athlon FX processors manufactured using the 130 nm process technology (ie, slightly above 100W). At the same time, Intel dual-core processors consume power almost one and a half times more.
Let's say a few words about overclocking
Of all AMD processors, only technical samples and processors of the FX line have an unlocked multiplier. Dual-core Athlon X2, as well as single-core Athlon 64 / Sempron, have an upward-locked multiplier. And in the direction of decreasing the multiplier is unlocked, since it is by lowering the multiplier that the Cool "n" Quiet energy-saving technology works. And to overclock the processor, we would like to have an unlocked multiplier in the direction of increasing, so that all other components of the system would work normally. But AMD followed in the footsteps of Intel and from a certain point banned overclocking in this way.
However, overclocking by increasing HTT has not yet been canceled or prohibited. But at the same time, we will have to choose a high-quality memory, or use a memory frequency downscaling divider. In addition, the HT bus multiplier needs to be decreased, which, however, has no effect on the performance level.
So, using air cooling, we managed to overclock the Athlon X2 4800+ processor from the nominal 2.4 GHz to 2.7 GHz. At the same time, the supply voltage (Vcore) was increased from 1.4V to 1.55V.
Overclocking statistics show that this sample demonstrated not the worst frequency gain. However, there is no need to count on more, since AMD selects the most "successful" cores for the production of processors with a frequency of 2.6 GHz and 2.8 GHz.
Intel dual-core processors
Intel's first dual-core processors were based on the Smithfield core, which is nothing more than two Prescott E0 stepping cores combined on a single die. The cores interact with each other via the system bus using a special arbiter. Accordingly, the crystal size reached 206 sq. mm., and the number of transistors increased to 230 million.
It is interesting to consider how the HyperThreading technology is implemented in dual-core processors based on the Smithfield core. For example, Pentium D processors have no support for this technology at all. Intel marketers found two "real" cores to be sufficient for most users. But in the Pentium Extreme Edition 840 processor it is enabled, and thanks to this the processor can execute 4 threads of commands simultaneously. By the way, HyperThreading support is the only difference between Pentium Extreme Edition and Pentium D. All other functions and technologies are completely identical. Among them are support for the EM64T instruction set, EIST, C1E and TM2 energy saving technologies, as well as the NX-bit information protection function. As a result, the difference between Pentium D and Pentium EE processors is completely artificial.
Let's list the models of processors based on the Smithfield core. These are Pentium D with indexes 820, 830 and 840, as well as Pentium Extreme Edition 840. All of them operate at a system bus frequency of 200 MHz (800QPB), manufactured according to the 90nm process technology, and have a nominal supply voltage (Vcore) of 1.25-1.388 V, maximum heat dissipation ~ 130 W (although according to some estimates, the heat dissipation of the EE 840 is at 180 W).
Frankly speaking, I did not find any positive aspects of the Smithfield-based processors. The main complaint is the level of performance, when in many applications (which are not optimized for multithreading) dual-core Smithfield processors outperform single-core Prescott, operating at the same clock speed. At the same time, AMD processors do not have such a situation. Obviously, the problem lies in the interaction of cores through the processor bus (during the development of the Prescott core, performance scaling by increasing the number of cores was not envisaged). Perhaps for this reason, Intel decided to compensate for the disadvantages with a lower price. In particular, the price tag for the junior Pentium D 820 was set at ~ $ 260 (the cheapest Athlon X2 costs $ 340).
The first computer processors with multiple cores appeared on the consumer market in the mid-2000s, but many users still do not quite understand what multi-core processors are and how to figure out their characteristics.
Video format of the article "The Whole Truth About Multicore Processors"
Simple explanation of the question "what is a processor"
The microprocessor is one of the main devices in the computer. This dry official name is often abbreviated to simply "processor"). Processor - a microcircuit, comparable in area to a matchbox... If you like, a processor is like a motor in a car. The most important part, but not the only one. The car also has wheels, a body, and a turntable with headlights. But it is the processor (like the motor of the car) that determines the power of the "car".
Many people call a processor a system unit - a "box" inside which all the components of a PC are located, but this is fundamentally wrong. A system unit is a computer case along with all its constituent parts - a hard disk, RAM and many other parts.
Processor function - computing... It is not so important which ones. The fact is that all the work of a computer is tied exclusively to arithmetic calculations. Addition, multiplication, subtraction and other algebra - this is all done by a microcircuit called a "processor". And the results of such calculations are displayed on the screen in the form of a game, a Word file, or just a desktop.
The main part of the computer that deals with calculations - here, what is processor.
What is a processor core and multicore
From time immemorial processor "ages" these microcircuits were single-core. The kernel is, in fact, the processor itself. Its main and main part. Processors also have other parts - say, "legs" - contacts, microscopic "wiring" - but the very block that is responsible for calculations is called processor core... When the processors became quite small, the engineers decided to combine several cores at once inside one processor "case".
If we imagine a processor as an apartment, then the core is a large room in such an apartment. A one-room apartment is one processor core (a large room-hall), a kitchen, a bathroom, a corridor ... A two-room apartment is like two processor cores along with other rooms. There are three, four, and even 12-room apartments. Also in the case of processors: inside one crystal-"apartment" there can be several cores-"rooms".
Multicore Is the division of one processor into several identical functional blocks. The number of blocks is the number of cores within one processor.
Varieties of multi-core processors
There is a misconception: "the more cores a processor has, the better." This is how marketers who are paid to create these kinds of delusions try to present the case. Their task is to sell cheap processors, moreover, at a higher price and in huge quantities. But in fact, the number of cores is far from the main characteristic of processors.
Let's go back to the analogy between processors and apartments. A two-room apartment is more expensive, more convenient and more prestigious than a one-room apartment. But only if these apartments are located in the same area, are equipped in the same way, and they have similar repairs. There are weak quad-core (or even 6-core) processors that are much weaker than dual-core ones. But it's hard to believe it: still, the magic of large numbers 4 or 6 against "some" two. However, this is exactly what happens very, very often. It seems like the same four-room apartment, but in a dead condition, without renovation, in a completely remote area - and even at the price of a luxurious "kopeck piece" in the very center.
How many cores are there inside a processor?
For personal computers and laptops, single-core processors have not really been produced for several years, and it is very rare to find them on sale. The number of cores starts with two. Four cores - as a rule, these are more expensive processors, but there is a return on them. There are also 6-core processors, which are incredibly expensive and much less practical. Few tasks are capable of gaining performance on these monstrous crystals.
There was an experiment by AMD to create 3-core processors, but this is already in the past. It worked out pretty well, but their time has passed.
By the way, AMD also produces multi-core processors, but, as a rule, they are noticeably weaker than competitors from Intel. True, their price is much lower. You just need to know that 4 cores from AMD will almost always be noticeably weaker than the same 4 cores from Intel.
Now you know that processors have 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 cores. Single and 12-core processors are rare. Tri-core processors are a thing of the past. Six-core processors are either very expensive (Intel) or not so strong (AMD) to overpay for the number. 2 and 4 cores are the most common and practical devices, from the weakest to the most powerful.
Multi-core processor frequency
One of the characteristics of computer processors is their frequency. Those same megahertz (and more often - gigahertz). Frequency is an important characteristic, but far from the only one.... Yes, perhaps not the most important one yet. For example, a 2GHz dual-core processor is a more powerful offering than its 3GHz single-core counterpart.
It is completely wrong to assume that the frequency of a processor is equal to the frequency of its cores multiplied by the number of cores. To put it simply, a 2-core processor with a core frequency of 2 GHz has a total frequency of 4 gigahertz by no means! Even the concept of "common frequency" does not exist. In this case, CPU frequency is exactly 2 GHz. No multiplications, additions or other operations.
And again, let's "turn" the processors into apartments. If the height of the ceilings in each room is 3 meters, then the total height of the apartment will remain the same - all the same three meters, and not a centimeter higher. No matter how many rooms there are in such an apartment, the height of these rooms does not change. Also clock frequency of processor cores... It does not add or multiply.
Virtual multicore, or Hyper-Threading
There are also virtual processor cores... Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology makes the computer “think” that there are actually 4 cores inside a dual-core processor. Much like a single hard drive is divided into several logical- local drives C, D, E and so on.
Hyper-Threading is a very useful technology for a number of tasks.... Sometimes it happens that the processor core is only half involved, and the rest of the transistors in its composition toss about idle. The engineers figured out a way to make these idlers work, too, by dividing each physical processor core into two “virtual” parts. As if a large enough room was divided into two by a partition.
Does it make practical sense to v-cores trick? Most often - yes, although it all depends on the specific tasks. It seems that there are more rooms (and most importantly, they are used more rationally), but the area of the room has not changed. In offices, such partitions are incredibly useful, in some residential apartments too. In other cases, there is no sense at all in blocking the room (dividing the processor core into two virtual ones).
Note that the most expensive and productive class processorsCorei7 without fail equipped withHyper-Threading... They have 4 physical cores and 8 virtual ones. It turns out that 8 computational threads work simultaneously on one processor. Less expensive but also powerful Intel class processors Corei5 consist of four cores, but Hyper Threading does not work there. It turns out that Core i5s work with 4 threads of computing.
Processors Corei3- typical "middle peasants", both in price and in performance. They have two cores and no hint of Hyper-Threading. In total, it turns out that Corei3 only two computational threads. The same applies to frankly budget crystals. Pentium andCeleron... Two cores, no hyper-threading = two threads.
Does a computer need a lot of cores? How many cores does a processor need?
All modern processors are powerful enough for common tasks... Browsing the Internet, chatting on social networks and by e-mail, office tasks Word-PowerPoint-Excel: weak Atom, budget Celeron and Pentium are also suitable for this work, not to mention the more powerful Core i3. Two cores are more than enough for normal operation. A processor with a large number of cores will not bring a significant increase in speed.
For games, you should pay attention to processorsCorei3 ori5... Rather, gaming performance will not depend on the processor, but on the video card. Rarely does a game require the full power of a Core i7. Therefore, it is believed that games require no more than four processor cores, and more often two cores will do.
For serious work like special engineering programs, video encoding and other resource-intensive tasks really productive equipment is required... Often not only physical, but also virtual processor cores are involved here. The more computational threads, the better. And it doesn't matter how much such a processor costs: for professionals, the price is not so important.
Are there any benefits of multi-core processors?
Of course, yes. At the same time, the computer is engaged in several tasks - at least the operation of Windows (by the way, these are hundreds of different tasks) and, at the same time, playing the movie. Playing music and browsing the Internet. Text editor and included music. Two processor cores - which are, in fact, two processors, can cope with different tasks faster than one. Two cores will do this somewhat faster. Four is even faster than two.
In the early years of the existence of multicore technology, not all programs were able to work even with two processor cores. By 2014, the vast majority of applications are well aware and able to take advantage of multiple cores. The processing speed of tasks on a dual-core processor rarely doubles, but there is almost always a performance gain.
Therefore, the ingrained myth that, supposedly, programs cannot use multiple cores is outdated information. Once upon a time it was really so, today the situation has improved dramatically. The benefits of multiple cores are undeniable, this is a fact.
When a processor has fewer cores, it's better
You shouldn't buy a processor with the wrong "the more cores, the better" formula. This is not true. First, 4, 6 and 8-core processors are significantly more expensive than their dual-core counterparts. A significant increase in price is not always justified in terms of performance. For example, if an 8-core is only 10% faster than a CPU with fewer cores, but it will be 2 times more expensive, then such a purchase is difficult to justify.
Secondly, the more cores a processor has, the more power-hungry it is. There is no point in buying a much more expensive laptop with a 4-core (8-thread) Core i7 if this laptop will only process text files, browse the Internet, and so on. There will be no difference with a dual-core (4 threads) Core i5, and the classic Core i3 with only two computational threads will not yield to its more eminent "colleague". And such a powerful laptop will last much less battery life than the economical and undemanding Core i3.
Multi-core processors in mobile phones and tablets
The fashion for several computing cores within one processor also applies to mobile devices. Smartphones, along with tablets with a large number of cores, almost never use the full capabilities of their microprocessors. Dual-core mobile computers sometimes really work a little faster, but 4, and even more so 8 cores is a frank overkill. The battery is consumed completely godlessly, and powerful computing devices are simply idle. The bottom line is that multi-core processors in phones, smartphones and tablets are just a marketing tribute, not an absolute must. Computers are more demanding devices than phones. They really need two processor cores. Four won't hurt. 6 and 8 are overkill in common tasks and even in games.
How to choose a multi-core processor and not be mistaken?
The practical part of today's article is relevant for 2014. It is unlikely that in the coming years, something will change seriously. We will only talk about Intel processors. Yes, AMD offers good solutions, but they are less popular and more difficult to figure out.
Note that the table is based on processors from 2012-2014. Older designs have different characteristics. We also did not mention rare CPU variants, for example, a single-core Celeron (there are some even today, but this is an atypical option that is almost not presented on the market). You should not choose processors solely by the number of cores inside them - there are other, more important characteristics. The table will only make it easier to choose a multi-core processor, but a specific model (and there are dozens of them in each class) should be bought only after a thorough acquaintance with their parameters: frequency, heat dissipation, generation, cache size and other characteristics.
| CPU | Number of Cores | Computing streams | Typical area of application |
| Atom | 1-2 | 1-4 | Low-power computers and netbooks. Atom processors are designed to keep power consumption as low as possible. Their performance is minimal. |
| Celeron | 2 | 2 | The cheapest processors for desktops and laptops. The performance is sufficient for office tasks, but these are not gaming CPUs at all. |
| Pentium | 2 | 2 | As inexpensive and low-performance Intel processors as Celeron. An excellent choice for office computers. Pentiums are equipped with a slightly larger cache, and, sometimes, slightly higher performance compared to Celeron |
| Core i3 | 2 | 4 | Two powerful enough cores, each of which is divided into two virtual "processors" (Hyper-Threading). These are already quite powerful CPUs at not too high prices. A good choice for a home or a powerful office computer without special demands on performance. |
| Core i5 | 4 | 4 | Full 4-core Core i5 processors are quite expensive processors. Their performance is lacking only in the most demanding tasks. |
| Core i7 | 4-6 | 8-12 | The most powerful but especially expensive Intel processors. As a rule, they rarely turn out to be faster than the Core i5, and only in some programs. There are simply no alternatives to them. |
A short summary of the article "The Whole Truth About Multi-Core Processors." Instead of a synopsis
- Processor core- its constituent part. In fact, a standalone processor inside the case. Dual Core Processor - Two processors inside one.
- Multicore comparable to the number of rooms inside an apartment. Two-room apartments are better than one-room apartments, but only with other things being equal (location of the apartment, condition, area, ceiling height).
- The statement that the more cores a processor has, the better it is Is a marketing gimmick, a completely wrong rule. After all, an apartment is chosen not only by the number of rooms, but also by its location, repair and other parameters. The same goes for multiple cores inside a processor.
- Exists "Virtual" multicore- Hyper-Threading technology. Thanks to this technology, each "physical" core is divided into two "virtual" ones. It turns out that a 2-core processor with Hyper-Threading has only two real cores, but these processors simultaneously process 4 computational threads. This is a really useful feature, but a 4-thread processor cannot be considered a quad-core.
- For Intel desktop processors: Celeron - 2 cores and 2 threads. Pentium - 2 cores, 2 threads. Core i3 - 2 cores, 4 threads. Core i5 - 4 cores, 4 threads. Core i7 - 4 cores, 8 threads. Intel laptop (mobile) CPUs have a different number of cores / threads.
- For mobile computers, energy efficiency (in practice, battery life) is often more important than the number of cores.
When buying a flash drive, many people ask themselves the question: "how to choose the right flash drive." Of course, choosing a USB flash drive is not so difficult if you know exactly for what purpose it is being purchased. In this article I will try to give a complete answer to the question posed. I decided to write only about what to look at when buying.
Flash storage (USB storage) is a storage device for storing and transferring information. The flash drive works very simply without batteries. You just need to connect it to the USB port of your PC.
1. USB stick interface
At the moment there are 2 interfaces: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. If you decide to buy a USB flash drive, then I recommend taking a USB 3.0 flash drive. This interface was made recently, its main feature is high data transfer rate. Let's talk about speeds below.
This is one of the main parameters to look at first. Now we sell flash drives from 1 GB to 256 GB. The cost of a flash drive will directly depend on the amount of memory. Here you need to immediately decide for what purpose the flash drive is being bought. If you are going to store text documents on it, then 1 GB will be enough. For downloading and carrying movies, music, photos, etc. you need to take the more, the better. Today, the most popular are flash drives from 8GB to 16GB.
3. Body material
The body can be made of plastic, glass, wood, metal, etc. Mostly flash drives are made of plastic. There is nothing I can advise here, it all depends on the preferences of the buyer.
4. Baud rate
Earlier I wrote that there are two standards USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Now I will explain how they differ. The USB 2.0 standard has read speeds up to 18 Mbps and writes up to 10 Mbps. The USB 3.0 standard has a read speed of 20-70 Mbps and a write speed of 15-70 Mbps. Here, I think, there is no need to explain anything.
Now in stores you can find flash drives of different shapes and sizes. They can be in the form of jewelry, quirky animals, etc. Here I would advise you to take a flash drive that has a protective cap.
6. Password protection
There are flash drives that have a password protection function. Such protection is carried out using a program that is located in the flash drive itself. The password can be set both on the entire flash drive and on part of the data in it. Such a flash drive will be primarily useful for people who transfer corporate information into it. According to manufacturers, having lost it, you do not have to worry about your data. Not so simple. If such a flash drive falls into the hands of an understanding person, then hacking it is just a matter of time.
These flash drives are very beautiful outwardly, but I would not recommend buying them. Because they are very fragile and often break in half. But if you are a neat person, then feel free to take it.
Output
As you have noticed, there are many nuances. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. In my opinion, the most important parameters when choosing: flash drive standard, volume and speed of writing and reading. And everything else: design, material, options - it's just everyone's personal choice.Good afternoon, my dear friends. In today's article, I want to talk about how to choose the right mouse pad. When buying a rug, many do not attach any importance to this. But as it turned out, this point needs to be given special attention, because the mat determines one of the indicators of comfort while working at the PC. For an avid gamer, choosing a rug is a completely different story. Consider what options for mouse pads have been invented today.
Rug options
1. Aluminum2. Glass
3. Plastic
4. Rubberized
5. Double-sided
6. Helium
And now I would like to talk about each species in more detail.
1. First, I want to consider three options at once: plastic, aluminum and glass. These rugs are very popular with gamers. For example, plastic rugs are easier to find commercially. On these rugs, the mouse glides quickly and accurately. And most importantly, these mats are suitable for both laser and optical mice. Aluminum and glass mats will be a little more difficult to find. And they will cost a lot. True, there is a reason - they will serve for a very long time. These types of rugs have small disadvantages. Many people say that they rustle when working and feel a little cool to the touch, which can cause discomfort for some users.
2. Rubberized (rag) mats have a soft slide, but the accuracy of their movements is worse. For ordinary users, such a rug will be just right. And they are much cheaper than the previous ones.
3. Double-sided mousepads are, in my opinion, a very interesting kind of mousepads. As the name implies, these rugs have two sides. Generally, one side is high speed and the other high precision. It so happens that each side is designed for a certain game.
4. Gel mats have a silicone cushion. She supposedly supports her hand and relieves tension from it. For me personally, they turned out to be the most uncomfortable. By design, they are designed for office workers, since they sit at the computer all day. For casual users and gamers, these rugs will not work. The mouse glides on the surface of such rugs very poorly, and their accuracy is not very good.
Dimensions of rugs
There are three types of rugs: large, medium and small. Everything here primarily depends on the taste of the user. But as is commonly believed, large rugs are well suited for games. Small and medium-sized ones hire mainly for work.Design of rugs
In this regard, there are no restrictions. It all depends on what you want to see on your rug. Fortunately, now on the rugs that they just do not paint. The most popular are the logos of computer games such as dota, warcraft, ruler, etc. But if it happened that you could not find a rug with the pattern you need, do not be upset. Now you can order the printing on the rug. But such rugs have a drawback: when printing on the surface of the rug, its properties deteriorate. Design in exchange for quality.
This is where I want to end the article. On my own behalf, I wish you to make the right choice and be satisfied with it.
Who does not have a mouse or wants to replace it with another one, I advise you to look at the article:.
Monoblocks from Microsoft have replenished with a new monoblock model called Surface Studio. Microsoft presented its new product recently at an exhibition in New York.
On a note! I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago where I reviewed the Surface all-in-one. This candy bar was presented earlier. To view the article, click on.
Design
Microsoft calls its novelty the world's thinnest candy bar. Weighing 9.56 kg, the thickness of the display is only 12.5 mm, the other dimensions are 637.35x438.9 mm. The dimensions of the display are 28 inches with a resolution of more than 4K (4500x3000 pixels), an aspect ratio of 3: 2.
On a note! The display resolution of 4500x3000 pixels corresponds to 13.5 million pixels. That's 63% more than 4K resolution.
The monoblock display itself is touch-sensitive, enclosed in an aluminum case. It is very convenient to draw on such a display with a stylus, which ultimately opens up new possibilities for using a candy bar. In my opinion, this monoblock model will appeal to creative people (photographers, designers, etc.).
On a note! For people of creative professions, I advise you to look at the article where I considered monoblocks of similar functionality. Click on the highlighted:.
To everything written above, I would add that the main feature of the monoblock will be its ability to instantly turn into a tablet with a huge working surface.
On a note! By the way, Microsoft has another amazing candy bar. To find out about it, go to.
Specifications
I will present the characteristics in the form of a photograph.
From the periphery, I will note the following: 4 USB ports, Mini-Display Port, Ethernet network port, card-reader, 3.5 mm audio jack, 1080p webcam, 2 microphones, 2.1 Dolby Audio Premium, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The all-in-one also supports Xbox wireless controllers.
Price
When you buy a candy bar, it will have Windows 10 Creators Update installed. This system should be released in the spring of 2017. This operating system will have updated Paint, Office, etc. The price of the candy bar will start at $ 3,000.Dear friends, write in the comments what you think about this candy bar, ask your questions. I will be glad to talk!
OCZ showcased the new VX 500 SSDs. These drives will be equipped with a Serial ATA 3.0 interface and are made in a 2.5-inch form factor.
On a note! Anyone interested in how SSD drives work and how long they live can be read in the article I wrote earlier:.The new items are made using 15-nanometer technology and will be equipped with Tochiba MLC NAND flash memory microchips. The controller in the SSDs will be used by the Tochiba TC 35 8790.
The VX 500 will be available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB drives. According to the manufacturer, the sequential read speed will be 550 MB / s (this is for all drives of this series), but the write speed will be from 485 MB / s to 512 MB / s.
The number of input / output operations per second (IOPS) with 4 KB data blocks can reach 92000 when reading, and 65000 when writing (all with random).
The thickness of the OCZ VX 500 drives will be 7 mm. This will allow them to be used in Ultrabooks.
The prices of new products will be as follows: 128 GB - $ 64, 256 GB - $ 93, 512 GB - $ 153, 1 TB - $ 337. I think they will cost more in Russia.
Lenovo presented its new IdeaCentre Y910 all-in-one gaming machine at Gamescom 2016.
On a note! Earlier I wrote an article where I have already considered gaming monoblocks from different manufacturers. This article can be viewed by clicking on this.
The new product from Lenovo received a 27-inch bezel-less display. The display resolution is 2560x1440 pixels (this is the QHD format), the refresh rate is 144 Hz, and the response time is 5 ms.
The candy bar will have several configurations. The maximum configuration provides a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 2 TB or 256 GB hard drive capacity. The amount of RAM is 32 GB DDR4. The graphics card will be responsible for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or GeForce GTX 1080 with Pascal architecture. Thanks to such a video card, it will be possible to connect a virtual reality helmet to the candy bar.
From the periphery of the monoblock, I would single out the Harmon Kardon audio system with 5-watt speakers, the Killer DoubleShot Pro Wi-Fi module, a webcam, USB ports 2.0 and 3.0, HDMI connectors.
The basic version of the IdeaCentre Y910 monoblock will go on sale in September 2016 at a price of 1,800 euros. But the monoblock with the "VR-ready" version will appear in October at a price of 2200 euros. It is known that this version will have a GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card.
MediaTek has decided to upgrade its Helio X30 mobile processor. So now the developers at MediaTek are designing a new mobile processor called the Helio X35.
I would like to briefly talk about the Helio X30. This processor has 10 cores, which are combined into 3 clusters. The Helio X30 has 3 variations. The first - the most powerful consists of Cortex-A73 cores with a frequency of up to 2.8 GHz. There are also blocks with Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2.2 GHz and Cortex-A35 with a frequency of 2.0 GHz.
The new Helio X35 processor also has 10 cores and is created using 10-nanometer technology. The clock frequency in this processor will be much higher than that of its predecessor and is from 3.0 Hz. The novelty will allow you to use up to 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. A Power VR 7XT controller will most likely be responsible for the graphics in the processor.
The station itself can be seen in the photos in the article. In them, we can observe the drive bays. One bay with a 3.5 "jack and the other with a 2.5" jack. Thus, it will be possible to connect both a solid-state disk (SSD) and a hard disk drive (HDD) to the new station.
The dimensions of the Drive Dock are 160x150x85mm, and the weight is no less than 970 grams.
Many people probably wonder how the Drive Dock is connected to a computer. The answer is: this happens via USB port 3.1 Gen 1. According to the manufacturer, the sequential read speed will be 434 MB / s, and in the write (sequential) mode, 406 MB / s. The novelty will be compatible with Windows and Mac OS.
This device will be very useful for people who work with photo and video materials at a professional level. Drive Dock can also be used for file backups.
The price for the new device will be acceptable - it is $ 90.
On a note! Renducintala previously worked for Qualcomm. And in November 2015, he moved to a rival company Intel.
In his interview, Renducintala did not talk about mobile processors, but only said the following, I quote: "I prefer to talk less and do more."
Thus, the top manager of Intel brought in excellent intrigue with his interviews. It remains for us to wait for new announcements in the future.
Dual-core processors- microprocessors, on the crystal of which (with an area of about 200 mm 2) there are two independent processors operating simultaneously (in parallel). This leads to an increase in the performance of the personal computer by 80-100%. Dual-core processors from AMD are built on the basis of Opteron cores (in versions with a clock speed of 1, 8-2, 2 GHz) and Athlon. The first ones are assigned additional marking - 2xx and 1xx, the second - X2 (for example - Athlon 64 X2 4200). In early 2006, AMD announced the release of new high-performance Opteron dual-core server processors: Model 885 - for enterprise servers with up to 8 processors; Model 285 - for high-performance dual-processor servers and workstations; Model 185 - for single processor servers and workstations. In mid-2006, AMD launched the Athlon 64X2 4000+, 4400, 4600 and 4800+ dual-core processors with a reduced power consumption of 65W.
The design of the first most productive dual-core processors from Intel (for example, Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840) was based on the use of two Prescott processors, equipped with logic matching their work. All dual-core Pentium 4s received the name Pentium D and numbers of the eight hundred and nine hundred series (Pentium D 8xx and 9xx). In November 2005, Intel announced four dual-core Xeon 7000 series processor models with different clock speeds, L2 cache size for each processor core, and supported system buses. In March 2006, Intel demonstrated at the IDF the development of a new microarchitecture for high-performance dual-core processors - Intel Core. The latter features 5 key innovations called Wide Dynamic Execution. In particular, one core provides the execution of 4 instructions per cycle (one more than in Pentium M and processors based on the NetBurst architecture); the best "legacy" of Pentium M was used (for example, in terms of power management technology, combining groups of operations before their execution, etc.); each core has one instruction prefetch device and four data prefetch devices (2 each in the first and second level caches); one of the innovations (Advanced Digital Media Boost) provides support for executing all 128-bit instructions Streaming SIMD Extencions and others in one cycle. In summer 2006, Intel launched Intel Core 2 Duo and Intel Core 2 Extreme processors based on this architecture.
Work is actively underway to increase the number of cores on one crystal. In relation to such multiprocessor systems and their production technologies, the terms are used: multi-core processors and multi-core technologies. The first example of the implementation of one of the variants of such technologies is the development of the SUN Microsystems company - an 8-core multithreading (processing 4 threads with each core) UltraSPARC T1 microprocessor (codenamed Niagara). This microprocessor provides a significant increase in server performance with very low power consumption (less than 70W). In turn, Intel plans to release in 2007, based on the Intel Core architecture, 4-core processors codenamed Kentsfield (for desktops, workstations and single-processor servers; it is assumed that the processors will receive the commercial name Intel Core 2 Quad), Clovertown (for dual-processor servers) and Tigerton (for multi-processor systems). Intel expects that by the end of 2007, it will ship 90% multi-core processors for desktop and mobile systems and nearly 100% for servers.
