HOw TO BenchMark Your PC or Laptop

To casual observers, PC builders who fixate on benchmarks are geeks unable to see the forest from the trees. “Why,” they ask, “can’t you just enjoy your new computer and let it be?” Our answer: the difference between a person who cares about benchmarking and one who doesn’t is how much that person values their free time. Case in point, we recently did something as simple as download two large zip files at the end of the work day. Instead of strolling out at 6 p.m., we ended up waiting 15 minutes for the files to be decompressed on our work-issued PC. To care about benchmark is to care about performance. And to care about performance is to care about having more free time on your hand. But you shouldn’t just download any benchmarking tool to run--there’s a right and wrong way to benchmark your machine if you want to get meaningful results. We’ll teach you proper benchmarking techniques and how to interpret your results. Read on to learn how to benchmark the Maximum PC way.

Preflight your PC

Getting repeatable, reliable benchmark results isn’t just about picking the right benchmark, it’s also about configuring your PC properly too. Here are some basic tips every armchair benchmarker should perform before running his or her first benchmark run: Turn off any screen saver: Even though the screen saver is supposed to stay inactive during use, you should always completely disable the screensaver. Turn off power saving modes: Unless you’re interested in measuring power consumption of the machine using a Watt meter, all benchmark runs should be conducted with the machine set to high performance mode in the OS. Disconnect from Internet: Remove any Ethernet cable or disconnect any Wi-Fi connection unless it’s needed for your benchmarking run. Disable antivirus apps: Unless you want to see the impact of having AV overhead on a machine, disable any antivirus tools for your benchmarking run. Turn off autoupdate: Windows update should be switched off to prevent it from download a massive huge patch (You did disconnect the network connection right?) or to prevent it from eating CPU cycles looking for one. Other apps that autoupdate should also be turned off as well. Defrag your hard drive: If the drive is heavily fragmented, we recommend that you invoke a defrag of the disk. Those with SSD’s, obviously, need not perform this step. Disable System Restore: Turning off System Restore will prevent Windows from creating those restore points. Reboot: Self explanatory. Wait for the machine to fully boot: As we all know, it takes a minute or a few minutes for the OS to load all of the files it needs – even after you’re presented with the desktop. Wait a few minutes until disk activity has subsided. Run ProcessIdleTasks: Spawn a “DOS box” by typing run CMD and type: “Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks” This will order Windows to perform all of the tasks it would normally do when the system is idle. Repeat your benchmark: We recommend that you run your benchmark at least three times to five times and to take the median score.

The Three ‘Rs of benchmarking

Real-world

Real-world benchmark wasn’t always the en vogue. Years ago, the enthusiast community mostly relied on synthetic benchmarks (some prefer the term ‘artificial benchmarks’). That trend broke when people realized that vendors were skewing their drivers to increase performance in the synthetic tests, which actually hurt real-world gaming performance. This move pushed benchmarkers toward real-world apps and games with the thought that performance enhancements will deliver real benefit.

Relevance

Just like you wouldn’t bring a Klingon d’k tahg to a phaser fight, you shouldn’t use a CPU benchmark to test a hard drive. As easy as it would be to understand, you wouldn’t believe how many times we see people cite a benchmark intended as a GPU test to illustrate CPU performance. For every benchmark you run, you’ll want to understand what component it’s most influenced by: CPU, GPU, RAM or HDD.

Repeatability

So you’ve found a benchmark actually works for your needs. Great! But is it repeatable? Can you run it five times on the same machine and have it produce the same results within a tolerable level of variance of, say, three percent?

Synthetic vs. Real World

As we mentioned, real-world applications have been established as the preferred benchmarking tools for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean synthetic benchmarks are irrelevant. In fact, synthetic benchmarks can be quite useful in evaluating a focused set of components such as RAM, the CPU or hard drive. Some synthetic tests can even be considered partially real-world. The classic complaint against synthetic tests is that they used tests or engines that were optimized solely for the benefit of the benchmark results. But many synthetic tests today are based on real-world engines or use algorithms developed from popular applications. PC Mark’s hard drive tests, for example, uses traces of what apps or the OS does. It then runs these traces against the hard drive to measure hard drive performance. You can see how the line between synthetic and real-world benchmarks can get easily blurred today. In some cases, actually finding real-world benchmarks that stress a particular component is difficult. RAM is probably one of the best examples of that. It’s actually very difficult to find real-world benchmarks that will exploit either the low latency or high bandwidth features of modern RAM. It’s only through synthetic benchmarks that you can actually see that you’re benefiting from any additional bandwidth at all. Hard drive features is also fairly difficult to discern without the use of at least some synthetic benchmarks.

Benchmarking Tools

Here are some bench-marking tools:

• PC Mark Vantage
• Cinebench 10
• POVRAY
• ScienceMark 2.0

Sharing Internet Connection using WiFi (Windows XP)

Here is the situation, you have two (or more) laptops (or PC) with WiFi capabilities. You don't have any router, switch, hub, or whatsoever. Just a single Internet port enough for one of your computer. Don't be worry, because you still can share the Internet connection by using ad-hoc network. First, you need to pick one of those computers as a "server". Connect it to the Internet using the usual way. Next, open Control Panel>Network and Internet Connections>Network Connections. Open the Wireless Connection Properties. Change tab to Wireless Networks then click Add... button. Under the Association tab, input your Network Name as you like. Clear the The key is provided for me automatically check box and select the This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network check box. Fill in the Network Key along with the confirmation with a 13-digit password and then press OK. Press OK once again to close the dialog box. Now you have finished with the first computer. For the other computer, check for available wireless network. Usually a notification balloon will pop up and you can just simply click on it or just go to the Network Connections, right click on the Wireless Network Connection and click on View Available Wireless Networks. Select your network, and click connect button on the lower right corner. Input the Network Key and press connect once again. If the first computer is using a PPPoE connection to gain access to the Internet don't forget to allow other computers to use it. You can do it by accessing the Network Connections, then open the properties of the connection. Open Advanced tab, check the Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection and set the Home networking connection to Wireless Network Connection. In my experience, this network is not very stable. Not really sure what is the cause, but still good enough for a temporary solution.

Computer Technology, Now and Twenty Years Ago

With or without us realizing, the technology has been improving significantly over the past 20 years. One of the most significant changes can be spotted in the improvement of computer technology. Computer nowadays has better performance, smaller size, and bigger capacity. On top of that, the improvements of computer technology make it possible to lower the cost of computers. All of those lead to many unimaginable capabilities of computer. Before 1980, the idea of “computer for everyone” was considered as a very unlikely, if not an absurd idea. However, keep in mind that most of the advanced technology we have today started from a mere dream. It was IBM who made it possible by introducing the first computer intended for home usage, called “IBM PC (Personal Computer)” in the early 1980s. It is true that before IBM, several companies had already attempted to release a personal computer, but none of them shared the similar popularity as IBM PC. Since that time, the computer technology started to grow immensely. In 1987, Intel introduced the first 32-bit processor 80386 which is the third generation of processor. During the next 20 years, the development of processor has been quite outstanding and nowadays we are quite familiar with the multi-core processor known as the 8th generation of processor. To practically compare the third generation processor and the 8th generation processor is virtually impossible, however, it is still possible to compare those two using a measurement of performance in MIPS (Million Instruction per Second) scale. The 80386 processor had the processing capability of 8.5 MIPS while the high-end processor introduced in 2006, Intel Core 2 Extreme is working at 57,063 MIPS, which is 6713 times faster. It is not even necessary to mention that there exists a prototype called “Intel Polaris” capable on working in 1,800,000 MIPS just to show that there is significant improvement in processor’s performance. The capacity of computer has also been increasing rapidly. In approximately 20 years, hard drives (common non-volatile storages for computers) has evolved from a fifty two-foot diameter disks holding only five MB (5,000,000 bytes) of data to today’s drives at the size of 3.5 inches wide capable of storing one TB (1,000,000,000,000 bytes) or more. Moreover, the development of “flash memory” made it possible to have an even smaller device with decent storage capability. The smallest flash memory available commercially called microSD is only at 15mm x 11mm x 0.7mm, or about the size of a fingernail. Despite its physical size, it can store up to 8GB of data (around 1600 MP3 or 13 movies in VCD’s format!). The most popular Operating System (OS) in the world, Microsoft Windows had only started in 1985. The first two unsuccessful versions of Windows were nowhere near the Windows we know today. They were barely called Operating System because they were merely extensions to the console-based MS-DOS and inherit the latter’s flaws and problems. The later version of Windows called the Microsoft Windows 3.0 scored a significant success. It was capable of running multi-task applications thanks to its new memory management. Another significant improvement was its user-friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface), making it possible for the PC users to enjoy better interface that previously only be enjoyed by the more exclusive Apple Macintosh users. The latest version of Microsoft Windows is called Vista that was released in 2006 as a replacement for Microsoft Windows XP. However, despite many new exciting features introduced in Vista, many people still reluctant to upgrade their system. Computer technology may have changed a lot, however, the same thing may not necessarily true for human. Since 20 years ago, some programmers have been keeping on developing a certain useless and troublesome programs called computer virus. It is a program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. If anything different about developing virus 20 years ago and now, then it should be the motives. "The most significant change has been the evolution of virus writing hobbyists into criminally operated gangs bent on financial gain" said F-Secure's chief research officer Mikko Hypponen. Unfortunately, “This trend is showing no signs of stopping".

About adobe and apple

The Evolution of the Microprocessor

The first programmable microprocessor — the Intel® 4004 — made its debut in 1971 in a business calculator. Since then, multiple generations of Intel microprocessors have gone on to be the brains in a variety of everyday products, from gas pumps and traffic light controllers to some of history’s most profound moments, like the Apollo space missions and medical research into the human genome.

It would take up to one million original Intel 4004 chips to provide the effortless computing power we have all come to expect from today’s Ultrabook. By our calculation, that would make today’s laptop measure roughly 23 feet by 10 feet, and it would consume 4,000 times more energy than a moden laptop and cost about $150,000 a year to power. Cheers to progress!

The dramatic evolution of computing over the past few decades has unleashed wave after wave of innovation. Yet, Intel believes we are still at the very early stages in the evolution of computing. Fueled by the relentless advancement of Moore’s Law, the pace of technological innovation is, in fact, accelerating. Intel believes the sheer number of advances in the next 40 years will equal all of the innovative activity that has taken place over the last 10,000 years of human history. Intel envisions billions of connected people, and trillions of connected electronic and electromechanical devices, creating the so-called “Internet of things”. Today, technology is no longer the limiting factor. We are limited only by our own imagination, so the really important question is, “What do you want from the future of computing?”

What is Motherboard

Hi Friends,
How are you all,

I hope you enjoyed reading details about processors. Today I am gonna elaborate about one of the most vital components of CPU that is MOTHERBOARD.

In today's article I will try to explain you brief of what motherboard is and other details about motherboard and also helping you select the best suitable to you?

What is motherboard??

A motherboard is the central or primary circuit board making up a complex electronic system, such as a modern computer. It is also known as a mainboard, baseboard, system board, planar board or, on Apple computers, a logic board, and is sometimes abbreviated as mobo.

The motherboard of a typical desktop consists of a large printed circuit board. It holds electronic components and interconnects, as well as physical connectors. It often consists of two components or chips known as the Northbridge and Southbridge, though they may also be integrated into a single component. These chips determine, to an extent, the features and capabilities of the motherboard.

Most motherboards include, at a minimum:

sockets (or slots) in which one or more microprocessors are installed.
slots into which the system's main memory is installed (typically in the form of DIMM modules containing DRAM chips)
a Chipset which forms an interface between the CPU's front-side bus, main memory, and peripheral buses
Non volatile chips (usually Flash ROM in modern motherboards) containing the system's firmware and BIOS
a clock generator which produces the system clock signal to synchronize the various components
slots for expansion cards (these interface to the system via the buses supported by the chipset)
power connectors and circuits, which receive electrical power from the computer power supply and distribute it to the CPU, chipset, main memory, and expansion cards.
Additionally, nearly all motherboards include logic and connectors to support commonly-used input devices, such as PS 2 connectors for a mouse and keyboard.

There are a lot of motherboards on the market to choose from. The big question is, how do you go about choosing which one is right for you?

The first factor to think about concerning motherboards is the size, or form factor. The most popular motherboard form factor today is ATX, which evolved from it's predecessor, the Baby AT, a smaller version of the AT (Advanced Technology) form factor.

The important differential is which CPU the board supports. Two of the biggest makes of CPUs at the moment are Intel and AMD, yet you cannot buy motherboards that support the use of either: it will support one or the other, due to physical differences in the connectors. Furthermore, you must choose a specific type of processor; for example, an AMD Athlon 64 or or Intel Core 2 Duo.

Chipsets are a crucial part of a motherboard, a chipset supports the facilities offered by the processor. A chipset is part of the motherboard, and cannot be upgraded without upgrading the whole board. There are a few main producers of chipsets, which are AMD, Intel, NVidia and Via: The latter two make chipsets for both AMD and Intel processors; AMD and Intel only make chipsets compatible with their own processors.


The next thing is how much RAM you want. RAM, or Random Access Memory, is the main memory in a computer, and is used mainly to store information that is being actively used or that changes often. It is always wise to choose a motherboard that can support more RAM than you currently need. For example, if you want 512MB of RAM in your computer, it would be wise to buy a motherboard that supports at least 1GB of RAM (many now support 4GB). This is simply to help make your computer ‘future proof': if you need to upgrade your memory, you will not need to upgrade your motherboard too.

You are likely to want various expansion cards (such as graphics cards, sound cards and so on). These components tend to have physically different connectors. The PCI-E slot is the most common graphics card interface nowadays, but the AGP slot is still in use.

Aside from the main differences I have covered, there a few more details to consider. All motherboards have USB sockets for peripheral devices. You also need to ensure that your motherboard has the right socket for your drives (hard drive, CD ROM drive, etc), which are generally SATA and IDE.

Unless you have limitless resources, price is always a consideration when buying computer component. A motherboard usually takes up a fairly large part of any PC budget, so it requires careful consideration. A cheap motherboard may be more unreliable and more trouble than it is worth. A motherboard is one of those components where it pays to spend a little extra.

Finally, try to buy from a reputable retailer: It is always worth doing so just in case you have any problems.

That's it for today, I hope you got a brief idea about how you should go about buying a motherboard and a CPU.

Please feel free to comment or write views on the above article. It will help me do better.

Image of Motherboard will be uploaded soon

Processor War

Hello Friends,

I hope you had fun reading the history of computers.

Taking a leaf out of those history I bring details about the heart of computer, that is the PROCESSOR.

Two most prominent chipmaker in the world - INTEL and AMD are slugging it out to provide the best possible processors in today's world. With time the companies have moved ahead from Single- Core CPUs to Quad- Core CPUs with 8-Core CPUs in pipeline.

Just 3 years back we were arguing about performance difference between Single core cpus v/s dual core cpus. Now, with Intel's dual-core becomming more mainstream, within less than a year, we have already begun to look to the future and speculate the performance increase between dual vs. quad-cores.

What are basically Single Core, Dual Core, Quad Core CPUs?

Let me explain each of them in brief

Single Core : In a single-core or traditional processor the CPU is fed strings of instructions it must order, execute, then selectively store in its cache for quick retrieval. When data outside the cache is required, it is retrieved through the system bus from random access memory (RAM) or from storage devices. Accessing these slows down performance to the maximum speed the bus, RAM or storage device will allow, which is far slower than the speed of the CPU. The situation is compounded when multi-tasking. In this case the processor must switch back and forth between two or more sets of data streams and programs. CPU resources are depleted and performance suffers.

Dual Core : A dual-core processor is a single chip that contains two distinct processors or "execution cores" in the same integrated circuit. Each core handles incoming data strings simultaneously to improve efficiency.
A dual core processor is different from a multi-processor system.

Multi Core refers to - two or more CPUs working together on one single chip (like AMD Athlon X2 or Intel Core Duo) in contrast to DUAL CPU, which refers to two separate CPUs working together.

Quad Core : In this processor, there are four complete execution cores in a single processor with upto 12 MB of L2 cache and upto 1333 MHz Front Side Bus. Four dedicated, physical threads help OS and applications deliver additional performance that reflects in multi-tasking and multi-threaded performance. More instructions can be carried out per clock cycle, shorter and wider pipelines execute commands more quickly and improved bus lanes move data throughout the system faster.

To take full advantage of more than one core CPU, operating systems as well as applications should be developed such that they can utilize the multiple core capability of processor thereby improving the performance.

The obvious question that comes to every computer user will be:

What sort of processor do i need to buy?

The answer to this is quite straight forward.

In today's world usually we run two to three applications at one time. That is while surfing on web, we listen to music, burn dvd, run other applications as well. So at this time a single core cpu won't be able to perform these task efficiently. So the best option would be to go for dual core cpu or quad core cpu.

For value conscious users who want the best out of both the worlds should go for a higher end dual core cpu as they can be easily overclocked to meet all the basic requirements.

For those who have no money bar issue can go for the best Quad Core processors available in the market.

For users who are interested in overclocking their units to perform the best Quad Cores are the way to go while for those who don't like to play with their units will have a different opinion that dual cores are better as the lab test mention below suggest.

Games, which usually run about 2 years behind hardware innovations, b/c of their long and vested development time, are just now starting to cater to dual-core cpu's. However, with games like Unreal Tournament 2007, and Alan Wake looking to take advantage of multi cores, it's common sense that individuals looking to play the next wave of next gen games, look to the quad-core environment. Also, the power consumption to productivity ratio is greater in quad-core machines, verses dual-core.

I think it won't be until the end of '07 to '08 when we really see common programs and apps, as well as games, truly become multi-threaded.

We're not yet at a point of deminishing returns, where adding more cores will cease to improve performance, so the switch should be even more likely. As far as upgradability, dual-cores can't be upgraded to quads, and the new motherboards coming out will be able to support dual-quad- cores, potentially offering up to 8 cores within a single machine.

While programs now don't really take advantage of quad-core cpu's, unless they are extremely multi-threaded, they will eventually.

In my personal opinion, if you are a gaming freak it is better to go for Quad Core for reasons mentioned below. And for those who are more in software development and application users need not worry as buying a Quad Core should ensure that they don't have to update their Computers for 5 to 7 years.

The recent XBIT lab review had a battle between 3 GHz Dual Core processor and a 2.4 GHz Quadra Core processor which are price almost the same. Though the performance difference is not huge it has to be kept in mind that the applications and games as of today are still lacking in terms of utilizing all core. But one can expect to change all this in near future, as near as end of 2008 or starting of 2009.

Here is the link for the processor battle between two processors.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2quad-q6600.html

Finally, it all boils down to what you need and how are you gonna utilize the processor so that your money is well spent and you get the most out of your CPUs.

There is another report generated where dual core and quad core processor of INTEL and AMD are compared.

Find it out at http://techreport.com/articles.x/12091/1

Not surprising is that INTEL wins comprehensively considering they are working on 65 nm processors as well as 45 nm processors. AMD has a long way to go and play catch up to its arch rival, till then it can consolidate with # 2 chip maker in the world.

I hope you enjoyed reading and referring about the processors. If you wish to make any comments or give your personal views you are most welcome to do so. As they are very valuable to me.

So have a good day, I look forward to hearing from you soon.