Windows Vista beta 1 released!

ooooh!
Mircrosoft have released Windows Beta 1 ! I;m waiting till my father recieves it then install it on my com.......

....I just can't wait......

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT Performance Review

ok.....so here goes....
I've have a GeForce FX 5900XT card in my com....by MSI and was itching to make a review....so over the past few days I've slogged over this I'm proud to present my first review:

The GeForce FX 5900XT is based on the full-fledged NV35 core, which is the same eight pipeline GPU found on the GeForce FX 5900 and 5900 Ultra models (both of which have since been discontinued). The reference clock speed specifications for it is 390/700 MHz. The previous GeForce FX 5900 was clocked at 400/800 MHz, so the GPU clock speeds are quite similar, but not the memory. However, testing reveals that the GeForce FX 5900XT hardly differs much in performance from the GeForce FX 5900. Despite the lower memory clock speed on the XT version, it has been optimized for lower latency operation; hence the overall performance differential is small. Finally, the pricing is at a comfortable S$320 - S$380 price point (depending on the card model and its other features/bundles) that most gamers and graphics card enthusiasts are willing to fork out for a good performance card. In the following pages, you'll soon find out how well the GeForce FX 5900XT fares.

Here's the full technical specification list of a typical NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT product:-

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT 128MB Technical Specifications

Graphics Engine	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT GPU High Precision 3D Rendering Engine 8 pixels per clock rendering engine Full 128-bit Precision Graphics Pipeline Native support for 128-bit / 64-bit floating point and 32-bit integer rendering modes Up to 16 textures per pass CineFX 2.0 Engine Advanced Pixel Shaders allow floating-point pixel shader operations to run 2x faster than CineFX 1.0 Engine. Support for DX 9.0 Pixel Shader 2.0+ Support for DX 9.0 Vertex Shader 2.0+ Very long pixel programs up to 1024 instructions Very long vertex programs with up to 256 static instructions and up to 65536 instructions executed before termination Subroutines in shader programs Dynamic flow control Procedural shading Z-correct bump-mapping Hardware-accelerated shadow effects with shadow buffers UltraShadow Technology to accelerate shadow computations Two-sided stencil Keyframe animation Programmable matrix palette skinning Custom lens effects: fish eye, wide angle,fresnel effects, water refraction Intellisample HCT Technology Loss-less Color Compression and Z Compression (up to 4:1 ratio in real time) Fast Z-clear Adaptive texture filtering Dynamic Gamma Correction Fast antialiasing and compression performance High Compression Technology (HCT) increases visual quality at high resolutions with fast performance DirectX and S3TC texture compression Video Mixing Renderer (VMR) DVD and HDTV-ready MPEG-2 decoding up to 1920x1080i resolutions Dual DVO ports for interfacing to external TMDS transmitters and external HDTV encoders Support for dual-link DVI with resolutions support of 1600x1200. High-performance 2D rendering engine Digital Vibrance Control 3.0 (DVC) nView Multi-display Technology Default clock speed in 2D environment: 300/700 MHz (core/DDR memory) Default clock speed in 3D environment: 390/700 MHZ (core/DDR memory) 256-bit memory interface 22.4GB/sec Memory Bandwidth AGP 8X including fast writes and sideband addressing Advanced thermal monitoring and thermal management
Graphics Memory	128MB DDR SDRAM of 350MHz clock rate (effective speed of 700MHz DDR)
RAMDAC	Dual 400MHz RAMDACs that support resolutions of 2048x1536@85Hz
Video Decoder / Encoder	GPU integrated NTSC/PAL TV Encoder support resolutions up to 1024x768 with built-in Macrovision copy protection Video decoder by optional 3rd party ASIC part.
Connectors	1x analog RGB connector 1x mini-DIN connector (for Video-out) 1x DVI-I connector (for Digital Flat Panel displays)
Drivers	Driver support for Microsoft Windows 95/98/98SE/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP, Linux IA32 / IA64 / AMD64 and FreeBSD NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) Fully compliant OpenGL 1.5 API and lower suport Complete DirectX support including 9.0 and lower
Other Information	AGP 2.0/3.0 slot required 1 PCI-assigned IRQ Required 1 four-pin power connector

GPU/VPU Comparison

Here's a comparison of similar caliber and/or similarly priced GPUs/VPUs. I've done this because some people think that the ATI RADEON 9800 can be conpared to FX 5900XT but the ATI RADEON 9800 is not a competitor to the GeForce FX 5900XT, it is added here just for comparison sake. From the GPU/VPU comparison, the RADEON 9600XT doesn't seem like a competitor to the GeForce FX 5900XT, but that's exactly the segment where NVIDIA was pitching their product. Oddly, the GeForce FX 5700 Ultra is in the same space with similar pricing, but NVIDIA had no comments with regards to its awkward pricing with respect to the GeForce FX 5900XT . Take special note of the technical differences between the GeForce FX 5900XT and the more powerful but phased out GeForce FX 5900 as I present the results on the upcoming pages.

GPU / VPU Core Comparison

GPU/VPU	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 Ultra	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5800	ATI RADEON 9600XT	ATI RADEON 9800
Core Code	NV35	NV35	NV36	NV30	RV360	R350
Manufacturing Process (microns)	0.13	0.13	0.13	0.13	0.13	0.15
Core Clock	390MHz	400MHz	475MHz	400MHz	500MHz	325MHz
Rendering (Pixel) Pipelines	8	8	4	8	4	8
Pixel Fill Rate (MPixels/s)	3,120	3,200	1,900	3,200	2,000	2,600
Texture Units per Pipeline	1	1	1	1	1	1
Peak Texture Fill Rate (Mtexels/s)	3,120	3,200	1,900	3,200	2,000	2,600
Vertex Shaders	Array	Array	Array	Array	2	4
Memory Clock	350MHz (700MHz DDR)	400MHz (800MHz DDR)	450MHz (900MHz DDR II)	400MHz (800MHz DDR II)	300MHz (600MHz DDR)	290MHz (580MHz DDR)
DDR Memory Bus	256-bit	256-bit	128-bit	128-bit	128-bit	256-bit
Memory Bandwidth	22.4GB/s	25.6GB/s	14.4GB/s	12.8GB/s	9.6GB/s	18.6GB/s
ATI SMARTSHADER	-	-	-	-	2.0	2.1
ATI SMOOTHVISION	-	-	-	-	2.1	2.1
ATI HYPER Z	-	-	-	-	III+	III+
ATI TRUEFORM	-	-	-	-	2.0	2.0
NVIDIA LMA II	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-
NVIDIA CineFX Engine	2.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	-	-
NVIDIA Intellisample technology	Yes with HCT	Yes with HCT	Yes with HCT	Yes	-	-
Pixel Shader Support	2.0+	2.0+	2.0+	2.0+	2.0	2.0
Vertex Shader Support	2.0+	2.0+	2.0+	2.0+	2.0	2.0
DirectX Support	Up to DirectX 9.0	Up to DirectX 9.0	Up to DirectX 9.0	Up to DirectX 9.0	Up to DirectX 9.0	Up to DirectX 9.0
FSAA Mode	Multi Sampling(up to 8x)	Multi Sampling(up to 8x)	Multi Sampling(up to 8x)	Multi Sampling(up to 8x)	Multi Sampling(Up to 6x)	Multi Sampling(Up to 6x)
Anisotropic filtering Modes	Up to 8x	Up to 8x	Up to 8x	Up to 8x	Up to 16x	Up to 16x
Other Features	NView DVC 3.0 Support for NVIDIA Cg	NView DVC 3.0 Support for NVIDIA Cg	NView DVC 3.0 Support for NVIDIA Cg	NView DVC 3.0 Support for NVIDIA Cg	VideoShader HYDRAVISION	VideoShader HYDRAVISION
RAMDAC	Dual 400MHz	Dual 400MHz	Dual 400MHz	Dual 400MHz	Dual 400MHz	Dual 400MHz
TV Output	Int., 1024x768	Int., 1024x768	Int., 1024x768	Int., 1024x768	Int., 1024x768	Int., 1024x768
TMDS transmitter	optional	optional	Int. 165MHz	optional	Int. 165MHz	Int. 165MHz
AGP speed	8x	8x	8x	8x	8x	8x
AGP bus Compatibility	AGP 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0	AGP 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0	AGP 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0	AGP 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0	AGP 3.0 and 2.0	AGP 3.0 and 2.0

Taken form hardwarezone are some test they conducted on the graphics card:

Results - 3D Mark 2003 Pro (version 340)

Results observed here are pretty much to what we found when running 3D Mark 2001SE Professional.






Overall, the GeForce FX 5900XT is still a wonderful performer, operates at reasonable temperatures, occupies only a single slot (depends on ODM’s cooler designs), has a shorter depth than the GeForce FX 5700 Ultra graphics card and has a tantalizing price. The RADEON 9600XT graphics cards are in the S$285 – S$390 price range while most GeForce FX 5900XT graphics cards can be bought at the price point of S$320 – S$380.

So....how was it?

Wondering how my graphics card look liked?

From HWZ:

MSI FX5900 XT-VTD128

Fondly referred as the brand with the sunflower cooler design, the MSI FX5900 XT-VTD128 sported a slim version of that copper cooler that would fit within a single slot. At its center, it had a large, but quiet 55mm fan to keep the card cooled. This card was second only to Albatron in terms of overclocking and the MSI card might have had a chance to even outshine the Albatron if it had RAMsinks as a standard feature. Although only the second best at overclocking, it achieved this while keeping the card whisper quiet and at lower temperatures than the Albatron. To some of us, these latter factors might be more practical and important than overclocking, which MSI still ranked as one of the top few cards.

The front face of the MSI FX5900 XT-VTD128.

A close look at the copper sunflower graphics card cooler.

It was equipped with only Samsung’s 700MHz DDR graphics memory chips, but its actual overclocking capability was much more than that.

It was interesting to find that the RAM chips used were Samsung's 2.86ns (350MHz clock = 700MHz DDR) ones, yet it was certified for even MSI's maximum DOT (dynamic overclocking technology) strength that would have called for the RAM to operate at 770MHz DDR. This is definitely a sign that MSI is handpicking the correct batch of RAM chips to ensure that their graphics cards can run at speeds high enough to meet up with the DOT demands. Let us see the performance gains with maximum DOT which gives the card a 10% boost in GPU and RAM clock speeds:-


At low resolutions, the extra speed gave the card only 3% to 6% improvement while moving to high resolutions gave us close to 10% net speed boost. Remember, DOT is endorsed by MSI, which means as long as you install their custom drivers to enable whichever DOT setting you choose, it is covered by the warranty. As such, MSI's FX5900 XT-VTD128 is certainly the fastest certified GeForce FX 5900XT graphics card in the market. This isn't the maximum potential and in our manual overclocking trials, we found that the MSI FX5900 XT-VTD128 ranked second best in overclocked performance.

Among all the GeForce FX 5900XT graphics cards in retail, MSI is the only vendor that equipped the card with a video decoder chip for video capture functions. So if you need a relatively inexpensive video capture feature while upgrading to a GeForce FX 5900XT graphics card, there is only one choice.

This is the Philips SAA7114H video capture IC.

MSI used the new reduced package size SiI1162 DVI controller for DVI equipped monitors.

Here's a brief listing of all the items in product package:-

DVI to VGA converter

S-Video Extension cable

VIVO breakout box

MSI Graphics Card Quick User manual

Y-Power Splitter

Another view of the MSI FX5900 XT-VTD128.

Microsoft Unveils Windows Vista !!!!

TO ALL YOU PEOPLE OUT THERE, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT MICROSOFT HAS OFFICIALLY UNVEILED ITS NEW OS - WINDOWS VISTA!!!

I just can't wait for the official launch in 2006!!!!!

Taken form the website:Bringing clarity to your world.Today we live in a world of more information, more ways to communicate, more things to do. There is more you can do and even more you can discover.Every day, millions of people around the globe rely on their Windows PC to manage their increasingly digital lives. While familiar tools for managing digital information are powerful, today's world requires more.In today's digital world, you want the PC to adapt to you, so you can cut through the clutter and focus on what's important to you.Introducing Windows Vista™It enables a new level of confidence in your PC and in your ability to get the most out of it.It introduces clear ways to organize and use information the way you want to use it.It seamlessly connects you to information, people, and devices that help you get the most out of life.

Official Website: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.mspx

View the video here! : http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0507/25234/Win_Name_MBR.asx

Oooooohhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

Yay!

Jus came home frm buying an Thermalright XP-90 from booest ....came with a LED fan too!!

From the top
to the bottom....

cool eh?

The kit includes the following:
1) La piece de resistance
2) K8 mounting bracket; for P4, uses stock bracket
3) Clips for mounting 92mm fans
4) Clips for mounting 80mm fans
5) Screws for installing K8 mounting bracket
6) Vibration dampening strips
7) Syringe of thermal interface material
8) Handy-dandy installation guide....
will be posting more in the handy dandy cooler!!!

Posted on :21 Jul 2005 Reposted on: 23 Jul 2005

Removing original Thermal Compund

If you read my post on my blog, you would have known that I've bought a Thermalright XP-90 cpu cooler. If not, refer to http://comgeek.blogspot.com/2005/07/yay.html for pictures of it.

Th first step for me is to remove the stock cpu cooler and the thermal compound
Removing the stock cooler is easy....
This step is pretty simple, I'm just had to clear away the cables and remove the PCI and AGP cards so I can remove the motherboard from the case. I'm not exactly needing to get under the motherboard to remove the old hsf and install the new hsf correctly, but it was a bit tight to install the coller in the case. The stock cooler is a beast for sure and surely good enough for all but the extremists ( me! ). A couple things to note with the stock cooler, one, I love the "bracket cage" hsf system used with the Intel's and in my combo especially. The "claw" as I like to call it is very unique and holds extremely well. Two, its has a copper core. However for overclocking, it is not a good solution (every overclocker will agree on this). Three, its uses a thermal compound-making the need to remove it too......

So how do i do it?

Simple.
Will post again :)

Hardware Reviews

Hi everybody!
If you're wondering whats this all about, this blog is set up by me to post some hardware reviews that i've been posting on my other blog (www.comgeek.blogspot.com) as I feel that having one blog about myself and another about my current hobby - Computer Hardware, is much more organized then I orginally thought.....so enjoy!