PDA

View Full Version : Upgrading Now or Later,Emerging Technologies



shadowjak
12-09-2007, 12:03 PM
Is it worth upgrading now or are you going to see what is coming out in the near future?
How many new technologies do you see being adopted in the next year?

PCI express is evolving-

The first PCI Express External Cabling specifications was released by PCI-SIG February 2007. "This specification helps the industry create new products that will take PCIe technology out of the box – enabling PCIe solutions for IO expansion drawers, external graphics processors, tethered mobile docking, communications equipment and embedded applications".

Standard cables and connectors have been defined for x1, x4, x8, and x16 link widths, with a transfer rate of 250 MB/s. The PCI-SIG also expects the norm will evolve to reach 500 MB/s.The maximal length of cabling isn't known yet.

External PCIe Video Cards could give a notebook the graphic power of a desktop, by connecting a notebook with any PCIe desktop video card enclosed in its own external housing.

As of 2007-09 only one finalized product and two concept products exists. All three delivering the power of the video card to external displays only. And all connecting to a notebook through an ExpressCard interface which limits the bandwidth from an inserted x16 video card (4GB/s in each direction), to just x1 (250MB/s in each direction): Magma ExpressBox ,Luxium by MSI,XG Station by Asus

Just imagine the power of an 8800 on your laptop

Several communications standards have emerged based on high bandwidth serial architectures. These include but are not limited to HyperTransport, InfiniBand, RapidIO, and StarFabric.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As far as Ram goes welll memory maker Qimonda has begun sampling GDDR 5 video-memory chips, producing what it claimed today was the world's first 512Mb part.
The company said it expects to release GDDR 5 products commercially some time in 2008.

Advantages of DDR3 compared to DDR2

Higher bandwidth performance increase
Performance increase at low power
Enhanced low power features
Improved thermal design (cooler)

Disadvantages compared to DDR2

Commonly higher CAS Latency
Generally costs more than equivalent DDR2 memory
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEHALEM MICROARCHITECTURE

After Penryn and the 45nm Hi-k silicon technology introduction comes Intel's next-generation microarchitecture (Nehalem) slated for initial production in 2008. By continuing to innovate at this rapid cadence, Intel will deliver enormous performance and energy efficiency gains in years to come, adding more performance features and capabilities for new and improved applications. Here are some new initial disclosures around our Nehalem microarchitecture:

* Dynamically scalable for leadership performance on demand with energy efficiency
o Dynamically managed cores, threads, cache, interfaces and power
o Leverages leading 4 instruction issue Intel® Core microarchitecture technology
o Simultaneous multi-threading (similar to Intel Hyper-Threading Technology) returns to enhance performance and energy efficiency
o Innovative new Intel® SSE4 and ATA instruction set architecture additions
o Superior multi-level shared cache leverages Intel® Smart Cache technology
o Leadership system and memory bandwidth
o Performance enhanced dynamic power management
* Design scalable for optimal price/performance/energy efficiency in each market segment
o New system architecture for next-generation Intel processors and platforms
o Scalable performance: 1 to 16+ threads, 1 to 8+ cores, scalable cache sizes
o Scalable and configurable system interconnects and integrated memory controllers
o High performance integrated graphics engine for client

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/Intel_New_Processor_Generations.pdf

So there are a number of new technologies that will be produced in 2008,and a couple that may debut shortly after.And that isnt even taking into account products from competing companies like ATI/AMD

Here are a couple of examples of tech that could change the whole computing world
Actually in June of 1997 the Air force Rome Lab introduced the first tested and working 3d optical drive,It held the complete contents of 300.000 high density floppies and it read and wrote at the speed of light.

http://www.thic.org/pdf/Jan97/jkannppt.afromelab.pdf

http://www.vxm.com/Speed.MassStorage.html

Maryms
12-09-2007, 12:05 PM
Well since you put it this way now .... if a person who can't afford to upgrade every 6 months to a year ... they should wait for what the next year has to offer, just incase certain technology evolves.

I won't wait 2-3 years though.

shadowjak
12-09-2007, 12:14 PM
The main tech that I am waiting for is in CPUs.Intel’s next-generation microarchitecture (Nehalem) slated for initial production in 2008.
Does Amd have something up its sleeve that will once again put them on top?Would be nice
So if there are no big surprises I will be looking at a CPU,Mobo,Ram upgrade about mid 2008

Maryms
12-09-2007, 12:21 PM
Nehalem yes slated for sept-oct 2008 that is a long wait and i am not going to wait that long for quad-core and with the 4GB dual channel PC2-8000 DDR2 sticks i just bought. It won't be worth it for me or many others to wait for DDR3 if they have a pretty good build now with a quad-core.

The 4GB dual channel kit i just bought a little while ago are on sale for $129.99. Yes that is right 2x2GB 4gb dual channel Kit for $129.99.

That is awesome for 1000mhz sticks and being 4GB's to boot, but of course you need a good mobo that supports running them at their rated speed.

They are the G.SKILL F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ PC2-8000 do a google search for them in Canada and they are Instock right now, about 13 of them.

Special price ends 12/11/2007

Hans
12-09-2007, 01:09 PM
I think a current quad core 6600 with 2 gig of DDR2, an 8800 GT and a good MB, is going to give you all the power you need for gaming and internet usage and overclocking. I highly doubt a mainstream game is going to require anything higher then that for the next 1.5-2 years.

Maryms
12-09-2007, 01:11 PM
Wait for yorkfield as prices will be similar to Q6600 prices when they first came out.

Yorkfield is about 15-20C cooler and abotu 10-20% faster then Kentsfield.

As for the 4GB dual kit i posted about in this thread, you can't go wrong for the price and it does not hurt to have more memory then is required right now.

shadowjak
12-09-2007, 02:14 PM
Here are some speculations on what Nehalem will be-Looks like a new socket
Also looks like Tri channel memory will be arriving with them

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/12/03/nehalem_details_spill_through_the_tubes/1

http://www.beyond3d.com/content/news/540

Ultra54
12-09-2007, 02:37 PM
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is it worth upgrading now or are you going to see what is coming out in the near future?
</div></div>
Also see question - <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">should i sell my Bre-X (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bre-X) stock at $286.50 or should I hang onto it hits 300 bucks a share</div></div>

That has to be the funniest question I have ever seen...lol.Usually the friends I have that are shall we say "thrifty" use the wait until tomorrow excuse while the others jump in with both feet. Trying to pick the right time to jump in on the computer technology train is a losing game. A train thats speeding at 150mph can never be jumped onto without some pain. The only winner is he that never jumps and holds his fist full of dollars until his old age. Personally, I don't give a flying [censored], if I want I buy.

shadowjak
12-09-2007, 02:50 PM
I will agree that some Technologies are not really worth waiting for.But a major tech change coming up within the next few months could be worth waiting for.
I usually keep the stuff left over from an upgrade and use it for my other projects anyway.

Ultra54
12-09-2007, 02:58 PM
very true yet in the 10+ years I have been into this hobby there has yet been some magical technology to come along that will revolutionize the industry. In this field there is so much overlap or dependance on others to make your technology work with their software. It has been like watching the hour hand move on a clock. It would appear there is little difference between revisions and what not but look away for a while then look back,then you can really see the difference.

Hans
12-10-2007, 06:59 PM
I personally don't think this will do, not enough cores. Photoshop needs at least 16 cores and 48 Mb L2 cache to work properly.

Nehalem-EX, codenamed Beckton, will have eight cores but supports 16 threads because HyperThreading makes a return. Each pair of cores will have an amount of shared cache between them, then there will be a mahoosive 24MB of shared cache between them all - basically a Stoakley platform on single chip.

The EX is designed for a multi-processor environment so this has QPI, or Quick Path Interconnect--Intel's alternative to HyperTransport--with four links at 4.8 or 6.4Gbps and an FB-DIMM2 quad-channel memory controller. All this is under the envelope of varying TDPs of 90W, 105W and 130W and the chips use a new LGA socket with 1567 pins, Socket-LS.