Smoke and Mirrors - 4870 vs 4850

Comparing the 4850 vs the 4870, which card is best for you.

If you look at the stream processors you see 800 for both cards. So you begin to ask yourself what am I paying 50% or more for?

Lets look at some NewEgg specs:

GIGABYTE GV-R485OC-1GH Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

• Chipset Manufacturer: ATI
• Core clock: 700MHz
• Stream Processors: 800 Stream Processing Units
• Memory Clock: 1920MHz
• DirectX: DirectX 10.1
• OpenGL: OpenGL 2.1
• HDMI: 1 via Adapter
• DVI: 2
• Model #: GV-R485OC-1GH

GIGABYTE GV-R487D5-1GD Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

• Chipset Manufacturer: ATI
• Core clock: 750MHz
• Stream Processors: 800 Stream Processing Units
• Memory Clock: 3600MHz
• DirectX: DirectX 10.1
• OpenGL: OpenGL 2.1
• HDMI: 1
• DisplayPort: 1
• Model #: GV-R487D5-1GD

The only real difference here is the memory clock. In actuality both are clocking at 900Mhz. The DDR3 is double data rate which translates to 1800Mhz and the DDR5 is quad data rate at 3600Mhz. The 4870 core clock is slightly higher as well. All of this translates into about a 25% performance boost at most.

Finally we have to consider the power consumption which translates into heat. Can your case handle the extra heat? Is the 12v rail on your power supply rated to match the power consumption of the card. I recommend 25amps on that rail minimum. If your using 2 separate rails you can add them together. The 4870 uses much more power to operate.

If you're looking for stability (MMO gaming for example) you're going to want to go with the 4850.
If you're looking to get a bit more performance then pay the extra money but in most cases you will never see the difference even at higher resolutions. If you wanted to get the best of both worlds you might be able to put together a 4850 x2 crossfire system for slightly more than a 4870 but you will see huge performance gains by comparison.

Feeling diabolical? But your the good guy? Your ISP won't think so.

http://www.measurementlab.net/measurement-lab-tools

MLAB is attempting to provide users with the tools to test their broadband connections by briefly communicating with a server elsewhere on the Internet.

I could have a lab like Dexter if it wasn't for the high cost of maintenance and power. Besides I don't have a basement.


Ping testing doesn't really tell you that much about your connection. You get your response time and whether your packets made it or not. The ISP world treats ICMP packets (PING) with very low priority. Also routers do more than route these days. High speed routers forward packets in hardware with very little processing required allowing them to handle more data faster.

Your packets are queued, buffered, and prioritized based on many factors. In many ways its like a first class ticket on a plane. The more you pay the better your treated. But imagine if the plane was loosing fuel and they needed to loose weight or they will crash. Imagine if they decided to throw third class passengers out the door.

The plane analogy doesn't describe the Internet very well. Its more like a highway with a HOV lane for the rich, When traffic is flowing good everyone is treated the same. When traffic is congested the HOV cars get through. The reason I like the plane analogy because in the HOV analogy all cars make it to the destination. In reality on the Internet your packets get tossed out to prevent the situation from getting worse for everyone.

Now you have the tools to see if your being treated like a customer or a criminal.

Network Diagnostic Tool
Test your connection speed and receive sophisticated diagnosis of problems limiting speed.
Glasnost
Test whether BitTorrent is being blocked or throttled.
Network Path and Application Diagnosis
Diagnose common problems that impact last-mile broadband networks.
DiffProbe (coming soon)
Determine whether an ISP is giving some traffic a lower priority than other traffic.
NANO (coming soon)
Determine whether an ISP is degrading the performance of a certain subset of users, applications, or destinations.


The PlanetLab Consortium joins Google and the Open Technology Institute in creating Measurement Lab (M-Lab), a distributed server platform for deploying Internet measurement tools. M-Lab is designed to empower the public with useful information about their broadband connections.

Don't let the ISPs run away with your re-concatenator/assembler high speed compression port adaptor.

I'm seeing things a bit more clear

I introduced DeadPixelBuddy some time ago for testing that flat screen monitor and looking for lighting defects as well as dead pixels. Onile monitor test seems to go a few step further allowing you not only to look for defect but to make adjustments to get the best quality picture.

I saw a few more benchmarking and testing sites when watching DL.TV

http://tft.vanity.dk/

Here is what they say about the different programs offered at their site:

The monitor test can be run directly in 3 different modes:- Ordinary HTML window (maximize with F11)- Full screen HTML (opens in 1280x1024 but can be resized to fit any resolution)- Executable fullscreen program for any resolution (no installation required) To download a zipped version of the excutable use this link

The input lag test can be used to test for input lag if you have 2 monitors connected. You will need a camera to record the counter. The procedure is as follows:
- Set your two monitors in clone mode- Run either the program or open the html document- Start the timer- Take a picture with your camera with both monitors i focus- If the input response is different on the two monitors, the number on each screen will be different

Another interesting product is a test DVD you can bring with you to the store before you throw down that suit case full of cash in exchange for that high tech wonder you will spend more time with than your wife. Since you don't have time to date that 60inch LCD before you buy it you might want to spend some quality time before you take it home. Look at it like picking up a puppy from the pound.

http://www.tvblink.com/i_dvd.html

Turn your PC into a super computer to save humanity

As a PC enthusiast I have way too many PCs. Even if you just have one PC would it be nice to put some of that Uber hardware to good use and to benefit humanity?

I was reading an article about a university group called Vision Lab of the University of Antwerp who created a computer designed to do tomography calculations which out performed the CalcUA on campus costing 3.5 million dollars. The CalcUA is the most powerful super computer in Belgium. (Tomography is the analysis of 3D medical images)

To read more about this click here: http://www.dvhardware.net/article27538.html

What is amazing about this machine is that it can be constructed for about $3800 from parts found on NewEgg.com.

AMD Phenom 9850 processor + Scythe Infinity CPU cooler

4x MSI 9800GX2 graphics card

4x 2GB Corsair Twinx DDR2 PC6400 memory

MSI K9A2 Platinum motherboard

Samsung Spinpoint F1 750GB HDD

ThermalTake Toughpower 1500W Modular PSU

Lian-Li PC-P80 Armorsuit case

Windows XP 64-bit

This got me thinking about some of the distributed computing projects out there.

Remember the Seti project? The search or extra-terrestrial life in the universe. This project uses a distributed computing method to use your home PC to help analyze white noise data from space in an attempt to find defined patterns that could indicate the existence of life on planets other than earth. I consider this a complete waste of time considering many factors but if your geeky enough you might enjoy participating.

Then I though about protein folding. Which has real world benefits and could result in the cure for deceases as well as help us create many advancements is drugs such as antibiotics. This can also have commercial benefits as well.

Check out the web site: http://folding.stanford.edu/



Here is a video explanation:
http://zdpub.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ziffdavisplayer/flvplayer2.html?show=PCMAG&movie=135

As it turns out they have a version of the folding simulation software that supports advanced GPUs such as the Nvidia 8600 and up as well as the ATI 3750 series on up. My 6 Ghz machine folds at 60 iterations per second. Using the GPUs to run the calculation brings this to super computing speeds of 1300 iterations per second. This can be further tweaked to run on multiple GPU cores depending on how your hardware is configured.

Link for the latest graphical client I am using:
http://folding.stanford.edu/English/DownloadWinOther

The nvidia 8600 cards show they are not supported until you load the CUDA display driver. This is much newer display driver from Nvidia than the one currently available for download.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/cuda_get.html

This worked on both my 8800Gt and my 8600GTX cards.
One note about the display page for nvidia; it will not show your user name and shows you a test protein is selected. You can ignore that. Its best to run the application minimized anyways.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding@Home

For multi cpu support you copy your folding@home folder creating multiple folders. The shortcut in your start menu points to a folder in you application data folder. You can change this to point to the other folder created in the Program Files directory. Then you change the shortcut to include the "-gpu N" flag (N starts at 0)

Your extra parameters in the advanced page of the systray clients, or the advances settings of the console clients. Again N starts with 0 not 1, so your primary display is 0, the next is 1, etc. Each client if you are running more then one needs a different -gpu and a different machineD, and a different working directory, so follow the instructions for multiple clients.

Here are 2 tools that can give you more insight on what is going on with your progress.

http://www.blogger.com/http://fahspy.com/index_eng.shtml// - you point to your folding at home folder. You can monitor multiple folders for multiple GPUs with this tool.

http://fahmon.net/

My stats are here: http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=userpage&username=vbiggar

MIT open courseware on the subject of Protein Folding

I'm on the DL.TV team 57391, feel free to join.

Don't get caught with your pants down!!!

I did an article on routers from old PC junk.

This is no Clark Kent but some might say is sexier than Lana Lang. Lets face it if your on my sight your too much a Geek and too poor to ever have a shot at her anyways so we might as well get excited about something we can have at my favorite price, FREE.



The monowall concept has evolved into a commercial product that is available free for home use. This is slightly different than the monowall approach in that is sits in front of your NAT home router. It is runs right out of a Red Hat linux distribution which brings you more features with a more power set of networking tools. How do you like the sound of virus scanning before the virus even reaches your machine.

Lets say your kids are on the internet and have infected a computer from the latest game hacker site. Now your internet traffic slows down and you internet connections and bandwidth are being used to commit crimes without your knowledge.

Maybe your just paranoid and would like to know why your connection just slowed down or why your application just locked up. The first step is to ensure your system is clean from virus and rootkit activity. And if they are smarter than you and the experts you need to know whats coming and going on the network. Maybe you just want to pinch off that Bit Torrent traffic that they say is uploading at 6kbps but you can now see is really moving at 300kbps.

	Provides core server applications - mail, web, VPN, backup, file and print services...
	Protects network and data - antivirus, antispam, firewall, intrusion prevention...
	Enforces Internet usage policies - content filter, peer-to-peer filter, bandwidth manager...
	Simplifies management and monitoring - system monitoring, software updates, mail backup.

Clarkconnect provides several very useful networking tools. Along with several daemons, you have the ability to limit bandwidth, filter traffic, etc. Listed below are some popular network services:

• Samba
• Apache
• SSH
• Squid
• mySQL
• ProFTP
• Squirrel Mail
• Snort

SAMPLE SYSTEM SPECS:
Keep is simple to save power and money.

• AMD Athlon 750 MHz
• 512 MB PC133 SDRAM
• 20 GB IDE Hard Drive
• 10/100 On-board NIC
• Intel Pro 100+ NIC <- Very compatible - since this faces the DSL 100mbs is many times more bandwidth than you DSL provider will allow up and down stream.

Download a ISO and install it to a fresh hard drive on that old junk PC.
http://www.clarkconnect.com/downloads/

Stress can be a good thing.

When things go wrong how do you know and can you prove it.

I wanted to publish a list of benchmark software sites. The idea here is not to show that you have the most UBER machine ever created, you aren't even close if you read this blog. Actually I practice what I preach and my machines stay in the top 2% in the world.

If you think you have a failing video card or memory or even a CPU you can run benchmarks and stress tests to find the problem. I recommend multiple tests because some issues don't show up in certain tests. BFG video cards have caused me major issues in the past and customer support was so bad I would rather go to the dentist. At least at the dentist you feel like your accomplishing something.



http://extremeoverclocking.com

extremeoverclocking.com has compiled a list of benchmarking utilities to stress test you machine. I like aquamark, and 3D mark for the graphics. Even the newer cards can show signs of weakness under these tests.

I found a new link at:
http://freestone-group.com/video-card-stability-test/

for memory testing see my post:
Microsoft Online Crash Analysis - FREE
System Information and Performance Testing

Look Before You Leap

Review and Views of Reviewers -
Benchmark Comparisons

In order of my favorites:






Tom's Hardware - If you want to make purchase decisions for yourself, this is where you start. This is site is older than AnandTech and still better. They have insider advise and great articles.

These articles are a bit easier to read and understand than AnandTech.

The site is getting too busy for my taste though. The latest charts are on the right side of the page in the middle.

CPU Charts



VGA Charts





Select the chart with a card you are interested in. Select the software where performance counts the most. Then make a comparison. What I like to do is look at what I have now and compare it to what I'm planning to buy. This will give you an idea of what kinds of performance gains you should see. Sometimes the latest and greatest isn't worth a small jump in performance. Sometimes you ask yourself if its worth waiting for the prices to come down to make that performance leap. If you ever have a tough choice, send me note.

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PCstats.com - one of my favorites for product reviews and guides - If I need to sell a board or CPU I point my customers here.

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AnandTech - One of the first in Flight on the NET and still one of the best. This team is based in NC and is one of the most indepth review sites out there. Even as an electrical engineer, programmer, and IT pro I sometimes find this site a hard read. I do however rely on this site to give me the answers that no one else can. Much of what I shop for tends to be too low budget for these guys but in many cases that same review is helping me make purchase decisions a couple of years later. I remember when Anand was still in highschool. I had this idea the same time he did but I didn't have the drive and motivation like I did in high school. A few kids and a new job can slow you down more than you think but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

In the GUIDES section they hand pick CPUs, GPUs (video cards), and even have a budget rig guide. I don't agree with all of the choices. I like my budget rig options better of course. Remember I live with my choices these guys I can guarantee have ultra high end status symbol rigs that they use on a daily basis. They go to a lot of effort making these picks for you. Their recommendations are a great start.

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techpowerup.com - very nicely written and organized reviews. I surf through here often to read the latest articles. They cover a nice range of hardware.


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HardOCP - Hard Core Gaming Meets Hard Core Hardware. I guess living in mom's basement allows you to put the rent on that super gaming rig. What I don't understand is how you can afford the hardcore gaming rig, the cost of the games, and the time to play them and still have a job. Maybe mom is the hardcore gamer.

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The Tech Report - This is a sweet looking web site and has a great lineup if industry news. Whats new, great article layout and navigation, indepth detail, and nice clean comparisons and benchmarks.

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System Optimized - stiff - check out the tutorials. Many of these are worth the read.

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CNET.COM - great price comparisons, so-so reviews. This site is popular.

I look at it more like a high end consumer reports for consumer electronics. They had some great ideas and great talent. Now the site is getting more and more difficult to navigate. In some cases you are looking at advertising thinking its objective unbiased reporting or reviews.

Many of these sites get a commission from retailer for products you buy when you link through their site. CNET has a big advantage here. It may be something for these other sites to consider.

If you help me find a product help me find the best price and you get to keep a commission for bringing me, the customer, together with the retailer.

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http://www.sharkyextreme.com/ - Great reviews and doesn't really fit being close to the bottom. Check it out and let me know what you think. Maybe we can give it a push. I have been a fan of this site for so long but I seem to get a bit more of what they do well at some of the other sites listed above. So there is nothing that sets this site appart from the rest. I never really considered sharks bottom feeders.

HardwareCentral - not much nice to say - I would rather pick through the dumpster for advise.

System Information and Performance Testing

http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/



I use this all the time. It has a great burn-in utility and powerful reporting features.

SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information (including undocumented) you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software.

Sandra Lite (free for personal/educational use - no nag screens, time limit, etc.)
http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/dload/sware_figure.php?langx=en&a=



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SIW

http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download.html

SIW is an advanced System Information for Windows tool that gathers detailed information about your system properties and settings and displays it in an extremely comprehensible manner.

The system information is divided into few major categories:
Software: Operating System, Installed Software and Hotfixes, Processes, Services, Users, Open Files, System Uptime, Installed Codecs, Software Licenses (Product Keys / Serial Numbers / CD Key).
Hardware: Motherboard, Sensors, BIOS, CPU, chipset, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP Devices, Memory, Video Card, Monitor, Disk Drives, CD/DVD Devices, SCSI Devices, S.M.A.R.T., Ports, Printers.
Network: Network Cards, Network Shares, currently active Network Connections, Open Ports.
Tools: Password Recovery, Reveal lost passwords hidden behind asterisks, MAC Address Changer, Shutdown / Restart.
Real-time monitors: CPU, Memory, Page File usage and Network Traffic.

SIW is a standalone utility that does not require installation (Portable Freeware) - one less installed program on your PC as well the fact that you can run the program directly from an USB flash drive, from a floppy, from a network drive or from a domain login script.