Tag: Chips

Intel Chips Cut in Half

In light of the economic crisis we are in right now, Intel has slashed the price of their Intel Chips by 50%. Apparently, sales has not been that good for the giant chip manufacturer and to help get rid of these chips which may stock up and remain unsold, offering them at an almost sacrificial sale seems to be the feasible way to go.

Also, affordability has become an issue. People are shying away from spending too much in light of the economic gloom. People are wary about their current means of income, whether it be from employment or business. In short, people are just becoming apprehensive in spending.

Computers for one can wait. Most of us have our old desktops at home and for as long as the credit crunch is wandering around, making do with them is perhaps the sanest thing to do right now.

With those factors in mind, you have to wonder why Intel would go to as much as offering a 50% slash in prices. That is quite a sale and perhaps some sort of demand for them could possibly be rekindled.

The price of Celeron 570 processors, designed for laptops, dropped 48 percent to USD 70 whereas one of the company’s quad-core desktop-computer models, Q9650 that have four processors on one piece of silicon, dropped 40 percent to USD 316.

“The economy and the industry are in the process of resetting to a new baseline from which growth will resume,” said Intel president and chief executive Paul Otellini on announcing the results.

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Remember the Traditional Eraser for Modules?

Let us travel back in time when the first Pentium was introduced in the market. Most of you may not be familiar with it but during those days, the Pentium I reigned supreme. Among their competitors were the 396 and 486 processors. I think there was even a 586!

One thing you will note though is that during these times, improvising was the measure of how effective a PC user or technician was. Trying to avoid replacing parts and discovering the tricks of malfunctioning computer parts was the craze back then and it took the help of only one simple item; a pencil eraser.

Yup, that reddish orange tip you see at the end was a very useful tool in making things work. It was recurring though. For example, a memory chip back then could be put to work by simply using the eraser to clean the teeth of the said chip. This even worked for video cards. While we are all past that, today, it does still work.

It cannot be discounted that slots would sometimes gather dust and for sure have a difficult time reading the chips to function properly. But look back again and try this trick out and you can have one last chance to see if the chip or part is indeed damaged and due for replacement.

At least, you have a last option to check if that chip can still be used or not. Rather than quickly buying a new one, at least you save on cost until the time comes it is not longer functional.

Speed is not Everything in a PC

When you get a new PC that contains the latest specifications offered in the market, you will always be thinking of speed. Normally, a new PC will perform up to par but if you notice, at some point it will deteriorate and slow down.

A lot has to do with the programs you install and use. The more programs you have on your PC, the larger the load will become. A PC user cannot help but install as they wish the programs that they have and normally it eats up space and adds to the usual processes that a standard computer has to run.

Once that happens, you can notice a decline in system performance. You may even think you have a worm or a virus inside. But while that would be a good conclusion, do consider the fact that there is such a thing as overdoing it when it comes to your computer capacity. No matter how large the hard drive may be, it remains that processors and memory chips also have their limitations.

That is perhaps the wrong notion that most people think. While it is apparent that some computers come out with awesome specs, they also have limitations. And depending on the type of program you use, the latest it is then the higher the specs needed.

Try to limit what you install. Avoid overloading your hard drive and of course your desktop. The decline in speed is normally because of this and before you know it, you may be depriving yourself of a good performing PC.

Have the AMD Chips Become Reliable?

Dating back to the years when AMD hit the market to serve an alternative processor for people who are wary of high-priced Intel or Celeron processors, it has really been surprising how this alternative processor is making waves in the market today. In fact, I remember one of the key problems that it was overheating, making it advisable to have auxiliary fans to go when you buy a CPU.

Years after this issue was announced, rumor has it that these problems were resolved. In fact, a user no longer needs the traditional auxiliary fans to make sure that proper ventilation will be around and to ensure that no chips will be fried. You can just imagine the problem it had then upon first boot. The chip is practically so hot you might even get a burn from trying to touch it. Then again, if you are not the seasoned PC technician, I don’t think you would dare touch it!

Today, aside from the much ballyhooed eco-friendly chips that they are tagging along to make it marketable, I still have my reservations as far as reliability is concerned. The ability of the AMD chip to provide the necessary support that normal computer processes would normally require.

But so far, the feedback on the demand for it is at a standstill. There is no telling if AMD technology has indeed grown beyond the overheating era. Surely there has been improvement but it may go as far as checking out your heat sink to see if there has been improvements to this line of processors.

Are Eco-Friendly Chips Really Environmental Friendly?

Apparently, we have all been hearing the aggressive marketing of new eco-friendly chips from Intel. They are said to be made for recycled materials that can help bring down the energy resources of our computers and apparently this is something that many are researching and wondering at the moment. While it does seem like a good contribution towards becoming eco-friendly, one cannot help but wonder if they are indeed good as they claim to be.

For one, no one can deny the fact that adding an eco-friendly tag is a marketing aspect on its own. Apparently, the hoopla for the eco-friendly era is indeed in the air and we can see that from various companies that have engaged in applying an eco-friendly aspect of product manufacturing in terms of:

1. Packaging
2. The Manufacturing Process
3. Choice of Raw Materials
4. Shipping practices

Businesses, particularly in the computing sector have indeed become something to watch but as far as eco-friendly claims, a lot has to be done for people to really admonish the fact that they are one and true.

So is any buying these eco-friendly claims? If you sum it all up, not everyone cares that much as long as they get their needs and wants in the technology aspect. However, it remains that businesses will aggressively push for it although many doubt if it has a bearing for now.

So eco-friendly or not, if businesses really want to emphasize on eco-friendliness, it may set in some time in the future. But definitely not now.

First Eco-Chip Shipped by Intel

Technology is not far behind from what is in demand these days and apparently this includes creating peripherals that are in demand. Computer chips and processors are known to be one of the important parts of making technology and computing work and with that, Intel has revealed its first eco-friendly chips, the Xeon processors.

Doing its part towards the global warming phenomena, Intel is sure to get a large demand for these new eco-friendly Xeon chips. It has been customary to find people always wanting to be the first in having these new gifts of technology and with chips being at the forefront, all else is bound to follow as far as bundling and making these things available in the market.

Servers and common desktops are bound to be the main flagship of these new Intel processors and surely, both private and commercial groups in need of upgraded and eco-friendly technology are bound to see what this new installment offered by Intel truly has to offer.

The latest processors include three quad-core products: X5492, X5470, and L5430. The fastest of the chips has a clock speed of 3.4 GHz, while the low-voltage version uses 50 watts of power per core. The fourth new processor is the X5270, which runs as low as 80 watts with frequencies as high as 3.5 GHz.

The chips are aimed at manufacturers of workstations, blade servers, and mainstream servers, and are drop-in compatible with existing Intel dual-processor platforms that have been in the market since 2006. “Customers using these new Xeon processors will not only benefit from greater performance and energy efficiency within existing platforms, but they will be the very first to use Intel’s halogen-free technology,” Kirk Skaugen, VP and general manager of Intel’s server platforms group

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More PC Parts More Power Needed

Installing a lot of peripherals on your CPU may not always be feasible especially if you don’t have the proper power to support it. For most people, this is an overlooked aspect especially if you own a desktop that has the default power supply of 400 watts. All power supplies have a certain limit and while you are fond of wanting to have additional parts like TV tuners, separate sound cards or any other card that can fit into the spare PCI slots, be sure to measure the level of power that each card needs.

This is one reason why the need to upgrade to higher capacity power supplies in the market exists. Normally, power supplies can be offered up to 700 watts and you have to wonder why such a high powered wattage is needed. Well, the answer really lies in the fact that provisions for added parts normally require power for them to function.

Depending on the use of a PC, it is common to see these options available anyone especially if you are a techie geek. Apparently all people are concerned about is add-ons, negating the need to provide equal attention towards system requirements that are normally indicated on the box of these extra parts when purchased.

So if one day you find your computer suddenly blacking out with no power, chances are you blew more than a fuse. Either your power supply has given up or some other part (hopefully not the motherboard!) may have been fried. Now that is something you don’t want so just be wise when you add on to your computer. Check out the power requirements.

Quad Core Processors

With the continued demand for higher capacity and powered PC processors today, the concept of quad core desktops is lingering in the air to satisfy the demand for higher processor PC in the market today. Intel has announced that it new Nehalem microarchitecture would be quad core chips for high end desktops which should be good news aspiring for the older chips. In case this develops, a slash in prices for the old processor chips is sure to take place and if you are among the people aching for a new PC, here is your big break.

This trend should not be surprising. We have seen such practices over the years that each time a new chip enters the market, old ones can be bought at lower prices. Too bad for the eager techies, the price drop can be very dramatic. And in this case, with the demand for graphics and software requirements increasing, no one wants to do them with a slowpoke PC.

Of course, the price for this new quad processor will demand a hefty price. Since it is new in the market, expect them to be higher than what the current price of processors in the market are today. And while that is in the air, do not forget that the key here is to adhere towards growing demands in the IT industry. With new chips in the market, there is no telling what the next demand will be. A Quantum Processor perhaps? Now that is not far-fetched.

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Are you PC Friendly?

Computers today may be all diodes and boards but even if these computer parts do not have the luxury of speaking up or barking their complaints, they still need the necessary care due for longer lifespan. At times, we have this knack of following the old practices of kicking or banging them on certain parts for them to function well. While it sometimes works, it may also be a sign that there is something wrong with your computer.

Chips and certain fixtures inside your computer can loosen up as well at times. For the people who are not technically aware of it, it would be best to address issues such as non-booting computers or constant crashes and hanging to the professional computer technicians for diagnosis. This is the safest way to safeguard you PC since at times, being satisfied with hitting your computer may lead to graver damages if you are not careful.

It has happened a lot. Passing on the chance to bring your PC to the nearest shop may lead to eventual problems that can cost you more. In worst scenarios, people end up having to replace them as they are deemed beyond repair at times. Just imagine how much you save, in terms of money and stored data, if you were able to do the right thing rather than the wild thing to make a computer work. But knowing users, they don’t really care until it happens. If you want to risk it, just count the times you have kicked you CPU. It may also stand for the number of days you can still use it.

Upgrading Incrementally and Wisely Today

Wise spenders include the people who invest largely in their computers. Unlike years way back, a person could easily change any computer peripheral when they buy it separately. But considering prices are not that consumer friendly these days, you have to control that urge and wait for the right time to really change a computer part. In short, living in today’s world needs wise spending including changing computer parts which go at the rate that technology is changing.

Apparently this can be seen at how frequent people are now getting when it comes to upgrading or changing a specific part. Making do with what they have in the form of processors, video cards and hard disks will have to do for the meantime. Gone are the luxury days when a new product would be introduced in the market where a computer owner can just take out the old one and install the new as easily as its plug and play feature.

But the cost of these peripherals is no longer easy to suffice. A mere hundred dollar worth of computer part can be used for another more needed cause. Evidently, wising up to the finance set forth today is a must and people should know better than to spend them unwisely. In short, computers can wait but needs cannot.

Think of it this way. Computers are better off bought as a whole. Part by part you will still get to the point where you will get the same parts in the end. So why spend now when you can get them more advanced later.