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White Paper: Building a Modern CPU

Loyd Case — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0500

From concept to design to manufacturing and everything in between, the processor inside your rig was years in the making

Designing and manufacturing a modern CPU is a huge project. It requires both backward compatibility and an understanding of where PC workloads are going in the future—a delicate balancing act made more difficult by the huge engineering staffs and massive dollar outlays involved. Let’s take a look at the steps needed to build a Core i7 or AMD Phenom II processor.

Before the manufacturing plant starts churning out chips, there are a few critical preliminary steps. Prior to the first circuit being laid out or the first simulation run, the designers need to know exactly what it is they’re designing. This phase takes input from many sources. Marketing gets involved, with predictions of what users will need when the CPU actually ships, usually two to four years in the future. Engineering and performance teams feed in billions of traces of actual applications being run on current-gen CPUs, so the designers can see how existing CPUs perform under real-world conditions.

The Design Process

After the specification phase, the design phase begins in earnest. Design involves creating a design document, validating the design with simulations, and laying out the design.

The architecture team begins by defining how the CPU is supposed to work. How many registers will it have? What’s the power budget? How many cores? How much cache? These and thousands of smaller details are all ironed out in the design document, which becomes the bible from which the final product is created.

Once the design is in place, it needs to be tested. How do you test a CPU that doesn’t exist yet? You run simulations. There are specific programming languages that chip designers use to build simulations of a CPU. Actual code is compiled and run on the simulated CPU, albeit much more slowly than on the final product. Those applications-code traces collected during the specification process are re-run on the simulation to make sure everything works as expected.

In the layout phase, the real process of building the CPU begins. Engineers use special software to route circuits into patterns that can then be processed in the lithography step. With high-performance PC processors, some elements of the logic layout are hand-tuned, while other aspects, such as cache line layout, may be automated. Chip companies often have prebuilt blocks in libraries that can just be dropped into the overall CPU layout.

Today’s processors also utilize multiple layers of semiconductors. Each layer needs to be laid out so that it can be connected to the others. The primary goal of the layout step is to create circuit patterns that are efficient yet simple enough that they can be manufactured. The first draft of the design undergoes verification, which runs more virtual tests on the layout to make sure connections are correctly made and circuits completed. The final layout is known as tape out, where the layout is compiled into an industry standard format and sent to manufacturing.

Note that these design-phase steps aren’t linear. Simulations, for example, will be run constantly, up until the first working silicon returns from the fab. Design is an iterative process, continuing to the point when the first chips come off the assembly line.

The Manufacturing Process

Here’s where we get into the physical processes of building our CPU. First, ultra-pure wafers of silicon are coated with the conductive material that will make up the final circuitry. Then the chip is baked at temperatures above 200 degrees C to remove any water or volatile contaminants.

Building a chip is essentially a photographic process. Photoresist—material that is light sensitive—is applied uniformly to the wafer, usually by spraying it onto the wafer while it’s spinning at high speed. The layer must be thin and very uniform. Once applied, the chip is again baked to dry the photoresist and make it more uniform.

(click to enlarge)

The lithography step marks the chip’s design on the wafer by exposing the photoresist to light of specific frequencies. These intense beams of light, which shine through masks, define the layout of the circuits on the chip. Note that these beams are very narrow, so either the beam scans across the wafer, or the wafer is moved slightly (stepped) under the light beam. Today’s modern process technologies often use a hybrid of the scanning and stepping techniques. Another bake cycle removes imperfections left over from the lithography process.

The develop step removes the exposed photoresist, leaving behind patterns of circuits. Now the wafer has a layer of material with narrow “channels” laid out in the pattern of the CPU circuitry. But these patterns are not yet circuits. Next, chemicals are applied to the wafer that permanently remove the now exposed conductive material, which was initially coated on the chip in the wafer prep phase. The photoresist still on the chip resists the etching process, so only the circuit patterns are implanted into the wafer substrate.

The final step in the actual chip making process is stripping the remaining photoresist from the wafer surface. What’s left are many dies on the wafer, cleaned and ready to be processed.

Final Steps

Next, the entire wafer is tested to ensure it meets quality standards. The dies are then cut and sent to the packaging line, where the different layers are assembled into the chip packages we’re all familiar with. During the packaging process, function and validation tests are performed, which allow the manufacturer to sort according to clock speed and functional bins. This is where a Core 2 Quad Q9650 may be differentiated from a lower-clocked Q9550, for example.

Of course, this is a simplified overview of the process for building a modern CPU. You can find more details at websites including entries on Wikipedia for photolithography, photoresist, wafer creation, and more. One fairly technical, but still understandable overview of the lithography process can be found at Lithoguru (www.lithoguru.com/scientist/lithobasics.html).

How to Build a Kick-Ass Windows Home Server

Norman Chan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0500

How to build a Windows Home Server to back up your PCs and stream all your movies, music and photos

Your PC’s hard drive is probably packed to the platter’s edge with hundreds of ripped DVD videos, gigabytes of digital photos from your camera, and tens of thousands of songs. And that’s not even counting the high-definition digital video from your last family vacation that you’re still planning to unload. But with terabytes of media just gathering dust on your desktop PC, you risk losing years of aggregated files when your hard drive inevitably gives out (don’t even think about backing it all up to the cloud). Our solution: Keep all your data backed up on a Windows Home Sever. More than just a generic NAS box, Windows Home Server maintains backups, streams media files, and works as a file share across your home network. And the best part is that you can build one yourself—we’ll show you how!

Windows Home Server: An Overview

More than just a stripped-down version of Windows Server 2003, WHS has numerous features that make it ideal for small home networks

No-Hassle Backups

WHS’s primary function is providing automatic backups for computers on your home network. You can schedule daily backups for up to 10 Windows machines, and you have the option of picking specific local drives or excluding individual folders from backup. The backups aren’t image-based, either: WHS looks at the file system and stores only one copy of every file on its data partition, regardless of how many PCs that file appears on. WHS also monitors the antivirus and firewall status of all client PCs, a useful tool for home admins.

Intuitive File Sharing

The WHS administrator can create user accounts that give friends and family members access to shared files on the server, as well as a password-protected account folder to store personal files. Users’ PCs access the server like they would any other network-attached storage device, and they have the option of enabling data redundancy to duplicate selected folders across multiple physical drives on the home server.

You can add up to 10 Windows machines to back up with WHS, as long as their drives are formatted using the NTFS file system.

Robust Remote Access

Getting access to your files and managing backups on WHS remotely is easy as well. Users can use the provided Console Connector client software to change their own backup settings, navigate the file system in Windows Explorer with a network address, or even remote desktop into the server. Read more about remote access later in this article.

Versatile Media Streaming

Built into the latest version of WHS is the Windows Media Connect UPnP server software, which lets any compatible digital media receiver (like the Xbox 360, PS3, or Windows Media Player 11) stream movies and music off the home network. WHS’s Power Pack 2 update added support for MP4 video files and metadata, and third-party add-ins and server software enable advanced features like real-time video transcoding, so you can stream almost any file type.

Easy Expandability

One of the coolest things about WHS is its ability to seamlessly integrate any new hard drives into its data partition. Whether you’re adding new internal SATA drives or plugging in additional USB hard drives, WHS will automatically format new storage devices so all drives are treated as a single unified storage space. Replacing older hard drives is also relatively easy, though the removal process may take several hours as WHS relocates backup files to the remaining physical drives.

Build Your Own Windows Home Server

Why settle for the limitations of a store-bought server when you can build one that's even better?

Even though several PC manufacturers offer complete Windows Home Server solutions (like the ones reviewed later in this article), there are many advantages to building one yourself. Most WHS packages are limited to a maximum of four storage drives, and generally include a 1TB drive to get you started. Our build allows for up to six internal SATA drives, with a starting capacity of 4TB (two 2TB drives). Additionally, we included a dual-core Athlon processor, which is far better suited for video transcoding tasks than the typical Atom or Celeron that’s included in current WHS builds. Finally, even though our build is a little more expensive than pre-assembled offerings, WHS software runs perfectly on normal PC hardware, so we recommend that you scavenge parts from old PCs to save on costs.

The Parts List

Case: Antec 200
$59, www.antec.com

Motherboard: Asus M4A78 Pro
$110, www.asus.com

Processor: AMD Athlon X2 240
$61, www.amd.com

RAM: 2GB Corsair DDR2
$40, www.corsair.com

Storage: (2) 2TB Western Digital Caviar Green
$440, www.wdc.com

Power Supply: Rosewill RP550-2
$55, www.rosewill.com

OS: Windows Home Server OEM
$95, www.microsoft.com

TOTAL: $860

Optical Optional

We omitted a DVD drive ($20) from our parts list because, aside from installing the OS, you're never going to need an optical drive for your server. WHS can be installed from an external USB DVD drive, but we also recommend installing from a 2GB USB key ($10).

1. Prep the Case

We picked the Antec 200 because it’s an inexpensive chassis with six 3.5-inch drive bays. It also one-ups other budget cases by including an external easy-swap SATA bay, which is convenient if you plan on frequently replacing your WHS’s drives. The included 14cm fans also have adjustable rpm switches, so you can turn them down to keep the system whisper-quiet. To start, you’ll have to snap in the motherboard’s included I/O shield in the back of the case (image A), and then screw nine motherboard stands into the belly of the chassis (image B). We also took this opportunity to install the power supply (image C).

(image A)

(image B)

(image C)

2. Insert the CPU

Next, place the motherboard on a static-free surface and install the CPU. Make sure to align the CPU properly (matching the triangle on one of its corners to the mark on the motherboard) before locking it into the socket (image A). Once the CPU is in place, plant the stock cooler on top of the proc and clamp it into the plastic bracket (image B). Then plug the cooler’s three-pin fan connector into the motherboard.

(image A)

(image B)

3. Drop in the Motherboard and RAM

With the case flat on its side, carefully place the mother-board inside, aligning its screw holes on top of the standoffs (image A). The Asus M4A78 is a full ATX-size motherboard with six SATA ports. It also has onboard video output, which we’ll use to access the BIOS and also install the WHS software. With the motherboard screwed into place, insert your two 1GB RAM modules into slots 1 and 3, which allows the DIMMs to run in dual-channel mode (image B).

(image A)

(image B)

4. Mount the Drives

Now it’s time to install your WHS’s hard drives. With the case side panels removed, slide each drive into an open bay until its screw holes are visible from the side. Affix each drive using four screws. We went with two large-capacity drives to give our server ample storage space without having to worry about replacing drives anytime soon. WHS partitions 20GB for the operating system, and then corrals the rest of the disk capacity into one extended storage space using symbolic links to trick the file system into thinking you have only one really big hard drive.

5. Attach SATA Cables

Use the included SATA data cables to connect both of the drives to the motherboard (image A). We also connected a third SATA cable to the case’s easy-swap drive slot, which rests right above the internal drive bays. After the data cables are attached, connect the SATA power cables from the power supply to the drives as well (image B).

(image A)

(image B)

6. Wire It Up!

With all of the physical hardware in place, it’s time to wire up the loose ends. We want to be able to plug USB keys and portable hard drives into the front of our WHS, so we plugged the case’s two front-panel USB cables into the motherboard (image A). The other front-panel connectors, including the power switches and LEDs, are easily attached to the motherboard using Asus’s motherboard adapter (image B). You’ll also want to direct power to the case fans using four-pin Molex connectors from the power supply (image C). Finally, give your motherboard some juice by attaching both the main 24-pin ATX connection and four-pin CPU power connector to the motherboard (image D).

(image A)

(image B)

(image C)

(image D)

7. Install Windows Home Server

On to the software! If you opted for an optical drive (either internal or external), you can just pop in the Windows Home Sever installation disc and run the traditional install. Alternatively, you can create a bootable USB key (instructions here), copy the contents of the WHS disc (about 800MB) to the key, and install from there. You’ll need to enter the BIOS (by hitting the Del key at startup) to configure the appropriate boot order—make the first boot option DVD for an optical install and USB for the key. The installation process is very straightforward (even simpler than a normal Windows install)—you’ll only be prompted to give the server a name and input an administrator password. Once the installation is complete, attach the server to your home network.

8. Add Clients to Your Server

To configure your server and administer backups, you’ll need to install the WHS Connector password on client PCs. The software is included on a disc with your copy of WHS, but we found it easier to install it straight off of the network. Open a web browser on your personal PC and enter http://servername:55000 into the address bar, with “servername” being the network name of the server you assigned earlier (image A). You should be taken to a page called Windows Home Sever Connector Setup, which has a link to download the Connector software. Download and run the install program, which will automatically detect your server on the network and prompt you for the server’s administrator password (image B).

(image A)

(image B)

Once the Connector software is installed, launch it to enter the WHS Console. The first thing you should do is click the Settings button on the upper right and click the Update Now button under the General tab. This will run Windows Update to download and install the latest patches and security fixes for WHS, as well as any WHS Power Packs that might be available (image C). In the next section, we’ll go over the features and functions of the Console.

(image C)

The Windows Home Server Console

The Console puts all common server chores into one convenient location

Computers and Backup

Every computer that you install the Windows Home Connector software on will appear here. Up to 10 PCs can be queued for backup, and you can initiate instant backups or view backup files from this tab. To utilize backups, WHS creates a read-only virtual volume on your client PC, mounting the backup files so you can retrieve individual files. One caveat to backups is that you can configure only one backup time window for all your PCs. WHS runs through all the PCs sequentially, so if you don’t allot enough time, not every client may be backed up in one session. We recommend that you create a wide enough backup window (during the day or at night) so that every computer can be backed up daily.

Backed-up volumes don't automatically get sorted into the Shared Folder categories unless you're running HP's proprietary Media Collector software.

User Accounts

You can use this tab to add user accounts, which are separate from the list of machines marked for backups. Users have individual logon names (ideally the same logon name they use for their Windows desktop), and as the administrator, you can toggle remote access permissions for each user. WHS also lets you enable a Guest account, but this can end up being a security hole. We recommend that you create a generic user account that you can share with friends whom you want to have access to public folders on the server.

Shared Folders

By default, WHS creates five category-specific shared folders that you can use for file sharing and media streaming. Media files found in backups won’t be shown here, but some Add-ins will automatically find and sort files found in attached portable storage devices to these shared folders. Adding a shared folder is easy, and you can toggle on file duplication for individual folders if you want to store redundant copies on multiple hard drives in case one disk fails. We enabled duplication for our build, since the 2TB drives can easily handle both system backup and folder duplication duties.

Server Storage

This tab shows the status of all the physical hard drives connected to the server. A pie chart provides a visual representation of how different types of files (shared folders, backups, and duplication files) are distributed on the server, and you can also use this tab to manually add or remove connected drives from the hive. While this tab is useful, we recommend installing the Disk Management Add-in for a more informative view of how data is being stored on individual drives.

Settings

The Settings window, which we accessed earlier to apply updates, is the most powerful component of the Console. Here, you configure the backup session time period, passwords, and remote access settings. It’s also the place where you install and manage third-party Add-ins.

Getting There: Four Ways to Access Your WHS

Console Software

This is the only way to get your PC set up for backups and to configure user accounts (as explained above).

Network Folder

Users can browse Shared Folders or their own user folder by typing \\servername into Windows Explorer, with your server’s network name in place of “servername.”

Remote Access Website

Enabling website connectivity in Settings lets you set up your router to accept connections from users off of your home network. Your WHS license entitles you to a personalized website under the homeserver.com domain, so you and your users don’t have to remember your IP address.

Remote Desktop

If your PC is using Windows XP SP2 or newer, you can use Remote Desktop to access your WHS’s desktop. This is useful for installing non-Add-in software like TVersity. Older PCs can download the Remote Desktop connection software manually at microsoft.com/downloads.

Alternative Home Server Options

HP MediaSmart LX195

Acer easyStore H340

5 Essential Windows Home Server Add-Ins

Third-party apps can extend the functionality of your home server

In addition to its native features, Windows Home Server allows you to install community-developed Add-ins that introduce new features and security to your server. To run an Add-in, download its .msi install file and place it in the server’s \Server\Software\Add-ins folder using an administrator user account. The Add-in will show up within the Settings window, under the Available Add-ins tab. Just click the install button and you’re set. Some of these Add-ins are still in beta stages, so you might encounter bugs.

Advanced Admin Console

This Add-in creates a new tab in your WHS Console window. From here, you can access your server’s Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Start Menu, and even Recycle Bin, just as if you were using Windows XP. It’s particularly useful when you want to tweak registry settings or remove programs installed on the server using remote desktop. The newest version incorporates support for Internet Explorer 8 and limited Windows Search integration (which works well because files stored on WHS are automatically indexed).

Download at: http://www.home-server-addins.com/archives/235

Disk Management

The more hard drives you add to your home server build, the more you’ll want to know how WHS is managing disk space across your storage pool. Disk Management provides detailed data about each drive, including real-time network activity, temperature, capacity, and file type usage. With this information, you’ll know which drives to replace first when upgrading, and which drives are acting up before an impending crash. The coolest feature: a fully customizable 3D wireframe of your entire storage array.

Download at: http://www.tentaclesoftware.com/WHSDiskManagement/

Web Folders 4 WHS

The website interface for remotely connected users is functional, but simply not powerful enough for extensive data transfers (especially since you must use Internet Explorer). With Web Folder 4 WHS, online users can access your WHS with mapped network drives created under My Computer or My Network Places (in XP). Shared WHS folders then appear as network folders, and you can drag and drop files like you would any local directory.

Download at: http://www.brendangrant.com/WHS/WebFolders4WHS/default.htm

PhotoSync

This Add-in monitors your server’s shared Photos folder and automatically uploads found photos to a linked Flickr account. You can customize subfolders so the Add-in won’t upload all of your photos, and also adjust the frequency with which the software will check for new photos. This tool is especially cool when combined with the Web Folders Add-in, so multiple users can contribute and add photos to one community Flickr album.

Download at: edholloway.com

My Movies

If you plan on storing a lot of movies and music on your WHS, you’ll want to download the My Movies Add-in, which runs through your media library and adds community-generated meta-data to all recognized files. This makes browsing through movies in Windows Media Center much easier, since it facilitates browsing movies by their DVD covers. Additional conveniences such as automatic CD and DVD ripping are also available, but have to be unlocked with a $50 donation to the creators.

Download at: http://www.mymovies.dk/products/my-movies-for-windows-home-server.aspx

WHS Power User Tweaks and Tips

To truly master your digital domain, you'll want to optimize your home server's performance

Beef up the Swap File

Enlarging and optimizing WHS’s swap file can help when you’re running multiple Add-ins and streaming lots of media. It’s especially useful if you purchased a Home Server with just 512MB of RAM. To change the size of the swap file, install the Advanced Admin Console Add-in and access WHS’s Control Panel. Double-click the System icon in the list to bring up the System Properties window. Under the Advanced tab, click the Settings button to bring up the Performance Options window.

Under this new window’s Advanced tab, click the “Change” button under the Virtual Memory section. Now select the C:[SYS] drive and change the page file’s custom size to Range. The Initial Size should be set to 1.5 times the capacity of the RAM installed on the system, while the Maximum Size should be set to three times the amount of RAM. For example, in a system with 1GB of memory installed, the initial size of the page file should be 1,500MB and the Maximum Size should be 3,000MB.

Don’t Just Back up, Sync!

If you download a lot of media files or use BitTorrent to schedule downloads to your local drive, you can set up Windows Home Sever to automatically perform a one-way sync of files from your desktop to WHS using Microsoft’s SyncToy software (microsoft.com/downloads). SyncToy pairs two folders from anywhere on your network and ensures that all the files in one folder are duplicated in the other. For example, you can set up SyncToy to watch a video downloads folder on your desktop and automatically copy any new files that show up to the Videos Share on your WHS, which then makes the file available for media streaming. SyncToy is ideal because you can configure the pairing to be in “Contribute” mode only, meaning it won’t remove files from your WHS if you delete the original version.

Transcode High Definition Video

Windows Home Server includes media server software that is recognizable by other computers and game consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, these receiving devices don’t have a wide selection of video codecs to process all video file types, including the popular Xvid codec and the Matroska multimedia container (.mkv). To play these files, you’ll have to install a media server that can transcode your videos into supported formats. The trick is that these programs aren’t WHS Add-ins—you’ll have to download and install them on your server’s desktop just as you would any normal program in Windows.

We’ve had success with TVersity (follow the instructions from our Streaming Guide), but another program we recommend is the PS3 Media Server, which also works on the Xbox 360. Just download the latest Windows build, copy the file to a folder on your server, and run the install wizard using remote desktop. The PS3 Media Server will automatically run on startup, and you can configure its transcoding settings to downsample audio or lower video bitrate to accommodate your network’s bandwidth limitations (i.e., streaming video over Wi-Fi versus wired).

Quick Tips

Set your WHS's automatic update time to be different and far removed from the scheduled backup time.

Split up your files into many Shared Folders (i.e., TV and Movie folders instead of just one Video folder) to facilitate more efficient file duplication.

Disable WHS active notifications on client machines by right-clicking the Console icon in the taskbar (for the more computer-illiterate users on your home network).

CrunchGear Wants You To Help Build a Web Tablet

Chris Moody — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:51:37 -0500

The guys at CruchGear want to design a web tablet that would cost $200 and they want your help to do it. I’ve always liked the idea of a tablet for doing little things like surfing from the sofa. With netbooks catching on, can a nettablet be far behind?

They pitch this basic idea; make it as thin as possible, run low end hardware, headphone jack, a built in camera for video, low end speakers, microphone, wifi, USB port, a built in battery, 512 RAM, and a 4Gb solid state hard drive. No keyboard, input is via a touch screen. It will run on some flavor of Linux or BSD.

The extra twist is they want to build a few and then open source the specs so anyone can create and improve on them. I like the idea! You can read about the mock up here, and the article that started it here.

I see it as handy item for browsing the web and reading email, but with it's only interface is a touch screen, don't expect to write a book the size of War and Peace on it.

PC Building Guide FAQ: Part 2

One4yu2c — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:13:17 -0500

Last month I kicked off the PC Building Guide FAQ with answers to several questions that plague first time builders. The response was positive, with more than a few would-be builders coming out of the wood works. That may seem surprising considering this is Maximum PC, but represented in the readership are users from all different experience levels, and we sometimes take for granted that there are a significant number of those just starting out. It's these folks that this series is intended, and today I'm putting the spotlight on some of the more common post build inquiries. Let's dive right in!

Windows just loaded for the first time, now what?

Once you've successfully installed Windows, you're only halfway home. There are still plenty of optimizations to be done, not the least of which includes installing your hardware drivers. Your motherboard most likely came with a setup disk, and this will contain your chipset, audio, Ethernet/LAN, and if applicable, your onboard video drivers. After that, head over to Windows Update and get all those security holes plugged up and patched!

Does my setup disk contain the latest drivers?

In more cases than not, the answer is no. To install the latest drivers right from the get-go, you have two options:

1) You can install just the Ethernet/LAN drivers from the CD, giving you internet access to download the latest versions from your mothboard manufacturer's website. If going this route, be sure you're hidden behind a firewall before going online, especially if you're not connected through a router with a built-in firewall. This hasn't been much of an issue since XP started shipping with SP2, which includes a firewall, and the same holds true for all versions of Vista.

2) Download the latest drivers on another computer, and burn them to a CD or copy them to a USB thumb drive. Both will be recognized in your newly built PC.

I think I installed my RAM in the correct slots, but how can I be sure it's running in dual-channel?

When you first turn on your computer, it should tell you if you're running single or dual channel. If it doesn't say, or the screen flashes too fast to read what's up there, you can still find out which mode you're in. Download and install CPU-Z, then click on the Memory tab. In the upper right corner it will say either Single or Dual, letting you know which mode your RAM is in. You can also view the latency timings, information about your motherboard, and your processor's vitals.

I have a 500GB hard drive and I partitioned 100GB for the OS when I installed Windows. Now when I look in My Computer, the other 400GB is gone. Where'd it go?!?

The remaining 400GB is still there, but Windows won't recognize it until you've formatted the free space. To do this, click on the Start menu, select Run, and type diskmgmt.msc and hit the enter key. A disk management window will appear, and in the bottom pane you should see your 500GB hard drive. Next to the 100GB partition (which should be marked as Healthy), you'll see the remaining 400GB as unallocated. Right-click on that unallocated chunk, select New Partition, and then follow the prompts. When asked, you'll want to set it up as a primary partition. If you think you might want to experiment with dual booting down the line (Linux perhaps?), then don't format the entire remaining space, and instead set aside a portion for another OS.

Should I benchmark? And if so, what are some good ones to run?

People benchmark for different reasons, and you'll often see posters boast of their most recent score in some performance measuring program. But the reason you should benchmark isn't for bragging rights, but to make sure your system is operating correctly and to detect any potential problems. For example, if you score much lower in 3DMark06 than others with a similar configuration, then that's a sign that something's awry. It might be that you're using outdated drivers, or maybe you forgot to install them altogether. Benchmarking can also be used to test for stability, which again can help uncover potential problem areas and give you a chance to address them, rather than find out you have an unstable system in the middle of a video conference.

As for which benchmarks you should run, give the Benchmark Bonanza! blog a read.

I can't hear any sound with Sound Blaster card, or it's muffled and sporadic. What's going on?

One common trait all motherboards share is onboard sound, and if you're running an add-in soundcard, such as an X-Fi, the two could be conflicting with each other. You need to make sure you've disabled your motherboard's onboard sound in the BIOS (hit the Del key during POST to enter your BIOS).

If you've disabled onboard sound and the problem persists, then verify that you're running the latest audio drivers from your soundcard manufacturer's website. And if that still doesn't fix it, try moving the soundcard to a different PCI slot. Also check that your speakers (or headphones) are plugged in securely, and in the correct inputs.

When I look in CPU-Z, it shows my Core 2 Duo running much slower than advertised, but it sometimes jumps up to the correct speed, then slows down again. Is my processor broken?

To save power and reduce heat output, your processor is throttling. It's called Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST), and what it does is adjust your processor's multiplier and voltage, depending on what you're doing. For example, while your computer sits idle, EIST will drop the multiplier down, resulting in a decreased clockspeed, and also lower the voltage so you're consuming less power. As soon as you put a demand on the processor, for example loading a game or encoding a DVD, the stock multiplier and voltage settings are restored.

EIST doesn't hurt performance because it only kicks in when your PC isn't doing anything demanding, but if you'd rather disable this function, you'll need to head back in your BIOS. The specific location varies by motherboard manufacture, so consult your mobo manual if you're having trouble finding it.

__________________________________________

My time's up! Once again, if there's enough interest, I'll continue another day with a Part 3. Let me know what topics you folks would like to see covered (One4yu2c@gmail.com), and just like last time, questions/comments are always welcome.

Benchmark Bonanza!

Paul Lilly — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:59:21 -0500

Ahh, the euphoric feeling you get from hitting the power button for the first time after assembling a rig and seeing it fire right up. Even old vets get a tinge of exhilaration (and relief) at seeing the POST screen appear, representing the culmination of careful research and planning combined with careful construction. It doesn't matter how easy the process comes, or whether it's your first or thirty-first build, the machine is your creation, built to specification by you.

And then it hits you; what do you do next? You've farted around the desktop, delighted in the crazy quick boot time (which you know will deteriorate with each new app install), demolished The Murph's Frets on Fire score, and of course posted a few pics on Maximum PC's forum. That new PC feeling has started to wear off, but wait, you've only touched the surface of the building experience. It's time to benchmark!

Enthusiasts benchmark their PCs for a variety of reasons, the least of which pertains to bragging rights. While posting an ultra low Super Pi time may seem like the swank thing to do on a computer forum, I can assure you that in the real world, it's not going to impress that Sally you've been eyeballing and getting up the nerve to talk to. Instead, benchmarking should be used as a tool in fine tuning your custom rig. There are all kinds of changes and tweaks you can make, such as playing with your RAM's latencies, altering your swap file, setting up a defrag schedule, overclocking, and the list goes on. But to gauge what kind of dividends your efforts are paying off, and whether you're actually helping performance or hurting it, you need to run benchmarks and compare the results. In the end, you may not net a noticeable performance boost from where you started, but you will revel in the knowledge that you've optimized your PC to run at its full potential, which, depending on how well you did, could stave off the upgrade bug later on down the road when your new parts begin to show signs of aging.

Now that you're convinced that benchmarking can be useful and not simply obnoxious, which ones should you run? Here are some recommendations:

3DMark06

Futuremark's 3DMark series continues to be a popular benchmark, geared mainly towards gauging your videcoard's performance. 3DMark06 does take into consideration your processor's abilities as well, but by and large, the focus here is on the GPU. It's a free download, though there's also a full version that will set you back $20 if you're interested in the additional test and configuration options.

PCMark05

Another Futuremark product, PCMark05 doesn't single in on one specific area, but looks at your PC as a whole. Changes you make to any part of your PC's subsystem should be reflected in a PCMark run, and like 3DMark above, there's both a free and paid version available.

SiSoft Sandra

SiSoftware's Sandra suite is just an all around handy tool. It's able to tell you a wealth of information about your system's components, such as the make, model, and version of your motherboard, the BIOS vendor, your processor's vitals including it's stepping, and much more. But in addition to being a system auditor, Sandra comes with a bevy of subsystem specific benchmarks. You can test your processor's arithmetic and multi-media capabilities, benchmark your hard drives and opticals, gauge your USB key's performance, and even measure and grade your file system, all included in the free version! But the Sandra benchmark I use more often than not is recording my memory's bandwidth. This synthetic score comes in handy when playing with dividers, frequencies, and latencies, allowing you to see which tweaks are more likely to boost performance.

Super Pi Mod

Super popular amongst, well, benchmark whores (there's just no nice way to say it), it's become a favorite application for the bragging rights crowd. But aside from boosting your geek cred and leveling up your Obnoxious skill-set, Super Pi, currently in version 1.5, makes for a handy benchmarking tool and plays double duty as a stability tester. The focus here is on both the CPU and RAM, with tweaks to either one affecting your Super Pi calculation times (lower is better). To gauge performance, I recommend running the relatively quick 1M test, and the much longer 32M benchmark for stability. Just don't post your scores on the forum afterwards, followed by OMGBBQ LOL mY score r0xoRs y0!

HD Tach

HD Tach, as its name implies, measures your hard drives performance, and can handle RAID arrays too. Just be careful with this one, as the synthetic numbers used can insinuate a much larger performance boost than you'll actually notice in a real world setting. For example, a RAID 0 array will destroy a single hard drive in HD Tach, and while RAID 0 is indeed faster, you're not going to notice a night and day difference as would seemingly be portrayed in an HD Tach run.

Cinebench

For all intents and purposes, single core computing is dead. Dual-core CPUs can now be picked up for under $100, and even quad-core has moved into mainstream pricing (Q6600 anyone?). And as far as our benchmarking programs go, Cinebench does a good job of measuring your multiple core processor's performance. You can test your videocard's OpenGL performance too, but I use this one solely for the CPU.

FRAPS

Most games come with built-in benchmarking tools, and some even have real-time FPS counters, but FRAPS works with just about any game. It's not a very good way to compare performance because, without a pre-scripted demo, you can't eliminate uncontrollable factors, such as the amount of animations on a screen, whether the path you took this time was more graphically demanding than the last, and so on. But it is a neat utility for those curious about their GPU's frame rates at any given time, as well as keeping an eye on the real-world performance.

Final Thoughts

There are other benchmarks out there, and how many or how few you choose to run is completely up to you. There's no right or wrong way to go about it, so long as you're confident that your gamut of benchmarking is providing you with sufficient information about your system tweaks. Or you may choose not to benchmark at all, but like pieces of flair, I'd recommend at least trying some out.

PC Building Guide FAQ: Part 1

Paul Lilly — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:46:41 -0500

So you subscribe to Maximum PC, opened an account on the forum, and currently find yourself debating whether you feel confident enough to build your own dream machine, or have someone else do it for you. Having read guide after guide and post after post, you're fairly certain you could pull it off, but what about any tech support issues that pop up afterwards? Wouldn't it be easier to just configure a Dell and be done with it?

The answer is yes, it would, but it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying as building yourself. And tech support shouldn't be a compelling reason to go with an OEM boutique, unless you consider being told to check if the power cable is plugged in to be more useful than pinging an experienced forum base's collective experience to help you out of a pinch.

But hey, I understand that building that first rig comes with a fair share of jitters, but trust me, you CAN do it. And once you do, you get to become one of us. By us, I'm talking about old vets that, like myself, take as much satisfaction from building our own rigs as we do in helping others to do the same thing. Pay it forward, if you will. I've spent a lot of time on Maximum PC doing just that, having first registered back in 2000 when it was known as Commport. My tenure's consisted of answering troubleshooting issues and offering buying advice, while more recently contributing material to the magazine and maintaining this blog. And when I'm not bantering with fellow MPCers, I can be found over at HardwareLogic, a website I help run that's devoted to, you guessed it, helping new and upcoming enthusiasts.

In short (too late!), I, like many, have been doing this a long time, and while the components of yesteryear have dramatically changed (the race to 1GHz is but a distant memory), many of the common problems and pitfalls remain the same. It may be old hat to some of us today, but that doesn't mean we didn't have our own nagging butterflies when first starting out. But we buckled down and ignored an urge to go with a cookie-cutter OEM boutique, and with some help, you will too.

Today I'll start off with some pre-build inquiries and potential issues that plague first time builders. If there's enough interest, you can look forward to a Part 2 and beyond, where I'll go over post build problems and answer common user submitted questions. Enough with the intro, let's get started!

Intel or AMD?

That's the age old question, isn't it? The answer seems to change with each new generation of processors, as the two play a continual game of leap frog, and it's a query that's started many a forum flame war. A true enthusiast knows no such thing as brand loyalty, and if building today, you'll almost assuredly want an Intel foundation. Recent price cuts have made for some tempting AMD silicon, but you can pick up a Core 2 processor at just about any price point, and have a foundation capable of riding into the quad-core sunset. And speaking of quad-core, word on the web is that Intel's Q6600 processor will receive a price cut to $266 come July 22nd, making four cores accessible to the mainstream. Can you say, yummy!?

But is there really a difference between Intel and AMD? I REALLY want to stick with AMD.

AMD would have been the preferred route back in socket 939's heyday, and before Intel ditched their terribly inefficient Netburst architecture. With Intel's change in philosophy and the Core 2 refresh, AMD's been struggling to keep up, and not until Barcelona debuts will they have a potentially viable answer.

But if you're really intent on sticking with AMD, you can do so with the knowledge that you can still build a kick-ass rig. Truth is, outside of benchmarking, most users would be very hard pressed to tell a difference between an attractively priced top of the line AMD 6000+ system, and a slower clocked (yet generally better performing) mid-range Intel E6600 machine. So if you own AMD stock and want to support your investment, you can do so, you're just better off in nearly every area (performance, upgradeability, geek cred) by going Intel.

How much should I spend?

That's up to you! First thing you should do is identify a goal for this system. Are you a hardcore gamer, or are you looking for a casual web surfing machine? One of those will cost you a pretty penny, and the latter can be built without looting the kids' piggy banks. Other considerations include whether you're a benchmarking guru, or value real-world performance over quantitative measurements. In the end, there's no right or wrong budget to work with, and you can build just about any type of machine (gamer, office rig, overclocker, etc) on any budget, it just comes down to what concessions you're willing to make.

Should I overclock? Will it shorten the lifespan of my computer?

I'm an overclocker myself, but I don't do it to increase the length of my e-organ, rather I'm interested in maximizing the performance of my components. Many parts are sold at a particular speed to meet a demand, and not necessarily because they're incapable of running any faster. How fast a particular component is capable of running while remaining stable is up to you to find out, and while you shouldn't jump into it willy-nilly, when it comes to processors, OC'ing is easier today than it ever has been (you youngsters have it so good!). Overclocking is also a great way to learn the fundamentals of how your PC works, as it requires research and knowledge beyond that of a casual user.

With regards to shortening the lifespan of your computer, that's a debatable topic. Increasing a component's frequency can add additional stress, but unless you're planning on keeping a component until the end of time, the difference is most likely negligible. Also consider that a part may have been downlocked at the factory simply to meet a pricing demand, and could have just as easily been sold at the faster spec. That doesn't mean OC'ing isn't without risks (don't go cranking up those volts!), but when done intelligently and with a close eye on temps, you can significantly reduce the chances of an undesirable outcome. We'll save this topic for another guide...

Help me choose a PSU!

The power supply is probably one of the most misunderstood components out there, and marketing does little to educate the end user. Choosing an appropriate PSU comes down to a few key factors, so let's look at them one by one.

First, choose a brand. And yes, brand does matter, as generic companies are notorious for skimping on quality parts and misrepresenting the specifications (more on that later). While not an all-inclusive list, I generally limit searches to (in alphabetical order): Antec, Enermax, Fortron, Corsair, OCZ, PC Power & Cooling, Seasonic, Silverstone, and Tagan.

Second, decide if you want modular (detachable) cables or wired. The idea behind modular cables is that you would hook up only the ones you intend to use, and leave the rest unattached. This results in a less cluttered interior and potentially better airflow. Critics of the technology will point to power loss and less reliable power from having detachable connections, but these effects tend to get exaggerated, and a quality modular unit is more than capable of running a high end machine. They do cost more than their wired brethren, and if you intend to use all the cables anyway, a modular power supply loses its benefit

And finally, pay attention to the amps on the +12V rail(s). Wattage is important too, but equally so is how the wattage gets distributed. Today's systems feed heavily on +12V amps, and generic companies often overload a less crucial +5V or +3.3V rail, which allows them to technically claim a high wattage rating, but it's all for naught if the +12V line lacks sufficient amperage. As a general rule of thumb, look for at least a mid 30 amperage rating for a modestly powerful rig, and 40 and above for a high end machine.

How many +12V rails do I need? I see some with as many as six!

Another hot debate in computer circles, Senior Editor Gordon Mah Ung covered this topic in a previous blog, so I won't rehash it here. The only thing I'll add is that when looking at multiple +12V rail power supplies, you don't get the total amperage rating by adding up the specs on each +12V rail. For example, many power supplies will list four +12V rails at 20A each, which when added together equals 80A. But what they're telling you is that each rail is capable of supplying up to 20A at any given time. The total +12V amperage depends on how the wattage gets distributed. Looking at the OCZ 780W ModXStream, 720 watts are allocated to the +12V rails, and since Watts = Volts * Amps, we would divide 720 (watts) by 12 (+12V), which gives us 60A (amps), a typical amount for a high end 750-800W PSU.

So I picked up a good power supply, hooked up all the parts, and my PC won't turn on. What did I do wrong?

Do'h, you should have gotten a Dell...I jest, I jest! It could be a number of things. First, check ALL cable connections and make sure you've plugged in both the main ATX connector (20 or 24pin) along with a secondary motherboard connector, which will be either 4 or 8 pins. Next, double check that your PSU's switch is turned on. If everything's hooked up correctly and your motherboard's receiving power, there should be an LED that lights up.

Next, verify your case's power and reset switch are plugged into the correct headers on your motherboard. Consult your manual (download it from your mobo maker's website if you no longer have it), and don't feel bad if you've doofed up the pins, as even long time vets are prone to hooking these up incorrectly.

Finally, check for a grounding issue. You should have installed standoffs in your case's motherboard tray before dropping in your mobo, and you'll want to verify they're lined up with your motherboard's holes. If a stray standoff comes in contact with your motherboard's PCB (Printed Circuit Board), it will cause the system to short and either not boot, or worse yet, damage your mobo. Check for any loose screws or other pieces of metal that may have fallen onto the motherboard.

My motherboard's LED lights up and I checked for a grounding issue, but my system still won't stay on. When I hit the power switch, the heatsink's fan spins for 1-2 seconds, then turns off. What gives?

If there's no grounding issue going on, this symptom almost always means that your heatsink is not making sufficient contact with your processor. As a safeguard, your system will turn off if your processor rapidly heats up (in the days of old, you could fry a processor by turning it on without a heatsink attached). Remove the heatsink, and if necessary, clean and reapply any thermal goop (don't overdo it, you just need enough to fill in the microscopic grooves and pits). Reattach the sink so that it doesn't wiggle around, and don't forget to plug the fan's 3 or 4 pin power connector into your motherboard.
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And that's it for this week. Comments are always welcome, and if you have any post build questions you'd like to appear in a Part 2, send an email to One4yu2c@gmail.com