Just don't use 'em. The default installation of most drivers, certainly the Nvidia ones, is really quite optimal.
There are a lot of tweaking options and 3rd party utilities with even more options, but none of them really do anything worthwhile to the performance. Some settings are nice to have in uncommon situations, when running legacy software or something, but really, 99% of the users are fine never touching them.
I doubt this card is any different, although dan is certainly correct in advising against buying one now - first version software and hardware is usually best avoided.
Hey, I didn't know that guy actually submitted his reviews to Slashdot. I love his reviews, he usually doesn't do cutting edge stuff like Tom's Hardware or Anandtech do, but tests periphery equipment and fans (his HSF comparance is awesome). He writes quite entertainingly, without taking himself or the topic too seriously. The site could use a makeup, though, but I prefer the disorder to the clickfests of THG and AT.
Sorry if this comes up as advertisement, I swear to god I'm not affiliated with him in any way, I really just like the site.:)
Our extremely cheap PC laptop does suspend-to-disk. Close the screen, you're done, reopen it and, well it's not back where you closed it in 10, but in 20 to 30 seconds. Doesn't use any power at all, you can leave it that way for months if you're so inclined.
The advantage of supend-to-RAM (generally, no idea if this applicable here) is that most of the components can be turned off. Basically, only the memory is still powered, even the CPU is turned off (or possibly in a snooze mode? not sure). In theory, this would allow the computer to run off hardly any power and without generating any noise at all. At the same time the system would be back virtually instantly (as opposed to ~30 seconds for suspend-to-disk). In practice, the CPU fan is left active, as is the PSU fan, so you don't gain a whole lot compared to just letting the computer run with the monitor turned off.
TA isn't a really good example, since it had prerendered backgrounds, while SimCity always had a dynamically or user-made landscape. But still, they should be able to do better than that, I agree.
While I'm of course happy for you that you like your LCD, I'd recommend to wait before buying one for motion intensive applications, such as movies or games. Two recent reviews of 15" LCD on Tom's Hardware Guide were still quite negative on that issue.
http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020114/i ndex.html
http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020322/i ndex.html
PS2 is hardly a new console, and I doubt anybody is surprised that, to quote, they're in "advanced stages of developing PlayStation 3". MS briedly talked about Xbox2, what, a month after the Xbox was out?
Anway, the article is really quite boring, nothing yet unknown is revealed, and of course there is not even a vague release date for the PS3.
I was just about to make fun of you for taking 18 months tweaking spreadsheets when there's a new Office around, when I read your [1]. *gulp* You use MS Office for "high-accuracy nuclear bomb simulations"? Take your time!
Well, I'm still getting it at the same speed as before, apparently they put the download servers on a big pipe but forgot to use one for the web server, which broke down (already).
Downloading now, I hope I get it before it's slashdotted.:)
Anyway, there's a press release available on the mailing list (and assumedly somewhere else). From what I gather from glancing over it, it doesn't contain any useful information, but maybe someone can extract something out of it or pass it on to his boss.
The release notes are available too. There's no changelog as such, but it says...
OpenOffice.org 1.0.0 is the result of development on the cvs branch tagged "OOO_STABLE_1". Some snapshots have already been released from this branch, namely the snapshots 641, 641C and 641D. Almost no more features were added since 641D, development was focussed on bug fixes instead. Thus, in these release notes, the 'features' section which used to be rather big in release notes of other (snapshot) releases is small.
And it's even legal, since most pictures are released as public domain, so you can basically do whatever you want with them, put it on your desktop, your webpage, a poster.
Neat! Also noteworthy is apod, Astronomy Picture of the Day, which also has a brief explanation of all the stuff they post.
Of course, most of those pictures are as much a work of human art as photos, since few of the pictures are made of stuff in the visible spectrum, so all those vibrant colours are quite fake. Still looks nice, though.:)
If you get a CPU with intend to upgrade it... chances are it'll never happen. By the time you might think about upgrading, it'll be so obsolete, that you will have trouble finding a chip that will fit into your motherboard socket (or slot).
Socket A has been the standard for AMD CPUs since - what? Two years? The oldest chipsets mainboards probably will not run today's CPUs anymore, but I think my mainboard bought 18 months ago still runs Athlon XPs, and perhabs the upcoming Thoroughbreds, too.
That said, the same is true about cases - you are hoping to recycle your case - I doubt you'll be able to do that. Not only Athlons need somewhat clean power, but also motherboards have a whole slew of different flavours of form factors and designs. Chances of you findning a board that will fit the cases you already have are anywhere between very slim to none, IMNSHO.
ATX has been a standard for an even longer time, and most mainboards work with that just fine. Cases really are not a problem. The PSU sometimes is, but it's not soldered to the case after all, just put in a new one. That said, if you had invested into a quality PSU back when you bought the computer, chances are it would still run any current system just fine - AMD strongly recommends 300W supplies, but a noname 300W supply is just about as effective as a brand 250W.
I bet there is only a handfull of people in your company, if ANY, who need the power of a P4 or a top of the line Athlon. A Celeron or Duron would them just fine, and you're not going to build something from scratch with either of those that is cheaper than what Dell or Walmart can sell them to you for.
While I am sure that is true, he might want to use those computers for a while, and you know that next version of the OS or the office suite will stress the hardware (esp if made by MS). Hardly anyone at his dotcom need fast Athlons now, but they probably will in two or three years.
Slashdot Mirror
Just don't use 'em. The default installation of most drivers, certainly the Nvidia ones, is really quite optimal.
There are a lot of tweaking options and 3rd party utilities with even more options, but none of them really do anything worthwhile to the performance. Some settings are nice to have in uncommon situations, when running legacy software or something, but really, 99% of the users are fine never touching them.
I doubt this card is any different, although dan is certainly correct in advising against buying one now - first version software and hardware is usually best avoided.
Hey, I didn't know that guy actually submitted his reviews to Slashdot. I love his reviews, he usually doesn't do cutting edge stuff like Tom's Hardware or Anandtech do, but tests periphery equipment and fans (his HSF comparance is awesome). He writes quite entertainingly, without taking himself or the topic too seriously. The site could use a makeup, though, but I prefer the disorder to the clickfests of THG and AT. Sorry if this comes up as advertisement, I swear to god I'm not affiliated with him in any way, I really just like the site. :)
Our extremely cheap PC laptop does suspend-to-disk. Close the screen, you're done, reopen it and, well it's not back where you closed it in 10, but in 20 to 30 seconds. Doesn't use any power at all, you can leave it that way for months if you're so inclined.
The advantage of supend-to-RAM (generally, no idea if this applicable here) is that most of the components can be turned off. Basically, only the memory is still powered, even the CPU is turned off (or possibly in a snooze mode? not sure).
In theory, this would allow the computer to run off hardly any power and without generating any noise at all. At the same time the system would be back virtually instantly (as opposed to ~30 seconds for suspend-to-disk).
In practice, the CPU fan is left active, as is the PSU fan, so you don't gain a whole lot compared to just letting the computer run with the monitor turned off.
TA isn't a really good example, since it had prerendered backgrounds, while SimCity always had a dynamically or user-made landscape. But still, they should be able to do better than that, I agree.
Sorry. ;)
Um, no. The Nazis, in the first place, were a small, Bavarian, extremist political party.
I know people who've spent that much and more for EverQuest. :P
Ignorance is bliss.
Have some pride in what you own man, poney up for what you really want. It's a way of life, get with the program.
You are so pathetic.
While I'm of course happy for you that you like your LCD, I'd recommend to wait before buying one for motion intensive applications, such as movies or games. Two recent reviews of 15" LCD on Tom's Hardware Guide were still quite negative on that issue. http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020114/i ndex.html
http://www4.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020322/i ndex.html
PS2 is hardly a new console, and I doubt anybody is surprised that, to quote, they're in "advanced stages of developing PlayStation 3". MS briedly talked about Xbox2, what, a month after the Xbox was out?
Anway, the article is really quite boring, nothing yet unknown is revealed, and of course there is not even a vague release date for the PS3.
In what way does it not?
Note he said he "looked at" OO - that's exactly what he did, he looked at it, saw the price and thought, nah, that can't be good.
I was just about to make fun of you for taking 18 months tweaking spreadsheets when there's a new Office around, when I read your [1]. *gulp* You use MS Office for "high-accuracy nuclear bomb simulations"? Take your time!
Those would be useful, if you could actually access them. :)
As posted below, there's also a Google cache of the Open Office mirror list. PlanetMirror is painfully slow, at least for me.
Check this Google cache of the Open Office Mirrors Project website. Not as convenient as the direct download links from the fontpage, but definitely a start.
Well, I'm still getting it at the same speed as before, apparently they put the download servers on a big pipe but forgot to use one for the web server, which broke down (already).
Anyway, there's a press release available on the mailing list (and assumedly somewhere else). From what I gather from glancing over it, it doesn't contain any useful information, but maybe someone can extract something out of it or pass it on to his boss.
The release notes are available too. There's no changelog as such, but it says
Europe isn't headed for a left wing bend. It was, a couple of years ago, but that's the past. Right-wing populist are in now. Ack.
And it's even legal, since most pictures are released as public domain, so you can basically do whatever you want with them, put it on your desktop, your webpage, a poster.
Neat! Also noteworthy is apod, Astronomy Picture of the Day, which also has a brief explanation of all the stuff they post. Of course, most of those pictures are as much a work of human art as photos, since few of the pictures are made of stuff in the visible spectrum, so all those vibrant colours are quite fake. Still looks nice, though. :)
I bet there is only a handfull of people in your company, if ANY, who need the power of a P4 or a top of the line Athlon. A Celeron or Duron would them just fine, and you're not going to build something from scratch with either of those that is cheaper than what Dell or Walmart can sell them to you for.
While I am sure that is true, he might want to use those computers for a while, and you know that next version of the OS or the office suite will stress the hardware (esp if made by MS). Hardly anyone at his dotcom need fast Athlons now, but they probably will in two or three years.