The guys over at BYOB, our very own Tim included, have released episode 6.
Here’s what they have to say about this weeks show:
Welcome to episode 6 of the BYOB Podcast. This week we are focusing on CPU’s as well some tech news. We hope you enjoy this episode and let us know how we can improve.
Hardware News:
NEC ready’s a new Generation USB 3.0 that claims faster performance and lower cost.
http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/19326
Corsair add another three Sanforce SSDs to their family of drives
http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/19311
CPU Checklist:
1. What are you going to use the machine for?
a. Gaming
b. HTPC
c. General Purpose
2. How much is your total budget for the machine?
a. $300-$500
b. $500-$750
c. $750-$1000
d. Over $1000
3. How much of your budget should you allocated for the CPU?
a. For Gaming, you should budget at Least $250-$300 for the CPU
b. For an HTPC I would budget around $125
c. For general purpose – ???
4. Is this an upgrade or a new build?
a. If this is an upgrade then you will want to see what is available for your socket type.
5. Do I plan to use any existing memory? If so, what type is it.
a. Make certain that the new motherboard/CPU will be compatible
Definitions
Frequency: Usually in GHz, Higher is better. Simply the speed at which the cpu operates. The higher it is, the faster your cpu will be, but the more heat it will dissipate too.
Core: The architecture will also make a difference not just the speed of the processor
FSB: is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the Northbridge.
QuickPath or Hyper-transport speed: (Quick Path Interconnect) In MHz or GHz, Higher is better. The speed at which you’re CPU communicates with the I/O hub.Number of cores: 1, 2, 3 4, or 6: Higher is better. These days, you should consider the processor an envelope containing processing chips. The number of cores is the number of chips within the processor. The more you have, the more your cpu can multi-task, but the more heat it will dissipate.
Generally speaking, at the Ghz, a Quad core will perform better than a dual core, however in single thread applications, such as gaming a dual core that has turbo mode may perform better.
Which core?: Gulftown (6 core 32mn), Bloomfield (Quad 9-series 45mn), Lynnfiled (Quad Core 45mn 95W), Clarkdale (Dual Core 32mn)Yorkfield (Quad Core 45mn 95w), Wolfdale (Dual Core 45MM 65w), Conroe, Phenom, Kuma, Atom and ULV etc. Simply the name designing the architecture model for a given core. Each one have their pros and cons. Newer designs usually bring improvements in performance, features and lower power consumption.
Cache: There are three levels of cache: L1, L2 and L3, measured in KB or MB. This is ultra-fast on-board memory. The more, the better.
Thermal power: Measured In Watts, the lower, the better. Typically the theoretical maximum amount of power that can be consumed by the CPU. Widely used to have a general idea of how much heat the CPU will produce. The higher, the more you will pay on your electricity bill. Also, the more heat, the more noise from the fans that need to exhaust that heat.
As usual you can listen to the show here.
