There is an ungreen revolution taking place in enthusiast game PC circles.
A 1,250-watt power supply--this one from Cooler Master--is the largest a game PC maker will install today.
(Credit: Cooler Master)The eye-opening graphics possible on today's game PCs come at a cost: light-dimming power consumption. The trend, rooted in the perennial quest for more speed, bucks the overall greening of the PC industry.
Green PC designs have become more than just practical; they're cool. Power-sipping Netbooks are in, as are small desktops like the Dell Studio Hybrid and Hewlett-Packard Pavilion Slimline.
This is not the case for high-end gaming PCs, where bigger is better. How far this trend can go isn't clear, but a seminal event in Apple's history may offer a lesson. In 2001, Apple unveiled one of the first dual-processor consumer systems, based on the overheating-prone IBM PowerPC G4 processor. The original Apple tower design had a Rube Goldberg feel to it, with a host of fans straining to rid the system of heat. A noise like that emitted by a wind tunnel, generated by the power supply and fans, forced Apple to redesign the system.
This symbolized why Apple eventually abandoned PowerPC: The platform wasn't efficient with power.
Fast-forward to 2008. Game rig makers are cramming as many as four graphics chips into high-end boxes that are notable not only for performance but also for the power they consume. As a consequence, big power supply units are in vogue. Today, bragging rights extend to the units themselves: some systems boasting boutique brand names such as Cooler Master and SilverStone draw 1,200 watts--roughly three times the power requirements of game systems a few years ago.
It's an ominous trend, according to box makers. "If this trend does continue, then, yes, it will give us problems," said George Yang, an engineer at Los Angeles-based game rig maker IBuyPower. "A regular home user would have to have an electrician come in, get the outlet out, and plug in a higher breaker," Yang said. Today, some of the higher-end systems with big power supplies require a special wall power socket, according to Yang.
Other game rig makers are equally concerned. "I swore that I'd never break 1,000 (watts)," said Kelt Reeves, president of game PC maker Falcon Northwest. "Unfortunately, that's been the solution for the past several years. Bigger, bigger, bigger power supplies."
Reeves says that 1,200 watts is now essential for gaming systems based on multiple boards from Nvidia or AMD's ATI graphics unit. "With three GTX 280s or two of the R700 cards, we're recommending they go with a 1,200-watt power supply," Reeves said, referring to the newest graphics chips from Nvidia and ATI respectively.
This is just about the limit, he said. "We can't go too much more over that before--if you actually pull that (power)--you start tripping the client's household circuit breaker."
Neither Nvidia nor ATI show any signs of slowing down, according to Reeves. "Eventually these chips get so hot that their own heat becomes a barrier to performance," he said.
Nvidia admits that its chips are drawing more power than before. "If we go back about three years, our graphics card power was in the 120- to 130-watt range," said Jason Paul, product manager in charge of enthusiast GPUs (graphics processing units) at Nvidia. "The GTX 280 which we launched a couple of months back, it's around 230 watts (of) graphics card power," he said.
But Paul claims the performance per watt is the key yardstick, not raw power. "Where you see a little under 2X increase in maximum power, you've seen probably 3-times or 4-times (the) increase in the level of performance. So, overall we see a substantial improvement in performance per watt. This is the big metric we track to ensure we're delivering efficient architectures. "
Paul says Nvidia has implemented power savings techniques on its GTX 280 that keep the power down when it's not running at top performance loads. "With the GTX 280 at idle, that card runs at about 25 watts, which is one-tenth of its absolute worst-case power," he said. Nvidia also offers hybrid graphics technology that turns off all the power-sucking boards when they're not in use.
Dell XPS 730 game box uses special liquid cooling to control heat.
(Credit: Dell Computer)Moreover, Paul says that the multiboard systems are limited to a small niche at the very top of the market. "There's definitely a segment of the market that wants more and more performance. Remember, however, that this is the ultimate performance (segment)."
But game box makers ship many--if not most--of their systems to the very niche that Paul is describing. "We're all about the high end. The higher-end the graphics card is, and the more expensive, the more we sell," said Reeves.
And the trend in power supplies exemplifies how this market has changed. "The power supply used to be just silver box, and nobody gave it a second thought," he said. "(But) as graphics cards have evolved, they have forced the power supply makers to keep providing more and more power pipes--or cabling--to the graphics cards"--increasing the unit's complexity, he said.
Reeves cites GPUs, not CPUs from Intel, as the culprit. "The latest CPUs use very little wattage. If you overclock a 3GHz Intel CPU to 4GHz, you might pull 40 more watts. Whereas a graphics card, you put three of them in a system, they'll pull 800 watts running some of the higher-end games," he said.
Hewlett-Packard on Monday announced three notebooks, one as light as 3 pounds, that will use upcoming Intel low-power chips and solid-state drives.
HP 2530p is just over three pounds
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)The EliteBook 2530p and 2730p replace the current 2510p and 2710p models. The biggest changes are a brushed, anodized aluminum exterior casing, new wireless broadband modules, the use of upcoming Intel 45-nanometer ultra-low-voltage (ULV) processors, and the option for an 80GB solid-state drive.
HP will replace current low-power Intel processors with upcoming 45nm processors, said Keith LeFebvre, vice president and general manager for business notebooks, HP PSG Americas. However, LeFebvre did not specify which low-power processor models it will offer because Intel has not announced these chips.
The newest power-stingy Core 2 Duo mobile chips are due in September and range in speed from 1.4GHz for a 10-watt chip to 2.4GHz for a 25-watt version. All will compare favorably to mainstream Intel mobile chips that typically have a power envelope of 35 watts.
New solid-state drives will also debut in both the 2530p and 2730p--HP will offer an 80GB solid-state drive as an option. To date, the largest capacity that HP offered was 64GB. The newest wave of SSDs coming from Micron, Intel, and Samsung are faster and more reliable than the first generation of drives used in ultraportables such as the MacBook Air and ThinkPad X300, according Avi Cohen, managing partner at Avian Securities.
The 1.8-inch hard-disk drives have also been upgraded. Typically these tiny drives have been a bottleneck because they run at a sluggish 4200rpm. New 1.8-inch drives will run at 5400rpm and there will also be an option for a 7200rpm 2.5-inch drive in the slightly larger 2230s EliteBook series, said LeFebvre.
New wireless broadband modules will not be wedded to one single provider--a gotcha with previous generations of HP business notebooks. HP will offer built-in Gobi technology from Qualcomm that uses a single module, the HP un2400, to support multiple mobile broadband network technologies and mobile operators.
HP will also include as standard HP QuickLook2 software that provides instant access to e-mail, calendar, task, and contact information without having to boot the system.
Both the EliteBook 2530p and 2730p feature a mercury-free Illumi-Lite LED display, which is lighter and more energy-efficient than standard notebook display technology.
A slightly heavier line of EliteBook 2230s models are available now and weigh in at about 4 pounds. The 2230s offers faster processors--up to a Core 2 Duo T9600 running at 2.8GHz--and 7200rpm hard-disk drives.
The HP EliteBook 2530p and HP EliteBook 2730p are expected to be available by early September, with estimated starting U.S. street pricing of $1,499 and $1,670, respectively. The HP Compaq 2230s is currently available at an estimated starting U.S. street price of $999.
Windows Vista Business 32 is standard in all models.
Hewlett-Packard will launch a 4-pound "ultralight" business notebook line based on Intel's Centrino 2 silicon this month.
HP 2230s business notebook starts at 4 pounds.
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)The 12.1-inch HP-Compaq 2230s series packs Centrino 2 processors and Intel's newest GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, which HP lists as "Microsoft DirectX 10 capable."
The weight is listed as starting at 4.07 pounds. By comparison, the Via processor-based HP 2133 Mini-Note (8.9-inch screen) is listed at 2.63 pounds.
Models start at $999 with a T5670 (1.80GHz) Core 2 Duo processor and range up to $1,649 for a model with a T9400 (2.53GHz) processor, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard disk drive, 802.11n wireless, DVD+/-RW drive, and Intel's 4500MHD graphics.
A model priced at $1,449 comes with a P8600 (2.4GHz) processor, 2GB of memory, and a 250GB hard disk drive.
HP lists other available processors, including the P9500 (2.53GHz) and P8400 (2.26GHz). The "P" prefix indicates a thermal envelope of only 25 watts, compared with the 35 watts spec'd for mainstream Intel mobile processors to date.
Other specifications include three USB ports, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a 4-cell lithium-ion battery, and a Marvell Ethernet (10/100/1000) network connection.
An HP spokesperson confirmed the upcoming product line.
Hewlett-Packard lists 24 laptop model variations affected by a widely reported Nvidia graphics chip defect. HP said the flaw has been a warranty issue since November of last year.
Some HP DV9000 series notebooks used potentially defective Nvidia graphics chip
(Credit: CNET Networks)Dell made a statement Friday regarding the same graphics chip issue. Nvidia published a "Business Update" on July 2 that addressed the problem. The Nvidia defect is centered on a "weak die/packaging material" in certain versions of Nvidia graphics silicon used in laptops. The die refers to the chip itself and the packaging is what encases the chip.
HP has published a list of potentially affected systems that comprises Pavilion and Compaq Presario laptop models.
"HP has taken appropriate actions for any HP notebook products that use the known affected Nvidia chips," an HP spokesperson said Monday, responding to an e-mail query. "We initiated a customer program to address this issue in November 2007, and have notified registered customers who have notebook PC models that are included in this HP program.
"HP became aware of this issue when we began performing an investigation based on field performance data," the spokesperson said.
Pavilion dv2000, dv6000, and dv9000 and Compaq Presario V3000 and V6000 series are listed by HP as being potentially affected. Symptoms include no video on the computer LCD screen, no power and no active LEDs, and "the notebook does not start," according to HP's Web page that cites the problem.
"If you are experiencing one or more symptoms listed below, and your computer meets the product criteria listed below, contact HP to determine whether you are eligible for a free repair," the HP Web page states.
The defect is described by Nvidia in more detail here.
Technology Web site The Inquirer cited affected HP systems earlier this month.
Update July 11, 8:40 a.m. PDT with additional information on Toshiba notebooks and correction of integrated graphics chipset shipment date.
With Intel's rollout of Centrino 2 processors due Monday, Hewlett-Packard is not wasting any time in readying new notebooks, including a 17-inch model offering at least four of the new processors and 64-bit Windows.
HP DV7-1000 uses the Centrino 2 processor
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)Intel will roll out "Montevina" Centrino 2 processors including the P8400 (2.26GHz), P8600 (2.40GHz), P9500 (2.53GHz), and T9600 (2.80GHz). The 3.06GHz X9100 Extreme processor is also expected to debut.
P7XXX series processors, such as the 2.0GHz P7350, are also spec'd with upcoming notebooks. (See Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop below.)
The lower-speed processors have 3MB of level 2 cache memory, while the faster processors integrate 6MB.
Correction (7/11 8:40 a.m.): While the GM integrated graphics chipset and the PM chipset for discrete (stand-alone) graphics have both been shipping to PC makers, only notebooks with the PM chipset will be available immediately. Consumer notebooks with the GM chipset will be available in early August.
The HP DV7-1000 series uses the P8400, P8600, P9500, and T9400 processors. The "P" prefix on Centrino 2 processors indicates a thermal envelope of 25 watts, less than the 35-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power) on mainstream laptop processors Intel has offered to date.
The laptop features 4GB of memory, a 640GB hard disk drive, an NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics chip, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector, and an eSata connector--the latter allows hookup of external Serial ATA devices.
The system also comes with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium.
The U.K. market version is listed with a starting price of 899 pounds or about US $1,778.
HP posted the most complete specifications for the DV7-1000 here at its U.K. Web site, though a listing can also be found on its U.S. site (dv7-1070ee).
Some online resellers are also posting information on the HP Pavilion dv5-1000us "Entertainment" 15.4-inch notebook.
This uses a Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz P7350 processor and includes 4GB of memory, a 250GB hard disk drive, and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 with up to 1759MB shared graphics memory.
Toshiba is also getting ready to offer the Satellite M305-S4835 with the P7350 chip.
Specifications include a 14.1-inch screen, 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard disk drive, Intel GMA 4500MHD (graphics), and Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, 64-bit version.
On Monday, Hewlett-Packard's Japan arm introduced a raft of consumer PCs with plenty of offerings using processors from Advanced Micro Devices in addition to Intel chips.
In the v7000 small-form-factor tower series, HP deployed both the AMD triple-core Phenom X3 processor and quad-core Phenom X4 processors. Models are available with the X3 8400 (2.1GHz), low-power X4 9100e (1.8GHz, 65 watts), and X4 9500 (2.2GHz).
HP tx2105 ultraportable notebook (top) and HP s3000 and v7000 series desktops (bottom)
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)Interestingly, AMD-based models in the v7000 series come with Nvidia graphics, not AMD-ATI graphics, a synergy that AMD has had trouble realizing in some segments. Configurations are offered with either the NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE, GeForce 8400HD, or GeForce 8500GT graphics chips.
Phenom X3-based systems start at around 69,930 yen or just under $700.
The 4.3-pound TX 2105/CT ultraportable notebook uses a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 TK-57 processor. Another model comes with the AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor. All models pack NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics. Pricing starts at just over $900.
Intel-based HP notebooks were introduced with an array of processors including new 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo T8100 and T9300 processors as well as Celeron 540/560 series chips. But no AMD-ATI graphics here either. Systems come with one of the following: Intel X3100, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics.
Intel-based desktop systems come with dual-core Core 2 Duo E8400 and quad-core Core 2 Quad Q9300 processors, among other configurations. Graphics chips offered are the NVIDIA GeForce 8400HD and NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT.
Update: Are three cores better than two? Consumers now get the chance to decide. AMD's X3 Phenom processors are available in low-cost consumer systems from Hewlett-Packard (HP), Gateway, and eMachines.
Also, on the quad-core front, AMD said Wednesday that Dell is offering five server platforms based on the AMD "Barcelona" Opteron processor.
Gateway model GT5670 with Phenom X3 is priced at $549
(Credit: Best Buy)The AMD Phenom X3 8400 (2.1GHz) and 8600 (2.3GHz) are the first mainstream x86 processors to use three cores. "The value proposition is simple. Three cores versus two cores. You make the choice," Pat Moorhead, VP of Advanced Marketing at AMD, said in a recent interview.
The Gateway model GT5670 packs an X3 8400 processor (2.1GHz) with 2MB of L3 cache memory, 3GB (PC2-5300 DDR2) of main memory, an Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics card, and a 320GB Serial ATA II hard disk drive with 8MB cache (7200 rpm). This configuration goes for $549 at Best Buy.
The HP Pavilion a6430f is eerily similar. It also comes with an X3 8400 Phenom, 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory, and Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics. However, instead of a 320GB hard disk drive, it doubles the capacity with a 640GB drive. This system is priced at $679. HP also offers the Pavilion a6450z series on its Web site with the X3.
The eMachines J4509 is being sold in Japan and features an X3 8400 and AMD 780G integrated graphics. With a 19-inch LCD display, it retails in Japan for just under $1,000.
The initial Phenom X3 processors will ship as the B2 "stepping" or version. The follow-on versions in the channel will be the B3, said Moorhead. The B3 version fixes the TLB bug, which AMD has said all along is an extremely rare occurrence and affects virtually no one except, possibly, very high-end customers. Any chips designated with a "50" suffix will be a processor that implements the fix in silicon.
AMD also recently announced the availability of four new Phenom X4 processors with the TLB bug fix. Led by the AMD Phenom 2.5GHz X4 9850 Black Edition processor (which is designed to be overclocked) and 2.4GHZ 9750, these CPUs will be matched with the AMD 790 series chipsets. The quad-core Phenoms are targeted at higher-end gaming segments.
In related news, AMD announced Wednesday that Dell servers using the quad-core AMD "Barcelona" Opteron processor include the PowerEdge SC1435, 2970, M605 blade server and 6950 platforms, as well as the new PowerEdge T605 tower server. Dell follows HP which already lists its ProLiant G5 servers with quad-core Opteron processors.
On Sale Now: $709.99
View the latest prices for HP Pavilion a6430f (Phenom X3 8400 2.1GHz, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Vista Home Premium)
Hewlett-Packard (HP) chose a relatively obscure processor from Via Technologies for its high-profile Mini-Note 2133. An HP marketing manager explains why.
The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC starts at $499 and weighs only 2.7 pounds
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)The Via C7-M offered what HP needed now, according to Robert Baker, a notebook product marketing manager for HP. "Via gave us that right mix of performance and price for the type of environment that this product is going into--content consumption." And the chip's low power requirements were a plus too. "Their power (efficiency) is where we needed it to be for this platform. Web surfing, creating Power Points," Baker said.
CNET Reviews said the 2133 Mini-Note performed at "an acceptable level" when "surfing the Web and working on office documents" but "doing very much more than that, or open too many windows at once, and things will start to bog down." And CNET Reviews added this: "We won't kid you--this CPU (1.6GHz Via C7-M) did not perform well at all on our standard benchmarking tests."
Via C7-M processor
(Credit: Via Technologies)Timing also factored into HP's decision to go with Via's C7-M. Intel's low-cost Atom processor--which will compete directly with Via chips--is not shipping yet from Intel. Though Baker did not cite the Atom explicitly, he alluded to timing exigencies. "The other key thing was we were designing for education. We had to bring the product to the market now. A slip of a month kills you," he said. Educators need to get their hands on units "so they can make decisions for purchases they'll roll out during the summer when they're doing the vast majority of their purchases."
HP will, however, consider other processors such as the Atom when it's time to refresh the lineup. "There will be an interim refresh about six months in. If the Atom is the right processor, that's what we'll go with. We'll look at everything in the market at that time," he said. Via is slated to bring out a higher-performance "Isaiah" processor in the June time frame. HP will also look at that, he said.
The design for the 2133 was not driven by the wow factor, which is an Apple forte. "We didn't say, hey, we want something cool." The design was a result of a long process of "taking feedback from our customers. All those conversations were well over a year ago. This has been in development for a year now."
Whether ultra-compact, low-cost notebooks like the 2133 (starting at $499) and the Eee PC constitute a sea change in notebook buying habits nobody can say yet. To date, small, fully-functional notebook PCs--which the 2133 is intended to be--have carried a high premium. Look no further than the MacBook Air, said Baker. The Air starts at about $1,700 and jumps to above $3,000 with a solid state drive (SSD). The svelte, 2.8-pound HP 2510p subnotebook for corporate customers starts at about $1,500.
If this class of notebooks does take off, "you'll see more and more bang for your buck baked into these small machines," Baker said.
Advanced Micro Devices said the long-delayed quad-core "Barcelona" Opteron processor is available in servers from computer vendors such as Hewlett-Packard.
HP G5 server series
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)Barcelona had been delayed repeatedly due to production glitches and bugs. AMD is now shipping a "B3" version that includes the bug fix in silicon.
"Customers can get the quad-core AMD Opteron processor today in systems from HP, as well as other system providers," the chipmaker said in a release Tuesday night. The HP ProLiant G5 servers are the first of many systems that are expected to be available in the coming weeks from global OEMs and system builders, AMD said.
The Opteron 8300 Series is currently available in select HP servers at speeds of 2.2GHz (model 8354) and 2.3GHz (model 8356). Opteron 8300 series processors are targeted at multiprocessor servers that typically use four processors (16 cores).
AMD has updated its pricing with the 8360 (2.5GHz) listed at $2,149, the 8358 (2.4Hz) at $1,865, the 8356 at $1,514, and the 8354 at $1,165.
AMD also lists quad-core Opteron 2300 series processors, starting at $316 for the 2352 (2.1GHz) and ranging up to $1,156 for the 2360 (2.5Ghz). These are used typically in two-processor systems.
The quad-core 1300 series for single-processor systems ranges in price from the 1352 listed at $209 to the 1356 listed at $377.
"We are proud to be the first OEM to market with quad-core AMD Opteron processor-based servers," Paul Gottsegen, vice president of marketing for industry-standard servers at HP, said in a prepared statement.
Systems are also expected from IBM, Dell, and Sun Microsystems. IBM and Sun Microsystems have had systems waiting to take the chips since fall of last year.
Barcelona-based computers are also available from smaller vendors such as Rackable Systems and Supermicro, AMD said.
The chipmaker said Monday that it would reduce its workforce by 10 percent this year and that it expects to post first-quarter revenue of $1.5 billion, about 15 percent lower than the fourth quarter and well below seasonal declines.
PDAs aren't dead yet. Nor is Intel's XScale chip technology. Hewlett-Packard's new, attractive big-screen handheld packs an application processor that still includes plenty of Intel's XScale DNA.
HP iPAQ 210
(Credit: HP)HP is now shipping production units of the long-awaited iPaq 210 (originally slated to ship last year) that features a 4.0-inch, 640x480 (VGA) resolution screen. The 210 (which is rebranded internationally as the 211, 212, and 214), comes with a Marvell PXA310 processor running at 624MHz, 128MB of memory, and 256MB of flash ROM.
Though Intel sold the business that made XScale processors to Marvell more than a year and a half ago (June 2006), Marvell is still making processors based on Intel technologies. Marvell states that the PXA3xx processor family "is the third generation of applications processors based on Intel's XScale technology." The PXA310, made on a 90-nanometer process, includes Intel SpeedStep technology, Intel Wireless Trusted Module encryption technology, and an Intel Wireless MMX 2 co-processor.
Marvell also makes a PXA320 that can achieve a clock speed of 800 MHz. (See graphic below.)
The iPaq 210 features both compact flash and a SDIO (Secure Digital Input/Output) slots. SDIO cards, more advanced than typical SD memory cards, can house a Bluetooth adapter, Wi-Fi adapter, Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, television tuner, and a number of other devices.
Marvell PXA320
(Credit: Marvell Technology)
