Category: CPU

HP Proliant Microserver Gen 8 Unboxing

A bit out of order given that I’ve already put up a video showing how to install a micro SD card or USB stick in the HP Microserver but I can’t let that get in the way of  a good unboxing!   So, why did I choose the HP Proliant Microserver (Gen 8) over building …

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Computing Longevity – Upgrading CPUs and Assessing Alternatives

Xeon W3690 CPU

For a while now I have been tempted to replace my desktop computer with new hardware. I originally built my current desktop back in the middle of 2009 with the following specifications: Intel Core i7 920, 12GB DDR3 RAM, 128GB Solid State Drive + 1TB Hard Disk Drive, 2 x nVidia GTX 295 video cards. Those specs …

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Lucid Virtu MVP – Switchable Graphics for the Desktop

Yesterday, I was asked by a friend of mine to provide an opinion on which CPU would be best suited for his new gaming rig and of course the CPU also affected what motherboard you select and the RAM configuration (dual or triple channel). Then you get to things like the graphics solution for the …

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Raspberry Pi (Model B) Unboxing and Preview

This morning, I was surprised to receive a package at work (which is unusual first thing on a Monday morning). Anyway to my surprise it was the Raspberry Pi that I had ordered just over three months ago – awesome! Now, when this computer was described as tiny they really meant it. This thing has a footprint smaller …

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CPU Enhanced Halt, DPCs and Audio Stuttering

DPC Latency Checker - DPC uninhibited system

For a while, my desktop computer has been having issues with audio stuttering and I’ve undertaken things such as downgrading VLC (which helped a bit) and also updating the audio and network drivers on my desktop computer (which also helped a bit but didn’t completely eliminate the issue). I found that network activity tended to …

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The $50 Plugable Thin Client – A Cheap and Instant PC

Just wanted to share something that I came across on Kickstarter (and again, I am fighting the urge to splurge on supporting what I reckon is a great project). This project on Kickstarter is looking to bring out a USB device that will allow you to expand the use of a single computer and piggy back …

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Incoming Gadget – Raspberry Pi

A quick heads up for tonight. I have had my eyes on an interesting credit card sized computer called the Raspberry Pi. It’s an ARM-based computer (similar to the CPUs found in phones and tablets these days) and is designed to run Linux. It’s also low cost as well with Model A costing around AU$30 …

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Task Manager Under Windows 8

Task Manager has been one of those handy things since Windows NT to kill off applications and processes that are consuming too much of a system’s resources and has evolved over the years to become more sophisticated. With that in mind, people may be shocked with what is initially presented to them under Windows 8. …

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64-bit Windows 8 in a VM Requires Hardware Virtualisation

Here’s a quick tip for tonight relating to the Windows 8 Consumer Preview which I have written up yesterday as well as the installation process. If you want to use the 64-bit version of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview you need to make sure that you computer can provide hardware virtualisation. This function allows a virtual …

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Windows on ARM Comes with Office 15 Baked In

For people seriously considering a Windows 8 tablet as their next tablet OS here is something that might sweeten the deal a bit. While the iPad has built in viewing capabilities for Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint slidepacks the ability to edit them as part of the base operating system is absent. The …

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