GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

1. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG May 9, 2002

2. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Agenda – May 9, 2002 • 7:00 – 7:05 Administration • 7:05 – 8:15 Featured Topic – Hard Drives and “Floppies” • 8:15 – 8:30 Hardware News • 8:30 – 8:55 Random Access (Q&A) • 8:55 – 9:00 Recap, Preview, and Close

3. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Administration • Welcome! Please Sign In. • What the SIG is…and is not. • Is – an information resource for computer users and potential computer users • Is NOT – a way to get your computer built or repaired (contact the GSBUG Daytime Hardware SIG) • Log – Random Access/Q&A (First Come…)

4. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Administration (continued): • Presentation materials will be posted at: http://gsbug.apcug.org/hwinfosig.htm • Prior presentation materials are also posted.

5. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives • “Hard disk drive (HDD)” – a readable/ writeable, storage device with NON-separable media; the device which stores most computer programs and data. • “IDE” – integrated drive electronics • “ATA” – advanced technology attachment; ANSI for IDE • “SCSI” – small computer system interface

6. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • “Ultra ATA” – higher speed ATA, incl. Ultra ATA/33, Ultra ATA/66, Ultra ATA/100 and Ultra ATA/133; depending on supplier, may be called UDMA (ultra direct memory access) • Primary manufacturers – IBM, Maxtor (Quantum), Seagate, Western Digital • Lesser manufacturers – Fujitsu, Hitachi, Samsung, Toshiba

7. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • Key performance indicators: • Spindle speed – faster the better • Internal (media) transfer rate (Mb/sec) – higher the better • Average seek time (ms) – lower the better • Latency (ms) – lower the better • Disk cache/buffer size (MB) – larger the better • Benchmarking: • Ziff Davis’ Disk WinMark (Business and High-End) – most recognized; virtually free

8. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • Current capacity leaders (ATA) • IBM 120GXP series & Western Digital Caviar series (up to 120GB, 7200 rpm) – ATA/100 • Maxtor D540X series (up to 160GB, 5400 rpm) – ATA/100 • Current performance leader (ATA) • Western Digital Caviar “Special Edition” series (up to 602Mb/sec internal) – includes an 8MB cache, ATA/100, 80/100/120GB

9. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • Current leaders (SCSI) – shipping products • Capacity – Seagate Barracuda 180 (181.6GB, 7200 rpm, U160, 12 disks, 24 heads, 1.6” height) • Performance – Seagate Cheetah X15 36LP series (up to 709 Mb/sec internal, 15000 rpm, U320, max 36.7GB)

10. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • Price example - $189 for a Western Digital Caviar “Special Edition” 80GB drive (WD800JB, direct/online); as low as $122 elsewhere on the web. • Availability – check the web, Pomona,… • Reliability – even the best drives fail! • Warranty – MAY be non-existent if not purchased from a reseller that purchased through an “authorized” distributor or the drive was stolen. Check the manufacturer’s web site.

11. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • Tips: • Watch the motherboard connector keying • “Short” end of cable towards the drive • Drive end of cable – the “red” wire/stripe installs closest to drive’s power connector; red wire of power connector towards the data cable. • Set BIOS to “Auto” • Ultra ATA/66/100/133 drives require a 40-pin, 80-conductor cable & compatible HDC

12. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hard Drives (continued) • Tips (continued): • Put HDD on its own channel • Use “cloning” software to upgrade (e.g., PowerQuest’s Drive Copy or Drive Image, Symantec’s Ghost – as low as $9 + S&H on the web – check www.pricewatch.com).

13. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • “Floppies” • “Floppy disk drive (FDD)” – a readable/writeable, storage device with separable media; for our purposes uses a 3.5” “diskette” as the storage medium • Key issues: • Capacity, performance • Ability to read/write standard 1.44MB FD • OS compatibility • Interface – available, appropriate, cost?

14. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • “Floppies” (continued) • Standard floppy • 1.44MB; 62.5KB/sec transfer (standard internal floppy) • Reads/writes 1.44MB diskettes • 100% OS compatible (standard internal floppy) • Interfaces – standard internal floppy, parallel, PCMCIA, SCSI (internal and external), and USB • Less than $10 (standard internal), Web

15. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • “Floppies” (continued) • LS-120 (SuperDisk – Imation, Mitsubishi, Panasonic) • 120MB; up to 1.1MB/sec transfer (ATAPI) • Reads/writes 1.44MB diskettes • <100% OS compatible (pre-DOS 5 and pre-NT3.51 not supported) • Interfaces – ATAPI, parallel, PCMCIA, SCSI (internal and external), and USB • Less than $60 (ATAPI), Web

16. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • “Floppies” (continued) • Sony HiFD (High Capacity Floppy Disk) • 200MB; claims 3.6MB/sec transfer rate, BUT only 700KB/sec “interface throughput” (USB) • Reads/writes 1.44MB diskettes • <100% OS compatible (no DOS or NT support claimed, no drivers included) • Interfaces – parallel and USB (NO internal, at least directly through Sony) • …appears no longer in production/available!

17. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • “Floppies” (continued) • ZIP (Iomega) • 100 & 250MB; 1.4 & 2.4MB/sec (ATAPI, 100 & 250MB models, respectively) • Will NOT read or write 1.44MB diskettes • <100% OS compatible (DOS and pre-Win 3.x not supported) • Interfaces – ATAPI, parallel, PCMCIA, SCSI (internal and external), and USB • Less than $30 (ATAPI) for 100MB, Web

18. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hardware News • Processors • AMD officially names Hammer products: • ClawHammer (desktop/workstation version) will continue with Athlon branding (with some TBD differentiator) • SledgeHammer (workstation/server version) – “Opteron” • For the latest Hammer (Opteron) tech presentation see: http://www.amd.com/us- en/assets/content_type/ DownloadableAssets/Opteron_Press_Preso2.pdf

19. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hardware News (continued) • Processors (continued) • Intel released the 2.4GHz Xeon (DP version for servers and workstations) – simple line extension. • Intel officially names McKinley (IA64) – Itanium 2 • Intel released 2.26, 2.4, and 2.53GHz P4s with 533MHz FSB – first in a series with 533MHz FSB. • NOTE: While these processors will run in a 400MHz FSB motherboard, they will run at only 75% of rated speed. As with all current Intel CPUs, these CPUs have locked FSB multipliers. A 533MHz FSB-capable motherboard is required to run at full speed. As such these CPUs may NOT be appropriate for upgrading.

20. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hardware News (continued) • Core Logic (chipsets) • Intel released the 850E MCH (Northbridge) – same as 850 with 533MHz FSB. • System RAM – nothing new • Motherboards • ASUSTeK released the P4T533-C – P4 with 850E MCH • Intel released the D850EMV2 and D850EMD2 (ATX and microATX, respectively) - P4 with 850E MCH

21. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hardware News (continued) • Graphics processor & card • 3Dlabs announced its “Visual Processing Architecture” and upcoming P10 VPU (Visual Processing Unit) – first boards to ship in Q3’02. • Matrox announced its Parhelia-512 GPU – major push to return to 3D market in the mid-range and high end. 20GB/sec bandwidth, 80 million transistors, 256-memory interface, up to 256MB RAM, 8X AGP capable, triple monitor display (separate displays or one across 3 at 3840x1024). Cards to be announced within 60-90 days. • SiS released the Xaber400 – first AGP 8X GPU; no card announcements yet.

22. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hardware News (continued) • Hard Drives • Seagate announced Cheetah 15K.3 and Cheetah 10K.6 SCSI drives – up to 73GB w/ 891Mb/sec internal transfer rate for the 15K.3 and up to 146GB w/ 871Mb/sec internal transfer rate for the 10K.6; both will be available with U320 or FC (Fibre Channel) interfaces; volume production in Q3’02. • Western Digital released an 80GB version of their Caviar “Special Edition” series (8MB cache).

23. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Hardware News (continued) • Hard Drive Controllers – nothing new • Other Drives • ASUSTeK and BenQ (Acer) release 48x16x48 CD-RW drives (ATAPI) – both model 4816A. • Teac released the CD-W540E 40x12x48 CD-RW drive (ATAPI) • Sound processors & cards – nothing new • Modems & NICs – nothing new • Chassis & power supplies – nothing new

24. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Random Access (Q&A)

25. GSBUG Hardware Info SIG • Recap, Preview, and Close • Recap • Preview • Featured Topic for June 13, 2002 – CD, DVD, and Other Non-”Floppy”, Removable Media Drives • Close (please police up the area)