IT... Computing....

[DaveRattlehead]

Nevermind, the solution was a bit weird.
Yup, gg Windows. These are signs from the universe telling me to switch to Linux

 

[PluMGMK]

Came across this interesting post mortem article on the Pentium 4 architecture: https://chipsandcheese.com/p/intels-netburst-failure-is-a-foundation-for-success

I was particularly struck by this line:

Having what’s basically four ALUs on a 3-wide core will not give you superior integer performance, but that’s not what they’re there for. They’re there to crunch through all the bogus work, while having enough throughput left over to handle real work.

 

[Master]

I'm only used to reading about smaller RISC architectures, so this is definitely a meaty article to wrap my head around. But it definitely sounds like an interesting read so I'll try to have a look-see and see what sense I can make of.

 

[dr_st]

Came across this interesting post mortem article on the Pentium 4 architecture: https://chipsandcheese.com/p/intels-netburst-failure-is-a-foundation-for-

I loved that article. Great read. Many details were new to me, and although I am not sufficiently well-versed in CPU micro-architecture to appreciate it in full, I liked it very much how it talks about the glaring deficiencies of Netburst, while acknowledging that not all was bad and some ideas actually turned out useful in later architectures.

They also explain some of the differences within Netburst. Particularly I remember how around the time Northwoods were replaced with Prescotts, the latter had on paper the same clocks, but more cache, and yet strangely were sometimes not performing as well. This is because the Northwood cache was lower latency, which for certain workloads was more important than its size.

I couldn't stop laughing (inside) reading this:

Of course, there are justifications behind using a write-through cache. Much like skydiving without a parachute, a write-through cache removes extra steps, making the process simpler and easier [.................] However, the results in both cases can be sub-optimal. Just as falling through the ground at terminal velocity can negatively impact your health, writing data through a cache can negatively impact performance. Netburst’s small, write-through L1D was not used again on Intel’s later architectures.

 

[PluMGMK]

[Original post 3 September]
Glad you liked it! And yes, that was a really funny bait-and-switch where they said it was justifiable and then compared it to skydiving without a parachute! The write-through cache really makes it sound like a beta-quality architecture tbh!


[New post 21 September]

The card arrived today (thanks UPS for the delays ) and when I plugged it in I got exactly the same result: receive, no transmit. It turns out (and I had suspected this, but convinced myself otherwise with the oscilloscope :facepalm) that the REAL problem was the lack of a –12 V supply on the new power supply. It seems that PSU manufacturers now no longer bother to include a –12-V pin, even though there's nothing stopping users from hooking them up to hardware that requires it (just like I did, in fact).

Huh, I spose it's a bit redundant given the state of IO in modern computers, but was it officially removed from the ATX spec, or is this a noncompliance the industry just didn't really compare about?

Coming back around to this, apparently it's been made "optional" in version 3.0 of the spec, and the Wikipedia section specifically mentions Corsair as a company that have decided to stop including it. I'll know better than to buy from them next time. The citations in that section include a forum thread about someone's motherboard's audio chipset which stopped working correctly due to lack of –12 V, so I'm not the only one on that front either!

Meanwhile, I think I can hack something together with a TMV 1212DEN and an ATX extension cable – but it looks like I won't be able to source them from the same place because Farnell doesn't have any of the former in stock, and DigiKey doesn't seem to sell the latter. I'll probably just grab both cheaply on eBay…

 

[Reese Riverson]

Oh yeah, Plum, that reminds me, I finally got around to showing off the old Windows 3.1 application our first computer had. The Acer Computer Explorer.

 

[Master]

Coming back around to this, apparently it's been made "optional" in version 3.0 of the spec, and the Wikipedia section specifically mentions Corsair as a company that have decided to stop including it. I'll know better than to buy from them next time. The citations in that section include a forum thread about someone's motherboard's audio chipset which stopped working correctly due to lack of –12 V, so I'm not the only one on that front either!

Meanwhile, I think I can hack something together with a TMV 1212DEN and an ATX extension cable – but it looks like I won't be able to source them from the same place because Farnell doesn't have any of the former in stock, and DigiKey doesn't seem to sell the latter. I'll probably just grab both cheaply on eBay…

Ahh ATX 3.0, the same spec that formalised the 12VHPWR line that Nvidia seems to be insistent on making infamous? I get that technology marches on and sometimes it's better to clear out redundant items, but if it's affecting audio then maybe there's more cause for concern...

As for that converter, I'm guessing that would be splicing off the existing 12V line. Would you be connecting the 24pin to a PCB that uses the converter to reimplement the -12V line, and then go through that to the mobo? Also, I did have a quick look at the datasheet for that converter, it looks like it's rated maximum output current at -12V is 40mA, I imagine Serial Ports don't require that much power, so that should be enough right?

 

[PluMGMK]

Oh yeah, Plum, that reminds me, I finally got around to showing off the old Windows 3.1 application our first computer had. The Acer Computer Explorer.

Cool, that's a beautiful blast from the past! I must try to install it myself, even if my PC is a self-build as opposed to an Acer

Ahh ATX 3.0, the same spec that formalised the 12VHPWR line that Nvidia seems to be insistent on making infamous? I get that technology marches on and sometimes it's better to clear out redundant items, but if it's affecting audio then maybe there's more cause for concern...

Hadn't heard of that, but I think my new PSU did come with a few of those cables, so I was wondering what the heck those were! So, more NVIDIA thermal problems eh…

As for that converter, I'm guessing that would be splicing off the existing 12V line. Would you be connecting the 24pin to a PCB that uses the converter to reimplement the -12V line, and then go through that to the mobo? Also, I did have a quick look at the datasheet for that converter, it looks like it's rated maximum output current at -12V is 40mA, I imagine Serial Ports don't require that much power, so that should be enough right?

My plan is just to splice into one each of the yellow and black wires and solder it directly onto the part to get the +12 in, and then solder the blue wire directly to the output to get the –12. From what I can gather it doesn't need any extra filtering or anything in external circuitry, so hopefully I'll get away with a direct solder, as long as it's not in a position where anything is tugging on the wires… 40 mA should be fine indeed, because that's the typical order of magnitude that ATX power supplies can provide on the –12 rail anyway

EDIT: OK I ordered the two components on eBay. The extension cable's coming from Kildare so it should be here within a week, whereas the converter has to come all the way from Poland so it'll be a bit longer…

 

[Reese Riverson]

Cool, that's a beautiful blast from the past! I must try to install it myself, even if my PC is a self-build as opposed to an Acer

Let me know when you do actually do this, I'm looking forward to it!

I also have it running on my install of Windows 3.1 in DOSBOX, because I can. Haha

But it is natively installed on my Acer system.

 

[EdgyRabbid]

Yo I’m getting some money to buy an actual good desktop computer! I’m not good with specs, all I know is that 16GBS is enough. What other specs should I worry about if I’m making art and playing games?

 

[Reese Riverson]

That's a bit too vague of a question, I'm afraid. For people to help you out with this one, your best bet is to give a budget amount you plan to spend, and what kind of games you intend to play and what kind of art you're into.

 

[EdgyRabbid]

Alright.

So context, in Canada autistic children under 18 get a certain amount of money for their expenses. My brother got about 18K, but mine may be more due to me being lower functioning on the spectrum.

Also the type of games I wanna play are mostly older games and 2D games while the art I wanna make is 2d illustrations, animations and possibly game programming.

 

[Master]

I'm assuming that you're only planning on using a portion of that amount on a computer, as the rest will go towards other items that will accommodate your needs?

 

[EdgyRabbid]

Yep. Why would I spend like 20K on a pc??

 

[Master]

Sooo....do you have an idea of how much of that you'd be willing to spend on a computer?

 

[EdgyRabbid]

Im not sure, my moms in charge of my money. BUT I'd assume around 500-800 CAD. Reminder CAD Is more expensive then USA

 

[Master]

Fair, and what kind of computer are you looking for? A desktop is likely going to get you more grunt for less money, but ofc that comes at a premium of space. Laptops are more portable, but tend to be more constrained when it comes to performance.

EDIT: Nvm, I read back, you're after a desktop then. So the money noted, is that for a whole desktop setup, or is this money purely going to be for the tower itself?

 

[EdgyRabbid]

just the tower. I have a monitor and everything else. but I'm also gonna invest in a mouse pad

 

[Master]

Ah ok, would you be comfortable in a DIY build, or would you be more comfortable getting a prebuilt?

 

[EdgyRabbid]

pre built. Im not that smart lol.