Sunday, July 11, 2010
THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY: Alienware Area-51 ALX
THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY: Alienware Area-51 ALX: "Pros: Dual ATI Radeon HD 5870 video cards. 2GB Video Ram. 1.2TB Hard Drive. 24x DVD RW drive. Cons: Dual 7200 RPM Hard Drives come stock wit..."
Alienware Area-51 ALX
Pros: Dual ATI Radeon HD 5870 video cards. 2GB Video Ram. 1.2TB Hard Drive. 24x DVD RW drive.
Cons: Dual 7200 RPM Hard Drives come stock with 16MB cache. You’ll have to overclock the stock CPU yourself.
The Verdict: Clearly the cream of the crop, with nice upgrade options available for all performance aspects, including liquid cooled Quad Core CPU.
Alienware produces the de facto archetypes for ultra-high performance gaming computers and their Alienware Area-51 ALX is the current epitome of the class. Every aspect of this computer screams performance beginning with the matte black anodized aluminum housing complete with the illuminated image of the actual aliens that many earthlings believe are housed in the Nevada desert’s super-secret Area-51. Nearly infinite other lighting combinations can be achieved across several zones of the case using the AlienFX feature to complete the effect. The ultimate in cool lighting may just be the eerily ominous color that can be made to emanate from beneath the fins on the chassis’ top that automatically open and close, ostensibly to dissipate heat though, more realistically, to complete the visual impression.
The dramatic exterior gives just a hint of the power that’s housed within. Attention has been given to every detail that makes a gaming powerhouse that serious gamers demand. The base model will blow any game away that it encounters but, if that’s not enough, just about every aspect of the computer can be upgraded to meet any user’s most outrageous fantasy.
Video/Audio: 
When talking about extreme gaming performance, the most critical component is the computer’s video card. Any display can be met head on with the dual 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5870 CrossfireX cards that are part of this exceptional system. The fast cards allow higher graphics frame rates at true high definition resolution. The second card increases performance even farther with more realistic images, smoother motion and quicker transitions. It also makes it possible to power up to four distinct digital displays so you can keep up with other aspects of life while remaining immersed in the action.
For most people, including power hungry gaming aficionados, the included video cards will be perfectly adequate. Still, for those who demand even more they can be upgraded to dual 1.8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 SLI cards or all the way up to dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5970 CrossfireX enabled cards.The standard sound set up has integrated 7.1 surround sound audio. It can be enhanced with the addition of the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card.
Processor: 
The heart of any computer, whether for gaming or more mundane pursuits, is the CPU. The Area-51 ALX comes with a blazing Intel Core i7 960 quad core processor that runs at 3.2GHz and features 8MB of intelligent cache, the largest available on any PC. It will keep cache allocation optimized avoiding bottlenecks when system requirements are at their greatest. Quad core architecture allows for eight simultaneous processing threads to make the most of multitasking requirements. The processor can even overclock to a remarkable 3.6GHz while maintaining a stable gaming and multitasking environment.
Now all of this power is bound to create substantial heat so the unit is equipped with a liquid cooling system. Liquid cooling is far more effective at removing component damaging and performance robbing heat but is far quieter than heatsinks and fans that are found on lesser machines. There’s also active venting, motorized vents located on the enclosures top that can be programmed to open automatically as the action heats up. They promise greater airflow in high performance usage but we think the liquid cooling does the job nicely. That said, they really look rad.
Memory:
All that processor power is for naught without equivalently impressive RAM memory. The Alienware Area-51 ALX’s standard package is equipped with a whopping 6GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM in the form of three 2GB sticks. It can be double to a phenomenal 12GB if DDR3 1333MHz tri channel memory with three 4GB sticks.
For less storage but greater data access speeds, users can opt for two 300GB SATA-II HDDs, a total of 600GB, running at a much faster 10,000 RPM or forego hard drives altogether with two 256GB solid state drives for a total of 512GB of storage totally devoid of moving parts.
A variety of secondary storage volumes are available in addition to those described above. They include standard drives standard drives running at 7,200 or 10,000 RPM speeds or high performance drives with integrated data security.
Additional Features:
The Alienware Area-51 ALX comes equipped with a 24x CD/DVD reader/burner with double layer burn capability. It can be upgraded to an optical drive which will also play Blu-rays discs and even further to a unit that can burn Blu-ray discs as well. Massive power is supplied by the 1,000 watt power supply and the whole thing is held together by an Asus P6T WS Pro motherboard. The rig doesn’t include a monitor but does come with an Alienware TactX mouse and keyboard. Windows 7 Home Premium is the included OS.
Support/Warranty:
Alienware customers benefit from Dell’s well known customer support. Online support includes an active user community, driver update downloads and both email and live chat features. There’s an included one-year warranty plan that can be augmented by up to a four-year plan. Advanced in home service is available for a premium charge.
Summary:
When dedicated gamers and neophytes alike think of top end gaming super computers, it’s likely that Alienware is the mark that comes to mind. The Area-51 ALX combines the company’s legendary experience with cutting edge hardware to afford an intense gaming experience that few can rival. Sure, the device is pretty expensive, but it packs a huge wallop for the money and is a must consider for extreme gamers.
PC is compliant to Atex zone 1
Computer consists of a compact, waterproof display and keyboard unit in the hazardous area, with the processing box and interface unit in the safe area
To keep pace with the latest European directives governing the safe installation and use of equipment within potentially hazardous areas, Intecpc has designed the ExPC - a PC fully compliant with European Atex Zone 1 legislation.
This modular unit, utilising a single cable connection and no requirement for a separate power supply, also incorporates the latest touch-screen technology, unaffected by surface contamination and easy to use - even by gloved hands.
With pricing starting from around £2500 it can also be considered for applications where Zone 1 compliance may not be part of the specification.
The ExPC comprises a compact, waterproof display and keyboard unit in the hazardous area and a computer and interface unit in the safe area.
Power consumption of the display is minimised so there is no requirement for a power supply in the hazardous area.
Installation becomes simple, with connection between the devices via a single, multi-way, shielded cable.
The through-glass touch-screen display can be wall, bench, floor or ceiling mounted up to 150 metres from the computer in the safe area.
The display unit and keyboard are ruggedised for tough industrial environments.
The touch-screen can be used with gloved hands and is not affected by surface contamination.
Construction means there is no drift and no requirement for regular recalibration, providing a set-and-forget system.
Configuration software allows different operating modes to be selected.
The custom designed keyboard is an intrinsically safe Qwerty membrane keyboard with built-in mouse functionality.
An intrinsically safe RS232 serial port is provided to interface peripherals in the hazardous area.
The interface unit in the safe area provides standard PC connections and can be connected to all standard PC peripherals eg printers, modems, network interface etc.
Intel cuts prices, analysts cut Q3 estimates
Intel Corp. completed a round of cuts in the prices of its processors yesterday, reducing the price of its flagship Pentium 4 desktop processors, its mobile Pentium 4-M processors, its desktop and mobile Celeron processors, and its Xeon processors for workstations and low-end servers.
At the same time, financial analyst firms warned of slower-than-expected sales and revised their guidance downward for Intel's third-quarter numbers.
The price cuts had been widely expected after Intel last week introducedseveral new desktop Pentium 4 processors at clock speeds up to 2.8 GHz. Intel at the time cut the price of its previous clock-speed leader, the 2.53-GHz Pentium 4, and needed to cut the prices of slower Pentium 4s to bring the slower chips in line with the high-end prices.
The 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 now costs $193 in 1,000-unit quantities, down from $400, a decrease of 52%. The 2.26- and 2.2-GHz chips also now cost $193, down from $241. The 2-GHz chip costs $163, down from $193; and the 1.8-GHz chip costs $143, down from $163.
Intel's fastest mobile processor, the 2-GHz Pentium 4-M, now costs 45% less at $348, down from $637. The 1.9-GHz Pentium 4-M is down to $241, a drop of 40%; the 1.8-GHz chip now costs $198, down 43%; and the 1.7-GHz chip now costs $171, down 29%.
The company's desktop Celeron processors were reduced by an average of 16.75%, and its fastest mobile Celeron processor, at 1.5 GHz, was cut 44% to $96. Lower-end Xeon processors were cut by an average of 16.67%. High-end Xeon and Itanium processors for servers weren't affected by the latest round of price cuts.
The price cuts and new processors were expected to stimulate demand for PCs featuring the new processors, but that strategy has continued to be derailed by a sputtering economy.
Financial analyst firm Investec Inc. in New York CIty, said today that it's lowering revenue and earnings-per-share estimates for Intel's third quarter and fiscal year, based on a survey of retail consumer electronics stores that indicated a weaker back-to-school market. The back-to-school market is the second most important season for PC and processor sales, with the fourth-quarter holiday season carrying the most weight.
Investec now expects Intel to earn $6.5 billion in the third quarter, down from its previous estimates of $6.7 billion. Earnings for the third quarter will now be 12 cents per share, down from 13 cents, Investec said. The company also lowered expectations for Intel's 2002 and 2003 full-year results.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call in Bostonexpect Intel to earn 13 cents per share in the third quarter.
Intel provided its own guidance for third-quarter revenue of between $6.3 billion and $6.9 billion when it announced its second-quarter results.
At the same time, financial analyst firms warned of slower-than-expected sales and revised their guidance downward for Intel's third-quarter numbers.
The price cuts had been widely expected after Intel last week introducedseveral new desktop Pentium 4 processors at clock speeds up to 2.8 GHz. Intel at the time cut the price of its previous clock-speed leader, the 2.53-GHz Pentium 4, and needed to cut the prices of slower Pentium 4s to bring the slower chips in line with the high-end prices.
The 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 now costs $193 in 1,000-unit quantities, down from $400, a decrease of 52%. The 2.26- and 2.2-GHz chips also now cost $193, down from $241. The 2-GHz chip costs $163, down from $193; and the 1.8-GHz chip costs $143, down from $163.
Intel's fastest mobile processor, the 2-GHz Pentium 4-M, now costs 45% less at $348, down from $637. The 1.9-GHz Pentium 4-M is down to $241, a drop of 40%; the 1.8-GHz chip now costs $198, down 43%; and the 1.7-GHz chip now costs $171, down 29%.
The company's desktop Celeron processors were reduced by an average of 16.75%, and its fastest mobile Celeron processor, at 1.5 GHz, was cut 44% to $96. Lower-end Xeon processors were cut by an average of 16.67%. High-end Xeon and Itanium processors for servers weren't affected by the latest round of price cuts.
The price cuts and new processors were expected to stimulate demand for PCs featuring the new processors, but that strategy has continued to be derailed by a sputtering economy.
Financial analyst firm Investec Inc. in New York CIty, said today that it's lowering revenue and earnings-per-share estimates for Intel's third quarter and fiscal year, based on a survey of retail consumer electronics stores that indicated a weaker back-to-school market. The back-to-school market is the second most important season for PC and processor sales, with the fourth-quarter holiday season carrying the most weight.
Investec now expects Intel to earn $6.5 billion in the third quarter, down from its previous estimates of $6.7 billion. Earnings for the third quarter will now be 12 cents per share, down from 13 cents, Investec said. The company also lowered expectations for Intel's 2002 and 2003 full-year results.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call in Bostonexpect Intel to earn 13 cents per share in the third quarter.
Intel provided its own guidance for third-quarter revenue of between $6.3 billion and $6.9 billion when it announced its second-quarter results.
EMC builds new data computing division around Greenplum
EMC has announced it will acquire Greenplum, a data warehousing and business analytics software firm for an undisclosed sum. EMC will use this acquisition to form the basis of a new Data Computing Products Division led by Bill Cook, CEO of Greenplum, who will report to Pat Gelsinger, COO of EMC's Information Infrastructure Products. To put that statement into perspective, Backup and Recovery Solutions (where Data Domain and other related acquisitions now live) is also a separate EMC division reporting to Gelsinger. BRS is a big division with a lot of products. Therefore, I think one can safely bet that Data Computing Products at EMC will grow in scale and scope.
And here we see that EMC's marketing minds were hard at work. While EMC is positioning Greenplum in business analytics, this new division is not being called the EMC Business Analytics Division, nor the Data Warehousing/Business Intelligence Division, or the even sexier Cloud Analytics Division. No. This is the Data Computing Products Division. What is data computing or a data computing product? I'll let EMC explain because I'm not sure that I can.
First observation: A common assumption is that EMC is doing this to respond to Oracle's success with itsExadata solution and NetApp's acquisition of Bycast. True, EMC's Data Computing solutions yet to be seen will likely compete with the new Sun Oracle as systems vendor. But we should add to the list Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Teradata, database vendors, cloud software vendors, and anyone else in the new, cloud friendly, business analytics space. EMC sees Greenplum's database and cloud portal technologies as disruptive to the traditional data warehousing/business intelligence market. And, in the possession of EMC's worldwide marketing and sales force, Greenplum could very well be disruptive--within the DW/BI marketplace and beyond. Read the specs on Greenplum's massively parallel processing (MPP) database product. They're impressive. What's even better for EMC is that the Greenplum Database likes to be integrated with storage. This acquisition cries out for an integrated hardware software stack (think VBlock) or a yet-to-be-named EMC Data Computing appliance (GBlock?). Is EMC ooching toward becoming a systems vendor? No. Not without a major services group.
Right now, EMC just wants to be a major player in the fast-growing business analytics segment--hence the Greenplum acquisition and the creation of the EMC Data Computing Products division. However, the challenge for EMC will be to grow a presence in a space where its large and formidable sales force is virtually unknown. In EMC's favor is the fact that DW/BI is rapidly evolving from a relatively slow batch processing application that pulls data from a few sources, to one that takes massive amounts of data from a variety of sources including real time sensory data, and delivers results in real or near-real time to many concurrent users. Business analytics is a new opportunity for all.
Second observation: We've seen very little mention made so far about Greenplum Chorus which is even more germane to EMC's "Journey to the Private Cloud" strategy. Greenplum calls it the "first commercial Enterprise Data Cloud." I'm not here to argue the validity of that statement. I only wish to point out that anyone who attended EMC World 2010 couldn't have helped but notice the Journey to the Private Cloud signage. It was everywhere. Greenplum Chorus does cloud-based self-service provisioning of data marts, allows cloud analytics users to share data sets and data marts with others, and supports social networking and collaboration. As such, Chorus fits right in as a major journey-to-the-cloud destination. Let me restate my previous conjecture in a slightly different way: cloud data analytics is a new opportunity for all.
Expect to see a few of Greenplum's partners defect. (HP and Sun are good bets here, I think.) However, integration projects with open-source software (Hadoop for example) will proceed forward. Expect to see some more EMC Data Computing products relatively soon like an EMC/Greenplum data computing appliance or at least some DIY reference models. In a recent post, EMC blogger extraordinaire Chuck Hollis alludes to running parts of the Greenplum processing stack on any storage array that uses x86 processing technology. That allusion could presage a new optimized array from EMC or a version of a current EMC storage array that supports Greenplum Database processing offload.
EMC's Data Computing Products division is a Pat Gelsinger creation. Can he and Bill Cook be disruptive with it? Only time will tell.
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