I totally forgot about my Blog, oh my, what a failzzzzzzzzzz. I got sucked up doing "real world" stuff, you know, it's called "work and responsibility". Bugger, I want to do stuff and share and brag and show off and do my hobby, and yet, those mundane and trivial tasks always take up my time. 
It's a bit late to post this, but still very interesting newbits. Over at JPR, they have a table that shows the MSS of Intel vs AMD head-to-head. In Q3'05, AMD is steadily gaining MSS at this segment, from 6.6% to 13.3% on Q2'06. But on Q1'07, AMD's MSS is reduced to 8% and Intel enjoys 92% of the MSS. Expand to read the full story..EDITOR'S NOTE: Excerpts from the JPR Workstation Report and expert interviews are available on request.
AMD’s presence in workstations plummets in Q1’07, reports Jon Peddie Research
TIBURON, Calif—June 13, 2007—Times change, and they can change fast. As 2006 began, Intel’s Xeon was in a tailspin, while AMD’s Opteron could do no wrong. In the robust market for workstations, the roles have since reversed, with first quarter results reported from Jon Peddie Research showing Xeon has grabbed back much of the share it had lost to Opteron.
The workstation market remains strong
Overall, the workstation market continues to pleasantly surprise. As expected, quarterly growth rates have subsided a bit from the 25% to 35% increases (year-to-year) JPR had seen in late ’05 and early ’06, but they remain strong. All told, the industry shipped 674 thousand workstatioßns in the first quarter of 2007, up 15.2% over the same quarter of 2006. ASPs held flat, allowing revenue to also increase a healthy 15% to around $1.7 billion.
Intel stealing back the share it had lost
In workstations, Opteron had been steadily draining share from Intel’s Xeon, peaking at over 13% of dual-socket platforms for Windows-compatible workstations in Q2’06. But Q2’06 not only market the peak of Opteron’s incursion, it marked the beginning of a significant fall. JPR reports that in Q1’07, AMD’s share of the dual-socket capable segment (where Opteron was strongest) didn’t simply flattten but actually dropped by over 50% year-to-year.
Vendor
Q3CY05
Q4CY05
Q1CY06
Q2CY06
Q3CY06
Q4CY06
Q1CY07
Xeon
93.4%
90.9%
87.6%
86.7%
89.1%
88.9%
92.0%
Opteron
6.6%
9.1%
12.4%
13.3%
10.9%
11.1%
8.0%
Table 1. Xeon vs. Opteron in market for dual-socket, Windows-compatible workstations
“We’d expected AMD’s share to moderate or level off by the time Intel improved its dual-socket Xeon platform in mid ’06, but we hadn’t anticipated the decline we’ve seen,” commented analyst and JPR Workstation Report author Alex Herrera. “The extent of Intel’s rebound will put that much more pressure on AMD to deliver quad-core Barcelona soonand with better performance than Xeon.”
In the overall workstation market (including higher-volume single-socket systems), AMD had risen to a peak of 3.6% in Q2’06, contracting to 2.0% in this last quarter.
About the JPR Workstation Report
Now in its fourth year, JPR’s Workstation Report - Professional Computing Markets and Technologies has established itself as the essential reference guide for hardware and software vendors and suppliers serving the workstation and professional graphics markets.
Subscribers to the JPR Workstation Report receive two in-depth reports per year providing a comprehensive analysis of the vendors and technologies driving the workstation platform. Clients also receive four quarterly reports detailing and analyzing market results for each calendar quarter. For information about purchasing the JPR Workstation Report, please call 415/435-9368 or visit Jon Peddie Research at http://www.jonpeddie.com.
About Jon Peddie Research
Dr. Jon Peddie has been active in the graphics and multimedia fields for more than 30 years. Jon Peddie Research is a technically oriented multimedia and graphics research and consulting firm. Based in Tiburon, California, JPR provides consulting, research, and other specialized services to technology companies, including graphics development, multimedia for professional applications and consumer electronics, high-end computing, and Internet-access product development. Jon Peddie's Market Watch and First Look are quarterly reports focused on the market activity of PC graphics controllers for mobile and desktop computing.
LostCircuits rarely posts articles, but when they do, they usually have a very comprehensive article. Their latest content is about an 8-way monster from Intel and they have a pretty good look at this system. Expand to read the conclusion...Final Thoughts
Eight cores on two processor packages or four dies and all of that in a single system. Needless to say that all components are standard shelf parts that can be purchased at any major computer part retailer. So what in the world has happened to good old computing as in emails and typewriter substitute?
The answer to that question is actually relatively simple, we are living more and more in the digital age, where content creation is taken for granted, whether it is good or bad content, doesn’t even matter, it is essentially the fact that it is available and, because of the ease of its creation, it becomes disposable. As somewhat of an oldtimer in the computing scene, it is hard to appreciate the fact that there is no more collection of files, everything is available somewhere somehow and even if the quality is a tad degraded, who cares, it is like reading a paperback instead of a hard-cover. Well, that gets a bit off topic but really what it comes down to is how fast can we create disposable digital media and does it matter whether we have to do it over again? With the system at hand, the answer is a clear no, just power it up, pay the electric bill and let her rip. In so far, the “Octopussy” system we reviewed here is possibly the penultimate cruncher for DVDs, MP3s and whatnot.
On the other side of the fence are the designers, using the same tools to create a digital reality in the first place in the form of CGIs. Time is money in that business and that alone justifies the use of extended numbers of cores, as long as the software supports them. Then there are the “other” designers, those who are running simulations of hardware designs, whether it is silicon or plastic or metal works or the simulation of thermals in complex designs of hybrid materials. Even though we did not run any of these simulations as benchmarks, this field is huge since machines are getting ever more complex and efficient at any task and it is a matter of time until the last human “idiot savant” who has a “feeling” for one or the other technology will have to submit to the growing power of electronic data crunching. The “Octopussy” is just another milestone on that path.
All of this said and done, during the time we were working on this article, an important decision was made at Intel to no longer really support the FBDIMM architecture except for use in ultra high-end servers. Power issues were the primarily cited factor in this decision. For my own part, I probably won’t miss them but if history has taught me something, it’ll be another 5 years and then we will see the next iteration of the same concept. This is not meant to say that the FBDIMM is fundamentally bad, it is just not good enough from a power and cost perspective to compete in a market where pennies on any item are escalated to multimillion $ cost over head or savings in the grand picture.
To finally come to the end of this article, it’s been fun working with this “Octopussy” and see what she can do. And that’s still what it all comes down to.
It's a slow news day today so I am just sharing a preview done by XBitLabs on the "V8" platform (isn't it annoying that AMD have a "FASN8"). Anyway, XBitLabs are impressed with the performance. But if you are a regular FanBoy TechWeb visitor, you'll know that I have done a quick benching of this system for quite some time already. I first post about Clovertown 2xQuad-Core (total of 8 cores) here and posted initial benchmark here. Expand to read the article from XBitLabs...Conclusion
Our experience with Intel V8 platform made an unforgettable impression. The obtained benchmark results are so high that we do not hesitate to call it the today’s world’s fastest system for multi-threaded work. This desktop and workstation platform with two quad-core Xeon processors demonstrates unattainable performance in all SMP optimized applications.
However, everything we have just said is true mostly because there are no other eight-core systems in the market today that could compete with Intel V8. Therefore, when the new AMD FASN8 with quad-core CPUs on K10 micro-architecture comes out, situation may change. Especially, since Intel V8 has a few disadvantages originating from its server roots.
First of all, the FB DDR2 memory subsystem in the eight-core monster from Intel is implemented in not the most optimal way. Its latency is too high, which affects the system performance in some widespread applications. Secondly, i5000X based workstation mainboards used for Intel V8 systems cannot suit enthusiasts in the best possible way. They have a lot of functions that no enthusiasts will ever use, but at the same time offer nothing for processor overclocking. And thirdly, Intel V8 platform limits the user’s ability to create a high-performance video subsystem. There are very few mainboards on i5000X chipset that offer slots for two graphics cards, but even they do not allow to use SLI and Crossfire configurations in full power, only as PCI Express x16 + PCI Express x4.
That is why before we make any final conclusions about the future of Intel V8 platform as a great eight-core solution for enthusiasts, we would like to wait a little bit until we get a chance to test the AMD FASN8 platform featuring two next-generation quad-core processors. New Phenom FX CPUs (known under Agena FX codename) are expected to arrive in Q3 2007, so there is not much waiting left. Besides, from what we know already we can say that AMD Quad FX as well as the upcoming FASN8 will be more enthusiast-friendly judging by their features.
Anyway, we will be able to dot all i’s only when we get our hands on the new competitor in this segment, and right now Intel V8 deserves the laurels of an ultimate leader.
Check out the latest board from Asus*. The board sports the C55 and MCP55PXE chipsets and of course, it supports SLI. I am not the most optimistic guy when it comes to NVIDIA*'s chipset stability, so if you're bored with your Intel-based mobo or just want to try out the new mobo, then this might be worth a look. Check it out...The Motherboard with Powerful Graphical and CPU Options for SOHO or Power Users
ASUS P5NT WS Motherboard Supports New PCI-X Structure for Faster Desktop Speeds While Retaining Backward Compatibility
Taipei, Taiwan, February 12, 2007 – The ASUS P5NT WS is built on the NVIDIAC55+MCP55PXE chipset structure which supports a LGA775 Socket for running Intel Dual-core™/Quad-core™ CPUs and two NVIDIA SLI graphic cards with Dual x16 speeds on the same platform. This allows the user to enjoy the best CPU and graphics for the system build. With the addition of the PCI-X interface, the P5NT WS motherboard provides much more options in I/O configurations for SOHOs and power users to custom-build their ideal working or entertainment environment.
High Quality Solid Aluminum Capacitors
The ASUS P5NT WS motherboard is fitted with solid Aluminum capacitors and a conductive polymer to help secure perfect system stability. These high quality materials also help ensure that the motherboard will have a longer product life time.
New PCI-X Structure for More Efficiency
The PCI-X Structure of the P5NT WS motherboard is a newer, higher speed version of the conventional PCI standard. It is also fully hardware and software backward compatible to previous generations of PCI. These new standards keep pace with upcoming advances in high-bandwidth business-critical applications such as Fibre Channel, RAID, networking, InfiniBand™ Architecture, SCSI, and iSCSI.
Effective Heat-pipe Thermal Solution
The innovative Heat-pipe Thermal design of the P5NT WS motherboard effectively directs the heat generated by the chipsets to the heatsink near the back IO ports – where it can be dissipated by existing airflow from the CPU fan or optional fans. This unique Heat-pipe design highlights how fanless designs effectively curb the problem of chipset fans breaking down. Furthermore, it provides options for users to install a side-flow fan or a passive cooler. The Heat-pipe design is the most reliable fanless thermal solution to date.
Cool and Quiet 8-Phase Power Design
The P5NT WS also encompasses an 8-Phase Power Design that reduces input ripple current and output ripple voltages – keeping the CPU and power modules from the risk of high power stress. It also provides reliability under heavy-loading and overclocking by stabilizing output current and voltages. All this effectively lets components attain longer lifespans and allows them to operate at 15°C (36°F) lower than conventional solutions – resulting in lower fan speeds for quieter operation.
ASUS AI Clock Skew – Reliable Overclocking
This helpful feature automatically skews the memory clock signal timing to improve memory overclocking capabilities by 10 to 15%. The clock signal can be adjusted to reserve enough Setup time / Hold time in order to maintain the system's stability.
Balance Performance and Quietness with AI Gear
ASUS's AI Gear allows users to choose from profiles to adjust the CPU frequency and voltage. This allows a balance for both system performance and quietness. Having two modes: High Performance for running heavy loading applications and Max Power Saving for minimizing system noise and power consumption; AI Gear provides Real-time adjustments under the OS to suit varying needs.
AI Nap – Powersaving and Noise Reducing
With AI Nap, users can instantly snooze the PC without terminating any tasks. The system will continue operating at minimum power and noise till reawakened.
Files will continue to download and applications will be run in the quietest state while the system is in AI Nap mode. The system will swiftly wake up in a matter of seconds with a simple click of the keyboard of mouse.
Specification summary
- LGA775 Socket
- NVIDIA Dual SLI x 16 Chipset (C55+MCP55PXE)
- Front Side Bus 1333/800/533 MHz
- DDR2 800/667/533
- 3 x PCIe x 16 (supports NVIDIA SLI™ technology)
- 1 x PCI-X
- 2 x PCIe X1
- 1 x PCI 2.2
- 2 x Gb LAN
- RealTek ALC888 8-CH HD Audio
