Next Month; November 2007: Video Game Mayhem

Next month its time to get your game on; well, video games that is. I will be reviewing some of todays newest and most top games, and then some; so stick around, lets frag some noobs!

Hard Drive Disk Density

Hard Disk Density;

Does a four platter drive w/ 100 gigabytes out perform a single or double platter with 400-200 gigabytes on it?

The answer is the single or double platter drive, I shall explain why, but first to explain the drive platters itself.

A drive platter is what holds the digitalized content of a computer.

If the Hard Drive is 600 gigabytes, and has three or two platters, each platter will rationally hold 200-300 gigabytes of data density (digitalized information); how does this matter? Well, the 600 gig, two 300gig platter drive should theoretically outperform the three platter drive, that is assuming of course that all the other specifications are the same (i.e. the RPM of the drives, SATA version, and the amount of space on the drive), also the motherboard determines the read speeds. But, why does the drive with less platter run faster?

First off, with less platters the drive should allow the laser to find the information faster, and read it faster.

Second, the less platters means less file fragmentation (file scattering, basically an unorganized file cabinet)which means the computer can read data and write data the the Hard Disk much faster.

So when buying a Hard Drive make sure you check these things:

SATA 3g compatible, as with your motherboard
Amount of space on the Drive (ex. 750 gigabytes)
The number of platters
Amount on each platter
Does it come with software
Does it support your OS
(Operating System, i.e. Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista, Linux)

Have fun!

AMD to launch DX10 Intergrated CPU's?

Source: The Register Hardware
Article

AMD will roll out DirectX 10-compatible integrated chipsets for its desktop processors early next year, it has been claimed. We've already heard of the 780G chipset - aka 'RS780' - but according to an X-bit Labs story, it'll be accompanied by the 740G and, later, the 790G. The report cites unnamed sources said to be familiar with AMD's plans.

It's claimed the 780G will launch in January, possibly alongside the 740G, though there's a question mark over the latter's exact release schedule. The 740G is presumably the 'RS740' chipset that won PCI Express approval in July this year. The 780G incorporates a HyperTransport 3 bus to allow it to work with Socket AM2+ processors.

It also has PCI Express 2.0 technology on board so that mobo makers can offer boards that feature slots for external graphics cards. The chipset's integrated GPU will feed a DisplayPort connector as well as the more commonplace HDMI, DVI and VGA. Interestingly, the mobile version of the 780G, the M780, will feature the ability to switch at will between the on-board graphics engine and an external one.

In a laptop, it's done to conserve battery power, but we wonder if AMD will also implement the feature on the desktop to help reduce systems' overall energy consumption. The 780G is also expected to use AMD's upcoming SB700 southbridge chip. The SB700 has ports for 12 USB 2.0 devices, two USB 1.1 add-ons, six SATA drives, parallel ATA and PCI add-ons.

My Time with Unreal Tournament III

UTIII-

Rating: Mature
Price: 59.99 (Collectors), 49.99 (Standard)

The Necris invasion has begun, and your clan was one of the first to be slaughtered. Head to the front lines and join this Epic battle to defend humanity while taking your revenge. Unreal Tournament 3 marks the return of the premiere tournament-style first-person shooter. Unreal Tournament 3 unleashes the full power of Unreal Engine 3, taking graphics, gameplay, and challenge to a whole new level. Players engage in intense and hyper-real battles with other human players online or against incredibly realistic Unreal artificial intelligence. Over two dozen weapons and vehicles have been upgraded and enhanced for maximum killing potential. Take on all comers in a variety of game modes including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, an all-new Warfare mode and more.

My Current Rating:

Graphics -
Based upon the Unreal 3 Engine, which was used in Gears of War (using version 1.00), but now the Unreal engine has reached its maturity; honestly this is the most graphically intense game aside from Bioshock; no other game has made me say, WoW!. I did spot a few visual glitches, but this was just the demo; it should be fixed in the final game, but that doesn't hurt its score. - 10/10 -

Gameplay -
More brutal, more fast, and more intense than any Unreal game that has been released; weapons all kill in 1-3 hits. Move aside the Sword from Halo, the Impact Hammer owns, not only can you obliterate your enemies, you can also team kill by pushing them off a cliff. Vehicles control well, the vehicles from UT2k4 have been remodeled and redone well. Also there have been an addition of a few new vehicles, new weapons (highly modified originals) have been added also; though as great as they are, they are still lacking a little bit. - 9/10 -

Sound -
Everything in this game has been revamped to HD, the graphics, the gameplay, and also the sounds. Using an uber version of the announcer in UT2k4, it sounds awesome. The best thing is the sounds of an intense fire fight; you shooting your powerful rockets while plasma bullets and shock waves fly past you, positioning is done well, so you can tell where you are being hit from. - 10/10 -

Average rating -
9.8/10

Screenshots

Half Life 2: Episode 2 Review

HL2 : Episode 2

Though it came out yesterday, I have just got a hold of the game; its really something; heres my minor review on it:

Graphics - 9/10

The updated version of the source engine; you can tap that, the graphics are superbly well done, HDR still holds its umph, I could not find visual bugs or glitches; though the graphics are not super-top end (i.e. Bioshock), but its still something.

Gameplay - 8/10

Though I am getting tired of the gravity gun, I still love it. One thing I love of the HL series, is that they keep what works, and add more. Though sometimes the game can get a little bit tedious, it is definitely a fine example of an episodic game.

Controls/Sounds - 10/10

Keeping to the WASD form (as any FPS would do)the game plays fine, though the learning curve is a little bit tough for beginners. The game uses the same sounds from HL2, but adds a bit more, everything is well blended; and immerses you in the gameplay.

Average Score: 9/10

New Creative Alchemy patch

Creative Alchemy helps emulate software sound which is lost due to Vista dumping a lot of the main components to run the enhancer, check it out, you must have a Creative Audigy, or Xi-Fi product:

http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/default.aspx

Mac Malware? Mac Gaming?

Macs and Malware:

The Mac has certainly took a nose dive in video games that are compatible with the OS X, so bad in fact that Apple has just said, "Screw it, XP is better", and wham-o here comes boot camp. Boot camp is so successful amongst the noob Mac users that majority of non-techno impaired persons actually use XP over OS X.

My deal with this is; why spend your 1.4k on a Mac thats far inferior to a PC? It used to be because of no malware; but if you read the Mac Magazines for the past few months you will see the emergence of Mac malware and viruses; take that Apple.

Its about time the Mac-o-philes learn that everything is effected by malware and viruses, even linux. What does this have to do with gaming? Well, not much, but its about time, they will get hit hard; and since many Mac users are techno-weenies, it will be a sad sight. Well, at least they switched to XP :)

Macs and Gaming:

To you Mac-o-philes, PHOTOSHOP ISN'T A GAME, photoshop actually runs better on a PC hardware machine. Besides this, there are really no games and no topic on games for the Mac, you get a few good games that run better on a PC equipped machine, you will never be able to run Vista with DX10, because you won't be able to get DX10 cards. which basically means; for that 1.4-2.5k you spend on a Mac, sure you get current generation security for your ported games, but in the long run; your screwed.

Now to the die-hard, Mac-o-philes; theres really nothing I can do to change your mind, but keep this in your head, your Mac, isn't a Mac anymore; its a PC.

DX10 and its Application

Direct X 10, the selling point of Microsoft's Windows Vista, but what makes this so different from DX9? I will explain in basic terms and what it means to you; the non-developer end user.

DX10 is Microsoft's Vista exclusive API (Application Programming Interface), it boasts high-end graphics, and a radically new construction. What really makes DX10 different from DX9, is that it was not just built from the ground up, but its also a compilation of the older DirectX API's. But what really makes it awesome is how it runs; before the CPU (Central Processing Unit)would handle Physics, and Game Objects entity rendering which caused major stress on the CPU, limiting performance.

With the new API, the GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) runs the physics, the entity spawning, the rendering, etc. This boosts HUGE performance increases with the CPU, freeing up memory, thus increasing Frame Rates.

Microsoft has made it a requirement for a graphics card to be labeled DX10 compatible, is things such as: Physics processing, Unified Shader Units, etc. Before this, company's would include somethings, and leave out others to save money, but with this; company's MUST follow the guidelines or not receive a DX0 compatible seal.

DX10.1

DX10.1 is basically a patch up for DX10, small improvements such as required AA (Anti-Aliasing)and it improves on GPU usage and reduces strain on the CPU furthermore, thus increasing performance. THIS DOES NOT MAKE DX10 OBSOLETE; it is just a patch up, though a game must support DX10.1 to make advantage of the new features.

DX10 for the End User

DX10 is mostly for a Performance/Graphical upgrade, it is the real selling point for Vista, and with SP1 (Service Pack 1) coming out for Vista soon, the performance upgrade will be more apparent.

DX10 uses a Unified Shader Unit(s), which basically means the GPU will adapt the the games needs. Say a game requires more shader than physics processing units, the card will level the shader units to the correct level also the physics units level to form an even ration; Ex. Card supports 30 Units, game requires more Shader, card adapts to 20:10, shader:other.

This increases performance, and doesn't waste your units like the DX9 and below API's.

Heres some basic information from Wiki about Shader Units, etc:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader

Performance in Games

A game running DX10 will typically run 1.5 - 3x slower in full graphics, AA to high, etc; this is mainly because you trade off a little performance for an increase in graphics; currently the game making this the most obvious is Bioshock
, though to run DX10, you must have extremely good hardware, at least a 8800 GTS to run with mediocre to high graphics w/ DX10; though some people prefer a frame rate over 50 (the human eye cannot tell the difference over 60).

Heres a load out I recommend:

CPU - E6600+ Intel Cpu
GPU - 8800 Nvidia GTS or above
Memory - 2 Gigabytes of memory or more
Hard Drive - at least a 500 Gigabyte or more HDD
Sound Card - Creative sound card (Audigy 2ZS +)

This will allow you to play on maximum graphics with todays current DX9 games at high-resolution; and will enable medium to high graphics at a 1680x1020 resolution with DX10 enabled.

Hope this helped

My apologize

Due to my extremely busy schedule I was not able to update this blog, but I am back, and will be able too :)

This month: Video Game hardware

This month on Techno World, I will be discussing hardware concerning Video Games; tweaks, updates, patches, and more! Stay tuned!

April 2007's topic : Computer Hardware

This month I shall be talking about computer hardware. Either your building a computer or jsut upgrading, expect to find this helpful. I will post a Hardware guide for Video Games and other applications, around the 14th or so.

Awesome Vista Tweaks Site

I just found an awesome Windows Vista tweaking site, check it out :

Tweak Vista

Installing Windows Vista

- Installing Windows Vista the Right Way -
To Install Vista properly make sure you have the following done :

- All your Driver CDs'
* Make sure they are compatible with Vista, or make sure manufacture has Drivers on their site *

- Everything Backed-Up, onto a External HDD or DVD/CD
* Click here to learn how to back-up *

- Check to see if your computer is Compatible with Vista
* If its barely Compatible, don't use Vista till your computer exceeds expectations *

- Unplug your computer from the internet
* So Viruses, etc don't find their way in during install *

After this is done, your going to do a Clean install of Windows Vista; this makes sure that your computer has a fresh start, even if your computer has a fresh install of XP; DON'T DO A UPGRADE INSTALL, I made a mistake doing that and my install crashed (I will explain later).

Now, pop the Vista install DVD in to your DVD drive, it should show this :



Click on Install now, then on the Welcome page click Next, make sure you have all programs Closed. Now, under " How do you want to transfer files and settings to your new computer ? ", select, " Use a Type of Removable Storage or Use a Network ".

Then under, " How to transfer files and settings ", choose the location that suits your needs. If you saved your things to a network, select, " Use a Shared Network Location ". If you saved to a External HDD or a DVD/CD, select, " CD or DVD, USB Flash Drive, or External Hard Disk ".

Under," Where do you want to save your files? ", click " Browse " to navigate to the location on an external storage location in which you would like to save your files. You can even assign a password if you'd like.

Under, " What do you want to transfer to your new computer? ", select one :

•	All user accounts, files, and settings
	My user accounts, files, and settings only
	Advanced options

Windows Easy Transfer will gather all of the information, the data is listed; confirm the list and click " Transfer ".

When the is complete, click " Close ".

Once the information is transferred, you're ready to complete the installation of Windows Vista.

Install of Windows Vista

	On the " Install Windows " page, click " Install now ".
	When asked, click " Go online to get the latest updates ".
	When prompted for the Authentication key, don't enter it just in case of a failed install..
	Accept the terms of the License Agreement, and then click " Next.

Once installation and setup are complete, you can restart Windows Easy Transfer.

Congratulations, Vista has been setup !!!

Transferring data to the computer :

	On the " Start " menu, select " All Programs ", select " Accessories ", select " System Tools ", and then select " Windows Easy Transfer ".
	Click" Continue "to allow the program access.
	Click " Next "to start the wizard.
	If you have programs open and are prompted to close them, click " OK ".
	Under " Do you want to start a new transfer or continue one in progress? ", select " Continue a transfer in progress. "
	Under " Are you using a local network? ", select one of the following: • Yes, I'm using my local network to connect my two machines • No, I've already saved my files to CD, DVD, or removable storage
	If asked to allow an exception for Windows Firewall, click " Yes ".
	If asked to input a Windows Easy Transfer key, type the key, and then click" Next ".
	Browse to the location of the transferred data. If you've selected a network drive or network connection, you may have to work through some additional steps to connect to the network. You will be asked if this is the case.
	Find the file you saved, generally with a name like SavedData.mig, and click " Open ". Click " Next ".
	Type your user name or choose one from the list, and then click " Next ".
	Click " Transfer " to begin the transfer process When your done, wait till 25 of the 30 days of the activation days are over till you activate. !!! CONGRATULATIONS, VISTA HAS BEEN SETUP !!!

March 2007's topic : Vista

This months topic is Windows Vista, a brand-new OS from Microsoft; is has had many criticisms, but if you ask me; its just what the doctor ordered. Heres what I recommend for your computer for the hardware in your rig:

Vista * any edition *

- a 2Ghz or faster processor
- 1 gigabyte of ram
- an HDCP compatible graphics card
- 17" or larger moniter
- Broadband (theres no point in having Vista if you use dial-up)

The rig I run running now, is fairly top-of-the-line, but thats only because I also use its as Media Center, so the computer pretty much needs to be top-notch for its HDCP-ness, other than that, if your not using Vista for gaming nor as a Media Center; its best you just stick with XP.

Welcome to Techno World

Welcome to Techno World, in this Blog I shall have a topic per month and shall post things on that topic. A little background information is that I am current in my 2nd semester in high school, and have a great love for computers and video games, infact I plan to be a Game Designer as a profession. Please when commenting, don't spam or flame others; thanks and enjoi :D

- Lethal