DaNews: IBM Pushes the Cell...

[dasickninja]

DailyTech.com - IBM Using the Cell in Mainframe Computers

The Cell Broadband Engine is a wonderchip that is constantly showing new forms of utility and versatility. In the processor’s latest exploits, IBM has disclosed a cross-company project to integrate the Cell/B.E. with the IBM mainframe for the purpose of creating "virtual worlds," but in a different way than PlayStation 3.

"As online environments increasingly incorporate aspects of virtual reality -- including 3D graphics and lifelike, real-time interaction among many simultaneous users -- companies of all types will need a computing platform that can handle a broad spectrum of demanding performance and security requirements," said Jim Stallings, general manager, IBM System z. "To serve this market, the Cell/B.E. processor is the perfect complement to the mainframe, the only server designed to handle millions of simultaneous users."

At its heart, the project intends to create an environment that can seamlessly run demanding simulations -- such as massive online virtual reality environments; 3D applications for mapping, enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management; 3D virtual stores and meeting rooms; collaboration environments; and new types of data repositories. It plans to achieve this goal by parceling the workload between the mainframe and the Cell/B.E.

In an application the Cell Broadband Engine quite different from the normal gaming that we've heard said processor being hailed as the holy grail for, IBM, colloquially known as Big Blue, is pushing the Cell as the center for mainframes. This might just work well, since the Cell BE is seemingly designed for simulation based apps, stuff that requires heavy number crunching power. Might Barcelona and Penryn have a decent third competitor? Time will tell...

DailyTech - Wii Production Boost

To date, Nintendo has shipped 5.84 million units worldwide, which is slightly below the company's goal of 6 million. Microsoft has shipped more than 10 million Xbox 360 game consoles worldwide, with Sony only shipping 1.84 million.

Some analysts predict that the Wii shortage will last until 2009, but Nintendo certainly hopes that it can catch up to market demand before then.

In other news, Nintendo's earnings grew 77 percent in the past fiscal year, due to extremely high sales numbers with the Wii and DS. The company saw its sales almost double due to the Wii's ease of use and enjoyable games.

In the "wootz" article of the day, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata "admitted that the ongoing shortage of Nintendo's Wii game console is 'abnormal,' but believes the company will be able to fix the shortage soon."

"We will do our best to offer the machine for those who are waiting," said Satoru-san.

PCN - Intel lowers Quad Core Power Consumption (PDF Download)
http://www.dailytech.com/Intel+Lowers+Quadcore+Power+Consumption/article7086.htm

Intel explains that on the 16th of July the company will be able to supply a new G0 stepping of this core which allows to cut the TDP down to 95W. This allows the use of the new CPUs in environments qualified for the "2005 Mainstream FMB" (up to 95W) as opposed to the "2005 Performance FMB" (up to 130W).

Apart from the fact that the new CPUs will feature different CPUIDs and S-spec codes, Intel doesn't expect any impact on customers, as the featureset remains unchanged and electrical, mechanical and thermal specifications remain within current specifications. A BIOS update will be required to recognize the new CPU.

And the empire continues to strike back.

R600 Doomed?

We've probably already all seen this but this needs to be taken into consideration once again when looking at AMD as a whole. For months people have stated that the R600 and Barcelona will save AMD from being parted out like a Porsche in Brooklyn. Now it seems that only K10 remains. Keep in mind though, that the 2900 series scores we're against a factory overclocked 8800 GTX. Things could change.

News so sad I didn't even want to say anything about it... ah well. Ordered a GTX anyways.

AMD's Debt Mounting Fast

Friday, AMD announced that it will offer Convertible Senior Notes to investors in an attempt to raise roughly $2.2 billion. However, unlike common stock purchases, Convertible Senior Notes put AMD further into debt -- in this case, another $2.2 billion USD. Using Convertible Senior Notes, investors profit since the notes can be converted to common stock once AMD is performing well.

With excellent market performance from rival Intel, AMD posted a painful first quarter loss of $611 million USD this year. AMD is now left with roughly $1.1 billion in the bank; a figure that has analysts worried.

Nicholas Aberle, Senior Vice President of Equity Research, Caris Company, states, "AMD is still spending a good clip. Without borrowing the company could run out of cash by late Q3, early Q4." Arberle adds, "[AMD] needed to raise capital just to keep the doors open."

With further price cuts on the way when AMD debuts Barcelona, and Intel grabbing back market share in a large way, we all wonder, exactly how much more can they take?

This be DaNews. Check yo' self before you wreak yo' self...
Ninja of the East

 

[apt403]

Hmmm... I wonder how many people actually regard the Cell as a "wonder chip"?

Eh, AMD will get my $320 soon enough.

 

[carlhungis]

Thank you.

 

[dasickninja]

Need I mention the PS3 vs PC threads?

 

[BaronMatrix]

This be DaNews. Check yo' self before you wreak yo' self...

You were doing great up until this.

 

[dasickninja]

Call it satire of today's ever pervasive hip hop culture.

 

[The_Abyss]

Including the Daily Tech 'review' of the 2900 instantly brought down the overall quality of the article to average. Admitting that you made a decisive purchase based on that article further reduced it to the level of tabloid sensationalist, just above the gutter press.

Sorry.

 

[BaronMatrix]

Call it satire of today's ever pervasive hip hop culture.

Call it annoying. Hip hop is NOT synonymous with bad grammar, though most popular rappers are.

 

[dasickninja]

Keep in mind though, that the 2900 series scores we're against a factory overclocked 8800 GTX. Things could change.

One, I never said that I purchased the GTX solely because of this "review". Two, where do you get off calling me a tabloid reporter?

@Baron
Got something to say about the news? Say it then, and leave my prose alone.

 

[The_Abyss]

One, I never said that I purchased the GTX solely because of this "review". Two, where do you get off calling me a tabloid reporter?

It reads that way.

I didn't call you a tabloid reporter. I said that including the article that you did brought the level of the news down to a tabloid level.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Will the xtx problem even matter? They're still set to dominate the other price points... the high end market we focus on isn't that big.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Its nice you put this all in one spot, tho Ive read it all. Oh, neither nVidia nor Intel gets any pieces of AMD if they go under, thatd make for a monoploy. Maybe big blue? And I hopr you didnt take ANYTHING written from DT as a serious consideration with you buying the GTX, which IS a kickass card, and by itself, is a good choice

 

[SockPuppet]

What's up with everyone being anti-ninja? I thought that was a pretty well written recap of this week's events.

If this were a story in THG proper, I could see the hate. But damn, the dude took time out of his day to come here and try to keep you guys up to date, and you all rag on him.

R600 sucks. Get over it. AMD bought the golden goose and kept it locked away for 6 months. That's what happens.

 

[SockPuppet]

Will the xtx problem even matter? They're still set to dominate the other price points... the high end market we focus on isn't that big.

Yes, it does. Maybe not to the likes of you and I, but to the average Joe it will. Nvidia has the fastest big-boy card, so surely all the cards by NV are better! Like it or not, thats how it works.

 

[dasickninja]

Only enthusiasts really buy high end. That and people with more money than they know what to do with. /cough cough ninja. :roll: j/k! :lol:

*Shrug*

Yeah, the performance of the low end G80's was terrible, and that's putting it mildly. AMD-ATI can hope to gain share there if the R600 performs. But having what the enthusiasts world called a trump card and then it apparently turns out to be bust is not the best face to put forward, especially after months of delays and such.

 

[SockPuppet]

Will the xtx problem even matter? They're still set to dominate the other price points... the high end market we focus on isn't that big.

Yes, it does. Maybe not to the likes of you and I, but to the average Joe it will. Nvidia has the fastest big-boy card, so surely all the cards by NV are better! Like it or not, thats how it works.

Problem is though that the new midrange Nvidia cards suck ass and do not live up to the hype that past midranges have so your statement about all the NV cards being better is just fanboyish crap. The 8600gt gets beat by the 7600gt and is closer to the 7600gs. It is actually the 8600gts I believe that comes close to matching the 7600gt. The only really good cards that Nvidia has right now in the 8xxx series are the 8800's. The high end is a small part of the market and most of the card sales made are those of low and midrange cards not the super expensive high. Average Joe does not buy a high end, he buys a low to midrange. Only enthusiasts really buy high end. That and people with more money than they know what to do with. /cough cough ninja. :roll: j/k! :lol:

Read. Comprehend. Post.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Well I figure when the average Joe calls up Dell to order a pc and asks for the fastest graphic card, he'll soon ask for the second fastest after he hears his price total with a gtx. Though counting the Ultra, the average Joe would have to be asking for the 3rd fastest to get to the 2900 xt.

 

[turpit]

http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=148019

more news on the r630 line going bust.

Just when you thought youd seen enough we have new axiety from AMD about the R630 bieng a broken design. I am of the opinion that the entire AMD line up this year will likely suffer such fate.

Its beginning to appear as though AMD has hit a brick wall and cannot progress beyond it. They may as well scrap all 07 releases totally. Loosing the capability to produce even a low end gfx card says it all.AMD is stumped.

Always with the negative waves Moriarty 8O

 

[exit2dos]

In other news, AMD engineers are as far along on their new Barcecycle as they are on the K10:

:twisted:

 

[turpit]

http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=148019

more news on the r630 line going bust.

Just when you thought youd seen enough we have new axiety from AMD about the R630 bieng a broken design. I am of the opinion that the entire AMD line up this year will likely suffer such fate.

Its beginning to appear as though AMD has hit a brick wall and cannot progress beyond it. They may as well scrap all 07 releases totally. Loosing the capability to produce even a low end gfx card says it all.AMD is stumped.

Always with the negative waves Moriarty 8O
:lol: :lol: arrrgh! well methinks the little nancy's at AMD arrrr gettin a bit dumberrrr these days .

Seriously ,pirate aside, the team looks dumbfounded in the face of next gen. like they dont know jack sparrow about how to continue. its really odd.

[sigh] Yeah, this is getting grimmer with each passing week.

I doubt we'll ever know the truth about some things; how off guard (if at all) AMD was caught by C2D, whether QFX was really a knee jerk reaction to C2Q or not, if the delays in R600 were market timing or emergency tweaking, or the causes behind the seemingly inexplicable wait for K10, but the string of events, (amongst other curiosities) one after the other, smacks exactly of being dumbfounded.

Either that or what has to be some of the worst karma in the universe. Yeah, Intel put a hurt on them dropping C2D on the market so cheap, but that AMD didn’t have a follow on to K8 further along in development is all on their shoulders.

It makes you wonder if AMD’s leadership ever really had a clue, or just got lucky by riding the efforts of their engineers.

 

[SockPuppet]

Its nice you put this all in one spot, tho Ive read it all. Oh, neither nVidia nor Intel gets any pieces of AMD if they go under, thatd make for a monoploy. Maybe big blue? And I hopr you didnt take ANYTHING written from DT as a serious consideration with you buying the GTX, which IS a kickass card, and by itself, is a good choice

no it will be walmart

Well, at least they won't ever have to worry about going "BK" again.

 

[reconviperone1]

I dig Danews, and althoguh im 37, i down with hip hop culture(real hip hop culture, rundmc, breakdancing, and music that was for fun, not slapping bitches), but i hate the rap, rock, and popular music they have today. Except Norah Jones, i wanna be her babies daddy.

 

[dasickninja]

The music is supposed to transcend all ages, cultures and colors. If its good, everyone will like it. At least, those with an open mind...

 

[reconviperone1]

true but in my day ther was rundmc,llcoolj,ericb and rakim, now there is liljohn,diddy, and other assorted no talents. Music is just not good anymore, I actaully listen to old motown, jazz, blues and everthing from the eighties.

 

[dasickninja]

I'm actually a techno and house fan.