amd Archives - The Silicon Underground

CPU vs core, or core vs processor

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 11:00:38 +0000

Here’s a good question I heard the other day: What’s the difference between a CPU and cores, or the difference between the number of CPUs and the number of cores in a system? The CPU vs core or core vs

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What to look for in a motherboard

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 11:00:39 +0000

I’ve been building PCs for more than 20 years and I tend to keep them a very long time, so it occurred to me that someone might be interested in what I look for in a motherboard to ensure both

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Disadvantages of the 8086 microprocessor

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 11:00:43 +0000

An 8086-series microprocessor, the 8088, powered the original IBM PC. Its direct descendants power PCs to this day. Not only that, they power modern Macs too. This was always controversial, especially running Mac OS on Intel chips. Why? What are

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The HP Elitebook 8440p and Windows 10

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:00:27 +0000

I got an HP Elitebook 8440p because I wanted something a little newer and faster than my old Dell E1505. It was certainly newer and faster, but it had a problem. Every morning it greeted me with a BSOD. That

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History of overclocking

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:00:36 +0000

Overclocking didn’t start in the 90s, and it wasn’t limited to PCs either. Here’s a history of overclocking from a guy who did it some, and talked to guys who did it a lot in the 80s. I don’t recommend

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Buying used computer parts

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 12:00:58 +0000

Someone asked me the other day about buying used computer parts. I recommend it actually, although I more frequently buy the whole computer. But you can save a lot of money and get higher quality by buying used computer parts.

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Will ARM overtake x86?

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 11:00:25 +0000

Here’s an interesting question I got recently: Will ARM overtake x86? I think the answer depends on how you define “overtake.” If you mean everyone setting aside x86-based computers in favor of something running ARM, I don’t expect it to

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Intel and Micron imagine a future beyond flash memory

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 11:00:23 +0000

In the shadow of Windows 10, Intel and Micron announced a new type of persistent memory that’s 1,000 times faster than the flash memory in today’s SSDs. It’s still not as fast as DRAM, but it’s fast enough that it’s

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Using the OSI model to troubleshoot video

Dave Farquhar — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 11:00:17 +0000

I was at church on Sunday and the video projection wasn’t working. After a few minutes of watching everyone struggle, I volunteered to take a look, and working together, we were able to get the video working again using a

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What to look for in a cheap laptop in late 2014

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 11:00:20 +0000

So the sales fliers for the 2014 Christmas shopping season are out, and I’m seeing tons of cheap laptops. If you only have $200 to spend, they have something for you. Some of them look like they’re even worth having. Yes,

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