Category Archives: Vista

Intel Core i7-975 Extreme

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Core i7-975 ExtremeSpecs: Socket LGA-1366; Core clock: 3.33GHz; 32KB data/instruction cache per core; L2 cache: 256KB per core; L3 cache: 8MB shared; 130W TDP.Test system specs: Motherboard: Asus Rampage II Extreme; Memory: 6GB Corsair DDR3-1600; Graphics: Zotac GeForce GTX 260 Core 216; HDD: 300GB WD VelociRaptor

Intel has held the performance crown for more than three years—ever since the launch of its Core 2 microarchitecture. It goes without saying that the company doesn’t need to introduce a new flagship just to one-up itself. And yet Intel is yanking the cover from a fresh Core i7 CPU: the 975 Extreme.

Although it runs a scant 133MHz faster than its predecessor, we’re hardly able to complain, as this processor costs just as much as the one it replaces. As with the 965 Extreme, Intel’s latest iteration boasts four cores armed with Hyper-Threading. Its QuickPath Interconnect operates at 6.4 GT/s. And the processor’s triple-channel integrated memory controller supports up to DDR3-1066 speeds (officially). Of course, most motherboards expose additional multipliers to push RAM significantly faster, and we were able to get our test platform cruising at DDR3-2133 as part of our overclocking gauntlet. The processor itself topped out at 4.12GHz via a 31X multiplier, standard 133MHz BCLK, and 1.38V.

Performance using those overclocked settings is naturally unrivaled. Even at stock settings, however, our benchmark results are impressive. As we’d expect given Core i7’s established track record in A/V software, DivX and Xvid encoding is lightning-fast. And because WinRAR is optimized to take advantage of threading, it’s able to compress our test archive using all eight of Core i7’s logical cores.

At the end of the day, we appreciate a 3.33GHz processor at the same price as Intel’s former flagship. But at $999, “value” is most definitely a relative term. The 2.66GHz Core i7-920 is still an undeniable favorite. After all, most of the samples we’ve seen are good for 4GHz, so long as you’re willing to overclock. Without question, that’s the route we’d take in building a brand new Core i7-based machine

Paul Cross, ComputerPowerUser

Clear DNS Cache

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Windows XP/Vista store the DNS information of Web sites you’ve visited, to reach those sites faster each time you access them. The cache sometimes gets corrupted or stores a lot of unusable data, and that leads to slower Internet response times. To clear the cache, go to the command prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns. The command purges the DNS cache and restores your Internet access speed.

Mario Morejon, PCMag

Make Outlook Automatically Spell-Check Your E-mail

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I’m kind of a spelling snob. I take pains to make sure I spell everything correctly, so it bugs me a little bit when I receive mail that contains spelling mistakes.

Well, okay, I cheat a little: I use Outlook 2007′s spell-checker to give my outbound mail the once-over before sending. You can do likewise, without having to remember to click the Spelling button every time, by tweaking Outlook’s checker. Here’s how:

1. Click Tools, Options.

2. Click the Spelling tab.

3. Tick the box marked Always check spelling before sending.

4. Click OK.

That’s it! Now, when you click Send, Outlook’s spell-checker will immediately appear, giving you a chance to fix those “Hey, Rick, you are so stoopid” kinds of mistakes.

Of course, by default, Outlook uses squiggly red lines to indicate misspellings as you type, but I know many folks who prefer to just bang away at the keys and then fix the mistakes at the end. Me, I don’t make speling mistakes, so I don’t really need either feature.

Rick Broida, PCworld

Windows Genuine Could be a Real Advantage

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No reader question, this time. Just a rant.

We all hate Windows Genuine Advantage. Not only is it a hassle that might accuse you of stealing something you legitimately bought, but its very name adds insult to annoyance. It’s obviously an advantage to no one but Microsoft.

But with a simple change in policy, the folks in Redmond could use it to eliminate a far more serious problem: The difficulty in obtaining an actual copy of Windows to go with your legally-purchased license.

If Windows came with your computer, you probably have no way to restore it beyond a complete reformat. If you lost the restore discs that came with your PC, or altered your partition table and thereby rendered your restore partition unbootable, you can’t even do that. And you almost certainly don’t have the options and utilities that come with a genuine Windows CD or DVD.

And why not? Because Microsoft acts as if giving away Windows discs is the same as giving away licenses to run Windows. And yet the company must know that’s not true. Otherwise, Microsoft wouldn’t make you go through the activation process, or keep hitting you with Windows Genuine Annoyances. It’s the product key–that long number you have to enter when you install Windows–that defines and proves your purchase of the operating system.

So why can’t Microsoft simply give the disc away. Make it downloadable as an .iso file. Charge $5 to mail a physical disc to those who don’t like long downloads. Make it known that anyone can give the disc to anyone else.

I’m not suggesting that Microsoft give away Windows. You’d still need a unique product key to activate it, and you would get that project key either by paying Microsoft or buying a PC with Windows pre-installed (all such computers already come with a product key sticker). Or you’d already have the product key, but still need a product to install.

This could work just fine with XP, Vista, and (when it ships) Windows 7. Microsoft doesn’t even have to keep selling XP to freely give away the discs; I know plenty of people who “own” XP but need a way to install it.

A great many commercial programs, perhaps a majority of them, are now sold this way. You download the program, install it, try a limited version, then pay for a key that will unlock the full version. They used to call this shareware or demoware. Now its just the way software is sold.

Microsoft: Are you listening?

Lincoln Spector, PCWorld

My PC Keeps Freezing Up

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The obvious quick fix is to not leave your computer on for two or three days at a time. In fact, I’d give you this advice even if you weren’t having this problem. Windows tends to get unstable over time, and a reboot refreshes it. Besides, leaving the computer on all the time wastes electricity.

You should either shut it down or hibernate it at the end of every workday. Hibernating the computer won’t refresh Windows the way a full boot does, but it’s faster and lets you start the day exactly where you left off. From the hardware’s point of view (and I suspect you’ve got a hardware problem), there’s no difference between shutting down and hibernating a PC.

 

Lincoln Spector, PCWorld