LebGeeks

kareem_nasser

Member

Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

One of them is simple: Having a gfx card with a 1GB GDDR3 RAM doesn't necessarily mean better than an 800MB GDDR3 RAM it is the GPU which really matters and having a high resolution needs more RAM also more Anti-Aliasing needs more RAM at the same time they need more processing power. And as we know the lower the resolution the more Anti-Aliasing we need so which is really confusing that once you switch to your GPUs highest supported resolution, and some games still suffer from Aliasing so you'll need to increase or turn on the Anti-Aliasing feature which means more GPU heat and RAM consumed and as we know the frame rate will drastically decrease sometimes rendering the game totally unplayable.

Another issue is that ppl in Lebanon want HDTVs and they want it Full HD becasue of the higher number(1920*1080) but no local channel supports such resolution or the cable guy gives you the old RF cable which gives the oldest and worst picture quality. That's why we see the screen pixelated becasue it needs to be upscaled and processed which leads to a crappy display.

Do you have another tech error in concept you want to correct?

Kassem

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

Actually you as well need to get something straight: It's not only the VRAM and the anti-aliasing that matter, but also what version of Pixel Shader and some other stuff I cannot remember right now. Those are what really matter and what makes a certain GFX card good enough to play games on or not.

P.S: I will try to get back with more details when I get some time, I have to go now.

kareem_nasser

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

That IS what i am trying to prove but just telling ppl what is a VRAM and Anti-Aliasing to them.
because most or all my non-geek friends just say directly when asked that an HD4000s 1GB VRAM is better than 260 GT 800MB..... :(
I mean i couldnt just say you need to have HD5000 series with Unified Shader Architecture (or Pixel Shader if you want) version 5.0 to get the best gfx. Seriously till now what is the best game(or app) that uses 100% multi-cored CPUs? So they aren't really using the GPU to its full potential only after months or even more of its release.

Those are what really matter and what makes a certain GFX card good enough to play games on or not.

I am not talking about the best GPU to choose it is only just to correct wrong concepts like: Big Numbers....Shiny Lets buy

lol some ppl compare a Nokia 3500c to a 6300 becasue the pic is better or more Megapixels while the real thing is the Bits/pixel which is 16 or 18 bits/pixel(i don't remember) on 6300.
I wish that we teach each other here too. :)

Last edited by kareem_nasser (April 23 2010)

Flakk

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

Whenever i want to lookup a video card i look at this list and start to compare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison … sing_units

kareem_nasser

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

Yeah same here but i follow the citations mostly. But not all know what they mean and what can they but for their needs.

rolf

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

The thing that annoyed me the most is how they used to bundle the newest CPU, a couple of years ago, with 256mb RAM. People would shell out extra buck to get the faster model, but will keep the 256MB RAM default. and sometimes it was a 1 256MB board on a dual-channel controller!!
The reason was obvious, the majority of people, when buying a computer would only look at two thing: CPU frequency and the "Intel Original" logo, so assemblers, in an ugly display of greed, would bundle the fastest CPU with a crappy hard drive and the absolute minimum of RAM... That doesnt make any sense from the technical standpoint, for normal computer usage. For any non-technical folks who might be reading this: this is like assembling a powerful sports car but fitting it with extra-thin cheap tires to cut the cost a little bit.

Last edited by rolf (April 23 2010)

kareem_nasser

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

Good point rofl even now ppl who say that they know pc stuff want me to buy "Intel Original" and they dont know what is EVGA or Gigabyte.
As for the CPU it is well known in Lebanon that more Hz=faster PC they didnt notice that most CPUs range from 2.4 till 3.2 GHz the last ten years.... they want a 4GHz?
Then they fight me that a 3.2 Pentium 4 is faster than a Core-i7 2.66GHz

---()--()---

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

The random-ass use of the word "virus". It's like, whatever goes wrong in a PC, it must be a "virus". There is no such thing as a hardware malfunction.

An example of the Lebanese virus syndrome : the immortal "el computer 3inde sayir ktir bati2, fi chi mit alf virus". Yeah you morons, it's the "virus" slowing down your PC, not the shitloads of useless random software that get accumulated and simultaneously load on startup, eating  the memory away (especially on lower end pc's).

Flakk

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

You cant really blame these people, its just not their thing. Stores try to mess with their minds and they believe them, its not their fault. Its up to people like us to guide them through choosing the right components at a fair price and educate them about the computers theyre using.

I usually do that, but i end up explaining the whole thing like 10 times till they understand it wrong and i give up explaining in the end. Happened to me with a girl i know that gave me her laptop to try and make it "Fast" . Explaning why its necessary to add more RAM and after the explanation she asked me what is RAM.
Girl: Teb shou l RAM ba3ed ma fhemet
ME : FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :@ :@

Last edited by Flakk (April 24 2010)

Joe

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

* .doc(x) is the only document format.
* Internet = World Wide Web
* PC = Windows
* Computers have a life expectancy of 2-3 years, after which they are considered old and outdated.
* VB was a decent language. VB .NET is even better. (troll)
* Open source softwares aren't reliable in the business world. They are simply made by volunteers.
* So much more ranting ...

Ayman

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

* .doc(x) is the only document format.
* Internet = World Wide Web
* PC = Windows
* Computers have a life expectancy of 2-3 years, after which they are considered old and outdated.
* VB was a decent language. VB .NET is even better. (troll)
* Open source softwares aren't reliable in the business world. They are simply made by volunteers.
* So much more ranting ...

Agree with you 100% , I hate it when people call a windows based machine a PC and a Mac one a Mac, Macs are also PCs! i.e. Personal Computers hehe

Kassem

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

How about this:

In my Programming Concepts class (which is basically C), a girl asks my friend (Nour)...

*Girl: What's the difference between scanf and printf?
Nour: scanf is for inputting data from the user, while printf is for outputting a msg to the user.
*Girl: but why do we sometimes use scanf with printf and at other times we do not?
*Nour: ... :| omg! well... that's because when you want the user to input something, you have to give him a msg telling him what to input!!
*Girl: ahhhhhhh! How do you know all this stuff? Did the doctor explain them in class? Or have you taken an programming courses before?
*Nour: ... :)

That's only one example of what goes on in class...

rolf

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

How about this:

In my Programming Concepts class (which is basically C), a girl asks my friend (Nour)...

*Girl: What's the difference between scanf and printf?
Nour: scanf is for inputting data from the user, while printf is for outputting a msg to the user.
*Girl: but why do we sometimes use scanf with printf and at other times we do not?
*Nour: ... :| omg! well... that's because when you want the user to input something, you have to give him a msg telling him what to input!!
*Girl: ahhhhhhh! How do you know all this stuff? Did the doctor explain them in class? Or have you taken an programming courses before?
*Nour: ... :)

That's only one example of what goes on in class...

I have another story from my college days, from a programming class:

- The teacher: blah blah input blah blah forms blah blah... and this is your assignment. Once you are done, zip it and send it to me through the blackboard.
- Some student: Sir, how do we zip files?

... follows 5 minutes during which the teacher explains to the attentive student how to right-click on the file, click send to archive, etc...

Joe

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

As long as we're on the subject is it normal that in this day and age Winzip still comes in a paying version?

---()--()---

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

You cant really blame these people, its just not their thing.

I'm not blaming them, I'm answering the thread's question.

J4D

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

As long as we're on the subject is it normal that in this day and age Winzip still comes in a paying version?

i use 7zip (even better than Winzip) , open source all the way . :)

rolf

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

I use winRar and always click through the "register" box. It's a minor annoyance. Windows also have (badly) implemented zip folders into the explorer, so who's gonna buy winzip...

Edit: Winzip is a "corel company", so I guess they were swallowed. And they probably kept it because of the name and the history and some customer still pay because of the support I guess.

It's also funny they got to version 14 :)

Last edited by rolf (April 24 2010)

arithma

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

Good point rofl even now ppl who say that they know pc stuff want me to buy "Intel Original" and they dont know what is EVGA or Gigabyte.
As for the CPU it is well known in Lebanon that more Hz=faster PC they didnt notice that most CPUs range from 2.4 till 3.2 GHz the last ten years.... they want a 4GHz?
Then they fight me that a 3.2 Pentium 4 is faster than a Core-i7 2.66GHz

You may be surprised, but technically it's faster :)
i7 is more like driving a train with multicompartments and runs on more than one track (4 to be exact)

kareem_nasser

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

Of course it is but not to the non-geek ppl who think that it stop the PC from freezing.
And if you have the ability to cool a 4GHz overclocked PC be my guest. At the same time it does offer more bandwidth.
But i would like to ask a question: if you have a PC hardware (GPU or CPU) with a Memory Bus Width 64-bit(read&write) and clocked at 1GHz while another is 128-bit(read&write) at 500MHz, By calculation(Theoretically) they are the same but what is the difference?
To be more specific let them be for the CPU and DDR, to make it simple becasue on GPUs it is different.

rolf

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

You cant really blame these people, its just not their thing.

I am actually laying the blame on both the people and the system integrators (computer shops, in plain English). I blame the people for not doing just a little research instead of falling fur such marketing slogans. I do not have a bigger brain, and nobody came and taught me this stuff, I actually bothered to look it up (mostly on Google).
And I also blame the computer integrators for being so cheap and pathetically trying to screw people with the computing equivalent of laying the biggest, freshest tomatoes on the top of the box.

kareem_nasser

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

+1 @rofl: same here i started with Google then Wikipedia and then following the citations. But my main drive was video games.

Kassem

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

I blame the people for not doing just a little research instead of falling fur such marketing slogans.

+1

I started with being an obsessed gamer. Then Piczo and MySpace introduced me to Web Development. I wish I've taken it seriously at that time though...

J4D

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

if you have a PC hardware (GPU or CPU) with a Memory Bus Width 64-bit(read&write) and clocked at 1GHz while another is 128-bit(read&write) at 500MHz, By calculation(Theoretically) they are the same but what is the difference?

let me explain the difference between 128bit systems and 64bit and 32bit  etc... because computing systems are not only computers .

first we have the computation cycles of the computer processors which are measured in "hertz" , a single hertz is 1 computation cycle per second , or in one second the computer can make one computation cycle . hence 1 GHZ is 1000 mega cycles per second or 1,000,000,000 cycles per second .

now lets talk about the 32bit vs 64bit . 64 bits are 64 zeroes and ones that enter the CPU for computation for example : 1 in decimal =  00000000000000000000000000000001 in 32 bit binary notation .  hence the biggest number i can fit in it is  11111111111111111111111111111111 in 32 bit binary notation which is equal to 4294967295 in decimal  while the biggest number to fit in 64bit is 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

128 you ask ?

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

its just that .

the only advantage of a 64 or 128 bit system over 32 is in the case of huge numbers calculations within the CPU . where the 32 bit processor will divide the number into 2 and work with it , the 64 bit will work with the number as is .

Last edited by jadberro (April 24 2010)

rolf

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

He was talking about Memory Bus width. More bits means more data can be moved during one cycle, which often translate into an increase in computer performance.

BTW, I got +2 now, thanks :)

arithma

Member

Re: Tech concepts we need to correct ASAP

@jadberro: SIMD instructions process up to 4 floats (in the FPU IIRC) in parallel in comparison to the single floating operation in the [wrong]ALU[/wrong](bah I need to brush on my Computer Architecture). So it's not just about large numbers.

Imagine having to calculate 2MB number factorization for example (which would be a truly trivial operation in the field of cryptography). 128 bit system are at an advantage of speed.

In essence, only two systems with the same architecture with all elements clocked at the same frequency can be compared for relative speed.

As about the post itself, well we don't know how to buy meat though we do know how to buy PCs.
When technical people mess up when it comes to those strange numbers, don't expect the layman to know his way out. Same thing happens when a doctor prescribes medication, you may be putting a lot of hope on it when it actually remedies 25% of the symptoms, or deals with a rather secondary thing about what's wrong with you till the body fixes itself (pain killers come to mind).

You should know it's an expert's field, so act as consultants.. You don't see a lawyer mocking you for not knowing particularities of the law.

Last edited by arithma (April 24 2010)