Dell VostroTM 1000

Dell VostroTM 1000
VostroTM laptops are built exclusively for small business and are ready to be customised with the features and software you want. With flexible technology and service options, wireless connectivity, Genuine Windows Vista® and AMD processors packed into a compact system, the Dell VostroTM 1000 gives you the essential mobility that will get your business going places.

VostroTM 1000 at a Glance:

* Fast multi-tasking performance and long battery life with AMD dual-core processors
* Genuine Windows Vista® Business
* Ready to go out of the box with only the software you want
* Multitask with up to 2GB of system memory2
* Maximize hot spot connectivity4 with available next generation Wireless-N Wi-Fi® for up to 5x faster throughput and up to 2x the range when used with a Wireless-N router3
* Comprehensive standard services tailored for small business, covering installation, maintenance and repair services, so you get the most out of your laptop investment
* 15.4" widescreen display
* Preliminary starting weight at just 6.26 lbs (2.84 kg)5
* Full-sized keyboard


Dell Vostro Laptop Circuit
Pure Performance
Get the performance that small businesses need with the Dell VostroTM 1000.

* Optional AMD dual-core processor
* Genuine Windows Vista® Business
* Up to 2GB of SDRAM2
* Up to 120GB of storage


Complete Wireless
The VostroTM 1000 laptop delivers wireless performance so you can stay connected on the go. The VostroTM 1000 features next-generation Wireless-N Wi-Fi for up to 5x faster throughput and up to 2x the range when used with a Wireless-N router3. This allows you to connect to wireless networks and stay productive wherever a wireless signal is available4.

Dell Vostro Laptop Wireless

Dell Vostro Laptops
Durability
VostroTM laptops can withstand the rigours of your business day with durability and around-the-clock reliability.

* Mylar® -sealed keyboard helps guard against dust and spills


Built for Small Business
The Dell VostroTM 1000 is an end-to-end solution that provides the services, software and hardware that small business users want.

* Dedicated and specially trained small business technicians available 24x7x365
* Standard 1-year hardware limited warranty
* Professional design with a black finish and chrome accents

Dell Vostro Laptop Small BIZ Parts

The Bat Bet

Once there were three bats. They lived in a cave surrounded by three castles. One night the bats made a bet to see who could drink the most blood.

The first bat comes home one night and has blood dripping off his fangs. The other two bats are amazed and asked how much blood he had drunk.

The first bat said, "See that castle over there? I drank the blood of three people." The second bat goes out on his night and comes back with blood around his mouth. The other two bats are astonished and ask how many people's blood had he drunk. The bat said, "See that castle over there. I drank the blood of five people."

The third bat goes out on his night and comes back covered in blood. This was totally amazing to the other two bats. They ask how much blood he drank. The 3rd bat said, "See that castle over there?" and the other bats nod. "Well," says the third bat, "I didn't."

Rodeo

Q: What did the snail say when it caught a ride on the back of the turtle as it was crossing the road?

A: "Yahoo!"

In the back woods of Arkansas

In the back woods of Arkansas, Mr. Stewart's wife went into labor in the middle of the night, and the doctor was called out to assist in the delivery.

To keep the nervous father-to-be busy, the doctor handed him a lantern and said, "Here, you hold this high so I can see what I'm doing." Soon, a wee baby boy was brought into the world.

"Whoa there Scotty!" said the doctor. "Don't be in a rush to put the lantern down... I think there's yet another wee one to come." Sure enough, within minutes he had delivered another little baby.

"No, no, don't be in a great hurry to be putting down that lantern, young man... It seems there's yet another one besides!" cried the doctor.

The new father scratched his head in bewilderment, and asked the doctor. "Do ye think it's the light that's attractin' them?"

Too Smart

A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students.

The teacher asked, "Harry, what's your problem?"

Harry answered, "I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!"

Ms. Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office. While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms.

Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed.

Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal: "What is 3 x 3?"
Harry: "9".

Principal: "What is 6 x 6?"
Harry: "36".

And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know.
The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, "I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade."

Ms. Brooks says to the principal, "Let me ask him some questions." The principal and Harry both agreed.

Ms. Brooks asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Harry, after a moment: "Legs."

Ms. Brooks: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?" The principal wondered, why would she ask such a question! Harry replied: "Pockets."

Ms. Brooks: "What does a dog do that a man steps into?" Harry: "Pants"

Ms. Brooks: What's starts with a C, ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin, whitish liquid?
Harry: "Coconut."

The principal sat forward with his mouth hanging open.

Ms. Brooks: "What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?" The principal's eyes opened really wide and before he could stop the answer.
Harry: "Bubble gum"

Ms. Brooks: "What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?"

Harry: "Shake hands."

The principal was trembling.

Ms. Brooks: "What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of heat and excitement?"
Harry: "Firetruck"

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, "Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last seven questions wrong!"

Something about CPU temparature

Disclaimer:
1) This is only a simple guide to provide information in as simple a format as I can make it. Any loss of CPU is NOT MY FAULT!
2) I'm not in the computer field so correct me if any facts are wrong
3) All the facts are compiled from the internet and easily available if you search for it
4) Any advise/comments/corrections are most welcomed!
5) The guide is long-winded but in the hopes of making you understand what CPU temperature is all about
6) This is copied from Lowyat.net forum ( kmarc )

References for this guide are as below:
1) Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature guide - the best guide ever (by Computronix)!
2) Good info on thermal management (Intel)
3) Intel Thermal & Mechanical design guidelines - for C2D/penryn (Intel)
4) Intel Thermal & Mechanical design guidelines - for quads (Intel)
5) Accurate temperature reading - the problems (Anandtech)
6) The truth about processor degradation (Anandtech)
7) Overclocking's impact of CPU's life (by Joe Citarella)

Useful info/help from our forumers:
1) cks2k2

Some programs that you can use to monitor your CPU temperature (you can google for the latest version):
1) Core Temp
2) Real Temp
3) Speedfan
4) Everest
5) Sisoft Sandra
6) Your own motherboard's monitoring software e.g. Easytune5, ITE smartguardian.....

Index
1) Basics of a CPU (the brains of your computer)
2) CPU temperature sensors
3) CPU temperature - which value is important?
4) CPU temperature - which one should you follow? TcaseMax or Tjunction?
5) Is there such a thing as safe/optimum temperature?
6) How to reduce my CPU temperature?
7) Summary

------------ 1) Basics of a CPU (the brains of your computer) ---------------

Note : The term CPU in this guide means the processor itself and NOT your whole computer

Understand the parts of a CPU:
1) Whole CPU
2) IHS (Integrated Heatspreader)
3) Core Die
4) Cores

This is a whole CPU : Intel E2160 (left), AMD64 X2 4200+ (right)



Each CPU has an IHS on top of it. The IHS is the flat metal piece that has all the wordings written on it.

The picture below shows a pentium 3 without the IHS (left picture) and with the IHS (right picture).



Function of IHS:
1) To evenly distribute the heat generated from the die/cores
2) Provide mechanical strength for the substrate (the substrate is quite thin and mechanically fragile)
3) Protect the die - from heavy heatsink that requires a lot of force to hold (Imagine a BIG HSF sitting on a naked chip... )

Note : Some extreme overclockers actually remove the IHS so that their heatsink can come directly in contact with the chip underneath. This usually results in a lower temperature which is the main aim.

Inside each CPU, is the die (or chip which contains all the silicon integrated circuit) - can be seen on the above left picture
The die lies on a "substrate", which makes up the whole chip (above picture, green color material)

See this picture of a dual-core for a clearer understanding.



From the above picture, you can also see 2 cores (Core0 and Core1) and an "advanced smart cache" region. These all make up the die of the CPU.

Even wonder why people like to show this picture of a silicon wafer?



Well, each small box region is actually a die/chip! And the diameter of the wafer is only 200mm (20cm) - usually used for chipsets. See how many chips can fit into one 200mm wafer..... You should see a 45nm process die with a 300mm wafer.... (Intel CPUs are from these)

Understand so far?

----------------- 2) CPU temperature sensors-------------------------

Current Intel CPUs has 2 thermal sensors on its CPU:

1) A on-die thermal diode - located within the CPU die between the cores
--- measures Tdiode (which is CPU temperature)
--- the converted digital values of Tdiode is calibrated in BIOS and displayed by temperature software
--- so, BIOS can affect the accuracy of Tdiode (so now you know why BIOS update causes different CPU temp readings!!)

2) A DTS (Digital Thermal Sensor) - located within each core
--- measures Tjunction (Tj) (which is core temperature)
--- the converted digital values are factory calibrated and displayed by temperature software
--- As such, BIOS does not affect the accuracy of Tjunction

Quote from Intel info : "In order to improve temperature reading, multiple sense points monitor different hot spots on the die and report the maximum temperature of the die. An independent temperature reading from each core is available, with optional reporting of the maximum temperature of the entire die, e.g., the highest temperature of both cores"

From what I can understand from the above, the Tdiode is measured from different places and not a single point. The maximum temperature of the die is then shown as the CPU temperature. No mention of the location of the DTS except that it is in each core......

Important :
Intel C2D, Pentium dual-core & Celeron dual-core all have both on-die thermal diode and DTS
Intel Quad (e.g. Q6600) and penryn CPUs e.g. (E8400, E8500) do not have an on-die thermal diode any more. They have been replaced by the DTS.

Example:
C2D Quad CPUs - has 4 Tjunction sensors
C2D Duo CPUs - has 1 Tcase and 2 Tjunction sensors

------------- 3) CPU temperature - which value is important? ---------------

So, in order to understand which value is important in a CPU, you have to understand a few variables that are set by Intel.

TcaseMax (TcMax)- This value stands for the maximum temperature measured at the geometric center on the topside of the processor IHS (see picture below)
--- It is termed as "Thermal specification" in Intel's CPU spec sheet
--- It is NOT indicated by the on-die thermal sensor on the die
--- The temperature is designated as Tc

TjunctionMax - This value stands for the maximum temperature at the junction between the processor die and the PCB it sits on, this is usually much higher than the TCaseMax value.
--- It is the temperature of a CPU when throttling occurs
--- Throttling reduces the speed/frequency ™ or both the speed/frequency and voltage (TM2) of the CPU
--- As such, when throttling is activated, the CPU temperature should come down......
--- Important : As such, it is important to enable the "CPU Thermal Monitor 2 (TM2)" in BIOS if you are overclocking, just in case something happens and you forgot to look at the CPu temperature. It is a CPU overheating protection function.

Intel's definition of "thermal specification" - The thermal specification shown is the maximum case temperature at the maximum Thermal Design Power (TDP) value for that processor.

Left picture : The place where Tc is measured
Right picture : Intel's recommendation on how to measure Tc (you can refer to Intel Thermal & Mechanical design guidelines for further info)


TCaseMax/Thermal specification
Why is this variable important? That's because Intel do published the maximum temperature a CPU can operate based on the TCaseMax.

See this example below:


This data shows two steppings of Intel Q6600 - an older "B3" stepping and a newer "G0" stepping
If you look at their thermal specification:
B3 - 62.2'c
G0 - 71'c

For non-overclockers, they are very not important.
However, for overclockers, apparently, the higher the thermal specification, the better it is for overclocking.

These are a few advantages of having a higher thermal specification (which may include other factors like newer steppings/fixed bugs)
1) Uses less power and dissipate less heat
--- at idle (as it dissipate less heat at C1E state)
--- at load
--- when overclocked
2) Runs cooler due to the above
3) Better overclocking capabilities (in general) - as heat is the number 1 enemy for overclockers

You can read more about different stepping/thermal specification here:
Anandtech : Q6600 G0 vs B3

So now you know why everybody is scrambling for a Q6600 "G0" stepping....

Note : You can easily search for your own Intel's CPU information by googling this way "Q6600 sspec". The first result is usually the data sheet. So, if you have a E2160 L2 stepping, and you want to compare with E2160 M0 stepping, just google separately for "E2160 sspec L2" and "E2160 sspec M0".....

Tjunction/TjunctionMax
There is one important fact that needs understanding.
The DTS in each core:
- DO NOT give an actual temperature value e.g. 50'c (that means, it doesn't read your core temperature as 50'c)
- Gives a value relative to the Tjunction e.g. 35'c from Tjunction
- so basically what it does is "count down the margin to the core's maximum thermal limit. When this value reaches zero, the core temperature has reached its Tjunction set point" (Anandtech).
- so, when DTS gives a value of "zero", the core temperature has reached its TjunctionMax, resulting in CPU throttling...

For example, a DTS in an Intel Q6600 would give a value of 35 (NOT in Celcius/Fahrenheit, just a value) . So, if you know that the Tjunction of the Q6600, then you can easily calculate it's core temperature

- DTS reading : 35
- Tjunction of Q6600 : 100'c
- Actual core temperature : 100-35 = 65'c

Understand so far?

Now, the problem is, Intel DOES NOT supply the Tjunction value for their desktop CPUs!!!!!!!

QUOTE

Intel has never published Tjunction values for any CPU other than the mobile models. The reason for this is simple. Since mobile processors lack an integrated heat spreader (IHS), it is not possible to establish a thermal specification with respect to its maximum case temperature ("Tcase"), normally measured from an embedded probe located top, dead-center in the IHS (Anandtech)

QUOTE

More than a few programs have been released over the last few years, each claiming to accurately report these DTS values in real-time. The truth is that none can be fully trusted as the Tjunction values utilized in these transformations may not always be correct. Moreover, Intel representatives have informed us that these as-of-yet unpublished Tjunction values may actually vary from model to model - sometimes even between different steppings - and that the temperature response curves may not be entirely accurate across the whole reporting range. Since all of today's monitoring programs have come to incorrectly assume that Tjunction values are a function of the processor family/stepping only, we have no choice but to call everything we thought we had come to know into question. Until Intel decides to publish these values on a per-model basis, the best these DTS readings can do for us is give a relative indication of each core's remaining thermal margin, whatever that may be. (Anandtech)

The Tjunction value of each Intel processor is produced NOT by Intel, but an arbitrary value based on observations and measurements made by computer enthusiast.
These are a few estimated Tjunctions for some Intel CPUs:
- Q6600 G0 stepping - 100'c
- Q6600 B3 stepping - 85'c
- E6550, E6750, E6850 (All G0 steppings) - 100'c
- E2160 - 85'c

However, if you search on the net, there are always uncertainty regarding the Tjunction of a certain CPU, again, mainly because Intel doesn't provide that value for desktop CPUs.

Here's a good example of different software giving different Tjunctions for my Q6600. See the picture below



Realtemp's Q6600 Tjunction is 95'c
Coretemp's Q6600 Tjunction is 100'c

Because of that, the temperature readings of realtemp is 5'c lower then coretemp's readings.

You can read more about it here : Accurate temperature reading - the problems (Anandtech)

Tjunction - is it correctly used in desktop CPUs?
For completeness sake, let me explain a bit regarding the term "Tjunction" which is incorrectly used. Below are extra info regarding Intel's definition of "Thermal specification":

QUOTE

Definition of thermal specification : The thermal specification shown is the maximum case temperature at the maximum Thermal Design Power (TDP) value for that processor (note - that means the TcaseMax). It is measured at the geometric center on the topside of the processor integrated heat spreader. For processors without integrated heat spreaders such as mobile processors, the thermal specification is referred to as the junction temperature (Tj).

So, in summary, thermal specification for desktop CPU (with IHS) and mobile CPU (without IHS) is different.
- Desktop CPU : Thermal specification refers to the TCaseMax
- Mobile CPU : Thermal specification refers to the Tjunction

As such, stricly speaking, desktop CPUs core's maximum thermal limit is incorrectly termed as Tjunction, which is supposed to be used only in mobile CPUs WITHOUT the IHS.

However, since almost all users and software programmers uses the term for desktop CPUs, we will just have to follow......

-- 4) CPU temp - which one should you follow? TcaseMax or Tjunction? --

Not only can you use both, you actually have 3 options:
1) TCaseMax
2) Tjunction
3) Delta to Tjunction

However, you need to calibrate the TCaseMax and Tjunction so that it more accurately reflects the CPU temperature.
Remember that:
- the most accurate measurement of TCaseMax is putting a probe in the dead-centre top of the IHS (which we average users cannot do)
- the Tjunction is NOT an actual temperature value but a value to indicate how far it is from a specified maximum core temperature (Tjunction)
- calibration of TCaseMax and Tjunction using temperature softwares e.g. speedfan attempts to make it more accurate but by no means reflects true CPU core temperature
- "Delta to Tjunction" - Delta is a mathematical term to mean differences between 2 values.
--- For example, the delta of 2 temperatures e.g. 50'c and 58'c is 8'c.
--- So, "Delta to Tjunction" means how far it is from the maximum core temperature (Tjunction)

Understand so far?

TCaseMax calibrations
The method of calibration are summarized from this excellent guide : Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature guide - the best guide ever (by Computronix)!

Note : I will summarized this part later on. In the meantime, please refer to the above link

Tjunction calibrations
The method of calibration are summarized from this excellent guide : Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature guide - the best guide ever (by Computronix)!

Note : I will summarized this part later on. In the meantime, please refer to the above link.

Delta to Tjunction
This is the easiest. Just use Core Temp, go to Options>Settings, then check the "Show Delta to Tjunction Max temp." You will get readings like the picture below (my Q6600 at load).

Left picture showing the new settings, right picture without the settings.


The readings are directly from the DTS, so it is the most accurate reading you can get.

So, what is an acceptable value for "Delta to Tjunction". Well, nobody knows!!! From observations of "safe" temperature and recommendations by certains enthusiast, the acceptable value seems to be ABOVE 20-25'c (Note the word ABOVE, NOT below 20-25'c)

So, if you look at my Q6600 "Delta to Tjunction", I'm quite far from my maximum core temperature, so I'm quite "safe".

Note : Alternatively, you can use realtemp, which shows you the "Distance to TJMax" which has the same functions.


--------- 5) Is there such a thing as safe/optimum temperature? ----------

Note : If you're not an overclocker, then this question is not really important.

Most people will ask "What is a safe temperature to run my overclocked CPU?"

Well, there is actually no straight forward answer to this.

The "answer" depends on various factors such as:
1) Type of CPU
2) Maximum temperature
3) Duration of high temperature @ How you run your rig/CPU e.g. a few hours a day @ never switched off.....

Type of CPU
This is obvious as different CPU would have different thermal specification.

For example, take a Q6600's thermal specification (TcaseMax):
Q6600 B3 stepping: 62.2'c
Q6600 GO stepping: 71'c

Obviously, if both processors were running at a TcaseMax of 60'c, definitely the B3 will be the more "tortured" of the two CPUs!

And I guess it would be also true for mobile & server CPUs which are more reliable and can take higher temperatures....

Maximum temperature
Unfortunately, there is no absolute value for a safe temperature.
--- some would recommend 60-65'c
--- some would say 50-55'c
--- and some would run their procs at 70'c without any short-term problems

Just remember this : Heat is the number one enemy for your overclocked CPU (voltages comes in 2nd.....)

The higher the core temperature:
- the higher the risk of damage
- the shorter the life expectancy

Note : Remember that the lifespan of a CPU can be very long..... usually >10 years? >50 years?

In general, for current Intel processors, the recommendation is around 60-65'c

Very good in-depth explanation here :
The truth about processor degradation (Anandtech)
Overclocking's impact of CPU's life - by Joe Citarella

Duration of high temperature
Running your CPU at a high temperature for a few hours would definitely be better than running it 24/7

------------------ 6) How to reduce my CPU temperature? -------------------

Can be divided into different components:
1) Casing
2) Cooling (e.g. air, water, more extreme)
3) Air cooling - the fan setup
4) Thermal paste
5) CPU
6) Ambient temperature
7) Power saving methods
8) Overclocking/overvolting

Casing
> Have a good airflow in your casing
--- there are many guides on how to do this, which includes cable management, strategic placements of intake and outlet fans, no dust build-up in the casing or on the heatsink

> Open your side casing panel
--- also be wary of dust buildup with this setup

> Alternatively, you can run naked (no, not you la.... your computer... )
--- if you run your rig without a casing, there won't be any heat build-up that normally occurs in a closed-case system
--- be wary of dust buildup with this setup

Cooling
> Don't use stock CPU Heatsink fan (HSF)
--- use a good 3rd party coolers (e.g. air-cooling, water-cooling or more extreme)

> Ensure your HSF is seated properly
--- sometimes, your HSF is not in proper contact with the CPU (this can happen if you use push-pins to secure your HSF to your CPU)
--- if you have a 3rd party HSF that has push-pins and also screw kit, use the screw kit, as it ensures better contact

Air cooling - the fan setup
Single fan - for maximum cooling, you can:
- Set the CPU fan speed to run at maximum.
- Change to a more powerful fan (usually measured in "cfm", the higher the cfm, the better it is)
- Use a larger size fan e.g. from 8cm to 12cm

Multiple fans - for certain HSF, you can actually put 2 fans, or even 3 fans.
- one fan to blow on the HSF, one fan to suck out the air from the HSF

Thermal paste
Don't use the normal thermal paste that comes with the stock HSF (they are good but not as good as well-known ones)
Use good thermal paste e.g. Arctic Cooling MX-1 or MX-2, Tuniq TX-2
Currently, the best is Shin-Etsu, which is unfortunately not available here

CPU
> Lap your CPU or HSF
--- this will increase the surface contact between the CPU and HSF
--- lapping the CPU will void the CPU warranty.....

> Remove the IHS - not for the average users, more for extreme overclockers (as removing the IHS will void the warranty)
--- By removing the IHS, the CPU heatsink and come in direct contact with the CPU die/chip. This will cause a significant drop in core temperature....

Ambient temperature
Note : Ambient temperature means the general temperature at your location e.g. room, office, etc....
Lower your ambient temperature e.g. in air-con room

Power saving methods
Activate power management functions
--- for Intel CPUs, enable C1E and EIST function in BIOS
--- for AMD CPUs, enable Cool&Quiet function in BIOS

Overclocking/overvolting
As you know, the higher you overclock/overvolt, the more the heat is generated. Hence, the higher the CPU temperature.

Lower overvolting
--- remember the phrase "The point of diminishing returns"
--- This means that when you overclock and overvolt your CPU, there comes a point where you need to increase your vcore by a huge amount but only gain a few mhz in the process
--- for example, this is the results of an overclocked Q6600
----- vcore ----- overclocked speed
----- 1.30v ----- 3.0 Ghz
----- 1.35v ----- 3.3 Ghz
----- 1.40v ----- 3.4 Ghz
----- 1.45v ----- 3.43 Ghz
----- 1.50v ----- 3.44 Ghz
--- if you look at the example above, the point of diminishing return is around 1.40-1.45v, where increasing your vcore from 1.40v to 1.45v only gain you 30mhz (3.43Ghz - 3.40Ghz = 30mhz). In addition, increasing from 1.45v to 1.50v only gain you 10mhz (3.44Ghz - 3.43Ghz = 10mhz)
--- So, instead of running 1.50v at 3.44Ghz, you could run your CPU at 1.40v at 3.4Ghz, which would help to reduce your core temperature by a significant amount.....

---------------- 7) Summary -------------------

1) Heat is the number 1 enemy for your CPU. The cooler your CPU runs, the better it is

2) Software monitoring of the actual CPU temperature is not entirely correct.
--- This applies to ANY software available including popular softwares e.g. core temp, speedfan, etc

3) Delta to TjunctionMax (Distance to maximum core temperature)
--- Is the most accurate indication of your CPU's relative temperature
--- It is accurate as it obtains the readings directly from the DTS
--- It is NOT an absolute temperature reading (rather, it indicates how far away the temperature is, from maximum core temperature

4) TjunctionMax
--- Nobody knows the actual value of TjunctionMax (as Intel does not release the value)
--- Intel only releases the "Thermal specification" to indicate TcaseMax (not easy to measure)

5) There is no such thing as a safe temperature for your CPU
--- As it depends on various factors (as stated above)
--- Again, the cooler it is, the better.
--- In general, most enthusiast will recommend not exceeding 60-65'c

6) If you really really REALLY want the most accurate temperature reading, then follow the guide on how to place a temperature sensor on top of your CPU
--- To measure Tcase
--- Intel has a guide to this but it is not easy (involves making a groove in your IHS)

Windows Live Skydrive lifts off

Microsoft announced that Windows Live SkyDrive, launched at skydrive.live.com, will be available to all Malaysians starting today. This offers the 7.4 million-strong MSN and Windows Live community in Malaysia with a free, password-protected online storage and sharing space to access files and share with the people they choose.

Windows Live SkyDrive provides consumers with 5 GB of free online storage, which equates to approximately 1,000 songs, over 30,000 Microsoft Office documents of average size, or 30,000 digital photos at a resolution of 1200x1200. However, there is a 50MB limit on each file uploaded.

“Windows Live SkyDrive is a great way for people to keep the information they need at their fingertips in order to access directly or to share with other people,” said Craig Law-Smith, Marketing Director, Microsoft Online Service Group, Southeast Asia. “Our goal is to provide a service that people really love and value. Part of that is providing plenty of free storage to meet the majority of our customers’ needs. During the beta period, one of the main pieces of feedback we got was that people wished we provided more storage. We listened to them,” said Craig.

Windows Live SkyDrive has three folder options for customers to store files and information: Personal, Shared, and Public. The information in the Personal folder is secured with the customer's user name and password, while the Shared folders are secured with the user names and passwords of those the customer chooses to share with. Public folders are open to everyone on the web.

When customers choose to share files with other people in the Shared folder, they can set permissions for each person they share with, either allowing them to add and change files, or only to read the files.

When sharing files in the Public area, customers have the option of allowing anyone on the internet to access the files, and, optionally, to select certain individuals who will be allowed to change or add new files to the publicly shared folders as well.

Windows Live SkyDrive also offers you three easy ways to keep updated on news files shared by your friends and family.

1. Add your friends and family to your Windows Live Messenger contact list. When they share new files on SkyDrive, a yellow "gleam" appears next to their name and their contact card shows the last few files they've uploaded.

2. Visit your Spaces home to see what your friends have been up to, including the latest files they've shared with you on SkyDrive.

3. Subscribe to RSS feeds for public folders. To do this, go to the public folder that you're interested in, and click on the orange RSS Feed icon at the top right of the page. Then, anytime that folder is updated, you'll be notified.

In addition to Malaysia, today's announcements also extends the Windows Live SkyDrive offering to 23 other markets: Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela. This brings the total availability to 64 countries.

Microsoft has also included updates to Windows live SkyDrive, most noticeable new features are the ability to add comments and captions to items, larger image previews and a new details view of files and folders.

No Pain No Gain

No Pain No Gain… Accept the Pain, Future will be Fruitful…

Don't feel the work you are doing is pain, because there will be always a reason for that pain or work.

So face the pain, for the pain you face, there will be definitely happiness a head.

Memo to all students:

In order to assure the highest levels of quality work and
productivity from students, it will be our policy to keep all
students well taught through our program of SPECIAL HIGH
INTENSITY TEACHING (S.H.I.T.).
We are trying to give our students more S.H.I.T. than anyone else.
If you feel that you do not receive your share of S.H.I.T. on the
course, please see your lecturer. You will be immediately placed at the
top of the S.H.I.T. list, and our lecturers are especially skilled at
seeing that you get all the S.H.I.T. you can handle.

Students who don't take their S.H.I.T. will be placed in DEPARTMENTAL
EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAMS(D.E.E.P.S.H.I.T.). Those who fail
to take D.E.E.P. S.H.I.T. seriously will have to go to EDUCATIONAL
ATTITUDE TRAINING (E.A.T.S.H.I.T.).

Since our lecturers took S.H.I.T. before they graduated, they don't have
to do S.H.I.T. anymore, and are all full of S.H.I.T. already. If you
are full of S.H.I.T., you may be interested in a job teaching others.
We can add your name to our BASIC UNDERSTANDING LECTURE LIST (B.U.L.L.
S.H.I.T.).

For students who are intending to pursue a career in management and
consulting, we will refer you to the department of MANAGERIAL OPERATIONAL
RESEARCH EDUCATION (M.O.R.E.S.H.I.T.). This course emphasizes how to
manage M.O.R.E. S.H.I.T.

If you have further questions, please direct them to our HEAD OF TEACHING,
SPECIAL HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING (H.O.T.S.H.I.T.). Thank you,

BOSS IN GENERAL, SPECIAL HIGH INTENSITY TEACHING B.I.G.S.H.I.T.)

PS.

You may send this S.H.I.T. to friends who need S.H.I.T. in their life,
just not the same person who sent you this S.H.I.T., they have already
had their fill of S.H.I.T. Thank You for your time.

Sincerely,The Director Under the Michigan Bureau of Super High
Intensity Teaching.(The D.U.M.B. S.H.I.T.)

Never underestimate a women....

A man was complaining:

Oh Lord, please have mercy on me, I work so hard,
meantime my wife
stays at home, I would give anything if you would
grant me one wish
"switch me into my wife" she's got it easy at home
I want to teach
her a lesson of how tough a man's life is.

As God was listening he felt sorry for this soul and
granted his
wish. Next morning the "new woman" wakes up at dawn,
makes lunch
boxes, prepares breakfast, wakes up the kids for
school, puts a load
of clothes in the washer, takes the meat out of the
freezer, drives
the kids to school, on his way back stop at the gas
station, cashes a
check, pays the electricity and phone bills, picks
up some clothes
from the cleaners, quickly goes to the market.

It was 1: 00 o'clock already, he made the beds, took
the clothes out
of the washer and put another load in, he vacuumed
the house, made
some rice, went to pick up the kids from school had
an argument with
the kids.

As soon as he got home he fed the kids, washed the
dirty dishes, he
hung the damp clothes he had washed on the chairs
because it was
raining outside. He helped the kids with their
homework, watched some
TV while he ironed some clothes, prepared dinner, he
gave the kids a
bath and put them to sleep.

At 9:00 o'clock he was so tired and he went to
bed.Of course there
was some more duties and some how he managed to get
them done and
finally fell a sleep.

The next morning he prays to God once again:
Oh Lord, what was I thinking when I asked you to
grant my wish, I
can't take it anymore. I beg you please switch me
back to myself,
please oh please.

Then he heard God's voice speaking to him, saying:
Dear son, of course I'll switch you back into
yourself but there's
one minor detail: you will have to wait 9 months
because last night
you got pregnant.

Most of you would have heard of the Singapore 5 'C's

Car, Condo,Credit Card (Gold), Cash and Career
The latest is 5 'K's ...

Kiasu (scared of losing)

Kiasee (scared of dying)

Kiabor (scared of wife)

Kiaboh (scared of having nothing)

Kiachenghu (scared of government)

We've been reading about the 5 C's and 5 K's for

Singaporeans,now comes the 5 Numerals and Malaysia's
equivalent...

Singapore's "practice" for Simple Living :

1 - One Wife

2 - Two Children

3 - Three Bedroom Condo

4 - Four Wheels

5 - Five Figure Salary

That's why "Singapore is solid" ! Malaysia is in such a bad
shape

because.......

Malaysia's "practice" to Simple Living :

5 - Five Children

4 - Four Wives

3 - Three Figure Salary

2 - Two Wheels

1 - One-Room Flat...

Malaysian Telephone Service Providers and what they really mean:

010 - ART 900 - Always Repair Telephone

011 - ATUR - Absolutely Terrible and Useless Radiophone

012 - Maxis - Moronic And Xtremely Inferior System

013 - TM Touch - Too Many TMTouch Owners Usually Change
Handphones

016 - DiGi 1800 - Don't Invest In Garbage Instruments

017 - ADAM - Always Dropping And Malfunctioning

018 - Mobifon - Most Often Bought In Fake Obnoxious Nightmarkets

019 - CELCOM - Cannot Enjoy Line Clarity on Outgoing Messages

MSIs K9A2GM/VM mainboard series

Originally from http://www.lowyat.net/v2/latest/msis-k9a2gm-vm-mainboard-series-2.html

MSI has launched its K9A2GM/VM mainboard series which utilises AMD's latest 780G/V chipset which provides full HD, best-in-class 3D graphics performance, enhanced scalability, and "rock-solid stability" for mainstream gaming, multimedia and commercial PC systems. The K9A2GM and K9A2VM mainboard series consists of seven members: K9A2GM/VM-FIH, K9A2GM/VM-FD, K9A2GM/VM-F V2 & K9A2GM-FIH-S (Solid Capacitor Edition).

These mainboards offer AMD AM2/AM2+ socket supporting AMD Phenom Quad Core processor performance and the latest AMD chipsets with graphics core which features full 1080p High-Definition Video in a cost-effective basic mainboard design. It also supports AMD's Athlon series processor, HyperTransport 3.0 technology and DDR2-1066 memory.

The K9A2GM mainboard series also features the latest PCI-Express 2.0 bus technology and delivers high performance support for AMD's new Hybrid CrossFireX, allowing the combination of features or raw horse power from both the onboard graphics and compatible add in PCI-E graphics boards.

Read on for more info and specs.

K9A2GM/VM-FIH Product Specifications - AMD 780G/V chipset based - Support AMD Socket AM2+/AM2 Phenom™, Athlon™ and Sempron™ processors - 1 PCI-E x16 slot (PCI Express Bus SPEC V2.0 compliant) - Built-in Radeon™ HD 3200/3100 VGA core with HDMI - Supports Hybrid CrossFireX™ Technology - 4 dual channel DIMMs DDRII 533/667/800/1066 up to 8GB - 1 port 10/100/1000 LAN - 7.1 CH HD Audio - 4 SATA2 with 3Gb/s bandwidth, Support RAID 0, 1, 0+1 - 1 PCI-E x1, 2 PCI 2.3 slots - 1 ATA133, 1 Floppy - 10x USB 2.0, 2x IEEE1394 - Dual CoreCell technology with D.O.T. Express

K9A2GM/VM-FD Product Specifications - AMD 780G/V chipset based - Support AMD Socket AM2+/AM2 Phenom™, Athlon™ and Sempron™ processors - 1 PCI-E x16 slot (PCI Express Bus SPEC V2.0 compliant) - Built-in Radeon™ HD 3200/3100 VGA core with DVI - Supports Hybrid CrossFireX™ Technology - 4 dual channel DIMMs DDRII 533/667/800/1066 up to 8GB - 1 port 10/100/1000 LAN - 7.1 CH HD Audio - 4 SATA2 with 3Gb/s bandwidth, Support RAID 0, 1, 0+1 - 1 PCI-E x1, 2 PCI 2.3 slots - 1 ATA133, 1 Floppy - 10x USB 2.0, 2x IEEE1394 - Dual CoreCell technology with D.O.T. Express

K9A2GM/VM-F V2 Product Specifications - AMD 780V chipset based - Support AMD Socket AM2+/AM2 Phenom™, Athlon™ and Sempron™ processors - 1 PCI-E x16 slot (PCI Express Bus SPEC V2.0 compliant) - Built-in Radeon™ 3100 VGA core with D-Sub - Supports Hybrid CrossFireX™ Technology - 2 dual channel DIMMs DDRII 533/667/800/1066 up to 4GB - 1 port 10/100/1000 LAN - 7.1 CH HD Audio - 4 SATA2 with 3Gb/s bandwidth, Support RAID 0, 1, 0+1 - 1 PCI-E x1, 2 PCI 2.3 slots - 1 ATA133, 1 Floppy - 10x USB 2.0 - Dual CoreCell technology with D.O.T. Express

One day, an Ang Moh (White Man) from USA arrived at KLIA Airport.

After he checked out from the customs, he felt he needed to go to
the toilet and looked out for one. When he found the toilet, there
was a lady sitting at the entrance. When he was about to enter the
toilet, the lady stopped him and asked for forty cents in Cantonese
(See Kok). The Ang Moh wondered why in MALAYSIA they have to see the
cock before entering the toilet? So he said "No." But the lady insisted.
He had no choice, took out his cock and showed it to her.
The lady said, "No! No!" "Duit,Duit!" (money in Malay).
The Ang Moh misunderstood again and thought she said, "Do it! Do it!"
So he asked, "Now? Here?" The lady replied."Yes, yes!" (obviously she
does not quite understand English) The Ang Moh thought that she wanted
to have sex with him, so he started to strip, grabbed her tight ass and
started screwing her. The lady started screaming and shouted, "SAKIT!
SAKIT!" (pain in Malay), and the Ang Moh thought she said, SUCK IT! SUCK IT!
He said "OK! I will suck it for you." He took both her breasts out and
started sucking them. The lady again screamed "Oh, TUHAN!" (Oh, MY GOD....in
Malay). The Ang Moh misunderstood again and said. "Too HARD?" "OK, sweetheart,
I'll be a bit more gentle." Suddenly, there was a security guard walked by.
So the lady shouted for help, "TOLONG! TOLONG, ENCIK!" The Ang Moh replied,
"Not too long, just 6 inches only"

IT People banyak "song"

No wonder computer studies are so popular amongst Malaysians
I discover that in UKM we are suppose to translate
most of the note in English to BM to meet the criteria of the
University.
This is what happen to I.T. students... I guess..

hardware = barang keras
software = barang lembut
joystick = batang keseronokan
PLUG AND PLAY = CUCUK DAN MAIN
port = lubang
server = pelayan
client = pelanggan

Isn't it funny when we translate IT terms into Malay??
Try to translate this.

"The server gives a plug and play service to the clients using
either
hardware or software joystick. The
joystick goes into the port of the client."

Translated:-

"Pelayan itu beri kepada pelanggannya
layanan cucuk dan main dengan
mempergunakan batang keseronokkan
jenis keras atau lembut. Batang
keseronokan itu dimasukkan ke dalam
lubang pelanggan."

hehehehehehe...........

"Mind your language"

JOB OPENING AT CIA

A few months ago, there was an opening with the CIA for an assassin.
These highly classified positions are hard to fill, and there's a lot of
testing and background checks involved. After training and testing, they
narrowed the possible choices down to three, but only one position was
available. The day came for the final test to see which person would get
the extremely secretive job.

The CIA men administering the test took one of the men to a large
metal door and handed him a gun. "We must know that you will follow your
instructions no matter what the circumstances," they explained. "Inside
this room, you will find your wife sitting in a chair. Take this gun and
kill her."
The man got a shocked look on his face and said, "You can't be
serious! I could never shoot my own wife!"
"Well," says the CIA man, "You're definitely not the right man for
this job then."

So they bring the second man to the same door and hand him a gun.
"We must know that you will follow instructions no matter what the
circumstances," they explained to the second man. "Inside you will find
your wife sitting in a chair. Take this gun and kill her."
The second man looked a bit shocked, but nevertheless took the gun
and went in the room. All was quiet for about 5 minutes, then the door
opened. The man came out of the room with tears in his eyes. "I tried to
shoot her, I just couldn't pull the trigger and shoot my
wife.
! "I guess I'm
not the right man for the job." "You don't have what it takes. Take your
wife and go home." the CIA man replied.

Now they're down to the last man left to test. They led him to the
same door to the same room and handed him the same gun. "We must be sure
that you will follow instructions no matter what the circumstances, this
is your final test. Inside you will find your wife sitting in a chair.
Take this gun and kill her."
The man took the gun and opened the door. Before the door even
closed all the way, the CIA men heard the gun start firing. One shot
after another for 13 shots. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on
the walls. This went on for several minutes, then all went quiet.

The door opened slowly, and there stood the man. He wiped the sweat
from his brow and said, "You guys didn't tell me the gun was loaded with
blanks! I had to beat her to death with the chair!"

What if you are rich ?

A crusty old man walks into a bank and says to the teller at
the window:

"I want to open a damn checking account."

To which the astonished woman replies: "I beg your pardon,
sir; I must have misunderstood you. What did you say?"

"Listen up bitch! I said, I want to open a damn checking account
right now!" "I'm very sorry sir, but we do not tolerate that
kind of language in this bank."

Having said this, the teller leaves the window and goes
over to the bank manager to tell him about her problem customer.

They both return and the manager asks the old geezer:

"What seems to be the problem here?"

"There's no damn problem, sonny," the elderly man says. "I
just won 50 million bucks in the damn lottery and I want to open a damn
checking account in this damn bank!"

"I see," says the manager thoughtfully. "And you're saying
that this bitch here is giving you a hard time?"

Lesson Learnt - If you are RICH, you can get away with almost
anything.

A genie bottle

There were these 4 guys, a Russian, a German, an American and
a French, who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the
bottle, a genie appears. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out
of
the bottle, he said, "Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will
give
each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool and jump, you shout
what
you want the pool of water to become, then your wish will come true."

The French wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped
and shouted WINE". The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine.
the Frenchman was so happy swimming and drinking from the pool.

Next is the Russian's turn, he did the same and shouted,
"VODKA" and immersed himself into a pool of vodka.

The German was next and he jumped and shouted, "BEER". He was
so contented with his beer pool.

The last is the American. He was running towards the pool
when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool and
shouted, "SHIT!!!!!!!........."

Lesson: Think twice before you say something, b'cos sometimes
accidents do happen.

You'll READ IT TWICE

This is kinda corny.........but BET You'll READ IT TWICE!

A bus stops and two Italian men get on. They sit down and engage in an
animated conversation. The lady sitting behind them
ignores them at first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears
one of the men say the following: "Emma come first. Den I come. Den
two asses come together. I come once-a-more. Two asses, they come
together again. I come again and pee twice. Then I come one lasta
time."

"You foul-mouthed swine, " retorted the lady idignantly. "In this
country we don't talk about our sex lives in public!"

"Hey, coola down lady," said the man. "Who talkin' abouta sexa?
I'm justa tellin' my frienda how to spella 'Mississippi'.

THE EMPLOYEE

The owner of a large factory decided to make a surprise visit and check
up on his staff. Walking though the plant, he noticed a young man leaning
lazily against a post.

"Just how much are you being paid a week?" said the owner angrily.

"Three hundred bucks," replied the young man.

Taking out a fold of bills from his wallet, the owner counted out $300,

slapped the money into the boy's hands, and said, "Here's a week's pay
now get out and don't come back!"

Turning to one of the supervisors, he said, "How long has that lazy bum
been working here anyway?"

"He's not an employee," said the supervisor. "He was just here to
deliver a pizza!"

5 storey hotel...

Hi ppls,

This is pretty funny. And to the ladies, no offence intended.
Let you all figure out the moral of the story.....

A group of girlfriends is on vacation when they see a 5-story hotel
with a sign that reads:"For Women Only". Since they are without their
boyfriends and husbands, they decide to go in. The bouncer, a very
attractive guy, explains to them how it works.


"We have 5 floors. Go up floor by floor, and once you find what you
are looking for, you can stay there. It's easy to decide since each
floor has a sign telling you what's inside."

So they start going up and on the first floor the sign reads:
"All the men on this floor are short and plain." The friends laugh and
without hesitation move on to the next floor. The sign on the second floor
reads: "All the men here are short and handsome."

Still, this isn't good enough, so the friends continue on up. They
reach the third floor and the sign reads: "All the men here are tall
and plain."

They still want to do better, and so, knowing there are still two
floors left, they continued on up. On the fourth floor, the sign is
perfect: "All the men here are tall and handsome."

The women get all excited and are going in when they realize that
there is still one floor left. Wondering what they are missing, they
head on up to the fifth floor. There they find a sign that reads:

"There are no men here. This floor was built only to prove that
there is no way to please a woman."

Why?

Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Why is a boxing ring square?

Why is it called lipstick if you can still move your lips?

Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid
of a coffin?

Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Why is it that rain drops but snow falls?

Why is it that to stop Windows 95, you have to
click on "Start"?

Why is it that when you're driving and looking for
an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and
dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the third hand on the watch called a second hand?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic
called rush hour?

Why is the word dictionary in the dictionary?

Why isn't there a special name for the tops of your feet?

Why isn't there mouse flavored cat food?

You know that little indestructible black box that
is used on planes? Why can't they make the whole plane out
of the same substance?

Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor
when you can't drink and drive?

Why are there no "B" size batteries

E-something ?

> A staff was speaking to his boss: “Nowadays, everyone is putting an ‘e’ in
>
> front of everything; like e-commerce, e-mail, e-greeting card, etc. It
> sounds so cool and uptrend. Your title, Director of Information, Operation
>
> and Technology, is just too long, a bit plain and boring.”
>
> The Director thought for a while, agreed and then announced, “From today
> onwards, called me e-DIOT”.
>
>

eVga-nforce-750i-sli-ftw

Copied from http://www.guru3d.com

SKU: 123-YW-E175-A1
Manufacturer: eVGA
MSRP: 179 USD

Face it, how many of you have been yearning and looking at the new nForce 780 and 790 mainboard ? Heck even 680i is still pretty sexy. There all just really expensive aren't they ? The one product that does offer the overclocking performance of the above mentioned mainboard however is less attractive as it was stripped of numerous features and comes in that fugly green color, you know it as the nForce 680 LT.

eVGA however decided to make a new somewhat cheaper mainboard opposed to 780/790, designed it l33t, sexy yet offer two or maybe three features less than these sub 300 USD counterparts. They named their new baby the eVGA nForce 750 FTW. Where FTW literally means "For The Win". Now if you send a product with "FTW" in the actual name then as a company you need to have some pretty big balls, as any reviewer will test until they faint to see if that product lives up-to the reputation. You know what, they need balls as big as an NVIDIA colored bull.

But man granted .. eVGA surely knew what they where doing. Without further ado let me introduce to you guys the new The EVGA 750i SLI FTW, designed for enthusiasts with a price in mainstream segment, a mainboard that has solid state capacitors with 6 phase power design to achieve the stability of extreme FSB and memory overclocking. EVGA brands the 750i SLI FTW “For the Win”.

With a pricetag around $179.99 check out some of it's features:

• Extreme overclocking speeds supporting 1600MHz FSB and beyond.
• 6 phase power design for the stability and performance.
• Solid state capacitors allowing better overclocking and stability.
• Easy troubleshooting features with on-board CMOS Reset button.
• Extreme DDR2 speeds of 1066MHz and beyond.
• Intel Socket 775, 45nm CPU Ready (Yorkfield & Wolfdale)
• Right-Angled SATA-2 Ports, RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, JBOD
• NV SLI Certified. PCI-E 2.0

That's right man, it's Intel Penryn ready, can do SLI, overclocks highly and just looks downright sexy. What's the difference with the nForce 780 you aks ? Well, the third SLI PCIe connecter, one Ethernet connector. EPP BIOS and a four SATA port castration. But really ... that's roughly it man. Oh and it's roughly 100 bucks cheaper, which never sucks.

The best thing yet .. I mentioned this in our 780 and 790 review already, what I always have missed is a CMOS reset button. Dump that silly jumpe, we want a button. And you guessed it already; it's integrated. <- insert little heart smiley here.

Have a peek guys and gals, after which we'll walk through the technology you get to play around with. Obviously we'll do an extensive overclocking session as well. It literally took us 10 seconds to oveclock a Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2,4 GHz) towards 3,6 GHz on air cooling. Aah ! Can you tell I'm excited ?

Okay then, to be able to understand eVGA nForce 750 FTW we need to explain to you what it is and what it isn't and I can do that really simple for you.

No matter how and at what angle you look at it, this mainboard is based on the nForce 780i (with an i for Intel) SLI chipset. The product is based on a 6 layer PCB; and consists of three discrete chips; the first two known as the 750i MCP and the 750i SPP, also called North and South bridge's as is more commonly accepted. The third being the tiny nForce 200 chip. The NVIDIA nForce 200 chip is nothing more than a PCI Express switch chip with one upstream port and up to four downstream ports allowing all your PCIe functionality at full or if preferred less bandwidth (4x8 PCIe lanes).

The SPP and MCP (the mainboard chipset chips) are fabricated on TSMC's 90nm process technology. The new chipset brings support for the latest Socket 775 processors from Intel:

• Quad Core Yorkfield & duo core Wolfdale (45nm Penryn)
• Current (Kentsfield) Quad core & Duo Core processors (Conroe 65nm)
• All LGA775 Pentium processors

The 750 is in fact a 780 yet with some features stripped away. The features stripped away are well .. not really needed anyway, but let's have a look and compare. We can do this pretty easily by comparing NVIDIA's internal block-diagrams of the architectural features.

On the left side you cans ee the nForce 780i SLI - on the right the 750i SLI chipset. First thing you'll notice, 750 does not have SLI memory, meaning no automated EPP features that set timings and voltages. A loss yes, but not a biggy as you can set these timings manually. Out of the box the DDR2 memory support is 800 MHz, yet don't worry. We had Reaper memory on our board running at it's default 1148 MHz just fine, remember eVGA tweaked this mainboard for extremely high performance versus stability.

When we move downward on the block diagram we notice that the MCP is missing a couple PCIe lanes. And hey, not needed as you'll have two PCIe x16 slots, not three and thus plenty of PCIe lanes available. NVIDIA however did want to make your system PCIe 2.0 compliant, so they have inserted a bridge chip called the NV nForce 200 that is responsible for creating 2x x16 PCIe lanes fully compliant with the 2.0 standard.

The new PCie 2.0 standard, brings a boosts to the PCIe interface. The total capacity of the PCI Express 2.0 bus is now 5Gbps, twice the old standard, and an x16 connector will now be able to achieve transfers as high as 16Gbps. It is backwards compatible with PCIe 1.1 cards, making it simple for motherboard manufacturers to transition to it in the future. Cool stuff, yet it's so high-end that at this time you will just not notice a performance difference. The latest G92 graphics cards already have 2.0 compatibility though.

The rest that was stripped away is the more insignificant stuff. One GBit/s Ethernet port instead of two. 8 USB 2.0 ports instead of 10, no ESA certification. And though this one I find a bit of a lack luster, 4 SATA connectors instead of 6.

Now despite a good number of stripped away features, eVGA did it's best to compensate that by making a 100% enthusiast platform, the FTW edition. This mainboard is a good upgrade over the nForce series 6 mainboards. The industry has been moving forward and we now see slow adoption of PCIe 2.0, new Intel Penryn (45nm) Core 2 processors are slowly being released. Touching the subject of Intel's new Penryn processors. The nForce 750i SLI mainboard, as opposed to 680i, is fully compatible with the new Intel 45nm Duo & Quad core processors, but only the 1333 MHz processors are actually 'officially' supported.

But again, this is the FTW edition, if your processor can take it, you could even force a 1800 MHz FSB pretty easily. That is just no limit .. this is the stuff the mainboard was designed for. As our overclock chapter will show you, we even overclocked a 2400 MHz Core 2 Quad processor Q6600 (2400 MHz) towards 3600 MHz in less than 10 seconds.

Overclocking & Tweaking

I've mentioned a couple of times already that the FTW edition mainboard is built for very decent overclocking. The BIOS is highly flexible for this and allows some very predominant tweaking when it comes to multipliers, voltages and settings.

To gain maximum performance and stability I've inserted some nice fast OCZ Reaper memory to show that the mainboard indeed can take faster than 800 Mhz memory perfectly fine.

And granted, there's nothing more easy than overclocking with this mainboard. So I figured, the cheapest quad-core Intel processor right now is the Q6600 at 185 USD, an amazing price and that is our sweet spot. Especially if you consider that they are very overclockable.

So we inserted a Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor on this mainboard. Now; I could have used our 1400 USD Core 2 Extreme QX9770 for this, but overclocking an Intel Engineering Sample processor .. wouldn't be entirely fair. What we use is a retail version Q6600 processor paid for by my own money.

Cooling wise, we're trying to make a point here. While not spending heaps of money you can lift this platform to the very high end. So we used a 35 USD OCZ Vendetta cooler which I really like. Cheap, not noisy and really decent performance.

In the BIOS you want to disable functions like CE1 and SpeedStep, make sure your memory is set asynchronous from the FSB yet at it's maximum frequency with optimal timings (and give it a little extra voltage, that's always good, usually 2.1v - 2.2v for DDR2 is a sweet-spot.

Now usually on a regular mainboard you'd end up at roughly 3 GHz to 3.2 GHz on a Core 2 Quad Q6600 quad-core right ?

Here's what I did, remember .. first try .. I put the FSB to 1600 MHz, the multiplier to 9 and furthermore did noting, no voltage increase noting. Everything was set to automatic in the BIOS except the variables mentioned above. Et voila .. a stable 3600 MHz on all four cores. We boot into windows and already have a perfectly nice overclock.

With the OCZ Vendetta cooler temps where great, at 40 C idle up to 60 degrees C 100% utilized. Now testing with Prime95 was not 100% stable. after a few minutes we got an error. We now increase the voltage towards 1.4v in the BIOS, reboot .. and got a 100% stable error-free rig.

Overclocking is really easy with this mainboard. Imagine what you can do with, for example, some quality water-cooling. I took some screenshots of this with a Prime Stress test .

You can click the image to enlarge the screenshot and check temps, overclock and Prime95. We measured and overclocked at a 20 Degrees C ambient room temperature.

When we tilt the camera we stumble into the SATA and PATA ports with above it passively cooled the MCP chipset (Southbridge). Only four SATA ports, I find that a bit on the shy side, but this is an NVIDIA specced feature.

It's a little hard to spot but the grey'ish block just below the MCP is a diagnostic LED. This is a debug LED that displays "port 80" codes using two seven-segment displays. It was added for quick troubleshooting. I think that over 150 debug codes can be displayed. So if your CMOS malfunctions, or your memory has an issue, you grab your manual and seek up the error code. Now you know where to look and how to fix it.

Loving this, a small micro-switch to reset your CMOS fast and efficient. No more frustration with moving jumpers.

Here we have micro switches to reset and/or power up/down the PC. A tweakers necessity during his everlasting quest to overclock the memory and processor. A little bigger than usual, I like that. They are easy to reach, press and look at. And why am I saying that ? Look at the next photo.

These switches are embedded over a LED, displaying power on and your HD activity.

Power consumption

Alright then, let's monitor something besides performance... power consumption.

We'll now show you some tests we have done on overall power consumption of the PC, in several IDLE and PEAK states.

We crete three situations:

• 750i FTW with default clocked Q6600
• 750i FTW with 3.0 GHz clocked Q6600
• 750i FTW with 3.6 GHz clocked Q6600

The results show the wattage drawn from the PC, with the PC activated and at 100% CPU load, the four cores being fully utilized. We left the graphics card out of the equation here. So at full processor load the difference between the 2.4 GHz default clocked Q6600 and the overclocked version at 3.6 GHz = 56 Watts.

Not too bad actually, though energy consumption of modern age PCs are a growing concern.

The Verdict

Occasionally I get bitch-slapped by my editors for cursing a little too much in my reviews; but f*ck it, this is a nice mainboard guys ! The reality is simple; some features are cut away opposed to the 250-350 USD mainboards yet the rest is the same and some even better with this mainboard. In the past the 650 SLI series never was that good in overclocking, hey NVIDIA doesn't like to destroy it's own enthusiast market. But this 750i SLI FTW is just an exceptionally good mainboard if your mission is to tweak and overclock. It has everything we as enthusiast PC users want. It looks cool, even comes with multi-channel sound, including TOSLINK optical output, fantastic performance, the sexy diagnostic LED, and it has micro switches for power on/off, reset and now also CMOS (yay!).

Now I'm not saying that $179.99 is cheap for a mainboard, contrary .. it's still quite a sum of money for a mainboard. But the value you get here is just excellent. It fit's its segment perfectly and this little black demon even can handle the new Penryn Core 2 duo and Quad processors perfectly fine.

** Update -eVGA noticed that it's going to be quite a popular mainboard and upped their price towards $199 as listed on their website. Please try e-tailers for better prices.

Observations & recommendation; placement of the SPP (Northbridge) cooler. The SPP, especially when you overclock your PC, will generate a good amount of heat. The way the cooling is positioned is a bit weird, as all the heat is blown directly to the backside of the graphics card, this is not optimal. If the cooler was positioned 45 degrees clockwise the heat would be blown towards the read I/O panel where above it usually an exhaust fan is to be found. Also I find the fan way too loud, it's the one thing I did not like about the mainboard. You manually have to lower RPM in the BIOS for it to be acceptable.

We can confirm that 750i SLI FTW can overclock really well and has a lot of headroom for you to do what you need to do and that is additional value. See we clocked a Q6600 towards 3.6 GHz perfectly stable on a 35 USD OCZ Vendetta cooler. Again 3600 MHz, please check out what a QX9770 at 3.2 GHz will cost you okay ? A massive overclock of your system equals a better ROI - a return of investment. And I'm sure that a lot of you take overclocking a lot more serious than I do and achieve much higher results.

Granted though; the 750i SLI FTW is not a big update over for example the 680i unless you planned to fo for a Core 2 based 45nm Penryn processor, but it is the stuff that will get you seriously excited. The feature set versus value simply is good. The true success of the recent nForce 7 series obviously lies in platform stability while overclocking. Sure you need to have the best gear like PSU, memory and processor yet once you have all your components right, it's the nForce platform that will steer your system to new heights. Overclocking experiences like I just mentioned are the true reason why you should get the more expensive 750i/780i mainboards. And although really being an updated 680i, the nForce 750i FTW is a dazzling platform, not a soul on this earth will deny that.

If you are in the market for a new mainboard upgrade and don't have tons of cash to spend, there's another advantage to be found here. You'll not be forced to make the move to DDR3 and can keep your DDR2 memory. But even so, if you do need to purchase DDR2 memory then you are in luck. DDR2 memory is downright cheap at this moment, check out the 88 bucks costing 4GB Corsair kit for example. I'll opt it over 2GB DDR3 any time.

Next to all this we should not forget to mention eVGA's warranty. In the USA / Canada you'll receive a lifetime warranty upon registration of the mainboard. Outside the USA you'll still be eligible for a 10 year warranty.

So that's it .. I honestly have nothing but good to report about this little fellah. It's as simple as that. You'll love it and that's all there is to it.

Guru3D final thought: Yeah the 750i SLI FTW went 'for the win' .. and it struck gold. It wins our 'best hardware award' it deserves nothing less. Newegg has them avaialble right now for $189.99

Copied from guru3d. http://www.guru3d.com/article/evga-nforce-750i-sli-ftw-for-the-win-review/14

Nice MOBO indeed .. hehe