Monday, April 10, 2006
How Graphic Cards Work
The images you see on your monitor are made of tiny dots called pixels. At most common resolution settings, a screen displays over a million pixels, and the computer has to decide what to do with every one in order to create an image. To do this, it needs a translator - something to take binary data from the CPU and turn it into a picture you can see. Unless a computer has graphics capability built into the motherboard, that translation takes place on the graphics card. A graphics card's job is complex, but its principles and components are easy to understand. In this article, we will look at the basic parts of a video card and what they do. We'll also examine the factors that work together to make a fast, efficient graphics card.
Graphic Card Basics
Think of a computer as a company with its own art department. When people in the company want a piece of artwork, they send a request to the art department. The art department decides how to create the image and then puts it on paper. The end result is that someone's idea becomes an actual, viewable picture.
Creating an image out of binary data is a demanding process. To make a 3-D image, the graphics card first creates a wire frame out of straight lines. Then, it rasterizes the image (fills in the remaining pixels). It also adds lighting, texture and color. For fast-paced games, the computer has to go through this process about sixty times per second. Without a graphics card to perform the necessary calculations, the workload would be too much for the computer to handle.
The graphics card accomplishes this task using four main components:
-A motherboard connection for data and power
-A processor to decide what to do with each pixel on the screen
-Memory to hold information about each pixel and to temporarily store completed
pictures
-A monitor connection so you can see the final result
Processor and Memory
Like a motherboard, a graphics card is a printed circuit board that houses a processor and RAM. It also has an input/output system (BIOS) chip, which stores the card's settings and performs diagnostics on the memory, input and output at startup.
A graphics card's processor, called a graphics processing unit (GPU), is similar to a computer's CPU. A GPU, however, is designed specifically for performing the complex mathematical and geometric calculations that are necessary for graphics rendering. Some of the fastest GPUs have more transistors than the average CPU. A GPU produces a lot of heat, so it is usually located under a heat sink or a fan.
In addition to its processing power, a GPU uses special programming to help it analyze and use data. ATI and nVidia produce the vast majority of GPUs on the market, and both companies have developed their own enhancements for GPU performance. To improve image quality, the processors use:
Full scene anti aliasing (FSAA), which smoothes the edges of 3-D objects
Anisotropic filtering (AF), which makes images look crisper
Each company has also developed specific techniques to help the GPU apply colors, shading, textures and patterns.
As the GPU creates images, it needs somewhere to hold information and completed pictures. It uses the card's RAM for this purpose, storing data about each pixel, its color and its location on the screen. Part of the RAM can also act as a frame buffer, meaning that it holds completed images until it is time to display them. Typically, video RAM operates at very high speeds and is dual ported, meaning that the system can read from it and write to it at the same time.
The RAM connects directly to the digital-to-analog converter, called the DAC. This converter, also called the RAMDAC, translates the image into an analog signal that the monitor can use. Some cards have multiple RAMDACs, which can improve performance and support more than one monitor.
The RAMDAC sends the final picture to the monitor through a cable. We'll look at this connection and other interfaces in the next paragraphs.
Graphics cards connect to the computer through the motherboard. The motherboard supplies power to the card and lets it communicate with the CPU. Newer graphics cards often require more power than the motherboard can provide, so they also have a direct connection to the computer's power supply.
Connections to the motherboard are usually through one of three interfaces:
-Peripheral component interconnect (PCI)
-Advanced graphics port (AGP)
-PCI Express (PCIe)
PCI Express is the newest of the three and provides the fastest transfer rates between the graphics card and the motherboard. PCIe also supports the use of two graphics cards in the same computer.
Most graphics cards have two monitor connections. Often, one is a DVI connector, which supports LCD screens, and the other is a VGA connector, which supports CRT screens. Some graphics cards have two DVI connectors instead. But that doesn't rule out using a CRT screen; CRT screens can connect to DVI ports through an adapter.
Most people use only one of their two monitor connections. People who need to use two monitors can purchase a graphics card with dual head capability, which splits the display between the two screens. A computer with two dual head, PCIe-enabled video cards could theoretically support four monitors.
In addition to connections for the motherboard and monitor, some graphics cards have connections for:
-TV display: TV-out or S-video
-Analog video cameras: ViVo or video in/video out
-Digital cameras: FireWire or USB
Some cards even incorporate TV tuners.
Graphic Card Basics
Think of a computer as a company with its own art department. When people in the company want a piece of artwork, they send a request to the art department. The art department decides how to create the image and then puts it on paper. The end result is that someone's idea becomes an actual, viewable picture.
Creating an image out of binary data is a demanding process. To make a 3-D image, the graphics card first creates a wire frame out of straight lines. Then, it rasterizes the image (fills in the remaining pixels). It also adds lighting, texture and color. For fast-paced games, the computer has to go through this process about sixty times per second. Without a graphics card to perform the necessary calculations, the workload would be too much for the computer to handle.
The graphics card accomplishes this task using four main components:
-A motherboard connection for data and power
-A processor to decide what to do with each pixel on the screen
-Memory to hold information about each pixel and to temporarily store completed
pictures
-A monitor connection so you can see the final result
Processor and Memory
Like a motherboard, a graphics card is a printed circuit board that houses a processor and RAM. It also has an input/output system (BIOS) chip, which stores the card's settings and performs diagnostics on the memory, input and output at startup.
A graphics card's processor, called a graphics processing unit (GPU), is similar to a computer's CPU. A GPU, however, is designed specifically for performing the complex mathematical and geometric calculations that are necessary for graphics rendering. Some of the fastest GPUs have more transistors than the average CPU. A GPU produces a lot of heat, so it is usually located under a heat sink or a fan.
In addition to its processing power, a GPU uses special programming to help it analyze and use data. ATI and nVidia produce the vast majority of GPUs on the market, and both companies have developed their own enhancements for GPU performance. To improve image quality, the processors use:
Full scene anti aliasing (FSAA), which smoothes the edges of 3-D objects
Anisotropic filtering (AF), which makes images look crisper
Each company has also developed specific techniques to help the GPU apply colors, shading, textures and patterns.
As the GPU creates images, it needs somewhere to hold information and completed pictures. It uses the card's RAM for this purpose, storing data about each pixel, its color and its location on the screen. Part of the RAM can also act as a frame buffer, meaning that it holds completed images until it is time to display them. Typically, video RAM operates at very high speeds and is dual ported, meaning that the system can read from it and write to it at the same time.
The RAM connects directly to the digital-to-analog converter, called the DAC. This converter, also called the RAMDAC, translates the image into an analog signal that the monitor can use. Some cards have multiple RAMDACs, which can improve performance and support more than one monitor.
The RAMDAC sends the final picture to the monitor through a cable. We'll look at this connection and other interfaces in the next paragraphs.
Graphics cards connect to the computer through the motherboard. The motherboard supplies power to the card and lets it communicate with the CPU. Newer graphics cards often require more power than the motherboard can provide, so they also have a direct connection to the computer's power supply.
Connections to the motherboard are usually through one of three interfaces:
-Peripheral component interconnect (PCI)
-Advanced graphics port (AGP)
-PCI Express (PCIe)
PCI Express is the newest of the three and provides the fastest transfer rates between the graphics card and the motherboard. PCIe also supports the use of two graphics cards in the same computer.
Most graphics cards have two monitor connections. Often, one is a DVI connector, which supports LCD screens, and the other is a VGA connector, which supports CRT screens. Some graphics cards have two DVI connectors instead. But that doesn't rule out using a CRT screen; CRT screens can connect to DVI ports through an adapter.
Most people use only one of their two monitor connections. People who need to use two monitors can purchase a graphics card with dual head capability, which splits the display between the two screens. A computer with two dual head, PCIe-enabled video cards could theoretically support four monitors.
In addition to connections for the motherboard and monitor, some graphics cards have connections for:
-TV display: TV-out or S-video
-Analog video cameras: ViVo or video in/video out
-Digital cameras: FireWire or USB
Some cards even incorporate TV tuners.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
How VDSL Works
The use of fast Internet connections has grown rapidly over the last few years. As more people buy home computers and create home networks, the demand for broadband (high-speed) connections steadily increases. Two technologies, cable modems and Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), currently dominate the industry.
While both of these technologies provide Internet connections that are many times faster than a 56K modem, they still are not fast enough to support the integration of home services such as digital television and Video-on-Demand.
However, another DSL technology known as very high bit-rate DSL (VDSL) is seen by many as the next step in providing a complete home-communications/entertainment package. There are already some companies, such as U.S. West (part of Qwest now), that offer VDSL service in selected areas. VDSL provides an incredible amount of bandwidth, with speeds up to about 52 megabits per second (Mbps). Compare that with a maximum speed of 8 to 10 Mbps for ADSL or cable modem and it's clear that the move from current broadband technology to VDSL could be as significant as the migration from a 56K modem to broadband. As VDSL becomes more common, you can expect that integrated packages will be cheaper than the total amount for current separate services.
DSL Basics
A standard telephone installation in the United States consists of a pair of copper wires that the phone company installs in your home. A pair of copper wires has plenty of bandwidth for carrying data in addition to voice conversations. Voice signals use only a fraction of the available capacity on the wires. DSL exploits this remaining capacity to carry information on the wire without disturbing the line's ability to carry conversations.
Standard phone service limits the frequencies that the switches, telephones and other equipment can carry. Human voices, speaking in normal conversational tones, can be carried in a frequency range of 400 to 3,400 Hertz (cycles per second). In most cases, the wires themselves have the potential to handle frequencies of up to several-million Hertz. Modern equipment that sends digital (rather than analog) data can safely use much more of the telephone line's capacity, and DSL does just that.
ADSL uses two pieces of equipment: one on the customer end and one at the provider end:
Transceiver - At the customer's location, there is a DSL transceiver, which may also provide other services.
DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) - The DSL service provider has a DSLAM to receive customer connections.
Most residential customers call their DSL transceiver a DSL modem. The engineers at the telephone company or ISP call it an ATU-R, which stands for ADSL Transceiver Unit - Remote. Regardless of what it's called, the transceiver is the point where data from the user's computer or network is connected to the DSL line. The transceiver can connect to a customer's equipment in several ways, though most residential installation uses Universal Serial Bus (USB) or 10BaseT Ethernet connections. Most of the ADSL transceivers sold by ISPs and telephone companies are simply transceivers, but the devices used by businesses may combine network routers, network switches or other networking equipment in the same box.
The DSLAM at the access provider is the equipment that really makes DSL happen. A DSLAM takes connections from many customers and aggregates them onto a single, high-capacity connection to the Internet. DSLAMs are generally flexible and able to support multiple types of DSL, as well as provide additional functions such as routing and dynamic IP address assignment for customers.
While both of these technologies provide Internet connections that are many times faster than a 56K modem, they still are not fast enough to support the integration of home services such as digital television and Video-on-Demand.
However, another DSL technology known as very high bit-rate DSL (VDSL) is seen by many as the next step in providing a complete home-communications/entertainment package. There are already some companies, such as U.S. West (part of Qwest now), that offer VDSL service in selected areas. VDSL provides an incredible amount of bandwidth, with speeds up to about 52 megabits per second (Mbps). Compare that with a maximum speed of 8 to 10 Mbps for ADSL or cable modem and it's clear that the move from current broadband technology to VDSL could be as significant as the migration from a 56K modem to broadband. As VDSL becomes more common, you can expect that integrated packages will be cheaper than the total amount for current separate services.
DSL Basics
A standard telephone installation in the United States consists of a pair of copper wires that the phone company installs in your home. A pair of copper wires has plenty of bandwidth for carrying data in addition to voice conversations. Voice signals use only a fraction of the available capacity on the wires. DSL exploits this remaining capacity to carry information on the wire without disturbing the line's ability to carry conversations.
Standard phone service limits the frequencies that the switches, telephones and other equipment can carry. Human voices, speaking in normal conversational tones, can be carried in a frequency range of 400 to 3,400 Hertz (cycles per second). In most cases, the wires themselves have the potential to handle frequencies of up to several-million Hertz. Modern equipment that sends digital (rather than analog) data can safely use much more of the telephone line's capacity, and DSL does just that.
ADSL uses two pieces of equipment: one on the customer end and one at the provider end:
Transceiver - At the customer's location, there is a DSL transceiver, which may also provide other services.
DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) - The DSL service provider has a DSLAM to receive customer connections.
Most residential customers call their DSL transceiver a DSL modem. The engineers at the telephone company or ISP call it an ATU-R, which stands for ADSL Transceiver Unit - Remote. Regardless of what it's called, the transceiver is the point where data from the user's computer or network is connected to the DSL line. The transceiver can connect to a customer's equipment in several ways, though most residential installation uses Universal Serial Bus (USB) or 10BaseT Ethernet connections. Most of the ADSL transceivers sold by ISPs and telephone companies are simply transceivers, but the devices used by businesses may combine network routers, network switches or other networking equipment in the same box.
The DSLAM at the access provider is the equipment that really makes DSL happen. A DSLAM takes connections from many customers and aggregates them onto a single, high-capacity connection to the Internet. DSLAMs are generally flexible and able to support multiple types of DSL, as well as provide additional functions such as routing and dynamic IP address assignment for customers.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Stupid Pigs (cops)
I'm sorry if you are a hard working Police Officer.
Sebastian, Fl-- Last night I'm leaving my sisters house, when I spotted a SPD unit set up on the side of the road. I'm gonna go the other way cause it was 10:00P.M. and they pull everyone over!! Unfortunately, someone leaving either their road or an aquaintences' home. They stopped at the stop sign and pulled on to Schumann Dr.
The Cop then pulls a U-Turn out of his spot and hauls after this guy/girl!
Now I was watching and nothing was done wrong. In Florida we have this stupid Homeland Security Act, which violates our rights Big Time!! When I moved here from New York, the next morning I woke up, and went to the store. On my journey to the store i got pulled over! The cop walks up yo my car and ask the Florida standard Question? "Do you have any weapons, drugs, or rocket launchers?" Thats their only humor trust me!! So before I answer any questions I ask him, "Why did you pull me over?" With a hesitation he looked around at my 1993 Toyota, and says for a crack on the windshield! That was BS he pulled me over from behind! Why didn't you just say, because your from New York. well anyways pigs are pulling good citizens over for no reason at all. I say good citizens, because it is hard to stay on the right side of the law, especially in Florida. We have a saying here It's funny, and it's not funny since it is the truth in about 40% of tourist!
"Come to Florida for vacation, Leave on Probation!" Who do you think you work for PIG! again, pig is a cop, but i'm using it for, "oh you fit my profile so im gonna search or whatever it takes to get you to jail", type of cop. I want to thank our fine officers all over for helping keep our city's safe, and those who actually remember to Serve once in awhile also!
Sebastian, Fl-- Last night I'm leaving my sisters house, when I spotted a SPD unit set up on the side of the road. I'm gonna go the other way cause it was 10:00P.M. and they pull everyone over!! Unfortunately, someone leaving either their road or an aquaintences' home. They stopped at the stop sign and pulled on to Schumann Dr.
The Cop then pulls a U-Turn out of his spot and hauls after this guy/girl!
Now I was watching and nothing was done wrong. In Florida we have this stupid Homeland Security Act, which violates our rights Big Time!! When I moved here from New York, the next morning I woke up, and went to the store. On my journey to the store i got pulled over! The cop walks up yo my car and ask the Florida standard Question? "Do you have any weapons, drugs, or rocket launchers?" Thats their only humor trust me!! So before I answer any questions I ask him, "Why did you pull me over?" With a hesitation he looked around at my 1993 Toyota, and says for a crack on the windshield! That was BS he pulled me over from behind! Why didn't you just say, because your from New York. well anyways pigs are pulling good citizens over for no reason at all. I say good citizens, because it is hard to stay on the right side of the law, especially in Florida. We have a saying here It's funny, and it's not funny since it is the truth in about 40% of tourist!
"Come to Florida for vacation, Leave on Probation!" Who do you think you work for PIG! again, pig is a cop, but i'm using it for, "oh you fit my profile so im gonna search or whatever it takes to get you to jail", type of cop. I want to thank our fine officers all over for helping keep our city's safe, and those who actually remember to Serve once in awhile also!
Monday, April 03, 2006
Women and their toys
For all the excitement on dating, single, group, personals, free without membership or downloads!!!Web cams are welcome!
Real women
Real women
Cell phones
Artists
Sports
movie star
I grant you to have a peek at Sharon Stones latest fashion. You know the drill follow this link.
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
Holly WOOD
Pamela Anderson pictures (not dirty, nude).
CLICK HEREa she is hot, in a tiny school girl looking short skirt.
CLICK HEREa she is hot, in a tiny school girl looking short skirt.
Online Money
Watch out if it says money USD then it might be currency, but if it says mon.ey or something like that its probably not money.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Music
download todays lates hits, rap, country, R&B, Hip Hop, dirty south, all the songs available.
A few good sites:
www.kazaa.com
www.yahoo.com
www.napster.com
Windows media Player has a nice search to listen!
These are a few kazaa is free music, When you search pay attention to what you search for!
These are just recommendations, use at your own risk!!
I suggest listening to songs before you burn them.
A few good sites:
www.kazaa.com
www.yahoo.com
www.napster.com
Windows media Player has a nice search to listen!
These are a few kazaa is free music, When you search pay attention to what you search for!
These are just recommendations, use at your own risk!!
I suggest listening to songs before you burn them.
