Friday night topic: Are y'all pumped for World War III?
I've been keeping track of the situation in Ukraine since the start of the Euromaidan protests last November. Lately, things seem to have gotten much uglier than anyone could have predicted.
Under the pretext of aiding Ukraine's Russian-speaking minority, Russia has effectively invaded and occupied large swaths of Ukrainian territory, using both unmarked troops and local, pro-Russian militia. The government in Kiev has admitted that ...
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Kansas City gerbils, prepare for Saturday night
We'll be scattering wood shavings around the floor of The Peanut in Lee's Summit on Saturday, May 3, as TR gerbils prepare to gather for a meetup.
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Release roundup: Tiny mobos, stylish PSUs, and more
In this week's release roundup, we have news from Biostar, BitFenix, Nvidia, Sapphire, and Silicon Power.
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Deal of the week: Bay Trail mobos, discounted graphics, and more
What's this? A weekly deals post without discounted SSDs? Madness! There are still lots of cheap SSDs, of course, but none of this week's solid-state sales really caught my eye. Instead, here's a mixed bag of other items.
A couple of game discounts conclude this week's post. Newegg has Splinter Cell: Blacklist for $8.49 after coupon code EMCPEPH64 and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for $4.33 after promo ...
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Kevin Spacey anchors Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer
Every year, the Call of Duty franchise spawns another first-person shooter. This year's installment is due November 4. It's called Advanced Warfare, and Kevin Spacey features heavily in the initial trailer. Seriously.
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Tablets shipments were lackluster last quarter
With the overall PC market running on fumes, one would expect the tablet market to be going full steam ahead. That doesn't seem to be the case, though.
Indeed, the latest numbers from IDC suggest that tablet and convertible shipments declined by 35.7% compared to the holiday quarter—and they only grew by 3.9% over the same quarter a year ago. IDC ...
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A first look at SATA Express with Asus' Hyper Express storage device
SATA Express aims to unite the worlds of Serial ATA and PCI Express. The standard was introduced in 2011 and ratified two years later. Now, at last, the first compatible devices are nearly upon us. Select motherboards based on Intel's 8+1 Series
"next-gen" chipset have SATA Express connectors onboard. Asus is also
working on a Hyper Express storage device that uses multiple SSDs to
exploit the faster interface.
The Hyper Express drive is due this quarter, and I've been using a prototype to test upcoming motherboards. Expect full coverage of those boards soon. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite with a quick look at the drive.
Oooh, shiny.
Before we delve into specifics, it's worth clarifying a few things about the SATA Express standard. According to the SATA-IO group behind the spec, "The SATA Express environment is pure PCIe." It comprises dual lanes with support for Gen3 speeds. The fastest implementations can offer up to 2GB/s of bandwidth, while those based on Gen2 PCIe are capped at 1GB/s.
Although
the standard is based on PCIe, the SATAe physical interface also
accommodates Serial ATA devices. On a motherboard, the SATAe port is
essentially two SATA ports plus a smaller, third connector to the left.
Existing SATA drives should work in the port's, er, ports, without
issue.
SATA Express hosts must support both SATA and PCIe drives. SATA drives will be limited to the AHCI interface, while PCIe implementations can choose between AHCI and NVM Express. AHCI was conceived when mechanical hard drives were the norm, so it's poorly suited to the radically different performance characteristics of solid-state storage. NVMe, on the other hand, was architected specifically for non-volatile memory like NAND flash. The interface promises lower latency than AHCI in addition to a simpler command set and reduced software overhead.
Windows 8.1 includes native drivers for both AHCI and NVMe, so SATA Express devices of either persuasion should work with the OS sans additional software. Device makers are free to provide their own drivers, of course. We didn't get any with Asus' Hyper Express prototype, which appears in the Windows Device Manager hanging off a "standard SATA AHCI controller" connected to the chipset's PCIe interface.
While
the Hyper Express appears as a single drive, it's actually fueled by
two. The 2.5" prototype stripes a pair of mSATA SSDs in a RAID 0 array
powered by an ASMedia ASM1062R controller chip. The chip isn't listed
online, but it seems to be an AHCI variant with dual Gen2 PCIe lanes and
dual 6Gbps SATA ports. As for the drives, the unit we've been testing
came loaded with a pair of Kingston SSDNow mS200 120GB SSDs. These
SandForce-based offerings aren't the fastest mSATA parts around, but
users should be able to spec whatever they want with the finished
product.
That final product will be housed in a larger 3.5" case. Two configurations are slated for production: one that accommodates a pair of 2.5" SATA drives, and another with pairs of M.2 and mSATA slots for mini SSDs. Both variants will apparently rely on the same RAID setup, but they'll be sold as barebones kits, without drives installed. Pricing hasn't been set.
Striping drives is a great way to improve performance, but there's a gotcha for SSD arrays. RAID controllers don't always know what to do with the TRIM command, which is used to combat flash memory's block-rewrite penalty. The Hyper Express currently lacks TRIM support, so it's forced to rely on the SSDs' internal garbage collection routines to clean up unused flash pages. Asus concedes that TRIM is vital, and it sounds like the final versions of the Hyper Express will implement the feature.
Interestingly,
the Hyper Express does employ SRIS, a PCI Express provision otherwise
known as Separate Refclock with Independent SSC (Spread-Spectrum
Clocking). PCIe devices normally sync with a 100MHz reference clock
that's passed over the interface by the host. That's fine for
slot-based solutions, but it's trickier for cabling, which requires
costly shielding to handle that sort of signal. SRIS employs a separate
clock generator on the device, removing the need to pass the reference
signal over the interface.
In addition to supporting SRIS at the device level, Asus has integrated the feature into its motherboard firmware. SRIS was implemented with cooperation from Intel as part of an effort to validate SATA Express. "Our SATA Express solution is the only one to have undergone full SRIS testing and validation to ensure the true potential of the interface is realized," Asus says.
SATA Express devices will ship with their own cables, so there's an incentive for other drive makers to support SRIS. We're waiting to hear back from other motherboard makers to see if they're following suit.
By
the way, the cable that came with the prototype is pliable, neatly
sheathed, and equipped with its own little power dongle. The PSU's
power connector plugs into the dongle rather than the drive.
Before I share a quick benchmark result, keep in mind that this is pre-production hardware. The drives are also in a used state. My usual secure-erase methods don't recognize the Hyper Express, though Asus says the firmware in its newer ROG motherboards has an integrated tool that does. Either way, the numbers are quasi-meaningless. Make of them what you will.
Yep,
the Hyper Express prototype is faster than a typical 6Gbps SATA drive.
It will be interesting to see how the final version stacks up,
especially versus a comparable RAID config tied to the Intel chipset's
RAID controller. Intel's RST drivers have supported TRIM for RAID 0
arrays since 2012, so the built-in alternative is already one step ahead.
Still, Asus deserves credit for being the first to show off SATA Express hardware—and for implementing SRIS. We'll soon see whether the company's focus on SATAe translates to a superior implementation on next-gen motherboards. Stay tuned.
Read more...The Hyper Express drive is due this quarter, and I've been using a prototype to test upcoming motherboards. Expect full coverage of those boards soon. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite with a quick look at the drive.
Before we delve into specifics, it's worth clarifying a few things about the SATA Express standard. According to the SATA-IO group behind the spec, "The SATA Express environment is pure PCIe." It comprises dual lanes with support for Gen3 speeds. The fastest implementations can offer up to 2GB/s of bandwidth, while those based on Gen2 PCIe are capped at 1GB/s.
SATA Express hosts must support both SATA and PCIe drives. SATA drives will be limited to the AHCI interface, while PCIe implementations can choose between AHCI and NVM Express. AHCI was conceived when mechanical hard drives were the norm, so it's poorly suited to the radically different performance characteristics of solid-state storage. NVMe, on the other hand, was architected specifically for non-volatile memory like NAND flash. The interface promises lower latency than AHCI in addition to a simpler command set and reduced software overhead.
Windows 8.1 includes native drivers for both AHCI and NVMe, so SATA Express devices of either persuasion should work with the OS sans additional software. Device makers are free to provide their own drivers, of course. We didn't get any with Asus' Hyper Express prototype, which appears in the Windows Device Manager hanging off a "standard SATA AHCI controller" connected to the chipset's PCIe interface.
That final product will be housed in a larger 3.5" case. Two configurations are slated for production: one that accommodates a pair of 2.5" SATA drives, and another with pairs of M.2 and mSATA slots for mini SSDs. Both variants will apparently rely on the same RAID setup, but they'll be sold as barebones kits, without drives installed. Pricing hasn't been set.
Striping drives is a great way to improve performance, but there's a gotcha for SSD arrays. RAID controllers don't always know what to do with the TRIM command, which is used to combat flash memory's block-rewrite penalty. The Hyper Express currently lacks TRIM support, so it's forced to rely on the SSDs' internal garbage collection routines to clean up unused flash pages. Asus concedes that TRIM is vital, and it sounds like the final versions of the Hyper Express will implement the feature.
In addition to supporting SRIS at the device level, Asus has integrated the feature into its motherboard firmware. SRIS was implemented with cooperation from Intel as part of an effort to validate SATA Express. "Our SATA Express solution is the only one to have undergone full SRIS testing and validation to ensure the true potential of the interface is realized," Asus says.
SATA Express devices will ship with their own cables, so there's an incentive for other drive makers to support SRIS. We're waiting to hear back from other motherboard makers to see if they're following suit.
Before I share a quick benchmark result, keep in mind that this is pre-production hardware. The drives are also in a used state. My usual secure-erase methods don't recognize the Hyper Express, though Asus says the firmware in its newer ROG motherboards has an integrated tool that does. Either way, the numbers are quasi-meaningless. Make of them what you will.
Still, Asus deserves credit for being the first to show off SATA Express hardware—and for implementing SRIS. We'll soon see whether the company's focus on SATAe translates to a superior implementation on next-gen motherboards. Stay tuned.
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This cake is no joke: Portal's coming to Shield
Sometimes in life, I suppose you really can get a second chance. When I returned from the airport this evening after a brief trip, a package was waiting for me on the front porch. Inside: a honest-to-goodness cake from Aperture Laboratories, along with a notice that I've been accepted into their testing program.
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Thursday Evening Shortbread
7 Up
- The Official Microsoft Blog: Updating Internet Explorer and driving security
- Ars Technica: Microsoft's decision to patch Windows XP is a mistake
- Neowin: Windows XP PC OS market share
drops, but not by much, after support ends
- Following a series of exclusive reports, BGR has now obtained
the first unobscured image of Amazon's debut smartphone
- Linux 3.14.2
- Eye On Linux: Did Mozilla jump the shark with Firefox 29
- Call of Duty - Superpower For Hire (video)
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Microsoft plugs zero-day IE hole
Attention, IE users: it's over. You can ditch your alternative browsers and return to Microsoft's sweet, sweet embrace.
At 10:00 AM, Pacific Time this morning, Microsoft released a patch for the zero-day Internet Explorer security hole that made headlines earlier this ...
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ZeniMax: Carmack stole our intellectual property for Oculus
John Carmack's recent career change has raised quite a few eyebrows—and, as the Wall Street Journal reported this morning, it's also landed Carmack and his new employer in hot water.
The Journal says ZeniMax, id Software's parent company, has alleged in two separate letters that Carmack "improperly took ZeniMax's intellectual property with him to Oculus." ZeniMax credits ...
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Mobile Kabini, Wi-Fi module team up for ASRock Mini-ITX board
AMD's next generation of low-power Beema and Mullins APUs are on the way, but don't tell motherboard makers. They're busy cranking out boards based on the previous generation. A slew of AM1 mobos for socketed Kabini chips were released earlier this month. Biostar also rolled out a new Mini-ITX model with a mobile Kabini APU soldered on, and ASRock has followed suit with a similar product of its own.
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Steam in-home streaming beta open to all
Last year, Valve introduced a closed beta test for Steam's in-home streaming capability. The feature allows PC games to be streamed from one machine to another over a local network. It's a vital piece of the puzzle for the whole SteamOS initiative, and the beta is now open to all. Steam users can sample in-home streaming by joining the general Steam beta program via the client's account menu.
Valve has several recommendations for prospective streamers. You'll want a quad-core CPU on the host side, the company says, plus a GPU with H.264 decoding support on the client side. Streaming may work with ...
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AMD fires up private beta program for Mantle
DirectX
12 be damned, AMD is pushing ahead with the development and promotion
of its Mantle graphics API. The company announced this morning that
Mantle has entered a "new phase of its development life cycle." As of
today, developers can sign up for a private beta program that will
entail access to the Mantle SDK.40 different studios have already pre-registered, AMD says, and additional ones are welcome to apply via this page on the company's website . Applicants will be granted places in the "next ...
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