this is not a drill

Valve offers immeasurable gaming bliss at unheard of price for this weekend only.

When Valve first released The Orange Box for $50, it was pretty much unanimously agreed upon that it was a good deal. IGN went so far as to call it the "Best Deal Ever". The package included blockbuster games like Half-Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 - each of which were individually worth in the neighborhood of $50 - and tossed in Half-Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2 and the mini-level Lost Coast for good measure. Not only was The Orange Box an amazing deal for just $50, the quality of the games included was second to none.

Half-Life 2, the long-awaited sequel to Half-Life and a landmark game for Valve, the first-person shooter genre, and video games in general, is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. To date it is the only game to receive an 11 out of a possible 10 from the editors of Maximum PC magazine. Its Metacritic score of 96/100 remains the highest-ranked game on the PC - a position it has held for more than 4 years. The Source Engine on which Half-Life 2 was based quickly became a leading development platform for third party games and was notable for such groundbreaking features as high dynamic range (HDR) rendering, physics processing via Havok; just two parts of an ever-evolving list.

The Source Engine also produced revolutionary titles like Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead - all of which are winners of countless Game of the Year awards for artistic design, game play, and various other categories.

This weekend, Valve is offering The Orange Box in all of its award-winning, immensely entertaining glory for just $9.99. If $50 for this package was considered the Best Deal Ever, then $10 must be whatever 5 times that is. The current list price for all of these games combined, if bought individually, is $84.95. The running price for The Orange Box is $29.99. This weekend you only pay $9.99.

As a long-time gamer, I can say with a good amount of confidence that you will probably never see a deal like this again. I consider Half-Life 2 to be the greatest game ever created; and I am not alone in that assertion. You owe it to yourself to jump on this deal. Don't play games? Get it for your friend. Hell, I have owned The Orange Box from day 1, and I might just have to buy it again out of respect.

I wrote this on March 28th, 2009. I am posting it here almost a month late. Sorry.--

As pressing issues go, there is certainly none greater than what is perhaps all-too-commonly referred to as global warming. Humanity’s affect on the climate has been well-documented and dissected heavily over the past decade. Massive PR campaigns have been launched by federal governments and grassroots organizations alike with one common goal: encourage the public to be mindful of their energy usage trends so that we may curb what most believe to be unsustainable carbon emissions.

Today we’ve all been encouraged to participate in a 1-hour boycott on all things incandescent. Earth Hour, the successful earth-awareness agenda born in Australia 2 years ago, is explained by organizers to have the goal “to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.” Though critics were quick to point out that the practical benefits of the original Earth Hour were for the most part inconsequential, the idea quickly spread around the globe and the event has been (and probably always will be) promoted internationally ever after.

On the evening of March 28 I found myself in a bustling conference room in the California Science Center which was playing host to the Edison Challenge. The annual event is hosted by Southern California Edison in conjunction with the University of Southern California’s Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies and calls upon groups of local intermediate and high school students to endeavor in environmentally conscience activities. At it’s very core, the event is a big step in the right direction for the educational system and exemplifies the impact that bringing a big-name corporation behind a cause can have.

More to the point, the event also brought out several VIP’s, including everyone’s favorite science guy Bill Nye and Pedro Pizarro, the Executive Vice President of Power Operations for Southern California Edison (SCE). Also present were representatives from various SCE locations, including nuclear engineers from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). As the night wore on and closer to the 8:30PM marker, discussion was raised about the impending power demand drop and the potentially detrimental effect it would have on the local power distribution system.

Most electrical devices on a power grid are designed to operate and like to operate at certain, fairly constant frequencies - usually 60Hz. Fluctuations in this frequency can cause circuit breakers to trip, isolating the valuable equipment they protect, including electric generators like the ones at SONGS - the highest capacity unit on the local grid. The power grid is inherently “smart”, in that when frequency changes occur, that section of the grid is isolated so that the problem can be rectified. If the frequency fluctuation occurs across a widespread area - an entire time zone for instance - then costly and time-consuming repairs will likely need to be made to bring the grid back to full function.

Turning off the lights for 1 hour at a specified time can potentially, if the majority of the population abides, severely decrease the demand placed on power generation facilities. This results in a rapid, significant, and widespread spike in frequency, which would very-likely cause the aforementioned events to unfold. Instead of “voting yes on the Earth” and reducing our carbon footprints dramatically for 1 hour as a bold social statement, we could very well damage our energy distribution system to the point where it could take weeks to bring back to full operational capacity.

To avoid this, it would be advisable for organizers of Earth Hour to encourage the public to shut off their lights for one hour “sometime this week”. If the same amount of people participated using both strategies, then the carbon emissions reduction would be identical, just not as immediately noticeable. More importantly, we would not inadvertently be causing damage to our power distribution system.

These were the things that crossed my mind as the clock struck 8:30 and the lights continued to burn brightly in the conference hall. If Bill Nye doesn’t participate in Earth Hour religiously, you don’t have to either. In fact, it might be best if you didn’t.

We have known for some time that Intel's Core 2 Quad Q6600 was approaching its End of Life. Today we have read reports confirming that the chip will cease to be sold come the end of Q2 2009. The Q6600 is far and away the most successful quad-core processor of all time. Despite being released more than two years ago, the 2.4GHz processor based on Intel's now-ancient Kentsfield core has remained the best selling processor on major online retailers like Newegg.com as recently as Christmas 2008.

With the exit of the Q6600, consumers will need to look elsewhere for a processor that represents the same kind of value and performance. The Q6600 offered significant overclocking headroom, considerable performance across all types of applications, and a very low price point - the result of numerous price drops over the course of two years. Additionally, the Q6600 was a strong match for Intel's P35 and P45 chipsets, which represent the mainstream segment and are generally low-cost motherboards. The final thing the Q6600 had going for it was the LGA775 platform, which enjoyed and still is enjoying a very long and successful tour of duty.

So, the replacement for the Q6600 on the top of the best sellers list will have to overclock well, be relatively cheap, and be based on an affordable platform with a long shelf-life. If the replacement can do away with some of the drawbacks of the Q6600, like the high levels of heat generated by the 65nm part, then that would be an added bonus. While Intel's more recent quad-core processors might be an attractive option, there is already a replacement for Intel's LGA 775 socket available, along with another for the lower-end to be launched before the end of the year.

AMD, on the other hand, has several parts that could potentially replace the Q6600 on the top of the charts. The Phenom II X4 940 (945 soon), the Phenom II X3 720 BE, and the Phenom II X4 810 are three processors that exhibit all of the above traits. The AM3 platform (and the AM2+ platform for that matter) will be around for quite some time. The cost of DDR3 is plummeting as we speak and is expected to level with the price of DDR2 before the end of the year. There are already several very capable motherboard offerings on the market with AM3 support, despite it being a very new development. Overclocking is already proven to be superb, with the X3 720 BE reaching speeds close to 4GHz from a stock 2.8.

Not only would these processors be a good choice for those consumers looking for the same sort of value that the Q6600 represented, but it would be great news for AMD should they experience a similar level of success. Only time will tell what replaces the Q6600 as the top-selling processor on the market, but luckily we should be able to find out pretty soon what it will be.

When AGEIA introduced PhysX technology to the world in 2006, the reception was not exactly warm. At a time when prices of processors and graphics cards soared to ridiculous levels, the thought of spending an extra chunk of change on a card that didn't appear to do very much was a difficult one to swallow. There was a marked lack of notable games that supported the technology, competing physics APIs that were showing a lot of promise, and an overall unwillingness of the industry to accept that in-game physics was indeed going to be the next big thing. Of course, there were champions of the technology; in fact, it is very likely that there was no bigger advocate of AGEIA's PhysX than yours truly.

I raced through my review of the sample that was sent to me with shear excitement and, in light of the less-than-favorable results that I obtained in my first round of testing, remained optimistic. My second round of testing turned out to be everything I had hoped it would be. Running the demo of a new game called CellFactor on PhysX technology was absolute bliss. Not only was this groundbreaking technology at my fingertips, but the game play I experienced could only be described as revolutionary. Indeed, the future of in-game physics and this relatively inexpensive piece of hardware from AGEIA seemed almost unimaginably bright. Granted, a huge amount of my optimism for the technology was based on the promises I had received from various AGEIA personnel stating that adoption into mainstream games was right around the corner. There was an impressive list of developers who were on board with the technology, and the games they were sure to create would almost certainly propel this company and the product it produced into the stratosphere.

So after being probably the strongest supporter of PhysX technology, why am I writing this article? How did my opinion of PhysX change so dramatically? Well, the answer to these questions requires compound response. My love for PhysX reached its absolute peak when Immersion Games released CellFactor: Revolution in May of 2007. The game provided everything that I could possibly want: Stunning graphics, unprecedented environmental interaction, revolutionary game play, and an absolutely visceral fragging experience. It was certainly not the best game I had ever played. Nor did I pull any punches when criticizing its flaws. But the game was free. The game demonstrated the power of in-game physics and PhysX technology itself. If nothing else, CellFactor: Revolution would be a beacon to which all developers could look to when producing their own physics-enabled games. Or so I thought.

Since May of 2007, there have been several major games released that utilized PhysX technology. By far the most notable of these games was Unreal Tournament 3. UT3 was one of the most anticipated titles to launch in 2007. I was particularly anxious for the release not only because I was a fan of the franchise and wanted it to be a good game, but I also sincerely hoped that this would be the savior of AGEIA's PhysX technology. Unfortunately it was neither. The game turned out to be pretty damn good, but it was not adopted into competitive play with nearly the fervor its predecessors were - a testament to its longevity (or lack thereof). It was, however, a terrific implementation of PhysX technology. In PhysX levels, you could go through areas and blast the hell out of floors, ceilings, and walls in order to create shortcuts from place to place. You could use the shock rifle's secondary attack to pummel an enemy with upended debris as well. This was reminiscent to CellFactor and I was pleased to see it done so well (see images and clips @ PC Perspective). Unfortunately, this experience could only be enjoyed in two levels of the game. Additionally, these two levels of the game did not actually come with the game itself; you had to apply a patch that basically downloaded them as extra content. Moreover, you could only play these levels if you had the actual PhysX hardware. So, although the PhysX implementation in the game was pretty cool, it was only being exposed to people who A) had a PhysX card and B) had the wherewithal to download the additional content. Limited exposure plus limited implementation do not a savior make.

Other games have had PhysX as well. These games, however, do not really use the technology in way that affects the actual game play experience rather than just add to the visual effects. Effects augmented by physics processing include things like particle systems, volumetric fog, cloth behavior, debris manipulation, and extended environmental interaction. So called Effects Physics is the most frequented application of PhysX technology.

NVIDIA, who bought AGEIA in early 2008 in what even I hailed as a brilliant move, has completely eliminated the necessity of a dedicated physics processing unit. NVIDIA has converted PhysX into a GPU-based technology that runs with the aid of CUDA, NVIDIA's GPGPU language. While getting rid of the hardware requirements was probably a step in the right direction, the real hope that came out of the acquisition was that NVIDIA would be able to use its presence in the gaming world to persuade more and more developers to implement PhysX into its upcoming titles.

Perhaps the first significant to title to incorporate PhysX technology since NVIDIA took over is a game called Mirror's Edge. The free-running game takes place mostly on rooftops and involves ninja-like manipulation of the landscape. It is a fascinating game that I had the opportunity to play on the Playstation 3 when it first came out. It's adaption on the PC bumps up the graphics and brings PhysX into the mix. The problem, of course, is that it is all effects physics. There is a slight impact on game play, insofar as lines of sight can be impaired, but other than that… Well, just take a look for yourself:



In order for PhysX, or hardware accelerated physics in general, to be successful there is going to need to be a movement by game developers to incorporate the technology into games in a way that actually affects game play. Having effects physics in games as optional eye candy is not going to promote a large scale adoption by consumers, especially when they see videos like the one shown above that make it very clear that the impact is insignificant. Yes, the effects physics being produced now can increase the graphical splendor of a game. And yes, there is definitely something to be said about the overall appeal of more realistic games. However, in the long term there will be limited success for API’s like PhysX that necessitate hardware acceleration when competing standards can replicate the same sort of effects through software. Note to NVIDIA and conspiring game developers: unleash the real power of PhysX if you want it to be successful.

Developing games that really take advantage of PhysX is surely not an easy task. The added difficulty here will likely increase production time, which will probably put a damper on NVIDIA’s plans for PhysX. In light of the company’s recent announcement that major game developers EA and Take Two will be integrating PhysX into upcoming titles, it is definitely possible that the technology will become more widespread over time. While it is nice to see the GPGPU industry moving forward, the argument for buying NVIDIA video cards over superior offerings from AMD solely for their PhysX capability will remain weak until we start seeing some really strong titles emerging that make use of the technology. AMD’s commitment to Intel’s Havok and its software accelerated physics could prove more beneficial in the short term and provide some serious competition to PhysX when newer titles materialize. Until then, I have one question for NVIDIA about PhysX: Where’s the beef?

First off, sorry I have not posted since my first post in August. Been busy with school. You know how it goes. Now then, on to business. I thought I would post something about this since I couldn't really find any coverage of it anywhere on EggXpert yet:

Two months ago AMD launched a new strategic initiative called Fusion. Fusion, the name we thought was assigned to the company's rumored CPU+GPU integration, is actually being used as more of an umbrella term for various different things. Big things. Fusion is more than just a product name or an idea really; it represents the start of movement in an entirely new direction for AMD. By combining customer needs with AMD's considerable portfolio of technologies, the company plans to create sort of a symbiotic computing ecosystem that will simultaneously provide the most customizable and seamless operating experience available.

As far as hardware is concerned, AMD plans to achieve its Fusion goals with "accelerated computing", the practice of using the right processor for the job basically. Since for the time being AMD's only real accelerating hardware is provided by its graphics division, we have to assume that a large part of Fusion will be the more widespread application of GPGPU technology.

AMD has gone so far as to change their corporate slogan from "Smarter Choice" to "The future is fusion". To say that the company has placed a good amount of their chips on this initiative would certainly be accurate, and based on the marketing material, published "case studies", and the first available implementation of the Fusion idea, we think this may just be the move AMD really needed to make.

Fusion for Gaming is a utility currently in beta stages that applies to all AMD-based systems and is readily available for free from the company's gaming portal (game.amd.com). At its core, Fusion for Gaming is a lot like OverDrive; easy overclocking for AMD components to boost performance in games. As a whole, however, Fusion for Gaming is so much more. Certainly overclocking capability at the touch of a button (literally, one button) is an attractive feature for any gamer with an AMD system, but Fusion for Gaming also provides a means by which to automatically close unecessary applications that are running the background while you are gaming. By itself, this technically will not provide a significant positive impact on gaming performance. However, what this feature allows for is the decreased probability that your operating system will decide that it is important that a program be restarted or some data be cached. This means increased stability and the lack of intermittent "lag spikes" or FPS drops.

By advertising that the utility is still in beta, AMD is clearly betting on the chance that community members will provide input that would make Fusion for Gaming even better. This is a clever R&D move for sure, but more than that it falls right in line with what AMD is aiming to do with the entire Fusion initiative in the first place: cater to the needs, dreams, and desires of their customers. Although AMD's stock might be flirting with sub-$3 territory, strategic moves like Fusion and the continued leadership of new CEO Dirk Meyer are showing a lot of people that there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

Hello.

 My name is Thomas, and I am currently the Managing Editor of FPSLabs.com, the only hardware review site for gamers. Before that, I was the Editor in Chief of GotFrag Hardware, which was the very first website to be dedicated to reviewing computer hardware targeted at gamers. During my tenure with these two fine publications, I have been lucky enough to thoroughly evaluate pretty much all of the latest and greatest in gaming hardware. I have also encountered more oddball tech problems, such as those that come during the teething process of freshly-released products, than I care to think about. Hopefully I can be a valuable asset to those of you experiencing the same problems.

I have also written some articles that I think do a great job at explaining how certain parts of a computer work to people who don't necessarily have the strongest background in technology. In future blogs I plan to adapt some of those articles and bring that knowledge to everyone here.

In my years in the tech industry I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that I think will be very beneficial to the EggXpert community.

Of course, I am ultimately here to learn from the rest of the EggXperts and give back to the community that has helped me make countless technology purchasing decisions!

Until next time,

-shoes