Chris Pirillo » ati

Do You Appreciate Your Technology?

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:51:33 +0000

Gordon asked on Geeks recently: “What do you consider to be this most ignored item of technology?” He talks about how we often take for granted the items we have around us… our gaming consoles, our computers and even our navigation systems. He’s right, you know. Most of us use these items without really thinking about them or appreciating them.

We want the newest technologies. We want things that are better, faster and newer than what we have. But do we stop and think about what we have? Do you appreciate the fact that science has evolved enough to even allow the design and implementation of that smartphone you cannot live without? Do you ever think about those people whose brains are so much more advanced than mine (and perhaps yours) that they can come up with things like this to make our lives easier and more fun?

What piece of technology do you think is the most ignored? What one item do you believe we all tend to overlook – despite the fact that we likely use it every day?

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Eyefinity is Perfect for PC Gaming

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:37:34 +0000

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Yes, I like to drive a big truck with the pedal to the metal. Eighteen wheels will be rolling until the break of dawn. I decided to try my hands at playing the Rig’n'Roll game on my sweet ATI Eyefinity setup. Running in 5760×1080 resolution is just… beautiful. I know I use that word a lot, but it seriously applies here.

Eyefinity isn’t just a multi-monitor setup. It’s considered to be a single large surface (SLS). In order to get the full experience for this game (and others) with the Eyefinity technology, I asked Logitech to send along the G27 Racing Wheel. This has a four-speed steering wheel, and flippers that allow me to change gears. There’s up to six gear settings on the gear shift. There are other controls that can be mapped to different views, in conjunction with your Eyefinity setup.

Yes, there are three screens hooked up to this computer. However, the important thing is that the operating system sees it as ONE screen. Eyefinity won’t only work with this particular game. It can make your experience with any game about a hundred times better.

I have to thank the team at AMD for hooking me up so that I can experience the beauty that is Eyefinity in my own home. Playing the game with perfect resolution across three screens this way is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. It’s nearly impossible to translate to you via a video or text. You just have to try it for yourself.

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Eyefinity Setup Review

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:57:52 +0000

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I recently attended the 1C Company “nother Night in Moscow 2010″event. While there, I had the opportunity to talk with Shane from the AMD team. We were standing in front of a huge ATI Eyefinity multi-monitor display, giving us the perfect opportunity to introduce you to this technology if you’ve yet to witness what it can do. Playing games (such as those titles from the 1C Company) with a setup such as this is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.

What’s interesting to me is that the 1C Company approached AMD and asked them to be a sponsor. They were that excited about this technology. At the time, none of their games were able to work with Eyefinity. However, they worked quickly to bring the titles up to speed.

The genius of Eyefinity is that you can connect it to monitor as long as the video card is Eyefinity enabled. You can set them up in three or six-panel configurations. You can choose to use it in either portrait or landscape mode. It’s customizable to fit your needs and lifestyle. Don’t think you’re limited to only playing games with this amazing multi-display technology. Imagine the amount of work you’ll be able to get done if you had this much seamless screen real estate.

I am a person who needs a multi-monitor setup due to the amount of things going on on my desktop at any given moment. I totally get the need for Eyefinity technology to increase productivity. Since I am not much of a gamer myself, it literally astounded me to see how the games spread out so perfectly across the monitors. There aren’t any “gaps” or breaks in what you’re seeing. With many titles, you’ll often even see more of a game than you ever possibly could without the usage of Eyefinity.

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This is Better Than That

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:40:56 +0000

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One live caller last night asked me which (in my opinion) is better – NVIDIA or ATI. I can’t possibly answer that question. That’s like asking me if Windows or Mac is better. It’s akin to wanting to know whether apples or oranges are better. You have to be much more specific if you want to know whether one of these is better than the other. All kinds of things come into play here.

Some people may argue that a specific ATI graphics card is better to use for certain games. Others will fight you, and tell you adamantly that a certain NVIDIA graphics card is better for different games. Had the question been more specific, it might have been easier to answer. If you compare a specific graphics card from ATI against a specific graphics card from NVIDIA, you might – perhaps – get an answer.

The problem, though, is that it is a completely relative question. It boils down to a matter of opinion. You have to do your research and find out what card works well with your system. If you’re basing a system on the card, then you need to find out what others are saying… read reviews, figure out if there have been a lot of problems, make sure you can get drivers.

This holds true no matter what you are going to ask when wanting to know if something is “better” than another thing. I can’t tell you what’s best for you, anymore than you have a clue what would be the best for me. You need to do some research, figure out what your needs are and then look at what’s available within your price range. That, my friends, will be the one which works best.

There is no better answer that I can give you.

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AMD Fusion Media Explorer

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 08:04:25 +0000

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The AMD Fusion Media Explorer provides you with a very different way to browse through your media. FME allows you to explore your digital media content from either your local machine or online resources such as Flickr, YouTube, and Microsoft Live.

FME lets you experience your media in a 3D application, which helps you to discover related content based on what you’re currently looking at. The application also has Facebook integration, which lets you post and interact with photos of your own… or with those posted by friends.

Fusion Media Explorer doesn’t stop with pictures, though. Music is another thing that you can browse – and discover – with this software. The AutoDJ feature will automatically create a playlist for you from the same genre or artist you are listening to. Click on one song, and let AutoDJ do the rest.

You can also find the videos, movies and television shows you want to watch using the integrated search engine or 3D Ribbon. Watch your selected content on a full screen, or send it to the Mini player so that you can continue surfing the Web while your choice is playing.

While this program is already available, you can download the newest version in beta form and check out the improvements for yourself.

Thanks go to everyone at AMD for helping me to attend the SXSW conference, and for taking the time to showcase so many of their new technologies for our community. http://chris.pirillo.com

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Flash Video is Better With AMD and ATI

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:53:32 +0000

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There are a lot of people making and watching videos online these days. When I visited the AMD campus in Texas during the SXSW conference recently, Casey showed me how AMD is helping people all over the world enhance their Flash experience. Adobe Flash 10.1 is a collaborative effort between Adobe and the team at AMD.

This new version of Flash takes advantage of the benefits that are enabled through AMD’s ATI Stream technology. This provides viewers with improved playback, reduced usage of their CPU, and longer battery life due to the comination of using all of the resources found in both their CPU and GPU.

The GPU is a much more efficient way of processing video than the CPU is. As we move more to a mobile lifestyle, your battery will wear down faster if you are processing video using your CPU. AMD wanted to make this much more efficient, and take advantage of different components of the computer or mobile system.

In addition to better battery life, the video footage will actually look better. With hardware acceleration enabled, videos are sharper and are much clearer. You’ll even see more vibrant colors. Even the whites are whiter using this technology.

You can experience this for yourself right now. Make sure you have the updated video driver from AMD installed. Then, of course, you’ll need to download and install the beta of Adobe Flash 10.1 to your system.

Thanks to the team at AMD for the help they provided to me to attend SXSW, and for all of the time they spent with me to discuss what’s new and exciting at AMD / ATI.

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AMD Eyefinity Multi-Monitor for Gaming

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:06:48 +0000

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Playing games is fun, but sometimes one screen is just not enough. Wouldn’t you have a much better experience if you were using three screens? With AMD’s Eyefinity, you can easily run three screens off of one graphics card. I spent a little bit of time with Casey while I was at AMDs campus in Texas recently. Casey is the Director of Product Marketing for the graphics side of their company. He wanted to share with us the advances made with Eyefinity, and how it can improve your gaming experience, along with your productivity.

The Eyefinity project allows you to expand your gaming experience from one monitor to three. Many of you are now trying to point out we’ve had multi-monitor capability for awhile now. That may be true, but there were drawbacks. We were pretty limited to two monitors. Also, the dual-monitor setup didn’t always work for gaming. Sure, it would work to extend your desktop. However, as soon as you fired up that favorite game you’d be stuck on only one screen again.

What AMD has done is to re-architect their video card to where they can treat the entire three-screen resolution as one single large surface. Instead of seeing it as three separate panels, the operating system will now see it as only one. It’s difficult to explain, because you honestly have to see it in action for yourself. It’s very fluid, with an amazing performance.

Casey also showed me the Eyefinity 6 Edition. This single graphics card can effectively run SIX monitors. Yes, I typed that correctly. SIX. MONITORS. It was insane to see that in action up close and personal, let me tell you. There were six 24″ displays, each running with 1900×1200 resolution.

Some people may wonder why they would want three – or six! – monitors. Why can’t you just use one huge 50″ television, instead? It’s all about resolution, my friends. With one large TV, you’re going to have this huge picture, but it’s not going to be very clear. With multiple smaller screens, such as those Eyefinity runs on, you’re going to have an amazing picture, and it will be seamless… not stretched out beyond recognition.

Eyefinity is an amazing advancement in both gaming and productivity technology. Until you see it for yourself, you’re honestly not going to be able to understand it. Seeing it in this video gives you an idea. But having it running right in front of you is on another level entirely.

I have to thank the folks at AMD for bringing me to Texas for the SXSW conference, as well as for all the time they spent with me to answers questions from our community.

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AMD Questions and Answers

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:54:29 +0000

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Thanks to AMD for allowing our community to ask them questions. Yes, we have an open line of communication with them – so don’t think it begins and ends with this video. If it weren’t for AMD, I wouldn’t have been able to attend SXSW (and, of course, visit AMD’s campus in Austin, TX).

Does ATI have any plans to counter Nvidia’s Fermi? Most people actually say that Fermi are trying to counter what ATI is doing. If you look, ATI has launched several DX-11 based graphics cards over the past several months, whereas Fermi has not launched a single one. The question should be thrown to Fermi, instead.

What is the best ATI video card out there? – If you’re looking for a single GPU solution, it would be the 5870. If you’re looking for the best overall (and fastest) graphics card, you’ll want to check out the HD 5970.

What is your favorite technology in the new series of graphics cards? – It’s going to depend on the person, and their usage of their graphics card. There are two technologies that make the ATI line the best there is. DirectX 11 is the one that is the most useful, as well as the most widely-demanded. DirectX 11 was introduced with Windows 7, and is now available on Vista. It brings additional performance and quality capabilities. For power users, the best feature is the Eyefinity technology. It’s a game changer.

What is the difference between the 4800 series cards, and the 5800 series cards? – Both cards are fantastic for DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 games. The 4800 is still a good value, but with the 5800 series you will have just a bit more performance.

If you were building an extreme gaming PC (no matter the cost), which GPU would you choose? – One of the employees answering questions recently did this exact thing. He chose the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Quad Core processor. He wanted this both for the ease of use with Eyefinity, as well as the sheer power of the hardware. This processor incorporates 6MB of unified high-speed L3 cache and a high-speed DDR2/DDR3 memory controller.

Thanks again to everyone at AMD – not only for helping me with my SXSW trip, but for being so fantastic to work with during the event.

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AMD for You and Me?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:05:54 +0000

Visiting AMD today, seeing their new technology. I can’t thank the folks at AMD enough for helping get me to SXSW!

Do You Have a Question for AMD?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:25:00 +0000

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I am here in Austin, Texas to attend the SXSW Conference, thanks to the support of AMD. As a part of my trip, I will be visiting their campus tomorrow!

Here’s your chance to ask a question of the folks at AMD / ATI! If you leave a comment or question (using proper PUGS!), there’s a good change we’ll get a representative to answer it in a video!

Get your questions ready, and leave them as a comment on the YouTube video that this post was created from so I’ll be sure to see it!

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Are Geeks Friendly?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:30:32 +0000

I recently glanced through a forum post on Geeks, where the poster was a woman talking about how Geeks are usually mean to her. She admits that she isn’t a technology Geek. While she does enjoy things like her MP3 player and cell phone, she’s not very knowledgeable about the products, nor how they work. She has felt ostracized many times over the past months in different communities, after being called a n00b – or worse!

We aren’t mean, are we? Sure, we don’t have many social skills, but overall I like to think we’re nicer than most people. Sure, you’re going to get trolls, idiots and jerks. But that happens no matter where you go. I don’t think that Geeks have it in us to be flat-out mean to people!

Am I way off base here? Have you ever felt as though a Geek treated you badly in a social situation? Share your wisdom with the rest of us!

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ATI and NVIDIA Abandoning Vista Laptops?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:50:19 +0000

Heh. Even the manufacturers don’t want to deal with Windows Vista. From day one, I’ve been complaining about NVIDIA’s lackluster support for the big “V” – being lucky enough to capture desktop quirkiness now and again to prove that it’s not PEBKAC (see my YouTube videos). If you have a laptop with Windows Vista, you may be in even bigger trouble:

Microsoft Windows Vista has been out now for more than 6 months. At first ATI was praised for supporting Vista and Nvidia was criticized for not supporting their products. Quietly however ATI and Nvidia has not been providing drivers for mobility/Go customers. I can hear you saying “You’re Kidding Right” nope but I wish I was.

When all else fails, pass the buck and/or blame the user:

We sent off several e-mails to Microsoft seeking their response to ATI and Nvidia’s lack of support for their latest version of Windows and received only default statements or nothing at all. It seems that Microsoft’s response is a lack of response which does make sense. Vista is without a doubt aimed at providing greater visual feedback to users. The interface itself is much more fluid and the capability for things like Dreamscene in Ultimate and Aero in versions starting with Premium certainly do add to the overall user experience. It seems likely that Microsoft’s lack of comment could very well help them sell more copies of Vista to ATI Mobility and Nvidia Go owners that find themselves unable to upgrade or update their systems and are forced to purchase new laptops. Once again Microsoft is pushing upgrading and new hardware purchases like a drug dealer with their latest designer drug. While we feel that this practice is wholly irresponsible and ethically incorrect we cannot deny that it is also the nature of the computer industry.

Microsoft has recently come under fire for the severe shortage of Windows Vista “Ultimate” add-ons, so this video driver news comes to no surprise to many of us. The WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) is completely new, and I’m guessing that it’s costing ATI and NVIDIA more than it’s gaining them. Could take a couple more years to straighten out the entire ecosystem…

ATI vs nVidia

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:02:52 +0000

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – When Ponzi was upgrading her computer she was pressured into upgrading her Video card. At the time the technician suggested he get an ATI card, but the next technician recommend she get an nVidia card.

ATI vs Nvidia: it’s a holy war. Which one is the best video card for you to get?

The answer: it really depends on your budget, what you’re doing, and what you want to get out of your video card.

If you have a low budget, you should consider getting a mid-range video card (in the $100 range) from either ATi or nVidia (but nVidia really seems to be pretty flaky with Windows Vista).

If you’re a hardcore gamer then you’ll want to go after the card that is the top of the line. Right now, block for clock, it’s the 8800GTX, but in a few months it may very well be the 8950GTX.

And next year we’ll be talking about video cards that will put the current crop of video cards to absolute shame.

What video card do you use?

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