Monthly Archives: December 2017

AMD Ryzen 7 1800X Review

<![CDATA[Image result for ryzen 1800x

This is a review on the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X CPU manufactured by AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) and its capabilities for gaming computers and overall performance. AMD has been suffering for the past couple of decades trying to keep up with Intel since their first CPU was introduced in 1991. There is no doubt that Intel has released superior CPU’s compared to most of AMD’s, but now Intel has met their match. AMD has managed to dig themselves out of a hole with the new introduction of the Ryzen series that was made to combat the Skylake, and Kaby Lake Processors from Intel, and I have to say… it has done a very good job at it. The 1800X is the top of the line in the Ryzen series and its performance is amazing, for a much smaller price than most of Intel’s expensive, mediocre processors. Its the CPU that will destroy graphics, and not your game.

 
Image result for amd headquartersAMD was founded in 1969 and their headquarters is located in Sunnyvale California. They didn’t get into the CPU  business until 1991 with their AM386 processors. (Wikipedia) AMD has come along way with their architecture and their computing capabilities, but they have always been reasonable on prices which makes AMD perfect for budget worried PC fanatics. I found the 1800X on Toms Hardware and decided to test it myself. I was blown away by the performance of the chip giving the same; if not higher, frame rate and graphics quality. The new Zen architecture makes the Ryzen series exchange blows with Intels I-5s and I-7s. The 1800X can be found on Newegg for $499.99.
Ryzen 7 1800X Specs:Image result for ryzen 7 1800x
 

  • Socket :AM4
  • Operating Frequency: 3.6 GHz (4.0 GHz O.C)
  •  L3 Cache: 16 MB
  •  L2 Cache: 4MB
  • L1 Cache: 768KB
  • DDR4 Support
  • Unlocked Processor
  • Thermal Design Power 95W
  • # Cores: 8
  • # of Threads: 16

Ryzen Has really made a great comeback with the Ryzen Chips, and have made themselves a superpower to fear by Intel now. The Ryzen chips are cheaper than their Intel counterparts and even out performs them in a lot of areas. The Ryzen 1800X has overclocking capabilities, and its multiple cores allow for easy multitasking and multiple threading.  The Ryzen 1800X is the best price for its performance and is overall is great in any PC build. The Overall Benchmark of the 1800X on Passmark is 15421.  (the highest CPU Mark is 27428 and the lowest is 79).
Here are some reviews of the 1800X:
 

  • Toms Hardware: “Ryzen 7 does deliver”
  •  TechPowerUp: “It brings the company back to competitiveness against behemoth Intel”
  • TechRadar: ” absolutely decimating the competition when it comes to price versus performance.”

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.
References:

  • https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Ryzen_7_1800X/16.html
  • https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+7+1800X
  • https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113430
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Micro_Devices
  • http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-7-1800x-cpu,4951.html
  • https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-7-1800x
  • http://www.techradar.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-7-1800x/3

 
 
 
 
 
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Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake 7th Generation Review

<![CDATA[

Intel is one of the only two companies to sell processors, and they have a variety of choices to choose from. I am going be reviewing the Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake 7th generation central processing unit. The CPU costs $289.99 on Newegg. Overall, the processor is very effective and has a low margin for error.

Intel was founded in July 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. The Intel headquarters are located in Santa Clara, California.  Although Intel is most commonly known for processors, some of their other products include motherboard chip sets, flash memory, graphic chips, embedded processors, and network interface controllers (Wikipedia).
I think that Intel’s Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake is a highly impressive processor. The most advanced silicon makes the processor one of the best high-end choices. The CPU typically has higher overclocking abilities making it a great choice for gaming and the better performance.
Specifications:

  • CPU Clock Speed- 4.2 GHz
  • Socket Type- LGA 1151
  • Number of cores- quad-core
  • Cache- L1: 4 x 32 data, 4 x 32 instruction
    •                L2: 4 x 256 KB
    •                L3: 8 MB

 
On Passmark, the Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake has an overall rank of 12,101. It is the highest speed of similar CPU’s. According to Passmark the processor is third highest in value and highest in the Intel selection. The CPU has a low margin for error.
Overall, I would recommend the the Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake processor to anyone looking for a fast, new CPU. It is very sufficient for gaming and any other activities you may want to preform on your computer. Although the processor is quite pricey, you do get a lot for your money.

Note: This review is part of a classroom project.

References:   
www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/homepage.html
www.newegg.com/Product/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel]]>

Intel Core i7-8700K Coffee Lake Review

<![CDATA[Intel Core i7-8700K Coffee Lake 6-Core 3.7 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) 95W BX80684I78700K Desktop Processor Intel UHD Graphics 630
This is a review of the Intel Core i7-8700K Coffee Lake processor for gaming purpose and overall usage; it is $459.99 on Newegg. I initially found the i7-8700K processor on Tom’s Hardware when looking for the best gaming CPUs. I decided to go with Intel rather than AMD because I discovered that Intel created the x86 microprocessor that is in most computers today (Wikipedia).
Related image
Intel is an all-around technology company located into Santa Clara, California. There are two main companies that produce processors: AMD and Intel. It is a widely accepted fact that Intel produces the most efficient and high performance processors compared to their competitor, AMD. Although their costs are high, their performance level is unprecedented.
 
Specifications of the i7-8700K processor:The i7-8700K is expected to be released in October for around US$450. (Source: Intel)

  • Price: $459.99
  • Clock Speed: 3.7 GHz (Native), 4.7 GHz (Turbo Boost)
  • Cache (L1, L2, L3): around 13.9 MB
    • L1: 6 x 64KB
    • L2: 6 x 256KB
    • L3: 12MB
  • Numbers of processors: 6-cores
  • Number of threads: 12

In conclusion, if you’re looking to upgrade your CPU to greater gaming capabilities for a cheaper price than most high-end CPU’s, the i7-8700K is for you. The -8700K’s overclocking capabilities overtake AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper series, making it one of the best gaming CPU on the market right now. When overclocked the i7-8700K stays relatively cool, but you may experience problems when reaching clock speeds of up to 5.1 GHz; overall the CPU stayed relatively cool while operating normally. The verdict: the Intel Core i7-8700K is a great gaming CPU for an affordable price.

Here are other reviews for the i7-8700K:

  • Tom’s Hardware: Intel i7-8700K, a great gaming CPU.
  • TechRadar: rated the i7-8700K Coffee Lake the best CPU, beating AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper 1950X.
  • PassMark: Overall, it’s CPU Mark is 16261, giving the i7-8700K a high rating for it’s lower price compared to the higher ranked CPU’s that will break your wallet (the highest CPU Mark is 27428 and the lowest is 79).

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

References: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/intel-coffee-lake-8700k-review/

                         https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/homepage.html

                         https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117827

                         https://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

                         http://www.techradar.com/news/best-processors

                         http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/

                         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel]]>

AMD sTR4 Threadripper Series CPU – Review

<![CDATA[Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is a semiconductor business that is famous for microprocessors. They were founded May 1, 1969 by many men. They have operations in 31 countries with over 50 locations (AMD). They also produce motherboard chip sets, graphic processors and more. The main headquarters is located in Sunnyvale, California but will be moving to Santa Clara through the year of 2018 (Weinstein).

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper Series CPU is more of a gaming processing unit and it more expensive than most. It is on newegg for $549.99.  As I was searching through newegg looking for the cheapest CPU for the ROG ZENITH EXTREME motherboard. The CPU for this motherboard is the only option. It is such a great CPU. Once I read more about it I thought to myself “I need this CPU for my motherboard.” The only downside to this CPU is the size of it. It is very large to meet all the computing needs. As you can see in the following photo it is much larger than the average CPU type.

I have been in the process of building my own motherboard for a month or so. It has taken some time to settle on the ASUS ROG ZENITH EXTREME. I got everything ordered about a week and a half ago and it finally got here two days ago!
Here are some specifications for the best CPU for this recommended motherboard.
Specifications:

  • Clock Speed – 3.8GHz
    • Turbo – 4.0 GHz
  • Socket – sTR4
  • Cache
    • L1 Cache – 768 KB
    • L2 Cache – 4 MB
    • L3 Cache – 16 MB
  • 8 Core
    • 16 Threads
  • Passmark – Ranking is 16,416

This CPU is clearly for gaming purposes, once I got it all hooked up and got everything running it booted it up. The graphics were so much better than my last PC/motherboard was. I noticed no lagging, and how much faster everything ran. I did not experience any problems. Overall I highly recommend this CPU! Remember I used it on the ROG ZENITH EXTREME motherboard. I had no problems at all, it ran fast, and the graphics were great and did not lag.

NOTE: This review is part of a classroom project.
References:
http://www.amd.com/en-us/who-we-are/contact/locations
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2016/08/19/amd-moving-headquarters-to-santa-clara-ending-47.html
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119003&cm_re=rog_zenith_extreme-_-13-119-003-_-Product
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113457&cm_re=str4_threadripper_series_cpu-_-19-113-457-_-Product
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Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake processor Review

<![CDATA[Intel, one of the only two CPU producers, has a wide variety of products to choose from. Today, I will be reviewing the Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake processor (from Intel). This CPU costs $339.99 on Newegg. This CPU is a relatively unimpressive and underwhelming product.
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world’s second largest and second highest valued semiconductor chip makers based on revenue after being overtaken by Samsung, and is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most PCs (Intel Wikipedia).
Intel’s 7700K processor is a largely unimpressive one. Although this top-end processor is the most advanced CPU silicon around, it is far from a must-have. So the question of, “Is it worth the price?” becomes a very difficult one to answer. Unless your current CPU is extremely old and you’re dying to get a new one, there is no need to be jealous over the newer generation CPU. In simple terms: keep your current CPU, because this one is nothing to write home about. The Core i7 7700K is not a worthy upgrade (PC Games News).

Click to enlarge

The Core i7 7700K has been condemned from many users as a product that is produced when companies simply stop trying. The clock speeds are slightly higher, but Intel neglects to improve factors like architecture, process, and instructions per clock. This CPU overall does not perform better than any of its predecessors (arsTechnica).
Specifications

  • CPU clock speed: 4.2 GHz
  • Number of cores: quad-core
  • Socket type: LGA 1151
  • Cache (L1, L2, L3):
    • L1– 4 x 32KB instruction
      4 x 32KB data
      L2– 4 x 256KB
      L3– 8MB
  • Passmark CPU mark: 12101

Overall, I would not recommend this CPU to anyone looking for a shiny new component to put in their PC. It is technically sufficient for gaming and any other activities you may want to perform on your computer, but chances are the the CPU you currently have is too. And the Core i7-7700K is just not worth the upgrade. If you are just itching for a new CPU, avoid this new generation Kaby Lake family of processors. Or, just avoid Intel in general and try a CPU from the competition, AMD.
Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.
References: https://en.wikipedia.org, https://www.pcgamesn.com, https://arstechnica.com https://www.newegg.com]]>

AMD RYZEN 7 1800X CPU Review

<![CDATA[The Ryzen 7 1800X is a gaming CPU on the more expensive end of AMD CPUs. I found this one on Newegg for around $500 after a friend recommended it to me. I was excited to try out this motherboard as I had heard it was really fast and I was not disappointed.
Image result for AMD RYZEN 7 1800X
So I have bought CPUs from AMD but I have not always had the greatest experience so I was a little nervous in that aspect. For those who don’t know a lot about AMD here’s a little info:
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. AMD’s main products include microprocessors, motherboard chipsets, embedded processors and graphics processors for servers, workstations and personal computers, and embedded systems applications. (AMDWiki)
Warning: I tested this CPU using my ASUS ROG Strix X370-F motherboard so my results might be different than if tested using a different gaming motherboard.
Specifications:

  • Clock Speed: 4.0 GHz
  • Cache: L1 (768 KB), L2 (4MB), L3 (16MB)
  • Socket Type: AM4
  • # of Processors: 8
  • Passmark: 15443

So I went into this excited to finally try this CPU and I was not disappointed. The graphics did not lag and the game loaded faster than I was expecting no matter what game I was playing. One problem that I encountered was that I could not OC past 3.9 GHz. That was the limit and no matter what I did I was never able to get over that hurdle. I was reading up on the CPU and found that others had this problem as well.  Even with this OC problem, I still love this CPU. The price and the incredible speed seal the deal if you can get over a few problems such as the OC. For a fairly inexpensive, higher-end gaming CPU, I would definitely recommend the Ryzen 7 1800x to anyone looking to up their gaming experience.
Image result for ryzen 7 1800x
Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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OHSecureBrowser Network Install

<![CDATA[Okay, so you are a 1:1 school like us.  You get all the laptops back every summer, update and clean them, and reissue them the first week of school…in August.  2 weeks later, ODE finally releases the updated version of the Ohio Secure Browser for state Air testing.  Yes, we curse and swear and wish they had given it to us in June.  How do they think we are going to get all those devices back?  Oh, they gave us an MSI to GPO install it?  Great!  Sarcasm abounds here although it is difficult to hear.
The problem with a GPO/MSI install is that the thing will take forever, and possibly fail when users simply shut the laptop off, via wifi with hundreds of devices.  Oh, it works fine on the wired devices, especially if you roll out the GPO a container at a time.  WIFI MSI installs, not so much.
So we get to why am I writing this post at all.  No not to complain (well maybe a little) but to share how I get the new software out to laptops without a ridiculous delay.  I use a shutdown script that has it copy the software in pieces.  In this case, 5 pieces.  If you have a slow network, or experience issues, you could break it down to 20, realizing that it will take 20 shutdowns to complete.  The setup is predicated on making a network share with the contents of the OHSecureBrowser folder broken into distinct parts for the install steps.  You can break this batch file down even further if needed.  I have commented the basic stages of the process as much as possible.  Below is a screenshot of my folders and the contents of stage3.

Each text file is copied into OHSecureBrowser after that step is complete.  Stage0.txt denotes that it is complete.  The batch file (below) must be in the GPO (not linked) or it will not execute since it is making administrative level changes to the file system.  Also \\server\share in the code denotes where you are sharing the OH10 folder which includes the stage files above.
Why go to all this trouble?  Network installs can really slow you down, irritate users, and obviously fail.  Breaking an install like this into little parts makes it manageable, if you have the time to do it (assume a few weeks for all the parts.)  By copying the text file last it will simply keep doing that stage until it finally finished it.  This process has worked like a charm for me and I apply this frequently with items I want to happen seamlessly in the background.


IF EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage0.txt” (
goto end
)
IF EXIST “c:\Program Files (x86)\OHSecureBrowser\stage0.txt” (
goto end
)
IF EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage5.txt” (
C:
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage0.txt
goto end
)
IF EXIST “c:\Program Files (x86)\OHSecureBrowser\stage5.txt” (
c:
cd “\Program Files (x86)\OHSecureBrowser”
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage0.txt
goto end
)
IF NOT EXIST “C:\Users\Public\Desktop\OHSecureBrowser.lnk” (
goto Stage1
)
:Check86
IF EXIST “C:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\api-ms-win-core-console-l1-1-0.dll” (
c:
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage0.txt
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage5.txt
goto end
)
:Check64
IF EXIST “C:\Program Files (x86)\OHSecureBrowser\api-ms-win-core-console-l1-1-0.dll” (
c:
cd “\Program Files (x86)\OHSecureBrowser”
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage0.txt
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage5.txt
goto end
)
:Stage1
del “C:\Users\Public\Desktop\OHSecureBrowser.lnk”
IF NOT EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage1.txt” (
C:
cd \Program Files
md OHSecureBrowser
cd OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage1\*.*
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage1.txt
goto end
)
:Stage2
IF NOT EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage2.txt” (
C:
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage2\*.*
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage2.txt
goto end
)
:Stage3
IF NOT EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage3.txt” (
C:
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
md defaults
cd defaults
md pref
cd pref
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage3\defaults\pref\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
md dictionaries
cd dictionaries
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage3\dictionaries\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
md fonts
cd fonts
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage3\fonts\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
md gmp-clearkey
cd gmp-clearkey
md 0.1
cd 0.1
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage3\gmp-clearkey\0.1\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage3.txt
goto end
)
:Stage4
IF NOT EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage4.txt” (
C:
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
md securebrowser
cd securebrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4\securebrowser\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\securebrowser
md components
cd components
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4\securebrowser\components\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\securebrowser
md extensions
cd extensions
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4\securebrowser\extensions\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\securebrowser
md features
cd features
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4\securebrowser\features\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\securebrowser
md VisualElements
cd VisualElements
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4\securebrowser\VisualElements\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
md uninstall
cd uninstall
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4\uninstall\*.*
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage4.txt
goto end
)
:Stage5
IF NOT EXIST “c:\Program Files\OHSecureBrowser\stage5.txt” (
xcopy “\\server\share\OH10\stage5\*.*” “C:\Users\Public\Desktop\*.*” /d /y
C:
cd \Program Files\OHSecureBrowser
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage5.txt
copy \\server\share\OH10\stage0.txt
goto end
)
:end
 ]]>

Review of the AMD A10-7890K CPU

<![CDATA[AMD has come out with the best of the A-series, specifically the A10 series. The A10-7890K Processor with Radeon R7 is the fastest AMD processor you could use for your PC.
The 7890K has a base clock speed of 4.1 GHz, over 256 KB of cache, with four CPU cores and eight Radeon 7 GPU cores.  Some features include a wraith cooler, DirectX 12, Radeon software, and dual graphics
This CPU also includes:

  • 2133 MHz of Dual DDR3 memory speeds
  • A max turbo speed of 4.3 GHz
  • A TDP of 95 Watts

This CPU is good for most motherboards that take are compatible with the A10 series, as the A10 series is the best yet, and this is the best of the best, literally. Especially good for the Hi-Fi A70U3P, my home PC. The 7890K is the best processor I could have gotten for my PC, and it works great. According to Computer Shopper, it outranks the Intel Core i3 and i5 with games like Sleeping Dogs and Tomb Raider, just because of the amazing graphics and great DirectX 12 quality. Tom’s Hardware said the same about Counter Strike: Global Defense!
Image result for A10 7890KImage result for A10 7890K
Image result for A10 7890K benchmarks
A10 7890K with Radeon R7 Graphics Specifications
Computer Shopper Review of A10 7890K

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

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