<![CDATA[After using Linux Mint for the past week, I have realized that Linux, at least in this version, is a pretty great OS — especially when you consider that it is completely free. I feel that because Linux is free, that is an automatic plus when you consider that you need to spend hundreds of dollars to get the programs necessary to run Windows (Cornet).
The display on Linux is decent considering that it is a free program, but I feel it is too close how Windows 7 looked to really feel unique. For example, the home menu is in the bottom left corner with the pinned programs displayed by their icons. This is all on the bottom of the screen, just like Windows. On an upside, this makes it an easier transition for a Windows user, like myself, to start getting into Linux. As a downside, however, you can’t help but compare the sleek design of Windows 7 to Mint’s layout.
Despite Windows having a better designed layout, I really do like Linux. It is far easier to set up a new Linux machine than a Windows machine because Linux comes with everything it needs: A good browser — unlike Internet Explorer– office programs, and the ability to quickly download other necessary programs. Linux is better when you consider the fact that you almost don’t have to worry about viruses, because most are written for Windows (Cornet). It also doesn’t help that I couldn’t find an article on the Internet giving reasons why you should use Windows 10 over Linux.
I feel that had we not already paid for Windows for the computers in the building, Linux would have been the better choice. It would save money that could be used to buy other things that our technology department might need because, as stated earlier, Linux is free. Paired with the fact that viruses are very rare in Linux, we wouldn’t have to worry about someone accidentally infecting their laptops. I feel that the reason why I haven’t personally used Linux is because I wasn’t completely sure how to change operating systems until recently.
In conclusion, for functionality and cost effectiveness, I would recommend Linux. Windows, however, definitely has a better looking layout than Linux Mint. Perhaps other Linux versions have better layouts, but I have only used Mint. Would I recommend Linux to update an old computer? Yes. The display isn’t so far behind Windows that I would feel annoyed with using it, so it would be a great fit to maybe bring an old computer “back to life.” Overall, I feel I should start looking for an old computer to fix, because I really like Linux.
Works Cited
Cornet, Manu. "Why Linux Is Better." Why Linux Is Better. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/>.
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What every K-12 Windows District Needs
<![CDATA[Note: This post assumes you are reading this as part of the technology staff of a K-12 Windows based school district. I am not a MAC guy and would not presume to know what a MAC district needs. I won't bore you with my credentials, but I have been in IT a while and in education since 2003.
I have recently been helping a new tech director and came to realize that there is little guidance out there on the minimum things a good district needs. Some of the things I have been suggesting are not at his new district and I would have assumed any tech staff would have those things. I realize that some readers may feel some of these are unnecessary and that other items should be added. Feel free to add your ideas in the comments section below. These are NOT in order, I think they are all required so order seems unimportant.
1. A VM (Virtual Machine) system. I have almost every server virtualized. Until 2012 I did not believe that a virtual server could run as well as a physical one. I was at a Spiceworks meeting and an acquaintance convinced me to try the free version of VMWare. I now use ESXi for all my virtualization. There are alot of reasons to virtualize servers.
2. A helpdesk system. I just mentioned Spiceworks so I might as well list that next. It is great, free, fully customizable, and runs easily on any Windows machine. There are others, but Spiceworks has a huge community and runs great. I LOVE spiceworks!
3. A Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) machine running and configured in your network. After it is setup (2 hours max) and added to your group policy all your machines will stop downloading updates from Microsoft (a big deal if you have 100s of machines) and just get them from you server instead. Mine is virtualized and on a 500Gb drive due to the size of downloads. A properly configured WSUS downloads and accepts your defined approvals automatically. You should not have to touch this again after setup. You configure your AD to point to it and how the clients will process the updates.
4. A Key Management Server (KMS) to distribute your Microsoft keys to your servers and clients. Installing actual keys on every client takes time and puts your key out on every machine a student logs on to. Instead, you can put your keys onto a KMS server and never activate anything again. And, if a laptop is stolen, it will deactivate and stop working eventually. KMS was not a must with XP when we had corporate keys that were unlimited…that is no longer the case. Just do it!
5. Look into the Microsoft EES agreement. I am not a software renter by nature, but the EES agreement covers your operating systems on clients, servers, and CALs for a fraction of the cost. It covers unlimited clients with the price based on the number of employees in the district, not the number of computers. If you have anything close to 1:4 then you are way ahead going this route. We added Office (again way cheaper than buying even every 10 years) and employees can install it at home as well on the base price. It covers all the servers I am mentioning.
6. An Imaging solution. We use FOG. I know there are lots of options and I have tried a couple. I have been using it for several years and am very happy with it. Free, PXE client boots, and works with everything we have tried. In the educational environment we reimage machines all the time, if you don’t you should. Labs are done almost monthly. It refreshes the KMS server count and makes sure that the testing systems are ready to go each cycle. I have all my servers pulled with FOG as well as images for my labs and other machines.
7. Fresh images for your machines. It goes without saying that being able image without having good images is worthless. I have a VM that holds the pertinent images. I update them there and repull them before doing anything major. Having a good imaging server and good images makes your life so much easier. These two items alone are worth their weight in gold. Every time we start a testing cycle I reimage (it is just a click on the Web GUI) all my testing machines. I know they are all fresh and ready to go. I also know that if I am spending more that 30 minutes on a software issue that instead I can just image a machine in 10 minutes (6 minutes to image and 2 reboots to rename and rejoin…all automatic.)
8. 2 AD servers. I think it goes without saying that a sole AD is a terrible idea. But I do know at least one tech director that only had one, and then it failed. I have one physical and one virtual. I would recommend one at each campus if you are a multi-campus district. The AD should be organized in both the user and computer categories so you can have manage them with good group policies. My AD server does DNS and DHCP as well.
9. Group Policies you can easily maintain. If your AD is well organized, then good maintenance of your network is much more efficient with good policies. I install all printers, network drives, software installs, all through policies. That being said, too many policies can slow your network and ruin the user experience. Take care!
10. An LMS (Learning Management System.) There are a number of good ones. We use Moodle. It is the most full featured, very configurable, and the most powerful. It is not the easiest or the most intuitive. It will require PD, especially for your less tech savvy teachers, but is without doubt the best free option. It doesn’t matter which LMS you choose if you at least have one. No school should be without an LMS is this day and age.
11. Become a Google district. Even if you use Office 365 (which we could but don’t) then there are enough things to make GAFE a great choice and make it worth your time. It is of course free, with unlimited storage, and a requirement to use Chromebooks in your school. It is worthwhile just to provide your teachers each a YouTube account to save classroom videos. It is also a great place to keep all PD videos for your district. I record almost every PD session and more to provide a repository for staff to peruse at their convenience.
There are alot of parts that make up a good district. These are just some that seem to be missing in some districts I have helped.]]>
GeForce GTX 660
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Specifications:
| Chip | GK106 |
| CUDA Cores | 960 |
| Base Clock | 980 |
| Boost Clock | 1033 |
| Memory Configuration | 2 GB |
| Memory Speed | 6.0 Gbps |
| Memory Bandwidth | 144 GB/s |
| Power Connectors | 6-pin |
| Outputs | 1 x DL-DVI-I 1 x DL-DVI-D 1 x HDMI Mini-DP |
| TDP | 150 Watts |
| SLI Options | 2-way |
| Price | $229 |
| Maximum GPU Temperature | 97 C |
| Maximum Graphics Card Power | 140 W |
| Minimum System Power Requirement | 450 W |
| Supplementary Power Connectors | 1 6-pin |
Works Cited
GeForce. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/geforce-gtx-660-650-launch#1>.
Toms Hardware. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-660-geforce-gtx-650-benchmark,3297-2.html>.
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GeForce GTX 980 Graphics Card
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Here are some of the specifications of the card:
| Core Clock Speed | 1190 MHz |
| Memory Size | 4GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 |
| Ports | 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x DVI |
| Max Resolution | 4096×2160 |
| SLI Support | Quad SLI |
| Power Requirements | Recommended 500W Minimum Power Supply |
| Interface | PCI Express 3.0 x16 |
This card also features DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.4 which lets you render 2D and 3D graphics. The core clock speed is how fast the GPU operates so the higher the better. It features 4GB of memory on the graphics card so it can be faster and not have to transport data across the motherboard to the RAM. It has GDDR5 which is the newest and fastest memory available. SLI is how many other video cards it will work with, so in this case it can link 4 video cards together to produce a single picture. It uses two fans to cool it and requires a power supply with a minimum of 500 watts. The graphics card also requires two 8-pin power connector. It features 3 different clock speeds including OC (over clock) mode which is maximum performance, Gaming mode which is a balance between best speed and increased fan performance and silent mode which is best for the least amount of fan noise. It is priced on newegg.com for $479.99.
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ASUS Radeon R9 390 Graphics Card
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Who is ASUS?
ASUS is a Taiwanese company named after the Greek creature, the Pegasus, a mythical winged horse, to symbolize both wisdom and knowledge. ASUS has made incredible technological advancements through an array of PC components, tablets, and ultrabooks, all developed with their over 11,000 employees. It is a trusted company who lives by it’s slogan “In Search of Incredible.”
Card Background
The ASUS Radeon R9 390. It is AMD’s most recent line up of available graphics cards. Advanced Micro Devices or AMD is a semiconductor and microprocessor company, which is very well known and the leading competitor to Intel, and who runs the Radeon GPU models. The card I am looking at, the ASUS Radeon R9 390, is an exceptional choice for gaming with an average of 4 to 5 star reviews. Many times people get caught up in poor customer support, but in an article by www.laptopmag.com they ranked ASUS in the top 10 of tech support, finding that the company was extremely responsive and active with social media and their customer support services, than in past years. ASUS is doing all it can to better improve its company, and the service it gives to their customers.
Specifications:
|
Graphics Engine |
AMD Radeon R9 390 |
|
Bus Standard |
PCI Express 3.0 |
|
Video Memory |
GDDR5 8GB |
|
Engine Clock |
1050 MHz |
|
Memory Clock |
6000 MHz (GDDR5) |
|
Memory Interface |
512-bit |
|
Resolution |
Digital Max Resolution:4096×2160 |
|
Interface |
DVI Output x1 HDMI Output x1 Display Port x3 Included HDCP Support |
|
Power Consumption |
Up to 300W additional 6+8 pin PCIe power required |
|
Accessories |
1 x Power Cable 1 x STRIX Laser Sticker |
|
Software |
ASUS GPU Tweak II and Drivers |
|
Dimensions |
11.8” x 5.42” x 1.57” Inch 30 x 13.77 x4 Centimeter |
Interface Details:
This card includes some interesting digital ports and connections. Such as HDMI, Display port, and HDCP support. DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface and can be used to connect computer monitors. DisplayPort can connect computer monitors, and carry audio, USB, and other forms of data. DisplayPort is very similar to HDMI, or High Definition Multimedia Interface. It has become the main standard, and can connect an array of digital devices. It is very important to have a selection of digital connections, especially HDMI.
Along with the connections, there are some slightly hard to understand words in the specifications. The bus standard is the standard that at which data can be transferred and the connection it needs to do so. The video memory allows the graphics card to handle its own processes, and can use its own memory to handle complex graphics at a faster rate. The memory clock speed is the rate and speed at which the memory actually runs, while the memory interface is basically how much memory can go through, but isn’t as important as it used to be. When comparing the memory interface on Graphics Cards, I recommend a higher model, and increased number, for they are preferred for better performance. The card also includes a OpenGL of 4.4. This means that the standard application interface can be used to define 2-D and 3-D graphics, which works with the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to render images.
Features:
The features on the ASUS Radeon R9 390 are very expansive and can be utilized very well. The fans on the Radeon are made with aero-space grade quality in mind, making it a reliable choice with a silent Triple Wing-Blade 0dB Fan Design, which allows max air flow. Not only does this graphics card have fans, but has it’s own heat-sink capabilities as well. The DirectCU III with 10mm Heatpipe allows your GPU to have 40% less heat going to it for cooler gaming performance. Not only does this card have incredible hardware, but software too. Introducing the GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster, you can overclock and monitor your card, in a visual and easy to use way. You can also use the gaming booster to help the game run, and even record and stream your game-play directly without any other software than what comes in the box.
Company Trust
The following video deeply describes ASUS Auto-Extreme Technology, which adds aero-space grade quality and reliability to their products.
https://youtu.be/4gRpuurPsuc
If interested in this graphics card, you can buy it here. Thank you for viewing and reading this article.
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OCZ Z-Drive m84 PCI-E SSD Review
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Here are the OCZ Z-drive R2 m84 specifications:
| Form Factor: | PCI-Express |
| Size: | 1 TB (Terabyte) |
| Max Read: | 800 MB/s |
| Max Write: | 750 MB/s |
| 4KB Random Read: | 29,000 IOPS (113 MB/s) |
| 4KB Random Write: | 7,700 IOPS (30 MB/s) |
| Sustained Write: | 500 MB/s |
| MTBF: (Mean Time Between Failure) | 1 million hours |
This SSD has its pros and cons but I think that it is too expensive for what you are getting because you can get a Samsung 840 EVO for $599.48 on newegg.com and it has faster IOPS by a lot but its max read and write is slower but it is half the price. The OCZ’s price per gigabyte is $1.29 and the Samsung is only $.59 a gigabyte which is a lot less expensive. I wouldn’t recommend this product because of its price per gigabyte and its IOPS are lower than most other 1TB SSD’s.]]>
Samsung 850 Evo SSD Review
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Samsung, the company who fights with Apple, and dominates many markets and industries. They are versatile and well-known, leading electronics in our modern day. The Samsung 850 Evo (not the pro version) Solid State Drive is one of their best and leading products in the Solid State Drive market. Though their selection comes in many forms and sizes, I will be discussing their 2.5″ model and over-viewing the companies long and strong history and background.
Company Background and Sales
Samsung started off in 1938 as a trading company by Lee Byung-chul. Today, with almost a half of a million employees Samsung generates an annual $305 billion US dollars. When considering if Samsung is a trusted and well established company, the only answer you can give is: YES.
Samsung has reached the far spectrum of an array of industries, making refrigerators, skyscrapers, ships, TV’s, and an abundance of smartphones, hoping to beat Apple in it’s competitive technological race.
Samsung has built the tallest building in the world, is made up of 80 separate businesses, and has more employees than Microsoft and Apple combined. Samsung is the best of the best, and will likely amaze you with it’s performance.
Available Samsung Drives and Models:
A wide variety of Samsung SSD EVO models are available, coming with different capacities. These include but are not limited to (at time of publish): 120GB, 250GB, 500GB, and 1000GB. The mSATA flash memory, and M.2 are also available but will not be covered in this article.
Specifications and Details:
Below are the specification for the Samsung 850 EVO Model MZ-75E250B/AM:
| Form Factor: | 2.5″ |
| Capacity: | 250GB |
| Interface: | SATA III |
| Controller: | Samsung MGX Controller |
| Max Sequential Read: | 540 MBps |
| Max Sequential Write: | 520 MBps |
| Power Consumption (Idle): | 0.4W |
| Power Consumption (Active): | 3.5W |
Click here for a link to the specifications PDF document provided by Samsung.
Recommended Computer:
When deciding if the 850 EVO is right for you, you must think big when it comes to capacity. The EVO is great for servers, but if you are running the EVO for simple performance or gaming, size may matter. If you have determined the 2.5″ internal SSD drive is right for you, then you must now decide what you will be putting on the drive itself.
Solid State Drives significantly increase the speed of booting your PC if your operating is installed on it. Programs will open faster, and you will notice the entire system will seem to run smoother, faster, and cleaner. The only downside to this the price of Solid State Drives, though getting better, is still fairly high. An SSD won’t hold as much as a Hard Disk Drive, a spinning disk that is more likely to crash or fail with it’s many moving parts. That doesn’t mean that you can’t integrate both into your system, but must know what files will go where and how you will be configuring your usage.
Let’s talk what you need, before what you can afford. If you expect to only be using your computer for basic online use, such as checking emails or opening a word processor once in a great while, a basic 250GB SSD or less will not cost as much as a 1TB, and as long as you are not downloading a major amount of files, videos and pictures, overloading your storage space, you will do fine.
If working for business more, this or higher models will work wonderfully for you, and if considering gaming, just know what sort of games you will be looking to play, and what you intend on using separately. The larger the capacity the more you can store, and depending on your setup, the faster some things will run.
If interested in the 2.5″ 250GB model, you are making a choice that is almost in the middle of a perfect low-end gaming, to business PC; an excellent choice for a faster machine!
Overall:
Samsung is a company worth investing some money in. Their products are top of the line with guaranteed performance.
If interested, please check out the video below for a deeper review into the Samsung 850 EVO, and if wanting to buy, you can click here. Thank you for reading.
Toshiba SSD
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Toshiba Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation that was established on August 21, 1962. Their headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan and they employ over 198,741 people worldwide. To learn more about Toshiba click here.
Toshiba Q300 2.5″ 120GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) HDTS712XZSTA
| Capacity: | 120 GB |
| Max Read: | 550 MBps |
| Max Write: | 400 MBps |
| Random Read: | 81,000 IOPS |
| Random Write: | 63,000 IOPS |
| Warranty: | 3 years |
Conclusion:
If you were to buy this Solid State Drive, compared to other hard drives or even solid state drives you are paying more for the gigabytes. While this SSD is a little on the expensive side compared to the capacity, Solid States Drives are mostly more expensive than a basic hard drive. This drive can be purchased on newegg here.
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Corsair Dominator Platinum Memory
<![CDATA[
Corsair was founded in 1994 and they have grown from making high-performance DRAM to power supplies, cases, graphics cards, keyboards and more. Corsair also launched their gaming brand in 2014 where they provide mice, keyboards, headsets and mouse mats. They are featured in “dream systems” all the time because of their high performance memory and video cards. If you want to learn more about their memory click here.
The RAM I am reviewing is the Corsair Dominator Platinum Series which is a great option if you want high speed memory for a gamer PC. The memory specs that I reviewed are listed below:
| Capacity: | 16GB (4x4GB) |
| Type: | 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM |
| Speed: | 3000 (PC3 24000) |
| Cas Latency: | 12 |
| Timing: | 12-14-14-36 |
| Voltage: | 1.65V |
| Multi-channel Kit: | Quad Channel Kit |
This was the best memory I could find that would work with my motherboard because it would only take DDR3 3,000 O.C. memory. The memory is priced $574.99 on Corsair.com and it is one of the cheapest places I could find it. The most important things to look for when determining the speeds of memory and how they compare to others is to look at how much memory it offers, the speed of the memory, and it’s cas latency. For the speed of the memory the higher the number the better and for the cas latency you want the lowest number you can find but you have to make sure that the motherboard accepts that type and speed of memory.
Works Cited
“About Corsair.” Corsair Company Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <http://www.corsair.com/en-us/company/about-corsair>.
http://www.corsair.com/en-us/dominator-platinum-series-16gb-4-x-4gb-ddr3-dram-3000mhz-c12-memory-kit-cmd16gx3m4a3000c12
“Newegg.com Corsair Mem”CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 X 4GB).” Corsair Memory. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.corsair.com/en-us/dominator-platinum-series-16gb-4-x-4gb-ddr3-dram-3000mhz-c12-memory-kit-cmd16gx3m4a3000c12>.ory.” CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 X 4GB). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233706&cm_re=Corsair_dominator_platinum-_-20-233-706-_-Product>.
“Newegg.com Corsair Mem”CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 X 4GB).” Corsair Memory. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.corsair.com/en-us/dominator-platinum-series-16gb-4-x-4gb-ddr3-dram-3000mhz-c12-memory-kit-cmd16gx3m4a3000c12>.ory.” CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 X 4GB). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233706&cm_re=Corsair_dominator_platinum-_-20-233-706-_-Product>.
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Kingston Memory
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Kingston Technology Corporation
Kingston was established in 1897 by John Tu and David Sun. Kingston has come to be known as the worlds largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Their headquarters are located in Fountain Valley, California. They also have offices in Sydney, Australia; Paris, France; Munich, Germany; Beijing, China; and Mexico City, Mexico to localize and spread their operation world wide. They employee more than 4,000 people around the world and their revenue is over 7 billion dollars as of 2014.
Testing
Kingston products go through quality testing, software stress testing, thermal testing and system-specific, long-term reliability testing. Kingston believes in good quality in all areas: Design, Components, Assembly and Testing. Their commitment to high quality products makes Kingston top on the market.
| Kingston 4GB 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model KVR16N11S8/4 |
| Generation: DDR3 |
| Speed: 1600 MHz |
| Capacity: 4GB |
| Cas Latency: 11 |
| Timing: 11-11-11 |
| Gold Contact |
| Non-ECC |
| Voltage: 1.5 V |
This memory is perfect for a PC that runs at DDR3 1600. While this memory may seem to be very good the cas latency is very low compared to other memory.
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