5 topics to help you reorganize financial life and personal investments.
September 8, 2008
Desire to keep your expenses low, very often will not make you ‘own’ more money.
One of the biggest delusion when reorganizing financial life is thinking about ’spending less money’. Of course, all unnecessary purchasing should be canceled, but not important ones. Spending money on necessary, or what will definitely pay for itself is ‘life important’. For example you wanted to save some money- you did not go to service when strange noise started to come under the hood of your car. Few weeks or even days later it can become so awful, that the whole engine should be repaired and that will be expensive.
Here are 5 advices to keep your money up and running:
- Do not buy anything on sales.
Cheap stuff rarely offers good quality. On the sales often you do not think about so simple things, like ‘do I really need that stuff?’. If you have really found something you think is very needed, do not buy it, until you have checked all other possibilities (perhaps the same price but higher quality?). Buy only when there is really no other possibility. - Do not buy cheap things.
‘Cheap’ does not mean ‘good’. To receive in full, think not about the price, but about the value. Cheap car will be more expensive in running or service. This type of car has lover value than more expensive car, which running costs are lower. This type of ‘used to’ can be used anywhere, what means - you are buying things that are a little bit expensive, but will fully pay for itself. - Do not loose your time.
Sitting at home in front of the TV. Of course, it is much ‘cheaper’ to sit at home than going out, for example, to pub. Instead of being home and complaining that you can not afford yourself some entertainment, you could attend professional developing courses. So you could find better job or improve personal financial skills. The next year you wont complain anymore. - Do not spend to much time on analyzing the stock.
In the beginning, it would be better to put your capital into fund. You would not worry so much about the money, and it will be growing (should be at least). With this you have the ‘money - making - more - money’ stuff and do not need to spend time on analyzes (you should be working that time). In time, when you are more financially independent and with a little more resources on bank account- go on, enter the big world of investment! - Do not trust all investments to experts.
‘Never have all the eggs in one basket’- this is the best description. You have your own head on the shoulders, and it should be thinking. You should use experts skills and knowledge, but the last decision is your one. The job salary can not be the main motivation in job seeking. The biggest mistake to choose a job what pays good, but you do not like it (I think even hate sometimes). In long- term investment you should be doing the thing you like. Even if it is not paying back at first, it will definitely later do. Man gives much more of himself for what he likes to do. Psychology.
GeForce 8600M GT overclock. Higher frequencies, double overclock result
September 7, 2008
Recently i have written a small overview of a GeForce 8600M GT, and its overclocking capabilities. I was not satisfied by the results at all. I watch other forums, blogs, read overviews and noticed- this vide card should be capable to run 650 Mhz core. My result was only 580 Mhz and 4648 3dMarks. Not good at all.
Old post with full review is located here.
I decided to recheck, perpahs i will be lucky…
And I am!
The old post could be found here, where all the old statistics and full review is located.
The New Result:
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Memory: |
950 MHz |
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Core Clock: |
756 MHz |
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Shader clock: |
1512 Mhz |
Final stable: 5403 3dMarks
The proving screens:
And the 3dMark06:
Some math:
3dmark, default: 4025
3dmark, clocked: 5403
Increase: +34%
What do you think now?
The memory clock was increased 58%.
The core clock was increased 59%
The shader clock was increased 59%
Hm, guite good, what do you think, on notebook, with no overclcoked cpu and memory? The temperature was not also so critical, maximum that i deteced was 81 degrees Celsius. The temperature in room around 19 degrees Celsius.
Unfortunately, the Futuremark ORB online result system is so mysteriously working,that no earlyer results were found for GeForce 8600M GT videocard. It will be very interesting to know the maximim results and frequencies…
Now the result satisfies me!
GeForce 8600M GT overclock
September 3, 2008
New updated result with higher result is posted here.
Truly, I am big overclocker enthusiast. Was, at least. First overclock experience was on Celeron 466 Mhz.
Afterward more, but this is not about my past.
Recently i received a new notebook from work. Brand new Dell XPS M1530. After reinstalling the VIsta for few times (some driver problems, that wifi problem, thought the driver was old, nope. Until i did not hang the wifi router, i was not satisfied. After I have realized, that the router was not so nicely set up. But ok, now everything is good).
The Notebook was up and running. Needed to make some tests. Played few evenings in Bioshock, Half- Life2, and so on. Have become bored. What else could be done with ‘the new toy’? Of course- overclock!
So here is the configuration
DELL XPS M1530
What`s inside:
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CPU |
Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1GHz |
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Memory |
2048MB DDR2 667MHz |
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HDD |
160GB 5400RPM |
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Video |
nVIDIA GeForce Go 8600M GT 256MB |
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Display |
15.4” 1680×1050 WSXGA+ |
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OS |
Windows Vista Business SP1 |
And some screenshots from CPUID:
The OS is not optimized for clocking at all (yeah, with Vista and its Aero). Running from the AC- adapter, so the notebook does not clock down the video card, even accidentally. Later i will tell some strange thing about the video card.
Of course, this review is not so big as it could be, but here is overclocking potential tested.
The standard benchmark i used: 3dMark 2006. Screen is with all default values.
I decided to clock the memory first.
For that purpose I used Riva Tuner. Screen from my desktop.
Notice the difference between what is showed on Hardware Monitor and System tweak. The Core speed differes around 10 and 20 Mhz.
Started from 25 Mhz step, but it took too much time, so in the end i was taking bigger steps like 50 Mhz.
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Memory |
750 MHz |
Stable |
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775 MHz |
Stable |
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800 MHz |
Stable |
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850 MHz |
Stable |
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900 MHz |
Stable |
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950 MHz |
Stable |
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1000 MHz |
Non Stable |
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975 MHz |
Stable |
At 975 Mhz the memory was stable and took a benchmark.
Interesting thing, when memory was clocked to frequency, it could not operate normally. The frequency of whatever( core, memory) went down, to the ‘low power 3d’. And when you tried` v to start the benchmark, the frequency went down again! And it was impossible to change something, moving the frequency in Riva Tuner- video card did not react at all. Only restart helped always.
Don`t know why so, perhaps not to damage the card. Sometimes, when first tests were running nicely, at full speed, at the end the card lowered its frequency. Because of that 3dMark score sometimes was around 3,5k. Maybe now the main priority is image quality, not speed(meaning no horizontal lines anymore, when memory speed is too high?).Interesting…
Screen, showing the memory speed.
3dMark score with the memory on 975 Mhz.
With the memory on 975 Mhz,3dMark06 benchmark showed us 4272 (3dMarks?Parrots?).
+200 in 3dMark06, not so much at all. +275 Mhz.
Now we clear with memory, let us make some tests with core and shader clock.
I did not change the core/ shader speed ratio.
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Shader |
Core |
Stability |
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1080 MHz |
540 MHz |
Stable |
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1116 MHz |
558 MHz |
Stable |
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1188 MHz |
594 MHz |
Stable |
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1242 MHz |
621 MHz |
Failed, another attempt. Works, 4583 3dMarks |
Again some interesting stuff. When the speed was adjusted to bigger value, than 621 Mhz (570 Mhz showed Riva Tuner), the speed did not increase. Same situation was with memory, maximum 1000 Mhz, but it was awfully unstable and the frequency was always dropped automatically. Some hardware protection?
When i was clocking the first time core and shader speed, it was made in one session. So the 1241/621 Mhz was unstable. It was already a bed time, so i went to sleep.
Next day, first attempt - 1241/621 Mhz. Passed! 4538 3dMarks!
Final Test
The memory was stress tested, core also. What do we need?
Complex benchmark. Now I run the whole video card clocked. Will see what happenes.
Here is some additional data:
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Memory: |
950 MHz |
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Core Clock: |
580 MHz |
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Shader clock: |
1161 Mhz |
70 degrees Celsius.
Final set-up
Final Score
Result - 4648 3dMarks.
Good or bad? Lets use some math…
Memory:
Default: 600 Mhz
Clocked: 950 Mhz
Speed: + 58%
3dmark default: 4025
3dmark clocked memory: 4272
Increase: + 6,1%
Core/shader:
Default: 475/ 975 Mhz
Clocked: 580/ 1161 Mhz
Speed: + 22,1%/ +19%
3dmark default: 4025
3dmark clocked memory: 4538
Increase: + 12,7%
Full overclock:
3dmark default: 4025
3dmark clocked memory: 4648
Increase: + 15,5%
Conclusion
What to we have in the end? Increased efficiency by 15%? Not to much. I am concerned, that it is possible to squeeze out some more 200 points in 3dMark06, but is not it worth of it. We should not forget this is notebook, we are carrying it with us, and the battery has reasons to recharge extra fast with overclocked video.
My opinion- the overclock is not worth of it!
P.S. In time, perhaps, i will make some test, but only the PhysX stuff activated on this video card, i heard this is possible…
The most complete Valve Corporation history
August 27, 2008
Valve Corporation
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| Private video game development company, that was founded in 1996 in Kirkland, Washington(USA).
Became popular due to its first very successful release- Half- Life. 150 people are working at Valve. The revenue of the company is more than 70 million USD (2007). |
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| Founders
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Gabe Newell |
| Co- founder of Valve Software. Gabe Newell was born on the 3rd of November, in 1962. Gabe Newell was a student of Harvard University, until he was dropped out. He has left Microsoft, to create his own company. That company name is Valve Software, what was established in 1996 with another ex- worker of Microsoft- Mike Harrington. The first game Valve released was Half- life, and became game industry phenomenon, winning over 50 game awards. By the way, Half- Life was completely self-founded, thanks to Microsoft shares Gabe and Mike were millionaires. Once Gabe mentioned, that instead of buying expensive cars and living only for themselves, they were paying to people they hired from their own pocket. At the moment Gabe Newell is managing director in Valve Corporation, focusing more on the technology they are delivering. Gabe has two sons and is married with Lisa. Family lives on the Long Beach Peninsula. |
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Mike Harrington |
| Co- founder of Valve Software. Not so much is know about Mike, and all what could be found was connected somehow with computers. Mike has spent big part of this life working as a software developer. Mike was a game developer at Dynamix. Also worked at Microsoft on Windows NT( as a development manager for the Microsoft consumer division, OS/2 graphic engine team and WinNT User Interface team), where he has met Gabe Newell. The first release of Valve was a game called Half- Life, a game industry phenomenon, winning a lot of awards. On January 15, 2000, after checking the latest source code part, Mike leaves Valve, going to a long vacation with his wife, Monica. |
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Mike with his wife Monika, near their boat |
| 6 years later he co- founds the Picnik, software for online image editing. At the moment is COO in Picnic. |
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| History of Valve Corporation
Idea Year 1996. Gabe Newell, who was not so famous at that time, left Microsoft, where he worked for 13 years, to found his own company. Gabe was helped by his friend co-founder, Mike Harrington, who also worked at Microsoft, and actually, where they have met. The company, was named simply- Valve. Full with enthusiasm, those two persons did not think how popular their new company will become. Now the team should be gathered. Gabe knew, that that team plays crucial role. The search was successful, and the team of consisting of parachuter, pizza delivery boy, lawyer, dental genius, vocalist… When the team was ready and game started to develop, another question appeared, publisher? Gabe had a lot of presentation, but when he started talking about the new technology they want to develop and use (for example moving mouth for speech, or skeleton animation), he was sent off. Only one published, after long presentation agreed- Sierra Studios. Sierra Studios believed in Valve, and fortunately, had lack of some nice FPS games. First release And already two years later after founding company, when world gaming society was expecting Quake 3, young and inexperienced company with Sierra Studios support, released its first project called Half- Life. |
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Gabe Newell, early stages of Valve history |
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Mike in Half- Life developing stage |
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Half- Life release has instantly stopped that ‘useless killing’ shooters era, where the main idea was concentrated in monster killing. Valve created totally new world, where story is playing critical role. Gabe Newell was very surprised by Half- Life success. Young company was not even dreaming about it.
Half- Life was created on Doom basis. Valve wanted to have same gloomy, dark atmosphere, what was in Doom. But Valve did not make a copy (it was quite popular that time), it created totally new game universe. And it helped the project called Quiver to receive more than 50 game awards. Even one of the most famous game magazine especially for Half- Life created a new title ‘Best PC Game Ever’. But Valve didn`t waste time for relaxation. Valve did it other way. So many award not only give society recognition, but gives big responsibility. Constantly new patches were released, SDK for the game was already released in 1999 and was up to date all the time. That was wise choice for Valve, choice what ‘makes all the difference’. Valve always was ready for something new, it did not hesitate about hiring new talented people. In May 1998, Valve acquired TF Software PTY Ltd. This company developed the Team Fortress mod for Quake. Year later, in 1999, the Team Fortress Classic mod was released for Half- Life. I thing it is not needed to mention, how popular this game is. Getting talented people Valve did not stop on that, it continued to grow. Minh Le, active young man, knows as Gooseman, previously taking part in Quake mods developing, started to work on new mod for Half- Life. In time another participant joined team, called Cliffe. Two guys, full with enthusiasm, created a game, where terrorists and counter- terrorists were having endless battle. The first beta had few maps, some weapons and working economics model. The Counter- Strike was released- the most played online game in computer history, what took Half- Life another success. Valve also hired those guys. Yet Half- Life was great successor, Valve knew they should move on. With big secrecy, company started to work on the second part of the game already 6 month later after Half- Life. Main mission for Gabe was to create a game, what will receive the ‘Best PC Game Ever’ title again. In 2002 Valve announces its Steam, online content delivery system. At first, the idea was in keeping game constantly up to date, via immediate updates through the Internet. Later its was modified, and at the moment it is biggest online content delivery system, with not only Valve games. August 14, 2002. Valve sued Vivendi Universal for copyright infringement. Vivendi is accused in publishing illegally distributed copies of Valve games to Internet cafes. Later some other claims were added. Vivendi accused Valve in threatening to transfer the game release date, and so on… This fight continued till 29 November 2004, when Valve Corporation was acquitted. Electronic Entertaiment Expo Years were passing, but there was still nothing about the new project Valve was working on. First time the new project was demonstrated on E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), where all the possibilities of new game engine were showed (Source). New Source engine uses module architecture, what makes it very capable for expanding and adding new features. The demonstration was really great- not any other project at that time could not offer as much as Valve did in visual part. And the physics model was unique. All objects could be moved, deformed and ‘correctly’ interact one with another. To all other developers was nothing left, except envy. Journalists were delighted, Gabe Newell did not have enough time to answer all the phone calls, mails and office guests. Everybody were waiting for Half- Life 2, and not so much time was left for ‘going gold’. The society waited for 30 September 2003, when Half- Life 2 should be released, but something went wrong… Terrible Mistake Half- Life 2 simply was not ready… Later Gabe tells, that was one terrible mistake, to tell the release date. When he was asked, if he could go back in time, what he would wish to change? Gabe answered ” In retrospect I probably should have just said, ‘When it’s done.” |
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Gabe Newell, making presentation on Alcatraz |
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The ‘no Half- Life 2′ day
Bad day in Gabe’s life, arriving on Alcatraz island, where the Half- Life 2 should be, at least, demonstrated. Gabe told long PR story about ATI (rumors tell, that ATI paid around 6 million dollars Valve), showed one technology demo, and…nothing else. No Half- Life 2. Alcatraz should be great party zone for that day, release of new generation ATI videocards, and at last, release of the most waited game, Half- Life 2. But the game was not ready, and Gabe Newell was spotted by GameSpot reporter, when he was leaving the island. Only thing that reporter heard, was “I hate release dates, no matter how hard we try we screw them up”. But the real problems just started, because there was a person, who was already playing the new Valve game… Hacker who blew the valves off One day in life, and how everything can change, at once. Same happened at Valve office, on 4th of October, the source code for Half- Life 2 was in Internet, free to download… That was fatal blow for Valve. All those years work was available to everybody, team was crushed, moral was ruined, nobody believed in the future of Half- Life 2, even Gabe, he just did not know what to wait. 3 days later, another powerful strike- working part of the game was released. And the society now knew the real state of the game for the 30s of September. The game was simply not ready. Valve had nothing to comment, all what had been hidden, came to publicity. But Gabe was worrying not about the game so much, the team had terrible shock. Gabe always wanted to create ideal conditions for staff, and now all his efforts were crushed. It took some time to forget all troubles and to start working again. The stolen source code was forgotten, until letter came to Gabe, from that hacker, who was responsible for all the mess with the stolen source code. Gabe wanted to arrest him in USA, so he invited the hacker, called Axel.G, 21 year old guy from Baden-Wuerttemberg( Germany), to USA. Gabe had offered hacker a job- special security consultant. Of course, Da Guy has accepted it. So he was arrested, but in Germany. Half- Life 2 release In October 2003 Valve hires Bram Cohen, creator of BitTorrent, to work on Steam. Time was passing, and the work on Half- Life 2 was moving on. Good time for release was passed, because Far Cry and Doom 3 were already in stores, but Valve was giving its best, to finish the game and make it even better than the previous one. On October 18, 2004, Vivendi announced ‘Half- Life 2 Gone Gold’. After all those problems, worries, delayed releases, Half- Life 2 was available for everybody on 16th of November 2004 via stores and Steam. Valve worked well- another masterpiece was created. After 5 years of developing, Gabe decided to make games divided into small separate episodes, because another *many* years of developing, is too much, Valve had tasted all the bitter taste of it. Gabe told, it could take around 9 years to develop new game for Half- Life universe, really to long. Games afterwards Later Half- Life 2: Lost Coast was released, a small demonstration game, that was especially designed for future hardware, just to show the capabilities of Source engine, and how the episodic games could be delivered for end users via Steam. I should mention, for Valve the main platform was always PC (yet there was a Half- Life for PS). Half- Life 2 appeared on Xbox, ant there is also Half- Life on arcade machines, what is quite popular in Japan. But only with Episode Two, Valve decided to cover the consoles. The Orange Box was released, including Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal и Team Fortress 2. This game collection appeared not only on PC, but also on PS3, Xbox 360. In this release was new achievements system integrated. Interesting story is connected with Portal. At first, it was a game project of students, attending DigiPen Institute of Technology. The Narbacular Drop had unique portal movement system. Valve was at the exhibition, liked the idea, and hired the developers! Narbacular Drop creators were working on game, which later became Portal. So simple it is at Valve, everything for talented people. Valve worked a lot on the Steam, and with the release of Orange Box, Steam had received own social network- Steam Community, where are more than 15 million registered users for the moment. Now Valve is working on ‘Half- Life 2: Episode Three’ and ‘Left 4 Dead’. Of course, nobody knows the release date. Around 150 people are working at Valve days and nights. Gabe is very pleased with the team, and this is understandable. Even in bad times Gabe was thinking about the team at first, and all his efforts are rewarded with hundreds of awards… |
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| Biggest Valve releases chronologically Half-Life First released by Sierra Studios on November 19, 1998 |
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Interesting facts:
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| Images from gamespot.com && Wikipedia. P.S.This acticle took really a lot of time, and i would be glad if you will leave an opinion about it. Thanks! |
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