Cas Latency

Here's an example of why cas latency in DDR2 is not as important as some would have you believe. First screenshot is Corsair 6400C3 @ 3-4-3. The second is Super Talent DDR2-800 @ 4-4-3. Same CPU and memory speed, and same SuperPi time. Although the Corsairs will outperform the Super Talents when RAS# to CAS# Delay is at 3, they are pretty even when it's set to 4.

6400C3

Just started testing my Corsair 6400C3's. Pretty good so far. 440 @ 3-3-3.

Conroe at 5GHz

Conroe has not officially been released yet, but TAM of Japan has already overclocked the Xtreme Edition version to 5GHz using LN2 and the Intel "Bad Axe" board. Truly amazing.

Corsair

Just ordered more Corsair DDR2. This time, I'm getting the 6400C3's which are rated at 3-4-3-9. This memory is optimized for AM2, but I've already seen someone do 431 (DDR-862) @ 3-3-3 on the Intel platform. That's very good. I imagine they will go higher than that with more voltage.

AOpen Update

I've had the AOpen i975Xa-YDG for awhile now. The board is pretty predictable, once you get used to its idiosyncrocies. For example, if you set Tras to 4 in the BIOS, it will read 8 in Windows. This can be fixed by using a program called MemSet which allows you to change timings. The BIOS is inaccessible with sub-zero cooling unless you have a Tcore mod done. Some say BIOS 1.03c fixes the problem. But I'm a little skeptical. The board has power-on and reset buttons like the DFI NF4 mobos. This is very convenient for me since I'm running the board without a case. Modding the board is a must for extreme overclocking because VCore maxes 1.5v and VDimm at 2.15v unmodded. There aren't many Yonah desktop boards. From what I've seen, the AOpen board is probably your best bet, though it is expensive.

Yoko-chan

Nagayama Yoko is another well-known Enka singer. She learned minyo (Japanese folk songs) when she was a child and actually began her professional career singing pop. She made the unusual transition from pop to Enka in the 1990's. She often plays the shamisen while singing. Yoko-chan also had her own television show featuring Enka music. Her recording label, JVC Music, maintains a website for her called New Yoko Times. The site has videos of some of her performances. She's one of only a handful of Enka singers helping to keep the minyo tradition alive. I like her singing a lot.

Tanko Bushi

Tanko Bushi (Coal Miner's Song) is probably Japan's most famous folk melody. People dance to it at the summer festivals. The dance movements include a digging gesture (like digging for coal), as well as a pushing gesture (like pushing a coal cart). Many Westerners probably don't know it, but Japan had working coal mines until about four years ago. Also, women worked in those mines alongside men.

When I was young, there was a community hall where people gathered on weekends to see movies from Japan, or listen to live performances of Japanese music. There was usually a band and a couple of singers. I remember they usually sang Tanko Bushi at the end of those concerts.

I thought about this song because summer is approaching. Here are some of the lyrics.

Tsuki ga deta deta tsuki ga deta a yoi yoi
Uchi no oyama no ueni deta
Anmari entotsu ga takai node
Sazoya otsukisama kemutakaro
Sano yoi yoi

English:

Here comes the moon, ah
Over our mountain.
Is the chimney too high?
I wonder if smoke stings the moon,
Ah, Ah

Music clip:
http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/trackdetail.aspx?itemid=12604

In the garden

Here's another photo of our cat Pasta. He's wandering around his favorite place, the garden.

Kwaidan

Kwaidan is a classic Japanese movie from the 1960's. It was directed by Kobayashi Masaki and features a series of ghost stories. The Japanese have always liked spooky tales. The cinematography in the film is mesmerizing. I read that much of the movie was filmed in an old airport hangar. Kobayashi made several other great films, including Samurai Rebellion, Harakiri and The Human Condition. Many of his movies deal with social injustice. I've always liked Kobayashi's work and think he deserves to be ranked alongside Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa.

Yate Loon

Just wanted to give an update on the Yate Loon 120mm fans I've been using in my Mountain Mods UFO case. The fans are great. My case uses eight of them. They're very quiet. I love them.

The Mountain Mods UFO is also great. I did a lot of fiddling with the case when I first got it, but haven't touched it in the past month, except to hit the power button. The casters make life a lot easier. I will never buy another case that doesn't have casters.

Granddaughter

I found out recently that my granddaughter Amara will be returning to the US from Australia. About a year ago, her parents divorced. Her mother then re-married and took Amara to Australia. I guess she's decided that she doesn't like that country as much as the US, so she, her new husband and Amara are moving back. My wife is happy because it will give her a chance to see her granddaughter again.

IBM Model M

Newer is not always better in the world of computing. Some people still use the IBM Model M keyboard, even though it's been out of production for years. It's nicknamed the clicky keyboard because that's the sound it makes when you type. Real springs are used under the keys. Many professional typists and writers swear by this keyboard because of its feel and sound. The loud clicking helps them develop a rhythm when they type. The Model M was also built like a tank. IBM keyboards manufactured in the 1980's are still in use today, and some are being auctioned for $100 or more. If you're interested in a Model M, make sure you get one that was manufactured by IBM. Lexmark took over production of that keyboard in the 1990's. The Lexmark keyboards are considered to be inferior. There's a company called Unicomp that makes keyboards based on the Model M design. The old Northgate Omnikey was similar to the Model M, but was much more expensive because it included software that allowed you to program various keys.

Garden update

Here are a few more garden shots. My pink peony plant and some yarrow. My tomato plants are growing, but it'll be awhile before I'll be able to harvest.

Timings vs. RAM Speed

Here's another comparison showing why memory speed is important, at least in benchmarking. Same CPU and FSB speeds used. Super Talent PC2-800 at 4-4-3 is a shade faster than 3-3-3 with lower ratio and memory speed.

Tokyo Story

Tokyo Story is one of the greatest films ever made. It's the work of director Ozu Yasujiro. The movie tells the story of an elderly couple who travel to the big city (Tokyo) to visit their adult children and grandchildren. The children are too busy leading their own lives, and seem more irritated than pleased by their parents' visit. The only person who seems to care is their widowed daughter-in-law Noriko played by Hara Setsuko.

This could be the story of just about any family in the world, which is why the movie is so universal and approachable. The film shows us how children can grow up and neglect their parents.

I first saw this movie in a theater back in the 1970's when it was released in America. I bought the VHS version when it came out, and later, the DVD. There is no wishy-washy sentimentality and no contrived emotion in this film. Just an honest and sometimes sad portrayal of family life. This movie will make you cry. And it will also make you think about your own parents, and whether you can be kinder to them.

Hara Setsuko

Hara Setsuko was one of Japan's most popular actresses during the golden age of Japanese film-making (late 1940's through 1950's). She starred in many of Ozu's films. In real life, she never married. Fans called her the "eternal virgin". As one admirer put it, "Maybe she is the last holy legend that Japan has." In the early 1960's she suddenly retired, shocking many Japanese moviegoers. The real reason behind her decision remains a mystery. She refuses to give any interviews. Hara Setsuko had a smile that just lit up the screen. Hard to describe what I like about her. But she remains one of my favorite actresses.

He's doing fine

A few people have asked about my cat Pasta. He's doing fine. Back in January, a vet discovered he had an enlarged heart. That vet said there was no hope for him. We decided we wanted a second medical opinion and took him to the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital which has a large staff, including an animal heart specialist. The specialist was not as pessimistic and recommended that we give him only one pill (nutritional supplement) a day, instead of the six pills the first vet insisted he take. He's been his old self the past three and a half months. I'm so grateful to UC Davis.

Media Player 11

Windows Media Player 11 is available now. Actually it will be officially released tomorrow. But you can download it now at some sites. The interface is a major improvement over Media Player 10. CPU usage while playing a DVD isn't too bad, as you can see in the screenshot. The player comes bundled with something called Urge which is MTV's new online music download service.

Twenty-Four Eyes

Twenty-Four Eyes is one of Japan's most beloved movies. But surprisingly, US distributors no longer carry this film. I have an old VHS copy and recently purchased the DVD version from Asia. The story is about a young free-thinking school teacher who gets a job in a poor inland sea village. The title of the movie refers to her 12 students who become very attached to her. The film follows the lives of both the teacher and her pupils over two decades, from 1928 to just after World War Two. Some consider it an anti-war movie because the teacher, played by Takamine Hideko, tries to talk her male students out of becoming soldiers. Of course they don't listen. They go off to war and die. Her husband is also killed in the war. There's a very moving scene where the teacher visits the graves of her former students. Some of the female students suffer misfortune too. The film is a real tear-jerker. You may find yourself crying throughout most of the movie. That's how powerful it is. Some Japanese film aficionados may not like this film because it's not artsy. But I feel this is a must-see movie for anyone serious about Japanese cinema.

Weather

The hot weather has finally arrived. It was 96F yesterday and will probably be the same today. I woke up this morning and could immediately feel the heat. So as not to keep the A/C on the whole time, I'm using my swamp cooler in my computer room. That room is the hottest place in the house.

Faster, part two

A few more benchmarks. Mandelbrot is a rendering bench. Real nice if you're in a hurry. :)

Faster

I had my AOpen board modded. Can now run VCore up to 1.64v. The max unmodded was 1.5v. Seems to have made a difference. :) Results are with Vapochill LS.

I tried dry ice, but had problems mounting the tube. Will give it another try later.

Armaflex

I picked up a roll of Armaflex at my local Home Depot. I'm told it's a pretty useful material for insulating boards and CPU's. I also use rubber Mastic tape made by 3M. Armaflex as the name implies is pretty flexible, much more so than Mastic.

Criterion

I just received the Criterion Collection DVD's of two of my favorite movies; Late Spring by Ozu Yasujiro and Ugetsu by Mizoguchi Kenji. The nice thing about Criterion DVD's is that they come with good extras. In some cases, the extras include a bonus DVD containing more background on the director or the movie itself. So you're really getting two DVD's. This explains, in part, why Criterion DVD's are more expensive.

Tree peony

Another one of my tree peonies has blossomed. This is a Chinese variety. Very beautiful.

Ziyi

I know some of you have wondered who that Asian woman is in the avatar I use on various forums. Some people even thought that was me! The woman is Ziyi Zhang, one of China's most famous actresses. She first gained international attention with the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Recently she starred in "Memoirs of a Geisha." Why they chose a Chinese woman to play a geisha is beyond me. Parts of the movie were actually filmed in the Sacramento area. I have not seen the film yet because I heard it was awful. I still like Ziyi Zhang.

Messy desks

I can't help it. I'm a self-confessed messy desk person. No matter how many times I try to clean up and organize things, it all ends up messy again in a few weeks. Fortunately I know where almost everything is, though I did seem to misplace a new bottle of isopropyl alcohol. I've bought some big plastic bins to help contain all the junk. But the mess still seems to get worse. None of this really bothers me. As long as I have a open spot to place my coffee mug, I'm fairly content.

Conroe thoughts

Just about everyone appears ready to jump on the Conroe bandwagon, even though it hasn't officially arrived yet. Conroe does look fast and powerful. But one of the keys will be the motherboards. Will there be good mobos to take advantage of Conroe's speed? The current S775 non-Conroe boards are, for the most part, disappointing. Having a fast chip and a problematic board can be a very frustrating experience.

DeepBurner

Here's a money-saving tip. If you need software to burn CD's or DVD's, you don't have to spend $$$ for Nero. I've been using a free program called DeepBurner. The interface is not quite as intuitive as Nero's. But once you get used to it, it's fine. Have yet to have a bad burn.

http://www.deepburner.com/

More garden pics

Several peony plants are in bloom now. Peony flowers are magnificent. I have another plant that should be blooming in a month.

4-3-2 versus 4-4-3

Here's a follow-up to my Corsair/Super Talent comparison. I ran both sets of RAM at 240X13 with 3:5 ratio, so memory speed was 400. I looked for the best secondary timings with both sets. The first screenshot is Corsair 8000UL @ 4-3-2. The second is Super Talent PC2-8000 @ 4-4-3. As you can see, less than a tenth of a second difference between the two in SuperPi 1M.

Corsair vs. Super Talent

I've run some comparison tests of Corsair 8000UL and Super Talent PC2-8000. Clock for clock, the Super Talents running at 4-4-3 are almost as fast as the Corsairs at 4-3-2. Amazing when you consider the fact that the Super Talents are 1GB modules. The Super Talents won't run 3-2-2 with 3:4 ratio like the Corsairs. But they are still very fast.