Saturday, August 23, 2008

How to fix gaming mouse problem in Vista 32/64

I have seen many people saying that  Vista is not suitable for gaming purposes. It is not really true. I have been using vista from  March 2007 and all of my games worked perfectly in it. Vista surely have lots of compatibility issues but most of the problems can be fixed. One of the most serious issues the vista gamers facing is gaming mouse incompatibility. Updating drivers  or firmwire won't help in any case. Serveral top brand gaming mouses such as Razer Lachesis, Razer DeathAdder, Logitech G5, Logitech G9, Microsoft Sidewinder, Microsoft Habu, Cyber Snipa, Steelseries Ikari, etc have similar kind of problems such as macros not working or side button not working in games.

This problem is caused by UAC(User Access Control) component in Vista. UAC is a security component in vista which limit application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level. It help to prevent malware programs from gaining system access. Not only malware but all the applications and drivers are affected by this. This is the reason for gaming mouse problem. It can be fixed by disabling UAC as I've explained below.

How to disable UAC?
1. First click on start button and type "msconfig" and press enter. UAC will ask for permission, click on continue.


2. Select Tools tab. In that, select "Disable UAC" and click on Launch button.


3. Finally restart vista to make it work.

Note: If you want to re-enable UAC then do the similar steps and use "Enable UAC" instead of "Disable UAC".

The pointer for a gaming mouse does not move correctly in Windows Vista
This is another commonly seen issue in vista.
You may experience the following problems in Windows Vista when you use a high performance gaming mouse, and you enable the Enhanced Pointer Precision option:
• The pointer does not move correctly when you move the mouse down and to the right side.
• The pointer moves by itself.
• The pointer movement is irregular.

Download fix for pointer problem here:
Windows6.0_KB932653_x86.msu (32-bit)
Windows6.0_KB932653_x64.msu (64-bit)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Intel names new chip Core i7

Intel Corp said it plans to sell its new generation of chips for desktop computers under the established Core brand, with the first chips of the new line to be called Core i7.

The microprocessors are based on a design the company has code-named Nehalem and are expected to be in production the last three months of this year. Intel says the new design will deliver both high performance and energy efficiency.


Sporting anywhere between two and eight processors cores, the first chips will integrate a memory controller and come with Intel's QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) which is expected to provides a faster route for the CPU to communicate with system components such as a graphics card.



Some new technologies in Core i7
  • Dynamic scalability, managed cores, threads, cache, interfaces, and power for energy-efficient performance on demand.
  • Design and performance scalability for server, workstation, PC, and mobile demands with support for 2-8+ cores and up to 16+ threads with simultaneous multi-threading (SMT), and scalable cache sizes, system interconnects, and integrated memory controllers.
  • Simultaneous multi-threading brings high-performance applications into mainstream computing with 1-16+ threads optimized for a new generation multi-core processor architecture.
  • Scalable shared memory of Intel QuickPath technology features memory distributed to each processor with integrated memory controllers and high-speed point-to-point interconnects to unleash the performance of next-generation Intel® multi-core processors.
  • Multi-level shared cache improves performance and efficiency by reducing latency to frequently used data.
Intel is expected to add other identifiers to the Core i7 name as it launches products in the range. It is also expected to identify its high-end "Extreme Edition" parts with a black logo. Intel's Core i7 will be available in market by Q4 2008. Intel is also expected to release its laptop range of processors, based on the Nehalem, in the second half of 2009.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Samsung to ship ultra fast 256GB SSD Drive



Samsung plans to launch a flash memory based solid state disk(SSD) drive this year that has a 256GB capacity and a high speed SATA II interface. The drive's dimension match those of a standard 2.5 inch hard disk drive; it's designed to be a drop-in replacement for a laptop hard drive.

Solid state disk drives use a flash memory chips in place of spinning magnetic disks that hard disk drives use. The chips make the drives sturdier and faster but the per gigabyte cost is much higher too.

Samsung's is the second recently announced 256GB SSD drive. The other from US based Super Talent, is thicker than Samsung's, at 12.5 millimeters compared to Samsung's 9.5millimeters. That drive has a SATA I interface with read speed of 65mbps(megabits per second) and write speed of 50mbps. Samsung's SSD drive has a read speed of 200mbps and a sequential write speed of 160mbps.


Rather than use costly single-level cell (SLC) technology, the company has managed to develop a multi-level cell (MLC) storage drive that transfers as quickly as the best SLC storage while costing much less to produce than past SSDs. Improvements to the storage controller have also extended the longevity to as long as SLC drives, giving the 256GB drive longevity as good or better than some rotating hard disks. Power consumption is also exceptionally low at 0.9 watts in active mode.

In addition, the drive offers a sophisticated data encryption process that prevents data stored on the SSD from being accessed in an unauthorized manner, even after the SSD is removed from the PC.

Once introduced, the Samsung's 256GB SSD will mark the largest capacity SSD from the global market leader in SSD sales, effectively eliminating density as a barrier to SSD adoption in the consumer space. Samsung expects its new drive to be sampling for computer manufacturers by September and shipping to those clients by the end of the year; this applies to both a 2.5-inch drive for more traditional notebooks and a 1.8-inch drive for ultraportables and other much smaller devices. Costs haven't yet been announced.