You guys are a bit out of date! 
I have been using an SSD for 2 years with outstanding results!
I have just bought another, (64Gb for £30 UK, about $45 US) for my wife's new system which will be:
A quad core i5 with 8Gb RAM running W7 64bit.
said SSD holding the OS as Drive C:
1Tb 7K5 SATA drive for data (£70)
This configuration really screams, and at a very low price. A nightly FULL backup of C: to the hard drive (and weekly to the network) gives me security.
I have been using an SSD for 2 years with outstanding results!
I have just bought another, (64Gb for £30 UK, about $45 US) for my wife's new system which will be:
A quad core i5 with 8Gb RAM running W7 64bit.
said SSD holding the OS as Drive C:
1Tb 7K5 SATA drive for data (£70)
This configuration really screams, and at a very low price. A nightly FULL backup of C: to the hard drive (and weekly to the network) gives me security.
Cliffforrest,
That is a very nice computer you are talking about and something like my next computer. I just couldn't get away with a 64GB hard-drive, I have two 330GB drives and am running out of room, I have to offload to an external drive and do that for backup and storage, then I could care less about read and write speeds as long as I have that backup. With the SSD drivers where the rubber meets the road is when you are actually needing to do reading and writing to the drive and not the typical read only state that most people will see from their drives. There is a very real limitation to the read/write capabilities to the SSD drives, that is what I understand the newer SSD drives are suppose to overcome. The early type of ram they used in the first generation SSD's had some real limitations that has made wait for the next generation types and I will let others be the beta testers for those and see what falls out.
That is a very nice computer you are talking about and something like my next computer. I just couldn't get away with a 64GB hard-drive, I have two 330GB drives and am running out of room, I have to offload to an external drive and do that for backup and storage, then I could care less about read and write speeds as long as I have that backup. With the SSD drivers where the rubber meets the road is when you are actually needing to do reading and writing to the drive and not the typical read only state that most people will see from their drives. There is a very real limitation to the read/write capabilities to the SSD drives, that is what I understand the newer SSD drives are suppose to overcome. The early type of ram they used in the first generation SSD's had some real limitations that has made wait for the next generation types and I will let others be the beta testers for those and see what falls out.
The current ones are great, whether in a $200 Chromebook or a $2300 Mac Pro laptop, which has up to 1TB.
They are so much faster than a HD that I wouldn't care if they only lasted a year,
but these SSDs should last the life of the computer. Once you go SSD, you won't ever go back.
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"I just couldn't get away with a 64GB hard-drive"
I think you have missed the point!
64Gb SSD is for the OS and apps only. NO DATA.
I have moved "my Docs" and all that stuff to the data drive. It is easy. Registry!
Current OS uses about 40Gb, without really trying.
Edit: Having "spare" RAM helps, too. I never switch the PC off and crashes and reboots are very rare (1/week??), so most execs I use are sitting ready in Cache. Google, Excel, Word, Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc. All acting like TSRs - if anyone remembers what they were.
I think you have missed the point!
64Gb SSD is for the OS and apps only. NO DATA.
I have moved "my Docs" and all that stuff to the data drive. It is easy. Registry!
Current OS uses about 40Gb, without really trying.
Edit: Having "spare" RAM helps, too. I never switch the PC off and crashes and reboots are very rare (1/week??), so most execs I use are sitting ready in Cache. Google, Excel, Word, Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc. All acting like TSRs - if anyone remembers what they were.
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Cliff,
If you figure the bloated size of Windows & plus a comprehensive CAD program and even a rendering program running at the same time you would see plenty of the RAM taken up right away. My i5 configuration was limited to 6GB of ram, I understand the i7 can do much better than that. You are tight that the SSD would load a lot faster, lots faster, and that is a consideration to only use it for the operating system and programs and send all the data to a larger drive. I would still probably want a larger SSD for that purpose so that a large assembly in cad would not have to work back and forth from the storage drive but keep everything either in ram if you can access enough of it or on the SSD drive while working. I have no problem with off loading the finished work to a slower drive for storage, that only makes economic sense. I can just imagine the cost of 1TB of SSD storage, that wouldn't be in my present budget.
If you figure the bloated size of Windows & plus a comprehensive CAD program and even a rendering program running at the same time you would see plenty of the RAM taken up right away. My i5 configuration was limited to 6GB of ram, I understand the i7 can do much better than that. You are tight that the SSD would load a lot faster, lots faster, and that is a consideration to only use it for the operating system and programs and send all the data to a larger drive. I would still probably want a larger SSD for that purpose so that a large assembly in cad would not have to work back and forth from the storage drive but keep everything either in ram if you can access enough of it or on the SSD drive while working. I have no problem with off loading the finished work to a slower drive for storage, that only makes economic sense. I can just imagine the cost of 1TB of SSD storage, that wouldn't be in my present budget.
"My i5 configuration was limited to 6GB of ram, I understand the i7 can do much better than that"
I don't see that.
RAM limit is a function of 32bit OS, not the processor.
AFAIK, i7 benefit is only having built-in faster graphics engine. Nothing to do with address space.
Edit - Rendering, that is a different ballgame!
I don't see that.
RAM limit is a function of 32bit OS, not the processor.
AFAIK, i7 benefit is only having built-in faster graphics engine. Nothing to do with address space.
Edit - Rendering, that is a different ballgame!
Clifff0rest,
The HP Envy computer I have has an absolute limit of 6GB of ram, could just be the configuration they used on the first generation of i5 series processors, but you can't increase the ram above the 6GB, it will not address any additional ram. This is a 64 bit Windows Pro machine, my cad software and rendering software are both 64 bit.
The HP Envy computer I have has an absolute limit of 6GB of ram, could just be the configuration they used on the first generation of i5 series processors, but you can't increase the ram above the 6GB, it will not address any additional ram. This is a 64 bit Windows Pro machine, my cad software and rendering software are both 64 bit.
This should be trivially easy to verify - simply exactly duplicate the PCB for a high performance audio circuit, the only variation being the substrate material; do 2 of the reference material; build. Then run a variety of music material through the boards, and sample the output at the highest resolution, and run fine tooth combs through what you get, doing diff's, etc. The 2 built of the reference material will at least indicate the variation between nominally identical assemblies.
All that's required is for someone to go through the exercise - which of course means that it will be decades before it's done,
... but, eventually ...
Here is just one page with a list of some of the possibilities: Printed Circuit Board Laminate Material Specifications by Manufacturer.
Anyone care to rank them, in "quality" for audio ... ?
That's a bummer! Why 6Gb? Only 3 DIMM sockets for real-estate reasons?
I only buy (mostly Gigabyte) motherboards, a year or so after the gamers have had their fill and the price comes down.
I have has a VERY large floor standing tower with silent PSU, fanless video and 8 drive bays. It now looks a bit shabby but easy to upgrade each part. It is also under the desk.
I also have a Server 2008 Domain in the house with CAT6 wiring to every room. I remodeled (as you say!) the house over the last 20 years and just added CAT6 and balanced audio to every room. A bit daft now the kids are long since gone, but I have been able to add a small HP server with a big raid in the far lower corner of the garage - last place to get fire damaged!
Loads of storage and every single source file that has ever come my way.
I only buy (mostly Gigabyte) motherboards, a year or so after the gamers have had their fill and the price comes down.
I have has a VERY large floor standing tower with silent PSU, fanless video and 8 drive bays. It now looks a bit shabby but easy to upgrade each part. It is also under the desk.
I also have a Server 2008 Domain in the house with CAT6 wiring to every room. I remodeled (as you say!) the house over the last 20 years and just added CAT6 and balanced audio to every room. A bit daft now the kids are long since gone, but I have been able to add a small HP server with a big raid in the far lower corner of the garage - last place to get fire damaged!
Loads of storage and every single source file that has ever come my way.
As shown at the schematic and realised by the pcb traces, the output is NC and the inputs are tied to local ground.
For guarding to be materialised, the output of the now ‘dormant’ op amp should drive a physical guard around the - input of the ‘active’ op amp (but I don’t think that at that position of the circuit guarding would be necessary).
I have a feeling that Dejan will try the paralleling trick
George
Attachments
Large SSD's use an algorithm that allows an enormous number of write cycles so its not really an issue today. There is a lot written about the issue. Fast SSD's really make a big difference.
It may be possible to setup a ram disk to offload some of the write cycles. Much easier in Linux to configure to keep the write cycles away from an SSD. We use that a lot in embedded applications.
My main system is an I7 w/ 32GB of ram and 250 GB SSD + 2 TB of disk. The only way I can use much of the memory is many open tabs on Chrome. Large Spice simulations will push the processor for a few minutes but I have not hit more than 9 or 10 GB of ram ever except when testing. I think it all cost less than $1K about 2 years ago. If your living is dependent on data and processing its an essential investment.
I just bought a used laptop with an I7 and no disk for $250 as a measurement support system. For a hobbyist on a tight budget its still possible to pretty close to state of the art.
It may be possible to setup a ram disk to offload some of the write cycles. Much easier in Linux to configure to keep the write cycles away from an SSD. We use that a lot in embedded applications.
My main system is an I7 w/ 32GB of ram and 250 GB SSD + 2 TB of disk. The only way I can use much of the memory is many open tabs on Chrome. Large Spice simulations will push the processor for a few minutes but I have not hit more than 9 or 10 GB of ram ever except when testing. I think it all cost less than $1K about 2 years ago. If your living is dependent on data and processing its an essential investment.
I just bought a used laptop with an I7 and no disk for $250 as a measurement support system. For a hobbyist on a tight budget its still possible to pretty close to state of the art.
Your probably right about the really minor effect of the PCB material. I may endeavor to measure it to put the issue into history. PCB material has changed a lot in 30 years even if the basic numbers have not. There are additives for fire retardant etc. that will have changed.
The reason I heard to avoid right angles in a layout was to prevent chemicals being trapped in the sharp corners. More 30 year old knowledge.
I keep trying to get current but current technology moves too fast.
The latest generation of consumer SSDs come with 3 year or 10 year warranties. So far Samsung seems like the best value to me, they made their own flash controller. My 120Gb PNY Prevail is close enough to the Samsungs that came out soon after it, although it seems to have some strange intermittent freezing problem that hasn't quit even after updating the firmware and manually issuing TRIM signals.
i have a Samsung on the big machine. I have had zero problems with it. I can leave the system for days and no issues. I have 2 other early SSD's that do not work well in laptops but fine in desktops. Something about not managing sleep state well.
The current generation is more reliable still. However if you are supporting an online database with high usage get the drives intended for that.
The current generation is more reliable still. However if you are supporting an online database with high usage get the drives intended for that.
I have an older Sony Vaio All-in-One desk top model which I upgraded to SSD and it is soooooo much faster (SSD=Samsung) that I'll never go back to HDD unless for backup and large file storage, only. Prices have dropped a lot and now it is fairly affordable to have it added to any existing computer.
-RNM
-RNM
As shown at the schematic and realised by the pcb traces, the output is NC and the inputs are tied to local ground.
For guarding to be materialised, the output of the now ‘dormant’ op amp should drive a physical guard around the - input of the ‘active’ op amp (but I don’t think that at that position of the circuit guarding would be necessary).
I have a feeling that Dejan will try the paralleling trick
George
Not likely, George.
For purely irrational reasons, I dislike hybrid FET/BJT/op amp circuits and like to stick to pure, so it's either FET/BJT or op amps. The only concession I make is adding discrete current boosters to op amp outputs, tried it several times and liked the results.
I am old fashoned in that way, I like transparent, pure blood setups.
It's either beer, or it's ouzo, I don't mix.Also, strange as it may sound, I haven't had an opportunity to try out the Luxman's RIAA section yet. Obviously, I will do nothing until I can first try out what I already have, once the turmoil at home has ended and I get those builders out. Unless I kill one or more of them, which is a distinct possibility at this time.
A local proverb: there are good people, there are bad people and there are builders.
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