If you’re buying a new GPU (graphics processing unit), you should definitely have an understanding of how it all works. Although the terms GPU and graphics card are often used interchangeably, technically speaking, they’re not the same thing. We’ll go over all the technical information and break it down in an easily digestible way for you. Read on to learn more. Further reading: 4 things to consider before buying a GPU A typical graphics card contains a GPU die (chip) soldered onto the circuit board and surrounded by memory modules. This is built into a heat sink, cover, and fan, creating the actual graphics card. Companies like AMD and Nvidia use multiple GPU dies in each generation to create different models and customize the specifications as needed. The GPU die designation often follows a system where a lower number on the spec sheet indicates a larger and more powerful die. For example, Nvidia’s AD102 GPU utilizes the flagship RTX 4090 graphics card while the RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 Super use the AD103 GPU. Newer GPUs utilize smaller manufacturing processes to offer more performance in the same physical space. Strictly speaking, GPU is only the name for the graphics processor (here from AMD). Only with other components does it become a graphics card. IDG The computing units on a GPU are often referred to as cores. However, this is misleading, as the cores of a GPU do not correspond to the physical cores of a CPU. GPUs have thousands of small cores or processing elements, which are grouped into clusters and then into compute units. These compute units are labelled differently by each GPU manufacturer–compute units (AMD), Xe cores (Intel), and stream multiprocessors (Nvidia). Faster GPUs have more Cuda cores (Nvidia) or stream processors (AMD) than slower models. However, these specifications are only comparable within the same generation and the same manufacturer. VRAM (video RAM) is a specification that almost every PC user is familiar with. VRAM is the memory on a graphics card that is available to hold the so-called frame buffer, texture information, and other graphical data. If your game settings and video resolution utilize the entire VRAM of your GPU, this can lead to graphics errors and a drop in performance. In addition to the size of the VRAM, other specifications are also decisive such as the memory type (e.g. GDDR6 or GDDR6X), the memory bus width (384, 256 or 128 bits), or the memory bandwidth (in GB/s). Graphics cards are complex units with many technical specifications. To be able to compare them, it helps to familiarize yourself with GPU terminology.IDG Just like a CPU, a graphics processor also has a clock rate both for the GPU core and the memory. The core clock rate indicates how quickly the GPU can process instructions. The memory clock rate, on the other hand, determines how fast the memory (VRAM) can send data to or receive data from the GPU. In general, the following applies: The higher the core clock rate and the memory clock rate of a graphics card, the higher the performance. You can also change the core clock rate and the memory clock rate–this is known as overclocking. Just like a CPU, a GPU has a maximum power consumption, which is referred to as TGP (Total Graphics Power). The TGP value indicates the maximum power that a graphics card may consume during operation and is measured in watts. TGP is an indicator of how power-hungry your graphics card is and also provides information about the expected temperature of the GPU during gaming or other GPU-intensive tasks. FP32 or Floating-Point Single Precision is a mathematical method for measuring the theoretical performance of a GPU. It indicates how many floating-point operations a GPU can perform in one second and is measured in TFLOPS. FP32 is useful for comparing different GPUs, even across generations, although the method does not cover all aspects of performance. Other specifications such as the supported PCIe generation and compatibility with graphical APIs such as DirectX, Vulkan, and Open GL can also be important, especially for designers or developers. Software features such as Nvidia’s DLSS, AMD’s FSR, and Intel’s XeSS differ in performance and gaming support. You should therefore check which upscaling technology and version your GPU supports. The graphics memory (shown here in green) of a graphics card is located in the immediate vicinity of the die to avoid delays in communication. IDG When buying a new GPU, you should always consult real-world tests and benchmarks from reputable sources to make an informed decision. Check the performance figures in the games and applications you intend to use. You should consider checking out Reddit posts, YouTube benchmarks, and reviews from trustworthy publications. Read...

Nicknames can be found in many areas. Initially, they were mainly used by the military and secret services, and author pseudonyms have also been used in literature for a long time. However, such code names are also widespread in the IT industry, where projects and products are often given imaginary names during the development phase. Here too, the purpose can be to keep important new developments secret from the competition and the public. However, if a certain term is used within the company, everyone involved knows exactly what it is all about. But IT terms do not always remain within a closed circle of participants — or should not. After all, unambiguous terms are particularly helpful when searching the internet for information, products, drivers, firmware, and much more. Here’s an example: When Microsoft released the first of this year’s two major feature updates for Windows 11 in the spring, it had a unique KB number like any other update. If you wanted to know something about the feature update, you would have had to know the seven-digit KB number. The term “Moment 5” was much quicker. Although Microsoft itself never used it, it was clearly assigned to this update in the specialized press and on the internet. Each Android version stands for a delicious dessert Would you have known? Google used “KitKat” to refer to Android version 4.4 in 2013. Version 9 of the smartphone operating system was simply called “Pie” five years later. IDG Sometimes codenames take on a life of their own: When Google introduced its smartphone operating system over 15 years ago, the company gave the first version, Android 1.0, the nickname “Angel Cake.” Naming subsequent versions after desserts became so popular that there was always speculation about what the next version would be called long before it was released. After all, that’s more exciting than a simple numbering system. After the current 15 version (“Vanilla Ice Cream”), Android 16 will start with the letter W next year, but nothing more is known at the moment. Things will get really interesting with Android 19, when all the first letters of the alphabet have already been used. As nice as the naming with desserts is, there are different levels and sub-versions below the main versions of Android. Among other things, these are important for equipping a smartphone with a specific custom ROM. In other words, an unofficial operating system version that does not originate from the device manufacturer, but which must match the respective smartphone model exactly. While some initially unofficial designations have developed a life of their own over time, the exact opposite is also true. You only learn the story behind them by chance. This is what happened to the author with an initially inconspicuous product name. We resolve this at the end of the article. Operating system: The code names behind Windows, Mac OS & Linux For a while, Windows 10 versions were named after these metals. Because Chrome was already occupied by Google, Microsoft chose the fictitious “Vibranium” from Marvel Comics instead. Foundry Many Windows versions also had and still have project names, but Microsoft does not have a system comparable to Android. Moreover, hardly anyone paid attention to the codes. “Chicago” stood for Windows 95, “Memphis” for Windows 98, “Whistler” for XP, and “Longhorn” for Vista. Whistler has been known as the venue for skiing competitions since the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The fact that Longhorn refers to the Longhorn Bar in the Whistler ski resort falls into the category of useless knowledge. Incidentally, Windows 7 was also called “Windows 7” internally — not very original. “Redstone” for Windows 10 also became known to a wider public because the term remained unchanged for years. The different versions could only be distinguished by four-digit numbers: The first two digits stood for the year, the last for the month of release. Version 1709, for example, was from September 2017. From 2019, Microsoft changed the nomenclature again and each version was given a suffix such as 19H1, 19H2, and so on for the first or second half of a year. At the same time, each version was again given an unofficial name, this time according to chemical elements. However, because chromium follows titanium and vanadium in the periodic table and the name had long since been taken by Google, Microsoft switched to the fictitious metal “Vibranium” from the Marvel comics. The new code-name “Sun Valley” was introduced with Windows 11. If you want to shine at the regulars’ table: “Hudson Valley” is the name of the next version of Windows. A final note on Windows: While the U.S. Apollo space program will not be forgotten, not least thanks to the successful moon landing over 50 years ago, Windows Phone 8 is a different story, despite the identical code name. Apple assigns code names to almost all of its devices, programs, and services, and this also applies to the versions of iOS and Mac OS. Wikipedia documents the terms in detail, but only one should be pointed out here: Mac OS X 10.2 — initially only called “Jaguar” internally — is the last version of Mac OS without an official additional name. From version 10.3 (“Panther”) to 10.8 (“Mountain Lion”), the feline predators became a formal part of the name. Since version 10.9, they have been natural landmarks from California. Each Linux distribution of Ubuntu has an individual name in addition to the version number. The current version is called “Noble Numbat” and comes with a mascot. IDG The Ubuntu versions stand out among the various Linux distributions. Each version number has a code name consisting of an adjective and an animal name with the same initial letters: Currently, version 24.04 LTS bears the addition “Noble Numbat.” And what about Chrome OS? As Google releases a new version of its laptop operating system every few weeks, it dispenses with any additions and simply numbers them consecutively. CPU names from AMD and Intel You have probably already come across the word “Lake” in connection with Intel’s PC processors. It is preceded by the name of a real lake. Each of these terms stands for a processor generation, production technology, and more. This and all other information can of course also be looked up via the exact model designation for each CPU, for example Core i5-12600KF. The family names of the processor generations from AMD and Intel are extremely helpful for many purposes and are therefore also commonly used on the internet and even by the manufacturers.IDG However, Intel — and the same also applies to AMD — offers a processor range that is almost impossible to keep track of and does not always name the individual models logically. Even experts sometimes find it difficult to keep track. The designations for an entire CPU generation make it easier. These are now so common that it is better to speak of family names rather than code names. Even Intel uses them in its extensive product database. These terms are useful for several reasons. Each CPU generation fulfills certain standards and specifications: These include the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, PCI Express, HDMI, Thunderbolt, RAM generations, and more. Because every processor determines far more than just computing power, the decision in favor of one generation or another is also important when buying a notebook or PC. The same applies when upgrading and replacing the motherboard or processor. And because a Google search with a phrase like “Tiger Lake” or “Raptor Lake” leads to clear results much more quickly than with numbers and generations, the terms have taken on a life of their own here too. Without them, it would also be much more difficult to find out about the development of the latest processor generation on the internet. The individual generations of CPUs from AMD and Intel have “family names” that have long since taken on a life of their own. IDG Detailed lists with the code or family names of the common x86 CPUs for PCs can be found on Wikipedia: here for AMD, here for Intel. The CPU-Z and Hwinfo tools also show the terms for the hardware used. Surprise model names for the Google Chromecast We owe you the resolution of the completely inconspicuous product name mentioned at the beginning. After the author replaced his old Chromecast player from Google with the current 4K model after many years, the question arose: What to do with the old one? First of all, he needed to know exactly which model it was. The model number NC2-6A5 printed on it quickly made it clear that it was a second-generation Chromecast, released in 2015. The second version of the Google Chromecast (left) bears the model number NC2-6A5 — a hidden reference to the Enterprise NCC-1701 from “Star Trek” (right).IDG At the same time, however, the corresponding Wikipedia entry caused some astonishment: “The model number NC2-6A5 of the second Chromecast generation is a reference to the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from ‘Star Trek’. The ‘NC2’ can also be read as ‘NCC’, while the hexadecimal number ‘6A5’ corresponds to ‘1701’ in the decimal system.” Wow! Who comes up with something like that, and how do you enforce it at a global corporation like Google? The model number of the first Chromecast stick makes it clear that the numbers were not chosen at random: Here, H2G2-42 refers to the novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This example shows that it’s a shame that such hidden messages are so rarely used — or that we so rarely hear about them. Because the research for this article also makes this clear: Although there are certainly similar examples, ultimately you are looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. The almost 1,500 entries on the Wikipedia page “List of computer technology code names” also help. Big IT names and what lies behind them Some company and product names are shrouded in myth. There are often two or more ways of telling where the term comes from, how it came about and what it could mean. Here you can find out more about the origins of well-known IT brand names. Apple: The origin is somewhat controversial. Was it the fruit diet of company founder Steve Jobs on an apple farm? Or was it the friendly sound of the term in English? Or was the new company in the phone book simply meant to precede Atari, an important computer manufacturer at the time? Amazon: Allegedly, founder Jeff Bezos wanted to call his company “Cadabra.” However, because that sounded like “cadaver,” he and his lawyer agreed on a catchy term — with an A, of course, because of the telephone directory. Incidentally, the arrow was only added to the logo in 2000, by which time the online retailer already had (almost) everything in its range: “from A to Z”. Ebay: Initially, the online auction house was much more appropriately called “Auction Web,” but the company founder later incorporated it into his consulting company “Echo Bay.” As the domain echobay.com was already taken and ebay.com was still available, the new name was quickly decided on — one of several versions of its creation. Fritz: In two years’ time, Fritzbox manufacturer AVM will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. With the product name “Fritz,” the Berlin-based company wanted to express its German origins at the time. Google: It’s hard to believe that the company name was the result of a typo. The original plan was to use “Googolplex” to express a gigantic number. When searching for the URL availability, co-founder Larry Page is said to have mistyped and entered “Google” instead of “Googol” — the URL was still available. Read...

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Vivaldi is launching Vivaldi 7.0 today, an updated version of its free Windows browser that adds a new interface on top of a new Dashboard, which is a centralized interface for managing your digital life. And it purposes avoids using AI to do so. Vivaldi has been one of the browsers I’ve used for several years, in part because of the exceptional flexibility the browser offers. Vivaldi is especially information-dense, placing visible access to a number of bookmarks, feeds, and emails all within a tight space. My colleague Michael Crider has his own reasons for switching from Chrome to Vivaldi, but both of us are sticking with the browser. In one sense, the new Dashboard feels like some of the efforts at “new tab” pages that browsers have added, where you can take what is essentially a blank page and add customized information to it. The Dashboard, or Start page, allows you to place some of the information Vivaldi typically reserves for its sidebars — calendar, feeds, Instagram, email, and so on — and center them on the page. Vivaldi intends for you to be able to organize the Dashboard with various feeds and widgets. We’d choose another technology news provider, naturally.Vivaldi “We have the feeder built in, but in this case, this is more visible,” said Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, the chief executive of Vivaldi, describing the new Dashboard in an interview. “It’s easily accessible, and you can quickly see if something has changed. And similarly, in the same view, you could have some bookmarks, potentially whatever you have on your agenda, and just about anything else that you’d like to put in there.” Vivaldi anticipates that users will start filling the space with web widgets, von Tetzchner added. Vivaldi’s update was designed to give users something new to look at, but von Tetzchner said that he’s very conscious that users sometimes prefer the opposite. Floating tabs are a small visual change to VIvaldi 7.Vivaldi “I think, obviously, when you’re building software, you would like to see freshness, and that’s what we’re going for this time,” von Tetzchner said. “It’s that’s not something we do very many times, because we know our users are conservative, and I’m sure there will be someone that doesn’t like the fact that you have more space and a [different] structure and the like. And as with anything in Vivaldi, you can have it just the way you want it.” “People have different ideas of the way things should be done, so you can tailor it to your liking, including the way it used to be,” von Tetzchner added. Tucked inside the Vivaldi 7 update are new floating tabs, updated icons, instant synchronization of tabs, bookmarks and settings across mobile and desktop, and a feature that includes the ability to instantly jump to the last email you read. A deliberately light approach to AI One buzzword that does not appear in the update, however, is “AI.” While there have been AI-adjacent features that Vivaldi has built in, like translation, von Tetzchner said that AI isn’t a priority. One of the nice features Vivaldi includes is an RSS feed reader. It’s receiving a slight visual revamp in Vivaldi 7.Vivaldi “We don’t see AI as something that our users are asking for,” von Tetzchner said. “Rather the opposite. I think a lot of people are reacting to force-fed AI. I mean, obviously what Microsoft did with Recall is a great example of that. I think most people would agree that the idea of having a screenshot of your screen every five seconds gives you pause, right? And then the question is, is the functionality that you’re getting in return actually worth it? “If they want to use AI, they can, they can go to the AI services, but they don’t want it to be in the browser,” von Tetzchner added. “And I think the fact that it’s being pushed so heavily indicates that there’s more to it than just wanting to kind of give you a nice little feature. If the feature is so great, you don’t have to push it that hard.” You can download Vivaldi 7.0 here. Read...

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PDFelement is already a well-established name when it comes to working with PDFs, thanks to its impressive range of features and affordable price. But the developers at Wondershare haven’t rested on their laurels, as a new upgrade brings a host of AI tools and enhancements that will make it even easier to edit, annotate, extract information and share the results. If you regularly deal with PDF files, the updated PDFelements version 11 release could be about to make your life a whole lot simpler. PDFs get smart The AI revolution is well underway, and the updated PDFelement brings AI-powered tools that are focussed on improving how users interact with PDF files. With these new abilities you can get work done in the least amount of time and with a minimum of fuss. One such feature is Knowledge Cards. If you are rushing to write up a report for work or have an essay due, then this could be a godsend. PDFelement can take long PDF files, read them using the built-in AI technology, then generate summaries that highlight the key points in the document. No need to plough through pages and pages of text to find the necessary information, as the software can do it in seconds, providing you the data you need to finish your task in a fraction of the time. Not only that. If you need more information or want terms and ideas in the document explained, then you can use the Chat feature to ask questions. This works across multiple PDFs and is a whole new way to interact with documents as you have an assistant to help you process and understand the content. The AI also has the ability to generate quizzes and answer sets so you can test yourself on your newly acquired knowledge. Thanks to its advanced language understanding, PDFelement can rewrite a section that you highlight, so that the same idea is phrased in a different way. This can be helpful if you are working on a presentation or document and feel an idea hasn’t been expressed in the clearest manner. It can of course also be a useful tool for understanding complicated ideas that you come across in a PDF, as seeing it written in an alternative style is a great method for unlocking a concept. These impressive AI features are also accompanied by some particularly useful tools for productivity and accessibility. The Read Aloud function will present an audible version of the PDF, which could be great if you’re taking notes or have impaired vision. There are several reading voices to choose from, as well as controls for the speed, volume and how much of the document you want read out. Wondershare One clever tool in PDFelement is being able to share documents between computers and mobile devices by simply scanning a QR code. This can avoid accidentally sending the wrong version of a file or opening an older version with a similar name on your cloud drive. There are also additional features such as instant translations from foreign languages, grammar checking, high detail scanning, file compression to save space, and much more. Flexible ways to work Wondershare, the company behind PDFelement, knows that performance and flexibility are the cornerstones of modern digital life. That’s why the software is available across a wide range of platforms and devices. You can use PDFelement on Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android, with cloud syncing available so you can access your PDFs wherever you are and with whichever device you have to hand. The cloud service also syncs up your signatures, so you can eSign documents while on the go, retains your reading progress when moving between devices, and when sharing PDFs you can see the annotations and comments from those with whom you are collaborating. If you use the main Microsoft Office apps – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook – then there are plugins available, so it will work seamlessly with some of the most popular productivity apps in the world. Thanks to its lightweight design, PDFelement runs fast and smooth, no matter the platform, so you can just concentrate on work without worrying about getting bogged down by the software. Power without the price One thing that hasn’t been expanded in the latest update is the price. PDFelement has always offered excellent value or money when you compare its feature-set and cost against its closest rivals. Now, you can buy a yearly subscription or a perpetual license, depending on your preference, and expect to pay 50% less than the market leaders. There’s no extra cost for the AI features either, unlike on some popular products that charge a premium for that sort of access. PDFs can be a pain when you don’t have the right tools, but PDFelement makes it quick and simple to edit, extract, annotate and share the information you need. Thanks to the AI enhancements it can also be fun, rewarding, and won’t blow a hole in your finances. Don’t waste your time battling with PDFs, instead download PDFelement today and make your life that little bit smarter. Read...

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According to yesterday’s Windows blog post, the Microsoft Photos app is now being updated with the new Super Resolution feature that can enlarge and improve the quality of low-resolution images using AI. With Super Resolution, you’ll be able to increase the resolution of a photo up to eight times its original size. It’s a great way to clean up old pictures from outdated digital cameras and to upscale images for creative or editorial purposes. It’s one of the more exciting features that have been planned as part of Microsoft’s Windows 11 AI roadmap. Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Because Super Resolution employs AI technology, the feature is only being made available to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. (Copilot+ PCs are next-gen AI PCs with a special component called an NPU, which handles all AI processing and frees up the CPU and GPU for other uses.) It’s unclear whether Super Resolution will eventually come to non-Copilot+ PCs in the future, but most likely not. Super Resolution is currently only available to Windows Insiders on Windows 11 across all the Insider Channels. There’s no word yet as to when it will arrive on the stable version of Windows 11. This update to Microsoft Photos also brings OCR support (the ability to copy text from an image to your clipboard) to both Windows !0 and 11, usability enhancements to the Zoom feature, and single-click opening of images from File Explorer’s Gallery. Further reading: Useful File Explorer tips to keep under your belt Read...

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