The AnandTech Podcast: Episode 6

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• tipoo - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link

  Makes sense, thanks. But would a HD4000 ever be used for those high end applications though?

• tipoo - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link

  (or the haswell integrated equivalent, I mean)

• SeleniumGlow - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  We used to have Vodafone Tuesdays in India (1+1 movie ticket or 1+1 pizza)... they stopped that an odd year ago.
  
  If I'm not wrong some other operator here is giving a similar deal...

• AndraZ - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  I really enjoy this podcasts. Anand and his crew have so much technical knowledge, I love when they go into details of architectures, manufacturing, and also all the background they experience during their work.
  I hope this episodes keep on coming for a long time!

• sp3x0ps - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  I have been visiting your website a lot lately with the new iPhone 5 coverage and I must say I love the depth and quality of your reviews, very interesting to read all of the tech details that other websites just can't match.
  
  This is my first time listening to your podcast and I must say I was very impressed, normally I would never of listened to an hour long podcast but you make it interesting and fun to listen to the news and your opinions. Keep up the great work!

• repoman27 - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  I anxiously await...
  
  I also wanted to mention that the UBM TechInsights teardown revealed a SanDisk flash module, so we've seen Hynix and SanDisk as suppliers thus far.
  
  Out of curiosity, did the previous iPhones not use standard e•MMC modules? I mean, heck, considering the observed performance of 20-22 MB/s, they could have used a 50 MHz, 4-bit SDIO or 26 MHz, SDR e•MMC interface. Clearly they weren't building a custom NAND controller into the SoC.
  
  Although it is doubtful that the iPhone 5 is using the new e•MMC 4.5 modules or ONFI 3.0 / Toggle 2.0 flash, e•MMC 4.41 modules capable of managing 45/20 MB/s have been out for a while now.
  
  Also, I read somewhere that the new embedded flash controllers could partition the storage space such that an area could be designated as system space and treated as SLC to speed up boot times and application loading, while the rest of the NAND could be addressed as MLC or TLC to maximize the area available for user storage. Does the iPhone leverage such tricks? And as more phones do, how is NAND performance going to be tested? At the moment, is it merely a test of sequential reads from the area designated for user storage?

• peter123 - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  Nice podcast but I'm disapointed for such small talk about the motorola razr i. ALso don't forget next podcast to talk about the Texas Instruments drop out of smartphones SoC, implications of OMAP5 etc :)

• Kevin G - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  Good job covering the iPhone 5, a bit of Haswell and Borderlands 2.
  
  The USB thing is kinda odd as not all systems will put the USB port 'up'. I recall seeing a laptop which placed them upside down to shave a bit of vertical space (though I can't remember which one...). Also not all USB ports are parallel with the motherboard, some are perpendicular. Not all USB cords have the proper USB icon on the upside either (those simply omit the visual cue altogether).
  
  Good to hear a real prediction out of the group: Apple will either go all x86 or all ARM in a few years and merge iOS and OS X. Makes sense and Apple realistically could go either way depending on where things are in the market and what is left on the roadmaps (manufacturing processes 4 years out will look rather barren afterwards as they're approaching atomic level). If Intel is the only one with a clear plan on that level, Apple may go with pure x86 on the idea that it'd be the only player with a road map. Then again, Apple could just whip out the checkbook and pay Intel for manufacturing Apple's own in-house designs. At this moment Apple and Intel are content to indirectly battle each other in the mobile market with Intel now giving active support to hardware designers to help protect the x86 laptop turf. Intel at this point doesn't have to win the majority of the mobile market as long as they can continue to demonstrate a clear manufacturing process advantage over the long term.
  
  Too bad the Kindle Fire stuff has been buried over the past couple of podcasts. Probably will be thoroughly forgotten with Trinity impressions cropping up on next week's podcast. :)

• Death666Angel - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link

  I've personally never met a "wrong" USB port and the cables I use usually have the USB icon and in the right place. Those that don't, a quick glance at the front and I know which way to put them. The only times I've seen perpendicular USB ports was on a USB hub of mine. :-) Guess I'm just lucky. :D

• Peanutsrevenge - Thursday, September 27, 2012 - link

  I'm with Ian here, the Physx really is amazing.
  
  I can't really run it with smooth fps due to running a core 2 system, but when I have it on or play on mates Ivy/680 system it's awesome, like, OMG, if I wouldn't die before I was able to afford it, I'd probably fast for a year so I could upgrade system finally just for the Physx effects.
  
  Would love to see a 4 player coop with full Physx and see what mess is made with the rocks and elemental effecrts flying around.
  
  BTW Anand. Brian and everyone else, BL2 is the same as BL just updated with new areas and a continued story. If you liked the first, you'll like the second.
  
  And thanks for taking the time for another Podcast guys, keep it up (I don't mind you not playing BL2 if it means I get podcasts weekly ;) ).