Alright, the new ATI Catalyst 7.11 drivers were released a few days ago. I was very hopeful that it would address my inconsistent Crossfire problems. Out of the box, I was really disappoint. Not much improvements, and Crossfire was still very incosistent. I re-opened my ATI support ticket in this issue and was given a thorough reinstallation of the ATI Catalyst drivers. Fine. It was reasonable and sensible, so I gave it a try.

But looking at support ticket 737-1695, it seemed inadequate that ATI only instructed me to remove some registry entries. Thankfully, Driver Cleaner Pro has always been there to do the job. I uninstalled Catalyst and combined the cleaning power of Driver Cleaner Pro and ATI’s instructions.

So far so good. Crossfire has been consistent, except when my system would encounter crashes in some programs, but only a re-activation of Crossfire were sufficient. I am still uncertain of the stability of Crossfire for now–not only if it enables or not, but also because of the games that need Crossfire.

Now that I’ve got Crossfire when I need it, I can’t get Crossfire where I need it! I currently have eight games installed on my system: Rainbow Six: Vegas, Brothers-in-Arms: Earned in Blood, Call of Duty 4 Demo, The Sims 2 Bon Voyage, Crysis Demo, GRAW 2, Medal of Honor: Airborne and Far Cry.  And the saddest thing about Crossfire is that it only works for two games: GRAW 2 and Medal of Honor. All the other games would simply refuse to run! Brothers in Arms gives me a general protection fault, resolved only by disabling Crossfire; Crysis, Rainbow Six and would simply crash upon running; The Sims 2 crashes in mid-game; Call of Duty would make my computer freeze when loading and Far Cry runs, but in Artifact Island.

It’s extremely frustrating me that Crossfire is not working properly, despite the good number of years ATI has had Crossfire. I know it’s a complex technology, but that doesn’t give ATI a reason to not make it work, especially since they are promoting it and even “dedicated” Catalyst 7.10 to Crossfire! What frustrates me further is that I have a good Crossfire-capable set-up. My motherboard and RAM are Crossfire certified, my video cards are Crossfire ready and my PSU can handle my system with 550 watts. I have an AMD motherboard, AMD processor, and AMD video cards and all of them are much more than capable of Crossfire. I really don’t understand why it seems like it’s only me with these problems. I’ve been Googling for similar cases, but results are only isolated to particular games, not 6 out of 8 games on a Crossfire-capable system!

First, I buy a pair of HD2600XTs hoping for software Crossfire with Catalyst 7.10. But nay! ATI sends my dad and I to a wild goose chase. And now I have hardware Crossfire, Crossfire won’t even work with my games! It’s so ironic that Brothers-in-Arms won’t work with Crossfire, while Brothers-in-Arms is advertised and promoted by ATI as a game that is meant to be played with Crossfire.

What makes me sad is the fact that I am now questioning whether the bragging rights and performance gains are all worth it after facing the problems that ATI is making me go through. If only I knew it was this complicated, then I would’ve settled with a humble X1950 Pro. With the way things are looking, I can just sell my HD2600XTs, save a little more money and get an HD3750. No, I’m not after the latest in cutting edge, but I just want a good deal.

The problem, however, is that the HD2600XTs are a really meaningful and sentimental pair for me. The HD2600s are a product of MONTHS (yes, months!) of watching the market, watching the industry, watching the prices–both local and foreign–and losing sleep over research and comparisons. I’m a gamer with a modest budget, so don’t blame me for doing my homework. Add to that the time I spent with my father during the weeks we were preparing two Mac Books at home, which was also the week I decided to buy video cards, and the hours we spent in Pantip Plaza for those damned Crossfire Bridges. Throughout those weeks, my relationship with my dad strengthened and he was also the one that helped me fund the HD2600XTs and look for the Bridges. I’ve associated the video cards with our frustrations, hopes, persistence, hard work and camaraderie.

In the end, the problems I am experiencing with my HD2600s are purely technical, and hopefully will be given a technical answer. In as much as I want out of the hassle and frustration in making Crossfire work, and selling them for a good buck to get an HD3750 instead is very tempting, such decision entirely misses what those HD2600XTs mean to me. It’s so much more than the mid-range-cards-that-will-never-be-as-good-in-Crossfire-as-the-8800-GTS. It’s the mid-range-card that I worked my ass off for. I’m not letting them go that easy. I’m not giving up without a fight.

This post is long overdue, and I have a good reason for it. Since I mentioned Crossfire in my Crysis demo entry, might as well clear up the Crossfire issue here.

My father and I were able to purchase Crossfire Bridges when we went to Bangkok a few weeks ago. Technically, Crossfire works, but not very well. Whenever I run a 3D application, Crossfire does not seem to work. I only get single-card performance. However, Crossfire consistently works with 3DMark 2006. This seemingly makes ATI interested only in making good synthetic benchmarks, and nothing real world.

I’ve tried reinstalling drivers–both clean and “dirty”–but it only gives a short-term solution. After reinstallation, Crossfire works with all the 3D games I run, but that is only as good as the next restart. When I restart, Crossfire no longer works except for 3DMark. This also happens whenever I minimize a 3D application. The next time I return the the game, I go back to single-card performance.

This inconsistencies are the reason why I haven’t posted benchmarks. When I post benchmarks, I want the results consistent, reproducible and verifiable. Since 3DMark is the only consistent, reproducible and verifiable benchmark as of now, here it is:  

It’s a very impressive performance gain! I was also able to test Crossfire with a few games after reinstalling drivers. The results were consistent and reproducible. It is a pleasure to say that my gaming performance, to say the least, has doubled. Frame rates in GRAW 2 and MOH:A and my 3DMark score at least doubled.

I raised my problems to ATI support, and thankfully, I did not have to deal with Richard C. again. The support representative pointed me to ticket 737-29980 which is a driver bug. The representative said that it is possible that the bug affects hardware Crossfire also. Like the rest of the ATI HD users, I am also waiting for the new Catalyst 7.11 drivers. ATI has overshot their monthly release cycle. Hopefully they will arrive soon to resolve this issue.

I know I’m a little bit late, but Crysis hasn’t hit Philippine shores right now and Gamespot screw me twice over the Crysis demo. After downloading the 1.8GB demo for the third time, it’s finally done and got it installed.

Only one word can describe my Crysis demo experience:

WOW.

When Far Cry was released, it was the PC Killer App, an application that taxes your system so hard that it justifies your next big upgrade. Three years later, Crytek gave birth to Crysis. And I wasn’t suprised that Crysis, Far Cry’s bigger brother, is the new Killer App.

The graphics were amazing and audio was solid. The way lighting, shading and shadows were implemented makes Crysis the best-looking game ever released. I was pleasantly surprised when I experienced a relatively good performance by my system. I only have an HD2600XT–not the strongest card out there, but it plays well. With all visuals set to Medium, frame rates played between 20-30 FPS (using FRAPS), and that’s in the outdoor jungle already, complete with the animals and foliage shadows. When I reached the “First Light” area, I experimented with my display settings once again. What surprised me even more was that even with the graphics set to High, frame rates only suffered minimal decrease and there are even times when frame rates are higher than settings on Medium! The only settings that I left on Medium was the shader quality and shadows. I noticed that shading and shadows impact performance the most. I am very optimistic about my system’s performance because I am getting those frame rates with Crossfire disabled.

There game added a new mechanic for game play, as well. The powers of the nano suit are a really nice addition to the game. You can choose between a male or female nano suit voice, and the female voice is just sexy. “Maximum armor.” “Maximum speed.” “Maximum strength.”

One of my main complaints is that, like in Far Cry, weapons in Crysis are underpowered. Here you are, an elite soldier with a Sci-Fi nano suit, but your rifle takes 3/4 to one whole clip to eliminate a Korean soldier at medium range. They can’t be that tough.

The story is old as well. A group of scientists find something in a secluded island that will “change the future of the planet”. North Koreans then invade the island and capture the scientists. But no! The story doesn’t end there. A fourth party comes into play. Aliens take over the island and you are left to watch after your own back. What I liked, however about the alien aspect of the game is that it gives an eerie resemblance to Lost. The roaring of the aliens resonate in the jungle, trees shake violently and humans die a grotesque death that no other mortal has witnessed. Feels like Lost with Jack Shepherd clad in a high-tech nano-suit and a weak automatic rifle.

My only apprehension with Crysis comes with a confession. I am easily scared when it comes to gaming and I don’t like suspense and graphic monster. I’ve owned Far Cry for more than a year, but I’m stuck in the Archives level. It’s filled with Trigens and Trigens scare me. They’re fast, they’re bad and they’re ugly. Two hit kills and there’s no point in running. Combine that with the dark and scary lighting of Far Cry, you got me spooked. So I am really hoping that Crysis is not as scary.

Too bad I only have the demo. I am really curious to find out how the rest of the game plays out. If only Crysis were not as scary as Far Cry, it is definitely on my Christmas shopping list.

Just finished folding my first protein for the Folding@Home project. Cheers!

Finishing the protein is just half of the celebration. What really drove me to write this short blurb is the realization that it took me two and a half days to simulate a process that only occurs within one-millionth (10^-6) of a second.

Despite the speedy advancements in technology, there is still a limit to what technology can process and comprehend. The human body is such a mystery and as each day goes by, scientists around the world work towards understanding the human body because there can only be so much to learn.

It’s amazing, if you think about it, that the human body is so complex that we know more about computers and technology than ourselves. They said the same thing about the deep sea: we know much more about outer space than the pitch black ocean. It’s so possible.

It goes without arguing that the most powerful processor in the world is the human brain. It is eons ahead of our latest Penyrn and Phenom cores. No amount of electrical and computer engineering can beat the biological engineering of the body–engineering that has been going on for millions, billions and trillions of years.

Keep those proteins folding and save more beer for more proteins!

Let’s see what Dr. Vijay Pande and his elves at Stanford will let me fold next.

I found a string quartet version of Rush’s YYZ, and I decided to give a shot at laying a drum track on top of it. It’s been a very long time since I last sat with my drum kit so I’m very rusty so expect to find some mistakes here and there. Blame college for that.

Here’s a description excerpt from the Music page of my Multiply:

This is my interpretation of a string quartet version of Rush’s YYZ. I tried to balance a progressive rock feel, and the harmony and musicality of a string quartet.

I “cheated” on a lot of the fills in the song because I’m not really friends with 32nd note single strokes. Aside from that, I’m not Neil Peart and I can hardly reflect his 30+ years of playing.

Didn’t really enjoy recording this one as it was fairly technical and difficult. Took me around 32 takes including technical difficulties and frustrating mistakes. I’m not sure if it’s my off-time playing, but I swear, the string quartet’s tempo is off.

Check the track out here.

Comment, suggestions, constructive criticisms are welcome! I’m an amateur in the studio, so if you have any studio tips and pointers to help me make my recordings more pristine, then feel free to comment.

Equipment list:

1. Yamaha EMX860ST mixer
2. Samson 7-piece drum kit microphones
3. Derby balanced microphone cables
4. Creative Audigy 4 sound card

I’ve been thinking of getting an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card or a Delta 1010 for recording, but they’re expensive and not really a priority. We’ll see. What do you think?

Enjoy!

Then in that case, Crossfire Bridges almost left the face of the world.

Spent a four-day weekend in Bangkok with my family, and on top of the touring and sight-seeing, my dad and I ventured to Pantip Plaza during the first three days. Pantip Plaza was only two blocks away from our hotel. We painstakingly scoured the five stories of shops in search of the elusive Crossfire Bridges.

Pantip Plaza is not as hyped-up as they say it is. Well, at least not to the hardcore enthusiast. For the normal consumer, everything is there. There are shops dedicated to printers, inks, notebooks, spare cables, consoles, cameras, desktops… the list can go on. But if you’re an enthusiast, looking for something special, then get ready for a hair-pulling adventure.

Back from Thailand, and there are some things to write about, but I’ll get on the details another time.

For now, got some spare CPU cycles? Join the Folding@Home project! Folding@Home is a project by Stanford University to investigate protein synthesis, folding and misfolding. The discoveries of new correctly folded proteins can lead us to cures and vaccines for cancer, for example. And misfolded proteins cause diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Mad Cow. As a biologist in training, I am also excited to help out and contribute to the scientific and medical community.

Join team DL.TV by entering 57391 as your team. There are thousands of members and there is always room for more. I am not affiliated with DL.TV, but I am just a fan of their work.

Here are useful tips and instructions to help you get folding started.

 Happy folding!

My family and I will be off to Bangkok, Thailand for the long weeked. It was relatively unscheduled, and spontaneous, but it’s fine. Just fine. I don’t mind going to Bangkok because I’m bored stiff at home, but I also don’t want to go anywhere because of the recent surgical extraction of my impacted wisdom teeth. Recovery is making me terribly sore, impatient and pissy; the antibiotics is making me feel fatigued as a side-effect; and the swelling doesn’t let me open my mouth to eat anything larger than a teaspoon or harder than a pancake. Bangkok is a place of exotic food and a variety of flavor. Sadly, I’ll be passing first. Not my fault. I’ll have to stick to my gello and rice porridge diet.

Personally, though I’ll be looking forward to visiting the Pantip Plaza, Bangkok’s IT and computer commercial hub… and it’s 300 meters away from our hotel! Testimonials online say that if what you’re looking for isn’t in Pantip Plaza, then it doesn’t exist. We will see about that. My primary objective in Pantip Plaza is to purchase a pair of ATI Crossfire Bridges. They’re painfully difficult to find in Manila and my Crossfire set-up is long overdue. My secondary objectives are a new CPU heatsink and fan and charger for my Creative Zen Vision: M.

As for my CPU HSF, I have a few options. In no particular order:

1. Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
2. Thermalright Ultra-120
3. 3RSystem Iceage 120
4. Gigabyte 3D Rocket II
5. Zalman CNPS 9500
6. Zalman CNPS 9700

What do you think? Have some feedback or insight? Feel free to comment! These are all within budget and hopefully you can help me find the best choice.

Wish my family and I safety and I hope we have fun. For now, stay tuned!

Keep on reverse-engineering those Cross-Coms and keep them activated!

Ghost Operator Perez signing out.

 

Alright, my mom and I bought a brank new Epson Stylus CX7300 printer to replace our old HP C90. The C90 was a good printer, but the ink cartridges cost an arm and a leg. The CX7300 is pricey at the beginning at ~P7,500 (~US$163), but in the long run, cartridges are more affordable and efficient. Colors can be replaced individually, as opposed to the C90 which needs all its colors replaced simultaneously and all four (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) together are even cheaper than the CMY and B of a C90. On top of the that, the CX7300 is a printer, scanner and photocopier with Pict-Bridge and SD support. The technology of the CX7300 is new to me, so it has some very slight learning curve with all the features. A good and thorough read of the documentation won’t hurt.

To the people in the household, using the printer would be as easy as plugging the USB connector in, and click “print”. But someone has to do the dirty work to network everything together into one seamless symphony of wireless convergence…

Bleh!

In a related post, around 500 3DMarks were missing before and after reinstalling my Windows system. That’s a lot of points for an unknown cause. Thankfully, it’s no longer unknown. When I flashed my motherboard’s BIOS to update it, all my overclocking settings went to default. So I set my FSB and RAM clocks and timings to my previous configuration. Turns out that I missed the HyperTransport Link clock to default brought it down to 200Mhz. I set it back to 1Ghz and I got my 500 3DMarks back!

This benchmark is pretty much final. This is a single HD2600XT benchmark.

System configuration:

1. AMD Athlon64 X2 5600+ @ 3.02GHz
2. 2GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 @ 860Mhz
3. HEC 550W power supply
4. Creative Audigy 4
5. Seagate 320GB 7.200RPM SATA

Good thing I didn’t trust Tom’s Hardware Guide’s GPU charts when I bought my HD2600s. I knew they were badly dated.