Benchmarks for New PC & SSD

So I bench-marked my computer today, and here are the results...

PerformanceTest 8 x64

Here is a comparison of my old platter HDD, to the SSD.  I have been using it as my OS drive for a month now, and I would recommend spending the extra money! For me, the difference was night and day.

New PNY XLR8 SSD - 240GB

OLD HDD - Segate 1tb

From: www.buildcomputers.net

The numbers that will matter to most people are the ones in the "Seq" and "4K" row.

Seq is short for sequential (read/write speeds), and 4K refers to random (read/write speeds).

Sequential read/write - measures the speed of your hard drive when it comes to the transfer of large files (e.g. installing programs, copying videos, programs, photo albums or music libraries from one hard drive to another). High sequential read speeds will also shorten the loading time for large programs such as modern computer games and video editing software. -

New PC - FPS Testing

FPS Benchmarks shown here are an average taken over 30min of continuous game play using Fraps v3.5.99

Game Specs:


All games were played at 1920x1080
All settings set on High or Ultra
Anti-alising:  ON
Ambient Occlusion: ON

System Specs:

Motherboard:	Asus CROSSHAIR V FORMULA-Z
Processor:	AMD FX-9370 @ 4.42 GHz
Video Card:	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760
Ram:	Vengeance® Pro Series — 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 DRAM 1866MHz
OS:	Windows 8.1 Pro

Built myself a new computer this year.

I went with AMD for the 8-Core FX-9x Series processor.

Most people know that Intel series chips are better for gaming.  This is TRUE, but I wanted a better "overall" machine that could do video editing, encoding as well as gaming.  Preferably all at the same time.

My old machine was built with an Asus mobo and an 1st gen AMD Phenom processor.  It was really showing it's age.  I could barely play World of Warcraft at Medium Settings.

Trying to encode a H264 .mp4 Blu-Ray Movie would take between 14 - 18 hours.

Now, with the new machine, I can rip them in about 1.5 - 2 hours.  AWSOME!

40 Secret iPhone Features & Shortcuts

I know this is just a web link, but my wife found this web site and
forwarded it to me. I just had to share it on my Blog. I will be
honest... There are a few things I didn't even know on this list.

Enjoy


http://iphone.appstorm.net/roundups/developer/40-secret-iphone-features-and-shortcuts/

iTunes 11.01 - Now Available With Duplication Song Detection

A minor update for the recently released iTunes 11 has been made available.

Along with providing a couple of important fixes, such as patching a bug issue where new purchases in iCloud may not appear in your library if iTunes Match is turned on, it also makes iTunes more responsive when searching a large library.

11.01 also fixes a problem where the AirPlay button may not appear as expected, and it brings back a familiar feature that had previously been missing from the initial release; duplication detection.

As many of you iOS users may already know, the overhauled iTunes 11 was released on November 29, bringing a fresh look, a revamped user interface, and tighter iCloud integration but it had its fair share of issues. Apple is looking to fix what it can with the recent update.

The release notes of the recent update can be found below:

• Addresses an issue where new purchases in iCloud may not appear in your library if iTunes Match is turned on.

• Makes iTunes more responsive when searching a large library.

• Fixes a problem where the AirPlay button may not appear as expected.

• Adds the ability to display duplicate items within your library.

• Important stability and performance improvements

Download Links

iTunes for Mac OS X - (84.72mb):

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

iTunes for Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8:

http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes11/041-8974.20121213.Vgt69/iTunesSetup.exe

iTunes 11.01 for Windows (64-bit) - (84.83mb):

http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes11/041-8975.20121213.54tO7y/iTunes64Setup.exe

How to install cIOS’s on your Wii 3 different Ways

d2x cIOS has been updated to v8 final. The d2x cIOS is an enhanced version of the cIOSX rev21 by Waninkoko. See below for full changelog and installation instructions.

How to install cIOS's on your Wii 3 different Ways.

You can install d2x cIOS through Multi-Mod-Manager v13.4,ModMii or d2x-cios-installer. I prefer & used MMM (Multi-Mod-Manager) to install cIOS's on my soft modded Wii.

Other people will claim that the easiest way is to use the d2x-cIOS-installer. It installs the cIOS directly, so a WAD Manager is not needed. The installer uses the IOS bases from SD/USB or download them using the Wii internet connection directly.

ModMii is really good too, but you need Windows to use it. Once you have the wad you can install them with a WAD Manager.

Download Wad pack for d2x cIOS v8 final: d2x v8 Final.zip

Wad Pack for d2x cIOS v8 Final Includes the following wads:

• cIOS245[37]-d2x-v8-final.wad
• cIOS246[38]-d2x-v8-final.wad
• cIOS247[53]-d2x-v8-final.wad
• cIOS248[55]-d2x-v8-final.wad
• cIOS249[56]-d2x-v8-final.wad
• cIOS250[57]-d2x-v8-final.wad
• cIOS251[58]-d2x-v8-final.wad

d2x v8 Final Changelog

• Enhanced stealth mode to prevent cios detection.
• Added ioctl command to enable/disable stealth mode when a game is not running. Stealth mode is enabled by default.
• IOS reload block is now enabled by default.
• Fixed IOS reload block failure when the original IOS required by the game is not installed. It works for real and emu nand.
• Fixed return to channel failure when the system menu is not installed on emu nand.
• Fixed missing cache flush when removing error 002 after IOS reload block. Now syscall kernel_set_version is used instead.
• Added direct access to syscalls. This allows you to invoke a syscall from inside another syscall.
• Added support for paths starting with '#' which are used to open files on real nand even if nand emu is on. Also, access to these paths is protected by stealth mode.
• FAT files are now opened through relative path to fix issue 16. Now Disney Universe and all the games using long paths work properly in nand emulation.
• Disabled file sharing control in FAT module to overcome a stupid issue made by developers in The Beatles Rock Band. See issue 11.
• Fixed black screen in partial emulation when starting a game never launched before on real nand. See issue 14.
• Added support for virtual sector size on WBFS drives to bypass the 500 game limit (thanks fig2k4). The optimal sector size is 4KB, that allows up to 4084 games. Note that this feature is useful only for the loaders that don't use the fraglist for WBFS partitions, for example NeoGamma, WiiFlow and CFG.
• AHBPROT is now really enabled.
• USB Gecko functions completely rewritten. Now it's really plug&play and the cios works even when debug mode is enabled and USB Gecko is connected only to the Wii (tnx to mini source).
• Removed the unused method 1 for IOS reload block.
• Minor changes and code clean up.

HOW TO INSTALL IT?

You can install d2x cIOS through Multi-Mod-Manager v13.4, ModMii or d2x-cios-installer.

Multi-Mod-Manager v13.4:

Download MMM v13.4 HERE

*** This is my preferred way to install cIOS files. I think it's the easiest way to install .wad files ***

• Once you download the zip file, put the folder labeled "MMM" in to your "apps" folder on your SD Card. (EX: SD:/apps/MMM)

• Put the .wad files you downloaded from "Wad Pack for d2x cIOS v8 Final" above and put them in the "wad" folder on your SD card. If you don't already have a wad labeled folder, then just create a new folder on your SD card labeled "wad". (EX: SD:/wad)

• Now open up the Homebrew Channel on your Wii and Launch MMM v13.4

• First go to the menu "Remove Stubbed IOSs". Then Select Option 1 "Remove stub IOS 222,223,249,250,254." Thiswill remove any bad or "broken aka stubbed" IOSs.

• Now back on the main menu, (press the "B" button on yourWii remote to get there) select "WAD Manager" this will look inside the "SD:/wad" directory for .wad files we talked about earlier.

• From here, just select the WAD you want to install, hit A on your Wii Remote, and then hit A again to install the .wad.

• Here you are looking to install "cIOS249[56]-d2x-v8-final.wad" to play your backup games.

• Once installed, Hit B and get back to the main menu. Go all the way gown to the last option labeled "Load another IOS". Hit A , and select 249.

That's it for installing cIOS249 via MMM.

ModMii:

Download ModMii HERE

• Download and install ModMii v4.8.1 or higher on your PC.

• From ModMii's Main Menu, enter "4", then "beta"

• Select the d2x beta you want to build

• Mark some or all d2x cIOSs for download (i.e. "d2x")

• Enter "D" then "Y" to build d2x beta cIOSs\WADs

• Install cIOSs using a WAD Manager - i.e.WiiMod\MMM\YAWMM (available on ModMii'sDownload Page 2)

d2x-cios-installer:

Download d2x-cios-installer HERE

• Extract it into the apps folder of your SD card or USBdevice

• Extract d2x-v8-final.zip on your SD card or USB deviceinto the folder /apps/d2x-cios-installer.

• NOTE: This will overwrite the file /apps/d2x-cios-installer/ciosmaps.xml possibly present in that folder. You might want to rename it before extracting the d2x package.

• Launch the Homebrew Channel, start the installer and follow the instructions on the screen

Wii - How to Play Back-up Games

GOAL: Play back-up Wii games

Requirements:

1. A hacked Wii (Here is the guide on how to hack your Wii on 4.3 - http://bit.ly/qevcj3)
2. A Flash Drive/Jump Drive or a SD card
3. An Internet connection to download files. *Internet not needed on the Wii*

When Modded correctly, the Wii can play a Backup Game as a .wdfs file or it can play an .ISO File. (*.ISO is a Full Disk Image)

To do this, you will need to install cIOS249. To do that, you need to install .wad files to your soft modded Wii.

Think of .wad files like drivers for your PC. When you install a new device on your PC, Windows will need to install drivers for the hardware to work properly.

.wad files are like drivers for your Homebrew apps on the Wii. For some software to work, you will need drivers.

(Part I will have all the download links for all the programs you will need to play Back-up Games)

(Part II will be instructions on how to install new cIOS files which is a requirement to play Back-Up Games. This guide was written so you can do this while the Wii has no Internet connection. (But will work with WiFi Internet as well.)

Part I: Downloading The Files

*** DOWNLOAD - This is my own custom pack.  It is ready to un-rar and put on an SD card.  Instructions are also included in the RAR. 

This pack includes 

1. "Multi-Mod-Manager v13.4" aka "MMM"
2. USB Loader GX v3.0, 
3. dx v8 FINAL Wad Pack (for offline wii wad installation)
4. USB Loader GX v3.0

ALSO, MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING 2 FILES AS WELL...

1): CFG aka Configurable USB Loader v70

http://code.google.com/p/cfg-loader/downloads/detail?name=Cfg_USB_Loader_70.zip

2:) Wii Backup Manager (For the PC)

http://www.logic-sunrise.com/forums/files/download/4552-wii-backup-manager-v045-build-78/

Once all 3 files are downloaded, put the MMM folder, USB Loader GX & the Configurable USB Loader in your app folder on your HDD or your SD. (EX: SD:/apps/MMM)

Then if you don't already have a wad labeled folder, create one labeled wad.

Drop your .wad files downloaded from the "dx v8 FINAL Wad Pack" into the wad folder. (EX: SD:/wad)

Put the SD/jump Drive in your wii and open up the Homebrew Channel.

Part II: Installing cIOS249

Here is a breakdown of MMM Main Menu Features:

• APP Manager: to easily launch homebrew from SD card.

• IOS Manager: to Check / Install / Delete / Patch / Dop IOS or Custom IOS.

• WAD Manager: with faster batch operations and safety measures.

• Manage Priiloader: Hacks and switch to it or Wii System Menu.

• Manage System Menu: Install Wii System Menu v4.x from Nintendo servers.

• Manage Wii Channels: Install Wii Channels from Nintendo servers.

• Install & Patch IOS36: to enable homebrew ( express 1-click TBR - Turcha Bug Restorer ).

• Remove stub IOS: Removes stubbed or unused Korean IOS.

• Display boot2: Displays boot2 version and information.

• Display Wii system settings and more...

• Reload to any IOS via a easy to use selection menu.

• Configurable by editing "sd:/mmmconfig.txt" file.

• Real-time on-screen status and detail reports on all operations.

• Clear and easy-to-understand user interface to a powerful tool.

• Stable, compact and loadable from HBC, bannerbomb or as a channel.

So now that you know what to expect, launch MMM v13.4 and first go to the menu "Remove Stubbed IOSs". Then Select Option 1 "Remove stub IOS 222,223,249,250,254."

That will remove any bad or "broken aka stubbed" IOSs.

Now back on the main menu, (press the "B" button on your wii remote to get there) select "WAD Manager" this will look inside the "SD:/wad" directory for .wad files we talked about earlier.

From here, just select the WAD you want to install, hit A on your Wii Remote, and then hit A again to install the .wad.

Here you are looking to install "cIOS249[56]-d2x-v8-final.wad" to play your backup games.

Once installed, Hit B and get back to the main menu. Go all the way gown to the last option labeled "Load another IOS". Hit A , and select 249.

That's it for installing cIOS249.

Part III: USB, SD & HDD Gameplay from Backups

Now you can use "Configurable USB Loader v70" or "USB Loader GX v3.0)" to load your .wdfs games off your HDD, SD or your Flash Drive.

Q: How to make an .iso file into a .wdfs file?

A: Use "Wii Backup Manager" on your PC and rip the .iso file to a .WDFS File. This will work on a FAT 32 HDD or a FAT 32 Jumpdrive, a FAT 32 SD Card as well as a NTFS HDD. This program will put the .WDFS game inside a folder of your device labeled wdfs. (EX: SD:/wdfs/"name of the game folder"/xxx.wdfs)

Wii Backup Manager Basic Usage:

1. Select the "Drive 1" Tab
2. Click "Drive" Menu, and select your drive
3. Select the "Files" tab
4. Click "add" and select "Files...". Select your ISO, CISOs, RARs, .wbfs in the dialog
5. In the files list, tick all the items you want to transfer to the WBFS drive.
6. Click "Transfer" and select "Drive 1"

Also, a big plus is if you want to back-up your OWN games, you can create a .wbfs file from any game disk YOU OWN using Configurable USB Loader v70 or USB Loader GX v3.0.

Have fun & keep it Legal!

iOS 6.0.1 is NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

Apple just released iOS 6.0.1. The software update has hit Apple's servers (which means no more upgrading to iOS 6.0); iOS 6.0.1 is a bug fix release, which improves reliability of the iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5th gen on WiFi networks with WPA2 encryption, fixes the widely-reported issue of horizontal lines showing up on the software keyboard, and improves the behavior of the Camera flash.

iOS 6.0.1 changelog

• Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air

• Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard

• Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off

• Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2 Wi-Fi networks

• Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances

• Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match

• Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock screen

• Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings

For over-the-air updates, iPhone 5 users will have to install an iOS Updater utility first, which requires a full reboot of the device before installing iOS 6.0.1. After the restart, the Software Update panel in settings will allow you to download iOS 6.0.1.

Download Links

iPad 2nd Gen

iPad2 - 2,1 (WiFi) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPad2 - 2,2 (GSM) or (AT&T) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPad2 - 2,3 (CDMA) or (Verizon) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPad2 - 2,4 (New WiFi) = 6.0.1 (10A523)

iPad 3nd Gen

iPad3 - 3,1 (WiFi) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPad3 - 3,2 (GSM) aka (AT&T) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPad3 - 3,3 (CDMA) aka (Verizon) = 6.0.1 (10A523)

iPad 4th Gen

iPad 4 - 3,4 = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPad MiNi - 2,5 (WiFi) = 6.0.1 (10A523)

iPhone

iPhone 3GS - 2,1 = 6.0.1 (10A523
iPhone 4 - 3,1 (GSM) aka (AT&T) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPhone 4 - 3,3 (CDMA) aka (Verizon) = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPhone 4S - 4,1 = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPhone 5 - 5,1 (GSM) = 6.0.1 (10A525)
iPhone 5 - 5,2 (CDMA) = 6.0.1 (10A525)

iPod

iPodtouch 4G - 4,1 = 6.0.1 (10A523)
iPodtouch 5G - 5,1 = 6.0.1 (10A523)