2021 07 07                                  FORTE WORKS!

The new computer, Forte, is working, and it's pretty powerful. In the CineBench R23 test it beats everything except the Threadripper 2990WX, the AMD 32 core 64 thread predecessor. The 16 core 32 thread Ryzen 9 5950X in Forte scores 25076, where the Threadripper's CineBench score is listed as 30054. Forte also scores just ahead of Intel's Xeon W-3265M, with its 24 cores and 48 threads.

CineBench content creation application

Just as important, Forte does this in a walk. The maximum CPU temperature reported by HWMonitor is 65 C, and it mostly runs about 60 to 62. The CPU can easily handle 80, even 90. It's loafing! The huge Dark Rock Pro 4 air cooler is cool to the touch, barely warmer than the case. According to HWMonitor the CPU "package" is consuming (and therefore dissipating) about 125 watts, while the cores themselves are burning about 105 watts of that, each core about 6.5 watts.

The Forte CPU is unlocked, meaning that it can be overclocked. However, as far as I know it isn't overclocked. I tried manually overclocking it slightly, but the CineBench performance got worse, so it's back to "reset" values. Nominally that's 3400 MHz, though HWMonitor does seem to show that the individual core clocks run from 3800 MHz all the way up to 5040 MHz on occasion during the CineBench test, and I don't know why it's doing that. Another CPU test program is HeavyLoad, and during a HeavyLoad test the clocks run a little over 4000. Clearly, I have something to learn yet about overclocking the Ryzen 9 5950X on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero motherboard.

Missing a fan in he upper left of the
photo. Note the HUGEness of the "be
quiet" air cooler. The memory modules
almost disappear beneath it.

In the meantime, the computer isn't quite complete. There are two red LEDs on the top front of the case that blink continually, as if the case thinks that the computer inside is asleep, though it's wide awake and working hard. There's also an empty two-pin header on the motherboard called PLED that might be related, and I suspect that there's a two-pin connector from the case buried somewhere that still needs to be connected. If that exists, I haven't found it yet. It's a mystery.

By the way, Forte really is quiet. Even when the package is dissipating 127 watts or so, and the fans are keeping the CPU temp down to 60-62 degrees, the fans are inaudible with all of the skins off the case. I admit to being somewhat hard of hearing, but I have pretty good hearing aids and this computer is QUIET!

                                                     NewEgg Shipping

Today is July 9.

There's a fan missing. On Thursday, July 1, I ordered two Phanteks 140mm LED case fans from NewEgg, one red, one orange (in case they couldn't scrounge up a red one). According to NewEgg those were shipped by NewEgg, one from Fontana CA on July 1, and the other from Indianapolis IN on July 2. One of them stopped briefly in Stillwater, MN (where I live), and then proceeded to the US Postal Service in Brooklyn Park MN, not to be seen since. The other went directly to Brooklyn Park where it too disappeared. Both were shipped by the UPS "Mail Innovations" service, which UPS describes as follows: "Mail Innovations is not a day definite service."

Well I guess not! According to UPS one of those fans has an estimated delivery of Tuesday, July 06 by 7:00 PM, and the other Wednesday, July 07 by 7:00 PM. Today is Friday, July 09, all day. No fans yet.

One could argue that a delay should be expected because of the intervening Fourth of July weekend. OK, that sounds reasonable, except that the Fourth of July was not a surprise this year. In fact it happens every year on or about July 4. It's actually possible to plan for it, and even predict an accurate delivery date despite the interference of the July 4 festivities. 

Note that it's expedited. Certainly glad it's not
just a normal shipment

I'm totally underwhelmed by the service of NewEgg, UPS, and USPS. In fact, in the meantime, I ordered a different fan from Amazon (for a different computer) on Tuesday, July 6, and received it the morning of Thursday, July 8. Excellent.

The USPS seems to be going downhill fast. Letters within the metro area here, once dependably prompt, now take an indeterminate number of days. The same is true of packages. But NewEgg and UPS know this and persist in using a delivery service which is not "day definite" and not even reasonably prompt. The only solution I have for this is to avoid NewEgg whenever possible. In fact it would have been possible in this case, and if I had done it my computer would be complete and I could button it up. Grrrr.

                                                              UPDATE  Saturday, July 10, 2021

UPS Tracking now says that one of the fans is out for delivery today, only 9 days after the order. No time specified. Nothing on the other fan - apparently it hasn't been in detention long enough yet. I'll post here when either of them arrives.

OK the first fan did arrive today at about 3:45 pm, only 9 days after the order. It's installed.