Saw this over on JC's BBS (thanks to domf):
heise.de
c't article on TBird w/benchmark table. Ugh. There is a "translationish" below using AltaVista which didn't want to do the whole page -- is there a better choice? Will read the gibberish after I post it.
EDIT: While I was playing with AltaVista JC picked up on the post also and provides an alternate URL (englishish) as translator.go.com
PT
AMDs thunder bird starts
The Athlon successor ' Thunderbird ' in the test
Which for a duel! In the summer 1999 the Athlon came out, and for the first time Underdog AMD had the nose in front. Intels Pentium III was at one time only second selection. Then the market leader put after: The second Pentium III generation ' copilot by mine ' could platzieren itself owing to integrated L2-Cache scarcely before the Athlon. And now AMDs thunder bird goes to the start: Running is again open.
The new Athlon with the code names ' Thunderbird ' possesses - exactly the same as the current Pentium III - internally 256 KByte a large Level-2-Cache, which operates with full processor clock. Also with the production process there is thing in common: AMD manufactures Texas in 0,18-æ-Technik and manufactures a part of the new processors in Austin, during a classical process with aluminum Layern. The other section however comes from the new factory into Dresden and in the more modern copper process is manufactured.
Therefore AMD can present a Thunderbird model on 5 June for the initialization of the Computex fair in Taiwan not only, but equal a whole family. There is the new processor with clock rates from 750 to 950 and even 1000 mc/s. An introduction to salami tactics, as usual with Intel, saves us AMD and insures at the same time that the new chips should be also actually in all clock rates available. To concrete numbers of items one did not want to express oneself however.
The integration of the L2-Cache into the otherwise hardly changed processor core lowers production costs considerably. AMD - if the circulating prices are correct - passes the price advantage on obviously quite generously to the customer. So the 800-MHz-Athlon in 1000er-Stueckzahlen is to cost dollar to only about 250, while a equivalent fast Pentium strikes III also after Intels of recent price reduction still with full 385 dollar to beech. Only with the price correction after the next, which is advised for Septembers, Intel with 251 dollar might achieve a similar price level as AMD today.
Who would like to hurry now directly into the next loading, in order to buy a thunder bird for rigging its Athlon PC, that is disappointed: The new processor functions, then is to be heard by AMD, only in special systems with suitable chip record and processor base, co-ordinated with it. One needs a Motherboard with the new base A with 462 pins; the Slot A used so far is out. As chip-corrode come first only the AMD 760 and the KT133 of VIA in consideration. In contrast to 760 the KT133 prospered already quite far. Thus it will give on the Computex plentifully selection of suitable boards.
Start line
The new Athlon with Thunderbird core is thus more cheaply than its predecessor, necessarily for it however a new system environment. Whether the investment for performance-hungry users is worthwhile itself? And how does the duel with the current Pentium III with copilot by mine core go out?
By AMD is to be expected on this question naturally no neutral response. The published results of bench mark are hardly useful, because they come from outdated tests, so for instance the BAPCo SysMark98 and Photoshop 5.0.
Since AMD was not able to place to us in time to the Launch date a Thunderbird processor to testing to the order we procured ourselves a sample from other channels. A 700-MHz-Modell, which might indicate differences to the final product apart from the low clock rate hardly, concerns. As test platforms two boards of Epox (EP-8KTA) and FIC (AZ11) with VIAs KT133-Chipsatz were to us at the disposal. In the test the BIOS on the FIC circuit board did not prove as yet so quite matured; therefore we print only the results determined with the Epox board.
We operated the rival Pentium III in a Asus board (CUV4X-M) with VIAs Apollo pro 13µ (694X), an also concerning the price comparable platform in contrast to the made too expensive i820-Boards. The reference values for the past Athlon we determined on the K7V von Asus (VIA KX133). all test systems were otherwise identically equipped: with a TNT2 Ultra AGP Grafikkarte, 128 MByte PC133-CL2-SDRAM and a IBM fixed disk of the type DPTA-372050 (20 GByte).
By the way our Thunderbird sample indicated a fixed multiplicator - a detail, which probably absorbs the joy at notorious Uebertaktern and the gilde of the PCU COUNTERFEITERS over the newcomer badly.
Running
The processors completed our usual Testparcours with applications and plays under Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000 and Linux. Only for the lengthy Spec 2000 this mark did not go the time.
Does AMD why only give itself the Bloesse to publish results of outdated tests? That asked ourselves we for the first test run of the current BAPCo SYSMark2000. Both under Windows 98 and under 2000 the new Athlon carries out clearly more as its predecessor. On the average it was around well six per cent faster - about like that, as if one became the older processor with 780 mc/s clocks.
Also in the comparison to the Pentium-III-700 the Thunderbird can to be seen be able. In the BAPCo SYSMark2000 it drives out a projection/lead of approximately three per cent. The analysis of the single results shows that it is actually only a test, which saves Intel from a larger Blamage: With the Photoshop-5.5-Benchmark the Pentium III with full 23 per cent is situated in front, everywhere otherwise goes to AMDs of recke into guidance. We attribute outliers to it that Adobes picture handling software was optimized with the utmost care for Intels of ISSE instruction, not however for the Multimedia instruction set of the Athlon.
Under Windows 2000 the Pentium III can score also still with Word and with the Media Encoder, but altogether the BAPCo Suite results in a similar picture: The Thunderbird is situated by 2,2 per cent before the Pentium III.
Also Linux trailers might enjoy the new Athlon: If Intels Pentium III was so far faster with the Kernel compilation always clearly, then the difference levels itself now. Both processors compile approximately equal fixed - the integrated L2-Cache of the Thunderbird machts possible.
Monster killer
In the play tests the Thunderbird is situated depending upon selected dissolution up with the Pentium III or overhauls it even. Most interesting here like always are the test runs with low dissolution and depth of shade, because thereby the diagram card does not become the needle eye and more pierces the processor performance on the result.
With the Ballerspiel Quake III the Athlon already so far had left to the Pentium III behind itself. With the Thunderbird a projection/lead of seven per cent results now in the case of lowest dissolution. In the ' Highest' mode however Intel keeps scarcely the upper hand. Also Expendable promoted similar results to day: With 640 x 480 pixels the Thunderbird system is faster around ten per cent, with 1024 x 768 points is situated the Pentium III scarcely in front.
To good the latter we endeavored also still the 3DMark2000. This is particularly interesting, because he holds both for the Pentium III and for the Athlon optimized routines ready. Here thus not only the ISSE instruction of the Pentium III to the course, but also the 3dNow!-Befehlssatz of the Thunderbird come. There result of this running without one-sided Handicaps goes out with easy advantages fue r the Thunderbird. It can out-count ue nf per cent projection/lead with some tests up to f, leave must the Pentium III however with others with scarcely two per cent the precedence. In the target straight line thus a lighter projection/lead f ue r AMDs beginner.
Result
Under the line the Thunderbird the Pentium III is rtig with same clock rate ebenb ue, if not ue berlegen. The difference is situated mostly in the area of fewer per cent points. Gr oe ss ere deviations gives it only, where one can out-play the Duellanten specific St ae rken. The Thunderbird profits particularly from its faster POINT unitunit POINT unit, w ae hrend the Pentium III gl ae nzt, where software is particularly f ue r its instruction set optimized, not however f ue r that of the contractor.
The bench mark battles of the n ae chsten months will therefore probably play ae tzen on other Schaupl than the purely technical. The more the specific Befehlss ae tze on the results pierce, the more importantly will suitable instruments, in order to use the Spezialit ae ten the different PCUs. That applies to f ue r the Athlon such as f ue r the Pentium III and only quite f ue r the coming processors - no matter whether her now mustang, Willamette or Itanium hei ss EN.
Intel detected the l ae ngst and invested m ae chtig into the development of optimizing compilers. Also AMD does not seem unt ae to remain tig to want: As is oe ren to h, one has a renowned compiler farmer of Motorola abgeworben. There it will surely no longer for a long time last, until there are optimizing compilers also from AMD particularly. The software developers will then be before the dilemma, itself decide to m ue to ssen, which PCU TYPE they prefer. With something Gl ue ck is however still another unabh ae ngiger compiler manufacturer, that is probably deliberate both.
More still than the performance z ae hlen in the fight for market shares the prices and the act ae chliche deliverability of the processors. AMD seems concerning the price to have good Tr ue mpfe in the hand. Whether in addition, all will be available now angek ue ndigten Thunderbird versions into sufficient St ue ckzahl, remains being waiting still. AMD gives itself at present confidently and has in view of the continuous scarceness of Pentium III types beyond the 800-MHz-Grenze a outstanding starting situation. If still succeeds then bringing the manufacturing so correctly in Dresden on trab k oe nnte it a still stretching second quarter become - above all f ue r the umworbenen customers. |
