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To: mauser96 who wrote (23269)5/30/1997 9:09:00 PM
From: Paul Engel   of 186894
 
Lucius - Re: "The X86 architecture is an antique and limits perrformance. "

The x86 architecture is not limiting PC performance.

Intel has managed to increase the clock speed of the x86 chips from 4.77 MHz in 1981 to 266 MHz today, along with doubling the data word size to 32 bits and the data path to memory size of 64 bits, as well as folding in the x87 FPU, on board L1 cache, and multiple instruction execution (superscalr) performance enhancements.

What HASN'T scaled is memory performance. When the original IBM PC was introduced, main memory DRAM access times were about 80 - 120 ns, and today they have improved to only about 50 - 60 nS - about a factor of 2X vs a 50X - 100X improvement in processor performance.

The net result is a fast processor restricted by its ability to be fed data at a rate commensurate with its (the processor) processing speed.

Another major problem is the WINDOWS operating system. This probably sucks down about one half of all processor perfromance increases.

If you can, try rolling out an old DOS version of Lotus 123 V 2.0 and comparing its performance on modern Pentium machines vs. 4.77 MHz 8088 machines. You will recognize major speed enhancements with the new CPUs - more in line with the performance improvement you are expecting.

If you are a programmer, you can create your own performance comparisons by writing DOS based programs in C, C++ ot Turbo Pascal. You should find the results very immuminating.

Paul
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