Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!netsys!attctc!chasm
From: chasm@attctc.DALLAS.TX.US (Charles Marslett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: V20 vs. 8088: Is there any useful difference?
Summary: One significant difference, maybe...
Message-ID: <8673@attctc.DALLAS.TX.US>
Date: 16 Jul 89 20:19:21 GMT
References: <2305@deimos.cis.ksu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 58

In article <2305@deimos.cis.ksu.edu>, jfy@phobos.cis.ksu.edu (Joseph F. Young S89) writes:
> Looking through some magazine advertisements, I found
> the NEC V20 chip which was described in the ad as
> giving a 10 to 40% increase in performance as compared to
> the Intel 8088.  If these claims are indeed true, I will
> probably get one for my system.  

VERY FEW programs will show a 10% improvement in speed -- expect a range of 2%
to 10%.  I would never get a V20 (or V30 if the box has an 8086) to speed it up
(unless you want to recode the stuff you are running).

> Here's my current system configuration:
>        XT clone motherboard with 640K ram (Datatek)
>        8088 and 8087 running at 4.77/10 MHz
>        DTK/Erso Bios
>        CGA/monochrome card
>        I/O card with joystick port, serial port, clock, and
>            floppy controller.
>        Seagate 238R with RLL controller.
> 
> Now my question is: does anyone have any experience with the
> V20 as far as software/hardware compatability is concerned?

I have had no trouble at all running a fairly varied selection of software
(before permanently installing it  I brought home the full compatibility
test library at work -- demos and eval copies of anything I might ever want
to use, and several that I have no interest in running again).  NOTHING failed.

As a side comment:  OS/2 will not run on a V20 (not too very suprisingly), but
Excel did run fine.  I decided not to buy a copy, not because it failed in my
tests, but because it is rather slow running Windows/286 and Excel on a 4.77
MHz box.  At 10 MHz with a fast RLL controller (any of the 1:1 types), you may
actually get useful work done.  I would suspect that any program that does
not REQUIRE extended memory, but requires a 286 will probably (emphasis here!)
run on a V20.  Certainly, you can compile code for a 286 using Microsoft
C, and it will compile and run with no problems.  That is the main reason
I changed over to the V20.

> Would it be worth my money to install one in my system?
> Any comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome.

As I said, real mode 286 code runs fine on a V20 -- that can be enough reason,
if it is not, I would forget the V20.

> Please reply by email whereever possible.
> --
> Joseph F. Young  |Bitnet: cbm2064@ksuvm
>                  |Inet  : cbm2064@ksuvm.ksu.edu / jfy@phobos.cis.ksu.edu
> -----------------|UUCP  : ...!rutgers!ksuvax1!phobos.cis.ksu.edu!jfy 
>       "I'm sorry, Master, but that WAS the backup system."--Slave        


Sorry, but I though this was a general enough question, and a short enough
answer, that it warranted posting.  (here come 'de flames... here come 'de
flames)

Charles Marslett
chasm@attctc.dallas.tx.us