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From: tim@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Timothy L. Kay)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: benchmark: 386/20 vs SparcStation 1
Message-ID: <15105@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 2 Jun 90 02:39:34 GMT
Reply-To: tim@cit-vax.UUCP (Timothy L. Kay)
Distribution: usa
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Lines: 32

I just ran my ray tracer on my 386 and a SparcStation 1.  The 386 is
20 MHz with a 20 MHz 80387.  The SparcStation 1 is not a 1+, so it
runs at 20 MHz.  I used gcc on the 386, and cc on the SS1.

I found that the SS1 is about 8 times as fast as the 386.  Does this
fit with others' experiences, or did I mess up my benchmark?

I would guess that a 486/25 is roughly 4 times as fast as my 386/20.
Do people find this reasonable?

I would guess that the SLC is about the same speed as the SS1.  Is
this right?

This information is useful in light of the recent SLC vs. 386
discussion that has been going on here.  If you don't need speed, you
can probably get a 386 for less than the SLC.  However, if you need
speed, you need to compare the SLC against a 486.  Then the SLC looks
like a very good price.

I'll probably keep running 386/ix on my 386/20, and add a SLC (which I
can get for an educational price of about $3100.  This way, I get
speed and color.  (I have a Hercules Graphics Station Card which gives
me VGA and 24 bits/pixel.)  (I hope that the X11 1.2 update will give
me both 800x600 non-interlaced and 1024x768 interlaced.  My monitor
can't handle the 1024x768 ni, eventhough the card can.)

Tim

P.S.  I just bought a 14" CTX monitor for about $350 which supports
all the Hercules GSC modes except 1024x768 non-interlaced.  I really
like this monitor and the price is right, too.  I can get the model
number for anybody interested.