Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!bloom-beacon!eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!ukc!harrier.ukc.ac.uk!gos.ukc.ac.uk!dac From: dac@ukc.ac.uk (David Clear) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: 68030 speed increases (was Re: Atari TT 030 Launched!) Keywords: Atari TT Message-ID: <3038@gos.ukc.ac.uk> Date: 7 Jun 90 09:27:21 GMT References: <1990Jun5.143231.4977@watserv1.waterloo.edu> <13266@wpi.wpi.edu> <81214@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <1990Jun6.044350.20403@cbnewsh.att.com> <10373@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <3647@rodan.acs.syr.edu> Reply-To: dac@ukc.ac.uk (David Clear) Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. Lines: 43 In article <10373@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> riley@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Daniel S. Riley) writes: > >[...]. Seriously, that 1/3 number confuses me--it >should be lots higher. Going from a 16 bit to 32 bit machine and doubling >the clock speed (8 MHz to 16 MHz) should give you at least a factor of 4, Doesn't the 68030 have internal cache memory and pipelining? I took a look in a 68030 reference manual and some (non-register direct) addressing modes are given as taking ZERO cycles to evaluate. This, of course, is because of the pipeline. If you think about it, then a machine running and twice the speed of an 8MHz 68000 with twice the data bus width and assuming that the memory will run with zero wait state (I don't know if the TT does) then you are looking at everything running at least twice the speed by default. That figure shouldn't even take into account the 32-bit bus which would further increase the speed. The cache and pipeline will further increase the speed. At the end of the day, you're looking at one SWIFT machine! As someone else said, though, let's wait for some REAL benchmarks before we over-state the acceleration and maybe end up a little disappointed. After all, the new TOS might, for example, disable the internal cache. The new RAM might be slower than it could have been. I don't know... do you? Oh yes, I almost forgot the most important message: + My Atari 800XL is better than your Commodore 64 because it's mine. + My Atari ST is better than your Commodore Amiga because it's mine. + If I get an Atari TT then will be better than your Commodore Amiga 3000 because it will be mine. I have a friend who owns a 64 and an Amiga and he uses the same arguments against me. Don't try to camouflage your argument with technical specs, prices or software surveys. This is a religious argument and has been since time began (ie when the 64 and 800s came out). Everyone knows which machine is the best... THEIR machine. If ever they lose faith then they buy a new machine. But that's between them and their own religion. Please don't push your faith on me, I don't want to know. Religious wars never end... Ever. Dave. -- % cc life.c | David Clear % a.out | Computer Science, University of Kent, Segmentation fault (core dumped) | Canterbury, England.