Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!convex!tighe
From: tighe@convex.com (Mike Tighe)
Newsgroups: comp.benchmarks
Subject: bc is bs
Message-ID: <109969@convex.convex.com>
Date: 6 Dec 90 18:55:10 GMT
References: <1990Dec6.133344.2544@cs.utk.edu>
Sender: usenet@convex.com
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation
Lines: 27

Not only is the benchmark itself worthless, but so are the times reported
by the benchmarkers. Why? Because the benchmark requires elapsed (real)
times to be reported, and this number can only be reliable when the
benchmark is run in dedicated mode.  Look at these two examples:

Cray Y-MP (6ns)          5.0    elm@sprite.Berkeley.EDU
Cray YMP4/64             5.9    xxdon@monet.lerc.nasa.gov

These are basically the same machines, yet one is 15% faster. Here is
another example:

Cray XMP4/8              7.8    xxdon@monet.lerc.nasa.gov
Cray XMP (Unicos)        8.6    de5@ornl.gov

A similar difference. And for a Convex, this erroneous time was reported. I
wonder what the load was when this was run - 10?

Convex C220              9.4    xxdon@monet.lerc.nasa.gov

An advantage the RISC machines have is that they most likely to be personal
workstations, therefore when bc is run they are already in a "dedicated
mode".
--
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Mike Tighe, Internet: tighe@convex.com                     
               Voice: (214) 497-4206    Fax: (214) 497-4550
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