Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!samsung!crackers!m2c!risky.ecs.umass.edu!umaecs!daly From: daly@ecs.umass.edu (Bryon Daly, ECE dept, UMass, Amherst) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: How much for a 487SX?!! Message-ID: <13471.281da4bf@ecs.umass.edu> Date: 30 Apr 91 17:09:19 GMT References: <1991Apr22.155803.8093@tandem.com> <1991Apr27.194311.15636@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> Lines: 48 In article , ajai@sce.carleton.ca (Ajai Sehgal) writes: > I got some info from a friend @ Intel on this one, although it seemd a bit > strange. The 486SX uses the same mask as the 486DX with the coprocessor > connection traces cut. I don't know about the pinout but one would assume that > Intel wouldn't make the DX and SX pin compatable. The suggested list price From what I've heard, they're not. > for a 486SX and a 487SX combined is not less expensive than the cost of a > 486DX. One has to ask, why would anyone who wants an FPU buy the SX version? They wouldn't, at least not with Intel's current pricing. It's just there for people concerned about adding one later on, but don't need one now. > You get the same thing with the added overhead of interchip communication. Well, there shouldn't be any interchip communication, since the 487SX takes over all duties of the 486SX (which means that a 487SX is basically a 20MHz 486 DX, probably in a different package than the 486DX, for a grossly inflated price.) Rumor says that IBM wants you to return the 486SX if you get the 487SX! (In their 486SX machine) Which brings me back to my original question (sort of): Who is this chip aimed at? The low-end 386 crowd? (16, 20MHz SX; 20, 25 MHz DX) The high-end 386 crowd (33, 40 MHz 386 DX)? The 486DX crowd? At 20 MHz, the 486SX admittedly will probably out-perform a 25MHz 386DX (or less) at integer stuff (lets not drag in the FPU mess). But it does not have much of a chance against a 33 MHz 386 (Oooh! I can feel the flames already!) [My 486-25 (DX) is only a little faster than my 386-33 was, by my own observations, benchmark programs I've run, etc. This is borne out by magazine reviews/benchmarks.] So I'd take a 386DX-33 over a 486SX-20, especially if I wanted to get a coprocessor later. So, is the 486SX being marketed against the 386-33? If so, they're going to need a pretty good price to match the 386-33's price-performance ratio, especially with AMD gearing up production of its clone 386's, which is bound to drive down the 386 prices. I think that Intel has laid another marketing egg with the introduction of the 486SX, and that they won't be very successful with it until it's price comes down (Just as what happened with the 386SX). There's a good article in the Wall Street Journal (April 22?) on the 486SX release that people might be interested in. -Bryon Daly daly@ecs.umass.edu