Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!motcsd!starnet!sschaem From: sschaem@starnet.uucp (Stephan Schaem) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: Blitter vs. 040 (was: Computer Architecture question Message-ID: <1991May16.041116.4266@starnet.uucp> Date: 16 May 91 04:11:16 GMT References: <3310.tnews@templar.actrix.gen.nz> Organization: Starnet-Public Access UNIX-Los Altos,CA 415-949-3133, login:info Lines: 25 Yes. and Wait untill SGI use those R4000 in paralelle like they do know with IP7 using 33mhz R3000 (2/cpu board * 4, or more?). But they still have their graphics processor running in parallel! The word is PARALELLE processing... The 68040 cant access 2 bus at the same time, so you will automaticly loose by only using it. Also Blitter internal calculation are done while accesing the bus, so they are absorbed. And accesing video mem with your main processor is crazy! The solution would be to have not 1 but 2 68040, one use instead of the blitter:-) (would be nive to have a 32bit programble blitter). Also the overhead for the processor to use the blitter is infinity small! You can clear your screen in 2 instruction, will the blitter is clearing the screen you start to 'draw' in the screen by creating a blitter list that is going to be use in paralelle. That will also enable you to do beam syncronization, using the amiga coprocessor. (I dont think you want to do that with your main processor)... ETC... Anyway, whats the use to say all that? Stephan.