Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!GUBBINS@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA From: GUBBINS@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA (Gern) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Z-100 vs IBM-PC Challenge Message-ID: <11098@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Tue, 28-May-85 15:48:52 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.11098 Posted: Tue May 28 15:48:52 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 30-May-85 07:14:58 EDT Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Lines: 59 Here is new data on Z-100 vs. IBM-AT. Note that the 5MHz Z-100 beats the AT 2 out of 4 benchmarks, is close in a 3rd. A interpolated 8MHz Z-100 beats the AT by a good margin in 3 out of 4 benchmarks. I will be able to verify the times as soon as I get hold of the new Z-100 or a ZDS upgrade kit for mine. 25-May-85 19:46:26-EDT,2713;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from cit-hamlet.arpa by RADC-TOPS20.ARPA with TCP; Sat 25 May 85 19:46:08-EDT Received: from deimos by hamlet with DECNET ; Sat, 25 May 85 16:45:17 PDT X-ST-Return-Receipt-Requested: Date: Sat, 25 May 85 16:44:49 PDT From: atm%deimos@cit-hamlet.arpa Message-Id: <850525164416.001@deimos> Subject: Z-100 vs AT To: INFO-HZ100@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA Here is a bit of imput to the Z-100 vs. AT debate. I have run four benchmarks on both machines. The Z-100 has a 5 MHz clock, but an 8087 has been added (on a Hudson board). The AT has the standard 6 MHz clock and an 80287. The programs are the following: The Sieve of Eratosthenes, 10 passes (see BYTE, Jan 1983), which is entirely integer and logicaand logical operations. The Savage benchmark is solid double-precision floating point function calls (see Dr. Dobb's Journal, Sept. 1983 and Aug. 1984). Both of these have been run on a very wide range of computers, from a Cray to an HP-15 ! The third is INTSUM, which does double-precision arithmetic only, no function calls. The fourth is FOUR, which evaluates a Fourier series in single-precision, calling SIN(A) and doing indexing. All the benchmarks were compiled with MS-FORTRAN Version 3.2, using the 8087 mathematics library and the $NOFLOATCALLS metacommand, which is the combination that gives the fastest code. On the Z-100 they were run under Z-DOS Version 1.25, which is a few percent faster than MS-DOS 2.21, since it takes less time to service the clock interrupt. Run times are in seconds, and no allowance is made for loading time. The results indicate that a Z-100 with standard clock doesn't quite beat an AT on any program, but comes very close on SAVAGE, which runs almost entirely in the 8087. (Note that the AT's 80287 runs with a 4 MHz clock.) If you multiply the Z-100 times by 5/8 to simulate an 8 MHz clock, then the AT loses on any program emphasizing floating point. However, it still wins on integer operations. Compiles and links don't use floating point, so the AT seems noticeably faster to use. The Compaq Deskpro, which has an 8086 and an 8087, both running at 8 MHz, should beat either the 8 MHz Z-100 or the AT. By the way, the AT can also be sped up to 8 MHz with a new clock crystal. I think the contestants should adjourn to the bar for a friendly drink. Program SIEVE SAVAGE INTSUM FOUR Z-100 18.42 6.76 27.08 11.65 Z-100*5/8 11.51 4.23 16.93 7.28 AT 6.20 6.43 29.70 11.81 -------