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From: lamaster@pioneer.arpa (Hugh LaMaster)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Macho flops versus Megaflops (was Re: ETA10-P performance)
Message-ID: <3441@ames.arpa>
Date: Wed, 18-Nov-87 20:30:45 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.3441
Posted: Wed Nov 18 20:30:45 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Nov-87 11:18:34 EST
References: <676@zycad.UUCP> <3322@ames.arpa> <860@alliant.Alliant.COM>
Sender: usenet@ames.arpa
Reply-To: lamaster@ames.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 28
Keywords: macho flops, megaflops, linpack flops, and marketing flops

In article <860@alliant.Alliant.COM> muller@alliant.UUCP (Jim Muller) writes:

>
>The extra item is something you cannot work around, i.e. the "ramp-up" time
>of vector instructions.  Typically, vector instructions take N cycles to load
>up, followed by M cycles with output.  It is the rate of the M outputs that is
(discussion of vector start up times omitted)

Followers of the megaflops sweepstakes may be interested to know the latest
(Nov 3) Dongarra report now lists the ETA-10 (both nitrogen cooled 10.5 ns and
air cooled 24 ns).  The ETA-10 is currently the fastest full precision
compiled fortran machine, at 52 MFLOPS, displacing the previous recordholder
the NEC SX-2 (a mere 43 MFLOPS).  The 24 ns ETA10-P rates a respectable 23
MFLOPS (faster than a Cray-2).  Further results are needed to confirm the
performance, but it does indicate that ETA has been able to significantly
reduce vector start up times compared with the Cyber 205, which only ran at 17
MFLOPS (20ns clock).  






  Hugh LaMaster, m/s 233-9,  UUCP {topaz,lll-crg,ucbvax}!
  NASA Ames Research Center                ames!pioneer!lamaster
  Moffett Field, CA 94035    ARPA lamaster@ames-pioneer.arpa
  Phone:  (415)694-6117      ARPA lamaster@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov

(Disclaimer: "All opinions solely the author's responsibility")