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Path: utzoo!utgpu!sarathy
From: sarathy@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Rajiv Sarathy)
Date: Wed, 20-Apr-88 19:58:05 EDT
Message-ID: <1988Apr20.195805.25922@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: RAM Question:
References: <1005@iitmax.UUCP>
Reply-To: sarathy@gpu.utcs.UUCP (Rajiv Sarathy)
Distribution: comp.arch

In article <1005@iitmax.UUCP> cs450edf@iitmax.UUCP (edward federmeyer) writes:
>
>...
>'The only dumb question in the unasked question...'
>
>So, I have read ALOT of ads in for example Computer Shopper and other
>computer mags that mention "0 Wait State" and "1 Wait State".  What do
>they mean by these terms? ...
>...
>Ed Federmeyer

A 'wait state' is the number of clock cycles that a computer must wait before
proceeding with the next instruction.  This wait occurs at different frequencies
on different machines.

While waiting, the computer refreshes RAM.  Naturally, 0 wait-state means that
the architecture of the motherboard allows software to run uninterrupted even
when the computer is refreshing RAM (fastest), and 2 wait-states mean that the
software which is currently being run must wait for a few nanoseconds (slower).

However the buyer mustn't judge two computers based solely on wait-states.  For
instance, a 16MHz machine with 0 wait-states is going to be much slower than a
similarly equipped 25MHz machine with 2 wait-states.

Raj Sarathy, Undergraduate,
University Of Toronto, Department of Computer Science