Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!hpubvwa!hpfcse!hpfcmr!hpfcdc!rjn
From: rjn@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: HP 9000/500 vs. Vectra with 386 CPU and 387 co-processor?
Message-ID: <5570052@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Date: 20 Jul 88 15:12:27 GMT
References: <592@rocksanne.UUCP>
Organization: HP Ft. Collins, Co.
Lines: 16

re: "Does anyone have any experience and/or comments on comparing
     a HP 9000 Series 500 system with a Intel 386-based machine..."

That is not a comparison of peer processors.  The 500 uses a CPU chip that
first shipped in 1983, whereas the i386 is 1988 vintage.  Five years is
nearly "forever" in the computer business.  The s500 "Focus-I" and
"Focus-II" chips are considered to provide about 1.0 MIPS per CPU board,
with up to 3 CPU boards per processor.  The Series 500 has not been the top
end of the HP9000 family for some time.

A more interesting comparison would be between an i386 machine and the top
end of the Series 300 (MC68030) family or with the Series 800 (HP-PA RISC)
family.  The 300s are rated at up to 6 MIPS and the 800s up to 14 MIPS.
I don't know what the claims are for i386 performance.

Bob Niland  ARPA:rjn%hpfcrjn@hplabs.HP.COM   UUCP:[hpfcse|hplabs]!hpfcla!rjn