Xref: utzoo comp.arch:6837 alt.next:247 Path: utzoo!hoptoad!pacbell!ames!amdahl!pyramid!cbmvax!daveh From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) Newsgroups: comp.arch,alt.next Subject: Re: RISC v. CISC (really comments on many postings: LONG) Message-ID: <5112@cbmvax.UUCP> Date: 26 Oct 88 16:16:55 GMT References: <6865@winchester.mips.COM> Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA Lines: 33 in article <6865@winchester.mips.COM>, mash@mips.COM (John Mashey) says: > Xref: cbmvax comp.arch:7151 alt.next:236 >>Priced the ~8 MIPS Sun 4 lately? Or the ~14 MIPS 88K chipset. How about >>an Apollo 10K? RISC machines are starting to get fast, and they're even >>starting to get down in price, but these two directions haven't met yet. > [5] Actually, this is the wrong reason: you can put together MIPS chipsets > at similar (or even slightly better) cost/performance levels (have you > prices a 68882 lately, for example?) The probably pay less than $50 for the 25MHz part, if they are able to convince Motorola to give them good volume pricing. > All of these depend on quantity, and what it is you're trying to build. > Admittedly, it's hard for us to build anything less than about 6 VUPs. > I suspect you can build a CPU (+ FPU) subsystem like that for around $500, > given large quantities, maybe $400-$500 as the new cache chips come out. Which is still more than twice as expensive as a 68030 based system's chips will cost, in reasonable quantities. Perhaps twice the performance, or better, if the caches work well and you can live with the same priced memory the 68030 system can use. If you're really trying to design a workstation, maybe you should consider RISC at this point, because all the PCs are starting to use '020s, '030s, and '386s. Still it's a problem of choosing the RISC of the week and betting that it will succeed. > -john mashey DISCLAIMER: -- Dave Haynie "The 32 Bit Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession