Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: 80386 vs. 68030
Message-ID: <5497@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 13 Dec 88 17:07:56 GMT
References: <1146@esunix.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 48

in article <1146@esunix.UUCP>, sedwards@esunix.UUCP (Scott Edwards) says:
> 
> In article <5375@cbmvax.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes:
>>Going all out, I'd expect a 68020 to be slower than an 80386 system, a
>>68030 to be faster.

> What does it matter?  What if one is 25% faster than the other one?
> His program takes 5 seconds to run instead of 4?  I'll bet that your
> average user (assuming there's only one user on the system) couldn't
> tell the difference if one CPU was 2X the other one.  How many
> programs do you run on a personal computer that are CPU intensive?

It all depends on what your limiting factor is.  A computer SYSTEM that's
2x faster than another is going to be noticable.  

> I've also found that faster disks, make a BIG difference in
> performance when you are doing things like program development.

Sure enough, I've notice the same thing.  In fact, I very often use the
fastest disk I can possibly get for development -- a RAM disk, at least
during most of the compilation phases.  Guess what, that RAM disk brings
me back to CPU speed as the most critical factor in the system (the 18ms
hard drive doesn't hurt, either).  

My posting was basically in response to the question of "who's faster",
without really caring for the reason.  And in many case, you can't do
anything about it.  Even if I found an 80386 or (more likely) some other
chip that was faster than a 68030, I couldn't use it in the systems I
design.  Similarly, if you want to run MS-DOS or OS/2, a 68030 isn't going
to do you much good.  We did mention UNIX, which will run on just about
anything, but in most case UNIX may not be your only, or even primary,
concern.

And of course, it's just basic human nature to want to be the fastest guy
on the block.

> From article <788@stolaf.UUCP>, by mike@stolaf.UUCP (Mike Haertel):
>> 			In Hell they run VMS.

> Hmmm.  Last time I was there they were using UNIX :-).

No.  In Hell, they run MS-DOS.  And you only get 256k.

> -- Scott
-- 
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