Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!bbn!bbn.com!fkittred
From: fkittred@bbn.com (Fletcher Kittredge)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: HP 340 vs. Sun 3/80
Keywords: mips, speed, 340, 3/80
Message-ID: <39876@bbn.COM>
Date: 12 May 89 16:16:02 GMT
References: <3074@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>
Sender: news@bbn.COM
Reply-To: fkittred@BBN.COM (Fletcher Kittredge)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
Lines: 32

In article <3074@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> mic@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Mic Lacey) writes:
>How come the HP 340 has a 68030 running at 16.7 mhz and HP claims it is a
>"4 mip" machine and the new sun 3/80 has a 25 mhz 68030 and they only claim
>it to be a meger "3 mip" machine??????
>
>	-Mic Lacey

Hum... do you know what a MIP is (does anyone?)  This question implies
that you are not taking the following factors in to account:

1) quality of the system compiler and optimizer

2) efficency of the operating system

3) the rest of the chips the system is using besides the CPU, any
   caches, co-processors, accelerators, etc.

All of these will effect the amount of useful work a system can do in
a given amount of time.  Sun has a reputation for quoting "mythical"
MIPS based on calculations or CPU speed.  DEC, HP, and MIPs (the company)
are more likely to give more useful figures like MVUPS (microVax II Units
Per Second).  Remember, this is not PC land where everyone is running
the same system software.

My personal workstation is a Sun;  I use many HPs and DEC things;  my
strong impression is that as of today (89Q2) the HP compilers
have best optimizers.  A good optimizer alone could account for the
difference in the "MIPS" rating.

regards,
fletcher
Fletcher E. Kittredge  fkittred@bbn.com