Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpwala!hpavla!boyd
From: boyd@hpavla.AVO.HP.COM (Bill Boyd)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Math chips and CAD was: recommendations wanted
Message-ID: <8370003@hpavla.AVO.HP.COM>
Date: 6 Feb 90 18:03:45 GMT
References: <25ce13f4.5fd6@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Avondale Division
Lines: 12

About doing math-intensive operations with and without a coprocessor:

I adapted a program for displaying the Mandelbrot set from an old issue
of Turbo Technix.  It would take 20 minutes to run on my XT with 8087.
I bought a 16-MHz 80386SX machine without a math coprocessor.  It took
53 (!) minutes to run the same program!  I bought an 80387SX, and now
it takes 3 minutes to complete.

I say the math coprocessor makes a HUGE difference if the program is
math-intensive enough!

Bill Boyd