Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!
From: lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Performance Rating w/ A2091 and Quantum ProDrive 40S
Message-ID: <1168@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca>
Date: 25 Feb 90 23:12:26 GMT
Lines: 29
Return-Path: <lpami!lphillips>
To: van-bc!rnews

In <21294@watdragon.waterloo.edu>, mwandel@tiger.waterloo.edu (Markus Wandel) writes:
>I've also found that a 68000 based Amiga doesn't really need more than 300K/sec
>disk transfer rate.  My (homemade) interface goes that fast, and I've found
>that all my compiles, Zoo compresses, etc. are now compute bound as shown by
>the low duty cycle of the "blips" of the disk activity light.  And my
>interface isn't even DMA.  So don't worry about it...

That's your opinion, and you are welcome to stick with it. In my experience,
there is a significant difference between a drive that has a DiskSpeed figure
of 350K/sec and one that has a DiskSpeed figure of 750K/sec. The faster drive
leaves me waiting less on all disk activity, and the whole machine feels
snappier. Sure, some programs, even many programs are CPU bound, but certainly
not all, and even speedups in loading are welcome around here.

Then of course there is the possibility of upgrading to a faster CPU.  Maybe
you like to muck about changing drives and/or controllers, but most don't.
Saying you don't need more than 300K/sec is accurate, but as maningless as
saying 'You don't really need a hard drive', which is just as true.

-larry

--
Gallium Arsenide is the technology of the future;
  always has been, always will be.
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|   //   Larry Phillips                                                 |
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