From: peter@ferranti.com (peter da silva) Subject: Re: 486SXs as Unix Iron? Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1992 19:43:09 GMT
In article <1992Nov1.162204.1361@mccc.edu> pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg) writes:
> In article <id.BTJU.6P@ferranti.com> peter@ferranti.com (peter da silva) writes:
> =A 486SX is a better choice than any 386DX I know of.
> =Objectively, the 486SX is an OK chip, and the marketing
> =bullshit can be avoided by careful motherboard choices.
> What makes it a better choice and "an OK chip"?
A better choice:
You get the same or more MIPS out of a lower clock rate part, which means
less power dissipation on your system board, you can use cheaper RAM without
taking a big hit in wait states, and your system is likely to last longer.
I don't like high clock rates. They make digital components exhibit more and
more analogue behaviours. This worries me.
An OK chip:
It provides the same 386 programming model we know and love, the same ghastly
instruction set -- but if you're looking at other 386 type chips that's not
likely to be a problem: they all have it. You can run commodity software on
it pretty damn fast without worries. The same is true of the other 386DX class
chips, of course.
--
% Peter da Silva % 77487-5012 % +1 713 274 5180 % Har du kramat din varg idag?
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