Subject: Other Processors

From: Gustavo de Miranda Seabra <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 09:58:01 -0300

Hi All,

    I would like to know if someone has any experience with desktop
processors other than Intel ones, I mean, AMD-K6 or Cyrix 6x86. What are the
advantages or disadvantages of these processors compared with Pentium or
Pentuim II processors? (At their home pages, the AMD and Cyrix processors
are always comparable to Intel ones.)

    Thanks very much,

            Gustavo Seabra
            [email-masked]

---

From: Jolanta Latosinska <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 16:20:27 +0100 (MET)

On Fri, 27 Mar 1998, Gustavo de Miranda Seabra wrote:

> processors other than Intel ones, I mean, AMD-K6 or Cyrix 6x86. 
I know, there are a lot of troubles with Cyrix 6x86. A large
ammount of programs wouldn't like to run. 
(I didn't hear anything wrong about AMD-K6.)   

Jolanta

---

From: val <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 20:44:10 -0800

> (I didn't hear anything wrong about AMD-K6.)

What kind of troubles? Could you be more specific? 
 (i.e. under what operation system and what programs cause a lot of
 the troubles with Cyrix).

We have used Cyrix 200+ CPU to run GAMESS under Linux. No troubles.
It worked without crashes during the whole year.

It should be mentioned that Cyrix is slower in the floating point math.
Intel CPU's usually are working faster, probably due to higher absolute
CPU clock frequency (see a small benchmark table below).

And, of course, Pentium Pro/II are much, much faster.

Nevertheless, according to our experience Cyrix CPUs can be used as
a very good and cheap alternative in the case of "low end" personal 
workstations.

best wishes,
Valentin.

GAMESS BENCHMARKS
                          Bench04.inp   Bench10.inp  Bench13.inp
________________________________________________________________
Cyrix 200+ 64Mb RAM
Linux 2.0.0/g77

CPU time,sec               80.3           65.1           313.8

Real time,sec              85.0           66.0           317.0
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Intel Pentium 200MHz 64Mb RAM
Linux 2.0.0/g77

CPU time,sec               64.8           50.8           225.7

Real time,sec              68.0           51.0           229.0
_________________________________________________________________

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From: "Ricky A. Kendall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 11:09:01 -0800 (PST)

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It sort of depends on what you plan to do with the box.  If you are
going to run straight windows 95 then both processors should be
compatable and work with most functionality.  There are exceptions to
this of course and you need to make sure the software you want to run
works on the box.  Get the vendor to make sure your software works
with the chip.  If they won't do that for you then don't buy from
them!  I'd also get it in writting!! :) If you want to run additional
OS software such as Linux then you want to stay with the pentium line.
Cyrix chips have fewer problems with Linux than the AMD but many
people run Linux on all three.  There have been lots of problems
reported with the AMD using Linux (look at the linux news groups).  I
personally would pay the difference to get the pentium based product.

Regards,
Ricky