Subject: Re: slow 21164 Alphas (Re: Raptor 3 rendering service)
From: Mark Thompson <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 01:43:15 -0500

John Crookshank writes:
>If all you do is change the clock speed, and make no other architectural
>changes in the rest of the design, it's simple math.

Well it is only a change in clock, but its not simple math. Various factors
contribute to how well it will actually perform. I know at NekoTech, they
had tested the 275 MHz systems at various frequencies and the change in
performance was definitely not linear.

>Since they actually manufacture a 300 Mhz
>21164 chip, overclocking a 266 to 300 is not necessary.

Ah, but you miss the crucial point! Digital, in its infinite lack
of wisdom, has (IMHO) killed the momentum of the AXP by placing a
MAJOR price premium on the 300MHz 21164. For the extra few MHz, the
300 part cost close to $2K more than the 266. Digital has told me that
the new 21164a "shrink" part is supposed to be faster and cheaper,
but the latter remains to be seen.
  *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
  *           Mark Thompson           http://www.mv.com/ipusers/fusion  *
  *         Fusion Films, Inc.              [email-masked]          *
  * Director of Animation and Special FX      (603) 424-1829            *
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