[luau] processor opinion

[Warren Togami]

There is also the question of if your 3D modeling/animation software
supports multithreading and can take advantage of multiple processors.  With
multiple processors you can have far more performance with certain specially
designed applications.  Even if your application doesn't take advantage of
multiple processors, SMP gives you a much smoother computing experience.
For example while one processor is busy rendering, you can continue work in
other applications or the same application designing another scene for
rendering later.

With SMP machines there are currently only two options: Athlon MP vs Xeon
While it is true that you will have slightly more performance with the
fastest Xeon's, you pay far more.  The price/performance ratio of dual
Athlon MP is a much greater value.

Coming late this year is the "Hammer" x86-64 architecture from AMD.  Hammer
is fully compatible with existing 32-bit Athlon, but adds 64-bit registers
and SSE2 among some other stuff.  This means that it can simultaneously run
existing 32-bit operating systems and software while running certain
applications that take advantage of 64-bit power.  I read some estimate that
32-bit applications will be about 20% faster than the fastest Athlon at the
time of Hammer.

This platform will be available initially as the low-end Athlon 64-bit with
256KB cache codename "Clawhammer" late this year, followed by the server
version Opteron with 1MB cache during 2003.  Yes, this means that AMD plans
on eventually phasing out the 32-bit Athlon, meaning all of their x86
processors will be fully backwards compatible 64-bit chips in servers,
desktops and even laptops.

Last I heard, Athlon "Clawhammer" will be up to dual-processors, while
Opteron will initially be available as quad.

----- Original Message -----
From: "W. Wayne Liauh" <LiauhW001 at hawaii.rr.com>
To: <luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu>
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 9:28 AM
Subject: [luau] processor opinion


> Many benchmarks can be misleading because they were using RDRAM for
> Pentium 4.  The Pentium 4s are designed to run with the Rambus DRAM,
> which, for a number of reasons, has completely disappeared from Intel's
> recent roadmaps.  With RDRAM, Pentium 4 is a crippled CPU.
>
> Athlon XPs are more cost-effective then Pentium 4s.  Actually,
> personally I would still prefer Athlon XPs even if there were at the
> same price.  The lowered price of Athlon XP is simply a bonus.
>
> But, YES, I will definitely get a Clawhammer when it comes out.  This
> could be THE most exciting event for the stagnant or even (obviously)
> dwindling PC industry.