Quote:>I read in BYTE Oct. 96 pg. 128 that WinNT v4.0 runs slower on Cyrix 6x86
>chips. This is apparently due to Microsoft adding code to NT make it
>more stable on the Cyrix platform.
>This makes me wonder wether the Linux kernel does the same, or if this
>slowdown is necessary at all.
Actually the slowness is not due to anything on the part of the Cyrix.
It is instead a matter of optimization. Remember, MS, in all their
wisdom (sic), doesn't have any such thing as a Cyrix anywhere at their
development site(s), afaik. They write only for Intel based systems
and apparently have no idea of the differences in architectures
between the two chips.
Native Cyrix code uses both of the pipelines (X & Y) to run parallel
integer processing. Again, afaik, Intel does not. For as long as MS
assumes that the Cyrix and the Pentium are the same chip and for as
long as MS chooses to optimize based only on Intel optimization rules,
you will see a slowdown in the Cyrix on something like WinNT. When MS
decides to accept the Cyrix as a processor to be specifically
developed for you will see an increase in the speed of the Cyrix.
As for the Winstone benchmarks, you will see that at 32bit the
Winstone benchmark puts the Cyrix at a somewhat lower level than the
Pentium. This is largely due to how the developer chooses to optimize
for the Cyrix if they choose to optimize for Cyrix at all.
I personally don't believe that MS would consider such a thing (such
as optimizing for Cyrix chips) since the largest part of their profit
is based in the pocket books of those who buy Pentium based systems as
opposed to those that have purchased a Cyrix based system. When
profit is god, it is profit that a company will follow.
In terms of Linux, there was some development under way to optimize
for the Cyrix, since then (several months ago at least) I have not
heard anything about the Linux development effort for Cyrix chips.
Whether that development effort (for the Cyrix) is still going on is
unknown at this point in time. In fact, that is really a moot point.
Afaik, the Linux OS is, in fact, faster than any Windows based system
has ever been. The WinStone benchmarks can not be applied in terms of
the Linux OS since Linux is an entirely different OS. Because of
this, there is no way that one can compare a WinNT or Win95 OS with a
Linux system. They both work entirely differently and are based on
entirely different systems architectures. To compare a Win<OS> with a
Linux OS is like comparing apples with oranges.
Peace,
Paul G.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.