[plug] 64bit itanium linux - comments ?

[Beau Kuiper]

Sigh,

Ok, for starters. 

1) There are 2 types of Cyrix 6x86 processor, the original 6x86 and the
newer 6x86MX

2) The original 6x86 from cyrix

This processor is famed for its egg cooking abilities (it was hot).
Another thing that made it famous was the floating point unit
incompatibilites. There incompatibilites were not too bad, all that was
needed was for some games to be patched. But then if you are running a
Cyrix, you are not playing games. Its FPU is considerably slower clock for
clock to both the K6 and the Pentium. Its integer unit is amoung the most
effecient though, allowing them to use a PR (pentium rating) system to
mark processors. Cyrix 6x86 were built on a 0.35 process and probably
didn't go any faster than 166mhz

3) The newer 6x86MX. I have one of these so i have first hand experience

This processor fixed many shortcommings of the 6x86. It was produced on a
0.25 process so it didn't have any heat problems. The total L1 cache was
upgraded to 64K, to let it scale furter. The FPU incompatibilites were
fixed, and MMX instructions were bolted onto it. However, the FPU is still
far slower than the pentium equvielent. Most cyrix processors out there
now are probably of this type. This processor also contained pentium
instructions and CPUID identifies itself as a 6th generation cpu (I
think).


So, to clear the misinformation, The 6x86 (original) sucked hard, don't
get anywhere near it :-) the 6x86MX is much improved, but still
sucks a lot for games. If you don't play games or do scientific work, then
a 6x86 should be fine. If you would like to play games or do heavy fpu
work, then I recommend an AMD athlon or a P-III (whatever you can get
cheaper)

As for rumours originating from the Wintel camp, you must be dreaming! You
should get some sleep if all you can produce at 3am in the morning amounts
to nothing except unsubstatiated accusations. About the P-III CPU-ID, get
over it already, there are many unique identifiers in yourr computer
already (hard drive serial number, NIC address). Besides, intel is
removing that feature from newer processors.

For sticking with a 6x86, if you don't need good FPU power (many don't)
then that is fine. The Itanium would not be aimed at someone who is
statisfied with a 6x86. 

I for one am very interested in the new archtecture intel is developing. I
am reserving the right to make up my mind about it when it comes out
though. Nobody here (including me) has no idea how it will perfrom,
discounting now is very shortsighted. Intel has pulled many a miracle (it
need one now too)

End of rant
Beau Kuiper
kuiperba at cs.curtin.edu.au


On Sun, 21 May 2000, Bret Busby wrote:

> Oliver White wrote:
> > 
> > Mike from West Australia wrote:
> > 
> > > http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?/adeskb/adt0519/2572242:2620399
> > >
> > >     LINUX DEVELOPERS START YOUR ENGINES. Red Hat
> > >     releases 64-bit Itanium Linux.
> > >
> > > ANyone want to bite ;)
> > 
> > I'd rather go an alpha system.
> > 
> > --
> > Oliver White
> 
> It the Itanium is Intel, I'd rather stick with my Cyrix 6x86 - more
> secure (than intel), and no espionage features built in, like the P3's.
> They definitely don't make 'em like this anymore. Good old Socket 7.
> 
> The strange thing is, that, given that my CPU is only supposed to have
> the 486 instruction set, it runs applications and OS's, that are
> supposed to require the 586's, and therefore, apparently, the 586
> instruction set.
> 
> And, whatever the critics have said, I appear to have had no problems
> running Win9x, WinNT, or Linux on it (apart from the standard OS
> features, like the blue screen of death), despite the alleged
> instruction set incompatibilities, which I think were nasty rumours from
> the Wintel camp.
> 
> -- 
> 
> Bret Busby
> 
> ......................................
> 
>