[OT] Linux for Sony's PS2...

[Marvin Dickens]

On Mon, 25 Mar 2002 23:00:21 -0500
Ian <ian at marchak.ca> wrote:

> I'd bet very...very well.  We use risc (IBM) and Intel machines where I
> work to do finite element stress calculations...some of the solutions
> take hours to work on RS/6000's of the 44P line which are running at
> IIRC 400 MHz. Really large complex parts can take overnight.
> 
> That same calc, running on the same part, on an Intel machine will
> _almost always_ take at least 5-15% longer, often it's a bigger
> difference than that.
> 
> I wondered this as well, I was actually really surprised to see the
> brand spanking new Dells getting spanked by RS's over a year old.
> 
> BTW, the Intel boxes are 1.7GHz Xeons.


Hi Ian!

I've been assoicated with RS/6000 since they replaced in the old IBM RT some 12 years ago. The machines never cease to amaze me. One thing I do know is that the PPC chips that IBM makes (MOT makes all the others afaik) have hard engineering changes in them that make them functionally different from the  MOT chips. I've been told the IBM chips have better thermal characteristics among other things... The one thing I do know is that the chips process code on a line for line, clock cycle per clock cycle basis quicker than any other mass produced chips in the market. 

Also, don't feel so bad about your Dell/Intel boxes. I've seen brand spanking new SUN and SGI machines get thier butt's kicked by 6000's over a year old. 

Best

Peck