🚀 go-pugleaf

amour@flash.net (Kolombangara) writes:

>I have both a Sparc5 and a Sparc10
>Was wondering if someone could clue me in:?

>The processor on the 10? Its a 390Z50 rev.51. What
>the heck is that?

Not sure. Probably an SM-51 or SM-61.

Sparc 10's use Mbus CPU modules, and there are two MBus slots on the board.
Depending on the bootROM, you can use anything from a single lowly 40 MHz
SM-41 (Supersparc) module right up to a pair of 150 MHz SM-151 (Hypersparc)
modules.

I have a Sparc 10 running here as a small dial-in server, etc. and it's got
a single 60 MHz SM-61 CPU module inside.

>Do the dsimm  ram chips interwork with each other? 

Not sure what you mean by 'interwork'... They do have to be inserted in a
specific order in Sparc 10's though.

>How much better is the Sparc10 than the Sparc5(170mhz)?

It depends on the CPU(s) fitted to the 10. The 170 MHz Sparc 5 has a single,
170 Mhz Microsparc-2 processor. The Microsparc CPU family was the
predecessor to the SuperSparc (up to SM-61), Supersparc-2 (SM-71 and SM-81)
and Hypersparc processor(s) most commonly used in Sparc 10's, 20, 4/6x0's,
etc.

However since a Sparc 10 can have up to two CPU modules (since it's got two
Mbus connectors), and each Mbus slot supports up to two CPU's, you could
build a Sparc 10 with a pair of dual-125 MHz Hypersparc CPU modules and
create a system with four 125 MHz CPU's.

Sparc 5's can't have any more CPU's added, and there are no upgrades
available beyond the 170 Mhz model. So in terms of scalability, etc. the
Sparc 10 wins over the Sparc 5, but of course the 170 Mhz CPU in your Sparc
5 is going to beat most combinations of low-end SuperSparc CPU modules in a
Sparc 10. Both machines are going to give different benchmarks for different
applications, so doing comparisons isn't as simple as it first looks.

Regards,

Craig.

--
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