🚀 go-pugleaf

"Spec666" -- 83.3 MHz system bus approved ...
With all this talk about Overclocking, AGP and the "Deschutes" processor, 
here's my $0.02 worth ...

Most AMD, Cyrix and Intel processor run their system bus @ 66 MHz
(some @ 60MHz, a few @ 50MHz, and Cyrix has ones with 55 and 75MHz).
Intel's "Dechutes" Pentium ][ will have a 100MHz system bus.  Since
"Deschutes", as well as the the 440LX (UltraDMA + AGP) chipset, have
been pushed back well into '98, I think AMD and Cyrix should shoot for
processors running with a 83MHz system bus now.  Heck, let's call it a
'standard':  "Spec666"!!!  (Assuming I'm coining the phrase/term/word
first).

Why?  Because a 66.6 MHz system bus x 8 Bytes (64-bit) = 533 MB/s
theroetical transfer rate (to three significant digits).  Running @ 83.3

MHz x 8 B = 666 MB/s TTR (And the proposed "Deschutes" will have a
100MHz x 8 B = 800 MB/s TTR).  Running the system bus @ 83.3 MHz
improves memory, I/O and, in most cases, PCI card throughput as well.
It has been proven quite stable (with tweaking and good components)
without the cost of Dechutes and all

Starting with AMD and Cyrix (as well as IDT, SGS-Thompson, etc...)
processors running a system bus @ 83.3 MHz, we could move on to
"Spec666"-approved/certified main/motherboards (and MB chipsets),
cases/fans (fan/heatsinks), memory and even PCI cards (able to run @
41.6MHz -- although a few 83.3 MHz-capable mainboards out there can run
the PCI @ system/2.5 instead of system/2.0 for standard 33MHz).  Since
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is either @ x1 (66.6 MHz) or the x2 (133

MHz), I suggest a new "x1.25" (83.3 MHz) would be much easier than the
(impossible?  expensive?) 133 MHz, but 25% faster than 66.6 MHz.

I've seen many users running AMD K6-200 (normally 66.6 MHz x 3) @ 208MHz

(83.3 MHz x 2.5) and K6-233 (normally 66.6 MHz x 3.5) @ 250MHz (83.3 x
3) and seeing benchmarks faster than the Pentium ][ (with exception of
the costly $1,800 300 MHz version).  Now this, according to AMD,
obviously invalidates the chips warranty, but I've even heard a rumor
that even AMD has designed a K6 to run cool @ 83.3 MHz x 3 = 250 MHz.
Cyrix probably has similiar plans with a 6x86MX-250 or 266 ...

With my proposed "Spec666", the Pentium-clones have a real shot at
showing who's leading who ...

NOTE:  Replace "DIE@SPAMMER" with simply "@" when replying via email ...
-- 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
High-End CPUs ...       IBM P2SC                Human Brain
                        --------                -----------
Clock speed             135 MHz                 1 KHz
SPECint/fp95            6.5/17.3                N/A
Instructions/Cycle      6                       Many
L1 cache (I/D)          128KB/32KB              N/A
Memory Bus Width        256-bit                 Unknown
Circuit Complexity      15 million transistors  50 billion neurons
Fabrication Process     0.27-micron CMOS        Cellular Mitosis
Die Size                335 sq. mm.             1348 cu. cm.
Power Consumption       30 watts                20% of metabolism
Introduction Date       October 1996            2-3 million BC
... IBM's Deep Blue (Modified RS/6000SP w/ 32 P2SC CPUs + 256 Chess
ASICs) beat Kasparov, the World's Chess Champion. Deep Blue analyzes
200 million moves/sec compared to Kasparov's three. -- Byte, July
********************************************************************
BRYAN J. SMITH                             SYSTEMS/SOFTWARE ENGINEER
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