To: axp-list@redhat.com From: Jay.Estabrook@digital.com Subject: Re: lx vs sx Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 23:32:31 -0500 >>> Chris Frost said: > Hey...I've been doing some thinking and I think it would make more sense > for my to spedn $1500-$2000 on a nice new computer than get one that will > only last me a year, so I think I will be going alpha (yeaa!)...anyways, I > was wondering what the major differences between the lx and sx > motherboards were... LX164 uses the 366-600 MHz version of the 21164 chip (aka 21164A), which has 96Kb secondary cache on-chip. Normally configured with 2Mb tertiary cache on the motherboard. SX164 uses the 400-533 MHz 21164PC Alpha CPU (aka PCA56), which has NO secondary cache on-chip, and usually 1Mb on the motherboard. The CPU also supports some MMX-style enhancements to the instruction set, though nothing under LINUX uses them at the moment, AFAIK... So, performance-wise, at the same MHz, with the additional cache and size, the LX164 will be faster for cache-intensive applications. Cost-wise, those caches are more expensive, so be prepared to pay a premium for the LX164. --Jay++ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- American Non Sequitur Society: we don't make sense, but we do like pizza... Jay A Estabrook Alpha Migration Tools - LINUX Project Digital Equipment Corp. (978) 506-4202 or (DTN) 226-4202 151 Taylor Street - TAY1-2 enet: Jay.Estabrook@digital.com Littleton, MA 01460-1407 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- To unsubscribe: send e-mail to axp-list-request@redhat.com with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. Do not send it to axp-list@redhat.com