OSNews > Thread > "Processors" by endar98

Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 27th May 2008 22:11 UTC, submitted by SReilly

The idea of open-source hardware is slowly slowly but surely gaining traction. VIA Technologies, Inc., joined in on the fun today by unveiling an open source reference platform for low power notebooks, based on its own processor technology (obviously). The CAD files have been released under a Creative Commons license. The machine is tentatively named OpenBook.

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Processors

by endar98 on Wed 28th May 2008 01:09 UTC

Member since:
2007-09-06

How has the design of their processors been coming along? I don't have anything against them really, I like their mini-itx boards, however back in the day when I "upgraded" from a 486dx4 100mhz to a Cyrix PR200 (150mhz), I gained some processor cycles with a huge sacrifice to floating point operations. We benchmarked that thing and it basically said the floating point compared to a 80287 coprocessor... around 1998-99.

IIRC, which I may not , I believe that the VIA chips are originally based off the flawed Cyrix processors, does the new VIA versions fare any better?

Or maybe I just ramble nonsense?

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RE: Processors

by shyouko on Wed 28th May 2008 01:21 in reply to "Processors"

Member since:
2005-12-31

Right, it's still doing floating point maths at snail speed, even on the C7.

Edited 2008-05-28 01:22 UTC

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RE: Processors

by Henrik on Wed 28th May 2008 19:16 in reply to "Processors"

Member since:
2006-01-03

I'm afraid this is mostly nonsense - perhaps due to a badly written benchmark program (not uncommon). Actually, the Cyrix FPU needed 4-7 cycles to do a FADD (a typical operation) while the i387 needed 23-34, and the i287 took 70-100 cycles to do the same.

Regarding FSQRT (important in many early 3D games) the numbers are 59-60 for Cyrix, 122-129 for the i387, and 180-186 for the i287.

On integer code, the Cyrix chip was faster than a Pentium, "clock for clock", and thus much faster than a i486 (see datasheets).

Also, while VIA sold the Cyrix designs for a while, the IDT/Centaur-designed C3 and C7 has nothing to do with the Cyrix chips, at least not regaring technical solutions used.

/Best Regards

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