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Subjectre: AMD (fwd)
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> > What is it missing that makes it non-pentium-class?
> >
> > Jim

> Well look at what he just said:
>
> its a 486 CPU that just has its internal clock quadrupled....
>
> here is an example.. a 486dx2-66 is just a 486 33MHz CPU with its internal
> clock DOUBLED, to make it 66MHz. The same idea as above.. the CPU above
> is jsut a 486-33 class CPU with its internal clock QUADUPLED. 33 * 4 =
> 132. <they do a bit of funny math to work it up to 133 :>

OK, let me phrase my question a little better, and give my motiviation for
asking it. I frequently see statements that AMD and Cyrix 586 processors
are not "real" pentium CPUs, and there is usually the implication that
that this is a bad thing. I am trying to figure out how much of the
difference it really a bad thing, and how much is marketing hype.
Perhaps I should have asked if a Pentium was more than a fast 386.

Here are my questions, and what I know about the answers, in a little
more detail:

1) Are there any instructions available with the Pentium that are not
available with the AMD chip. How important are they? Does the
AMD part have useful instructions that the Pentium does not?

The only thing I can think of that might fall into this catagory is
the 4M page table stuff, but I am not well versed in this subject.

2) Can the Pentium perform tasks that can not be performed with the AMD
processor?

I dont think so. I believe that each of them can address the same amount
of ram, the registers are the same size, etc. The Pentium may be better
for SMP stuff, but I suspect that you dont even have the choice of using
and AMD processor if that is the case.

3) Is the Pentium a better value for the money?

I suspect that the Pentium will run faster at a given clock speed, and
I suspect that the AMD part is cheaper. I am just guessing though.


Thanks,

Jim

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