Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.misc
Subject: Re: SX vs DX
From: jdcarmack@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Date: 5 Jan 93 16:23:10 -0500
Reply-To: jdcarmack@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Followup-To: comp.os.ms-windows.misc
Distribution: world
Organization: Miami University Academic Computer Service"

In article <1993Jan5.130856.1@vax1.umkc.edu>, edowdy@vax1.umkc.edu writes:
> In article <4188.5.uupcb@uttsbbs.uucp>, john.lechmanik@uttsbbs.uucp (John Lechmanik)  writes:
>>> J.>One other thing, some dealers are offering something called a DX2.  I
>> J.>forget exactly what they are at the moment, but stay away from them.
>> 
>>         I don't know about staying away from a DX2.  It would come down to 
>> a personal choice.  A DX2 50 Mhz has the chip's internal clock speed 
>> pushed up to 50 Mhz while the rest of the motherboard operates at 25 Mhz 
>> (ie 1/2 the speed).  This is still a good system.  However a DX2 50Mhz may 
>> or may not be faster than a DX 33 Mhz.  That would depend on what 
>> applications are being run.  
> 
> 	I hope I am not begging the question, but I think one would see
> more speed gains by getting a windows accelerator card such diamond spdstr 24x
> or other good cards. I may misunderstand their structure but they really take
> away much of the graphics work away from the chip, therefore freeing it up
> for other "more mundane" tasks. To me, (for the average user) once you are
> talking about a 486dx33 or higher (not counting the p5), you really see
> diminishing returns speedwise on the chip. I mean I use a wordprocessing
> package, a database package and a communications package for windows, which is
> what I would consider your average user. I feel I would see more speed gains
> by upgrading my graphics card rather than buying an overdrive chip.
> 

Time out.  We began this discussion first about 387 math coprocessors,
then it changed into SX vs DX.  An overdrive
chip is not a math coprocessor, but it is installed in the coprocessor slot.
As far as I know, it can be used on a SX or DX, but
I don't know much about them, other than that propoganda film that Intel
puts out, but I would have to say that whether a graphics accelarator
speeds it up more than an overdrive chip would be purely application depen-
dent.  On the other hand, an overdrive chip would speed up all apps, DOS or
Windows, while a graphics card would only affect Windows and graphics
packages.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  John Carmack                | "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"  |
|  Academic Computing Service  |             -Mad Hatter                |
|  Miami University            |                                        |
|  Oxford, Ohio                |                                        |
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  John Carmack                | "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"  |
|  Academic Computing Service  |             -Mad Hatter                |
|  Miami University            |                                        |
|  Oxford, Ohio                |                                        |
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Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.misc