*BSD News Article 58992


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.aix
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!nntp.coast.net!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!metrics.com!tomh
From: tomh@metrics.com (Tom Haapanen)
Subject: Re: ISP hardware/software choices (performance comparison)
Organization: Software Metrics Inc.
Message-ID: <DKtyrD.8EI@metrics.com>
References: <4cmopu$d35@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 21:38:01 GMT
Lines: 52
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:1819 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:1945 comp.unix.solaris:56482 comp.unix.aix:68081


mstary@prairienet.org (stary) writes:
> Conclusions:  I can not justify to buy any other platform other then
> the Intel P6/200 based machines.  

Are the P6/200s *really* available?  Can you order one from someone and
get delivery within some reasonable timeframe?

> All of the systems are configured with 64Megs of RAM, 4.3 gig Hds, some
> graphics card (not very important for servers), and no monitors.

Did you add in networking?  The C20 doesn't include any network adapter,
and the MCA Ethernet card is about $1K.  What about the cost of the OS?
And potentially the cost of the development environment, if you need that?

In any case, for a web server, I'd consider a 43P workstation rather than
the C20 server.  The base price is well less than half for a PPC 604/133-
equipped version, and  it includes networking in the box.  I'm not sure
how you arrived at your prices, so I'll guesstimate below.

> -----------------------------------------
> SPECint_base95, SPECfp_base95
> -----------------------------------------
> 
> Machine, CPU, clock, cache, SPECint_base95, SPECfp_base95, price
> 
> Sun SS10/40       SuprSP     40      20/16        1.00    1.00    ???
> IBM C20           MPC604     120     1M+16/16     3.38    3.48   $12300
> Intel XXpress     Pentium    66/133  1M+8/8       4.14    3.12   ~$6000
> Intel Alder       PentiumPro 150     256+8/8      6.08    5.42   ~$6700
> Intel Alder       PentiumPro 200     256+8/8      8.09    6.70   ~$7200
> Sun SS20/71       SuprSP2    75      1M+20/16     2.06    2.14   $10400
  IBM 43P           MPC 604    133     512+16/16    4.55    3.31   ~$6500

> $/perf. ratios for the above:
> CPU	$/int_base95	$/fp_base95
> --------------------------------------------
> MPC604	 $  3,639.05 	 $  3,534.48 
> P5/133	 $  1,449.28 	 $  1,923.08 
> P6/150	 $  1,101.97 	 $  1,236.16 
> P6/200	 $    889.99 	 $  1,074.63 
> SuprSP2/71	 $  5,048.54 	 $  4,859.81 
  IBM 43P        $  1,428.57	 $  1,963.75

Based on those, the 43P is in the same ballpark as the Pentium 133.  But
you'll have to work out exact numbers for yourself to see whether it's
really comparable to Intel boxes.

-- 
[ /tom haapanen -- tomh@metrics.com -- software metrics inc -- waterloo, ont ]
[ "any sufficiently advanced technology                                      ]
[  is indistinguishable from magic"                      -- arthur c. clarke ]