apollo vs blizzard vs gvp

[CLS2086]

don't forget about the compatibility !

Yesterday, I tried to play "Lagaf - Les aventures de Moktar -Zou zou zou bi da" (a.k.a. "Titus the Fox" with Titus in place of Moktar) with the original floppy.
It often refused to work when the fastram was "on" with my BPPC 040RC/256mb and was slow to "decompress" each level.
When I replaced it with my BZ 1230-IV/FPU/196mb, it worked without any trick, and i could set the screenmode in 60hz in the "Early" !

So mind about what are you going to do with your card.

[AmigaMance]

@srg86

 Ah.. now i can explain some things. Like why the 68040/25 of my BPPC doesn't feel much faster than my Blizzard 1230IV and why various benchmark utilities like SysInfo report slower memory access on the BPPC.
 I wonder if this deficiency has to do with the dual CPU design of the card.

[humppa]

I wonder if this deficiency has to do with the dual CPU design of the card.

No, since it also applies to a Blizzard 1240/40 compared to an Apollo 1240/40 and a Blizzard 1260 compared to an Apollo 1260.

[Piru]

Blizzard 1260 compared to an Apollo 1260.

Really? BPPC 060 wasn't that slow IMO, at least when I compared SysSpeed modules... Can't remember exactly but if it was slower, it was only couple of percent. It might also depend on the memory speed settings of the BPPC.

But it has been couple of years I last used the BPPC, so I might remember it being faster than it reallty was ;-)

[srg86]

hmm well, according to SysInfo, my BPPC is faster than an A4000/040 and definatly faster than the 1230IV. I also found that if you don't use the display, and so no chip RAM access, that the 040 on the BPPC is definatly faster than the 1230IV. This I have found on my little prime number program which I used to compare different configurations. It doesn't display each prime number which an older version did and is 10 seconds faster on the BPPC040 than the 1230IV

[Dwyloc]

As an Apollo 030/50 and BlizzardPPC 060 owner I can confirm that the Apollo card has faster chipmem access than the BlizzardPPC card but fastmem access on my 060/50 603/200 with SCSI is at lest as fast as the Apollo 030 card.

As such for running AGA games the Apollo card is better but for everything else the BlizzardPPC is much better.

[3246251196]

how about an Apollo 1220 board? anygood.

i know that the 1230 (030) is better to get. but what is this board like?

[Hyperspeed]

When I compare the SysSpeed results of a Blizzard 1260 VS an Apollo '040 the Apollo only beats the Blizzard on 11 of 31 memory tests.

Yes, I may be comparing the Blizzard '060 and the Apollo '040 but things aren't going to change much for memory - so the Blizzard appears the winner in this category.

With drive speed (particularly with DMA SCSI) you will be missing out with an Apollo as with ROM functions that are mapped to FastMem on a Blizzard board on bootup.

For raw power and reliability I don't think Apollo comes close to Blizzard cards, but as has been mentioned - the '040 and '060 boards cannot compete with '030 boards for compatibility...

... and compatibility is the ultimate test of reliability.

My reccomendation is the Blizzard 1230-IV with 32MB FPM and 50Mhz PGA FPU. (I have a Blizzard 1260 but as a keen gamer am not happy with it's level of compatibility with the ancient classics from A500). If AGA lessens compatibility then '060 will make things even more awkward for the 0ld Sk0ol!

[3246251196]

there is one on amigakit. i would need to get the FPU too. i already have JUST enough memory for games and OS3.5/3.9

so the 1230 is nice and its recommended all over (the 1230 IV btw)

what about that 1220 i said (the apollo one)? no good?

[patrik]

@3246251196:

If you going to buy a 020/030-accelerator and your intention is to play games then skip the FPU, you will not gain anything by having one.

For playing games the Blizzard1230 is a very good accelerator as it is very compatible and you can easily expand it with enough memory to be able to preload even the largest games when using WHDLoad.

The Blizzard1220 isn't a bad accelerator, but it will not allow you to expand the memory very much. 4MB as standard and 8MB with a special and rather hard to get expansion-card for it. If you get one of those, don't pay very much for it.


/Patrik

[3246251196]

what type of Amiga user needs an FPU then?

thanks for reply, Patrik

[ckillerh3]

Hey - my GVP 1230 with 1291 SCSI and 8 meg ram has always treated me well.  I bought the card along with the RAM though.  How much RAM do you need for what you want to do?
If you find a GVP card with RAM and SCSI I'd say go for it ! Straightforward set-up and no crashing problems. I can't vouch for its speed vs Apillo vs Blizzard.

[Hyperspeed]

I would get the FPU... make it a 50Mhz PGA FPU if you have the Blizzard 1230-IV in mind.

The FPU will get used by games like Gloom, Alien Breed 3D, AB3D2: The Killing Grounds, Breathless, Doom, XTreme Racing, TFX and more.

It'll probably only cost 30 GBP/50 USD.

On the versus subject though, if you can get another make of board for less than half the price of a Blizzard you're onto a winner - but keep in mind why there is such demand for the Phase 5 boards.

[AmigaMance]

The FPU will get used by games like Gloom, Alien Breed 3D, AB3D2: The Killing Grounds, Breathless, Doom, XTreme Racing, TFX and more.

 These games are using the FPU? (except of TFX maybe)

[Dwyloc]

Hyperspeed wrote:
I would get the FPU... make it a 50Mhz PGA FPU if you have the Blizzard 1230-IV in mind.

The FPU will get used by games like Gloom, Alien Breed 3D, AB3D2: The Killing Grounds, Breathless, Doom, XTreme Racing, TFX and more.

Not true I have all the games you listed, the only Amiga games that support or use the FPU are TFX and ClickBoom’s Quake port.

[3246251196]

so essentially you just need a board which will hold more memory and increase proc' speed to at least 30Mhz

those are the two main things to run 3.5 (3.9) and play retro amiga games...?