X1000 CPU is PWRficient PA6T

[HammerD]

well it blows away a 68060 @ 66Mhz - which is about 88 MIPS  lol

[amiga92570]

Yes you do, but you call it "an educated assumption based on the information at the time", which pretty much is the same tag line *any gambler* would use!

You would know best, as I stated I do not Gamble or Guess. If I did, I would guess you know all about me. But then I would be wrong.

[trekiej]

Here is a pdf that says it has virtualization.
http://www.systerra.de/documents/PA_Semi_PA6T_1682M_PB_694.pdf

[zylesea]

It's actually not as fast as I would have thought:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructions_per_second

8800 MIPS at 2.0 GHz.

Look at the figures of some of the Intel CPUS.

Having said that, it blows away existing and available PowerPC chips that are currently running AmigaOS 4.

Divide that value by 2 - only one core gets used (at least initially). The G4 1500 MHz is slower, but optimized software probably fills that gap.
I am pretty curious of a real world usage comparision of OS4 on the X1000 vs. a Mac mini 1500 running MorphOS. Unfortunately we will have to wait until winter for that comparison (and who knows maybe we can compare it against a G4 1667 MHz by then)...

[takemehomegrandma]

Divide that value by 2 - only one core gets used

...and is the CPU even available at 2.0GHz in real life, or only theoretical? The "X1000" is announced at 1.8GHz, and IIRC I remember some comments that "now we have successfully tested it at 1.6GHz" (or whatever)...

(at least initially).

Per design, Amiga can't do what outsiders would call *real* SMP, not even "later".

The G4 1500 MHz is slower, but optimized software probably fills that gap.

As already shown in the MorphOS vs. OS4 speed comparison (not that the G4 1500MHz will be faster, but that optimized software wins *on the same HW*, and thus will reach up beyond the "unoptimized" software).

I am pretty curious of a real world usage comparision of OS4 on the X1000 vs. a Mac mini 1500 running MorphOS. Unfortunately we will have to wait until winter for that comparison (and who knows maybe we can compare it against a G4 1667 MHz by then)...

Bang for the Buck!

[Karlos]

@tmhg

2.0GHz is frequently quoted in old PASemi notes. I suspect the 1.6/1.8 GHz speeds in the X1000 may be something more to do with the fact it is passively cooled.

[takemehomegrandma]

@tmhg

2.0GHz is frequently quoted in old PASemi notes. I suspect the 1.6/1.8 GHz speeds in the X1000 may be something more to do with the fact it is passively cooled.

Well OK (did never pay that much attention), but let's see *what gets delivered* in the end. The thing isn't even remotely here yet!

[Boudicca]

Well OK (did never pay that much attention), but let's see *what gets delivered* in the end. The thing isn't even remotely here yet!

What interests me, is how can it be a new off the fab line....PA6T.

[takemehomegrandma]

HyperionMP:

"It is unwise to spread this type of unconfirmed rumours.

Whatever people believe they have seen or not seen, I certainly do not want any disappointed users blaming A-EON and/or Hyperion Entertainment for speculation by third parties.

It should be pointed out that measures were taken to throw up "funny answers" when people tried to find out the identity of the CPU."

http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=31896&forum=33#566619

Ah well, we'll see who will be eating the socks in the end...

[takemehomegrandma]

What interests me, is how can it be a new off the fab line....PA6T.

Well, is it?

[zylesea]

What interests me, is how can it be a new off the fab line....PA6T.

I think there are rumours that Apple allowed another company to take production of the Pa6T for the contracted and warranted customers. Maybe they even were allowed to do some advancments like a die shrink with a transition to another process (45nm). But I don't know if there is any truth in those rumours...
Anyway the PA6T unfortunately (it actually is a nice processor) is a dead end and probably very expensive (well, it gets produced in low quantity and gets primarily sold to mil customers - who have a different approach to calculate costs).

[Karlos]

What interests me, is how can it be a new off the fab line....PA6T.

Apple bought PASemi, who designed the PWRFicient, but PASemi were a fabless company. I don't recall off the top of my head who was responsible for fabrication, but when buying the company, it would seem reasonable that Apple would have to honour any existing production contracts PASemi / their fabrication partner may have had at the time.

[yakumo9275]

The question I have, where do you go from here since there is no follow up chip to the PA6T, so you've got to choose altogether a new chip (even if its ppc based).  There is not another ppc chip even in the pipeline for the power/watt combo that PA6T has, so immediately you have painted yourself into a corner regarding a follow up.

[mongo]

Apple bought PASemi, who designed the PWRFicient, but PASemi were a fabless company. I don't recall off the top of my head who was responsible for fabrication, but when buying the company, it would seem reasonable that Apple would have to honour any existing production contracts PASemi / their fabrication partner may have had at the time.

Yup.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/16/pasemi_apple_support/

[Pyromania]

The question I have, where do you go from here since there is no follow up chip to the PA6T, so you've got to choose altogether a new chip (even if its ppc based).  There is not another ppc chip even in the pipeline for the power/watt combo that PA6T has, so immediately you have painted yourself into a corner regarding a follow up.

The answer is very clear.  A 1.6 TeraHz Multicore CPU with x86 & PPC embedded cores.

[ferrellsl]

I think most users will be underwhelmed with its performance.  8,800 MIPS at 2.0 GHz is about where the leading Pentium processors were back in 2003.

Sounds like there was a surplus of them from 2007 laying around and A-Eon was able to buy them up at a discount and them charge Amiga fanatics a premium price.