Which FPU for my Blizzard 1230-IV - Page 3

PowerPie5000 · 13 November 2009, 14:14

I'm pretty sure there are some Amiga games out there that benefit from having an FPU.... The Settlers for example will make use of any extra RAM and FPU

Toni Wilen · 13 November 2009, 14:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by PowerPie5000

I'm pretty sure there are some Amiga games out there that benefit from having an FPU.... The Settlers for example will make use of any extra RAM and FPU

Settlers? FPU? That can't be true.

meega · 13 November 2009, 14:27

It certainly knows if you've got one, whether it uses it or not is another matter.

StevenJGore · 13 November 2009, 14:51

I'm pretty sure that TFX makes use of an FPU.

IIRC, there's a separate icon for launching an FPU version.

Anemos · 13 November 2009, 14:54

i think also..
Hexen
Heretic
Descent

alexh · 13 November 2009, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anemos

i think also..
Hexen
Heretic

Nope they are both fixed point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Settlers? FPU? That can't be true.

I would agree but I'll ask the author who is an acquaintance of mine

TCD · 13 November 2009, 15:21

Neither did Descent :

Quote:

Since it did not have the assistance of a FPU, the Descent engine made heavy use of fixed-point arithmetic for non-integer calculations.

http://everything2.com/title/descent

alexh · 13 November 2009, 15:23

Like I said there is no reason what so ever to get one other than to use more electricity and generate more heat.

cosmicfrog · 13 November 2009, 15:50

wot alexh said and keeps saying
FPU if you raytrace or do some maths stuff

mind you if theres a game out there that uses fpu lets find it, just for the fact that non listed so far need one

rkauer · 13 November 2009, 18:16

TfX, mainly because it is a real crappy port from pc.

PowerPie5000 · 13 November 2009, 18:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Settlers? FPU? That can't be true.

When it boots it shows me how much extra RAM is available and whether or not there is an FPU present... so i'm guessing it makes use of the FPU or why mention it on the available hardware screen?

alexh · 13 November 2009, 18:32

Erm, cos you can? It is probably just to make people feel good about their FPU which nothing uses

Should be easy to prove / disprove in WinUAE.

DoogUK · 13 November 2009, 21:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicfrog

wot alexh said and keeps saying
FPU if you raytrace or do some maths stuff

mind you if theres a game out there that uses fpu lets find it, just for the fact that non listed so far need one

Quake definately needs it

DDNI · 13 November 2009, 21:20

reminds me of my post here...

http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=548716&postcount=2

alexh · 13 November 2009, 21:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoogUK

Quake definately needs it

Quake doesn't work on an 030.

alexh · 13 November 2009, 22:37

I'd be curious to know if AB3D-II used the FPU for anything.

chiark · 13 November 2009, 23:07

If you're wanting to raytrace stuff on an amiga, you'd tens if not hundreds of time better off running on a powerful pc under emulation. Yes, that's not the point in some instances, but...

As has been said many times, all an FPU does is provide a function that allows very specific floating point arithmetic tasks to be offloaded: the software needs to have been written/compiled with the ability to offload the functionality to the FPU.

A list of demos that take advantage of an FPU would be interesting though...

fc.studio · 14 November 2009, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by plankton

Amiga Resource (I can't reach atm so linked google cache) and Amiga Hardware say I can use a 50Mhz 68882 FPU with my board. Does that mean 40Mhz ones from Amiga Maniac aren't compatible?

My Blizzard 1230/IV now has a 50 MHz (MC) 68882 FPU, but in the past it worked fine for years with a 40 MHz (MC) 68882 FPU (obviously auto-overclocked by the board to 50 MHz).
68882 MC versions are better for overclock than 68882 XC versions.

Just to have an idea for something requiring (or not) an FPU:

http://aminet.net/search?query=fpu

Poor use, but as cosmicfrog reported, I like to know I can run that software that requires a fpu, even if I never do.

frank_b · 15 November 2009, 12:46

I think you need an FPU if you want to play with any of the freenixes (BSD/Linux) on the 030.

coze · 15 November 2009, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank_b

I think you need an FPU if you want to play with any of the freenixes (BSD/Linux) on the 030.

I think you're thinking about the MMU.

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13 November 2009, 14:14	#41
PowerPie5000 Miggy Ate My Hamster! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 1,566	I'm pretty sure there are some Amiga games out there that benefit from having an FPU.... The Settlers for example will make use of any extra RAM and FPU

13 November 2009, 14:27	#43
meega Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oooh what a feeling yeaaah dancing on the ceiling Posts: 314	It certainly knows if you've got one, whether it uses it or not is another matter.

13 November 2009, 14:51	#44
StevenJGore Amiga Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: North Yorkshire, UK Age: 46 Posts: 726	I'm pretty sure that TFX makes use of an FPU. IIRC, there's a separate icon for launching an FPU version.

13 November 2009, 14:54	#45
Anemos 70X7 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ἑλλάς Posts: 1,078	i think also.. Hexen Heretic Descent

13 November 2009, 15:23	#48
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	Like I said there is no reason what so ever to get one other than to use more electricity and generate more heat.

13 November 2009, 15:50	#49
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	wot alexh said and keeps saying FPU if you raytrace or do some maths stuff mind you if theres a game out there that uses fpu lets find it, just for the fact that non listed so far need one

13 November 2009, 18:16	#50
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	TfX, mainly because it is a real crappy port from pc.

13 November 2009, 18:32	#52
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	Erm, cos you can? It is probably just to make people feel good about their FPU which nothing uses Should be easy to prove / disprove in WinUAE.

13 November 2009, 21:20	#54
DDNI Targ Explorer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 5,431	reminds me of my post here... http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=548716&postcount=2

13 November 2009, 22:37	#56
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	I'd be curious to know if AB3D-II used the FPU for anything.

13 November 2009, 23:07	#57
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	If you're wanting to raytrace stuff on an amiga, you'd tens if not hundreds of time better off running on a powerful pc under emulation. Yes, that's not the point in some instances, but... As has been said many times, all an FPU does is provide a function that allows very specific floating point arithmetic tasks to be offloaded: the software needs to have been written/compiled with the ability to offload the functionality to the FPU. A list of demos that take advantage of an FPU would be interesting though...

15 November 2009, 12:46	#59
frank_b Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Boston USA Posts: 466	I think you need an FPU if you want to play with any of the freenixes (BSD/Linux) on the 030.

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