FPU performance boost

[Tolgod]

Well tnx for the extra input guys.
For now I can say little about how it would be or could be, but emulated results suggest that Ibrowse isn't particularly benefitted by an fpu and possibly even hindered by a 030 cpu.
Pics off is used here for some 'bigger sites' and increases access. However, seeing what the 020 @ 26.67 already can do, I do believe a 040 might have big impact and would meet my wishes. Emulation and raw calculation benchmarks would suggest so too.
Now keep in mind that I'm fully aware of the limitations original 68k systems will always know. For me however I would like to get that mid nineties feeling on browsing. So I will consider a loading time of <40s fast enough (20 would be better though). I don't have any expectation of using complicated modern websites like social media, tube sites or other sites running heavy code. I have many phones and PC's that all do the trick better than any original 68k amiga ever will, and that's not my aim. For instance with Aminet, if a file is big (like zombie massacre iso) I download it on my phone and put it on the Nas drive which is mounted as samba drive. So functionality I have plenty, for me it's more the gimmick. If I want to show a non amigan, they won't wanna wait a 100s let alone be impressed by it. Below 40 will start resembling the good old dial up days.

[Kin Hell]

There are a great deal of things that can affect & effect your systems speed.
CPU, FPU, Graphics, size of Screen etc. The smaller things such as 60ns or 70ns Ram are very small comparisons overall. It's the combination of everything being up there to give you lower latencies & faster processing across the whole system.

040's run HOT anything over 25Mhz, so be sure you have some active Cooling or your latencies will be out of the window with thermal issues.

[Tolgod]

Hi there and tnx for the input.
This is something I understand and take into account. It is for me also the explanation of the performance boost a cycle exact emulation still shows. Every element can perform at 100% accuracy cause there is no physical entropy and the host system is hardly taxed compared to a real machine which is souped up. I see it like driving a Porsche SUV at 130km/hr or a Russian trabant at the same speed. There will be noticeable differences. I personally have committed to the ACA system. At Icomp this is exactly what they're about. They don't just sell parts soldered on a pcb, but design and tweak the cards to perform optimally. Depending on the price point their 040 solution would be the one I'll consider. I know that they are designing them with active cooling and there will be 25, 33 and 40mhz solutions. The big question that remains is the price point of course.
There are limits to what I can justify myself on spending on an upgrade, so it remains to be seen weither a 040 option is one I can fool myself into beleaving it's worth it (as everything is with a hobby like this).
I will say though that I really can attest to the quality of the cards made by icomp. They will not be the cheapest (though considering what it offers I think the aca500+ is dirt cheap), but they sure are premium. The xsurf solution th into networking is simply marvelous and for 500 enthusiasts like me a godsent.
I know the 1200 and up tend to be the main focus of the still active community, but to me the 500(+) and ofcourse the 1000 are the real legends and the justification for Amiga still being regarded so high and fondly. The rest is in a absolute sense 'better', but in relation to the timespans and competition clearly show why our beloved platform went belly up.
Aga was not a milestone and looking how long it took to get from 1000 to 1200 it is a disappointing continuation of what could've become the current benchmark still.

[grond]

Personally I would always prefer an accelerator that entirely resides inside the Amiga. If it has a magnitude more power than any ACA like the V500 does, even better.

[Tolgod]

How could one disagree with that. There really aren't though. The terrible fire might come close power wise, but general configs are low on memory and I strongly doubt they will put out the same raw power as an ACA card with compatible specs. I would prefer an internal solution esthetically as well, but none will offer what the ACA system will. I've had the plipbox and there is no comparisment there, xsurf blows all competition out of the water even at half its speed. If I didn't desire proper networking on my mig though, I might opt for an internal solution.

[grond]

The V500 is many times faster than any ACA and has a networking extension that reaches something about 2MB/s network throughput. Plus it is internal.

[Tolgod]

Ah...now I get it...the Vampire
Wonderfull if you like that way of going about it (though many connector extenders are needed for comfortable operation). For me it's just not my cup of tea. Though at hardware level, to me emotionally it still feels like putting an emulator inside the machine. Even at 100% compatibility, it doesn't have that feel for me. Great bang for buck, wonderfull system I'm sure, but not what I want. For me it holds no merit over a Pi solution. This is an emotional thing, and I'm well aware of the differences of course. If it can essentially function standalone I don't consider it an expansion card. To me it's a neat way of building in a myst computer and hooking it up to the original io.

[Kin Hell]

Originally Posted by Tolgod

<snip> For me it's just not my cup of tea. Though at hardware level, to me emotionally it still feels like putting an emulator inside the machine. <snip>

+1