noring@netcom.COM (Jon Noring) (06/14/91)
Hello,
I'm considering the purchase of a floating point math coprocessor
for my 386-33 pc. Although I have several reasons for doing so,
the main one right now is to increase the speed of generating
fractal images using Fractint 16.0 when it's in floating-point
mode (if no coprocessor is present, Fractint will software emulate
floating point calculation).
Question #1: Approximately, how much increase in Fractint floating
point calculational speed will I see using a math
coprocessor versus software emulation?
Question #2: Any recommendations as to brand (Intel, Cyrix, etc.)?
Where can I get the coprocessor at a reasonable price?
Thanks for your feedback.
--
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"If you make $50,000 today, you have the same buying power as the average
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nationally recognized Certified Financial Planner; quoted in 1987.davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (06/17/91)
In article <1991Jun13.192329.11931@netcom.COM> noring@netcom.COM (Jon Noring) writes: | I'm considering the purchase of a floating point math coprocessor | for my 386-33 pc. Although I have several reasons for doing so, | the main one right now is to increase the speed of generating | fractal images using Fractint 16.0 when it's in floating-point | mode (if no coprocessor is present, Fractint will software emulate | floating point calculation). I'm not sure you realize that most of the time fractint is running in 32 bit fixed point mode, not emulating floating point (not integer, for that matter). The fixed point is much faster than floating point, with out without an FPU, although without the diference is greater. Only when you really zoom in do you see the effect of the FPU. Just so you fully understand that much of fractint won't change, sorry if you were clear on that, maybe some of the readers aren't. | Question #1: Approximately, how much increase in Fractint floating | point calculational speed will I see using a math | coprocessor versus software emulation? I see at least twenty to one, for things which use transcendental functions as much as fifty. In other words as world of diference. | Question #2: Any recommendations as to brand (Intel, Cyrix, etc.)? | Where can I get the coprocessor at a reasonable price? I like Cyrix, it's faster than Intel on most things, much faster on some things, mucbh lower power, and it costs less. I have put in several and friends have used them, and we've all been delighted. I got mine from ELKCO (1-800-24ELKCO). No connection but a repeatedly satisfied customer. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me