Category Archives: random updates

SIMH benchmark numbers…

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I have to admit, I’m really surprised. In the past Visual C++ had been a clear winner every time I’d checked performance vs Gcc. And the tide seems to have really turned under Windows 7 x64. While not a massive lead, the winner after all these iterations of my simh benchmark was Gcc 4.5.2 for x86_64.

Just in the same fashion here, it seems that on some platforms -O1 is faster then -O2, and you really won’t find out until you run some comparisons.

gcc version 3.4.5 (mingw-vista special r3)

gcc O0
21.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 23
This machine benchmarks at 21739 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 20
This machine benchmarks at 25000 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 21
This machine benchmarks at 23809 dhrystones/second

gcc O1
15.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 16
This machine benchmarks at 31250 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 15
This machine benchmarks at 33333 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 15
This machine benchmarks at 33333 dhrystones/second

gcc 02
12.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 12
This machine benchmarks at 41666 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 12
This machine benchmarks at 41666 dhrystones/second

gcc version 4.5.2 20101002 (prerelease) [svn/rev.164902 – mingw-w64/oz] (GCC)

gcc O0
21.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 21
This machine benchmarks at 23809 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 22
This machine benchmarks at 22727 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 21
This machine benchmarks at 23809 dhrystones/second

gcc O1
13.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 14
This machine benchmarks at 35714 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second

gcc O2
12
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 11
This machine benchmarks at 45454 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 12
This machine benchmarks at 41666 dhrystones/second

Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 16.00.30319.01 for x64

VC /Od /Bi0
21.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 21
This machine benchmarks at 23809 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 21
This machine benchmarks at 23809 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 22
This machine benchmarks at 22727 dhrystones/second

VC /O2 /Ob2 /Oi
13
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second

VC /O2
13.66666666666667
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 14
This machine benchmarks at 35714 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 14
This machine benchmarks at 35714 dhrystones/second

Vc /Og /Ox
13
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second

Microsoft (R) 32-bit C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 16.00.30319.01 for 80×86
VC /Og /Ox
13.33333333333333
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 14
This machine benchmarks at 35714 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second
Dhrystone(1.1) time for 500000 passes = 13
This machine benchmarks at 38461 dhrystones/second

And this is on my laptop, an Intel Core i7 Q 720 running at 1.6Ghz with 4GB of ram & Windows 7 Home Premium.

Windows 95 & DLL’s…

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I hope nobody ever needs to know this, but I found out the hard way, that dll’s built with Visual C++ 6.0 wont’ load correctly on Windows 95… But luckily Visual C++ 4.2 is still available on MSDN, and the speex files built with only 40 or so changes.

I think I’m finally done with the whole winamp thing.

Phew!

moving hosting companies…..

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I’m moving some of my hosting stuff, so there will probably be some bumps in the move… But in the meantime, I think the ‘big’ thing I have, ‘vpsland/install‘ should now be running up again..

Even while I was writing this, I saw someone download f2c!!!

It’s a scary thing to think of my work being used.. Esp regarding Fortran.

Also I’ll have to post some stuff on the x86_64 gcc for Windows… Too bad it won’t run Qemu, but there is 64bit Gfortran!

Smith Corona teletype conversion

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While converting your typewriter into a teletype may not be all the rage, nor may it be all that … ‘new’ of a project, this one was sent in to me by Stefan (thanks!).

http://upnotnorth.net/2010/10/29/a-new-way-to-interact-with-fiction/

Not only is it in Toronto ( Site 3 coLaboratory ), but yes……

It runs ZORK!

I suppose at some point, somone will have to find the smallest machine with an ethernet & USB port, some rs232/usb cables and a few real terminals for a real ‘micro’ vax…. Or at least, that’s what I envision… 🙂

Acer ONE (ZG5/AOA150)

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So a few years back, my laptop died, and I was on the road. I swung into a Wal*Mart, and picked up an Acer One for under $300 USD… Nice machine, but it’s loaded up with Windows XP home.

Which is ok, for being in a panic and on the road, but wasn’t all that hot for a full time laptop. So fastforward, and I’m looking for a machine to run some low level ASP.NET stuff on, and while looking through my old machines, I’m thinking if only this Acer One could run 2003, or even XP Pro. But I don’t have a USB CD-ROM on me, and I’d like to format the drive, obliterating all the bs I had on there before. That’s when I came across this great program, Win Setup from USB.

What a lifesaver, a minute downloading 2003 from MSDN, and a spare 2GB flash drive, and I’m installing 2003 on my Acer One.

Not to mention I can load Virtual Server 2005 (not the r2 version or the service packed one, that’ll load nextstep!).

Oh well that’s my random thing for the day.

300 Baud magazine…

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300buadcover_02_l

I came across this on a mailing list a while back, and meant to at least mention it here, but then I forgot. But I remembered it again… 300 Baud includes some of the old ads for various micros, along with some projects that you can actually follow along on the real thing, or even emulators.

For a fanzine, I have to say, it’s pretty well done, and certainly worth the $6 USD. Afterall whats so bad about supporting something cool like that?

And speaking of which, check out retro GAMER, sure it’s all professionally done, but I like its various focus on a platform month to month, and it’s loaded with all kinds of great interviews.