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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:AMIGA NOTES
Notice:Join us in the *NEW* conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:HYDRA::MOORE
Created:Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5378
Total number of notes:38326

3044.0. "Why not a faster custom chip set ?" by BRSOPI::VLASIU (Try with a bigger hammer) Wed Oct 25 1989 08:01

	Hello,

Actually the custom chips on the Amiga limit the practical usage at 7.xx Mhz
even if you replace the 68000 with a faster 68000. The PCs and clones have
upgraded very much in performance using faster clock speed arangements.
My question is: why there is not any faster custom chip set in view ?
At 15Mhz or 25Mhz things may be really amazing especially with a 640x512
non-interlaced display. Sure the 68020 machines are better but they also need
a faster custom chip set in order to increase the overall performance while
keeping architecture compatibility. In any case the custom chip set should work
at faster clock speeds. I cannot understand why aren't they using this aproach
also.
Best regards,

Sorin
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
3044.1Yeah, and they better fix this for the 3000TLE::RMEYERSRandy MeyersWed Oct 25 1989 19:3527
Re: .0

You are exactly right.  The current custom chips in the Amiga are
a bottleneck to future performance.

The next generation Amiga should (doesn't mean it will) have a
32 bit custom chipset running at at least twice the current
clock speed.

It better also support higher resolutions and more colors.

At the BCS meeting, someone told Copperman that the next Amiga
needed higher resolutions and more colors.  He replied that
"That is a known requirement."

He didn't say that Commodore is currently working on such a
chipset.  He didn't say if they were working on such a chipset,
far along they were.

However, such a new chip set couldn't be used in new Amigas
(or at least couldn't be used to full advantage) because
chip memory only runs a 7+ megahertz.

Its worth noting however, that the current chipset holds up
pretty well.  The Amiga blitter can perform graphics manipulations
about as fast a 68020 running a twice the speed.  (The blitter
is very heavily optimized for its job.)
3044.2$$$$$$$$$$SALEM::LEIMBERGERThu Oct 26 1989 04:4718
    I also would like to see more performance,but I think many of us
    are forgrtting the Amiga's roots.I have been looking at a 030 board
    from GVP and while it has all the nice things we like,it has a price
    to match.I feel that CBM still needs to address the low end if they
    want to survive.I don't think they have reached the point in the
    high end market where they can survive(marketing not hardware)
    without the low end base.If you want more by the GVP.It will give
    you a 32 bit processor,32 bit no wait state ram,an a math coprocessor
    all running at 25mhz.Now at that point you are competitive with
    most of the systems out there,look at the blitter etc as gravy.For
    the sake of argument if CBM game out with an across the board 32
    bit machine how many of US would,or should I say could buy it ?
    If you did how much of your current software base would be useable?
    	These are questions that need to be considered when we talk
    about performance.It takes more than desire to make a market it
    takes people with the ability to buy.How many have 030 systems today,
    and if you don't have one why not ? they are available now!
    								bill