From owner-freebsd-hackers Thu Jan 15 09:06:30 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id JAA10931 for hackers-outgoing; Thu, 15 Jan 1998 09:06:30 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from bulkrate.cc.bellcore.com (bulkrate.cc.bellcore.com [128.96.96.96]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id JAA10892 for ; Thu, 15 Jan 1998 09:06:13 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from khansen@njcc.com) Received: from monolith.bellcore.com by bulkrate.cc.bellcore.com with SMTP id AA24571 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for ); Thu, 15 Jan 1998 12:10:09 -0500 Received: from khansen.cc.bellcore.com by monolith.bellcore.com (4.1/SMI-4.0) id AA09871; Thu, 15 Jan 98 12:05:39 EST Message-Id: <34BE41EE.E3B@njcc.com> Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 12:05:50 -0500 From: Ken Hansen Reply-To: khansen@njcc.com Organization: Dis X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01Gold (Win16; I) Mime-Version: 1.0 To: Archie Cobbs Cc: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: what does MMX mean? References: <199801142355.PAA05051@bubba.whistle.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk Hello, MMX processors have new instructions (over "classic" pentiums) and have increased on-chip caches (32K instead of 16K IIRC). In my *opinion*, an MMX processor is probably worth the price difference, even if you don't use the additional instructions. Also, when MMX is used by a non-Intel mfg., it may not mean the on-chip cache is 32K, that may just be an Intel-specific feature. Hope this helps, Ken khansen@njcc.com Archie Cobbs wrote: > > What, exactly, does MMX mean? > > Does it mean the processor has NEW instructions for DSP type operations? > Does it speed up EXISTING instructions? Integer or floating point (or both)? > > Thanks, > -Archie > > ___________________________________________________________________________ > Archie Cobbs * Whistle Communications, Inc. * http://www.whistle.com