MIPS Technologies, Inc. today released results from the new Application Benchmark Suite which show MIPS-based RISC PCs operating native 32-bit Microsoft Windows NT(tm) software applications significantly faster than PCs based on other microprocessors. The tests, which involve running five different applications scripted with real sets of data, show that a MIPS-based system (with a MIPS(r) R4400(tm) microprocessor at 200 MHz) runs these applications up to 3.08 times the performance of PCs with an Intel Pentium P54C microprocessor (90 MHz), up to 5.49 times the performance of PCs with an Intel 80486 DX-2 microprocessor (66 MHz), and up to 1.65 times the performance of an Alpha AXP (200 MHz). Each system used in the benchmarks are believed by MIPS to be the fastest or best configuration on the market today.
"MIPS-based personal computers and servers truly deliver the power of Windows NT applications," said Tom Whiteside, president of MIPS Technologies. "Because the benchmarks are based on real applications, and the way applications run is the key purchasing factor for users, they can be the basis for practical comparisons of Windows NT platforms. These application benchmarks prove that MIPS-based PCs deliver the highest real performance and the best price/performance."
The application benchmarks all run under the current version of Windows NT (Version 3.1). These benchmarks are based on release versions of five Windows NT applications: Texim Project from Welcom Software Technology Corporation; MaxEDS and MaxROUTE from Massteck Ltd.; PV-WAVE Advantage from Visual Numerics Inc., Image-In from CPI, Inc. and a number of iterative routines written in Hamilton C Shell. The applications span a variety of markets, including management or administration, scientific and engineering.
The benchmark for Texim, a sophisticated project management application, involves two steps. The first loads a project file and measures the time it takes to simulate time analysis on it 100 times. The second loads a large project and measures the time it takes to simulate resource allocation 50 times. The MaxEDS benchmark, a computer-aided design package for electronic circuit boards, involves loading files for a small and medium circuit board, routing one board and loading a components file and placing the parts on the other. The benchmark for PV-WAVE, an interactive data analysis and visualization application, provides three volumetric renderings of a cube. The benchmark for Image-In, an image editing application, performs three discrete filtering operations on a 100 kilobyte image file. The benchmark for Hamilton C Shell involves calculating calendars over a 20-year period and performing 15 iterations of compressing and decompressing a 412 Kb file.
MIPS is the most widely adopted RISC microprocessor for Windows NT. MIPS-based systems for Windows NT includes machines from over ten separate companies, including Acer America Corporation; DeskStation Technology, Inc.; NEC Technologies, Inc.; NeTpower, Inc.; ShaBLAMM! Computer; Shuttle Computer International; Siemens Nixdorf; and UniMicro Systems. MIPS-based desktop and servers are designed to optimally run Windows NT and offer the best performance at the lowest price points. MIPS-based PCs smoothly run existing MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows application software, but their power becomes especially apparent with 32-bit Windows NT applications. New 32-bit applications are now becoming available.
MIPS Technologies, Inc. designs and supplies the world's most advanced RISC microprocessor technology. The company tests, certifies and licenses its processor technology to its semiconductor partners which provide processors for the computer system and embedded control markets. MIPS microprocessors are used by a number of computer industry leaders, including Acer Technologies, DeskStation Technology, Pyramid Technology, Siemens Nixdorf AG, Silicon Graphics, Inc., Sony Corporation, Tandem Computers Incorporated, NEC Technologies, Inc., NetPower Inc. and Tektronix, Inc. MIPS RISC architecture components are available from Integrated Device Technology, Inc., LSI Logic Corporation, NEC Corporation, NKK Corporation, Siemens AG and Toshiba Corporation. MIPS Technologies, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Graphics, Inc. and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.
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Pentium is a trademark and Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Alpha AXP is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.
Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Texim Project is a registered trademark of Welcom Software Technology Corporation.
MaxEDS, MaxROUTE and Massteck are trademarks of Massteck Ltd.
PV-WAVE Advantage is a trademark of Visual Numerics, Inc.
Image-In is a registered trademark of CPI, Inc.
Hamilton C-Shell is a trademark of Hamilton Laboratories
