As the page URI seems to be
diffusing rapidly through the web, it becomes INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT for
me to warn visitors: This project is under construction! I've
literally changed every page linked below two or three times today. I
may end up rerunning some numbers tomorrow or Friday. Do not
assume that everything is correct and that these numbers are final.
Look them over and enjoy, but come back next week to see the final
numbers (which may still be incorrect).
This page contains the running results of a series of benchmarks being run on a dual athlon the week of 3/12-3/16 (2001). I'm posting things as I get them, so people have time to comment on any results that are insane (as I am not personally familiar with "sanity" on all the benchmarks that I've been asked to run). If the comments are communicated in a timely fashion I'll try to rerun anything that isn't working correctly and post the corrected results.
Some of the numbers posted for comparison purposes aren't really very good for that purpose. For example, the lmbench page compares a 933 MHz PIII running the 2.2.16 kernel to the 1.2 GHz dual Athlon running the 2.4.2 kernel. It is very difficult to connect e.g context switch rates or certain latencies to the system hardware (CPU and memory subsystem) versus the system software (kernel and libraries) where they are clearly different. Remember, I don't own the Athlon I'm testing and have to run what is there, so such mismatches are inevitable.
Disclaimer: I'm not being paid by AMD to run these tests. In fact, I'm not being paid by anyone to run these tests. Of course, if anyone wants to pay me to run these tests, I'd be happy to send them a P.O. box number (small unmarked bills in a brown manila envelope would be most convenient). If cash is difficult just now, feel free to send hardware or tee shirts.
An Important Warning! I do not certify that these results are correct or suitable for use as an accurate representation of comparative systems performance. The results may be useful to you (obviously I hope that they will be) but are not guaranteed to be suitable for any purpose whatsoever. The system itself is a beta system with a beta 760MP chipset. It is running 2.4.2 which is a fairly new kernel. I have no control whatsoever over kernel, compiler or hardware configuration. Use these results or don't use them at your own risk to make hardware purchase or design decisions.
Free (and well-earned) Plug! The machine these tests were run on was provided by ASL Computers, which is a company that sells pre-installed linux configurations (only, as far as I can tell - WinXX users need not apply) ranging from desktops to full racks (both 2U and 1U form factors). They also sell a whole range of peripheral stuff, RAID enclosures and so forth. The company looks to be located in the bay area of California. If you're looking for quotes on beowulf (or generic cluster or even personal desktop) hardware it can't hurt to look over their offerings and/or contact them.