We test every processor in 4 ways: memory bandwidth (and how the performance flaw affects it); 16 bit DOS using our own CBENCHP benchmark; Windows 95 using the standard real application benchmark Winstone 97; 3D and Floating point (=arithmetic calculations) using Quake.

System configuration: Intel Pentium II-233 on Intel's FX chipset with 64 Mb EDO memory, Matrox Mystique 4 MB graphics card, Quantum Fireball 3.2 hard disk.
 

I' Bandwidth and Performance flaw

The 'normal' rate is the rate which is achieved with the best normal way possible.
The 'innovative' rate is achieved by knowing the performance flaw and applying our workarounds.
The source of this chart is Membench. For more information click on the chart.
   
Remarks:

• The normal main memory read is the best by far of all the other processors (Pentium MMX, AMD K6 and Cyrix 6x86MX)
• On main memory there is virtualy no improvement with the innovative method because Pentium Pro and Pentium II support multiple outstanding bus transactions (that is, they issue the next read request before the current is finished, therefore eliminating the flaw).
• Because the secondary cache is on the processor board, it operates at 233/2=116 MHz instead of the standart 66 MHz of the other processors, resulting in much better cache performance.
• Pentium II, Cyrix M2 and AMD K6 have write allocation, that is on a cache miss, they read a whole line before they write to it, resulting in lower main memory write performance and higher secondary cache write performance. This is a design decision selectable by an internal register.
• Main memory transfer rate is also low due to write allocation.
• Video memory write and transfer rates are very low, because of another design decision to consider the video memory as non-write combining. With the use of some shareware/freeware utilities (e.g. FASTVID) performance increases to the level of Pentium MMX.
• Generaly the improvements of our workarounds are clearly visible only on secondary cache read and video memory write and transfer.

II' DOS benchmark

In our 16 bit (DOS) CBENCHP benchmark Pentium II scored: loop 0.44, program 0.53, transfer 157480 (due to its fast 512K on board secondary cache), video 25470, resulting in it being 340 times faster than IBM PC/XT.

 
III' Windows 95 benchmark
 
On Business Winstone 97 Pentium II-233 scored 57.8 outperforming all processors (Pentium MMX, AMD K6, Cyrix 6x86MX). It should be noted though, that a K6-233 reaches 55.3 and a 6x86MX PR233 (188 MHz) reaches 56.7 !
 

IV' 3D/Floating Point benchmarks

Pentium II is very good on Quake (due to its next generation floating point unit), it reaches 25 frames per second while the best of the rest, Pentium MMX-200, reaches only 15.7 .

 
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