Processors: How fast do you need? With all the advances in processor technology, it is easy to be wrapped up in wanting the newest, fastest processor available. There are few, or no guides, that explain what types of processors are required for specific applications. Software itself usually indicates minimum and recommended processor speeds, but even these explanations can be misleading. One recent example of the inadequacies of processor speed requirements came from a 3D rendering program I began using recently. The minimum requirements for the processor indicated a 386DX / 33 MHz (the math co- processor is required), and a recommended 486DX / 33 MHz is listed. Since I happened to have access to a 486DX / 33 MHz computer (16 MB of RAM and 128 KB of cache as well), I decided to test out the processing ability with this specific program. Using 8-bit graphics at first (256 colors) and selecting the medium quality option in the graphics generating section, the computer took about four and a half minutes to render a 3D 400x300 graphic composed of three distinct models (a background and two foreground objects). While this was not intolerable, it became quite frustrating to wait for five minutes every time I wanted to see the results of my changes. For further testing, I bumped the color depth to 16-bit (65,536 colors) on the same medium quality selection. The time increased to about seven minutes for the same image. Once I decided that my image looked just as I wanted it to look, I decided to go for the gusto and display the image in 16-bit color at its highest quality ray-tracing option. Unfortunately, it was about an hour and fifteen minutes before I saw the results. By contrast to the above example, the same computer was used running OS/2 and multitasking several different programs: America Online 2.0 (downloading at 14.4 kbps), Microsoft Word 6.0 (for typing letters), WinFax Pro 4.0 (for viewing received faxes), an OS/2 file manager program (for unzipping and moving compressed downloaded files from AOL), and the OS/2 clock. I noticed almost no performance problems at all, even while downloading. Images opened in WinFax Pro took about three seconds to be completely retrieved (about one second longer than usual), Word 6.0 printed a document through the downloading and image viewing, the clock did not miss a tick, and the file manager waited for my commands. A third, less intensive example shows ordinary word processing using Microsoft Word 6.0 with no multitasking. In this example, the processor is taxed little, and is really only used a small amount during spell checking, thesaurus searches, and print jobs. The DX / 33 MHz computer experienced no problems in performing any of these tasks. In each of the above three situations, I predict the following speed improvements with each of the processor upgrades listed: - 3D rendering: - DX2 / 66 MHz Overdrive: 30% improvement - DX4 / 100 MHz Overdrive: 50% improvement - Pentium Overdrive: 60% improvement - general multitasking: - DX2 / 66 MHz Overdrive: 10% improvement - DX4 / 100 MHz Overdrive: 15% improvement - Pentium Overdrive: 18% improvement - no multitasking: - DX2 / 66 MHz Overdrive: 3% improvement - DX4 / 100 MHz Overdrive: 5% improvement - Pentium Overdrive: 6% improvement It should be noted that the Pentium Overdrive estimates are best-guesses based on Intel product specifications. The Pentium Overdrive for 33 MHz computers has not been released at the time this article was written. The above results indicate only one true point: processor upgrades affect overall system performance differently depending on what applications are being used. For high-end work on graphics or intense multitasking, a processor upgrade could be worth the money. However, for little multitasking, a processor upgrade may prove to be of little benefit. The true value of a processor upgrade can only be determined by you, the consumer. However, with Pentium Overdrive prices for 33 MHz computers anticipated to enter around $450, you may wish to consider just how much benefit will be derived from this upgrade. If you have any questions about this procedure, please post a note in the appropriate topic area in the appropriate topic or forum area. Be sure to include your DOS version and your model number (i.e., 2155-G82).