[linux-elitists] RE: phasing out Solaris/Oracle/Netscape with Linux/PostgreSQL/Apa che

[Mark Hahn]

> Throughput:
> 
> This is a sticky point. UltraSparc's have massive buses, and while PCI is pretty
> good, even 64 bit PCI on a high end Intel/AMD doesn't compared to midrange
> UltraSparc workstations (course these workstations cost a packet).

I believe this is an urban legend - the sun's I've worked on had extremely
unexceptional IO and dram bandwidth, in spite of impressive specs.  I don't 
follow IO benchmarks at all, but Stream certainly backs this up (until recent
and not widely shipping US3 boxes, they couldn't break ~300 MB/s per CPU,
which is significantly slower than entry-level PCs.)  64 and/or 66 PCI has 
only recently become non-token in the PC world, and doesn't seem to have
serious problems (ie, 240 MB/s over an SCI card, saturated GE nics).  it's 
important to realize that even older 32/33 PCI can pump > 90 MB/s *easily*.

historically, 64/66 PCI meant Intel GX-family chipsets, which fairly sucked.
ServerWorks chipsets are the ones that seem to be the first good 64/66 PC PCI...

> Something to consider is going with a non intel platform, Apple has some
> gorgeous dual CPU G4's with 64 bit PCI slots that support a ton of ram, might be

as usual, they look great on paper, but don't seem to deliver quite as well.