SiSoft Sandra 99
In order to give you
a better idea of the integer and floating point performance of the MII, below is
a graph that shows you just that. The CPU Benchmark test was run under Windows
98 5 times on each CPU/clock speed setting and the result having been taken as
the average of the 5 test runs.
Well there is your answer as to integer and floating point
performance... The Cyrix CPU has its problems with FPU performance.
Overclocking and Conclusion
As mentioned earlier in this review, the MII-PR433 was
manufactured upon a .18-micron process. Everybody seems to be getting excited
over it as it means less voltage consumption, less heat and the result is
greater overclockability. Previous generations of Cyrix CPUs have proved to be
extremely poor overclockers.
Things have changed quite a bit since then. The core of the
MII-PR433 operates at a 300MHz core with a 100MHz front side bus speed, hence a
multiplier of 3.0x. I successfully overclocked it to 400MHz by keeping the FSB
constant and upping the multiplier to 4.0x without any stability problems
whatsoever. Furthermore, the MII would run at 450MHz but would crash frequently
during normal operation.
This could be improved on possibly by using
a better cooling device rather than the standard fan/heatsink combo that I am
stuck on! ;) Anything higher than 450, irrespective of the FSB/multiplier combo
used, the system just refused to boot. Increasing the voltage to 2.4V from 2.2V
didn't seem to have any effect either. Considering I was able to push the
processor by 100MHz certainly says something about the CPU. It is sure a
refreshing change from the older generation Cyrix processors.
Comments /
Conclusion
If you are looking out for a great gaming solution,
you really need to look elsewhere. The MII's poor floating point performance pretty much
prohibits one from the 3D action arena unless you really want to spend a lot more
for a GeForce. I have personally used the CPU for a couple of days
during testing and my usual web and office related work went along smoothly. I could
barely tell that I was using a processor that is slower than the one that I normally
use.
The best candidate for this processor would definitely a home /
office user primarily running business type applications as they are
considerably less FPU intensive. If you overclock it to 400MHz, you got business
performance similar to a Celeron 333. The extremely low cost of the CPU provides
affordability to users in just about any price bracket.
Just before I wrap this up, the "Joshua" processor is on
its way to a dealer near you. This is the first new processor to see the light
of day out of the VIA/Cyrix labs in quite a while. The "Joshua" offers features
such as 256KB on die L2 cache, 133MHz FSB speeds, etc. Before you close your
mind to CPUs that have the Cyrix label, take a look at this processor which is
targeted to compete with Intel's Celeron CPU. VIA/Cyrix has a chance to grab a
share of the entry level market with the Joshua and I, for one, am certainly
more than excited to take a look at one...
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