Author: Richard A. Fowell (fowell@netcom.com)
Date: 14:26:56 10/18/97
Go up one level in this thread
I'm pretty sure it is because the AMD K6 / PENTIUM chips are quite expensive compared to the chips currently used in the standalone chess machines. I remember seeing news stories saying that the PowerPC chips were considerably less expensive than Pentium chips of comparable performance (partly due to smaller die size - you get more chips per your wafer with a smaller die size, and you get more good chips, because a flaw ruins only the small size die area, not the larger area of a Pentium. Many years ago, the cost of a 68000 CPU fell below $10, as opposed to hundreds of dollars for a top-line Pentium. I'm sure the H8 chips used in standalone computers are dirt cheap.
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.