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Subject: Re: 64 bits

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 13:43:58 06/20/02

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On June 19, 2002 at 23:42:17, Keith Evans wrote:

>On June 19, 2002 at 22:35:19, Tom Kerrigan wrote:
>
>>On June 19, 2002 at 20:45:33, Keith Evans wrote:
>>
>>>Is there an easy way to compare a 1.4 GHz P3 to a 1 GHz McKinley and see where
>>>this Crafty performance increase is coming from? I'm not at all familiar with
>>>McKinley, but would it be possible to run a version of Crafty compiled for
>>>32-bits on a McKinley and compare that to a Crafty compiled for 64-bits on
>>>McKinley? Is this a dumb idea? If this isn't possible, then it's going to be
>>>difficult to tell where the performance gain is really coming from.
>>
>>It's extremely possible. You can make a bitboard class that contains two 32-bit
>>ints and overload all the int operators and run it on a 64-bit chip. I suggested
>>this to Bob last time we had this argument and his response was that Crafty is
>>written in C, not C++. (Apparently renaming his source files from .c to .cpp and
>>writing this simple class is too much work.) Perhaps somebody else with access
>>to a 64-bit chip and a modicum of motivation could perform this experiment.
>>
>>-Tom
>
>This seems like an interesting experiment to me. So despite your suggestion
>nobody has ever done this? Not even for an Alpha?
>
>Does anybody see a reason that this wouldn't be a fair test? If it's fair, then
>I would think that it could help to settle the bitboard performance debate.
>
>We do have an Alpha at work, but I'm not sure if I could get access. It's pretty
>much committed to running a GPS simulator, plus it's running VMS (yuck) which
>nobody at my workplace really understands. They just know enough to launch the
>GUI.

Here is what I think that experiment settles:
For chip x and compiler y under OS z, the ratio is <blah>

It answers no other queries (like what happens on a hammer or mckinley,  or with
a change of compiler or OS etc.)

Just fetching 32 bit integers on a 64 bit machine is slower than 64 bit ones
because of addressing, in general.  I expect 64 bits to be a big win, at least
for some machines.

I have done some experiments with int sizes (but not for chess programs).  On
the alpha, 64 bit integers are a clear win for encryption.  Not sure about other
stuff, though.



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