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| Author | Mac OS 8 is faster than System 7 after processor accelerator card upgrade (Read 20221 times) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ShinobiKenobi
256 MB  Posts: 362 System 7 fan 
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on: March 12, 2024, 23:59
Strangely, after I installed my Sonnet Crescendo /7200 G3 processor accelerator card, Mac OS 8 runs faster than System 7 does, and I installed it for both systems. System 7 is definitely faster than before, and Metronome, a utility that was installed along with the system enabler for the card, reports 400 MHz. This isn't a complaint really, just surprised. Does anyone know why the system with less code would run slower? |
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Last Edit: March 13, 2024, 02:19 by ShinobiKenobi
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #1 on: March 13, 2024, 00:40
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Simple explanation: The assembler part of the OpSys code was never optimized for the more recent CPU. There are other factor's too, but just as an example: Cache that isn't utilized isn't effective. And that holds quadruple true for the CPU's on-die instruction's cache.
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ShinobiKenobi
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256 MB Posts: 362 System 7 fan
Reply #2 on: March 13, 2024, 02:29
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Oh ok, so you mean the Sys7 code doesn't take advantage of the extra cache onboard the G3, as well as other improvements?
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cballero
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1024 MB Posts: 1176 System 7, today and forever
Reply #3 on: March 13, 2024, 02:37
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Yes, as 88040 rightly pointed out, I also remember those with those cards historically having OS speed bumps exactly like this, especially with it being the jump between Mac OS 7 and 8, if my memory serves me right; these are optimizations specific to those processor accelerator cards, what a nice hardware upgrade!
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #4 on: March 13, 2024, 06:07
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Dear cballero, please don't do a processor switch on me. 
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ShinobiKenobi
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256 MB Posts: 362 System 7 fan
Reply #5 on: March 13, 2024, 06:22
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Yeah, it's quite a difference  I've actually had this accelerator card for quite a while, before I had to put my old Macs into storage. I forgot just how fast it feels.
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Bolkonskij
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Administrator 1024 MB  Posts: 2023
Reply #6 on: March 13, 2024, 09:25
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I don't know about how it feels with the processor card, but I can sure tell you it's the exact opposite without an accelerator card as in my 7500. It came with Mac OS 8 and since taking it back to 7.6 it has become sooo much snappier, it's incredible. Despite it's 30 year old hard disk, it's really fast. I think @Knezzen has an accelerator in his 8600, eager to hear what his experience is on this?
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cballero
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1024 MB Posts: 1176 System 7, today and forever
Reply #7 on: March 13, 2024, 10:11
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Yes, your experience is exactly why Dan started this entire website, noting that the biggest speed difference lies in the pre-G3 Mac processors, which is why not as much work went into trying to retrofit Mac OS 7.6.1 onto his Kanga PB3500c with a G3 processor using the PB3400c's Mac OS 7.6.1 OS install disc. That's the sweet spot where System 7 rocks, on all of the G1 and G2 generation PowerPC Macs
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wove
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1024 MB Posts: 1363
Reply #8 on: March 13, 2024, 13:04
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I had a PM8600, the last Mach V version. It was a very fast machine with the stock 350MHZ 604, but the processor was the last revision of the 604 which was different somehow from the earlier 604s. In any event while a processor upgrade card would install and work well, for some reason the machine would only see the upgrade as running at half its rated speed. In my case the accelerator card was just a bust, my 8600 did much better with its stock card than with the accelerator card running System 7.6.1. However using that utility to install OS X on the 8600, the full speed of the processor was recognized and OS X did run fairly well on the 8600 with the G3 accelerator card. The last revision of the 8600 did require a minimum of 7.6.1. For a long time it was the only single installer I had for 7 .6.1, then I did manage to locate a universal installer for 7.6.1, which at the time were fairly rare, with 7.6.1 usually being installed by installing 7.6 then upgrading to 7.6.1.
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