Thomas Esser wrote:
My experience is that CPU (and compilers / compiler flags) matter a lot
and the rest does not matter much. Memory performance helps as well
and having a lot of RAM is a good idea, too (so that the OS can cache
format files, macro packages, fonts etc.).
Thanks for replying.
For a benchmark, you can try
time tex texbook >/dev/null 2>&1
Well, I think texbook.tex is not the best file for benchmarking. It
must be one with more complicated (output) routine(s), IMHO. Not to
mention the permission to complie this file.
All my teTeX sites were compiled with gcc, and -O3 -march options. Here
are the results from my "garbage collection":
DEC Alphastation 233 MHz 128 MB SCSI 2
--------------------------------------
Linux alpha 2.4.27 #5 Sun Sep 26 11:50:12 CEST 2004 alpha EV45 GNU/Linux
TeX (Web2C 7.5.2) 3.14159
kpathsea version 3.5.2
[EMAIL PROTECTED] pgt $ time tex texbook > /dev/null
real 0m27.523s
user 0m26.665s
sys 0m0.491s
Siemens Primergy Dual PentiumPro 200MHz 256MB SCSI 2
----------------------------------------------------
Linux primergy 2.6.8.1 #9 SMP Sat Oct 2 00:03:44 CEST 2004
i686 Pentium Pro GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
TeX (Web2C 7.5.3) 3.141592
kpathsea version 3.5.3
[EMAIL PROTECTED] pgt $ time tex texbook > /dev/null
real 0m9.997s
user 0m9.798s
sys 0m0.191s
AMD K62/333MHz 384MB udma2
--------------------------
Linux linxi 2.4.27 #12 Fri Sep 17 22:49:07 CEST 2004 i586 unknown
TeX (Web2C 7.4.5) 3.14159
kpathsea version 3.4.5
[EMAIL PROTECTED] $ time tex texbook > /dev/null
real 0m12.922s
user 0m11.750s
sys 0m0.180s
So, the dual CPU machine seems to be the fastest, even with less
MHz. The Alpha is pretty slow, I will try next week to compile teTeX
with the Compaq compiler.
At work:
AMD Athlon 1200MHz 512MB udma5
------------------------------
Linux pc6 2.6.5-7.108-default #1 Wed Aug 25 13:34:40 UTC 2004 i686
athlon i386 GNU/Linux
TeX (Web2C 7.5.3) 3.141592
kpathsea version 3.5.3
[EMAIL PROTECTED]:~> time tex texbook > /dev/null
real 0m1.561s
user 0m1.487s
sys 0m0.070s