[This article originally appeared on Slasher's Tech website and can be viewed at Slasher's Tech: DEC Alpha; originally published 14 July, 1998; it appears here with the permission of the author]
Alpha
Katmai, K6-3, Cayenne. Everyone knows when it comes to computer processors, there's only three big boys in the market. Intel, AMD, and Cyrix.
Right?
You never took the DEC Alpha (manufactured by Digital, Inc) seriously. First of all, it was a 64-bit processor, and all your programs were 32-bit, and even 16-bit. Not only did that mean you couldn't run all your games and applications (most of which were compiled for a 32-bit environment), but you'd be stuck running UNIX or Linux or some other weird operating system, because Windows just wouldn't work with a 64-bit processor.
Even if you knew the Alpha processor was unfeasible, you couldn't help drooling at the clock speeds. They called it a supercomputer for a reason. 300 MHz. 400 MHz. 500 MHz. You knew that if you could get your hands on one of those babies, you'd be able to tear it up in any program you tried to run. The most intense 3D graphic programs wouldn't stand a chance to 500 MHz. And this was back in 1997, when the Pentium II 233 was considered "the fastest."
For a long time, that's all the Alpha was used for. 64-bit graphics programs, that required the brute processor speed only an Alpha chip could provide. A few years ago, FX!32 came down the line, which allowed you to run non-native 32-bit applications on an Alpha. But recompiling programs to native 32-bit (which is basically what FX!32 did) resulted in a significant performance hit. Running something with FX!32 on an Alpha 533 resulted in performance comparable to a Pentium II 300.
So you've passed up on Alpha all these years. You didn't do any graphic intensive work, you didn't want to learn a new operating system, and you didn't have the extra cash to spend (Alpha computers used to cost over $6,000, which a lot of people considered very pricey). And what was the point, if you could run Quake II just as fast on a significantly less expensive computer?
The Alpha made a made a splash a few months ago, with the release of the 21164. These sent the Alpha clock speeds north, peaking out at 600 MHz. But these computers were even more expensive than the previous generation, and you still have the problem of slower performance when you ran a 32-bit application.
So that's it, right? Alpha's always going be a niche chip, while everyone is satisfied with 32-bit for the rest of their lives?
Not quite. A few months ago, Intel mentioned Merced, which would use the EPIC instruction set to provide a full 64-bit environment as well. This processor would be released midway through 2000. Immediately, software companies started gearing up for this, planning to create 64-bit program when Merced was released. After all, Intel was the big dog of mainstream microprocessors. My WinNT 5.0 article focused on whether one of those software companies, Microsoft, will make WinNT 5.0 a fully 64-bit environment.
Microsoft has gone on record as saying they're not going to tie WinNT 5.0 to Merced. This was pretty much their way of kicking Intel in the teeth, and saying "we're going to make WinNT 5.0 64-bit as soon as possible and not going to wait for Merced." Which is a huge problem for Intel, since their alliance with Microsoft is now breaking down. With 64-bit processors already developed by Sun and IDT as well, Merced might makes its entrance way too late. Intel still might have hope with Flagstaff, but the future's looking dim right now for Intel.
The waves caused by the breaking down of the corporate alliance between Microsoft and Intel might even reach your television. Microsoft, Compaq, and Samsung, are going to go after Intel, Novell, and Sony. Both these alliances have partnerships with CBS and NBC respectively.
Compaq? Samsung? What the hell do they have to do with any of this? I was wondering the same thing myself. Compaq is going to be the first workstation manufacturer of Alpha's latest chip, the 21264. The new XP Alpha Workstation has been dubbed as "the world's fastest processor", with clock speeds of 800 MHz. These new computers are on the boat from Korea right now, and will be unveiled at the SIGGRAPH conference in Orlando on July 24. Compaq is also planning an even faster line of computers in December, with clock speeds exceeding 900 MHz. Did I hear gigahertz? Samsung is also going to be manufacturing a line of computers for the 21264 processor.
Okay, okay. So these computers are super fast and I'll be able to run Windows on it later on. Aren't they still going to be expensive? The answer is: no. First of all, the new 21264 will have all the Alpha retailers thinking liquidate. The 21164 chip will be sold at bargain prices, and that's even happening now. Enorex, Inc. already makes an Alpha 21164PC 533 MHz clone priced at around $1,999. Even though the 21164PC isn't as fast as a regular 21164 (much less cache), it's still a lot faster than the Pentium II. Aspen Systems, Inc. also sells true Alpha 21164 machines, although they cost around $5,000. Both these prices are expected to drop significantly as the 21264 moves into the market.
If you're a gamer, you're probably more interested in Katmai and the K6-3 rather than the Alpha. Not much was known about AMD's K7, except that it was going to be based on a Slot A motherboard architecture, which I mentioned in my processor article. However, the Alpha 21264 is also based on Slot A, as well.
So if AMD's K7 is Slot A, does
that mean it's 64-bit? You bet'cha. The K7 is going to the be the gamer's
Alpha chip, because it also going to have 3DNow instructions built into
it. In fact, AMD could
already be selling a 21264 clone if they didn't want to bother with 3DNow. Of
course, that would be stupid because 3DNow is what is going to seperate them from the rest
of the pack.
This is another blow for Intel, because AMD now has a chip for clustering. Meaning it's meant for multiprocessor servers. That's right, AMD is moving into the server market, and Intel is once again another step behind.
You're saying the Alpha is faster than any Pentium II, but I've seen benchmarks that have said it's slower! It's all bad publicity. Anandtech did a review on an Alpha system a while ago, and you can find his specs here: http://www.anandtech.com/reviews/systems/ mwave_alpha/mwave_alpha-6.html
As you can see, the performance wasn't that much better than the Pentium II. Anand himself quotes, "This is a failed attempt... to capture a piece of the Intel pie." However, look closely. The benchmarks he used were based on Photoshop, which is 32-bit. Now, it is possible to run 32-bit applications at full Alpha capabilities, if it's natively compiled. However, Adobe chose not to natively compile Photoshop for the Alpha. Which means Anand ran them using FX!32, which as I stated earlier, results in a performance hit.
Here are some real SPEC comparisons for the Alpha and Pentium II (taken from http://www.aspsys.com/compareie.html).
| Processor | SPECint95 | SPECfp95 |
| Alpha 21164PC 533 MHz | 12.6 | 16.1 |
| Alpha 21164 600 MHz | 18.0 | 27.0 |
| Alpha 21264 600MHz | 40.0 | 60.0 |
| Pentium II 333 MHz | 12.8 | 9.25 |
As you can see, even the 21164PC was comparable with the Pentium II in integer tests and was significantly better in floating point. Needless to say, the 21164 and 21264 thrashed it.
The downside of all this is the cost. Although Compaq hasn't delivered any concrete prices for their new 21264 system, it's estimated that the processor alone is going to exceed $2,500. However, because of it's very high clock speeds, the Alpha processor doesn't "age" nearly as fast as the Pentium II. In other words, it doesn't become as obselete as fast, which could save you money in the long run. What would you prefer -- buying a $6,000 computer that will last five years, or two $3,000 computers that will only last four?
In short, the Alpha has a bright future. Although it currently has less than a 1% mainstream market share, I see at as the frontrunner in processors as the world begins to make the transition into full 64-bit environments. Although considered expensive by many, I am confident the 21264 will be a commercial succees as market awareness spreads, speeds are increased, and prices are slashed.
In closing, I'd like those at AlphaNT (www.alphant.com) for their support.