[Irinikus]

Today I thought that I'd try and break my Tezro by loading it as much as was reasonably possible and ended up by coming off second best!

It actually performed way better than expected!

Just for the record, there are 7 instances of power flip and Atlantis running in the video, I picked this up after the fact! (Shame on me!)

I'm fully aware that if you truly want to measure a machine's performance, then you just measure the time it takes to render a complex scene using a program such as Maya.

This would be like watching paint dry, hence the method that I used in this video. One thing that's blatantly apparent is this machines' incredible ability to perform context switches.

[jpstewart]

I'm fully aware that if you truly want to measure a machine's performance, then you just measure the time it takes to render a complex scene using a program such as Maya.

I disagree.  Timing the rendering would measure CPU performance only.  Showing it running multiple tasks simultaneously is a much better way to ascertain total system performance -- which is something that's all too often overlooked and is often more important for an interactive desktop system.  (CPU-only performance makes more sense if you're benchmarking dedicated rendering nodes, for example.)

I think your video does a great job demonstrating the impressive overall performance of the Tezro and what a responsive machine it still is for interactive use.

[bjames]

That is impressive.. thanks for sharing this test.

[bkd]

One thing that's blatantly apparent is this machines' incredible ability to perform context switches.

Yes, this is the feature SGI especially optimized in the ODYSSEY graphics.
Can you please run only one window of Powerflip (with Bethoven model for example) but turn on in options local lighting and 4 point light sources. Notice how change fps comparing to default case.

[Irinikus]

I will do so in the next day or so.

At a later stage t will run the same tests on my onyx2 to show how the graphics systems differ.

However, from what I’ve witnessed in the past, the onyx2 is not nearly as effective, when it comes to context switching.

It will sure be interesting to see though.

[Irinikus]

One thing that's blatantly apparent is this machines' incredible ability to perform context switches.

Yes, this is the feature SGI especially optimized in the ODYSSEY graphics.
Can you please run only one window of Powerflip (with Bethoven model for example) but turn on in options local lighting and 4 point light sources. Notice how change fps comparing to default case.

Here you go, I hope this video answers your question:

[bkd]

Here you go, I hope this video answers your question:

Thanks, not bad at all!

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To tell you the truth I am a bit frustrated that I can't see how it was implemented, with which hardware and software tricks.


Ah, secrets ...

What do you mean? What features implemented in hardware?

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At a later stage t will run the same tests on my onyx2 to show how the graphics systems differ.

However, from what I’ve witnessed in the past, the onyx2 is not nearly as effective, when it comes to context switching.

It will sure be interesting to see though.

It will be great to see these tests (VPro vs IR)!!

[Irinikus]

It will be great to see these tests (VPro vs IR)!!

I will run the tests on the Onyx2 as soon as I can, but it will be a while though, as it's in Cape Town and I only plan on going down there in the next three month or so.

My onyx2 is a quad R14K system running at 500MHz with an IR3 graphics system fitted. So it should allow for a reasonable comparison between the graphics systems, as the CPU's were not the bottleneck in the tests that I ran in the video.

Let's see how it goes!

[Irinikus]

I'm currently at home in Cape Town and would love to run my Onyx2 to compare it's performance to that of the Tezro, but I have a huge problem in that all of my PS/2 mice are at my home in Pretoria and I can't seem to buy one anywhere. (They seem to have disappeared in mass!)

If I don't come right, I'll have to run the test in December when I return.

[Irinikus]

I managed to run the lighting test on the Onyx2 today, and it's performance was better than that of the Tezro in some senses and worse in others, the system seems to be allot less capable as far as context switches are concerned though.

I will release the video footage once I'm back in Pretoria and have my Mac available to me.