for a list of standard features for both models).
Both systems are enclosed in the same compact chassis, about the size of a deep-dish pizza box (16 by 17 by 4 inches), and both models support two RS-423/RS-232 connectors, a parallel port, a CD-ROM drive, and a 3 1/2-inch floppy drive. Sun had not finalized pricing at press time, but the Model 170E will list for under $30,000; the Model 140 will come in under $20,000.
By the Numbers
According to our benchmark testing, the 167-MHz Ultra 170E performs at roughly 1.8 times the speed of a 90-MHz Pentium. But because the BYTEmark test suite does not take advantage of the UltraSparc's specialized instruction set, the benchmark result
s do not tell the whole story. And you really need a shared-memory multiprocessor system to fully appreciate the new UltraSparc Port Architecture (UPA), a distributed-arbitration multimaster crossbar (see the Technology Focus box for details).
When we ran real-world applications -- applying special-effect filters to large graphics images, rendering complex texture maps, and displaying high-motion MPEG video clips -- the performance advantages of the UltraSparc architecure became obvious. The 64-bit VIS versions of these kinds of graphics and video applications will realize another order-of-magnitude boost in performance. Even without software recompilation, the Ultra I delivers an extremely fast platform for graphics applications.
UltraGraphics
The UltraSparc processor includes a set of dedicated single-cycle instructions to enhance performance. VIS dramatically cuts the number of clock cycles required for graphical and video operations.
For example, VIS includes an arr
ay operation for slicing 3-D volumetric data. This operation, accomplished with a single UltraSparc instruction, typically requires 24 instructions, according to Sun. Other specialized one-cycle instructions support such operations as conversion instructions for packing and expanding pixel data, arithmetic instructions for manipulating large graphics images, and fixed-point compare instructions for examining the z-buffer during 3-D rendering.
The UltraSparc uses two sets of registers to process graphical commands: The integer registers crunch address calculations for the image data, while the floating-point registers handle manipulation of the image data. This division of labor deploys the maximum number of registers and augments instruction parallelism.
The UltraSparc also supports a wide range of video-compression algorithms, including H.261 (the standard compression algorithm for H.320 videoconferencing), MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, and JPEG. Again, the UltraSparc supports specific functions for motion
estimation, the most common operation used for video compression. The result is outstanding full-motion, full-screen video playback without any external video-acceleration hardware (see the table "Features of the Ultra I" for more of the processor's features).
The Ultra graphics board does not have special-purpose 3-D graphics engines, such as you would find in SGI systems. But the 24-bit RAMDAC and frame-buffer controllers, combined with VIS operations and UPA data transfers, generate the kind of 3-D effects that you would expect to see only on high-end 3-D boards, such as the SGI Reality Engine. We created smooth fly-throughs of complex 3-D objects with Gouraud shading, lighting, depth cueing, and even texture mapping.
Of course, your applications can't tap the Ultra's graphics enhancements until the specific 3-D modeling libraries are compiled and linked for the Ultra architecture. But all your UltraSparc-based systems will benefit once you've made that initial investment. With workstations tha
t support dedicated 3-D processors, you have to budget for that specialized 3-D hardware each time you invest in a new system.
Long Life and Good Fortune
With regard to raw number crunching, Ultras may not be peers to Alphas. But when evaluated as graphics workstations rath-er than as compute servers, these systems have no peer in price/performance.
With applications that take advantage of the VIS instructions, such as CAD and Photoshop, the Sun Ultra I Creator3D Model 170E performs well above any other single-processor workstation currently available.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Sun Ultra I Model 140.........less than $20,000
Sun Ultra I Creator3D
Model 170E....................less than $30,000
Sun Microsystems Computer Co.
Mountain View, CA
(415) 960-1300
fax: (415) 969-9131
Circle 1044 on Inquiry Card.
HotBYTEs
- informa
tion on products covered or advertised in BYTE
Model 140 Model 170E
143-MHz UltraSparc 167-MHz UltraSparc
32-MB RAM 64-MB RAM
1-GB hard drive 2-GB hard drive
17-inch color monitor 20-inch color monitor
10-Mbps Ethernet 10- and 100-Mbps Ethernet
10-MBps SCSI 20-MBps fast and wide SCSI
Three Sbus expansion slots Two Sbus expansion slots
TurboGX graphics UltraSparc graphics
Less than $20,000 Less than $30,000
Features of the Ultra I
-- 64-bit address pointers
-- Specialized Visual Instruction Set
-- Branch prediction
-- Four-way superscalar design with nine execution units
-- 16-Kb data cache; 16-Kb instruction cache
-- Integrated second-level cache controller
-- 128 data lines to packet-switched crossbar
-- 3.3-V operati
on
Raw Performance: The VIS-less Ultra I
illustration_link (8 Kbytes)
Sun's Ultra I Model 170 lags behind the PowerPC, and far behind the 266-MHz Alpha, but the BYTEmark test suite does not tap the Ultra's most compelling performance technologies: the Visual Instruction Set (VIS) and the packet-switched crossbar bus.
Back in the Spotlight
photo_link (60 Kbytes)
Sun's Ultra I Creator3D Model 170E (top) with its 64-bit UltraSparc (inset)
Ben Smith is a Unix and IP networking consultant with the firm Ronin House in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He can be contacted on the Internet at
ben@ronin.com
.
Ultrafast UltraSparcs
