Intel Corp’s new 40MHz implementation of its 80860 RISC processor has been SPECmarked at 24.1 according to the firm. In the single-processor RISC stakes the SPEC mark puts the 80860 in third place, behind systems using MIPS Computer Systems’ R6000 part, and the top-end models of the IBM RS/6000. The 80860 was tested using an AL860 board from Alacron Inc in a 80386-based personal computer running Unix System V.3.2 with Green Hills Fortran and Metaware Hi C compilers. The 33MHz version of the 80860 has a rating of 20.3. Intel has also reported a SPECmark of 8.7 for its 80486 processor – which puts it at the top of the pile as far as the complex instruction set competition is concerned – but machines using the Motorola 68040 still aren’t available.
