Scali wrote:
Why do people hype these V20/V30 CPUs so much? In a lot of software you can't even tell the difference between a regular 8088/8086 or a V20/V30.
I'm no psychologist, but I think it is because they love XTs,
which in turn is based on the idea that the 5150 (XT is 5160 actually) was the "very first PC" everrr.
So having a hot-rod PC is the holy-grail for some of them. And that's were the V20/V30 CPU thing is coming into play.
It's the cheapest, easiest to install and most available upgrade for this machine class.
Of course, that doesn't apply to all users. Some users do simply have a technical interest in older machines and are
thus fascinated by this oddity. Some also install these CPUs to have the enhanced instruction set found in the 80186/80286 CPUs.
For example, this can be handy for several zip programs or the Win 3.0 VGA driver. Compilers like Power C also have an 80186 switch.
In some way or another, this reminds me of the 8080 vs. z80 thing. The z80 was often used as a replacement for 8080 processors.
It wasn't pin-compatible, but slightly faster (hardwired functions), had a better instruction set and only required a single voltage.
Another cool feature was the integration of a dram circuitry, I think. Intel later realized this and launched the 8085,
which had similar enhancements but came a bit too late.
Anyway, it's funny that people do always mention the V-processors along with the IBM-PC, even though they likely weren't
even intended for it in the first place. Remember, NEC also had it's own computer series - the PC-88 and PC-98.
Whereas the former was an 8080/z80 (µPD780) based machine. So was it pure coincidence, that the enhanced PC98 got a processor
(V20/30) with an 8080-emulation mode ? I don't think they made that chip only for best CP/M compatibility..
"All PC98 computers will also run PC88 games. That's right! NEC worked very hard to be sure that the PC98 is backwards compatible
so you can run your PC88 floppies on it without any major problems. That's how I play my PC88 games, by the way."
Source: http://www.gamefaqs.com/PC98/934099-nec-pc98/reviews/155931
More about japanese computers can be read here.
(Note: We know that the IBM 5150 wasn't the first personal computer per se.
Altair 8800, IMSAI 8080 and several other machines before used that term, but sadly people don't care.)
Robin4 wrote:I think a V20 8mhz should be even fast as a 286-6 mhz probably.
Not a chance.
"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel
//My video channel//