Which CPU is better: Intel PII 450 or Cyrix 750?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mo
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M

Mo

This is just for my son to play old PC games on (like the freeware version
of Dance Dance Rev., called Step Mania).

[I also have a PIII 500 but I haven't tested it yet. If it does work would
that better be than the Cyrix 750?]

Thanks!
Mo
 
Mo said:
This is just for my son to play old PC games on (like the freeware version
of Dance Dance Rev., called Step Mania).

[I also have a PIII 500 but I haven't tested it yet. If it does work would
that better be than the Cyrix 750?]

Thanks!
Mo
Click to expand...

OK, you will get a lot of posts from people telling you that Cyrix was crap.
Don't listen to them. While Cyrix still tried to compete with the current
processors, they were faster processors than their counterparts manufactured
by Intel. Thus, a Cyrix 750 was about the same as a Intel PIII ~850.
Again, at the time, the Cyrix chips cost LESS than the slower Intel chips.
They were also fully compatible with all operating systems and programs that
could be run on Intel branded chips.

The problem with the Cyrix processors is that they were too cheap (yes,
there is such a thing). They undercut Intel so much that they were mostly
purchased by cheapskates who would "skimp" on ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS when
they were building their PCs. Thus, Cyrix chips ended up in (mostly) poorly
designed, el-cheapo CRAP computer systems. Over time therefore, Cyrix chips
gained an undeserved reputation for being poor quality. How does that work?
Well, imagine if Michelin tires were extremely cheap, and purchased only by
Yugo owners. As all the Yugo owners complained about their crappy cars with
Michelin tires, Michelin tires would eventually get a bad reputation by
association with being installed on crappy cars.

As I said before, your Cyrix 750 will perform on par with an Intel PIII
~850. So YOU TELL ME if a PIII 500 would be better than that. :) -Dave
 
Dave C.:
Thus, a Cyrix 750 was about the same as a Intel PIII ~850.
Click to expand...

You're off by a few generations. This was true of the early Cyrix
processors but not of the later Cyrix chips which effectivly run half as
fast as an equivalent intel processor.
 
Mo:
This is just for my son to play old PC games on (like the freeware
version of Dance Dance Rev., called Step Mania).

[I also have a PIII 500 but I haven't tested it yet. If it does work
would that better be than the Cyrix 750?]
Click to expand...

The 450 will be faster, especially for games, than the Cyrix 750.

http://www.tecchannel.de/hardware/431/7.html

If you flip through the benchmarks, you will see the Cyrix chips trail
behind the 450 in every benchmark. You may be able to run the Cyrix chip
without a CPU fan, assuming it's a C3. That is the big advantage these
chips had and why they are still in use today, often combined with a small
motherboard to make a silent PC.
 
This is just for my son to play old PC games on (like the freeware version
of Dance Dance Rev., called Step Mania).

[I also have a PIII 500 but I haven't tested it yet. If it does work would
that better be than the Cyrix 750?]

Thanks!
Mo
Click to expand...

This is an odd question. The two are different interfaces,
(slot 1 vs socket 370) so any given mobo with have one slot
or the other, with possible exception of some horrific
PCCHips boards.

Given either mobo alternative, there are faster CPUs to be
had for very little cost. Even so, the PIII500 is going to
be noticably faster at most things, including gaming. There
really isn't anything positive about the Cyrix/Via chips of
yesteryear except they're lowest heat, and cheaper for Via
to produce, though potentially only a small percentage of
that production savings is passed on to the customer... they
aren't very cheap relative to their performance.
 
Thanks everyone for your input!
For the curious, I have 2 separate mobos for these CPUs.
I'll stick with the P2B w/PIII 500.
Thanks again!
Mo
 
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