up vote 0 down vote favorite
share [g+] share [fb]

If you look at this, there is a chart of memory speed versus CPU speed from 1980 - 2000. I need to use a similar chart in a research paper, and I need a good set of data from a reputable source to use for the chart.

alt text

Does anyone know where I could find this?

link|improve this question
55% accept rate
Took the liberty to add the chart you referred to – Ivo Flipse♦ Sep 22 '09 at 19:13
Thank you. That was a good idea. – Max Schmeling Sep 22 '09 at 19:14
Image is broken. – Gareth Aug 18 '11 at 4:29
feedback

1 Answer

up vote 1 down vote accepted

I'd say your best bet is looking up the frequencies of the main processor/memory types (like Pentium) on Wikipedia, since they tend to give you some nice tables with an overview of their specs.

In the case of Pentium you get a very broad range (in time) of frequencies, which is probably what your after.

For memory, someone else will have to suggest a type or brand though you could look for things like DDR memory etc.

Downside: you'll have to create a graph like this yourself, though with Excel, that shouldn't be too hard. And in case you miss some years, just interpolate ;-) Moore's Law will keep you safe!

link|improve this answer
The problem with just looking at frequencies is that it doesn't take other factors of the architecture into account. If you took a 3GHz P4 and a single core of a 3GHz Core 2 Duo, the C2D will win hands down because of the refined architecture behind it, even if you manually force the busses and all other components to the same speed. – MDMarra Sep 22 '09 at 21:27
Totally true, but I don't know of a database of benchmarks that go back 15-20 years. You can't exactly compare Win95 performance with Win7... – Ivo Flipse♦ Sep 23 '09 at 7:01
Agreed, that is a problem. The OP may have to go digging through old white papers and release docs for a completely accurate comparison. The problem with those is that a lot of the info in there isn't real world performance. It's kind of a catch 22 – MDMarra Sep 23 '09 at 12:44
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.