| The Performance Rating (PR) is hotly contested and frequently
debated. For every one hundred people that think that it is a good thing there are another
one hundred people who don’t. Everyone has an opinion on this subject. The PR rating is determined by the Winstone 97 benchmark. As a result, it isn't a valid comparison against an equivalent Pentium MMX processor for 3D games, FPU calculations, and MMX operations. The 6x86MX PR rating is a two tiered rating that compares the 6x86MX to both the Pentium MMX and Pentium II. The 6x86MX PR233 is compared against a Pentium II 233MHz whereas the 6x86MX PR166 and 6x86MX PR200 are compared against the Pentium MMX 166MHz and Pentium MMX 200MHz. Where does the Pentium MMX 233MHz fit into the equation? Also, the PR rating used by 6x86MX is completely different than the PR rating used by the 6x86. How does the Pentium Pro fit into the PR rating? The answer is that it doesn't. Personally, I think that the PR rating is a necessary evil until consumers quit associating MHz with performance. However, I also think that in its current form it is very confusing and being abused. Many have recently accused Cyrix/IBM of manipulating the PR rating to makeup for manufacturing deficiencies and trying to sell lower MHz parts at a higher cost by giving them a PR rating that they don’t deserve. In my opinion, the PR rating confuses consumers and frustrates resellers. This makes the 6x86MX more difficult to sell and less likely to be embraced. The average consumer doesn't research their purchase and relies heavily on the reseller for information and recommendations. How would you like to be a Cyrix/IBM reseller and have to explain the PR rating to someone who knows nothing about computers Monday through Friday. Some of the resellers can't even figure it out themselves. I imagine the conversation would go something like this...... A Day in the Life of a Cyrix/IBM Reseller A guy walks into a computer store [Joe Average Consumer] Hi Mr. Salesman, my name is Joe Average Consumer, I am looking for a Cyrix/IBM 6x86MX PR200. I have been reading many good things lately about these chips. I heard that they are just as good as a Pentium MMX and cost less. Do you sell them? [Mr. Salesman] We sure do. Which Cyrix/IBM 6x86MX PR200 are you interested in? [Joe Average Consumer] What? You mean there is more than one? [Mr. Salesman] Yeah, actually there are two of them. The difference between them is the bus speed that they utilize. Don’t worry, according to the Performance Rating system that Cyrix/IBM use to compare their parts to Intel’s, they both perform like an Intel Pentium MMX 200MHz. Here is the chart. It came straight from the Cyrix website. 6x86MX™ PR-Rating Table
I have a 6x86MX PR200 that utilizes a 66MHz and 75MHz bus speed. Which one do you want? [Joe Average Consumer] Bus speed? Huh? Why are there two? [Mr. Salesman] Umm, Cyrix/IBM had manufacturing problems for a while but don’t worry about that. Does your motherboard support a 75MHz bus speed? If not, you will want the 66MHz part but Cyrix charges a premium for those so they cost more. [Joe Average Consumer] My son Jonny really likes to use the computer to play games. How does the Cyrix/IBM 6x86MX PR200 play games? [Mr. Salesman] It does a good job, but it doesn't play games as fast as a Pentium MMX. [Joe Average Consumer] But Mr. Salesman, you just said that the Cyrix/IBM 6x86MX performs just like a Pentium. [Mr. Salesman] It does, but only on business applications. [Joe Average Consumer] Mr. Salesman, you are making my head hurt. I am really confused. I’ve been saving my money for months to buy a new microprocessor. I don’t want to make a mistake and waste my hard earned money. Why don’t you give me an Intel Pentium MMX 200 processor instead. I know that chip will work so I am willing to pay more. Intel also has great commercials. Those Intel MMX dancers really kick ass. Guy walks out of computer store with a shiny new Intel Pentium 200 MMX. [Mr. Salesman] Cyrix/IBM processors are such a pain. The Intel Pentium and AMD K6 are so much easier to sell. Now my head hurts. This page has been accessed |