Windows command line version of MAME

[RetroBorg]

I have always used Mame32 because like my computer skills it is very simple but now I thought I would give Dragon King a try I need to download the Windows command line version of MAME. My computer is a Pentium 3 450 should I be downloading Pentium Pro Optimized version or just the standard version.

I hope Howard is looking forward to my equally challenging questions when I can't get Dragon King to run.

[SirPoonga]

Yes, ppro version is fine then.

[RetroBorg]

Many thanks SirPoonga.

[REBIRTH]

Yes, ppro version is fine then.

Curious - why would he get the pentium pro version if he doesn't have a pentium pro chip?  He has a pentium 3 chip (pentium Pro is sort of Pentium 1.5).  I'm not flaming you, just curious - mainly because I too have a Pentium 3 500mhz machine and I use the regular winmame.

[SirPoonga]

Will still get some performance because of backward compatibility.

I'll explain.  when you compile something for a certain processor, in the intel world, you will not be able to run that program on older chips.  Compiling with the pentium pro flag tells the compiler to use the new instruction set in a pentium pro to optimize execution.  Every pentium after that will have those instruction to be backward compatible.

I recently ran into this.  I forgot to switch the linux kernel default of pentium pro when I was building it for a 486.  It didn't quite run right.  but on a 686 the 586 code will run just fine.

[REBIRTH]

I agree with what you are saying, but why bother - shouldn't the winMame version be compiled at a Pentium version newer than the old Pentium Pro's so it would be better?  I know the Pentium Pro version would work on a Pentium 3 but wouldn't the winMame better suit the Pentium 3 since it is a newer compile on a newer chip?  I run a computer department that makes computer applications and wouldn't compile something specifically for a version of processor that is older than the version it is being run on.  Again, I don't want to sound like I am attacking you, I'm just not grasping your point.

Thanks!!!!!!!

[SirPoonga]

Part of it is what the compiler can do.  Actually, I think mame compiles better than pentium pro.  It's compiled with the I686 flag set to on.  That's 686, pentium III class I believe.

Anyway, it's also in part what the compiler supports too.

[u_rebelscum]

Part of it is what the compiler can do.  Actually, I think mame compiles better than pentium pro.  It's compiled with the I686 flag set to on.  That's 686, pentium III class I believe.

Anyway, it's also in part what the compiler supports too.

IIRC:
486 = i486
pentium = i586
pentium MMX = i585 + MMX code

pentium pro = i686
pentium II = pentium pro w/ different cache + MMX
pentium III = pentium II + SSE

pentium IV = "i786" (includes MMX, SSE, and SSEII)

If you notice, pentium pro, II, and III are all i686 chips, with the only changes are the cache and new math stuff (+ Mhz, but we're talking about compiling).  The rest of the chips' timings, strengths and weaknesses are about the same; so optimizingfor them are about the same.  

Pentium IV is the first chip with changes other than adding math stuff.

[SirPoonga]

ok, so I'm off on my history, I'm a software person!

[SirPoonga]

now I am curious, can I compile mame with 486

[u_rebelscum]

now I am curious, can I compile mame with 486

It would take forever to finish compiling.


Seriously, I think the gcc compiler doesn't yield much speed difference between a i486 specific optimize and the default i386 compile.  

FWIW, most linux compiles (counting both OS and apps) I've seen were i386 (default 32bit compile), i686, and (not much anymore) i586.  Now there's athlon and P4 optimizes, and there used to be a few K5.  I hardly remember ever seeing a i486 optimize, and I had a 486 and was looking for them.  *shrug*

[SirPoonga]

now I am curious, can I compile mame with 486

It would take forever to finish compiling.


Seriously, I think the gcc compiler doesn't yield much speed difference between a i486 specific optimize and the default i386 compile.  

FWIW, most linux compiles (counting both OS and apps) I've seen were i386 (default 32bit compile), i686, and (not much anymore) i586.  Now there's athlon and P4 optimizes, and there used to be a few K5.  I hardly remember ever seeing a i486 optimize, and I had a 486 and was looking for them.  *shrug*

i was just kidding

[AlanS17]

So for a person running a PIII @ 866MHz, what would the best compile be to use?

[u_rebelscum]

So for a person running a PIII @ 866MHz, what would the best compile be to use?

PentiumPro optimized.  If compile your own, thats "I686=1".  You might be able, however, to add in your own flags into the makefile and make it even faster, but not by much.  You'd need to know gcc optimization ins-and-outs, though.

Here's a table for which compile to use for each CPU:

CPU	mame compile
386 486 Pentium PentiumMMX old celerons	normal
PentiumPro PentiumII PentiumIII newer Celerons	"pentiumPro optimized" I686=1
P4	"P4 optimized"* P4=1
Athlon	"athlon optimized"* ATHLON=1
AMD K6 K6-2 K6-III	"K6 optmized" K6=1

*I686 pentiumPro optimized will also be faster than normal compile for these two.

Also, I'm not exactly sure when celerons made the move from being a pentium based to a PPro/PII based CPU, but it was a while ago.