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Post by toei on Jul 27, 2021 15:04:59 GMT -5
Yeah, I always seem to end up there when looking up emulators these past few years.
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Post by Ex on Jul 29, 2021 14:11:15 GMT -5
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Post by Sarge on Jul 29, 2021 14:19:26 GMT -5
Yeah, I use that one when I'm trying to figure out the state of emulation - there have been some advances in recent years where my old standbys have been surpassed.
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Post by anayo on Jul 31, 2021 9:40:13 GMT -5
Yes I do find this interesting. I remember Professor Abrasive's video about his Satiator because he pointed out that the controller for the Satiator's USB interface had more processing power than the Sega Saturn itself. I've often wondered how computer hardware found in today's non-computer appliances compare to top-of-the-line computers from decades ago. For example, how powerful are the chips in a pregnancy tester compared to a Super NES? Stuff like that.
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Post by Ex on Aug 10, 2021 1:07:14 GMT -5
For example, how powerful are the chips in a pregnancy tester compared to a Super NES? Stuff like that. Well the SNES only has a 3.58MHz CPU, so it's not powerful by any stretch. The catch though, is the CPU and its accompanying components were specifically engineered to do exactly what they do. You can get away with underpowered tech when it is super specialized towards a central task. What blows my mind though, is how today's modern games have singular texture maps that can be hundreds of megs large. So basically you can fit the entire SNES USA library in just one of those modern texture maps, memory-wise. Hell, you could fit a 16-bit JRPG in just a modern shader script size easy. I believe when yesteryear developers had to do more with less, it bred stronger creativity and promoted better game design... but that's a long discussion. - I am not usually a fan of multi-emulators suites, but I've become fond of BizHawk: emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/BizHawkOnce you get all its firmwares setup, this one ain't too shabby.
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Post by paulofthewest on Aug 14, 2021 19:49:25 GMT -5
I've often wondered how computer hardware found in today's non-computer appliances compare to top-of-the-line computers from decades ago. For example, how powerful are the chips in a pregnancy tester compared to a Super NES? Stuff like that. As with any good engineering answer: it depends. The SNES chip is a 8-bit data, 16-bit accumulator, 24-bit address multi-cycle CPU, no cache, and primitive DMA support. Virtually anything ARM blows that out of the water. That said the Z80, which has been a popular micro controller for awhile, has the 8-bit data, 16-bit accumulator, no cache, and multi-cycle, but 16-bit address, and no DMA. The interesting thing about the Z80 is that it can sometimes execute two instructions at the same time. On the other hand, while the MHZ may be higher than SNES chip, the lack of DMA and lower address space *may* make it run poorer in memory intensive applications--like games of the time. Also SNES' biggest boon of the time, in line with what Ex pointed out, was the graphics chip--especially mode 7. A single Z80 would have terrible FPS trying to do mode 7. Okay you got me googling. It looks like modern pregnancy tests use a "8-bit Holtek" So I looked at a data sheet of one and it looks very similar to a Z80 except more I/O lines. So power wise I'd call it comparable to the SNES'. Realistically it depends on what you are using it for. If you need to do a lot of I/O then yes that Holtek is way better.
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Post by Ex on Aug 14, 2021 21:11:55 GMT -5
It looks like modern pregnancy tests use a "8-bit Holtek" Pregnancy test processor VS SNES processor is my favorite topic this entire year on HRG.
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Post by toei on Aug 15, 2021 0:29:32 GMT -5
Coincidentally, Z80s were widely used in video game hardware in the '80s and early '90s. It's what the Master System, ColecoVision, and MSX computers used; the System 16 arcade board and the Genesis also had one as a sound controller (the main CPU was a 68000), and I believe they were common in other arcade boards as well.
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Post by anayo on Aug 20, 2021 6:20:24 GMT -5
It looks like modern pregnancy tests use a "8-bit Holtek" Pregnancy test processor VS SNES processor is my favorite topic this entire year on HRG. Yes. I would watch an entire YouTube channel where hardware engineers compare old video game consoles to stupid things like USB controllers, mainboards in washing machines, fuel injection control computers in cars, etc.
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Post by Ex on Oct 4, 2021 10:23:20 GMT -5
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