tclug-list-request at mn-linux.org writes: 

> Ok ... I have finally finished the simple comparison on different =
> kernels and computational speed. 
> 
> I ran a commercial code that required memory (lots of matrix solutions) =
> and large amounts of CPU times.  Recall that I previously posted the =
> times, stating I was disappointed in the speedup from a PIII 700 MHz.  =
> The results are listed below.  The AMD machine was dedicated to this =
> problem - nothing else was running at the time. 
> 
> PIII 700 MHz (dual CPU - only 1 used for solution)        96,370 secs
>    -  Win2000 
> 
> AMD XP 2100+ (single CPU)  686 kernel (?)                65,039 secs
> AMD XP 2100+ (single CPU) Athlon kernel                   63,411 secs
>   -  Linux RH7.2 
> 
> No real improvement in performance.  I must say I am disappointed in the =
> speedup.  

Um, if you're crunching numbers, the kernel shouldn't be interacting very 
much.  Where kernel comes in  is if you're losing speed to time-sharing, 
process swap overhead, paging, or maybe I/O.  Seems to me you wouldn't be 
hitting any of those things, so I guess I'm surprised you're seeing as 
*much* as you did.  (Without knowing what your algorithm or data set is... 
nothing better than being unencumbered by facts!) 

 --
"To misattribute a quote is unforgivable." -- Anonymous