blog:286_shootout_eurosoft-ht12

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blog:286_shootout_eurosoft-ht12 [2021/01/28 08:26] – [Results] johnblog:286_shootout_eurosoft-ht12 [2021/02/17 21:43] (current) – [Speed Testing & Tuning] john
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 ====== Eurosoft HT12HS (Headland HT12) ====== ====== Eurosoft HT12HS (Headland HT12) ======
  
 +{{:blog:img20210121105629.jpg?150|}}
 +
 +A variant of the common 286 Headland HT motherboard. With details on overclocking modifications and repairs, as well as benchmarks and testing.
 ===== Initial Thoughts ===== ===== Initial Thoughts =====
  
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 No valid configuration for memory sizes greater than 4MB, which is too bad. But we can always try it! No valid configuration for memory sizes greater than 4MB, which is too bad. But we can always try it!
  
 +=== EMS / UMB Memory ===
 +
 +As with most HT12 chipset boards, the Eurosoft HT12 can use the HT12MM.SYS EMS driver to map part of the (up to) 4MB of available RAM to Expanded Memory.
 +
 +   * {{:blog:ht12mm.zip.zip|}}
 +   
 +Just set the amount of EMS that is needed in the BIOS, reboot and the driver will automatically allocate a page frame and map the EMS ram.
 +
 +In addition, or rather alternatively, you can gain 64KB of UMB (in place of the EMS page frame) by using **The Last Byte** memory manager and configuring it for an HT12 chipset. Then use **hightsr** to load drivers and other objects from config.sys or autoexec bat into UMB, just as you would use the normal DOS **loadhigh** or **devicehigh** command.
 +
 +The HT12 //does not//, to my knowledge, support EMS and UMB simultaneously.
 ===== 0 Wait State ===== ===== 0 Wait State =====
  
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    * Speed A: **8MHz** (default)    * Speed A: **8MHz** (default)
    * Speed B: **14.318MHz** (optional)    * Speed B: **14.318MHz** (optional)
 +
 +The results table at the bottom of the page show just how much of an impact the optional 14MHz clock has on the FPU - compared to an equivalent system, the FPU performance on this system is absolutely //immense//.
 ===== Speed Testing & Tuning ===== ===== Speed Testing & Tuning =====
  
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    * VGA 1 Tseng Labs ET4000AX 1MB VGA    * VGA 1 Tseng Labs ET4000AX 1MB VGA
  
-I experienced a couple of crashes at 24MHz clock speed. This is likely to be the absolute outer limits of stability for the chipset and board. FPU, CPU and RAM were all warm but not hot to the touch, so I suspect just a timing limit of the HT12 chipset.+I experienced a couple of crashes at 24MHz clock speed. This is likely to be the absolute outer limits of stability for the chipset and board.  Even so, you probably wouldn't want to run at 24MHz. FPU, CPU and chipset were all warm but not hot to the touch; RAM was very warm, so it could either be chipset performance limitations or even RAM on the border of being stable. Perhaps it is worth cooling the RAM to see if it operates any more stable?
  
 Note that the Comptest and CheckIt VGA results are incorrect in the above screenshots due to user error (I forgot to re-enable VGA BIOS shadowing). They are correct in the results table below. Note that the Comptest and CheckIt VGA results are incorrect in the above screenshots due to user error (I forgot to re-enable VGA BIOS shadowing). They are correct in the results table below.
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 {{:blog:img20210127162050.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210127161907.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210127161902.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210127161848.jpg?200|}} {{:blog:img20210127162050.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210127161907.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210127161902.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210127161848.jpg?200|}}
  
-{{:blog:img20210127161838.jpg?200|}}+{{:blog:img20210127161838.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217205330.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217205427.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217205447.jpg?200|}} 
 + 
 +{{:blog:img20210217205530.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217205603.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217205609.jpg?200|}} 
  
 **VGA 2** **VGA 2**
 +
 +{{:blog:img20210217210428.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217210507.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217210541.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217210610.jpg?200|}}
 +
 +{{:blog:img20210217213246.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217213334.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217213419.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210217213438.jpg?200|}}
  
 I wasn't able to complete //any// benchmarks with the ET4000 fitted at this 24MHz processor speed. I wasn't able to complete //any// benchmarks with the ET4000 fitted at this 24MHz processor speed.
 +
 +**[Update 17/02/2021]** - I found that with a couple of specific SIMM modules and running the system from cold, it will run long enough to complete all the benchmarks, so the results below have been updated for the full set of 24MHz tests.
  
 ---- ----
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 | CheckIt Dhrystones     | 2908      | 3946        | 4911     | 5973     | 4702   | | CheckIt Dhrystones     | 2908      | 3946        | 4911     | 5973     | 4702   |
 | CheckIt Whetstones @8MHz    | 562.1K    | 578.2K      | 672.1K   | 743.9K   | N/A   | | CheckIt Whetstones @8MHz    | 562.1K    | 578.2K      | 672.1K   | 743.9K   | N/A   |
-| CheckIt Whetstones @14.318MHz    | 690.1K| 682.2K      | 921.6K   | N/A      | 1100.8K | +| CheckIt Whetstones @14.318MHz    | 690.1K| 682.2K      | 921.6K   | 1102K    | 1100.8K | 
-| CheckIt Video chars/sec VGA 1| 6816      | 8860        | 11311     | N/A     | N/A | +| CheckIt Video chars/sec VGA 1| 6816      | 8860        | 11311     | 13632   | N/A | 
-| CheckIt Video chars/sec VGA 2| 6995      | 9166        | 11557     | N/A      | 11311 |+| CheckIt Video chars/sec VGA 2| 6995      | 9166        | 11557     | 13990   | 11311 |
 | CheckIt HDD Transfer   | 1045KB/sec      | 1071KB/sec  | 1223KB/sec| 1396KB/sec| | CheckIt HDD Transfer   | 1045KB/sec      | 1071KB/sec  | 1223KB/sec| 1396KB/sec|
 | Landmark CPU           | 17.79MHz        | 23.99MHz    | 30.26MHz | 36.78MHz  | 28.06MHz |  | Landmark CPU           | 17.79MHz        | 23.99MHz    | 30.26MHz | 36.78MHz  | 28.06MHz | 
 | Landmark FPU @8MHz     | 17.73MHz        | 17.87MHz    | 20.10MHz | 21.75MHz  | N/A | | Landmark FPU @8MHz     | 17.73MHz        | 17.87MHz    | 20.10MHz | 21.75MHz  | N/A |
-| Landmark FPU @14.318MHz   | 23.91MHz     | 24.28MHz    | 30.08MHz | N/A  | 38.34MHz |+| Landmark FPU @14.318MHz   | 23.91MHz     | 24.28MHz    | 30.08MHz | 37.16MHz  | 38.34MHz |
 | Landmark Video VGA 1   | 2816.73         | 2816.73     | 2925.17  | 3006.24  | N/A | | Landmark Video VGA 1   | 2816.73         | 2816.73     | 2925.17  | 3006.24  | N/A |
-| Landmark Video VGA 2   | 5015.51         | 5015.51     | 6342.19  | N/A         | 7992.20 |+| Landmark Video VGA 2   | 5015.51         | 5015.51     | 6342.19  | 7680     | 7992.20 |
 | 3DBench VGA 1          | 4.9       | 5.9         | 7.3      | 8.9      | N/A | | 3DBench VGA 1          | 4.9       | 5.9         | 7.3      | 8.9      | N/A |
-| 3DBench VGA 2          | 5.2       | 6.4         | 8.1      | N/A         | 8.4 |+| 3DBench VGA 2          | 5.2       | 6.4         | 8.1      | 9.9      | 8.4 |
 | ATPerf RAM Read        | 1         | 0           | 0        | 0        | 1 | | ATPerf RAM Read        | 1         | 0           | 0        | 0        | 1 |
 | ATPerf RAM Write       | 1         | 0           | 0        | 0        | 0 | | ATPerf RAM Write       | 1         | 0           | 0        | 0        | 0 |
 | ATPerf ROM Read        | 1         | 0           | 0        | 0        | 1 | | ATPerf ROM Read        | 1         | 0           | 0        | 0        | 1 |
 | ATPerf Video Write VGA 1 | 8       | 8           | 11       | 13       | N/A | | ATPerf Video Write VGA 1 | 8       | 8           | 11       | 13       | N/A |
-| ATPerf Video Write VGA 2 | 4       | 4           | 4        | N/A         | 4 |+| ATPerf Video Write VGA 2 | 4       | 4           | 4        | 4        | 4 |
 | CompTest RAM thruput   | 4832KB/sec| 7227KB/sec  | 9181KB/sec| 11132KB/sec| 7767KB/sec | | CompTest RAM thruput   | 4832KB/sec| 7227KB/sec  | 9181KB/sec| 11132KB/sec| 7767KB/sec |
 | CompTest Effective WS  | 1.1       | 0.1         | 0.1      | 0.1      | 1.1 | | CompTest Effective WS  | 1.1       | 0.1         | 0.1      | 0.1      | 1.1 |
 | CompTest MFLOPS @8MHz  | 0.054     | 0.056       | 0.066    | 0.074    | N/A | | CompTest MFLOPS @8MHz  | 0.054     | 0.056       | 0.066    | 0.074    | N/A |
-| CompTest MFLOPS @14.318MHz | 0.062 | 0.064       | 0.081    | N/A    | 0.099 | +| CompTest MFLOPS @14.318MHz | 0.062 | 0.064       | 0.081    | 0.098   | 0.099 | 
-| CompTest Video BIOS VGA 1  | 28717 | 37759       | 47537     | N/A    | N/A | +| CompTest Video BIOS VGA 1  | 28717 | 37759       | 47537     | 57642  | N/A | 
-| CompTest Video BIOS VGA 2  | 26995 | 35564       | 45026     | N/A         | 43388 | +| CompTest Video BIOS VGA 2  | 26995 | 35564       | 45026     | 54483  | 43388 | 
-| CompTest Video Direct VGA 1| 10204 | 12987       | 16393     | N/A     | N/A | +| CompTest Video Direct VGA 1| 10204 | 12987       | 16393     | 19688  | N/A | 
-| CompTest Video Direct VGA 2| 10989 | 14085       | 17857     | N/A         | 17544 |+| CompTest Video Direct VGA 2| 10989 | 14085       | 17857     | 21739  | 17544 |
 | CompTest Dhrystones    | 3069.4    | 4077.6      | 5187.5   | 6272.3   | 4947 | | CompTest Dhrystones    | 3069.4    | 4077.6      | 5187.5   | 6272.3   | 4947 |
  
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 ^ Test                 ^  Config 0  ^ Config 1  ^ Config 3  ^ Config 4  ^ Config 6  ^ ^ Test                 ^  Config 0  ^ Config 1  ^ Config 3  ^ Config 4  ^ Config 6  ^
-| Wolfenstein 3D (FPS) |  9.2       | 11.6      | 14.8      | N/A       |           | +| Wolfenstein 3D (FPS) |  9.2       | 11.6      | 14.8      | 17.8      | 11.4      | 
-| F1GP Bench 1 (CPU %) |  208-227   | 164-181   | 129-140   | N/A       |           |+| F1GP Bench 1 (CPU %) |  208-227   | 164-181   | 129-140   | 108-118   | 135-151   |
  
 ---- ----
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    * Comptest 260    * Comptest 260
  
-**Notes** +=== Youtube Clip === 
-   * + 
 +This footage shows BIOS boot screen, benchmark results from Landmark, Comptest and ATPerf. As well as a demo of Wolfenstein 3D in benchmark mode and a longer playthrough of the original Wing Commander game. 
 + 
 +All footage taken using the stable 20MHz, 0-wait state configuration (Config 3). 
 + 
 +{{youtube>A9MOGpapktI?large}}
  
 ===== Conclusion ===== ===== Conclusion =====
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 {{:blog:eursoft_ht12_io.png?500|}} {{:blog:eursoft_ht12_vga.png?500|}} {{:blog:eursoft_ht12_io.png?500|}} {{:blog:eursoft_ht12_vga.png?500|}}
 +
 +{{:blog:eursoft_ht12_f1gp.png?500|}} {{:blog:eursoft_ht12_wolf.png?500|}}
  
 As long as you don't push this board beyond its limits (20MHz with 0-wait states), it's very stable and in a like-for-like comparison, pretty quick. As long as you don't push this board beyond its limits (20MHz with 0-wait states), it's very stable and in a like-for-like comparison, pretty quick.
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  • Last modified: 2021/01/28 08:26
  • by john