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Fastest 8-bit computer?

category: general [glöplog]
What is the fastest and most powerful 8-bit computer out there? Not just in speed, but also in other categories, like graphics and sound capabilities.
an 8-bit cpu driving a modern GPU, I guess.
added on the 2009-10-06 18:44:28 by _-_-__ _-_-__
your mom!
added on the 2009-10-06 18:45:53 by okkie okkie
Probably the Pimp My Spectrum computer.
added on the 2009-10-06 18:46:53 by sigflup sigflup
There are 8-bit computers with software-reprogrammable FPGAs. I'd go for one of those.
it's the commodore, get it?
because it's an 8-bit computer but also an airplain.
I found some atmel AVRs microcontrollers running @ 32mhz

ATxmega:

Quote:
64K Byte self-programming Flash Program Memory, 4K Byte Boot Code section, 4K Byte SRAM, and 2K Bytes EEPROM. 4-channel DMA controller, 8-channel Event System, and Up to 32 MIPS throughput at 32 MHz. 12-bit ADC, 12-bit DAC and analog comparators. AES and DES crypto engines, 16-bit Timer Counters, USART, SPI, and TWI.
C64 with a 20 MHz SuperCPU 65C816 upgrade is pretty fast.
added on the 2009-10-06 19:14:20 by Radiant Radiant
I always thought Game Boy Color was quite fast for a 8 bit machine (8MHz)
added on the 2009-10-06 19:16:10 by dairos dairos
65816 is 16 bits, does not count as 8 bit computer in my book.
added on the 2009-10-06 19:24:37 by Dbug Dbug
one thing is for sure, its not the amiga. ha hahahaha
added on the 2009-10-06 19:28:37 by Dubmood Dubmood
WELL ITS NOT THE ATARI EITHER
added on the 2009-10-06 20:16:35 by aegis aegis
The HuC6280 (a 6502 spinoff) that was used in the TurboGrafx included instructions to switch its operating speed between high and low, where the high speed mode was ~7 MHz which should give you a higher MIPS count than a GB-Z80 @ 8 MHz.

If we include newer microcontrollers - doesn't Rabbit make 8-bit processors clocked at ~40 MHz? And I know that there were models of the Parallax SX that could be clocked at 80 MHz or more.
added on the 2009-10-06 20:49:10 by mic mic
Nowadays, there are lots of 8-bit microcontrollers (PICs, Atmels) with 20MHz or more.

Back in the time, the MSX-2 range of computers were quite powerful for be just 8-bit machines.

But all of you already know that Amstrad CPC RULES FOREVER! Yeah! x)
added on the 2009-10-07 00:28:37 by ham ham
MSX TurboR is likely among the top contestants, if we're talking about computers, not controllers. Had sample playback, 256k memory minimum, CPU comparable to 28 MHz Z80 and blitter-like gfx features (even if awfully slow to access with the ugly port scheme).
added on the 2009-10-07 09:42:12 by Marq Marq
I think the computers installed on the Saturn rockets of the Apollo missions were definitely the fastest 8bit computers. (when we talk about travelling speed...)
added on the 2009-10-07 09:58:58 by ddeml ddeml
Sinclair QL had a 68008 @ 7.5Mhz.
added on the 2009-10-07 10:05:21 by xeron xeron
Current spectrum clones use a T80 (Z80 in FPGA) @ up to 60Mhz ... that's pretty much the fastest I'm aware of for "demoscene" platforms ... not really useful or classic, but the fastest I know.
As for gfx I'd say the C128 (VIC-II + VDC) takes the lead.
For sound prolly the C64 ... or if you wanna go with FM the Sam Coupe.

Also depends on what you're doing ... a 6510 @ 1MHz is mostly on par with a Z80 @ 4MHz ... with either CPU having their individual benefits.
added on the 2009-10-07 10:10:29 by shock__ shock__
I only listened briefly to some SAA1099 stuff, but to me it sounded more like the AY-3-8910, except with more channels. If we're talking about FM chips, there were at least a couple of 8-bit computers that used the YM2151 (e.g. MSX, Sharp X1). There might be other 8-bt computers with even more advanced chips.

As far as video controllers go, the NEC SuperGrafx had two of them with a total of 128 kB VRAM.
added on the 2009-10-07 10:35:30 by mic mic
stop talking in the past tense
WE HAVE COMPUTERS - WHICH CAN BEAT YOUR COMPUTERS!
added on the 2009-10-07 12:07:34 by v3nom v3nom
I don't know if FPGA counts that turn a Z80 at 24Mhz for CPC: CPC T-Rex
added on the 2009-10-07 12:22:02 by Optimus Optimus
This probably isn't the fastest (I'm guessing the 8-core propeller chips are), but it's interesting nonetheless: Hitachi 6309. It has four 8 bit accumulators that can be combined into two 16 bit accumulators or one 32 bit accumulator! It also has some unusual instructions (for its time) like multiplication and division. I'm not sure in what computers it was used, though.
added on the 2009-10-07 12:31:43 by linde linde
Ah, the 6309. It's Hitatchi's version of the Motorola 6809. The latter does not have the nice accumulator feature, but it did have a 2-phase clock which allowed two 6809E's to share the same bus, essentially making a two-cpu system very simple! Motorola wrote an application note about this: AN892, "A Dual Processor System, Using Two MC6809E MPUs on a Common Bus".

Pretty awesome, for it's time!


added on the 2009-10-07 14:10:47 by trc_wm trc_wm
Huh, do we know any systems that used the 6809?
added on the 2009-10-07 17:54:34 by sigflup sigflup

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