OMAP3530 vs DM3730

[ari64]

I recently got a Beagleboard-XM, and did a few tests to compare the performance of the DM3730 with the older OMAP3530, by running benchmarks of the mupen64plus dynarec on each.


I expected that with the CPUs and RAM clocked at the same speed (500MHz/166MHz) that the DM3730 would be slightly faster due to the larger L1 cache.  Surprisingly, this was not the case.  There was some variation in the benchmarks between the two CPUs, but they were generally within +/- 1%.


I was able to overclock the DM3730 to 1200MHz.  1300MHz resulted in random crashes.  It seems I will need to recompile the X-Loader to increase the SDRAM clock, so I haven't tried that yet.

 

[Exophase]

Beagleboard-xM's default configuration is 166MHz SDRAM clock then? I wonder why they'd set it up that way..


I guess this also means that DM3730 doesn't decrease main memory latency..


This all makes me really want to see raw performance counter numbers between the two, to make sure things really add up. In particular, number of L1 misses.

 

[fusion_power]

More interesting for me would be the Power consumption of the new Chipset. Drains it less battery on equal clocking compared to the older Chipset? Or is it more optimized so higher (standard) clocking doesn't have a big impact on the power consumption like the older Chipset would have with equal clocking (overclocked then I guess).

 

[133794m3r]

Well since Ari64 basically answered a couple of questions that I had about the new chipset(ie how overclockable it was) I'm going to definitely be waiting and hoping that Open Pandora GMBH switches to the DM3730 since they've already switched to 512MB of ram. Knowing that the system is able to be overclocked to ~1200Mhz which is ~1.5x as high as the "average" overclock that people are able to handle on the pandora. Anyway, I hope that they move to that CPU really soon/TI does away with the omap 3530. Either way I cannot wait for it. Thanks for the information Ari64.

 

[DaMummy]

wont happen. OPT has thousands of omaps still in stock, and the only reason they switched to 512memory is because they couldnt get more 256mb. and 1.2ghz is not 1.5x the amount of 1.05ghz

 

[Darkknight512]

Well since Ari64 basically answered a couple of questions that I had about the new chipset(ie how overclockable it was) I'm going to definitely be waiting and hoping that Open Pandora GMBH switches to the DM3730 since they've already switched to 512MB of ram. Knowing that the system is able to be overclocked to ~1200Mhz which is ~1.5x as high as the "average" overclock that people are able to handle on the pandora. Anyway, I hope that they move to that CPU really soon/TI does away with the omap 3530. Either way I cannot wait for it. Thanks for the information Ari64.

I can do 1.05 Ghz no problem, most people can do 1 Ghz on OPP5, some can do 1 Ghz on OPP4.

 

[133794m3r]

Well since Ari64 basically answered a couple of questions that I had about the new chipset(ie how overclockable it was) I'm going to definitely be waiting and hoping that Open Pandora GMBH switches to the DM3730 since they've already switched to 512MB of ram. Knowing that the system is able to be overclocked to ~1200Mhz which is ~1.5x as high as the "average" overclock that people are able to handle on the pandora. Anyway, I hope that they move to that CPU really soon/TI does away with the omap 3530. Either way I cannot wait for it. Thanks for the information Ari64.

I can do 1.05 Ghz no problem, most people can do 1 Ghz on OPP5, some can do 1 Ghz on OPP4.

Key word there. "most" The D3730 guarantees 720Mhz and the omap3530 guarantees 600Mhz. I'd like to have the higher base clock and also it'd likely use less power since the chip is newer. More clock at less power is awesome. Plus the GPU, 200Mhz vs 110Mhz you cannot overclock the pandora's GPU. DM3730 == 20MPoly/s Omap3530 == 10MPoly/s. That extra GPU performance could go into a good dreamcast emulator. I'd kill someone for a good dreamcast emulator on any platform, or add ~80-100USD to a bounty pool, whichever one brings the quickest result. And since the Dreamcast's GPU is capable of 7MPoly/s so the emulator's gpu plugin has little room for excess. I'd feel better about the better GPU performance since I'd know that the gpu has a ton of extra performance to work with.

 

[Binky]

There's nothing anyone can do about it now. OpenPandora have $1000s of omap3530s, and when those are used up, I think Pandora 2 planning and design will start. I suppose there could be a short run of DM3730 Pandora1.5s We will have to wait and see... ^_^

 

[133794m3r]

There's nothing anyone can do about it now. OpenPandora have $1000s of omap3530s, and when those are used up, I think Pandora 2 planning and design will start. I suppose there could be a short run of DM3730 Pandora1.5s We will have to wait and see... ^_^

Even then, my other point still stands. Once the mass run starts/in mayish after I get one, I'm going to start a bounty for it. And wait how many are left? I don't want to finally get around to preordering it and then end up how the original run people were, with the whole year+ waiting...

 

[FaeMinx]

In all honesty, I *do* think the P2 will be materializing soon after the omap3530s are finished. This makes complete sense from a bussiness stand point. In which case, we can be expecting a dual-core 2ghz chip... though I have my hopes set on a quad 3ghz.


So we shall see. =3


P.s. I suspect that development of a dual-core 2ghz Pandora has already begun... but due to the need of:


1) Selling off current stock


2) Optimising software


3) Creating the right mycelium for the P2 to be recieved and be a success from the get go


(with hopefully +- zero production problems/delays)


This information hasn't been made public and is being kept hush hush untill the optimal moment for maximum effect. (i.e. once current stock is sold)


P.p.s Do *not* hold back from ordering your Pandora NOW! As only through your contribution and involvement in the community will the P2 come into existance.


There is no point in waiting for the P2. It might never happen... and the new units produced in Germany with double the ram are too tasty to ignore... You want one, you know you do. So go for it. ... you won't be dissapointed.

 

[gunrock]

Don't be offended FaeMinx, but I think you've been smoking the good stuff. Dual or Quad core at 2 - 3ghz? I think not, and certainly not from OPT.


I think the next Pandora will b einfinitely better and quicker to market than the first, as ED and Craig and the guys have much more experience, but baby-steps and all that.

 

[Exophase]

The desire for "dual core 2GHz" came straight from either MWeston or Craigix. There are supposed to be SoCs, like OMAP5, that'll have dual Cortex-A15s that can clock to 2GHz. Qualcomm's Krait will also probably clock that high in variants intended for tablets, considering that dual core Scorpion hits 1.5GHz on 45/40nm. But the heat/power consumption is going to be pretty high when running at 2GHz.. something like Pandora has a big enough battery to still be usable but I don't know if it can handle the thermal load (my guess is it can still take a lot more than a phone). Hopefully these SoCs all have the different CPUs on separate voltage domains and not just clock domains, so you can hit 2GHz with one while the other runs much lower w/o using too much power. Since that'll be more in line with what the most demanding emulators will want, for instance.


Quad core 3GHz mobile SoCs are not even on the radar, I have no idea how long it'll be before we see those. I'd be surprised if we even saw that for A15s on 20nm.