how is northstar chip "geared down"?

["Steve Richter" <srichter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Continuing Nathan's much appreciated and justified points on raw code execution speed on the iseries...

 

Some of the posts site chip speeds of the northstar chip as 200, 252 and 262 mhz and that some models are "geared down" to approximate performance of preceeding models.

From: . http://www.midrangecomputing.com/mc/articles/19980903.htm

 

What does "geared down" mean?

 

Is the 200, 252 and 262 mhz speed slowed to 50, 100?

 

Are there methods other that L1, L2 cache and the stated chip mhz rates that ibm uses to limit the cpu speed of the system? Is there a bus speed like the one on a pc?

 

Does cfint have a hardware twin?

 

Is the MULIC? tape still used?

 

Will there be any sessions at the upcoming common that address the technical means by which ibm slows down its systems and discuss possible countermeasures that a user could employ to run THEIR system at full speed?  Have there ever been any such sessions?

 

Steve Richter