Re: Performance limits
Replacing x86 (and x86_64 aka amd64)? Go for it!
https://www.ebay.com/b/Intel-Itanium-Computer-Processors-CPUs/164/bn_5757133
Maybe compromise with a nice i860 box?
Yeah, barely touched a 4U Itanium server back in the day. Wouldn't mind picking up an Itanium VMS pizza-box, but really only for much the same reason as keeping my KIM-1 running)