Re: "measure what they deliver"
"when the 486DX2 was the pinnacle of technology. "
The DX2 came out in 1992. Another chip also came out in 1992... The DEC Alpha.
And I recall that when it came out, it was the fastest chip in the industry. Where the 486 was 32 bit and topped out at 66mhz, the DEC Alpha was 64 bit and came out initially at 150mhz.