Trying to compare Amiga hardware options by benchmark numbers alone is a trap. A Dhrystone score from a real FPGA CPU implementation and an ARM chip's MIPS rating measure completely different things, and neither tells you much about which system will actually run your favourite demo correctly.
The Contenders
- Vampire V4 Standalone, an FPGA-implemented 68080 CPU that's genuinely blisteringly fast (sub-second Workbench boots), but software compatibility suffers since the 68080 isn't a perfect 68060 clone. Best for games and demos, not for daily productivity.
- A600GS / A1200NG, ARM-based boards running Amiberry underneath, in either a complete mini-PC (A600GS) or a drop-in motherboard replacement with real floppy and CompactFlash support (A1200NG). Cheap, plug-and-play, but with occasional software compatibility quirks.
- MiSTer with the Minimig core, "loses" on paper to A600GS in raw MIPS numbers, but wins on emulation accuracy and software compatibility. Its D-Cache-on mode is faster still but introduces glitches, so it's best left off for stability.
- The real decision factor, not speed, but compatibility, stability, and how much you value hardware-accurate timing versus raw throughput.
Conclusion after digging through all three: if you already own a working MiSTer, there's no compelling reason to chase the newer ARM boards for "better" performance, the practical difference is marginal, and MiSTer's broader core library wins in the long run.