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What is the fastest and most powerful 8-bit computer out there? Not just in speed, but also in other categories, like graphics and sound capabilities.

an 8-bit cpu driving a modern GPU, I guess.

your mom!

Probably the Pimp My Spectrum computer.

There are 8-bit computers with software-reprogrammable FPGAs. I'd go for one of those.

it's the commodore, get it?
because it's an 8-bit computer but also an airplain.

I found some atmel AVRs microcontrollers running @ 32mhz

ATxmega:

C64 with a 20 MHz SuperCPU 65C816 upgrade is pretty fast.

I always thought Game Boy Color was quite fast for a 8 bit machine (8MHz)

65816 is 16 bits, does not count as 8 bit computer in my book.

one thing is for sure, its not the amiga. ha hahahaha

WELL ITS NOT THE ATARI EITHER

The HuC6280 (a 6502 spinoff) that was used in the TurboGrafx included instructions to switch its operating speed between high and low, where the high speed mode was ~7 MHz which should give you a higher MIPS count than a GB-Z80 @ 8 MHz.

If we include newer microcontrollers - doesn't Rabbit make 8-bit processors clocked at ~40 MHz? And I know that there were models of the Parallax SX that could be clocked at 80 MHz or more.

Nowadays, there are lots of 8-bit microcontrollers (PICs, Atmels) with 20MHz or more.

Back in the time, the MSX-2 range of computers were quite powerful for be just 8-bit machines.

But all of you already know that Amstrad CPC RULES FOREVER! Yeah! x)

MSX TurboR is likely among the top contestants, if we're talking about computers, not controllers. Had sample playback, 256k memory minimum, CPU comparable to 28 MHz Z80 and blitter-like gfx features (even if awfully slow to access with the ugly port scheme).

I think the computers installed on the Saturn rockets of the Apollo missions were definitely the fastest 8bit computers. (when we talk about travelling speed...)

Sinclair QL had a 68008 @ 7.5Mhz.

Current spectrum clones use a T80 (Z80 in FPGA) @ up to 60Mhz ... that's pretty much the fastest I'm aware of for "demoscene" platforms ... not really useful or classic, but the fastest I know.
As for gfx I'd say the C128 (VIC-II + VDC) takes the lead.
For sound prolly the C64 ... or if you wanna go with FM the Sam Coupe.

Also depends on what you're doing ... a 6510 @ 1MHz is mostly on par with a Z80 @ 4MHz ... with either CPU having their individual benefits.

I only listened briefly to some SAA1099 stuff, but to me it sounded more like the AY-3-8910, except with more channels. If we're talking about FM chips, there were at least a couple of 8-bit computers that used the YM2151 (e.g. MSX, Sharp X1). There might be other 8-bt computers with even more advanced chips.

As far as video controllers go, the NEC SuperGrafx had two of them with a total of 128 kB VRAM.

stop talking in the past tense

WE HAVE COMPUTERS - WHICH CAN BEAT YOUR COMPUTERS!

I don't know if FPGA counts that turn a Z80 at 24Mhz for CPC: CPC T-Rex

This probably isn't the fastest (I'm guessing the 8-core propeller chips are), but it's interesting nonetheless: Hitachi 6309. It has four 8 bit accumulators that can be combined into two 16 bit accumulators or one 32 bit accumulator! It also has some unusual instructions (for its time) like multiplication and division. I'm not sure in what computers it was used, though.

Ah, the 6309. It's Hitatchi's version of the Motorola 6809. The latter does not have the nice accumulator feature, but it did have a 2-phase clock which allowed two 6809E's to share the same bus, essentially making a two-cpu system very simple! Motorola wrote an application note about this: AN892, "A Dual Processor System, Using Two MC6809E MPUs on a Common Bus".

Pretty awesome, for it's time!

Huh, do we know any systems that used the 6809?