HOW FAST IS .GIF ANIMATION?

Hi... and thanks in advance.....

I am a physicist and not a gifanimation expert.

I want a simple answer to a simple question (ball park
answers only please).

A controversy has arisen about whether gifanimation can be
made to run "as fast as a movie film" on "the average personal
home computer"?

As you know conventional "movies" run at 24 frames/sec.

It is my understanding that this is "way too high" for gifanimation
on the "average home computer".  Is this right or wrong?

so here is my question:

1.  What is the highest rate (in frames/sec) that the owner
     of the "average home computer" can expect to see
     on his computer... give a "ball park" answer please.
     (assume the averagecomputer has a CPU of 300 mc..
      or thereabouts, I guess).

2.  Will this frame rate be substantially higher for a 500 mc or
     1 gc, or 2 gc CPU computer?

3.  I'm using an old 166 mc CPU computer, and by actual test
     my computer won't display a (simple) gifanimation any faster
     than about 3-4 frames/sec.   Is this to be expected?

Thanks........ puzzled physicist