From: Daniel.Karellen@f501.n914.z8.rbbs-net.ORG (Daniel Karellen)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Choosing New Motherboard
Date: 19 Aug 92 07:55:06 GMT


JB>From: umbryer@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Jeffrey Michael Bryer)
JB>Path: lll-winken!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!destroyer!ubc-
JB>cs!unixg.ubc.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!access.usask.ca!ccu.um
JB>nitoba.ca!umbryer
JB>Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
JB>Subject: Choosing new motherboard
JB>Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
JB>Message-ID: <1992Aug18.034114.23397@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
JB>Date: 18 Aug 92 03:41:14 GMT

JB>Sorry if this question has been beaten to death but I find myself in
JB>the very exciting postion of being able to get a new computer.
JB>(well actually half a computer:  with the best parts out of my current
JB>one and parts in boxes I'll end up with two computers)

JB>My current processor is a 386SX-16.  This is what I'll be using OS/2 2.0
for:
JB> 
JB>- running Word for Windows v2.0
JB>- using CKermit and m2zmodem
JB>- using the notepad, some OS/2 games
JB>- a few DOS sessions running CompuShow, games (mille bornes, Out of this 
JB>World, etc.)
JB>- I will be multitasking the above

JB>Regardless of the board I will have 8MB of RAM on board (till I can spring
JB>for another 8MB in December or April).

JB>What I would like to know is what kind of performance increase I can expect
JB>with a:
JB>  486DX-25 ISA
JB>  486DX-33 ISA
JB>  486DX-50 ISA
JB>versus a 386DX-33 (as this is the lowest motherboard I will be considering).

JB>What size of cache should I get on the motherboard?

JB>And what about a local bus motherboard?  What advantages will it offer over
JB>its ISA based counterpart?  (I am pretty ignorant about local bus so
anything
JB>you can tell me is welcome.)

JB>Other equipement (if relevant):
JB> Quantum LPS105a hard drive (5MB FAT, 95MB HPFS)
JB> ATI VGA Wonder XL with 1MB
JB> Soundblaster v1.5
JB> SupraModem 2400 MNP

JB>email or post
JB>Thanks
JB>Jeff

Have you considered an NCR microchannel?  You'll get better IO than any of the
equivalent ISA configurations above.  NCR makes a QUAILITY microchannel machine
at a reasonable price.  My friend has one and runs OS/2 2.0 on it without a
hitch and it's DAMN fast.  Also, if you have good IO (microchannel), the CPU
raw
speed isn't quite as important.  I don't know if NCR has a modular processor
microchannel, but if they do, you can put a 586 in it when the P5 comes out. 
One further advantage is all your cards can be 32-bit cards instead of 16-bit
ISA.  If you get a SCSI drive, try to get SCSI-2 and a SCSI-2 controller.  The
Soundblaster does come in microchannel version.  Make sure your motherboard
will
support at least 4 meg SIMMs, see if you can get one that supports 8 meg SIMMs
(that's the next memory coming out).  I beleive that ATI also has microchannel
cards.  I would get one, except my next pc is going to be either a
microchannel-2 with a 586 and SCSI-2, or it will be a RS/6000, SUN, HP APOLLO,
or other RISC machine.  All indications from IBM (no firm statements) suggest
that the next release of OS/2 will be available for the RS/6000 since the next
OS/2 kernel will be the UNIX "MACH" kernel v3.0.
___
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Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc