I'm thinking of splashing out on a new motherboard for my PC. I am
running Linux as my main OS, with a small DOS partition left for my
flatmates' games.

My current setup is a 386SX-25 (AMD) with 387SX-25 (ITT - I think) and 9
Mbytes of 70ns SIMMS, and (120+100)Mbyte IDE.

Basically I have two choices

1) Get a 386DX-40 + 387DX-40  or
2) Get some sort of 486.

Unfortunately I live in the UK where computer prices are far too high.
The first option works out at about \pounds 200. 486 m/boards start at
this price for a SX-25.

I have a couple of questions.

1) How much of an improvement in speed should I notice if I get a
386DX+copro. Remember I'm using a 32 bit OS, and alot of Floating Point
operations.

2) How much faster would a 486DX-33 be than the 386DX-40+copro ?

Should I get an upgradeable m/board with a 386DX-40 and wait for
AMD/Pentium price pressure to reduce the costs of the 486 ?

	Any experiences will be most helpful ...

		Kenny.

PS. Example prices:

	386DX-40+copro M/board	~$270
	486DX33	M/board		~$580

-----------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth MacDonald		E-mail kenny@castle.ed.ac.uk
Dept. of Geology & Geophysics
University of Edinburgh		Scotland