Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!oberon!sdcrdcf!ucla-cs!wales
From: wales@valeria.cs.ucla.edu (Rich Wales)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: PC/XT 286-based accelerator opinions wanted
Message-ID: <14382@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 14 Jul 88 01:06:46 GMT
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Reply-To: wales@CS.UCLA.EDU (Rich Wales)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 31

I am thinking about buying a 286-based accelerator board for my
Taiwanese turbo.

My system has an 8-MHz NEC V-20 CPU.  The clock speed is software-
switchable to either 4.77 or 8 MHz.  The RAM chips are 150-nsec.

The accelerator I am currently thinking of is the "Orchid Tiny Turbo
286" -- a half-sized card unit with room to add an 80287 coprocessor.

One feature of this board which appeals to me is that it has a socket
for your original CPU chip -- and a little toggle switch accessible from
the back of the computer which lets you select either the 286 or your
original CPU.  The Orchid also claims to be usable at either 5 (I assume
they really mean 4.77) or 8 MHz.

Does anyone out there who is using (or has tried) the Orchid Tiny Turbo
286 know whether it can in fact be used in an 8-MHz turbo XT?  Would I
be able to drive it at the 8 MHz clock speed?  Even at the standard 4.77
MHz speed, how much faster is it going to be than my current NEC V-20
system at 8 MHz?  Would I have to replace my 150-nsec RAM chips with
120's (or faster?) in order for an accelerator to be worth the expense?

Is this particular accelerator board a good one?  I am very open to
suggestions of better (faster and/or more reliable) units.  The Orchid
is currently selling for $290 at Egghead -- though I assume I can find
a lower price if I shop around a bit.

-- Rich Wales // UCLA Computer Science Department // +1 (213) 825-5683
   3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024-1596 // USA
   wales@CS.UCLA.EDU      ...!(uunet,ucbvax,rutgers)!cs.ucla.edu!wales
   "We would all become unpeople, undoing unthings untogether."