Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!dino!sharkey!indetech!fiver!palowoda From: palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: 286,386sx,386? Message-ID: <863@fiver.UUCP> Date: 1 Oct 89 07:38:25 GMT References:Organization: Fiver Communications Fremont, Ca Lines: 44 From article , by hs0i+@andrew.cmu.edu (Harold Jason Shapiro): > I am thinking of upgrading my XT clone in the near future. Would somebody > give a recommendation to me? I think I can afford a 286 or 386sx but prob- > ably not a true 386. Also, will somebody tell me if I need to upgrade at > all. I would like to, but don't know if I need to. > I have heard people say the SX is trash since it is trying to squeeze 32 > bit addressing on a 16 bit bus. I have also heard people say I should not > waste my time on a 286. Harold you sure have a way with words. I would not go as far as saying the 386SX boards are "trash". I recently traded on for a disk drive. It seems alot of dealers are willing to upgrade a XT motherboard or a AT motherboard up to a 386SX board. Now if your not planning to run 4 or more users on the system I am sure it would be well worth the upgrade. There are is a major difference in useing the 386 architecture and that is it supports vitual memory. This will at least allow you to run multi DOS programs in the protected mode with a higher degree of reliablity. Sure the 286 can do it but it will do it but there are other problems with that chip. Heck with the 386SX board if you wanted to at least try a 386 version of UNIX you could do it. I know I did it. It is slower when you compare a 16Mhz 386 to a 16Mhz 386SX board because the 386SX does two 16bit fetchs. I ran the MIPS test on the 386SX, overall it had about 85 to 90 percent of the MIPS that a 16Mhz 386 would. Somewhere around 2.7 mips. I decided to use DOS on the machine. The 386 version of UNIX was just a bit too much for it to handle. Under DOS I use VP, Foxbase, and some schematic capture programs with a pcb layout that does some auto routeing. I am quite happy with the speed that the programs execute. I would consider it extremly fast for a single user. This is the case that I would recommend someone to upgrade to a 386SX board. I heard dealers offering a trade in deal on a 386 SX board for 200 to 300 depending on what motherboard your tradeing in. If you plan on running multi-users or even multi-tasking software forget the 386SX and save your money for a fast 386. Just my opinion. ---Bob -- Bob Palowoda packbell!indetech!palowoda *Home of Fiver BBS* login: bbs Home {sun|dasiy}!ys2!fiver!palowoda (415)-623-8809 1200/2400 Work {sun|pyramid|decwrl}!megatest!palowoda (415)-623-8806 2400/9600/19200 TB Voice: (415)-623-7495 Public access UNIX XBBS