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From: caf@omen.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: Wanted: Suggestion for 286==>386
Message-ID: <619@omen.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Dec-87 20:25:33 EST
Article-I.D.: omen.619
Posted: Thu Dec  3 20:25:33 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Dec-87 06:24:02 EST
References: <7560@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Organization: Omen Technology Inc, Portland Oregon
Lines: 18
Keywords: 286 upgrade 386 inboard cheap-386 tofu

In article <7560@eddie.MIT.EDU> mdc@eddie.MIT.EDU (Marty Connor) writes:
:  - Is it ok to use the 16 bit memory with a 386, or would I have to
:    buy a new 4 meg?

Depending on the motherboard, the answer is yes and yes and maybe.
this site runs an Intel 386 motherboard with a total of 2.5 MB of
32 bit ram.  I have 2 MB of 16 bit ram which I switch in to play
with VP/ix (SCO's DOS virtual machine).

Despite warnings in the SCO documentation, I have not identified any
errors caused by 16 bit memory on the Intel motherboard.  However,
16 bit memory causes programs to run very slowly, equivalent to a
4 mHz AT.  So, the system runs faster without that memory.  If there
were a way to specify the 16 bit memory (higher addresses) were used
only for buffers, I'd turn it back on.

If you get a motherboard with cache memory, the performance hit from
16 bit memory might not be so terrible.