Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!hodge!jdm
From: jdm@hodge.UUCP (jdm)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Is Bios shadowing and multiple 16-bit cards a problem?
Summary: Phoenix BIOS has a poor Shadow RAM implementation
Keywords: BIOS shadowing 16-bit cards
Message-ID: <20857@hodge.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jul 89 23:55:49 GMT
References: <15099@ut-emx.UUCP>
Organization: Hodge Computer Research Corporation
Lines: 35


In article <15099@ut-emx.UUCP>, allred@ut-emx.UUCP (Kevin L. Allred) writes:
> I recall reading some where about confilicts between the BIOS's of two
> 16-bit cards when using RAM shadowing.


	I too am looking into 386 motherboards and have been asking 386
	motherboard retailers about this very thing.  It seems that when the
	problem was first discovered it happened on a wide variety of
	motherboards, not just on one make or model.  Very quickly it was
	discovered that all these motherboards with the flakey Shadow RAM
	had one thing in common--the Phoenix BIOS.  It seems the Shadow
	RAM is a thing implemented in the BIOS of the 386 (hence the reason
	why some 386 boards do not have Shadow RAM).  Phoenix's version
	of Shadow RAM get very flakey when you have 2 or more 16-bit cards
	in your system each with their own BIOS (i.e. VGA and drive card).

	Stick to Award or Quatel BIOS.  They are the only ones I have yet
	found that work 100% with Novell.  I've fixed many a problems by
	replacing the AMI or Phoenix BIOS with Award.


-- 

"I'm an anthropologist, not a computer systems architect, damit!"

jdm@hodge.cts.com [uunet zardoz]!hodge!jdm

James D. Murray, Ethnounixologist
Hodge Computer Research Corporation
1588 North Batavia Street 
Orange, California 92667  USA

TEL: (714) 998-7750	Ask for James
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