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From: BARRETT@forest.ecil.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Upgrading A3000/16.
Message-ID: <18447@snow-white.udel.EDU>
Date: 3 May 90 20:59:34 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 29


   There have been questions here about upgrading the A3000/16 to the
full performance of the 25Mhz A3000/25.  Since the clock, 68030, and
68881 chips are surface mounted, upgrading the system directly (by
replacing the chips) seems next to impossible.

   But I have a question about performing the upgrade a different way.
The CPU slot is ideal for putting a faster cpu and cache memory into
the system; a 40Mhz 68030/68882 with cache memory would be an ideal
upgrade, as would a 33Mhz '040 w/cache.

   My question is: would it be possible to design such accelerator
boards to achieve the same performance when they are plugged into
the A3000/16 as when they are plugged into the A3000/25?

   My idea would be to design the accelerator such that, if they
were plugged into the A3000/16, they would boost the speed of the
custom chips to the speeds that they run at on the A3000/25.

   This would be nice, if it were possible.  This would allow you
to purchase a 3000/16 with the intention of purchasing a 40Mhz
accelerator, without sacrificing any system speed outside of the
added cache memory.  If this is possible, I urge all developers
that are working on such accelerator boards to put these features
into their boards.  If it isn't possible, then forget I said
anything. ;-)


                                   -MB-