Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!mcgill-vision!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!athena.mit.edu!mlbarrow
From: mlbarrow@athena.mit.edu (Michael L Barrow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: 16mhz 386sx running at 20mhz
Message-ID: <1990Aug9.144532.677@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 9 Aug 90 14:45:32 GMT
References: <1990Aug7.230306.16069@agate.berkeley.edu>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: Massachusetts Insititute of Technology
Lines: 28

In article <1990Aug7.230306.16069@agate.berkeley.edu> 
magid@sandstorm.Berkeley.EDU (Paul Magid) writes:
>         I bought a 386sx thinking it was a 16mhz machine running at 
16mhz.  I
> think the dealer made a mistake and put in the wrong mother board b/c it 
runs at
> 20mhz.  The cpu is a sx that is rated at 16mhz; however, the chips and
> technologies chip set is rated at 20mhz.  The computer does run at 
20mhz, and
> has ami bios.  Now for my question:  By how much percent will my 386 
chips
> life be reduced?  10%, 20%?  How long is the average life expectancy of 
a 386sx
> chip in years?  Should I be worried, and should I take the computer back 
and
> demand my money back?

If the CPU is rated for 16MHz, then do _not_ let the machine run at 20MHz! 
Take it back & yell at them for doing something that silly. You will wear 
down your CPU if you run it faster than its rated.


-----
Michael L Barrow
mlbarrow@athena.mit.edu
MIT Information Services Consultant
MIT Project Athena Volunteer User Consultant
Member, Student Information Processing Board (SIPB)