Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!walt.cc.utexas.edu!readdm From: readdm@walt.cc.utexas.edu (David M. Read) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: Motherboard Swap for XT (advice needed) Message-ID: <35808@ut-emx.UUCP> Date: 13 Aug 90 02:35:35 GMT References: <1990Aug10.235155.763@ariel.unm.edu> Sender: news@ut-emx.UUCP Reply-To: readdm@walt.cc.utexas.edu (David M. Read) Distribution: na Organization: UT-Austin / Jerry's Kids Lines: 41 In article [abridged] conner@carina.unm.edu (Steven Conner) writes: >I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience upgrading an XT clone >by swapping in a 286 motherboard. > >What do you know now that you wish you had known before starting the job? > >What advice would you give to someone attempting it for the first time? > I recently did this, knowing very little when I started, and now think I have a handle on the likely pitfalls... 1) Find out what kind of warrantee is available from the motherboard manu- facturor, and from the sales house. Often they give you cheesy warrantees\ and service... 2) Find out the FCC rating of the motherboard!!! I bought one without checking this, and the ^*&% Class-A rated beastie destroys TV reception for about twenty feet... 3) Make sure you have power supply heft enough to handle the requirements of the new board/cards... 4) Check out how many 8-bit slots are on the new board; you may want to use some or all of your old cards, and most '286 boards have only two or three 8-bit slots! 5) Get some static-protection devices, like wrist straps.If you can't find any, always be sure to touch the power supply casing before you pick up *anything* (the PS should be plugged in & grounded, but not turned on) There are books available on the subject. Go to your local bookstore & buy one, like the one written by Aubrey Pilgrim. Good luck! -Dave | LAMPF and UT don't believe that Dave Read: read@lampf.lanl.gov | their people have opinions. Who read@physics.utexas.edu | am I to disillusion them? readdm@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu | #include