Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!udel!haven!mimsy!mojo!dank From: dank@eng.umd.edu (Daniel R. Kuespert) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: 386sx Motherboard Message-ID: <1990Oct4.141439.1039@eng.umd.edu> Date: 4 Oct 90 14:14:39 GMT References: <1990Oct3.173937.995@urz.unibas.ch> Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (The News System) Organization: College of Engineering, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park Lines: 21 In article sunyat@pawl.rpi.edu (Eric Hsiao) writes: > I'm in the market of a 386sx motherboard, and I need to know some info. >First of all, this guy wants to offer a 386sx 16Mhz with a fast crystal >installed to yield 20Mhz (he says Norton SI is 21). Is this a safe thing >to do? It is not safe. While you might get lucky and get a chip that's actually capable of 20MHz operation but just isn't certified for it, more likely you'll be replacing the SX within a few hours. Unless the chip is actually specified for 20MHz, it probably can't dissipate the heat generated by the faster speed very well and will consequently fail. As you've worded it, this loser is trying to load you up with a motherboard that's also running above design speed. What goes for the SX chip also goes for the other chips on the board, so you'll probably have trouble with random failures. -- Daniel R. Kuespert | Disclaimer: Chemical Process Systems Lab | University of Maryland, College Park | "I lied; it's a vice I have." dank@eng.umd.edu |