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From: jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386,comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: 286 -> 386sx Upgrades
Message-ID: <5088@crash.cts.com>
Date: 17 Oct 90 22:16:02 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 33

kls30@duts.ccc.amdahl.com (Kent L Shephard) writes:
>Upgrades via the "plug in an adapter to the 286" are expensive compared to
>what a new 386sx motherboard costs.  I'm in Sunnyvale and out the door
>price of a new motherboard w/o ram is about $300.00, the Sota upgrade
>board is above $500.00.  For $400.00 you can get a motherboard and 2MB of
>ram. (memory is cheap ~$50/MB) If you look in Computer Shopper, PC Week,
>etc you shoud be able to find a motherboard still for about $300.00.
>
>It is not  that difficult to swap out a motherboard.  Takes a little more
>time than the upgrade board but is worth it.  BTW I upgraded to a 386sx
>last year from a 8Mhz 8088 with a 286 accelerator board.  But what I did
>was bought a system that was bare bones and just transferred cards.
>
>If you do buy a new motherboard  you may be able to use your existing
>memory in your 286 provided it is simms or sipps and the new mother board
>takes the same type.  The speed shouldn't be a problem if the simms/sipps
>are 100ns or better because a lot of 386sx boards use 100  or 80ns chips.

And even if the motherboard uses DRAM chips.  They'll still work in a lot of
386SX's.  Mine takes 256K or 1 Mb DRAMs at 100ns or faster.

Just need to shop around.  And I agree, the 386SX adaptors are not worth it.
 
     // JCA

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