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From: saify@cbnewsl.att.com (saify.lanewala)
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.tandy
Subject: Re: Making an 80386 system
Summary: PHOENIX GOTCHA
Keywords: 80386 386 CPU AMI Phoenix Motherboard Kit
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.174937.10796@cbnewsl.att.com>
Date: 11 Dec 90 17:49:37 GMT
References: <4622@iitmax.IIT.EDU>
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.misc
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 49

In article <4622@iitmax.IIT.EDU>, demoydk@iitmax.IIT.EDU (Tommy) writes:
> Here's the story:
> 
> 	I am planning on making a 386 system.  I know what to get as far
> 	as . . . 
[stuff deleted]
> 	are concerned, but I am finding it difficult to choose a mother-
> 	board.  I know that AMI and Phoenix are good companies for BIOS.
> 	But I need to know which is good quality, good for compatibility,
> 	and for reliability.  Problem is that I have seen both with negat-
> 	ive things.
> 
> 					Yung D. Kim.
> 
I purchased a clone 25MHz 386 (Micronics Motherboard) with the Phoenix
BIOS (the so-called latest PHOENIX 80386 ROM BIOS PLUS V1.10 M8, dated
August 29, 1990).

I wanted to run UNIX(r) so I had the motherboard+daughterboard combo
give me 16 MBs RAM.  Whenever I booted the machine, the POST would
eventually produce the following message:

Moving 256K from reserved memory to extended memory.

Well, UNIX doesn't like that very much, so I called the clone manufacturer,
who in turn called Phoenix.  What I was told was:

"Oh, this happens because you have 16 MBs.  If you drop down to 12, you'll
be OK!!!!!!"

Naturally, I did a double-take.  The last thing I care about when I have
16 MB is to have the BIOS remap 256K of reserved memory!  If I had 4MB,
I could see that!! With 16, I don't care two hoots.

I did drop down to 12MB just to get around this stupidity, but ...

Anyway, Phoenix is supposed to fix the BIOS so that users have an option to
remap that memory.

On the other hand, I also have a machine with the AMI BIOS, similar in nature
to the other machine, but with a different motherboard.  This machine has
performed perfectly all the time.  My machines are left on 24 hours a day
seven days a week, with no down time except when I need to add a new board
some such thing!

Hope this helps your choice.

Saify Lanewala
.. att!attunix!stl