Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!linus!agate!ucbvax!ucdavis!csusac!sactoh0!pacengr!americ!erk
From: erk@americ.UUCP (Erick Parsons)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Opinions and Cold Hard Facts Requested
Message-ID: <erk.1724@americ.UUCP>
Date: 2 Apr 91 23:54:24 GMT
Lines: 70


Well it's tax time and this year I just happened to make out like a bandit
soo... I am in the process of wading through tons and tons of information
on Accelarators for my A500 to sink megabucks, again, into my favorite computer.

        I have come to these conclusions (be they right or wrong)

    o In order to fully utilize the potential of a 68030 accelarator
      In this case the Mega Midget Racer by CSA, one needs at least
      256K of 32 Bit Static ram on board to realize any significant
      bang for the buck, with 512K being optimum as that's max for
      onboard ram without the addition of a daughter board.

    o 32 bit microprocessors are kludgy on 16 bit busses like that
      of the A500.

    ? What is in fact the minimum amount of 32 bit wide ram necessary
      to make the 68030 a blazingly fast, efficient accelarator ?
      Is static ram preferable to Dynamic Ram ?

    ? Is my 16 bit ram going to slow things down? I have a sizable
      investment in ram to date (5 megs)

    ? Do these accelarators use the same simm memory expansion modules
      that other expansion boards use ? i.e. 1M x 8, and is the fact that
      it is 80ns access time a detriment to burst mode caching ?

    ? Will I realize any significant increases in speed in general with
      Caching disabled on a 33 MHZ '030' / 68882 / 512K 32Bit Static Ram ?

    ?  "  Caching enabled ?


    o A math co-processor will speedup dramatically CAD, 3D-rendering
      programs and Spreadsheets that are floating point intensive.

    ? Will the addition of a 68882 co-pro. do anything for such things
      as flight simulators and or simulations.


    o There seem to be two versions (if not more) of '030's floating
      around these days. There is the MMU and non MMU.

    ? Would it be worth it at some later date to have gotten the MMU
      '030' ? i.e. Unix implementations running rampant in the forseeable
      future.

                               Opinions Wanted



    o There are a thousand things that I would like to get for my Amiga
      but only so much money. Would I be better off buying an AdSpeed
      accelarator for a little over 200.00 and increasing data storage ?

                                    -or-

    o Should I go with a 33 MHZ MMU w/ 68882 co-processor and 512K of
      Static Ram as a package for well over a thousand dollars and
      forget about buying anything else for expansion till next April ?


                     "I feel the need for Speeeeeeed "


     All replies cheerfully refunded if you are not 100 % Happy :)

--
Erick Parsons, Sacramento  erick@sactoh0.sac.ca.us <-- Right off the freeway  --
{ames att sun }!pacbell!sactoh0!pacengr!americ!erk <-- At the end of the road --