Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:7847 comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware:604 Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uupsi!rodan.acs.syr.edu!amichiel From: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) Subject: Re: info needed on SOTA 386SX upgrade board Message-ID: <1991Apr19.235734.14785@rodan.acs.syr.edu> Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY References: <1991Apr17.165958.6023@cc.helsinki.fi> <91107.194110U39648@uicvm.uic.edu> Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 23:57:34 GMT In <91107.194110U39648@> From The Mind Of writes: >> If anyone has ANY info (pricing, performance, compatibility etc.) >> on SOTA Technologys SOTA Express/386 slotless accelerator upgrade >> for ATs (80286) and PS/2 models 50/60, please e-mail me. >The SOTA Express/386... 386SX processor, static cache, socket for 387Sx >There are two versions, 16MHz with 16K cache, and 20MHz with 32K cache. >Performance is not up to par with an IBM Model 55SX, which uses a 16MHz >386SX. The 16MHz seems to perform better than a 12MHz 80286, (not quite) > of a 16MHz 386SX. I've heard the 20MHz version performs(like) 16MHz 386SX With a respect to SOTA (and the previous poster had quite a good review overall of the product, covering it....). The sota doesn't cut it. The big- gest bottleneck is the memory accessing af the 286 in these systems. The overall inside application performance of a sota (16 MHZ) is blown out of the water by the INTEL INBOARD 386 AT. This card uses a FULL 386, comes WITH 1 MB of 16 MHZ 32 bit DRAM, and software that can (usually) copy the video rom to 32 bit ram to vastly accelerate video I/O as well. The card provides FULL 32 bit 16 MHZ system performance in everything except the I/O bus. Buffering the video rom helps greatly, so the bottleneck becomes the disk i/o rates. What's worse, is it's only about $100 more than the sota wich comes with NO system dram. Further, it has a single 32 bit expansion socket on it, and allows an additional 32 bit option card, such as another memory card. HOWEVER, it only works with AT bus machines. You may be better off to swap systems with somebody that has a IBM 30-286, get the $100 from them, and buy the intel board instead. I can only hope that intel has a inboard for small microchannel systems. Personally, I'm hoping for a 25 MHZ inboard Microchannel card from INTEL.... al -- Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE