Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!kessner!david From: david@kessner.denver.co.us (David Kessner) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: Why buy a DX over an SX? Message-ID: <1991Apr24.193113.14033@kessner.denver.co.us> Date: 24 Apr 91 19:31:13 GMT References: <1991Apr21.203004.9909@unlv.edu> <1991Apr23.000348.6644@kessner.denver.co.us> <3787@sixhub.UUCP> Organization: Kessner, Inc. Lines: 40 In article <3787@sixhub.UUCP> davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) writes: >In article <1991Apr23.000348.6644@kessner.denver.co.us> david@kessner.denver.co.us (David Kessner) writes: > There are a large number of SX motherboards which only have 8MB on the >board. This is fine for DOS, but falls somewhat short for UNIX. The >expansion memory is then put on the ISA bus, with one total w/s at any >practical speed. > > People do run memory on the ISA bus, and cache makes a huge >difference. > > Also, all the early DX boards had a 4MB limit on the motherboard. This >system is running 8MB on the ISA bus, and it may be slow but it beats >paging! >-- >bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) > sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX > moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list >"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me I would not reccomend running UNIX on an SX-- simply because of the memory constraints. 8 meg is good for most things, but Motif or Openlook (Opengook?) will page. If a _cheap_ UNIX machine is the only priority then an SX is it, but performance will greatly suffer. I know some run RAM off of the ISA bus. If that is the only choice, then so be it-- otherwise it is stupid. Most DX Motherboards have a 'proprietary RAM' slot enabling them to have large amounts of RAM that wouldent ordinarily fit on the motherboard. Current 486 motherboards hold anywhere from 16 meg to 96 meg ON THE MOTHERBOARD. The SX boards are targeted tward the lower-end market, where MS-DOS dominates. In addition, the SX CPU itself is targeted in the same fashon, where 16-bit applicaions are the norm (and 32-bit applications are used, but not common). In this market, 8 meg of RAM is more than enough. -- David Kessner - david@kessner.denver.co.us | do { 1135 Fairfax, Denver CO 80220 (303) 377-1801 (p.m.) | . . . If you cant flame MS-DOS, who can you flame? | } while( jones);