Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!samsung!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.uka.de!fauern!forwiss.uni-passau.de!platon.fmi.uni-passau.de!burkert1 From: burkert1@platon.fmi.uni-passau.de (Klaus Burkert) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Subject: Re: Amiga Hardware Questions Message-ID: <1991Jun25.190346.18644@forwiss.uni-passau.de> Date: 25 Jun 91 19:03:46 GMT References: <30310@know.pws.bull.com> Sender: usenet@forwiss.uni-passau.de (USENET News System) Organization: University of Passau, W-Germany Lines: 52 Nntp-Posting-Host: cicero.fmi.uni-passau.de In article <30310@know.pws.bull.com> UK02728@ukpr.uky.edu writes: >I've got a few questions for all the Amiga hardware gurus and wannabes: > >1) Lately, at least two companies have come out with modules that replace > the 286 chip in IBM AT compatible computers with either 16 or 20 mHz > 386sx CPUs. These products use ram caches to compensate for accessing > the slower RAM on-board the ATs. Has anyone been daring enough to > remove the 286 chip from their AT Bridgeboard and replace it with one of > these modules. (Oh, yeah, the companies: Kingston Technologies markets > SX NOW, AOX makes the other. Intel also makes one, but it is only > warrantied in an IBM PS/2 model 50 or 60.) No, first there is a room problem: typical addons don't fit in between the main- and the sandwich-board. Secondly, it's not too smart to clock an addin higher than the rest without cache. This leads to the third problem: Dual-Ported-RAM and caching doesn't like each other very much -> 680x0, DATA-Cache and BB :-(. There is a German company selling 386sx-Boards as AddOns for the A2088, but the boards are not too stable and you'll loose all the Janus-Stuff. >2) Has anyone been even more daring and replaced the 286 from ATonce > replaced with one of these CPU upgrades? This would be very difficult, because the timing is depending very close to the 68000 and the Vortex-Custom-Chip. >3) Is the ECS (extended chip set) used in the A3000 available for the > A2000? If so, what are the going market prices for the upgrade? > Is it available for the A1000? The ECS-Denise (8373) is available in Germany for 120-160 DM (1 US$ ~ 1,80 DM) The 2 Meg-Agnus (8372B) is used in the MegaChip-Board, which provides 2MB Chip-RAM. The VDE of the A3000s is availabe as A2320 FlickerFixer from C=. This was for the A2000b/c, I don't know for A500, A1000 and A2000a. >4) What are the differences between the A3000 and the A2000? and can the > 2000 be upgraded to be completely compatibility to the 3000? if so, > how? The A3000 comes with 32-Bit RAM (Chp and Fast), 68030 & MathCo, HD and VDE. The (stock) A2000 comes with 16-Bit RAM , 68000 and without HD or VDE. But the A2000 can be upgraded to the A3000, with one exception: The A3000 has 32-Bit-access to Chip-RAM, the A2000 always 16-Bit. Ciao, Klaus. ------------------------------------------------------------- Klaus Burkert email: burkert1@platon.fmi.uni-passau.de Brandweg 11 voice: +49-851/83993 D-W-8390 Passau / Federal Republic of Germany