Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ukma!rutgers!sunybcs!ugkamins
From: ugkamins@sunybcs.uucp (John Kaminski)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy
Subject: Re: Accelerator Boards
Message-ID: <5264@cs.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 14 Apr 89 06:36:17 GMT
References: <1370@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu! <136500014@cpe! <1407@csm9a.UUCP! <3254@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1411@csm9a.UUCP> <834@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> <1013@nosc.NOSC.MIL>
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Reply-To: ugkamins@sunybcs.UUCP (John Kaminski)
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In article <1013@nosc.NOSC.MIL> file@gandalf.nosc.mil.UUCP (Darren M. File) writes:
>Has anyone had any experience with the 80286 accelerator boards?  I've
>got a Tandy 1000 SX that is getting pretty sluggish, and I'm considering
>the options to speed it up (vs. purchasing an AT machine).
>
>I'm interested in the level of increased performance (ie. barley noticeable,
>very noticeable, etc), any peculiarities (decreased disk access times,
>compatibilty with software, etc), and of course cost.
>
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>	    Darren File

Regardless of what processor you have running the system, from a 80386 down to
the 8088 that the SX uses, you are "never" going to get different disk access.
The main components of disk access speed are all mechanical and have nothing
to do with the controlling CPU/uPU.  Speed in the accelerator boards come in
calculation and data manipulation.  And disks use DMA so the different
processor is not used real differently.

In other words, if your main activities involve data movement to/from/around
the disks, don't bother.  If they are more computation-intensive, get something
like the express order 286 board.  If you do extensive real/floating operations
as in many CAD packages, get an 8087.