Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhc!hpspcoi!dlow
From: dlow@hpspcoi.HP.COM (Danny Low)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 386 and SX shortage
Message-ID: <1640057@hpspcoi.HP.COM>
Date: 13 Feb 90 18:12:26 GMT
References: <29108@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Organization: HP Lovecraft Division
Lines: 18

>I hate to admit to being uninformed, but I've been wondering what is the
>difference between the 386 and 486. Can one eventually upgrade a 386 machine
>to a 486?
>tom

A 486 is just a 386 with all the support chips built into the chip.
For example the numeric coprocessor and a memory cache are include in the
chip. As for upgrading, that depends on whether your 386 was designed
for upgrading. There is a major difference in the motherboard design
between the two chips precisely because one has all support chips built in
while the other needs the chips on the motherboard. In theory you could
upgrade regardless but the difficulty increases significantly if the
386 is not specifically designed for upgrading.

			   Danny Low
    "Question Authority and the Authorities will question You"
	   Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley
     HP SPCD   dlow%hpspcoi@hplabs.hp.com   ...!hplabs!hpspcoi!dlow