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Date: 22 Nov 1994 02:47:00 +0100
From: maulwurf@subloch.ruessel.sub.org (Stefan Huerter)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Message-ID: <5aL3zqezoRB@subloch.ruessel.sub.org>
References: <5_YN-sXUoRB@subloch.ruessel.sub.org>
Subject: which PC - platform, hints to decide for the right system
Keywords: unix,platform,performance
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Organization: the only answer: 42
Reply-To: stefan_huerter@lu.maus.de
Lines: 101
I get a lot of hints from you, thx a lot.
A few persons are interested in my decisions, too. So I will try to give
you some hints, I hope these can help you for your upgrades, new platforms
or s.th. else.
any comments, suggestions or s.th. else, please to following email-
address:
stefan_huerter@lu.maus.de
for international mail.
At first analyze, what you want with your unix pc.
- networking
- databases
- programming
or s.th. else.
important is, to know, what you need. do you need fast processors,
important for programming, networking, fast IO and bus transfers are
important; to give you a few examples.
(please recognize: that is not absolutely! programming has high IO, too..)
to the components:
CPU: "Intel"-based systems only.
386-DX: good choice, ideal for the little hobby-user, prefer the 40MHz
version, try to get it, good price/power choice.
486-DX: "normal", if you want to call it so. pros are: included fpu,
internal cache, normally more 2nd level cache than a 386-mother-
board (up to 256kB, 386-normal 64kB).
586-DX: high range CPU. included a few features, not supported for a long
time. Since there is the new gcc available, useful for high power.
RAM : generally you can say: I can't have enough. Prefer for normal
unix working 8MB, if you want X, take 16MB or more.
IO : HardDisks: SCSI is the best choice. Take one with a high rpm and
a lot of sectors a track. At the moment, I recommand
in the mid price for 1GB the IBM 0662 "Spitfire" or
the Quantum Empire 1080S. If you want any bigger,
the Seagate Barracuda or the 2 GB from DEC will be
a good choice.
If you want to use the system as a server, get big
disks, they can't be big enough. splitting in
partitions only, if there will be a lot of little
files.
Controller: Adaptec is s.th. like a standard. There is one
problem: the most Adaptecs available has bus-master
DMA, which is limiting your System to "real" 16MB RAM.
Some you can deactivate it.
BusLogic is the better choice... but expensive.
The best choice i the NCR controller, onBoard of the
PCI boards or as a PCI card. Important to take only
SCSI and no other components.
serial: there are a lot of serial cards available, important
to use the cards equipped with FIFO (16550). Doesn't
matter if 2 or 4 serial ports.
display: for a Server or BBS textmode only is enough. For X
the S3 cards have a good support. Get a big monitor,
if you want or to have work several hours on a little
14 or 15" monitor, terrible. 19" or 21" is the best.
network: NE2000 compatible are supported, no problem, if you
want to install a bigger net, take the 3COM, they are
the fastest one.
Boards: ISA: old, slowly on the bus. cheap components, problems with
the addresses and IRQs are programmed. (Bus transfer rates
expecting about 2 MB/s)
VLB: higher transfers, but not really optimized now. Good choice
for graphics, cheaper than PCI, but not faster. don't
speaking about the future.
EISA: old, but good. not the same limitations as the ISA, but
some problems, too. I give them no future...
PCI: the newest technology available. Fastest. Best for high IO
specially graphics and harddisks. onBoard MCR limited to
10MB/s (I know no harddisks, which reach this transfer
rates).
special:
known problems of the the AMD CPUs with the PCI-boards.
example:
my future station have to do:
- running Quark II (a BBS mailbox System with integrated converter from/to
usenet).
- running news and mail system for ISDN and 1 or to modems, spooling
s.th. about 20MB/day in 4 calls for a few sites.
- networking service nfs and Appletalk, printer spooling
(service for 3 clients)
- running xdm
I decided to get a PCI (best IO, most performance fpr spooling and
networking), equipped with a 486DX2-66 (enough power to compile the BBS
and some stuff more), 16MB Ram (perhaps in a few months 32MB). display
will be only a VT320 terminal. 4-serial card (all FIFO). Quantum Empire
good for IO.
Bye
Stefan
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