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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.sprintlink.net!europa.chnt.gtegsc.com!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov!news.alt.net!uunet!in1.uu.net!news.va.pubnix.com!not-for-mail From: mo@va.pubnix.com (Mike O'Dell) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc Subject: Re: BSDi on a Gateway with a PCI Adaptec 2940 SCSI controller Date: 1 Jul 1995 07:00:05 -0400 Organization: Centre for Chaotic Repeatabilty Lines: 26 Message-ID: <3t39rl$qi2@pub01.va.pubnix.com> References: <3s9clg$2kn@sphinx.Gsu.EDU> <DALt49.6z7@wiz.com> <3sen88$lqo@news.enterprise.net> <DAt2JA.7D@tfs.com> Reply-To: mo@uunet.uu.net NNTP-Posting-Host: pub01.va.pubnix.com Since the NCR53C801 costs $3 in quantity 1000 and has all the bus glue for PCI and the scsi cable drivers on board, a PCI scsi-2 controller has NO parts on it other than the '801 and the terminator resistor pacs. This means they cost about $60 new and many of the new PCI motherboards are coming with '801 firmware in the BIOS (whether or not the 801 is on the motherboard or not, and many of the new motherboards have the 801 on them, although i have seen one with the adaptec 7770). the BIOS things i've looked at indicate they have ASPI drivers in the rom image and do the right stuff so you can boot from the 801 as well. and given that NCR is an OEM chip merchant and wants everyone to be able to use the chip, and that BSDI already has 801 drivers, and that the 801 is clearly a first-tier choice for Windows/NT, supporting the 801 is a much better alternative for the PCI world than the adaptec. the 801 might not be quite as speedy as the bustek, but it might also be an issue of driver maturity (tuning, etc). anyway, in my book, i seen no reason do deal with adaptec and with all the other things BSDI has to do, i certainly could not recommend BSDI spend any more cycles on working with a company that clearly does not want the community's business. -mo