🚀 go-pugleaf

dipaks@warren.mentorg.com (Dipak Sitaram) wrote:


>I am planning on installing OS/2 warp on my APTIVA 510 PC. Since my current hard disk is all but full, I would like to buy a new hard disk and install OS/2 on it. However, after reading all the FAQ's (scsi, ata, storage) I am still unsure about whether I should buy a SCSI or IDE drive. I hope somenone on the net can help with my questions.

>a) How important is DMA to a multitasking OS ? I understand that with DOS/Windows DMA does not matter. Will I see a difference if there is DMA with OS/2.

>b) IDE controllers (like the one on the APTIVA motherboard) apparently do not do DMA. However the Hardware manual for my PC lists DMA channel assignments. Does an IDE drive connected to an IDE/AT local bus perform DMA or not ?

>c) If DMA will increase performance with OS/2, is buying a busmastering SCSI adapter with a SCSI drive the only way to get DMA ? 

>d) Can I get DMA with an IDE(ATA-2) drive and an EIDE VLB adapter ? I have seen the word busmastering mentioned with SCSI cards, but not with EIDE cards.

>I would really like to get a 1 GB IDE drive, since they appear to be cheaper than their SCSI counterparts. However, does that mean that DMA is out of the question ?

>Thanks in advance.
>-- 
>Dipak

     Hello,  First check "comp.os.os2.setup.storage".  I have been
reading articles over there and it seems that if you want to run Warp
get a SCSI drive.  From the articles is sounds like Warp works a lot
better with SCSI drives than IDE or EIDE.  I am about to get a new
SCSI drive and controller card to also run Warp.  The drive I have
choosen is the Quantum Fireball 1080s a Fast SCSI-2 drive and the
controller is an Adaptec 2842VL card.   I can get the Fireball drive
for $384.  Which I think is a good price.  You can check the Adaptec
WWW pages and that will give you a lot of info. to start.  Also a lot
of the other Controller manufactures have web pages with Tech. info.
etc.  I don't know off hand the address.  You can use the Webcrawler
search to locate them.  Quantum has a WWW page, address
"http://www.quantum.com".  You can get just about all the tech. info.
you want.  Also it sounds like the IBM DESKSTORE or however they spell
it, is also a good drive.   I think these are about equal but I have
not checked the Specs. on the IBM drive.  The Quantum runs at 5400rpm
and has a 12ms access speed but some people think it is actually as
fast as 10.5ms.

                          John