🚀 go-pugleaf

antonyc@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Antony Chan) writes:
>
>i was thinking about getting an i486/25 system, but
>i seem to recall hearing about some of the i486's having
>problems.  does anybody remember which serial numbers
>they were and what the problem was, or am i going
>senile already?

It's not so much a serial number as it is a series letter.  On
the BOTTOM of the i486 chip is a letter signifying what version
it is.  There were some problems with version B5 and earlier,
particularly when running OS/2 or Unix.  Version B6 is, I think,
the last made in the "B" series; series "C" is the current one.

As far as compatibility problems...there are none--but just make
sure that your vendor guarantees that the chip on the motherboard
is a series "C" chip.  When I was shopping for a 486, I asked
Gateway and Ultra-Comp what version of the i486 chip they were
putting on their motherboard, and they assured me it was the
"C" series chip.  Of course there's no way you're going to check
this out if you get a 486 since you would have to pull the chip
(~$750 per chip, remember!) from the motherboard to look on the
bottom of it to read the version number...one broken pin and
kiss your 486 goodbye.

The only other "problem" that I've heard concerning 486's
is that there is sometimes trouble with HD-->FD and FD-->HD
data transfers (with large files).  I've seen people post queries
about this several times, and I haven't yet heard from anyone
what causes this or what their solutions were.  (Obviously only
a few people are having this problem; it sounds to me like their
busses are running at faster than 8 MHz and their HD controller
can't keep up.)

Stephen M. Smith  \  +  /
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 ircc.ohio-state. \  +  /      {7%*@,..":27g)-=,#*:.#,/6&1*.4-,l@#9:-)  "
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 BTW, WYSInaWYG   \  +  /                              --witty.saying.ARC