🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1827@crash.cts.com> jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
->$That is the route I'm taking, I'm dumping my 16 MHz 286 for an ALR PowerFlex
->$and plopping a 386SX board in it.  I don't need the full 32-bit capabilities
->$of the 386 (yet), just something to run 386 software.
->
->   This brings up a question for anyone out there who has a PowerFlex with
->the 486 board (I know, not a very common configuration):  how well does it
->perform as a 486 system?  I'm personally a little bit leery of a 16-bit
->machine being given a brain transplant with a 32-bit processor.  I can see
->switching from a 286 to a 386SX as being pretty easy to engineer, but I
->have to wonder how good a job they did of designing in the capabilities
->for the 486.  Obviously, the 486 board will contain main memory (how much?),
->but how will the rest of the system perform?
-
-From my understanding, the 486 on a PowerFlex is shoehorned into the 16-bit
-data bus of the 286, but I may be wrong.  The 286 to 386SX upgrade is logical
-since the 386SX has a 16-bit bus.  A very logical upgrade, but the 486, I'm
-not going to try to rationalize that one.  The card may have a chipset that
-takes priority over the chip set on the motherboard, who knows?
- 
 One of the PC Mags had a review about 1-2 months ago.  Basically from
 what I remember of the review, the PowerFlex 486 was equal in performance
 to the compared Compaq 386 33Mh machine.  The 16-bit bus does take its
 toll, though, especially in memory access.  In fact, I believe the
 486 was actually SLOWER in memory access times than the 286 or 386 PF.

 But, the bottom line was for a very low price, you could have a very
 nice upgrade path or a decently priced i486 machine.  Of course, if you
 read the ALR stuff, the chip "add-on options" are not limited to
 the 386SX or the i486 -- at least they say they are working on "other"
 options.  BTW, I have an ALR PF 286.  At least out here, if you buy
 one before March 31st, they will throw in the 386 board "free".


-- 
Marc Ries
           ries@venice.sedd.trw.com     (ARPA)
           somewhere!trwind!venice!ries (UUCP)
           #include <std.disclaimer>