🚀 go-pugleaf

A bunch of replies (since I'm looking into this myself)...

jason andrade <jason@azure.dstc.edu.au> wrote:
: cd@lios.apana.org.au (Craig Dewick) writes:


:>I'm looking into getting an Ultra-30 with a Creator3d card to replace my
:>Sparc 20 with it's SX framebuffer, and the specs at
:>"http://www.sun.com/desktop/products/Ultra30/index.html" show that the
:>maximum standard configuration has a 300 Mhz Ultrasparc-2 CPU.

:>Now that 400+ Mhz Ultrasparc-2 CPU's are being offered in Ultra 60's and
:>80's (which appear to be essentially very similar except that they support
:>up to two or four CPU's instead of just one in the Ultra 30's), can these
:>very latest Ultrasparc-2 CPU modules be used in Ultra-30's, or will they
:>only work in Ultra 60's and up (plus all the new rackmount servers, etc.)?

Not sure on this one.  According to Sun FEH, not even all the modules are
compatible between the U30 and the U60, so it's concievable both ways.  Does
anybody know a definitive answer on the compatibility of given UltraSparc
modules with given chassis?

:>On a related point, can an Ultra-60 CPU board be retro-fitted into an
:>Ultra-30 case as a way to upgrade the machines? Having not actually seen an
:>Ultra-60 in the flesh as it were I can't do this assessment myself... 8-)

From looking at the Sun FEH, the chassis explosions look the relatively the
same, despite the external cosmetic differences.  In fact, now that I look
at it closer, they both have the same part number core chassis.  I guess
that would make it a pretty safe bet.


: i haven't done it myself, but i would have thought "yes" since sun made a big
: point of the cpus all being modular and upgradeable.  however, you might have
: to swap all the ram - i believe they use 60ns (or better) ram for the 300Mhz
: or less CPUs and 50ns (or better) ram for 360Mhz and up.

: someone was also pointing out you can use the new modules even in the lowly
: Ultra5/270 to upgrade them..

Yes, but that would be UltraSparc IIi, which is what the 5 & 10 are.  The 5
and 10 use the same motherboard, so anything that works with the 10 should
theoretically work in a 5, given no chassis limitations (i.e. the UPA slot
that's present in the 10 is actually present on the 5 as well, but
physically inaccessible).  

UltraSparc II is a different animal, used by a bunch of different model
Suns.  In the case of the U30, from my investigations at least, the
processors were used in the U30, U60, UE250, & UE450, although there are
caveats associated with each one (only the 300MHz module seems to be
universally shared, the others had variants depending on model).  Does this
imply that upgrade modules for the UE450 should work in the U30 as well? 
Not sure, they don't share system boards, but it is a possibility.

Chris

-- 
Chris Petersen
Systems Engineer
Unigraphics Solutions Inc.		Industry Services, Mid-America Region
Email: havoc@apk.net (Personal)       petersen@ugsolutions.com (Professional)


: -jason