🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Mar28.152243.13211@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> Iskandar Taib <ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu> writes:
>A whole slew of clone manufacturers have upgradable motherboards
>now. I think the list includes Zeos, Austin, Dell and Northgate 
>(though I'll have to check). The modules are of course proprieta-
>ry, and may indeed not be cost effective (i.e. it may be far che-
>aper to get the faster machine in the first place than to get the
>cheaper machine and an upgrade later). Also there are other things 
>to consider. For example, does the machine's local bus and RAM 
>live on the module or does it live off the module. If off, is the
>local bus 16 bit or 32 bit? If 16 bit, it won't make much sense 
>to be able to upgrade to a 386 DX or 486. So there will essential-
>ly be two kinds of upgradeable PC. Those that can take 286 and
>386 SX, and those that can take 386DX and 486 SX/DX modules. So 
>it will be unlikely that you'll find a machine that can take the 
>whole range of CPUs from 286 to 486 DX.

I have some experience with the new upgradable Northgates to share...

They are *excellent*...

The upgradability is not via a "module", you just swap in a new
CPU instead (which means you can buy at market prices, so your not stuck 
with an overpriced proprietary board) -- the rest of your motherboard 
remains unchanged. 

You can swap from a 486SX to a 486DX or 486DX2 running at *any* speed:
16, 20, 33, or 50 Mhz.  Just select the speed you want from the
boot setup or change the jumpers on the board - piece-o-cake.
(I think you could even run a CPU faster than its rating, but I don't 
recommend it)

There's also the 487 socket if you want to just add the math chip.

I have a Northgate ZXP 486SX/20, 8 Mb RAM, 240 Mb IDE hard drive,
14" 800x600x16 SVGA card, all of which runs very well.
-Paul