*BSD News Article 57325


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!nntp.coast.net!news.kei.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!news.new-york.net!ritz!ritz
From: ritz@ritz.mordor.com (Chris Mauritz)
Subject: Re: amd processors
References: <4alg6c$fvf@thrush.sover.net> <30D07E87.429@guinness.arboga.se> <MICHAELV.95Dec15230220@MindBender.HeadCandy.com> <DJox4H.6q6@ritz.mordor.com> <4b6rt9$hpi@tzlink.j51.com>
Organization: Mordor International
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 1995 19:05:34 GMT
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Message-ID: <DJuL1A.AoH@ritz.mordor.com>
Lines: 53

Louis Epstein (lepslog@j51.com) wrote:
: Chris Mauritz (ritz@ritz.mordor.com) wrote:
: : Michael L. VanLoon (michaelv@MindBender.HeadCandy.com) wrote:
: : : In article <30D07E87.429@guinness.arboga.se> Carl Nordin <cn@guinness.arboga.se> writes:

: : :    woody@sover.net wrote:
: : :    > 
: : :    > Does any one out there have any experiance with amd processors. I'v
: : :    > had problems with cyrix processors can't install freebsd easily on
: : :    > cyrix processors but how about amd any opinions?

: : :    I've installed 2.1 on an AMD-120 and the only problem I had was using an 
: : :    old AHA1542-B SCSI-adapter. The system would hang when loading the 
: : :    driver. Disableing the internal cache solved the problem, but made the 
: : :    system much slower.

: : : ... which is a motherboard problem, and not a CPU problem...

: : I have a similar setup, but with an AHA1542CF.  It works just fine,
: : but I suspect the Barracuda is spending much of it's time waiting
: : to push data.  :)  I didn't have to make any special arrangements
: : to get it working, though I DO plan to switch to a Buslogic 445
: : VLB controller.

: I've now got two DX4-120s with BT 445 controllers...disks mainly Hawks
: but one of the 4GBs on the news server is a Barracuda.Still working on
: getting all the software I need to open for ISP-business running.

I don't feel terribly comfortable using VLB machines for "important"
production machines.  The 486/120 is just for my personal playing.
We currently have an AMD 486/100 deployed as a web server, but that
is going to be replaced a spare Pentium box (just to keep all
our production hardware consistent).

I tend to subscribe to Paul Vixie's thoughts that VLB is nice
for video, but not robust enough for networking or disk
traffic in a production environment.  Pentium 90 motherboards
can be had for about $300-350 these days so it doesn't make
much send to NOT spend the extra $100 on a machine with a
wider PCI bus that is likely to be more reliable under load.

With that said, the 486/120 is a fast little processor.  I'm
pretty happy with it on my personal machine.  The "feel" is
roughly between a P75 and P90.

Regards,

Chris
-- 
Christopher Mauritz         | For info on internet access:
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