[SunRescue] we're all just spoiled (was: re: IPC)

[Bill Bradford]

On Mon, Oct 23, 2000 at 07:18:36PM -0400, Ken Hansen wrote:
> Bill,
> I'm still waiting for a parts update on these $89 wonders... ;^)

I love mine.  They're great.  never could get RedHat to boot properly
off the SCSI CD-ROM, but I slapped an old IDE drive in, and it works
fine (btw, anybody knwo where I can pick up two Toshiba-or-other-good-brand
8x or faster IDE CD-ROM drives AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE?)

> Seriously, I've noticed recently that 200 Mhz PPro CPUs w/1 Meg cache are
> selling for about $130... Not that Iwould suggest you dump your perfectly
> good PPro 200 CPUs with less cache for these, but that is one *heck* of a
> lot of CPU for $130... The cache, IIRC runs at system speed, and may be the
> largest on-chip cache size available in X86-land...
> HighTech Cafe has these CPUs for about this price.

Unfortunately, for $130, I can get a K6-2/500 *and* a motherboard, so I
dont think I'll be putting a 1mb Pro200 in this anytime soon.. there reaches
a point where you *gotta* look at economics. 8-)

> Bill, did you take note of any of the system parts when you built this up -
> was the adaptec SCSI built-in or a PCI card? 

PC card (PCI).  50-pin ribbon internal connector, 50pin HD external.
2940AU.

> How is the 32 Meg RAM
> configured - one SIMM? 

Two 16mb SIMMs. 
 
> Ram expansion slots? 

4 slots.  I've got 4 32mb SIMMs in this right now.  Takes any kind of 72pin
SIMMs, as long as they're in matched sets of two.  You have to add them in
pairs.

> What OS are you running on your
> little box? 

RedHat 7.0 right now, until I find something better and/or get a bigger
monitor in - this Packard Bell 800x600 was a freebie from a friend, and
works for now, but I miss having 1024x768.

> Are you running IDE or SCSI HD (it looks like IDE based on the
> size/cost cited below)? 

IDE right now, since I had a 6.4gig lying around.  I also replaced the
2mb ATI Rage II+DVD PCI card that came with the box, with a 4mb Matrox
Millenium PCI (best video card ever made, IMHO).  The sound card is a
SoundBlaster 16 "Vibra" PnP ISA card.  I yanked the one that came with
this box, am getting an Ensoniq AudioPCI on payday.

5 PCI slots, btw.

> Did you get the Kingston SCSI sled for $10 more?

I ordered the wrong part and ended up with two "sled chassis" and no
sled. 8-(

> I promised some friends P133+ machines, and I'm thinking I might just get a
> few of these to satisfy that promise (I *could* part with my misc.
> Frankenstein boxes, but they are not that stable...).

I'm really happy with this one so far.  Overclocks to 233 with no problem,
as well, and you can get the motherboard manual (Asus P-I/P6NP5) as a .PDF
from the Asus web site.

> (PS I just wrapped up that Proxim RangeLan/2 card for you - it will be in
> the mail tomorrow!)

WOohoo!  Now i just gotta find 3 more of em. 8-)

Bill

-- 
Bill Bradford
mrbill at mrbill.net
Austin, TX