| From: | Nick Lamburn |
| Date: | 19 Oct 2000 at 16:01:04 |
| Subject: | Re: Upgrade Dilemma |
Hi Lewis,
> >I'm not sure about the CSII, but I know the Apollo's and Cyberstorm
> >Mk. III's need the INT2 fix, which I want someone else to do for
me,
> >properly. (Unlike me ;) I also know the Apollo 4060 after
reading
> >some literature on the subject needs a wire ran from what I make
out
> >to be the A3000's SCSI chip to the Kickstart ROM. It wasn't made
> >clear if it was the Apollo's SCSI chip or A3000's chip. Anyway!
>
> >Does the Cyberstorm II need any patches/rewiring in the A3000 at
all
> >without the SCSI controller (that won't work in an A3000 anyway!)?
>
> >Is £250 about the right price to pay for an 060/50 card for the
> >A3000?
> >I can't afford a new one (At £490 or whatever it is now, when
the
> >card's production restart, the CS Mk. III, that's *way* too much,
I'd
> >frankly buy a PC like I say) so it has to be second hand or
> >refurbished.
>
> From what I know the Apollo's scsi implementation is crap, so if
you
are
> after scsi then forget the Apollo.
I'm actually just after a nice 68060 system really, I have very
little
experience with A3000 or big box Amiga acceleration (unlike on the
A1200 where I have a a Blizzard 1220/4, Apollo 1220, Viper V 1230,
Apollo 040/40 and now a PPC) however I have heard the the Apollo's
SCSI is shit - and I shall still be using my A3000's built in DMA
controller. (As the Apollo one is CPU driven, polling)
> On the other hand if you are after a fast
> 060 card then you can't beat an Apollo with oxypatcher. Partly
because the
> Apollo is generally a faster board, but also because oxypatcher is
better
> than cyberpatcher. Of course the other thing is that Apollo's are
easier to
> overclock.
The other thing I read is compared to the CS Mk. II the Apollo has
60ns RAM access, compared to the 70ns of the said phase5 card,
meaning
RAM access was something like twice as fast.
Or summink anyway! :) I forgot about Oxypatcher, so I shall have to
get that too.
> I've had a serious think about this and I would probably go for the
Apollo.
> I know they can be just as picky when it comes to simms as Phase5
stuff, and
> they may be flimsier but they tend to be less picky when it comes to
> software.
I think a lot of people say phase5 cards are more, well better
enginered than ACT's Apollo cards; however I must say in my
experience
they are just as good.
So ideally I am after a Apollo card or a CSII at the right price.
Thanks for the valued advice. :)
Nick.
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