CompuServe Messages

[Continued] Another thing I might look at is how much memory can be put on the mother board. One of the reasons I chose my current machine (Gateway 2000) was the ability to put up to 64Meg on the motherboard. Also ask how the memory is configured, i.e. if the board will allow 32 Meg, and comes with 8Meg, are all slots filled with 1 Meg SIMMs? If so, to upgrade the memory you will actually have to remove the 1 Meg SIMMs and replace them with 4 Meg SIMMs. Now, assuming they are standard 1 Meg x 9 SIMMs, you could probably sell them to another user, or put them in another machine, but if you could get the machine configured with 4 Meg SIMMs to start with, all you'd have to do is add more. I learned this the hard way with an Everex 386 that came with 2 Meg, set up using 256K SIMMs. Also be sure that the memory is at least(or should that be at most?) 70 ns speed – 80 ns are too slow for a 33 MHz. machine. Ask about external Cache memory for the 486 – all 486's have an internal 8K cache, but the faster machines will all have an external cache of from 64K to 256K. Best arrangement might be one with say 128K upgrade-able to 256K later. I'm looking at buying another machine for work this spring, and am leaning toward a Gateway 2000 486/33 EISA machine. Its standard configuration is: 8 Meg RAM, 128K Cache, both floppys, 340 Meg SCSI drive 15 ms with 128K hardware disk cache, EISA SCSI controller, 14" non-interlaced w/1meg SVGA card, lists at $3895(which is $100 LESS than I paid for my ISA 486/33 from Gateway last summer ). 🙁 Have fun looking- it's a pretty neat time to be shopping! Dave T-L