#Best value IIcx upgrade
4 messages in this thread
I'm looking for economical upgrade for my IIcx to keep it alive for
another year. I currently have 8 mb ram, 300 mb hd, and am running sys 7.5.1
with ramdoubler. My questions:
1. Does Daystar still produce '030 accelerator cards, and do any of them
work with a IIcx? (I have seen '030 cards still advertised, but are they
really still around?)
2. With either '030 or '040 accelerator cards, is the IIcx resident fpu
disabled if the card has no fpu, or do floating point operations just not get
accelerated? That is, in order to run fpu-dependent software, am I forced to
get a
card with fpu?
3. On either type of card, what is the power requirement? I currently am
running two video cards, so using both of those and an accelerator might be
stretching the limits of the IIcx power supply.
Daystar folks: feel free to reply via email if that allows you to answer
my questions more fully.
Thanks for the help.
Michael R. Frank
>>1. Does Daystar still produce '030 accelerator cards, and do any of them
work with a IIcx? (I have seen '030 cards still advertised, but are they
really still around?)
DayStar still offers the 50 MHz Universal PowerCache, $349, $449 with FPU, that
triples the speed of the IIcx. You also need adapter A31CX-000 for use with the
IIcx. This adapter attaches to the original 68030 CPU socket. Many IIcx's have
a soldered CPU. To check what type you have, call DayStar's fax catalog
service, 800-438-0370, and get document # 7001.
2. With either '030 or '040 accelerator cards, is the IIcx resident fpu
disabled if the card has no fpu, or do floating point operations just not get
accelerated? That is, in order to run fpu-dependent software, am I forced to
get a
card with fpu?
The Universal PowerCache will recognize and use the system board's 68882 FPU at
16MHz if an FPU is not present on the accelerator. This is NOT the case with
the Turbo 040. The FPU support is integrated in the 68040 CPU if enabled.
External FPUs are not supported by the 68LC040 CPU used in the 33 MHz Turbo
040i.
There are software utilities that emulate an FPU, but these are much slower
than silicon versions.
3. On either type of card, what is the power requirement? I currently am
running two video cards, so using both of those and an accelerator might be
stretching the limits of the IIcx power supply.
Both the PowerCache and Turbo 040 have low power draws. They can be used with
all three NuBus slots filled.
Greg Erickson
DayStar Digital
So what would provide the "Best Bang for the Buck?"
My config is a single video card with 20 megs ram. The '030 chip is soldered
onto the motherboard.
Is the 50 MHz Universal PowerCache better than going with and '040 upgrade? If
an '040 upgrade is better, which one?
Thanks in advance for any info!
Dave Burkhard
>So what would provide the "Best Bang for the Buck?" My config is a single
video card with 20 megs ram. The '030 chip is soldered onto the motherboard.
Is the 50 MHz Universal PowerCache better than going with and '040 upgrade? If
an '040 upgrade is better, which one? Thanks in advance for any info!
The 50 MHz PowerCache ($349, $449 with FPU) triples the speed of the IIcs, the
40 MHz Turbo 040 ($799) is 5.1 times as fast as stock. Both require adapter #
A31CX-000, $109.
If your programs are up to date and are "Quadra compatible", you should
strongly consider the Turbo 040. It is much faster than the PowerCache. If the
applications are a bit dated and most likely not 68040 compatible, the
PowerCache is a better choice. Budget considerations may also be a factor.
You will also need a socket installtion. For product and socket install info,
call DayStar's fax catalog system at 800-438-0370 and request document numbers
1001, 4001,3001.7001 and 7002.
Greg Erickson
DayStar Digital