Mediator PCI 4000Di

[MskoDestny]

Rod_cl wrote:
Is the Prometheus a good board? What type of cards are supported?

Rod

My Prometheus has treated me well. Driver support isn't nearly as comprehensive as the Mediator. I think it's pretty much limited to video card and 10Mbit ethernet at the moment. Theoretically you should be able to use a certain sound card using the OpenPCI drivers, but supposedly it doesn't work at with the Prometheus at the moment. OpenPCI has a couple of other drivers, don't know if they work with the Prometheus though.

[spavatch]

How about G-Rex? Does it have a video slot?

[MskoDestny]

I don't believe the G-Rex replaces the Zorro busboard. It actually attaches to the PCI bus on a Cyberstorm MK III or Cyberstorm PPC. I have no idea how it actually mounts in the machine though.

It seems to have similar driver support to the Prometheus, but it has the advantage of being the fastest PCI busboard for classic Amigas because the data doesn't have to go over the slow Zorro bus.

[patrik]

@MskoDestny:

The G-Rex both replaces the Zorro daughterboard and connects to the CSPPC/MK3 . It also lets you keep the video port.


/Patrik

[Tahoe]

spavatch wrote:
How about G-Rex? Does it have a video slot?

Yes; it does.

[MskoDestny]

patrik wrote:
The G-Rex both replaces the Zorro daughterboard and connects to the CSPPC/MK3 . It also lets you keep the video port.

I stand corrected. I'd love to get my hands on one. Too bad MK3s and CSPPCs are out of my budget.

[Argus]

Anybody know if there are any GRex's in the world still for sale?  Looks like a powerful piece of kit for the A4000D.

[spavatch]

I'm thinking of buying one for myself :-) (for about $175 or 150 Euro for used one). Is it worth the money? Or in other words - if you were in my shoes would you buy G-Rex?
Or rather the Mediator? :-?

[MskoDestny]

That really depends. Do you need support for the extra devices supported by the Mediator? Do you have an appropriate Cyberstorm card (they're quite expensive). How important is having the fastest PCI busboard?

For me personally, if I had a CS MKIII or CSPPC I would definately buy one, but I can't justify the cost at the moment (which is why I bought a Prometheus instead).

[spavatch]

The G-Rex 4000D is actually the cheapest busboard I can get today. I don't know what's the price of Prometheus but it's sure cheaper than Mediator 4000Di. The G-Rex however is a used unit but it seems to be a minor drawback since I'll get a 6 month warranty along with it.

So... is it worth that 150 Euro? That's 25 Euro less than a new Mediator...

[MskoDestny]

I seem to remember getting my Prometheus for around $100 or so maybe a little more since I got it with a Voodoo 3 and RTL-8029 ethernet card, but that was in some kind of blowout sale.

The price I couldn't justify was for a Cyberstorm accelerator which is required to use a G-Rex 4000. You need either the MK III or PPC version both of which cost quite a bit more than 150 Euro just by themselves.

[spavatch]

MskoDestny wrote:
The price I couldn't justify was for a Cyberstorm accelerator which is required to use a G-Rex 4000. You need either the MK III or PPC version both of which cost quite a bit more than 150 Euro just by themselves.

I agree with you, buying both Cyberstorm PPC and G-Rex is very expensive indeed, but try to put yourself in my shoes. I have to upgrade anyway (A3640 inside...), so what are my options? Cyberstorm MkIII is almost as deer as the PPC version and going for half-the-price option called WarpEngine 040/40 is rather pointless, don't you think?

[Argus]

@spavatch

If you don't own a Cyberstorm already, you're probably better off with the Mediator or better yet, a second hand Prometheus.  There are other 68060 cards for the A4000 other that the Cyberstorm (e.g. GVP, Apollo, Macrosystem??).  The Mediator will be slower but even if you did own a Cyberstorm, there's always a risk doing the flash update to the eeprom necessary to make the GRex operate, imho......

[Crumb]

@Effy

I have one Mediator4000Di AND IT DOESN'T HAVE VIDEO SLOT. I find it slightly annoying. I have a Prometheus too and at the moment don't count on more drivers than Ethernet10 and Voodoo3. Mediator would be better with a Video Slot but if you use an A1200 scandoubler/flickerfixer it's ok

[MskoDestny]

Crumb wrote:
@Effy

I have one Mediator4000Di AND IT DOESN'T HAVE VIDEO SLOT. I find it slightly annoying. I have a Prometheus too and at the moment don't count on more drivers than Ethernet10 and Voodoo3. Mediator would be better with a Video Slot but if you use an A1200 scandoubler/flickerfixer it's ok

There's a new bit of firmware to fix a DMA bug of some sort that allows the OpenPCI FM-801 sound card driver to work. Unfortunately, it's only in some form of beta test and there has been no announcement about when users will be able to send their boards in for reflashing.