How to upgrade your GoldenGate486slc/25mhz to 486slc2/50mhz!

[spirantho]

The key to getting maximum speed out of a GG is not just the CPU but the RAM. Make sure:
a) You're set to 60nS (0wS)
b) You're running in Fast mode if you can (this speeds the ISA bus up to 10MHz instead of 8, I think - very good for VGA access).
c) You're running a good _contemporary_ memory manager. QEMM version 7 I think was fastest, may have been version 6. MUCH faster than Microsoft's EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS.

Also using sound slows it down a fair amount.

Doom can be playable on it, but you might also need to shrink the graphic window on it a bit.

[spirantho]

As luck would have it this morning I got a 486SLC2/50 upgrade in the post this morning.
Now, where can I find a good benchmarking program.... time for some comparisons!

Oh, I have used a Tseng ET3000 card, but I use a CL GD5428-based Thunderbolt ISA graphics card which is pretty nippy.

[spirantho]

No need for pics - I got it from the same seller you did after you told me where to find him.

It does mean we can do exact comparisons of the other bits in our systems, though, as we know we're using identical GoldenGates.

[spirantho]

Sure I posted my system at some point, but this is my GG system:

Amiga 1500 Apollo 2030@50MHz 16MB fast RAM (want to stick 32 in it), Picasso II graphics card, Catweasel ZII w/5GB IDE hard disk, OS 3.9, Ariadne ethernet.

GoldenGate 486SLC25 (shortly to have the SLC50 upgrade!), Thunderbolt ISA graphics card (GD5428), 3Com Etherlink II 8-bit network card, Soundblaster II (8-bit).
The RAM seems unreliable at 60nS so I may have a look at that when put the upgrade in, but for the most part it's 16MB of 60nS (0WS).
I do however have to run without it being in Fast mode otherwise it gets a bit confused. I think it's the network card.
The Goldengate has a 80387 FPU which sometimes it doesn't notice (think I'll try and clean the contacts on that one), the FDC and the Monitor Master. It still however uses the Amiga drives DF2: and DF3: which are a Power XL High Density drive and a Cumana 5.25" 1.2MB drive respectively.

In other words, it's a pretty loaded Amiga/GG combo.

[spirantho]

The only reason it's not in the CSPPC 4000 is because
a) it doesn't like my Zorro/ISA 7-slot backplane
b) There's no room anyway 'cos of the Prometheus with the Voodoo III and network card.

I also have an A2286 destined for one A1500, an A2386 in another A1500, and an A500 with a KCS PowerPC board. If I ever fix my A2386 with the 486 on it that's going into one of the 1500's too.

[spirantho]

My 486 A2386 is just an A2386SX which was modified by Elite Computer Systems to have a 486SLC@25 on it instead (though it can run at 33MHz apparently).

Problem is the dual port RAM on it doesn't work properly, and I think it's the controller that's dodgy, not the ZIP RAM!

[spirantho]

A thought....

Has anyone tried a Goldengate with 16MB SIMMS? They used to be stupidly expensive but are a lot cheaper now of course. A 64MB GG486/50 would be nice.

[spirantho]

Ah, yes... good point. I'd forgotten the SX had that limitation.

And you've obviously never run a web browser on your Goldengate.

[spirantho]

Opera 3.61 I think it is....

It works, and is useful for downloading stuff directly onto the GG side. And just for the heck of it.

[spirantho]

The latter... WFW 3.11 I run with Win32s and Opera.