rec.autos.simulators

I'm pretty sure this question has been asked before, but I don't know where
to get the answers.

I am looking at updating mu computer from:
486DX2/50
12 MB RAM
VLB MB
VLB Graphics board w/ 1MB (Cirrus Logic)
420 MB Hard Drive (Western Digital)
Double speed CD-Rom

to:
AMD 133 or Cyrix 166
PCI MB
Intergraph or Scierra rendition card
one more hard drive

I know that there are many opetions available.  I am a student, so I have
somewhat limited budget (more so than most people).  If possible, I'd like
to reuse the parts from my 486 as much as possible (case, power supply, hard
drive, etc).

If anyone can provide me with the suggestions about the CPU, MB, sound card (I
am not very happy with "supposedly" sound blaster compatible Mozart card I
have), I will really appreciate it.

Big, big thanks in advance.  Marry Chriastmas & Happy New Year to all.

--

http://www.racesimcentral.net/~y0m9698/index.html

I was in that same position except with a 486DX4-100, and got a AMD-133.
Mhz is a bad indicator, AMD586-133=P80($100); Cyrix686-133=P166($320).
Needless to say I gave my mom the AMD586, Girlfriend 486-100, me a new
Cyrix P166 and would like to sell a 486-40 with 8megs for $20/obo.  

Sierra games don't seem to treat Cyrix/AMD the same as Intel.

Try www.onsale.com

The 6x86 hands down! The AMD 5x86 is still a 486 being multiplied by 4. I
have a 5x86 over clocked at 160mhz, but once you get the 5x86, it is the
end of the line for the 486s and you will have to get a new pentium MB
anyway. At least if you get the 6x86, the new MB could be still used in a
future CPU upgrade. Just sell the parts from the old system, the memory is
most likely going to need to be in matched pairs and you aren't using two
6meg sticks right now so you will need to get new memory also. Maybe if
you pick up a new case, you could just about sell the whole old system. I
can't wait till after the holidays when we get our 6x86. Hope this helps
out, C-YA.

GGB3

                        John

Hello, hope you are having a very merry Christmas.

I would like to thank everyone who replied for my CPU question.  As
far as CUP and graphic board are concerened, I have already decided
to go with Cyrix 686 P166 and Intergraph card.

I hope no one minds me asking one more question.  I was wondering
which mother board I should use.  My choices are Tyan Titan III, Titan
VX, and Asus P55TVP4.  Do all these boards work with the Intergragh
card?  Are there any known problems?  I am planning to use EDO RAM as
$$$ is a big concern for me.

I will appreciate any info.  Big big thanks in advcance.
Wish you all very marry Christmas and happy New Year.

--

http://http.tamu.edu/~y0m9698/index.html

<snip>
: I hope no one minds me asking one more question.  I was wondering
: which mother board I should use.  My choices are Tyan Titan III, Titan
: VX, and Asus P55TVP4.  Do all these boards work with the Intergragh
: card?  Are there any known problems?  I am planning to use EDO RAM as
: $$$ is a big concern for me.

I can't speak for the Asus board, but at the present all Tyan boards
(even though they are good boards) have the PCI Latency timing set low.
Tyan does not provide a BIOS option to change this timing.  Maybe in the
future they will.  But I wouldn't buy one of the boards betting that
they will do so in a timely manner.  Their customer support when it
comes to BIOS fixes is very poor and late in coming.  This latency
timing issue will degrade some of the speed you should receive by using
the Reactor's DMA modes.

You had mentioned that you where going for a Cyrix chip & the Reactor
card.  If I am correct in what I remember, there seems to be a joystick
issue related to the Reactor & Cyrix chips.  Can some one out there more
knowledgeable address this issue?

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Huh!!.. don't go to a 133MHz all that is is a 486.... and a Cyrix? you
need patches to run programs with a cyrix..
Here's what i am doing soon..
get a pentium MB with pipeline burst cache and maybe a SDRAM socket :)
about 150 bux in canada
next for a CPU get a AMD K-5 100MHz Pentium CPU 130bux (CND)
(you buy a lowend CPU now and upgrade it later)
My friend has a AMD K-5 100 and it runs perfect.. nascar2 Highres all
detail...Don't try that with a AMD133MHz (486)
Next buy like a 38 dollar Video card <PCI> to get started

but please don't be confused with the 133MHz its much faster then a DX50
really...
and stay away from Cyrix.. and Good luck

These are all good, but if you've ever looked into Tom's Hardware &
Performance page:

http://sysdoc.pair.com/

Some of the hottest chipsets out there are the VIA VP-1 and VP-2. About the
only thing non-Intel that is any good. The VP-1 and VP-2 are both
officially rated to run at 75MHz, that which a Cyrix P200 requires. I know
you're going with P166, and the 66MHz clock is fine, but even still if you
plan on upgrading to MMX CPUs in the future, you'll have a chipset that
already supports 75MHz bus speeds, USB, multi-voltages, SDRAM, and the
latest IDE performance protocol the UltraDMA-33.

This chipset currently comes included on board several models of the FIC
motherboards, because FIC and VIA are both subsidiaries of the same
conglomerate company.

                                        Yousuf Khan
--
Yousuf J. Khan

Ottawa, Ont, Canada
Nation's capital

Snip
SNIP

I am in the process of returning two different Tyan board due to poor PCI/DMA
performance.  Stay away from Tyan.  I have heard good things about the Asus
with the HX chip set....but then again, I had heard good things about the Tyan.

Good luck,
-Andy

Where the hell did you get the idea that you need patches to use a Cyrix?
Maybe mine's just special.

Not just yours, mine is to.  I haven't had a problem running N2 on my
machine with a Cyrix chip.