rtyu@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Rafael T Yu) (11/28/90)
There was a review about the Zip GSX a while ago and it was pretty good
(I think someone called Todd did the review). Well, I just got some pamplets
on the mail from Zip Tech. and they mention about the upgradability of the GSX
and I wonder if anyone have done so. Like upgrading the cache to 64K, or
upgrading to 10+ Mhz. If someone have done it, please could you give a review
about how is done and the increase in performance (if any...) that you found
after the upgrade. Also, how reliable is the upgrade....
I want to know more about this before I switch from my TWGS to the GSX.
The TWGS is fine but its upgrade capabilities are pretty bad. (Specially on
trying to get the 1/2 size oscillators, What a pain in the a..!)
==============================================================================
Rafael Yu
Internet: rtyu@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu
America Online: Veraguas
==============================================================================
Apple IIgs forever......!!!6600prao@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Parik Rao) (11/28/90)
Upgrading the cache is simple (get some fast ram, plug it into the empty slots. Just like pluggin' in RAM on a RAMcard). People aren't having as much luck upgrading the processor. The board seems to be maxing out at 10 mhz at the moment. This may be due to WDC's own inability to produce reliable 12mhz or higher chip, I don't know. I have a TWGS running at 9 mhz and I visited someone during TGiving w/ a 8 mhz Zip Chip GSX. Whereas I obviously could not compare the systems directly (she has a dma scsi, a string of 60 meg HDs, and thats about it;whereas I have a ramfast, cdc wren, and lots of other "speed tricks") I found the systems to be equally fast, I would suspect the TWGS is faster at 9 mhz but the ZGSX would catch up with a 64k cache. Next up, the author of SuperPatch (John Link I believe?) owns a TWGS and a Zip Chip GSX and claims the TWGS is faster! Eeek. Things get hairy now. Bill Heineman (aka speeddemon) has spit the Zip Chip GS cache into a code and data cache, each 64k. ie, the code bank (K) has its own 64k cache, and the data cache (B) has its own 64k cache. This would of course speed things up quite a bit! I don't remember exactly what he sped the thing up to, I believe its 10 mhz however. Drew of CVTech (RamFast) has a 10 mhz Zip Chip GSX also. So basically it would appear the current generations of Zip Chip GS's top out at 10 mhz. What does this mean? If you do NOT own a accellerator, run - don't use the Finder - to any mail order and place an order for a Zip Chip GS. It appears to be the superior product. If you already own a TWGS, hang onto it. The differences between the two appear to be minute at best. If you own a 9 mhz TWGS, you probably have the faster product. -- ____________________________________________________________________________ | | | Parik Rao, Univ. of California Santa Barbara... 6600prao@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu | |_America Online:AFA Parik_______________________________________GEnie:P.RAO_|
mpalamar@pro-berks.cts.com (Mike Palamar) (12/01/90)
In-Reply-To: message from rtyu@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu In-Reply-To: message from rtyu@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu > I want to know more about this before I switch from my TWGS to the GSX. >The TWGS is fine but its upgrade capabilities are pretty bad. (Specially on >trying to get the 1/2 size oscillators, What a pain in the a..!) Hold it. One of the tech Engineers from AE said there will be an upgrade to 12 mhz for current Transwarp GS owners sometime in 91. The Transwarps top speed in theory is something like 25 mhz. I'd stick with the TWGS. >============================================================================ ) Rafael Yu > Internet: rtyu@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu > America Online: Veraguas >============================================================================ > > Apple IIgs forever......!!! Everybody must believe in something, I believe I'll have another beer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael A. Palamar | Proline: mpalamar@pro-berks Pro-Berks | Internet: mpalamar@pro-berks.cts.com Reading, PA | UUCP: crash!pro-berks!mpalamar 300 - 9600 Baud | ARPA: crash!pro-berks!mpalamar!nosc.mil Phone: (215)929 - 4315 | Bitnet: mpalamar%pro-berks.cts.com@nosc.mil
whitewolf@gnh-starport.cts.com (Tae Song) (12/01/90)
News from Zip Chip... Fastest 65816 that WDC makes runs at about 9.8Mhz with the standard 5 volts. The 65816s at high speeds have problems with some instructions like SEP, which take up more cycles than alloted to them. Upgrading from the standard 8Kx8 chips to 32Kx8 chips. The 32Kx8 SRAM are labelled 62256... fastest I've found them was 100ns. Now, 100ns work only up to maybe 14Mhz... for 20Mhz you'd need 40 or so ns SRAMs. The 62256, BTW you can order from IC Express (I think that's the company) for about $6.50. You might be able to queezes out maybe a couple point some Mhz more out just changing crystals... and maybe another 1Mhz or little more with a 6 or so volts... I've been wondering lately, though about the ICE CUBE units for 486s. These things attach on top of the 486s and let them run at 50Mhz... turns the temperature to 0 degrees celisus, I beleive... a heat sink would maybe worth looking into for the 65816... Whatever happened to ASIC Enterprises?!? Where's that 20Mhz 65816, when you need it!!! Uh oh, NOW what...
-Rich-@cup.portal.com (Richard Sherman Payne) (12/08/90)
Hi, Not too long ago, I purchaced a RAMFAST and a Quantum 105S. It has worked great. Yesterday I recieved my new ZipChip GSX. Much to my chagrin, it hangs while booting from the HD. I have been able to boot from my 3.5" floppy's with no difficulty, but attempting to access my HD causes the system to crash (I am using the stock 65c816 now). I have a ROM 1 //gs, the ZipChip GSX is v1.01, and I ahve a 4MEG New Concepts ram card with 4 MEG's of 80 nS RAM installed. Other than the Apple 5.5" controller, there is nothing else installed. I removed the RamFast driver, no change. Any idea's anyone? Rich -Rich-@cup.portal.com
toddpw@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel) (12/08/90)
-Rich-@cup.portal.com (Richard Sherman Payne) writes: > Not too long ago, I purchaced a RAMFAST and a Quantum 105S. It has >worked great. Yesterday I recieved my new ZipChip GSX. Much to my chagrin, >it hangs while booting from the HD. I have been able to boot from my 3.5" >floppy's with no difficulty, but attempting to access my HD causes the >system to crash (I am using the stock 65c816 now). I have a ROM 1 //gs, the >ZipChip GSX is v1.01, and I ahve a 4MEG New Concepts ram card with 4 MEG's >of 80 nS RAM installed. Other than the Apple 5.5" controller, there is nothing >else installed. > I removed the RamFast driver, no change. Any idea's anyone? Hmmm. I have a system fairly similar to yours (rom 1, 1.01 Zip, GS Sauce w/ 2 megs of 80 ns SIMMs, a 3.5, ramfast w/ Q105S, and a sonic blaster) and everything works just fine if I don't use the loaded driver. Zip has identified the problem, you can call their tech support about sending in for a fix -- they sent the fixed board off to the production house a week or so ago. Some people have made the modification themselves (it's actually pretty simple) but I live within 45 minutes of Zip's office so I am going down there this week to swap boards in person. When in the boot sequence does it crash and how (does it beep, does it simply go comatose, etc.) ? Maybe one of your add-ons violently disagrees with the accelerator. Todd Whitesel toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu
STEIN@UCONNVM.BITNET (Alan Stein) (12/09/90)
On Sat, 8 Dec 90 05:12:19 GMT Richard Sherman Payne said: >Hi, > > Not too long ago, I purchaced a RAMFAST and a Quantum 105S. It has >worked great. Yesterday I recieved my new ZipChip GSX. Much to my chagrin, >it hangs while booting from the HD. I have been able to boot from my 3.5" >floppy's with no difficulty, but attempting to access my HD causes the >system to crash (I am using the stock 65c816 now). I have a ROM 1 //gs, the >ZipChip GSX is v1.01, and I ahve a 4MEG New Concepts ram card with 4 MEG's >of 80 nS RAM installed. Other than the Apple 5.5" controller, there is nothing >else installed. > > I removed the RamFast driver, no change. Any idea's anyone? > > Rich > -Rich-@cup.portal.com I just put in a Zip Chip ZSX yesterday and it boots fine from the hard drive. Do you have the latest SCSI driver? I had one problem putting it in. When I booted for the first time, all I got was a checkerboard pattern on my screen. I called Zip's tech line and was told I had to make sure I got the connection to the motherboard solid; I thought I had--indeed, I was afraid I was going to break the motherboard because I was pushing down so hard. I never did hear the "click" I was told to expect, but it did finally start working. The only problem I've run across since then is that my phone line disconnected last night when I tried to dial Compu$erve and GEnie. I had to play around with the slot speeds and it finally started working. __________________________________________________________ | | | Alan H. Stein | stein@uconnvm.bitnet | | Department of Mathematics | | | University of Connecticut | Compu$erve 71545,1500 | | 32 Hillside Avenue | GEnie ah.stein | | Waterbury, CT 06710 | SNET (203) 757-1231 | |__________________________________________________________|
whitewolf@gnh-starport.cts.com (Tae Song) (12/13/90)
Actually this is to the other guy... sorry Todd... -Rich-@cup.portal.com (Richard Sherman Payne) writes: | Not too long ago, I purchaced a RAMFAST and a Quantum 105S. It has |worked great. Yesterday I recieved my new ZipChip GSX. Much to my chagrin, |it hangs while booting from the HD. I have been able to boot from my 3.5" |floppy's with no difficulty, but attempting to access my HD causes the |system to crash (I am using the stock 65c816 now). I have a ROM 1 //gs, the |ZipChip GSX is v1.01, and I ahve a 4MEG New Concepts ram card with 4 MEG's |of 80 nS RAM installed. Other than the Apple 5.5" controller, there is nothing |else installed. | | I removed the RamFast driver, no change. Any idea's anyone? Yeah, actually. Except for the Quantum, I have an exact similar setup and my Zip GSX works. When you install the Zip GSX, you have to press FIRMLY down on the CPU connector. It doesn't seem like much... but that's usually the case. You'll probablely even hear it as it goes in all the way. That should do the trick. You can put the RamFAST driver back as well. whitewolf@gnh-starport