[comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware] An Additional Hard Drive for PS/2 70 Querries

nickj@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Nick Jagger) (01/09/91)

I have a IBM PS/2 70 A21 for which I would like an additional large
hard drive (between 300 and 600 Mbytes). As far as I can tell I cant
add another drive internally, anyway the bay appears to be a 3.5" bay 
and the only large drives I have seen are 5.25".   Is this true, also if
I buy an external hard drive will it have to be ESDI to be compatible
with the existing 120Mbyte drive?  Will a standard controller work with
the relatively longer cables that an external drive implies? Also does 
anyone know a a good UK supplier of cases for external drives.
I will post a summary of responses

weir@husc9.harvard.edu (Robert C. Weir) (01/11/91)

A couple questions from someone new to the PS/2.  I have a 50 Z and wanted to
get a numeric coprocessor.  Do I need to get a special MCA compatible one or
is that just recommended to get the best performance?


Also, does anyone know of a music card for the PS/2 which will allow me to play
polyphonic music?  All the cards I've seen advertised are for the PC.

Thanks in Advance,

Rob
weir@husc9.harvard.edu

louisg@vpnet.chi.il.us (Louis Giliberto) (01/12/91)

   A numeric coprocessor doesn't care if you have MCA or not; you need the rightone for your CPU.  For example, I have the IBM 55SX.  It has a 386sx processor, so I need to get the 387sx chip.  These chips plug into a socket on the circuit board, and not into an expansion slot.

As for music boards, ROland makes one for MCA, but it costs like $700.  32      seperate voices and all that.  As for an inexpensive one, I've yet to find one. If you do, let all of us know.

hh2@prism.gatech.EDU (HAAS) (01/12/91)

In article <1991Jan11.174015.23555@vpnet.chi.il.us> louisg@vpnet.chi.il.us (Louis Giliberto) writes:
>
>As for music boards, ROland makes one for MCA, but it costs like $700.
>32 seperate voices and all that.  As for an inexpensive one, I've yet
>to find one. If you do, let all of us know.

Are we talking apples and pairs? Roland makes a midi card, but the
street price I was quoted was MUCH less than $700. Do they also make
an A/D, D/A card? If so, I'd like to hear more about it, but I'd REALLY
doubt that the card would be compatible with programs written for the
Soundblaster or Adlib cards. 

There are many 12-bit A/D, D/A cards for the MCA, and a few 16-bit cards,
but that's a different market, and the boards are generally run from $700
to $1500, depending on max sampling rate, # of bits, # of channels, and
other features.

hh
-- 
Harry Haas  GTRI/RIDL/DB         "What makes it DO that!?" - Bones 
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp:	  ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!hh2
Internet: hh2@prism.gatech.edu   hhaas@{gtri01|rmadsun}.gatech.edu

bank@lea.ncsu.edu (Dave The DM) (01/19/91)

In article <5289@husc6.harvard.edu> weir@husc9.UUCP (Robert C. Weir) writes:
>A couple questions from someone new to the PS/2.  I have a 50 Z and wanted to
>get a numeric coprocessor.  Do I need to get a special MCA compatible one or
>is that just recommended to get the best performance?
>
>
>Also, does anyone know of a music card for the PS/2 which will allow me to play
>polyphonic music?  All the cards I've seen advertised are for the PC.
>
>Thanks in Advance,
>
>Rob
>weir@husc9.harvard.edu

    Since the Intel 80x87 math coprocessors plug directly into the
system board in a pre-designated socket, it is immaterial which bus
design (ISA, EISA, MCA) you have. 
 
    If I recall correctly, the 50 Z uses an 80386SX (better known as
the 80386SuX) CPU and if I'm straight on that then you need to make sure
you get an 80387SX math coprocessor. I don't think it would appreciate
a true 80387 (aka 80387DX).

    As for which exact chip you should get, I can only say that you
should make sure you get one that meets (or exceeds) you system's
clock speed. Don't get one that is rated slower than your main CPU.
 
Dave the DM
bank@lea.csc.ncsu.edu