386 SX chips, hardware caches

[Chip Rosenthal]

In article <25 at sequim.com> pmb at sequim.com (Peter M. Black) writes:
>For a 8 user system running SCO Xenix, how does a 386 SX compare to
>a 386 DX?  Does Xenix benefit from hardware caches - memory & hard disk?

You know - the cheapest thing you can do to get better system performance
is to install UNIX instead of XENIX.  The $200 price difference to get
SCO UNIX is a fraction of what a cacheing controller will cost you.  Some
other brand UNIX will be even cheaper.

Even if you've got XENIX applications you should consider UNIX.
SysVr3.2 has very good XENIX compatibility.  I know one person (hi
Barton) who picked up all his XENIX apps - from COBOL to communications
programs - and dropped them on a Compaq Systempro EISA machine running
UNIX.  Not a hiccup.

The second cheapest thing you can do is add memory.

A 386SX makes a fine single-user system (the X pig notwithstanding).
I would be nervous about running eight users on an SX unless you are
only going to have one or two active at a time.

I think a memory cacheing motherboard is a win.  However, I can still
get lotsa good work done on a plain old 386 noncacheing system.

I think disk cacheing controllers are helpful in limited situations.
I don't use them - I'd rather throw the memory into the system and
increase the number of disk buffers.  I do know somebody who runs his
news filesystem off a cacheing controller, and it works really nicely.
He can batch up full newsfeeds with nearly zero disk activity.

Also critical - pick a good serial card.  There are good ones and
there are crap ones.  And my least favorite card is probably the one
with the highest unit sales.

I would recommend -

    a) get UNIX
    b) get at least a 386/20 system
    c) get a faster and/or cacheing motherboard if you can afford it
    d) bag the cacheing disk controller
    e) gobs and gobs of memory - at least 8M to start
    f) get a good serial card

-- 
Chip Rosenthal  512-482-8260  |
Unicom Systems Development    |    I saw Elvis in my wtmp file.
<chip at chinacat.Unicom.COM>    |