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It is indeed an SX! I am upgrading it to 16 MiB soon, as well as putting an Ethernet card in it. At that point I think it might end up a much more capable host.
by serentty 4y ago
It is indeed an SX! I am upgrading it to 16 MiB soon, as well as putting an Ethernet card in it. At that point I think it might end up a much more capable host. I am not sure if I want to find some way to keep this page up long-term yet. If there ends up being a reason to, then I will look around for some suitably retro way to host it, while still allowing me to use the 386 for other things.
- sgt 4y agoThe SX makes it practically a 286, right?
- smackeyacky 4y agoSort of. 32 bit internally, 16 bit externally. Not as fast as the DX but had all the processor modes so could run protected mode unlike the 286. One place I worked we sold a 286 upgrade board that had a 386sx and a few support chips. Undearneath was a 286 style socket. You removed your 286 and put this thing in its place. They worked OK and provided a decent speed boost.
- unfocussed_mike 4y agoAmstrad's last great PC series (the 3x86 series made with very standard components, unlike the unusual 2x86 series) used this strategy for the 3386, I think.
- guidedlight 4y agoThe 286 is a 16-bit CPU, whereas the 386 is 32-bit CPU. This alone made the 386 far more capable and compatible with modern software (Linux requires 32-bit).