> -> From: Frank Louwers [mailto:frank@student.rug.ac.be]
> -> Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:26 PM
> -> To: John Hayward
> -> Cc: port-alpha@netbsd.org
> -> Subject: Re: Memory options for Multia
> -> 
> -> 
> -> On Wed, Feb 28, 2001 at 11:13:42AM -0600, John Hayward wrote:
> -> >    I think there are 4 slots and memeory must be installed 
> -> in pairs.  
> -> >    How much memory can I put in the Multia? 
> -> 
> -> AFAIK, as much as will fit in. The only problem is: it _HAS_ to be
> -> REAL parity ram, and that costs HEAPS off $$$
> -> 
> -> I recelty bought a brand new peecee (IA32), and the 256 MB @ 
> -> 133Mhz is
> -> much cheaper than 2 times 16 MB parity for my Multia :( 
> -> 
> -> Frank - running his multia at 32mb and wiching he had 48mb ...


Err, really?  That doesn't seem right at all. FPM parity is priced kind of
close to SDRAM in those small sizes, only becoming outrageous for the bigger
ones.

So, e.g., I see 32 MB = 2 * 16 MB = 2 * $34 = $68 for FPM parity, vs
$319 for 256MB SDRAM. 

(Not that I'm going to defend the DEC/Compaq or even the Intel strategy in
DRAM at all. DEC didn't go with SDRAM for real until EV6, except in one or
two buggy chipsets introduced in midcycle for EV5. Geez. And Intel was
exactly inverted, bringing out the P6 for FPM/EDO, while their lower end
P5 got SDRAM. And lots of mfr's fell for the tiny moronic improvement of
EDO, well *after* all the RAM companies had SDRAM in their lines. SDRAM
was this huge step forward, going in one move to 3.3V, DIMMs, and a fast
clean sync interface while FPM and EDO preserved the 1960's-ancient, slow,
and generally idiotic async interface in the wrong packages and at the
wrong voltage.  But that's another subject, sigh.)

	--Ross

References:

http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com/showproduct.asp?category=6&subcategory=23
	...and...
http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com/showproduct.asp?category=6&subcategory=26