[geeks] SGI: Odd, uncommon, or common...

[Kurt Huhn]

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 05:16:52 -0800 (PST)
Lionel Peterson wrote:

> I'm about to build-up this O2 I got as a broken spare from Patrick
> (HI!), and I have a few questions:
> 
> 1) The CPU I wound up with is a R5K @ 300 MHz w/ 1 Meg Cache - how
> good
>    is it for "normal" desktop use? (browser, freeware games, lite
>    programming?)
> 

The R5.2k-300 is a wonderful chip.  I have one, and it's a quantum leap
in performance over the R5k-180/200.  Firebird runs fine, games are good
(bzflag, baby!) and whatever programming I do (which isn't much) it
handles without breathing hard.

> 2) Pointers to Irix install notes - never done one before, but I have
>    a big box of IRIX disks from a previous system...
> 

Not difficult.  Try this on for size:
http://futuretech.mirror.vuurwerk.net/6.5inst.html
It's time consuming, and very different from Solaris, but not difficult.

> 3) 256 Meg - a reasonable amount of RAM for a recent IRIX install?

Unless you have a newer PROM, this may be your maximum.  This is
probably all slots filled - at least mine is topped out at 256.  Higher
density modules are only supported in later PROMs.

> 
> 4) If 256 not "reasonable", what should I expect to pay for "denser"
>    RAM - the 8x 32 Meg DIMMs were $40 incl. S/H from eBay seller.

Actually, 256 is reasonable.  Not ideal, but reasonable.  Mine runs
well.  I'm not familiar with prices of modules for the O2, however $40
shipped sounds reasonable if it will work.  I keep forgetting to update
the PROM in my O2 so that I can bump up the RAM.

> 
> Most websites talk about the R5200 @ 300 MHz, and I am sure that is
> not what I have (based on 'hinv'), were these R5000 systems uncommon?
> 

hinv will report your chip as R5000 when it is, in fact, RM5200.  Not
unusual.

> Also, any thoughts on the R5000 @ 300 MHz vs. R10000 @ 175 MHz for
> desktop use? I've got both, and most likely will only keep one...
> 

*I* would keep the RM5200.  While the R10k is a nice chip, my
understanding is that the O2 architecture isn't able to take full
advantage of it.  R10ks also seem to drop an awfull lot of frames when
doing video capture on an O2.

-- 
Kurt                  The superior man understands what is right; 
kurt at k-huhn.com       the inferior man understands what will sell.
                                         -- Confucius