Blizzard or ACA ?

TenLeftFingers · 04 July 2015, 23:21

I see a Blizzard 1230/40 w 16MB of ram for sale on Ami Bay, as well as the ACA 1233/40 w 128Mb on AmigaKit. The Blizzard is generally more expensive despite having less RAM. How do they compare?

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thomas · 04 July 2015, 23:41

I'd go for the ACA. It's better, cheaper (as you say, I didn't check) and new.

Disadvantages:
- no SCSI option
- no RTC (can be bought seperately)

Advantages:
https://icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/...pu=68030.40%2B

TenLeftFingers · 05 July 2015, 01:59

Thanks Thomas, thats clear then. It looks like capacitor replacement and timing fixes may also be required, as well as a PSU upgrade. I think I will send my machine to a professional when the time comes.

It will be some time before I'm in the market for all that but its good to make the decision and start planning now.

Thanks again.

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Sandro · 05 July 2015, 05:26

the blizzard 1230 MK4 is far better than any ACA card

can be disconnected on the fly pressing 2 key
have a socket for FPU
more compatible, no need of timing fixes
you can use blizkick, best kick program out there

surely Thomas was drunk or is being paid by Jens

ptyerman · 05 July 2015, 11:08

The Blizzard cards just work, where the ACA cards need timing fixes to the A1200. Also the Blizzard SCSI kit is a marvellous piece of kit which is something the ACA cards are lacking.

StingRay · 05 July 2015, 11:10

Blizzard 1230/IV is indeed the (much!) better card!

Amon_RA · 05 July 2015, 11:45

I have an ACA 1232/40 running stable in my A1200. No timing fixes were needed.

Toni Wilen · 05 July 2015, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by StingRay

Blizzard 1230/IV is indeed the (much!) better card!

Let me check my crystall ball.. Because it has much smaller memory bandwidth than ACAs, it breaks less whdload slaves?

ptyerman · 05 July 2015, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Let me check my crystall ball.. Because it has much smaller memory bandwidth than ACAs, it breaks less whdload slaves?

Which is definitely a bonus!

TenLeftFingers · 05 July 2015, 12:11

Hmm, more to consider then

Its MKII for sale though.

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StingRay · 05 July 2015, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Let me check my crystall ball.. Because it has much smaller memory bandwidth than ACAs, it breaks less whdload slaves?

Because it is a very reliable card and works without any problem! Something I can not say about certain other hardware! As for breaking WHDLoad slaves, that's not one of the things I consider when judging accelerator cards. Besides, these problems can be fixed as you definitely know.

Leffmann · 05 July 2015, 12:38

I also agree that the Blizzard is a better and more reliable board.

Searching on these forums you will find reports of ACA boards over-heating, crashing, requiring modifications of the motherboard to work, drivers not working, all while the Blizzard boards are still running smoothly after 20 years.

User manuals, drivers, and software tools, are also still available for the Blizzard boards, which I suspect will not be the case further down the road when it comes to the ACA and other Individual Computers products.

Retrofan · 05 July 2015, 13:26

I would go for the Bizzard too. If it was an ACA 1231/42 (10Mips) or ACA 1230/56 then the ACA is better just in terms of speed -no FPU, sometimes timing fixes-.

Higgy · 06 July 2015, 09:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenLeftFingers

Hmm, more to consider then

Its MKII for sale though.

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I have a MKII. '030 30MHz(?) with 48Mb slotted in.

Just because it's not a MK4 don't worry

Its still good.

Daedalus · 06 July 2015, 10:23

The Blizzards are a very reliable card, but bear in mind they're also probably around 15 years old at this stage. The ACA cards on the other hand are brand new and therefore covered by warranty.

As for compatibility, the reason the ACA cards need timing fixes is that they run tighter timings by design - they have a faster memory speed than the Blizzard so many real-world things will run faster at a given clock speed. And don't forget, the modifications needed are fixing flaws present in the A1200 motherboard, it's not that the motherboard need to be modified because the ACA is a bad design. Don't forget the Apollo cards and the faster Blizzard cards also needed the timing fixes for the same reasons. On the other hand, maybe the extra speed is less of a priority than potentially having to fix the flaws on some A1200 motherboards, so there's a balance call to be made there.

Downsides of the ACA are that there's no FPU (as was pointed out, though are you really going to use it for anything?) and no SCSI option, but the Mk 2 Blizzard doesn't use the same SCSI module as the more common Mk4 & 1240/1260 board, so you could be waiting a long time to see one of them.

As for memory, remember that the Blizzard can be expanded with more memory if you can find suitable SIMMs. The ACA can't, though 128MB is more than enough, and probably more than the Blizzard board can take anyway. And, that particular version of the 1230 (the Mk 2 40MHz version) apparently comes with a 68EC030 processor which means no MMU. Again, might not be a problem for most things so it depends on your plans whether that's important or not.

@Leffmann
I find it strange that you think Jens is likely to remove support for his products. Do you have anything to base this on? Drivers and manuals for all Individual Computers devices are available on their website, all the way back to the HyperCOM, IDEFix and CatWeasel boards from the mid '90s, as well as from the Amiga Hardware Database, so it's not looking like they're going away any time soon and should last at least as long as the phase5 downloads. It would be good to give your reasons for statements like that rather than just spreading FUD.

gulliver · 06 July 2015, 12:22

I would definately choose a Blizzard.

It is pretty reliable and doesnt require you to play the russian roulette with timing fixes on the A1200 motherboard.

modrobert · 06 July 2015, 14:36

A good friend of mine sent the ACA-1232 to me because he needed something with FPU, he is into "retro ray tracing" (several hours later, staring at black image; -"Shit, I forgot to enable the light source!") using Imagine and Lightwave.

I haven't tried Blizzard, but it seems like the best based on all the recommendations. Still, the damned thing cost a small fortune, perhaps even more now than when it retailed back in the 90s?

Also, whenever these things show up on AmiBay at a decent price they are sold seconds after first post. Stop hoarding all these cards dammit!

The A1200 I have didn't require any timing fixes for ACA, but I added them anyway, after looking at Ian Stedman's convincing oscilloscope output. It seems the magic of those signals looking so good "after fix" are the ferrite beads, so I would probably have fixed it even without running an accelerator.

Biased or not, personally I like the ACA-1232 features; it feels fast, works great with WHDLoad, has modern low power requirements (using standard power brick) which means low heat (no fan needed), and having 128MB RAM is nice (can use RAM: as temp drive to store files etc.). Another reason is that the designer is part of the Amiga community and the product is still being produced.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gulliver

I would definately choose a Blizzard.

It is pretty reliable and doesnt require you to play the russian roulette with timing fixes on the A1200 motherboard.

I have to agree about the motherboard, being experienced with the soldering iron and this type of board modifications, it was pretty hard to install these fixes. There seems to be some weird coating on the A1200 mobo (PCB), difficult to see at first, had to carefully scrape the solder areas and the pads move easy when applying heat (don't want to lift those).

Coltch · 06 July 2015, 20:05

The blizzard is everyone's first choice...I'm more than happy with my ACA 1231/42 though..no timing fixes on my 1D1 and it makes my A500 fly when linked to the ACA500.

Given the choice I'd love to have a Blizzard..but I have what I have and can't complain

TenLeftFingers · 14 July 2015, 21:35

Crikey, another thread I replied to in my mind but not in actuality...

Thanks for the wealth of information everyone. There are pros amd cons to both.

If not for the age issue, Id be interested in the Blizzards 100%. I may still go for one of those anyway since I'm not totally happy with the Indivision AGA I got a while back.

Thats if there are any available next year when I'm back in through market.

Its a pity the smaller ram upgrades (4-8mb) aren't plentiful at the moment. They'd probably do me fine but I cant justify spending over 100 on 8 mb when I can get 128 + speed for double that.

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duga · 14 July 2015, 21:57

At the same MHz I would go for Blizzard any day. Just make sure you have at least 16 MB or preferably 32 MB.

04 July 2015, 23:21	#1
TenLeftFingers Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 800	Blizzard or ACA ? I see a Blizzard 1230/40 w 16MB of ram for sale on Ami Bay, as well as the ACA 1233/40 w 128Mb on AmigaKit. The Blizzard is generally more expensive despite having less RAM. How do they compare? Sent from my awesome Ubuntu Touch device using the Forum Browser app

05 July 2015, 13:26	#13
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 6,189	I would go for the Bizzard too. If it was an ACA 1231/42 (10Mips) or ACA 1230/56 then the ACA is better just in terms of speed -no FPU, sometimes timing fixes-. Last edited by Retrofan; 06 July 2015 at 12:44.

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04 July 2015, 23:41	#2
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,001	I'd go for the ACA. It's better, cheaper (as you say, I didn't check) and new. Disadvantages: - no SCSI option - no RTC (can be bought seperately) Advantages: https://icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/...pu=68030.40%2B

05 July 2015, 01:59	#3
TenLeftFingers Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 800	Thanks Thomas, thats clear then. It looks like capacitor replacement and timing fixes may also be required, as well as a PSU upgrade. I think I will send my machine to a professional when the time comes. It will be some time before I'm in the market for all that but its good to make the decision and start planning now. Thanks again. Sent from Ubuntu Touch using the Forum Browser app

05 July 2015, 05:26	#4
Sandro Banned Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: spain Posts: 897	the blizzard 1230 MK4 is far better than any ACA card can be disconnected on the fly pressing 2 key have a socket for FPU more compatible, no need of timing fixes you can use blizkick, best kick program out there surely Thomas was drunk or is being paid by Jens

05 July 2015, 11:08	#5
ptyerman Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Worksop/UK Age: 59 Posts: 1,328	The Blizzard cards just work, where the ACA cards need timing fixes to the A1200. Also the Blizzard SCSI kit is a marvellous piece of kit which is something the ACA cards are lacking.

05 July 2015, 11:10	#6
StingRay move.l #$c0ff33,throat Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Berlin/Joymoney Posts: 6,863	Blizzard 1230/IV is indeed the (much!) better card!

05 July 2015, 11:45	#7
Amon_RA Registered User Join Date: May 2015 Location: Belgium Posts: 132	I have an ACA 1232/40 running stable in my A1200. No timing fixes were needed.

05 July 2015, 12:11	#10
TenLeftFingers Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 800	Hmm, more to consider then Its MKII for sale though. Sent from Ubuntu Touch using the Forum Browser app

05 July 2015, 12:38	#12
Leffmann Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,269	I also agree that the Blizzard is a better and more reliable board. Searching on these forums you will find reports of ACA boards over-heating, crashing, requiring modifications of the motherboard to work, drivers not working, all while the Blizzard boards are still running smoothly after 20 years. User manuals, drivers, and software tools, are also still available for the Blizzard boards, which I suspect will not be the case further down the road when it comes to the ACA and other Individual Computers products.

06 July 2015, 10:23	#15
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,346	The Blizzards are a very reliable card, but bear in mind they're also probably around 15 years old at this stage. The ACA cards on the other hand are brand new and therefore covered by warranty. As for compatibility, the reason the ACA cards need timing fixes is that they run tighter timings by design - they have a faster memory speed than the Blizzard so many real-world things will run faster at a given clock speed. And don't forget, the modifications needed are fixing flaws present in the A1200 motherboard, it's not that the motherboard need to be modified because the ACA is a bad design. Don't forget the Apollo cards and the faster Blizzard cards also needed the timing fixes for the same reasons. On the other hand, maybe the extra speed is less of a priority than potentially having to fix the flaws on some A1200 motherboards, so there's a balance call to be made there. Downsides of the ACA are that there's no FPU (as was pointed out, though are you really going to use it for anything?) and no SCSI option, but the Mk 2 Blizzard doesn't use the same SCSI module as the more common Mk4 & 1240/1260 board, so you could be waiting a long time to see one of them. As for memory, remember that the Blizzard can be expanded with more memory if you can find suitable SIMMs. The ACA can't, though 128MB is more than enough, and probably more than the Blizzard board can take anyway. And, that particular version of the 1230 (the Mk 2 40MHz version) apparently comes with a 68EC030 processor which means no MMU. Again, might not be a problem for most things so it depends on your plans whether that's important or not. @Leffmann I find it strange that you think Jens is likely to remove support for his products. Do you have anything to base this on? Drivers and manuals for all Individual Computers devices are available on their website, all the way back to the HyperCOM, IDEFix and CatWeasel boards from the mid '90s, as well as from the Amiga Hardware Database, so it's not looking like they're going away any time soon and should last at least as long as the phase5 downloads. It would be good to give your reasons for statements like that rather than just spreading FUD.

06 July 2015, 12:22	#16
gulliver BoingBagged Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The South of nowhere Age: 46 Posts: 2,358	I would definately choose a Blizzard. It is pretty reliable and doesnt require you to play the russian roulette with timing fixes on the A1200 motherboard.

06 July 2015, 20:05	#18
Coltch Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 108	The blizzard is everyone's first choice...I'm more than happy with my ACA 1231/42 though..no timing fixes on my 1D1 and it makes my A500 fly when linked to the ACA500. Given the choice I'd love to have a Blizzard..but I have what I have and can't complain

14 July 2015, 21:35	#19
TenLeftFingers Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 800	Crikey, another thread I replied to in my mind but not in actuality... Thanks for the wealth of information everyone. There are pros amd cons to both. If not for the age issue, Id be interested in the Blizzards 100%. I may still go for one of those anyway since I'm not totally happy with the Indivision AGA I got a while back. Thats if there are any available next year when I'm back in through market. Its a pity the smaller ram upgrades (4-8mb) aren't plentiful at the moment. They'd probably do me fine but I cant justify spending over 100 on 8 mb when I can get 128 + speed for double that. Sent from Ubuntu Touch using the Forum Browser app

14 July 2015, 21:57	#20
duga Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sweden Posts: 528	At the same MHz I would go for Blizzard any day. Just make sure you have at least 16 MB or preferably 32 MB.

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