A600: Questions about Kick 3.1 and CF IDE

boratintheuk · 03 July 2018, 03:58

I just got my first A600 and being a previously only an owner of an A500 I have some questions.

I'm going to be picking up a A604N trap door expansion, as well as the IDE CF that they sell on Amigakit.

Do I also want to upgrade the kickstart from 2.05 to 3.1? I've heard that it may run slower in Workbench 3.1. Will that limit any abilities that the machine may offer?

If I stay on kick 2.05 what version of Workbench do I install on the CF? All the Amiga shops seem to only be selling Workbench 2.1.

I also have a question about WHDload. I've read that it requires a 68010 processor but I've also read some real old posts here saying it "can" be used on a stock 68000 on a 600, albeit with issues.

Thanks in advance, any other tips on the A600 are appreciated as well!

ajk · 03 July 2018, 07:45

Kickstart/Workbench 3.1 is a fine update and it will probably be more compatible overall than 2.05 (many Workbench utilities expect 3.0 or above). I wouldn't say there is much of a performance penalty until 3.5 or 3.9. For pure games compatibility 1.3 would actually be best, but if you can run them via WHDLoad, that's not really an issue.

WHDLoad doesn't require a 68010, but having one makes it possible to exit games more reliably. So with some games you may need to do a soft reboot to quit.

You could however use some Fast RAM to make good use of WHDLoad, but the 2MB of Chip RAM will already allow a reasonable number of titles to run (just keep the RAM usage in your Workbench install low).

And as always with this generation of Amigas, keep an eye on the condition of the motherboard, the capacitors often leak and slowly corrode the PCB until something eventually fails.

demolition · 03 July 2018, 09:14

The upgrade from KS 2.05 -> 3.1 is a good one in my opinion. No downsides really - only benefits. It is more compatible with newer SW and it also has noticeable performance improvements so it feels 'snappier'. WB 2.1/3.1 is not much different, performance-wise so going to KS3.1+WB3.1 is the way to go. WB3.5+ is made for 020+, so you don't want to go there, unless you plan on putting an 020 or 030 in there.

boratintheuk · 03 July 2018, 15:30

Thanks for the information! I'll pop 3.1 in this bad boy. As for the machine itself it's already been recapped, but thanks for the concern.

boratintheuk · 04 July 2018, 07:10

Can someone share some information with me about compaitable PCMCIA ethernet cards I could use on my A600? It seems like a TON of wired ethernet PCMCIA have Amiga support but I can't find a solid list of what's actually supported.

Are there certain models to look for? Everything on ebay looks dirt cheap, so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't pick one of these up.

Daedalus · 04 July 2018, 10:27

There is a compatibility list in the documentation of the cnet.device driver package that might be of use, so I would suggest downloading that and having a look.

TjLaZer · 06 July 2018, 01:10

I find 3.1 runs better than 2.0 on a stock A600. Some fast RAM is a must on this unit though. You can get internal RAM cards that pop on the 68000.

03 July 2018, 03:58	#1
boratintheuk Registered User Join Date: May 2018 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 32	A600: Questions about Kick 3.1 and CF IDE and PCMCIA ethernet I just got my first A600 and being a previously only an owner of an A500 I have some questions. I'm going to be picking up a A604N trap door expansion, as well as the IDE CF that they sell on Amigakit. Do I also want to upgrade the kickstart from 2.05 to 3.1? I've heard that it may run slower in Workbench 3.1. Will that limit any abilities that the machine may offer? If I stay on kick 2.05 what version of Workbench do I install on the CF? All the Amiga shops seem to only be selling Workbench 2.1. I also have a question about WHDload. I've read that it requires a 68010 processor but I've also read some real old posts here saying it "can" be used on a stock 68000 on a 600, albeit with issues. Thanks in advance, any other tips on the A600 are appreciated as well! Last edited by boratintheuk; 04 July 2018 at 07:07. Reason: Didn't feel I should make a new thread.

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03 July 2018, 07:45	#2
ajk Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 1,341	Kickstart/Workbench 3.1 is a fine update and it will probably be more compatible overall than 2.05 (many Workbench utilities expect 3.0 or above). I wouldn't say there is much of a performance penalty until 3.5 or 3.9. For pure games compatibility 1.3 would actually be best, but if you can run them via WHDLoad, that's not really an issue. WHDLoad doesn't require a 68010, but having one makes it possible to exit games more reliably. So with some games you may need to do a soft reboot to quit. You could however use some Fast RAM to make good use of WHDLoad, but the 2MB of Chip RAM will already allow a reasonable number of titles to run (just keep the RAM usage in your Workbench install low). And as always with this generation of Amigas, keep an eye on the condition of the motherboard, the capacitors often leak and slowly corrode the PCB until something eventually fails.

03 July 2018, 09:14	#3
demolition Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Copenhagen / DK Age: 43 Posts: 4,190	The upgrade from KS 2.05 -> 3.1 is a good one in my opinion. No downsides really - only benefits. It is more compatible with newer SW and it also has noticeable performance improvements so it feels 'snappier'. WB 2.1/3.1 is not much different, performance-wise so going to KS3.1+WB3.1 is the way to go. WB3.5+ is made for 020+, so you don't want to go there, unless you plan on putting an 020 or 030 in there.

03 July 2018, 15:30	#4
boratintheuk Registered User Join Date: May 2018 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 32	Thanks for the information! I'll pop 3.1 in this bad boy. As for the machine itself it's already been recapped, but thanks for the concern.

04 July 2018, 07:10	#5
boratintheuk Registered User Join Date: May 2018 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 32	Can someone share some information with me about compaitable PCMCIA ethernet cards I could use on my A600? It seems like a TON of wired ethernet PCMCIA have Amiga support but I can't find a solid list of what's actually supported. Are there certain models to look for? Everything on ebay looks dirt cheap, so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't pick one of these up.

04 July 2018, 10:27	#6
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,334	There is a compatibility list in the documentation of the cnet.device driver package that might be of use, so I would suggest downloading that and having a look.

06 July 2018, 01:10	#7
TjLaZer Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,915	I find 3.1 runs better than 2.0 on a stock A600. Some fast RAM is a must on this unit though. You can get internal RAM cards that pop on the 68000.

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