seeking internal Fast RAM options for A500

hoptoit · 07 October 2010, 05:24

I want to update and improve an A500 for my brother's kids to play away on. For now this machine will primarily be used for gaming off disks. The board is Rev 6A and has a standard 512k expansion in the internal slot. No Chip RAM mods of any kind.

I think the optimal thing now would be an internal Fast RAM add-on board which can autoconfig itself. I was ready to go with tomthul's 2MB board, except it can't config without a bootdisk. The 7-year old endusers of this machine are not going to bother remembering a bootdisk.

So are there any other internal auto-config RAM options for the A500 out there? The only other possibility I've located so far is the massive 8MB CPU piggyback unit by Elbox:

http://www.buy.elbox.com/cgibin/shop?info=660E500

It seems to be available to purchase but who can say for sure? 8MB seems like a lot for this machine. Anything else out there, or other advice. I should be able to attend the AmiWest show in CA in a few weeks to look for stuff too.

alexh · 07 October 2010, 08:32

Other than a DIY or second hand I think that is your only option.

deicidal · 07 October 2010, 14:23

Unless the 7 year old is going to do some more serious stuff than gaming I wouldnt have thought anything beyond the 512k expansion would be needed.

Paul_s · 07 October 2010, 14:44

If you want to retro fit an Expansion Technologies 2MB board inside (casing is for A1000 but they also did an A500 option so uses the same card/setup) I have one for sale... It comes on a twin Zorro connector (fits to the side expansion slot).... you could do some funky internal cabling maybe?

It's auto-config too

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=50645

hoptoit · 07 October 2010, 20:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul_s

If you want to retro fit an Expansion Technologies 2MB board inside (casing is for A1000 but they also did an A500 option so uses the same card/setup) I have one for sale... It comes on a twin Zorro connector (fits to the side expansion slot).... you could do some funky internal cabling maybe?

It's auto-config too

Whoa, that thing really is a tank. Hard to picture rigging that thing up internally. Darn, there really isn't a lot out there for a 2MB/4MB RAM boost without going external. That Finnish project would be perfect it ever becomes available:

http://www.students.tut.fi/~leinone3/ide/ide68k.html

Alas I am not going to have time to get into making my own custom boards. I hope something will turn up at AmiWest.

hoptoit · 07 October 2010, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by deicidal

Unless the 7 year old is going to do some more serious stuff than gaming I wouldnt have thought anything beyond the 512k expansion would be needed.

I agree that more RAM isn't deadly necessary for disk gaming, can't hurt, but at least opens the possibility for doing WHDload down the road

deicidal · 07 October 2010, 21:03

If your planning on going down the whdload path then your best getting an external hdd with ram.

rare_j · 07 October 2010, 21:05

In that case you'd be best served by buying a hard disk and ram expansion all in one like the GVP HD+ which can take a 4GB scsi hard drive and up to 8mb ram using readily available 30 pin simms.
They come up on ebay from time to time, ranging from about £40 to £80 or so.

07 October 2010, 05:24	#1
hoptoit Registered User Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: N.VA USA Posts: 12	seeking internal Fast RAM options for A500 I want to update and improve an A500 for my brother's kids to play away on. For now this machine will primarily be used for gaming off disks. The board is Rev 6A and has a standard 512k expansion in the internal slot. No Chip RAM mods of any kind. I think the optimal thing now would be an internal Fast RAM add-on board which can autoconfig itself. I was ready to go with tomthul's 2MB board, except it can't config without a bootdisk. The 7-year old endusers of this machine are not going to bother remembering a bootdisk. So are there any other internal auto-config RAM options for the A500 out there? The only other possibility I've located so far is the massive 8MB CPU piggyback unit by Elbox: http://www.buy.elbox.com/cgibin/shop?info=660E500 It seems to be available to purchase but who can say for sure? 8MB seems like a lot for this machine. Anything else out there, or other advice. I should be able to attend the AmiWest show in CA in a few weeks to look for stuff too.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
A500 4mb-8mb fast ram expansion	kipper2k	Hardware mods	143	25 May 2019 23:37
Wanted: 2x internal floppy A500, 1x internal floppy A1000, A500 512kb fastmem	high-5	MarketPlace	2	08 January 2010 21:48
WTB A500 Fast Ram Expansions	mfletcher	MarketPlace	2	05 July 2008 13:08
32-bit FAST RAM vs. ZII FAST RAM	polbit	support.Hardware	16	28 January 2007 20:16
A500 Internal Ram expansion	_ThEcRoW	support.Hardware	4	14 October 2005 17:36

07 October 2010, 08:32	#2
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,354	Other than a DIY or second hand I think that is your only option.

07 October 2010, 14:23	#3
deicidal Registered Insane Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ununited Kingdom Posts: 792	Unless the 7 year old is going to do some more serious stuff than gaming I wouldnt have thought anything beyond the 512k expansion would be needed.

07 October 2010, 14:44	#4
Paul_s Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Amigaville Age: 46 Posts: 3,335	If you want to retro fit an Expansion Technologies 2MB board inside (casing is for A1000 but they also did an A500 option so uses the same card/setup) I have one for sale... It comes on a twin Zorro connector (fits to the side expansion slot).... you could do some funky internal cabling maybe? It's auto-config too http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=50645

07 October 2010, 21:03	#7
deicidal Registered Insane Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ununited Kingdom Posts: 792	If your planning on going down the whdload path then your best getting an external hdd with ram.

07 October 2010, 21:05	#8
rare_j Zone Friend Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London Posts: 1,176	In that case you'd be best served by buying a hard disk and ram expansion all in one like the GVP HD+ which can take a 4GB scsi hard drive and up to 8mb ram using readily available 30 pin simms. They come up on ebay from time to time, ranging from about £40 to £80 or so.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)