A500+ processor

[craggus2000]

Hi guys,

Is there a different processor I can put in my A500+ (not accelerator card) to speed it up at all? I think it a 68000 (whatever the stock option is) at the moment. Would a 68010 or 20 work just buy swapping out?

Thanks

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by craggus2000

Hi guys,

Is there a different processor I can put in my A500+ (not accelerator card) to speed it up at all? I think it a 68000 (whatever the stock option is) at the moment. Would a 68010 or 20 work just buy swapping out?

Thanks

Not quite the expert on this but I think they do some super ram or semething that has processor upgrade and/or Ram, I think they just plug in the side and I think (unless you get an 030) they are pretty resonably priced on the second hand market.

[fryguy]

I think you can swap with a 68010 but i won't get much faster iirc. For a 68020 or faster you probably need an accelerator card.

[Charlie]

This may be of interest:
http://aminet.net/package/docs/hard/MC68010

To my knowledge the only 'simple' CPU upgrade is to replace the 68000 with a 68010...
...with both running @ 7ish Mhz you'll get a marginal increase in speed. The above archive will hopefully solve any compatibility issues.

I'm fairly sure there's a relatively simple hack to allow the 68010 to run @ 14Mhz for a bit more speed. No doubt others will know of a link...
...but if you're after simple this may not be for you.

All the best,

P.S.
http://www3.uk.freebsd.org/docs/rvie...lerator14M.txt

[fitzsteve]

Hi!

It was the Supra Turbo 28 I was thinking of, I'm sure I've seen these on Ebay @ <£30

Its on the hardware database along with your other options here:

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/search....c&pid=#supra28

Some will be rare and very expensive, but worth searching for them from time to time.

I was reading however that without a Ram expansion the above mentined is pretty useless as you will not see much of a speed increase.

Hope that helps.

Steve.

[Leffmann]

Originally Posted by craggus2000

Hi guys,

Is there a different processor I can put in my A500+ (not accelerator card) to speed it up at all? I think it a 68000 (whatever the stock option is) at the moment. Would a 68010 or 20 work just buy swapping out?

Thanks

68010 does but is not faster, 68020 does not.

The easiest way to speed an A500+ up is to get a fastmem expansion which would make a noticeable, but not huge, difference when running apps and other Workbench stuff. There are unfortunately only a very select few games that will run a bit smoother or faster with fastmem.

Fastmem expansions usually plug in to the side and allow a harddrive to be connect, but you might as well spend that money on an A1200 and end up with a much better Amiga.

[rkauer]

Resuming things:

1-installing a 68010 on the 68000 socket will give a marginal speed up of ~3%;

2-using a hack to doubling the CPU clock but no FASTMEM will give up not much over 5% speed gain;

3-Putting some FAST RAM will do a nice speed up of 30~33%!

4-Combining both FAST RAM & 68010 will go a bit over 35%;

5-Combining the FAST RAM + a Supra28 (the 28MHz 68000) will push the limits far behind! Expect a real gain of over 50% in speed.

6-Much more can be achieved by a 030 or 040 accelerator with local FAST RAM.

[Zetr0]

@craggus

my A2000 - with Combi 040 (when it behaves) pushes 24 MIPS =D

0.6 MIPS - basic 7mhz 68k (NO FAST)
1.0 MIPS - basic 7mhz 68k (FAST RAM)
1.6 MIPS - accel 14Mhz 68k (FAST RAM)
2.4 MIPS - accel 28Mhz 68k (FAST RAM)

thats pretty much the top end of the humble 68000, a 68010 is slightly better, if only for the VBR vector (when you get WHDLoad you will understand)

essentially a 28Mhz 68000 can hold its own against the 14mhz 68020 + FAST - although MATH Int and FPU instructions are still twice as fast as its a 32bit chip - on aggregate they will be both very comparable in reall processing.


One of the best upgrades for the A500 / A500+ is the GVP HC8+ Impact Series SCSI side cars - it grants a wonderfull (upto) 8MB of FAST ram and fast DMA SCSI!!!

this means that although the A500 is pushin only about 1MIP - it has REALL quick disk access - infact only 10% of the CPU is being used to access disk the rest is done by the SCSI controller -

What this means for you is a wondefull feeling of smooth controll - a true boon - I just LOVE DMA SCSI!!!

----------

If I could suggest ANY combination upgrade then this is what I would recommend.

1. A GVP HC8+ SCSI Side Car
2. A VXL030@40 + 8MB RAM
3. A 4GB SCSI HDD (any more and its a waste)
4. An Exteranl SCSI CDROM

The reason I choose a VXL 030 (with its 8MB upgrade) over say a traditional GVP A530 is many fold, but the big two are these

1. The VXL is a little cheaper than the A530
2. The VXL's 32bit RAM can be located in the 8MB ram space and DMA is supported!

I suspect that the 40Mhz 030 VXL from Macrobotics would out perform GVP's A530 considerably in the DMA department I estimate upto 50% faster access using essentially the same controller.

dont get me wrong the A530 is an amazing bit of kit, but with the right combo's I think you can achieve better.

Other factors for choosing the VXL over the A530 are

0. VXL*030 can be upgraded to 50mhz (about 9 MIPS)
1. you can upgrade to an A2000 and use the VXL in that
2. You are not stuck paying through the nose for just 2 special 4 MB GVP SIMM's
3. In 68k Fall Back mode you get to keep the 8MB FAST ram if you want to
4. you can specify the RAM in the 32bit address space (giving you access upto 16MB of RAM) - although you loose the DMA for the 16/24bit SCSI cards
5. It looks awesome in an A500 - like a 426 hemi (450hp) on a Ford Capri...


426 Hemi Engine


YUMTASTIC! <--- thats the sound it makes....YUUUUMMMMM... YUMYUMYUM YUUMMMMMM etc.

Mk3 Capri - always have home in my heart for this car


Mmmmm awesome!.... "I am the Road Warrior!....."

anyway so there you go...

there are a few about that might be cheap - in one way or anther - but the real truth to accelerating your miggy is to make sure its got some where to go before you make it fast.... i.e. - get some Hard-disk addon first otherwise... you will be all reved up with no place to go (so said meatloaf ) =)

[craggus2000]

@rkauer & Zetr0
Thanks for the info, some over my head, but then I am still learning !

As for time being, I am trying to keep everything contained within the A500+ case (kind of my own little challenge to myself), i.e. no side-car, is there any way to add FASTRAM internally, on its own, with the stock 68000 in use?
I've got a cfide68k adapter coming, so will be adding a 4gb cf card to boot off of, 1mb trapdoor ram, and a kickstart switcher, for background info....

[ajk]

There are various internal A500 accelerators also, they often come with IDE/SCSI buses and fast RAM. I also don't like to have stuff in the side port so I have put in a Viper 520CD instead. Of course this one has an 68020 so the CPU would get upgraded too.