Hi Mark & the List:

It sounds like you are talking about COAST (Cache on a Stick).  I just happen
to have an old 486 mobo with an intact Coast board.

If it is a COAST, do you have a part number for it?

Robert B. Hemming
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Date:    Mon, 17 Apr 2000 16:52:28 -0700
From:    Mark Rode <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: L2 Cache

I am working on a old AST Advantage PRO 486DX33 with 16 megs of RAM. I am
thinking about  upgrading it to a Linux Box for a specific job but there is
one issue. The old Advantage Pro and Bravos were very proprietary and did
not normally come with an L2 cache....there was a special plug in circuit
board that was available as an upgrade but now of course this would not be
available.  The lack of a L2 cache makes for a performance hit but I can't
remember just how big. I am thinking of upgrading to 32 megs of RAM and a
DX4100 but something in my memory tells me that without the L2 cache it
won't be able to benefit from the additional RAM and the Megahertz in an
efficient manner.

Does anybody remember any hard data as to performance with or without a L2
cache on a 486 ?

thanks
m

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