Re: [PLUG] Looking to buy new dual-processor system

[Beldon Dominello <beldon@speakeasy.org>]

Bill Jonas wrote:

> On Sat, 9 Sep 2000, LeRoy Cressy wrote:
>
> >it, I know that it has the components that fit my needs.  Also, you can
> >incorporate Ultra SCSI 2 drives which are very fast.  Also if you get a
> >motherboard with onboard SCSI there is a little speed increase for the
> >drives than going through a plug in PCI card.
>
> I have to throw in my own couple of cents here.  Consider:  If you have
> a separate SCSI card, and the motherboard goes bad, you can yank the
> card and the drive and put it in another machine and be back up and
> running pronto.  On the other hand, things get more complicated with
> on-board SCSI.  If you need to get a box back up in a hurry, you're
> S(ore)OL.  (I've got a client's hard drive sitting here on my bookshelf
> from such a system... fortunately, the client had a spare box and the
> backups (praise Bob) were good.  It was still a few hours getting the
> data off the tape, though.)

I have to agree here.  On-board peripherals are Just Plain Wrong.  IDE
controllers are okay since you always need one of those and you generally
choose your board for the chipset anyway.  IDE controllers, paralell ports,
serial ports, etc. are also all replacable with a $20.00 board.  Sound on
board sux since it's rarely a good implementation of whatever chip it uses
and I end up having to buy a soundcard anyways.  But, since soundcards are
cheap, even this isn't too bad.

With a SCSI controller, it's a different story.  In addition to what Bill
bring up above, there's no guarantee that an "Adaptec 2940-Compatible" SCSI
interface on a mobo really is compatible (qv soundcard, above).  And SCSI
controllers are not cheap, and so there goes the (already dubious) value of
your mobo.

It's the same problem I have with several combinations (VCR/TV,
coffeemaker/grinder/espresso machine, printer/scanner/fax machine).  If one
goes, you're out all two (or three), until it comes back from the shop (if
at all).  Or you go out a buy a new one of whatever part broke- 'cause you
sure don't need two of the multi-whatever.

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