Path: cdrom.com!barrnet.net!biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!emory!news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!news.duke.edu!godot.cc.duq.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!cronkite.ocis.temple.edu!astro.ocis.temple.edu!yuriev From: yuriev@astro.ocis.temple.edu (DataLink BBS SysOp) Newsgroups: comp.publish.cdrom.software Subject: Reply Date: 6 May 1994 00:13:11 GMT Organization: Temple University, Academic Computer Services Lines: 39 Message-ID: <2qc22n$8ck@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: astro.ocis.temple.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Subject: Re: Minimum Multimedia PC? Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.cd-rom References: Distribution: na X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Andrew Leahy (leahy@math.rutgers.edu) wrote: : I'm interested in installing a CD-ROM/soundcard combination in my PC : and I'm curious about what sort of performance I could expect with my : current set-up: A 386DX/40 with 4 megs RAM, 212 meg IDE HD, and color : monitor with a Trident video card. An article in a recent issue of PC : Mag recommended at least a 486 with 8 megs RAM and a 170 meg HD. : I can swing another 4 megs of RAM and there's plenty of territory on : my HD, but I can't afford both a new motherboard and a "multimedia : upgrade". Is it feasible to run most multimedia applications on the : system that I have now, or is it necessary to upgrade to a 486 to get : your money's worth out of a CD-ROM drive? (e.g., will the video be : too choppy on my current system?) I'd probably be using the system for : some light information retrieval (such as an encyclopedia), : educational programs for small children, and some games for myself. : The low-end Mitsumi and Sony double speed drives are the most likely : candidates right now. : Any information or personal experiences would be helpful. Thanks. You will be fine if you add another 4Mb of RAM and make multimedia upgrade. In order to compensate your 386 speed, give 3 or 4 MB!!! to CD cache. (Use something like Norton Cache or SmartDrv). It will work fine. At least it works fine for me... I have Double Speed Panasonic CD-ROM connected to 386DX40/8Mb. I have two setups : first with 4Mb cache/4mb RAM, second as 3Mb Cache/5RAM Best wishes, Alex Yuriev DataLink BBS SysOp