Re: IIgs RAM cards, which one?

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Charles Stephens <cfs@Eng.Sun.com> wrote:

>Well, I want to make my "new" IIgs usuable, so I got myself a RamFAST
>SCSI card, but now I am in doubt about which memory card to use.
>
>It seems my only choices new are the Sequential Systems RAM-GSplus and
>the Sirius RAM IIgs.
>
>Now to take the card to 8M, the Sequential is US$119.95 and the Sirius
>is US$129.00.  However, with the Sirius card, I could get it at 2MB
>(US$65) and use SIMMs that I already have.

I would lean toward the Sirius.  Electronically, the two cards are the
same.  After 4MB (5MB total on a ROM 3), things start getting iffy
in terms of DMA compatibility....luckily, your RamFAST card
(assuming you got the new version from Sequential) was designed
to stuff all 8MB through DMA, so that's not a problem.

The only question is how much memory do you need and that really
depends on what kind of software you use.  2MB is a very good
level to start off on...if you find the system running out of memory
or want to do something that requires lots of memory (like the recent
projects to convert movies from other computers to the GS), then
with the Sirius, you can build from 2MB to 4MB or all the way to
8MB using SIMM units you already have.  Sequential's card is also
good quality, but its RAM chips are butt hard to find....about the
only place stocking them is Sequential Systems.  To buy it from
them, they will charge you quite a bit.  If you buy a 4MB RAM-GS+
from them, then later buy 4MB of chips to expand that card, the
total is well above $129.00.

If you don't want to mess with installing memory on the cards and
want to buy 8MB pre-installed, then the Sequential is the better
buy.  If you want to buy some memory (2MB of 4MB) now and add
more later, go with the Sirius....