[2781] in linux-scsi channel archive
Re: BT-958 or Flashpoint?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Kristian Soerensen)
Sun Nov 9 23:40:29 1997
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 05:33:12 +0100 (MET)
From: Kristian Soerensen <elof@image.dk>
To: Dave Wreski <dave@nic.com>
cc: linux-scsi@vger.rutgers.edu
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.3.95q.971109170144.24195B-100000@nic.com>
On Sun, 9 Nov 1997, Dave Wreski wrote:
> It is becomming increasingly difficult to find Buslogic cards, when they
> keep changing their name like that.. :)
>
> Anyone know a vendor to purchase a BT-958 for less than about $230? Also,
> should I be looking into the flashpoint cards, or possibly the BT-930?
>
> I can't figure out what the differences are, and whether they are
> currently supported..
You can find the information in the kernel itself.
Read all files with Buslogic or flashpoint in their name
in /usr/src/linux/drivers/scsi/ .
Both 958 (Multimaster) and FlashPoint is supported. The difference is that
the FlashPoint makes the PC CPU do some of it's work.
This makes the card a little cheaper, but uses some CPU power when in use.
If that's a worthwhile tradeoff is up to you.
It might be a good idea with many windoze machines that doesn't do that
much work while the disks is being accessed. Many people is eg. only using
one program at a time in office work.
For server and workstation-like use, where multiple different programs
are at work at the same time, the (small) extra cost of a 958 will in
most cases be money well spent.
My guess is that FlashPoint is meant to be a low-cost offering, competing
against the NCR/Symbios/WhatEver 875 line, on the market for Windows
desktop machines.
The Multimaster (958) line will then be the card for servers, and more
demanding desktop users, like most Linux users.
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