9600/PCI-Slots

Hi,
seen from power supply I,ve a PT24 MIX card,
an old DSP farm, 3.slot free, 4. slot Adaptec 2940 UW scsi card, DC30 and a formac graphic card.
I want to install a second graphic card to use
a second monitor. Which slot is best to do that.

[Gary Stadler]

Sal, Here's what I've used, and everyone "in the know" seems to agree....

Top slot (nearest the power supply/processor card)
(#1) MIX card
then going physically down:
(#2)DSP card
(#3)nothing
(#4)scsi accelerator
(#5) Monitor card #1
(#6) Monitor card #2

Most of the comments I've gotten from tech people, both Digi and otherwise, say put the two monitor cards in the bottom 2 slots, and the scsi accelerator just above that, and whatever you have left you can fight over. I truly don't know how your DC30 would fit in- you'll probably have to ask Digi about that one...!!

I've seen a lot of scuttlebut on these posts about what type of 2nd monitor card to use, PCI bandwidth issues, problems with "hi-end" graphics cards, etc. Not by design, but it just happened, I use the origional 9600/350 video card, the 8 meg twin turbo, and another identical one for my second monitor card. I've never had a problem, and from reading the DUC posts lately, it seems like this just might be a nifty combination, because these cards aren't so "hotshot"...many other folks have crashes and problems unless they do stuff like reduce colors to 256, etc....these 2 cards have never caused me any problem...
Last, is yours a 9600/350? if need be you might try dumping the adaptec card and sticking your drives directly on the internal scsi bus (it's twicse as fast as a "standard" internal scsi bus on any other mac)....if you have fast drives, proper adapters if necessary, and 32 tracks is enough, you might just get away with it, and if it works, your system will be all that much simpler and probably more stable!!!

[This message has been edited by Gary Stadler (edited February 14, 2000).]

[-MaxTraxStudios-]

<Last, is yours a 9600/350? if need be you might try dumping the adaptec card <and sticking your drives directly on the internal scsi bus (it's twicse as fast as <a "standard" internal scsi bus on any other mac)....if you have fast drives, <proper adapters if necessary, and 32 tracks is enough, you might just get <away with it, and if it works, your system will be all that much simpler and <probably more stable!!!

I have a PowerTowerPro 200, and I run the internal scsi bus, no accelerator, and I get 32 tracks off of a single Barracuda 4.5 drive. I usually get 24 tracks off my external narrow drives even. I saved a slot and filled up my PowerTowerPro with 6 4.5 gig drives on internal and it works great. If the 9600/350 has even faster internal bus then it shouldnt be a problem doing 32 tracks at all.

Paul

[Gary Stadler]

Very cool, Paul!

I noticed that my adaptec 2049u2w card contributed "just a little" to system instability...when I had only the 2940 card installed but not PT hardware, and was using the computer for photoshop and internet stuff, I got a freeze once or twice a day where without the card installed I only got a freeze once or twice a month...it was absoutely the card...so in my book, if you can run without an accelerator, so much the better...if for nothing else it's less hardware and software that has to dance....