ShaBLAMM! NiTro-VLB

ShaBLAMM! NiTro-VLB

The ShaBLAMM! NiTro-VLB was a computer system that used a MIPS R4600 microprocessor implemented on a VESA VLB peripheral card and designed to function when connected to a host computer system using an Intel i486. The NiTro-VLB conformed to the ARC standard, and was produced and marketed by ShaBLAMM! Computer as an "upgrade" card for accelerating Windows NT.

Characteristics

The NiTro-VLB is notable for various unique characteristics among personal computer accessories. For example, although the system was marketed as an "upgrade" for computers already using a 486 processor, the NiTro-VLB was in fact of an entirely different architecture (specifically, the MIPS RISC architecture) from the IA32-based 486. Further, as a "parasitic" or "symbiotic" coprocessor, the NiTro-VLB was designed to cooperate the host 486 processor from running, and used four megabytes of the host 486 motherboard's system memory as a DMA buffer (although the NiTro-VLB required its own separate DRAM main memory, in addition to any memory installed on the host 486 motherboard).

This type of "parasite"/"host" upgrade card configuration, in which an entire motherboard and processor are implemented on an expansion card designed to connect to a host motherboard's expansion slot. However, such configurations are rare among computer systems designed to run Microsoft Windows.

pecifications and benchmarks

The NiTro-VLB's MIPS R4600 processor, running at 100 MHz, was rated at 73.8 SPECint92 and 63 SPECfp92 (which are similar figures to the first-generation Pentium running at 66 MHz). Faster and costlier versions were designed to run at 133 MHz or 150 MHz.

ales

Initially, the NiTro-VLB system was priced at $1,095 for a 100 MHz card with no main memory, $1,995 for a 100 MHz card with 16 MB of main memory and a copy of Windows NT, and $2,595 for a 150 MHz card.

ee also

*Jazz (computer)
*MIPS Magnum
*DeskStation Tyne

External links

* [http://www.byte.com/art/9407/sec4/art9.htm A BYTE magazine article detailing the ShaBlamm! Nitro-VLB]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • ShaBLAMM! Computer — was a startup computer company, founded in the early 1990s, which manufactured MIPS based upgrade cards for systems running Windows NT.ShaBLAMM! s main product line was the ShaBLAMM! NiTro VLB line of upgrade expansion cards …   Wikipedia

  • Jazz (computer) — The Jazz computer architecture was a motherboard and chipset design originally developed by Microsoft for use in developing Windows NT. The design was eventually used as the basis for most MIPS based Windows NT systems.In part because Microsoft… …   Wikipedia

  • DeskStation Technology — was a manufacturer of RISC based computer workstations intended to run Windows NT. DeskStation was based in Lenexa, Kansas. Contents 1 MIPS based systems 2 Alpha based systems 3 See also …   Wikipedia

  • DeskStation Tyne — The DeskStation Tyne was a line of computer workstations made by DeskStation Technology and based on the MIPS R4000 and R4400 RISC microprocessors. The DeskStation Tyne was designed to run Windows NT, and was designed to conform to the Advanced… …   Wikipedia

  • Jazz (компьютер) — У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Jazz. Компьютерная платформа Jazz представляет собой проект системной платы и набора системной логики, разработанный компанией Microsoft для применения совместно с разрабатывавшейся Windows NT. В… …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”