IBM UK Ltd has circmuvented its agreement with Intel Corp that it will not sell its 386SLC and 486SLC2 microprocessors as components by bundling them together with an ASIC – and selling them as upgrades for 80286-based AT-alikes. IBM will channel the three initial versions through its distributor The Macro Group Ltd in Slough. Available in 20MHz and 25MHz 386SLC versions and a clock-doubled 50MHz 486SLC2 version, the upgrades will enable 80286 users to increase performance on average by 99.5%, 115.3% or 188.2% respectively, (figures include a Cyrix Corp co-processor that would be bought separately). The SLC chip is included on a board with an ASIC chip which will be used to page the 32-bit output into the 80286’s 16-bit data bus. There is a socket for a co-processor on the board, too. IBM will also be supplying a Blue Lightning version of the 486SLC2 upgrade board, probably within the first quarter next year. The current 486SLC2 upgrade includes 16Kb cache and complies with the US guidelines on low power usage, running off 3.3V. The cards, available in a few weeks, will be sold through to end-user retailers and will be available to end users direct on a one-off basis. The 20MHz 80386SX clone costs $130 one-off. According to Sukh Rayat, Macro’s IBM business manager, the upgrade card can only be used once existing 80286 chips have been removed. The card is connected using the socket the 80286 previously occupied. Although some of the old 16-bit chips are clipped in place and can be removed relatively easily, there are many that have been soldered in and would be difficult to remove. Rayat admitted that there could be a problem; If 286 sockets are soldered in then we could have problems, he said. Other products coming through Macro from IBM include the Leopard family of motherboards. The first two Leopards, available this quarter, are the 50MHz clock-doubled 486SLC2 version and the 66MHz clock doubled one. The boards have a 16Mb RAM capacity and 16Kb internal cache. Up to 128Kb internal cache can be supplied on the boards, which measure 8.5 by 9.8 and have seven 16-bit AT slots, two of which are VESA local bus-compatible. There are also two other VESA-only slots and an 8-bit AT slot. There will eventually be eight or nine boards in all, including a 99MHz Blue Lightning board, which is being sampled this quarter by some manufacturers. The 50MHz Leopard costs $215 for one-offs or $160 in quantities of 1,000-up.
