Category Archives: C&T

First ROM Shadowing

The other day I was asked an interesting question: What was the first BIOS with support for ROM shadowing? In the 1990s, ROM shadowing was common, at first as a pure performance enhancement and later as a functional requirement; newer … Continue reading

Posted in C&T, Compaq, IBM, PC architecture, PC history | 55 Comments

Shiniest x86 Chip

While there have been many shiny new chips in the metaphorical sense, x86 (and x87) chips have never been known to be literally shiny. The typical packaging is ceramic or some form of brushed metal, and neither of these surfaces is … Continue reading

Posted in 386, C&T, PC hardware | 11 Comments

More on the C&T Super386

Since last week’s post, more information about the Chips and Technologies C&T has come to light. It now appears that at least some 38605DX processors were made. Whether there is any surviving working system is still an open question (since … Continue reading

Posted in 386, C&T, Documentation | 28 Comments

The Forgotten 386

The CPUs that fit into a 386 socket are well known: Intel’s original, AMD’s exact copy, and Cyrix/TI upgrades. There is also IBM’s 386SLC which is close to a 386 but can’t be plugged into a standard 386 socket. The photo below … Continue reading

Posted in 386, C&T, PC history | 25 Comments