DECstation 5000/50  ("MAXINE" )


As you can see I don't have the correct "5000/50" label for this computer, only the upgrade CPU. If you can send me a label like that, please feel free to contact me.
 
Click here for more pictures.

General Technical Information

HOSTNAME HYDRA2
SYSTEM CPU MIPS R4000 @50 MHz  (internal 100 MHz)
KN04 V2.1k
CACHE (2nd, 1st D/I) 1 MB, 8 KB / 8 KB
RAM  40 MB (Max. 40 MB)
DATA BUS WIDTH 32 bit
SCSI BUS 1 x SCSI-2 (5 MB/s)
OPTION BUS 2 x TurboChannel slots @12.5 MHz
GRAPHICS Onboard 8-plane 1024x768 @66Hz
PMAGB-BA 8-plane 1280x1024 @72Hz option card 
HARD DISK DRIVE 9.1 GB 10K RPM Compaq SCSI disk
NETWORK 10 Mbps AUI (onboard ethernet)
OS DEC ULTRIX V4.5
YEAR 1993
SPEED about 75 VAX MIPS
POWER CONSUMPTION (MAX. / MEASURED ) 343 W / 71 W
COMMENTS This machine runs ULTRIX very smoothly. It can't take much RAM but ULTRIX doesn't need that much. Support for the MAXINE (equipped with an R3000 processor) was added in ULTRIX 4.2A. Support for the R4000 upgrade processors / systems was added in ULTRIX 4.3A.
ESTIMATED PRICE '93 $25,000
ORIGINAL PRODUCT DESCRIPTION  (Scanned from DEC's SOC Nov. 1992 for models /20, /25 and /33)

History and other comments

This machine was exchanged for a barebone AlphaServer 300 along with the AlphaStation 200 and the SGI Indy. It was shipped to me from Germany in May 2006.

You can see the MIPS R4000 processor daughter board to the upper left, inside the box. The other card to the right is the PMAGB-BA TurboChannel option card:

As you may see on the above picture, you can use a SCSI-2-to-UW-SCSI pin adapter + an UW-SCSI flat cable to attach 68 pin disks to a DECstation.

This should work in most older systems, equipped with only SCSI-2 50 pin SCSI bus(es). Why do it? It's hard to get bigger/faster 50 pin SCSI disks (normally the largest 50 pin disks you can find easily are about 4 GB), and you can get 68 pin or 80 pin disks cheaper. Luckily these adapters are also pretty cheap. 

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Last updated:  20-7-2008