K Hinze wrote:
> On 27 Aug 2002 12:23:04 -0500
> Brent Metzler <linux at bmetzler.org> wrote:
> 
> 
>>I just noticed on the back of the latest Tiger Direct catalog that
>>they were selling Via C3 processors.  In fact, they were only $20
>>more then a comparable Duron mhz wise.
>>
>>I haven't heard of the C3 processor before.  Does anyone know
>>anything about it?  What makes it special?  Is it worth the extra
>>money?
>>
>>Their product page (http://www.via.com.tw/en/viac3/c3.jsp) claims
>>that it's Linux compatible.  
>>
>>It looks like with the right hardware this could be made into a
>>small quiet thinstation for the living room.
>>
>>Any thoughts?
> 
> 
> Via bought Cyrix a while back and have tried to revive the
> bargain-basement chip manufacturer. I had a few old CyrixInstead PR225
> and PR300 chips back then, PR standing for Pentium Rated. They were
> socket 7 chips that ran incredibly hot. They weren't the stablest
> chips on the block, and my boxes had a tendency to eat CPU fans. (one
> fan warped its piece of spring steel so bad it lost its spring, and
> the fan simply fell off). 
>

I believe the via c3 is aimed at the settop/home appliance market and is 
designed to run without a cpu fan (as long as there is sufficient 
airflow through the appliance), it still needs a heat sink.  Double 
check that though I don't want to be responsible for burning out a cpu.

I've played with 3 of them before the c3 was officially released.  The 
initial batch wasn't very stable, but the later ones ran without any 
problems I noticed.

Initially they weren't supported by the linux kernel as they identified 
themselves by the core of another company that via bought out (Centaur I 
  believe).  That was in earlier 2.4 kernels. It should be supported now.

The 600Mhz version was on par with a p3 450.

Eric