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Wanted: high end 486 motherboard

L

luckybob

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
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Location
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I'm not going to be happy until I get this system built and the major hurdle is the motherboard at this point. The 486 motherboard I'm looking for must have the following requirements.

4x 72pin memory slots 256mb ram maximum (edo support a +)
4x pci slots
vesa slots a big +
must support 1mb cache

Examples from stason:
1 2 3 4

obviously it has to work, shoot me a PM if you have anything. thanks!
 
I can almost guarantee I've got a board that meets those requirements, but I don't know how to check if it supports 1MB cache. Some boards don't even have models or brands, so I can't just look them up, either. I could test for how much cache they have, but that doesn't tell you what they support.. Ideas?
 
Raven said:
I can almost guarantee I've got a board that meets those requirements, but I don't know how to check if it supports 1MB cache. Some boards don't even have models or brands, so I can't just look them up, either. I could test for how much cache they have, but that doesn't tell you what they support.. Ideas?
Click to expand...

"generally speaking" and "usually" when I see 1mb support there are 9 cache sockets, and they will take 32 pin chips.
 
Alright - I'm planning on building a 486 box myself, so I'll be looking through similar boards. If I find one that meets your requirements I'll post back.
 
I bought one of these from a lot auction on ebay a few weeks ago: http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/S/SOYO-COMPUTER-CO-LTD-486-SY-4SAW-2-W5.html

has everything I want except it will only take 512kb cache. It also does not like the number 9 VLB video card I was going to use.

I hate how this has stalled my project. I have a copy of mortal combat 2 on my shelf that I'm going to VERY MUCH enjoy once i get this going.

Also, I dont care if the board has onboard serial/parallel/ide. Its a non-concern.
 
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*bump* still looking... If someone out there HAS a board like this, and just doesnt want to sell it, giving me a model number to ebay for would be helpful...
 
How much RAM do you plan on running in this machine and whats the target application? 1MB of cache is extremely rare in 486 class machines. I don't know if it will make much of a speed difference if you are only running say 32MB of RAM.
 
I still haven't had a chance to look through my stuff again for ya - ended up getting contracted to do a bunch of computer work yesterday (yay now I can afford to pay my insurance and fix my transmission! :D) so I was busy. Hopefully will get to it today.

I can say that L2 cache is very inconsequential in my experience. My Presario 425 has ZERO L2 and manages to run everything slightly above average for a 486 box, like Quake - the L1 cache is far more important, but I'm sure you know that bit. However, maybe you have some app that can use it, or some trick that you want to try, or just want it to be the best - which I can understand.

Most games that you'd run on a 486 are targeted for a 286 or 386 "and up", so they don't require much juice. The remainder are things like Doom, Duke3D, and Quake. Doom runs fine on a 486 with a decent CPU (DX4 or better, might run "ok" on a dx2-66), Duke3D runs pretty good on my Am5x86-133, and Quake runs what some people call playably on it too. I imagine that with a better video card than I have in mine (onboard) it'd run them all great, but maybe L2 cache would make that difference too - dunno. My path is to get a POD83 running in there, and we're making good progress! :D
 
Raven said:
The remainder are things like Doom, Duke3D, and Quake. Doom runs fine on a 486 with a decent CPU (DX4 or better, might run "ok" on a dx2-66), Duke3D runs pretty good on my Am5x86-133, and Quake runs what some people call playably on it too. I imagine that with a better video card than I have in mine (onboard) it'd run them all great, but maybe L2 cache would make that difference too - dunno. My path is to get a POD83 running in there, and we're making good progress! :D
Click to expand...

Doom and Doom 2 run fine on a 80486DX33 with a VLB video card. Duke Nukem 3D really needs a Am5x86-133 with a strong S3 Virge or better video card. Just my personal experience. :D
 
njroadfan said:
How much RAM do you plan on running in this machine and whats the target application? 1MB of cache is extremely rare in 486 class machines. I don't know if it will make much of a speed difference if you are only running say 32MB of RAM.
Click to expand...

The full 256mb. The idea is that I can use 1/2 as a ram drive, and load smaller sames into it on demand. The 1mb cache will *should* make all of that 256mb cacheable. At least in theory.

shock__ said:
Not exactly what you're looking for (only has 512kb Cache and no VLB, but otherwise fits your requirements), but close-ish:
Gigabyte GA-586HX Actually my board seems to be another version ... this is a picture of the one I have (not my photo) http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/7844/ga586hx2zt9.jpg
PM if it's of interest for you.
Click to expand...

Sadly its a pentium, not a 486.

Also the "target application" will be the following games (in no particular order)

Carmageddon
Decent 2/3
Grand Theft Auto
Tomb Raider
Mortal kombat 2
Quake
Fallout 1 & 2 (i really hope so)
tie fighter & defender of the empire (still looking for xwing but w/e)

might try the original diablo and starseige tribes. :mrgreen:

I know a few games would most likely be better off on a pentium (read fallout) But its a slippery slope. If I say "pentium" then that means socket 7. then I end up just using my super 7 system and overkill it. besides I have older games I'd also like to try out.
 
luckybob said:
Carmageddon
Decent 2/3
Grand Theft Auto
Tomb Raider
Quake

[...] then I end up just using my super 7 system and overkill it.
Click to expand...
Not really, those games came out when the 486 was outdated already. While a 486 might meet their minimum requirements, I have severe doubts they will be enjoyable. I'm pretty certain that Descent 3 won't even run at all. See wikipedia
Also, you can always cut off L1/L2 cache on a Pentium, as well as underclocking it. That way they can go as low as 33mhz 386 machines performance wise.
 
njroadfan said:
How much RAM do you plan on running in this machine and whats the target application? 1MB of cache is extremely rare in 486 class machines. I don't know if it will make much of a speed difference if you are only running say 32MB of RAM.
Click to expand...

shock__ said:
Not exactly what you're looking for (only has 512kb Cache and no VLB, but otherwise fits your requirements), but close-ish:
Gigabyte GA-586HX Actually my board seems to be another version ... this is a picture of the one I have (not my photo) http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/7844/ga586hx2zt9.jpg
PM if it's of interest for you.
Click to expand...


you are correct. And I have given it a LOT of thought. If I cant get the motherboard I want I do have a few dual-pentium pro boards waiting in the wings. If you have ever seen an asus P65up5 in action... i'm going to snap a few pictures, brb.
 
well. It was a chipset thing mostly. Intel chipsets wont cache more than 64mb ever. save for the 430hx. It depended more on the tag ram in the cache. A 8 bit wide tag ram will cache 64mb of memory. However the 11 bit wide chips, if supported by the chipset will cache 512mb. this was "optional"
 
I have a Shuttle Hot-433 revision 1-3. I've never been able to get stable performance out of it though. I've tried iPOD83, Cyrix 5x86-100, Cyrix 5x86-120, Intel DX4-100, and Amd X5-133. I think there is something wrong with the UMC chipsets. Recently the keyboard controller has been acting up. I have it with 512KB Cache. Not sure where I'd get the 1024 SRAM Cache for it. I have tried it with 256 MB FPM ram, but the performance wasn't stable. Sometimes it failed to report the cache, sometimes it wouldn't boot depending on how the PCI cards were in place, it would get most of the way thru an NT4 install and then I'd get memory or driver errors. I've had 3 of these in the past and have never had much luck with them even with them on very conservative BIOS settings.

On the other hand, there are other options for you. A Biostar MB-8433UUD ver 3 or 3.1 will run with 256 MB FPM ram. I have had this configuration setup for sometime now. It passed all MemTest 4 tests and never crashed until one day the diskette controller died (and probably more). I'm not sure why. That was a ver 3.1. I am now using a ver 3.0 with 512 KB cache. I dropped the ram down to 128 MB because 256 MB was a bit overkill (and I wanted the other 128MB for use in my PC Chips M919). Both the Biostar MB-8433UUD and PC Chips M919 v3.4 are stable with FPM and EDO ram. However, I've noticed that to get stable performance out of the MB-8433UUD w/EDO ram, I had to use 3-2-2-2 L2 timings. The drawback of these two units is that they only have 3 PCI slots, but the M919 has a VLB if you are hung on having a VLB video card.

A 4 PCI slot MB is ideal though as this is a typical setup:
PCI Slot 1: Graphics Card
PCI Slot 2: SCSI Card or SATA Card
PCI Slot 3: 10/100 Network Card
PCI Slot 4: USB Card

I live without the USB card. You can trade the 10/100 card for an ISA EtherlinkIII card, but network transfers are so slow, but you'd get USB. I've been looking for years for a fast-running and stable 4 PCI slot Socket 4 and am doubtful that one exists. For me, it must be stable with a Cyrix 5x86-120 with all enhancements on (except for Branch Prediction, but that would be a big plus) and accept at least 128 MB FPM RAM.
 
Well as "luck" would have it, I did find a motherboard on ebay. I am however extremely reserved about buying it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250782843124&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

#1.
"I am a resident of Belarus. Although my country stays on the way of democratic changes but we are not permitted to be registered members of PayPal yet. That's why all ex-USSR (including Belarus) sellers and buyers have to use the help of their intermediary. You will pay on my intermediary transfer@protektion.com"

#2.
Working capacity I can not check up, therefore I sell "as is"

#3
Looks like it may be a "fake cache" board. The board pictured has cache sockets, but the bios is not socketed...

However the board is *exactly* what I want, So if it works... ^.^ But it is pricey...
 
luckybob said:
...However the board is *exactly* what I want, So if it works... ^.^ But it is pricey...
Click to expand...
What, exactly, makes it "*exactly* what you want"? Looks kinda generic, not much info, "as is", and your probably justified reservations... ??
 
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luckybob:

Check this link out - http://computers.shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=486-PVT-IO&_sacat=58058

I bought this same board late last fall and I can tell you that it's the best 486 setup that I ever had. I'm running two 64 MB sticks of 70-pin DRAM with a 256 cache. The cpu is an AMD5x86-P75 (133 Mhz) oc'd to 150 Mhz. My video card is a Speedstar VLB w/1 MB - nothing fancy. The current OS is Win95b & DOS 7. It runs DOOM at an acceptable (fully playable) rate. You can't go wrong for the money on this one - its NIB and they're hard to come by.
 
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