gravitone wrote:

Finally got my k6 system back together. […]
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Finally got my k6 system back together.

specs:
A-open 300W atx powersupply
Gigabyte GA-5AX rev 4.1 board
K6-III+ 400 @ 600mhz, 100mhz bus. (2.2V)
256mb 100mhz SDRAM
20gb Maxtor IDE drive
AC copper silent 3 socket 370 cooler (Slight mod to fit)
Leadtek geforce 2 ultra 64mb
apocalypse 3dx
Diamond voodoo2 12mb
Diamond monstersound MX300
SB16 + DB60xg daughterboard
Etherlink III NIC

System seems 100% stable after some stress tests.

Problems:
All software related. Running windows 98SE, directx8 (no powerVR HAL)
tried detonator 23, 43, 71. Nvidia geforce2 demos run fine, Xisle tested, runs good too, but games like tomb raider 2 crap out with a nv dll erro, same with a3d room demo. I'll add some pics later.

Improvements:
Im thinking of getting a fast adaptect PCI scsi card and some fast scsi disks to improve over the slow ata 33 controller/hdd.

I'm using the same board for my ss7 system. Did you need a BIOS update to make the mobile work? My GA-5AX currently has a standard K6-3 400 and a Voodoo2 with a Vanta and just some standard creative PCI soundcard

I havent tried, but I updated to the latest bios before I installed the k6-3+. just to be on the safe side. Its bios revision f3 or f4 from the top of my head. Im not sure. Im going to try and clock it higher by upping the FSB. I removed the heatspreader from the CPU to allow for better cooling.

Nice overclock on that K6-3+! What model is it?

Its a k6-III+/400ATZ

Heh... I have the same, but mine is only stable up to 550 MHz, even with 2.2V (the CPU is a 1.6V part). So I settled to 2.0V, and now I get away with passive cooling. 😎

I think some boards overclock better. I had a FIC VA-503+ and two different K6-3+ chips that would do 550 max. Then I got a ASUS P5A and I manage 616 out of one of those chips (other got killed long ago hehe).

swaaye wrote:

I think some boards overclock better. I had a FIC VA-503+ and two different K6-3+ chips that would do 550 max. Then I got a ASUS P5A and I manage 616 out of one of those chips (other got killed long ago hehe).

I got 5 of those chips now so I'll bet atleast one of those should be able to make it to 600mhz 😀
Also got a couple k6-2+'s but I have no idea how good those would be at overclocking

swaaye wrote:

I think some boards overclock better. I had a FIC VA-503+ and two different K6-3+ chips that would do 550 max. Then I got a ASUS P5A and I manage 616 out of one of those chips (other got killed long ago hehe).

You're probably right. My P5A is an older rev. 1.04, so maybe the onboard components are not up to the task. I also have a newer rev. 1.06, but this revision has a severe bug: K6+ chips do not run properly (everything becomes really slow, as if the caches wouldn't work). It does work with "classic" K6-IIIs though, so I'm keeping it as a backup board.

Tetrium wrote:

Also got a couple k6-2+'s but I have no idea how good those would be at overclocking

K6-2+ CPUs are supposed to overclock better than K6-3s, because of the smaller L2 cache size.

5u3 wrote:

You're probably right. My P5A is an older rev. 1.04, so maybe the onboard components are not up to the task. I also have a newer […]
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swaaye wrote:

I think some boards overclock better. I had a FIC VA-503+ and two different K6-3+ chips that would do 550 max. Then I got a ASUS P5A and I manage 616 out of one of those chips (other got killed long ago hehe).

You're probably right. My P5A is an older rev. 1.04, so maybe the onboard components are not up to the task. I also have a newer rev. 1.06, but this revision has a severe bug: K6+ chips do not run properly (everything becomes really slow, as if the caches wouldn't work). It does work with "classic" K6-IIIs though, so I'm keeping it as a backup board.

Tetrium wrote:

Also got a couple k6-2+'s but I have no idea how good those would be at overclocking

K6-2+ CPUs are supposed to overclock better than K6-3s, because of the smaller L2 cache size.

I've read this bug on newer revisions of P5A and P5A-B over and over...but does anyone happen to know why??
Thank god my board is also a 1.04 😀

I can only recommend the ga-5ax boards. rev 4.x and 5.x are rock solid, and overclock consistently so far (tried 3 boards upto now).

Dont forget to remove the heatspreader from the CPU to expose the die to overclock succesfully. You will also need a good copper core cooler.

gravitone wrote:

I can only recommend the ga-5ax boards. rev 4.x and 5.x are rock solid, and overclock consistently so far (tried 3 boards upto now).

Dont forget to remove the heatspreader from the CPU to expose the die to overclock succesfully. You will also need a good copper core cooler.

Don't forget it's AT "brother" 😉

http://www.gigabyte.eu/Products/Motherboard/P … ductName=GA-5AA

Only problem I've had is that it doesn't like high power AGP gfx cards

Yup, a common problem with AGP boards of that era. My GA-5AX has a voodoo2 combined with a TNT2 Vanta 16mb AGP which consumes very little power. At first I thought the Vanta was just 'filler', a card I'd put in a system if I just needed something to fill the AGP slot with but I've kinda grown to like them 😀
Doesn't even have a heatsink, great 2D performance and easy with the drivers.

I'd rather not remove the heatsink from one of my mobiles, I'd rather stick with 'just' 550mhz then 🤣 😜

which cards wouldnt work then? the geforce 2 ultra im using is quite power hungry for its time me thinks. No point dumping a geforce4 or anything more advanced in there.

Tetrium wrote:

I'd rather not remove the heatsink from one of my mobiles, I'd rather stick with 'just' 550mhz then 🤣 😜

Yeah, those extra 50 MHz won't help much - particularly with regard to the K6's pathetic FPU performance. The mobile chips are excellent retro gaming CPUs (multipliers software selectable at runtime! 😎), but they just don't cut it for heavy 3D stuff.

gravitone wrote:

which cards wouldnt work then? the geforce 2 ultra im using is quite power hungry for its time me thinks. No point dumping a geforce4 or anything more advanced in there.

Performance-wise, even the GF2 Ultra is overkill. I's going to spend most time waiting for the CPU to catch up.
The problems with fast (contemporary) video cards on Super Socket 7 boards seems to be blown out of proportion to me.

My thinking is that the best video cards for K6 rigs are Voodoo3/4/5. Voodoo5 is overkill but you have FSAA which is definitely worthwhile.