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Post your 386 Speedsys results here

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First post, by feipoa

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As the topic suggests, post your Speedsys specs for your 386 system. I thought it would be nice to keep these all together for quick reference. Ideally, we want to see results with cache and memory timings optimised. Please also note which motherboard chipset, CPU, and FPU are used.

I have attached results from a CHIPS-based 386 and a SiS-based 386. The CHIPS board contains F82C351/355/358 chipsets, while the SiS contains a single SiS460. Both motherboards support 256 KB L2 cache, 32 MB of RAM, and a Cyrix/TI 486DLC. The SiS board also seems to work with a 486SXL w/8 KB of L1 cache, as shown by the L1 segment in Speedsys. The CHIPS board has a 486DLC inserted. Both results are with a Cyrix CX-83D87-40GP FPU.

I have only begun my journey into the world of 386 optimisation. What are the fastest 386 chipsets to work with a 486DLC-40 or 486SXL-40?

UMC481-based motherboard

UMC481_Cyrix486SXL-40.png
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CHIPS351-based motherboard - Biostar MB-1340C

CHIPS351-Biostar-CyrixSXL40.png
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Last edited by feipoa on 2015-04-06, 12:14. Edited 9 times in total.

Plan your life wisely, you'll be dead before you know it.

Reply 2 of 325, by feipoa

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Could you also note which chipset the motherboard was used and what CPU/FPU are installed? I have edited the original post to reflect this. I'm trying to get an idea for which motherboards have the best L2 and memory throughput.

Yes, that was a fantastic thread. I'm hoping this thread will mainly contain just the Speedsys results and system specifications. I've enclosed their results, however I don't know which chipset they used. I'm particularly interested in what chipset is in Old Thrashbarg's computer.

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Plan your life wisely, you'll be dead before you know it.

Reply 3 of 325, by Old Thrashbarg

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I'm particularly interested in what chipset is in Old Thrashbarg's computer.

Mine is the old Sis 'Rabbit' chipset, with the 85C310/320/330 + 85C206. It's a Chaintech 325/333/340SCD motherboard.

If it matters, it has a Cyrix x87DLC/33 copro, and was set for a 10mhz ISA bus speed.

Also, I have 20ns cache, so I couldn't tighten the latency settings all the way. IIRC I was running a 3-2-2-2 setting, but the BIOS also has options for 3-1-1-1 or 2-1-1-1 that I could use if I had faster cache. I can't remember what the memory wait states were set to... maybe if I get some time I'll pull the machine out and check.

Reply 4 of 325, by feipoa

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Wow, so you can get your cache and maybe RAM timings even better? That is amazing. That board would be the clear winner of the 386 race.

I just so happen to have a 325SD/325SCD/333SCD/340SCD board, but about 30 traces have been entirely eaten away by the acid battery. It is the worst case of battery acid death I've seen on a board. Even the through-hole copper cylinders have been eaten away, which is the worst news. I will try to fix it, but if there are any centre layer contact points at the through-hole, connection won't be made. I'll try to stuff in some conductive silver and a copper wire lead for the though holes.

If you ever bring that board out again, could you send me high resolution photos of about 3" square around the area where the rechargeable battery once was? I need top and bottom of the board. I'd need this to follow the traces for areas on my board where the trace outline is no longer visible (due to the ISP). I have the official printed manual and could make a PDF of it if there is interest in this.

Plan your life wisely, you'll be dead before you know it.

Reply 5 of 325, by Old Thrashbarg

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Pulling the board isn't a problem, but my digicam quit working awhile ago and I haven't got round to replacing it yet. Not that it would've been able to take a detailed photo like that anyway.

However, I'll try to remember that request for when I can get ahold of a new camera.

Reply 6 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: PC Chips M-321
Chipset: PC Chips 4L04F1282/4L04F1666/82C206
Cache: 256k 15ns WB (write-back chip installed)
Memory: 32M Parity
CPU: AM386DX/DXL-40
FPU: No

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  • M321.gif
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Reply 7 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: PC Chips M-321
Chipset: PC Chips 4L04F1282/4L04F1666/82C206
Cache: 256k 15ns WB (write-back chip installed)
Memory: 32M Parity
CPU: AM386DX/DXL-40
FPU: CX-83D87-40-GP

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  • M321_FPU.gif
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    M321 + 386DX-40 + CX83D87-40
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Reply 8 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: MX-386
Chipset: MACRONIX MX83C305FC/MX83C306FC
Cache: 8k integrated
Memory: 8M
CPU: AM386DX-40
FPU: No

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  • MX386.gif
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Reply 9 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: Unknown 386/486 hybrid
Chipset: Unichip U4800/SIS 85C206
Cache: 256k 20ns WB
Memory: 8M
CPU: AM386DX-40
FPU: No

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Reply 10 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: PC Chips M-326
Chipset: SARC RC4018A4 | UMC UM82C493F
Cache: 128k 20ns WT
Memory: 16M 60ns Parity
CPU: AM386DX-40
FPU: No

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  • M326.gif
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Reply 11 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: PC Chips M-326
Chipset: SARC RC4018A4 | UMC UM82C493F
Cache: 128k 20ns WT
Memory: 20M Parity
CPU: TI486DLC-40 (1k L1-cache)
FPU: No

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  • M326_DLC.gif
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Last edited by dca2 on 2012-08-09, 13:47. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 12 of 325, by dca2

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Motherboard: PC Chips M-326
Chipset: SARC RC4018A4 | UMC UM82C493F
Cache: 128k 20ns WT
Memory: 20M Parity
CPU: TI486DLC-40 (1k L1-cache)
FPU: CX-87DLC-40QP

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  • M326_87D.gif
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Reply 13 of 325, by elianda

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Here are two systems I have:
386_1.GIF
CPU: AMD 386DX-40 with i387-33
Mainboard: ETEQ386-8
RAM: 32 MB (8 x 4 MB SIMM)
Graphics card: TSENG ET4000 with 1 MB and Truecolor DAC (image similar)
Network card: 3Com 3C509b / 10 MBit/s (image similar)
Soundcards: SB 16 ASP (DSP 4.05) with WaveBlaster (CT1900) and Gravis Ultrasound PnP with 8 MB
HDD: Quantum Fireball 1280A, Samsung SHD-30560A
CD: Sony CDU-33A double speed drive on proprietary controller
Disk: 3.5" and 5.25" drive

386_2.GIF
CPU: AMD 386DX-40 with Cyrix FasMath CX83D87-40-GP
Mainboard: SiS chipset
RAM: 32 MB (8 x 4 MB SIMM)
Graphics cards:
TSENG ET4000 with 1 MB and Truecolor DAC (image similar)
Number Nine GXiTC with Acumos2 VGA part 512 kB and TIGA with 4 MB framebuffer and 1 MB instruction RAM.
Network card: 3Com Etherlink III
Soundcards:
Primax Altrasound (identical to GUS CD3) with 1 MB
Terratec EWS64S with 18 MB
Mass storage: Adaptec 1542B with Micropolis 4421 HDD (1 GB useable)
5.25" and 3.5" HD disk drive attached to the Adaptec controller
Serial/Parallel port card with 16450 UARTs.
Sony CDU-33A doublespeed CD-ROM on proprietary controller card.
Seventeam ST-221WHT AT power supply

Here are also links to images of the hardware: http://mail.lipsia.de/~enigma/neu/retropcs.html

I have no speedsys result screen from the Ali chipset 386 system though.

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Reply 14 of 325, by Anonymous Coward

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Elianda, that second system you listed is seriously nice. Is that one using the SiS Rabbit chipset as well? Could you take a photo of your motherboard for us?

Good call on the Tseng + TIGA combo. I have a similar setup in my EISA/VL 486, and it really gives the best of both worlds in DOS and Windows.

"Will the highways on the internets become more few?" -Gee Dubya
V'Ger XT|Upgraded AT|Ultimate 386|Super VL/EISA 486|SMP VL/EISA Pentium

Reply 15 of 325, by feipoa

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I too would like to see the motherboard; your memory read and move speeds seem unreal for a 386 motherboard. If you still have the system up and running, could you also let us know what results you get in cachechk?

Plan your life wisely, you'll be dead before you know it.

Reply 16 of 325, by Old Thrashbarg

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I found the picture of Elianda's motherboard on his site, and it's almost identical to my Chaintech... the only difference I see is that his has a socketed processor whereas mine is soldered-on. I'm betting it's just a later revision... mine was made sometime in Q3/Q4 '91, whereas his was early '92.

Reply 17 of 325, by elianda

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Yes it is this one: http://mail.lipsia.de/~enigma/neu/pics/mainboard_386dx40.jpg

The system looks currently like this:
ftp://78.46.141.148/pictures/386dx40_sys2/386desktop.jpg

So not much chance to get a board photo.

I also have this here:
ftp://78.46.141.148/pictures/386dx40_sys3/ali_system.jpg

Retronn.de - Vintage Hardware Gallery, Drivers, Guides, Videos. Now with file search
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Reply 18 of 325, by Markk

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elianda wrote:

I love that Soyo board. I used to have it as a kid, and I regret a lot selling it...

Reply 19 of 325, by feipoa

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elianda wrote:

You should really take out that rechargeable battery. There is no telling when it will ruin your board. When you get around to changing it to an external battery, could you send me high resolution photos of about 3" square around the area where the rechargeable battery once was? I need top and bottom of the board to follow the traces to fix my board. Thanks!

Plan your life wisely, you'll be dead before you know it.