First post, by Briggz
Hi there, first time poster long time lurker 😀
I have an old socket 7 motherboard that I've been working on for a while now, I just recently upgraded the cpu but it doesn't appear to have had a noticeable impact on system performance.
For years I had an AMD k6-2 500mhz cpu, now I've upgraded to a k6-2+ 500mhz cpu.
The FPS results in 3dmark99 are almost the same using the new k6-2+, there is still noticble stuttering in the 2nd 3D test and the 3rd synthetic cpu test appears to run slower than when using the old k6-2.
System specs.
Motherboard: Asus P55T2P4 rev 3.10
BIOS: patched bios to support k6-2+ from http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/k6plus.htm
Memory: 256mb (4 x 64mb 72 pin EDO modules)
Video card: Voodoo 3 2000 PCI using amigamerlin 2.9 drivers (no overclocking, stock 143mhz)
HDD: old Maxtor 6GB IDE, still works perfect
OS: Windows 98SE clean install
New atx power supply (cut & soldered old AT power plug onto new psu) (missing -5v wire) 5v rail supports high amps
Replaced all electrolytic caps with new low esr caps
Did the cut and grind trick on the cmos time clock to hold new 2032 battery
I have the COAST module to expand up to 512mb ram but I've left it out for now.
CPU clock: Multiplier is 6, FSB is 83mhz, core voltage is 2.2v (picked up from kalles page)
Using CTU.exe to enable write combining (got the correct addresses using setk6.exe)
Here are some benchmark results,
AMD k6-2/500
PCmark2002 scores
CPU score: 771
Memory score: 467
HDD score: 223
3Dmark99MAX
1874 3D marks
4601 CPU marks
AMD k6-2+/500 (500ACZM, 2.0V)
PCmark2002 scores
CPU score: 819
Memory score: 514
HDD score: 234
3Dmark99MAX
2244 3D marks
4934 CPU marks
I've actually had the old k6-2 cpu running higher scores in 3dmark before but I just couldn't replicate it this time.
Side note: the k6-2 cpu I use is in conjunction with a TAG ram IC so the system can cache the full 256mb (k6-2 has no L2 cache)
The k6-2+ I don't use the TAG ram IC as it is able to cache the system ram using its own on die L2 cache (I disabled onboard L2 cache in BIOS)
I have confirmed using CTCM the new k6-2+ is caching the whole 256mb of ram - no uncacheable areas found
Whats weird though is CTCM says- write strategy L1: Write back, write allocation, linear fill, unknown-LRU (on the k6-2 it was something else)
Another weird thing while using the k6-2+ is setk6.exe says write allocation is enabled but then says its disabled at the bottom of the screen.
Example, I can disable write allocation using the /off command
I can re-enable using /on:256 command, however after I press enter is reports write allocation disabled?
Running CTU.exe or k6speed.exe under windows both report write allocation being enabled even when setk6 says disabled?
So.... maybe I got a bad cpu or I just set my expectations too high for the k6-2+
After looking at the benchmark results from philscomputerlab I thought my new k6-2+ would boost performance significantly?
P.S cheers to philscomputerlab for providing alot of useful information to me and the vogons message board