3886_junkie - Will it run with dual 486DLC or 486SXL chips?

feipoa wrote:

3886_junkie - Will it run with dual 486DLC or 486SXL chips?

I would be surprised if anyone tested that before 😉 Compaq expected you to buy upgrade CPU cards not upgrade the CPUs. But there is no reason they wouldn't run - the multiprocessor logic in the SystemPro is external to the CPUs.

feipoa wrote:

3886_junkie - Will it run with dual 486DLC or 486SXL chips?

Hey... didn't realise this thread was still going, I really should start a new thread! (earlier than I would like).

Yea it works with 2 x DX40's and 2 x DLC's but are pulled back as they are limited to 33MHz. I have not yet tried 2 x SXL40's... I do have 2 x SXL2-50's though and are in the pipeline!

This is all part of a greater project... I will also up the clock from 33MHz to 40MHz and ensure the system has proper protection from overheating. I have a bunch of spare heatsinks and fans for the chipsets etc.

There are no options of course in the bios for enabling L1 cache so if it is possible... software may be the way to go, unless I get a pair of Dxr2's 33/66... where the cache is enabled by default. I don't know how the L1 once enabled will all work and interact (if it does) with the L2 cache onboard & the 385 cache controller in the mix... fun days ahead.

I will get round to starting a new thread, time being the issue!

GL1zdA wrote:

feipoa wrote:

3886_junkie - Will it run with dual 486DLC or 486SXL chips?

I would be surprised if anyone tested that before 😉 Compaq expected you to buy upgrade CPU cards not upgrade the CPUs. But there is no reason they wouldn't run - the multiprocessor logic in the SystemPro is external to the CPUs.

And here I thought I was going to get to surprize a few folk, but yes.. this is the plan! 🤣

It is (more or less) complete...

386_Junkie’s duo core 386; The modified Systempro!

2Mourty wrote on 2010-01-18, 08:34:

Browsing ebay and saw this: […]
Show full quote

Browsing ebay and saw this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Intel-PAT38PI-1-1 … #ht_3940wt_1161

Is there really such a thing as a dual 386 motherboard. If there is why? Was there an OS that could actually take advantage of that back in the day?

Maybe the other socket is for a 387 fpu.....

Myself and others built 2 computers for Los Alamos Labs that used the Mylex 386 Multiprocessor platform. If memory serves me right, the board accommodated both the Weitek and i387. I am not positive if addin card needed. At the time 1.2 gig SCSI was biggest drives, we put 5 with mirroring capabilities I each chassis. If memory is right I think it accommodated 32 SIMM modules on eisa card. I sold the one I had back in 90s for a BBS server. LANL used them for making the digital software for what was used to start the digital fi gerprint system. We made 5 machines to have one for testing hardware and CMOS configurations. Th4 same type system was used 4 making AMEX first online CC address processing software.

It’s unfortunate so many Webb articles from the 90’s have disappeared but Intel itself had actually made a scalable parallel 286 data center class server in the early to mid 80’s

If memory serves 16+ CPUs possible along with real memory as virtual memory and other goodies.

Would love to find the description of it again, It was a huge failure for Intel and only existed as a proof of concept so they have scrubbed a lot of their multiple 286 CPU propaganda though some of the early books mentioned notes on how to build a multiprocessor 286 system.

Ah well sands of time