Just get a CPU with on-die L2 cache 😀

I believe some of the early VIA chipsets can do this, but don't quote me on that.

430HX will cache up to 512MB, but that does not support SDRAM.

vetz wrote:

I believe some of the early VIA chipsets can do this, but don't quote me on that.

430HX will cache up to 512MB, but that does not support SDRAM.

Namely VIA VP3. However, it does have barely functional AGP.

What's wrong with an AGP slot anyway? You don't have to use it.

I believe VIA VP2 can cache 512MB. FIC PA2007 has this chipset and is ISA/PCI only. 1MB cache, this is a great board for Cyrix chips 😀

RacoonRider wrote:

Namely VIA VP3. However, it does have barely functional AGP.

Source on that? I've been using a MVP3 mobo for several years now with agp vgas, didn't notice anything wrong

vetz wrote:

430HX will cache up to 512MB, but that does not support SDRAM.

Given the right amount of tag RAM.
Not supporting SDRAM is IMO only an inconvenience when sourcing those modules, it should still be faster than 430VX or 430TX with SDRAM.
Of course with higher FSB this becomes more relevant.

@kokornov: You could check http://pclinks.xtreemhost.com/chipsets_pentium.htm
Possible options from this list:
ALi Aladdin IV(+) (tag RAM is relevant)
(SiS 5596 - no SDRAM)
some early VIA chipsets

But honestly, just get a board with AGP and ignore the AGP slot. The later chipsets and boards should be more mature anyway.

Just to be clear, noone here is expecting to get a ss7 board , use a geforce256+ on it and expect it to fly, right?
I don't understand the "ignore AGP slot advices", what did you install there and gave you problems?

I wrote this because kokornov asked about a non-AGP board. Maulwurf basically wrote the same, you don't have to use the AGP slot.
I don't mean that the AGP slot is useless. Even if you can't use newer/faster AGP cards several cards are more easily available as AGP variants and therefore cheaper. (Basically anything from TNT/Rage128 on is rather rare as PCI.)
Examples of AGP cards I used on socket 7 boards: Rendition V2200 (better availability for AGP, especially with 8MB RAM), TNT2 (better availability), Geforce2 MX (better availability, was at the time the cheapest solution with DVI output).