vetz wrote:

obobskivich wrote:

On the differences on Intel chipsets, this was/is very informative:
http://www.motherboards.org/articles/tech-pla … ations/7_2.html

Some errors in that info, like saying 430FX doesn't support EDO and PB cache. It does. I like this comparison better:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/chip/pop/g5i … mparison-c.html

Great information, didnt never knew that 128MB memory on those cheaper / lower cost intel chips FX / VX / TX would be just useless. So these boards just cant cache more then 64MB..
Didnt know these chipset where that limited...

Robin4 wrote:

Great information, didnt never knew that 128MB memory on those cheaper / lower cost intel chips FX / VX / TX would be just useless. So these boards just cant cache more then 64MB..
Didnt know these chipset where that limited...

Remember exactly how much memory 128MB or 256MB would have been in 1996-1997... 🤣 For example Windows 95 only requires 4MB of memory at base.

I remember having 256MB in my SS7 board for Voodoo 2 benchmarking. It was very sluggish. Went back to 64MB and everything was fine 😀

Hi guys thanks so much for all your assistance. I've been doing a bit more research and making some purchases based on what you've all said.

HDD: So far I've bought a few IDE to CF adapters to replace the hard drives.

Video: From what I've read here its good to have a few different cards so I'll start off with the s3 Trio64V+ which comes with the machine I've bought as well as a S3 Virge /DX I found cheap just to try.

Sound Card: After reading about the FM chip in the AWE64s I've gone back to my original idea of the AWE32 (CT3980). I'm also trying to source a Gravis just for fun.

Processor and MB is still causing me a dilemma which I was hoping to get some advice on. I started off with the whole recreate my old PC thing but the more I look at this I think it would be fun to try and build a 233MMX machine.

So here are my options (1) stick with the AT board I've got but plug in a MMX voltage regulator mod and add in a 233MMX - no downsides that I can see and I keep my old AT PSU. But not too sure on the whole mod thing.

Option (2) buy a socket 7 MMX board i.e. a TX chipset and 233MMX chip but I then need a new PSU. I'm confused about what I've read though it seems a ATX ver 1.3 board can't use a modern ATX ver 2.3 PSU due to something about the -5V rail and ISA sound cards (which of course I have)
This thread on vogons ATX Power Supply Quality has a discussion about it but I'm not savvy enough to understand the implications. Can I use a modern PSU on a circa 1997 ATX board?

Thanks for any advice.

S

On the modern PSU thing, FWIW, I've started up my Asus TX-97E (it has an MMX 200 installed) with an Antec SmartPower 2.0 500W (which is an ATX 2.0 PSU - it's somewhat older by today's standards (as in, they don't make it anymore), but "very modern" (years newer) to a Pentium 1) with no problems. Sure the extra 12V connectors aren't plugged into anything, and it's total overkill, but it lets me use soft-start and there's no "Now Safe To Turn Off Your Computer" messages (honestly that's still a trip seeing Windows 95 run without that...).

I don't have any ISA cards in that system though (and the thread seems to indicate it's only specific cards that will tax the -5V rail). As far as the +5V rail being "smaller" on new PSUs - it is indeed, but we're talking about say, 15-25A on newer PSUs vs up to 40A on older models. It can matter for an overclocked AthlonXP, but shouldn't be a concern for a bone-stock Pentium MMX (where the entire system will probably draw under 80W at the wall). I'd agree with going with a new PSU if you don't have one - the thread author makes a great point about the unknown of used/NOS/etc PSUs and the risk a bad/failing PSU can pose to a system. The thread also makes a good point about modern very high capacity PSUs being mostly worthless for older machines, because the +5V tends not to "grow" proportional to total DC output (e.g. I have a modern 860W PSU that provides less output on its +5V than the Antec, despite being able to provide more power than the entire Antec on just its 12V rail).

My complete P5-133 is between 46 and 51W at the wall in a 220V country.

sunaiac wrote:

My complete P5-133 is between 46 and 51W at the wall in a 220V country.

That's about what I see on my P-MMX 200 as well; this is on an ATX PSU that's not-so-great in terms of efficiency (I think its spec'd at around 63% average).

Hi all thanks to all you responded. I've finally got my first retro PC working and its been fantastic. I've learned (relearned!) a lot of great retro PC lore. in addition to the advice here the Vogons driver library has been really helpful. So far I've restored old PCI and ISA cards, attempted to resolder an old RTC battery, retrobrighted a few old cases and keyboards and worked out how to make a CF IDE adapter work as an HDD. All in all a worthwhile experience. I'm now going to try another build just for fun.

BTW: re: my question about ATX PSUs. Not all are equal. As a few posts on this forum detail, the original ATX PSUs had a -5V line to power ISA slots which I needed to power my AWE32 and AWE64 cards. It was an interesting process tracking down these early ATX models - all part of the fun.

Thanks again for all your assistance.

S

Just remember the 16 megabyte memmory limit in 16 bit Os/2, and why this makes 256 megabyte insane for Os/2 machines.
Shure more memmory is great and 32 bit Os/2 can utilize 16+ megabyte, yet, the machine has to be able to make the "memmory hole".
I remember that 16 megabyte memmory was the shit to have in a homecomputer in 1995. Personally, I had 8 megabyte back then.

stevemagin wrote:

Sound Card: After reading about the FM chip in the AWE64s I've gone back to my original idea of the AWE32 (CT3980). I'm also trying to source a Gravis just for fun.

GUS is very expensive, if you check ebay. 180 to 270 US-Dollars.
Try and search for one, on a flea market or other places like that.
I found an Soundblaster 16 PRO PNP for like 3.66 dollars. (That is 20 Danish Kroner's)