VOGONS


First post, by viper32cm

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Last year I purchased a used Zenith Data Systems Z-Station GT with a 100Mhz Pentium. The motherboard is made by Jabil Circuit, Inc. and features an Opti Viper 82C558M chipset. Based on my research and the dates codes on the motherboard, it appears that the system was sold in mid or late 1995. The motherboard has jumpers for CPU voltage and bus frequency and a four DIP-switch unit for setting the multiplier. Would it be possible to install a Pentium 200 or 200MMX in this system?

Reply 1 of 9, by The Serpent Rider

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Pentium 200 - yes.
Pentium 200 MMX - if 2.8v option is present.

I must be some kind of standard: the anonymous gangbanger of the 21st century.

Reply 2 of 9, by Deksor

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

If not, pentium MMX overdrive could be an option as well, but much harder to find

Trying to identify old hardware ? Visit The retro web - Project's thread The Retro Web project - a stason.org/TH99 alternative

Reply 3 of 9, by dionb

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

There are even some Evergreen/Powerleap upgrade socket/CPU combinations that could go further, up to a K6-2 400 (6x 66MHz) - but they make the MMX overdrive look common, so unless you are very lucky (or have excessively deep pockets) you can forget that.

Reply 4 of 9, by viper32cm

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Deksor wrote:

If not, pentium MMX overdrive could be an option as well, but much harder to find

There are a few available on eBay right now, but they are kind of pricey, including this one in box: https://tinyurl.com/y7kapdea. Interesting point, though: if you read the back of the box it states that the processor may only operate at 166Mhz. Why would that be given a 66Mhz FSB?

Reply 5 of 9, by viper32cm

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
dionb wrote:

There are even some Evergreen/Powerleap upgrade socket/CPU combinations that could go further, up to a K6-2 400 (6x 66MHz) - but they make the MMX overdrive look common, so unless you are very lucky (or have excessively deep pockets) you can forget that.

Funny you should mention that. When I bought this computer last year, I briefly toyed with the idea of upgrading it using an Evergreen/Powerleap combo as a sort of "what if" computer to see what it would have been like if I had upgraded my childhood Pentium 100 instead of building a Pentium II 350. However, I couldn't justify the expense, especially since I still have the PII-350 and now a PIII-1000.

Reply 6 of 9, by Thermalwrong

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
dionb wrote:

There are even some Evergreen/Powerleap upgrade socket/CPU combinations that could go further, up to a K6-2 400 (6x 66MHz) - but they make the MMX overdrive look common, so unless you are very lucky (or have excessively deep pockets) you can forget that.

They pop up occasionally, sometimes people don't realise they're different from regular K6-2 chips. I've seen a K6-2 (k6tm) 333 AFR I think that's like that?

Reply 7 of 9, by viper32cm

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

I think I found the answer to my question. It looks like motherboards using that chipset from that period of time did not support the lower core voltage for MMX CPUs but they did support a 3x clock multiplier, so the question now is Pentium Classic 200 or Pentium Overdrive 200.

Reply 9 of 9, by Nipedley

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

With sufficient cooling you can run an MMX cpu at the higher voltage. I did it for a long time with no problems (YMMV)

The best you can get though is the Powerleap K6-III adapter, paired with a K6-III 400. But it's really not worth the cost !