Finally got Speedsys to run. It finished without problem, but the memory and cache speed seems awfully slow. Any thoughts or suggestions? This is for DX4-100/33 MHz FSB speed, Opti 82C802G chipset.

Tried with 40 MHz FSB - processor defaulted to 80 MHz (2x multiplier). Is this standard for DX4's or is this controlled by the motherboard/chipset?

As expected the memory speed is a bit faster with the faster FSB (and so is the hard disk), but still not great. There is a big difference in speed between the primary disk and the secondary disk, which looks like is using DMA access.

at 33MHz in the first pic your L2 cache gets about the same throughput as the main memory on my 486dx33

you should try to reduce your cache and memory wait states if possible

Honestly yes it seems too slow. I don't have any options in BIOS to change memory or cache timing. Is there any other option?

chublord wrote on 2020-07-11, 15:27:

Honestly yes it seems too slow. I don't have any options in BIOS to change memory or cache timing. Is there any other option?

there is a program called CTCHIP34 which can directly adjust chipset registers for such things, on supported chipsets

I love these old IBM Valuepoint machines. I have a similar one but the motherboard is very restrictive. No L2 cache, and it only takes a special IBM cache card similar to a COAST module for socket 7 boards. The bios is also very limited, and it will only run with drives smaller then 1.2GB. It seems you have the nicer revision with SRAM slots for L2 cache. Great find!

maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-07-11, 16:03:

chublord wrote on 2020-07-11, 15:27:

Honestly yes it seems too slow. I don't have any options in BIOS to change memory or cache timing. Is there any other option?

there is a program called CTCHIP34 which can directly adjust chipset registers for such things, on supported chipsets

Where can I get CTCHIP34? I don't see it on Google.

I love these old IBM Valuepoint machines. I have a similar one but the motherboard is very restrictive. No L2 cache, and it only takes a special IBM cache card similar to a COAST module for socket 7 boards. The bios is also very limited, and it will only run with drives smaller then 1.2GB. It seems you have the nicer revision with SRAM slots for L2 cache. Great find!

Thanks for the comment! I always thought it was a cool configuration.

http://www.rumil.de/uwsysuti.html#ctchip

Thanks! I'll try it out

Maybe the default memory/cache timings are just super slow. The system boots up just fine with 50 MHz FSB, even with 20 ns cache and 70 ns memory. Performance is definitely better.

chublord wrote on 2020-07-01, 02:22:

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:28:

The minimum RAM requirements are 200MB according to https://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/help/viewT … Name=minimumreq
Additionally, I would not be surprised if the x86 client application requires instructions that your 5x86 does not have .

Other than the "can it be done?" factor, is there a point to this ?

200 MB of RAM could include virtual memory, no?

And no - there's no real point to this other than to try and do it. It's a project. Does it need to be more?

Upgrade to Vista boi! Then you can use ReadyBoost... and set some low spec records along the way 😉

Good luck though! What a machine 😍

🤣 Vista! I would install XP at least if the installer didn't artificially prevent me from doing it.

Having some trouble getting the computer usefully connected to the internet. IE5 (or whatever it came with) can load the google search page, but virtually no web sites will load. K-Meleon does the same thing. I'm guessing there's some security layer missing that is keeping sites from loading?

I'm downloading Firefox 2 (last version that is Win98 compatible) to try next. I did toy around with KernelEx (kernel extender that emulates some WinXP+ features) without success.

"ES" is engineering sample. And that is intel.

Cheers,

I don't think this is going to work (stating the obvious??)

Looks like Win98 can no longer communicate on the internet using any modern security protocol. I got the client to connect, but it won't transmit anything. Same problem using even the latest browsers that could run on Win98 (Opera 10 seems like the most modern, but only supports up to TLS 1.1).

chublord wrote on 2020-07-02, 23:59:

Here's the machine I am working with, looks like an Opti 82C802G chipset. Need you guys' help though! […]
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Here's the machine I am working with, looks like an Opti 82C802G chipset. Need you guys' help though!

The installed chip is apparently a 486DX4-100 (per the sticker on the side). Now, this machine came with a DX2-66, so I know it originally was set up for 5V operation. I am concerned I will fry this DX4. Any way to tell if the chip is "5V tolerant"? Were there any DX4s that were 5V tolerant?

I'm curious if this is a genuine Intel chip. Any way to tell based on the underside? (I don't have any thermal adhesive at the moment, so I'm trying to avoid pulling the heatsink off)

There's a 5V/3V jumper on the motherboard - I assume a VRM would go here.

This post has nothing to do with the topic, as I would ask if you can do me a small favor.
I have also has a Ibm Valuepoint that has no cache.
From the this thread, and pictures posted your machine have.

The closest I have been is finding on the net, is the Ibm part numbers for the 128kb and 256kb sets they sold at the time, but nowhere does it say the type of chips it contained.
In particular I'm after what the markings of the 22 pin tag ram , as anything I have tried, is at best is ignored at boot, or most commonly causes the machine not to boot at all until removed.

For the 28 pin(?) I think I have compatible chips.

If not too much trouble could you either write it down, or take a picture where chip markings are shown.

Nice to see a fellow Valuepoint owner, seems pretty uncommon these days!

I am not sure that the actual cache chips were original with the system. It's possible I swapped them out a long time ago (I had a lot of old PC equipment and it migrated between systems). But it does recognize 256k cache. I did not change the tag ram.

I did notice that per the Opti 802C chipset documents, it must be a 15ns tag ram chip for most common FSB speeds.

There's one additional 20ns SRAM chip on the other side of the riser that I couldn't get a picture of without taking things apart.

Thanks a lot for the pictures.
Just ordered 2 of the 15 ns tag ram chips (one as a spare).

The other 9 I hope I already have the correct type of, but will save your pictures in case it is not so.

Again thank you very much, as I have spent way to much time trying to get information on what chips to get, and hopefully may be useful for somebody else some day.

For record:
CY7C187 - 15PC is the tag ram 22 pin x1
Toshiba TC55328P-20 and/or KM68257CP-20 x9

Viserion wrote on 2020-08-03, 11:57:

Thanks a lot for the pictures. Just ordered 2 of the 15 ns tag ram chips (one as a spare). […]
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Thanks a lot for the pictures.
Just ordered 2 of the 15 ns tag ram chips (one as a spare).

The other 9 I hope I already have the correct type of, but will save your pictures in case it is not so.

Again thank you very much, as I have spent way to much time trying to get information on what chips to get, and hopefully may be useful for somebody else some day.

For record:
CY7C187 - 15PC is the tag ram 22 pin x1
Toshiba TC55328P-20 and/or KM68257CP-20 x9

A small update.
I finally got the chips, and togheter with the 9 I had bought before, I now have 256kb cache on my Valuepoint.

Many thanks again for the help.