First off that's not microATX but flexATX, so you'd need a flexATX (or even smaller DTX or miniITX) board with PC/PCI ("SB-Link") header if you wanted to replace it.

Now, as for it's presence on this board: what makes you think there is one?

The header looks like this:

- so a block of six pins with one missing on the side as a key.

Ther only place I see anything remotely similar is that block of six pins between the southbridge and the front panel connectors, but it has the key in the wrong place. I doubt it's what you are looking for...

I wasnt thinking there would be one. Just hoping tbh.
Never heard of FlexATX tho!
Thats very interesting.

Also I suspect you'd lose the fancy front panel stuff with a different motherboard. I'd recommend keeping this case and motherboard paired up. If you want DOS audio, go for a PCI card that doesn't need PC/PCI to do DMA, something with a chip like an ESS Solo-1 or Aztech AZF3328 instead.

dionb wrote on 2019-01-26, 13:54:

go for a PCI card that doesn't need PC/PCI to do DMA, something with a chip like an ESS Solo-1 or Aztech AZF3328 instead.

That's all rather confusing. Isn't the very 'Terratec Solo-1' one of the few cards, that actually have that bloody header? So how does it not need that?
Also, the SB-live is supposed to have decent DOS support, how does it do that?

Cuttoon wrote on 2020-03-08, 12:31:

[...]
That's all rather confusing. Isn't the very 'Terratec Solo-1' one of the few cards, that actually have that bloody header? So how does it not need that?
Also, the SB-live is supposed to have decent DOS support, how does it do that?

Welcome to the wonderful world of D-DMA, DS-DMA, WB-DMA and T-DMA. The challenge is that DOS programs expect to communicate with sound hardware over pre-defined IRQ and DMA lines. ISA has them, PCI doesn't. So to get PCI sound working in DOS you need to somehow present DOS programs with what looks like the resources they need, while routing that over a bus not designed for it.

SBLink/PC/PCI is the simplest solution: dedicated lines for ISA resources. Problem is that only ISA-supporting chipsets can use this, so with the exception of a few highly integrated boards, everything with SBLink already has ISA slots, and this isn't a solution for chipsets without it - which sort of defeats the purpose as those are the ones where you need PCI sound in the first place.

The other options use various schemes to send the stuff over PCI anyway. This requires some degree of motherboard chipset support, and it invariably requires a DOS TSR to listen for activity on the DMA and IRQ lines. Problem is that there is not one size to fit all, which is why a lot of chipsets implement different solutions - and you can find both PC/PCI and T/D-DMA on the same chipset.

Last time I checked the Terrarec Solo-1 didn't have a PC/PCI header. Many also lacked the wavetable header, but they do have the pads for that (soldering those on was what I was doing the last time I checked a Solo-1 😉 ). It definitely supports T-DMA (with TSR) and D-DMA (without one). Yamaha YMF74x-based cards generally do have PC/PCI headers and they support D-DMA. Here's a list of motherboard chipsets that support that. If you don't have native ISA(=PC/PCI) support, DDMA is by far the simplest alternative.

So yes, it is all rather confusing, particularly because of the bewildering and poorly documented array of workaround techniques. Here's the best (albeit somewhat rambling) roundup of what's known: PCI sound cards and Chipsets from various manufacturers...

If you want to keep it simple, stick to ISA with DOS...

JustDavid wrote on 2019-01-24, 16:39:

I had a look at the board, but cant identify wether any of the pins are actual SB-Link pins so i thought i would ask here if someone can identify an SB-Link connector in the picture?

Problem is, as dionb illustrated, that this PC/PCI or sb_link connector is just a standard 2.54 mm (1/10 inch) PCB header with 2 by 3 pins. Usually one unused pin is missing, giving a C-shape like this:
+ +
+
+ +
(looking at an ATX mobo as usual, from the slots upwards, it'll most likely be rotated by 180°, the missing pin on the left.)
- So, especially if the manufaturer didn't bother to omit the 6th pin or designate it clearly, it's pretty much indistinguishable from all sorts of random connectors that go by the name "JPx".
Being a rather rare feature, they usually are cleary designated, though.
Seems to me that most can be found on Intel PII/PIII-Boards with the i440BX chipset (late 90s/2000). Don't think they made it into the p4 era.

That being said, there is one bit roughly matching above description in your picture in the bottom right corner, between the battery and that heat sink. But I don't think it is one.

Replacing the mobo for one that has such a header, as I said, don't think there are many beyond early P6 Chipset that feature it. So, while you maybe will find a board that fits physically, it would mean a bit of a sacrilege to use that unique case for one - and vice versa.
As dionb pointed out, the board is _not even_ micro-ATX, which would have room for 4 cards/slots below the ATX shield. Normal ATX has 7 and AT has 8, below the Keyboard connector.

rather go with dionb's advice, maybe tweak the graphics with some decent geforce of the same period and focus on Win98 games with that. For the few games that won't work with PCI sound or a fast machine, get a pizzabox 486 - everyone needs one, anyway.

The more important question remains:

That contraption in the first picture, does it take beans or ground coffee?

dionb wrote on 2020-03-08, 13:03:

Welcome to the wonderful world of D-DMA, DS-DMA, WB-DMA and T-DMA.

Thank you so much for that - I had learned about the underlying CF back in 386/SB16 times, but never had heard about DDMA so far.

Last time I checked the Terrarec Solo-1 didn't have a PC/PCI header.

Oh dear, you're opening up a can of worms.
The Solo-1 (aka 128i PCI) is surprisingly abundant here in Germany - I never looked for one and have at least three, including differences.
Header or just soldering pads, I don't even make that distinction in my head anymore. The can come with of without WT-header, PC/PCI or amplifier ICs - or any given permutation thereof.
(not even mentioning the different CD-audio connectors)
And, hold on to your seat, there even is a black/gold edition of it that doesn't look like a random piece of old junk you just salvaged from a trash heap.
(Even, and herein lies the real, eternal legacy of Terratec's design department, if it happens to be a random piece of old junk you just salvaged from a trash heap.)

Here's the best (albeit somewhat rambling) roundup of what's known

Thanks, that's on of the very few threads on the topic I haven't come by, yet. Or never botherered to read, seeing that it starts of with the great wall of not-china...

If you want to keep it simple, stick to ISA with DOS...

My thoughts exactly, what's the point if you can't fumble around with bulky old cards with rust on the bracket? But later Win9x systems are nice with a card that can do A3D or EAX and the base-1 might just be the cheapest/most elegant way to avoid a buggy sb16 als a wavetable carrier. If one gets all that DMA-IRQ-BS right...

This thread confuses me. Someone is looking for assistance with SB-Link and about all people try to persuade him/her in a very obtrusive kind of way to use hacky PCI stuff instead (PC/PCI, DDMA etc).
If both the main board and the soundcard have SB-Link, why shouldn't he/she use it ? 😕
Also, what's so wrong in not using an ISA soundcard, but using a PCI soundcard with separate ISA IRQ/DMA ?
This makes less use of ISA bandwith and instead makes use of PCI bandwith which PCI has plenty of. 😀

Edit: Never mind. I had a bad day. I perhaps should have used a more friendly tone here. 😊

Jo22 wrote on 2020-03-08, 18:45:

This thread confuses me.

You've come to the right place for confusion. All this deals with running ambitious entertainment software on glorified typewriters. It's basically headache on a cob. If there are aspects of it that get any less hacky, I'm yet to find out.

Someone is looking for assistance with SB-Link and about all people try to persuade him/her in a very obtrusive kind of way to use hacky PCI stuff instead (PC/PCI, DDMA etc).

If you read my 14:11 reply beyond the initial confusion, you'll notice that it provides all the assistance one can get to locate that header on the mainboard, short of visiting him and pointing it out.
If it is there, after all.

If both the main board and the soundcard have SB-Link, why shouldn't he/she use it ? :confused:

Because it has not. The mainboard.

Also, what's so wrong in not using an ISA soundcard, but using a PCI soundcard with separate ISA IRQ/DMA ?

Let me try a metaphor: In theory, nuclear energy is great. In practice, it's Fukushima.

This makes less use of ISA bandwith and instead makes use of PCI bandwith which PCI has plenty of. :)

The original Half-Life, a fairly recent game in this context, uses sound samples of 8 bit, 11 kHz. That translates to roughly 88.000 bit/s bandwidth for digital sound.
IIRC, 16 bit ISA has a bandwidth of around 65.000.000 bit/s. And since the introduction of VLB, chances are, there's little more to do for it besides the mighty RS-232.
I think it'll manage. ;)

Edit: Never mind. I had a bad day.

And I was hung over. Otherwise might have been more, erm, concise and less obtrusive. Then again, not quite sure what that word even means.
This is all nerdy as f***. It doesn't get any cozier. :)

Jo22 wrote on 2020-03-08, 18:45:

This thread confuses me.

[...]

Edit: Never mind. I had a bad day. I perhaps should have used a more friendly tone here. 😊

Look at the dates. Cuttoon responded to a post of mine from a year ago. From there onwards this had nothing to do with the original question 😉

And yes, DOS PCI audio is downright confusing at best, and "best" is indeed using PC/PCI if available.

Jo22 wrote on 2020-03-08, 18:45:

Someone is looking for assistance with SB-Link and about all people try to persuade him/her in a very obtrusive kind of way to use hacky PCI stuff instead (PC/PCI, DDMA etc).
If both the main board and the soundcard have SB-Link, why shouldn't he/she use it ? 😕

I hate to be that guy, but SB-Link and PC/PCI are the same thing.