3dfx_fan wrote on 2025-10-31, 11:03:

Hi everyone, […]
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Hi everyone,

I'm building a retro setup with an Asus P3B-F motherboard (BIOS 1008.004 modded for PPro support from oezmen.eu) and a Pentium Pro 200MHz (256K) in a Slot1-to-Socket8 adapter (Epox KP6-0 . 00). POST passes fine, I can enter BIOS, set everything up (FSB and multiplier), and even install Windows 98SE/ME. However, the system freezes during boot right before the desktop loads (probably while loading/intializing some drivers - it seemed to install/intialize monitor correctly and had probably problem with something after monitor). So I entered safe mode installed some chipset drivers and restarted. Now it hangs on the "New Hardware Wizard" trying to install drivers for the "Intel(r) 82443BX/ZX/DX Processor to PCI bridge" (after installing Intel chipset INF in safe mode).

**Hardware details:**
- Motherboard: Asus P3B-F (440BX chipset)
- CPU: Pentium Pro 200MHz 256K (single, via Slot1-Socket8 adapter) - tried with various FSB and multiplier combos ranging from 133Mhz to 200Mhz (did not go over 200Mhz)
- RAM: tried 2 configs: 128MB and 1GB PC133 SDRAM
- GPU: nvidia Quadro2 MXR
- Storage: IDE to SATA HDD
- Other: no other PCI and ISA cards, IDE CD-ROM, different mouse and keyboard combos (PS/2 and USB - no difference)
- PSU: FSP Group ATX-300GTF (1) 300 WATT ATX 20-PIN, ATX12V 4-PIN, 5x MOLEX
- BIOS: 1008.004 modded for PPro support from oezmen.eu

**Symptoms:**
- **Win98SE:** Hangs in late boot phase (mouse cursor visible, hourglass flickers, detects/installs monitor briefly, then full freeze). Safe mode works fine. After chipset drivers install in safe mode, next normal boot triggers the wizard and hangs.
- **WinME:** Similar hangs, sometimes BSOD (e.g., protection errors, VxD faults) during 2nd part of OS install or boot, especially at serial key enter prompt.
- **Win95 OSR2.1:** Boots perfectly! Installed chipset drivers (Intel INF 3.20), and it runs quite stable – no issues (except 1 random freeze).
- **NT4/2000 (testing):** did not test.

**What I've tried:**
- BIOS tweaks: PnP OS = No
- No PCI/ISA cards, tested minimal config.
- Reduced RAM
- Flashed modded BIOS for PPro compatibility from oezmen.eu
- different mouse and keyboard combos (PS/2 and USB - no difference)

This seems tied to the PPro + adapter on 440BX. I have no such problems when using Pentium II.
Is it the aggressive PnP in 98/ME clashes with the PCI bridge detection, while 95 (and maybe NT) is more forgiving? Wondering if it's a timing/cache issue with the adapter?

**Questions:**
1. Anyone running similar Pentium Pro + Slot1 adapter on P3B-F or other 440BX boards with Windows 98(SE)/ME? Any specific BIOS hacks or microcode patches?
2. Would switching to 440LX (e.g., Asus P2L-97) help, or is ZX/LX worse?
3. Patch for Win98 PnP to skip PCI bridge? Or hotfixes?
4. Is that the case of the adapter/converter? Are there better ones?
5. Does Windows NT(4)/2000/XP work without issues with such a setup? I did not test.

Thanks in advance – love Vogons for these deep dives!

Cheers,
3dfx_fan

Hi, interesting topic, in the past I had the same idea 💡, because Socket 8 cards are too expensive and hard to find.
Having several Slot1 motherboards available, I looked for a Slot1-S.8 adapter, I didn't find any, except here on Vogons in a discussion, but in addition to an original Asus, there was a replica made by someone.
The main problem would be to understand, if it is due to the software, there could be a problem with a driver, or something like that.
In the past for example, with the K6-350 and Windows 95, there were problems solved later with an update file, considering that a P.Pro on i440BX is not such a common thing, there would be nothing strange, if something like this was needed.
If instead you think it's a HW problem, that is, your adapter works but is not 100% compatible with ASUS, I think it's not an easy solution, but if you have the opportunity to try it on a different Slot1 motherboard, maybe not ASUS, and it works without problems, it would be quite likely that it's an adapter problem.
https://www.cpushack.com/2020/09/09/finding-t … f-the-socket-8/

Have you tried a different/ more basic graphics card (something pci)?

I'd try that and see if it changes anything. If it does and you are able to finish any driver shenanigans THEN I'd try the quadro afterwards

Also avoid running 1gb of ram

ACPI is totally broken when using a PPro on P3B-F. I troubleshot this with Deniz Oezmen and he made a special BIOS for me that completely guts the ACPI tables in the BIOS and avoids most of these problems. It was called p3bf_no_acpi_tables. I'm not sure if it is available on his website or not, but it is available here on vogons:
Re: Modified BIOSes for ASUS P3B-F, P3V4X, P3V133, CUBX, CUBX-E/L and P3C-E

You will need to flash the BIOS and then do a completely fresh install of 98SE to see a difference