I still haven't found time to use my Intel 'Ninja' 486 motherboard. Does anyone know what for is this funny little PSU connector on this board? Also own 2 AN430TX, one with ATI onboard VGA and one without.

I'd say that's an aux power connector. I'm gonna guess that it's optional. Give it a try. 😀

There's something very similar on Intel ATX mobos rather often.

BTW, it would be cool to get a photo of that Ninja mobo so I can add it here.

On my IBM, that extra power connector goes to the riser card, so I suspect it might provide power for the PCI slots or something. Supplementary power, maybe, to take some of the load of the main power connectors? Not sure, but it would make sense.

Also, with some of the ATX Intel boards you have to be very careful. The ones made for Dell, like many of the SE440BX-3's, have the same additional power connector, but it's for a proprietary Dell PSU, and that little connector carries the 3.3V lines. You can physically plug a standard ATX into the main power connector, but the pins are switched around in a non-standard layout, so you will fry the board if you don't use a Dell PSU (or an ATX modified to the Dell pin layout).

Ah yes that's right. I forgot about Dell's proprietary ATX power connections. The SE440BX that my brother had was one of those and I sold it with the PSU when it came time to upgrade. Will add that little tidbit.

I'm not sure if that started earlier than 440BX though.

As for that aux power connection, it looks like quite a few of the above Pentium mobos have it as well. And considering it's right up against the PCI slots, yup I think it's supplementary PCI power for whatever reason....

I'm not sure if that started earlier than 440BX though.

It started back when Dell switched to the ATX form factor, in the late Pentium 1 era. I believe the Dimension P133 was one of the first.

swaaye wrote:

BTW, it would be cool to get a photo of that Ninja mobo so I can add it here.

GL1zdA wrote:

http://img268.imagevenue.com/loc68/th_51976_IMG_4724_1_122_68lo.jpg […]
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swaaye wrote:

BTW, it would be cool to get a photo of that Ninja mobo so I can add it here.

Snatched cache and Dallas DS rtc/cmos chip..."shivers" 😳

Amigaz wrote:

GL1zdA wrote:

swaaye wrote:

BTW, it would be cool to get a photo of that Ninja mobo so I can add it here.

Snatched cache

I probably take some cache from another board. There will be only problem with the dirty bit cache.

Amigaz wrote:

and Dallas DS rtc/cmos chip..."shivers" 😳

Well, if you want an Intel mobo you have to accept them the way they are 😀

Thanks for the photo, GL1zdA.

The Tyan S1563D is a dual socket 7 processor mainboard, based on the Intel 430HX(II) chipset. Thought you might like to see a pic.

retro games 100 wrote:

The Tyan S1563D is a dual socket 7 processor mainboard, based on the Intel 430HX(II) chipset. Thought you might like to see a pic.

Have exactly the same motherboard, but haven't had time to test it.

retro games 100 wrote:

The Tyan S1563D is a dual socket 7 processor mainboard, based on the Intel 430HX(II) chipset. Thought you might like to see a pic.

mmm....dual socket 7 goodness 😁

*wiping the drool drips from my mouth"

Found a neat little Intel 440BX uATX mobo called the SR440BX. It has an onboard NV TNT GPU w/ 16MB and SB PCI 64.

added above

found 'em on ebay new-in-box for $20 + $10 shipping too.

That Ninja Mainboard seems like a great base for a 486 with PCI slots.

Also that SR440BX sure would make a nice and compact system 😀 Nvidia TNT graphics. ES 1373 sound on board, now I would rather have seen the Yamaha DS-XG, but you can't have it all.
What I kinda fear is that the Intel Mainboards, such as those based on the 440BX, have rather limited BIOS settings. I read about them having no FSB speed settings other then what the BIOS detects from the CPU: 66 or 100MHz. I would like to know for sure if they have any CPU multiplier options...

SR440BX manual
http://download.intel.com/support/motherboard … bx/73253401.pdf

According to the manual, when you jumper the board to configuration mode, you have access to setting up processor speed. It appears to have options for both 66MHz and 100MHz FSB, with CPU speeds from 233-500MHz.

I bet if you run a P2 Klamath that you can run it on any multiplier setting on 66MHz FSB. Good enough really.... A slotket is probably an option too, to force FSB.

That sounds good, thank you swaaye. Indeed certain slotkets can help to set 66 or 100MHz FSB regardless, but then you have to use a S370 CPU.
I also found the following line in the SR440BX bios update release notes: "Added processor speed selection capability for engineering sample processors." The Intel website states native support for processors up to 600 MHz with the latest bios. Still not sure if one can go below 233MHz...
Oh wait, I found it: "Clock multipliers from 3 to 5.5" so 200MHz is also possible.

Has anyone seem this webpage before?

http://home.att.ne.jp/alpha/pcboard/486q.htm

It shows a whole bunch of 486 boards. They're not all Intel, so this thread is slightly off-topic, but nevertheless I think it's interesting.

Oh it doesn't stop with 486s..
http://home.att.ne.jp/alpha/pcboard/frame.htm

I want to know where I can get one of these:

with matching CPU card:

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