VOGONS


Intel P6 Gen. 1 Retro System

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First post, by voodoo5_6k

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Hi there,

After a lot of help from other vogons members my current retro project reached the “all hardware is working properly” stage. Better late than never...

So, short introduction to the subject. Earlier this year I thought about adding a real DOS PC to my setup. For DOS games I was happily using DOSBox for years on my gaming rigs. I had even connected my Roland gear (using the Roland UM-ONE Mk. II) to the current machine and felt like I was moving back in time. But somehow, I wanted to have a real DOS machine (last time I actually used MS DOS was when it was the then current OS, then moved on with Windows 9x etc.). And then it started...

I have three options available in storage that would fit the timeframe.

  • - Intel Pentium 200MHz on Intel Advanced/ML (256KB L2), 64MB EDO
    - Intel Pentium MMX 233MHz on Asus P/I-XP55T2P4 (512KB L2, with TAG-SRAM extension), 64MB EDO
    - Intel Pentium Pro 200MHz 1M on Intel VS440FX, 64MB EDO

I played around with all of them, and finally chose the Pentium Pro. One of the reasons for this is that one major theme within my retro systems is the P6 architecture (the other major theme being 3dfx). The other systems will be presented another time. While completing the system, I encountered an issue with the HDD detection. I finally could work around it (with the help of some fellow vogons members) and finalized the build a few days ago. The actual OS (MS DOS 6.22 and potentially Windows 95c as dual-boot) and games are still not installed, I’ll have to deal with this over the next few weeks whenever I find the time for that. But, I already wanted to give everyone interested a first glimpse of the system.

System specifications:

  • CPU: Intel Pentium Pro 200MHz 1M
    Cooler: Thermaltake Venus 12 (modified to fit & mounted with Socket 8 clamp) + Noctua NF-A8 FLX
    Mainboard: Intel VS440FX (BIOS 1.00.18.CS1)
    RAM: Kingston 64MB EDO 60ns (2x 32MB)
    PSU: Enermax EG301AX-VE(G) 303W
    Case: Compucase CI-7106W ATX

Add-in cards:

  • PCI1: Diamond Monster 3D 4MB
    PCI4: Eontronics S3 Virge/DX 4MB
    ISA2: Music Quest PC-MIDI IH9MQ9 (Keropi’s clone card)
    ISA4: Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold

Drives:

  • FDD: Alps Floppy Drive
    SSD: Transcend TS32GPSD330 32GB
    ODD: Asus DRW-1814BL

I/O Devices (via KVM):

  • Display: Eizo FlexScan F520
    Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro
    Mouse: Logitech S96
    Speaker: Canton Plus Media 3

MIDI Devices:

  • Roland Edirol UM-550 (5 in/5 out MIDI patcher, provides access to the CM-32L and SC-55 for currently three systems)
    Roland CM-32L
    Roland SC-55

Pictures:

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    side_view_2.JPG
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    case.JPG
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Last edited by voodoo5_6k on 2016-11-25, 13:17. Edited 1 time in total.

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Reply 3 of 27, by candle_86

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I know you like the P6, but the Pentium Pro was slower clock for clock than Pentium Classic with 16bit software

Reply 5 of 27, by voodoo5_6k

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candle_86 wrote:

I know you like the P6, but the Pentium Pro was slower clock for clock than Pentium Classic with 16bit software

Yes, I am aware of that. But I didn't build the system for achieving high-scores in ancient benchmarks. The last time I cared for something like that was a very long time ago... I'm not so much into benchmarking. Basically, I'm doing all this retro stuff for the pure joy of reliving the past 😉 Nevertheless, the P6 may be slower per clock compared to a regular Pentium, but it is definitely still fast enough. Its main duty will be running my favorite Lucasfilm/LucasArts adventures and a few other DOS games, and that's it. I think, it'll manage 😉

Jade Falcon wrote:

No play_doe this time!

I suppose that's some sort of inside joke I'm not getting?

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Reply 6 of 27, by Jade Falcon

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voodoo5_6k wrote:
Jade Falcon wrote:

No play_doe this time!

I suppose that's some sort of inside joke I'm not getting?

some one with the same user name as you bought/stole a lot of rare 3dfx cards and the rampage ended with a killing of a voodoo6000. He covered it in play doe witch killed the card.

Last edited by Jade Falcon on 2016-11-17, 19:47. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 10 of 27, by vladstamate

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candle_86 wrote:

I know you like the P6, but the Pentium Pro was slower clock for clock than Pentium Classic with 16bit software

I am not so sure about that. Do you have any evidence? I think it was not as fast as it should be (as in 16bit app did not scale as well as 32bit apps compared to P5 and P5C) but raw speed was about the same for 16bit instructions. Slower but still achieving 99% speed of a Pentium classic is still damn good reason to get a P Pro.

According to this PPro was ONLY 5% faster in 16bit instructions than Pentium. That is still faster, not slower.

Performance with 32-bit code was excellent and well ahead of the older Pentiums at the time, usually by 25-35%. However, Pentium Pro's 16-bit performance was only 5% better than the original Pentium.

If anything the lack of MMX will hurt way more than 16bit speed.

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HbC_nq8t1S9l7qGYL0mTA
Collection: http://www.digiloguemuseum.com/index.html
Emulator: https://sites.google.com/site/capex86/
Raytracer: https://sites.google.com/site/opaqueraytracer/

Reply 12 of 27, by Darkman

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candle_86 wrote:

I know you like the P6, but the Pentium Pro was slower clock for clock than Pentium Classic with 16bit software

there is truth to that, though at the end of the day, both will run games like Doom very well , even Duke3D is fine on a Pentium Pro.

Meanwhile stuff like Quake ,Tomb Raider , MDK , etc will be faster on a PPro

Reply 13 of 27, by voodoo5_6k

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Jade Falcon wrote:
voodoo5_6k wrote:
Jade Falcon wrote:

No play_doe this time!

I suppose that's some sort of inside joke I'm not getting?

some one with the same user name as you bought/stole a lot of rare 3dfx cards and the rampage ended with a killing of a voodoo6000. He covered it in play doe witch killed the card.

I see. I can assure you that I'm not that guy (whatever idiot what do stuff like that). I too own a Voodoo5 6000 (for more than 14 years now... hence, the username), a Rev. 3700A with full PCI-Rework. And it is treated very well, it even had a trip to Spain recently 😉 My friend oschar had it for a check-up since it showed artifacts and lock-ups on my test-system. I didn't want to risk the card by testing it in various mainboards, so I asked him to have a look at it. But everything's fine, it loops 3D Mark 2001 with 8x FSAA without any issues (I assume the issues had been caused by incompatibilities with the used mainboard). Now I'm preparing the final system for it to be used in (which will be part of my soon to be presented remaining retro systems). So rest assured, you'll never see any play-doh on any of my electronic parts 😉

Sneak peek:

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info.JPG
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Reply 16 of 27, by gdjacobs

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People are naturally wary, as that guy (who also goes by the handle Trevormacro) was quite a douche nozzle with more money than brains. He's a big buyer of 3dfx hardware, usually by misrepresenting himself and abusing every online 3dfx community he can. Rumor is that he's purchased every 3dfx Rampage prototype that made it's way onto the market. Not sure if that's true, though. I also suspect the play-dough card isn't the only one he's killed due to his ridiculous "performance tuning".

voodoo5_6k wrote:
http://www.vogons.org/download/file.php?id=29188&t=1 […]
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file.php?id=29188&t=1

As it appears you're German and he's French, I believe we've verified that you are not he.

All hail the Great Capacitor Brand Finder

Reply 17 of 27, by Tetrium

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gdjacobs wrote:

As it appears you're German and he's French, I believe we've verified that you are not he.

Or lets hope he didn't get smarter.

Still amazing how one person can destroy an entire community. Why would someone like that French person even want to do that? He's got to, at one time, have taken a hit on the head by the sail of a windmill 🤣

Inconceivable...

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Reply 18 of 27, by voodoo5_6k

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Tetrium wrote:
gdjacobs wrote:

As it appears you're German and he's French, I believe we've verified that you are not he.

Or lets hope he didn't get smarter.

You are really giving me a hard time here 😉 Is there anything I can do to convince you that I’m not that Trevormacro guy? You could ask keropi from whom I bought my Music Quest PC-MIDI IH9MQ9 clone card. He knows that I’m from Germany.

And then, maybe, we can discuss my P6 Gen. 1 Retro System again 😉

I’ll get to the Voodoo5 6000 system in while and in a separate thread (it is actually #4 on my list, #2 being a dual PII 450 MHz PC with Voodoo2 12 MB SLI, and #3 being a PIII-S 1,40 GHz with a Voodoo5 5500 AGP).

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Reply 19 of 27, by Tetrium

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voodoo5_6k wrote:
Tetrium wrote:
gdjacobs wrote:

As it appears you're German and he's French, I believe we've verified that you are not he.

Or lets hope he didn't get smarter.

You are really giving me a hard time here 😉 Is there anything I can do to convince you that I’m not that Trevormacro guy? You could ask keropi from whom I bought my Music Quest PC-MIDI IH9MQ9 clone card. He knows that I’m from Germany.

I’ll get to the Voodoo5 6000 system in while and in a separate thread (it is actually #4 on my list, #2 being a dual PII 450 MHz PC with Voodoo2 12 MB SLI, and #3 being a PIII-S 1,40 GHz with a Voodoo5 5500 AGP).

You don't have to prove me anything 😀
Would only make your stay here less enjoyable, right?

voodoo5_6k wrote:

And then, maybe, we can discuss my P6 Gen. 1 Retro System again 😉

Agreed 😀

Whats missing in your collections?
My retro rigs (old topic)
Interesting Vogons threads (links to Vogonswiki)
Report spammers here!