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LPX Platform Search

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First post, by Flakchak

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Hi all,

I've been searching high and low for something that I hope exists.

I'm looking for an LPX motherboard that has cache, whether it be onboard or upgradable with COAST, and capable of supporting a socket 7 processor (Pentium 233 MMX, etc.)

Ebay has been my main goto, but searching becomes tedious especially when people can't give a description of what they're selling. Now, when someone doesn't know what they have, that's when bargains can be found. But at this point, I might be willing to pony up the dough to just say, "here it is!"

It seems like I've only been able to find a motherboard that has two of my three options. Cache seems to be absent from most of these motherboards, which is why performance isn't that great. If anyone has any ideas or better places to look, I'd be very grateful.

Searching for a Packard Bell 15" CRT Monitor - 1511SL or 1512SL

Reply 2 of 31, by yawetaG

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OEM systems with a Intel CU430HX motherboard (or its predecessor). Depending on the version, it has 256KB or 512KB of onboard cache, and other motherboards that used the same PCB had a COAST module slot.

Reply 3 of 31, by Flakchak

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I'm off to search, but in the meantime, do you know off hand which manufacturers (IBM, Compaq, etc.) used that particular board?

Searching for a Packard Bell 15" CRT Monitor - 1511SL or 1512SL

Reply 4 of 31, by yawetaG

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Flakchak wrote:

I'm off to search, but in the meantime, do you know off hand which manufacturers (IBM, Compaq, etc.) used that particular board?

Japanese NEC Packard Bell systems, but good luck finding those outside Japan...

The easiest is probably to find the manual online, and compare the pictures/drawings with motherboards inside systems offered on Ebay.

Reply 5 of 31, by Jade Falcon

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These lpx boards look like they have cache, but some might be sk5 baord

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-1925 … 0QAAOSwinVZsDP4
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-1925 … noAAOSwe51Z93Co
https://m.ebay.com/itm/PACKARD-BELL-S90007D-M … tgAAOSw1dlZnImE
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-1925 … 1MAAOxyWmxSWH90

Reply 8 of 31, by Jade Falcon

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That's what's better fans, heatsinks and tim is for.

For the longest time I had a old packard bell SK5 LPX system with a overclocked MMX Pentium (non overdrive) running at too high of volts with a voodoo2 among other things. A better heatsink on the cpu and a a 80mm case fan and it was more then fine for the 5 years or so that I had it.

With the right cooling parts a slot 1 LPX system will not run hot.

Reply 9 of 31, by Flakchak

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Jade Falcon wrote:

With the right cooling parts a slot 1 LPX system will not run hot.

It's harder to find the actual board than it is to solve the cooling issue.

Searching for a Packard Bell 15" CRT Monitor - 1511SL or 1512SL

Reply 10 of 31, by BSA Starfire

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I've got a Toshiba Eqiuum 7100s Pentium II 350 MHz LPX system and it gets bloody HOT, no way of improving the cooling as far as I can tell either.
On the other hand my IBM Personal computer model 340 with a Pentium 133 runs cool as a cucumber just with a passive heatsink and a modern 80mm fan blowing over the board, very quiet too, unlike the Toshiba that sounds like a jet. The IBM didn't even have a fan as stock and still was fine for over 20 years, as I had a nice quiet spare I figured why not?

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Reply 11 of 31, by Jade Falcon

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Flakchak wrote:
Jade Falcon wrote:

With the right cooling parts a slot 1 LPX system will not run hot.

It's harder to find the actual board than it is to solve the cooling issue.

I see a lot of them on ebay right now.

Reply 12 of 31, by Flakchak

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Jade Falcon wrote:

I see a lot of them on ebay right now.

As soon as you posted that, I started coming across some Slot 1 LPX boards. You really really really need to get creative with your search in order to find these things.

Still haven't come across the Socket 7 board that I would like though. I have found a couple Packard Bell Socket 7 boards, and they either come with 0, 256, or 512k in cache. The only issue is trying to see if they have that onboard cache by the posted photos.

Searching for a Packard Bell 15" CRT Monitor - 1511SL or 1512SL

Reply 13 of 31, by Jade Falcon

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If they have onboard cache it will likely be 2 or 4 square chips near the cpu socket.
The way I found that boards was by looking up motherboards for OEM systems and OME part numbers and so on.

LPX was never a standard platform, so you do have to get created when looking for them. most are sk5 but keep an eye out and you will see a sk7 one show up.

But I'd just go for a SK5 board and toss of mmx pent in it with a good cooler. But that's just me. But if you find a good slot1 board for the right price go for it. If it supports it get a 433mhz Celeron over a Pii as they run a little cooler and are just about as fast as any Pii of not faster then most. Just be sure to use good cooling parts. Chipset sinks, stink on heat sinks and a case fan with a good cpu heatsink. And removed any PCI slot covers that aren't being used for better air flow, good cable management and round IDE/FDD cables can help too.

EDIT:
not sure but this might be LPX

Reply 14 of 31, by emosun

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yawetaG wrote:

Many of those systems have cooling problems.

normally I would agree with you if I didn't know how fans worked. 🤣

It amazes me when people don't know how to add fans to a system or change heat sinks.

My L190 use an ibm slot 1 board with a pentium 2 that has a pentium 1 heat sink on it and never has cooling problems. If you can't keep a measly slot 1 cpu cool , then idk how you must live day to day.

Reply 15 of 31, by yawetaG

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emosun wrote:
normally I would agree with you if I didn't know how fans worked. lol […]
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yawetaG wrote:

Many of those systems have cooling problems.

normally I would agree with you if I didn't know how fans worked. 🤣

It amazes me when people don't know how to add fans to a system or change heat sinks.

My L190 use an ibm slot 1 board with a pentium 2 that has a pentium 1 heat sink on it and never has cooling problems. If you can't keep a measly slot 1 cpu cool , then idk how you must live day to day.

Then you are lucky and have an LPX case that doesn't have airflow issues. The Socket 7 one I have also doesn't have that problem, as the manufacturer was thoughtful enough to add an extra fan behind the front bezel (the case was designed to take an extra fan there).

However, I can totally see why such systems have the reputation of overheating, especially with a Slot 1 processor on-board - which tend to get (much) hotter than Socket 7 processors. The airflow at the other side of an LPX case, which houses the PSU, hard disk, and CD-ROM drive, is rather limited due to there being very little space between the PSU and the drive cages. That space is mostly filled with cables. The riser card with the slots further blocks off airflow. Finally, space for large processor coolers is limited because LPX cases tend to be quite flat. So, sometimes, when a design has physical constraints that prevent good airflow, adding a bazillion fans is not a solution - unless you like your systems to sound like a jet engine. 🤣

Heck, overheating problems was apparently one of the main reasons to discontinue further development of the LPX form factor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LPX_(form_factor)

Reply 16 of 31, by Jade Falcon

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Back in the day most OEMs did not realy care all to much or know how to handle heat like we do today.

Op i found a real nice lpx board that you may like and two are on ebay for cheap.
The Micro-Star MS5150. It looks to have two chace chips and sd-ram.
Micro-Star MS5150 for 17.25

same board but with cpu

Reply 17 of 31, by emosun

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yawetaG wrote:

Then you are lucky and have an LPX case that doesn't have airflow issues. The Socket 7 one I have also doesn't have that problem, as the manufacturer was thoughtful enough to add an extra fan behind the front bezel (the case was designed to take an extra fan there).

However, I can totally see why such systems have the reputation of overheating, especially with a Slot 1 processor on-board - which tend to get (much) hotter than Socket 7 processors. The airflow at the other side of an LPX case, which houses the PSU, hard disk, and CD-ROM drive, is rather limited due to there being very little space between the PSU and the drive cages. That space is mostly filled with cables. The riser card with the slots further blocks off airflow. Finally, space for large processor coolers is limited because LPX cases tend to be quite flat. So, sometimes, when a design has physical constraints that prevent good airflow, adding a bazillion fans is not a solution - unless you like your systems to sound like a jet engine. 🤣

it's like reading a paragraph written by some one who has never seen what tools are.

or as if they were talking to someone who didn't have dozens of lpx machines and parts and built tons of them , none of which have cooling issues.

like seriously you probably didn't even know that socket 775 lpx boards existed until you read this sentence. But go ahead and type as if you knew that already , your 5 minute wikipedia knowledge will surely help you out here. 🤣

Reply 18 of 31, by yawetaG

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emosun wrote:
it's like reading a paragraph written by some one who has never seen what tools are. […]
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yawetaG wrote:

Then you are lucky and have an LPX case that doesn't have airflow issues. The Socket 7 one I have also doesn't have that problem, as the manufacturer was thoughtful enough to add an extra fan behind the front bezel (the case was designed to take an extra fan there).

However, I can totally see why such systems have the reputation of overheating, especially with a Slot 1 processor on-board - which tend to get (much) hotter than Socket 7 processors. The airflow at the other side of an LPX case, which houses the PSU, hard disk, and CD-ROM drive, is rather limited due to there being very little space between the PSU and the drive cages. That space is mostly filled with cables. The riser card with the slots further blocks off airflow. Finally, space for large processor coolers is limited because LPX cases tend to be quite flat. So, sometimes, when a design has physical constraints that prevent good airflow, adding a bazillion fans is not a solution - unless you like your systems to sound like a jet engine. 🤣

it's like reading a paragraph written by some one who has never seen what tools are.

or as if they were talking to someone who didn't have dozens of lpx machines and parts and built tons of them , none of which have cooling issues.

like seriously you probably didn't even know that socket 775 lpx boards existed until you read this sentence. But go ahead and type as if you knew that already , your 5 minute wikipedia knowledge will surely help you out here. 🤣

Perhaps you could be a little less condescending and insulting? Most people on here know how to install a fan.

Because there's absolutely no reason that you have to react the way you do just because some people disagree with you on how hot LPX systems can get and whether or not people want to modify existing vintage computer cases to mount a fan. Furthermore, if you want to claim and prove that a riser board installed right in the middle of a low case with very nearby 3.5" and 5.25" bays and PSU does not restrict airflow at all, be my guest. I suspect that some people who are in the business of designing optimized designs for cooling hardware will be very interested in your physics-defying results. 🙄

Or perhaps you could point me at the mass of post-Pentium II LPX designs released for even hotter processors such as AMD Athlon and Intel P3 and P4? Clearly, those must exist, eh? WITH LINKS (my Google-fu finds nothing).

Reply 19 of 31, by Jade Falcon

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yawetaG wrote:

Perhaps you could be a little less condescending and insulting? Most people on here know how to install a fan.

Because there's absolutely no reason that you have to react the way you do just because some people disagree with you on how hot LPX systems can get and whether or not people want to modify existing vintage computer cases to mount a fan. Furthermore, if you want to claim and prove that a riser board installed right in the middle of a low case with very nearby 3.5" and 5.25" bays and PSU does not restrict airflow at all, be my guest. I suspect that some people who are in the business of designing optimized designs for cooling hardware will be very interested in your physics-defying results. 🙄

Or perhaps you could point me at the mass of post-Pentium II LPX designs released for even hotter processors such as AMD Athlon and Intel P3 and P4? Clearly, those must exist, eh? WITH LINKS (my Google-fu finds nothing).

NLX? Its more or less the same as LPX and its was used even in the p4 days.
LPX was dropped less because of cooling and more do to the new ATX platform being pushed by just about everyone. LPX systems were varying space consuming and offered limited room to add hardware compared to ATX. Not only that but the idea of staking a monitor on top of a system on your desk was becoming less of a norm. I think dell was the only one past 2000-ish the really still keep up with that type of system setup.

But cooling can be a major problem, all the heat from the cpu gets blown on the addin cards. Unlike ATX ware you hardly ever needed a case fan back in the day.