Well, I was able to get a different motherboard to work with the same CPU, RAM, and Video card.
It’s an Asus TXP4 baby AT motherboard with same Intel 430tx chipset.

So at least I know the components I am using are good.

The problem lies with the motherboard. Let me play around with it some more and see if I can get it to work.

Horun wrote on 2020-05-20, 23:53:

[...]

Ok thanks for the 3.3volt. The Gigabyte manual just says (direct quote):
DRAM MEMORY − 4 banks 72 pins SIMM module socket on board. − 2 banks 168 pins DIMM module socket on board. − Use 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 64 /128 MB 60~70 ns SIMM module DRAM. − 8 ~ 256 MB DRAM size. − Supports Fast Page / EDO DRAM access mode.

5V DIMMs aren't really a thing in the PC world. Default is 3.3V unless very clearly stated otherwise.

The guy I got this from said he was using PC-100 SDRAM.
I tried that but it would not work.

Anyways, I have another motherboard already working and install and it works better with this case.
The Baby AT motherboard fit better in the case so it is easy to swap out CPU’s.

Thanks anyways guys.

dionb wrote on 2020-05-21, 01:52:

Horun wrote on 2020-05-20, 23:53:

[...]

Ok thanks for the 3.3volt. The Gigabyte manual just says (direct quote):
DRAM MEMORY − 4 banks 72 pins SIMM module socket on board. − 2 banks 168 pins DIMM module socket on board. − Use 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 64 /128 MB 60~70 ns SIMM module DRAM. − 8 ~ 256 MB DRAM size. − Supports Fast Page / EDO DRAM access mode.

5V DIMMs aren't really a thing in the PC world. Default is 3.3V unless very clearly stated otherwise.

🤣 I have a bag full of 5v DIMMS so they are a thing, mostly from late 486 and P60/p66 boards from early Dell, Compaq and some others. Sorta like those AST 64pin simms I have that some claim were never part of anything PC but yes they were 😁
The 5v DIMMS will fit some 3.3volt slots but most (like the SDRAM world) are keyed to not fit by being off a few millimeters. I have two 486 boards that use 5V DIMMS not the 3.3v ones.
Added: from Anandtech:
"Jul 4, 2001
While working on a system for a friends son recently, I noticed jumpers on the mobo for either 3.3V or 5V DIMM modules.
This is an old PcChips motherboard. It took a good bit of seaching, but I was finally able to identify the model number of the board and download the manual for it.
What was initially concerning me is that someone had installed both simms and dimms. The manual shows that it is supported, so I left it as was.
Thanks for the help."

If the voltage indicator LEDs aren't lit then it's a short circuit or a broken trace caused by physical damage. However power rails are fairly thick so it's not that easy to damage them. Most of the time PSUs won't even start with a short-circuited board.
The LED display should show - - - - when power is OK but the BIOS/keyboard controller/CPU is bad or there is a broken trace.
I'd check the power MOSFET, the voltage regulator, the 1N540X diode and the SMD transistors near the power connector first.

Since you have a board from the same era, could you check if it has the same bios chip and if so, you could try hotflashing the other chip in that board. If the bios chip is empty (you know from an interrupted flash attempt) the board won't do much either. Other than that it might be a dead main osccilator chip. You'd need a oscilloscope to check that one out however.

Horun wrote on 2020-05-21, 03:18:

[...]

🤣 I have a bag full of 5v DIMMS so they are a thing, mostly from late 486 and P60/p66 boards from early Dell, Compaq and some others. Sorta like those AST 64pin simms I have that some claim were never part of anything PC but yes they were 😁
The 5v DIMMS will fit some 3.3volt slots but most (like the SDRAM world) are keyed to not fit by being off a few millimeters. I have two 486 boards that use 5V DIMMS not the 3.3v ones.

OK, should have qualified that - "desktop PC", in workstation/server world buffered 5V DIMMs were a thing, but they were keyed differently. A DIMM slot designed to take SDRAM, as supported by i430TX won't physically accept 5V DIMMs, for both keys for that matter (buffered vs unbuffered, 3.3V vs 5V)

Added: from Anandtech: "Jul 4, 2001 While working on a system for a friends son recently, I noticed jumpers on the mobo for eith […]
Show full quote

Added: from Anandtech:
"Jul 4, 2001
While working on a system for a friends son recently, I noticed jumpers on the mobo for either 3.3V or 5V DIMM modules.
This is an old PcChips motherboard. It took a good bit of seaching, but I was finally able to identify the model number of the board and download the manual for it.
What was initially concerning me is that someone had installed both simms and dimms. The manual shows that it is supported, so I left it as was.
Thanks for the help."

Yes, that jumper on the M571... very odd as the keying in the slot is 3.3V only, so a DIMM supporting 5V wouldn't fit.

Yes, that jumper on the M571... very odd as the keying in the slot is 3.3V only, so a DIMM supporting 5V wouldn't fit.

That is not odd. It is PCChips.

evasive wrote on 2020-05-21, 11:03:

Yes, that jumper on the M571... very odd as the keying in the slot is 3.3V only, so a DIMM supporting 5V wouldn't fit.

That is not odd. It is PCChips.

🤣

I would never have been able to afford a Pentium motherboard at the time if it weren't for PC Chips' rock bottom prices . To sell them cheaper, they would have had to provide them in kit form with DIY assembly instructions . They are bound to be quirky .

darry wrote on 2020-05-22, 04:50:

They are bound to be quirky .

Multi CPU 386 boards are quirky. PC Chips/Amptron boards tend to be poorly made if not outright junk. Hsing Tech is a really shady company.

Yes, I know some people find them interesting, but people collect Yugos as well. It's just not really my thing.

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-05-23, 04:50:

darry wrote on 2020-05-22, 04:50:

They are bound to be quirky .

Multi CPU 386 boards are quirky. PC Chips/Amptron boards tend to be poorly made if not outright junk. Hsing Tech is a really shady company.

Yes, I know some people find them interesting, but people collect Yugos as well. It's just not really my thing.

I was happy to have the board at the time, I would not want one now . I did find the option of "choosing" either an Award or an AMI BIOS on a board of that generation to be interesting . I have heard allegations that Hsin Tech used pirated/unlicensed BIOSes on some of their boards at the time (having both Award and AMI BIOSes available for a board would fit in with that, but does not prove it ). Is there any (hopefully reliable) info on that ?

Not sure, although they certainly did modify the BIOS to lie about the onboard cache. I'm guessing both AMI and Award weren't ok with that little piece of functionality.

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-05-23, 17:25:

Not sure, although they certainly did modify the BIOS to lie about the onboard cache. I'm guessing both AMI and Award weren't ok with that little piece of functionality.

Probably not . I am surprised that little fake cache stunt did not net them any lawsuits (or none that I am aware of at least). Maybe the target market for that product was mostly tech-unsavvy enough that it did not come to that ?

I have heard allegations that Hsin Tech used pirated/unlicensed BIOSes on some of their boards at the time (having both Award and AMI BIOSes available for a board would fit in with that, but does not prove it ). Is there any (hopefully reliable) info on that ?

https://www.wimsbios.com/chipset/2A59H.jsp
the official chipset ID for the 430VX chipset is
https://www.wimsbios.com/chipset/2A59G.jsp
T5 is Tyan, t5 is trouble.

evasive wrote on 2020-05-24, 10:41:

https://www.wimsbios.com/chipset/2A59H.jsp the official chipset ID for the 430VX chipset is https://www.wimsbios.com/chipset/2A […]
Show full quote

I have heard allegations that Hsin Tech used pirated/unlicensed BIOSes on some of their boards at the time (having both Award and AMI BIOSes available for a board would fit in with that, but does not prove it ). Is there any (hopefully reliable) info on that ?

https://www.wimsbios.com/chipset/2A59H.jsp
the official chipset ID for the 430VX chipset is
https://www.wimsbios.com/chipset/2A59G.jsp
T5 is Tyan, t5 is trouble.

Thank you .