P2-300 is with FSB 66MHz, multiplier 4.5. P2-400 FSB is 100MHz, multiplier 4. So I guess is your jumpers setting on the motherboard, which is currently set to 66MHz. 66.66 x 4 = 266.

kalohimal wrote on 2020-06-18, 06:21:

P2-300 is with FSB 66MHz, multiplier 4.5. P2-400 FSB is 100MHz, multiplier 4. So I guess is your jumpers setting on the motherboard, which is currently set to 66MHz. 66 x 4 = 266.

Thanks, checked the mobo and not a single jumper on it. Nothing in the settings to adjust the multiplier. Am I just stuck with 66mhz FSB then?

Wrong info... I accidentally ended up on a site with BX6, not BX20 info.

OEM board apparently - no jumpers & no 'soft-menu'.

There should be an 8-position DIP block next to the ATX power connector with these settings

Frequency Factor Settings:
Ratio DS1 DS2 DS3 DS4
2 ON ON ON ON
2.5 ON OFF ON ON
3 ON ON OFF ON
3.5 ON OFF OFF ON
4 ON ON ON OFF
4.5 ON OFF ON OFF
5 ON ON OFF OFF
5.5 ON OFF OFF OFF
6 OFF ON ON ON
6.5 OFF OFF ON ON
7 OFF ON OFF ON
7.5 OFF OFF OFF ON
8 OFF ON ON OFF

External Frequency Settings:
FSB PCI DS5 DS6 DS7 DS8
50Mhz 25MHz ON ON ON OFF
66MHz 33MHz OFF OFF ON OFF
75MHz 37.5MHz OFF ON ON OFF
83MHz 41.5MHz ON OFF ON OFF
100MHz 33MHz OFF OFF OFF OFF
103MHz 34MHz ON ON OFF OFF
112MHz 37MHz OFF ON OFF OFF

Abit seems to have claimed that it:

- Supports Pentium II 350 ~ 450MHz processor cartridge (Based on 100 MHz)
and Pentium II 233 ~ 333MHz processor cartridge (Based on 66 MHz)
- Supports Pentium III 450 ~ 500MHz processor cartridge (Based on 100 MHz)

Reports of success using a PIII-600 (Katmai core?) after flashing the board with the "bf6nlv" version of the bios.

ftp://91.121.194.115/pub/download/bios/bx20/

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2020-06-18, 07:06:

OEM board apparently - no jumpers & no 'soft-menu'. […]
Show full quote

OEM board apparently - no jumpers & no 'soft-menu'.

Abit BX-20.jpg

There should be an 8-position DIP block next to the ATX power connector with these settings

Frequency Factor Settings:
Ratio DS1 DS2 DS3 DS4
2 ON ON ON ON
2.5 ON OFF ON ON
3 ON ON OFF ON
3.5 ON OFF OFF ON
4 ON ON ON OFF
4.5 ON OFF ON OFF
5 ON ON OFF OFF
5.5 ON OFF OFF OFF
6 OFF ON ON ON
6.5 OFF OFF ON ON
7 OFF ON OFF ON
7.5 OFF OFF OFF ON
8 OFF ON ON OFF

External Frequency Settings:
FSB PCI DS5 DS6 DS7 DS8
50Mhz 25MHz ON ON ON OFF
66MHz 33MHz OFF OFF ON OFF
75MHz 37.5MHz OFF ON ON OFF
83MHz 41.5MHz ON OFF ON OFF
100MHz 33MHz OFF OFF OFF OFF
103MHz 34MHz ON ON OFF OFF
112MHz 37MHz OFF ON OFF OFF

Abit seems to have claimed that it:

- Supports Pentium II 350 ~ 450MHz processor cartridge (Based on 100 MHz)
and Pentium II 233 ~ 333MHz processor cartridge (Based on 66 MHz)
- Supports Pentium III 450 ~ 500MHz processor cartridge (Based on 100 MHz)

Reports of success using a PIII-600 (Katmai core?) after flashing the board with the "bf6nlv" version of the bios.

ftp://91.121.194.115/pub/download/bios/bx20/

Praise the sun! This should work, I'll give it a try this evening.

Update: Worked for about 2 seconds, then hung. Now the motherboard is giving me 1 long beep followed by 2 short beeps and then a "do doo" which sounds like a Mario death. I've swapped in 3 video cards and even tried a PCI one and no luck. Tried putting back the PII 300 and reverting the switches and no luck, same error.

Did I fry my board doing this?

Can't see how - the complete DIP settings I listed match the board pic as it was set up at the time which was for a PII 300 SL2W8 (4.5 x 66)

so if you followed the required ones for your PII 400 (4 x 100) you should have

DS1 = ON
DS2 = ON
DS3 = ON
DS4 = OFF
DS5 = OFF
DS6 = OFF
DS7 = OFF
DS8 = OFF

However, a few things come to mind...

...in your other thread on nVidia card issues you mentioned the bios string on the board was 07/18/1998-i440BX-w83977-2A69KA1NC-ER which seems really old compared to the strings from ones I linked earlier

01/01/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KA1BC-GZ
01/20/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KA1BC-JK
08/03/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KA1BC-LV

so you probably need to update your bios to the latest (LV) version

...having set the FSB to 100MHz I assume you're using at least PC100 memory rather than PC66?

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2020-06-19, 20:59:

Can't see how - the complete DIP settings I listed match the board pic as it was set up at the time which was for a PII 300 SL2W […]
Show full quote

Can't see how - the complete DIP settings I listed match the board pic as it was set up at the time which was for a PII 300 SL2W8 (4.5 x 66)

Abit BX-20_CFG.jpg

so if you followed the required ones for your PII 400 (4 x 100) you should have

DS1 = ON
DS2 = ON
DS3 = ON
DS4 = OFF
DS5 = OFF
DS6 = OFF
DS7 = OFF
DS8 = OFF

However, a few things come to mind...

...in your other thread on nVidia card issues you mentioned the bios string on the board was 07/18/1998-i440BX-w83977-2A69KA1NC-ER which seems really old compared to the strings from ones I linked earlier

01/01/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KA1BC-GZ
01/20/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KA1BC-JK
08/03/1999-i440BX-W83977-2A69KA1BC-LV

so you probably need to update your bios to the latest (LV) version

...having set the FSB to 100MHz I assume you're using at least PC100 memory rather than PC66?

Thanks, though I can't even get the bios to boot to the monitor, so I can't load a new bios. Like I said, I reverted back to the old multiplier settings and CPU and the same issue occurs, so I'm pretty sure I fried this thing messing around with these multiplier switches. Tried yanking the CMOS battery as well as removing all but one RAM stick (known working), no luck. According to Award BIOS beeps, this is a video error. (Quite odd since I've had this MOBO working for weeks.)

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS string was that of the original BIOS).

Now 2 long shots

a) please do not be offended, but are you sure you are setting the DIP switches in the right way and not in inverted fashion ( with ON and OFF switched) .

b) if there were marginal components on the board, maybe the "stress" of running at 100MHz caused one or more to fail . I hope this is not it but, for starters, another visual inspection might be in order.

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 00:21:

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS strin […]
Show full quote

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS string was that of the original BIOS).

Now 2 long shots

a) please do not be offended, but are you sure you are setting the DIP switches in the right way and not in inverted fashion ( with ON and OFF switched) .

b) if there were marginal components on the board, maybe the "stress" of running at 100MHz caused one or more to fail . I hope this is not it but, for starters, another visual inspection might be in order.

Thanks darry, your help is always welcome, no offense taken. DIP switches are correct, I took a picture before I modified and set back. I'll take a look and see if I can find any stress, any indicators? In the meantime, I'm lucky to have an Abit BX-6 board that I will try, hopefully I have better luck. It has a PII 350 installed, so I will just leave it be and try it. Will post an update.

nwsw wrote on 2020-06-20, 00:34:

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 00:21:

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS strin […]
Show full quote

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS string was that of the original BIOS).

Now 2 long shots

a) please do not be offended, but are you sure you are setting the DIP switches in the right way and not in inverted fashion ( with ON and OFF switched) .

b) if there were marginal components on the board, maybe the "stress" of running at 100MHz caused one or more to fail . I hope this is not it but, for starters, another visual inspection might be in order.

Thanks darry, your help is always welcome, no offense taken. DIP switches are correct, I took a picture before I modified and set back. I'll take a look and see if I can find any stress, any indicators? In the meantime, I'm lucky to have an Abit BX-6 board that I will try, hopefully I have better luck. It has a PII 350 installed, so I will just leave it be and try it. Will post an update.

I was thinking along the lines of suddenly leaky or bulged capacitors. I think you already did a visual inspection at the time of the Nvidia issue or that has changed . Keep in mind that capacitors can fail without any visual sign .

Removing the CMOS battery is a good idea, but in my experience, unless you keep it disconnected for a while and also removing AC power(unplugging it, to make sure event 5V standby power is off), it may not be enough . The CMOS RESET jumper should be tried, if there is one . It's hard to say from the photo, but there appear to be some jumpers above the battery, on of them may be identified as CMOS RESET jumper . I wish we had a manual .

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 01:18:

nwsw wrote on 2020-06-20, 00:34:

darry wrote on 2020-06-20, 00:21:

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS strin […]
Show full quote

In your other thread, you already updated the BIOS to what I asume was the most recent version available (that posted BIOS string was that of the original BIOS).

Now 2 long shots

a) please do not be offended, but are you sure you are setting the DIP switches in the right way and not in inverted fashion ( with ON and OFF switched) .

b) if there were marginal components on the board, maybe the "stress" of running at 100MHz caused one or more to fail . I hope this is not it but, for starters, another visual inspection might be in order.

Thanks darry, your help is always welcome, no offense taken. DIP switches are correct, I took a picture before I modified and set back. I'll take a look and see if I can find any stress, any indicators? In the meantime, I'm lucky to have an Abit BX-6 board that I will try, hopefully I have better luck. It has a PII 350 installed, so I will just leave it be and try it. Will post an update.

I was thinking along the lines of suddenly leaky or bulged capacitors. I think you already did a visual inspection at the time of the Nvidia issue or that has changed . Keep in mind that capacitors can fail without any visual sign .

Removing the CMOS battery is a good idea, but in my experience, unless you keep it disconnected for a while and also removing AC power(unplugging it, to make sure event 5V standby power is off), it may not be enough . The CMOS RESET jumper should be tried, if there is one . It's hard to say from the photo, but there appear to be some jumpers above the battery, on of them may be identified as CMOS RESET jumper . I wish we had a manual .

Thanks, I'll leave the CMOS out while I make and eat dinner and see how that works. If not, I'm moving to the BX-6, hoping that's easier. Anyone have a manual? 😉

Any chance you could get some sharp pics of your own board + what are the S-spec numbers printed on your PII 300 & PII 400 processors. Also , @Darry is right that in my pic there seems to be a CMOS Clear jumper on the board here

which is set to 1-2 (normal), so as well as having removed the battery try setting it to 2-3 (Clear)

Other than suggestions so far, still can't think what the problem could be - even with the worst case FSB DIP setting at 112MHz this is still only a moderate OC on the PCI/AGP buses and the processor clock multiplier shouldn't really gimp the board whatever.

Far as I can find, there never was a proper manual for this board which I think is most probably based on the BF6.

Is there any info on what brand/system was using this thing? Just whitebox or also one of the HP/Compaq/Dell/PB people?

Although the board has quite a number of mentions online, I've not seen one quote an actual brand / system it was used in and are mainly people looking for settings or for the manual 😀 I think it's most likely just a 'cut-down' BX board that Abit sold as a white box / bulk product, although I was surprised to see bios updates on the Abit ftp mirrors (never found a manual tho).

As 'Seattle' boards go, this seems like an early one given the bios on the OPs board is dated July 98 (that ER version is listed nowhere else that I could find)

There is also a modded bios for large drive support

If anyone wants to take it and try to repair this thing, just pay me shipping and I'll send it right out. I'll even include a PII processor. 😀

nwsw wrote on 2020-06-18, 06:16:

Hi All, I have an Abit BX-20 Slot 1 motherboard and I currently have a PII 300 mhz that shows properly. I just got a PII 400 mhz […]
Show full quote

Hi All,
I have an Abit BX-20 Slot 1 motherboard and I currently have a PII 300 mhz that shows properly. I just got a PII 400 mhz, but when I plug it in, it shows as a PII 266 in the BIOS and in Windows. Anyone have any ideas? I don't see any disabled caches or anything in the BIOS that would affect it. I have the latest BIOS if that helps.

The CPU model is: 80523PY400512 SL2S7

Thanks!

If only just for future reference, this is mostly a matter of RTM.
Read about the parts you intend to use as if you don't you could damage your components. I mean the wikipage on Pentium 2 has all the information you were missing:

The original Klamath Pentium II microprocessor (Intel product code 80522) ran at 233, 266, and 300 MHz and was produced in a 0.35 μm process.[7][15] The 300 MHz version, however, only became available in quantities later in 1997.[15] These CPUs had a 66 MHz front side bus

and

The Deschutes core Pentium II (80523), which debuted at 333 MHz in January 1998, was produced with a 0.25 μm process and has a significantly lower power draw.[15] The die size is 113 mm2. The 333 MHz variant was the final Pentium CPU that used the older 66 MHz front side bus; all subsequent Deschutes-core models used a 100 MHz FSB.

I mean the information is right there and available for all to see.
Fair enough, it is not always possible to find a manual for literally every single piece of hardware that is out there, but the 440BX was a widely used motherboard chipset. I mean it was literally everywhere. The wikipage of the 440BX chipset mentions this:

The Intel 440BX is the third Pentium II chipset released by Intel, succeeding the 440FX and 440LX. With the new 100 MHz front side bus, Pentium II CPUs were able to scale better in performance by reducing the difference between processor clock and bus speed. The previous 66 MHz bus

Pentium 2 300MHz is 66MHz FSB while the 400MHz Pentium 2 is 100MHz FSB.
Having set the motherboard to 66MHz FSB while trying to install a 100MHz FSB CPU in there will cut 33% of the CPU speed off of it, resulting in 400 * 0.66 == 266.

Same thing with your other thread where you tried out a Tualatin CPU in a Coppermine board and had no idea why it was not working. Just RTM I would think. Not knowing that a 500MHz Mendocino cannot overclock to 750MHz while a 600MHz Celeron probably can is not something that is mentioned a lot but is also kinda basic. I mean a 50% overclock to a CPU was never a common thing but you seemed like you were surprised about it.

Which makes me curious about one thing. Why are you wanting to build a retro rig anyway? I'm just curious, because you seem to have very little experience with building computers and seem to have virtually no knowledge of the hardware of this era. Sorry for being off topic here but I am really very curious now.

One thing to remember of the hardware of that era (and this is somewhat more generic advice) is that Pentium 2 is around the time that its motherboards were transitioning from setting most by physical jumpers (and sometimes the tiny DIP switches (which in German are sometimes talked about as a piano for mice 🤣)) to setting it by software.

Really, I am so curious how you got started with this hobby in the first place 🤣 😜

Tetrium wrote on 2020-06-30, 20:01:

Really, I am so curious how you got started with this hobby in the first place 🤣 😜

I got into this hobby at age 7 and built my own computer at age 11 (1994) from parts I ordered for Christmas. I've built over 50 PCs for friends and family over the years and I know DOS commands and memory management like the back of my hand. Shame on me for experimenting by trial and error as I have been doing for 29 years.

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” - Dale Carnegie

nwsw wrote on 2020-06-30, 22:52:

Tetrium wrote on 2020-06-30, 20:01:

Really, I am so curious how you got started with this hobby in the first place 🤣 😜

I got into this hobby at age 7 and built my own computer at age 11 (1994) from parts I ordered for Christmas. I've built over 50 PCs for friends and family over the years and I know DOS commands and memory management like the back of my hand. Shame on me for experimenting by trial and error as I have been doing for 29 years.

The experimenting is fine. Even just yoloing through a build is fine by me if that's just the way you do things? In the end it's your money and your parts, so do what you want with it I guess. But I was just curious due to the reasons I mentioned earlier. Especially if you apparently ordered parts at age 11 back in 1994.
I don't think you should be ashamed or something, but to me doing stuff your way is kinda odd and even damaging these parts in a relatively careless and easily avoidable way is something that I find really odd. I'm pretty sure you came across this before as most people who were busy building computers back in 1994 actually used a manual when building stuff (especially since in 1994 we still had the jumper hell and going by trial and error for hardware which was thousands of dollars worth is not something that many people did, I'm sure you can relate).

Anyway, thanks for answering 😀