Horun wrote on 2020-09-27, 23:56:
B24Fox wrote on 2020-09-27, 21:13:
I've been desperately trying to find some details about my childhood motherboard (in the effort to recreate my 1st PC), but to no avail....
Also there was one other thing about this motherboard... : it was sooo shit, that the first year or so of me owning a PC, I was plagued with daily crashes, freezez, and reboots... even after upgrading to a Voodoo3 in the first year. I remember taking the computer back almost every 1-2 months, and the firm saying they fixed it, and then it would happen again as soon as i got home... until they replaced the motherboard with another model (without actually telling us)
And you want to recreate that experience ? Now you have me laughing 😀
Hello again guys 😀
So... I know a few years have passed. But I finally got everything I need to rebuild my first PC... and also the time and space to start testing this (identical)MotherBoard from my childhood, that was plagued with crashes (DCS S7AX)
I am ATM testing it with a K6-2 /500 , running MEMtest86 v4.10 from a bootable floppy.. and indeed, this a$$hole of a board, does NOT pass memtest with the FSB jumpers set to 100Mhz.. but DOES at 95Mhz; or at 100 with the L2 cache disabled ... L O L
This is regardless of CPU speed (FSB x multi), RAM size and timings, or any other ram related bios settings.
I'm gonna keep testing. And may also try a BIOS upgrade (from the current v2.4)
But... this pretty much solved the mystery of why my very first PC was crapping out!
Finally getting closure after so many years, is kind of unbelievable! 😌
P.S.
Some other "nasties" I found with this board, include (but may not be limited to) :
The white silkscreen table/markings on the board for the CPU voltages, are opposite to the manual 🫨 (jumpered where it should be open; and open where it should be jumpered).
I tested the CPU voltages with a multimeter, and indeed the manual is the one that's corect.
And, in the case of the SDRAM slot numbering; the silkscreen is corect, and the manual is wrong 🤦🏻
L.E.
Upon further inspection, there is a hidden legend/info printed on the motherboard (if you look hard enough), that states that [1=open & 0=closed]... which is in opposition of what anyone would expect 0 & 1 to signify.
Needless to say, if it weren't for the manual that clearly uses ON & OFF expressions; I would have fried my CPU.