Mystery “Super-286” motherboard from 1994 \ VOGONS

Mystery “Super-286” motherboard from 1994

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First post, by dekuNukem

Posted on 2021-04-28, 16:55

dekuNukem Offline

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I recently acquired a baby-AT motherboard, with model number DAT302 REV.G:

IMG_2787.jpeg

Pretty standard stuff, except there is a sticker over the CPU saying it’s a “Super 286”:

IMG_2794.jpeg

I couldn't find anything related to “Super 286” and the model number on google at all , so I decided to boot it up, and the sure enough CPU name is “Super-286” in BIOS:

IMG_2754.jpeg

Of course, I ran some diagnostic programs, and it revealed that it was actually a 386:

IMG_2771.jpeg

I peeled off the sticker, lo and behold, it was indeed a 386SX underneath:

IMG_2797.jpeg

Overall, wasn’t a thrilling mystery I was expecting, but I do wonder why they decided to badge a 386 as a 286, in 1994 nonetheless?

By that time 386 is 9 years old, and 286 is 12 years old! It just does’t make much sense to me. Any ideas why they might have made that decision? On sticker and in BIOS?

Reply 1 of 6, by pentiumspeed

Posted on 2021-04-28, 17:04

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Also ironic thing, this is overclocked 386SX from 16MHz to 20MHz and the crystal oscillator is 40MHz.

Cheers,

Great Northern aka Canada.

Reply 2 of 6, by rmay635703

Posted on 2021-04-28, 18:12

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PC Chips was notorious for making non-sensicle motherboards with their shart chipsets and loved to lie about everything on the board because why not?

What’s funny is the real “late” 286-25 I’ve encountered all had 72pin Simms

Would love to find one now

Reply 3 of 6, by majestyk

Posted on 2021-04-28, 18:26

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Overclocking the CPU and putting a fat sticker on it to decrease cooling instead of using a small cooler, while writing "warranty void if torn" on it - this MUST be PC-Chips.

Reply 4 of 6, by TheMobRules

Posted on 2021-04-28, 18:27

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It's not that surprising considering that many 386SX boards use 286 chipsets (in fact the ability to reuse the 16-bit 286 platform made this CPU very attractive for budget board manufacturers). So you could say that a 386SX is a "Super 286" in some way.

Now, trying to pass a 386SX as some kind of 286 does seem like a really dumb idea, but there was so much randomness during that era that this fits right in. The fact that they went so far as to tweak the CPU identifying name in the BIOS is astonishing.

EDIT: manufacturer code is '1374' in the BIOS string ID (unknown), so it's one of those nameless clones from China/Taiwan... I doubt you're going to find much more info about who made it.

Reply 5 of 6, by imi

Posted on 2021-04-28, 18:37

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majestyk wrote on 2021-04-28, 18:26:

... this MUST be PC-Chips.

and that's why we love them 😁

Reply 6 of 6, by rmay635703

Posted on 2021-04-28, 18:49

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The shart chipset is 100% HSING TECH
AKA PC Chips dirty dozen

No other maker uses that chipset

majestyk wrote on 2021-04-28, 18:26:

Overclocking the CPU and putting a fat sticker on it to decrease cooling instead of using a small cooler, while writing "warranty void if torn" on it - this MUST be PC-Chips.

Funny they only OCd to 20mhz, my SARC had the sx16 overclocked to 40mhz

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