Does this board have a Dallas chip? If so, you have to replace or mod it.

dominusprog wrote on 2025-09-02, 16:23:

Does this board have a Dallas chip? If so, you have to replace or mod it.

Yes its modded with a CR2032 battery. Do I need to pull the battery and replace to get the changes to take effect?

Nice. Which case does yours use? Incredibly, over different years, I think you could get a gw2k 486dx66 in any of four cases (with different configurations and different versions of the Phoenix bios). Full AT size horizontal case, large tower, more conventional size baby at case, and mini desktop that was half the height of the conventional size case.

I think the Dallas chip is socketed on the half height mini desktop, and the full size AT one uses only an external battery pack, so you must have one of the others 🙂

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:28:

Nice. Which case does yours use? Incredibly, over different years, I think you could get a gw2k 486dx66 in any of four cases (with different configurations). Full AT size horizontal case, large tower, more conventional size baby at case, and mini desktop that was half the height of the conventional size case.

SWEET!! Its the tower but not the super size one with the buttons up top it has the buttons in the middle on top of the fan inlet grate below the drive bays.

Tory4 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:31:

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:28:

Nice. Which case does yours use? Incredibly, over different years, I think you could get a gw2k 486dx66 in any of four cases (with different configurations). Full AT size horizontal case, large tower, more conventional size baby at case, and mini desktop that was half the height of the conventional size case.

SWEET!! Its the tower but not the super size one with the buttons up top it has the buttons in the middle on top of the fan inlet grate below the drive bays.

Cool. I have the full size horizontal one. You can hit Ctrl Alt esc to enter the bios at any time from the prompt and various times during post which is handy, though the bios on mine is very simple and has many fewer options than other ones I've seen on 386 and 486 PCs.

ISA IRQ assignments are somewhat fuzzy and not as straightforward as something like lspci shows for PCI devices.

It's unlikely that you actually have an LPT2: port or that IRQ 5 is taken. MSD guesses that IRQ 5 is used by LPT2: also. It's just because this is the standard IRQ assignment for LPT2: in a PC AT. Further, the LPT ports don't actually use an IRQ when used by opening them as a file and writing to them (as a DOS program does when printing). Instead, DOS uses polling mode I/O. Because polling only needs to take place when printing is happening, it doesn't carry the performance penalty that polling normally has. If it's a Zip drive connected to your parallel port instead of a printer, then you definitely want the IRQ working. So long story short, IRQ 5 is likely free for use by your sound card as you desire.

Sounds like the BAT486IP. Here is some jumper information:

https://web.archive.org/web/20001019100134/ht … /bat486ip.shtml

https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/anigma-p4d-420tx

A BIOS update might help in terms of disabling ports properly. There were different version depending upon the exact part number of your motherboard:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010615190049/ht … s/486desk.shtml

Metropoli BBS has some BIOS images:
http://files.mpoli.fi/hardware/ROM/OTHER/

Hope that helps.

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:38:

Tory4 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:31:

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:28:

Nice. Which case does yours use? Incredibly, over different years, I think you could get a gw2k 486dx66 in any of four cases (with different configurations). Full AT size horizontal case, large tower, more conventional size baby at case, and mini desktop that was half the height of the conventional size case.

SWEET!! Its the tower but not the super size one with the buttons up top it has the buttons in the middle on top of the fan inlet grate below the drive bays.

Cool. I have the full size horizontal one. You can hit Ctrl Alt esc to enter the bios at any time from the prompt and various times during post which is handy, though the bios on mine is very simple and has many fewer options than other ones I've seen on 386 and 486 PCs.

Thats awesome! You essentially have the horizontal version of the one my dad had when I was growing up. That crystal scan monitor just completes it so well. Im looking for an anykey keyboard for a decent price (ebay I will find one just getting the bugs worked out first). I have those speakers with the subwoofer but I have them paired with my modern computer I use for sim racing and flight sim. I actually use a SONY BVMD14H5U (broadcast monitor) with a scaler as a monitor. Its so I can hook anything to it and play.

My BIOS is pretty restricted too... I can mess with the peripherals, cashe, SRAM, and a few others. I know some of the stuff is taking effect because when I disable the IDE contorller it wont boot (like it should). Im just not sure what to do about freeing up these IRQs (especially this mystery LPT2 port). I remember dads had the phoenix bios like mine has and they pretty much look alike. Although I cannot remember the features on his because honestly it was 20 years ago... I'm still trying to figure out exactly which MB this is (Its going to be different than the 4DX2 because the P4D-66 has 3 PCI slots and I think 4 ISA slots).

There was also a troubleshooting utility if you can find it:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010610194755/ht … /bios/486.shtml

Sometimes clearing ESCD can help.

jakethompson1 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:46:

ISA IRQ assignments are somewhat fuzzy and not as straightforward as something like lspci shows for PCI devices.

It's unlikely that you actually have an LPT2: port or that IRQ 5 is taken. MSD guesses that IRQ 5 is used by LPT2: also. It's just because this is the standard IRQ assignment for LPT2: in a PC AT. Further, the LPT ports don't actually use an IRQ when used by opening them as a file and writing to them (as a DOS program does when printing). Instead, DOS uses polling mode I/O. Because polling only needs to take place when printing is happening, it doesn't carry the performance penalty that polling normally has. If it's a Zip drive connected to your parallel port instead of a printer, then you definitely want the IRQ working. So long story short, IRQ 5 is likely free for use by your sound card as you desire.

Ok that 100% makes sense. This unit has a combo 1.44/1.2mb drive which run off a single IDE cable and a separate CDROM I added via IDE. There arent any other drives or ports. THat being said I got this off a guy who got it out of a storage unit. It was a working computer with windows 3.1 stock Gateway stuff on it. I have no idea what was connected to it in the past. it most likely had some other cards attached because there were a few open (missing metal filler pieces which I replaced) IDE slots.

Heres the kicker on that though. If I try to use the BIOS to mark IRQ5 as used the computer will freeze while it runs autoexec/config at boot. If i mark IRQ5 as free it is fine and goes right through. So there is a conflict somewhere. Im kind of afraid to select IRQ5 in autoexec (by editing it) because if it causes a freeze I cannot undo it at that point. I guess if I have to I can use my modern PC to use note pad to edit it if I have to just to try it out.

Starcat wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:52:

Sounds like the BAT486IP. Here is some jumper information: […]
Show full quote

Sounds like the BAT486IP. Here is some jumper information:

https://web.archive.org/web/20001019100134/ht … /bat486ip.shtml

https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/anigma-p4d-420tx

A BIOS update might help in terms of disabling ports properly. There were different version depending upon the exact part number of your motherboard:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010615190049/ht … s/486desk.shtml

Metropoli BBS has some BIOS images:
http://files.mpoli.fi/hardware/ROM/OTHER/

Hope that helps.

You sir are the man! Thank you!

I am going to put my new sound card in tonight then I am going to try to put more into finding out what MB this is. If I cannot figure it out I will post pics tomorrow.

Tory4 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:52:

Thats awesome! You essentially have the horizontal version of the one my dad had when I was growing up. That crystal scan monitor just completes it so well. Im looking for an anykey keyboard for a decent price (ebay I will find one just getting the bugs worked out first). I have those speakers with the subwoofer but I have them paired with my modern computer I use for sim racing and flight sim. I actually use a SONY BVMD14H5U (broadcast monitor) with a scaler as a monitor. Its so I can hook anything to it and play.

To get into the details, its the vivitron monitor, which was a rebranded sony trinitron. This particular monitor, and keyboard, and speakers, were not sold yet when this 486 was being sold in 1993, I think they are more circa 1995/1996 accessories, but I already had these accessories for a later pentium gw2k that I own and there's only so much money I'm willing to spend on this stuff 😀

If you get an anykey keyboard (or certain other gw2k keyboards of the mid 90s), it can be common for them to not register certain button presses due to degradation of foam that serves to apply pressure to connect the keyboard flex circuit to the cable. There is some discussion here about fixing this issue by wadding up some tissue Re: Fixing up a Gateway 2000 AnyKey keyboard

Here's also an upgrade to the phoenix bios for certain gw2k 486s that recently came to light. Not sure it will be applicable to your machine though, it came with the older full size gw2k tower that had a micronics motherboard, not sure if yours would have a different mobo or bios revision. https://archive.org/details/install_20250814

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-09-02, 18:06:

To get into the details, its the vivitron monitor, which was a rebranded sony trinitron. This particular monitor, and keyboard, […]
Show full quote

Tory4 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:52:

Thats awesome! You essentially have the horizontal version of the one my dad had when I was growing up. That crystal scan monitor just completes it so well. Im looking for an anykey keyboard for a decent price (ebay I will find one just getting the bugs worked out first). I have those speakers with the subwoofer but I have them paired with my modern computer I use for sim racing and flight sim. I actually use a SONY BVMD14H5U (broadcast monitor) with a scaler as a monitor. Its so I can hook anything to it and play.

To get into the details, its the vivitron monitor, which was a rebranded sony trinitron. This particular monitor, and keyboard, and speakers, were not sold yet when this 486 was being sold in 1993, I think they are more circa 1995/1996 accessories, but I already had these accessories for a later pentium gw2k that I own and there's only so much money I'm willing to spend on this stuff 😀

If you get an anykey keyboard (or certain other gw2k keyboards of the mid 90s), it can be common for them to not register certain button presses due to degradation of foam that serves to apply pressure to connect the keyboard flex circuit to the cable. There is some discussion here about fixing this issue by wadding up some tissue Re: Fixing up a Gateway 2000 AnyKey keyboard

Here's also an upgrade to the phoenix bios for certain gw2k 486s that recently came to light. Not sure it will be applicable to your machine though, it came with the older full size gw2k tower that had a micronics motherboard, not sure if yours would have a different mobo or bios revision. https://archive.org/details/install_20250814

I know the speakers you are correct because I got mine from my Grandad who had the HUGE P5 case. Thanks for the info on the anykey, i remember that happening but nothing beats the feel of that keyboard (IMO). I used that keyboard until around 2005 when it finally died on me.

Alright I am going to get this card installed and get it going then I will work on figuring out what this motherboard is. I don't want to fry it so I was to be 100% sure when I install a new bios update.

Alright I believe its the Anigma 486 PCI board.... Looks like its very poorly documented besides this:

https://theretroweb.com/motherboard/manual/ba … 00046841452.pdf

At POST it shows Phoenix BIOS Version 4.04.7 Looks like that might be the latest verision for that MB. There are no pics of that board on the archive but the description of it is the only one close to my board.

Tory4 wrote on 2025-09-02, 18:00:

jakethompson1 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:46:

ISA IRQ assignments are somewhat fuzzy and not as straightforward as something like lspci shows for PCI devices.

It's unlikely that you actually have an LPT2: port or that IRQ 5 is taken. MSD guesses that IRQ 5 is used by LPT2: also. It's just because this is the standard IRQ assignment for LPT2: in a PC AT. Further, the LPT ports don't actually use an IRQ when used by opening them as a file and writing to them (as a DOS program does when printing). Instead, DOS uses polling mode I/O. Because polling only needs to take place when printing is happening, it doesn't carry the performance penalty that polling normally has. If it's a Zip drive connected to your parallel port instead of a printer, then you definitely want the IRQ working. So long story short, IRQ 5 is likely free for use by your sound card as you desire.

Ok that 100% makes sense. This unit has a combo 1.44/1.2mb drive which run off a single IDE cable and a separate CDROM I added via IDE. There arent any other drives or ports. THat being said I got this off a guy who got it out of a storage unit. It was a working computer with windows 3.1 stock Gateway stuff on it. I have no idea what was connected to it in the past. it most likely had some other cards attached because there were a few open (missing metal filler pieces which I replaced) IDE slots.

Heres the kicker on that though. If I try to use the BIOS to mark IRQ5 as used the computer will freeze while it runs autoexec/config at boot. If i mark IRQ5 as free it is fine and goes right through. So there is a conflict somewhere. Im kind of afraid to select IRQ5 in autoexec (by editing it) because if it causes a freeze I cannot undo it at that point. I guess if I have to I can use my modern PC to use note pad to edit it if I have to just to try it out.

I like HWINFO for DOS (author is on this forum); it can parse the ESCD table and other metadata from the BIOS, and hopefully give you an idea what ISAPNP devices it thinks it has

jakethompson1 wrote on 2025-09-02, 18:55:

Tory4 wrote on 2025-09-02, 18:00:

jakethompson1 wrote on 2025-09-02, 17:46:

ISA IRQ assignments are somewhat fuzzy and not as straightforward as something like lspci shows for PCI devices.

It's unlikely that you actually have an LPT2: port or that IRQ 5 is taken. MSD guesses that IRQ 5 is used by LPT2: also. It's just because this is the standard IRQ assignment for LPT2: in a PC AT. Further, the LPT ports don't actually use an IRQ when used by opening them as a file and writing to them (as a DOS program does when printing). Instead, DOS uses polling mode I/O. Because polling only needs to take place when printing is happening, it doesn't carry the performance penalty that polling normally has. If it's a Zip drive connected to your parallel port instead of a printer, then you definitely want the IRQ working. So long story short, IRQ 5 is likely free for use by your sound card as you desire.

Ok that 100% makes sense. This unit has a combo 1.44/1.2mb drive which run off a single IDE cable and a separate CDROM I added via IDE. There arent any other drives or ports. THat being said I got this off a guy who got it out of a storage unit. It was a working computer with windows 3.1 stock Gateway stuff on it. I have no idea what was connected to it in the past. it most likely had some other cards attached because there were a few open (missing metal filler pieces which I replaced) IDE slots.

Heres the kicker on that though. If I try to use the BIOS to mark IRQ5 as used the computer will freeze while it runs autoexec/config at boot. If i mark IRQ5 as free it is fine and goes right through. So there is a conflict somewhere. Im kind of afraid to select IRQ5 in autoexec (by editing it) because if it causes a freeze I cannot undo it at that point. I guess if I have to I can use my modern PC to use note pad to edit it if I have to just to try it out.

I like HWINFO for DOS (author is on this forum); it can parse the ESCD table and other metadata from the BIOS, and hopefully give you an idea what ISAPNP devices it thinks it has

I just downloaded it, I am going to add it to my CF HD right now.

I think I may have figured out part of the issue.... I need to look through it but this motherboard didnt have any battery besides the dallas clock... Im very sure my dad's earlier board had a battery pack wired to it... This board I do not think it does (Im assuming it was removed)... There is no coin cell besides the one I wired to the Dallas clock.

Im pretty sure thats my issue with it not forwarding changes from the bios. Any thoughts?

Alright! Got good and bad news. I tried the HWINFO application and that thing is awesome! I was using the DosBench system info application before and it was showing all the com and LPT ports occupied in their set IRQs. So I have had the LPT ports 1 disabled and never had a LPT2 hooked up. Both are disabled according to HWINFO.

So I installed my Labway A151A00 card, I ran Unisound first to make sure it saw the card, it did it set it at IRQ5 and it did work (I used doom to figure everything out). Here was the issue it was super noise ridden I would get random slight beeps and the sound fx would not work. After many config changes (by using set blaster in autoexec.bat) I began to have IRQ conflicts. Finally I ran SetupSA (IRQ2 is not available in this and setting it to IRQ9 and setting it to IRQ2 in doom did not work). I have LPT1 disabled (I have no use for a printer on this machine) so I went ahead and tried IRQ7. It worked and it worked well!

I re configured most of my games last night and I haven't had any issues.

This morning I deleted the command in Config.sys to start the TSR for the driver for the card to see if Unisound could just configure the card as it is plug and play (trying to keep my ram as clear as I can). So far so good there.

Games I have had success with:
Doom
Star Wars Dark Forces (no stereo reverse needed)
Prince of Persia 1 and 2
Mickey ABC and colors and shapes (don't ask... my daughter loves this game and if I can get her into some retro DOS gaming I will)

I will set up some more tonight, needless to say my BIOS seems to be working good actually it's something in the registry or that system info application that is confused.

I will be posting a picture of my MB as it does seem to be a good setup (3 PCI, 5 ISA, key board and mouse PS2, Socket 3). The only thing I don't see is a hookup for a turbo switch. I do not see a pin connector for a battery besides the Dallas clock.