Okay, since I could not get the Gigabyte motherboard to work I have decided I to use my 1993 “Made in USA” 486 motherboard.
It’s a “Vega VS486F-3VL” Motherboard ( Young Micro Systems inc ).
http://www.elhvb.com/webhq/models/486vlb3/vs486f.txt.html

I am going to use it with a 486dx-4-100 Intel Overdrive CPU from 1993

Very nice build!

I've been keeping an eye out for one of those DX4-100 overdrive chips for a long time. My board only takes 5V CPUs and that has a built-in VRM for 5V-3V down-stepping, which is great.

lemonlime wrote on 2020-01-23, 21:36:

Very nice build!

I've been keeping an eye out for one of those DX4-100 overdrive chips for a long time. My board only takes 5V CPUs and that has a built-in VRM for 5V-3V down-stepping, which is great.

Yeah, this CPU will work. Just set up your motherboard jumpers for a 486dx-33 CPU and then insert the Intel overdrive. It will take over at 100mhz..

The build is coming along great.
I have all the hardware installed and working.
I am completing the installation of DOS/Win311 now.

I had a problem with the 4x tray loading CDROM I originally selected. It did not want to read the CD’s.
So I found this Sony 8x slot loading CDROM in my garage.

What do you think about It.
Is it too NEW ?
It works great but it is NOT 1993/94

What should I do ?
All the rest of the Hardware is 1993/94

Just about done with this build.
It’s the best 486 computer to date that I have assembled.

I just need to do some cable management and cleanup the case a little.

Looks great and performs good.
Run quiet too.

very nice case. for the low, low price of $300 i too could have one from eBay. i almost pooped myself when i saw the price.

I have it all working. All the hardware works and all the software works.
I am going to name this a 1993 build with DOS 6.22 / Win311 from 1993.

Computer is working great.
Runs smooth.
Sound Blaster 2.0 audio sounds great with these Advent 2,1 speakers.
Computer works much better with this 8x sony CDROM player. Disk load quickly and play smooth.
Would have been nice to have back in 1993.

The computer I had back in 1993 was just too slow to be a Multimedia computer.
I think software developers were pushing the Multimedia content when the computer market was NOT ready.
Same thing happened with the Internet. The computer user population was just NOT ready.

What I had back in 1993 was:
Motherboard - ISA
Cache - 64kb.
CPU - Intel 486dx2-33
RAM - 4mb.
CD drive - Sony 2x
Audio - Sound Blaster compatible
Hard-drive - Conner 120mb.
Video - Oaktech VGA
Modem - 14.4kb.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-24, 21:51:

Looks great and performs good.

Memory speed, especially L1 and L2, seems very low for a DX4-100.

derSammler wrote on 2020-01-26, 20:54:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-24, 21:51:

Looks great and performs good.

Memory speed, especially L1 and L2, seems very low for a DX4-100.

I am using “write-thru” setting.
Should I use “write-back” instead ?

derSammler wrote on 2020-01-26, 20:54:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-24, 21:51:

Looks great and performs good.

Memory speed, especially L1 and L2, seems very low for a DX4-100.

Here, I ran the tests again using conventional memory setup.
The first test were run using extended memory setup.
L2 cache score is a little better.

Very nice system in a great case.
The symphony chipset is new to me. Does using SCSI(hdd / cd-dom) bring any tangible performance benefits as in smoothness?

amadeus777999 wrote on 2020-01-27, 15:57:

Very nice system in a great case.
The symphony chipset is new to me. Does using SCSI(hdd / cd-dom) bring any tangible performance benefits as in smoothness?

I m using an IDE hard-drive and CDROM drive connected to the VLB controller card.
The SCSI adapter is just for external addin stuff like CD drive, hard-drives, tape backups, etc.

Yes, I was skeptical about this “Symphony” chipset as I have never heard about it before and there is not much written about it on the internet. But it seem to be working okay. The computer performs fine for me and is stable running DOS 6.22 / Win3.11

I say it runs smooth because there is no grinding noise from worn parts or unlubircated drives or noise fans.
I took each drive apart before installing and cleaned and lubricated all the mechanical mechanisms.
And cleaned all the heads too.

What're you using to re-lube drives? I've overhauled a ton of floppy and CD drives lately, so just curious what others are doing.

I got a tube of white lithium grease at the hardware store that I use for worm gears, normal gears, disc tray gear paths, 3.5" disk loading mechanisms with metal-to-metal contact, the part that stabilizes the head in operation and lifts it when the disk is ejecting, etc. I've found some stuff online that says you're supposed to use a lighter variant of white lithium grease for this stuff, but whatever I have (intended for general hinge and gear use?) seems to work really well. Everything comes out operating more smoothly and quietly than before. Some of the gunk I wipe off is much thicker than what I'm putting on, so I assume it's OK.

For the polished rails (floppy and CD, non-geared side of the head / pickup mech) I use silicone oil. I just saturate the end of a Q-tip and wipe it on liberally.

SirNickity wrote on 2020-01-27, 20:30:

What're you using to re-lube drives? I've overhauled a ton of floppy and CD drives lately, so just curious what others are doing.

I got a tube of white lithium grease at the hardware store that I use for worm gears, normal gears, disc tray gear paths, 3.5" disk loading mechanisms with metal-to-metal contact, the part that stabilizes the head in operation and lifts it when the disk is ejecting, etc. I've found some stuff online that says you're supposed to use a lighter variant of white lithium grease for this stuff, but whatever I have (intended for general hinge and gear use?) seems to work really well. Everything comes out operating more smoothly and quietly than before. Some of the gunk I wipe off is much thicker than what I'm putting on, so I assume it's OK.

For the polished rails (floppy and CD, non-geared side of the head / pickup mech) I use silicone oil. I just saturate the end of a Q-tip and wipe it on liberally.

Yeah, that’s the stuff. And I clean the heads with isopropyl alcohol and CDROM lens with a soft cloth and lens cleaner.
I have had good success with the floppy drives but sometime other things are wrong with the CDROM drives.
Some of them just don’t want to read the disks. May need a new lens.

derSammler wrote on 2020-01-26, 20:54:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-24, 21:51:

Looks great and performs good.

Memory speed, especially L1 and L2, seems very low for a DX4-100.

Using the turbo switch and Setmul utility i am able to slow this computer down to a 286@20mhz. For playing old games.

Plays “Full Throttle” good and sounds great.

Any ideas on how i can make this a better 1993/94 computer ?

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:26:

Any ideas on how i can make this a better 1993/94 computer ?

LA or wavetable synthesis. MT-32, GUS, or high-quality GM sound card/daughterboard (preferably all).

boxpressed wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:59:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:26:

Any ideas on how i can make this a better 1993/94 computer ?

LA or wavetable synthesis. MT-32, GUS, or high-quality GM sound card/daughterboard (preferably all).

The Sound Blaster Pro already has a Yamaha YMF chip.
It does not have a connector for a daughterboard.

I would have to get something like the Edison Gold Sound card for that.

What about video?
What was the Best VLB video card back in 1993/94 ?