Hello everyone!
By any chance someone has the BIOS files for the Alaris COUGAR 486BL ? I would also need some more info on the BIOS chip type needed?
And in the end, I see it has a BGA CPU and a FPU. Can it run with these integrated chips only? 😀
Thanks!
It also has a 486 socket, but if you want a regular 486 VLB board, please mail me your Cougar and I'll mail you a very nice 486 board with 3V support and all mod cons 😜
The Cougar exists to provide a platform to the IBM BL3 CPU, which is basically an insanely buffed clock-tripled 386DX to the point it can outperform most 486DX2-66 CPUs.
Hi! not goint to trade it, at least yet. I need the BIOS files to test it. Hope someone here can assist me 😀
I believe it came with MR Bios. Check the MRBIOS bundle on Vogons drivers.
http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=1 … menustate=33,30
Look for V075B481 / OPTI481
Full list is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vtPso … #gid=1164525554
anunnak wrote on 2024-05-10, 17:25:Hi! not goint to trade it, at least yet. I need the BIOS files to test it. Hope someone here can assist me 😀
I wasn't being serious, just trying to indicate what makes this board interesting. Using the Socket 2 for a 486, it's just an early 486 board with a relatively old, slow chipset. But it's one of the very few boards with the BL3 and about the only one for generic AT systems. It's a complete waste to use it for a socketed CPU.
This chipset is supported by MR BIOS, which is by far the best BIOS out there, but originally it had an AMI BIOS. I have an Alaris Leopard (its sister board with IBM SLC2, the fastest 386SX) and installed the MR BIOS and never looked back. See douglar's link for the one you need.
Thank you very much for your help guys. Will check the files! 😀
It's a fun board. Very collectible. IBM's licensing agreement prevented them from selling the chips loose, so the only way to get a BL3 CPU was soldiered on a motherboard.
Btw, do i need to install IBM specific memory with 5 v?
anunnak wrote on 2024-05-11, 11:40:Btw, do i need to install IBM specific memory with 5 v?
72p SIMMs are almost always 5V. The board is a bit picky, it requires parity (x36, so 3 or 9 chips, not 2 or 😎 and doesn't like double-sided SIMMs, so you should use only 1, 4 or 16MB SIMMs.
See the manual-ish thing here: https://theretroweb.com/motherboard/manual/32079.pdf
Thank you, i had a bad feeling about this when i heard the magic brand IBM 😁 . I am having difficulty finding 2 MB sticks 30 pin for my PS/s 2 286 and 4 mb 72 pin for my PS/2 386 sx . Now this...
