Just try to decrease the timings as low as you can, and use memtest to check if your computer actually runs stable. If it does with the lowest timings, then you're good ^^

Also, do you have L2 cache ?

I doubt it. Isn't the L2 era past the 386? I have 64k of external cache and I don't think there's anything on-die.

I was thinking about upgrading the cache but I also theorized that more cache wouldn't simply make the CPU faster. No doubt it would help with games and software but for speed I figured it as more about the timings.

Gahhhrrrlic wrote:

I doubt it. Isn't the L2 era past the 386? I have 64k of external cache and I don't think there's anything on-die.

I was thinking about upgrading the cache but I also theorized that more cache wouldn't simply make the CPU faster. No doubt it would help with games and software but for speed I figured it as more about the timings.

I think they often mean motherboard cache when say L2, even though it's technically L1 for a vanilla (cache-less) 386 CPU. And tighter timings can help quite a bit. For example, on an OPTi 495XLC hybrid board going from slowest to fastest timings raised LM2.0 result from 53-ish to 62+. (But it rendered the system unstable so it didn't really help...)

As long as no physical damage or data corruption results (assuming all I do is POST and memtest), I will attempt to lower the timings. I'm assuming if the timings are no good, the computer will still allow me to enter setup to change things back?

I'm thinking about overclocking the ISA bus too but I'm worried about messing up my cards. Also, if I overclock later (not really over clock since my chips are rated for 40), that too will change the bus speed. I've heard 12MHz is possible but maybe this would cause errors in certain hardware.

Gahhhrrrlic wrote:

I've heard 12MHz is possible but maybe this would cause errors in certain hardware.

In my ALI M1429 testbed 16MHz ISA was completely fine. I think it depends on the VGA and the I/O card - though I tested like 10 ISA VGAs and most of them worked. I might have been lucky with the I/O card, though. I really don't know.

(GUS Classic liked it too, even though I know it can freak out on off-spec or very late ISA.)

Well if your board doesn't POST anymore due to too low timings (which can happen), just clear the CMOS and it will be back to life

That's right! That's what I had to do on a more contemporary computer I screwed up. I had to pull the battery and short a jumper to clear the CMOS. In that case, I'd better do my homework on this MB before I tamper anymore. If I can't find the battery or jumper or whatever I may be stuck with a bricked computer 🤣.