VOGONS


First post, by Der Kuenringer

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Hello,
I need some help finding a unicorn.

I'm looking for a micro-ATX/mATX motherboard that has an ISA slot AND an SB-link header.
I'm planning to use an MPU-401 interface card in the ISA slot, so I'm not sure if that is an ISA DMA-dependent device? In case it is, the boards also needs a working ISA DMA.

The alternative would be a mATX board with 2 ISA slots and ISA DMA. (So far I've only found a Socket 1 board with those specifications)

Further qualifications:
1., The board needs to have an AGP slot.
2., It needs to be Socket 370 or Socket 478. In case of a board with 2 ISA slots, Socket A is fine as well.

Does such a board exist?

Reply 1 of 14, by j^aws

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Here you go: ECS P6BXME

440BX chipset on Slot 1.You can get a slotket/ slocket adapter for S370. Has 2 ISA slots and SB-Link in mATX form factor with an AGP slot. BTW, MPU-401 has IRQ settings, where IRQ 2/9 is sometimes required for Intelligent Mode.

Reply 2 of 14, by j^aws

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And here's the VIA chipset equivalent: ECS P6BAPME

One less ISA slot, but no need for a slotket/ slocket adapter as it has S370 already.

Reply 3 of 14, by Thermalwrong

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Those requirements are definitely a unicorn thanks to the PC99 standard - by the time anything was produced for FCPGA socket 370 CPUs (not just PPGA celerons), that standard effectively banned ISA ports. I personally just use a slotket.

I just checked my MS-6156 BX7 slot 1 motherboard and it has an unpopulated SB-LINK header between the two PCI slots.

Without the AGP slot requirement, there's the Intel MU440EX, which has integrated YMF740 audio and the PC/PCI header installed.

There's the Intel BI440ZX, which also looks like it's got unpopulated PC/PCI pins, but afaik that's for PGA celerons only.

That P6BAP-Me board does seem to fully fit though 😀

Reply 5 of 14, by j^aws

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Der Kuenringer wrote:

The ECS P6BAP-ME sounds perfect, but does it have the SB-link header or the pins for it? I can't spot it on the picture.

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Highlighted in red for you. SB-Link is also known as Sideband link in some manuals, FYI.

Reply 7 of 14, by j^aws

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Der Kuenringer wrote:

Amazing, thanks a lot for your help! 😊

BTW, may I ask how you found these boards in the first place? Did you use some reference that you can share?

It's just from experience, and knowing certain manufacturers that have a tendency to host certain features.

Reply 8 of 14, by doaks80

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Wonder if they support the Via C3 cpu...they would be awesome little DOS gaming mobos if so.

k6-3+ 400 / s3 virge DX+voodoo1 / awe32(32mb)
via c3 866 / s3 savage4+voodoo2 sli / audigy1+awe64(8mb)
athlon xp 3200+ / voodoo5 5500 / diamond mx300
pentium4 3400 / geforce fx5950U / audigy2 ZS
core2duo E8500 / radeon HD5850 / x-fi titanium

Reply 10 of 14, by j^aws

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^^ I believe the ECS P6EXP-Me is based on the older Intel LX chipset, and may not be as functional as the BX chipset for SB-Link. ECS do have a nice range of boards.

doaks80 wrote:

Wonder if they support the Via C3 cpu...they would be awesome little DOS gaming mobos if so.

440BX boards should be fine with the latest BIOS, as long as they can handle the voltage required. The VIA board is new enough to support the C3, and indeed, these would make great speed-sensitive DOS machines.

Reply 11 of 14, by dionb

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j^aws wrote:

^^ I believe the ECS P6EXP-Me is based on the older Intel LX chipset, and may not be as functional as the BX chipset for SB-Link. ECS do have a nice range of boards.

Not the i440LX chipset, but its cut-down sister the i440EX. I'd expect it to perform pretty much identially to a BX board, just with max 66MHz FSB and no more than 512MB RAM (officially 256MB, but EX and LX can handle 128Mb chips even if specs say max 64Mb). One thing you didn't specify is *which* So370 socket the board must have. This is a board with So370 PPGA, which only supports Celeron Mendocino CPUs (so max 533MHz). If you require FC-PGA (for Coppermine CPUs), it's good to mention that 😉

Reply 12 of 14, by j^aws

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dionb wrote:
j^aws wrote:

^^ I believe the ECS P6EXP-Me is based on the older Intel LX chipset, and may not be as functional as the BX chipset for SB-Link. ECS do have a nice range of boards.

Not the i440LX chipset, but its cut-down sister the i440EX. I'd expect it to perform pretty much identially to a BX board, just with max 66MHz FSB and no more than 512MB RAM (officially 256MB, but EX and LX can handle 128Mb chips even if specs say max 64Mb). One thing you didn't specify is *which* So370 socket the board must have. This is a board with So370 PPGA, which only supports Celeron Mendocino CPUs (so max 533MHz). If you require FC-PGA (for Coppermine CPUs), it's good to mention that 😉

Yeah, the board name with EX in it gives it away as an EX chipset. Looking more into this, it shares the 66 MHz FSB with the LX chipset, but not the same southbridge. It looks like the PIIX4E southbridge is the same as BX chipset, rather than the PIIX4 southbridge which the LX has. So SB-Link functionality would be in line with the BX chipset. I've never tested this though.

As you highlighted, the P6EXP-Me board is crippled by the PPGA S370, however adapters exist to allow for FCPGA CPUs. This boards main flaw is the 66MHz FSB.

The P6BAP-ME has the VIA 596B southbridge, which works great with SB-Link. And the manual shows FSB upto 150MHz, which has great flexibility for a C3 build as well as Coppermine and Tualatin with the right adapter. This board and the P6BX-ME look like the better options...

Reply 14 of 14, by Der Kuenringer

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Great, more options 😁
It's either going to be ECS P6BAP-ME or Shuttle HOT-687V2 / HOT-688 for me, since I want a good DOS build. I wasn't aware of the VIA C3 option before, so thanks doaks80 and j^aws for bringing it up! And these two boards would also be compatible with a pin-modded Tualatin?
@dionb - thanks for saving me from a stupid purchase decision. It was indeed supposed to be FC-PGA, but that little qualifier had escaped my attention!

And please - the more, the merrier! Keep them coming 😊