First post, by Wilius
Hello everybody,
I've recently got a vintage computer for free.
This neat little machine is perfect for my retro gaming project.
After I took it apart, I've discovered that the motherboard is the legendary ASUS P/I-P55T2P4 revision 2.3.
A while ago, the popular Youtuber Lazy Game Reviews (aka. LGR) uploaded this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yT9KPQqBtE, which features the same board.
In my opinion, this is one of the best videos on YouTube, which shows this board in great detail.
This video heavily inspired me to build a similar system.
However, I'm having many questions about my upgrade plans.
Q1
I'm considering upgrading the memory to 512 MB, which means I'll have to install a TAG Ram.
LGR showed a Winbond w24257ak-15 in his video.
I don't have the same model, but I do have Pin-compatible chips, which might work as well.
Here are my options: ISSI IS61C256AH-15N, MOSEL MS62256H-15NC, Motorola MCM6206CP20.
Which of the candidates should I pick?
Q2
I'd like to increase the L2 Cache to 512k, by adding a COASt module.
At the moment, I only own a single COASt Module of unknown size. It's labeled as PT-911A.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything about this module on the internet.
The Cache chips are NEC d431232lgf-a8. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any data sheets for these chips.
Is this a 256k module and can I use it on my board? If requested, I'll take pictures of it.
Q3
Of course, the Dallas RTC battery on my board is empty, hence I need to replace it asap.
LGR has replaced his Dallas RTC battery with one of those fancy Drop-in replacement modules, but these things are rare to come across in Germany.
I don't want to modify the existing one, or replace it with yet another DS12B887 RTC battery.
Has anyone an idea where I can get a cheap replacement module?
It would be great if the article directly comes from Germany.
Ideally, I'd love to get my hands on the GW-12887-1 from "The Glitch Works".
Q4
What is the best and most stable BIOS version you recommend for this board, and what flash tools do I need?
I'm currently searching for a newer BIOS, because the HDD I'd like to use is larger than 32 GB.
I'm sorry for the many questions.
Thanks in advance for helping me.