stubbertville wrote on 2022-02-26, 03:21:

So I got this pc for free a year ago and I've ever since been trying to find out exactly which motherboard I have! It says on it that its a m507 1.2v but I can't find a matching motherboard online, unlike most this one has a dallas battery, the com port headers are horizontal and is missing two (I think) cache chips. Was hoping someone could help me figure out which motherboard I have! I also had a small question to add on, could I solder a cr2032 battery holder to the empty header since my dallas bat is looooong dead.

Welcome to Vogons 😀

Board has a number of names but seems to be closest to this one - https://www.ultimateretro.net/en/motherboards/6167

Battery-wise you may be able to replace / modify the existing Dallas or there may be an onboard header for an external battery pack- clear picture of the whole board might help

Yeah, it probably would be a bright idea to take it out of the case

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2022-02-26, 04:12:

Welcome to Vogons :) […]
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stubbertville wrote on 2022-02-26, 03:21:

So I got this pc for free a year ago and I've ever since been trying to find out exactly which motherboard I have! It says on it that its a m507 1.2v but I can't find a matching motherboard online, unlike most this one has a dallas battery, the com port headers are horizontal and is missing two (I think) cache chips. Was hoping someone could help me figure out which motherboard I have! I also had a small question to add on, could I solder a cr2032 battery holder to the empty header since my dallas bat is looooong dead.

Welcome to Vogons 😀

Board has a number of names but seems to be closest to this one - https://www.ultimateretro.net/en/motherboards/6167

Battery-wise you may be able to replace / modify the existing Dallas or there may be an onboard header for an external battery pack- clear picture of the whole board might help

heres a slightly better photo

Pull the cards and you’ll probably find your answer.

Looks like it’s currently set up as a socket 5 (3.3v-3.5v core voltage cpus only) but that socket for a vrm can upgrade that.

I see what may be a cache socket. Your max cache is probably 512k (chipset lookup can tell)

Simms. Looks like a pretty standard socket 5/7 transitional motherboard.

Your fastest processor will likely be a k6-3+ 400-500mhz

And your max ram is probably 128-512mb (would have to look up your chipset)

Max fsb is probably 66-83.3 (a pic of the clock gen can answer that)

Your vrms look linear, but the vrm upgrade modula can be whatever you want if you make one. (Switching/buck is better, less heat)

Oddly, I think that pad you are thinking is for a battery actually may be for a speaker . Or a inductor

We had another thread recently where a lot of time was wasted because good pics weren’t given early on. I urge you to provide a clear pic of the board uninstructed it will actually save time for you and help us help you better.

It does have a cache slot, also it’s a socket 7 with the intel i430fx chipset, the cpu it has atm is a Cyrix 6x86 133? If I recall correctly

It’s a quite interesting board, more than likely I’ll just pull out the cards because whenever I pull out the motherboard it seems to not work until I put it back in the case in a specific spot

Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 🤣

I understand that doesn’t make sense, but electrically, your socket is probably set up as a socket 5 right now. Though it is possible that It’s socket 7 electrically since two vrms are present, I doubt it. That vrm upgrade module is probably there for a reason and that reason is probably to add the second voltage plane.

I could tell you for sure if you can provide a full pic, we can identify the board, and you take a few measurements.

That’s weird that it won’t work outside the case. 🤔

All right, it’s pretty late where I’m at it’s about 1:30 in the morning so I will take a picture tomorrow and send it. Also do you have any suggestions for 3D accelerated PCI card? Circa 1996/97

https://www.anandtech.com/show/72/7

Max cache is 512k
Max ram is 128mb
Cachable area is 64mb
Max cachable area is 128mb with k6-3/2+/3+ cpu

stubbertville wrote on 2022-02-26, 07:30:

All right, it’s pretty late where I’m at it’s about 1:30 in the morning so I will take a picture tomorrow and send it. Also do you have any suggestions for 3D accelerated PCI card? Circa 1996/97

I have had very good luck with radeon 7500 cards on motherboards like this. I realize that’s a bit newer but they seem to just work. And are fast.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115201064320?hash=it … noAAOSwdGJh5eKu

Fair enough, I personally want to stay with period Accuracy, Even the one and a half gig hard drive is from 1996

stubbertville wrote on 2022-02-26, 07:35:

Fair enough, I personally want to stay with period Accuracy, Even the one and a half gig hard drive is from 1996

Perhaps some sort of voodoo.?

Ask around if anyone else has that motherboard and see what they are using, a good 2/3 of video cards or more tend to just refuse to work in mobos from this era. Even period cards. Idk why. But socket 7 era boards were extremely picky with video cards I’ve noticed. Even many of my 2-4mb cards and rage 128 refuse to work in some of my boards

Btw, I took a look at your pic. See those red jumpers in the socket?. I’m 99% sure your board is set up as socket 5 electrically right now.

https://youtu.be/J0NLGfocviU

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-02-26, 07:27:

Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 lol […]
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Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 🤣

I understand that doesn’t make sense, but electrically, your socket is probably set up as a socket 5 right now. Though it is possible that It’s socket 7 electrically since two vrms are present, I doubt it. That vrm upgrade module is probably there for a reason and that reason is probably to add the second voltage plane.

I could tell you for sure if you can provide a full pic, we can identify the board, and you take a few measurements.

That’s weird that it won’t work outside the case. 🤔

Afaik the term 'Socket 7' does not necessitate split voltage support. It mainly specifies an additional hole in the LIF-socket and the presence of the BF1 signal. Split voltage support is optional. The first S7 processors were released in 1995, long before the Pentium MMX required split voltage support.

Doornkaat wrote on 2022-02-26, 08:13:

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-02-26, 07:27:

Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 lol […]
Show full quote

Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 🤣

I understand that doesn’t make sense, but electrically, your socket is probably set up as a socket 5 right now. Though it is possible that It’s socket 7 electrically since two vrms are present, I doubt it. That vrm upgrade module is probably there for a reason and that reason is probably to add the second voltage plane.

I could tell you for sure if you can provide a full pic, we can identify the board, and you take a few measurements.

That’s weird that it won’t work outside the case. 🤔

Afaik the term 'Socket 7' does not necessitate split voltage support. It mainly specifies an additional hole in the LIF-socket and the presence of the BF1 signal. Split voltage support is optional. The first S7 processors were released in 1995, long before the Pentium MMX required split voltage support.

Twas a confusing time,

Looking at the photos on ultimateretro.net and his photos, I'm pretty sure that you can put a CR2032 battery holder.

However that won't be sufficient. You need to replace the dallas chip with a KS82C6818A chip (or equivalent). Apparently your board has already a 32768Hz quartz so you don't need to add it (I'm saying that for people owning a board with a similar problem that would want to make such a mod).
Once that's done, you should be able to use a CR2032 battery 😀

Also yes this board by default can only do 3.3V. The connector with 4 jumpers is a VRM connector, to add split voltage capability to your board and add MMX compatibility.
Youtuber and vogons user Necroware is working on such a device, which he will make open source probably in the upcoming months.
You can also have a dallas battery replacement alternative from him ; this : https://github.com/necroware/nwX287

Just to return to the ID - the POST screen gives it away: PM7600. That makes it an Amptron PM-7600. Which is exactly the same as a PC Chips M507, as PC Chips sold its motherboards under a bewildering array of brand names, including Amptron.

That said, all the important info other than that has already been given. Do note that early So7 boards frequently had VRM sockets, but few actually kept BIOS support long enough to properly cover Pentium MMX CPUs when they finally appeared, so even if you get that VRM, you might still have issues. Most likely just cosmetic ones though (CPU type and speed incorrectly shown), but some boards may fail to boot with unknown CPU.

I figured it was an ampertron, its just I can’t seem to find the exact board it is, At least with all the features and well its lack of

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-02-26, 09:01:

Doornkaat wrote on 2022-02-26, 08:13:

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-02-26, 07:27:

Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 lol […]
Show full quote

Yes, socket 7 sockets weren’t always socket 7 🤣

I understand that doesn’t make sense, but electrically, your socket is probably set up as a socket 5 right now. Though it is possible that It’s socket 7 electrically since two vrms are present, I doubt it. That vrm upgrade module is probably there for a reason and that reason is probably to add the second voltage plane.

I could tell you for sure if you can provide a full pic, we can identify the board, and you take a few measurements.

That’s weird that it won’t work outside the case. 🤔

Afaik the term 'Socket 7' does not necessitate split voltage support. It mainly specifies an additional hole in the LIF-socket and the presence of the BF1 signal. Split voltage support is optional. The first S7 processors were released in 1995, long before the Pentium MMX required split voltage support.

Twas a confusing time,

here are some better photos

stubbertville wrote on 2022-02-26, 15:29:

I figured it was an ampertron, its just I can’t seem to find the exact board it is, At least with all the features and well its lack of

What's the delta with the PM-7600 then? Look the same to me...

The PCB is identical, only difference is which components are implemented on yours (COAST slot vs soldered PLB cache on the old pic, DS12887 vd DS12885 and a CR-2032 battery etc, white shrouds round the flatcable connectors vs no shrouds). This sort of stuff was configured differently on every run, potentially as requested by individual wholesalers.