The ASUS P65UP5 and P65UP8 boards are highly regarded, but expensive. Luckybob will probably chime in here 😀

vetz wrote on 2024-08-03, 06:46:

The ASUS P65UP5 and P65UP8 boards are highly regarded, but expensive. Luckybob will probably chime in here 😀

I was looking at those, actually. It's unfortunate that they're so expensive... I was also considering an Intel PR440FX or something along those lines, as they seem to be a bit cheaper.

PR440FX will most likely be my go to at the moment given the price range. I'll be configuring it with 1 GB of RAM, and two Pentium Pros. I intend to dualboot with NT 4 and 98SE, so I'll have to look into making system.ini edits so 98 doesn't cause a fuss over the RAM amount.

Complete systems may be another choice if you are not bound to AT format.
Intergraph TD410, Dec Prioris MX6200, IBM PC Server 365, HP Netserver LHpro, HP Vectra XU, Compaq Proliant 800, 850R or 2500(R) come to my mind.

vetz wrote on 2024-08-03, 06:46:

The ASUS P65UP5 and P65UP8 boards are highly regarded, but expensive. Luckybob will probably chime in here 😀

Anything dual CPU is generally expensive. My MSI 694D Pro-AR and ABIT BP6 set me quite a fortune back, and the BP6 also needs trace repair as PS/2 ports don't work.

RetroSonicHero wrote on 2024-08-03, 05:22:

Good evening. I'm looking to build a 1996/97 CAD workstation for stuff such as 3D rendering, video editing, and other miscellane […]
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Good evening. I'm looking to build a 1996/97 CAD workstation for stuff such as 3D rendering, video editing, and other miscellaneous tasks. I've got the sound and video situation sorted, but I was looking for opinions on what motherboards would be ideal for this setup.
OS of choice is Windows NT 4.0. I was thinking of going with the i440FX chipset, as I know it is well supported in NT and 98SE (should I choose to dualboot). In a perfect world, I want two CPU slots, and a maximum of 1 GB of ram is preferred. Everything else is flexible as long as there are ample ISA and PCI slots.
What motherboards would be optimal for these tasks? I'm open to looking into other chipsets, also. I'd also like tips on how I could go about obtaining them for a reasonable price, if possible.
Edit: I'll be using two 200 Mhz Pentium Pros, in case that's relevant.

Motherboard? the best answer is; whatever you happen to find first that works and is in your price range. PPRO was at the bleeding edge of the transition to ATX. So you can find both types of boards. ATX is much easier to work with today, for obvious reasons. And will usually come with a commensurate price premium. There is no stand-out brand that is "better" than any other. Intel made all the chipsets AFAIK, and the 440 series are rock stable, so its hard to go wrong. The only significant differences are onboard features and form factor.

NT4 is an age appropriate choice for this style of machine. win9x will not use dual cpu, if you weren't already aware. Also, don't discount win2000.

Yea... nah. Ever since "the cough" prices have gone nucking futs and show zero signs of slowing down. I blame myself, but if you sit on your hands and are patient, you will get a system without TOO much hassle/cost. However, the instant that you pick a specific motherboard... you've pretty much tripled your costs.

That said. The ATX Intel board that was recently featured in an LGR video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_so2nUob1Y Its a solid board, and there is a turn-key solution on ePay right now. I wouldnt even dream of paying that price for it, but i've been spoiled by getting these parts before retro computers were "popular".

vetz wrote on 2024-08-03, 06:46:

The ASUS P65UP5 and P65UP8 boards are highly regarded, but expensive. Luckybob will probably chime in here 😀