VOGONS


First post, by Un Information

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I've tried out this software for MS-DOS: http://www.oldskool.org/pc/throttle/DOS, I've read that it disables the L1 cache once used. Is there anyway to re-enable it once it does this?

There's no option for me to re-enable it in BIOS.

Reply 1 of 8, by gerwin

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Un Information wrote on 2025-07-16, 12:46:

I've tried out this software for MS-DOS: http://www.oldskool.org/pc/throttle/DOS, I've read that it disables the L1 cache once used. Is there anyway to re-enable it once it does this?

There's no option for me to re-enable it in BIOS.

"Command line options: ... -c = do not disable the L1 cache"

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 2 of 8, by Un Information

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gerwin wrote on 2025-07-16, 13:01:

"Command line options: ... -c = do not disable the L1 cache"

Does it stay disabled after using it without that command though?

Reply 3 of 8, by gerwin

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Un Information wrote on 2025-07-16, 13:14:

Does it stay disabled after using it without that command though?

That would be the proper way to handle it.

If you want to toggle L1 cache exclusively, you can use the tools in CacheOff.zip here:
A question about speed

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 4 of 8, by DaveDDS

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This reminds me of "many years ago" when I made a quick-and-dirty tool to slow a MS-DOS system
(damn new processors were just too fast for some stuff) - it was "super simple/stupid", but it worked
for whatever I was trying to run at the time...

All it did was hook the BIOS 55ms timer-tick, and added a nice-big "do nothing" loop into it...
Overall system speed slowed nicely, but obviously full-speed in between the 55ms ticks. I don't
recall why I needed it, but whatever it was must have been sensitive to longer-term "to fast".

And it was super simple to implement!

Dave ::: https://dunfield.themindfactory.com ::: "Daves Old Computers"->Personal

Reply 5 of 8, by theelf

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When select 0 in throttle, it just enable l1 again

Reply 6 of 8, by Harry Potter

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DaveDDS: when I first heard about this type of speed-sensitive software, I admit that I thought that what you just said was how slow-down programs worked. I have a few DOS programs on my computer P4 Win98SE tower that need it. I should look into CacheOff.zip but am curious about your method. Can you publish it online?

Joseph Rose, a.k.a. Harry Potter
Working magic in the computer community

Reply 7 of 8, by DaveDDS

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Harry Potter wrote on 2025-07-16, 14:37:

DaveDDS: when I first heard about this type of speed-sensitive software, I admit that I thought that what you just said was how slow-down programs worked. I have a few DOS programs on my computer P4 Win98SE tower that need it. I should look into CacheOff.zip but am curious about your method. Can you publish it online?

It was so many years ago that I don't think I still have it (or would know where to look)
.. It was dead simple, and would be very easy to replicate... Lust take over the 55ms tick interrupt,
save-state, loop for however long you need, restore state and JMP the original interrupt handler address.

Dave ::: https://dunfield.themindfactory.com ::: "Daves Old Computers"->Personal

Reply 8 of 8, by Un Information

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gerwin wrote on 2025-07-16, 14:07:
That would be the proper way to handle it. […]
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Un Information wrote on 2025-07-16, 13:14:

Does it stay disabled after using it without that command though?

That would be the proper way to handle it.

If you want to toggle L1 cache exclusively, you can use the tools in CacheOff.zip here:
A question about speed

Thanks, I'll try this.

theelf wrote on 2025-07-16, 14:36:

When select 0 in throttle, it just enable l1 again

Yeah, I had issues with it freezing Descent and causing the MIDI music to mess up, even after the value was set to 0. Restarting seems to have stopped it.