486: a 486VIP w/ AM5x86-P75 @ 160MHz with a PCI S3 ViRGE 2MB + PCI 3dfx Voodoo2 12MB, 32MB EDO, AWE32 8MB

One could question the point of a Voodoo2 in a 486, but it comes in handy for some of those Activision simulators with poor software renderers, and also allows Quake to be played much better while in GL 😀

leileilol wrote:

486: a 486VIP w/ AM5x86-P75 @ 160MHz with a PCI S3 ViRGE 2MB + PCI 3dfx Voodoo2 12MB, 32MB EDO, AWE32 8MB

One could question the point of a Voodoo2 in a 486, but it comes in handy for some of those Activision simulators with poor software renderers, and also allows Quake to be played much better while in GL 😀

Thanks, I'm definitely looking for interesting configs. Anachronisms don't matter, this is a "pushing the limits" build. Throw in an OS for it if you like, too.

Pentium Overdrive's allowed in the 486 system?

If I were to build a Pentium MMX 233 machine (and I'm actually planning to for a couple months now, but I got sidetracked due to other priorities), I'd put the maximum cacheable amount of memory in it in case it was a (Super) Socket 7, so I'd probably end up with 64MB or 128 MB (for 256MB and more I tend to stick with ME).

I'm planning to match them with a PCI Virge 4MB (or just maybe a Matrox card) and a Voodoo 1 (my Voodoo 2's are reserved for faster rigs) and I also finally want to use more of my 2.88MB floppy drives just for the coolness factor 🤣.
Sound card will probably be ISA Creative Labs 64 (either Gold or the standard one, depending on what appears out of my parts box first). I know I might as well just use some PCI sound card, but as I'm not planning to build a dedicated DOS machine at this time, I might as well use it this way.

The rest is pretty standard though. CDROM drive, harddrive and an ATX Socket 7 motherboard so the rig can be build more quickly.

The only problem is that I seem to have misplaced both of my 98SE disks (I should have one English and one Dutch) so I'm hoping I ever created an ISO file from these disks. I also intend to create a Windows 98SE bootable disk that is largely unattended just like my unattended Windows ME disk but that's still a WIP atm.

leileilol wrote:

486: a 486VIP w/ AM5x86-P75 @ 160MHz with a PCI S3 ViRGE 2MB + PCI 3dfx Voodoo2 12MB, 32MB EDO, AWE32 8MB

One could question the point of a Voodoo2 in a 486, but it comes in handy for some of those Activision simulators with poor software renderers, and also allows Quake to be played much better while in GL 😀

Heh, you wouldn't find me questioning it, as I run a Voodoo 2 (8MB card, not the 12MB) in my AMD 486DX4 100MHz. (I used to run an AM5x86-P75 until battery acid killed off my one board that supported this chip).

But I still had fun trying to push the system by running Rayman 2: http://youtu.be/Sv1B0tYc-Oo

But my personal ideal maxed out 486, would be two of my existing systems... the one above I mentioned to leileilol, that also has 64MB RAM (128MB is the max supported on the motherboard), with a PCI S3 Trio64 2MB card, and an AWE 64 Gold with SimmConn memory expansion with a 32MB RAM stick, giving 28MB total for the card to use on soundfonts. Then of course, network cards! 😎

Then there's my Gateway 2000 which is still a current work in progress, with an Intel Overdrive DX4 100MHz chip, 32MB RAM, SCSI controller... this is an EISA system, so I couldn't possibly put a Voodoo card in here.

But one thing I am starting to find exciting to work with, on a retro system such as a 486 based one, is working with SCSI, my first experiences had been quite pleasant. 😀

Of course, a couple of audio card choices to maximize possibilities on game audio support! 🤣

Is a high-end 486 enough to drive a Voodoo 2 or 3, given that it is about as fast as a p-60 or p-75?
I've been looking at a Radeon 7500 AIW but if I can't run it with Win 95/98 and it needs an XP or 2k machine, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get that on a 486 no matter how fast it is or how much RAM I cram in there.

Given that, it might be better to go with something like a Mystique paired with the Voodoo 3 or Just the Voodoo 3 alone (Mystique for fast 2d in alternate OSs like OS/2)

I'm not crazy about the hobbled 3d on the Mystique but it would probably be primarily a 2d card.

Not even a pentium mmx 233 can use the full power of the voodoo 2,so no way a 486 is enough for voodoo 2 or 3,better use a voodoo 1 with a 486.

Phil's 3Dfx Voodoo CPU scaling review (Intel Pentium) u can see here how a voodoo 1 performs on a pentium 100mhz,since the best 486 it's still not as fast in 3d games as a pentium 100mhz,u can draw your own conclusions about how will it perform with the voodoo 1.

If I pick up a PCI motherboard, am I safe buying 64mb 72 pin simms for it, or should I stick with 32mb 72 pin simms, if the board can handle 4 simms?
I'm not sure what the max supported RAM by a 486 is, I imagine it is 64 or 128mb? Everything from that era took FPM and not EDO if I recall.
Did anyone make such a thing as a USB 1 ISA card, or were those only available as PCI boards? I would have only 3 PCI slots so am trying to plan out the build carefully.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cache-able limits on S7 and SS7 boards. Some of the later boards are usually 128mb and a few out there do 256mb cache-able. Everything else is 64mb and 486 it is usually half that.

What about the Radeon 7500 or the Matrox Mystique, then? I'm probably not going to be playing many 3d games on it except very very early ones.

I'd go like that :

Maxed out 486 :
- AMD DX5 133 @ 160MHz
- 64MB RAM
- 512KB or 1024KB dual banked cache for full 64MB cacheable in write back mode
- SCSI HDD+CDROM
- AWE64 Gold + Sound blaster pro 2
- S3 Trio PCI Video Card
- DOS 6.22

Maxed out P55C :
- 233MHz @ 290
- 128MB RAM
- enough cache for full cacheability
- SCSI HDD + CDROM
- AWE64 Gold + Sound blaster Pro 2
- Matrox Millenium 2 PCI Card
- Matrox M3D PCI Card
- Any 3Dfx Voodoo 1 Card
- Win 95

Nahkri wrote:

better use a voodoo 1 with a 486.

Multitexturing support can take some stress off the CPU as well

With VLB I would go this route for a Socket 3 system:

Pentium Overdrive 83 @ 100mhz
Asus VL/I-486SV2GX4 /w 1MB L2 cache & latest BIOS
64MB RAM
Tseng Labs ET4000/W32p 2MB
AWE64 Gold (soundcard can be discussed out of preference)
SCSI HD & CD-ROM
DOS 6.22 and Win95

I have a very similar system only with a S3 Vision864 VLB card (which I belive is an inch slower than the W32p). I haven't seen any 486 (Socket 3) system beat it and it is as quick as a regular Pentium 100 running on a Socket 7 430FX board (with the same graphics chip on PCI bus). The downside with a VLB only systen is no Voodoo card..

Is your POD write back enabled with SCSI ?

sunaiac wrote:

Is your POD write back enabled with SCSI ?

SCSI CD-ROM works, but I haven't gotten the HDD to work yet. I only have two Adaptec SCSI ISA/VLB cards to test with. They produce other type of errors compared to running with other CPUs, so I believe the WB on the POD is not the problem. Setting it to WT and setting FSB to 33mhz (stock speed) makes no difference. I believe there is some compatibility problems when running the POD on the ASUS board with Adaptec SCSI based cards.

Mmm I've got quite a lot a troubles with my WIP 486 (third line of my sig), with HDD disappearing, MSDos installation crashing, etc ...
Comp is configured for WB, I'll have to try WT.

I have built a VLB 486 like below. This, of course, can be made faster with a Cyrix or a POD, or overclocking the AMD 5x86 further in a Soyo or UMC based board, but there are more disadvantages in overclocking than benefits when you actually start using the system. Certain parts, including sound cards and NIC are prone to random and not-so-obvious errors at high ISA clocks.

ASUS VL/I 486SV2GX4 motherboard, 512 kb L2 cache
AMD 5x86 (ADZ) 133 Mhz (or 160 Mhz)
2 x 32 MB FP RAM
TSENG ET4000 w32p 2MB *but my S3 cards, 805 / 864 / 911 have sharper picture and slightly better colors*
Winbond VLB Multi I/O
30 GB HDD + 30 GB SSD
DVD-ROM
SB Pro 1 *does not like high ISA clocks*
GUS ACE *hates high ISA clocks and slow refresh*
SB 16
3COM Etherlink III NIC

I have noticed that with a write-back cache processor, bench results are better when L2 cache is in write-thru mode. So 512 kb L2 cache is just fine for me.

I have also built VIP systems on the Soyo SAW2 and SAW5, Zida 4DPS rigs and a Biostar MB8433-UUD... These have IBM and Cyrix 5x86 processors, PCI video cards as the Elsa Erazor II TNT, generic riva 128zx, Monster Fusion PCI (Banshee) and S3 Virge GX.

and I have a nice Gigabyte dual P233 motherboard somewhere as well. Hmm...I should OC it to ~266 Mhz and use it with Voodoo 2 SLI... Project no. 953443.

So I've got these parts, and I'm trying to decide what I should stick in which box:
P-Pro 200, 64MB RAM
5x86 133, 128MB RAM

Matrox Mystique
Radeon 7500 AIW
Voodoo 3
I was thinking of putting the Mystique in the 486 class system and the Radeon in the P-Pro
I'm still trying to scrounge up the rest of the parts I need, I think I have some older CDROM drives and floppies somewhere.
The 486 motherboard with the PCI slots has onboard IDE, so that's kinda nice.

I should fo for a 486 from 100 mhz till 133 mhz (keep it stock) Ocing on 5x86 doesnt make any sense.. it cant rendering 3d any good.. Then you could better build a first generation pentium 1 from my point of view..
So went you go for a 486, keep it stock and the system would running much longer.

If you want to make the fastest pentium 1 rig, i would go for 200mhz minimal, but better go for an 233MMX.