First post, by Jolaes76
Well, I have been having this itch to build out a fully populated VLB machine for a long tome... and now I succeeded.
The goal was to build a fast 486 with a DX4 or AMD 5x86 CPU and 3 Vesa Local Bus cards, preferably operating at 0 WS, all memory/cache timings set to the tightest possible values.
I have tested this system for a couple of hours and have not met any issues. This, at least, proves that a solid, fast 3-VLB system can be built without major compromises.
I am currenty testing 40 Mhz operation (it might require introducing wait states) but am already content with this within-specs system 😀
It has
a solid VGA (Doom benches around 60 fps without sound, 57.4 with SB)
a fast SCSI subsystem
AND
fast LAN (Mike Brutman's MTCP works at around 710 kb/s)
Ingredients:
- Shuttle HOT 419 rev3 motherboard (with the last, AIP06 BIOS)
- AMD 5x86 ADZ CPU operating at 4x33 Mhz
- currently: 1 60ns 32 double-sided Samsung FPM RAM
- ADAPTEC AHA 2842A SCSI controller
- Dinomonster SCSI 50 pin to 2.5" SATA converter (costs an arm and a leg but works like a charm, still cheaper than the ACARD adapters)
- an ordinary 4500 RPM 60 GB 2.5" HDD (might replace it with an SSD)
- currently: a Cirrus GD-5429 VGA card
"Ita in vita ut in lusu alae pessima iactura arte corrigenda est."