Cache memory is often overlooked on motherboards. I like to populate my boards with as much cache as the board will take just because it feels good. :-)
So true. I know practically speaking it proabably didn't do much for overall system performance but it sure does feel good knowing it's been maxed out 😁
I would recommend doing some benchmarks with and without the async. cache. The 66MHz bus speed is pretty fast it may make the async. cache obsolete and in some cases, having no cache could be faster than having some (especially with tight RAM timings). I think Doom in particular is slower with async. cache enabled. That's the reason pipelined-burst cache has been created in the first place, for L2 cache to make sense with Pentium CPUs.
I forget where I read it, but the FX chipset has pretty awful write timings for async cache, it IS actually slower on write, some things aren't affected much, while others suffer more from the hamstrung write performance (slower than main RAM alone) than they gain from the read cache. Probably more significant when paired with EDO than with FPM as the difference in read performance is narrower
I was hoping to see this too. I have a board that has capacity for the cache but haven't upgraded because I'm not sure what type of performance gains come with it. Regardless, I LOVE your channel. Keep it up.
When the cache is active and working, the hdd hardly blinks, and the cpu is at 00% to 2% working, the computer still runs. The cache acts as an ssd, that stores the data. However, if a game starts, the cache is out of order, and the hdd boots the game. The cache really works as an ssd when you handle the desktop, rename, click on the start menu open a folder, etc. That's when the cpu still runs at 00%.
i've got a fyi(Full Yes Industries) MVP3 m-atx board with an amd k6-2-300 and most of the capps have leaked now. It was pretty much the cheapest board you could get to run an amd k6-2-300 and had issues with the via chipset on the mb with some addon cards .
The original was very much dead. I actually replaced it with a new DS12887A+ a year or two ago, which is working great. Thankfully this board had a socket for it, which made the replacement very easy :)
I have the exact same board. Unfortunately my ps/2 port got damaged when i stumbled on the mouse wire while the computer was on and possibly shorted something. When i power on the system with a ps/2 optical mouse the optical sensor briefly lights up during boot but then shuts off, and it does not get detected in dos or windows.
Cool! You are the first person I've ever run into with this board. It doesn't appear to be very common from what I've seen. Funny you should mention that about the PS/2 port, because I was just testing an Intel 440LX based OEM board with the exact same problem. I haven't had a chance to troubleshoot it yet, but I believe there are sometimes fuses associated with the PS/2 port that could be the issue. Either that or the connector itself was damaged and is shorting out internally.
@@vswitchzero I´ve heard about the fuses somewhere, but i didn´t find anything. I can measeure 5v from the PS/2 port just fine, also replaced the PS/2 bracket but nothing. Anyway, u should make a VRM + Pentium MMX upgrade video for this board, i would def try that in mine someday.
I actually picked up a machine with this board a few months back. I’m in the process of rebuilding it right now; what’s the fastest CPU this board will support? I currently have two Socket 5 P5-120s and they don’t feel super nice on Windows 98.
Cool! It seems to be a pretty rare board. It will support non-MMX Pentium CPUs up to 200MHz or MMX CPUs if you have the voltage regulator module (may also need a BIOS update for MMX chips). I’ve used a P200 in mine successfully 👍
All Intel Chipsets for SOcket 7 only support 64MB Cacheable area. Which is quite unfortunate for the i430TX CHipset and makes it quite useless and not desirable.
Last year, I found a couple of Lots of "untested, for parts" PCI and ISA cards on eBay and jumped on one to possibly scavenge Video RAM. Plot twist, all but one card in a Lot of 12 was perfectly functional. Ironically, the dead card had no removable RAM either so I'm still looking...
@@vswitchzero My board had originally come with 5 chips, with an additional 4 empty sockets. I had another scrap board that didn't work, but it had all 9 chip sockets occupied, so I transplanted all 9 chips over to my board. It was pretty apparent which one was the parity chip as it had a slightly different part number, but otherwise they all had the same number of pins (I forget how many but I'm guessing 32). Anyways, the transplant worked and upgraded my L2 cache from 128K to 256K.
@@GoatTheGoat Okay, well today maybe I learned a thing. Is it also the same sort of setup with a 5 chip cache, where the 5th chip is for said 'tag values'?
Those trident cards arent very fast. I would highly recommend getting some PCI tseng labs cards, go for the 6000. Very fast card. 90mhz core, and full GDI acceleration.
Yeah, they definitely aren't known for speed. For me, it's just nostalgia from using them back in the 90s. Funny you should mention the ET6000 because I actually just bought one! Will hopefully arrive in a week or two.
@@vswitchzero My first run in with a trident was an ISA card on a friends 386DX33 running windows 95. Just moving windows around, you could watch the redraw happening. It was not great haha. The ET6000 i had was the 2d counterpart for my voodoo2 setup at the time, and it was a pretty great combination. That was in a p3 katmai 450mhz that i had overclocked to 600mhz.
Cache memory is often overlooked on motherboards. I like to populate my boards with as much cache as the board will take just because it feels good. :-)
So true. I know practically speaking it proabably didn't do much for overall system performance but it sure does feel good knowing it's been maxed out 😁
I think there were some late Supper Socket 7 boards that had 2MB L2 or with the K6-3 2MB L3 cash.
Nice upgrade to the system.
I would recommend doing some benchmarks with and without the async. cache. The 66MHz bus speed is pretty fast it may make the async. cache obsolete and in some cases, having no cache could be faster than having some (especially with tight RAM timings). I think Doom in particular is slower with async. cache enabled. That's the reason pipelined-burst cache has been created in the first place, for L2 cache to make sense with Pentium CPUs.
I forget where I read it, but the FX chipset has pretty awful write timings for async cache, it IS actually slower on write, some things aren't affected much, while others suffer more from the hamstrung write performance (slower than main RAM alone) than they gain from the read cache.
Probably more significant when paired with EDO than with FPM as the difference in read performance is narrower
I was hoping to see this too. I have a board that has capacity for the cache but haven't upgraded because I'm not sure what type of performance gains come with it. Regardless, I LOVE your channel. Keep it up.
When the cache is active and working, the hdd hardly blinks, and the cpu is at 00% to 2% working, the computer still runs. The cache acts as an ssd, that stores the data. However, if a game starts, the cache is out of order, and the hdd boots the game. The cache really works as an ssd when you handle the desktop, rename, click on the start menu open a folder, etc. That's when the cpu still runs at 00%.
i've got a fyi(Full Yes Industries) MVP3 m-atx board with an amd k6-2-300 and most of the capps have leaked now. It was pretty much the cheapest board you could get to run an amd k6-2-300 and had issues with the via chipset on the mb with some addon cards .
async cache is a bottle neck of pentium with 430fx. Much better to mount PB cache.
nicely done :)
I have a nuch of those Trident 9440... over in latam they were like the plague of cheap PCI VGA cards.
You're still running a dallas chip? How is it still holding a charge?
The original was very much dead. I actually replaced it with a new DS12887A+ a year or two ago, which is working great. Thankfully this board had a socket for it, which made the replacement very easy :)
is there an Mr BIOS out for this board? my old Zappa Triton chipset board run really well with it
I forgot about the Mr BIOS ROM upgrades! I haven't checked but definitely going to look into them again when I get some time :)
Dude you can't show that Magnum board and then not do a vid on it! Please do a vid on that!
Haha yeah it’s definitely on the list for a video! I did end up buying the full complement of cache for it too. Just need to find the time 🙂
6:27 16 edo ram slots. My god that would have cost a fortune to populate. I paid $100nzd (new zealand) per mb back in '92
Great contents here! How in the world did I NOT to have subscribed before? Cheers, M
Thanks so much! :)
I have the exact same board. Unfortunately my ps/2 port got damaged when i stumbled on the mouse wire while the computer was on and possibly shorted something. When i power on the system with a ps/2 optical mouse the optical sensor briefly lights up during boot but then shuts off, and it does not get detected in dos or windows.
Cool! You are the first person I've ever run into with this board. It doesn't appear to be very common from what I've seen. Funny you should mention that about the PS/2 port, because I was just testing an Intel 440LX based OEM board with the exact same problem. I haven't had a chance to troubleshoot it yet, but I believe there are sometimes fuses associated with the PS/2 port that could be the issue. Either that or the connector itself was damaged and is shorting out internally.
@@vswitchzero I´ve heard about the fuses somewhere, but i didn´t find anything. I can measeure 5v from the PS/2 port just fine, also replaced the PS/2 bracket but nothing. Anyway, u should make a VRM + Pentium MMX upgrade video for this board, i would def try that in mine someday.
@@CesarDRK Would love to try a VRM in the board one of these days. Will also try to install some PB cache chips and the required jumpers as well :)
I actually picked up a machine with this board a few months back. I’m in the process of rebuilding it right now; what’s the fastest CPU this board will support? I currently have two Socket 5 P5-120s and they don’t feel super nice on Windows 98.
Cool! It seems to be a pretty rare board. It will support non-MMX Pentium CPUs up to 200MHz or MMX CPUs if you have the voltage regulator module (may also need a BIOS update for MMX chips). I’ve used a P200 in mine successfully 👍
Cache you next time lol.
All Intel Chipsets for SOcket 7 only support 64MB Cacheable area.
Which is quite unfortunate for the i430TX CHipset and makes it quite useless and not desirable.
I wonder if you have luck founding old graphics cards memory chips. Seems not available on eBay right now.
Yeah they are harder to find, unfortunately. A couple of years ago I did find some "new old stock" chips for a VLB card I upgraded to 2MB.
Last year, I found a couple of Lots of "untested, for parts" PCI and ISA cards on eBay and jumped on one to possibly scavenge Video RAM.
Plot twist, all but one card in a Lot of 12 was perfectly functional. Ironically, the dead card had no removable RAM either so I'm still looking...
Um, why wasn't there a 9th chip? Hell, my old 486 board had a 9th parity chip.
Yeah I noticed some older boards would have additional chips. This one has 8 32-pin sockets for cache and a single 28-pin for tag cache.
@@vswitchzero My board had originally come with 5 chips, with an additional 4 empty sockets. I had another scrap board that didn't work, but it had all 9 chip sockets occupied, so I transplanted all 9 chips over to my board.
It was pretty apparent which one was the parity chip as it had a slightly different part number, but otherwise they all had the same number of pins (I forget how many but I'm guessing 32).
Anyways, the transplant worked and upgraded my L2 cache from 128K to 256K.
@@southernflatland The ninth chip is not for storing parity. As mentioned in the video, it is for storing the cache's tag values.
@@GoatTheGoat Okay, well today maybe I learned a thing.
Is it also the same sort of setup with a 5 chip cache, where the 5th chip is for said 'tag values'?
@@southernflatland Yes, that is correct.
Those trident cards arent very fast. I would highly recommend getting some PCI tseng labs cards, go for the 6000. Very fast card. 90mhz core, and full GDI acceleration.
Yeah, they definitely aren't known for speed. For me, it's just nostalgia from using them back in the 90s. Funny you should mention the ET6000 because I actually just bought one! Will hopefully arrive in a week or two.
@@vswitchzero My first run in with a trident was an ISA card on a friends 386DX33 running windows 95. Just moving windows around, you could watch the redraw happening. It was not great haha.
The ET6000 i had was the 2d counterpart for my voodoo2 setup at the time, and it was a pretty great combination. That was in a p3 katmai 450mhz that i had overclocked to 600mhz.