Later Model AT Boards

[ratdude747]

I tried to build up a later model AT system tonight:

-386 era case, very well built and compact
-PC power and cooling turboslim 300
-Asus P2B-B

I fired it up... and the mobo didn't detect half the RAM, my keyboard, or the hdd.

Given how poorly stored the mobo was, I'm guessing it got static zapped... IIRC all the parts not detected teszted out good (including the HDD cable, it was NOS).

Anyway... Since I still have a tricked AT case (with 2 serials, a PS2-mouse, a parallel, and 2 usb ports in the back) with a kickass PSU, I'd kinda like to get another mobo to put in it.

So, what was the latest CPU cores they made AT boards for (that I can get without paying primo)? And better yet, anybody happen to have one sitting?

PS- I have all kinds of old CPUs... so chances are thats not a problem. Even slot 1 coppermines and Slot A athlons.

[c_hegge]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

Last AT boards were for Pentium 2 (Slot 1).

[ratdude747]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

Last AT boards were for Pentium 2 (Slot 1).

So the same series as mine then (it's a PII board with early PIII support, I was using a PIII Katmai 550mhz).

I swore I saw slot A boards for AT though... I may have to do some ebay surfing (as much as I hate ebaying mobos anymore).

[pfrcom]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

In the past, when I was doing a King Canute trying to resist the ATX tide, I hankered after a GA-6VA7+ which was an expensive and hard to find S370 board

Still have a Slot1 P2-99B running a Celeron 1000 with my modified BIOS - given the quality of Asus from those days it'll probably be around a while longer

[bigbeark]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

Every Asus P2B, P2B, P2B-DS that has ever been in my possession has always reported exactly half the actual ram installed.

All these boards ran perfectly otherwise.

I never succeeded in finding ram that would cause the Bios to report properly.

I always installed the max on the P2B-D boards: 4x256 (1GB) which is always reported as 512MB

[ratdude747]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

I had 2 256's and a 128... But come to think of it I bet the chipset is no good for that much. %^&* you intel!

edit- it says it will do up to 768mb... Weird!

Not sure about the keyboard... Could be a bad one, Its half-untested...

the hdd shouls have ran... I'll try again though.

[Topcat]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

I used to have a soyo slot 1 board with a P3 450 in it. forgot the model, but it was the only one I've ever seen.

[ratdude747]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

After swapping crap around... I got it to run!

The keyboard must have been loose... I eventually got it to accept.

The 40gb HDD it didnt like... it was fine with a 4gb fujitsu and a 20gb WD (what I am using now, had an old ubuntu install lingering).

(posting from it, actually)

It runs a pIII 550MHZ... I got it to like (and read) 2 512mb sticks... I bought the board NOS in box (no accessories) at a thrift store for $2 a long time ago... I bet it needs fresh bios (has 1010 on it).

quirky as hell... but hey, it runs!

[BigTroll]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

Sound like a great build I got the P2B i will be using for a vintage gaming rig, I bet drivers for windows 98 will be hard to come by but yeah can't wait for pics.

[ratdude747]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

Other notes:

-I installed debian on the 20gb drive... a tad slow and buggy, Not sure why about the latter.
- I looked, the 40gb HDD issue is indeed BIOS related...

It otherwise has been running well... when I have time I'll shoot some pics.

[larrymoencurly]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

I used to have a soyo slot 1 board with a P3 450 in it. forgot the model, but it was the only one I've ever seen.

SY-6bb? I ran it with a 300 MHz Celeron overclocked to 450 MHz, the only time I ever overclocked. There's a BIOS patch for support of 137GB HDs, but apparently it doesn't fix the problem involving false temperature readings for the nonexistent second CPU, which has resulted in the police siren noise and need to reflash the BIOS.

[Topcat]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

SY-6bb? I ran it with a 300 MHz Celeron overclocked to 450 MHz, the only time I ever overclocked. There's a BIOS patch for support of 137GB HDs, but apparently it doesn't fix the problem involving false temperature readings for the nonexistent second CPU, which has resulted in the police siren noise and need to reflash the BIOS.

I do believe that was it. This was back in the late 90's, I never had an IDE larger than that back then. I do remember the police siren temp warning though... I remember the false reading being so high that if it were real, the CPU should start melting.

[sofTest]

Re: Later Model AT Boards

Other notes:

-I installed debian on the 20gb drive... a tad slow and buggy, Not sure why about the latter.
- I looked, the 40gb HDD issue is indeed BIOS related...

It otherwise has been running well... when I have time I'll shoot some pics.

I ran a P2B-S (ATX only) rig for many years, and found the onboard IDE useless (UDMA/33 only). For OS/apps I used SCSI, and for general storage, I had an add-on ATA card (UDMA/100). I also recommend the beta-BIOS. Overall, this was the most stable non-portable rig I've had, until it started to develop issues after many years of 24/7 running. Did everything I could to prolong its use, including a PowerLeap/Tualatin upgrade.