Wanted: DOS utility to control K6-III L2 cache

[5u3]

Hi everyone,

Is there a DOS-utility to enable/disable the L2 cache of a K6-III?

Sorry if this question has already been posted.

[Jim]

Usually that is done through the bios.

[KachiWachi]

He means the CPU L2 cache Jim.

This can be done, but for diagnostic purposes only.

IIRC, CTCM can do this...though I'll have to check when I get home (where my utility disks are. )

[DasMan2]

Hi everyone,

Is there a DOS-utility to enable/disable the L2 cache of a K6-III?

Sorry if this question has already been posted.

The CTU program can disable L1 or L2 cache in Win 98 S/E & may work also in ME/ NT /2000 ,but not XP (that I know of ) .

[Jim]

@ KachiWachi : I am aware of that. In the "Bios Features Setup" section of the BIOS of my DFIs, the first three lines are :

Virus Warning : ---------- enabled / disabled
CPU Internal Cache : --- enabled / disabled
External Cache : --------- enabled / disabled

I thought that most bioses that support "Plus" processors would have similar arrangements; or is this a case where diabling the "CPU Internal Cache" would not only disable 2nd level cache; but also 1st level as well?

[KachiWachi]

Jim - The BIOS would disable both internal CPU caches.

DasMan2 - He asked for a DOS utility...not a Windows one.

5u3 - Why do you specifically need a DOS utility?

[5u3]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

I'm going to post my K6 specs as well...
AMD K6-III 450 (classic AFX core), running at 500 MHz
ASUS P5A Rev 1.06, BIOS 1011 Beta 005

Changing the settings in the BIOS has no use for me, because if I disable the "internal cache" there, apparently both L1 and L2 caches get disabled, and "external cache" only affects the MB cache. (seems logical to me).

The CTCM utility (I have version 1.7a) can disable the internal L2 cache, but only on P2 CPUs, and only while performing the tests.

The CTU program does exactly what I want (internal L1 and L2 can be (de)activated independently), but it is very annoying to have to boot into Windows and drop out to MS-DOS mode just to disable the L2 cache.

I only need this feature to simulate K6-2 performance for MS-DOS based programs which do not work correctly under Win9x.
Apparently it's easier getting a real K6-2 and swap it in when needed

Since there are DOS utilities for everything else K6-related, I thought a "K6-III L2 cache disabler" would exist as well

[KachiWachi]

Perhaps it was cachechk then...