What's the best SS7 mainboard?

Discussion relating to Socket 7 hardware.
Post Reply
bluemax

What's the best SS7 mainboard?

Post by bluemax »

Hello freaks,

I have 3 SS7 mainbords:

- Epox MVP3G5 (Rev. 1.4, 2MB cache, MVP3 chipset)
- DFI K6XV3+/66 (Rev. B2/BB+, 2MB cache, MVP3 chipset)
- Asus P5A (Rev. 1.06, 512 KB cache, AladdinV chipset)

What's the best board for the K6-2+/550 or K6-III+/550? I would like to use the best of these boards in a SS7 game computer?

Who can help me with a answer?


Regards
Jim
K6'er Elite
Posts: 1745
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2004 7:10 pm
Location: Toronto

RE: What

Post by Jim »

Wish I knew the best overall; but between those three, probably the Epox. Others may say otherwise however.

1) the Asus P5A-B Rev 106 does not have a bios available for it that supports K6+ processors. (Though there is one guy, who occasionally posts here who managed to get one working, though I don't know how well).

2) The DFI, (which I have), is a nice board, with 4 instead of the usual 3 PCI slots, and it also has UDMA 66, which is a bonus; but the bios for it does not have a setting for four bank interleave; and it does not have any readily accessable overclock settings for the FSB. (Though these missing features can be accessed through WPCredit, and CPU Cool- Note: there is also a 4xAGP setting available for the DFI through WPCredit, though I don't know if it works).

3) The Epox I don't know much about except that it is supposed to be an unusually stable board with a good reputation.

If you are willing to fool around with WPCredit, and CPU Cool to get the most out of the DFI, then that might be the way to go. Otherwise, the Epox.
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
CMD 649 IDE Controller
NEC USB 2 Card
smoke
Newbie K6'er
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:25 am

RE: What

Post by smoke »

Well one bonus of the epox board is that the latest BIOS has full support for the + series chips, so no modified bios is needed. To my knowledge Epox and Soyo were the only companies to offer support for the k6-X+ chips. I think a side effect of the full bios support is that no special utils (like ones needed to enable write combining, write alloc and such) are needed to get the most performance of the + chips. You might want to wait for others to confirm...Im not 100% positive.
Jim
K6'er Elite
Posts: 1745
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2004 7:10 pm
Location: Toronto

RE: What

Post by Jim »

Actually the DFI also has an updated bios from DFI that supports K6+ processors; but as previously mentioned, said bios leaves out a lot of features that the chipset supports. Don't know for sure about write combining and write allocation; but I think those are among the things left out. You have to use utilities like CPU Cool, WPCredit, Powertweak, etc. to get all the features of the DFI working.

As you can see, since I am not sure about those things, I haven't tweaked mine yet. So far I have only figured out how to do four bank interleave.

Should mention in passing, that the K6-3+ 450 ACZ is generally considered to be the best processor for a Super 7. I have now had five of them pass into or through my hands; and every one of them will clock 600Mhz at 2.1 v. The K6-3+ 550 E, will also clock 600 Mhz ; but I have heard that they start getting slower as time goes on, whereas the 450 ACZ just keeps on running at 600, on and on. Note: A few samples of 450 ACZs will not hit 600, but that is the exception, not the rule. (Beware super bargain priced ones when shopping).
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
CMD 649 IDE Controller
NEC USB 2 Card
Sandells
K6'er
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2001 4:04 pm

Post by Sandells »

The Epox MVP3G5 gets my vote as I use this motherboard in my main PC which I use daily. I use the latest BIOS on this MB with a K6-III+ 450 ACZ and have no stability issues.

Steve
User avatar
tazwegion
Veteran K6'er
Posts: 349
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2003 11:13 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

Post by tazwegion »

Either one of the 2Mb cache boards would be the best choice, especially when you're combining it with the powerful K62/3+ chip ;)

I personally like the EPOX option, which also supports ATA66, however DFI have a good rep too :D

Naturally check either choice for deteriorated capacitors, nothing worse than building a system, only to have the pre-loved mobo go 'toes up' GRRRR!!! :P
Image
sylvan2626
Senior K6'er
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 3:25 pm
Location: Florida, USA

Post by sylvan2626 »

I have several EPoX SS7 motherboards (MVP3G-M, MVP3G2, and MVP3G5) and am using the latest BIOS dated 12/21/2000 from the EPoX website. Is that what most of you EPoX fans are using or is it the 10/26/01 BETA?

I currently have one of the MVP3G2 boards in service as my primary system (384MB RAM, K6-III+ 450ACZ at 550MHz, WD 40GB HDD, W2kPro, other software, MadDog Champion GeForce2 MX400 AGP Video Card 64MB SDRAM). Time and budget permitting, I plan to build another system around one of the MVP3G5 boards. I really like these EPoX boards, so EPoX gets my vote!

Also have two ASUS P5A version 1.04 mobos which will ultimately see K6-2+ or K6-III+ CPUs, but I think that I will need to flash the BIOS to a Beta version (1011-005 ??). Future action, though.
Jim
K6'er Elite
Posts: 1745
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2004 7:10 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by Jim »

There is one guy who has posted here who has aa Asus P5A-B Rev 104 running a K6+ processor with the 1011 002 Bios, but generally I'd recommend the 005, - available from the German site, and possibly elsewhere as well. You do need the 1011 in any case. 1010 won't work. Board works very well at 600. No problemos whatsoever. Pity it is only ATA33.
Superpuppy 3
K6-3+ 450 ACZ (6x100)
DFI K6BV3+/66 Rev B2 (2 Meg) w/ 2x28mm Chipset Fans
2x256 Meg PC 133 Hynix SDRAM
1x 20G Maxtor (7200)
2x 80G Maxtor (7200) Ducted w/ 2x486 Fans Mount
52/24/52/16 LG CDR/RW/DVD
8/4/3/12/24/16/32 LG Super Multi
ATI 9000 aiw Radeon AGP
SB Audigy 1 MP3 Sound
CMD 649 IDE Controller
NEC USB 2 Card
Guest

Re: RE: What

Post by Guest »

about missing support for 4-banl-interleave an all via boards ...her you can get an handy little driver to activate it for win98se...

http://www.georgebreese.com/net/software/#VP3
Jim wrote: ....but the bios for it does not have a setting for four bank interleave;.....
Post Reply