Uncreative Labs

Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 488 Location: pennsylvanai

I am not sure but . I think the 386sx was semi-compatibel with the 296 chip and this was done to allow mb manufacturers to use parts and designs of 286 mb for the new mb.
not this may be false, but I read it somewhere.,

I was able to use intel memory boards on even 486 mb but the limitation was 16 mb.
as the boards were designed for the 286.
but not on newer designed 486 boards with a faster bus, only isa 8 mhz bus boards.
but once I started using windows It was not useful.

there was a style of board that was very small, and only had 4 30 pin clots and a "pasted on" cpu.
a few squeezed in several 1 mb dips.
typically they either used to ibm blue lightning chip 16 or 25 and somwetimes 33
or the TI equivalent of the 386 sx

since I was a generation behind, I could not sell the boards and still have them.

Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 261 Location: WisConSin

Unknown_K wrote:

Were many or any 386 DX/16's made? I figured the DX started at 25 in quantity.

Actually almost every real 386dx I owned was either 16 or 20 mhz, I never had a 33mhz DX.

The 386/16 was rarely called a DX because it was made prior to the 386sx line of chips.

The original Compaq Deskpro 386 (without any number) always had the 386dx16. I owned several they were made late 1985 through early 87 and beat IBM to the 32bit market. Oddly some of the NON sigma chips would work OK and others would crap out in windows there used to be a program to test your system for it.

Around the DX25 intro the 386sx came out and then the 386 started being called either DX or SX from that point on before it was just a 386. I remember one of my friends owned a 386 12 mhz system, I never did find out if it was an SX or DX and I am not sure if that was a legit speed or if his father upgraded it, quite strange.

Cheers
Ryan

Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 264 Location: Ohio/USA

I think my PS/2 65SX has a 386SX16 but it has been upgraded.

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 2:39 am

speaking of 386's Where can i get the mounting hardware for an AST Premium II 386sx-20

Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 589 Location: Shandong, China

The 80386-12 was the first 386 chip available, and it is actually quite rare now. Intel had a lot of production troubles with the 386. It was supposed to be released as a 16MHz part, but they couldn't get decent yields at that speed and had to debut at 12MHz instead. 12MHz parts are extremely rare because they were only available for a short time, and given the cost of a 386 in 1986 almost nobody could afford one. I've seen a few 12MHz 386s in the flesh, but not for a very long time.

Other nice early 386 bugs included the inability to run 32-bit code and unavaillability of a proper FPU. Most early 386 boards have no provision for 387.

Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 261 Location: WisConSin

Anonymous Coward wrote:

The 80386-12 was the first 386 chip available, and it is actually quite rare now. Intel had a lot of production troubles with the 386. It was supposed to be released as a 16MHz part, but they couldn't get decent yields at that speed and had to debut at 12MHz instead. 12MHz parts are extremely rare because they were only available for a short time.

Other nice early 386 bugs included the inability to run 32-bit code and unavaillability of a proper FPU. Most early 386 boards have no provision for 387.

Hmm, that explains the 12mhz 386, I can't remember the brand but it certainly wasn't a normal one.

Also many old DX's did have a socket for a 80287, not sure how well that combo worked.

Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 589 Location: Shandong, China

As far as I know, pretty much all 386DX systems made before 1988 or so had a socket for the 80287. At the time it would have been common practice, but you'd be pretty hard pressed to find one these days.

Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 264 Location: Ohio/USA

I don't think I ever seen or owned a 386 DX with a 287 socket, maybe an early 386 SX motherboard?

Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 261 Location: WisConSin

Unknown_K wrote:

I don't think I ever seen or owned a 386 DX with a 287 socket, maybe an early 386 SX motherboard?

Nope, the original Compaq Deskpro 386 with the geniune 386dx16 definately had a 80287 socket as there was no 387 coprocessor in 1986

Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 264 Location: Ohio/USA

ryan wrote:

Unknown_K wrote:

I don't think I ever seen or owned a 386 DX with a 287 socket, maybe an early 386 SX motherboard?

Nope, the original Compaq Deskpro 386 with the geniune 386dx16 definately had a 80287 socket as there was no 387 coprocessor in 1986

Could you set the speed of the FPU seperatly from CPU speed like in most 286 boards?

Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 589 Location: Shandong, China

I don't know the answer to this for certain, but I want to say yes. The reason I say this is that I have several 386 boards that support an asynchronus FPU...but the intel made FPUs are the only ones that will work like this.

Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 7

Can you load WIN 98SE or Me on a 486? My dad still has an old Gateway 486 here with the original WIN 98 but I can't get it configured for Wi-Fi because they didn't support that until SE came out.

Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 594 Location: Western NC

Win98 (both FE & SE):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182751

WinME:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253695

Of course Win98 would be better, but remember, when M$ says "minimum", they really mean it (meaning it'll barely crawl at these specs)...

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:38 am

yet oddly enough, ME will run at the same speed as 98 on the lower specs... hell i've put 98 on a 386 sx-16 with 16mb and it booted, and ran, just fine, if you were that comcast turtle that is.....