DOS Games Discussion

jcapatos · Newbie Joined: 18 Sep 2003 Posts: 9

I have a 486 type computer, but can a faster cpu, be put in?

486 player · Gaming Demi-god Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 1067

IF mother board and BIOS supports it.

emmzee · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 3:12 pm Post subject:

So, find out the name of the manufacturer of your motherboard, as well as the model #, and go to the manufacturer's website. Hopefully there you'll be able to find information on the type and speed of CPUs that your MB will work with.

Guest · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:40 pm Post subject:

486s can support Pentium OverDrive, however it is still quite slower than the regular Pentium. Even if they made a 500 GHz CPU to fit the 486 motherboard, your 33 MHz system bus will make your PC slow.

Pentium OverDrives are VERY hard to find anyway. The max speed of a 486 CPU is probably 100 MHz and it should fit no problem in most 486 motherboards.

Unknown_K · Way too much free time Joined: 01 Oct 2002 Posts: 559

Max speed of a 486 in Mhx is 160 Amd 486/133 running at 40x40 =160

Fastest pentium overdrive is 83mhz

Bus speeds for 486 boards are 25,33,40,and 50 on some VLB models

some boards are 5V cpus only so your limited to 486 dx2/66 or the rate intel 486-100

On boards with 3.x voltage the above 486/133 amd is fastest along with cyrix 120

Oz · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 6:14 am Post subject:

there was a pci card you could buy that had a slot for a pentium 1/2, is this the pentium overdrive?

Unknown_K · Way too much free time Joined: 01 Oct 2002 Posts: 559

The pentium overdrive is a pentium core that was modified to work on the 486 bus with more cache but less real number crunching. Basically they were crap, but cheaper then buying a new motherboard, chip, and memory at the time. They will fit directly in the old socket 3 motherboards.

Basically unless you know alot about 486 computers you are better of buying a new motherboard+memory+chip combination. Unless you really need a 486 a pentium 1 motherboard will fit your AT case just fine and cost about the same while giving you greater speed. Some amd K6 boards would also be a direct replacement.

The reason I dug up a 486 board was for a specific project for a specific era and OS. I have 2 PCI 486 boards that I probably wont be using for a long time if ever because other solutions will do the job faster and cheaper/better. Having said this I still keep a 386/40 running for old dos games that wont run on anything faster.

johpower · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 4:29 am Post subject:

Hmm, there might be an semi-easy solution if you are running an 80mhz or less 486 with no options for a better motherboard. If that's a Socket 3 under the 486 (do you see the extra row of pin holes all around the 486? They are to accomodate these bigger chips), you could take a real early Pentium 60/66 WITH A HEAT SINK. These chips don't fit in the more common Socket 5/7 Pent I sockets.

You'll have to suss-out the jumpers (if lucky, the legends' are on the momboard). The voltage requirement being most important of these. The shops around here once gave them away for awhile cause they couldn't sell 'em. You could get lucky in the part's bins and swap meets still. Just check to see if your air flow is OK as the first Pents ran warm. The processing boost will be decent, esp the math functions.