PB 872 motherboard ( BEN !! ??)

Hi Gang !

Ben, I suspect you are going to be the one to answer this one.

I have decided to "detune" my Milano PB. I'm going to pull the Intel
Tualatin board, and install a PB 872 motherboard.

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/pb/mb/872.htm

Essentially, it's an Intel SE440 BX board:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherb.../cs-013621.htm

....with one twist. PB uses a front panel connector with no map, and they
completely re-arranged all of the front panel connectors. I managed to find
the power on connection, but don't want to risk blowing it up by looking for
the reset, HD, LED on, etc jumpers.
I have tested the board, and it's fine. Been saving it for this project
actually, 'cause I insist on a Packard Bell BIOS, complete with PB logo. If
it wasn't for that, I have numerous other SE440BX boards, including one that
is a SE440BX-2 board that supports up to an Intel P III 850MHz CPU. The PB
872 only supports (officially) up to a P III 500. I have tested it so far
with a P II 450

( I know that YOU know all this, I'm just filling in the blanks for those
playing along at home.... ;-)

So, two questions:

Do you have the map for the front panel connector? I can supply you with a
close up pic if need be.

Ever played with the PB version of this board? Know the CPU limits? Ever
tried a SlocKet in one? I wonder how high ( if at all ) I can run the thing?
I got an Asus P2B-DS up to 1100MHz back in the late 90's using a SlocKet. No
big deal actually, that is one hell of a motherboard. Still have that
machine completely intact actually. It served me as Whizzbang 1 up until
2004. Moved on to a slew of P4 machines since then.

Thanks !

bobwatts


--
boBWatts®©
EartH
Watts Carburetion Service
Whizzbang Computers
Official collector of: transfat asian plastic junk trinkets !

Bob,

I never had a chance to kick around a PB872 board. The pinout for the front
panel buttons and LEDs is different than the generic SE440BX? Send me a good
closeup photo of the front panel connectors and I'll see what I can decipher.

Regardless of official pronouncements which are often obsoleted by new Intel
hardware developments, I am 100% certain that the PB872, like the SE440BX, would
work OK with (specifically) a 2.0v 600MHz 100MHz FSB Slot 1 CPU. The BIOS may
or may not report it correctly, but a reliable measure of CPU speed like
MEMTEST-86 can verify CPU speed.

Beyond that, the most successful and most expensive Slotkets were/are the
PowerLeap ones, running the top end Celeron CPU at 1.4GHz with 256KB external
cache. If another Slotket can mediate the voltage differences between CPU and
motherboard just as well, then it would work OK. The fastest 100MHz Socket 370
CPU ever was either 800 or 850MHz, I forget which. It, too, would need a good
quality Slotket. Same story here about BIOS displaying a correct CPU speed.
Maybe, maybe not, but probably not. EIther the BIOS writers or the managers
who flog them to write the code never seem to think about long term CPU speeds.
I saw the same back when I was peddling hand-assembled 133MHz AMD Am486-133 CPU
upgrade kits... Ben Myers

On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 20:09:06 -0500, "Robert E. Watts" wrote:

Hi Gang !

Ben, I suspect you are going to be the one to answer this one.

I have decided to "detune" my Milano PB. I'm going to pull the Intel
Tualatin board, and install a PB 872 motherboard.

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/pb/mb/872.htm

Essentially, it's an Intel SE440 BX board:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherb.../cs-013621.htm

...with one twist. PB uses a front panel connector with no map, and they
completely re-arranged all of the front panel connectors. I managed to find
the power on connection, but don't want to risk blowing it up by looking for
the reset, HD, LED on, etc jumpers.
I have tested the board, and it's fine. Been saving it for this project
actually, 'cause I insist on a Packard Bell BIOS, complete with PB logo. If
it wasn't for that, I have numerous other SE440BX boards, including one that
is a SE440BX-2 board that supports up to an Intel P III 850MHz CPU. The PB
872 only supports (officially) up to a P III 500. I have tested it so far
with a P II 450

( I know that YOU know all this, I'm just filling in the blanks for those
playing along at home.... ;-)

So, two questions:

Do you have the map for the front panel connector? I can supply you with a
close up pic if need be.

Ever played with the PB version of this board? Know the CPU limits? Ever
tried a SlocKet in one? I wonder how high ( if at all ) I can run the thing?
I got an Asus P2B-DS up to 1100MHz back in the late 90's using a SlocKet. No
big deal actually, that is one hell of a motherboard. Still have that
machine completely intact actually. It served me as Whizzbang 1 up until
2004. Moved on to a slew of P4 machines since then.

Thanks !

bobwatts

Hello Ben !

Happy Super Bowl !

Go Patriots !!!

( inserting as I go....... )

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Bob,

I never had a chance to kick around a PB872 board. The pinout for the
front
panel buttons and LEDs is different than the generic SE440BX? Send me a
good
closeup photo of the front panel connectors and I'll see what I can
decipher.



Just whipped up a webpage this morning ( just for you ! )

http://home.fuse.net/bobwatts/pb872.htm


Regardless of official pronouncements which are often obsoleted by new
Intel
hardware developments, I am 100% certain that the PB872, like the SE440BX,
would
work OK with (specifically) a 2.0v 600MHz 100MHz FSB Slot 1 CPU. The BIOS
may
or may not report it correctly, but a reliable measure of CPU speed like
MEMTEST-86 can verify CPU speed.


Yeah, 600MHz seems to be the "normal" cut off speed for boards like this.



Beyond that, the most successful and most expensive Slotkets were/are the
PowerLeap ones, running the top end Celeron CPU at 1.4GHz with 256KB
external
cache. If another Slotket can mediate the voltage differences between CPU
and
motherboard just as well, then it would work OK.


I got some good 'uns. Complete with voltage regs, and all kinds of fancy
settings on 'em.
:-)


The fastest 100MHz Socket 370
CPU ever was either 800 or 850MHz, I forget which.


Actually, the fastest 100MHz FSB would be the 1100MHz Coppermine. ( Both P3
and Celeron ) I actually have a couple of each of them. Like I mentioned,
one is in my old Asus P2B-DS board. There are even Slot One 1000Mhz CPU's,
both 100 and 133 FSB. Never saw a 1100MHz version though. Should be thought,
'cause there "was" a 1133MHz. Ill fated of course.

(note: I'm still offering a substantial cash reward for a 1133MHz COPPERMINE
CPU ! )



It, too, would need a good
quality Slotket. Same story here about BIOS displaying a correct CPU
speed.
Maybe, maybe not, but probably not. EIther the BIOS writers or the
managers
who flog them to write the code never seem to think about long term CPU
speeds.
I saw the same back when I was peddling hand-assembled 133MHz AMD
Am486-133 CPU
upgrade kits... Ben Myers


Thanks Ben, looking forward to your response !

bob

Bob,

Any substantial cash reward for 1100MHz Tualatin CPUs? How about 1400MHz
Tualatins? I have two of the former and one of the latter still in captivity
last time I looked. Maybe some other interesting and faster Socket 370 CPUs,
too.

Some of the other CPU clock/bus speed combos you talk about are extremely rare.

I am 99% certain that the pinout for the PB872 board is a forerunner of the
pinout on newer Intel boards like the D815 series. Yeah, it was made special
for PB, but you can bet for sure that Intel's special build motherboards still
follow a pattern to standardize and simplify the board layout and production.
Even the Dell variant of the SE440BX-2 with its ridiculous fake-ATX power
connector looks like a vanilla one in all other respects.

Download the Intel D815EEA technical spec and look at the table on page 71:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherb.../cs-013053.htm

It's always been very comforting to work with Intel-made or -designed
motherboards, because they are extremely consistent in their overall design and
layout. They also work well. Pity that PB did not pay more attention to other
aspects of product quality in selling their gear, else they might still be
around. Now GateMachines is following the PB business plan of using quality
Intel motherboards, but using other more marginal hardware backed up by 4th rate
tech support... Ben Myers

On Sun, 3 Feb 2008 05:15:30 -0500, "Robert E. Watts" wrote:

Hello Ben !

Happy Super Bowl !

Go Patriots !!!

( inserting as I go....... )

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
.. .
Bob,

I never had a chance to kick around a PB872 board. The pinout for the
front
panel buttons and LEDs is different than the generic SE440BX? Send me a
good
closeup photo of the front panel connectors and I'll see what I can
decipher.



Just whipped up a webpage this morning ( just for you ! )

http://home.fuse.net/bobwatts/pb872.htm


Regardless of official pronouncements which are often obsoleted by new
Intel
hardware developments, I am 100% certain that the PB872, like the SE440BX,
would
work OK with (specifically) a 2.0v 600MHz 100MHz FSB Slot 1 CPU. The BIOS
may
or may not report it correctly, but a reliable measure of CPU speed like
MEMTEST-86 can verify CPU speed.


Yeah, 600MHz seems to be the "normal" cut off speed for boards like this.



Beyond that, the most successful and most expensive Slotkets were/are the
PowerLeap ones, running the top end Celeron CPU at 1.4GHz with 256KB
external
cache. If another Slotket can mediate the voltage differences between CPU
and
motherboard just as well, then it would work OK.


I got some good 'uns. Complete with voltage regs, and all kinds of fancy
settings on 'em.
:-)


The fastest 100MHz Socket 370
CPU ever was either 800 or 850MHz, I forget which.


Actually, the fastest 100MHz FSB would be the 1100MHz Coppermine. ( Both P3
and Celeron ) I actually have a couple of each of them. Like I mentioned,
one is in my old Asus P2B-DS board. There are even Slot One 1000Mhz CPU's,
both 100 and 133 FSB. Never saw a 1100MHz version though. Should be thought,
'cause there "was" a 1133MHz. Ill fated of course.

(note: I'm still offering a substantial cash reward for a 1133MHz COPPERMINE
CPU ! )



It, too, would need a good
quality Slotket. Same story here about BIOS displaying a correct CPU
speed.
Maybe, maybe not, but probably not. EIther the BIOS writers or the
managers
who flog them to write the code never seem to think about long term CPU
speeds.
I saw the same back when I was peddling hand-assembled 133MHz AMD
Am486-133 CPU
upgrade kits... Ben Myers


Thanks Ben, looking forward to your response !

bob

FWIW, here is what I have in the high end Socket 370 department:

1.4GHz P3
(2) 1.2GHz P3, different sSpecs
(3) 1.1GHz P3, all same sSpec
1Ghz P3, Coppermine
1.3GHz, 1.2GHz, 1.0GHz Celerons, all Tualatin
1GHz Celeron, Coppermine
other slower Celerons

And one drop dead absolutely gorgeous best ever all-cooper heat sink cooling fan
for Socket 370. First-ever all copper P3 heat sink I've ever seen. It came in
a small proprietary unit along with the 1.4GHz P3... Ben

On Sun, 3 Feb 2008 05:15:30 -0500, "Robert E. Watts" wrote:

Hello Ben !

Happy Super Bowl !

Go Patriots !!!

( inserting as I go....... )

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
.. .
Bob,

I never had a chance to kick around a PB872 board. The pinout for the
front
panel buttons and LEDs is different than the generic SE440BX? Send me a
good
closeup photo of the front panel connectors and I'll see what I can
decipher.



Just whipped up a webpage this morning ( just for you ! )

http://home.fuse.net/bobwatts/pb872.htm


Regardless of official pronouncements which are often obsoleted by new
Intel
hardware developments, I am 100% certain that the PB872, like the SE440BX,
would
work OK with (specifically) a 2.0v 600MHz 100MHz FSB Slot 1 CPU. The BIOS
may
or may not report it correctly, but a reliable measure of CPU speed like
MEMTEST-86 can verify CPU speed.


Yeah, 600MHz seems to be the "normal" cut off speed for boards like this.



Beyond that, the most successful and most expensive Slotkets were/are the
PowerLeap ones, running the top end Celeron CPU at 1.4GHz with 256KB
external
cache. If another Slotket can mediate the voltage differences between CPU
and
motherboard just as well, then it would work OK.


I got some good 'uns. Complete with voltage regs, and all kinds of fancy
settings on 'em.
:-)


The fastest 100MHz Socket 370
CPU ever was either 800 or 850MHz, I forget which.


Actually, the fastest 100MHz FSB would be the 1100MHz Coppermine. ( Both P3
and Celeron ) I actually have a couple of each of them. Like I mentioned,
one is in my old Asus P2B-DS board. There are even Slot One 1000Mhz CPU's,
both 100 and 133 FSB. Never saw a 1100MHz version though. Should be thought,
'cause there "was" a 1133MHz. Ill fated of course.

(note: I'm still offering a substantial cash reward for a 1133MHz COPPERMINE
CPU ! )



It, too, would need a good
quality Slotket. Same story here about BIOS displaying a correct CPU
speed.
Maybe, maybe not, but probably not. EIther the BIOS writers or the
managers
who flog them to write the code never seem to think about long term CPU
speeds.
I saw the same back when I was peddling hand-assembled 133MHz AMD
Am486-133 CPU
upgrade kits... Ben Myers


Thanks Ben, looking forward to your response !

bob