rec.autos.simulators

I've got an ancient, troublesome Pentium 60, and just bought a Screamin'
3D card.  The Screamin' card helps tremendously with ICR2, but makes no
improvement with GP2.

I'm running dual-boot NT 40 and Windows 95, and have an Adaptec 2920
SCSI controller, 2 GB Connor SCSI drive, and 32 mb of 70 ns memory (not
EDO).  I've had a great deal of trouble with Windows 95 on this machine
in the past, I think due to some incompatibility between the P60
motherboard (a no-name called the MB-60/66AUR) and the Adaptec (nee
Future Domain) SCSI controller.  

Since I installed the Screamin' card, Windows 95 has corrupted itself so
that it barely runs.  This happened in the past when I added a second
hard drive (since removed), which is when I did a complete re-install of
everything and added NT 4.0.  Now the disastrous, progressive
self-corruption of Windows 95 has returned.  It even brings down the
other machines on my network if I try to access them from it.

NT is still very stable on this machine, but of course, Sierra has not
released NT drivers for the Screamin' card, so I can only run NT in VGA
mode.  Ick!  Also, I have to run Win95 before I run ICR2; otherwise the
Rendition chip does not get properly initialized and ICR2 just freezes
the screen right after Paul Page gives his blurb.

Anyway, I am hoping to escape the incompatibility problems in Windows 95
by trashing the P60 motherboard and getting a new board and CPU,
probably in the 133 mhz range.  Reading this newsgroup has convinced me
that I should get an Intel CPU, since the Cyrix CPU's aren't supported
by INDYFAST.  However, there have been a bewildering array of
motherboards and related issues mentioned on this newsgroup (VX vs FX,
Award vs AMI BIOS, EDO vs SDRAM, etc.)  

I want to choose a motherboard that will give me good racing sim
performance with the Screamin' 3D card, but will also run well with NT
and Windows 95.  One of my friends recommends a Tyan Tomcat, another
swears I should get nothing but Intel.  A lot of people seem to be using
ASUS boards successfully.

Can anyone give me some direction with this dilemma?  I'd like to make
an informed decision.  I am hoping to spend in the $400-500 range for
motherboard and chip, and have something which I can upgrade to a faster
chip when I can afford it.

Thanks for your help!

--
Alison Hine

If you want to stick with non-SDRAM memory, you probably should get an
HX chipset board.  I would highly recommend either the ASUS P/I-P55T2P4
(83mhz bus speed) or the ABIT IT5H (slightly faster than the ASUS but
only goes up to the 75mhz bus speed).

You didn't say if you were going to replace your RAM.  If you decide
to, you may want to go ahead and make the jump to SDRAM.  There's
little reason to buy EDO anymore, unless you can get a great deal on
it.  TX boards should be out very soon (I've heard as early as next
week), and look to be pretty decent.  They're probably not as fast as
the HX when using EDO, but better than the VX.  Like the VX, they
support SDRAM, and with it should be faster than an HX board with EDO.

As far as the CPU goes, you can get a P133 for under $200 or you could
jump up to a P166MMX for about $400.  

--

The IWCCCARS Project: Q & A Representative
http://www.theuspits.com/iwcccars/index.html
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

<snip>
: I want to choose a motherboard that will give me good racing sim
: performance with the Screamin' 3D card, but will also run well with NT
: and Windows 95.  One of my friends recommends a Tyan Tomcat, another
: swears I should get nothing but Intel.  A lot of people seem to be using
: ASUS boards successfully.

: Can anyone give me some direction with this dilemma?  I'd like to make
: an informed decision.  I am hoping to spend in the $400-500 range for
: motherboard and chip, and have something which I can upgrade to a faster
: chip when I can afford it.

You will get as many different recommendations as there are replies.  I
own a Tyan Tomcat and am "almost" 100% satisfied with it.  It does have
it's quirks and Tyan seems to be late in getting BIOS fixes out.  I have
read good things about the ASUS boards.  If I were to do it again, I
still might go with the Tomcat (8 memory sockets & 4 ISA + 4 PCI + 1
shared slot is what I was looking for).  Which ever you decide to get,
make sure you buy from a dealer that will provide you support.  This is
the key decision to make.  Preferably one that will let you swap boards
within a 14-30 day time frame if you aren't happy with the brand you
chose.
--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

My heart and experience (and the damn manual) say it cannot be done but
the store I bought the board from says it can.  Anyone know for sure?
Or did I just fall for a 'line'?

Jim Fitzgerald

Unfortunately you can't mix SDRAM and EDO.  You have to use all of one
or the other, not both.

--

The IWCCCARS Project: Q & A Representative
http://www.theuspits.com/iwcccars/index.html
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~ebusch/

says...

**** Then visit my home page at http://www.wwnet.com/~jmeeks ****

One should never trust the salesman, haven't you learn that yet?

Chris

Asus T2P4 rev 3.xx support 75Mhz and 83Mhz which makes this board
the fastest P5 board. I am currently using 166MMX and overclocked to
207.5Mhz (83Mhz x 2.5). Very stable.

At 83Mhz x 2 (166Mhz), it is already faster than a P5 200 Classic. Imaging
running a P166MMX at 207,5Mhz :-)

More details visit Tom's Home Page at http://sysdoc.pair.com

Chris

======================

Thanks to everyone who sent me advice about motherboards.  I've got some
research to do, but will post results once I finally decide which one to
get.

Thanks again!

Alison

[snip]

--
Alison Hine