Need a recommendation on a good mobo for K6III

[Trifecta]

I just got convinced into getting one of those K63's (450)

I currently have a Matsonic 6260s and I am not sure if this is going to work.


at any rate, I would like to know what the best boards are in case I need to buy that too...

Im thinking the Asus P5A-B

 

[urbantechie]

That Asus board is pretty good stuff. Unless you want to go ATX, thats a fine choice.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I have a K6-2 500MHz which I run on a DFI K6BV3+ planarboard (motherboard in non-IBM speak). The DFI board has been more than adequate for use as a home computer that does little more than type papers, surf the web, and play the occasional game of Myst or Riven. Given your other two systems I can safely assume that the K6-III will not need to be state-of-the art. The DFI K6BV3+ planarboard has ATA-33 support with 2 IDE channels, an AGP slot (don't remember if 2x or 4x), 4 PCI and 1 ISA (I think) as well as a header for two USB ports (the ports don't come with the planarboard though). It's been a while since I've been inside that computer as you can see. Anyway, the DFI planarboard has been just fine for me, no stability problems. Only drawbacks I can think of are that it is AT only and it supports a maximum of 512MB 100MHz SDRAM. I got mine for around $80 retail about a year ago.

Aaron Meyer

"not stability problems" edited to "no stability problems"

 

[The Mudman]

I'd have to say get an epox mvpg2 or the g5. My first system i built is a epox g2 and a k6-3 400. the tri level cache is nice. and i have had no problems what so ever. I even pushed it to 430 (yippee)

 

[Fardringle]

Make sure you're getting the K6-III+ and not the plain K6-III as there can be quite a difference in performance and ability to overclock...

 

[maximumjd]

I have the Aopen AX59pro. Nice! RIght now I'm running a K62/266 with 32MB EDO ram but I have a K6III+ coming along with 128MB PC133 SDRAM. It is an ATX board and I got it because of the 2 simm slots and 3 DIMM.

BTW anyboady looking for a K62/266 and a pair of 16MB EDO SIMMS?

 

[Peter]

You should consider the DFI K6BV3+/66-2 - VIA MVP3/596B chipset, 2 MB cache, 512 MByte cacheable area, UDMA66 IDE controllers, official support for "+" model K6 processors, fan/temperature/voltage monitors, 4 PCI slots, 2x AGP slot with good power supply for modern cards. In other words, about the most you can expect from the latest series of super-7 BAT form factor mainboards.

Your Matsonic 6260 aka PC-Chips M579 certainly doesn't have a BIOS that supports the "+" models properly, given the fact that the last BIOS release for it dates from May 1999. But as long as the board has a 2.0V setting for the CPU voltage, it's worth a try. You won't fry anything if it doesn't work.

Regards, Peter

 

[Trifecta]

Sure, I dont know if this chip is worth purchasing a motherboard. Especially in the light of all the P2-300s out there for sale for around the same price. Im sure I could get one of those up to around 400-450....thats not too shabby.

I wanted to see how well this thing overclocks, and I just happen to have this old matsonic...

Yeah, it does support the 2.0v setting, but the jumpers only get you to 5.5 * 100mhz ...

so its not going to be too hot on the overclocker spectrum. but for 49 bucks, if it runs and is quick enough to be a little side gaming machine, it was worth the money...

 

[hans007]

its a very good chip, i wouldn't spend more than $45-50 on a board for it though. If you aren't gonna use this for gaming (which i doubt, since its fairly slow) , just buy an sis530 based board, and get the onboard sound and vga.

 

[LarryF]

The bios for this board has me confused.
I have the same set up Trifecta is discussing.
I downloaded the most recent bios from Matonic dated BIOS Rev. 10-26-99.
flashed the chip etc. The bios still posts as a 1995 date. I'm wondering if the post date is wrong and I really have the 1999 version running.

The board is working fine and definately supports the plus chip (posts as + and runs great). The only issue, as mentioned in a previous thread, is that it will only post to 550 even when running at 600. CPUMark does show 600mhz performance through.

Bottom line, it's working so I don't think I'm going to screw with the bios anymore!

 

[Trifecta]

yeah,

if the speed and performance are there. I wouldnt worry about the bios

 

[Fish54]

While I agree that the K6-III isn't quite up to our performance standards for gaming of today, it is a very competent processor. I had a K6-III 400 AHX @ 450 which ran Windows 2000 very well and was a very capable gaming processor with my velocity 100 (overclocked to 166 + 2nd TMU enabled). I played games like AOE2, Quake 3 and Unreal Tournement. I now have a Duron 600 @ 927, but at times I do miss my little K6-III

 

[Fish54]

Oh, I forgot, I recommend an Asus P5A or P5A-B

 

[Peter]

Jumpered mainboards, with a K6-2, always take you to 6.0x - jumper to what is labelled 2.0x, and there you go. Again, the multiplying is done in the CPU, not on the mainboard.

The 1995 date is AMI's original core BIOS copyright date. Some diagnostics software thinks this is the release date for this particular BIOS - it isn't. The latter should be visible during POST, right under the AMI logo.

When BIOS POST reports a lower CPU speed than what you jumpered, then it's most likely because the BIOS's table of known speed grades ends below what you have there. Don't bother, no performance lost.

Regards, Peter

 

[LarryF]

Thanks Peter,
I should have noticed that before.
The bios does POST correctly at 10/26/99.
As mentioned before this bios does support the K63+ chip.

 

[stockjock]

Trifecta,

I bought 4 of those very chips..did you get it from PCLiquidators? I went to overstock.com and bought a MSI 5185 for $39 just to try it out. The board came with onboard 8mb ATI rage vid and SB PCI 128 sound card. The board will go down to 2.0v ..but I'm finding that it will not recognize the "+". If anyone knows if I can get a better bios that would recognize the K6III+ 450 I would appreciate.
Trifecta, I'm like you..I don't want to spend a fortune on these chips and mobos...so I'm just looking for a good cheap board...let me know if you find one....

 

[Trifecta]

tiger direct has some cheapy super socket 7's


I think that there are quite a few out there for about 60 that will recognize the +

The DFI K6BV3+/66-2 that peter mentioned is what I am planning on ...

 

[StickHead]

The EPoX line of SS7 boards are top notch. Had a MVP3G5 myself. Fast! (for a socket 7)

 

[quattro]

Hi !
Well, I cant say that I have a good overview on
all the K6-III Mainboards on the market, but I
can recommend the DFI K6-BV3+ (AT-size) or the
similar ATX-size mainboard. I have such a board
in my firewall-computer, it has uptimes of several
months and didnt even crash one time since I am
using it (10 months now). It´s equipped with a
k6-3 450 and 392 mb ram. Other on-board features
are pretty the same to other mainboards, and this
board isnt too expensive also.
Regards,
quattro

 

[hans007]

i can say that when i had my k6-2/400 o/c to 475 it was great. The motherboard FIC pa-2013 rev 2.0 which had the crummy agp slot sucked, couldn't supply enough power to any cards.

 

[llreye]

Believe the Epox MVP3G2/G5 is one of the few with 2MB cache, still fun
despite the L2 on the K6-3+. Epox boards are supposedly very easy to
setup.

IIRC one of the MSI boards supported 133MHz FSB.
-MKC