Question

[Nagoshi]

386s got no heatsinks... if you want proof, I can take a picture of my 486 CPU. And I dont think we can overclock them, as they have no apparent jumper configurations, nor BIOS settings (as far as my memory goes).

[Cevinzol]

386/486 machines can be overclocked but you have to do it manually.
really manually.
Like removing (desoldering) the quartz timing chip on the motherboard and replacing (resoldering) it with a faster one. Good luck finding compatable chips these days.
not worth doing
but playing around with the rest of the parts would be great for supplies for future mods.
you could practice on the cases and have a blast!

If you have the storage space, I'd grab them and mess around.
make some system test platforms.

[Drac998]

The 386 processor really has no value or use today. The cases themselves may prove usefull for parts and raw materials. Other then that, to the junkyard they go.

What are you really going to overclock a 386 to? 50 Mhz? 75?

[Nagoshi]

50 mhz?? ure generous! 486 were cadenced from 33MHz to 100MHz, and I think there were some at 133... Dont expect too much from 386s... And trust me, Ive got an old IBM PS/2 that may have, what, not even 5MHz CPU speed... Theres no BIOS in it so I cant know how it works. Well, the ''BIOS'' is integrated on a software on the hard drive, and its really complicated. Theres no apparent BIOS in that computer anyway.

[CanaBalistic]

No overclocking? Isnt the turbo button a one touch oc?

I'll actually have to get a system or two to see what they have and usefulness they have. I went to the salvation army yesterday and they had nothing (there were 2-3 there a few weeks ago). Someone bought them... Ill keep checking there and also at value village.

[Nagoshi]

Yea, but when the turbo button was at ON the CPU was runnign at 100% speed. Short explanation :

I had a 486 DX4/100MHz. Turbo off = 40MHz but Im not sure. It went down by half. It all depends on the CPU speed. Turbo ON = 100MHz.

And who anyway would turn off his damned turbo button? Our comps were already very slow, we did not needed to slow 'em more!


Except in school, playing with old P1s with those turbo buttons have never been sooo funny

[XcOM]

While at uni, me and my mate had a challange, who could overclock there P2 266MHz machine the most and still get it to work,

My mate adam, got his to 600MHz with a HUGE HSF, I got mine to 2.3GHz

Using an aray of HSF's and a fridge !!!!!!!, clingfilm coated foil to direct heat away, and yes it was very stable, got windows XP to install on it, and play a few games quite well (GPU Limitations were reached though)

All in all, i was shocked myself it still worked. Just go to show, anything can be overclocked beyond reason and beyond what the advrage Script Kiddie thinks is possable.

[Nagoshi]

2.3....GHZ?!

I cant trust you! I can hardly get my P3 550MHz to 787MHz, and temps are just like stock (around 32C idle)! How the heck could a 266MHz go to 2.3GHz? RAM would be ****ing up, and PCI clocks too! You hacked the CPu multiplier??

I need pics

[CanaBalistic]

well i am unsure about thoes clocks but as soon as i get my hands on an old machine, you bet your ass ill try and overclock it.

[Cevinzol]

And who anyway would turn off his damned turbo button? Our comps were already very slow, we did not needed to slow 'em more!

Originally the "turbo" button was designed to provide backwards compatability with old games.

Games written for the really old Intel 8088 CPU (4.77Mhz) were coded based on the CPU speed. Running one of these games on a new (at the time) 386 DX-40Mhz CPU would mean the game would run 10 Times as fast as it was supposed to. Those aliens would land, take over, build a condo and invite you over for a BBQ before you fired a shot.

Hence the "TURBO" button. or more precisely the 'UNtorbo' button. This forced the M/B to slow down. The turbo button was really for the 286 CPU and though it appeared in many 386 machines, it really couldn't make the CPU go as slow as 4.77Mhz.

oldcomputers.net has a nice history of the development of the computer. It a fun read because its easier to appreciate what you have once you know where its from.