Closed 386 to 486 cpu upgrade for Golden Gate Board

[Milesunder]

Hi all,

i have just invested in a Golden Gate 386 board for my Amiga and would like to upgrade it to 486 class. I am either interested in a plug in / clip on upgrade. Or if anyone is able to perform the upgrade service to swap the chip out if possible that would be great. I want to run win95 lol.

The 386 is a SX IC chip,not the socketed variety.

willing to pay a reasonable price for the chip.

Please PM me.

Thanks

 

[trixster]

I bought a TI486SXLC from this eBay link, works perfectly:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/273391727285

Bebek (who is a forum member here and on eab) and is UK-based did the upgrade for me. Maybe pm him and see if he might consider desoldering your 386SX and soldering this replacement cpu in its place.

there is a thread on this forum which has a link to the clock-doubling and cache-enabling software which you run from autoexec.bat (iirc).

 

[Milesunder]

Thanks, so subject to the clock doubling Softwware is it just a case of removing and replacing? If so I can get this done in work. If you don’t run the software will it just run at 25mhz?

Is there a recommended math co processor for it?

 

[WBST]

Thanks, so subject to the clock doubling Softwware is it just a case of removing and replacing? If so I can get this done in work. If you don’t run the software will it just run at 25mhz?

Is there a recommended math co processor for it?

There are two basic plug-in replacement CPUs, the Cyrix Cx486DRx2 and the TI 486SXLC(2). The TI chip is a modified version of the Cyrix design (due to having fabricated Cyrix chips under license), with a better Level-1 Cache (8KB as opposed to 1KB). Each will need its own "enabling" software run after boot, but then will operate at its full potential. If your 386DX board is 25MHz then the chip will operate at 25MHz over the bus, 50MHz internally.

Either work so much better if there is also Level-2 cache.

I can offer a Cx486DRx2 25/50 plus the enabling software, if the TI chip from Trixter isn't to your taste.

 

[trixster]

The TI486SXLC has 8k cache, not 16k

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrix_Cx486SLC

I have a goldengate 486SLC2 which shipped with the CX486SLC2 with 1k cache. For memory intensive games (like doom) the extra cache of the TI chip makes a considerable speed improvement. I think it’s a very worthwhile upgrade over the Cyrix chip

 

[WBST]

The TI486SXLC has 8k cache, not 16k

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrix_Cx486SLC

I have a goldengate 486SLC2 which shipped with the CX486SLC2 with 1k cache. For memory intensive games (like doom) the extra cache of the TI chip makes a considerable speed improvement. I think it’s a very worthwhile upgrade over the Cyrix chip

My bad, memory's not as good as it used to be.

 

[Milesunder]

Hi WBST, I will send you a PM.

 

[trixster]

I am pretty sure the Cyrix Cx486DRx2 is not compatible with GoldenGate or Commodore bridgeboards. You need a 386SX (not 386DX) class cpu in 100-BQFP pin form factor... or a clip on upgrade board that fits over these 100pin chips.

 

[BlindGerMan]

The Cyrix upgrade for an 386sx is a Cyrix 486Sx2 CPU! But be careful, I tried several GG 386sx with a clip on upgrade an none worked after the update!

 

[WBST]

I am pretty sure the Cyrix Cx486DRx2 is not compatible with GoldenGate or Commodore bridgeboards. You need a 386SX (not 386DX) class cpu in 100-BQFP pin form factor... or a clip on upgrade board that fits over these 100pin chips.

Yes, I wasn't sure about the GoldenGate board. The equivalent for 386SX CPU chips is the Cx486SRx2. This is an SX Replacement CPU upgrade.

Clip-over upgrade shown here:
https://images.app.goo.gl/gdsTurr9q9fyv8qM7

 

[Milesunder]

So are you suggesting then that the best course of action is a CPU physical swap out?

 

[WBST]

So are you suggesting then that the best course of action is a CPU physical swap out?

It'll all depend upon what's there already and whether or not it's socketed.

Gi's a pic. of the CPU on your board.

 

[BlindGerMan]

A 386sx CPU is never socketed!

 

[trixster]

Yes, it’s a matter of finding a clip-on upgrade (increasingly rare) or solding on a replacement 100pin replacement.

Soldered-on replacements need to be 5v parts or 5v tolerant. There’s a thread on here and on vcfed discussing which chips are 5v tolerant (and what parts of the cpu it’s talking about [i/o, core..?] and which are fully 5v. I’m guessing the rarer and more exotic chips which are reportedly ‘compatible’ such as the IBM 486SLC2 and 3 are all on pcbs (maybe with extra logic) because they require a vrm

 

[WBST]

Yes, it’s a matter of finding a clip-on upgrade (increasingly rare) or solding on a replacement 100pin replacement.

Asking/posting on www.cpu-world.com would be the best option to source exotic/rare processors and/or upgrades.

 

[Starvak-Sp]

gg48

gg48

Hi. I see that you want to update your gg486, but keep in mind that win95 doesn't work with it. At least I have been trying for a month with all possible versions. There are many threads about it.
If you manage to update your gg, it will be faster, but in msdos or with windows 31. it seems that windows nt4 works, but I have not tried. I think the memory requirements and the difficulty of using drivers is not very useful.
I would also like to use a win 95 ...

Yes, it’s a matter of finding a clip-on upgrade (increasingly rare) or solding on a replacement 100pin replacement.

Asking/posting on www.cpu-world.com would be the best option to source exotic/rare processors and/or upgrades.