The start of a EPIC Dual Pentium Pro Build

[Irinikus]

They still need a 2D card like any other Voodoo2, but they deviate from the reference design and apparently were the absolute best when it came to the Voodoo2!

The passthrough cable takes the form of a VGA to Mini-DIN connector!

I'll be using the Oxygen 202 as my base 2D card with these two little monsters will be running in SLI!

Here's a conclusion to a review on this card:

 

[Elf]

Ah I see, I missed the "VGA IN" lettering under the Mini-DIN; that was unexpected

 

[Irinikus]

I've just ordered a CooerMaster Cosmos C700M for this build: (As my local supplier has been battling to acquire a Level 20 for me, and if he eventually does it can be used for another build!)

It has the required 8-slots required for this board!

I already have a Cosmos II (My i7 980X), and they're pretty good cases, so I at least have some idea of what I'm getting here!!!

I've also ordered this badge for the machine:

 

[Irinikus]

I'm going to be swapping the Oxygen 202 out for this Matrox Millennium II, as I want to run XP on the machine, as NT's way too limited to run on this build!

 

[Irinikus]

I've now completed my purchase of the Gravis Ultrasound PnP, and the IPC SCSI RAID Disk Array Controller GDT6538RD 6x68pin, 4x50pin SCSI Adapter!

So this build now consists of the following components, many of which still have to arrive from various parts of the world, so it will take some time before I'm able to start with the assembly:

ASUS P/I-P65UP5 Baseboard with a C-P6ND CPU card

This fully modular 750W Power Supply

The Gravis Ultrasound PnP

the IPC SCSI RAID Disk Array Controller GDT6538RD

The Matrox Millennium II PCI VGA 8MB 2D card

This pair of Canopus Pure3D II Voodoo2's

And finally the CoolerMaster Cosmos C700M

Parts that I still need to buy are the following:

512MB of EDO RAM (4 x 128MB SIMMS)

2 x 15K RPM 68-pin SCSI drives with cables and terminators to match

A new in box Pentium Pro CPU to get its heatsink, fan and sticker (as I currently only have one of these Heatsinks and fans!)

 

[Irinikus]

I've secured a pair of 36 GB Hitachi Ultrastar 15K73 series, model DK32EK-36NW / HUS157336EL3600 SCSI drives for this build and will purchase them next month!

 

[Irinikus]

I'm probably going to be modding my Voodoo2's in the way that's suggested in this thread, as I want to at least run the system @1280x1024 without any loss in 2D image quality due to the losses incurred by the passthrough circuitry found on these cards:

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=77912

I will however try to make it look cleaner by soldering the piggybacked chip in place making use of hot air and flux that's imbedded with micro solder spheres.

 

[Irinikus]

One of these switch boxes was recommended to me rather than modifying the cards!

The way this will work is that the switch will be setup to output the Matrox Millennium II as it’s standard setup and as soon as the Voodoos are fired up, it will automatically switch to output their output. Thus eliminating the need to make use of the pass through on the Voodoo cards, thereby eliminating the problem of their poor 2D pass through performance! (This is a standard problem encountered when running Voodoo2’s in a system running a “high resolution”. It originally wasn’t a problem, as most people ran lower resolutions back in the day!)

 

[Irinikus]

I've just bought one of these new in box: (It's really amazing how for every component that you buy for one of these systems, you need to buy two to three more just to get things working! It never seems to end!!!)

 

[Irinikus]

This GPU bracket may indeed prove useful here, as I can mount this switch inside the case!!!!! (I really don't want to have this appendage lying around!!!)

For this to work I'm going to need to purchase two of these short VGA cables! (As I stated before, one thing leads to another!!!!)

 

[Irinikus]

Apparently I’ll be able to power the switch off the systems 12v rail, so the power brick won’t be needed, allowing it to be a self contained system.

I now intend to install the motherboard in a “chimney layout”, with the switch installed in the GPU bracket, which I’ll install above the drives to the right of the motherboard (towards the front of the case.)

This will allow me to install the solid rear panel, thus elevating the problem of mounting an AT motherboard in an ATX case, as the unused hole for the ATX I/O panel would present a problem and would look ugly!

So therefore this seemingly extravagant case actually makes some sense here!

 

[Irinikus]

After thinking about it a bit, I've decided that rather than making use of the GPU bracket to hold the VGA switch, I will use adhesive velcro to place the switch over the cable covers/SSD mounts to the front of the case, with the motherboard tray orientated in a "Chimney Layout". This will hold the switch firmly in place inside the case and allow it to be removed if necessary. (I don't want to have to drill any holes into the switch or case fittings!)

I'm going to have to get a motherboard mounting plate made up from hardboard to fit the motherboard into this case!!! (The hardboard plate will take the place of the standard risers used to mount the motherboards.)

This image shows how it would sit with the screw positions as found in the case: (It would have to sit one slot lower in order to accommodate the CPU card!!!)

Take note that the CPU card is also slightly longer than the motherboard, however there is enough space to accommodate this extra length of the CPU card, even with the motherboard in a "chimney orientation"! (It will be a very tight fit though!)

If worst come to worst and the "chimney layout" can't be accommodated (Due to the length of the CPU card) then I'll use the standard layout and have a blank made up with the VGA port fitted into it and slot that into the space where the ATX I/O panel should go. (Feed the output of the cards to the switch and then feed the switches output to the VGA port on the blank)

However, looking at the rear of the motherboard tray, it looks like it can indeed be moved upward one notch when orientated in the "chimney orientation", as the small cover panel above the motherboard tray gets removed when you configure the case in a "chimney orientation"

This would allow for more than enough room for the CPU card!

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!

 

[Irinikus]

After two cancelled orders for the Cosmos C700M (There isn't one available in South Africa at this time), I have settled for one of these for this build: (Corsair CC-9011227-WW iCUE 7000X RGB Tempered Glass White Steel Full Tower Desktop Chassis)

THE RGB FANS WILL BE SET TO A SOLID OFF WHITE!!! (NO RAINBOWS!!!)

It has the following specs:

The nice thing about this case, is that it will allow for better management of the ribbon cable for the SCSI drives (And superior cooling for the drives themselves), and the components will stand out against the white interior! (So it's not all bad!)

 

[Irinikus]

I have ordered a 305mm x 277mm sheet of white 3mm thick plexiglass which will be used as a motherboard adapter for this build. It will be drilled appropriately to bolt onto the motherboard tray and it will in turn be taped in the right places to fit 3mm risers to mount the AT motherboard into the case.

In the space above the motherboard I intend to fit a little capsule containing a perfect Pentium Pro CPU (which I'll obtain when I buy one new in box to get the cooler), and another one which I already have, which I'll get de-lidded, exposing its CPU and cache dies . (This should add a nice touch to the build!)

I would be arranged something like this:

 

[Irinikus]

This is the layout that I'm pretty much going to go for here: (I may not have to de-lid a Pentium Pro after all, as it looks better with just the one CPU!)

I'll end up placing the Voodoo2 and Gravis Ultrasound badges below the Pentium Pro CPU!

This is what the card layout will look like:

 

[Irinikus]

This motherboard just wouldn't play along with the Voodoo2's!!!

So I removed the Voodoo5 from my "EPIC Single Socket 8" build and inserted the Matrox G450 and the Two Voodoo2, as I needed to test them and prove to the seller that they do indeed work!

Here's theQuake II Time Demo result of this move:

 

[Irinikus]

The Voodoo5 unfortunately doesn't fire up on this motherboard at all!

SO IT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT AN OPTION HERE EITHER!!!

 

[Irinikus]

Just for interest sake, this is how the Dynamic Pictures Oxygen 202 and the Voodoo5 5500 compare when placed side by side: (I will now plan to use the Voodoo5 in a dual PIII Xeon build in the future!)

My Corsair case, as well as the white plexiglass arrived today! (So I should hopefully have the motherboard mounted sometime next week!)

This how the setup currently looks. (I'm still waiting for the ICP RAID card to arrive from Germany and the Gravis Ultrasound to arrive from Hungary!)
I'm definitely going to have to figure something out as far as the graphics setup for this system goes!!!! (It's currently fitted with the Matrox Millennium II, which at least allows me to run XP, but without any hardware accelerated 3D! )

I need to find some kind of exotic workstation card which will be compatible with this board (Maybe the Oxygen 202's bigger brother the 402!!!), but I would then be limited to running Windows NT4 on the system!

 

[Irinikus]

I'm considering the following cases for this build, as they'll accommodate the CPU card. (This Motherboard presents a problem when it comes to cases which can actually accommodate it! THE CPU CARD WASN'T THE BEST OF IDEAS, as most cases feature drive bays in the area where the CPU card would sit!!!!!)

It will more than likely end up by being the Gateway, as I can keep an active search going for a suitable one, as I know what it is, whereas the other case is a generic.

 

[Irinikus]

These are the components that will comprise this system, there is a bit of damage to one of the plastic surrounds on one of the 52-pin SCSI sockets on the ICP RAID CARD, so I may get all four of these sockets replaced with matching new ones! (I like things to be as perfect as they can be!)

I tested the RAID card in my Dual PIII system and it does work properly!