Help with 486 memory and CPU

[da na]

Picked up two dusty gross 486 machines today. One is this Packard Bell PB420. Other than being a bit dusty it appears in good condition, and the PRAM battery has not leaked at all.

Although, it does appear to have no memory in it or am I looking in the wrong place? 

The white slot is memory, correct? And the little black sockets to the left of the CPU, are they for cache expansion or are those for ROM chips? Or are those RAM?

Here is a system diagram provided on the inside. It appears as though the unfilled sockets are labelled SRAM, and the one that looks like a memory slot is not labelled? (VRAM I assume is the chip near the graphics controller, below the "SRAM?" on my picture. It's a bit of a confusing diagram)

also after taking my picture I took the CPU out and don't quite know how to get it back in. My CPU has 3 rows of pins per side, socket will fit up to 4 rows per side. I put it in with the gold line on the bottom/CPU side with the notch facing the socket lever but it feels like it's not going in right. Do I just push harder or is that not correct?

[Kid.Lazer]

I think the white slot is for CPU L2 cache upgrade modules.

[Guest]

SRAM is your Cache, that's what is missing below the expansion slot (S1) 

 

The DRAM is missing from your picture, upper right side of the board. Bank 0

 

I believe the white long slot is Flash memory 1mb. Bank 1

 

1489 is the NB and 1487 is the SB chips. 

 

Cpu should drop right in like any other socketed chip. Turn it around or check for a bent pin.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Guest 5150
corrections

[da na]

3 minutes ago, Guest 5150 said:

SRAM is your Cache, that's what is missing below the expansion slot (S1) 

 

The DRAM is missing from your picture, upper right side of the board. Bank 0

 

I believe the white long slot is Flash memory 1mb. Bank 1

 

1489 is the NB and 1487 is the SB chips. 

 

Cpu should drop right in like any other socketed chip. Turn it around or check for a bent pin.

Missed that, will check the board for it. So that would be main system ram? 

There's a pin on the CPU with a square pad at the base, and a different looking socket hole it corresponds to so I'm sure it's the right way, but I'll check for bent pins

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

Missed that, will check the board for it. So that would be main system ram? 

There's a pin on the CPU with a square pad at the base, and a different looking socket hole it corresponds to so I'm sure it's the right way, but I'll check for bent pins

It should have DRam slots right? According to the picture, in the orientation we see it in, upper right corner, but like I says earlier, it's missing from your photograph. Dram is main system memory.

 

If photograph throws you off, wait till I start talking about your sneakers!! Lol.

 

It's been a long time since I've messed with 486, but I don't recall needing to force the chip into the socket. I wonder if the retention bracket isn't slid far enough from dust build up or something. Keep at it, you'll get it in there. 

[da na]

11 minutes ago, Guest 5150 said:

It should have DRam slots right? According to the picture, in the orientation we see it in, upper right corner, but like I says earlier, it's missing from your photograph. Dram is main system memory.

 

If photograph throws you off, wait till I start talking about your sneakers!! Lol.

 

It's been a long time since I've messed with 486, but I don't recall needing to force the chip into the socket. I wonder if the retention bracket isn't slid far enough from dust build up or something. Keep at it, you'll get it in there. 

There is no DRAM slot up there but there are chips (likely memory) soldered to the board in the same vague shape as the diagram. Pretty sure I don't need anything in the other slots.

Thanks!

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

There is no DRAM slot up there but there are chips (likely memory) soldered to the board in the same vague shape as the diagram. Pretty sure I don't need anything in the other slots.

Thanks!

Ok then it's on-board. How many chips 4? It'll have 4mb of system memory most likely.

 

My old 486 board had DRam slots. Kinda surprised this one doesn't. But they where all different back then. All kinds of cache and memory configurations.

[da na]

Just now, Guest 5150 said:

Ok then it's on-board. How many chips 4? It'll have 4mb of system memory most likely.

 

My old 486 board had DRam slots. Kinda surprised this one doesn't. But they where all different back then. All kinds of cache and memory configurations.

Like 8, hard to see. 

It also has a big blank bit where it's labelled "80486SX" on the diagram, and the socket is in "upgrade CPU" on the diagram. Interesting. And it says it's overdrive compatible, idk seems overkill for a system with soldered memory

[Guest]

Just now, Mel0n. said:

Like 8, hard to see. 

It also has a big blank bit where it's labelled "80486SX" on the diagram, and the socket is in "upgrade CPU" on the diagram. Interesting. And it says it's overdrive compatible, idk seems overkill for a system with soldered memory

That's because this platform caters to both Intel and AMD. 

[da na]

Just now, Guest 5150 said:

That's because this platform caters to both Intel and AMD. 

yeah interesting though because there was an Intel chip in the socket

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

yeah interesting though because there was an Intel chip in the socket

You can "upgrade" to amd. Because the AMD chips at that time where faster.

[Guest]

Here's one of my most favorite commercials. Not exactly the same platform, but during the days AMD was faster than Intel.