On 19 Oct 98 at 14:33, Dennis Noble wrote:

> Well I just changed the jumpers un the MB so that the CPU
> Frequency is set at 66MHz and the CPU Multiplier is set at 4.5. The
> external cache now functions without any problems.
>
> My next question, does this mean that the Bus is running at 66MHz
> and not 100MHz?

  Yes.

> If this is the case, I would strongly discourage anyone from buying
> the PCChips M577.

  Poor reviews of PCChips are nothing new.  Retail, they're often
sold without brand name, but for not much less than name-brand boards
from Shuttle, FIC, EFA, ....

> Why would the cache work when the CPU frequency is set at 66 X 4.5
> and not at 100  X 3?

  Two possibilities spring to mind:

1.  The assembly line still had cache chips in inventory that
wouldn't actually do 100 MHz when the boards designed to offer 100
MHz started to roll out.

2.  One of the cache chips is marginal -- perhaps just a tad slow to
respond.  It's still within spec for 66 MHz use, but too slow to
support 100 MHz.

  Either of these may reasonably be called a "manufacturing defect".
Is it too late to return the board?

David G

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