Unusual Asus motherboard accommodates dual processor and memory versions

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Xytrixz
Senior Member

552

12-16-2023, 09:50 PM

#1

I’m sure no one is really interested in this, but I didn’t realize it existed, so I thought it might be useful to share. A quick overview: I got a used desktop from a person named Tweaker Tammy, apparently without much thought. It was an old machine that seemed like it could be salvaged, though I never asked too many questions. Usually these end up as projects I just sit through until something useful pops out.

This particular "gaming" setup had only 1 gig of RAM and a 128MB stick, which made it pretty intriguing. When I opened it, I noticed the power supply pin layout didn’t match the motherboard, likely causing the failure. After some online digging, I found the Asus P5VDC-MX model, which worked with various processors including Pentium 4/Celeron, Core2 Extreme, and dual-core chips. It also supported both DDR and DDR2 memory types.

I’m still taking it apart, but it’s giving me ideas for what might be inside. Probably not worth removing from Tweaker Tammy’s hands—maybe I can give the bent case a new purpose. It was a fun detour into computing history, but I enjoyed it!

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mishy07
Senior Member

371

12-16-2023, 10:33 PM

#2

It's a cool vintage setup. I really enjoy finding old components like this. People often upgrade their gaming rigs by boosting memory. I've seen this a lot. When overclocking was effective, frame rates improved. Which graphics card do you think it is?

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Olimjon
Junior Member

42

12-17-2023, 07:21 AM

#3

I don’t understand much, but I remember it had a 2.93ghz Pentium 4. Here’s the picture of the graphics card.

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iarouse
Junior Member

36

12-17-2023, 01:38 PM

#4

Sticker on the back must contain a part number, likely showing the GPU model. If absent, take off the heat sink—it will be attached to the core.

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aaron1506
Member

207

12-17-2023, 09:50 PM

#5

Very alike to your Asus board featuring six DIMM slots, four DDR and two DDR2. It uses LGA 775—definitely a unique era for these boards. I’m not sure it supports Core 2.

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_ThePlay
Member

103

12-19-2023, 11:14 AM

#6

Certainly. AsRock also produced some unusual boards, such as the Dual SATA II—possibly a variation of that design.

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rusty195
Junior Member

12

12-21-2023, 03:16 AM

#7

Here’s a revised version of your note:

My board for reference is the ASUS P5GDC Deluxe (link provided). Someone mentioned it doesn’t support P4 Cedar Mill CPUs, but I haven’t confirmed that yet. There’s also no Core 2 support listed.

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SparksYT
Junior Member

16

12-21-2023, 06:32 AM

#8

I removed the heatsink completely. The component is a GeForce 4.

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Sjittham
Member

62

12-21-2023, 12:58 PM

#9

Highly probable model is an MX 440. Extremely popular card. Uses AGP. A true vintage piece in excellent condition.

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Fishbite101
Member

150

12-22-2023, 09:00 AM

#10

I owned a similar item once. By the way, the heat paste on the graphics card and CPU was far beyond what was necessary.