Jump to content

IBM PS/ValuePoint

From RetroTechCollection



IBM PS/ValuePoint
IBM PS/ValuePoint 325T (machine type 6381 / 6384 with IBM 386SLC-25 CPU)
Specifications
DeveloperIBM Personal Computer Company
ManufacturerIBM
TypeCorporate / SMB desktop personal computer family — ISA / VLB / PCI
Released20 October 1992
DiscontinuedJuly 1995 (replaced by IBM PC Series 300)
CPUIBM 386SLC-25; Intel 486SX-25/33, 486DX-33, 486DX2-50/66, 486DX4-100; Intel Pentium 60 (Pentium 60 only — Pentium 75/90/100 belong to the successor PC Series 300/700)
Memory30-pin parity SIMM (early 6384), 72-pin parity SIMM (all others) — 16 MB (325T) / 32 MB (early 6384) / 64 MB (most 486 boards) / 128 MB (P60/D)
StorageOn-planar IDE/ATA primary (max 2 IDE devices); on-planar floppy controller (1.44 MB on 486 boards, 2.88 MB on P60/D); optional 8-bit or 16-bit Future Domain SCSI adapter
DisplayOn-planar SVGA: Cirrus Logic CL-GD5422 (325T), Tseng ET4000 / ET4000-W32 (1992 6384 / /Si), Cirrus CL-GD5428 (6381-Fxx), S3 86C805 (/S, /D, /T), S3 Vision864 (/Sp, /Dp, /Tp PCI), ATI Mach32 68800AX (P60/D)
SoundPC piezo beeper (no speaker)
OS / FirmwareIBM PC DOS 5.0 / 6.x / 7.0; Microsoft Windows 3.1 / WfWg 3.11 / Windows 95; IBM OS/2 2.x / Warp 3
PredecessorIBM PS/2 Model 30 (corporate ISA-based ancestor)
SuccessorIBM PC Series 300 (and PC 700)
Model no.6381, 6382, 6384, 6387; later transitional MTs 6472, 6482, 6484, 6492, 6494

The IBM PS/ValuePoint is IBM's corporate / SMB desktop PC line, announced on 20 October 1992 and withdrawn in July 1995. It sat below the high-end PS/2 (Micro Channel) and above the consumer IBM PS/1, using commodity industry standards — ISA bus, SVGA, IDE — to compete in the price-competitive corporate-clone market that the PS/2's proprietary Micro Channel could not address.[1] The line was IBM's belated answer to the PC clone vendors (Compaq, Dell, Gateway, Northgate, AST) and saw VESA Local Bus added in the 1993 486 refresh, then PCI added with the Pentium 60 P60/D submodel in 1994.[2]

The line was succeeded in 1995–1996 by the IBM PC Series 300 (entry/midrange) and IBM PC Series 700 (high-end), which dropped the "PS/ValuePoint" name entirely. Marketing-tier siblings during the PS/ValuePoint's lifetime were the IBM Ambra (mail-order brand) and the consumer IBM Aptiva.

Note on Machine-Type Numbering

[edit | edit source]

The PS/ValuePoint line uses four IBM machine types (MTs): 6381, 6382, 6384, 6387. The Wikipedia infobox once listed the mini-tower as 8387, but every primary IBM source (Hardware Maintenance Manual S61G-1423, PSRef withdrawn-products book, the kev009 mirror of IBM service documents) gives the mini-tower MT as 6387.[3][4] This article uses 6387.

Later (1994–1995) machine types in the 64xx series (6472, 6482, 6484, 6492, 6494) carry the PS/ValuePoint brand into a transitional "VP2" / PC 300 era and share the same beep-code index as the 638x family.[5]

Machine-Type and Form-Factor Map

[edit | edit source]
PS/ValuePoint form-factor map
MT Form factor Slots Bays Notes
6381 Introductory space-saving desktop (suffix /Si) 3 ISA on riser 3 Entry SX boards, Cirrus video, 100 W PSU
6382 Space-saving desktop (suffix /S) 3 3 VLB era 486 boards, S3 video
6384 Desktop and Pentium "P60/D" variant (suffix /D) 5 5 Main desktop family
6387 Mini-tower (suffix /T) 8 (1 VLB+ISA shared + 5 full ISA + 2 half ISA) 6 Tower form factor

Submodel Reference

[edit | edit source]
PS/ValuePoint submodel reference
Submodel CPU Bus Video Memory ceiling Notes
325T (6381 / 6384) IBM 386SLC-25 ISA Cirrus CL-GD5422 (1 MB) 16 MB IBM 386SLC, 8 KB internal cache, no L2; 2 MB soldered + 2 × 72-pin SIMM[6]
425SX (6384, 1992) Intel 486SX-25 ISA Tseng ET4000 (1 MB) 32 MB (30-pin SIMM)
433DX (6384, 1992) Intel 486DX-33 ISA Tseng ET4000 (1 MB) 32 MB (30-pin SIMM)
466DX2 (6384, 1992) Intel 486DX2-66 ISA Tseng ET4000 (1 MB) 32 MB (30-pin SIMM)
425SX/Si (6381-Fxx) Intel 486SX-25 + P24T OverDrive socket VLB Cirrus CL-GD5428 (512K–1 MB) 64 MB SiS 85C461 chipset, no L2, CR2032 battery[7][8]
433SX/Si (6381) Intel 486SX-33 VLB Cirrus CL-GD5428 64 MB
433DX/Si (6381) Intel 486DX-33 VLB Tseng ET4000-W32 64 MB 128 / 256 KB L2 field-upgradeable
466DX2/Si (6381) Intel 486DX2-66 VLB Tseng ET4000-W32 64 MB
425SX – 466DX2 /S, /D, /T (6382, 6384, 6387) 486SX-25/33, DX-33, DX2-50/66 VLB S3 86C805 (1–2 MB) 64 MB Most common family; Type 1 vs Type 2 planar — see below
100DX4/Sp, /Tp Intel 486DX4-100 VLB or PCI S3 Vision864 64 MB "p" suffix = PCI / Vision864 platform
466DX2/Sp, /Dp, /Tp Intel 486DX2-66 VLB or PCI S3 Vision864 64 MB
P60/D (6384, models 189, 193, 199, 1A3, 1A9) Intel Pentium 60 PCI + ISA ATI Mach32 68800AX (1–2 MB) 128 MB 16 KB L1 + 256 KB L2 write-back; no OverDrive path[9]

The PS/ValuePoint line offers only the Pentium 60 as a Pentium-class option — Pentium 75/90/100 belong to the successor IBM PC Series 300 / 700.

IBM PS/ValuePoint 325T (machine type 6381 / 6384, IBM 386SLC-25) angle view. (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Architecture and Planar Notes

[edit | edit source]

Type 1 vs Type 2 (486 VLB Boards)

[edit | edit source]

The 486 VLB-era planars on the 6382, 6384, 6387 exist in two revisions:

  • Type 1 — write-through L2 cache; SIMM sockets run left-to-right.
  • Type 2 — write-back L2 cache; SIMM sockets run front-to-back when the I/O ports face away.

Distinguish them by SIMM socket orientation.[10] OverDrive jumpers differ: J10 / J11 on Type 1 boards; J17 / J18 on Type 2 boards. P24T-83 Pentium OverDrive requires BIOS v68 or later.[11]

Chipsets

[edit | edit source]
  • 325T (386SLC) — IBM-custom planar, ISA only.
  • 6381 425SX/Si — SiS 85C461 system controller (VLB).[12]
  • 6382/S, 6384/D, 6387/T (VLB 486) — IBM-custom planar with VLB.
  • /Sp, /Dp, /Tp (PCI) — PCI-equipped planar with S3 Vision864.
  • P60/D — Intel 430LX "Mercury" or comparable Pentium chipset on PCI.
Motherboard of an IBM PS/ValuePoint PC with Intel i486SX (ca. 1992–1995). Layout typical of the ISA + VLB era PS/ValuePoint planar. (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Memory Topology

[edit | edit source]
PS/ValuePoint memory topology
Submodel family SIMM Banks Max
325T (386SLC) 72-pin parity, 70–85 ns 2 MB soldered + 2 sockets 16 MB
Original 6384 425SX / 433DX / 466DX2 (1992) 30-pin parity, 70–80 ns 4 sockets / banks of 4 32 MB
6381/Si, 6382/S, 6384/D, 6387/T (VLB 486) 72-pin parity, 70 ns (up to 85 ns) 4 sockets 64 MB
6384 P60/D 72-pin parity, 70 ns 4 sockets / installed in pairs 128 MB

All PS/ValuePoint memory is parity (non-ECC). The original 1992 6384 boards are the only PS/ValuePoint family that uses 30-pin SIMMs.[13]

Storage

[edit | edit source]

All PS/ValuePoint planars use on-planar IDE/ATA primary, maximum 2 IDE devices, with optional 8-bit (TMC-850IBM/Future Domain) or 16-bit Future Domain SCSI adapter.[14] The floppy controller is on-planar and cannot be disabled; 2.88 MB drives are not supported on the 486 boards (the P60/D does support 2.88 MB).[15]

Original IBM IDE drive sizes shipped from factory: 80, 120, 170, 212, 245, 340, 420, 527 MB.[16]

Power Supplies

[edit | edit source]
  • 6381-Si entry — 100 W universal-voltage with manual 115/230 V switch.[17]
  • 325T and original 1992 6384 — 145 W, 10 W max per slot.[18]
  • 6382/S, 6384/D, 6384 P60/D, 6387/T — 200 W universal-voltage with manual selector; LV 90–137 V, HV 180–265 V, 50/60 Hz; 0.08 KVA min / 0.52 KVA max draw.[19]

Battery

[edit | edit source]

The PS/ValuePoint planar battery is a standard CR2032 lithium coin cell, NOT a NiCd barrel cell. This is important — the PS/ValuePoint does not suffer the destructive battery leakage that afflicts certain other IBM ISA-era systems (e.g. some PS/2 Models 30 / 56 / 57 / 76 / 77 with soldered NiCd).[20] The IBM "Product Description" repeats "Lithium battery" for every PS/ValuePoint variant including 6381 SX, 6381 DX/DX2, 6382/S, 6384/D, 6384 P60/D, and 6387/T.[21]

The battery sits in a clip at position B1 / BT1. A separate J2 "External Battery" header and JP8 "Battery Select" jumper allows switching between the on-planar cell and an external battery wired off-board — useful for long-term storage of unused systems.[22]

Although CR2032 cells very rarely leak, they can do so under unusual conditions; restorer field reports document a leaked CR2032 specimen pulled from a 6381-Fxx, with minimal damage to the planar.[23] Check the area around B1 / BT1 for KOH-style alkaline-leak residue at every service interval.

Software

[edit | edit source]
  • DOS — IBM PC DOS 5.0 / 6.x / 7.0; MS-DOS 5.x / 6.x.
  • Windows — Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows 95.
  • OS/2 — OS/2 2.x and Warp 3 are well supported (PS/ValuePoint was an IBM-branded target platform for OS/2).

A documented production change between ICS and Chrontel video frequency controller chips (located just left of the Tseng video chip on the system board) caused OS/2 2.00.1 SVGA drivers to fail when changing video modes — a revised OS/2 driver fixes it.[24]

A widely-documented PS/ValuePoint quirk requires the IBMKBFIX.EXE / 6381WG31.ZIP SYSTEM.INI patch to fix keyboard lockups under Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups.[25]

Pricing

[edit | edit source]

Launch pricing (October 1992, US, IBM-Direct list):

  • 325T (entry 386SLC, no HDD): from ~$1,500 USD.
  • 425SX (486SX-25, 80 MB HDD): from ~$1,800 USD.
  • 433DX (486DX-33, 120 MB HDD, network ready): from ~$2,800 USD.
  • 466DX2 (486DX2-66, 170 MB HDD): from ~$3,200 USD.
  • P60/D (Pentium 60, 1994 launch): from ~$3,500 USD.

(Refer to the PSRef withdrawn-products book for the complete per-submodel price list.[26])

[edit | edit source]
  • PS/ValuePoint 325T (IBM 386SLC-25)
    PS/ValuePoint 325T (IBM 386SLC-25)
  • PS/ValuePoint 325T angle view
    PS/ValuePoint 325T angle view
  • PS/ValuePoint i486SX planar (ca. 1992–1995)
    PS/ValuePoint i486SX planar (ca. 1992–1995)
  • PS/ValuePoint brand logo
    PS/ValuePoint brand logo
[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]


  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PS/ValuePoint
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PS/ValuePoint
  3. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/d5ca.htm
  4. ↑ https://manualzz.com/doc/10390575/s61g_1423_02
  5. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/ad96.htm
  6. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
  7. ↑ https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ibm-ps-valuepoint-6381-sx
  8. ↑ https://www.zx.net.nz/computers/ibm/psvaluepoint_425sxsi/
  9. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/5e9a.htm
  10. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/859e.htm
  11. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/859e.htm
  12. ↑ https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ibm-ps-valuepoint-6381-sx
  13. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/27ae.htm
  14. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
  15. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/5e9a.htm
  16. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/27ae.htm
  17. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/ebaa.htm
  18. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
  19. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/859e.htm
  20. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
  21. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/27ae.htm
  22. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/a26e.htm
  23. ↑ https://www.zx.net.nz/computers/ibm/psvaluepoint_425sxsi/
  24. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/e1f6.htm
  25. ↑ http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/859e.htm
  26. ↑ https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/withdrawnbook/vpbook.pdf
Retrieved from "https://wiki.retrotechcollection.com/index.php?title=IBM_PS/ValuePoint&oldid=11035"