Panther II © 199? Octek
The Panther II is a high-performance Baby AT motherboard manufactured by Octek around 1990 to 1992. It is built around the Intel or AMD 80386SX microprocessor, supporting CPU clock speeds ranging from 16 MHz up to 33 MHz. Designed as an affordable entry point into 32-bit computing, it bridges the gap between older 80286 platforms and high-end 80386DX machines. The Panther II utilizes advanced memory techniques, supporting up to 8 MB of onboard RAM via four 30-pin SIMM sockets alongside traditional DIP memory banks, with support for two-way or four-way memory interleaving and high-speed page mode configurations. It features a standard AT-compatible I/O subsystem with four 16-bit and two 8-bit ISA expansion slots, as well as a dedicated socket for an 80387SX math co-processor.
The 386SX Compromise: The Panther II allowed budget-conscious users to execute advanced 32-bit multi-tasking software (such as Windows 3.x enhanced mode, OS/2, and Unix) while operating within a significantly less expensive 16-bit external hardware bus environment.
OS/2 Optimization: The motherboard features a unique hardware-level option in its design known as "OS/2 Optimization." This included specialized logic for a fast A20 gate switch and fast CPU resets, greatly accelerating the rapid task-switching cycles required by modern protected-mode operating systems.