The HP 886C motherboard , also known by its HP codename OasisOC , is a high-performance system board primarily found in the OMEN by HP 30L Desktop PC series . Designed for gaming enthusiasts and power users, this Micro ATX board is engineered to support modern Intel-based architectures and offers significant expandability for storage and memory. Technical Specifications & Architecture The HP 886C is built on a Micro ATX form factor , measuring approximately 24.0 x 24.0 cm (9.45 x 9.45 inches). It features a refined design that allows for easy hardware swaps in standard aftermarket cases if users choose to migrate their OMEN internals. Socket & Chipset: The board uses the LGA 1200 socket , specifically supporting Intel’s 10th and 11th generation "Rocket Lake" and "Comet Lake" processors. Expansion Slots: One PCI Express Gen 4 x16 slot for high-end graphics cards. Three M.2 sockets : Two specifically for NVMe SSDs and one dedicated to a wireless network card. CPU and RAM Support This motherboard is tailored for high-TDP (Thermal Design Power) processors, including those capable of overclocking. Omen 30L GT-1139 Motherboard
Review: HP 886C Motherboard – A Relic of the Pentium III Era Verdict: 2.5/5 Stars (For modern use) | 4/5 Stars (For retro computing enthusiasts) Overview & First Impressions The HP 886C is a microATX motherboard built around the ALi (Acer Laboratories Inc.) Aladdin V chipset (ALi M1621/M1541). Designed for the Intel Slot-1 Pentium II and III processors, this board represents a transitional period in computing—just before integrated graphics became decent, and just after the industry moved fully away from ISA slots. From a modern perspective, it is painfully slow. From a collector’s perspective, it is a solid, stable piece of late-90s engineering. Specifications
Form Factor: microATX CPU Socket: Slot 1 (Supports 233MHz – 1GHz Pentium II/III, Celeron) Chipset: ALi Aladdin V (Northbridge M1621, Southbridge M1541) RAM: 3x DIMM slots, PC100 SDRAM (Max 768MB) Expansion Slots: 1x AGP 2x, 3x PCI, 1x ISA (Important for legacy sound cards!) Storage: 2x Ultra ATA/33 (or ATA/66 depending on revision) Audio: Integrated AC’97 (C-Media or Analog Devices codec) Rear I/O: PS/2 (Keyboard + Mouse), 2x USB 1.1, Parallel, Serial, VGA (only if onboard GPU is present—rare), Game/MIDI port, 3x Audio jacks.
Performance (Then vs. Now) Then (1999-2000): This was a budget-to-midrange board. The ALi chipset was notoriously slower than Intel’s own i440BX or even the VIA Apollo Pro series. In contemporary benchmarks (Quake III Arena, 3DMark 2000), the HP 886C trailed Intel chipsets by roughly 5-8% at the same clock speed. It was "good enough" for office work (Word, Excel, email) and light gaming. Now (2024+): This board is useless for daily driving. The USB 1.1 ports transfer data at 1.5MB/s. The ATA/33 hard drive interface caps at 33MB/s. You cannot run modern browsers or operating systems (Windows 10/11) on it. Key Pros hp 886c motherboard
Incredible ISA Slot: For retro gamers, this is the golden feature. The single ISA slot allows you to install a Sound Blaster 16 or AWE32, giving you true legacy audio (DMA/IRQ) for DOS games like Doom , Duke Nukem 3D , and Master of Magic . Stability: Unlike the infamous VIA chipsets of the era that required "4-in-1" driver hell, the ALi chipset is boring and reliable. Once you install Windows 98 SE, it just runs. Good Capacitors: HP used quality components (Nichicon, Rubycon) on these OEM boards. Unlike many late-90s motherboards, the 886C rarely suffers from capacitor plague. Slot 1 Flexibility: You can run a cheap Celeron 300A and overclock it via the FSB jumpers, or drop in a powerful Pentium III 1000EB.
Key Cons
Performance Ceiling: The ALi chipset’s memory controller has higher latency than the Intel BX. If you want the fastest Windows 98 gaming rig, buy an Asus P3B-F, not this HP board. No AGP 4x: The AGP slot is only 2x (66MHz). Later AGP 4x cards (like the Radeon 9700) will not work, or will be severely bottlenecked. You are limited to GeForce 2/4 MX or GeForce 256 cards. BIOS Limitations: The HP OEM BIOS is locked down. You cannot adjust CPU core voltage, memory timings, or PCI latencies. Overclocking is limited to basic FSB jumper changes. Driver Hunt: Finding the correct ALi AGP driver for Windows 98/ME is annoying. Windows XP has native support, but you lose DOS gaming compatibility. The HP 886C motherboard , also known by
Who should buy this? Buy this if:
You are building a dedicated Windows 98/DOS retro gaming PC on a budget. You already own an HP Pavilion case and want to keep it original. You need a cheap Slot 1 board with an ISA slot (they are getting rare).
Avoid this if:
You want to run Windows XP smoothly (get an Intel 845/865 board instead). You are trying to build the "ultimate" retro PC (look for an Intel 440BX board). You expect plug-and-play modern computing.
Final Verdict The HP 886C is the Toyota Corolla of vintage motherboards . It is not fast, it is not exciting, and it lacks modern features. However, it is reliable, has the critical ISA slot for DOS audio, and can be found for under $20 on eBay. If you want to play Command & Conquer: Red Alert or Fallout 2 on original hardware without spending $200 on a "rare" motherboard, the HP 886C is a surprisingly solid choice. Just don't try to turn it into a gaming rig for Half-Life 2 . Rating: