Re: Kixs's 286 to the Max

Posted on 2015-12-24, 21:35

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Ekb wrote: For 30MHz, you must find the RAM-chips in the 50ns or 45ns. http://s017.radikal.ru/i402/1509/5e/a741ff5d8222t.jpg This requires […] Show full quote For 30MHz, you must find the RAM-chips in the 50ns or 45ns. This requires soldering on the SIMM-30 🙁 What is this...? Anyone?

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Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today

Posted on 2015-12-11, 01:14

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by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Also got this Zenith Service manual for my Zenith Z-386/20 machine I got for free earlier. It's a great addition to the system! It has insane amount of details and it also include manuals for other contemporary Zenith computers if anyone is interested. I now know every jumper on the whole …

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Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today

Posted on 2015-12-10, 19:01

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by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Managed to find the DLC2 (66MHz) Blue Lightning upgade module for the Model 80 stored upstairs. http://thumbnails105.imagebam.com/45199/ffb1b8451981958.jpg Because of all the Blue Lightnings I've acquired recently, I've reluctantly had to list one of the motherboards that has the chip onboard... …

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Re: Should I build a 386 or 486 machine?

Posted on 2015-12-09, 22:44

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by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Ariakos, if you are stuck between a 386/486, how about 386/486 hybrid machine? A Cyrix/Ti 486DLC or 486SXL CPU plugs right into the PGA-132 of a 386 motherboard and performs in the 486SX-25 to 486DX-33 regime. You still have that vintage 386 feel due to the motherboard, but with a little extra …

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Re: Should I build a 386 or 486 machine?

Posted on 2015-12-09, 19:32

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

No contest really... a pure thoroughbread, unadulterated... 386!

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Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today

Posted on 2015-12-01, 09:20

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Of the few blue lightnings on ebay just now... I could not resist, it was expensive but it is also semi-local so shipping wasn't too high: - That's a neat looking machine, IBM had very individual styling didn't they? Best, Chris They did, I never even knew this existed as a tower... though I have …

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Re: Help Identifying Weird 386 Motherboard

Posted on 2015-12-01, 08:33

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Did someone say "Weird 386 motherboard"? That is indeed a rare and very early 386 motherboard... It is not often you see a 386 motherboard with DRAM accepted in the form of 18-pin DIP's. The board even has a UMC chipset... probably their first! I recently saw a thread on vogons titled UMC's latest …

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Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today

Posted on 2015-11-30, 22:08

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Of the few blue lightnings on ebay just now... I could not resist, it was expensive but it is also semi-local so shipping wasn't too high: - Ha! I was watching that one too. Please report back which kind of motherboard yours has and if it's ISA, VLB or PCI - I seem to have a newer revision, but …

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Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today

Posted on 2015-11-30, 07:15

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Of the few blue lightnings on ebay just now... I could not resist, it was expensive but it is also semi-local so shipping wasn't too high: -

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Re: Unbelievable... PSU!

Posted on 2015-11-27, 08:32

by

by 386_junkie

in Milliways

in Milliways

When things no longer work I get annoyed and throw them out. :) That doesn't work out well when your profession is to repair things. It would be like putting your in-box (and your paycheck) into the trash can. . No, I can totally understand what Peter is saying... and in a display of …

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Re: RARE processor upgrade? Does anybody have a clue what this is?

Posted on 2015-11-26, 09:33

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Anonymous Coward wrote: I'm guessing people are speculating it plugs into a 386DX socket. Helped along by the sellers advertised title of... "RARE CYRIX 386 To 486 Upgrade CPU" 🤣

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Re: RARE processor upgrade? Does anybody have a clue what this is?

Posted on 2015-11-26, 09:27

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Ticondrius wrote: I remember those. They were for yanking out 386DX chips and directly replacing them. Not these one's.... though the DRx2's were for this purpose.

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Re: RARE processor upgrade? Does anybody have a clue what this is?

Posted on 2015-11-26, 09:24

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

This chip has nothing to do with 386. It is purely a 486 package mis-sold as an upgrade CPU... if it was 386 to 486, it would either have the design etched into the CPU or it's name would be DRx2 not DX2! DX2 is part of the 486 family and there are many of these chips floating about on ebay... just …

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Re: Unbelievable... PSU!

Posted on 2015-11-26, 07:38

by

by 386_junkie

in Milliways

in Milliways

Usually connecting a hard drive is enough to get them to go. The drive does not need I/O connected, just power. . I've run across some that needed two HDDs to have enough load to start. Those were high power server PSUs though. Not typical home PC stuff. . You've made an interesting point there. …

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Re: POLL: What is your favorite x86 vintage processor?

Posted on 2015-11-24, 13:28

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Wow, I never heard about this. Isn't inside just sligtly modified silicon of 486DX4 CPU masked as 386? There is very little documentation out there, as IBM could not go all out with manufacturing it as a stand alone CPU due to Intels licencing... so it could only be manufactured if it ws sold via …

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Re: Unbelievable... PSU!

Posted on 2015-11-24, 13:18

by

by 386_junkie

in Milliways

in Milliways

This sounds like the caps are on their way out. Possibly, it would not surprize me, I believe the PSU to be the original suplied with the desktop... though I have not yet been inside this particular PSU so I can't comment, as yet. I don't even think it would be worthwile to replace them either even …

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Re: Unbelievable... PSU!

Posted on 2015-11-24, 10:38

by

by 386_junkie

in Milliways

in Milliways

It'd be interesting to check your PSU and see whether it's working correctly or not. It's possible that the parts you have that don't work assume a high quality PSU with good filtering on the output, but your PSU doesn't have good filtering to reduce cost. Newer parts might have additional …

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Re: POLL: What is your favorite x86 vintage processor?

Posted on 2015-11-24, 10:28

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Without shadow of a doubt... IBM's DLC3 (a.k.a BL3). It is a clock tripled 386!... yes, you heard me correct... a clock tripled 386; - 3 x (FSB) 25MHz = 75MHz or 3 x (FSB) 33MHz = 100MHz ... with L1 cache, 16Kb of, and all of it is write back (WB). The only downside is no built in FPU so requires a …

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Re: POLL: What is your favorite x86 vintage processor?

Posted on 2015-11-24, 10:16

by

by 386_junkie

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Hard to choose between the AMD Am386DX-40 and Intel 486SX/DX. No contest really... AMD went with the 386 where Intel; could not / would not. and... while Intel was pissing about with 25 / 33 MHz 486 CPU's... AMD came in above them with a 40MHz 486 CPU! That's one way to give your competition the …

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Re: Unbelievable... PSU!

Posted on 2015-11-23, 21:39

by

by 386_junkie

in Milliways

in Milliways

I have actually. It happened so often that I made it a habit to label every part I ever tested. If it worked, I'll write something like "tested" with a curly mark (dunno what it's called in English) so it's obvious that it worked the last time I checked. If it doesn't work properly, I'll mark the …

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