Re: Pentium PRO in unlocked?

Posted on 2020-05-24, 08:16

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Horun wrote on 2020-05-23, 21:56: I do not remember them being locked but it was near impossible to get a 512k or 1mb cache 200Mhz to run stable at 233 back in the day when I tried it. The internal L2 cache running at full speed certainly didn't help overclocking.

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2020-05-24, 08:12

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I can't believe it's been 20 years. I've been telling my self PSP7 is just a few years old for way too long. Tried all sorts of other things, always go back to PSP7. I still have PSP5 (!) installed on my machine as well, even thought I legally own Adobe CS. PSP is better in some things than any …

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Re: Jumpers for 586-160Mhz? (plus how to get DOS to boot with it...)

Posted on 2020-05-24, 08:03

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

There's a reason why it is a -133 and not a -160. If the L1 cache can't run at that speed, there's nothing you can do. Unlike with L2, there's no way to change the timings of the L1 cache. Your CPU does not work at 160 MHz. It's as simple as that. You can try a different one, they are quite easy to …

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Re: The "best" S3 Virge cards to buy?

Posted on 2020-05-23, 17:10

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

2 or 4 MB don't really matter. You want 4 MB for Direct3D, but the ViRGE is useless for Direct3D anyway. If you can get a 2 MB version easier or cheaper, take it. Personally, I'd recommend getting the original ViRGE 325, because that's the only one which can play all S3d games. For the DX and later, …

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2020-05-23, 16:53

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Restoring this analog PC joystick, great fun! (well, not really) IMG_20200523_185027492.jpg

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Re: Ultimate Win95?

Posted on 2020-05-23, 08:31

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Personally, I wouldn't use Win95 on the best hardware that was available in May 1998. Even on a fast Pentium 1, Win98 gives a better experience. The last version of Win95 was more or less already very close to Win98. And people with a P2 400 MHz or better probably all migrated from 95 to 98 very …

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Re: Sound blaster 16 with CR-563-b

Posted on 2020-05-23, 08:08

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Yes Cesora, if a CDROM is connected to a sound card it will never show in the BIOS. That's not correct. Any ATAPI CD-ROM drive would show up in the BIOS if the BIOS is new enough to even be able to detect ATAPI devices (which is of no importance for a CD-ROM drive to work, btw) and the IDE channel …

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Re: Fixing a Schneider EuroPC

Posted on 2020-05-23, 07:06

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

@Miphee: you certainly have no idea how to fix such damages apart from the quick&dirty way. The leaked alkaline solution under the chips won't just magically disappear because you ignore it being there. The corrosion will go on instead and cause more damaga over time. Also, have a look at that video …

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Re: Soundblaster on DOS to run DOOM

Posted on 2020-05-23, 07:00

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

Why do you select IRQ 7 when the sound card is set to 9? Wrong IRQ will cause the system to freeze.

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Re: Fixing a Schneider EuroPC

Posted on 2020-05-22, 19:58

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

You need to do it right, otherwise it will stop working again (and maybe for good) not long after. You need to sand down every area with leakage and desolder all components there. There are vias and traces under those chips and the leaked alkaline solution from the battery will continue eating the …

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Re: Best DOS video card for 1995 ?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 19:50

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I disagree about the S3 Virge though. I remember buying one in 1996 with snow still on the ground and according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S3_ViRGE -- "Introduced in 1995" I posted proofs, so there's not much margin for a disagreement. Problem with what is written on Wikipedia is that " …

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Re: CMOS battery dying, now can't boot from floppy even though it autodetects the drive

Posted on 2020-05-22, 18:46

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

It seem to have a non-socketed Dallas chip. You could crack it open and attach a new battery without desoldering it. In any case, you need to get a new battery up and running if you want the system to work.

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 18:38

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Likely because modchips are cheaper and work with all PS1 models (even the ones that do not have the parallel port). Err... no. Neither the first Action Replay from 1995, nor that very late Equalizer (which is the same, they just changed the name) were more expensive than a modchip and paying …

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Re: Fixing a Schneider EuroPC

Posted on 2020-05-22, 16:09

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Which traces did you spot ? pcb.jpg Just a few. There are at least twice as many in that small portion. The damage is really severe. All the vias must be redone as well. Note that you need to sand down the protective layer to see the real damage. Doing continuity tests isn't enough, as you have …

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Re: Fixing a Schneider EuroPC

Posted on 2020-05-22, 15:42

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Another thing to note is that the traces look in a rather good shape considering the leakage that have been happening there. Most of the components' legs are green and vias are green too, but that's it. No, they don't. They look pretty bad actually. I can easily spot at least half a dozen broken …

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Re: Best DOS video card for 1995 ?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 11:48

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

It was released in 95 according to Wikipedia. First cards were released in early 1996. It was probably announced in 1995, or maybe the chip itself was ready at that time for manufacturers to build cards around it. //edit: According to vgamuseum.info, the original ViRGE was announced on Monday, 13 …

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 11:43

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Check the inner ring of the discs, if you still have them. You'll probably find cracks and dents there. My Tekken 2 disc for example has died because of that (used that as the disc for swapping before I had a modchip installed). The cracks damaged the sealing, so air and moisture caused the …

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Re: Best DOS video card for 1995 ?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 11:39

by

by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

The ViRGE did not exist in 1995. ATi Mach64 I'd say. btw, no one had 128 MB PC133 RAM in 1995. That board is way too new for a 1995 build.

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 11:31

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Yes, but the swap trick was annoying and due to the clip-on design of the disc drive, you'll damage the inner ring of the discs when doing that a lot.

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Re: Dallas (DS12887) RTC mod question: Cut or Not?

Posted on 2020-05-22, 11:28

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by derSammler

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Whenever possible, cut it. At best, it's just an additional electric resistor that drains the new battery faster. At worst, the current flow from the new battery will cause it to corrode and leak. On the other hand, I have made versions with it cut, uncut with a diode, and uncut with no diode. No …

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