About a month ago I positioned an 80mm fan where it blows across my AWE32 card. I'm sure that seems kind of nuts, but if it does anything for it's longevity then it's worth it to me. I also put a plastic object under the far corner where it would otherwise sag. I don't think they're particularly reliable cards and they're getting hard/expensive to replace.
I'm getting to feel a lot more protective about ISA sound cards and old model high powered video cards than I do for CPUs or RAM. The latter stuff is cheap and common, the former not so much.

dr_st wrote:

Interesting how different people often value diametrically opposite things. I can't stand long cards. That's one of the reasons I hate all high-end video cards with passion. 😀

True that.... I love the look of really long cards. They are impressive to look at. (the longer the better)
It is just in the building phase that I really do not like them. Once its build, it just looks so good. 😜

I have allways had a thing for big systems. The bigger, the better it looks.
I remember when my mother took me to her job (she was drawing transformer-stations by hand, later Autocad in the 90's),
and I had a look at that huge mainframe. Think it was a "Digital equipment" one... (big brown/orange/green thing)
Well.... If an 6/8 year old boy could get a ****-on, then that machine was IT.
At that point I fell completely in love with big computers. You know...
Where harddrives are big interchangeable platter's in big yellow caddies, size 1+ meter in diameter.

On the static issue.... This nice dude (EEVblog) have a good video about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imdtXcnywb8

When the hell did this price spike occur? Just a year ago heck even a few months ago the AWE32's could be had between $40 - $70 on eBay depending on the model.

About 3 years back in the UK... But shit was always expensive enough here that US/Eastern European imports are cheaper.

I have a CT2760 which i hardly use. I should find someone to do a trade.

carlostex wrote:

I have a CT2760 which i hardly use. I should find someone to do a trade.

Hang on to it... They are really nice to have in the collection.

brostenen wrote:

Hang on to it... They are really nice to have in the collection.

I don't want just to collect. I really want to use the stuff. So i would rather trade it for something more useful, like an original Pro Audio Spectrum.

Why not for an Isa ATI wonder xl isa?

carlostex wrote:

I don't want just to collect. I really want to use the stuff. So i would rather trade it for something more useful, like an original Pro Audio Spectrum.

Guess I am just a collector then. I tend to look at my collection as a sort of museum of some kind. 😉
Things will be stored, in order to show people what the hardware in the 90's were like.

firage wrote:

Going a little off topic with the static exchange here. I think people advocate a paranoid level of precaution against static electricity; never had anything damaged in 15 years, and I've never used a bracelet or gone out of my way to look for special surfaces. Definitely touch the case or another ground regularly to stay safe.

Agreed, touching the case from time to time and avoiding knocks and scrapes has worked for me since the early 90's.

Hmmm....
Been checking out prices on ebay in general, regarding ISA soundcards. Is it just me, or has it just risen about 5 to 10% recently?
Might be the thing of "retro" that makes prices go up, and that the cards are sort after. Not because of what they are, yet for
what "cult status" they gain amoungst retro gamers? In other words, people want a particulair item, just because the other dude
are lookng for the same thing, and this just generates a prise spike on all whatever-cards that have some of the same features.

Well....
Seems like the prices are going just a bit down now in a bit different way.
I have seen a couple of 32's at a really low price, though they are auctions and it's the starting price.
None seem to bid on them. Hmmmmm.... Makes me think and wonder.
Personally. I have a bizarre love for a real 32 with real OPL chip.

well, you will probably not find a voodoo5 6000 at a fleamarket or thriftstore so prices on those rare items will always be high. But an awe32 or awe64 (gold)?

These are VERY common cards and can still be found for next to nothing. Just get out there and search for the stuff (finding it is most of the fun anyway!!).
I never use ebay because prices are just to high (and/or shipping is). After searching for a few years i too will pay a little extra for items that are just hard to find and i really want but nothing extreme.

I have a few awe32 cards and i didn't pay more than just a few euro or next to nothing in a package deal. Same thing for my sb pro and sounblaster pro2.

Now, if you are into boxed/sealed items it is a different story but when it comes to normal useable hardware i don't see the extreme value just because there are only a couple on ebay now.

I don't get it when people for example pay 50 dollars or so for a voodoo2 card when there are thousands still out there.

Popular items like v1/v2/v3 cards, asus p2b/p3b-f boards, isa soundblasters, socket7 stuff are often found in package deals for very little money since people are still cleaning out their garages or whatever.

meljor wrote:

Just get out there and search for the stuff (finding it is most of the fun anyway!!).

This is what I get when I get out there 🤣

I do understand your point, but for me it's also a matter of time. I can afford, but I don't have time. I rather be time rich than money rich 😀

Hehe... Good one Phil. Nice view. 😀
On the other hand, I like having 5 minutes walk to the local shop when I need to buy food.
Or 20 minutes in bus, when I need to buy something else, like clothes or shoes.

Ok Phil, i understand: you are a hard case! 🤣 VERY nice view. I would buy stuff more expensive just to have that view..... also nice to see the mailman coming from far away 🤣

🤣 It really is like that once you leave the town, which is maybe a few minutes driving 😀

But we do have a supermarket, post office and even ADSL2! What else does one need 🤣

Work has been a huge source for parts, not so much retro, mostly Core 2 Duo and AM2 parts. But also lots of VGA cables, DVI cables, RAM and other bits.

I got my CT3980 before the prices started going up and glad I did, too. I knew once AWE64 prices started to rise that the AWE32 cards would be next.

looking in my extras box i found a CT3930. I know its a SB32, not an AWE32, but it looks like a keeper! Vibra chipset with a YMF262, non plug n play.