blurks wrote:

Received an unusually packaged graphics card today. A Tseng Labs ET6000 (4 MB MDRAM) in a blister package. Vivanco was a European based PC and Hifi accessories supplier. They had no own manufacturing facilities, instead they often bought left over stock from 3rd party manufacturers like Cardex in this case. Happy to see all memory sockets populated. German language indicates this must have been intended for German, Austrian or Swiss markets.

I wonder if those 10 hours of free dialup internet are still valid

keenmaster486 wrote:

NIB peripherals, anyone? (it had plastic wrap on it when I got it. Removed it last night when the package arrived) […]
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NIB peripherals, anyone? (it had plastic wrap on it when I got it. Removed it last night when the package arrived)

IMG_6922.JPG

There's a story here... I had one of these for years, all the way up until about a week ago, when I decided I was going to "fix" the problems it had (i.e., the ball kept getting stuck in the plastic, things weren't moving smoothly, plastic had yellowed) and ended up warping the plastic when I tried an experimental retrobriting method.

So much for that! But eBay comes to the rescue with one of these snazzy mice NIB for cheap. I just really like the design of this mouse. It's perfect for laptops, also, because the cord is not very long.

Similar day for me. Luckybob loaned me a keyboard and mouse for my testing while I am up in the Northeast since all my testing gear is in Florida. Decided to go get some mice and a keyboard for cheap at a local vintage hardware shop and get LB's hardware back to him. The IBM gear I picked up is basic, but works well for my needs and picked up two fairly nice Logitech serial mice for the older AT systems. Although, I really don't need the model with the 25-pin male connector and may just give that away. Picked up both Logitech mice for a buck a piece.

liqmat wrote:

Similar day for me. Luckybob loaned me a keyboard and mouse for my testing while I am up in the Northeast since all my testing gear is in Florida. Decided to go get some mice and a keyboard for cheap at a local vintage hardware shop and get LB's hardware back to him. The IBM gear I picked up is basic, but works well for my needs and picked up two fairly nice Logitech serial mice for the older AT systems. Although, I really don't need the model with the 25-pin male connector and may just give that away. Picked up both Logitech mice for a buck a piece.

ibmkeymouse.jpg

logimice.jpg

That IBM mouse fills me with nostalgia ... I still got mine but it's beige and was my very first mouse for my 386SX. I got the mouse for my 486 as well but I think it broke. Perhaps I should see if I can fix it - it's been stored away for 20+ years in the hope it could get fixed. I'm still angry at my brother for wrecking our THREE mechanical IBM keyboards by bashing them with his fists in anger while playing Sensible Soccer and Lords of the Realm. Especially since they're the only thing I'm missing from my old PCs besides the 386's monitor (died in 1996) and the speakers of the 486 (they were terrible anyway).

i have the Asus VL/I-486SV2GX4 rev 2.1 and the Asus VL/I-486SV2GX4 rev 2.0 - the first one is my primary mainboard in my dx4 config. somewhere this is an "issue", because these boards from 1995/96 and i targeted an early dx4 config from 1994. i got a Asus VL/I-486SVGOX4 rev 1.2, maybe this the earliest asus mainboard for dx4 - it is prepared for the 3.3v cpus, but the bios (Award 1994.04.26) supports just the code names (p24c), and no lba support. i put the gx4 rev 2.0 bios (Award 1995.01.11) to this board, it looks fine. i would be happier, if i could use a late 94 bios with real dx4/lba support.

has somebody an earlier bios for this series? i have:
Asus VL/I-486SVGOX4 rev 1.2 Award 1994.04.26 (actually with Award 1995.01.11)
Asus VL/I-486SV2GX4 rev 2.0 Award 1995.01.11
Asus VL/I-486SV2GX4 rev 2.1 Award 1995.08.22

i have rebuilt the fan, the cpu is a intel wb cache dx4 (maybe i will replace with a more authentic wt version).

very typical cheap dx4 vlb board from 95/96 - opti895a, the bios id says "lucky star" (typical east european brand in the middle of 90s). i cannot identify exactly the model, but similar to 486 VL3 CACHE (MV035E). surprisingly the opti895a outperformed in more benchmark tests the sis471 - it looks the vlb timing is more aggressive. the default bios settings are very slow.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OiqfZ … #gid=1011467741

SpectriaForce wrote:

Nice find, is this the one from Marktplaats? That external hard disk unit is rare, I have only seen a handful of them in the last 15 years and never owned one.

No, I talked with that guy too. He asked me how much it was worth. Couldn't stand that he would be ripped off :p
It was also 2h40' drive for me single trip... He wanted 500-600 for it.

I bought this one in Belgium at 30' drive from my place. Seller asked 300 first so I offered 300. No response.... Next day: asks 200€ HUH!
So I sent him a text message. He said: you can have it for 200 if you come pick it up.
Hell yeah! I'm all in!

Haven't tested it yet. I am in the process of cleaning it on the outside since it's dirty as hell.
I managed to remove that plastic badge to reveal the original IBM badge on the expansion.
Inside looks pretty decent, some dust buildups.
The cable is there, you can see it between the cases and the software boxes. Cards seem to be there too.
I figure that some caps will pop sadly. It had been stored in an office attic for years... His mom worked there.
When all my builds are ready, I'm tackling this one.
I know it's kinda rare in these parts, that's why I jumped on it.

I hope I can make the Selectric II work too :p

Matrox Millennium II (8 MB WRAM)
Driver CD's mysteriously sealed while card has signs of usage.

Ahh, so it was you who outbid me on that boxed Millennium II PCI on eBay 😎

I wonder which of you outbid me by .50 EUR on that boxed Terratec SixFire+ though. I was so sure I would get it for 1 EUR, then got sniped at last minute 🤣

red_avatar wrote:

That IBM mouse fills me with nostalgia ... I still got mine but it's beige and was my very first mouse for my 386SX. I got the mouse for my 486 as well but I think it broke. Perhaps I should see if I can fix it - it's been stored away for 20+ years in the hope it could get fixed. I'm still angry at my brother for wrecking our THREE mechanical IBM keyboards by bashing them with his fists in anger while playing Sensible Soccer and Lords of the Realm. Especially since they're the only thing I'm missing from my old PCs besides the 386's monitor (died in 1996) and the speakers of the 486 (they were terrible anyway).

That IBM mouse is built like a tank and yes, I remember almost destroying keyboards and controllers when a nasty hard game pissed me off. I plan on using that blue button on the keyboard labeled "Internet Shopping" extensively. I hear it's all the rage.

blurks wrote:

Matrox Millennium II (8 MB WRAM)
Driver CD's mysteriously sealed while card has signs of usage.

Many times when I bought hardware I wouldn't bother with the driver CD in the box and just go grab the latest online.

Just received!
Have you seen something like that… quantum3d Obsidian 3 - nVidia based card made by Quantum.
This is a part of Obsidian nV rack system...

MT-32 + PR-100. Another set of gear found locally. Came with both original Roland PSUs, Roland MIDI cables, etc. Very happy with this lot! 😲

Unsure what I'll do with two MT-32s now, but I'll find something.

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today:

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A motherboard.
This freak board has Socket 5 with PCI, ISA and VLB...

Still searching for all the info I can find but there is hardly info regarding this board. 😠
Hope I can get it to work, should make for atleast an interesting board to benchmark a few cards.
Thank god 0 leakage from the battery.

Nvm1 wrote:

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today: […]
Show full quote

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today:

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A.jpg

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A motherboard.
This freak board has Socket 5 with PCI, ISA and VLB...

Still searching for all the info I can find but there is hardly info regarding this board. 😠
Hope I can get it to work, should make for atleast an interesting board to benchmark a few cards.
Thank god 0 leakage from the battery.

Ooh. Nice oddball motherboard!

Nvm1 wrote:

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today: […]
Show full quote

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today:

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A.jpg

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A motherboard.
This freak board has Socket 5 with PCI, ISA and VLB...

Still searching for all the info I can find but there is hardly info regarding this board. 😠
Hope I can get it to work, should make for atleast an interesting board to benchmark a few cards.
Thank god 0 leakage from the battery.

I had no idea Forex fab'ed these boards! Quite a spectacle.

I would be keen to see how she performs... if you are willing to do some benchmark testing at some stage?

Nvm1 wrote:

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today: […]
Show full quote

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today:

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A.jpg

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A motherboard.
This freak board has Socket 5 with PCI, ISA and VLB...

Still searching for all the info I can find but there is hardly info regarding this board. 😠
Hope I can get it to work, should make for atleast an interesting board to benchmark a few cards.
Thank god 0 leakage from the battery.

Beautiful - and lucky on the battery too.

Pentium VLB chipsets are not just rare but abominably badly documented. OPTi's Cobra/Premium chipset was the only one I was clearly aware of. This board is far stranger still - I know Forex as a manufacturer of 386 and early 486 chipsets. I'd never even heard of a Forex Pentium chipset, let alone a Pentium VIP chipset 😳

Interesting to note that the one thing it doesn't have is integrated I/O. Still, enough VLB options for that.

I'd also be very interested in performance, both synthetic RAM speed (INTmem, FLOATmem) and CACHECHK results as well as gaming things, both with PCI and VLB video cards. If it's anything like the OPTi Cobra, or indeed the abominable UMC UM8891 (basically a 486 chipset complete with 32b memory controller interfaced onto half of the Pentium bus 😵 ) it will probably perform disastrously....

386_junkie wrote:

I had no idea Forex fab'ed these boards! Quite a spectacle.

I would be keen to see how she performs... if you are willing to do some benchmark testing at some stage?

[/quote]

I am keen on getting it to work and then I would gladly try to run some benchmarks on this board 😀

dionb wrote:

Beautiful - and lucky on the battery too. […]
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Beautiful - and lucky on the battery too.

Pentium VLB chipsets are not just rare but abominably badly documented. OPTi's Cobra/Premium chipset was the only one I was clearly aware of. This board is far stranger still - I know Forex as a manufacturer of 386 and early 486 chipsets. I'd never even heard of a Forex Pentium chipset, let alone a Pentium VIP chipset 😳

Interesting to note that the one thing it doesn't have is integrated I/O. Still, enough VLB options for that.

I'd also be very interested in performance, both synthetic RAM speed (INTmem, FLOATmem) and CACHECHK results as well as gaming things, both with PCI and VLB video cards. If it's anything like the OPTi Cobra, or indeed the abominable UMC UM8891 (basically a 486 chipset complete with 32b memory controller interfaced onto half of the Pentium bus 😵 ) it will probably perform disastrously....

The lack of I/O is a minor issue, pci/vlb/isa cards can solve that. The fact that there is no manual or markings on the board is a bigger problem.
This will require alot of fiddling around to get everything going. I am wondering what the crystal socket next to the VLB slot is intended for..

Nvm1 wrote:

[...]

The lack of I/O is a minor issue, pci/vlb/isa cards can solve that. The fact that there is no manual or markings on the board is a bigger problem.
This will require alot of fiddling around to get everything going. I am wondering what the crystal socket next to the VLB slot is intended for..

Good point.

Here's a link for a BIOS for the board:
http://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/archive/Spring% … nload.htm#Forex

Now, not been able to find manual or jumper settings, but looks like I have been able to trace this board's recent history 😮

Feb 7th: offered for sale on kalaydo.de by someone in Hemer (just east of Dortmund)
https://www.kalaydo.de/kleinanzeigen/mainboar … tro/a/a9cfbabe/
Clearly the same board, look at the scuff marks on the cache chips and even the direction individual tantalum caps ara pointing.
Also posted on ebay kleinanzeigen:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/s … 128729-225-1425

Feb 12th: user 6502 on dosreloaded.de (apparently living in Wölfersheim, just above Frankfurt) announces he just bought it
https://dosreloaded.de/forum/index.php/Thread … 62617#post62617

Feb 14th: re-listed on Quoka.de, but still from Hemer
https://www.quoka.de/computer/mainboards-cpus … f586-vip3a.html

And now on Feb 22nd it's arrived in NL 😜

Given 6502 looks like a serious enthousiast, I fear he tried and failed to get it working, then dumped it again. Only difference between your pic and the earlier ones is the BIOS sticker - sometime between Feb 14th and now it's been removed. Looks like re-flashing the BIOS has also already been tried... that said, it's still badly inserted in the socket in exactly the same way (right end sticking out a bit) - maybe not been tried yet.

dionb wrote:

Good point. […]
Show full quote

Nvm1 wrote:

[...]

The lack of I/O is a minor issue, pci/vlb/isa cards can solve that. The fact that there is no manual or markings on the board is a bigger problem.
This will require alot of fiddling around to get everything going. I am wondering what the crystal socket next to the VLB slot is intended for..

Good point.

Here's a link for a BIOS for the board:
http://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/archive/Spring% … nload.htm#Forex

Now, not been able to find manual or jumper settings, but looks like I have been able to trace this board's recent history 😮

Feb 7th: offered for sale on kalaydo.de by someone in Hemer (just east of Dortmund)
https://www.kalaydo.de/kleinanzeigen/mainboar … tro/a/a9cfbabe/
Clearly the same board, look at the scuff marks on the cache chips and even the direction individual tantalum caps ara pointing.
Also posted on ebay kleinanzeigen:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/s … 128729-225-1425

Feb 12th: user 6502 on dosreloaded.de (apparently living in Wölfersheim, just above Frankfurt) announces he just bought it
https://dosreloaded.de/forum/index.php/Thread … 62617#post62617

Feb 14th: re-listed on Quoka.de, but still from Hemer
https://www.quoka.de/computer/mainboards-cpus … f586-vip3a.html

And now on Feb 22nd it's arrived in NL 😜

Given 6502 looks like a serious enthousiast, I fear he tried and failed to get it working, then dumped it again. Only difference between your pic and the earlier ones is the BIOS sticker - sometime between Feb 14th and now it's been removed. Looks like re-flashing the BIOS has also already been tried... that said, it's still badly inserted in the socket in exactly the same way (right end sticking out a bit) - maybe not been tried yet.

Indeed this is the board. The "scuff" marks on the cache chips are actually sticker residue. And the guy that is selling it was mainly trying to trade this and a few other boards for other stuff when I contacted him. Gonna see and try if I can get this board alive this evening.
I am almost finished cleaning my "test space" again it was burried under stuff we had to take from my parents house so we will see if I can get it going.
Will offcourse share all important events here. 😉

Got an Edison Gold 16 today

It's based on ESS AudioDrive 688FC-based card, it's non-PnP and has a dedicated OPL3 chip. I like cards that are bigger and have a lot of circuitry, so this is probably the reason I wanted this card for a long time. It's going to be used in a 486 build as soon as I get one last part from it (don't want to jinx it 😀 ).

Nvm1 wrote:

I bought this motherboard last Friday and received it today:

Spring Circle SF586 REV VIP3A motherboard.
This freak board has Socket 5 with PCI, ISA and VLB...

I recall someone in this thread found another of those a while ago, albeit theirs was doomed by leaking battery...

Am looking forward to any results!