MMaximus wrote on 2018-12-28, 14:37:

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Bought this lot yesterday from a hoarder: 8 desktops PCs ranging from Socket 7 to Pentium 4. 3 old keyboards, loads of floppies and 30-pin and 72-pin RAM sticks.

I might resell most of these locally without even cleaning them as It's not really an era I'm passionate about and I don't have so much time to spend on them, but of course I'll look if there are any interesting cards in them first...

I'll get back to you when I can actually send messages. 😀

Got early QVision EISA card. Always wanted to test one of these:

these old PCBs with crisp contrast traces are just pleasing to look at 😁

mpe wrote on 2020-10-01, 10:20:

Got early QVision EISA card. Always wanted to test one of these: […]
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Got early QVision EISA card. Always wanted to test one of these:

Looks like it supports SLI! 😉

Another addition is these two Trident cards. Cosmetically, they've seen better days.

I've been asked to include some Trident cards in my VL Bus Card Group Test. I'll have to do some research about them and still wondering if 9400CXi and 9440AGi are the best representatives of the series. I suspect there won't be much difference and no reason to look for 9420 9200 or other types.

I was always jealous of some of the lots you guys were finding, after all these years in this hobby I got my first one as well from a local ad.
Among a bunch of terrible CQM SB16 Vibras, a descent ESS ES1868F, an ISA 256kb OAK VGA perfect to slow down even an XT, a desired but common AGP Voodoo3 3000 and an excellent all-arounder Stealth 3D 2000 none of which justify taking a good photo, these 2 cards were the reason I got the lot: an Ensoniq SoundScapeDB (basically the MIDI daughterboard of Soundscape S-2000) and a Diamond Stealth II S220 4MB (Rendition Verite V2100).

Besides Dreamblaster S2 this is my first daughterboard "from that time". I know that Ensoniq's full soundcards that feature the same MIDI synth can be set to MT-32 mode, I wonder if this DB can be set as such too. My knowledge on soundcards in general and MIDI in particular is not that good. Also I completely missed the Rendition Verite thing back then and it's something I always wanted to experience so I guess I got some nice new toys for the next few weeks!

I do agree about those clear, pleasing look that you get from quality boards. I'm sick of black with texture quality.

Cheers,

konc wrote on 2020-10-01, 19:04:

an ISA 256kb OAK VGA perfect to slow down even an XT

I know this is a joking remark, but are you sure your OAK VGA is even slower than the original IBM EGA? I consider (Super-)EGA or early VGA cards to be period correct for XT-class machines. Your OAK likely has the OTI037 chip, which is likely on the high end of XT graphics card, and might even be equipped with a 36MHz crystal to support 800x600.

On the other hand, even XT-class machines can profit from fast graphics cards. Two of my three ET4000AX ISA cards that work in an 8-bit slot, and they work at no extra wait-states in my XT. The same applies to an ISA mach32. My OAK and Realtek cards don't manage to do that. So if your XT was upgraded to a fast after-market graphics card, the OAK might indeed slow the system down.

mkarcher wrote on 2020-09-22, 21:37:

The Softek 5HXA is actually a rebadged Soyo SY-5TF mainboard, you should be able to find info on that board. I happen to have the original board at hand. The onboard tag chip is just 8 bits wide, so only 64MB cachable area. There are no more than 8 data bits on a DIP28 cache module, so no way to get to 11 data bits on the tag RAM to obtain the whole 512MB cachable area. And the worst news about that board: I traced all the pins on the coast socket, only to find out that the coast socket also has just the low 8 tag RAM bits connected. The remaining three tag RAM bits seem to not be fed out from the 82439HX south bridge. Thanks to the BGA case, you also can't simply add bodge wires to the three high tag RAM bits, so tough luck on that.

The south brige is indeed the PIIX3.

Somehow I completely missed this reply - THANKS! Can I flash it with the Soyo BIOS? Don't know if I need to or if there even is a newer version, but why not ask. 😀

NautilusComputer wrote on 2020-10-01, 20:30:

Somehow I completely missed this reply - THANKS! Can I flash it with the Soyo BIOS? Don't know if I need to or if there even is a newer version, but why not ask. 😀

I see no reason not to flash a BIOS image from Soyo to that board, but no warranty you won't brick your system by that and need to reflash it externally.

mkarcher wrote on 2020-10-01, 20:49:

NautilusComputer wrote on 2020-10-01, 20:30:

Somehow I completely missed this reply - THANKS! Can I flash it with the Soyo BIOS? Don't know if I need to or if there even is a newer version, but why not ask. 😀

I see no reason not to flash a BIOS image from Soyo to that board, but no warranty you won't brick your system by that and need to reflash it externally.

The other thing I noticed is that on my board right next to the tag chip are pad headers for another, smaller chip. I haven't done any tracing yet (It's a 'lunchtime toy' at work, not much time to play at home/on weekends), but from what you've looked at...does yours have that pad? Could that be some sort of 'tag RAM addendum chip' location?

I'll maybe get around to making a thread specifically for the board on Monday. 😀

NautilusComputer wrote on 2020-10-01, 22:44:

The other thing I noticed is that on my board right next to the tag chip are pad headers for another, smaller chip. I haven't done any tracing yet (It's a 'lunchtime toy' at work, not much time to play at home/on weekends), but from what you've looked at...does yours have that pad? Could that be some sort of 'tag RAM addendum chip' location?

I just buzzed it out for you. It's as I expected (maybe I buzzed it some years ago already): It's not for extending the tag RAM, but to allow the board to come either with a (possibly socketed) DIP tag RAM, or a soldered SMD tag RAM. All pads of that unpopulated area are 1:1 connected to the pins of the DIP tag RAM.

mkarcher wrote on 2020-10-01, 22:54:

NautilusComputer wrote on 2020-10-01, 22:44:

The other thing I noticed is that on my board right next to the tag chip are pad headers for another, smaller chip. I haven't done any tracing yet (It's a 'lunchtime toy' at work, not much time to play at home/on weekends), but from what you've looked at...does yours have that pad? Could that be some sort of 'tag RAM addendum chip' location?

I just buzzed it out for you. It's as I expected (maybe I buzzed it some years ago already): It's not for extending the tag RAM, but to allow the board to come either with a (possibly socketed) DIP tag RAM, or a soldered SMD tag RAM. All pads of that unpopulated area are 1:1 connected to the pins of the DIP tag RAM.

Apparently there's a jumper on the other side of the CPU socket that also needs set. I wonder if that 'turns on' the tag chip on the COASt module and it reads the cache as 2x256kB instead of 1x512kB? Hmm.

Upgrade to 512K/Onboard 512KB Pipelined Burst Cache Configuration
1. Insert Jumper into JP20 when you have 512K Pipelined Burst SRAM
CHIPs onboard or 256K SRAM CHIPs and 256K Pipelined Burst
SRAM module

mkarcher wrote on 2020-10-01, 20:29:

I know this is a joking remark, but are you sure your OAK VGA is even slower than the original IBM EGA? I consider (Super-)EGA or early VGA cards to be period correct for XT-class machines. Your OAK likely has the OTI037 chip, which is likely on the high end of XT graphics card, and might even be equipped with a 36MHz crystal to support 800x600.

On the other hand, even XT-class machines can profit from fast graphics cards. Two of my three ET4000AX ISA cards that work in an 8-bit slot, and they work at no extra wait-states in my XT. The same applies to an ISA mach32. My OAK and Realtek cards don't manage to do that. So if your XT was upgraded to a fast after-market graphics card, the OAK might indeed slow the system down.

I get your point completely and you are correct in everything you wrote, these 8bit cards (OAK-Realtek-some Tridents) might be a good choice for someone who wants to do color on an XT.
But for me, even if there are a few with an 8bit connector and some with a 16bit connector that work in an 8bit slot, I don't really think they belong inside an XT. Most of them come with a 16bit connector anyway, even when using 8bit chips. I just don't find an XT + VGA an appropriate combination, I think of XTs the way I remember them: Hercules or exotic CGA that we pretended we like 😉 It was really uncommon (I never saw one live back then) and not much VGA software was actually usable/playable on an XT. But again, I get what you're saying.

Hanamichi wrote on 2020-09-24, 14:29:

I had the Hiscore a while from a German seller who seemed to have a MIRO collection. Sadly it always freezes launching a 3DFX game.

Recently got the PURE3D and no issues

Sad story about your miro card. Got my missing part of the dizygotic twins today as well 😀. Still without the special mini din 9-pin cable of course... but both in good condition and running great on a Asus TX97-XE board with a Pentium 233 and a beautiful TNT from Diamond.

Awesome, something satisfying about 6MB Voodoos. Still need to try MechWarrior 2 at 800x600.

Did you notice the soldering on the Canopus is much better?

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-09-29, 23:00:

Hanamichi wrote on 2020-09-29, 12:11:

Something shiny.. […]
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Something shiny..

_20200929_130754.JPG

_20200929_130815.JPG

Something Frankenstein..

_20200929_130833.JPG

That's a really pretty card. Seriously nice find

Thanks, I couldn't believe my luck on this one!

Wondering if anyone has attempted a vertical AGP case mod. Just bought some agp risers to see how it looks.

Bought 2 power supplies. One is so monstrous PSU for 525W with fan of 120mm in one end, this is actual PSU for intel xtended xpress motherboard. That PSU is so rare but so helpful for me to document the working and document the connectors pin-outs properly! So others can play with xtended xpress boards with common PSUs. That makes this set complete with motherboard, CPU card and memory board. Now have to research and wire it up and see if I can bring whole set up. There are number of motherboards and cards to make xtended xpress but I do find that finding PSU for this so rare. Made me feel like finding a not so common car and have to search for so rare parts for it.

Second, unique ATX PSU made in medical grade 310W by "RAM" with 30A on 5V and -5V is included in the ATX 20 pin connector along with 4 pin ATX 12V. Uses 2 80mm x 20mm fans push/pull fashion, casing is chromed, heavy.

Cheers,

Doesn't get much better than this.

Anyone know if opl4 daughterboards were ever made?

mpe wrote on 2020-10-01, 18:07:

Another addition is these two Trident cards. Cosmetically, they've seen better days. […]
Show full quote

Another addition is these two Trident cards. Cosmetically, they've seen better days.

I've been asked to include some Trident cards in my VL Bus Card Group Test. I'll have to do some research about them and still wondering if 9400CXi and 9440AGi are the best representatives of the series. I suspect there won't be much difference and no reason to look for 9420 9200 or other types.

9400CXi should support interlaced modes, up to 2 Mb of video RAM, and Windows GUI acceleration. IIRC, the official drivers and utilities (which should be in the Vogons driver library) also support a nifty extended desktop in Windows 3.x, and there's also a utility to get SVGA modes in pure DOS...