i486 Pentium OverDrive system found in Pristine condition \ VOGONS

i486 Pentium OverDrive system found in Pristine condition

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First post, by Sylund

Posted on 2013-10-19, 03:32

Sylund Offline

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I'm an Engineering Technician in a computer power testing lab at Intel. Yesterday, while organizing and sorting through a storage closet, I came across an old beige desktop PC. Before tossing it in the electronics recycling bin, I removed the cover to see how old it actually was. Date stamp on the chassis says July 27 1994. I noticed it’s absolutely spotless/dust-free and the factory sticker still covers the AC power connector. It’s never been powered up!!!

What I know about it:
4x32MB SIMM
1080MB HDD
Socket 5
The layout label doesn't quite match the actual mobo layout.

Can anyone tell me more?

Filename: PentiumPC 004.jpg
File size: 2.33 MiB
Downloads: No downloads
File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

Filename: PentiumPC 005.jpg
File size: 2.42 MiB
Downloads: No downloads
File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

Filename: PentiumPC 006.jpg
File size: 2.85 MiB
Downloads: No downloads
File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

Filename: PentiumPC 007.jpg
File size: 3.23 MiB
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File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

Filename: PentiumPC 008.jpg
File size: 3.59 MiB
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File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

Reply 1 of 10, by Sylund

Posted on 2013-10-19, 03:33

Sylund Offline

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Filename: PentiumPC 002.jpg
File size: 3.14 MiB
Downloads: No downloads
File license: Fair use/fair dealing exception

Reply 2 of 10, by Mau1wurf1977

Posted on 2013-10-19, 03:36

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Nice find!

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Reply 3 of 10, by Old Thrashbarg

Posted on 2013-10-19, 04:15

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The layout label doesn't quite match the actual mobo layout.

It's not just the layout that doesn't match. The label is for a Socket 3 486 board (the Intel "Classic/PCI Expandable", a.k.a., "Ninja"), but it has a Socket 5 Pentium board in it (which I don't recognize, but is presumably also an Intel board, considering where the system came from).

Reply 4 of 10, by mr_bigmouth_502

Posted on 2013-10-19, 08:24

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Looks like a pretty nice box. 😁 Where's the video card though?

Reply 5 of 10, by carlostex

Posted on 2013-10-19, 08:54

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Let me get this straight... You found the computer in a storage closet at work? At Intel?

I gotta get me one of those storage closets, the machine is dustless. 😎

Reply 6 of 10, by FGB

Posted on 2013-10-19, 10:36

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I know this board. It's a Intel Zappa board, the budget revision without cache memory. You can see the solder pads for the PB Cache memory IC's.

www.AmoRetro.de Visit my huge hardware gallery with many historic items from 16MHz 286 to 1000MHz Slot A. Includes more than 80 soundcards and a growing Wavetable Recording section with more than 300 recordings.

Reply 7 of 10, by Sylund

Posted on 2013-10-19, 13:14

Sylund Offline

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Old Thrashbarg wrote:
The layout label doesn't quite match the actual mobo layout.

It's not just the layout that doesn't match. The label is for a Socket 3 486 board (the Intel "Classic/PCI Expandable", a.k.a., "Ninja"), but it has a Socket 5 Pentium board in it (which I don't recognize, but is presumably also an Intel board, considering where the system came from).

It's definitely an Intel board... it bears an intel part number - when I google that, it comes up as a Gateway board. But I can't find ANY specs for that, not even what Pentium it's for. I wonder if it was barebones custom order or maybe a test batch/press release kit. I handle Ultrabook test platforms and press kit systems regularly in the lab. They don't have any brand badging either - just intel stickers. I shipped the old relic to the Intel museum yesterday. They're really excited to see it. I'll see what they dig up on it in their archives and post it here.

Reply 8 of 10, by Sylund

Posted on 2013-10-19, 13:17

Sylund Offline

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FGB wrote:
I know this board. It's a Intel Zappa board, the budget revision without cache memory. You can see the solder pads for the PB Cache memory IC's.

There's cache memory on additional pads that are hidden under the ribbon cable.

Reply 9 of 10, by Old Thrashbarg

Posted on 2013-10-19, 14:20

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It's definitely an Intel board... it bears an intel part number - when I google that, it comes up as a Gateway board.

Ah, wait, it's probably the 'Aladdin' board, then. Which was an OEM-only thing, AFAIK.

Reply 10 of 10, by Half-Saint

Posted on 2013-10-19, 20:13

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Can't tell you anything that you don't already know but this is one hell of a find, nevertheless 😀

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