I finished another build, based on PCChips M590 (SiS 5591/5595) with onboard SiS 6326 8MB and CMI 8330 audio (the lightest point of the combination). Fake fsb at 100 MHz (but 83 is rock stable, fortunately) and ISA sound, marked as PCI on chip, are already known to scam PCChips. As a CPU, I only have the AMD K6-2 300, which after setting fsb to 83 MHz x 4.5 multiplier gives about 380 MHz. The VGA onboard is as fast as a snail, with FPS units in 3DM99 as well as 640x480 resolution (default 800x600 refuses to run with reference to lack of graphics memory).
The currently installed Voodoo3 2000 is far too good for such a weak CPU that can't load it, so I'm wondering what to put in there to make it fine-tuned for later DOS and early W9x games. Only the sound card has brilliant compatibility with DOS and almost identical OPL-3 sound, the best component on the board.
ATA cabling is hell to order on this board thanks to the placement of connectors. I can't do it any better.

LHN91 wrote on 2021-08-04, 03:18:

I'd really like to archive this machine's drive while it's still working, but I'm not entirely sure how just yet..... no RJ45 Ethernet installed, I don't think I have any compatible cards in any of my other Macs (I have an LC630 and G3 Desktop with working Ethernet, at least).... could maybe do it piecemeal to floppies? I'm a bit out of my element with some of these machines, and honestly my budget to spend on them is pretty minimal - basically just whatever extra side cash I make doing random computer repair jobs. Could definitely use some advice on this one.

The Quadra 950 has a AAUI-port where you can connect a RJ45 tranceiver to. Apple M0437 for example. You don't need a network card

Ydee wrote on 2021-08-04, 09:50:

Only the sound card has brilliant compatibility with DOS and almost identical OPL-3 sound, the best component on the board.

Yeah, the CMI8330 chip is somewhat unique since it offers SB16, SBPro and WSS functionality. And as you say, its FM synth capabilities are also quite good. It lacks ADPCM, but that only matters in a few games.

Interestingly, that chip also supports some form of HRTF under Win9x, possibly A3D 1.0. I tried it briefly in Thief: The Dark Project and it seemed to work ok.

Yes, the compatibility with SB is excellent as you write - (16/Pro and 2.0) and the OPL3 clone sounds faithful too, and surprisingly noiseless as I feared.

I replaced the batteries in a Psion Revo yesterday and although it still doesn't 'snap' shut, it works perfectly 😀

Storm82 wrote on 2021-08-04, 10:14:

LHN91 wrote on 2021-08-04, 03:18:

I'd really like to archive this machine's drive while it's still working, but I'm not entirely sure how just yet..... no RJ45 Ethernet installed, I don't think I have any compatible cards in any of my other Macs (I have an LC630 and G3 Desktop with working Ethernet, at least).... could maybe do it piecemeal to floppies? I'm a bit out of my element with some of these machines, and honestly my budget to spend on them is pretty minimal - basically just whatever extra side cash I make doing random computer repair jobs. Could definitely use some advice on this one.

The Quadra 950 has a AAUI-port where you can connect a RJ45 tranceiver to. Apple M0437 for example. You don't need a network card

I'll have to keep an eye out for a decently priced one of those..... what I'm seeing right now would cost me the better part of 75-150$ to buy and ship to Canada, most with very long shipping times unfortunately. I think I'll try the LocalTalk option first to see if I have any luck, and then if not I'll look into ordering one once I've got some budget.

You can do a short range AUI to AUI hookup to another machine with AUI https://www.epanorama.net/documents/lan/aui2aui.html

Storm82 wrote on 2021-08-04, 10:14:

LHN91 wrote on 2021-08-04, 03:18:

I'd really like to archive this machine's drive while it's still working, but I'm not entirely sure how just yet..... no RJ45 Ethernet installed, I don't think I have any compatible cards in any of my other Macs (I have an LC630 and G3 Desktop with working Ethernet, at least).... could maybe do it piecemeal to floppies? I'm a bit out of my element with some of these machines, and honestly my budget to spend on them is pretty minimal - basically just whatever extra side cash I make doing random computer repair jobs. Could definitely use some advice on this one.

The Quadra 950 has a AAUI-port where you can connect a RJ45 tranceiver to. Apple M0437 for example. You don't need a network card

another IDE drive to copy to is what i use or even cloning software to transfer to a healthy drive to boot from.
theres tools on archive dot org such as powerquest disk image can image the disk to another it can be installed and then transferred to boot from floppies. Its a closed company.
Makes it exactly the same as the original.
or removal and connection to an ide to usb2 or 3 cable into a modern pc for use with that free edition of macrium reflect (i dunno if its ide or scsi i assume ide)

zapbuzz wrote on 2021-08-04, 14:32:

another IDE drive to copy to is what i use or even cloning software to transfer to a healthy drive to boot from. theres tools on […]
Show full quote

Storm82 wrote on 2021-08-04, 10:14:

LHN91 wrote on 2021-08-04, 03:18:

I'd really like to archive this machine's drive while it's still working, but I'm not entirely sure how just yet..... no RJ45 Ethernet installed, I don't think I have any compatible cards in any of my other Macs (I have an LC630 and G3 Desktop with working Ethernet, at least).... could maybe do it piecemeal to floppies? I'm a bit out of my element with some of these machines, and honestly my budget to spend on them is pretty minimal - basically just whatever extra side cash I make doing random computer repair jobs. Could definitely use some advice on this one.

The Quadra 950 has a AAUI-port where you can connect a RJ45 tranceiver to. Apple M0437 for example. You don't need a network card

another IDE drive to copy to is what i use or even cloning software to transfer to a healthy drive to boot from.
theres tools on archive dot org such as powerquest disk image can image the disk to another it can be installed and then transferred to boot from floppies. Its a closed company.
Makes it exactly the same as the original.
or removal and connection to an ide to usb2 or 3 cable into a modern pc for use with that free edition of macrium reflect (i dunno if its ide or scsi i assume ide)

The Quadra 950 is SCSI, so not quite as simple as the LC630 or G3 with IDE drives, unfortunately.

Upgrading my current project ACORN RisPCs roms to 3.70.

Took my hp pavilion xe736 and decided to reformat the hard drive wiping windows because well it felt way slower than I'd expect. It felt so much slower than a 350Mhhz Pentium 2 with an Viper 550, and mind you this hp has a 600mhz celeron and had a PNY geforce mx 4000 pci card. Granted the p2 system I had before the motherboard died had 128MB of RAM, but even just on Desktop Windows felt super slow on the little hp. I think the main culprit is that I had an unofficial autopatcher from 2007/2008 which installed a bunch of updates. But also just had problems with games I didn't document so I just decided to wipe the drive and remove the gpu. if I decide to come back to it, I'll just use the igpu which would be a downgrade but would maybe solve some of the problems I was having. Granted I don't really do much with my retro hardware, I'm usually just lazy and still play retro games on my modern pc.

After doing the "Wipe" on the hp, i then put on my retro desk a c2d dell and of course had to swap out the PS/2 KB+M with a USB KB+M since the dell didn't have ps/2 ports for some weird reason. Attempted to again install xp after failing to do so several months ago when I last had it out and well neither CD is used worked so I said fucked it and DBAN'd it. No sense in really trying to do anything with it since xp won't install and I already had a socket 775 system with XP and double the ram just it's a pentium 4. Probably will put the pentium 4 up on the desk and play around with it later.

(Slowly) copying the files from the drive on the Quadra 950 to the G3 Desktop over LocalTalk - turns out I did have a compatible cable. 93-odd MB of data, the plan at this point is to StuffIt compress the files after copying so I can put a copy of the data somewhere else over Ethernet from the G3, other than on 25+ year old hard drives.

Now it's also got me thinking about whether I've got any SCSI CD drives in the other Macs that I could use to upgrade this Quadra to use as a relatively fast 68k Mac gaming machine.... hmmm. Might be able to transfer the one from the 7200/75 that has a dead hard drive and failing plastics. Not sure it it works, to be honest. Might give it a shot once the copying is done.

Edit: Kept digging through the Mac stack and pulled out the oldest machine I have, (that I've admittedly never seen run, pretty sure it needs PSU attention), a Mac LC. Looks like I have a capacitor leak on the board now as well. Not sure if you can tell from the photos below for sure how bad it is - the board is also pretty dusty - but I'm half hopeful but also half filled with dread. Looks like I've got to get this board cleaned up, I'd still like to (one day) save this machine, despite it's mediocre cosmetic condition.

PS.... wow time flies, sometimes..... I had plans to work on the PSU once I had some budget for some decent tools. Just realized that was 3-4 years ago. Really hoping I can start to make progress on a couple of the projects that have been sitting on my shelves, I've still got a Turbo XT to work on and a couple other projects that keep getting put off.

zapbuzz wrote on 2021-08-04, 14:32:

another IDE drive to copy to is what i use or even cloning software to transfer to a healthy drive to boot from. theres tools on […]
Show full quote

Storm82 wrote on 2021-08-04, 10:14:

LHN91 wrote on 2021-08-04, 03:18:

I'd really like to archive this machine's drive while it's still working, but I'm not entirely sure how just yet..... no RJ45 Ethernet installed, I don't think I have any compatible cards in any of my other Macs (I have an LC630 and G3 Desktop with working Ethernet, at least).... could maybe do it piecemeal to floppies? I'm a bit out of my element with some of these machines, and honestly my budget to spend on them is pretty minimal - basically just whatever extra side cash I make doing random computer repair jobs. Could definitely use some advice on this one.

The Quadra 950 has a AAUI-port where you can connect a RJ45 tranceiver to. Apple M0437 for example. You don't need a network card

another IDE drive to copy to is what i use or even cloning software to transfer to a healthy drive to boot from.
theres tools on archive dot org such as powerquest disk image can image the disk to another it can be installed and then transferred to boot from floppies. Its a closed company.
Makes it exactly the same as the original.
or removal and connection to an ide to usb2 or 3 cable into a modern pc for use with that free edition of macrium reflect (i dunno if its ide or scsi i assume ide)

Of course you can used good old dd in your favorite *nix system:

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/how-to-create-d … ith-dd-command/

By some miracle, the 12" Apple Monochrome monitor that matches the LC is still working fine. It's heavily yellowed and the plastics around the screen are a bit cracked in the screen corners, but the picture still looks pretty decent, actually.

The parts aren't under so much strain in the smaller ones, less voltage.

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-08-04, 14:24:

You can do a short range AUI to AUI hookup to another machine with AUI https://www.epanorama.net/documents/lan/aui2aui.html

Apple's AAUI is not directly compatible to AUI connector-wise

Horun wrote on 2021-08-01, 00:59:

Sounds like a lot of work and Wish you luck ! Those XT/3 's are really nice ! Did yours come with a Vtech 8bit VGA ? Or did you […]
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Robin4 wrote on 2021-07-29, 22:21:

Iam waiting on my replacement parts for my laser XT/3 8086 10Mhz machine. […]
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Iam waiting on my replacement parts for my laser XT/3 8086 10Mhz machine.

Ordered two new SN74LS245N chips (i had the previous chips removed for diagnostic the machine) but i have a lot parts laying around.. And also move parts from heap to table, i have lost my eyes on finding the chips again.
Ordered 18 new Dram chips, to replace my old factory 512KB ones. Tried to install the full EMS option and the Parity chips.. Ending in a parity error some where. Iam currently testing the chips to find any culprit.. But still iam looking.
Maybe the base 512KB memory isnt that stable anymore and could end in a sort bitflip and causes the parity error. So iam going back to the basics.. Setting the board back to 512KB memory.. And upgrade it with newer chips. And hoping the parity error goes away.

And iam in a wait for the new DMA controller i ordered recently. (the old one got welded in the socket.) was hard to remove the IC (maybe it was already bad) *thought that DMA controller have a sort of memory inside*
When lifting it out.. Some pins where stuck, and wont wanted to got out. So 1 pin broke off. Now replace it with a new siemens part.

As far iam now.. 1 week ago cleaned the motherboard. Sprayed every where deoxit D5 to insure every contact made well.
Replaced the 40 PIN DMA ic socket

*consider to replace some electrolyc capacitors.
* Consider to desolder the other 74LS chips around the chips which are in contact with the DMA controller and solder in IC sockets. (then could swap out the 74LS logic)

Sounds like a lot of work and Wish you luck ! Those XT/3 's are really nice ! Did yours come with a Vtech 8bit VGA ? Or did you just get the motherboard ?
added: JP5 is for Parity or non-parity, have you tried it set to non-parity just as a test ? Not sure if that applies to the expansion ram but it does to the base 640k. Mine has 640k with parity, never tried adding the expansion ram.
edit: never mind about the video card, found your other topic....

Mine had only the switchable MDA / CGA card in it.

Wow, where do I start. This is my to-do list for the next couple of months 😁

1) I need to find a replacement speaker that I managed to destroy in my main retro laptop, the Satellite 310CDT. Next I need to find a better optical drive. The one that's built in is having trouble reading media.

2) need to adapt an ATX power supply to work in my IBM 300GL machine. Even considering making a proper PCB for an adapter. The original PSU will have to be butchered for the cables.

3) the old Dolch PAC 386 still waits for me to finish disassembling it and to figure out what's wrong with the screen.

4) an Amiga 1200 has been waiting to be recapped for about a year now...

5) have to bolt mod an IBM Model M keyboard

Finished stress testing my Dual P2 450 build... it just needs some love and a case to be complete now. And a second harddrive.

24 hours memtest and 24 hours Prime95 (on both CPUs)

I will probably put another graphics card in it. A Matrox G400 would be at better choise then the Diamond Fire GL1 thats in it now.

Replaced the front tyre and tube of my XF650 Suzuki motorcycle by hand using good ye olde tyre irons. Got a good sweat up doing it. Good for the circulation....😉