VOGONS


First post, by Alesia

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So with the help of the retro computer discord I managed to get my socket 7 computer upgrade from an Intel SY022 133mhz cpu to an Intel SY045 200mhz cpu. After the upgrade the computer was freezing at 14% of the post sequence. Sadly this is an OEM with an permanent splash screen so I couldn't see the error or get into pre-setup info post page. The troubleshooting basically amounted to leaving the system at 66hz and stepping cpu clock down to 133mhz up to 166mhz and then 200mhz. When we got back up to 200mhz the system successfully posted. However, the COAST module that has been installed and working for quite a while at this point is no longer detected by the bios. It threw an error on the first successful post stating that the cache module had been removed and there was no L2 cache listed on the system information either. I cleaned the pins on the coast module with an eraser followed by 99% IPA so they are nice and clean but still no dice.

The computer I'm working with is an HP Vectra VE 5/133 Series 3. No bios settings for cache or anything of the sort were changed during any of this.

If anyone has any ideas I'd very much like to hear them. I've attached pictures of the COAST module in question as well a list of the modules I currently have hanging around. All are synchronous as best I can tell.

Reply 1 of 5, by majestyk

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Bad contacts IN the COAST socket can be responsible here.
Clean the CELP socket with IPA using a small brush, remove / insert the module 20 -30 times, try inserting it just 2/3 of the way and watch if it gets detected again.

Reply 2 of 5, by Paar

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Can you reproduce the issue with the COAST module by swapping the old and the new CPU around? It would be nice to verify that it really works with the old one but not with the new one.

Reply 3 of 5, by Alesia

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majestyk wrote on 2025-03-09, 06:36:

Bad contacts IN the COAST socket can be responsible here.
Clean the CELP socket with IPA using a small brush, remove / insert the module 20 -30 times, try inserting it just 2/3 of the way and watch if it gets detected again.

I'll give this a shot, the possibility of it being a dry solder joint popped into my head this morning but I should eliminate the possibility that it is dirt somehow first.

Reply 4 of 5, by Alesia

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Update, cleaned the pins one last time and inserted as evenly as I could, bios picked up the coast module immediately. Well a bit of a nothing burger but it worked itself out. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Reply 5 of 5, by Horun

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Good job ! yes gold contacts can collect "invisible to the eye" crud causing connection issues....sometimes all it takes is just moving a board or computer....

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun