Alexraptor wrote on 2025-04-10, 19:50:

Cyfrifiadur wrote on 2025-04-10, 15:07:

Well now's the time, most of it is still quite cheap for now. I did start off with 9800GT but I ultimately prefer to go a couple […]
Show full quote

Color me envious! I want to do an nForce build myself eventually. Though I'm planning Tri-SLI with the legendary 8800 GTS or possibly Ultra. 😀

Well now's the time, most of it is still quite cheap for now. I did start off with 9800GT but I ultimately prefer to go a couple of GPU generations newer to give them an easier time.

Graphics has been fine, but I've just found nForce so unstable when trying to do anything interesting with CPU, FSB, or memory. It's kind of fun to tune in the stability but boy does it take a lot of digging through old threads form 2008! I think the later gen DDR3 (790i) based boards are a little better in that respect, but I just feel DDR2 is right for Vista.

I Haven't actually tried 3x SLi because I'd rather have dedicated PhysX, and a Sound Blaster but I'm sure it will look awesome.

I've actually been eying the EVGA nForce 790i Ultra. Has a 1x PCIE slot at the very top of the board, so it would actually let me run a Sound Blaster alongside 3-way SLI.

Even better, good thinking.
Yes i can really only recommend 780i for anyone who really hates themselves. This is my third!

Received this in the mail yesterday.

IBM 486slc2 CPU, media vision deluxe 16 sound card, Panasonic CD-ROM, 4MB ram I think, IIT XC87SLC-33 fpu, 40MB HDD (appears to be defunct), Trident VGA card, AMI Bios

This was a guy's first desktop computer and dos game machine during the 90s. He recently sent it to me to play with. Seems like it was originally assembled and sold to the guy by a smalltime computer shop in California, plus some additional upgrades he and his family put in as the 90s progressed.

Anyways, it has a leaked varta but damage from that appears minor at a glance. Machine does not post, gives out a beep code for a defective video card. Will test with another isa video card when I get one.

I really like the colour matching of both floppies and power switch. It’s a sweet looking case in need of a little TLC.

Old_mATX wrote on 2025-03-19, 20:09:

devius wrote on 2025-03-18, 21:01:

Those are fake flat CRTs, but real flat CRTs do exist, and there are also Trinitron (and similar tech from other vendors) monitors that are flat in one direction, but slightly curved in the other.

I'm just curious to know what those models were? I assume, Sony?

Before Sony switched (to my knowledge) over to flat CRTs completely sometime in the 2000s, all of their Aperture grille sets should have the one axis curve I believe it's just part of the technologies nature. I would presume other companies that incensed the technology would have too. The only non Sony Aperture grille PC monitors I've seen have been flat however, I think by the time the Trinitron patent expired flat CRTs were en vogue. Not long after that CRTs fell by the wayside. It's very likely there are some models I'm not aware of in that Sony licensing, or patent expiry time however. The only completely curved Sony CRT's I've seen were their older B&W models, but I could be wrong. I've really come to appreciate all the different tube shapes. I think flat CRTs get a little too much flack. I like them for newer-ish PC stuff. But I know the 3D curve of the tube can be part of the fun.

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-12, 20:54:

Received this in the mail yesterday. […]
Show full quote

Received this in the mail yesterday.

The attachment PXL_20250412_204404055.jpg is no longer available

IBM 486slc2 CPU, media vision deluxe 16 sound card, Panasonic CD-ROM, 4MB ram I think, IIT XC87SLC-33 fpu, 40MB HDD (appears to be defunct), Trident VGA card, AMI Bios

This was a guy's first desktop computer and dos game machine during the 90s. He recently sent it to me to play with. Seems like it was originally assembled and sold to the guy by a smalltime computer shop in California, plus some additional upgrades he and his family put in as the 90s progressed.

Anyways, it has a leaked varta but damage from that appears minor at a glance. Machine does not post, gives out a beep code for a defective video card. Will test with another isa video card when I get one.

hopefully it'll be up and running soon

i always like those back stories - so many small pc builder companies back in the 90's, few of them lasted long. I remember a few being start ups by real young people too, school leavers really, they must have learned a lot about computers, business, customers, suppliers and the whole thing of working for yourself - I wonder if any of them, now 30 or so years later, occasionally see one of their builds out in the wild!

gerry wrote on 2025-04-17, 13:31:

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-12, 20:54:

Received this in the mail yesterday. […]
Show full quote

Received this in the mail yesterday.

The attachment PXL_20250412_204404055.jpg is no longer available

IBM 486slc2 CPU, media vision deluxe 16 sound card, Panasonic CD-ROM, 4MB ram I think, IIT XC87SLC-33 fpu, 40MB HDD (appears to be defunct), Trident VGA card, AMI Bios

This was a guy's first desktop computer and dos game machine during the 90s. He recently sent it to me to play with. Seems like it was originally assembled and sold to the guy by a smalltime computer shop in California, plus some additional upgrades he and his family put in as the 90s progressed.

Anyways, it has a leaked varta but damage from that appears minor at a glance. Machine does not post, gives out a beep code for a defective video card. Will test with another isa video card when I get one.

hopefully it'll be up and running soon

i always like those back stories - so many small pc builder companies back in the 90's, few of them lasted long. I remember a few being start ups by real young people too, school leavers really, they must have learned a lot about computers, business, customers, suppliers and the whole thing of working for yourself - I wonder if any of them, now 30 or so years later, occasionally see one of their builds out in the wild!

Yes, good to know! I'm not that versed on CRT knowledge, I like their looks, those late 90's CRT's Mine current CRT is Samsung 955 SL.

Update to my post above. It lives! At least the important parts.

I've had very bad luck with the peripherals. Almost all the isa cards don't work other than the HDD controller. Even the sound card isn't recognized. Will see if cleaning helps.

Edit, the card is a media vision jazz 16, which might need a special driver to initialize it, will look into that.

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-23, 15:48:

Update to my post above. It lives! At least the important parts.

I've had very bad luck with the peripherals. Almost all the isa cards don't work other than the HDD controller. Even the sound card isn't recognized. Will see if cleaning helps.

Edit, the card is a media vision jazz 16, which might need a special driver to initialize it, will look into that.

Your floppy drives are connected backwards 😆

Nice monitor BTW 👍

MMaximus wrote on 2025-04-23, 17:43:

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-23, 15:48:

Update to my post above. It lives! At least the important parts.

I've had very bad luck with the peripherals. Almost all the isa cards don't work other than the HDD controller. Even the sound card isn't recognized. Will see if cleaning helps.

Edit, the card is a media vision jazz 16, which might need a special driver to initialize it, will look into that.

Your floppy drives are connected backwards 😆

Nice monitor BTW 👍

Indeed they were! They work now btw 😀

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-23, 15:48:

Update to my post above. It lives! At least the important parts.

I've had very bad luck with the peripherals. Almost all the isa cards don't work other than the HDD controller. Even the sound card isn't recognized. Will see if cleaning helps.

Edit, the card is a media vision jazz 16, which might need a special driver to initialize it, will look into that.

good to see it up and running, i'm sure the sound card will be ok. its a nice system, playing the right kinda game too!

gerry wrote on 2025-04-23, 19:20:

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-23, 15:48:

Update to my post above. It lives! At least the important parts.

I've had very bad luck with the peripherals. Almost all the isa cards don't work other than the HDD controller. Even the sound card isn't recognized. Will see if cleaning helps.

Edit, the card is a media vision jazz 16, which might need a special driver to initialize it, will look into that.

good to see it up and running, i'm sure the sound card will be ok. its a nice system, playing the right kinda game too!

Now it is really running! Here is a video of it running a Doom demo. The jazz 16 sound card is working well and it's neat to have something like that. https://youtu.be/rLD_nx4BBvM?si=TtleXMMH3ftH1yIf

The only thing that's not working right now is the CD drive. It seems to be a Panasonic drive connected through the sound card. I know those early Panasonic drives have their own protocol. I've followed the sound card's official instructions for how to install the driver for Panasonic drives, but overall wind up with an error that the drive could not be detected.

Still need to figure out how to adjust the LCD display panel as well, lots of jumpers on the PCB for that. The system has a 50mhz cpu so could be fun to display 50 instead of 25 😁, though not sure what the turbo mode should display (currently displays 16 in turbo mode)

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-28, 15:54:

Now it is really running! Here is a video of it running a Doom demo. The jazz 16 sound card is working well and it's neat to have something like that. https://youtu.be/rLD_nx4BBvM?si=TtleXMMH3ftH1yIf

The only thing that's not working right now is the CD drive. It seems to be a Panasonic drive connected through the sound card. I know those early Panasonic drives have their own protocol. I've followed the sound card's official instructions for how to install the driver for Panasonic drives, but overall wind up with an error that the drive could not be detected.

Still need to figure out how to adjust the LCD display panel as well, lots of jumpers on the PCB for that. The system has a 50mhz cpu so could be fun to display 50 instead of 25 😁, though not sure what the turbo mode should display (currently displays 16 in turbo mode)

that's great!

with luck some resident experts in panel displays and those CD drives will jump in, its always good to get everything just right

Old_mATX wrote on 2025-03-05, 19:25:

Here is mine retro PC build from the last year. […]
Show full quote

Here is mine retro PC build from the last year.

CPU Socket 478 P4 2.4
MOBO Asrock p4i65g
RAM 512 MB
SSD Intel 2.5, 80 GB
GPU BFG GeForce FX 5700 Ultra
SOUND CARD Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
SPEAKERS Roland monitors MA-8
CHASISS Generic, retro
OS ME/98
Peripherals:
MS IntelliMouse laser and Logitech keyboard and Logitech Wingman wireless game pad.

I think this is not generic case, its Inwin, dont remember the model...
Is it ATX?

EDIT: It's V508T.

dukeofurl wrote on 2025-04-28, 15:54:

Still need to figure out how to adjust the LCD display panel as well, lots of jumpers on the PCB for that. The system has a 50mhz cpu so could be fun to display 50 instead of 25 😁, though not sure what the turbo mode should display (currently displays 16 in turbo mode)

Really nice 486! 👍

I think most of the displays are quite easy when you understand the quirky way they work, I got mine correct using this video: https://youtu.be/wNkg-e47Ex8?si=4xXFZesH96xQGXaW