VOGONS


First post, by yawetaG

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This thread is going to be about the machine described in this post, and how it will be merged with the contents of another case to transform it into a computer that doesn't absolutely suck at everything except sound.

The Gateway GP-6 range was Gateway's entry-level range of systems in about 1999-2000, using microATX OEM Intel motherboards based on the Intel 810 chipset with integrated graphics (shitty integrated graphics) and integrated sound (decent-good integrated sound), 4 PCI slots, no AGP slots, and limited processor support options. It also appears to be the start of making Gateway systems cheaper by cutting corners beyond using OEM motherboards, as we'll see in the case design.

The case is currently in bits because whoever removed the hard disk did so in a highly incompetent manner and I need to rewire the front panel.

Front bezel:

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Compared to my other Gateway system, a G6-266 (P2 266 MHz system), which uses a nifty system with metal clips to attach the front bezel, this one was attached with four screws. The case also lacks the soundproofing and the handy hard disk mounts and other clipped on bits present in the G6...

Case:

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There's room for a floppy disk drive and two 5.25" optical disk drives. The hard disk mounts above the CD-ROM drives. It looks like it's better to first mount the hard disk and only then add the 5.25" drives. I need to bend some bits of metal back in shape because the person who removed the hard disk did so without first removing the CD-drives and bent the top of the (steel) case 😐 .

As mentioned, I also still need to rewire the front panel switches:

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I've cleaned up the pins on the switches today, but I currently can't find my "third hand" soldering help and it's getting dark, so soldering will have to wait until later.

Side view of the system:

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The measly 70-90 Watt power supply is located right next to the processor. It has a fan that sucks away hot air from the processor.

The motherboard was damaged by the person who removed the hard disk. One of the IDE connectors is cracked on the side:

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Last edited by yawetaG on 2017-11-11, 15:47. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 1 of 10, by yawetaG

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...and the green connector and the black one besides it had their plastic part ripped off the contacts:

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I slightly enlarged the holes for the pins and pushed the plastic parts back on. At this stage I have no idea whether the board was physically damaged beyond this, as I've still got to power it up.

The placement of the power supply is not amenable to good cable management, it already looks like a mess with only the floppy drive cable:

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I will test the system in a minimum configuration, with a single stick of RAM and a floppy disk drive as the only things beyond the processor (a passively cooled Celeron that's probably in the 466-566 MHz range). The system came with two sticks of 133 MHz 64 Mb IBM SDRAM. Also included was a Sweex 10/100 Mb LAN card:

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and a Rockwell 56k6 modem:

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I've removed these two from the system, as I don't feel like accidentally frying them should it turn out that the damage to the board goes further than merely some damaged connectors.

Motherboard at this stage is a Intel WL810E board, ultra-lowend OEM board where about the only good thing is the on-board Creative AudioPCI 128 sound.

I've also got another system coming from the same time period, except that one has an Asus Cusi-M motherboard with a 1GHz Pentium III in a low-profile case. The plan is to swap the internals of the two systems, so I can use the SB Live! card I bought earlier this year in the Cusi-M board in the GP-6 case, and maybe have a simple Celeron system in the low-profile case...

Reply 2 of 10, by yawetaG

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yawetaG wrote:

Motherboard at this stage is a Intel WL810E board, ultra-lowend OEM board where about the only good thing is the on-board Creative AudioPCI 128 sound.

I ended up hot-wiring the power connector pins to check whether it powers up. I also replaced the CMOS battery. It does power up...for a moment, and then it dies. Removing the memory gives 6 beeps (no or faulty memory), but replacing the included sticks with memory from another system that should be compatible and is known to work gives the same result as the original memory (i.e. power supply switches on, fans spin up, LEDs light, then system switches itself off). Putting the BIOS jumper in password clear/BIOS reset mode does not help.

I also noticed installing and removing memory modules is very hard, I really have to use a lot of force to both insert and remove modules. The sockets look clean, with nothing obstructing them. Stress-related memory socket failure, possibly caused by the other abuse the system suffered? I'll test the memory modules in another system, but suspect they are fine.

Edit: I pulled the board from the case, and careful examination shows A) the board is not straight anymore, and B) probable delamination damage around a chip near the connectors that were ripped off; the board surface undulates and appears damaged (as do some of the chip's legs). I guess the board is dead.

Last edited by yawetaG on 2018-01-18, 10:16. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 3 of 10, by sirlemonhead

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I have one of these machines if there's anything I can help with.

Mine is a celeron too - been tempted to try replace it with something better but that 90 watt PSU is a pain...

Reply 4 of 10, by yawetaG

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Right now I mostly wonder how to remove the processor cooler without crushing the die. The retainer spring won't budge...

The memory modules work on another system (as expected).

Edit: Is it possible that a failing power supply craps out the moment memory is checked?

Reply 5 of 10, by yawetaG

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So this area doesn't look too healthy:

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I managed to get the heatsink off the processor, and it's a Celeron 566 MHz:

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Power supply and the removable power supply bracket:

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The case, now empty:

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Guess I'll be looking for a nice MicroATX board...

Reply 6 of 10, by yawetaG

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sirlemonhead wrote:

I have one of these machines if there's anything I can help with.

Mine is a celeron too - been tempted to try replace it with something better but that 90 watt PSU is a pain...

Quick question: Could you please check on your machine where the power supply connector labeled "P6" connects to? It has a white and black wire coming out and looks like the connector on a fan.

Reply 7 of 10, by sirlemonhead

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Hi,

It's not connected on mine but I just remembered I had a different motherboard in that case a few years back..

Anyway, it looks like a fan sensor line for the fan in the power supply. The white wire matches the pinout for the sense line, and black is ground - http://www.overclockers.com/forums/attachment … 07&d=1300219923

Reply 9 of 10, by chinny22

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Got one of these off work years ago. Think it was a C400 or 500. I wanted it as it matched my GP6-400 which is a full tower but ended up using it for my final few months in Australia instead of rebuilding the GP6-400.

I completely forgot about the strange HDD location up the top! I still have the PC but I think last time I went home and tried it out it didn't turn on. (and that's as far as my testing went)

Reply 10 of 10, by yawetaG

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Okay, so I realized yesterday that while testing the board I forgot that an ATX power supply is not an AT power supply...and thus keeping shorting the power pins on the motherboard will cause the system to shut down. 😅 So I'll have to test it again.