VOGONS


Reply 280 of 844, by Robert B

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Hmmm...... what could these two things have in common? Feel free to comment if you have an idea 😁

HYPE-11.jpg

More l a t e r ! !! !!! 😁

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:00. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 281 of 844, by Robert B

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The first picture contains the BIOS chip of the V4-L and the second one is the emergency solution I found to save the card that I've damaged while trying to SAVE IT. I still get cold shivers just thinking about it!

From all this adventure I've come to gain more experience and the V4 in FULL working condition, albeit with a small repair. Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer 😁 I really didnt want to use the 3dfx as a guinea pig but that has happened and there is no way to change it. Sometimes overconfidence can be the only way forward. In this instance I didnt rely only on overconfidence but even if I knew that I'm not doing the right thing I could almost taste the fact that the V4-L is OK and I wanted to know this NOW and not LATER. This story has been on my mind since last year and has been haunting me eversince. NOW THE DEMON has been slain and THE HERO was left with some scars...

Regardless, I know what I did wrong and in the future I can do a whole lot better. In a nutshell I did ALL THE BAD THINGS and I still came on top 😁 Also, all the BAD things that could happen have happened!

Expect a story of dedication, madness, luck and a certain kind of skill 😁 I'm no brain surgeon but in the end I prevailed as a field medic 😁 I really should've bought a hot air station or have more patience. Patience? What's that???

THE EVILKING IS BACK!

ENJOY!

HYPE-_V4-_REPAIR-001.jpg HYPE-_V4-_REPAIR-002.jpg

In the end you will have to read a nice story that otherwise wouldn't've happened! I must say this was not staged.

V4-_L-_FULL.jpg

For sure MORE LATER!

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:01. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 282 of 844, by Srandista

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I can't wait for conclusion of V4 story!

Socket 775 - ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA, Pentium E6500K, 4GB RAM, Radeon 9800XT, ESS Solo-1, Win 98/XP
Socket A - Chaintech CT-7AIA, AMD Athlon XP 2400+, 1GB RAM, Radeon 9600XT, ESS ES1869F, Win 98

Reply 283 of 844, by Robert B

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THE EVILKING IS BACK!

Today I'm going to tell you the ending of a thrilling story. A story which I know has captivated a lot of you. The main character of the story is the 3dfx VooDoo4 4500 L- shaped card. A card that left the seller in good working condition and it arrived in my hands not working. In the links bellow you can read all about this, the restoration of the card, the test, my efforts to revive it. This story has haunted me since last year. This card was one of the most expensive cards I bought last year and I liked it the moment I saw it.

PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001

Re: Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :)
Re: Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :)
Re: Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :)
Re: Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :)
VIDEO BIOS NEEDED for PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001

Lets get on with the show. The story about dedication, madness, luck and a certain kind of skill is about to unfold!

After I exhausted all of my options trying to revive the V4-L, I came to the conclusion that sometime in the future I will have to remove the BIOS chip and see what's on the damn thing. At that time I was planning to take the card to a shop and have it removed professionally. This week I bought a MiniPro TL866A BIOS programmer to revive my first Pentium 66 setup and then I knew that I also must do something about the V4-L. I wanted to buy a hot air station but in the end I didnt want to spend more money for a piece of equipment that will stay most of the time in its box so I checked the internet to see how can I remove a PLCC32 BIOS chip without special tools.

Keep in mind that I have no training or specialisation in any of the operations I was about to perform. I had little experience and most of the time I used my brain and common sense. The rest came naturally. 😁.

I found these two neat videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiJZ9P-Csi8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X91ivAPTyGw

I watched the demonstration a few times and I was ready to do it. I had a damaged laptop motherboard and I tried to replicate the results. The operation went smoothly and fast. I was amazed it was so easy. I didnt damage any solder pads so I was confident enough to tackle the V4-L. I used two soldering irons, a 15W to put as much solder I could in the first run and a 40W to add the finishing touch and keep the solder liquid as much as possible. I used a small screwdriver which was hanging in the air and let gravity remove a corner of the BIOS chip after I heated the solder.

Cleaning the solder from the BIOS chip I removed was tedious and I had to improvise something to hold it as I couldnt apply enough pressure with the solder wick and the soldering iron.I used a french key and two small fastening nuts. I took care not to overheat the chip and I took my time and I removed 95% of the solder.

I must say that I didnt pay as much attention to this entire experiment as I wanted just to establish a baseline.Get a feel of it. I knew that when the time to tackle the V4-L would come I would have to be a lot more careful. This was sort of a worst case scenario and I wanted see what would happen.

After this operation the chip survived intact and I was able to read, erase and program it as many times as I wanted.

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-001.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-002.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-003.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-004.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-005.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-006.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-007.jpg

A day after this success story I felt confident enough to take on the DEMONS of the V4-L. I bought fresh solder wick and two fine tweezers.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

I prepared the V4-L using an adhesive aluminium tape and took my time and masked everything nicely. At this moment I was more than anytime aware about how tightly packed the components were on this delicate V4-L. I carried on.

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-008.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-009.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-010.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-011.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-012.jpg

After I masked the area I was about to flood with solder I wrapped the entire card in aluminium foil.

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-013.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-014.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-015.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-016.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-017.jpg

OPEN THE SOLDER GATES!!!

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-018.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-019.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-020.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-021.jpg

I performed the same steps as I took in the test run: "I used two soldering irons, a 15W to put as much solder I could in the first run and a 40W to add the finishing touch and keep the solder liquid as much as possible. I used a small screwdriver which was hanging in the air and let gravity remove a corner of the BIOS chip after I heated the solder." This time I placed a small cardboard box under the screwdriver to reduce the lifting distance of the chip.

The operation was much harder to do than before as the space was smaller and the card was moving on my table. Also for some reason the solder wouldnt stay liquid for as much time it did during the test run.
The fact that it was a little colder inside might've contributed to this.
. A few moments and it was hard. I didnt have much space to place the tip of the soldering iron. I didnt want to keep the tip on the PCB as much as I did in the test run as I was aware of the small resistors which were a fraction of a millimeter away. It was NERVE WRACKING but I still soldiered on! I said to myself: YOU SIR ARE MAD AF!!! I brushed the thought away and I focused on the prize: I SAW ONLY THE BOOT STRING white on black: VOODOO4 4500 BIOS.......

A few tries later I managed to lift one corner of the BIOS chip. I knew I was on the right track. I had to add more solder as the tip of the soldering iron sucked it away.

I tried to use the big twezzers but they just got in the way of the soldering iron. I couldnt grab the chip well.

I got to the point where the BIOS chip was almost free and I was just a corner awat from glory. A thought passed in my mind: dont lift the chip like the lid from a box, heat the solder and move it sideways. TOO LATE! THE CHIP WAS FREE and I could see the back of a ripped off solder pad.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I felt cold shivers on my spine a I panicked! I could almost hear the 3DFX POLICE coming to get me and the 3DFX SWAT TEAM busting in from the windows!

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-058.jpg

STAY ON THE GROUND! DONT MOVE! KEEP YOU HAND WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!!!

I finally removed the BIOS chip and BEHOLD another ripped pad. F..K! F..K!F..K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-022.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-023.jpg

I touched the removed pads with the tip of my soldering iron to free them from the solder and I did matters worse. The pads burned and were turned black from the heat.

DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!

How could I write about this. How can I explain this to you? There is no excuse for being STUPID! I almost felt like the T guy that a few years back damaged many VooDoo 5 6000s. I dont want to pronounce his name.

A few moments later I calmed down and I inspected the PCB. I thought that I also removed some resistors when I took off the aluminium tape. I inspected the tape I dumped in my bin for any component that might be stuck on it.NOTHING! I searched frantically for a picture on my thread to see what was missing. Tense moments passed.A sigh of relief..........NOTHING IS MISSING.

I composed myself and took a GOOD LOOK at the damage. I hatched a RESCUE PLAN and again I felt the distant TASTE OF VICTORY AND GLORY!!! LET END THIS!!! SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!!!

I cleaned the PCB from the leftover adhesive aluminium tape and I was ready to put in action my rescue plan. My hands were still shaking and sometimes I had use both of my hands to perform some operations 😁

I took three strands from a fine wire and twisted them. I obtained a strong and also fine replacement for the missing pads. With these wires I established the missing contact between the PCB and the PLCC32 socket I was about to solder. I used the two holes in the PCB that were in contact with the missing pads. Using a fine needle I removed a small quantity of lacquer from these tiny holes so that the solder would stick to them. I threaded the wires thorugh the holes and with UTMOST CARE I soldered the wires. I didnt want to burn the PCB. All went smoothly. I pulled a little the wires with the fine tweezers. THE SOLDER JOB WAS SOLID!

I felt like a strong wind filled my mainsail.THIS IS IT! YOU BROKE IT YOU FIX IT!!!

I put solder on the pads and the wires. I also removed the inside plastic bit from the PLCC32 socket and I put solder on the little contacts.

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-024.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-025.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-026.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-027.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-028.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-029.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-030.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-031.jpg

I cleaned the solder from BIOS chip SST 39VF512 and I programed it with the 1.15 stock version I took from this site: https://3dfxbios.cl-rahden.de/index.php?title=Voodoo4

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-060.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-032.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-033.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-034.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-035.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-036.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-037.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-038.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-039.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-040.jpg

I cleaned well all the areas on the PCB. I soldered the PLCC32 socket, I placed a small piece of shrink tube under the BIOS chip and I was ready to FLY!!! LETS END THIS!!!

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-041.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-042.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-043.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-044.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-045.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-046.jpg

I started the PC and I got the correct beep code from the PC SPEAKER. I waited paciently to see the screen light up. This was a change coming from a VGA NOT DETECTED beep code. I GOT NO IMAGE AND I COULD HEAR THE PC loading Windows.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is not happening...

My mind was racing. I must try another BIOS version. This time I tried a 1.06 BIOS from the same site.

I put the card in my PC and BAM: THE SKIES HAVE CLEARED AND THE DEMONS HAVE BEEN SLAIN!!!

I felt a rush I cant describe. If I had more hair I would've performed a rocker type motion. In any case, I was a little on my back, knees a little bent and with my hands up I let loose all of my tension.

ROCKON.jpg

The image was great and I installed a set of drivers. All went OK!

HYPE-_V4-_REPAIR-001.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-048.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-049.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-050.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-051.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-052.jpg

3Dmark99 and 3Dmark2000 ran flawlessly.

HYPE-_V4-_REPAIR-003.jpgHYPE-_V4-_REPAIR-004.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-054.jpg

After this, I searched the internet for another 1.15 BIOS http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/3dfx/voodoo5/bios/roms/ ; http://3dfxbios.stantoworld.co.uk/ ; This time the card booted fine and I had the latest BIOS version for my card. I dont plan to use the 1.16 version or another higher version. At least for now.

HYPE-_V4-_REPAIR-002.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-057.jpg

I tried a game (NFS 5/PU) and again everything ran well. No errors. No artifacts. SMOOTH SAILING!

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-059.jpg

I cleaned the card well and I took the compulsory GLAMOUR SHOTS!(again)

V4-_L-_SURVIVOR-061.jpgV4-_L-_FULL.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-063.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-064.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-065.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-066.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-067.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-068.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-069.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-070.jpgV4-_L-_SURVIVOR-071.jpg

This was the V4-L adventure. I didnt plan this. I was stubborn and I wanted to fix it myself. I can still feel the moment the pads ripped off. My muscle memory is now calibrated and if I'm going to perform this operation in the future I will be a lot more careful as I have this experience under my belt 😁

The removal of the BIOS chip and repair took around four hours including testing and trying different BIOS versions.

All's is well that ends well.

I did many mistakes:

1. I rushed this job not taking into account all of the variables due to my lack of experience.
2. I did the classic mistake of ripping of pads.
3. I didnt perform this operation in a well lit room.
4. I didnt perform this operation on a big enough table.
5. I didnt pay attention to warning signs. DONT LIFT THE CHIP like a MINI GORILLA.
6. I did this on a time constraint. I should've done this when I had enough time not when I felt like doing it.
7. Try to use the right equipment. A hot air station would've meant less time and no damage. A 15 minute job turned into a full blown rescue operation Hollywood style.
8. Dont do this when you feel you want to rush it. We all want results and we all want them now. Take a step back and look at the whole picture. You can easily damage more than you think.
9. If you need help call somebody. He might see details that you might miss. Another set of hands might've helped me to not rip off the pads.
10. Keep your work area clean. My work table looked like war zone. I burned a little the tip of one of my fingers. The smell was unpleasant 😁
11. Do more practice runs on defective components and only then get your hands on the real thing. More test runs will reveal variations in the way the operation will unfold. The exception is not the rule.

When all the smoke cleared even if I damaged the V4-L, the fact that in the end I revived the card, was priceless. Now I can say I have the confidence to tackle more complicated tasks. Next time I'll try to buy the required equipment or be a lot more careful. I did my discipleship on a rare 3dfx I must be insane 😁 My soldering experience was limited. I'm no expert now but I'm getting there one step at a time. If only I could temper my enthusiasm. We are who we are and we cant change that.

The damage is just cosmetic and I know that it can be repaired professionally if that will be required. This is why I didnt expose the fine traces that were in contact with the missing pads and I resorted to my solution.

The card will rest in its box and will only be powered up on special occasions. It's too rare to throw away. I have more respect for this artefact of times gone by 😀

It will take something really special to top this V4-L series. In any case I'm looking forward to whatever future will bring. My 3dfx odyssey is not over yet. I can feel it!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/250te13bw/

More later.

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-20, 05:50. Edited 8 times in total.

Reply 286 of 844, by Robert B

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While I was preparing to write de last chapter of the V4-L saga and I was looking back at all the stages I went through with the V4-L and especially the ending, I knew this story was going to be a blockbuster 😀 I tried to capture all the experiences and make you feel like you were in my place 😁

Thank God that the repairs arent visible. In any case I willl always remember this madness 😁

More to come. The P66 story will be a good one. Also, you can expect some smaller episodes with various components.

Reply 288 of 844, by Robert B

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Pentium 66 socket 4 preparations - THE CONTROLLER

I've yet to fully clean the Asus PCI/I-P5MP3 motherboard. Weather permitting, I'm going to make it shine brighter than a DIAMOND. 😁 What's important is the fact that the motherboard is alive and kicking. Washing components with isopropyl alcohol 99% in temperatures close or bellow zero degrees Celsius is not an easy task. I know this the hard way. The process is slow, the alcohol doesnt evaporate like is supposed to, spots remain on the PCB and above all this, you freeze and icicles form under your nose 😁 I do not recommend washing/cleaning components indoors. The alcohol has a potent smell.

The socket 4 setup can't be tested without an FDD, HDD, SERIAL controller card so in this mini-episode I'll present to you: THE JPN CORPORATION CA8302E-1 Controller. The seller of the P66 and Asus motherboard said that this exact card worked with the P66 back in the day.

The controller arrived in an ok-ish state but sporting a modified bracket held in place with a case screw. The first thing I did was to remove the abomination and to prepare the card for washing with isopropyl alcohol 99%.With a soft brush I removed much of the loose dirt, I changed a 10uf 50V capacitor - C28 which was bent out shape and I straightened all the pins on the back.

CA8302_E-1-000.jpgCA8302_E-1-001.jpgCA8302_E-1-002.jpgCA8302_E-1-003.jpgCA8302_E-1-004.jpg

After the isopropyl alcohol 99% wash.

CA8302_E-1-005.jpgCA8302_E-1-006.jpgCA8302_E-1-007.jpgCA8302_E-1-008.jpgCA8302_E-1-009.jpgCA8302_E-1-010.jpgCA8302_E-1-011.jpgCA8302_E-1-012.jpgCA8302_E-1-013.jpgCA8302_E-1-014.jpgCA8302_E-1-015.jpgCA8302_E-1-016.jpgCA8302_E-1-017.jpgCA8302_E-1-018.jpg

I cleaned and polished all the metal parts. I found an almost perfect bracket. To mount it, I had to enlarge the slots in the bracket with a small file. I also used a small nut to tighten one of the retaining screws of the bracket.

CA8302_E-1-019.jpgCA8302_E-1-020.jpgCA8302_E-1-021.jpg

Finished. results.

CA8302_E-1-022.jpgCA8302_E-1-023.jpgCA8302_E-1-024.jpgCA8302_E-1-025.jpgCA8302_E-1-026.jpgCA8302_E-1-027.jpgCA8302_E-1-028.jpgCA8302_E-1-029.jpgCA8302_E-1-030.jpg

Untested yet. One of the chips on the controller (C820 114A) is a little chipped, sign that was tossed with other parts. Even so, the card survived and it looks great.

The full test will come after I clean the socket 4 motherboard.

More later.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nwenk47w/ *** https://imgur.com/a/dRrMP

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:02. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 289 of 844, by Robert B

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Hellow people! 😀 I've been silent for some time because I didnt have much free time lately.

Fear not, I still bought some goodies. As soon as I'll get to my usual speed, I'll post the stories 😀 Now I have to clean all the parts from before plus these ones and then test them 😁 A whole lotta o' work 😁

1. Creative CT6710 - RIVA TNT 16MB AGP - one ceramic capacitor was missing and it was replaced - untested
2. 3dfx Gainward Dragon 4000 Voodoo Banshee AGP3. 3V 16MB ICUVGA-GW816D - missing one capacitor - easy fix - untested
3. P4 RAMBUS: Intel D850EMV2 (533MHz/400MHz s478 CPU support) + 4x128MB RIMM PC800 + Pentium 4 SL683 2.26GHz + cooler - two capacitors need changing - easy fix - in working order
4. 2GB=4x512MB Corsair XMS PRO Series DDR400 ; 2GB=4x512MB Geil DDR400 - untested
5. Hercules Prophet III Geforce 3 Ti 200 - untested

I have to order some quality capacitors as I'm done using chinese or cheap ones. This will also take time.

CT6710.jpgGW-_Banshee-001.jpg RAMBUS-001.jpg RAMBUS-002.jpg RAMBUS-003.jpg RAMBUS-004.jpg RAMBUS-005.jpg RAMBUS-006.jpg RAMBUS-007.jpg RAMBUS-008.jpg RAMBUS-009.jpg RAMBUS-010.jpg RAMBUS-011.jpg RAMBUS-012.jpgLoot.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mizfb3da/

More later.

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:03. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 290 of 844, by Robert B

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COOL Blue

Hercules 3D Prophet III Geforce 3 Titanium 200 (AGP 4x, 64 MB) - 734 5058781 Rev 1.0

Every time I lay my eyes upon a Hercules graphic card, all dressed in blue, my heart starts racing. In one of the visits I made at the flea market this year, I found this blue wonder. As soon as I saw it, my heart started beating fast. Hhhhoowww much is it? 1.2EUROS ? NO BRAINER! Mine all mine!

Only when I got back to my car with a bag full of goodies I saw that the fan was missing a blade. 😁

Today I spent three and half hours to restore the Hercules graphic card. All the time I worked over the blue wonder, one phrase kept popping in my mind: COOL Blue. This is the way the name of this episode was born, Cool Blue. I'm sure you agree that the name fits the card perfectly.

The card was in an average state of decay. There were signs of water damage. The writing on one of la labels was missing and the rust started to show on the VGA connector and the screws holding the cooling fan.

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-001.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-002.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-003.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-004.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-005.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-006.jpg

First I turned my attention over the cooler. The dirt was hard to remove. It took me a while the clean the heatsink thoroughly. I decided that instead of the original broken fan, I will use the fan from a Deep Cool V50 cooler.

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-007.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-008.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-009.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-010.jpg

Work In Progress.

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-011.jpg

A little metal polishing cream and things started looking great.

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-012.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-013.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-014.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-015.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-016.jpg

Isopropyl alcohol 99% and attention to detail. Removing the dirt from the graphic card also prooved to be challenging and it took some elbow grease to send her packing. To clean the tiny spaces from the memory heatsinks I flattened a cotton stick using a pair of pliers and I had to "comb" each "tooth" 😁

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-017.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-018.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-019.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-020.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-021.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-022.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-023.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-024.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-025.jpg

LOOKING GOOD!!!

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-026.jpg

When I tried to attach the Deep Cool V50 fan I saw that the fixing holes werent lining up, so I used a fine blade to make them bigger. I also replaced the original screws with new, longer ones.

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-027.jpg

Geforce 3!!! Yeah baby!!!

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-028.jpg

Firing on all its cylinders. This time I tested the card before I cleaned it and I already knew it was alive

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-029.jpg

Flawless VICTORY! Deep blue, COOL Blue, Sky Blue - awesome...words arent required here 😁

Hercules-_GF3_Ti200-030.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-031.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-032.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-033.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-034.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-035.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-036.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-037.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-038.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-039.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-040.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-041.jpgHercules-_GF3_Ti200-042.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/21rjccz2m/

gallery: https://imgur.com/a/q8Eod

More later.

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:03. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 291 of 844, by Robert B

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Scooter - Break It Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaLrJ2yziC0

Fresh meat from the grinder 😁 😁 😁

Tualatin: Celeron 1200MHz - SL6C8, Celeron 1200MHz - SL68P, Celeron 1300MHz - SL6C7
SIMM 2x16MB ACorp / 2x32MB IBM FRU: 92G7295
JATON TSENG LABS ET4000/W32P PCI - KY2-JAX-EVGA32PCI - 8248D/V2
Ati Radeon 9800 PRO 256MB - PN 109-A09400-00
Quantum Fireball SE / Quantum Fireball

Untested.

Preview-001.jpg Preview-002.jpg Preview-003.jpg Preview-004.jpg Preview-005.jpg Preview-006.jpg Preview-007.jpg Preview-008.jpg Preview-009.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/r1a0i4ck/

gallery: https://imgur.com/a/y7AC2

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Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:04. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 292 of 844, by Robert B

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Quantum the magnetic attraction

Metallica - The Unforgiven (Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckom3gf57Yw

Quantum...the name of my first HDD back in '96. After all these years, this name still attracts me like a magnet and I prefer it over other old HDDs . Of course, at that time on the market there were HDDs from WD, Seagate, Maxtor, Hitachi, IBM, Fujitsu, Samsung but when I think about the period before the year 2000, one name obsessively comes into my mind: QUANTUM!

We could look at this story from another angle - the way a HDD works. Lets put ourselves into the place of the "humble" bit. From an impulse it shifts between "0" and "1" and the only thing that makes it "exist" all alone into his little place is "the magnetic attraction". Wicked stuff if you think about it.

For some time, I've been planing to buy a few old HDDs from the flea market just to see what I could find. I wasnt expecting much, but I knew that the chances to find a working HDD from before 2000, were pretty good.

Said and done.

I went to the flea market and I browsed the merchandise. My quick visit, made around 12.00 o'clock just before closing time, when many have already left, netted me two Quantum HDDs. Of all the possible brands I found two Quantums 😁

As soon as I entered the flea market I saw my first HDD. Well would you look at that, a QUANTUM HDD. Damn son, magnetic attraction indeed: Quantum Fireball SE 3.2GB- 3.2AT SE32A101 REV 01 -B . For a very low price it was mine. NICE!

After this, I went to another seller which I knew that always had HDDs. Surprise, the basket once full of HDDs was almost empty. Someone looted the stash already. Damn...

I started to search in the basket and another Quantum sticked to my fingers. He HE He! Quantum Fireball TM 1.2GB 1280AT FB12A012 REV 01-A. In this instance I had to negociate a little, flea market style.

-At the begining the HDD was 4 EUR.
-I looked at the seller and said 4 EUR? I bought a Quantum HDD earlier for 1 EUR! I took out the other Quantum from my bag and I showed to him.
-The seller asked a guy to come and see what capacity the HDD was.
-I already looked at it and I knew it was 1.2GB.
-The guy started to look at the labels but he couldn't find anything 😁, (The CHS already gave me clues regarding the capacity. Besides, the label near the Molex/IDE connector said ..1280....)
-The seller asked the guy where are the 750GB HDDs.
-At this moment I smiled and said to them: this is no 750GB HDD, just a 1.2GB and a very old HDD.
-They started to look again at the poor Quantum and another price flew in the air: 2 EUR!
-I smiled again. This time the wolf will be eaten by the sheep: here's your 2 EUR.
-After we finalized the transaction I said to them causally. In the basket, there are two more Fujistu HDDs of around 2.1 GB. One of them has a BAD label on it. If you want to sell your junk, you'd better read all the labels. (Every purchase in the flea market is a gamble, remember that.)
-The guy looked at the label and started to remove it 😁. If they would present their stuff better they could ask more but I have no time to "educate" them...
-We shook hands smiling and that was it.

After I bought the HDDs I powered them up just see if they were alive. GOOD NEWS! Both powered up and my ears were assaulted by glorious sounds! The spindown of the 3.2GB is like when a mini-TURBO powers down. I LIKE IT! Dont think they are noisy, they are well within the specs of the time period.

*Quantum Fireball SE 3.2GB- 3.2AT SE32A101 REV 01 -B

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*Quantum FireballTM 1.2GB 1280AT FB12A012 REV 01-A

Filename
QFTM12GB.mp3
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Both of the HDDs had data on them. Mostly files form around 2000. I saved all the kits and drivers and I put them through several SECURE ERASE passes. Even if the data was old I still wonder how careless people are...

Quantum Fireball SE 3.2GB- 3.2AT SE32A101 REV 01 -B

This bad boy was in better shape. First, I removed all the useless labels that werent from factory and I used a little metal polish cream. Satisfied with the preliminary results I started to remove the PCB. BIG MISTAKE! With some difficulty I removed the screws and I raised the PCB gently. The PCB was free, but my plan to wash it with isopropyl alcohol 99% was soon cut short as on the inside I found a protective adhesive sponge.Because I didnt want to damage the sponge I put back the PCB and I prepared the HDD for two passes of manual polishing. After I ended the polishing stage, I wanted to start the HDD again but the pulse of the HDD was just a flat line 😁 I looked closely at the PCB and I saw the connector between the PCB and the HDD motor, falling off. Well I'll be.....it seems the connector took a hit and the solder joints cracked. When I removed the PCB the connector separated completely. NO PROBLEM! I soldered it back and BEHOLD! Quantum lives AGAIN! Sheeshhh, live and learn, here's another detail I must see when I buy old stuff.

QF-009.jpgQF-010.jpgQF-011.jpgQF-020.jpgQF-021.jpg

Quantum Fireball TM 1.2GB 1280AT FB12A012 REV 01-A

The little one, looked worse. Some rust and some water marks. Even so, I wasnt discouraged. I removed the PCB just to find on the interior the same protective adhesive sponge. In this case the connector between the PCB and the HDD motor looked kind of "exotic" so I put all the parts back as they were. After the polishing stage it looked way better.

I didnt plan to remove all the scratches or give them a mirror like finish. This would require the removal of the labels / screen printing and I dont want to do this.

Enjoy the pics.

QF-001.jpgQF-002.jpgQF-003.jpgQF-004.jpg

After the initial cleaning and polishing

QF-005.jpgQF-006.jpgQF-007.jpgQF-008.jpg

Final results.

QF-012.jpgQF-013.jpgQF-014.jpgQF-015.jpgQF-016.jpgQF-017.jpgQF-018.jpgQF-019.jpgQF-022.jpgQF-023.jpgQF-024.jpgQF-025.jpgQF-026.jpgQF-027.jpgQF-028.jpgQF-029.jpgQF-030.jpg

Testing session.

The testing session spanned over the course of several hours and I dont want to repeat this experiment anytime soon 😁. The time required to establish the state of a HDD is long and even then there are no guarantees that it wont suffer a sudden death. Each HDD was put through several passes of HDD Regenerator even if they didnt have BAD sectors. Next came seven SECURE ERASE passes, full HD Tune tests and many START/STOP cycles.

The 3.2GB Quantum is in excelent shape even after working for 21493 hours / 895 days. WIN!

QFT32-001.jpgQFT32-002.jpgQFT32-003.jpgQFT32-004.jpgQFT32-005.jpg
QFT12-006.jpg

The 1.2GB Quantum is not doing so great but still has some life left in him. The first READ test in HD Tune returned a great graph but after a few functioning hours I found the real state of the HDD. This is fact is clear in the last READ/WRITE graphs.

QFT12-001.jpgQFT12-002.jpgQFT12-003.jpgQFT12-004.jpgQFT12-005.jpgQFT12-006.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2tylakln2/
gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2qjh2ai6m/

gallery: https://imgur.com/a/rvggr

More later.

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:06. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 293 of 844, by Robert B

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Croatia Squad - All Alone (Original Mix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r1dJQdVgRE

P r E v I e W ...

PRW-_GRP-001.jpg

Hungry? Here's a YUMMY cake 😁

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Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:07. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 294 of 844, by Robert B

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Robert Cristian - Sometimes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCADs0BhNvs

Behold the CONNER CP30251 - Conner Peripherals 240MB HDD 😁 - another flea market find. This gem was in a HDD clear plastic box together with around 20 WD/Maxtor/Seagate HDDs 40/80/120GB. A lonely Quantum LCT of 20GB was also there but who the heck would want a LCT Low Cost Techonolgy artifact? 😁 Not me...so I only took the Conner. No brainer really.

I tried to use this HDD on the P66 but it just didnt work. After numerous setbacks I guess it is time to buy another controller for the socket 4 setup. I've also successfully updated the BIOS of my ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 V2.4 motherboard with a V3.1 BIOS - MiniPro TL866A to the rescue 😁 When it will be done, the socket 4 story will also be a Good Ol' TL;DR...

CP30251.jpg

My name is Conner, Sarah Conner 😁 and I'm back to get you 😁 - this amazing HDD is still working nicely. Quiet and good looking. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Some data was found 😁 The smallest HDD I own ATM.

CP30251-001.jpg CP30251-002.jpg CP30251-003.jpg CP30251-004.jpg

I've prepared the i850 RAMBUS platform for a much needed cleaning. On the 9th of March 2018 I should receive a shipment of good capacitors: Panasonic and Nichicon 😁

I also removed two decayed teeth from the RAMBUS beast and they will be replaced with a new set of fangs 😁 - Nichicon 3300uf 6.3V.

The Intel stock cooling of the i850 was also removed and cleaned.

PRW-i850-006.jpg PRW-i850-007.jpg

More later.

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:07. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 295 of 844, by Robert B

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In the works:

Video card E X T R A V A G A N Z A

VGA-_EXTRVGNZA-smll.jpg

https://imgur.com/UDKVpbr

PRW-_VCE-001.jpg PRW-_VCE-002.jpg PRW-_VCE-003.jpg PRW-_VCE-004.jpg PRW-_VCE-005.jpg PRW-_VCE-006.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/lyqbn426/

More later 😁

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:16. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 296 of 844, by Robert B

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FLEA MARKET SURPRISE!!! 😁

My biggest score ever at the local flea market! WIN! WIN! WIN! 😁

1. Asus K7M Rev. 1.04 - SLOT A - my second one 😁
2. AMD Athlon K7 800MHz - Slot A - AMD-A0800MPR24B A - Full-speed on-die 256 KB CACHE
3. 3dfx - VooDoo 3 3000 AGP 16MB - PCB - 210-0364-003 missing 3 10uf 16V capacitors - monday I'll receive replacement capacitors / missing the heatsink but I already have a plan to modify a DeepCool V50 cooler 😁
4. 3dfx - VooDoo 3 2000 AGP 16MB - PCB - 210-0364-003 - in superb condition
5. Intel Celeron A Slot 1 - SL2WN - 333MHz/66
6. RAM 3x128MB PC133

Flea market prices of course... 😁

FLEAM-001.jpg FLEAM-002.jpg FLEAM-003.jpg FLEAM-004.jpg FLEAM-005.jpg FLEAM-006.jpg FLEAM-007.jpg FLEAM-008.jpg FLEAM-009.jpg FLEAM-010.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/389o5otau/

https://imgur.com/a/XgkWk

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Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:17. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 297 of 844, by Robert B

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UPDATE!

The XX - Intro HQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ1pHmWhIuY

Today I managed to open the cartridge of the SLOT A K7-800MHz Thunderbird core CPU . Even after I've opened many slot A and slot 1 CPUs this task is still full of stress and cold shivers on my spine 😁

The die of the K7-800MHz sports a 850MHz core 😁 - not bad 😁 - A850CPRFFA - I WISH I HAD A GOLDFINGER DEVICE....

PRW-_K7-800-001.jpg

The capacitors have arrived 😀

1. 22uF/16V, SMD, Panasonic EEE1CA220SR - I bought them especially rated for max 85C instead of 105C because the majority of the 3dfx cards have capacitors that have printed on them voltages that end with the letter "S", for ex. 22uf/16S. - 10 pcs - 1 pcs for Gainward Dragon 4000 VooDoo Banshee, 9 pcs backup. This buy is only for maintaining the originality of the cards I repair (if possible). Otherwise I would've bought 105C rated ones. I pay attention to many details when I restore a piece.
2. 3300uF/6.3V, Radial, LOW ESR, 10x20mm, Nichicon UHM0J332MPD1TD - 10 pcs - 2 pcs for the Intel i850 motherboard - 8 pcs backup.
3. 10uF/16V, SMD, Low Esr, EEEFP1C100AR PANASONIC - 15 pcs - for backup as they are used heavily on 3dfx V1, V3, ...
4. 22uF/35V, SMD, Low Esr, EEEFP1V220AR PANASONIC - - 5 pcs - backup in case those from point 1 arent what I need.
5. IC extractor D-PZ12

PRW-_CAPS-001.jpg PRW-_CAPS-002.jpg

I have so many project going at once it is kind of ridiculous 😁 ...

PRW-_CAPS-003.jpg

More later.

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:18. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 298 of 844, by Robert B

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Work In Progress...juggling with the ongoing projects back an forth 😁

PRW-3dfx-001.jpg PRW-_K7800-001.jpg

L.E.

1st try 😁 - results=satisfactory 😁

PRW-3dfx-002.jpg PRW-3dfx-003.jpg PRW-3dfx-004.jpg

Last edited by Robert B on 2018-04-19, 20:20. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 299 of 844, by Robert B

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All three 3dfx cards work like a dream:

V3 3000 repaired - three new caps - the modified DeepCool V50 works a treat. My thumb-o-meter registered a much lower temperature than that of the V3 2000 and Gainward Dragon 4000 VooDoo Banshee both with passive heatsinks. In the case of the V3 2000 and GWD 4000 I could feel the heat spreading further on the PCB than in the case of the modified V3 3000 😁 sweeeeetttt

V3 2000 - mint

Gainward Dragon 4000 Banshee AGP - one new cap

Now I must clean them well and tell you their story 😀

WIN! WIN! WIN!

More later.

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