Would help if you added a couple pics of the card in question 😜

Tetrium wrote on 2020-09-30, 02:01:

Would help if you added a couple pics of the card in question 😜

Oh yeah, that'd probably help ;P

Sound Blaster 32

(which are more or less cut-down AWE32s with always CQM and no built-in RAM IIRC. Yes, it's got AWE support, but it's not on the AWE brand. Many OEMs, i.e. Micron, loved to include this card)

leileilol wrote on 2020-09-30, 02:17:

Sound Blaster 32

(which are more or less cut-down AWE32s with always CQM and no built-in RAM IIRC. Yes, it's got AWE support, but it's not on the AWE brand. Many OEMs, i.e. Micron, loved to include this card)

But it is the CT3600 variant with 512KB onboard RAM.

I have at least one of these as well.

cyclone3d wrote on 2020-09-30, 02:29:

leileilol wrote on 2020-09-30, 02:17:

Sound Blaster 32

(which are more or less cut-down AWE32s with always CQM and no built-in RAM IIRC. Yes, it's got AWE support, but it's not on the AWE brand. Many OEMs, i.e. Micron, loved to include this card)

But it is the CT3600 variant with 512KB onboard RAM.

I have at least one of these as well.

So technically by branding, it's a Sound Blaster 32 PnP, but in reality it's closer to an AWE32 on the basis that it has 512KB RAM and a full SB16 implementation (because it has Bass+Treble controls).

Or you can view it as being an AWE32 minus the WaveBlaster and IDE connections?

The CT2502 is a ViBRA chip from what I can find?

leileilol wrote on 2020-09-30, 02:17:

Sound Blaster 32

(which are more or less cut-down AWE32s with always CQM and no built-in RAM IIRC. Yes, it's got AWE support, but it's not on the AWE brand. Many OEMs, i.e. Micron, loved to include this card)

I believe the 3930 is a SB32 (no onboard ram) and has discrete genuine OPL. Actually a very nice card.

See these:
AWE32 and AWE64 options
http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2012/07/s … 64-options.html

Creative Labs model number list
https://support.creative.com/kb/showarticle.aspx?sid=10846

I have pretty much all the SB32 and AWE32 models.

CT3600 (can come with no onboard RAM or 512KB onboard RAM)
CT3620 (no place for onboard RAM)
CT3670 (place for onboard RAM but I haven't seen any that came with it)
CT3930 (no place for onboard RAM)

cyclone3d wrote on 2020-09-30, 05:35:

See these: AWE32 and AWE64 options http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2012/07/s … 64-options.html […]
Show full quote

See these:
AWE32 and AWE64 options
http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2012/07/s … 64-options.html

Creative Labs model number list
https://support.creative.com/kb/showarticle.aspx?sid=10846

I have pretty much all the SB32 and AWE32 models.

CT3600 (can come with no onboard RAM or 512KB onboard RAM)
CT3620 (no place for onboard RAM)
CT3670 (place for onboard RAM but I haven't seen any that came with it)
CT3930 (no place for onboard RAM)

I had a look at the Creative list before I created this thread and it doesn't show the CT3600 for some reason. So, from what I can tell, I do indeed have a SB32PnP, with a ViBRA chipset, but it still has full tone controls, 512KB RAM, and the RAM slots. Missing is the IDE connector and the WaveBaster header. I also read something about S/PDIF?

But basically, for all intents and purposes, this is an AWE32 minus the WaveBlaster header and IDE connector? It has the S/PDIF connector too.

Just noticed that the ISA PnP string is indeed "Creative SB AWE32 PnP" - close enough for me to say that it's a real AWE board, even if some things are omitted; it certainly has more AWE features than an SB32 and seems closer to it (512KB RAM, tone controls, etc).

Thanks Creative; clear as mud as always.

RichB93 wrote on 2020-10-01, 18:53:

Just noticed that the ISA PnP string is indeed "Creative SB AWE32 PnP" - close enough for me to say that it's a real AWE board, even if some things are omitted; it certainly has more AWE features than an SB32 and seems closer to it (512KB RAM, tone controls, etc).

I dont't think there is a clear property to distinguish "SB AWE32", "SB AWE32 Value Edition" and "SB32".

I am happy with my edition if the CT3600, which was sold as "SB32 PnP". It comes without on-board RAM but with the IDE connector, tone control. I never noticed that the card doesn't have the real OPL3 back in the days, but I wasn't that much into FM synthesis anyway. I was happy to have gotten the version with SIMM slots, and not an AWE32 Value Edition with 512KB onboard RAM without upgrade possibility. I had two 256KB SIMMs in the parts bin anyway as I obtained that sound card, and I could later upgrade it to 2MB and 8MB.

mkarcher wrote on 2020-10-01, 20:36:

RichB93 wrote on 2020-10-01, 18:53:

Just noticed that the ISA PnP string is indeed "Creative SB AWE32 PnP" - close enough for me to say that it's a real AWE board, even if some things are omitted; it certainly has more AWE features than an SB32 and seems closer to it (512KB RAM, tone controls, etc).

I dont't think there is a clear property to distinguish "SB AWE32", "SB AWE32 Value Edition" and "SB32".

To be AWE it *needs* onboard ram AND ram expansion slots, AFAIK.

CT3780 for example does not have any ram expansion slots, and is clearly labeled AWE32 ^^

this are the designations that I have in my list:

• CT3930 - Sound Blaster 32 IDE
• CT3600 - Sound Blaster 32 IDE PnP
• CT3620 - Sound Blaster 32 PnP
• CT3670 - Sound Blaster 32 PnP
• CT1920 - AWE Upgrade - Goldfinch
• CT2760 - Sound Blaster AWE32 MCD PnP
• CT2760A - Sound Blaster AWE32 CSP
• CT3780 - Sound Blaster AWE32 Value
• CT3980 - Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP
• CT3990 - Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP Internet Enhanced

imi wrote on 2020-10-01, 23:07:

CT3780 for example does not have any ram expansion slots, and is clearly labeled AWE32 ^^ […]
Show full quote

CT3780 for example does not have any ram expansion slots, and is clearly labeled AWE32 ^^

this are the designations that I have in my list:

• CT3930 - Sound Blaster 32 IDE
• CT3600 - Sound Blaster 32 IDE PnP
• CT3620 - Sound Blaster 32 PnP
• CT3670 - Sound Blaster 32 PnP
• CT1920 - AWE Upgrade - Goldfinch
• CT2760 - Sound Blaster AWE32 MCD PnP
• CT2760A - Sound Blaster AWE32 CSP
• CT3780 - Sound Blaster AWE32 Value
• CT3980 - Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP
• CT3990 - Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP Internet Enhanced

It might just be the onboard ram then. I am sure I read somewhere that if it has onboard ram it is an AWE.

yeah, I think all the SB32 cards lack onboard ram.

imi wrote on 2020-10-01, 23:18:

yeah, I think all the SB32 cards lack onboard ram.

Sorry to necro my own thread but can confirm this is the case - got another one of these cards (CT3600), except it has the IDE header, an IC405B instead of A, and no onboard RAM. Due to the lack of RAM it identifies as an SB32PnP. It's otherwise identical. I guess you could just solder on a RAM chip and flash with an AWE32 EEPROM if you really wanted to. Happy to leave it as-is however; I've popped 32MB RAM on it and it's a fine replacement for the old card with the toasty IC405A EMU8000 chip.

RichB93 wrote on 2024-11-29, 00:32:

I guess you could just solder on a RAM chip and flash with an AWE32 EEPROM if you really wanted to. Happy to leave it as-is however; I've popped 32MB RAM on it and it's a fine replacement for the old card with the toasty IC405A EMU8000 chip.

When I got the CT3600, 1MB SIMMs were considered worthless disposable gadgets, so soldering a 512KB RAM to the CT3600 made no sense at all, when you could just pick up 2MB for that card at any random location that did not yet scrap their e-waste computers. At the current ebay prices of 1MB SIMMs, soldering RAM to a CT3600 might become more attractive, though.