Re: List of video card tech demos

Posted on 2024-01-29, 20:46

by

by analog_programmer

in Milliways

in Milliways

Several years ago nVidia removed all the tech demos with female characters from their site for a(n) (un)known reason. But some "politically incorrect" person has uploaded one of them (Dusk Ultra) here: https://archive.org/details/nvidia_demo_dusk_ultra

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Re: Recommended DOS file manager?

Posted on 2024-01-29, 01:09

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

You may try Necromancer's DOS Navigator. It's a modern version of Norton Commander and it's currently supported/updated for DOS, Linux, Windows, Hauku, Kolibri, Menuet etc.

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Re: VGA Video cards - BIOS image collection

Posted on 2024-01-28, 14:29

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Please don't post BIOS-es for GPU-equipped cards (meaning everything older than GeForce 256 is fine). It's very hard to find any BIOS for nVidia generations before GeForce 6xxx on the internet. Can't you make exceptions for nVidia generations up to GeForce FX (including) or it will be more …

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Re: 486 motherboard. Raising from the dead.

Posted on 2024-01-27, 17:25

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I was referring to the other diode that has not been removed. Removing the one for the charging circuit is fine. The second diode on the trace to external battery +(positive) terminal is to prevent back-charging of the on-board rechargeable battery from the ext. battery and it is completely useless …

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Re: 486 motherboard. Raising from the dead.

Posted on 2024-01-27, 15:53

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I would be careful and measure the voltage at the cathode ("output side" of the diode) while the board is turned on before removing it. This point typically gets connected to +5V by the famous two transistors once the board is powered up. You didn't watch the video carefully, the +5 VDC battery- …

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Re: 486 motherboard. Raising from the dead.

Posted on 2024-01-27, 13:39

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Oops, I missed this since I rarely read any descriptions for the videos on YT 😀 Thanks for the link, Tony, I found the same twizers even cheaper from another seller on AE. For those chineese digital microscopes I can only confirm your opinion.

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Re: "Soft CPU" settings for Pentium (Socket 7 era)... in MR BIOS?

Posted on 2024-01-27, 08:21

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I don't know where did you got this MR BIOS archive from, but if your motherboard doesn't have an options to manually set (by combinations of jumpers) voltage, bus frequency and multiplier for the CPU, it's obviously not a good idea to use some "chipset-universal" 3-rd party BIOS that also doesn't …

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Re: 486 motherboard. Raising from the dead.

Posted on 2024-01-26, 23:58

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I totally forgot about those very-fine-tip tweezers... Guys, where I can get one of these?

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 20:48

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Not always, at least to my eyes. +1 If this MGA-G100 videocard was of some use for testing the MSI 3D API and with decent DOS-compatibility I would "turn a blind eye" to all these 3D-rendering defects and the other unwanted picture artifacts, however much to my disappointment it turned out not to …

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Re: 486 motherboard. Raising from the dead.

Posted on 2024-01-26, 20:22

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I thought about that just yesterday: what is the purpose of the diode? It prevents voltage coming from the rest of the board from reaching the battery I guess. In case someone plugs something on the external battery connector I guess? I mean, it's unlikely but probably a "good to have". If the …

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Re: 486 motherboard. Raising from the dead.

Posted on 2024-01-26, 19:46

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Video is live :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVg2pvyYbn0 Thank you, Tony! I've already watched it and as always it was fun :) Good job. Sphere478 must be pleased with this repair. One suggestion for the two diodes in the circuit for external and rechargeable battery: You rightly removed the …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 19:27

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

DrAnthony wrote on 2024-01-26, 18:11: Was that usually referred to as dithered or stippled alpha back then? Have no idea how they call this pixelized mess, but back then I've seen such a blending quality only with low-res software 3D-rendering.

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Re: Help me find the best storage option for my Socket7 - Intel Pentium MMX build

Posted on 2024-01-26, 16:51

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hi analog_programmer, The new HOT-569A patch J.3 BIOS version is ready and I sent you a download link via PM. Please let us know how this new BIOS works. Hi, Jan! Thank you very much for the new BIOS patched version for Shuttle HOT-596 A mobo! I'll give my best to test it tomorrow with some …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 16:08

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

What do you mean by true multi-bit alpha? Maybe he's very impressed by this unique multi-bit-alpha-dither-blending-don't-know-how-to-call-it shady effect. I have no words to describe such a 3D-picture quality :D awesome_multi-bit_alpha_whatever_dithering.jpg I guess he chose screenshots from the …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 15:27

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

True multi-bit alpha, smooth textures, twice the performance. Really?! Nein, danke! I can easily find more adequate AGP 3D cards than this Matrox MGA-G100 that came out in the same time period and they're also with price tag of under EUR 10 as they're mostly considered as "useless scrap" on the …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 13:47

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Instead of the mystique and the g200, the g100 gives me headaches on amithlon too...no native acceleration and vesa also broken...even mystique is just fine here. bilinear filtering on very early 3d cards is no a must have for me...the alpha? blending is the bigger weakness... mystique is a very …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 13:42

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

It is an early 3D card, you're listing the characteristics. It's Matrox pushing older stuff on the office market with random 3D quality of life updates. Ok, it's relaunched older stuff with some "upgrades", but this doesn't excuse the fact that these "upgrades" are actually broken features from the …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 05:14

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Yeah, DOS is "dead" for 99.9999...% of the PC-users and that goes for those ancient ISA, VLB, PCI, AGP and most of older PCI-E video cards too! But here we come from the point of view of a retro-PC hobby enthusiasts. I shared how this Matrox card now looks to me against the background of other …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 04:39

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Ok, so now it seems that this Productiva card is really a complete garbage. I'll be looking for a Millennium II at a reasonable price. And for the Voodoo1/2 accelerators I'll continue to use only the much hated S3 Trio64, ViRGE and Trio3D variants as 2D-cards. Once again, thanks for all the info, …

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Re: Is Matrox MGA-G100 Productiva compatible with Matrox Simple Interface (MSI 3D API)?

Posted on 2024-01-26, 04:17

by

by analog_programmer

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

It could logically have a home in a P2 Klamath. It's an early AGP card and feels handy for a "poor mans/womans mystique/millennium" substitute and feels more functional than most of the then-1998 state of a lot of first generation 3d cards. It's definitely > ViRGE at 3d in my book. Well, I own one …

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