VOGONS


Reply 562 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Pryda ~ Loving You (Original Mix)

Leadtek WinFast A350XT TDH - GeForce FX 5900XT - 128 MB Rev D1

Finally I get to post something after a long time! 😀

I managed to finish almost all of the ongoing projects that have been started a couple of months ago or so. I have only one card left to restore but this one is something special that requires more attention and effort so I left it last.

Starting this year the good stuff has been quite scarce at the flea market but I was still able to get my hands on some nice pieces. "My guardian angel" aka my main retro HW supplier took care of me and he also "sent me" a few heavy parts so that I won't go into withdrawal. All in all expect at least 7 episodes over the following weeks!

Lets get on with the show!

Where was I? Aaaa Good Ol' LEADTEK!

I loved Leadtek cards. Together with Gainward they were at the top of my preferences. I used to day dream reading about high end cards featured in reviews. Too expensive, was the word of the day...

My first Leadtek card was a 6600GT AGP but I didn't get the satisfaction that I expected. The cooling fan was absolute crap and it seized a couple of times even if I took care of it by keeping it clean and oiled. In the end it died in a session of Test Drive Unlimited after I sold it to my cousins. For sure the fan seized again and it overheated. Bye bye solder balls ...

Even so, I still love Leadtek cards and I buy them every time I get the chance.

I found the card featured in this episode at the local flea market.

It looked mint and I was quick to snatch it. MINE!

LDTK-FX5900-XT-01.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-02.jpg

Because the card looked very well, before I was to restore it, I decided to see if she's still alive and kicking. I just cleaned the cooling fan a bit and I removed the dust from the card. I plugged into my test rig and I pressed the POWER button.

All was OK!

LDTK-FX5900-XT-03.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-04.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-05.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-06.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-07.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-08.jpg

Satisified with the results of the test I started the restoration procedures.

Initial state.

LDTK-FX5900-XT-09.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-10.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-11.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-12.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-13.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-14.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-15.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-16.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-17.jpg

Some time later. The metal parts didn't need polishing and they were just washed with water and Fairy Lemon dish soap then they were dried using an air compressor. The results have surpassed my expectations.

LDTK-FX5900-XT-18.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-19.jpg

Eversince I got the card, I saw that the heatsink was very well held by a pink silicone thermal pad. In the past when I was faced with something like this, I heated up the heatsink and by gently twisting it I was able to remove it without damage. The leftover traces of thermal pad were cleaned using a tiny amount of acetone and some IPA 99%. In this instance I decided to keep it simple and I left the heatsink in place as the card didn't go above 53C over during testing.

The adherent grime on the back of the card wasnt fazed by IPA 99% so I also washed the card with hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soape, then I dried it using an air compressor.

Next, followed more IPA 99% washes until I got the results I wanted.

Even if the heatsink remained on the board that doesn't mean that I didn't pay attention to detail. A few fins from the heatsink were out of their position and they were quickly put back in line.

LDTK-FX5900-XT-20.jpg

Results.

LDTK-FX5900-XT-21.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-22.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-23.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-24.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-25.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-26.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-27.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-28.jpg

During testing on fact became quite obvious. The ball bearing from the cooling fan was way past its prime. The rumble was present albeit it wasn't too loud.

That meant one thing. Tear it up and pack it up with fresh grease. Even if I was able to remove the dust cover with minimal damage, when I had to put it back, because I wasn't able to remove the ball bearing from the fan casing, it deformed a little. I left it like that but I checked to see that it didn't rub against the balls. I had try two types of grease until I was able to make the ball bearing silent. After I packed the ball bearing with fresh grease I assembled the fan and I let it run for a couple of minutes. Then I took apart the fan again and I removed the excess grease.

When I was done with the cooling fan, I spinned it into my hand and I was still able to feel "wear" of the ball bearing but with the fresh grease I prolonged its life.

Why all this effort? There is no replacement for the original. I could've mounted another cooler but the card would've lost its identity.

The fact that the card is not only clean but also silent is for me a big plus.

LDTK-FX5900-XT-29.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-30.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-31.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-32.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-33.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-34.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-35.jpg

Perfect!

LDTK-FX5900-XT-36.jpg

Final results!

LDTK-FX5900-XT-37.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-38.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-39.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-40.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-41.jpg LDTK-FX5900-XT-42.jpg

In a sea of FX 5200, FX 5500 and some times FX 5600 or FX 5700 cards, FX 5800 or FX 5900 cards represent something out of the ordinary.

If you find one buy it in the blink of an eye. They don't pop up very often.

I miss the old Leadtek but I also know that things can't be like in the past so I embrace the future with an open heart. 😀

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/T6D3n68

More later.

Reply 563 of 844, by kolderman

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

I'm playing Star Trek Elite Force on a 5900U literally right now. Apart from the XT there is also a 5900ZT, which are extremely rare. I just checked and there are 15 5900XTs on Ebay right now, not a single ZT (worldwide). I have the MSI version of the ZT, which looks like shrunken version of the bronze heatsink on the 5900 Ultra (which I am playing on now). It's weaker than the XT (probably 5500 level), but a nice collector item.

Reply 565 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Goddard - Drumble

A Slot A motherboard in DISTRESS!!! MSI K7 PRO Ver:1 - MS-6195

This episode had all of the requirements to be a great one. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, you mustn't count your chickens before they hatch.

My Good Ol' HW supplier has done it again and thanks to him I soon held in my hands this glorious Slot A motherboard. At that moment I was thinking that I've scored again ...

The motherboard arrived untested as the seller didn't have a suitable CPU to power it up. Before I decided to make it mine, from the pictures, I already spotted a few problems: swollen capacitors and the elephant in the room aka the mismatched NB heatsink.

As Slot A motherboards rank high on my wish list, I wasn't put off by a few bad caps and a heatsink. So, said and done, it was mine with all her problems. There was no turning back. Besides, I was to pay for it after I tested it. All in all it was a good deal.

Upon arrival, I conducted a thorough inspection and I came to the conclusion that 13 caps will have to be replaced. All of them were branded CHHSI, an old acquaintance from the Bad Caps Era. As the bulk of these caps wasn't in vital areas, I decided that it was safe to test the motherboard as is. Another factor that contributed to this decision was that the other caps were from reputable brands: SANYO, United Chemi-Con and PANASONIC.

MSI-K7-PRO-01.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-02.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-03.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-04.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-05.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-06.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-07.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-08.jpg

Before I powered it up I wanted to see what's under the NB heatsink. As expected, underneath, the thermal paste was hard and almost non-existent. I addressed this matter and I soon put together a test system. I used a 650MHz CPU, some RAM, a video card, an Enermax 465W PSU and then I pressed the POWER button.

MSI-K7-PRO-09.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-10.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-11.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-12.jpg

I expected a happy BEEP but all was silent like the grave. Hmmmmm ...

This can't be good ...

I tried just a about everything I could but I wasn't able to make the board beep let alone POST. It powered up by itself as soon as it was connected at the mains. In search of a solution I read the manual many times but to no avail. NADA! ZILCH! NOTHING!

As a feature, the motherboard has a group of four leds called D-LED or Diagnostic Led. "The mainboard provides a Special Diagnostic LED for users to be aware of their mainboard conditions. The LED helps user determine the problem of the mainboard." To the experienced users this feature isn't a must but in this instance it was useful.

No matter what I tried I got the same error: 3 GREEN and 1 RED leds! aka Early Chipset Initialization aka Boot Attempt, straight on power up, without cycling through other color combinations.

Stuck!

MSI-K7-PRO-13.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-14.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-15.jpg

I checked again the manual and the only thing I found was: *** aka Check with local vendor for possible internal motherboard problem. I wish that I didn't read that, I said to myself.

Hoping that something will change, I installed another CPU, a 500MHz Athlon. RESISTANCE IF FUTILE! Nothing happened.

MSI-K7-PRO-16.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-17.jpg

I installed my cheap PCI debug card and I got an error message that reminded of the Gigabyte GA-8TM aka THE FLOP. Yeah ... I remember that one ... it was a doozy!

Good Ol' control to int 19h boot loader error message. I can't say that I am fond of this one.

MSI-K7-PRO-18.jpg

I already felt that this board was a goner. Dead NB? Hmmm ... it can't be ...

In spite of all of these facts I still clinged on my last hope of recovering this relic of times gone by. Changing the swollen caps.

The CHHSI RB, HS and HK caps were to be replaced with whatever I had available at that time, Nichicon PW, Samxon GT and Aishi WH caps. The Aishi Wh caps were a stop-gap solution and I planned to swap them later with something better. In the end, as three Nichicon PW 1000uf caps were too tall and they were near the AGP slot, I replaced them with three Rubycon YXF even if the latter were wider. 1cm vs 0.8cm.

MSI-K7-PRO-19.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-20.jpg

Some time later I was ready to try again. Unfortunately even from the get go, I got the same error: 3 Green and 1 Red leds. &^$#&^&*#!!!!!!

I tried to start the motherboard with and without a CPU, with and without RAM, with and without a graphic card, with and without a BIOS chip, with and without a CMOS battery, clear CMOS, BIOS update, many BIOS versions, another BIOS chip ... the works. All was for nothing! The CPU got warm, the NB chip got warm, the SB had a normal temperature, the jumpers were ok ... NO BEEP(s) and NO POST.

Because according to the error reported by the D-LED, the board was stuck at Boot Attempt I also installed a HDD, FDD and ODD. Still no change!

Because at power up the led of the FDD was on, I also put a BIOS image on a floppy disk and I tried again even if I updated the BIOS with my MiniPRO TL866A programmer.

You guessed it! Nothing worked!

I also removed another PLCC chip that had a sticker with MSIG 1.0 on it. I was able to read the contents of the chip with my MiniPro TL866A but this brought nothing new. The file recovered was small and it contained just "0"s and "1"s. I powered up the board with and without this chip installed. Nothing changed.

I scoured the Internet in search of information regarding this MSIG 1.0 but I got nothing to help me. I wanted to edit the contents of this chip but because I didn't know its purpose I didn't do anything.

GREAT! &$#@(^*%^#!$#!!!!!

MSI-K7-PRO-21.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-22.jpg

The road to greatness is paved with good challenges not to be mistaken for intentions or it was something along these lines ... &*($#&^*(#$#!!! 😁 I WAS QUITE PISSED to say the least. This seemed an easy job. Get in. Get out. Take the prize and live to tell the tale ...

Well, it was fun while it lasted, so, I prepared the board for cleaning. Just a show piece, nothing more. RIP.

In spite of everything, while I cleaned the motherboard one thought kept creeping inside my mind. What if the other caps are bad? (It seems that I didn't learn anything from the Gigabyte GA-8TM story. In that instance I changed almost all of the caps and all was for nothing too. That was my first experience with the int 19h ... )

MSI-K7-PRO-23.jpg

After I washed the K7 PRO and I dried it using my air compressor, I placed it for a few minutes under the sun to let some of the leftover alcohol that might be trapped under some chips, evaporate.

A few minutes later I checked the board.

BEHOLD! THE SMOKING GUN! YEP dead NB!

MSI-K7-PRO-24.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-25.jpg

Even if I dried the board using an air compressor, some of the IPA 99% that got inside the NB chip, oozed out. I wiped the alcohol that came from that tiny crack, twice, a clear sign that this mobo don't work no more ...

Looking back, the NB missing it original heatsink should've given me food for thought. When I changed the TIM on the NB chip, that tiny "scratch" didn't alarm me as it looked to be on the surface. I knew that the board wasn't handled with silk gloves. Deep scratches on the CPU locking arms, on the PCI slots and a few superficial ones on the back. Bent pins from the Front Panel connector, etc.

MSI-K7-PRO-26.jpg

The SB chip is in good shape ... but this doesn't matter ...

MSI-K7-PRO-27.jpg

Embalmed for posterity ...

MSI-K7-PRO-28.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-29.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-30.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-31.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-32.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-33.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-34.jpg MSI-K7-PRO-35.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/w3wStzb

More later.

Reply 566 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Marcu Rares - Minute

NEXT EPISODE: Yep! Another Slot A motherboard!

This is my 3rd K7M so this episode will be mainly pictures as words are superfluous in this instance. 😁 I've presented this mobo twice already. 😀

PRW-FM20-65.jpg

I just love ASUS boards with their presence and good quality caps. When I finish working on such boards I'm still awed by the results.

PRW-FM20-66.jpg

I got this one right before the flea markets got closed. 😁 Lucky me and especially A VERY LUCKY MOTHERBOARD!

More later.

Reply 568 of 844, by PcBytes

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

That GPU.... FX 5950 Ultra?

"Enter at your own peril, past the bolted door..."
Main PC: i5 3470, GB B75M-D3H, 16GB RAM, 2x1TB
98SE : P3 650, Soyo SY-6BA+IV, 384MB RAM, 80GB

Reply 570 of 844, by gdjacobs

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
Robert B wrote on 2020-04-09, 13:45:

I'd wish 😁 It is a FX 5800.

Old dustbusters like that are maybe even more interesting.

All hail the Great Capacitor Brand Finder

Reply 571 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Lately I got a strange taste in FX cards. 😁

My FX 5800 (non ultra) is/was a dustbuster and also has a massive coil noise. Add some other stuff that I had to sort out and it can't get better than this!

I managed to reduce the coil noise and also the card barely gets warm in full load. 47C medium fan speed. The fan goes full speed only at startup. This is at room temp and open bench.

Full details in a blockbuster episode in the works.

PRW-FM20-68.jpg
Filename
PRW-FM20-68.jpg
File size
84.78 KiB
Views
1348 views
File license
Fair use/fair dealing exception

In the mean time I'll post more "regular" episodes. 😀

More later.

Reply 572 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby "... If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it ..." glass glass baby!

ASUS K7M the 3rd!

Ahh K7M, my love, ... I just love this board to bits! Being my third K7M you would expect that I might be tired of it but I'm happy to report that it is not the case. After all these years I'm still thirsty! Even if I would have 10 K7M motherboards this wouldn't change what I "feel" for them. Yeah I know I'm strange but I don't care!:D For me, the Irongate chipset screams Slot A goodness.

By a lucky turn of events, right around the time I was embalming the MSI K7 PRO motherboard, I found (where else?) at the local flea market, another Slot A motherboard: ASUS K7M REV:1.04.

I saw it from far away and I made a bee line for it! Initially I thought that it was a Slot 1 motherboard but when I got close I just couldn't believe my eyes. YEAH BABY! A Slot A mobo! WICKED!!! Would you look at that! AWESOME!

I quickly paid the asking price and IT WAS MINE!

Before I even checked to see what CPU was included in the kit I already started thinking of something in the 850+ MHz range, but in the end I found out that I held in my hands a "meager" 600MHz CPU. I'm not complaining though. A slot A combo is not something to sneeze at! 😁

This kit was the result of my last visit to the flea market on 14.03.2020. I'm anxiously waiting for the moment when I will be able to regain "my bad habit" of going to the flea market on a a weekly basis. 😁

But I digress ...

Kit Slot A. Flea market. Jackpot!

  • Asus K7M Rev:1.04
  • AMD Athlon - AMD-K7600MTR51B A

I first tackled the restoration of the CPU. I "cracked it" open. Custom thermal pads(Arctic) for the CACHE chips. Arctic MX-4. I enlarged a hole in the casing for an easy access in the future. NOS Neolec fan from a NOS s370 cooler. The works! (The entire procedure has already been presented many times in the past)

Check it out!

K7-600-M-01.jpg K7-600-M-02.jpg K7-600-M-03.jpg K7-600-M-04.jpg K7-600-M-05.jpg K7-600-M-06.jpg K7-600-M-07.jpg K7-600-M-08.jpg K7-600-M-09.jpg K7-600-M-10.jpg K7-600-M-11.jpg K7-600-M-12.jpg K7-600-M-13.jpg K7-600-M-14.jpg K7-600-M-15.jpg K7-600-M-16.jpg K7-600-M-17.jpg K7-600-M-18.jpg K7-600-M-19.jpg K7-600-M-20.jpg K7-600-M-21.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/gG1kx3G

After the MSI K7 PRO story the first thing I did when I got this kit was to fire it up and see what's what. To my joy, the combo was running like dream. I tested two CPUs at 650MHz and 600MHz. No problems to report! AWESOME!

ASUS-K7-M-104-01.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-02.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-03.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-04.jpg

The motherboard was extra dirty so I had no remorse when I washed it with lots of hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap. Several times. Then came many IPA 99% washes. It was dried many times with an air compressor. The NB heatsink wasn't removed as it is held with an adhesive thermal pad.

ASUS-K7-M-104-05.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-06.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-07.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-08.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-09.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-10.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-11.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-12.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-13.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-14.jpg

ASUS-K7-M-104-15.jpg

The initial results were very good but not up to my stringent standards.

ASUS-K7-M-104-16.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-17.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-18.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-19.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-20.jpg

More washing and drying.

ASUS-K7-M-104-21.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-22.jpg

We all know that something awesome can't be obtained without some elbow grease so I put the work in and a couple of hours later ...

ASUS-K7-M-104-23.jpg

... I got what I was looking for. Glass or nothing!

ASUS-K7-M-104-24.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-25.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-26.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-27.jpg

Final results.

ASUS-K7-M-104-28.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-29.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-30.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-31.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-32.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-33.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-34.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-35.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-36.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-37.jpg ASUS-K7-M-104-38.jpg

This is a a very lucky K7M. Straight from the dump and into my arms! Curious trajectory but I'm pretty sure that the board isn't complaining! 😁

ASUS-K7-M-104-39.jpg

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/cNtKSJx

More later.

Reply 574 of 844, by PcBytes

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Oh boy, I smell one of those Gigabyte boards with the model ending in "XP". These were OP as hell.

"Enter at your own peril, past the bolted door..."
Main PC: i5 3470, GB B75M-D3H, 16GB RAM, 2x1TB
98SE : P3 650, Soyo SY-6BA+IV, 384MB RAM, 80GB

Reply 576 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Thanks buff. At first I didn't know how to clean my stuff but as I started to restore more and more parts, I got better at it. It all depends of how far you want to go and what you think that the concept of clean is. For some clean means just a dust off, for others it is an entirely different matter. 😁

I have posted how I clean my stuff a few times on the thread but I haven't made a full guide yet. In each episode I posted details about the cleaning procedures undertaken.

Regardless of how you wash your components, water or/and IPA 99%, the most important step is the last one which involves cotton sticks and IPA 99%. Usually I spend anywhere between 2-4 hours, cleaning the PCBs with cotton sticks and IPA 99%. If you hold the part at an angle against a source of light or the sun, you can see a fine film of grime that has stuck to the surface and as you start to clean with the cotton sticks dipped in IPA 99% you can see how you "peel off" the sticky dirt that has accumulated over the years. Of course you will need a lot of cotton sticks as they get dirty and mess up an area that you have already cleaned. I tend to reuse the cotton sticks that are used in this step, to clean other parts in the preliminary cleaning stages. That fine thin film of grime is all the difference between a clean part and one that looks like glass. The downside is that after you clean a component like this, you will have to take precautions as it will become a finger print magnet. 😁

In some instances after you use IPA 99% a part can look worse than before and the PCB can become hazy. Don't despair. Sometimes it just takes another IPA 99% wash to clean it. Sometimes it can take a wash with water followed by another IPA 99% wash. There isn't a general rule as different parts from different manufacturers or periods will behave differently to cleaning. Sometimes, leftover flux can be a nightmare to remove, sometimes a substance used in the manufacturing process will drive you nuts, sometimes after a wash you will be welcomed by a "salty" deposit on all the tiny solder connections. Don't despair. Patience and IPA 99% will make it better. A hefty dose of elbow grease might/will be required. Experiment with different parts and see what you get. Over the years I've seen people wash their parts in a dishwasher but I'm not going to do as they did. 😁 The only thing that is still on my to do list is leaving a part in IPA 99% for 24h to see what results I get.

In my case the gist of cleaning is simple. Patience. IPA 99% and/or water(regular tap water, demineralized water, etc) and dish soap. Different brushes that usually are made from animal hairs. Sometimes I also deploy regular tooth brushes that are used and have very fine hairs. Cotton sticks. Sometimes I also use an air compressor to dry washed parts. Elbow grease and an adventurous nature willing to experiment. 😁

The parts I cleaned between 2015-2017 aren't at the standards that I have enforced after 2017. They are still restored and clean but the later parts are in another league.

Reply 577 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

1992 - Analysis - Climax

BLUE WONDER from a G Dimension!

Yeah! Good Ol' GIGI! GG! aka Gigabyte.

I must confess that back in the day I wasn't too interested in Gigabyte motherboards. I read about them but I only had eyes for ASUS, MSI, EPOX or Abit.

My first Gigabyte motherboard was a GA-EP35-DS3R destined for s775 CPUs. I loved that board. Together with a E8400 CPU overclocked at 3.6GHz and sometimes at 4+GHz, 4GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz RAM, an Enermax Modu 82+ 625W PSU and a Gainward Bliss 9800 GTX 512MB graphic card, I was taken to the farthest graphical horizons. 😁

However, since I started this trip into the past I came to see Gigabyte motherboards in a completely different way. Gigabyte IS one of the Sacred Monsters of motherboard manufacturing.

Some time in February 2020 I received a few pictures with a blue motherboard. As soon as I saw the first imagine my heart started pumping. The F... IS THAT UFO!!?!??!

She's a beauty! I LIKE IT!!!

HOW MUCH IS IT??? For you is XXX EUR/USD responded the seller. SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!!!

Arigatou gozaimasu! Arigatou gozaimasu! Arigatou gozaimasu!

What am I actually talking about? He He ... an awesome Socket A motherboard! And not your plain Jane!

I know that you want me tell you the model number but you will have to wait a little longer. 😁

The motherboard came as a kit together with a Thermaltake Volcano 9 CPU cooler and an AMD Athlon XP 2600+ AXDA2600DKV3D CPU, a thoroughbred through and through if I may say so. 😁

Needless to say that I waited for the arrival of the kit like it was Christmas Day. 😁

As soon as I received the goods I fired them up to see what's what.

GA-7-NNXP-01.jpg

(Drum roll) The star of this episode is none other than the: Gigabyte 7NNXP (nForce2 Ultra 400) REV:1.00!

The Tt Volcano 9 CPU cooler is a beast and I like it a lot. Chrome, Aluminium, Copper, Size and the Orange Fan. However nothing prepared me for the sheer noise it makes at FULL BLAST. A VOLCANO not only for its cooling capacity but for its levels of dBs also. 😁

GA-7-NNXP-02.jpg

dBs! dBs! dBs! Who's counting?!

This cooler reminded me of my Titan CU5TB and the times when I slept with my PC running and downloading all kinds of anime series. 😁 I used to wake up on a hourly basis and listen to the soft, silky smooth, soft sound of the CU5TB!!! 😁 Good times! KT333+Athlon XP 1900+!!! FTW!!!

In 2010 when I stopped downloading anime stuff I burned around 1000 DVDs. About 1500 titles are archived for posterity. 😁

But let's return to the star of this episode.

The blue wonder from the G dimension.

7NNXP? Check! DPS? Check!

DPS? The F... is a DPS?

DPS=GIGABYTE unique Dual Power System (DPS) design.

GC-DPVRM REV:1.0 - "DPVRM (Dual Power Voltage Regulator Module) is a daughter card which can provide you the DPS (Dual Power System) function. A cool stylish neon blue DPVRM that supply a total 6-phase power circuit design, delivers a high durable power design for the new generation motherboard." Let's not forget the cool stylish neon blue FAN! CHECK!!! and DOUBLE/TRIPLE CHECK!!! RGB in its infancy when it didn't know what he wanted to be when he will grow up ...

In essence this DPS module is an add-on that supplies the CPU with 3 more VRM phases on top of the 3 VRM phases that are already on the board. In practice this module is, as expected, just a marketing gimmick, but this aspect makes the motherboard all the more collectible. OVERKILL!!!

Some of you might not see socket A motherboards as something collectible but remember that this motherboard is already 17 years old, time is unforgiving and a few years down the road you might not find these jewels. Who wants something like this must act now!

I spoke a lot about this kit but where's the picture???

GA-7-NNXP-03.jpg

Someone (who knew what he was doing) took care of this kit and has mounted a beefier fan on the NB. 40x40x25 vs 40x40x10 (mm). For sure, the motherboard like many other of the same period (Abit NF7-S comes into my mind), came with a crappy NB fan that seized and it was replaced .Good call! You don't want that NB to get toasty!

GA-7-NNXP-04.jpg

Besides the beefier NB fan, this kit had another surprise in store for me.

How was a Tt Volcano 9 CPU cooler able to fit on this motherboard!?!?? EASY! Shave a corner and you're golden!

GA-7-NNXP-05.jpg

The workmanship isn't exactly A+ but it gets the job done. Props to the original owner whoever you might be!

7NNXP BABY! FULL SPEED! HIGH END! yadda, yadda ... nforce 2 ULTRA 400 etc. etc. ...

GA-7-NNXP-06.jpg

GC-DPVRM REV:1.0!

GA-7-NNXP-07.jpg

REV:1.00!

GA-7-NNXP-08.jpg

As there is a method to my madness, as a great part of this thread can't be qualified as nothing but madness, I gave attention to each part and I did what I do best. RESTORING 101! ABOVE AND BEYOND!

Enter the Tt Volcano 9!

GA-7-NNXP-09.jpg

Eblow grease required.

GA-7-NNXP-10.jpg GA-7-NNXP-11.jpg

Hot water. Patience. Attention to detail. Fairy Lemon. Various brushes. Polishing paste. Rags.

GA-7-NNXP-12.jpg

The elbow grease has paid off in the end. Nothing comes without effort.

GA-7-NNXP-13.jpg GA-7-NNXP-14.jpg

Exit the Tt Volcano 9! 😁

After some convincing work I got the results I was looking for.

GA-7-NNXP-15.jpg GA-7-NNXP-16.jpg GA-7-NNXP-17.jpg GA-7-NNXP-18.jpg GA-7-NNXP-19.jpg GA-7-NNXP-20.jpg

Next came the main course, the moment when I tackled the mother ship aka the mother of all mothers aka THE MOTHERBOARD!

GA-7-NNXP-21.jpg

The original NB fan has been replaced with a Sunon D1204PKS2 which is silent, Thank GOD! Thumbs up!

GA-7-NNXP-22.jpg

My previous experience with cleaning blue PCBs has paid off and I went straight to washing with H2O! Yep Good Ol' H2O!

GA-7-NNXP-23.jpg

... and Fairy Lemon, of course ... you can't have one without the other ...

GA-7-NNXP-24.jpg

Bubble bath.

GA-7-NNXP-25.jpg

Drips. IPA 99% drips as I must say that after two H2O and Fairy Lemon washes an IPA 99% wash was in order. I might be mad but there is a method to my madness.

GA-7-NNXP-26.jpg

Satisfactory initial results. For some of you these initial results might be enough but not for me. NO SIR! MAXIMUM/ALL or NOTHING! 1 or 0. Binary trouble. In general I don't expect maximum from someone but when something rests only on me I give it 100%!

GA-7-NNXP-27.jpg GA-7-NNXP-28.jpg GA-7-NNXP-29.jpg

After I put the motherboard through the initial cleaning procedures I turned my attention toward the DPS module - GC-DPVRM REV:1.0

I looked at it and I came to the logical conclusion that a hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap wash is in order. Next came an IPA 99% wash just so that you rest easy knowing that I didn't F..K up something. 😁

GA-7-NNXP-30.jpg

I didn't remove the heatsink as it was held by a thin pink adhesive thermalpad. Better safe than sorry.

GA-7-NNXP-31.jpg

Basking in the SUN!

GA-7-NNXP-32.jpg

The cool blue led fan isn't looking so cool in the snow.

GA-7-NNXP-33.jpg

Gimme love! Gimme HEAT!

GA-7-NNXP-34.jpg

DPS module DONE! Some marks will be forever engraved into the PCB lacquer. Unfortunately the running hours can't be turned back. Each breath of fresh air is also a step toward the void ...

GA-7-NNXP-35.jpg GA-7-NNXP-36.jpg

MY BIGGEST FAN! (Pun intended)

GA-7-NNXP-37.jpg

Final results of the DPS module.

GA-7-NNXP-38.jpg

After I cleaned the DPS module I tackled the NB fan. Nothing was left to chance.

GA-7-NNXP-39.jpg GA-7-NNXP-40.jpg GA-7-NNXP-41.jpg

I wish I had an Athlon XP 3200+ to put on this puppy and I felt some remorse thinking that a few months ago I said no to a boxed one ... choices choices ...

I wanted to mount an Athlon XP 2800+ AXDA2800DKV4D CPU but in the end I decided to use the Athlon 2600+ that came with the motherboard.

GA-7-NNXP-42.jpg

After many hours spent on the small bits and pieces came the moment for the main course. THE MOTHERBOARD!

GA-7-NNXP-43.jpg

This stage is where all the MAGIC is happening.

IPA 99%. Brushes. Cotton sticks. Endless passion.

GA-7-NNXP-44.jpg

After hours and hours of being a man over board I returned to reality and I was ready to face the world. 😁

I am hooked on the moments in which I forget about myself and I am focused only on the task at hand.

Let's see what I got in exchange of my hard work.

GA-7-NNXP-45.jpg GA-7-NNXP-46.jpg GA-7-NNXP-47.jpg GA-7-NNXP-48.jpg GA-7-NNXP-49.jpg GA-7-NNXP-50.jpg GA-7-NNXP-51.jpg GA-7-NNXP-52.jpg GA-7-NNXP-53.jpg GA-7-NNXP-54.jpg GA-7-NNXP-55.jpg GA-7-NNXP-56.jpg

I think that a pair of ice skates is in order for the next pictures. If you fancy a skating ring NOW is the moment! 😁

GA-7-NNXP-57.jpg GA-7-NNXP-58.jpg GA-7-NNXP-59.jpg GA-7-NNXP-60.jpg GA-7-NNXP-61.jpg GA-7-NNXP-62.jpg GA-7-NNXP-63.jpg GA-7-NNXP-64.jpg GA-7-NNXP-65.jpg

Looking back, I loved the time I spent with the wonder from the G dimension. GIGABYTE!

At the end of this episode I was left without words so I will leave the pictures speak for me.

Cya with more awesome episodes in a forum near you! 😁

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/vm00YCY

More later.

Reply 579 of 844, by Robert B

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Thanks peido 😀

Next episode will feature some FX Action 😁 One is a new addition and I'll let you spot the one. 😁

PRW-FM20-72.jpg

Recently I also aquired and an untested jewel. 😀 It will be restored to perfection. Even if it might be dead it is still something to look at. The price was just about right for that huge slab of a cooler. It also has the smaller cooler on the back. MSI FX 5900 128MB. MS-8929 VER:100

PRW-FM20-78.jpg

More later.