@SirNickity - Silly me as I didnt check the P75 ES to see if it has the FIDV bug. 😁 When I get to test another S7 motherboard I'll post the result. 😀 It seems that your 166MMX > my 166 😁. Same but different. 😁

Speaking of FDIV bug(s). The next episode will feature a little bit of socket 4 goodness. This is my second setup after my P66 + ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3.

@appiah4

1. First I cleaned the surface with a regular alcohol based solution for cleaning windows (Clin) to remove most of the surface dirt and grime. I could've used hot water and dish soap but I was in a hurry.
2. Then I used some IPA 99% for stubborn sticky stains.
3. Afterwards I used cotton sticks with a rust remover solution (Szuper Evipass) and I put tiny amounts of it over the rusted areas. This Szuper Evipass is used on cars to prepare metal before painting and I found out by luck that it has a mild action and not a violent one, so it takes time to do its job. I left the solution to do its magic for about 5-15 minutes. Then, I cleaned the areas with IPA 99% and a soft rag. When this solution does its job it sometimes turns rusted metal to a black colour other times it just exposes the clean metal beneath. If you take your time and use a fine needle or a sharp bamboo stick you can clean that black deposit and expose the clean metal yourself. NOTE: Take care when you use this or other rust remover solution as it can damage the anti rust treatment (Zn or other) of the metal. Until now I found out that it is safe on plastics, rubber and painted surfaces but you should still do a test before you do anything.
3.1. In my case I was quite lucky. The scratches werent so deep and it was just a case of the rust coming out of those small scratches and covering the surrounding paint. After I cleaned those rusted scratches and that brown "juice" that has stained the surrounding area, I was left with very little blemishes. Where the rust remover solution wasnt able to remove the brown stains on the paint, I used a fine polishing compound recommended for removing scratches on car paint and a soft rag. You can sometimes use regular metal polishing compound but this is coarser and it can dull the laquer. YMMV. Test before doing anything.
4. I used some grey primer/filler to fill the bigger scratches. I left the tiny ones alone as I deemed that it wasnt necessary to do anything about them, at least for now.
5. To clean the case I could've used some CIF cream but I found out that sometimes it can scratch some surfaces so I didnt want to use it in this case.
6. The black plastic front cover also had some scratches and I used some ultra fine polishing paste and a piece of a very soft cloth and I gently massaged them. Afterwards I used a piece of soft microfiber cloth and I wiped off the excess. This way I managed to "sweeten" those scratches when you look at them from the front. From the side they are still visible but they are greatly diminished.

At first I wanted to paint the metal cover but after I saw that the paint still was in great shape I decided to keep it simple. Even now I still cant believe that it is looking so well given the treatment it received.

Interesting. I never use automotive care products, I guess I should try them.

Could you please show photos and a list of active ingredients for this rust remover you use?

In your country it may be called differently. I found only the spec sheet in Hungarian and Romanian. The main ingredients are: Phosphoric Acid 18-22% and Boric Acid 1-3%.

I used it without incidents but I take great care how and where I use it. I also use safety glasses and gloves. The only fact that I must specify is that if it drips on cement floors or other surfaces like that it starts to fizzle and you can feel a stinging smell. It can sometimes discolor some cement mosaic surfaces. Other than that it does what it says on the label. I use small quantities of it or I place parts on a rubber mat. Sometimes I submerge small components in small plastic containers. etc.

http://www.eurocolor.ro/tartalom/_pdf_fisateh … ica/evipass.pdf
http://evirt.hu/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/ … PER-EVIPASS.pdf

Listenbee - Save Me (LondonBridge Remix)

HERE'S BATMAN!!!

Code name:

* Premiere PCI ED (Batman) 60MHz *** Intel PREMIERE/PCI *** Intel Batman *** P5-PCI BATMAN
* AA 624415-211 *** PBA 623667-211 *** PB 631446-001

This episode will feature a motherboard made by Intel which has the code name of "BATMAN". In the wild we can find two variants of this motherboard, based on what CPUs they support: Batman - Pentium 60 and Batman's Revenge - Pentium 60/66. The difference can be spotted by the eye as "Batman" doesnt have the VRM components needed to fully support the Pentium 66MHz. At least officially.

At a first glimpse, when I bought the motherboard, I thought that I got myself a Batman but at P.O.S.T. I saw something different. Batman or Batman's Revenge, the lack of the VRM components means a less than ideal support for the Pentium 66MHz. But this is for later.

http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/intel/index.html

1.00.xx.AF1: Premiere/PCI Expandable Desktop (Batman)
1.00.xx.AF2: Premiere/PCI ED (Batman's Revenge)

http://pcrebuilding.altervista.org/23/INTEL+D … top+Boards.html

http://www.dewassoc.com/systems/component/mot … ntelmbrefer.htm

"Batman was Intel's first TTM("Time To Market") motherboard and its goal was to ensure the early success of the first Pentium."

https://www.tomshardware.fr/16-ans-de-cartes-meres-intel-2/

Now that we have prepared the arena, let's get on with the show.

The motherboard presented bellow was bought as "defective". It worked but the BIOS couldn't be accessed. This fact meant nothing to me. Batman is Batman even knee deep in the muck.

For a low low price it was mine ALL MINE! I anxiously waited the arrival of the relic. You see, several years ago I looked at pictures with Batman and I just drooled. Not anymore. I got my grubby hands on one and I'm not letting it go easily. 😁

THE PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED!

Let's see what has the cat dragged in.

Would you look at that. The little Bat who thinks is THE BATMAN!!! 😁

I didnt know what was the problem that made the BIOS to be inaccessible, and even before this I had another "headache". A Pentium 60MHz - Socket 4 was nowhere in sight.

Eversince I looked at the pictures with the motherboard and I checked the jumpers vs manual, I knew that originally it had a P60. When asked, the seller said that the P60 was not for sale no matter the price. So that meant that it was priceless ... damn ...

I already have a P66 which is "married" with my ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 and I could've used it but I decided to wait until a P60 will fall in my lap.

As the motherboard was rather clean I decided not to take it in my dungeon where before entering on the wall is written: "BEWARE! Lots of torture cleaning ahead!" and I just took a few pictures. 😁

Four months have passed since I bought the motherboard when by a stroke of luck I found a P60 right in my backyard ahem, cough cough, ... town.

Again, for a low low price I bought a P60 SX835 which was a perfect fit for Batman. A match made in Heaven.

The CPU was meant to be scrapped and I was very lucky to find it. It didnt look to well and I had to straighten many pins. "The force" needed to straighten the pins on a Socket 4 CPU is greater than that required for Socket 3/7 CPUs and that force is still stuck in my fingers. Also, the weight of the P60 is stuck in my mind. You can feel "the weight" when you are holding it. This is something SOLID, let me tell you.

The moment when I powered up "the Socket 4 monster" soon followed after I bought the P60. Now it was the time to see what's what.

I told you earlier about Batman and Batman's Revenge.

1.00.xx.AF1: Premiere/PCI Expandable Desktop (Batman)
1.00.xx.AF2: Premiere/PCI ED (Batman's Revenge)

At P.O.S.T. I expected to see 1.00.xx.AF1 but on the screen it was listed: 1.00.xx.AF2.

The lack of the VRM components said another thing.

Well, it is possible that my Batman has the BIOS from a Batman's Revenge ... In the end I decided to call it just Batman.

I ran SpeedSys 4.78 and as advertised, the motherboard was in good working condition.

I wasnt able to access the BIOS.

Initially I wanted to remove to BIOS chip and reprogram it. I also wanted to solder a PLCC32 socket.

Still, the problem didnt look like it was directly tied to the BIOS version.

I turned my attention to the RTC Dallas DS12887 but again I didnt want to perform a CR2032 mod as it was too much work and I wanted to keep it simple.

I searched the Internet for a solution and I found one that was quite elegant.

Re: Cannot enter BIOS setup on my Pentium 60

Others like me had the same problem.

Re: Cannot enter BIOS setup on my Pentium 60

As the battery from the RTC/CMOS Dallas DS12887 was long dead, the system didnt know in which date/time it was so the BIOS was inaccessible. Quirks of ancient technology.

The utility, G-SETUP, 286,386 Generic BIOS Setup Program - Bypass system BIOS program utility DOS 1996 allows the alteration of BIOS settings straight from DOS.

http://ibm-pc.org/utilities/system/system.htm

Let's see if this was the right solution.

Before. The time was 99:106:23. The date was 99/91/55103.

After I inputed some more "humanly" dates. .

Did it work? ... check for yourselves!

I felt great satisfaction after I eliminated all the gremlins from the system.

I ran a few tests just to see if I find other problems. The P60, SX835, has the all important FDIV bug! YAY! Another gem in my ever growing collection.

The Intel Batman motherboard has a spartan BIOS in comparison with the ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 and I wasnt able to get more performance out of it. Even so, the P60 still packs a punch.

P60+Intel Batman vs P66+ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3

P60+Intel Batman BFFs!!!

Something was still nagging me. I mean, I got my hands on another Socket 4 setup and I didnt get to clean it? That's blasphemy! 😁

After a cotton stick and IPA 99% test, I arrived to the conclusion that this motherboard is in a desperate need of cleaning! 😁 I know that I was looking for excuses ...

Was I able to take this puppy to the next level in regard to its looks?

Well, I hate to brag, but I did get way better results than before. 😁

Check it out!

Restored to perfection! Just the way I like it!

This was the story of my second Socket 4 setup. This stuff doesnt pop up very often so in a way I feel quite lucky to own not one but two motherboards and the all important CPUs.

All the original Pentiums are in my hands, FDIV bug and all. Shinier and looking better than the day they were born.

Stay tuned for more great episodes!

More later.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2lkh0ct42/

Pulp Fiction Theme: Surf Rider

NEXT EPISODE: I.P.A. or the story of the illusive 100% 😁

More later.

Just posting to say I love these “episodes”. Really like the backstory and of course, the pictures. Thanks Robert for continuing the saga. I look forward to each new post!

Thanks for the kind words doogie. 😀

Besides the I.P.A. story there are quite a few other episodes to post. 😁

More later.

'Illusions of Existence' - Liquid Drum and Bass Mix

I.P.A. or the story of the illusive 100%

From time to time, to spice things up, I like to set some "targets" that are easier or harder to achieve, depending of the situation. One thing is certain tough, no matter the difficulty the satisfaction is always the same. OFF THE SCALE! These old components are like a part of my soul and body. I say soul first and body second. I've read about them, I've laughed at them, I lusted over them, I owned them ... heck, they are like an old friend. You sometimes can see someone 20 years later and still have that "connection" even if you weren't in touch with each other. True friends are illusive too like that 100%! 😁 But I digress ...

In the AGP tribulations? series I was a little too ambitious and in the end I didn't get that 100% success rate with components bought from the flea market. Lately, that 100% thing kept popping up in my mind and I wanted to cross it off my list. So, I waited for the opportune moment and I made my move. This came in the form of the I.P.A. episode. Was I able to achieve that illusive 100%?

What does I.P.A. stand for? It has nothing to do with Isopropyl Alchool 99%, even if I "snorted" a lot of that stuff, so form where does it come from?

I. - ISA - Industry Standard Architecture
P. - PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
A. - AGP - Accelerated Graphic Port

I think that you already know that we are going to deal with graphic cards in this episode. 😁

Let's meet "the victims".

1. VGA ULTRA(I) Trident TVGA8900C 1MB ISA
2. INTERGRAPH Intense 3D 100 Rendition Verite V1000-E 4MB PCI
3. LEADTEK WinFast Geforce 2 MX SH PRO 5ns Ultra Speed - Geforce 2 MX 400 32MB AGP

All have been bought from the flea market, at about the same time, some days apart. No mistery here.

Let's see if they were all still alive and kicking and if I was able to return them to their former glory ...

Let's get on with the show!

VGA ULTRA(I) Trident TVGA8900C 1MB ISA

Something about the ULTRA and Trident being on the same PCB made me shrug just a little bit but I didn't complain about the 1MB of video memory. 😁

These older components are more "organic" and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Also, the older parts are from the "Die Hard" category and they keep on going no matter what.

Some spit 'n' polish later.

Lights! Camera! POWER!

In regard to the state of the Trident 8900C I didnt have any doubts and even since I laid my hands on it I said to myself: this is working 100%!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2uqpr5b56/

INTERGRAPH Intense 3D 100 Rendition Verite V1000-E 4MB PCI

Intergraph. This is a name that you don't see too often at the flea market.

Rendition. Again a name that doesn't pop up too often at the flea market.

When I saw this card I was like a kid in the candy store. It was a package deal with a SK7 motherboard, an ISA modem and a CT2830 sound card. The asking price was very low. Lucky me!

The card didn't look too well. Scratches all over the place and some rust here and there. Looking sorry for itself. Have no fear Robert B is in here! 😁

Straight as an arrow.

Rust be gone!

The bracket wasn't chromed so I was able just to sweeten a little the traces of the contact with water and the inevitable passing of time.

Some sessions with fine polishing paste and cotton sticks to reduce/remove the scratches on various chips.

You can see the silkscreen REACTOR, the initial name of this card, instead of the Intense 3D 100.

IPA 99%, patience and attention to detail.

Final results.

My work was done but I didn't know the state of the card.

Weeks have passed until I fired it up. Something told me that she was alive so I was very relaxed.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nw0r7nai/

LEADTEK WinFast Geforce 2MX SH PRO 5ns Ultra Speed - Geforce 2 MX 400 32MB AGP

I used to love LEADTEK graphic cards. Now they aren't what they once were ...

I usually don't buy budget cards but in this instance I made an exception. A GF2 MX400 with ultra fast VRAM, LED indicators and a LEADTEK name? HELL YEAH!!! Shut up an take my money! (http://ixbtlabs.com/articles/gf2mxshprowinfast/index.html)

The card was looking very well.

I removed the heatsink and surprise surprise, this is no ordinary GF2 MX400. Temperature sensor and stuff. NICE!

All was fine but I hit a snag. While I prepared the card for cleaning I saw that a pin from the VGA connector was pushed inward. The unfortunate thing was that it was the #1 PIN (RED). What were the odds?!?!?

I took a little time to assess the situation. In the end I used various "tools" and I managed to get the pin in the correct position. The bad thing was that it didnt stay in position and I had to use a little transparent POXIPOL to fix in place. To be safe, I put a fine line of Poxipol from one end to the other. Now even a gorilla can insert the VGA cable and the pins will stay in place.

Huh, I almost said good bye to that 100%! That was a close one!

I cleaned the card well.

I cleaned the cooling system and the bracket. I had to polish the heatsink a little as the old paste left some marks that didn't look too well.

The final results were very good. Shining like a diamond in the goat's a$$.

If there was a card from these three, that could jeopardize my 100%, this was the one.

But I was lucky ... again! 😁

In the end I was able to achieve that illusive 100%. A 100% success rate with parts bought from the flea market that were still alive and kicking against all the odds. Dumped in boxes, dirty, forgotten, ready to be sent to the crusher and returned to the void from which they came ...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1lwem9y22/

But wait, life is never so easy.

There is a twist ... the mistery variable that could've damage my perfect score and make a me look like a n00b celebrating before the last shot was taken. 😁

Meet the: STB Velocity 128-VBX AGP - nVIDIA Riva 128ZX 8MB AGP.

Another card that will prove to be alive?

From all of the four cards, this one was in worse shape even if it looked pretty well.

It took me some time to reduce the ugly scrathes that were present on various chips. The side effect was the reduction of the intensity of the markings on some of them. All in all not a deal breaker.

The card was missing a ceramic capacitor. After tens of minutes of searches I managed to find one that had the right colour but was a little too tall. After I soldered a capacitor that was the correct size but it was of a different colour I decided to remove it and replace it with the one with the correct colour but was a little taller. Back and forth, back and forth ... even from the get go, this card seemed a lost cause. Something was bothering me every time I laid my hands on it.

The card was missing a small heatsink that used to be fixed with thermal adhesive.

The transparent tape used to protect the already damaged label backfired and I had to remove the label entirely. Because an initial test with a cotton stick dipped in IPA 99% showed that the ink from the label started to run I decided to use the transparent tape that usually saved the day. Not today ...

This card fought me tooth and nail like it was saying: let me be ... let me sleep ... let me go ...

In regard to the missing heatsink I already had a suitable replacement. To fix something that for all intents and purposes looks to be a MOSFET heatsink is something sketchy to say the least. STB come on ... what the heck ...

Surprise surprise, I wasnt able to fix the heatsink no matter what. A sign that the AKASA adhesive thermal tape was too old or a VooDoo spell had been cast on my card. The tape didnt adhere to the heatsink or the chip. No push-pins holes so I was stuck.

The card stood in a box for days.

In the end I found at a local store some tape, that even if it was thicker, it was what I needed. The thermal transfer was better 1.5W/mk (AG Termopad) vs 0.9W/mk (AKASA) so that was it.

I already had a backup plan involving thermal adhesive or some AC MX-4 thermal paste and superglue in the corners. In the end I used the thicker tape. Many RIVA 128ZX dont have a heatsink.

How did the card turn out?

Looking good! So far so good! Flatline or pulse? The card was very cool and the heatsink barely got warm. The finger-o-meter registered just some very mild warmth on the back of the card. The heatsink measure was kind of overkill but I did it for peace of mind.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/25pw1wzoq/

Huh! That was a close one!

In the end I got a perfect score. A 100% success rate with components bought from the flea market that were a complete unknown. Some champagne is in order.

This was the story of my illusive 100%. A combination of experience, luck or a correct choice of candidates. You be the judge of that.

More later.

Flea Market Surprise! (The "short" version)

It is the time for another Flea Market Surprise episode! You never know what you will find there!

In this kind of episodes I present parts that didnt make the cut for a full episode. Even so, there's plenty to be seen. All of them have been cleaned, restored and tested. The percent of dead components is under 1% which is no small feat let me tell you! 😁

The list.

1. Creative Labs CT2830 Soundblaster 16 IDE CSP 16-bit ISA
2. DFI G586-VPS REV.C1
3. Pioneer DVD-104SZ
4. Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033
5. Intel Pentium 133MHz - SY022
6. AMD K6-2 500MHZ / AMD-K6-2/500AFX
7. Intel Pentium II 333MHz -SL2TV
8. Intel Pentium 4 - SL7PM - 3GHz/1MB/800
9. Intel Pentium III 800MHz - SL4CD - 800/256/133 - missing pin
10. Athlon XP 2600+ / AXDA2600DKV4D
11. Intel Pentium 4 - SL793 - 3.4GHz/512/800
12. Intel Celeron 800MHz - SL55R - 800/128/100
13. Intel Celeron 1000MHz - 1000A/256/100 - SL5ZF
14. Intel Pentium III 1000MHz - SL52R - 1000/256/133
15. Intel Pentium II 266MHz - SL2HE
16. 05S2020A-4 / DET 0051-170953-01 VRM module from dead DELL dual S370 motherboard
17. Slot 1 motherboard - AK-611
18. Slot 1 motherboard - KA3I
19. PQI 512MB(256x2) - PQI TURBO PQI3200-512DBH / 2.5-3-3-7
20. Intel Xeon 1.7 GHz - SL5TE / Coolers
21. Samsung Rambus / RDRAM / RIMM 5x256MB PC800
22. Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033
23. Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 - SL94N
24. Zalman ZM80C
25. Razer Blackwidow Chroma V1 - RZ03-0122
26. Enermax 353W - EG365AX-VE(G)
27. IDT C6-PSME200GA - WinChip 200MHz/66/3.52V
28. Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400

Let's GO!

Creative Labs CT2830 Soundblaster 16 IDE CSP 16-bit ISA

My first Creative Sound Blaster 16 sound card and my first ISA "the long version" sound card. Two out of two!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/p09jq51m/

DFI G586 VPS rev. C1

Completely restored. My only SK7 motherboard with a VLSI chipset.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2bu2ip6h6/

Pioneer DVD-104SZ

This unit looked great when I bought it but looks can be deceiving ...

Even from the get go is presented weird noises and slow reading of the optical disks.

It was cleaned and lubed with silicone grease. I didnt find anything wrong inside.

After I cleaned the lense the performance improved but even so, from time to time when it spins up it makes a faint bang then spins down and after one or more tries it starts reading.

A firmware update didn't solve anything.

Most likely, the laser is dying or it needs a calibration.

All in all it was bought for looks. It is my third Pioneer Slot Loading DVD-ROM unit.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/36uwgvbwq/

Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033, Intel Pentium 133MHz - SY022, AMD K6-2 500MHZ / AMD-K6-2/500AFX

The Pentium 120MHz CPU lost a pin after the straightening procedure and I had to solder it back. I tried making a mask from electrical tape to hold the pin while I soldered it but it shrinked form the heat. I tried some thin copper wire but to no avail. In the end I used fine tweezers and I managed to solder it with my 15W soldering iron. I needed several tries and I had to search on the floor for the pin after it flew off during the soldering process. In the end I managed to save the CPU. It has been tested and it is still alive and kicking!

Intel Pentium II 333MHz -SL2TV

Intel Pentium 4 - SL7PM - 3GHz/1MB/800, Intel Pentium III 800MHz - SL4CD - 800/256/133 - missing pin, Athlon XP 2600+ / AXDA2600DKV4D, Intel Pentium 4 - SL793 - 3.4GHz/512/800, Intel Celeron 800MHz - SL55R - 800/128/100, Intel Celeron 1000MHz - 1000A/256/100 - SL5ZF, Intel Pentium III 1000MHz - SL52R - 1000/256/133

Intel Pentium II 266MHz - SL2HE

The CPU has been taken from a dead ACER V66LA motherboard.

Dead DELL dual S370 at the flea market.

Slot 1 motherboard - AK-611. Slot 1 motherboard - FIC KA31. I bought these as organ donors. One ASUS K7M motherboard form my stash was missing a plastic clip from one of the memory slots. Not anymore!

05S2020A-4 / DET 0051-170953-01 VRM module from a dead DELL dual S370 motherboard

Slot 1 heatsinks.

Testing.

PQI 512MB(256x2) - PQI TURBO PQI3200-512DBH / 2.5-3-3-7

Intel Xeon 1.7 GHz - SL5TE / Coolers, Samsung Rambus / RDRAM / RIMM 5x256MB PC800

Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033

Another Pentium 120MHz bought with the socket and the heatsink. Of course that I paid only for the heatsink. A lucky find.

Misc.

Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 - SL94N

Zalman ZM80C

Razer Blackwidow Chroma V1 - RZ03-0122

Before and After ...

Work put in:

1. Removal and cleaning of one switch.
2. Rust issues. I used a rust converter, primer and white paint. I applied the paint using a small brush and the results werent quite factory quality. I must underline that I didnt want to remove all of the switches and paint the entire metal backplate. The repaired surface is visible only at close inspection and 95% of it is under the plastic cover and under the keycaps.
3. Each part was cleaned to perfection.
4. I greased with tiny amounts of silicone grease all of the stabilizing wire bars and contact surfaces.
5. The cable was washed with hot water and dish soap.

"Problems":

1. 4 LEDs have some issues with some colors but work great on GREEN. The leds can be replaced easily.
2. One plastic element used to raise the keyboard from the table. Not a deal breaker.
3. Minor blemishes on the plastic surfaces.

Usage:

I compared the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V1 with my trusty Ozone Strike Cherry MX Black. I still preffer the Ozone and I don't consider the illumination a requirement as I don't need it. The Nordic layout didn't bother me too much but I preffer the US layout any day of the week! I must say that the Razer felt quite comfortable and I didn't need a palm rest. The keys are way more easy to press.

Surprisingly, the flea market Razer didnt have any problems with the switches themselves and it worked as it was supposed to. The keycaps are close to perfect, just the SPACE and one keycap have minor blemishes. The manufacturing date is Week 17 Year 2016 even if the PCB has a 2014 code.

Usually I dont buy keyboards from the flea market as they require A LOT OF WORK to clean. In this instance I made an exception from the rule and I was happy with the results.

Enermax 353W - EG365AX-VE(G)

Misc.

IDT C6-PSME200GA - WinChip 200MHz/66/3.52V

A lucky find! It was found on the bottom of a box full with HDDs. The funny fact is that a couple of weeks before I searched inside the same box without finding it. Maybe it was there and I didnt see it or it was put there when I found it ... I just dont know. 😁

I had to straighten a lot of pins. Some still remained a little crooked or wavy but the CPU is easily inserted and removed form the socket.

It ran beautifully at a bus of 75MHz and a frequency of 225MHz instead of 200/66. By mistake I didnt set the correct jumpers for the 66MHz bus. The voltage was 3.5V(stock) on a ZIDA 5STX-J98 motherboard.

Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1fkrob30q/

The "short" version was quite long! Who would've thought! 😁

More later.

Hello Robert and everybody

I own a MSI MS-6168 but the board is not powering on.
Robert, do you have advices to help me ?

I noticed this MOFSET is giving 1.6V. Robert, can you please tell me if this is the normal voltage ?

Thanks for everything ! 😀

Hi parhelia512. Unfortunately my knowlegde in regard to electronic circuits is somewhat limited. I still have a lot to learn. To measure that voltage I would have to know the purpose of each and every part and how they are tied together. I'm afraid I can't be much of a help.

The motherboard not powering up can be due to many reasons starting with the PSU. If you have a PCI or an ISA debugger/diagnostic card you could try that to see what error code the motherboard puts out. Maybe you mixed up the pins from the Front Panel header present on the motherboard that need to be shorted so that the system powers up.

If I remember correctly I shorted out the FPBUT_IN and GND. I have noted this on a piece of paper that I left in the box with the motherboard. I'll check this next week and give you more information. I also had problems powering up for the first time the motherboard as the usual Front Panel header has been replaced by that Front Panel Header: J13 (optional)

http://www.motherboards.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=730297

If you have tried everything I think it would be for the best that you open up a thread here General Old Hardware where maybe someone else that it is more knowledgebale can help you out.

Thank your very much for trying to help me Robert.

In fact the motherboard is powering up but not posting.
There was inductance and capacitors missing...i tried to replace them...but no luck the motherboard is starting (3 seconds after shorting the FPBUT-IN and GND pin...strange 😁) but no display.

Yes , i will open up a new thread, thanks for your answer Robert and for your pictures ! 😀

Maybe the onboard VooDoo is damaged. Did you try another video card to see if you get signal on the monitor?

I'll check your thread and maybe we will sort it out. 😀

Static-X - Push It

In the works: HEAVY COPPER!

Heavy copper a story waiting to be told. Two opposing city states! One from the gutter, the other pampered from birth.

Even if I would've wanted this story couldn't've turned out like this. 😁

As usual MORE LATER and on a need to know basis! 😁

Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time

MAD PROJECT #1 (Prequel to the HEAVY COPPER episode)

After 4 years of going to the flea market I think that I've seen almost everything that there is. I know what can be saved and what's beyond hope. With so much experience under my belt I can safely say that I'm not a greenhorn anymore. NO SIR!

Where people see trash I see treasure. Where people see a lost cause I see opportunity. I like to take it to 11 all the time. No shortcuts! All in or all out! 😁

Every once in a while I get that itch and I like a challenge and from nothing a new series of episodes has been born: MAD PROJECT(s) #X. MAD PROJECT(s) because WHY NOT? MAD PROJECT(s) because if it wasn't me who would've done it instead? MAD PROJECT(s) fits/fit me like a glove!

In episode #1 we are dealing with a cooler form the HEAVY WEIGHT category aka 1KG of COPPER and ALUMINIUM!

Let's meet the (drum roll): Scythe Infinity SCINF-1000 Heatsink aka MUGEN 1

Ever since I bought the Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 motherboard and I came to the conclusion that my CPU cooling side of things was somewhat lacking, I was on the lookout for a better cooling solution. As I wasn't planning to cough up the dough I was extremely receptive to opportunities.

The asthmatic Intel stock cooler made me smile a little ironic ... sure it gets the job done but CAN IT PLAY CRYSIS?!?!?!

Time passed by ...

For weeks on end I saw at the flea market a beefy Scythe CPU cooler. For several times I took it my hands but I put it back into the box . MEH! A lost cause ... I still remember my first aftermarket cooler: Scythe ANDY SAMURAI MASTER! Good times!

What I didn't know at that moment was the fact that this cooler will represent the starting point of a new series of episode which I intend to post from time to time. I want to see what I can do and how much I can stretch myself. I'll give you a hint: A LOT! Once I set a goal I never let go even if I stumble and fall! 😁

But I digress.

After I took the cooler in my hands for a last time and after an ornament shaped like a nut from one of the heatpipes fell into my palm I said to myself: You've suffered enough, now it is the time for redemption! Come! Take my hand! 😁

How much is this stuff, I asked? 4 EUROS! Too much! 2 EUROS or I don't buy it! Okay ... 2 EUROS! Thank You!

And this is how I got stuck with something that had a face that only a mother could love ...

Yep! It sure looks like Sh.........tttttt! What was I thinking? ... My point exactly! Said the Pinky upstairs ... You weren't thinking at all said Brain ...

The base of the cooler was still in great shape and it also had the retaining clips. WIN!

That s775 backplate that I bought in ~ 2008 was already jumping for joy in its box in anticipation that it will be put to good use 11 years later ... 😁

At first, my intention was to remove all of the cooling fins, straighten the heat pipes and then solder all of the fins back. From factory the fins were just pressed into position and I remember that even in the case of my new Andy Samurai Master some of them moved freely. I really don't like the design.

I decided to remove the ornaments from the ends of the copper heat pipes. I used a wrench and I managed to remove all of them. These were fixed with a double sided tape that was quite tough to get rid of. I used IPA 99%, paint thinner and a lighter but to no avail. In the end I used a very sharp razor to remove much of the tape ...

What I didn't know at that time was the fact that my idea to remove the cooling fins would backfire and I'll have extra work to do ...

OK. I started removing the cooling fins ... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... What the f..k? When the going gets tough you get tougher! ... 4 ... 5 ... That's it! I'm frowing in the towel! I put the cooler on the heater for half an hour but I only found out that the fins wouldn't move at all ... well, well, the men from Scythe knew something, when metal expands ... I put the cooler into the freezer but besides my fingers sticking to the metal I wasn't able to remove more fins ... &$@&$%@)&$!@$@%^*^#@%^!!!!!!!!!!!

After more than two hours of work I put the cooler into a bag and I tossed it outside into the trash can! BANG! Get dinged! You pile of steaming ... What was I thinking?!?!??! My point exactly! I wasnt thinking at all ...

And so, the cooler returned from where it came ... into the trash can ...

After a good night sleep I returned to better feelings and I was ready to give it one more try. In the morning I took the frozen cooler from the trash can and I was back to square ONE.

I put back the cooling fins that I removed previously and I straightened them as mush as possible. I wasn't going for 100%. I was satisfied with 99%(ish) with a lot of "-ish" ... 😁

I used a small piece of tube to straighten the ends of the heat pipes. At that moment I found out that the heat pipes are very soft and you can bend them with your bare hands. Go figure ...

After some straightening "at hand" I switched to something more VICE duty. The vice was used to keep in place the cooler while a wrestled with the heat pipes and the base of the cooler using my hands. You really dont want to use tools as you risk to bend/dent the heat pipes.

My idea to solder all of the cooling thins soon vanished after I factored in the costs ... so I decided to use the next best thing ... duct tape ... NO! ahem epoxy: BISON EPOXY METAL.

I straightened the fins using a pair of flat nose pliers. I used a palette knife and I pressed all of the fins as best I could. I fixed the bottom fin with epoxy. I used scotch tape to prevent any movement.

I prepared the retaining clips to accommodate the new back plate. I really don't like push-pins.

After 24 hours I pressed again all of the fins and I glued into position with epoxy the top fin and the ornaments of the ends of the heat pipes. This task was more difficult than I anticipated and the fact that I removed them was quite a bad idea. I tied all of the fins to prevent movement.

Another 24 hours were needed for the epoxy to cure.

I polished the base of the cooler a little.

I tested the alignment of the cooler on my Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 motherboard and I was quite pleased with the results. I also had to return to factory spec the retaining clips that were quite bent.

TIM!

A tight fit! LIKE A GLOVE!

AWESOME results! IMO!

Standing tall against all the odds!

The AC MX-4 spread was decent considering that the cooler moved sideways while I attached the backplate and the fact that the heat spreader of the Pentium 4 wasn't something to write home about.

Final results!

This cooler will never be like it was new but I still managed to return some of its original glory. I have all of the other retaining clips for AMD and S478. I must underline that the cooler has been washed several times with hot water and dish soap then dried with an air compressor.

As I didn't have the required steel wire I decided to make the fan clips from thicker copper wire. The results were beyond my expectation as I was able to lift the 1KG cooler just from the frame of the fan, without the clips getting loose. For peace of mind in the future I will make new clips from strong steel wire.

The fan chosen to cool this behemoth is none other than Thermalright TY-140. It should've been a Scythe but I really dig Thermalright.

Even if the BISON EPOXY METAL has separated from the aluminium fins, it has adhered strongly to the copper heat pipes. The epoxy collars that were formed keep all the fins close to factory specs.

Final Final results!

This was MAD PROJECT #1. I assure you that there is a method to my madness. 😁

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2z9is8st0/

More later.

I have prepared all the materials for the HEAVY COPPER episode. Over the coming weeks I plan to post several episodes. 😀

More later.

I'm a little confused as to the overall performance of the ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 vs. the Intel Batman's Revenge when they both are using the same CPU frequency. You compared those two boards with the ASUS at 66 MHz, while the Batman was at 60 MHz. Would you be willing to compare them at the same clock rate? As the Intel board has very few timing adjustments, and the Asus board has more, I was hoping to know which CMOS timing adjustments make the Asus faster, if any?

I was also wondering if all these builds you do are going into cases? If so, how many cases are you up to now? I see how little time seems to pass from one project to another and must say, I wish I had this kind of time to play with my toys like that. I'm both jealous and happy for you.

feipoa wrote:

I'm a little confused as to the overall performance of the ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 vs. the Intel Batman's Revenge when they both are using the same CPU frequency. You compared those two boards with the ASUS at 66 MHz, while the Batman was at 60 MHz. Would you be willing to compare them at the same clock rate? As the Intel board has very few timing adjustments, and the Asus board has more, I was hoping to know which CMOS timing adjustments make the Asus faster, if any?

I'll try to do it as soon as possible but I have a few "problems"

1. I dont have 60Mhz crystals for the ASUS and I dont know if I can use a P60 as is.
2. I dont know if Intel Batman can use a P66MHz CPU as it lacks the required? VRM section that some other Intel Batman motherboards have. Also I'm not aware if the Batman would need a crystal swap to use a P66. Back in the day I started with late 4x86 stuff and the older tech is not something I'm an absolute expert at.

If you have more insight on the matter I'm willing to do some testing next year but I can't give you an exact date at the moment.

Also you should give me a list of tests that I should run.

Indeed the ASUS has more adjustements in BIOS and indeed the increase in performance between stock BIOS settings and optimized ones was like the difference between night and day. Another matter that has to be taken into consideration is the fact that the ASUS has more BIOS versions available and there may be some difference between them. In my tests I used the lastest BETA one from the ASUS site.

In comparison with ASUS the Batman has a spartan BIOS to say the least.

The settings in the P66 story are just about the maximum for best peformance. Re: Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :) I admint that I didnt try to see if other settings would provide more/less performance. I just maxed out all of the settings and I went from there. amadeus777999 gave me some pointers as he wanted me to run those DOOM tests.

feipoa wrote:

I was also wondering if all these builds you do are going into cases? If so, how many cases are you up to now? I see how little time seems to pass from one project to another and must say, I wish I had this kind of time to play with my toys like that. I'm both jealous and happy for you.

I only have 4 completed builds. The 5x86 (my first PC), a K6-2 500MHz, a PIII-800 and a P166 classic. All of them have been presented in this thread. I dont have other PC cases. All of my parts are held in boxes. My trip into the past has started in 2015. Until that day I had next to nothing in regard to hardware. After my father passed away (2015) I wanted to recreate the first PC he bought for me and everything came from that moment. I wanted to have all the bits and pieces that I couldn't have back in the day or I just grew up reading about. Between 2015-2018 I still had lots of free time. Starting with 2018 my free time wasnt what it used to be but I still was able to find some to give to my "retro demons". 😁 Starting with 2020 I forsee another reduction of my free time that has to do with my job and not with my family as I'm not married/I dont have kids yet. Also I kind of did everything I wanted and maybe at some point in time I will reduce "my speed" but as this is almost second nature to me, I might start something and make some money from this activity and also save lots of "ancient technology" that would otherwise go to waste. I'm sure that I will start selling a lot of my stuff in the not so distant future. I will keep them all only if I would win the Lottery but as I dont play at the Lottery that might not happen anytime soon! 😁

After these years I have gotten quite good at doing what I do best. Restoring these parts is for me like breathing air as it is almost effortless. I just have to look at something and I just know what to do and in what succession. Also reading about PC stuff for almost 25+ years has also played a role. Also how I use this information gave my distinctive way to present things. This has helped me to be able to do all of this in just these almost 5 years. If I would've wanted I could've almost doubled my inventory as I was quite "thirsty" for HW. 😀 We should not forget my inquisitive nature that has made me to go the extra mile. Eversince I was a kid I repaired just about everything there was around the house. 😁

All of the stories I present if I may say so, are also my way of giving back all of the information I have gathered all these years and add just a little personal touch. 😀

Even if I have gotten pretty good at what I do, if I factor in the time that I sank into this activity I would come to quite something, as many, many, many, hours have been spent. Time that otherwise would've been used for biking, relaxation, sleeping or other activities was put towards the gathering and restoring parts.

In the first two years I just found my "sea legs" and I bought stuff at high prices. Later I started going at the local flea market and there I found lots and lots of parts at low prices. I was lucky and I caught the last train as starting with late 2018 I sensed that the supply of older parts has started dwindle by quite a margin. Finding older stuff has gotten pretty hard these days. The national OLX site was another good source of HW but the prices have skyrocketed as many people found out that they can make a quick buck. 😁 The free access to information can be both a blessing and a curse. 😁

Also I usually have three to five restored parts ready before I start to post more frequently. The pictures are then edited and I just have to tell you the story. Preparation is crucial.

I hope that this has shed some insight as to how I am able to put out so many stories in a relative short time. Enjoy it while it lasts! 😀 I'll try to post my adventures for as many years as possible even if there will be longer periods of inactivity. Who knows what the future will bring?

More later.

In the works: ASUS ROG Matrix GeForce GTX 260 896MB / ENGTX260 (Prequel No.2 to the HEAVY COPPER episode)

Sneek peek of the HEAVY COPPER story.

Two motherboards will be featured. One is in the picture bellow.

More later.

Most Batman's Revenge boards I've seen have been of the OEM variety and not many have the added step-up regulator for running the P66 at 5.27 V. Some power supplies could even output as much as 5.27 V on the +5V rail. Nonetheless, I have run my Batman's Revenge board with a P60 at 66 MHz for short tests and haven't witnessed any crashes in DOS.

There is no crystal swap needed, just the movement of a jumper. It should be printed on the PCB and in the manual.

Lists of tests: cachechk -v7 in read (-d -t4) and write mode (-w -t4); DOOM timedemo 3; Quake timedemo1; PCPBench; Speedsys

Yeah, I figured you couldn't be married with children. The only way to get anything done is to shave off sleep hours, which I'm starting to get back after finishing my last two builds (K5-200 and PPRO).