I really hate Dell desktops as they are almost always nothing but plastic and paper thin steel that rots out if not kept or stored in perfect conditions. The only exceptions I make are for those rare high end SMP workstations. At least their laptops were top quality for many years until 2008/9 rolled in.

I've bought this new, boxed full copper cooler from Zalman, only for a few Euros.

The Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu. 773g = 1,704lb full copper

Hope i can install it at my S478 board. There are limitations written at the back:

melbar wrote:

I've bought this new, boxed full copper cooler from Zalman, only for a few Euros. […]
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I've bought this new, boxed full copper cooler from Zalman, only for a few Euros.

The Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu. 773g = 1,704lb full copper

Hope i can install it at my S478 board. There are limitations written at the back:

Love that cooler and it is low maintenance unlike modern coolers, even had one on a i5 760 at once point. The aluminum 775 bracket (aftermarket) can be drilled to fit 1156 boards and maybe newer ones as well 😉

melbar wrote:

I've bought this new, boxed full copper cooler from Zalman, only for a few Euros.

The Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu. 773g = 1,704lb full copper

Hope i can install it at my S478 board. There are limitations written at the back:

I have this exact cooler for a the Socket 462. I really could do with the 754 mount kit as I want to move my AMD machine to that platform next.

Its a great cooler with a very cool look.

Same here, my favorite P4 cooler. I have one cooling a Preshott.

These Zalman coolers are nice, but I've seen them gather a lot of dust over time. So remember to clean it once in a while.

HighTreason wrote:

One of these is headed my way shortly; http://www.vogonswiki.com/images/e/e0/M3296.JPG […]
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One of these is headed my way shortly;

Depending on what system you will use this card in, you may need to perform this mod: http://terratec.ultron.info/Audio/Maestro/329 … fikation_GB.pdf

melbar wrote:

I've bought this new, boxed full copper cooler from Zalman, only for a few Euros.

The Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu. 773g = 1,704lb full copper

The Zalman 7000 CuAl was my cooler for a long time on socket 462. That was the version of the one you bought where only the center portion is made of copper, and the external parts of aluminum. Did a great job, but after many years of service it failed - one of the fan blades broke. I still have it but I don't think it's repairable. I thought of gluing the blade back but it wouldn't probably be strong enough, and with the added weight of the glue it probably would also be unbalanced and vibrate.

Tetrium wrote:

I recognized your sound card, so I had a look at mine and mine is a bit different. […]
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Ozzuneoj wrote:

I just picked this interesting little guy up for less than $9 shipped: […]
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I just picked this interesting little guy up for less than $9 shipped:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Packard-Bell- … =p2047675.l2557

SGBXII.jpg

As far as I can tell, it is a Packard Bell branded 8-bit ISA Aztech Sound Galaxy BXII sound card. It isn't in perfect condition, but they don't seem terribly common, and it makes a nice cheap addition to my collection. This would be only the third 8bit sound card I have come across (along with my CT1350B and Midiman MM401). The volume knob and the YM3812-F OPL2 chip are pretty cool. 😎

Does anyone know anything else about these? I can't find much information on them, other than that some have had success installing CT1350B drivers for them (which, incidentally, I have original floppies of). I know the SB 2.0 doesn't do MIDI over its Gameport, but would these cards be capable of doing it? Are there any 8-bit midi+pcm cards that can? Its just something I've been curious about...

I recognized your sound card, so I had a look at mine and mine is a bit different.

Apparently you have one of the chips socketed while mine is soldered to the PCB.
I can't read the markings on your socketed chip, but my soldered chip had the following markings (they are a bit hard to read, so may contain some slight errors),
MHS
cAVS AZTDSP36 (the "c" is the copyright symbol)
S-80C51FASM
cINTEL 80,82 ("c" is copyright symbol again)
9309 (this looks to be a date code)

Your bottom-left chip with the Packard Bell sticker on it, is unstickered on mine and this chip has the following markings,
AZTECH
AZTSB0792-U07 (0792 is probably another date code)

JAPAN
9305P5005 (lots of date codes on the chip 🤣).

Yours probably is a similar chip, so if you want you can probably leave the original sticker on.

Your Yahama chip (in the middle above the jumpers) appears to have a slightly more recent date code of 9315 where mine reads 9302, followed by EAIB (can't read yours).

You have "Made in Singapore" in the top left where mine has "ASSB in Singapore" in the top middle (directly above that row of 6 very tiny resistors) and all of your caps and all of your tiny resistors are also on my card.

I know I stripped this card from an old system by my own hands and mine still has the original sound cable attached to the white socket, I think it's best if I take a pic so you know the wiring 😀.

My jumperblock appears to be the same, but the jumpers on mine are set up a bit differently (I never changed these so this is how it was extracted from its original system).
They are (from left to right) J2 2-3 J1 1-2 and IRQ7 (the IRQ jumper is probably kinda irrelevant for you to know though).

The long resistor-whateverthingy on your card is black where mine is blue (it's the one directly to the right and then slightly lower to the Yamaha chip in the middle).

Last but not least: Bottom left mine has a stciker with the part number, it reads "I38-SGBX21", so it's indeed some form of Sound Galaxy!

Pic to come (cellphone, but it's the best that I can do right now).

edit: Forgot to take a look at the back of the card as this usually also reveals interesting bits of info.

The date code in the PCB is 1293 and it has another date code printed in white font (almost looks like it's painted with a very fine paintbrush) 9319.

Theres also in the PCB the following: 50-0SC6AZ-2S-5

edit: Added some pics

20160531_075302.jpg

20160531_075644.jpg

20160531_075706.jpg

20160531_075808.jpg

I had to cut some stuff from the pics as it was kinda reflecting everywhere 😵

Hope this helps 😀.

Thanks for all the info! I got my card today, and there is something really really interesting on the back plate for this card. The gameport is actually labeled MIDI\GAME. Is it possible that this card is actually MPU-401 compatible? If so, this could theoretically be an interesting card for very old 8bit-only systems, as similar Sound Blaster cards did not have MPU-401 capability. The biggest problem of course is getting a free slot in an older system. My 5150 is completely loaded up since it has an AST SixPakPlus (memory expansion, serial, game port, RTC) as well as an Orchid TinyTurbo 286 upgrade. I'd have to find an 8bit capable Hard Drive + Floppy controller that was compatible to open up another slot. Or simply load everything I want onto the hard drive and pull the floppy card. 🤣

stamasd wrote:

but after many years of service it failed - one of the fan blades broke. I still have it but I don't think it's repairable.

Have you tried attaching a stock fan somehow? It has a lot of thins for zip ties, maybe screws that could hold it in place.

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

stamasd wrote:

but after many years of service it failed - one of the fan blades broke. I still have it but I don't think it's repairable.

Have you tried attaching a stock fan somehow? It has a lot of thins for zip ties, maybe screws that could hold it in place.

Meh, it wouldn't be the same. The design is what makes it unique, and quiet. I have enough coolers as it is.

And in fact those fins are very flimsy, because they're very thin. It's part of what made it efficient.

Actually... hold it! I think I can repair it. I have a 3D printer. It would take a while to get the model right, but I think I could print a new rotor out of ABS. Let me check Thingiverse, maybe someone has published a model already.

(edit) Yes! I'm not the only one with broken Zalman fans... someone else already did it! http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1240440

That one is for the 7700 model with 120mm fan whereas the 7000 is 92mm, but it should be a simple matter of scaling the project in my 3d software.

Or I could get a new one for $20 on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Circular-Aluminu … u/dp/B0001239BE But nah, I want to revive the old guy, not increase the clutter in my basement. Like I said, I have enough coolers as it is. This one was always special to me though.

I don't have many decent 478 coolers, so that's why I'm keen on repairing it 😁 I do have a Zalman cooler like that, it's still NIB 😊

Ozzuneoj wrote:

Thanks for all the info! I got my card today, and there is something really really interesting on the back plate for this card. The gameport is actually labeled MIDI\GAME. Is it possible that this card is actually MPU-401 compatible? If so, this could theoretically be an interesting card for very old 8bit-only systems, as similar Sound Blaster cards did not have MPU-401 capability. The biggest problem of course is getting a free slot in an older system. My 5150 is completely loaded up since it has an AST SixPakPlus (memory expansion, serial, game port, RTC) as well as an Orchid TinyTurbo 286 upgrade. I'd have to find an 8bit capable Hard Drive + Floppy controller that was compatible to open up another slot. Or simply load everything I want onto the hard drive and pull the floppy card. 🤣

Sorry for quoting myself... just wanted to say that I've tested this Packard Bell Aztech Sound Galaxy BXII card now and it seems to work great as far as the sound and OPL2 are concerned but I can't seem to find an IO port that works for midi on this thing. I always get some kind of "detection failed to find hardware" or similar error.

One thing I did notice when testing different sound configurations is that in Descent's sound setup I can use either Sound Blaster or Sound Blaster Pro mode and the digital sound works. In Sound Blaster Pro mode it is obviously much clearer but does not have stereo sound (the left and right channel tests just come through a bit quieter than the center). Sounds like the difference between 11khz and 22khz sound to me. Sound Blaster 16 mode doesn't work however.

Ozzuneoj wrote:

just wanted to say that I've tested this Packard Bell Aztech Sound Galaxy BXII card now and it seems to work great as far as the sound and OPL2 are concerned but I can't seem to find an IO port that works for midi on this thing. I always get some kind of "detection failed to find hardware" or similar error.

I don't think it will play MIDI without a MIDI daughtercard (if it has a MIDI header) or an external MIDI device (plugged into the game/MIDI port).

clueless1 wrote:

Ozzuneoj wrote:

just wanted to say that I've tested this Packard Bell Aztech Sound Galaxy BXII card now and it seems to work great as far as the sound and OPL2 are concerned but I can't seem to find an IO port that works for midi on this thing. I always get some kind of "detection failed to find hardware" or similar error.

I don't think it will play MIDI without a MIDI daughtercard (if it has a MIDI header) or an external MIDI device (plugged into the game/MIDI port).

Sorry, forgot to mention that I'm connecting it to an SC7 and an MT32.

Are you using any Aztech utilities such has hwset.exe or diagnose.exe? Those should help you out.

clueless1 wrote:

Are you using any Aztech utilities such has hwset.exe or diagnose.exe? Those should help you out.

I can't seem to find those in any of the driver packages I have for Aztech, but I'll keep looking.

Keep in mind this is a non-PNP card. I don't think those programs are meant for cards like this.

Ozzuneoj wrote:

clueless1 wrote:

Are you using any Aztech utilities such has hwset.exe or diagnose.exe? Those should help you out.

I can't seem to find those in any of the driver packages I have for Aztech, but I'll keep looking.

Keep in mind this is a non-PNP card. I don't think those programs are meant for cards like this.

I don't know if this will work or not, but this is what I use for my Aztech card in DOS. Got it from gdjacobs. The UTILITY folder holds the DOS utilities, but I'm including the other folders in case they are useful.

A DynaSonix Wave ... the first glance at the card ...

OMG ... they used the pcb of the DynaSonix 3D 😳

Decent haul today, had to drive a few miles. Zenith 286 data from a defunct Air Force base, P166 tower, Socket 7 120, and external 2400 baud modem. Keep an eye in System Specs for rebuilds of these machines.