Gonna be packing stuff into storage real soon.

Made some time today to fix one of my 3Dfx Voodoo Banshee cards while I've still got the hot air station and test computer ready. In the process of doing this however I learned a ton about testing video memory that I did not know before, using VMTCE I managed to pinpoint the exact fault on this Elsa Victory II card - it actually had 2 faults, the first I fixed through dumb luck and an incomplete understanding of the memory layout / tools, but I got there in the end.

The second fix took some time, swapping multiple chips and finding at each point that nope, that wasn't the problem. Eventually pinpointed it down to a single damaged trace that I was able to locate through a software tool and isolating memory pins 😀
Also I was able to disable half the memory to help with separating the primary fault, which caused graphical errors in VGA mode. From the secondary fault which only showed up in games. A single little resistor controls whether the card is going to use 8MB or 16MB.

Here's how the memory errors looked until I got the exact point:

My test rig which now has a dedicated VMTCE compact flash card. I got so sick of waiting for the floppy version to start up and this avoids cards without heatsinks from heating up too much:

PC@LIVE wrote on 2023-12-06, 20:06:

dormcat wrote on 2023-12-05, 21:27:

Unlike the previous batch, EPoX EP-51MVP3E-M was the only motherboard that could not POST. A pity for its nice design (ATX power and form factor; accepts both EDO and SDRAM; clearly marked FSB, multiplier, and voltage jumpers).

For the record, neither Asus P/I-P55T2P4 nor ECS P5VX-Be in the previous batch was able to POST. 😢

Friend here the paw, beautiful cards, I haven't seen similar lots for years, but if you need help, for those that don't start, just ask.

Using a diagnostic card, half of the time EPoX EP-51MVP3E-M gave me random error codes (no observable pattern) with no beep code, while the other half gave me four dashes ("----") i.e. the logic circuitry was dead silent. I'm all ears if you or anyone else is willing to share some thoughts.

Asus P/I-P55T2P4 and ECS P5VX-Be gave me four dashes all the time. Their depleted batteries of Dallas RTC chips might be the cause, but I wondered if that alone could stop them functioning completely. Besides, there are many boards of the era without the notorious Dallas RTM issue. Last but not least: they are not mine anyway. 😉

In the quest for getting Netburst aiming for the stars, I broke a retaining stud on my only copper cored LGA775 cooler the other night. Luckily, I had loads of aluminium only laying around. After breaking the first "finger screw", I succesfully liberated 3 complete retainers. Probably not the last time, I'm gonna need one 🤣

dormcat wrote on 2023-12-07, 02:49:

PC@LIVE wrote on 2023-12-06, 20:06:

dormcat wrote on 2023-12-05, 21:27:

Unlike the previous batch, EPoX EP-51MVP3E-M was the only motherboard that could not POST. A pity for its nice design (ATX power and form factor; accepts both EDO and SDRAM; clearly marked FSB, multiplier, and voltage jumpers).

For the record, neither Asus P/I-P55T2P4 nor ECS P5VX-Be in the previous batch was able to POST. 😢

Friend here the paw, beautiful cards, I haven't seen similar lots for years, but if you need help, for those that don't start, just ask.

Using a diagnostic card, half of the time EPoX EP-51MVP3E-M gave me random error codes (no observable pattern) with no beep code, while the other half gave me four dashes ("----") i.e. the logic circuitry was dead silent. I'm all ears if you or anyone else is willing to share some thoughts.

Asus P/I-P55T2P4 and ECS P5VX-Be gave me four dashes all the time. Their depleted batteries of Dallas RTC chips might be the cause, but I wondered if that alone could stop them functioning completely. Besides, there are many boards of the era without the notorious Dallas RTM issue. Last but not least: they are not mine anyway. 😉

No problem, trying doesn't cost anything, in my opinion, you have to try to solve one board at a time, for the one with the ---- in the display, you have to check the presence of the voltages, if they are present, there could be a problem with some soldering , or some interrupted tracks, I would advise you to look carefully at the back, if you have an enlarger you will be able to look at the points that seem suspicious.
However, I advise you to get a copy of the manual (pdf), it could help you to set up your PC correctly.

Sometimes you get caught off guard by obscure jumpers like KBPWR ... you set that because of course you want power to the keyboard.... but computer acting dead on the soft power button... because you told it you want to hammer the space bar to wake it up.

PC@LIVE wrote on 2023-12-07, 20:08:

However, I advise you to get a copy of the manual (pdf), it could help you to set up your PC correctly.

I do have manuals of every motherboard* I have physical contact with, either from official sites, TRW, or via Internet Archive.

*The only exception was that mysterious "Wei Chih Electronics VT5226F" with ZERO info online. The only search result of "VT5226F" using either Google or Bing is this very thread.

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-12-07, 20:15:

Sometimes you get caught off guard by obscure jumpers like KBPWR ... you set that because of course you want power to the keyboard.... but computer acting dead on the soft power button... because you told it you want to hammer the space bar to wake it up.

I check all jumper positions and reset non-essential ones (i.e. other than CPU voltage, FSB, and multiplier) to default state before connecting PSU to a motherboard. AT-powered boards didn't have keyboard power-on feature, though. 😅

dormcat wrote on 2023-12-07, 21:11:

I do have manuals of every motherboard* I have physical contact with, either from official sites, TRW, or via Internet Archive. […]
Show full quote

PC@LIVE wrote on 2023-12-07, 20:08:

However, I advise you to get a copy of the manual (pdf), it could help you to set up your PC correctly.

I do have manuals of every motherboard* I have physical contact with, either from official sites, TRW, or via Internet Archive.

*The only exception was that mysterious "Wei Chih Electronics VT5226F" with ZERO info online. The only search result of "VT5226F" using either Google or Bing is this very thread.

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-12-07, 20:15:

Sometimes you get caught off guard by obscure jumpers like KBPWR ... you set that because of course you want power to the keyboard.... but computer acting dead on the soft power button... because you told it you want to hammer the space bar to wake it up.

I check all jumper positions and reset non-essential ones (i.e. other than CPU voltage, FSB, and multiplier) to default state before connecting PSU to a motherboard. AT-powered boards didn't have keyboard power-on feature, though. 😅

I saw the card, from the photos you posted, being a slot1, it might need cleaning of the contacts of the slot (1), for the CPU I don't know what it is, but if you have a 500 (at most), it I would try another one, just to eliminate any problems, or try the one on another PC.
Being an almost unknown card, the previous owner may have tried to update the BIOS, and who knows, maybe he just messed up, but without the original copy, it's quite difficult, perhaps the only solution is to try that of a fairly similar card, among my MB I have one that can be updated using the BIOS of a SOYO.

Didn't have patience for Asia-Europe shipping, so I'm in the process of making my own LGA775 backplate. Next revision already in the printer 🤣

I was organizing my retro rigs today and at some point this set formed up on my desk. I realized I might have a "problem". Still I felt good looking at this pile...
... do we have AA type of corner here on this forum 😀

This forum is the direct opposite of AA haha.
I think you need more sound cards.

I ordered a Covox CVX4 for MegaTraveller 1 and a Dreamblaster S2 to be my test waveblaster, when I build an adapter from a motherboard 8 pin header to the normal waveblaster header for my PPro 200 build.

I blew an AT PSU. Wasn't loud, but the smell...ugh.

Now I'm considering buying a cheap Intertech 'picopsu' rated 200 Watt for NAS purposes, and get an ATX to AT adapter cable. Anyone with experience?

vutt wrote on 2023-12-08, 14:07:

I was organizing my retro rigs today and at some point this set formed up on my desk. I realized I might have a "problem". Still I felt good looking at this pile...
... do we have AA type of corner here on this forum 😀

I envy your Blasterboard 🤣

3lectr1c wrote on 2023-12-08, 16:47:

This forum is the direct opposite of AA haha.
I think you need more sound cards.

Yah we got dudes that think four isn't even a full computer worth

Forcing myself to finish up more projects since I'm packing things away and putting things away as parts means they're more likely to get lost.

I'm frustrated both with my attempts to fix the Voodoo Banshee and the Soundblaster 2.0 - got the new AT89S51-24JU parts in to replace the DSP and it's *still* not working, so it's just an Adlib + Joystick card right now.

This Toshiba Satellite 4000CDS has been at 80% completion as a project, for a while. It's a DSTN laptop that's otherwise really nice with a built in floppy & CD-drive, and Yamaha OPL3-SA3 audio. It came to me with a screen that had actual rust on it and only the top half of that DSTN screen worked.

Getting a replacement screen has failed a couple times so I took a different route - jamming an iPad 3 2048x1536 IPS LED-backlit LCD panel into the screen housing which connects into the VGA connector.
It had sat on hold for ages because it needs the screen facia designed and printed, but today I decided to bodge it together to test which was very worth it - made a bunch of changes to how all the parts fit in the case. The controller had to be modified somewhat to fit the flat panel housing and the VGA cable was a special order, but it works 😀 The LCD backlight is powered by the inverter power cable and the screen controller + screen plug into the 5v pins for the DSTN LCD itself.
Being a more modern LCD, which itself is something like 10 years old - it's a lot more responsive than a period correct TFT so FPS games are somewhat more engaging with real 60hz refresh. Lots more contrast too:

It works better than I had hoped even if half of it is blu-tack right now and the screen has little structural rigidity currently, it's getting put away in one piece now for finishing in future. I'm probably going to gut the DSTN LCD to use its frame rather than making some big CAD design, the metal frame will be stronger than 3d-printed plastic anyways.

Thermalwrong wrote on 2023-12-09, 01:22:

Well deserved applause. Bravo!

Nexxen wrote on 2023-12-09, 01:40:

Thermalwrong wrote on 2023-12-09, 01:22:

Well deserved applause. Bravo!

Thanks 😀 I got the idea when looking for info about old Toshiba laptops in Japan and came across this awesome site - they've been doing similar for a while to retrofit displays onto mono laptops where the screens are also unavailable: https://pc-otasuke.jp/result/detail.html?id=14120
Mine doesn't cut the bezel or have a box sticking out the back though, just the flat flex VGA cable going into the VGA connector on the back. It still sticks out a bit but it's still laptop sized and portable. I think power usage may be even better than the original screen unless the brightness is turned all the way up. It seems like 50% brightness is plenty bright right now.

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-12-08, 23:17:

Yah we got dudes that think four isn't even a full computer worth

When the game asks you to choose your sound device, best be prepared... 😉

Not super retro, but I just migrated my Windows 7 64-bit install from a 500GB SSD to a 1TB NVMe drive on my Devil's Canyon retro rocket. It took a while to locate, download, and install the two hot fixes to make it work, but I finally got Windows 7 to recognize the new drive. The cloning process went smoothly from there.

I did this to put all of my Steam games on my Windows 7 drive before the client stopped working at the end of the month.

I'll also say that I finally got a drive score of 7.9 on the Windows Experience Index with the NVMe drive (up from 7.5). Unfortunately, the i7-4790k and DDR3-1600MHz RAM only get a score of 7.8. Geez, what does it take to get a CPU/RAM score of 7.9?!?!

Popped the heatsink off of a TNT2 Ultra today. The fan was bad and the heatsink itself was glued on. Luckily, it was an adhesive that could be removed with acetone. The labeling came up with it though.

I forgot to take a photo of it after removal, so this is the photo after the adhesive has been cleaned off.

This card has a bad memory chip, so I have a 1/8 chance of fixing the right one each time I try to swap one out. This is going to be a process. I have two TNT2 donor boards. Spare chips will be used on this Voodoo 3, which I suspect also has bad memory but has only a blank output at POST (although it is recognized by Windows).