I couldn't resist and because as an AMD fan I didn't play with Intel's platform back then, I took a set of MB+CPU+RAM for $10 to compare the competition between s.754 and s.775 with single channel CPUs. Because I have a soft spot for outsiders, a choice was made on Via chipset - there is PM800 on MSI PM8M3-V H.

The seller said the board was taken from an mp3 jukebox because it previously had a business renting slot machines and jukeboxes. Guys, I've never before believed how hard can hold nicotine and cigarette smoke with dust on a board! Every capacitor (all Panasonic brands), slot, connector and board surface were covered with a thin, cuddly film that only went hard to remove.

And a surprise in the end - I assumed the CR2032 would need to be replaced because it would be dead (as the business seller ended 15 years ago and the coin cell didn't look new)), but no - when I pulled it out of the board, there was still a sticker underneath, preventing contact with the minus pole in the slot for the battery, so CMOS setting couldn't be backed up and the cell still has enough 2.93V.

Sellers set photo:

Ydee wrote on 2025-10-19, 08:33:

The seller said the board was taken from an mp3 jukebox because it previously had a business renting slot machines and jukeboxes. Guys, I've never before believed how hard can hold nicotine and cigarette smoke with dust on a board! Every capacitor (all Panasonic brands), slot, connector and board surface were covered with a thin, cuddly film that only went hard to remove.

And a surprise in the end - I assumed the CR2032 would need to be replaced because it would be dead (as the business seller ended 15 years ago and the coin cell didn't look new)), but no - when I pulled it out of the board, there was still a sticker underneath, preventing contact with the minus pole in the slot for the battery, so CMOS setting couldn't be backed up and the cell still has enough 2.93V.

Sellers set photo:

The stench of nicotine is something that once experienced won't go away. You'll know straight away even if your next nicotine board will find you 20 years from now.

That sticker is killing me. They really didn't know it had to be removed first? But you also see heatsinks with the protective plastic sheet unpeeled.

Did anyone on this forum buy that bundle of AGP & PCI video & RAM on Ebay yesterday? Looked like it had Geforce 4400, 5700, 6800, and a Voodoo 3000 PCI . Curious to find out if they ended up working or not.

I spent way more on this than I'd care to admit and I already have a Philips 8833 with RGBi CGA but I just had to get the real deal.
I'm in love!

Mandrew wrote on 2025-10-19, 18:00:

I spent way more on this than I'd care to admit and I already have a Philips 8833 with RGBi CGA but I just had to get the real deal.
I'm in love!

No doubt there is something charming about the CGA colors.

pete8475 wrote on 2025-10-19, 18:56:

No doubt there is something charming about the CGA colors.

It sure is unique, I'm wondering what the users in the 80's thought when they first saw these colors on their $4500 computer. 😁

Mandrew wrote on 2025-10-19, 19:08:

pete8475 wrote on 2025-10-19, 18:56:

No doubt there is something charming about the CGA colors.

It sure is unique, I'm wondering what the users in the 80's thought when they first saw these colors on their $4500 computer. 😁

I'm sure some thought "WTF is wrong with this thing?" 😁

Mandrew wrote on 2025-10-19, 19:08:

pete8475 wrote on 2025-10-19, 18:56:

No doubt there is something charming about the CGA colors.

It sure is unique, I'm wondering what the users in the 80's thought when they first saw these colors on their $4500 computer. 😁

I though, "Gee, my C64 looks better than that"

I first experienced CGA through some kind of Amstrad PC512 or 640 when I was a kid in the school's computer room. They were already considered "very old" and crappy at the time, which must have been sometime between 1991 and 1992. I remember thinking the colors looked awful and very limited, barely any better than monochrome, and people only used those computers if the better PC with a 286 and VGA graphics was already taken.

douglar wrote on 2025-10-19, 20:42:

Mandrew wrote on 2025-10-19, 19:08:

pete8475 wrote on 2025-10-19, 18:56:

No doubt there is something charming about the CGA colors.

It sure is unique, I'm wondering what the users in the 80's thought when they first saw these colors on their $4500 computer. 😁

I though, "Gee, my C64 looks better than that"

My family bought an Olivetti M24 around 1986/87, it came with a CGA color screen. My friends in the neighborhood had all C64s or some other 8bit micro... However, they all had cheap black and white TV sets, they'd never seen color on a computer screen in real-life before. For a brief moment I was "cool". Didn't last long as soon after, the first kid in the neighborhood managed to get his hands on an Amiga 500. 😀

That "WTF" moment was probably stronger in people who bought the C64 for Christmas, seen the Charlie Chaplin IBM ads on TV and thought these monitors are going to be even better since it's an expensive high tech business solution.

8-Bit Guy on YouTube did a really good video where he demonstrated that the real strength of CGA was over composite.

Mandrew wrote on 2025-10-19, 19:08:

pete8475 wrote on 2025-10-19, 18:56:

No doubt there is something charming about the CGA colors.

It sure is unique, I'm wondering what the users in the 80's thought when they first saw these colors on their $4500 computer. 😁

Probably something like "wow, COLOURS"

I mean, as opposed to the white green or amber monochromes that were more regular then ...?

Kahenraz wrote on 2025-10-20, 09:54:

8-Bit Guy on YouTube did a really good video where he demonstrated that the real strength of CGA was over composite.

I didn't realize people were actually using the super expensive 5150 PC on their home television sets after the CGA adapter was released in 1981. That explains why the limited CGA palette was not really a big deal for non-professional users.

Kahenraz wrote on 2025-10-20, 09:54:

8-Bit Guy on YouTube did a really good video where he demonstrated that the real strength of CGA was over composite.

But very shortly after the initial 5150 release and almost two years before IBM finally released its 5153 RGBi monitor, programmers found ways to display APA sixteen colour graphics on RGBi monitors hooked to the CGA adapter. Not very high resolution but still, sixteen clear colours vs composites slightly blurry output.

Scored another gem, an ASRock AM2NF3

I haven't shared anything here for a while.
I recently got this really nice Creative 3D Blaster PCI (Rendition Verité V1000-E)

The vQuake CD seems missing but i upgraded my full version to vQuake with the patch found online.
The cd contains the exclusive Rebel Moon as expected.

Will try more RRedline, Speedy3D and CGL games as soon as possible.

sunkindly wrote on 2025-10-16, 18:50:

Thermalwrong wrote on 2025-10-16, 03:46:

I wish you luck with getting your one working 😀

Thanks! If it doesn't work off the bat I'll likely open it up as you did yours and poke around.

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!! Holy heck, I can't believe it. My hands are red from clapping.

Took a bit of digging to find the drivers but this post was super helpful:
https://retechvintage.blogspot.com/2025/08/an … -get-it-to.html

acl wrote on 2025-10-20, 21:28:

I haven't shared anything here for a while. I recently got this really nice Creative 3D Blaster PCI (Rendition Verité V1000-E) […]
Show full quote

I haven't shared anything here for a while.
I recently got this really nice Creative 3D Blaster PCI (Rendition Verité V1000-E)

The vQuake CD seems missing but i upgraded my full version to vQuake with the patch found online.
The cd contains the exclusive Rebel Moon as expected.

The attachment IMG_20251020_231240.jpg is no longer available

Will try more RRedline, Speedy3D and CGL games as soon as possible.

Very cool! I only learned of the Rendition cards pretty recently, that particular time in graphics is becoming super intriguing to me.

sunkindly wrote on 2025-10-21, 00:19:

acl wrote on 2025-10-20, 21:28:

I haven't shared anything here for a while. I recently got this really nice Creative 3D Blaster PCI (Rendition Verité V1000-E) […]
Show full quote

I haven't shared anything here for a while.
I recently got this really nice Creative 3D Blaster PCI (Rendition Verité V1000-E)

The vQuake CD seems missing but i upgraded my full version to vQuake with the patch found online.
The cd contains the exclusive Rebel Moon as expected.

The attachment IMG_20251020_231240.jpg is no longer available

Will try more RRedline, Speedy3D and CGL games as soon as possible.

Very cool! I only learned of the Rendition cards pretty recently, that particular time in graphics is becoming super intriguing to me.

I really love the early PC 3D accelerators.
There was a huge diversity back then, as everything had yet to be standardized.
Each one had its own quirks.
The Rendition Verité 1000 was actually one of the 'good' ones, feature complete... it was just slower than the Voodoo that came shortly after