versawizkid2002 wrote on Yesterday, 03:41:

Bought an Nvidia Quadro K1200 low-profile graphics card (basically a GTX 750 with 4GB RAM for workstations) for a Dell OptiPlex 755 SFF I rescued from The Dump™.

I'm also considering options for the same computer, aren't you concerned about the fact that the manual states 25W is the maximum supported? Wondering what were some common low-profile cards that fit this requirement and are a notable upgrade from the integrated Intel GMA 3100. Quadros seem like a possibility I missed.

konc wrote on Yesterday, 08:36:

versawizkid2002 wrote on Yesterday, 03:41:

Bought an Nvidia Quadro K1200 low-profile graphics card (basically a GTX 750 with 4GB RAM for workstations) for a Dell OptiPlex 755 SFF I rescued from The Dump™.

I'm also considering options for the same computer, aren't you concerned about the fact that the manual states 25W is the maximum supported? Wondering what were some common low-profile cards that fit this requirement and are a notable upgrade from the integrated Intel GMA 3100. Quadros seem like a possibility I missed.

I didn't even know about the supposed 25W limit for the PCIe slot when I bought the card, though it seems like it works fine even when gaming. I tested Portal at 1360x768 and also ran both 3DMark2001SE and 3DMark06 (albeit at 1024x768) and I really didn't have any problems. Will have to see how everything holds up over time.

Honestly, anything would make for quite the upgrade over the GMA 3100... when I was 10, my main computer was a 755 MT with an E6550 and GMA 3100. Over time it was struggling to do anything 3D that I was up to, and it was eventually the recipient for my first GPU - which was a 1GB EVGA GTX 750. Had it not been for me getting that, I would have killed for a display adapter Radeon or something just to play Minecraft 1.7 viably.

I modified a Chaintech 4SLDE-Z1 to accept 1MB L2 cache.
This mod can also be done on:
- Chaintech 4SLD.3
and with much less effort on:
- Chaintech 4SLE
- Chaintech 4SLE2

Instructions for the Chaintech 4SLD.3 and 4SLDE-Z1:
- Remove all jumper caps from RP12-RP14.
- Install RP15 and populate it with 5 jumper caps or just hardwire 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10.
- Move the hardwired jumper on JP19 from 1-2 to 2-3.
- Extend the eight 28 pin IC sockets of Bank 0 and Bank 1 to 32 pins.
- Populate Bank 0 and 1 with eight 128kx8bit SRAMs
- Install using two extra 28 pin IC sockets, a 64kx8bit SRAM in the TAG socket with the left 4 pins overhanging JP19.
- On the 64kx8bit SRAM in the TAG socket connect pin 30 to pin 32.
- Connect pin 31 from the 64kx8bit SRAM in the TAG socket to pin 2 of the Bank 1 128kx8bit SRAM right next to it.

Instructions for the Chaintech 4SLE and 4SLE2:
- Remove all jumper caps from RP12-RP14.
- Install 5 jumper caps on RP15.
- Put the jumper on JP20 to 2-3.
- Populate Bank 0 and 1 with eight 128kx8bit SRAMs
- Install using two extra 28 pin IC sockets, a 64kx8bit SRAM in the TAG socket with the left 4 pins overhanging JP20.
- On the 64kx8bit SRAM in the TAG socket connect pin 30 to pin 32.
- Connect pin 31 from the 64kx8bit SRAM in the TAG socket to pin 2 of the Bank 1 128kx8bit SRAM right next to it.

This is how it should look, with one cache IC removed to show the socket extension:

I was messing about with midi files nd soundfonts and found out one of them was m=not right (made a post on it so if you want to know more about that then please read my post)

Did a thorough cleaning of one the Das 4 Professional keyboard. Removed all the keys, blew out the gunk and hair underneath with compressed air, cleaned the remainder with alcohol-soaked q-tips, wiped all the surfaces and the individual keys with wet-wipes, reassembled. Looks much better and almost new.

an update to my NetBSD-on-Wii escapades, I did get Netsurf and XFCE working somewhat although.... uh.

The screen was just too small, XFCE is not made for 640x480 at all and there was no way to raise the resolution (probably just the Wii can't output anything more)

Surprisingly in spite of the limited RAM though, Netsurf did work when I moved back from XFCE to the default CTWM window manager, I could even visit and browse Wikipedia albeit slowly.

To be honest I am surprised with how usable it ended up, it's still not anything anyone could ever daily drive (you'd have better luck with that old PS2 Linux given the extra screen resolution there) but there is a shred of usability in here.
Even if it is just browsing simpler websites that don't need Javascript, you can still actually browse the web on a Wii, and with modern SSL encryption at that.

This makes me wonder though, how much older of a system can work with NetBSD? especially since they could probably have more RAM than a Wii does, let alone actual graphics hardware acceleration
(I know the i486 architecture is at least supported by NetBSD, but how usable would that end up being?)

Got a Soyo SY-5XAE5 motherboard. Not sure what to pick for a PCI video card, however; I do have a Voodoo 3 card that would work, but it makes zero sense to use when I'm planning on putting a pair of Voodoo 2 cards in.

Would Socket 7 be a good platform for the Voodoo 2?

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Either is an aftermarket upgrade but what feels slightly off is the cost proportions. Users who could afford 2xV2 tended to have Slot 1 systems.

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:06:

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Voodoo 1 was, Voodoo 2 was build for Super 7 and Pentium II both of which had enough grunt to feed two of them in SLI.

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 06:12:

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:06:

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Voodoo 1 was, Voodoo 2 was build for Super 7 and Pentium II both of which had enough grunt to feed two of them in SLI.

I remember installing my shiny new Voodoo2 in my Pentium MMX system before Super Socket 7 existed. First generation Pentium II existed, but on a 66MHz FSB.

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:22:

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 06:12:

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:06:

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Voodoo 1 was, Voodoo 2 was build for Super 7 and Pentium II both of which had enough grunt to feed two of them in SLI.

I remember installing my shiny new Voodoo2 in my Pentium MMX system before Super Socket 7 existed. First generation Pentium II existed, but on a 66MHz FSB.

I'm sure you did, as many others also did in the very brief period between the V2 and SS7 but the 12Mb SLI setup really didn't perform that well on such a setup, simply not enough horse power to feed the both of them. I remember Installing my first Voodoo2 12Mb on a K6-2 350 setup for Unreal but even that system had trouble @ 1024x768 with the SLI setup when I got a second one.

What even stranger is that the Voodoo2 released in February 1998 and Super Socket 7 released in May 1998 so I'm wondering if you may have your dates and memory slightly out. Happens to all of us at time goes on and things get a little fuzzy upon recollection. (Pentium II was may 1997, with the legendary BX in April 1998).

Technically the SLI Voodoo 2 is about equal to a stock Voodoo 3 3000 at least in my own testing.

i've been going through my collection and i'm surprised that i have 3 somewhat period correct builds after the year 2000 (two 2003 and one 2006).
What's nice to notice from the hardware side of things is that there are plenty of options to go with early 2000 builds.
In terms of sound cards i can only remember Creative's Live!, Audigy and Audigy 2. GPUs and CPUs certainly got significantly better every 2-3 years and there's a lot of options in 3rd party coolers that just look cool.
Fan controllers with LCDs which had really bad viewing angles. What else do you remember?

is this the new golden retro era for pc gaming - 20 years ag0? my god the time flies.

vellu wrote on Today, 09:10:

i've been going through my collection and i'm surprised that i have 3 somewhat period correct builds after the year 2000 (two 2 […]
Show full quote

i've been going through my collection and i'm surprised that i have 3 somewhat period correct builds after the year 2000 (two 2003 and one 2006).
What's nice to notice from the hardware side of things is that there are plenty of options to go with early 2000 builds.
In terms of sound cards i can only remember Creative's Live!, Audigy and Audigy 2. GPUs and CPUs certainly got significantly better every 2-3 years and there's a lot of options in 3rd party coolers that just look cool.
Fan controllers with LCDs which had really bad viewing angles. What else do you remember?

is this the new golden retro era for pc gaming - 20 years ag0? my god the time flies.

Oh boy the 2000's had some real ...interesting tat for 5.25 bays 🤣 ..from the ubiquitous rainbow puke LCD fan controllers to speakers, storage drawers and IIRC fake floppy drives.

Thermal Take was right into that sort of thing and Im sure I have missed a few things they did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXlZXH4aQ5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1OEZ42yf_4

These two LGR videos pretty much cover a lot of the tat you could get, really great watch !

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 08:15:

What even stranger is that the Voodoo2 released in February 1998 and Super Socket 7 released in May 1998 so I'm wondering if you may have your dates and memory slightly out. Happens to all of us at time goes on and things get a little fuzzy upon recollection. (Pentium II was may 1997, with the legendary BX in April 1998).

when i was researching couple of weeks back for the earliest SS7 AGP board the FIC PA-2012 was showing up as coming out in late 1997.. toms hardware tested a "production ready board that will be in the shops soon" - 2 nov 1997...
they also tested 5 AGP ss7 boards in jan 1998..

kennyPENTIUMpowers wrote on Today, 11:05:

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 08:15:

What even stranger is that the Voodoo2 released in February 1998 and Super Socket 7 released in May 1998 so I'm wondering if you may have your dates and memory slightly out. Happens to all of us at time goes on and things get a little fuzzy upon recollection. (Pentium II was may 1997, with the legendary BX in April 1998).

when i was researching couple of weeks back for the earliest SS7 AGP board the FIC PA-2012 was showing up as coming out in late 1997..

I only did a quick dig and that was the date listed for it "officially released", no doubt there were a number that jumped the gun to get to the market first. Early SS7 was a shit show and the early ones usually had that terrible VIA northbridge that borked the AGP port and caused numerous issues. "Officially released" is usually the time its generally available to the consumers, modern motherboards follow the same schedule, they release for testing and review a few months before the public gets them.

I do love the use of Soon .. it is the Blizzard Soon or the Microsoft soon ? how long is soon exactly ?? HAHA

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 08:15:

I'm sure you did, as many others also did in the very brief period between the V2 and SS7 but the 12Mb SLI setup really didn't p […]
Show full quote

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:22:

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 06:12:

Voodoo 1 was, Voodoo 2 was build for Super 7 and Pentium II both of which had enough grunt to feed two of them in SLI.

I remember installing my shiny new Voodoo2 in my Pentium MMX system before Super Socket 7 existed. First generation Pentium II existed, but on a 66MHz FSB.

I'm sure you did, as many others also did in the very brief period between the V2 and SS7 but the 12Mb SLI setup really didn't perform that well on such a setup, simply not enough horse power to feed the both of them. I remember Installing my first Voodoo2 12Mb on a K6-2 350 setup for Unreal but even that system had trouble @ 1024x768 with the SLI setup when I got a second one.

What even stranger is that the Voodoo2 released in February 1998 and Super Socket 7 released in May 1998 so I'm wondering if you may have your dates and memory slightly out. Happens to all of us at time goes on and things get a little fuzzy upon recollection. (Pentium II was may 1997, with the legendary BX in April 1998).

Technically the SLI Voodoo 2 is about equal to a stock Voodoo 3 3000 at least in my own testing.

No, my memory is clear. I was a novice. I had Pentium MMX 200 and S3 Trio64 2MB running Windows 95 and various PC magazine demos. I also had Tomb Raider looking rather sorry - the PC magazines made it clear I needed an upgrade. I was studying the options and absorbing data like a sponge: RAM? / CPU? / Motherboard? / 3D graphics card?

And, while I was in that zone the magazines reviewed the all new 3Dfx Voodoo2 that promised to solve everything with no more dilemmas or trade offs. I bought the 12MB version - I can't remember who sold it but it was branded Sparkle and it had a beautiful shiny black PCB. I remember nerves as I installed it because magazines had educated me in handling, static, etc. It worked beautifully.

And I had not seen inside the PC before. Soon after I was tinkering with the jumper settings and overclocking my MMX to values I don't remember - but I moved to SS7 and that helped O/C some more. So that particular 3Dfx purchase is one of the more memorable ones.

MattRocks wrote on Today, 11:17:

No, my memory is clear. I was a novice. I had Pentium MMX 200 and S3 Trio64 2MB running Windows 95 and various PC magazine demos […]
Show full quote

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 08:15:

I'm sure you did, as many others also did in the very brief period between the V2 and SS7 but the 12Mb SLI setup really didn't p […]
Show full quote

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:22:

I remember installing my shiny new Voodoo2 in my Pentium MMX system before Super Socket 7 existed. First generation Pentium II existed, but on a 66MHz FSB.

I'm sure you did, as many others also did in the very brief period between the V2 and SS7 but the 12Mb SLI setup really didn't perform that well on such a setup, simply not enough horse power to feed the both of them. I remember Installing my first Voodoo2 12Mb on a K6-2 350 setup for Unreal but even that system had trouble @ 1024x768 with the SLI setup when I got a second one.

What even stranger is that the Voodoo2 released in February 1998 and Super Socket 7 released in May 1998 so I'm wondering if you may have your dates and memory slightly out. Happens to all of us at time goes on and things get a little fuzzy upon recollection. (Pentium II was may 1997, with the legendary BX in April 1998).

Technically the SLI Voodoo 2 is about equal to a stock Voodoo 3 3000 at least in my own testing.

No, my memory is clear. I was a novice. I had Pentium MMX 200 and S3 Trio64 2MB running Windows 95 and various PC magazine demos. I also had Tomb Raider looking rather sorry - the PC magazines made it clear I needed an upgrade. I was studying the options and absorbing data like a sponge: RAM? / CPU? / Motherboard? / 3D graphics card?

And, while I was in that zone the magazines reviewed the all new 3Dfx Voodoo2 that promised to solve everything with no more dilemmas or trade offs. I bought the 12MB version by mail order, and it was branded Sparkle. I remember nerves as I installed it because magazines had educated me in handling, static, etc. It worked beautifully.

And I had not seen inside the PC before. Soon after I was tinkering with the jumper settings and overclocking my MMX 200. So that particular purchase is one of the more memorable ones.

I too had my Voodoo2 SLI with a S3 Trio ...such a great combination too! I had the Diamond Monster 3D II and the nerves thing .. I get the even today when installing GPUs, CPUs, NVME drive and such, my 4090 I had to stop myself shaking .. its a big heavy chonker of a GPU too. Now I think about it the shaking my just be that I'm getting old and need to go see a doctor 😁

As much as people say I have rose tinted glasses on I do seriously miss the feeling of my first real PC and tinkering with it, the modern stuff isn't the same and digging around in retro parts doesn't carry the same .. if you fuck this up you don't have a PC till you fix risk to it.

I still remember my very first interaction with a computer ...it was the old Vic20 my father owned, such a good machine too .. before that I guess it would have been the Coleco Vision with Atari 2600 attachment but that's not a PC.

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:06:

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Either is an aftermarket upgrade but what feels slightly off is the cost proportions. Users who could afford 2xV2 tended to have Slot 1 systems.

PCI cards seem to be hard to find when it comes to ATI or Nvidia.

I'm hoping I can use the 366mhz K6-2 I have.

RetroLizard wrote on Today, 13:23:

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:06:

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Either is an aftermarket upgrade but what feels slightly off is the cost proportions. Users who could afford 2xV2 tended to have Slot 1 systems.

PCI cards seem to be hard to find when it comes to ATI or Nvidia.

I'm hoping I can use the 366mhz K6-2 I have.

You really want a nVidia PCI card ..try this, its not so OP that it would be a waste on a SS7 or Slot 1 system.

Visiontek Xtasy PCI 64MB nvidia Geforce2 MX400 Brand New Sealed

Search for this on Evilbay, 1 left and its about 80 USD which isn't a bad price for a NIB PCI GF2 MX400, it does has excellent DOS compatibility should you want to also dabble in DOS gaming and being a DX7 GPU itll also work excellent in windows98.

I cant link directly as per the rules here but I can point you in the general direction.

*No Im not the seller or affiliated with the seller, I cant buy it myself because they dont ship to Australia so would rather see a fellow member grab it.

RetroLizard wrote on Today, 13:23:

MattRocks wrote on Today, 06:06:

Voodoo2 was designed for Socket 7, but I'd hesitate on assuming 2xV2 > V3.

Either is an aftermarket upgrade but what feels slightly off is the cost proportions. Users who could afford 2xV2 tended to have Slot 1 systems.

PCI cards seem to be hard to find when it comes to ATI or Nvidia.

I'm hoping I can use the 366mhz K6-2 I have.

I'd hope so too - that would be a very good late upgrade on the i430TX.

Personally, I'd look for a S3 Savage3D or Savage4 to pair with 3Dfx Voodoo because then you have Glide, MeTaL, S3TC, OpenGL and D3D. Or, Riva128/Permedia2 if you want to execute the oldest Direct3D runtime library. Or, if you want to push the i430TX as far forward as possible then consider the many PCI cards that continued being developed as low powered server devices - sold cheap and slow in this century but their D3D support is very advanced by 1998 standards:

• S3 Savage IX requires Win95+
• Matrox G450 requires Win95+
• nVIDIA FX 5-series requires Win95+
• ATi Radeon 9-series requires Win98+
• SiS Xabre requires Win98+
• Ati Rage 128 ...

Most of those require DirectX 5 or newer. Right now I can see Radeons and GeForces available on eBay in 32bit PCI form factor, maybe untested - do you like gambling?