PC@LIVE wrote on 2021-10-12, 21:04:

I noticed that at startup the 128KB of cache are detected, but the QuicktechPRO diagnostic program does not detect them, maybe there is some program that can detect if the chips are real, or are they fake (like in some MB 486 PCChips)?

Perhaps you try SpeedSys 4.78
You can see the amount of cache in the bottom right of the screen.

Today I am trying to decide between using one of the faster MX440s (128bit AGP 8X) or the slowest ati 9600 (the SE or it might be an LE if that is a thing).

Naturally this means I'll benchmark them but I'll probably give the 9600 a go as it is new to me and hopefully supports DX8 better.

P.S. no spoilers on which will be faster just yet!

Edit- so it turns out they're very similar with the 9550 being better at dx8.1(?) Stuff and the mx440 being better at older games like Q3.

Today I was trying to go on a test run with one of my Trio3D/2X 8MB and I found it unusually troublesome.
I've been planning on experiencing the true potential of this beast, but games either won't launch or only run in software mode.

So far the only games I had a modest amount of luck with are:
GLQuake with 8.8fps on Demo1 in 640x480@16 which is slower than expected
Tomb Raider 2 with 12fps
International Rally Championship with 10fps
Thief: The Dark Project with 8fps (though none of the textures loaded, some grey objects in a white void)
Gorky 17 with 32fps, the game claims to be running with 3d accelerated, but it's oddly fast
Need for Speed 4 starts in Direct3D the menus are all glitchy, which is not unexpected, and freezes the system on the loading screen

Disruptor wrote on 2021-10-13, 00:17:

PC@LIVE wrote on 2021-10-12, 21:04:

I noticed that at startup the 128KB of cache are detected, but the QuicktechPRO diagnostic program does not detect them, maybe there is some program that can detect if the chips are real, or are they fake (like in some MB 486 PCChips)?

Perhaps you try SpeedSys 4.78
You can see the amount of cache in the bottom right of the screen.

Yes ok thanks.
I have used it often and also on this 386DX, but I don't remember if it was detected correctly, however I will try that and other similar programs, all for obvious DOS.
If I wanted, I could use some for Windows, but I don't know which ones support version 3.0.

Does installing an MFM hard drive + controller into an ALR 8300 server count as retro? :p

Well maybe, unless you're finding PCIe MFM controllers somewhere.

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-10-14, 03:34:

Well maybe, unless you're finding PCIe MFM controllers somewhere.

I might just be trying to defy my age, but part of me still doesn't see Pentium 3s and 4s as retro

Mostly newer stuff (kind of wore myself out), like getting my Monitor Wall rearranged (partly), getting off my backup gaming PC to my old fixed gaming PC, working on my new Supermicro file server (come on Black Friday drive deals)...

I was going to, not kidding, set up 21 miscellaneous drives in the file server... but the more I think about it the less fun that sounds. I might add some to the current file server and wait until I can get a deal on 4tb/8tg drives to finish the new server, which will actually have proper parity.

Anyway, back to retro, does anyone know if anyone makes sheet metal covers for wraparound-style older cases? Or if someone has a huge stock or something? I know I've mentioned before I have one unusually wide minitower with a missing cover. I may try to fabricate something out of a less durable material and line it with upmarket tinfoil or whatever. I guess I could try a metal shop but I don't have an example to provide, just a smaller example and the case itself.

I did get a bunch of drives in my spreadsheets, next up, I think, will be sound cards (then PSUs). Can't wait until I get to cables! (I lie.)

TheAbandonwareGuy wrote on 2021-10-12, 21:01:

Is a first gen 16KB TRS80 Color Computer worth owning for any practical reason? Someone has one near me for $100, comes with 7 program titles on cartridge and color basic. Also has all original packaging and paperwork.
Like is there any way to load software on it from a cassette or tape drive? I was thinking it might be neat for playing Zork or Ultima I or other very primitive games.

So I was watching something on YouTube while skimming Vogons and I gotta say, this was a strange coincidence on timing on my second display 😉 :

Jed118 wrote on 2021-10-14, 04:14:

So I was watching something on YouTube while skimming Vogons and I gotta say, this was a strange coincidence on timing on my second display 😉 :

Reminds me how I once stopped listening music, turned the TV on and MTV opened with the same song almost at the same spot where I left it when I pressed stop.

RandomStranger wrote on 2021-10-13, 18:58:

Today I was trying to go on a test run with one of my Trio3D/2X 8MB and I found it unusually troublesome. I've been planning on […]
Show full quote

Today I was trying to go on a test run with one of my Trio3D/2X 8MB and I found it unusually troublesome.
I've been planning on experiencing the true potential of this beast, but games either won't launch or only run in software mode.

So far the only games I had a modest amount of luck with are:
GLQuake with 8.8fps on Demo1 in 640x480@16 which is slower than expected
Tomb Raider 2 with 12fps
International Rally Championship with 10fps
Thief: The Dark Project with 8fps (though none of the textures loaded, some grey objects in a white void)
Gorky 17 with 32fps, the game claims to be running with 3d accelerated, but it's oddly fast
Need for Speed 4 starts in Direct3D the menus are all glitchy, which is not unexpected, and freezes the system on the loading screen

S3 Trio3D/2X "true potential" are all around good 2D performance and DOS compatibility (especially for such era when DOS was falling out of style) from an otherwise uninteresting card based on ViRGE that lacks S3D. 😉

Gmlb256 wrote on 2021-10-14, 13:15:

RandomStranger wrote on 2021-10-13, 18:58:

Today I was trying to go on a test run with one of my Trio3D/2X 8MB and I found it unusually troublesome. I've been planning on […]
Show full quote

Today I was trying to go on a test run with one of my Trio3D/2X 8MB and I found it unusually troublesome.
I've been planning on experiencing the true potential of this beast, but games either won't launch or only run in software mode.

So far the only games I had a modest amount of luck with are:
GLQuake with 8.8fps on Demo1 in 640x480@16 which is slower than expected
Tomb Raider 2 with 12fps
International Rally Championship with 10fps
Thief: The Dark Project with 8fps (though none of the textures loaded, some grey objects in a white void)
Gorky 17 with 32fps, the game claims to be running with 3d accelerated, but it's oddly fast
Need for Speed 4 starts in Direct3D the menus are all glitchy, which is not unexpected, and freezes the system on the loading screen

S3 Trio3D/2X "true potential" are all around good 2D performance and DOS compatibility (especially for such era when DOS was falling out of style) from an otherwise uninteresting card based on ViRGE that lacks S3D. 😉

Sure, I never expected it to be a speed freak, only that a graphics card that was sold as a 3D accelerator and claimed to be an improvement regarding compatibility over the ViRGE will actually run games with 3D acceleration enabled, even if slow and glitchy. If it was glitching out the way it does in NFS4 and Thief at least it's be fun in its own perverted way.

Just finished repairing the cable for a Mouse Systems serial mouse

Sombrero wrote on 2021-10-14, 04:50:

Jed118 wrote on 2021-10-14, 04:14:

So I was watching something on YouTube while skimming Vogons and I gotta say, this was a strange coincidence on timing on my second display 😉 :

Reminds me how I once stopped listening music, turned the TV on and MTV opened with the same song almost at the same spot where I left it when I pressed stop.

I have a classic car with the original radio, the one you tune by hand, as well as a tape deck. I have a mix tape in there from grade 8 (early-mid 90s) and I ejected the tape which was playing Offspring's Come Out and Play, and guess which song was playing on the radio (102.1 The Edge, no less)? 😁

That happened sometime in the summer. I stayed at my destination in the car until the song ended 😉

Ported a Wpf control over to AvaloniaUI.

WPF is a Windows Vista era technology.

I soldered the LM80 chips I got and the board refuses to turn on at all.
Tomorrow I'll desolder this chip and see if it is a bad chip (I ordered 2) or fakes.

Tired and no conclusion. Going to bed and sleep it off 😀

Yeah! I mean, the other day I put an Apple branded IDE CDROM into a P200 MMX build!

I also used nonparity 30 pin SIMMS from a Mac in a 386, and IIRC It also had a (loathsome but available) 105 Mb Quantum drive... There is the love!

Also, I bought a Ryzen 3400G almost 2 years ago to the date - Haven't upgraded it at all, it performs well as an editing station, and when it does not do the job well, I'll plop in a new CPU or GPU and keep on going: This isn't 1995 where you need to upgrade literally everything except the case and 1.44Mb drive anymore, sh*t lasts a lot longer. What else I don't understand is everyone here is an old school computer enthusiast, and with that I would say the skills of entry into our hobby is greater than what it means to be a certified tech working with new PCs: Why would any of us be taking anything to a service station anyhow? I have literally not done that unless something broke, and even then, only at work (Lenovo, Dell, and half the time, it's user dropped it, spilled something on it, dog mangled the power brick...) and yeah, from a deployment perspective, PCs are a lot easier to deal with than Macs. The only reason I even know how to do intermediate to advanced things on a Mac is that I am also an Ubuntu/MINT user 😉

Tested another Toshiba floppy drive the other day and it, too, has issues. Didn't read at first due to a loose belt and the motor was stiff and it read up to 10 files and it gave the infamous general read error message.

Unfortunately, that floppy drive is toast and I attempted to repair it to no avail and the spring on top of the upper head broke off along with the mount that's in the back. In other words, not fun. On the positive side, I have the Toshiba FDD that I utilize on my 410CDT that works with my 2150CDT as long as the interface cable that connects to the laptop is the same thickness and length.

Just tested my all eight SDR SDRAM with MemTest86 for the first time yesterday and found three of them were quite faulty. 😿 Will test EDO RAM x5 and DDR SDRAM x13 later today.

Ouch. Having faulty RAM isn't the best thing in the world. Learnt the hard way with my SIMM-30 RAM on my 3/486WB board that had faults (either didn't POST or would boot, but everything crashed). Good thing I had spare RAM lying around, but I know how it feels to have shotty RAM. If there was a way to fix RAM, such as replacing capacitors or RAM chips, which might not be possible.