Not related to computers really, but I did hook up a new phono pre-amp and re-EQd my AV receiver. Was surprised how much better stuff sounded, so I suspect my old cheapo preamp wasn't doing the RIAA eq very well.

ODwilly wrote on 2021-12-04, 21:38:

Found a Q6700 so started fiddling around with this Abit board Iv been procrastinating on fixing.

Does anybody have any idea where to find a Bios for this Abit IN9 32x Max? It ALMOST works, but it locks up in the bios no matter what CPU, ram, PSU or GPU I use with it. A fresh Bios battery seemed to add about 5 seconds of time spent in the bios before IMG_20211121_011107749.jpgcrashing.

Next order of business is a deep clean and thermal paste refresh on the chipsets.

If the always useless abit.ws is anything to go by (http://abit.ws/page/en/motherboard/motherboar … &pPRODINFO=BIOS) it would appear to be these

ftp://91.121.194.115/pub/download/bios/in932x/

Manual here - ftp://91.121.194.115/pub/download/manual/engl … x-max-wi-fi.zip

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2021-12-05, 03:30:

If the always useless abit.ws is anything to go by (http://abit.ws/page/en/motherboard/motherboar … &pPRODINFO=BIOS) it would ap […]
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ODwilly wrote on 2021-12-04, 21:38:

Found a Q6700 so started fiddling around with this Abit board Iv been procrastinating on fixing.

Does anybody have any idea where to find a Bios for this Abit IN9 32x Max? It ALMOST works, but it locks up in the bios no matter what CPU, ram, PSU or GPU I use with it. A fresh Bios battery seemed to add about 5 seconds of time spent in the bios before IMG_20211121_011107749.jpgcrashing.

Next order of business is a deep clean and thermal paste refresh on the chipsets.

If the always useless abit.ws is anything to go by (http://abit.ws/page/en/motherboard/motherboar … &pPRODINFO=BIOS) it would appear to be these

ftp://91.121.194.115/pub/download/bios/in932x/

Manual here - ftp://91.121.194.115/pub/download/manual/engl … x-max-wi-fi.zip

Thank you!!! It even adds 45nm CPU support. I guess I will have to swap CPU's with the Q9550 in my spare Inspiron 530 if this board proves stable.

Yup that's practically a rule, don't let Dells bogart good CPUs.... Ima have to file for permission to stick a PentiumD in a Dementia though 'coz all the better boards I've got will take conroe up, and I might end up with an allendale unemployed.

Retrobriting.
I had to give a second round to a couple of front panels and started one that is very yellow and in part orange.

Trying to figure out why this nice 486 motherboard doesn't want to boot. It shows no signs of life. I don't have much experience in troubleshooting a motherboard with PCI/ISA diagnostic card. Does anyone know what do codes C7 (left) and C5 (right) mean?

EDIT: I've added a better picture of the motherboard.

Turbo -> wrote on 2021-12-05, 11:18:

Trying to figure out why this nice 486 motherboard doesn't want to boot. It shows no signs of life. I don't have much experience in troubleshooting a motherboard with PCI/ISA diagnostic card. Does anyone know what do codes C7 (left) and C5 (right) mean?

Is that board capable of running a Dx4-100 ?>

Also .. it has a Dallas 1287 RTC .. might want to check to see if it is still alive and its battery has not died, 99% of the time with them Dallas RTCs ..the battery is dead which causes a whole lot of issues relating to the BIOS.

I'd be a little shocked to find a PCI 486 board incapable of running a DX4... though I've seen some needing plug in Vregs. This board seems to have a regulator. However, I don't like the look of that capacitor showing to the right of the SIMM slots. (edit: and it's got a buddy that also looks sus by the chipset PGAs)

Codes will vary by BIOS and version, I see AMIBIOS but not version, though maybe this board is late enough to have got that *cough* lovely winbios. Which I think is versioned 6 offhand.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will look into it. Can a motherboard not post at all due to an empty Dallas battery? And another thing: I salvaged this motherboard from an old PC. When I opened the side cover I noticed that there was an ISA IO controller installed into THIS motherboard? Strange..

At one point ISA i/o controllers were dirt cheap new, if you wanted one more port or interface, it was cheaper to stick an ISA i/o in there and disable everything vs buying a card with the single interface or port on.

I worked on socket 7 MS-5129 (v1.2) getting it ready for some action. MSI has done some nice forward-thinking. There is place for both PS/2 connector and RTC battery. This one had ODIN in socket.
All I had to do was solder the new battery holder + solder PS/2 connector + drill ODIN battery pins so that pins were solderable. I didn't cut off the old battery, I will if new battery drains too fast. Yes, colour is wrong in that mouse connector, I didn't have options.

I believe some old ASRock boards from the Socket A era, have separate DIN connectors. Maybe you can source one.
Anyway, nice work. 😀

Turbo -> wrote on 2021-12-05, 11:18:

Trying to figure out why this nice 486 motherboard doesn't want to boot. It shows no signs of life. I don't have much experience in troubleshooting a motherboard with PCI/ISA diagnostic card. Does anyone know what do codes C7 (left) and C5 (right) mean?

EDIT: I've added a better picture of the motherboard.

Have you checked if the settings for dx-4 are correct?
I had C7 C6 with a cpu that had the wrong fsb settings.
Maybe the cpu has been oc'd to death and is toast... try 25mhz fsb.

Started putting more stuff up on E-bay to clear out my workshop of things I'll never use...including a grab bag of memory, just sold some software, all the memory modules I've pulled from the NEC Versa I have (they all have the RAM maxxed out at 20 or 40MB and I don't see myself ever downgrading them).

I'm wondering if I should go ahead and sell 2 systems I have minus hard disk. Would people be interested in that? If not I'll be putting regular spindle drives, most likely of the period, in them. Not selling here but just looking for community opinions on that.

Thinking if not I might just put a 250MB from the Versa into my Tandy 1000, move the 3GB back to the NEC Ready 9522, then find the smallest ATA-133 drive I have (capacity wise) and slap that in the Dell 3000. I've got a FitPC now that works with XP and that'll be my XP box now, it'll save on some space having a XP unit the size of a pack of cigarettes....unless there's a better way with those, but I'll post about that thing later.

Sooo a little summary of the new event:

after the original 60 watt power supply has passed due to overload,

and I had doubted to find a replacement because of the special design

(Part II)
I decided to sacrifice another AT power supply that is no longer in use.

It is the power supply that was previously installed in my first retro computer when I bought it in 2017. That was kept for the purpose of ATX conversion (because the GA586-TX3 motherboard could allow both operating modes), which has now proven to be practical.

Only the base plate with higher threads for the circuit board is left of the cannibalized power supply unit. Of course, it could have been cut out much cleaner and nicer, but when the case is closed you can't see anything but it is important that everything is stable and secure.

The 60 watt circuit board will be repaired in good time ... also the cold device connections and the extended switch of course not thrown away, as well as the original fan from the replacement power supply.

Since I have had good experiences so far, a brand new Noctua fan (as already happened in the 286) will also do its job in the power supply with new inner workings.

janih wrote on 2021-12-02, 08:14:

I bought the panel from a Chinese online store called "abctay.com". Paid 50$ (+shipping, taxes, customs..) so not cheap, but I was unable to find these from European sellers or locally.

It was bit of a gamble to buy from some random shop, but the panel is working and seems to be new old stock. I was searching for the lowest price for LQ71Y03 that I could find. There are also several sellers in AliExpress that also have this panel for sale.

Thanks mate - I've found the website, agree it looks a bit sketchy, but have also picked up the same screen for my Libretto 100CT. My existing panel has the same issue all of them have - vertical line on the far left edge - but with other lines flickering from that edge in use. The same website also have LCD panels for Sony VAIO UX handhelds - AUD $85, I have a panel which is heavily scratched but should probably see if I can remove the thick film on top first before buying a complete replacement.

Next up I want to find some RAM for the 100CT, although the stock 32MB isn't bad. Great machines.

I played 1993 Holiday Lemmings yesterday.

Turbo -> wrote on 2021-12-05, 11:18:

Trying to figure out why this nice 486 motherboard doesn't want to boot. It shows no signs of life. I don't have much experience in troubleshooting a motherboard with PCI/ISA diagnostic card. Does anyone know what do codes C7 (left) and C5 (right) mean?

EDIT: I've added a better picture of the motherboard.

I can offer some help; but you need to tell me what BIOS it has first? Award? AMI? MR?

Assuming it as AMI that C7 C5 means the board just disabled onboard cache and proceeded with CMOS operations and halted. There is a CMOS issue going on, and seeing as it has a Dallas RTC that probably needs replacing. The board can not complete CMOS shutdown register check and for this particular BIOS it seems to cause a halt.

appiah4 wrote on 2021-12-06, 07:11:

Turbo -> wrote on 2021-12-05, 11:18:

Trying to figure out why this nice 486 motherboard doesn't want to boot. It shows no signs of life. I don't have much experience in troubleshooting a motherboard with PCI/ISA diagnostic card. Does anyone know what do codes C7 (left) and C5 (right) mean?

EDIT: I've added a better picture of the motherboard.

I can offer some help; but you need to tell me what BIOS it has first? Award? AMI? MR?

Assuming it as AMI that C7 C5 means the board just disabled onboard cache and proceeded with CMOS operations and halted. There is a CMOS issue going on, and seeing as it has a Dallas RTC that probably needs replacing. The board can not complete CMOS shutdown register check and for this particular BIOS it seems to cause a halt.

Soon as I saw the Dallas RTC and the Amibios in the picture I guessed it was due to the RTC, them Dallas RTCs are pretty notorious for dying and causing a bunch of issues with older boards. Hopefully they can replace it and get the old girl running again, every old board deserves a chance !