Cuttoon wrote on 2022-03-17, 10:55:

The Diamondtron 2070? Those have been the holy grail of CRTs for the last decade, yes. Think there was a badge engineered, ide […]
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The Diamondtron 2070?
Those have been the holy grail of CRTs for the last decade, yes.
Think there was a badge engineered, identical one from Acer, including a black one.

That, along with the Sony 24", 16:10 GDM-FW900, maybe.
Friend of mine and flatmates used that as a quasi television screen in the living room for quite some time into the 2010s, to endlessly binge "Friends", HIMYM or Star Trek. Eventually, it went blurry AF.
They all do. So, any CRT will be a burning candle, of course.

Tried to get a high end CTR some years ago, locally. No use, already way past the timeframe when they were retired in CAD shops by the dozens.
And, unlike components, no one is storing those beasts. Most went to the shredder, I'd reckon.

I settled on decent Iyama 17" as my token CRT.

Best chance you'll have today is looking for "some old monitor, really heavy" in the classifieds 😉

Let's face it, this is how any CRT looks to normal people:

Any idea of how much the monitor went for?

CRTs going out blurry. Isn't that a degrading focus voltage? ie should be easily fixable.

you'ld be amazed how many CRTs still come in to the recycling centers. While the LCD's often have a cracked screen, I doubt the crts will have any major damage aside from deteriorated capacitors.

Well my Geforce 4 Ti 4600/4800 hunt is over, grabbed a 128m Quadro4 980 XGL for 100 AUD which is way under what they are going for on eBay, the seller wanted to get rid of it quickly and didn't care to go though the hassle of eBay for a possibly larger sale. (yes it works !)

Looking at benchmarks the 980 is just a rebadged Ti4800, same clocks and performance, I do wonder if it will have better image quality being a production card.

Now back to the Voodoo 5 5500 hunt.

TrashPanda wrote on 2022-03-17, 11:15:

Im gonna guess that a 22" Trinitron Cad based CRT is gonna weigh in the ball park of 30 -40kilos, I had one way back and it was downright painful to move around, I could just manage it on my own but they did put massive lead weights in the bases.

Imagine shipping that thing .. better yet imagine trying to ship it internationally.

Now imagine the cost and be thankful for LCD.

For me, 19" was the maximum that I was hunting. Mine already weighs 24kg (53 lbs), I can carry it alone and it just fits in my car. The 22" version would be 30 kg (65 lbs) which I wouldn't handle alone due to its larger dimensions. And a good 19" has pretty much the same specs as a 22", so you don't really gain anything more than 2" larger diagonal (yes, the viewable size was only 20" vs. 18" on the models I was interested in). So it's just way too much hassle for what you get.

If only more large LCDs would support 70 Hz and correct scaling... 🙁

HanSolo wrote on 2022-03-17, 12:39:

TrashPanda wrote on 2022-03-17, 11:15:

Im gonna guess that a 22" Trinitron Cad based CRT is gonna weigh in the ball park of 30 -40kilos, I had one way back and it was downright painful to move around, I could just manage it on my own but they did put massive lead weights in the bases.

Imagine shipping that thing .. better yet imagine trying to ship it internationally.

Now imagine the cost and be thankful for LCD.

For me, 19" was the maximum that I was hunting. Mine already weighs 24kg (53 lbs), I can carry it alone and it just fits in my car. The 22" version would be 30 kg (65 lbs) which I wouldn't handle alone due to its larger dimensions. And a good 19" has pretty much the same specs as a 22", so you don't really gain anything more than 2" larger diagonal (yes, the viewable size was only 20" vs. 18" on the models I was interested in). So it's just way too much hassle for what you get.

If only more large LCDs would support 70 Hz and correct scaling... 🙁

The widescreen Trinitrons were worse, though now that I think about it .. my 55" Plasma likely weighs just a little more and if it wasn't for its width I could likely pick it up and move it about with a bit of effort and an angry back. Its weird knowing that a 22" CRT weighs as much as a 55" Plasma. I only ever saw one widescreen CRT and I knew that I want it . .sadly it was far too expensive to consider and by the time I could have afforded one they had gone from scrap yard trash to stupidly expensive collectors items again.

Sigh..

It's been a long time since I bought anything, but two Radeons for €10 seemed a good deal.

Gigabyte 9600 Pro 128 MB
Hercules 3D Prophet 9000, 128 MB (roughly comparable to a Geforce MX440 - but with dualhead)

TrashPanda wrote on 2022-03-17, 12:50:

The widescreen Trinitrons were worse, though now that I think about it .. my 55" Plasma likely weighs just a little more and if it wasn't for its width I could likely pick it up and move it about with a bit of effort and an angry back. Its weird knowing that a 22" CRT weighs as much as a 55" Plasma. I only ever saw one widescreen CRT and I knew that I want it . .sadly it was far too expensive to consider and by the time I could have afforded one they had gone from scrap yard trash to stupidly expensive collectors items again.
Sigh..

Yes, that 28" CRT that John Carmack used was 45kg / 100 lbs 😀
https://www.themarysue.com/1995-john-carmack-quake-monitor/

All the talk of big CRT is making my back hurt. I gotta keep my two stored in the center of the basement to make sure gravity works in the right direction in the rest of the house. There's a Qvision 210 and a Diamondscan I keep forgetting the model of. Haven't ran them in a while, they just eat all your desk. One of the trinitron 17"s might make a comeback though. ( https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssiali … &appname=skmwww )

flupke11 wrote on 2022-03-17, 13:31:

Eiffel65.jpeg It's been a long time since I bought anything, but two Radeons for €10 seemed a good deal. […]
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Eiffel65.jpeg
It's been a long time since I bought anything, but two Radeons for €10 seemed a good deal.

Gigabyte 9600 Pro 128 MB
Hercules 3D Prophet 9000, 128 MB (roughly comparable to a Geforce MX440 - but with dualhead)

Nice. 9000 is more capable than the MX440s tho, more like a GF3ti200. 9600s, they're not a 9800, on the other hand they're not a 9800. Meaning it would be nice if they were the fast model, but the fast model is "highly strung" so they're always failing, so a 9600 is a more reliable keeper long term.

Bought a 4 pack of GameCube style N64 analog sticks (my controller doesn't have a working analog stick since I cleaned it out and I probably didn't put the pieces in correctly) and a PSX DESR-5700 that runs, except it's all Japanese text.

bjwil1991 wrote on 2022-03-17, 18:28:

Bought a 4 pack of GameCube style N64 analog sticks (my controller doesn't have a working analog stick since I cleaned it out and I probably didn't put the pieces in correctly)

Interesting, are they freely available relatively inexpensively, or is it a $$$ special run or something? I ask because I've got a couple of N64 controllers with tired sticks, and also because I'm looking for a "nice" thumbstick for a project, so wondering also if they are 10k ohm pots or whether they have built in ADC or something and send a processed signal.

appiah4 wrote on 2022-03-17, 07:08:

Now I just need an 8086 motherboard..

Do an eBay search for Compaq DeskPro motherboard.

There is a seller that has some NOS ones available.

The one I bought was open box and has the CPU soldered in.

weedeewee wrote on 2022-03-17, 11:24:

Any idea of how much the monitor went for?

It sold as "best offer accepted" so not really sure, but it was listed at $669 plus shipping, which for me living in the states would have been $440, so that's $1,100 not including tax. I know they're nice but I just can't justify spending that much for one right now, maybe someday. I already have several 17" monitors, one being a NIB Viewsonic and one a Dell P780, and I have a 19" Gateway with the Trinitron screen, so I'm not hurting for a decent CRT by any means. I'll likely look for more 19" flat screens for a reasonable price.

Those Mitsu Diamondtrons are very few and far between though, so you will likely have to fork over some serious cash if you ever want one. I had one of those as my daily driver back in the early 2000s and they're nice. If I ever run across one NIB I may just have to break the bank for that, no matter the cost.

Brawndo wrote on 2022-03-17, 19:29:

It sold as "best offer accepted" so not really sure, but it was listed at $669 plus shipping, which for me living in the states would have been $440, so that's $1,100 not including tax. I know they're nice but I just can't justify spending that much for one right now, maybe someday. I already have several 17" monitors, one being a NIB Viewsonic and one a Dell P780, and I have a 19" Gateway with the Trinitron screen, so I'm not hurting for a decent CRT by any means. I'll likely look for more 19" flat screens for a reasonable price.

Those Mitsu Diamondtrons are very few and far between though, so you will likely have to fork over some serious cash if you ever want one. I had one of those as my daily driver back in the early 2000s and they're nice. If I ever run across one NIB I may just have to break the bank for that, no matter the cost.

You would really ship a big and expensive CRT? That would be too risky for my taste.
https://int10h.org/blog/2021/04/safe-crt-moni … -5153-makes-it/

HanSolo wrote on 2022-03-17, 19:52:

Brawndo wrote on 2022-03-17, 19:29:

It sold as "best offer accepted" so not really sure, but it was listed at $669 plus shipping, which for me living in the states would have been $440, so that's $1,100 not including tax. I know they're nice but I just can't justify spending that much for one right now, maybe someday. I already have several 17" monitors, one being a NIB Viewsonic and one a Dell P780, and I have a 19" Gateway with the Trinitron screen, so I'm not hurting for a decent CRT by any means. I'll likely look for more 19" flat screens for a reasonable price.

Those Mitsu Diamondtrons are very few and far between though, so you will likely have to fork over some serious cash if you ever want one. I had one of those as my daily driver back in the early 2000s and they're nice. If I ever run across one NIB I may just have to break the bank for that, no matter the cost.

You would really ship a big and expensive CRT? That would be too risky for my taste.
https://int10h.org/blog/2021/04/safe-crt-moni … -5153-makes-it/

Well, it has been done before? Sucessfully shipped a 14" to myself once, in a random box and some facade isolation material (styrofoam).
I'm making a point of keeping the original box of my brother's 19" Iiyama at my parent's place in case I'd want it some day. But they have about 2 hektar of space for these things.

Survival rates, with DHL or better: Let's face it - people are idiots, sloppy or both. That simple sound card I posted here yesterday came from a real, professional hardware shop with color printed invoice, logo and such.
Naked, no ESD bag, in two layers of those large (chocolate bar sized) air bags and having popped one of them with the contact edges. So, basically loose in a box.
It's an ISA sound card, it'll be fine, but TF?

You gotta be careful. I once bought a CRT from someone who wasn't willing to ship. So instead I arranged to pay a popular shipping outlet whose tagline was something like "we pack it for you, then send it" / "we're the pros at this!" / "can handle anything!" / etc.

And boy oh boy, they sent it alright.

The packing... NOT SO MUCH. (they put it inside a large cardboard box, and loosely threw in 2 or 3 strips of foam to fill about 40% of the empty space). It was seriously negligent. They had to pay, in the end, but it was still a big loss (of gear).

Moral of the story, don't ship CRTs, and if you do, make sure you either packed it yourself, or really trust the person at the other end to pack it like they were sending their firstborn. Because however stupid you think other people can be, regarding packaging, there are always further levels down... (even by so-called pros!)

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-03-17, 20:20:

The packing... NOT SO MUCH. (they put it inside a large cardboard box, and loosely threw in 2 or 3 strips of foam to fill about 40% of the empty space). It was seriously negligent. They had to pay, in the end, but it was still a big loss (of gear).

I guess, at best, most people pack stuff like they mix a longdrink: The ratio of merchandise and filler should be about right, but no matter the distribution in the container. Mechanics don't apply and the carrie will stir it, all right. Gave a seller the advice they might ship that CD-ROM in the empty AT case I bought. Didn't mention they'd still need to wrap it...

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-03-17, 20:20:

Moral of the story, don't ship CRTs, and if you do, make sure you either packed it yourself, or really trust the person at the other end to pack it like they were sending their firstborn.

I'd like to ad, don't ship your firstborn in a box and with a CRTs, breathing holes will not improve the result.

Shreddoc wrote on 2022-03-17, 20:20:

You gotta be careful. I once bought a CRT from someone who wasn't willing to ship. So instead I arranged to pay a popular shippi […]
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You gotta be careful. I once bought a CRT from someone who wasn't willing to ship. So instead I arranged to pay a popular shipping outlet whose tagline was something like "we pack it for you, then send it" / "we're the pros at this!" / "can handle anything!" / etc.

And boy oh boy, they sent it alright.

The packing... NOT SO MUCH. (they put it inside a large cardboard box, and loosely threw in 2 or 3 strips of foam to fill about 40% of the empty space). It was seriously negligent. They had to pay, in the end, but it was still a big loss (of gear).

Moral of the story, don't ship CRTs, and if you do, make sure you either packed it yourself, or really trust the person at the other end to pack it like they were sending their firstborn. Because however stupid you think other people can be, regarding packaging, there are always further levels down... (even by so-called pros!)

Oh yes, UPS stores claim to offer "professional packaging" and they do one of two things, bloat a perfectly solid object out to 20 times the volume so it costs $200 in volumetric weight charges to ship (How they'd pack a nokia phone for example). OR.. just put one layer of thin, small bubble, bubblewrap around something that will pop it all just by sitting on it.

Recently bought:

Xpert 2000 (Rage 128 VR)
Xpert 2000 Pro (Rage 128 Pro)
3Dfx Velocity 100 (basically a Voodoo3 2000 w/RAM sliced in half)

I thought I was buying a Rage 128 GL, as this is what the seller listed, and I didn't look closely enough at the photo. Oh well. I have an extra Rage 128 Pro now, and it's better than advertised. It was cheap and no sense returning it.

Quick tests of the 3 on a Wilamette P4@2.0GHz on SiS XP4 Chipset w/256MBx2 DDR SDRAM Windows ME (no patches) DirectX 7.1

No tweaking done, I just threw them in there, loaded whatever the latest drivers I had available, and let 'er rip.

=======================================
3DMark 1999 Max Pro (VSYNC ENABLED)
=======================================
Xpert 2000 32MB (64-bit) AGP Xpert 2000 Pro 32MB (128-bit) AGP 3Dfx Velocity 100 8MB (128-bit) AGP

640x460x16 = 4984 8001 6910
800x600x16 = 3577 6015 5554
1024x768x16 = 2390 4023 3034
1280x1024x16 = 1551 2611 N/A
1600x1200x16 = 1101 1872 N/A

640x460x32 = 3966 6924 N/A
800x600x32 = 2774 4944 N/A
1024x768x32 = 1639 3303 N/A
1280x1024x32 = 1056 2091 N/A
1600x1200x32 = 688 1482 N/A

Bought this Logitech Audio man AM-1 parallel port sound card.

Unable to find info about it, sadly.

I think it only does digital audio through certain software, it's not actually a real "sound card" but it's a nice oddity to collect ^^