DerBaum wrote on 2024-01-10, 13:06:

How PNP works... if i can re assign irqs in hardware, if it works in 8-bit mode... and so on.

This sound card does not have the ability to react to irq7. There are simply no wires and chip inputs for it.
The card is initialised with PNP on startup at irq5 or 3 (if 5 is not available) and not configurable.

I found out if i reroute the irq5 signal from the card to irq7 of the mainboard, the card still initialises normally and says its using irq 5.
But now i can use irq7 in games. Thats pretty nice for games that only use irq7.

Now i can implement this new knowledge into my final design. Great.

PTherapist wrote on 2024-01-11, 13:51:

Bruninho wrote on 2024-01-09, 17:25:

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2024-01-09, 13:24:

My dad bought a copy of 2000 on launch day and he promptly installed it on the family computer in a dual boot setup with 98 SE. That system never felt faster and was nearly perfectly stable. Any of mine or my siblings games worked just fine we rarely need to use 98. We used 2000 untill we got a copy of XP Pro in 2004.

I share a similar history.

The only game that failed on Win 2000 was FIFA 2000, I believe mainly because of SecuROM issues. To this date, even in Win 2K VMs the game fails to start. But runs fine on XP and 98. *Shudder*

FIFA 2000 works great on Windows 2000 if you use a no CD crack. Piracy to the rescue. 🤣

Thats the thing, I used a CD crack. It did not work 🤣. The problem lies on the emulator/virtualization software. I remember I also had that issue in a real Windows 2000 machine back in the day.

Playing with my new 486 EISA build,
second run was successful, I was able to find the proper config files for all my boards, all boards are works well.
It looks like the cache modules are not good, it didn't works well with the WS0, see screen below. Will have a look for the replacement.
Current performance level with the cache WS1, 2-1-1-1 is not so impressive 😀

Welp, 3dmark99 and Speedsys done on the 6DLX. I suppose they look good enough for a 433MHz Celeron.

After updating my PicoMite VGA to play the latest RC of an MMBasic version of PETSCII Robots, works great by the way!

My next retro task was ... sad.

I listed my recent DOS 6.22 build on eBay. 🙁

ASUS TX-97 XE, P166, 32MB, S3 Virge DX, SB AWE64, OPTI 82C930, and a lot of fun. Sadly, I just don't have the space or time, and will be sticking with my EPIA-800 for that era.

I will use the money on an Ender 3 "upgrade" and for parts for other "retro projects", like a custom PicoMite idea I have, and I would like a small 4:3 VGA LCD panel as well. 😀

Part of my reasons for putting up the 6DLX for sale was both moving from AT to ATX, and I wanted something equally interesting as the Zida was.
That, and to make some space for more "serious" (read: either funny or downright crazy, at least IMO) builds, around the Pentium 2, 3, Celeron and the early Socket A platforms.

I'm not gonna spoil who is the one that I managed to find another LX board from 🤣.
All I can say is it's a fellow Romanian member that has been active here as well 😁

PD2JK wrote on 2024-01-11, 15:36:

Removed all 29 orange tictacs and put some Panasonic electrolytics on. Test drive went well, next up is to mod or replace the ST TimeKeeper™RAM.

DSC_7817.JPG

This is the way.

Allright, I'm having a bit of issue here with the Zida.

Before I go further, current quick specs:

Zida 6DLX
Celeron 433 w/ slotket
GF4 MX440 64MB
CT4810 soundcard
RTL8139C NIC + USB card for file transfers
128MB RAM
10GB Seagate ST310014ACE HDD

Issue: Midtown Madness 2 absolutely LAGS on hardware that should be able to run it.

Ideas? I'm down to switching from nVidia to ATI.

Make sure that you have DirectX 9 installed. Depending on how late of a driver you've chosen, the later drivers still need DX9 to be present, even when running an earlier API, or they won't function correctly.

It is, DX9.0c. Happens on both 45.23 and unofficial 82.69 that I got from a 98 UBCD image.

Can you confirm that it's not a 64-bit GeForce 4 MX? Does changing the resolution or color depth make a difference? You are way above minimum specs for this game.

Just checked it with Everest - 128bit SDR.
It's one of those "rare golden PCB" MX440, P/N AAS440SE-64B, if that helps.
(dunno why they call it SE when it shows up as standard 440 though.)

Also tried an eVGA 440 and the same thing happens.
I also tried a Sparkle MX4000 which ran atrocious, but that one is to be expected at least.

The only thing I can think of is something must've got broken when I installed the XP patch as I had severe artefacting without it. (and it was the only game to do that, others run fine.)

PcBytes wrote on 2024-01-12, 11:01:

Allright, I'm having a bit of issue here with the Zida. […]
Show full quote

Allright, I'm having a bit of issue here with the Zida.

Before I go further, current quick specs:

Zida 6DLX
Celeron 433 w/ slotket
GF4 MX440 64MB
CT4810 soundcard
RTL8139C NIC + USB card for file transfers
128MB RAM
10GB Seagate ST310014ACE HDD

Issue: Midtown Madness 2 absolutely LAGS on hardware that should be able to run it.

Ideas? I'm down to switching from nVidia to ATI.

You are not running MM2 on software mode are you?..

appiah4 wrote on 2024-01-12, 12:02:

PcBytes wrote on 2024-01-12, 11:01:

Allright, I'm having a bit of issue here with the Zida. […]
Show full quote

Allright, I'm having a bit of issue here with the Zida.

Before I go further, current quick specs:

Zida 6DLX
Celeron 433 w/ slotket
GF4 MX440 64MB
CT4810 soundcard
RTL8139C NIC + USB card for file transfers
128MB RAM
10GB Seagate ST310014ACE HDD

Issue: Midtown Madness 2 absolutely LAGS on hardware that should be able to run it.

Ideas? I'm down to switching from nVidia to ATI.

You are not running MM2 on software mode are you?..

HW mode is automatically selected. Even as far as it automatically sets HW mode w/ T&L (or whatever it was called, it's the highest setting available)

EDIT: Even 3dfx seems to give the same outcome - choppy gameplay on a V3 3000 16MB AGP.

Got the Timekeeper RTC removed using a hot air station. Then carefully cleaned all the holes with a 1 mm drill.
Placed soldered the empty socket and checked for continuity. (The pins from the empty socket are leading to sink holes, I figured I could use them for this purpose.)

Replaced the amplifier caps on this Creative Vibra card.

dominusprog wrote on 2024-01-12, 18:24:

Replaced the amplifier caps on this Creative Vibra card.

Noticeable change?

Reorganized my mobo storage order.
I have to stop buying them. They have puppy eyes though...

Testing my latest multi-sound card build.

Nexxen wrote on 2024-01-13, 00:54:

Reorganized my mobo storage order.
I have to stop buying them. They have puppy eyes though...

I have this same problem. I just went through my motherboard collection a few weeks ago and made a pile of "what was I thinking" boards.