I personally soak the thing in water with liquid soap or dishwashing detergent depending on the state, give it a brush on by hand, then if needed I throw it into the dishwasher and give it a wash without washing machine detergent. Works for me.

I have not used a dishwasher myself (because I lack one and with 2 people with limited dishes, there's not really need for one anyway) but I regularly scrub stuff with a brush + hand soap and hot water to great effect. Later I heatgun stuff dry and all is good. All the crap is gone and any repairs are much easier to perform then. It is amazing how "new" some crusty things become after a proper wash ~

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovely old 486 from Raven Computers.
When did everything get so expensive?? I don't hold out much hope for securing a decent 386 now without remortgaging the house!

It was sold as new on ebay, but of course on ebay new means "new".

It's full of scratches on the top. Probably was used for display and something was on top of it.

Still, nice.

Wes1262 wrote on 2024-07-09, 13:49:

It was sold as new on ebay, but of course on ebay new means "new". […]
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It was sold as new on ebay, but of course on ebay new means "new".

It's full of scratches on the top. Probably was used for display and something was on top of it.

Still, nice.

Awesome!! I remember seeing this case when it first came out, that huuuggeee fannn. Enjoy! 😁

Grandiloquence wrote on 2024-07-09, 13:37:

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovel […]
Show full quote

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovely old 486 from Raven Computers.
When did everything get so expensive?? I don't hold out much hope for securing a decent 386 now without remortgaging the house!

looks good, is it a later 486? i note the 'multi media' cd reader 😀

PcBytes wrote on 2024-07-07, 12:25:

Recent car boot sale scores: […]
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Recent car boot sale scores:

- ABIT NF7-S v2.0 - the RAID variant to my actual NF7 v2. Gets stuck on POST C1C0 regardless whether I have RAM installed or not. Any ideas?

- Luckystar 6BX2/P2 350 SL2S6/Intel 740 AGP/S3 soundcard (literally, the chip reads S3)/6.4GB WD Caviar -POSTs have not tested further

- Sapphire X1950 Pro PCI-E - untested, hope it works as I'd love doing a 478+PCI-E build with an ASRock P4Dual-915GL 😀

Happy to say all have been tested and now work. The NF7 got past C1C0 after reflashing BIOS and clearing CMOS, and is now running the D27 Taipan BIOS, provided by @Ozzuneoj on this forum.

As for those curious what S3 soundcard it was - S3 Sonic Vibes, 86C617, Phoenix OEM.

gerry wrote on 2024-07-09, 15:11:

Grandiloquence wrote on 2024-07-09, 13:37:

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovel […]
Show full quote

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovely old 486 from Raven Computers.
When did everything get so expensive?? I don't hold out much hope for securing a decent 386 now without remortgaging the house!

looks good, is it a later 486? i note the 'multi media' cd reader 😀

I'm guessing do as it has PCI slots. I'll know more when I receive it.

Grandiloquence wrote on 2024-07-09, 13:37:

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovel […]
Show full quote

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovely old 486 from Raven Computers.
When did everything get so expensive?? I don't hold out much hope for securing a decent 386 now without remortgaging the house!

Congrats, that looks like a cleanish one.

Short answer on 386 values is that for a start we were in the foothills of the PC adoption curve mountain so significantly less 386 PCs were built vs 486, then also that includes all the entry level tier stuff, so "decent" 386 are as rare again, because relatively few ppl had a business case for dropping $5k+ on top of the line desktop CAD performance etc, and by 1990 they were buying 486es, even though lower end 386 might have been the more mass market product until 1992. Then poor resale value and high scrappage would have set in from about 1995, where for 486es they clung on to end of 90s, and that's a sort of reverse adoption curve so we're further away from the peak of 386 disposal. However, you get a "low end" board from '92 with an AMD DX40 soldered and it supports good 30pin SIMMs, many HDD types, vs a "high end" from late 80s with intel DX33 questionable or expensive cache configuration, ditto memory maybe not even SIMM, and 5 HDD types up to a whopping 120MB maybe. So the latter although "good" is unicorn rare and gonna be expensive, and also a PITA to get along with as a flexible system. Collectors in other realms don't consider things rare and expensive until they've exceeded original list price, when you bear in mind that some of these were 5k going on 10k systems in the day, then it's really not all that bad by that metric. Even 486 era we were at a 1k entry level until it was obsolete as delivered.

Well, guess the NF7-S is now ready to kick some azz 😁

appiah4 wrote on 2024-07-08, 11:50:

Back when I started this hobby about ten years ago not washing electronics was a hill I was willing to die on. Over the years I've encountered things that had everything on them from rat piss to dog shit. As is, I don't give a damn what anybody says, into detergent they go.

Way back in the day when 486 computers were still current, I was running a 386 DX40.

Dumpster diving was one of my hobbies.

Behind a Radio Shack, I found a VLB 486 motherboard in the dumpster.

It had dried coffee all over it. I took it home and used rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it down until the runoff was completely clean.

Let it dry for a day or so outside and then tested it and it worked just fine.

I used that board until I upgraded to a socket 7 board and even traded that now AMD 5x86-133 system for my very first car along with a parts car.

Minutemanqvs wrote on 2024-07-09, 09:44:

AGP4LIfe? wrote on 2024-07-08, 23:01:

So yes or no on dish soap?

I'm using that for years with a soft toothbrush and never broke anything. The PCBs come out as clean as new. Just rince it in clean water once your are done and dry it as good as you can afterwards, especially in the PCI/ISA slots where water can get trapped. Then wait 1-2 days and off you go.

I use an electric blower meant for electronics to dry off stuff after I wash it. Way better than letting it dry by itself.

It is basically a vacuum cleaner motor with the intake having a foam filter and the exhaust accepting different attachments.

Just catching up on the dish washer thing...

Now, what you particularly don't want to do, is if you have any thrice blessed by angels, California friendly "lead free" boards, is put them in the same dishwasher you used to wash your eating plates that are anything other than plain boring white, because the colored glazes leach lead, and you've just contaminated your lead free special unicorn.

Lead leaches in acidic conditions, so unless you're doing something like spreading ketchup around the rim of your plates, or the backside of your 486 boards, leaving it overnight and licking it off in the morning, you are not gonna ingest measurable amounts of lead.

cyclone3d wrote on 2024-07-09, 18:32:

Minutemanqvs wrote on 2024-07-09, 09:44:

AGP4LIfe? wrote on 2024-07-08, 23:01:

So yes or no on dish soap?

I'm using that for years with a soft toothbrush and never broke anything. The PCBs come out as clean as new. Just rince it in clean water once your are done and dry it as good as you can afterwards, especially in the PCI/ISA slots where water can get trapped. Then wait 1-2 days and off you go.

I use an electric blower meant for electronics to dry off stuff after I wash it. Way better than letting it dry by itself.

It is basically a vacuum cleaner motor with the intake having a foam filter and the exhaust accepting different attachments.

Is it a Datavac? That's what I use. I bought it several years ago and it has saved me a lot of money on compressed air. The thing is powerful enough to work as a light-duty corded leaf blower too in a pinch... 🤣

... wow, they have really gone up in price.

https://www.amazon.com/Metro-DataVac-500-Watt … c/dp/B001J4ZOAW

myne wrote on 2024-07-09, 10:17:

Dish soap you use with your hands is fine.
Dishwashing machine soap is absolutely NOT fine.

Why? If anything even dishwasher stuff is too weak, bring on Citrus Degreasers.

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2024-07-09, 20:35:

Is it a Datavac? That's what I use. I bought it several years ago and it has saved me a lot of money on compressed air. The thin […]
Show full quote

cyclone3d wrote on 2024-07-09, 18:32:

Minutemanqvs wrote on 2024-07-09, 09:44:

I'm using that for years with a soft toothbrush and never broke anything. The PCBs come out as clean as new. Just rince it in clean water once your are done and dry it as good as you can afterwards, especially in the PCI/ISA slots where water can get trapped. Then wait 1-2 days and off you go.

I use an electric blower meant for electronics to dry off stuff after I wash it. Way better than letting it dry by itself.

It is basically a vacuum cleaner motor with the intake having a foam filter and the exhaust accepting different attachments.

Is it a Datavac? That's what I use. I bought it several years ago and it has saved me a lot of money on compressed air. The thing is powerful enough to work as a light-duty corded leaf blower too in a pinch... 🤣

... wow, they have really gone up in price.

https://www.amazon.com/Metro-DataVac-500-Watt … c/dp/B001J4ZOAW

Yes, it is a datavac. Looks like the price has gone up about 50% since I bought mine.

rasz_pl wrote on 2024-07-09, 21:09:

myne wrote on 2024-07-09, 10:17:

Dish soap you use with your hands is fine.
Dishwashing machine soap is absolutely NOT fine.

Why? If anything even dishwasher stuff is too weak, bring on Citrus Degreasers.

I've seen dishwasher soap rust crappy “stainless steel“ knives in one run.
You're welcome to try, but if your board is corroded to hell, that's on you.

myne wrote on 2024-07-10, 02:38:

I've seen dishwasher soap rust crappy “stainless steel“ knives in one run.
You're welcome to try, but if your board is corroded to hell, that's on you.

Its not the detergent, its the dishwasher - aka drying. Even top fancy Japanese stainless steel kitchen knives come with a warning about not just throwing them into a dishwasher.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-07-09, 15:58:

Grandiloquence wrote on 2024-07-09, 13:37:

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovel […]
Show full quote

Been inactive for ages but the nostalgia for my old systems is in overdrive at the moment so just paid over the odds for a lovely old 486 from Raven Computers.
When did everything get so expensive?? I don't hold out much hope for securing a decent 386 now without remortgaging the house!

Congrats, that looks like a cleanish one.

Short answer on 386 values is that for a start we were in the foothills of the PC adoption curve mountain so significantly less 386 PCs were built vs 486, then also that includes all the entry level tier stuff, so "decent" 386 are as rare again, because relatively few ppl had a business case for dropping $5k+ on top of the line desktop CAD performance etc, and by 1990 they were buying 486es, even though lower end 386 might have been the more mass market product until 1992. Then poor resale value and high scrappage would have set in from about 1995, where for 486es they clung on to end of 90s, and that's a sort of reverse adoption curve so we're further away from the peak of 386 disposal. However, you get a "low end" board from '92 with an AMD DX40 soldered and it supports good 30pin SIMMs, many HDD types, vs a "high end" from late 80s with intel DX33 questionable or expensive cache configuration, ditto memory maybe not even SIMM, and 5 HDD types up to a whopping 120MB maybe. So the latter although "good" is unicorn rare and gonna be expensive, and also a PITA to get along with as a flexible system. Collectors in other realms don't consider things rare and expensive until they've exceeded original list price, when you bear in mind that some of these were 5k going on 10k systems in the day, then it's really not all that bad by that metric. Even 486 era we were at a 1k entry level until it was obsolete as delivered.

Well, I'll keep my eyes peeled for something! You never know when these things will appear. I guess there's always the option of a parts build, I have a case and PSU so maybe just grab a board and CPU etc.

Great SBC for my Amiga 2000, with Pentium MMX 233, S3 Virge and (in a separate isa slot) an SB16 is the all around 1981-1997 Pc game!

This Varta is the killer one? I remember the nicd was the acid flower type…