VOGONS

DataExpert OPTI495SX VLB 3/486 board: cleaning, repairs, and testing

Topic actions

First post, by bjwil1991

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

I finally got around to working on the DataExpert OPTI495SX 3/486 VLB board (1 VLB slot) that I got from eBay that suffered the leaking battery issue.

I removed the battery a week ago and decided to give this thing a vinegar scrub down to remove corrosion (the keyboard controller socket needs to be replaced as most of the pins broke off) and gave it a bath (soapy water, rinsed with plain water, sprayed with DeoxIt D5, and 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol).

Gallery of the board itself: http://imgur.com/a/ILtXlYw

Granted, the OPTi 495SX chip needs a reflow on the left side and I got the corrosion off (mostly, but it's better than before).

More to come: socket removal, inspections, trace repairs, and lots of testing.

Discord: https://discord.gg/U5dJw7x
Systems from the Compaq Portable 1 to Ryzen 9 5950X
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/retropcuser

Reply 1 of 1, by BitWrangler

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Hi, were you able to move forward with this board? I dug one out a couple of months ago, and I am thinking of trying to bring it up and use it.

Mine has the soldered AMD DX 40 and I intend to primarily run it with that. I am interested in experiences with the VLB, seeing unsourced and unqualified statements of "it doesn't work" from some sites, guys here who couldn't get graphics going on it, and suggestions it works for early cards and I/O only, or that undocumented jumpers may need to be set.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to System Specs
Close window
Close window