Raspberry PI plus Retropie is my only console.

Cyberdyne wrote on 2025-01-08, 20:14:

Raspberry PI plus Retropie is my only console.

ERM...
Wrong thread, maybe? Or am I not following?

Mondodimotori wrote on 2025-01-08, 18:45:

Soooo... Got today the Ti 4200 I ordered off Ebay. This is all I get, with or without driver, tested with a couple of original drivers from phil lab. (Under spoiler)

Guessing that's an Albatron Ti 4200?

I would just return it as defective. Even if they say no returns, they have to accept it back if it doesn't work. Unless it was listed as for parts/not working.

Dmetsys wrote on 2025-01-08, 20:30:

Guessing that's an Albatron Ti 4200?

Yup. Listed with 64mb, it came with 128. But those 128mb were clocked faster than the usual 128 models, just like the 64.
Really a shame it was fried.

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-08, 20:32:

I would just return it as defective. Even if they say no returns, they have to accept it back if it doesn't work. Unless it was listed as for parts/not working.

No no, it was listed as perfectly working. The seller was chill about it and told me he had tested it, so he thinks it may have been damaged during shipping. They're gonna issue a refund, but I still asked, if they have more in stock, if they can send another one for this one. This time I'll also ask to get a thicker packaging, even if I have to pay an extra for the shipping.
Maybe I'll get lucky again and get another 128mb one.

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-08, 20:32:

I would just return it as defective. Even if they say no returns, they have to accept it back if it doesn't work. Unless it was listed as for parts/not working.

In such instances, you have to involve eBay directly and that can sometimes end up in a wasted effort.

Mondodimotori wrote on 2025-01-08, 20:55:

No no, it was listed as perfectly working. The seller was chill about it and told me he had tested it, so he thinks it may have been damaged during shipping. They're gonna issue a refund,

At least the seller is good. But, at the same time, its disappointing to buy something and have it not work. I have had the same experience today. I bought a power supply on ebay. New, but I think quite an old model. Anyway, I tested the voltages before plugging it into my PC and the 12v line had 12.7v, which is outside of the ATX spec. Also, looking at the components I can see inside through the fan grill, I think it is cheaply made. So I am returning it.

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-08, 21:35:

At least the seller is good. But, at the same time, its disappointing to buy something and have it not work. I have had the same experience today. I bought a power supply on ebay. New, but I think quite an old model. Anyway, I tested the voltages before plugging it into my PC and the 12v line had 12.7v, which is outside of the ATX spec. Also, looking at the components I can see inside through the fan grill, I think it is cheaply made. So I am returning it.

Did you have anything connected to it? If not a load could cause a voltage drop that would have put it into spec.

SScorpio wrote on 2025-01-08, 21:42:

Did you have anything connected to it? If not a load could cause a voltage drop that would have put it into spec.

With no load it was 12.6v, with a HDD attached it actually got worse and went to 12.7v. My other PSUs I tested are within 0.2v of 12v. I am not comfortable using a PSU that's getting close to the limit of voltage allowed, let alone exceeding it. The spec, I believe, says the voltage should not go outside the specified range at any load?

The PSU is SFX size and only cost £26 delivered. Other similar spec PSUs are at least double that. So obviously this was cheaply made. Not sure why I bought it really, as I don't want to risk my retro hardware

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-08, 21:35:

At least the seller is good. But, at the same time, its disappointing to buy something and have it not work. I have had the same experience today. I bought a power supply on ebay. New, but I think quite an old model. Anyway, I tested the voltages before plugging it into my PC and the 12v line had 12.7v, which is outside of the ATX spec. Also, looking at the components I can see inside through the fan grill, I think it is cheaply made. So I am returning it.

Yeah, I know... It's not the first time. An Enermax PSU I got used works perflectly, but it whines very subtly when in stand-by. I didn't wanna risk it, so it's currently in storage until I can replace the caps myself.

Well, got a refund for that Ti4200, now starts the hunt for another one, but...

The seller of the first one said that I can keep the broken Albatron Ti 4200. Any idea on what to do with it? Can an artifacting GPU be fixed? I'm still not that good at electronic repairs, so I wouldn't know how to use it.

Mondodimotori wrote on 2025-01-13, 13:00:

Well, got a refund for that Ti4200, now starts the hunt for another one, but...

The seller of the first one said that I can keep the broken Albatron Ti 4200. Any idea on what to do with it? Can an artifacting GPU be fixed? I'm still not that good at electronic repairs, so I wouldn't know how to use it.

I had similar situation with a Voodoo 1 4mb that I bought. It artifacted, and the seller refunded and said I can keep it. I was thinking I might just put a heat gun over the main chips, but haven't plucked up the courage to do so... I'm not in a hurry to fix it, as I have another that works fine.

Mondodimotori wrote on 2025-01-13, 13:00:

Well, got a refund for that Ti4200, now starts the hunt for another one, but...

The seller of the first one said that I can keep the broken Albatron Ti 4200. Any idea on what to do with it? Can an artifacting GPU be fixed? I'm still not that good at electronic repairs, so I wouldn't know how to use it.

i checked the pics you posted, it does not looks like a gpu but a memory failure.
use mats to detect failed memory bank and try to re-heat under the flux bga chip using a hot air gun.
most likely it will help. if not - replace failed chip.

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-14, 12:23:

I had similar situation with a Voodoo 1 4mb that I bought. It artifacted, and the seller refunded and said I can keep it. I was thinking I might just put a heat gun over the main chips, but haven't plucked up the courage to do so... I'm not in a hurry to fix it, as I have another that works fine.

dm- wrote on 2025-01-15, 04:45:

i checked the pics you posted, it does not looks like a gpu but a memory failure.
use mats to detect failed memory bank and try to re-heat under the flux bga chip using a hot air gun.
most likely it will help. if not - replace failed chip.

Yeah, I thought myself it must be a memory failure (even if that crannied capacitor still bothers me download/file.php?mode=view&id=209397), but, unfortunately, I'm not that practical (yet) with electronic repairs. I may take it to a repair shop (I live in a fairly big city, so it's easier to find someone for older hardware) and see what they can do. After all I alredy recouped my expenses, and it may be worth to put a few tens of euros in trying to fix it, especially when looking at the average prices on ebay for Ti 4200s.
I can still try to check for failed memory banks with mats (gotta learn how to use it), hoping that without drivers the PC is in an usable state. Because, after installing the nVidia driver, the issue gets so bad I almost can't navigate windows. If I can pinpoint defective ones, at least I know wich one to point out at the repair shop.

PS: this GPU has a fairly high clocked 128mb of ram, could the issue be solved by downclocking the ram closer to other models? Or could it be a power delivery issue, wich I read could cause memory related artifacts? The PC has a new PSU, but it's a modern one that may not be providing enough power to the rail used by the AGP slot.

EDIT: Gonna ask, were to find a MODS version that's compatible with Windows 2000, or a PC with a late '90s CPU? Unfortunately I don't have anything else around with an AGP slot except this Celeron 700 machine, and the only version of MODS I found list AMD64 support as a requirement for your CPU.

About half way down the first page of this thread, there is a response by Masterchief79 with a link to Mods/Mats version 70/75

Broken GeForce FX5950 Ultra - chip transplant

Maybe version 70 will work with a Geforce4

To run it, you can follow the instructions in that same post except that you copy mats 70 to the stick and when you boot you cd into mats 70.

MATS/MODS for DOS

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pFuLL … kJDv4TiJKE_GWNw

byte_76 wrote on 2025-01-15, 17:00:

About half way down the first page of this thread, there is a response by Masterchief79 with a link to Mods/Mats version 70/75 […]
Show full quote

About half way down the first page of this thread, there is a response by Masterchief79 with a link to Mods/Mats version 70/75

Broken GeForce FX5950 Ultra - chip transplant

Maybe version 70 will work with a Geforce4

To run it, you can follow the instructions in that same post except that you copy mats 70 to the stick and when you boot you cd into mats 70.

dm- wrote on 2025-01-16, 04:26:

MATS/MODS for DOS

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pFuLL … kJDv4TiJKE_GWNw

Great! Thanks a lot, I wasn't able to find versions that old, so I was gonna try the one I had found.
But now I can use these. I'll see if I can get to it this weekend: I also just got a possibly lucky deal on an LGA 775 combo that needs to be tested, so I hope I can cram the gF4 testing with an added period accurate PSU.

Well, tested it with a different, more period correct, PSU, but the issue is still there. I found a shop that accepted to look at the GPU, so I'll be dropping it there for a few days, hoping repairing it will be cheaper than getting another one off the internet. In the meantime I'll go work on the new LGA 775 machine I just got... Maybe I'll make a thread about it when it's ready.

Mondodimotori wrote on 2025-01-17, 16:45:

Well, tested it with a different, more period correct, PSU, but the issue is still there. I found a shop that accepted to look at the GPU, so I'll be dropping it there for a few days, hoping repairing it will be cheaper than getting another one off the internet. In the meantime I'll go work on the new LGA 775 machine I just got... Maybe I'll make a thread about it when it's ready.

LGA 775 is my favourite after Socket 7.... Is this for WinXP or overpowered Win98?

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-17, 17:03:

Mondodimotori wrote on 2025-01-17, 16:45:

Well, tested it with a different, more period correct, PSU, but the issue is still there. I found a shop that accepted to look at the GPU, so I'll be dropping it there for a few days, hoping repairing it will be cheaper than getting another one off the internet. In the meantime I'll go work on the new LGA 775 machine I just got... Maybe I'll make a thread about it when it's ready.

LGA 775 is my favourite after Socket 7.... Is this for WinXP or overpowered Win98?

Win XP, I don't really feel the need of an OP Win98 rig, the one with the Ti 4200 will be more than enough. Any game after that can be run without issues on WinXP. I got a pretty sweet deal on a full combo Mobo+CPU+Ram+GPU+network card, wich is pretty close in computational power to what I would've wanted in 2008. Once it's tested and ready, I may showcase it in the right forum section.