PC@LIVE wrote on 2024-03-06, 18:22:

Next motherboards awaiting repair and testing, a 486SX with soldered UMC U5SX CPU, has damage from battery acid leakage, and I noticed that a couple of SMDs are missing in the battery area, I don't know exactly what they are, but maybe you can see in photos of identical cards, if you can figure out what they are.
The other is an ATX Siemens D969, with Intel HX chipset, Cirrus Logic integrated video card, with expandable memory, by adding two memory chips.

Hi PC@LIVE,

Would you be so kind to tell me the values of the two resistors on the Siemens D969?
I have the board here and i would like to restore it, unfortunately i think it was used for parts as it has some smd components missing 🙁

Thank you in advance!

jsliderex wrote on 2025-01-06, 11:28:

Hi PC@LIVE, […]
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PC@LIVE wrote on 2024-03-06, 18:22:

Next motherboards awaiting repair and testing, a 486SX with soldered UMC U5SX CPU, has damage from battery acid leakage, and I noticed that a couple of SMDs are missing in the battery area, I don't know exactly what they are, but maybe you can see in photos of identical cards, if you can figure out what they are.
The other is an ATX Siemens D969, with Intel HX chipset, Cirrus Logic integrated video card, with expandable memory, by adding two memory chips.

Hi PC@LIVE,

Would you be so kind to tell me the values of the two resistors on the Siemens D969?
I have the board here and i would like to restore it, unfortunately i think it was used for parts as it has some smd components missing 🙁

Thank you in advance!

Hi, yes no problem 😉
I have to look for it, among the many cards I have for repair or to try, if I can by today, or tomorrow at the latest, I'll take a picture, and publish it.
I hope 🤞 it will be useful to you, possibly if you have a COAST cache on board, I would be curious to know (even see) what chip it uses.

jsliderex wrote on 2025-01-06, 11:28:

Hi PC@LIVE, […]
Show full quote

PC@LIVE wrote on 2024-03-06, 18:22:

Next motherboards awaiting repair and testing, a 486SX with soldered UMC U5SX CPU, has damage from battery acid leakage, and I noticed that a couple of SMDs are missing in the battery area, I don't know exactly what they are, but maybe you can see in photos of identical cards, if you can figure out what they are.
The other is an ATX Siemens D969, with Intel HX chipset, Cirrus Logic integrated video card, with expandable memory, by adding two memory chips.

Hi PC@LIVE,

Would you be so kind to tell me the values of the two resistors on the Siemens D969?
I have the board here and i would like to restore it, unfortunately i think it was used for parts as it has some smd components missing 🙁

Thank you in advance!

Here, I found what you were looking for, above the word WAVE there are two SMD (resistors) signed 101, this I think means that the resistance is 100 💯 OHm 🕉

PC@Live, thank you so much for your effort! That helps a lot!
Unfortunately mine came without a cache module, got it at a flea market for 10€
I will try to resurrect this one as i find the integrated cirrus logic chip pretty cool!

Thanks again!

jsliderex wrote on 2025-01-06, 17:40:

PC@Live, thank you so much for your effort! That helps a lot! Unfortunately mine came without a cache module, got it at a flea m […]
Show full quote

PC@Live, thank you so much for your effort! That helps a lot!
Unfortunately mine came without a cache module, got it at a flea market for 10€
I will try to resurrect this one as i find the integrated cirrus logic chip pretty cool!

Thanks again!

Ok 👌
I hope 🤞 you can fix your board, theoretically those SMDs shouldn't be difficult to find, I don't have the COAST module either, but I don't want to use one at random, also because it could be electrically incompatible, and I wouldn't want to risk ruining the board.

Maybe 🤔 I had already written something, but among the various cards to try (as soon as possible), I have a BIOSTAR P4TSP-D2 VER:1.3, classic ATX format, socket 478 with Prescott CPU support, it has only two DDR RAM slots, this limits the maximum amount that can be installed.
I don't know the reason, but the BIOS chip is in a strange position, instead of being at the bottom, it's at the top next to the CPU heatsink, maybe in this position the tracks directed to the chipset and the CPU shorten (from the BIOS chip?), that's what I assume.
I'll put it among the cards to try, currently I already have a couple, plus several others waiting for a long time, despite having a large bench, the space 🚀 runs out quickly, and in order to get rid of some, I have to put one or more cards away, even if maybe I haven't finished all the tests I usually do.

My collection of motherboards and PCs continues to increase, every now and then an interesting piece is added 🧐, it's like that unfortunately 😣 you can't always get what you want, it happened that I ordered something, it turns out to be unrecoverable, because it was damaged in a "irreparable" way, but often what is sold as not working, can be repaired.
The cards of my interest are not recent, even if I have some PCs from the mid-2010s, but in a few years, I think they will start to interest those too, today for example I got a box 📦 of an ASUS PRIME H310M-C LGA1151, the card is quite interesting 🧐, but inside there is much more!
Surprise 😱
Did you think I had upgraded, and updated my PC?
It's not like that, I have for those who don't know, relatively modern PCs with i3 and i5, more different to fix with LGA Intel sockets, unfortunately it takes time and at the moment it's not possible, so I fall back on simpler things, to which I dedicate more willingly than time ⏱.
That's what it is, a board from 35 years ago, Baby AT format, AMD N80L286-12/S CPU, Headland 101/102 chipset, AMI BIOS (EVEN L and ODD H), five ISA 16-bit slots and one 8-bit ISA, four simm 30 PIN of 256 KB each, total 1 MB, in short, however much the most old-fashioned it has, except for the XT motherboard, the conditions are very good, but it is very dirty, it looks like black oily, I'll see if I can clean 🧽 some corners, or some spots 🧵 where I see a lot, needless to say that I like it a lot, and that I want it back up and running as soon as soon as 🔜.

I started to do the boot test of a recently repaired MB, it is the QDI P6V694T/A10T or Advance 10T, an ATX socket 370, with VIA chipset and various expansion slots, we even have an ISA (usually in the MB with Intel chipset they are no longer there), five PCI and an AGP and AMR, there is no integrated audio, even if the card is prepared, it is not important, you can use one of the PCI slots or even the ISA one.
I removed the CPU that had arrived together with the motherboard, a P3 1100/100/1.75V, and I put another P3, a 1000/133/1.75V, there was a RAM installed, I don't know if it was put by me (I don't remember), however to make a long story short, after doing the usual line check, I connected everything essentials, and I tried to boot, unfortunately 😣 I didn't see any code on the post card, just in case I changed the battery 🔋, but no change.
I should make some attempts, with other CPU RAM and various settings, maybe 🤔 finding the right combination could work ?
The alternative would be to try the pieces on a working motherboard, and then pass them into this one, this is quite safe for the CPU, that is, if it works there is no doubt, that in another motherboard it must work, provided that 🙄 the socket pins are in place of course, for the RAM it is not guaranteed 🏁 100% that they work, some motherboards do not tolerate various SDRAM, it may happen that in one it goes, and in this another instead not.

I saw the manual of the QDI Advance 10T, in which there are the jumper settings, you can exclude the automatic recognition, to switch to the manual one, this may seem useless, but if you have an unlocked CPU, you can vary the operating frequency, switching to different multi, obviously 🙄 without exaggerating, although usually the limits are already known, for the 370 sockets there are three types of generation, the one that works on almost all the cards is the Coppermine, usually the maximum for those CPUs is just 😰 above the GHz, so it is very difficult 😩 to go beyond despite having the CPU unlocked.
But in the manual I found in the final pages, a couple of very similar advertised MBs, one in particular is I think the latest evolution of the 370, the model is Advance 12, with DDR memories and VIA Apollo Pro266 chipset, here however the ISA slot is lost, I don't know maybe 🤔 is missing here and in others there?

Tonight I decided to do some tests, just to understand what 😨 could be wrong 😑, in the end to be sure that the hardware was ok, I opted for a CPU change, that 1000 I had put was not tested, so as we will see later, it could be faulty (but further tests need to be done), looking for CPUs that definitely working, I found some Celeron Coppermine, mostly FSB 66, and I chose the fastest one, a 766/66/128/1.7V.
During the boot test, I see some code (few) and after stopping, it starts to beep continuously, from this I understand that the RAM is not recognized, I find one from Kingston and replace it, and the next restart, it seems the same, but instead of emitting the beeps, it starts to continue and displays other codes, and shortly after there is a video screen, with a medal 🥇, everything is ok 👌👍
I enter the BIOS just out of curiosity, but I will change the VGA, with an AGP instead of the 8MB PCI ATI Rage XL, before connecting the usual 40PIN IDE adapter for CF memory cards, with bench and diagnostic DOS programs.

Yesterday I changed the configuration for the CF adapter with DOS, first thing 😨 I changed VGA, even if for the moment I don't have any loaded driver, I put a 64 MB ATI AGP VGA series 7XXX, later we'll understand exactly what it is, and especially if it's suitable for a PC like this, I said later because the next step will be a CPU change, the one I think I'm using would be a P3S 1266.
Even the RAM should be expanded, because 128 MB is few to load a Windows, I haven't decided which one to use, and especially if I put a lot of RAM, maybe I'll be between 512 MB and 1 GB 🇬🇧
With the IDE CF 40PIN adapter and the memory card, it's a bit slow to start, but it works, and I ran some DOS programs, at the moment only a couple, I have to add other cards, the audio one and the PCI LAN, for that audio we'll try to choose something interesting 🧐

I continue with various DOS programs to do bench, I also tried those of Phil's, I don't see any strange results, but after all it is understandable, the current configuration is quite modest, at least for the possibilities of the card, let's say that it could go double compared 🫡 now, for the moment I have not looked for the Tualatin P3 CPUs, but I remember grouping them together, only that this motherboard is one of the few 370 that supports them, let's say that after the TUSL2-C is the second, but I have others that I adapted to the Tualatin, through modifications or adapters.
I'll put some pictures, in the meantime you can get an idea 💡, if someone notices strange or low values, I would appreciate it if you tell me, and maybe 🤔 if someone wants to share experiences, with the same or similar cards, I can thank you.

Slowly I continue with the updates in the program, today I chose the PCI sound card, I have a number of various brands, plus as many as the Sound Blaster, if I wanted to I also had ISA cards, but those I keep them for PCs without PCI slots, so 486 or lower, or possibly for PCs with (a few) full PCI slots.
I chose a card maybe 🤔 more modern than the PC, however in short it is a Trust 511 5.1 Sound Expert Digital Surround, with CMedia CMI8738/C3DX chip, I think that if you don't have special needs, it is particularly suitable for a PC like this, supposedly I would put a Windows 98SE or at most XP, currently the PCI LAN card is missing to be added, which I will put later, here the choice will be quite simple, I will put one without worrying about the manufacturer, mostly I have 100 models (some even 10/100), I will not choose it with my eyes closed, but I will go on a fairly common model.

I'll be back soon 🔜 on the motherboards I have on the desk, but I'll stay on the subject of motherboards, recently I'm reorganizing the boards and PCs in the collection, I try to eliminate (but not throw away) what is triple or that requires (too much) effort to be repaired.
Unfortunately 😣 in the past I snubbed some particular socket and Slot configurations, some fortunately I remedied, others have remained out of reach, lately in addition to the difficulty of finding them, the high cost 💲 has been added!
A few years ago I had a broken PC, with Socket 8 motherboard and Pentium Pro 200/256, for years I looked for a replacement motherboard, but they were too expensive, then luckily 🍀 I wanted, I repaired it without too much effort 😓, every now and then I turn it on, and I have to say that I like that Bravo AST Pro PC a lot 👍.
Today, however, I discovered that the alternative that I thought was untraceable, that is, the S8-S1 adapter, can be found as a replica, exactly I don't know where (or by whom?), but the ASUS adapter has been replicated in the past, and works on a certain number of motherboards, for those who are familiar with DIY 🔨, I think it can be a great pastime, or for those who have an irretrievably damaged MB, it could be the best way to recover almost everything (except the 72 pin memories), and get the working PPRO back.

By chance I have between my legs 🐾, an ECS P6VXA Rev:1.0 motherboard, it's a type of motherboard that is not one of my favorite, and I have two others the same, this is the third, and I've always kept it aside, however in short, it has a problem to solve, plus another to deepen.
The one to solve is relatively simple, five electrolytic capacitors have bulges, and should be changed, but it is not said that others despite being visually good, are actually defective, wanting to make a replacement, I would change all the big ones from 1500uF 6.3V, plus the two next to the ATX connector, and the two between RAM and chipset.
I would perform a check of all the removed electrolytic capacitors, and I would see if those that are not swollen, have normal values, if instead they are in very bad condition, I would also change the four between ATX sockets and the large 1500 ones, and the other two near the RAM side IDE connectors.
Therefore, those between the AGP and PCI slots would remain, plus the one near the SB, I wouldn't worry about the smaller 470uF 6.3V ones, unless there was some problem and the measurements (after removal) confirm it.
According to the previous owner the problem to be deepened, is the IDE 2 port not working?
Of this thing 😨 I can't be 100% sure, because I've never tried the card, to be clear I don't know the skills of who had the card, so if he tried several readers or disks, and if the problem is that it doesn't detect the drive, or it's defective in something like reading 📖 or writing ✍️
In the conditions that it is now, I wouldn't try it, at least change the swollen electrolytic capacitors, for me it's the least I can do, but I should check if I have spare parts for these, maybe 🤔 if I find them I could start changing them.

Since I have 370 VIA chipset cards, I start with the ECS P6VXA twin board, it has five bulging electrolytic capacitors of 1000uF 6.3V, plus two others of 470uF 6.3V, in total there are therefore seven to be replaced.
Unfortunately 😣 I don't have the small spare ones, while the 1000 have different sizes, the original ones are longer, I think it's not a problem to put the new lower ones, but if I want I could do a transfer, borrowing some 💵 from the third board, obviously 🙄 only if measured they are fine.
The first of these ECS P6VXA cards, at the moment I can't find it, I think it's among the MB to try, years ago I changed some capacitors, even if the card was still working.
Always S.370 and VIA chipset, I have others including a Procomp BVC3A, I remember trying it, but at the start of it turned off immediately, looking at the board today I noticed some things, which could explain why, maybe 🤔 is it a kind of protection?
The first mistake I noticed is the lack of jumper for the multi selection, from what I read there is no auto selection, but I know that the CPUs are able to provide the right multi, so maybe 🤔 it's not a strange thing 😨.
The second instead, could be more important, it is the JP8, it is not possible to close the two PINs, for the 100/133 selection, it would remain fixed on open = 66, maybe this motherboard is for Mendocino CPU, and the use of a Coppermine creates electrical problems, and the power supply protection intervenes, I know that there is some PIN connected differently, and surely if it does not support Coppermine, without adapters or mods. they do not work.
Of course I would expect the card to start and not display anything, but I think a test would be to be done, just to get rid of the curiosity, we'll see if something will appear on the video, or if nothing changes.

This morning I solved the problem of slow startup, which I had on the QDI Advance 10T, I just had to go to the BIOS, and change from Floppy to HD, as the first startup drive, the slowness was due to the fact that the floppy drive was not connected, and since for the moment I don't need it, I preferred 😻 to keep one aside for other PCs, and not use it on this one.
If I wanted to I could have removed the A: drive, selecting none instead of 3.5" 1.44MB, but you never know if in the future I would connect one, I wouldn't have to go through the BIOS, it would work as soon as I start the PC.
I would say that now it's much better, now 👣 it's quite fast even the boot, you sometimes see the image of the medal 🥇 QDI, but it immediately goes to the second screen of the BIOS, you can't see the first screen, or maybe 🤔 it's so fast that you can't focus it.
Entering DOS, I tried version 3.05 of HWINFO, I have newer versions, but in this one there is a speed index, and I was interested in seeing the score, the Celeron is recognized as Pentium Pro, maybe 🤔 the integrated cache deceives him, even if basically it is the evolution of that CPU, so for the moment that's all, I'll see if I can find the Tualatin S, to update the CPU.

I finally found the Pentium IIIS, I kept them together with other Coppermine PIIIs, now if I needed one, I know where to find them, unfortunately 😣 I only have a 1266 as a faster CPU, the 1400 is on the TUSL2-C, but I remember that the 1400 at the time (about ten years ago), they were not really cheap, even if occasionally they could be found at relatively modest prices.
This from 1266, then goes on the QDI Advance 10T motherboard, if I wanted to torture myself, I could do it with a VIA C3 CPU, in the past I tried the 600, in my opinion it is the worst CPU I have ever seen, other than 600 MHz, probably a very normal Pentium MMX 233, it could have the same performance, I dare not imagine 💭 those of the FPU, the score I would give would be maximum 3 (10 Max), the absence of the L2 Cache is visible, it manages to make lower frequency CPUs look fast, I think VIA intentionally removed the PRXXX, because they probably should have put one lower than the frequency (600 in this case).
However, in addition to the PIIIS, I found several Celeron Mendocino, having the majority of the 466, I took one, to try it on Procomp, I'm not sure it's the solution, but trying it doesn't cost me anything, so we'll see, if it works???

It was a long series of tests, but I'm reaching the final goal, now 👣 it's almost time, to understand it I started to change the CPU, on the QDI Advance 10T motherboard, I started with a P3 800/133, it seemed to go but it stopped on the codes visible in the post card 08 C1, I realized that something was wrong, and in fact the subsequent change of CPU, it worked!
Summary from the Celeron 766, I pass without any result to the P3-800/133, change with a Celeron 900/100, and it works!
I have time to do the Phil's benchmarks, and I try a CPU P3 1000/133, we are not so far away, the final goal is the P3S 1266, I hope 🤞 only that the 512KB of cache does not create recognition problems, and that it starts, when I put it on 🆙.
Even with the 1000/133 I do Phil's benches, comparing them with those of the C766, I would have expected a nice detachment, strangely they are not as superior as I imagined, I make a summary of the three CPUs, starting from the C766 to the C900 and the P1000.
2) 271.9 280.3 285.8
3) 285.3 303.4 318.7
4) 50.0 52.6 55.9
5) 131.7 - -
6) 26.5 27.X -
a) 345.79 385.00 439.35
b) 88.60 93.83 98.67
c) 103.6 123.4 148.5
d) 42.3 50.8 61.3
e) 42.2 47.3 52.6
n) 872.50 1024.43 1138.02
Some I couldn't see the score, and I put an X or a -

Today I finished the CPU updates on the QDI Advance 10T motherboard, ultimately rather than trying other Coppermine, I chose to go straight with the P3S 1266 (133 FSB), and it works!!! Even if the only doubt was related to the BIOS, that is, if the present version was able to recognize that CPU with double L2 cache, but it works so it's fine 😌
Of course I took the opportunity to do some bench, using those of Phil's, I got these results:
2) 295.7 ; 3) 341.5 ; 4) 59.3
a) 452.67 ; b) 100.52 ; c) 190.7
d) 71.7 ; e) 56.9
n) 1442.40
Looking at these and comparing those with the Celeron 766, apart from the last (n) the others are better, but not as I thought, however some of these benches, depend a lot on the VGA, if I change the video card, while using the same CPU, I would get a nice gain in the scores, I have no idea if the memory can increase these scores, currently I have a 128 MB bench, but I will definitely have to update by changing radically, I have not decided which disk to connect, and which Windows to use, the RAM will depend on this, the limit is 1.5 GB 🇬🇧, but using Windows like 9X, already 512 MB would be the maximum.