The early 90s was the wild west of OEM board partners, with some very eyebrow raising results. I miss those times and their little surprises.

RetroPC_King wrote on 2025-04-11, 17:09:

Today I got those: -AVerMedia AVer TV GO 007 TV Tuner PCI (Philips SAA7130HL chipset) (it works maybe but the FM connetor missin […]
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Today I got those:
-AVerMedia AVer TV GO 007 TV Tuner PCI (Philips SAA7130HL chipset) (it works maybe but the FM connetor missing, so I can put another one using an F-type female plug to RCA male plug and I have FM again (my WinFast Tv2000XP Deluxe was in similar situation before, missing FM connector and put a replacement F-type female plug to RCA male plug and FM works)
-Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 40GB IDE ATA/100 HDD 7200RPM 2MB Cache (type is ST340014A) + 80 conductor IDE cable
-Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 80GB IDE ATA/133 HDD 7200RPM 8MB Cache (type is 6Y080P0) + 80 conductor IDE cable (HDD manufactured 17 August 2004)
-Maxtor DiamondMax 10 160GB IDE ATA/133 HDD 7200RPM 8MB Cache (type is 6L160P0) (HDD manufactured 23 December 2005)

Any opinions about what I got today?

I still have an 80GB DiamondMax around here. It's left over from my Athlon XP build a few decades ago. The only thing I remember about it was that it was loud (like many 7200 RPM drives).

One morning, I woke up before my alarm and, instead of getting out of bed, I started browsing eBay listings. A seller had posted multiple graphics cards, all labeled "Vintage PCI Cards" at $99—likely placeholders awaiting updated names and prices. Among the bunch, I spotted what appeared to be a Diamond 3D Monster. It was a steal, considering I was ready to pay twice that amount for one!

The recreation of my PC from 1997 is now complete!

Some of my latest additions.
Asus Ageia P1 128MB PhysX card (already sold again) + a DFI X48-T2R with Mushkin Radioactive memory, water-cooling and my 4870x2 engineering sample.

Got this early ASUS ISA-386U3Q motherboard with a ceramic 386DX-40.

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2025-04-11, 23:34:

Holy cow! You aren't kidding... 🤣
Reminds me of the rather absurd Sound Blaster PCI 5507:
https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/crea … er-pci-128-5507

OK, you win!

I'll have to check my collection, but I think I may have this particularly absurd PCI card that I bought years ago out of morbid curiosity.

Lots of mobos:
- Gigabyte GA-60XT-A
- ABIT VL6
- ASUS K7M
- Gigabyte GA-6BXC
- MSI MS-6309 (Packard Bell OEM) + P3 866 + cooler
- Gigabyte GA-5AA rev2.2
- ECS P6ISA-II
- (dead) MSI MS-6168 (PB OEM, 8MB VRAM)
- Shuttle AE22v11
- AOpen AX63 Pro

PcBytes wrote on 2025-04-12, 15:20:

Lots of mobos:
- ECS P6ISA-II
- (dead) MSI MS-6168 (PB OEM, 8MB VRAM)

I remember when that model of ECS board was new, you'd think there'd be an ISA slot but no there isn't! 🤣

Too bad about that 3dfx board, those are neat.

pete8475 wrote on 2025-04-12, 15:27:

PcBytes wrote on 2025-04-12, 15:20:

Lots of mobos:
- ECS P6ISA-II
- (dead) MSI MS-6168 (PB OEM, 8MB VRAM)

I remember when that model of ECS board was new, you'd think there'd be an ISA slot but no there isn't! 🤣

Too bad about that 3dfx board, those are neat.

Never knew integrated 3dfx video was a thing. Assuming the mode of failure is non-catastrophic, I'd think that would be well worth the effort to repair. I looked on eBay and chucklefucks want $300-500 for that board. Glad aside from a handful of machines, I mostly got out of the PC collecting hobby as the rich snobs got into it. Every time I learn about something interesting in the retro computer world, I look it up on eBay and the prices are astronomical. I remember 5-10 years ago when all but the rarest hardware was still cheap.

Suppose I'm glad I got to mess around with ALOT of really neat hardware over the last decade before shit went insane due to hobby tourists moving over from the retro gaming space. I just feel bad for the people just now getting into retro computing. I was 15 when I got my first retro PC back in 2016 (and subsequently broke it, important learning experience that). In today's market, I'd never have been able to get into the hobby.

Thankfully emulation and modern hardware alternatives (at least until the tariffs and end of de minimis fuck everything over) have gotten much better, which is in part why I sold the bulk of my hardware (in addition to most of it just never getting used and slowly wasting away in various drawers and boxes).

TheAbandonwareGuy wrote on 2025-04-12, 16:34:

Never knew integrated 3dfx video was a thing. Assuming the mode of failure is non-catastrophic, I'd think that would be well wor […]
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pete8475 wrote on 2025-04-12, 15:27:

PcBytes wrote on 2025-04-12, 15:20:

Lots of mobos:
- ECS P6ISA-II
- (dead) MSI MS-6168 (PB OEM, 8MB VRAM)

I remember when that model of ECS board was new, you'd think there'd be an ISA slot but no there isn't! 🤣

Too bad about that 3dfx board, those are neat.

Never knew integrated 3dfx video was a thing. Assuming the mode of failure is non-catastrophic, I'd think that would be well worth the effort to repair. I looked on eBay and chucklefucks want $300-500 for that board. Glad aside from a handful of machines, I mostly got out of the PC collecting hobby as the rich snobs got into it. Every time I learn about something interesting in the retro computer world, I look it up on eBay and the prices are astronomical. I remember 5-10 years ago when all but the rarest hardware was still cheap.

Suppose I'm glad I got to mess around with ALOT of really neat hardware over the last decade before shit went insane due to hobby tourists moving over from the retro gaming space. I just feel bad for the people just now getting into retro computing. I was 15 when I got my first retro PC back in 2016 (and subsequently broke it, important learning experience that). In today's market, I'd never have been able to get into the hobby.

Thankfully emulation and modern hardware alternatives (at least until the tariffs and end of de minimis fuck everything over) have gotten much better, which is in part why I sold the bulk of my hardware (in addition to most of it just never getting used and slowly wasting away in various drawers and boxes).

No way of fixing it. The southbridge is shorted and the 3dfx chip has two nasty gouges on one of the sides.
I have a working 16MB retail version anyways so not really that much of a big deal at the end of the day.
I'll try salvaging the SC1153CSW controller tho - might come in handy for a older MS-6156ZX I have which has the 1152.

Anyways, so far 4 out of 8 (since I'm not counting the 6168 which is dead) mainboards work. They are as follows:

- AOpen AX63 Pro
- Gigabyte GA-5AA (after recap, several of the black caps near CPU spewed their guts.)
- MSI MS-6309 - NEC OEM actually! Might replace the 2700uF Tayeh (and a big middle finger to whoever greenlit those garbage Tayehs. The rest of Teapos onboard are literally premium compared to Tayeh.)
- ASUS K7M rev 1.04 - works but needs a BIOS update since it reports "Unknown" when using a Pluto CPU - have not tested T-Bird but I expect the same outcome.

Last mobo to work:
- ABIT VL6

Not working at the moment:
- GA-6BXC (no beeps)
- GA-6OXT-A
- Shuttle AE22v11

Untested:
-ECS P6ISA-II

Came across an old computer store and found 2x brand new GoldenOrb II's (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/thermaltake-golden-orb-2/) and 1x Extreme Giant III (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/thermaltake-giant-3/) for GPU cooling. I asked the owner if he had any other old computer gear in the back store room. He said someone came in the day before and grabbed 10x motherboards (from 2000 to 2005) for free so he could melt them down for gold. I was devastated! What bad timing.

zuldan wrote on 2025-04-13, 04:08:

Came across an old computer store and found 2x brand new GoldenOrb II's (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/thermaltake-golden-orb-2/) and 1x Extreme Giant III (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/thermaltake-giant-3/) for GPU cooling. I asked the owner if he had any other old computer gear in the back store room. He said someone came in the day before and grabbed 10x motherboards (from 2000 to 2005) for free so he could melt them down for gold. I was devastated! What bad timing.

The attachment Orbs.JPG is no longer available

I dont get it .. there isnt enough gold in these boards to even cover the costs involved in scrapping and reclaiming it.

I had this argument with a gold scrapper previously and he agreed, the returns dont cover the costs of the chemicals or time spent reclaiming the little gold.

At least mine acknowledges that too - he knows the boards barely cover the costs in gold value than if he resold them to us, collectors.

I'm glad I could save some more gems this round. They're less overpriced than eBay by a long shot and usually don't require much to get working. It indeed is a gamble whether they work or not (and one of the working boards, the ABIT VL6, had me concerned given one of the gashes that nearly pinched the chipset) but it's a risk I am willing to take.

So far I'll have to revisit a few boards from the lot (GA-6OXT-A, Shuttle AE22v11 and P6ISA-II) but I'm pleased with the ones that work - especially 5AA, K7M and the AX63 Pro. (contrary to people avoiding VIA693, I quite like it.)

Trashbytes wrote on 2025-04-13, 04:23:

I dont get it .. there isnt enough gold in these boards to even cover the costs involved in scrapping and reclaiming it.

I had this argument with a gold scrapper previously and he agreed, the returns dont cover the costs of the chemicals or time spent reclaiming the little gold.

Yeah really strange. The owner of the computer store said the scrapper took about a day to recover gold from 1 motherboard. What a waste of time.

PcBytes wrote on 2025-04-13, 04:38:

At least mine acknowledges that too - he knows the boards barely cover the costs in gold value than if he resold them to us, collectors.

I'm glad I could save some more gems this round. They're less overpriced than eBay by a long shot and usually don't require much to get working. It indeed is a gamble whether they work or not (and one of the working boards, the ABIT VL6, had me concerned given one of the gashes that nearly pinched the chipset) but it's a risk I am willing to take.

So far I'll have to revisit a few boards from the lot (GA-6OXT-A, Shuttle AE22v11 and P6ISA-II) but I'm pleased with the ones that work - especially 5AA, K7M and the AX63 Pro. (contrary to people avoiding VIA693, I quite like it.)

You're doing some good work mate, recovering all this old retro hardware.

PcBytes wrote on 2025-04-13, 04:38:

the AX63 Pro. (contrary to people avoiding VIA693, I quite like it.)

I'm using one with my Celeron 300A @450 + Voodoo2 SLI.
A few years ago i wanted a Slot1 440BX. I could not find one for cheap locally. I found an AX63 Pro instead and gave it a try. I read that the agp implementation is not the best but used a PCI Mystique 220.

Trashbytes wrote on 2025-04-13, 04:23:

zuldan wrote on 2025-04-13, 04:08:

Came across an old computer store and found 2x brand new GoldenOrb II's (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/thermaltake-golden-orb-2/) and 1x Extreme Giant III (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/thermaltake-giant-3/) for GPU cooling. I asked the owner if he had any other old computer gear in the back store room. He said someone came in the day before and grabbed 10x motherboards (from 2000 to 2005) for free so he could melt them down for gold. I was devastated! What bad timing.

The attachment Orbs.JPG is no longer available

I dont get it .. there isnt enough gold in these boards to even cover the costs involved in scrapping and reclaiming it.

I had this argument with a gold scrapper previously and he agreed, the returns dont cover the costs of the chemicals or time spent reclaiming the little gold.

He lied, guaranteed they are all posted on eBay right now. That's what most of these "scrappers" do. They just pretend to buy them for scrap so people will give them shit for free and feel like they've been done a service.

The one I am in contact with actually works at a recycling center. Think I saw a warehouse sized room with tens of computers. Not kidding.