Hi guys, here's my brand new LGA 775 motherboard with a floppy and IDE for my new XP32 setup) Good people at Vogons kindly advised me to have a backplate for the processor. Was on socket 370 before, never new about the backplates... Waiting for the backplate and the processor itself now, and reading the manual right now) The floppy connector has a plastic bracket around it, how cool is that))

Been sitting on this one for a little bit, so here it is

The Computer Music Supply CMS-401 MIDI interface card that supports MPU-401 'intelligent mode'. Still haven't been able to test it properly, but there is a good chance it works once I get a proper USB MIDI adapter.

Also, here's all of the other stuff that the card came with:

I might do a proper thread if anyone is interested 😀

TheMLGladiator wrote on 2025-11-28, 23:36:

Been sitting on this one for a little bit, so here it is […]
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Been sitting on this one for a little bit, so here it is

The attachment PXL_20251128_142609290.jpg is no longer available

The Creative Music Systems CMS-401 MIDI interface card that supports MPU-401 'intelligent mode'. Still haven't been able to test it properly, but there is a good chance it works once I get a proper USB MIDI adapter.

The attachment PXL_20251128_233430914.jpg is no longer available

Also, here's all of the other stuff that the card came with:

The attachment PXL_20251128_231034378 (1).jpg is no longer available

I might do a proper thread if anyone is interested 😀

That's cool! Never seen one of those before. Though, I think you've got the name wrong in the post. The box says Computer Music Supply (CMS). Creative's "Creative Music System" (or "Game Blaster") is it's own type of synthesizer, not an MPU-401 card. The CMS name on this is just a coincidence. It seems to be a clone of the Roland MPU-401 using at least some of the original Roland components.

Ozzuneoj wrote on Yesterday, 00:01:

That's cool! Never seen one of those before. Though, I think you've got the name wrong in the post. The box says Computer Music Supply (CMS). Creative's "Creative Music System" (or "Game Blaster") is it's own type of synthesizer, not an MPU-401 card. The CMS name on this is just a coincidence. It seems to be a clone of the Roland MPU-401 using at least some of the original Roland components.

Whoops, typo. I meant to type Computer Music Supply. The card is allegedly one of the few clones of the MPU-401 that has been reported to be 100% compatible. https://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2010/03/ … land-mt-32.html

TheMLGladiator wrote on 2025-11-28, 23:36:

Also, here's all of the other stuff that the card came with:

The attachment PXL_20251128_231034378 (1).jpg is no longer available

I might do a proper thread if anyone is interested 😀

Whoa, I'm using a 2004 Cakewalk Home Studio) I guess the 3.0 was the one I've started with) It's sort of cool to see the manual is the same binding style!

TheMLGladiator wrote on Yesterday, 00:30:

Ozzuneoj wrote on Yesterday, 00:01:

That's cool! Never seen one of those before. Though, I think you've got the name wrong in the post. The box says Computer Music Supply (CMS). Creative's "Creative Music System" (or "Game Blaster") is it's own type of synthesizer, not an MPU-401 card. The CMS name on this is just a coincidence. It seems to be a clone of the Roland MPU-401 using at least some of the original Roland components.

Whoops, typo. I meant to type Computer Music Supply. The card is allegedly one of the few clones of the MPU-401 that has been reported to be 100% compatible. https://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2010/03/ … land-mt-32.html

No problem, it happens. 😁

That is a nice find though. A 100% compatible MPU-401 clone is a nice thing to have. And with the box too! Very cool. 🙂

PD2JK wrote on 2025-03-13, 09:39:

Gigabyte GA-BXE rev 1.9: […]
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Gigabyte GA-BXE rev 1.9:

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A missing BIOS chip and a minor scuff by some scoundrel from prying the heatsink off. Hopefully nothing serious.

The attachment DSC_3451.JPG is no longer available

d GeForces.

Interesting that the GA-BXE doesn't seem to have a heavy presence as a keyword here. I bought one, after a long chain of searching, off a dude in Greece who never sent it to me (bought in mid-Sept after a late-August US tariff issue) and then found one in Texas. Just now in the early phase of putting it together. It will be a mix of retro hybrid stuff (vintage cards but with CF instead of a hard drive and Gotek instead of Floppy, and a new non-beige case), but I'm looking around for other enthusiasts who have/use these boards. That photo of the heatsink theft hurts my heart, 🤣.

In my excitement to build this thing, I forgot/overlooked it would require a PS/2 peripheral before Windows could be loaded and install support for USB (I think it has two early USB-type connectors) and silly me, thought I could just plug in a USB-keyboard and have it be backward compatible. Also had to break out my dying Samsung T240 so the BIOS would display fully, instead of any my brand new LG monitor (basic 1024x768 fixed flatscreen) where the BIOS was cut off on the bottom. But I have PS/2 keyboard and mouse coming on Monday from Amazon (German PROXX or somesuch) and some 32-pin floppy cables, and I can move forward. But ChatGPT tells me I can 'go on vintage boards and put together a Gotek FastFlash library on a USB stick and 'be ready,' so here I am just trawling.

I picked up this thin client. I was always curious about how well they do in Windows 98. Came with a Transcend 4GB 133x CF card, which I upgraded with an 8GB SSD (I got two of those, haven't tested with it yet). I hope to have something like a Klamath-266 + TNT2 M64 performance.

Also picked up a Sapphire Radeon 9600PRO Advantage 256MB. The exact same card I had in high school. I vaguely remembered I still had the box at my parent's house, but I didn't find it last time I visited. I doubt it was thrown out.

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-28, 20:07:

turns out it was a scam ugh. seems like most everything vintage being sold online anymore is being peddled by a scammer anymore.

Are there offline places to find retro gear?

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-28, 20:07:

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-15, 21:45:

paid far to much for a ViewSonic PF790 close to 500$ but I wanted a late higher end CRT with more of the look of a older CRT and I wanted a nice one at that, once I get it I'll fix up the Diamond pro I have now, it has some bluing around the edges and I had to remove the anti glare coating years ago. would be cool to try a dual head CRT setup wile I'm at it 🤣.

turns out it was a scam ugh. seems like most everything vintage being sold online anymore is being peddled by a scammer anymore.

Is this what it's like to be famous on the internet?

Susanin79 wrote on 2024-12-11, 14:00:

Bought another ancient Olivetti M300-02 PC that has seen better days and is quite battered by life.
A lot of corrosion and dirt inside, so will see. It was very hard to open it without any damage.

Hate to bump this, but I can't PM you yet due to my account being too new. Any chance you can dump the ROM in your machine?
Olivetti M300-02F/PCS33 25MHz BIOS

luckybob wrote on Yesterday, 15:04:

Is this what it's like to be famous on the internet?

If you feel you have reached famous on the internet, I believe you are supposed to start up your own makeup and perfume lines at that point.

RandomBlankUsername wrote on Yesterday, 16:44:

Susanin79 wrote on 2024-12-11, 14:00:

Bought another ancient Olivetti M300-02 PC that has seen better days and is quite battered by life.
A lot of corrosion and dirt inside, so will see. It was very hard to open it without any damage.

Hate to bump this, but I can't PM you yet due to my account being too new. Any chance you can dump the ROM in your machine?
Olivetti M300-02F/PCS33 25MHz BIOS

Sure, let me find where I put that motherboard

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-28, 20:07:

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-15, 21:45:

paid far to much for a ViewSonic PF790 close to 500$ but I wanted a late higher end CRT with more of the look of a older CRT and I wanted a nice one at that, once I get it I'll fix up the Diamond pro I have now, it has some bluing around the edges and I had to remove the anti glare coating years ago. would be cool to try a dual head CRT setup wile I'm at it 🤣.

turns out it was a scam ugh. seems like most everything vintage being sold online anymore is being peddled by a scammer anymore.

What happened? It better be good for $500.

luckybob wrote on Yesterday, 15:04:

Is this what it's like to be famous on the internet?

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to put two and two together. I chose the user name because I like a lot of the same type of PC's you do but I never have any luck getting my hands on older dual CPU systems. So I'm the unlucky guy who likes Ppros and other older multi CPU systems 🤣.

asdf53 wrote on Yesterday, 18:25:

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-28, 20:07:

unluckybob wrote on 2025-11-15, 21:45:

paid far to much for a ViewSonic PF790 close to 500$ but I wanted a late higher end CRT with more of the look of a older CRT and I wanted a nice one at that, once I get it I'll fix up the Diamond pro I have now, it has some bluing around the edges and I had to remove the anti glare coating years ago. would be cool to try a dual head CRT setup wile I'm at it 🤣.

turns out it was a scam ugh. seems like most everything vintage being sold online anymore is being peddled by a scammer anymore.

What happened? It better be good for $500.

The seller sent it postage due to a different address then the one I gave him. I was able to track it down but it was damaged in shipping.

liqmat wrote on Yesterday, 16:47:

luckybob wrote on Yesterday, 15:04:

Is this what it's like to be famous on the internet?

If you feel you have reached famous on the internet, I believe you are supposed to start up your own makeup and perfume lines at that point.

Avon by bob!

unluckybob wrote on Yesterday, 18:28:

The seller sent it postage due to a different address then the one I gave him. I was able to track it down but it was damaged in shipping.

Ouch. Damaged in what way exactly? Did the purchase have some kind of money back guarantee? Is the seller going to refund anything, what's going to happen now?

asdf53 wrote on Yesterday, 19:27:

Ouch. Damaged in what way exactly? Did the purchase have some kind of money back guarantee? Is the seller going to refund anything, what's going to happen now?

The plastic housing is cracked and broken, the tube has some problems with maintaining a stable brightness and the focus is way off. I'm sure some of it can be fixed but I paid good money for a CRT that was listed as being perfect I tried to open a return but the seller blocked me so I really have no way of contacting the seller but given how they shipped it to a PO box in anther area and postage due I would say they are a scammer, they're a dime a dozen in the retro/vintage PC market place anymore. I did a charge back with my bank and got my money back already.

unluckybob wrote on Yesterday, 19:43:

The plastic housing is cracked and broken, the tube has some problems with maintaining a stable brightness and the focus is way off. I'm sure some of it can be fixed but I paid good money for a CRT that was listed as being perfect I tried to open a return but the seller blocked me so I really have no way of contacting the seller but given how they shipped it to a PO box in anther area and postage due I would say they are a scammer, they're a dime a dozen in the retro/vintage PC market place anymore. I did a charge back with my bank and got my money back already.

Glad you were able to get your money back. Hard to understand why a seller would do this if there's a chance for a charge back / money back guarantee.

I bought 7 CRTs online so far, most were failures in various ways (worn out CRT, flyback failure, scratches, shipping damage). One of them was particularly maddening because it was in pristine condition with a nice bright tube, but the seller decided to clean the screen with a scrub sponge before sending it out. Since that happened, I always tell sellers to not clean it at all. I never paid more than 100€ shipped for any of them though.