giantenemycat wrote on 2026-02-21, 21:38:

Have done a lucky dip on an "untested" mystery box. Bets on what's going to be in this one?

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I'll give it a shot too...

Case is older than what's in it now. The CDRom drive is from late 1998, early 1999, so I'm guessing the rest will be similar.

Motherboard has onboard/integrated I/O (which the original 486 (?) didn't as someone made a mess of opening up that DB25 for the parallel port.

I'm guessing this is a BabyAT board with AGP, MVP3 chipset, K6-2 CPU and some early AGP VGA, maybe an S3 Virge/GX2 or SiS 6326. Sound is a relatively low-end ISA card, maybe ALS100+-based or similar.

@dionb why the guess that combines ISA and AGP? Why not ISA and PCI?

giantenemycat wrote on 2026-02-21, 21:38:

Have done a lucky dip on an "untested" mystery box. Bets on what's going to be in this one?

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Some PCChips board, dual voltage compliant. P-166 non MMX. An upgrade on the path is still a possibility for a better cpu, like a 200MMX.
Ram, maybe mixed upgrade to 32MB.
PCI video card, Virge maybe.
Early Soundblaster that was cheap at that time.

Could be that the person got better sound&video than motherbaord+cpu.

schmatzler wrote on 2026-02-21, 22:08:

You are totally right, I got that filename wrong (and even put it into the German Thinkwiki years ago, what a stupid mistake!). […]
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Flare400 wrote on 2026-02-20, 22:06:

The adjacent text file with the same name mentioned this was the BIOS update utility for Thinkpad A20p (is it compatible across all A20p A21p and A22p models?) The diskette version is 1.09 and BIOS version is IVET67WW.

You are totally right, I got that filename wrong (and even put it into the German Thinkwiki years ago, what a stupid mistake!).
BIOS 1.09 for the Thinkpad A22p is spsuky36.exe.

The attachment spsuky36.exe is no longer available

This should definitely work (if I didn't get the version number wrong as well...)

Thank you, I was able to downgrade the BIOS to Version 1.09 (KYET36WW), but I am still having the same problem. You mentioned you got a blank screen - I get flickering with some garbled traces of the actual colours that are supposed to be displayed. So maybe my problem is different? Would you be able to provide the video card driver that you used? (Mine was Vftpiv9m from Thinkpads.com)

giantenemycat wrote on 2026-02-21, 21:38:

Have done a lucky dip on an "untested" mystery box. Bets on what's going to be in this one?

The attachment 221.jpg is no longer available

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Looks like a very basic base machine with add-ons added with time (like the drives). Later-style AT case right as ATX was taking off.

My guess - Socket 7 with a VIA chipset, 166MHz Pentium MMX, PCI VGA card - ATI Mach64 VT2, ess audiodrive 1868, 32 MB of EDO (4 sticks, 2 different pairs).

Chaintech Volari V5 256MB AGP!
Bought a few weeks ago, from "the bay" for an ez 40$!!. It was in a Scrap card lot, lucky enough the seller was willing to split it out seperately.
Got it working Perfectly! There was just one sneaky resistor out of spec that was causing weird memory artifacts.

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

Twisted Six wrote on Yesterday, 20:09:

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

This is an amazing « find », looking forward to the system running.

Twisted Six wrote on Yesterday, 20:09:

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

Loaded with memory, VRM module added, dual overdrives...good lord

I've had two Pentium Pros sitting on a shelf for years with no Socket 8 boards ever showing up locally.

Minutemanqvs wrote on Yesterday, 20:55:

Twisted Six wrote on Yesterday, 20:09:

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

This is an amazing « find », looking forward to the system running.

It does run. I recapped it (original caps were 'looking' OK, but they were ~30yrs old) and replaced the RTC. The video card (8mb matrox millennium) and the little pigtail on the fans are mine. The board is a Tyan s1662d.

Munx wrote on Yesterday, 20:55:

Loaded with memory, VRM module added, dual overdrives...good lord […]
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Twisted Six wrote on Yesterday, 20:09:

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

Loaded with memory, VRM module added, dual overdrives...good lord

The RAM is only 256. I'll swap it out for some 64mb modules when I do a build with this; maxing it at 512mb. They've always claimed the chipset can do 1GB, but I've never been able to get one to run stable with that amount.

I've had two Pentium Pros sitting on a shelf for years with no Socket 8 boards ever showing up locally.

I have 2x supermicro P6DNE's... Both died by leaky varta batteries; never could get either one to work. 🙁

Munx wrote on Yesterday, 20:55:

Twisted Six wrote on Yesterday, 20:09:

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

Loaded with memory, VRM module added, dual overdrives...good lord

I've had two Pentium Pros sitting on a shelf for years with no Socket 8 boards ever showing up locally.

The RAM is only 256. I'll swap it out for some 64mb modules when I do a build with this; maxing it at 512mb. They've always claimed the chipset can do 1GB, but I've never been able to get one to run stable with that amount.

I keep getting weird 'server 500' errors when I post in this thread.... Too many pages?

Who knows 🤷 It just crashes when posting, although I'm not sure if it's always or just most of the time.

Edit: It did not crash this time.

AGP4LIfe? wrote on Yesterday, 17:36:

Chaintech Volari V5 256MB AGP!
Bought a few weeks ago, from "the bay" for an ez 40$!!. It was in a Scrap card lot, lucky enough the seller was willing to split it out seperately.
Got it working Perfectly! There was just one sneaky resistor out of spec that was causing weird memory artifacts.

WoW ! Nice catch !

how did you diagnose the "sneaky" resistor ? did you just measure it in circuit ?
I feel that many cards with artifacts may not be a memory issue but a bad capacitor or resistor

or a bad voltage that caused in this case the memory to fail

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing there ? This must be a socket 7

No sir it was not ! It was in fact an AT socket 370 ! Holly smokes ! I had no idea they made Pentium 3 boards to be used with 1984 keyboards and mouses 🤣 !

The board does not post (never comes out of reset) but with ALL those caps looking like opera singers who can blame it ?
Yhe board has EVERYTHING ribbon cable even onboard VGA ! Very curious indeed
It will go to the recap pile

And then when I went to pick it up the guy also had this ...

A Geforce4 MX440 in PCI with 64mb !!!

Another "holly shit" moment. I had no idea they made those for the PCI bus

This one does work but I could not start it on socket 7 motherboards... maybe it is because this must be an AGP card with some kind of PCI bridge and non AGP boards dont like it ?

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:51:

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing t […]
Show full quote

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing there ? This must be a socket 7

No sir it was not ! It was in fact an AT socket 370 ! Holly smokes ! I had no idea they made Pentium 3 boards to be used with 1984 keyboards and mouses 🤣 !

The attachment 20260223_233020.jpg is no longer available

The board does not post (never comes out of reset) but with ALL those caps looking like opera singers who can blame it ?
Yhe board has EVERYTHING ribbon cable even onboard VGA ! Very curious indeed
It will go to the recap pile

And then when I went to pick it up the guy also had this ...

A Geforce4 MX440 in PCI with 64mb !!!

Another "holly shit" moment. I had no idea they made those for the PCI bus

The attachment 20260223_233140.jpg is no longer available

This one does work but I could not start it on socket 7 motherboards... maybe it is because this must be an AGP card with some kind of PCI bridge and non AGP boards dont like it ?

Bummer it not having an AGP for being skt370 with coppermine support....I personally wouldn't get too excited about recapping it.

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:51:

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing t […]
Show full quote

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing there ? This must be a socket 7

No sir it was not ! It was in fact an AT socket 370 ! Holly smokes ! I had no idea they made Pentium 3 boards to be used with 1984 keyboards and mouses 🤣 !

The attachment 20260223_233020.jpg is no longer available

The board does not post (never comes out of reset) but with ALL those caps looking like opera singers who can blame it ?
Yhe board has EVERYTHING ribbon cable even onboard VGA ! Very curious indeed

Jetway J-630BF. Sis 630 = all around terrible, think those magical everything in one PCCHIPS boards like M755. Staple of those $500 supermarket computers around 2001-2
theretroweb is missing a picture https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/jetway-j-630bf

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:51:

And then when I went to pick it up the guy also had this ... A Geforce4 MX440 in PCI with 64mb !!!

understandable, only way to play any games on that Jetway 😀

rasz_pl wrote on Today, 01:02:

Jetway J-630BF. Sis 630 = all around terrible, think those magical everything in one PCCHIPS boards like M755. Staple of those $ […]
Show full quote

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:51:

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing t […]
Show full quote

I was browsing my local marketplaces and I spoted this socket 370 and then... waidaminute ... what is that DIN connector doing there ? This must be a socket 7

No sir it was not ! It was in fact an AT socket 370 ! Holly smokes ! I had no idea they made Pentium 3 boards to be used with 1984 keyboards and mouses 🤣 !

The attachment 20260223_233020.jpg is no longer available

The board does not post (never comes out of reset) but with ALL those caps looking like opera singers who can blame it ?
Yhe board has EVERYTHING ribbon cable even onboard VGA ! Very curious indeed

Jetway J-630BF. Sis 630 = all around terrible, think those magical everything in one PCCHIPS boards like M755. Staple of those $500 supermarket computers around 2001-2
theretroweb is missing a picture https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/jetway-j-630bf

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:51:

And then when I went to pick it up the guy also had this ... A Geforce4 MX440 in PCI with 64mb !!!

understandable, only way to play any games on that Jetway 😀

I will definitely update the information on the Retro web

Twisted Six wrote on Yesterday, 20:09:

This was dropped off at my facility for scrap a couple months ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people throw away.....but like the old adage goes; "one mans trash...."

I am SO GOING to blow up your DMs.

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:51:

A Geforce4 MX440 in PCI with 64mb !!!

Another "holly shit" moment. I had no idea they made those for the PCI bus

They even made Geforce4 MX440-8X for PCI 😆

Nunoalex wrote on Yesterday, 23:38:

WoW ! Nice catch ! […]
Show full quote

AGP4LIfe? wrote on Yesterday, 17:36:

Chaintech Volari V5 256MB AGP!
Bought a few weeks ago, from "the bay" for an ez 40$!!. It was in a Scrap card lot, lucky enough the seller was willing to split it out seperately.
Got it working Perfectly! There was just one sneaky resistor out of spec that was causing weird memory artifacts.

WoW ! Nice catch !

how did you diagnose the "sneaky" resistor ? did you just measure it in circuit ?
I feel that many cards with artifacts may not be a memory issue but a bad capacitor or resistor

or a bad voltage that caused in this case the memory to fail

Yep! I put the multi-meter on about 50 Resistors before I found the bad one. One by one, haha the only way to do it unfortunately! Alot of times on older cards I have found, memory issues are usually cause by failed components AROUND the memory, not the memory itself.