RetroLizard wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:37:

What about something like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257443149817

99% far opposite of quiet.

If you have the mounting holes: thermaltake SonicTower. With a rear case fan easily passive.

tehsiggi wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:46:

RetroLizard wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:37:

What about something like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257443149817

99% far opposite of quiet.

If you have the mounting holes: thermaltake SonicTower. With a rear case fan easily passive.

I don't think that would fit in an MSI K7N2/MS-6570 motherboard, unfortunately.

Maybe get creative?

The physical size of a socket A heatsink is 60mm X 60mm.

You can get a waterblock that size from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Marhynchus-Cooling-Alu … m/dp/B089295857

Sadly it's all aluminium, not all copper, but at 12mm thick, this is similar to the 'solid part' of a socket A cooler, so the 'retention strap' could be bamboozled into going over the top to hold it down.

You could then mount a liquid radiator at the back of the case with some quieter 60mm fans on it.

I have been restoring my computer desk for couple weeks now... after finally converging the Nokia on it and putting all together, after some 2.5 years later 🤣

..Compared to earlier state, there are 3 new things :

* Extron VGA matrix with 8 inputs and 4 outputs (input from KVM, HDMI matrix and several high value sources into both monitors and projector above it all)
* Noname HDMI matrix with 6 inputs and 2 outputs (all DVI and HDMI devices, with one output to LCD and other via VGA dongle to the VGA matrix)
* 10 stereo input mixer that I built not so long ago, with ground loop cancelling inputs so no buzzing noises and anything of the like ~

The cables are a mess but I will make a much more tidy and permanent setup when I have moved to a house, which will hopefully happen in not such a long time

I also need lesser computer speakers, the right one is in such a suboptimal location...

---

Yesterday evening I made an ATX power extender since the cables didn't reach from PSU to the power header on my test setup that is being restored too. The mobo got extended a bit and the cables just didn't reach on the PSU...

---

Today I finally got the test computer going and I can do some misc hardware and software tests again. I need to get one of those test jig things so at least the cards are secured... My nice KVM cable barely reaches too...

tehsiggi wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:46:

RetroLizard wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:37:

What about something like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257443149817

99% far opposite of quiet.

If you have the mounting holes: thermaltake SonicTower. With a rear case fan easily passive.

+1

Had this back in 2003-4 with my Athlon XP system passive

Tiido wrote on 2026-04-13, 21:10:

I have been restoring my computer desk for couple weeks now... after finally converging the Nokia on it and putting all together […]
Show full quote

I have been restoring my computer desk for couple weeks now... after finally converging the Nokia on it and putting all together, after some 2.5 years later 🤣

..Compared to earlier state, there are 3 new things :

* Extron VGA matrix with 8 inputs and 4 outputs (input from KVM, HDMI matrix and several high value sources into both monitors and projector above it all)
* Noname HDMI matrix with 6 inputs and 2 outputs (all DVI and HDMI devices, with one output to LCD and other via VGA dongle to the VGA matrix)
* 10 stereo input mixer that I built not so long ago, with ground loop cancelling inputs so no buzzing noises and anything of the like ~

The cables are a mess but I will make a much more tidy and permanent setup when I have moved to a house, which will hopefully happen in not such a long time

I also need lesser computer speakers, the right one is in such a suboptimal location...

---

Yesterday evening I made an ATX power extender since the cables didn't reach from PSU to the power header on my test setup that is being restored too. The mobo got extended a bit and the cables just didn't reach on the PSU...

---

Today I finally got the test computer going and I can do some misc hardware and software tests again. I need to get one of those test jig things so at least the cards are secured... My nice KVM cable barely reaches too...

One of the hardest things: arrange your computer desk to fit everything with limited real estate.... Nicely done!

Experimented with a bunch of ISA VGA cards to see which ones could be disabled via jumper settings.

So far the only one appears to be this Diamond Speedstar VGA. With the jumper in question closed, the card will boot up. With the jumper open, it won't.

This allows me to run an AGP card in the same system, toggling the ISA card's jumper depending on which one I want.

With this setup and being able to select AGP or PCI in the BIOS, I'm wondering if a triple AGP + PCI + ISA video card set up is possible...

For the last couple of days having been benchmarking some older/newer systems that I had forgotten I hadn't run any on. System 1 is a Compaq CQ2302F with an Intel Atom 230 1.6GHz CPU and Windows XP, System 2 is an HP Prodesk 600 G1 SFF with an i5 4440 and windows 7 (integrated video) and the last system I have been benchmarking is an HP Pavilion with an AMD Phenom II X4 960T Black Edition, 20GB DDR3 and currently running a Radeon HD 5670 1GB card. On the last system I have run Heaven 3 & 4, Valley 1.0, Sanctuary 2.3, Tropics 1.3, Aquamark 3, 3DMark03 up to 3DMark11, PCMark Vantage, PCMark 7, PCMark 8. Those last 3, man they are long tests, taking around an hour or more to complete each!

RetroLizard wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:51:

tehsiggi wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:46:

RetroLizard wrote on 2026-04-13, 19:37:

What about something like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257443149817

99% far opposite of quiet.

If you have the mounting holes: thermaltake SonicTower. With a rear case fan easily passive.

I don't think that would fit in an MSI K7N2/MS-6570 motherboard, unfortunately.

Quiet cooling is efficient cooling.

For minimum efficiency (max inefficiency), just max out on fans and leave the case panels off - narrow heatsink and wide airflow is inefficient.
For maximum efficiency, you need material that spreads heat into an area and airflow that touches that area - matching dimensions of heatsink and to airflow path is efficient.

Theoretically, your max efficiency is met when your heatsink vanes fill the entire case and your fans drive air through the case uniformly. The exogenous constraint with Socket A is that your CPU mount has fragile plastic lugs, and if you break those lugs by attaching a massive heatsink then you lose. So, realistically, you can only slightly increase heatsink size (more vanes, not more weight) and you can't add more vibration. But, you can do a lot to shape the airflow inside of your case with pipes that direct air - like building a mini case inside your big case.

Using only PC parts, a Zalman Flower in a mini case is ideal. But, ducting is cheaper - basically, a PVC shroud and PVC plumbing.

Tiido wrote on 2026-04-13, 21:10:

I have been restoring my computer desk for couple weeks now... after finally converging the Nokia on it and putting all together […]
Show full quote

I have been restoring my computer desk for couple weeks now... after finally converging the Nokia on it and putting all together, after some 2.5 years later 🤣

..Compared to earlier state, there are 3 new things :

* Extron VGA matrix with 8 inputs and 4 outputs (input from KVM, HDMI matrix and several high value sources into both monitors and projector above it all)
* Noname HDMI matrix with 6 inputs and 2 outputs (all DVI and HDMI devices, with one output to LCD and other via VGA dongle to the VGA matrix)
* 10 stereo input mixer that I built not so long ago, with ground loop cancelling inputs so no buzzing noises and anything of the like ~

The cables are a mess but I will make a much more tidy and permanent setup when I have moved to a house, which will hopefully happen in not such a long time

I also need lesser computer speakers, the right one is in such a suboptimal location...

---

Yesterday evening I made an ATX power extender since the cables didn't reach from PSU to the power header on my test setup that is being restored too. The mobo got extended a bit and the cables just didn't reach on the PSU...

---

Today I finally got the test computer going and I can do some misc hardware and software tests again. I need to get one of those test jig things so at least the cards are secured... My nice KVM cable barely reaches too...

Do you live in Hobbiton Village?

It is the Horten(ton) where I live ~

But yeah, I have no space since moving to Norway, much of the stuff is still in boxes from the move as there is just nowhere to put any of it yet.... another move is on the horizon, into a house in hopefully not so far future and then I'll have enough space for a good setup where all the different machines are available to use rather than just a few more important ones ~

Today I will be setting up several machines under the table, but after I check the UPSes that are also there... The batteries are 2+ years old and one UPS that power the monitors shut off immediately when I unplugged it as a test...

Today I've gone back to meddling with my grandad's old PC - HDD has a manufacture date of October 1998, so late '98 - early '99.

WinChip 2 200MHz
PCChips M590 1.2
SiS 6326 AGP 8MB (integrated)
Virge DX 2MB (why? It's worse than the SiS)
32MB PC66
Fujitsu MPC3032AT 3.2GB

Sometimes when I was a young lad I would go to his office and use it. I remember someone had installed some old arcade games like Asteroids and Centipede on it, which searching now I can see must have been from the first "Microsoft Arcade" (1993) release. I also installed StarCraft and probably some of my other games on there. Unfortunately it must have been wiped at some point, as all of that was missing and it had just a bare install of W95 OSR2 with some printer drivers and all the old documents still on there. Also the date of the OS installation in the registry shows as 21/01/2011. When he shut his business down in 2013 he gave it to me, but I wasn't into anything vintage at the time so it stayed in the loft for over a decade. I decided I "didn't need" the case side panel/cover for some reason and got rid of it, and I distinctly remember him having one of those wonky ergonomic keyboards but didn't keep that either.

The M590 board in here is notable for being a "fake" Super Socket 7 as it claims 100MHz FSB support, but actually picking that will result in 90MHz. Although my family PC at the time was a 430TX limited to 233MHz PMMX, so with some upgrades my grandad's PC would have spanked our own one, and even come close to our second PC in 2006 (440BX, PIII-450MHz) which is pretty funny. A 550MHz K6-2 would still run 495MHz @ 90MHz, plus you can even unofficially run K6-2+ and K6-3+ with a modded BIOS. And SiS 5591 chipset has 256MB cacheable RAM vs 430TX's 64MB.

Ever since I properly unearthed it 2 years ago it's been a weird thing. Firstly, the Virge DX just wouldn't work full stop, no signs of life. But then randomly a few months ago it started working. The integrated 6326 always worked but would show garbled colours. Now the colours are fine. Now the PC itself is deciding when it wants to work. As I'm typing this, I've just seen it crap out for no discernable reason while idle on desktop. It did this yesterday and I couldn't get it to work again after a couple hours of troubleshooting. Then today, powered it on exactly as I left it and it booted just fine. Don't question it.

'Why?'

Dual displays. Win9x will turn both on, if both are enabled.

Multi-GPU (AGP, PCI, ISA) experiment on a 2.0GHz Northwood Pentium 4 setup. Cards are an MX440 SE (AGP), Voodoo3 (PCI) and Diamond Speedstar VGA (ISA).

For the ISA card, a switch is hooked up to what I think is the bus timing jumper. With the jumper closed, the ISA card is enabled and boots. With the jumper open, the ISA card won't boot. Then either the AGP or PCI card will function depending on the BIOS initialization priority setting.

In testing the ISA video card with the Pentium 4, it appears that using an ISA video card is an alternative to CPU throttling.

For example, Descent runs at a completely playable speed using the ISA video card and no CPU throttling. This is despite running on a 2.0GHz Northwood. If I try either the AGP or PCI card without CPU throttling, the game runs far too fast.

Did a similar test with Warcraft and the palette animations are much slower with the ISA card compared to AGP/PCI.

Also did some benchmarking with the ISA card and CPU throttling methods to see how slow it would go. I managed to get down to 3.3 in PC Player Bench (320x200), which is approaching 386 DX-33 speeds.

With a slower processor like a 1.8GHz or 1.6GHz, I think this setup could comfortably throttle to usable 386 speeds without needing ACPI or ODCM throttling.

https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/diam … edstar-plus-vga

1Bus timing normal JP7 Off
2Bus timing alternate JP7 On

what would that even mean? only middle pin of JP7 seems to go anywhere (down) 1 and 3 seem only connected to power and ground on internal pcb layers. That middle pin goes down to connector?
The only pin that comes to mind is B8 NoWaitStates, 8th pin on back of the card, pulling it low will force fastest ISA mode. How would that make card not work at all in P4 (famously last platforms with ISA ran the bus wery slowly) I have no idea 😳

Shponglefan wrote on Today, 01:15:

In testing the ISA video card with the Pentium 4, it appears that using an ISA video card is an alternative to CPU throttling.

For example, Descent runs at a completely playable speed using the ISA video card and no CPU throttling. This is despite running on a 2.0GHz Northwood. If I try either the AGP or PCI card without CPU throttling, the game runs far too fast.

Did a similar test with Warcraft and the palette animations are much slower with the ISA card compared to AGP/PCI.

Fascinating experiment. I wonder which other games might be affected.

Shponglefan wrote on Today, 01:15:

Multi-GPU (AGP, PCI, ISA) experiment on a 2.0GHz Northwood Pentium 4 setup. Cards are an MX440 SE (AGP), Voodoo3 (PCI) and Diam […]
Show full quote

Multi-GPU (AGP, PCI, ISA) experiment on a 2.0GHz Northwood Pentium 4 setup. Cards are an MX440 SE (AGP), Voodoo3 (PCI) and Diamond Speedstar VGA (ISA).

The attachment DFI ITOX G4E620-N triple GPU setup.jpg is no longer available

For the ISA card, a switch is hooked up to what I think is the bus timing jumper. With the jumper closed, the ISA card is enabled and boots. With the jumper open, the ISA card won't boot. Then either the AGP or PCI card will function depending on the BIOS initialization priority setting.

In testing the ISA video card with the Pentium 4, it appears that using an ISA video card is an alternative to CPU throttling.

For example, Descent runs at a completely playable speed using the ISA video card and no CPU throttling. This is despite running on a 2.0GHz Northwood. If I try either the AGP or PCI card without CPU throttling, the game runs far too fast.

The attachment Descent on Pentium 4.jpg is no longer available

Did a similar test with Warcraft and the palette animations are much slower with the ISA card compared to AGP/PCI.

Also did some benchmarking with the ISA card and CPU throttling methods to see how slow it would go. I managed to get down to 3.3 in PC Player Bench (320x200), which is approaching 386 DX-33 speeds.

With a slower processor like a 1.8GHz or 1.6GHz, I think this setup could comfortably throttle to usable 386 speeds without needing ACPI or ODCM throttling.

The attachment Pentium 4 2GHz _ Diamond Speedstar VGA (ISA)_ PC Player 320x200 benchmark.png is no longer available

Fantastic rediscovery. I think we are all hunting fast ISA cards now.

Shponglefan wrote on Today, 01:15:

For the ISA card, a switch is hooked up to what I think is the bus timing jumper. With the jumper closed, the ISA card is enabled and boots. With the jumper open, the ISA card won't boot. Then either the AGP or PCI card will function depending on the BIOS initialization priority setting.

So the ISA card can override AGP/PCI cards with just a switch? That's something new to know; good work! 👍

dormcat wrote on Today, 08:22:

Shponglefan wrote on Today, 01:15:

For the ISA card, a switch is hooked up to what I think is the bus timing jumper. With the jumper closed, the ISA card is enabled and boots. With the jumper open, the ISA card won't boot. Then either the AGP or PCI card will function depending on the BIOS initialization priority setting.

So the ISA card can override AGP/PCI cards with just a switch? That's something new to know; good work! 👍

Normally ISA video will always take priority. In this case removing the bus timing jumper seems to prevent the card's video bios from loading, so it's effectively disabled.

And I can't take full credit for this, I came across the idea in an 11-year old thread here: 486 Mobos: Can you install multiple VGA cards - like AGP/ PCI switching?

rasz_pl wrote on Today, 02:16:

https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/diam … edstar-plus-vga […]
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https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/diam … edstar-plus-vga

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1Bus timing normal JP7 Off
2Bus timing alternate JP7 On

what would that even mean? only middle pin of JP7 seems to go anywhere (down) 1 and 3 seem only connected to power and ground on internal pcb layers. That middle pin goes down to connector?
The only pin that comes to mind is B8 NoWaitStates, 8th pin on back of the card, pulling it low will force fastest ISA mode. How would that make card not work at all in P4 (famously last platforms with ISA ran the bus wery slowly) I have no idea 😳

Not sure how or why this works. I may trace the jumper pins to see where they all go and how the card is being effectively disabled. This also makes me curious if other ISA video cards could be modded to the same effect.

It also doesn't seem unique to this Pentium 4 system. I originally came across this idea in an old thread where someone was doing this with a 486 build: 486 Mobos: Can you install multiple VGA cards - like AGP/ PCI switching?