BitWrangler wrote on 2026-08-05, 13:30:

PS/2 machines were decommissioned from industry in truck loads, but were unpopular for personal use secondary market due to MCA and expense of upgrades. Thus they had a period of being dirt cheap and highly available. Which translated into being scrapped by the truckload also. Late 90s you could still hope to put a few hundred Mhz in the case of an old AT 386 or 486, not so much with a PS/2 box. So it was a total lost investment into obsolete stuff, whereas AT bits might be more adaptable and save you $50 or so on the next configuration. It is possible that AT machines are over represented now in the survivors. 92 or 93 it was probably biased in favor of proprietary form factors in the retail chain stores.

Seller has loads of PS/2 stuff.
So much so that he threw away cases that had bumps or needed repair, leaving boards behind.
Maybe I have to investigate further into his lair.

Is this gonna be a rabbit hole?

I'm a simple man. I see a Socket 370 board with Universal AGP, ISA slot and Cyrix/VIA CPU support, I buy it. (Seller's photo)

That's one nice board. I have an Epic Epox CU-133A for the Cyrix CPU's, but lacks ISA.

People who don't take the time to disconnect PATA cables drives me a bit mad though. Scrapper method I presume. 🙁

edit: that was an epic typo

appiah4 wrote on 2026-08-05, 14:42:

I'm a simple man. I see a Socket 370 board with Universal AGP, ISA slot and Cyrix/VIA CPU support, I buy it. (Seller's photo)

Nice board!

Looks like the seller was using a period-correct digital camera too! 😁

appiah4 wrote on 2026-08-05, 14:42:

I'm a simple man. I see a Socket 370 board with Universal AGP, ISA slot and Cyrix/VIA CPU support, I buy it. (Seller's photo)

Have a very similar GA-6VXC7-4X-P rev. 5.0. Really nice board. 👍

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2026-08-06, 15:17:

Looks like the seller was using a period-correct digital camera too! 😁

Speaking of vintage digital cameras: I did scavenge quite a few cameras and memory cards from flea markets and e-waste. Will sort them out and post here -- just dunno when. 😅

Thrift pickups...

I misinterpreted the RAM markings at the store, was thinking I was getting an 8MB card, but it's 4MB... I brain farted on the double bank thing, thought it was 2 banks of 512bit not two banks adding up to 512bit, so 2x256. Anyway, my Compaq Virge GX is a solid card, so I wanted to try a Compaq RagePro and have been kinda looking for "ultimate" Rage3 in 350nm for best CIF compatibility/performance since the Rage XL can be a bit iffy and need per game patches. So yeah with 8MB it would have been nice, but I am left to bodge some on or something. Might squeak 110-115mhz out of the RAM though.

Secondly, touchpads, have a couple of external already for tight space use, BUT they have high bezels and half the area, so it's like there's really only 4 separate positions my huge digit can be on them, which ain't real useful. So I will see how these do. Pondering a back of LCD mount trial on a laptop.

BitWrangler wrote on 2026-08-06, 20:50:

I misinterpreted the RAM markings at the store, was thinking I was getting an 8MB card, but it's 4MB... I brain farted on the double bank thing, thought it was 2 banks of 512bit not two banks adding up to 512bit, so 2x256. Anyway, my Compaq Virge GX is a solid card, so I wanted to try a Compaq RagePro and have been kinda looking for "ultimate" Rage3 in 350nm for best CIF compatibility/performance since the Rage XL can be a bit iffy and need per game patches. So yeah with 8MB it would have been nice, but I am left to bodge some on or something. Might squeak 110-115mhz out of the RAM though.

Compaq ATi Rage Pro looks bit different than many other Rage Pro / Rage Pro Turbo out there and its also NLX compatible design.

A lot of mostly Socket-A CPUs for a price I couldn't refuse.

Could not read most of the model numbers or speeds from the seller's potato camera pics.

And the picture here is way worse than that because it compressed 1.35MB down to 80KB.

Edit: better pics, but even when saving at 85% quality now, the forum is compressing even more. UGGGHHHHHH.

Edit 2: Saving as 84% and it doesn't kill the pic quality... How stupid.

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-08-06, 22:44:

A lot of mostly Socket-A CPUs for a price I couldn't refuse. […]
Show full quote

A lot of mostly Socket-A CPUs for a price I couldn't refuse.

Could not read most of the model numbers or speeds from the seller's potato camera pics.

And the picture here is way worse than that because it compressed 1.35MB down to 80KB.

The attachment Screenshot_20260806-174055.png is no longer available

Edit: better pics, but even when saving at 85% quality now, the forum is compressing even more. UGGGHHHHHH.

Edit 2: Saving as 84% and it doesn't kill the pic quality... How stupid.

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The one with the orange plastic is a mobile cpu.
Check the model numbers, I fried a cpu not caring.

Nexxen wrote on 2026-08-07, 07:46:

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-08-06, 22:44:

A lot of mostly Socket-A CPUs for a price I couldn't refuse. […]
Show full quote

A lot of mostly Socket-A CPUs for a price I couldn't refuse.

Could not read most of the model numbers or speeds from the seller's potato camera pics.

And the picture here is way worse than that because it compressed 1.35MB down to 80KB.

The attachment Screenshot_20260806-174055.png is no longer available

Edit: better pics, but even when saving at 85% quality now, the forum is compressing even more. UGGGHHHHHH.

Edit 2: Saving as 84% and it doesn't kill the pic quality... How stupid.

The attachment s-l1600.jpg is no longer available

The attachment 3.jpg is no longer available

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The one with the orange plastic is a mobile cpu.
Check the model numbers, I fried a cpu not caring.

Yeah, looks like a 1500. I'll get it in line for testing with the other mobile Athlon's I have.

appiah4 wrote on 2026-08-05, 14:42:

I'm a simple man. I see a Socket 370 board with Universal AGP, ISA slot and Cyrix/VIA CPU support, I buy it. (Seller's photo)

Nice, I have one of those and had no idea it supported those.
Thanks!

Just got back from the holiday and, a package is waiting 😁

Few months ago I got myself a Wildcat VP 560, just to have one from 3D labs as it seemed interesting to play around with their shader "capable" cards. But then a higher-end Wildcat popped up on ebay and I just had to grab it.

A Wildcat VP 880 Pro. 😁

Not brand new or boxed, but really with minimum wear and will do perfectly with just some cleaning. Since I got that VP 560 first, I really needed something more high end so I could compare them. This one ain't the VP 900 series, but it's really close in specs. Really looking forward to give it a spin.

I accidentally a Dell, guess I kinda suckered myself. Went to a fundraiser yard sale, holyshityeah realass computer parts for first time in ages... so pick up a SB Live to examine, which I guess is an AC97 audio interface with SBLive written on it, because it's an SB0200, and dude asks if I like computer parts... so get loaded up with a small pile for $20ish...

Came home with:
Dell single slot Radeon with LP and HP brackets, was hoping it was an Oland core HD8570 or so, but seems that it's more likely a Caicos HD8490. Looking unused in whitebox clamshell.
SB0200
5 pack random RAM sticks, 3x1GB DDR2, 1x512DDR and what may be the highlight, 1GB I think of Samsung UCCC, a pair would have been nicer, but this can be a single stick screamer in socket A/754 methinks.
80GB Barracuda SATA
160GB Barracuda PATA
Dell Dimension 4600 system, with HDD, Optical, MSI 8911 (FX5200 128MB?), 4 sticks installed think they are 512s, variety pack.

It is a little surreal as a 478 system in that it didn't ship with floppy, but it's got AGP 4/8x. Floppy header onboard, this one doesn't have the cage or a faceplate that takes 3.5". However, it does have some good points, as a late 478 it seems to be made with good caps, as does the 5200. So seems fairly decent for running fastest 478 and fastest AGP that you can find. Not sure if I will do that or use it as an AGP 4/8 tester, if they didn't make a card to work with a mass market Dell what does it work with? 🤣 Think I still have an SL7E6 around I could slap into it.

Not sure if it's a keeper yet, might have a "Dell off" with other Dell P4, but if it doesn't spark joy for it's internals I might still use the case it's looking standard mATX at the moment and isn't super heavy or bigger than it should be, so might get a Phenom II x4 in it if I don't like it or it has problems. I notice this model has service manual available, so going on Murphy's law, that probably means you never need them 🤣

BitWrangler wrote on 2026-08-09, 18:48:

I accidentally a Dell

You got me there. Do not the cat. 😉

I'm not very fond of Dell systems, but some of the XPS systems are quite the monster masterpieces. And finally some luck encountering computer parts!

I am prone to refer to my other Dimension as the Dementia, so not overly fond of them either. XPS are something else, too clunky in size and weight to want to deal with for me though.

Still confused the more I look up that Radeon, this is exactly my card...
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/dell-r5 … -oem-1-gb.b5452
In the pic if not the description.

Elsewhere, visually identical lists as H8490 ... Dell does seem to list all under one driver, though I know ATI/AMD packages support a whole whack of cards. Still, guess I have to throw GPU-z at it.

Think this is the mobo in the Dim4600 https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/intel-d865vp

Edit: being lazy and letting someone else GPUz , found vid with GPUz showing Oland and apparent identical card, so fingers crossed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz62S_1CuG4
Also GPUzoo user posted a matching pic under R5 240 (OEM) https://www.gpuzoo.com/GPU-AMD/Radeon_R5_240_OEM.html
Can't read any chip dates for certain though on this, if I read a 12 or 13 I'd start thinking it was a 8490, if a 14 up then could be Oland. This is just as bad as nVidia GT730-440 or 430-640 or 8400-210 and whatever other shenanigans.

Some guy I know had this Gateway 2000 P4D-66 in a very sorry shape he couldn't sell off, the case had no cover and a lot of damage. He was going to dump it at a recycler, so I made him a fair offer for just the hardware inside, he accepted. Now I have a lot of junk I have no idea what to do with.. (Seller's photo)

The jewel for me is the combo 5.25"/3.5" drive; I did not have any of these before and plan to add this one to my daily driver Cx5x86 PC. The motherboard is a 420ZX so it is a 5V only PCI 1.0 board that only does 33Mhz, but at least it comes with 4 FPM sticks and FPM RAM is something I am somewhat short on. The Weitek PCI VGA is interesting and whileI won't say no to an ES688 Non-PnP with OPL3 I was kind of hoping it had a more exotic sound card inside.. Hopefully the hard drives are working and have interesting stuff in them, but otherwise it was just more junk in my already overstuffed storage. The Scanman interface card and FM radio receiver are basically worthless. I need more self restraint..

Ha! Self restraint. Look what I got. It's a Tulip and it smells bad too! Yellow-brown everywhere so you guess what it smells like. But I'm gonna clean it anyway, probably in some HEV suit...

But luckily there are some 'Pros' too.
-small
-yamaha XG sound
-real on-board graphics, not some shared memory solution
-someone tried to upgrade it to 1 GHz.

Adverted as non-working; yeah OEM boards like this Gigabyte GA-6ZOZ don't play nice with 133 MHz. And I figure one doesn't get far with PC100 memory installed.

PD2JK wrote on Yesterday, 07:57:

Ha! Self restraint. Look what I got. It's a Tulip and it smells bad too! Yellow-brown everywhere so you guess what it smells lik […]
Show full quote

Ha! Self restraint. Look what I got. It's a Tulip and it smells bad too! Yellow-brown everywhere so you guess what it smells like. But I'm gonna clean it anyway, probably in some HEV suit...

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But luckily there are some 'Pros' too.
-small
-yamaha XG sound
-real on-board graphics, not some shared memory solution
-someone tried to upgrade it to 1 GHz.

Adverted as non-working; yeah OEM boards like this Gigabyte GA-6ZOZ don't play nice with 133 MHz. And I figure one doesn't get far with PC100 memory installed.

Ewww its got second hand smokers disease.

Still baffles me how people can smoke saround their computers like that and not notice the yellow funk gunking up all the surfaces.

Trashbytes wrote on Yesterday, 08:07:

Still baffles me how people can smoke saround their computers like that and not notice the yellow funk gunking up all the surfaces.

Many did not care, or even approved of the familiar sticky yellowing with pungent stink that adorned the walls of their homes.

MattRocks wrote on Yesterday, 08:26:

Trashbytes wrote on Yesterday, 08:07:

Still baffles me how people can smoke saround their computers like that and not notice the yellow funk gunking up all the surfaces.

Many did not care, or even approved of the familiar sticky yellowing with pungent stink that adorned the walls of their homes.

As someone who has had to clean a house of a deceased smoker ..its truly fucking disgusting ...even 10 years later I can still smell and taste the stench if I think about it.

I wont even touch a smokers PC if I can help it.