Cache and video memory upgrade questions - HP Vectra VE 4/66 \ VOGONS

Cache and video memory upgrade questions - HP Vectra VE 4/66

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First post, by jm8881

Posted on 2019-01-21, 17:02

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I've got an old HP Vectra VE 4/66 that I can find very little information on. I have found that the cache and video memory are upgradeable with parts supplied by HP but they are impossible to find. The cache is pn D2465A and the graphics memory is pn D3500A. As far as I can tell the 1mb video memory upgrade is 2 standard 512kb 40 pin dram modules but the cache is a 256kb 112 pin dimm which seems specific to this model HP. I've done some searching through here and people have talked about these upgrades but I haven't seen a conclusion. Can I use non HP parts for these upgrades? I'm leaning towards yes on the video memory but no on the cache but I'm not certain.

Last edited by jm8881 on 2019-01-22, 16:15. Edited 3 times in total.

Reply 1 of 10, by SETBLASTER

Posted on 2019-01-22, 01:20

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i can´t see the pictures

Reply 2 of 10, by oeuvre

Posted on 2019-01-22, 13:59

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Same, fix them please

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Reply 3 of 10, by jm8881

Posted on 2019-01-22, 16:19

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Sorry about that. I hadn't realized google doesn't allow direct linking to your google photos.

Reply 4 of 10, by oeuvre

Posted on 2019-01-22, 16:20

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Does it have any PCI or VLB slots?

HP Z420 Workstation Intel Xeon E5-1620, 32GB, RADEON HD7850 2GB, SSD + HD, XP/7

Reply 5 of 10, by jm8881

Posted on 2019-01-22, 16:42

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It has 2 pci and 3 isa slots. It's got s3 trio 32/64 1mb onboard graphics which is doing well but it could benefit from another mb of video memory.

Reply 6 of 10, by amadeus777999

Posted on 2019-01-22, 17:14

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Updating the vram will most likely not make a difference in DOS.

The brown slot looks exactly like the one in the Epson single board computer - I've ever come across this module though(I first thought it was a PCI slot but one user pointed out that it was most likely for a cache module).

Last edited by amadeus777999 on 2019-01-23, 20:09. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 7 of 10, by bbhaag

Posted on 2019-01-23, 03:47

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I don't know how helpful this is but I have a DEC Venturis 466 with the same video memory slots as your HP and I was able to upgrade it from 1mb to 2mb using an unknown chip I got off Ebay. It uses the S3 Trio 32/64 as well so I suspect the you can upgrade the vram without much trouble.

As far as the cache ram goes I'm not sure. Your pic makes it look like a very proprietary setup that HP used so I'm guessing you would need to find the correct HP dimm for that slot. Have you tried looking for other HP systems that used that type of setup for cache? Perhaps you could track down dimms from another system that work in yours? I know it's a long shot but ya never know.

Reply 8 of 10, by yawetaG

Posted on 2019-01-23, 12:05

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For the cache it looks like it uses a proprietary COAST module, or maybe a riser board (that is absent from your system).

Reply 9 of 10, by Cuttoon

Posted on 2022-06-09, 15:46

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Might have found one of those cache modules, by coincidence.

The designation "cym9252pb" brings up an entry that connects it to a Siemens Nixdorf motherboard, but may be the same here.
https://www.ultimateretro.net/de/motherboards/6289

I like jumpers.

Reply 10 of 10, by rasz_pl

Posted on 2024-02-10, 01:48

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Cuttoon wrote on 2022-06-09, 15:46:

Might have found one of those cache modules, by coincidence.

The designation "cym9252pb" brings up an entry that connects it to a Siemens Nixdorf motherboard, but may be the same here.
https://www.ultimateretro.net/de/motherboards/6289

above is wrong cache module for HP Vectra VE 4 despite reusing same VLB slot. cym9252pb is indeed dedicated to Siemens D882, from what I could find it was used in a funny TV+PC combo Siemens Nixdorf FD200 Info on Siemens FD200? and some PCD-4L/Scenic 4H PCI https://www.flickr.com/photos/94839221@N05/23 … 57662382188379/. Image of the board with visible VLB cache slot http://obrazki.elektroda.net/62_1216827897.jpg

This is a real D2465A "256 KB Cache Memory Upgrade Kit" for HP Vectra VE 4:

HP Vectra VE 466 256 KB Cache D2465A.jpg

HP Vectra VE 466 256 KB Cache D2465A back.jpg

Open Source AT&T Globalyst/NCR/FIC 486-GAC-2 proprietary Cache Module reproduction

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