Still working on building a 486 machine so I picked up two boards.

I picked up this FIC 486-GVT-2 motherboard. Its missing its bios chip, but I figured I could search for it online. Sigh... I shouldn't assume too much from now on.

As for the 4MHL3S motherboard, I dunno. It just doesn't start. I thought I got the jumpers right. I know the ISA video card works. Tried a bunch of different EDO ram. I just don't know.

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 01:47:

I picked up this FIC 486-GVT-2 motherboard. Its missing its bios chip, but I figured I could search for it online. Sigh... I shouldn't assume too much from now on.

I have the same board, although it seems we have different revisions, i.e. I can spot differences. I can't make ROM dumps atm but I have to get the equipment to do it anyway. If you really can't find a workable BIOS online, DM me I will try to organise a dump (might take a bit of time though).

Edit: this is my board: FIC 486-GVT not POSTing

pan069 wrote on 2020-10-14, 02:02:

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 01:47:

I picked up this FIC 486-GVT-2 motherboard. Its missing its bios chip, but I figured I could search for it online. Sigh... I shouldn't assume too much from now on.

I have the same board, although it seems we have different revisions, i.e. I can spot differences. I can't make ROM dumps atm but I have to get the equipment to do it anyway. If you really can't find a workable BIOS online, DM me I will try to organise a dump (might take a bit of time though).

Edit: this is my board: FIC 486-GVT not POSTing

Yeah, I'd appreciate a dump. Your board looks close enough that I think the Bios would match without a problem.

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 02:36:

Your board looks close enough that I think the Bios would match without a problem.

I noticed that the link to the manual in the tread I linked to was dead. I have attached the manual (PDF) to the original post in my thread re. this board (in case you, or some else, needs it).

pan069 wrote on 2020-10-14, 03:05:

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 02:36:

Your board looks close enough that I think the Bios would match without a problem.

I noticed that the link to the manual in the tread I linked to was dead. I have attached the manual (PDF) to the original post in my thread re. this board (in case you, or some else, needs it).

Thanks. Its nice having the actual manual. Sometimes stason.org isn't entirely clear with the jumpers.

Got my $38 ebay special Commodore 1902A monitor today. Seller said it didn't work and only displayed a white screen. (purchased as-is / not working) Well, I powered it on with one of my C64's attached, and it definitely displays a picture. However, it is kind of screwed up. I pretty much turned down the color to 5% and this is what I get, otherwise it is a blairing purple hue. (the hue knob doesn't work) So, hopefully it is just a capacitor or something, maybe a bad solder joint. I'll have to tear this one down to see what the problem could be. But, I'm pretty happy, and this monitor should clean up nice for my C64 collection. Dem scanlines be lookin' niceeeeeeeee.

But holy crap did the seller not pack this thing right. It was a broken/bent/mangled 1-ply cardboard box with 1 layer of thin bubble wrap on the top and bottom of the monitor. This thing traveled internationally (Canada to US) and somehow didn't get damaged -- even the front door survived 🤣. Pretty lucky I guess.

dionb wrote on 2020-10-13, 20:33:

Warlord wrote on 2020-10-13, 18:35:

Nice, I got a couple trackballs but they make my hand hurt after ahwile which is the opposite effect of how theyre advertised

That's why I have so many of the things - everyone has different hands and different ways they hold stuff, which can also differ from situation to situation.

Still haven't found anything that suits me better than the MS Trackball Explorer, and it's a crying shame almost no one does anything in that asymmetric finger-ball design any more (except incredibly crap A4 stuff and Elecom's insanely huge offering). But the quest goes on, and even the Explorer isn't best in all cases, on the train I prefer the big Kingston Expert Mouse designs.

Logitech Trackman Marble. It doesn't use the thumb for moving the ball, but the other fingers and can be used ambidextrously. The only bad thing IMHO is the location of the scroll buttons.

Bought this pile of junk.

IBM Subwoofer for my Pentium I Aptiva. I already got similar black subwoofer, but it just looks wrong with all other beige components. It's a bit dirty, but works. Power LED is broken. I think after cleaning, it will look real nice with my Aptiva. Good buy for 12€, I think. Made by Jazz Hipster Corporation, that must the best audio manufacturer name I have ever seen 😁

Some crap IBM Microchannel token ring network card. I'm going to harvest this for bracket and rear handle, and use them with my Resound 2 MCA Adlib. For 2 euros, it is lot easier to dismantle this kind of worthless card than to fabricate a bracket myself.

And 3DLabs Oxygen VX1 32MB PCI. I was just interested in how this kind of card would be for games, so why not.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2020-10-13, 23:56:

Actual model is D1107-A (with LAN), and a couple of slightly differing versions of the manual […]
Show full quote

SVD wrote on 2020-10-13, 18:38:

I got this Siemens w26361 w10 with a pentium iii 700/256/100 for about nothing along with a ton of other stuff.
Anyone know something about it? It's an OEM so is it worth having? I guess it can't do 133 fsb since it came with that processor.
Chipset is FW82443BX

Actual model is D1107-A (with LAN), and a couple of slightly differing versions of the manual

A26361-D1107-Z180-US.pdf
A26361-D1107-Z120-US.pdf

Thanks a lot 😁
The board is only 66/100mhz fsb and it looks like its autodetects it.

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 01:47:

...

As for the 4MHL3S motherboard, I dunno. It just doesn't start. I thought I got the jumpers right. I know the ISA video card works. Tried a bunch of different EDO ram. I just don't know.

Could it be one of these boards that only works with FPM ram?

My current Slot Athlon + Voodoo 5 is running with a 20 year old, no-name power supply. I would hate for it to destroy my precious hardware.
So I bought 2 Enermax ATX power supplies. They have decent 3.3V and 5V rails for older machines. But most important, decent failsafe mechanisms to minimize chances of damage from failing PSU.

Besides having laid around a warehouse for 13 years, they are brand new (I broke the seal myself to inspect the inside). The weird thing is that the label with the specifications is missing. The factory packaging, all test stickers and seals are present, also case badges and screws. My best guess is that they are old distributer stock and that different labels are applied by the distributer for different regions or retail/OEM. There is a chance that they are rejects, but why apply all quality stickers and include case badges in the package then. Anyway, I will test them thoroughly before installing one in my most valued machine.

I had to use the internet archive to determine the exact type. Also the date stamp inside the PSU housing and the fuse type helped in the determination. It turns out that they are EG425AX-VE(W) ATX2.2 (there is a slight possibility that it is the EG495, but it was sold as EG425). It is a 420Watt PSU, rated for 30A on 3.3V and 30A on 5.0V together at max 160W. This should be the equivalent of a decent quality 300W-350W oldschool ATX power supply. Enough for most retro systems.

MMaximus wrote on 2020-10-14, 08:58:

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 01:47:

...

As for the 4MHL3S motherboard, I dunno. It just doesn't start. I thought I got the jumpers right. I know the ISA video card works. Tried a bunch of different EDO ram. I just don't know.

Could it be one of these boards that only works with FPM ram?

To be honest, I don't know if the ram I have is even edo or fpm.

Regardless I tried them all.

I've actually sold some of my retro stuff these recent weeks: broken Panasonic CF-41, functioning Toshiba Portege 3020CT and 3110CT, as well as one plasma luggable, Toshiba T5100. As much as it pains me, I had some extra expenses to take care of, so I've chosen the ones that I could part with. Fingers crossed for no more trimming the collection in upcoming months.

PSU stocking spree continues as I ran across an 350W ATX unit that had EVERY criteria I wanted:

-5V Rail: Check
Solid Build: Check (FSP OEM)
Solid +5V: Check (32A)
Rocker On/Off Switch: Check
Monitor Passthrough: Check

For 7 bucks? Yeah, bought. I'll give it a good wash down and check for any bad caps as soon as I receive it, but I had super good luck with FSP units in the past.

Finally after crossing the atlantic and being held hostage by customs this box arrived:

ATI Rage Fury MAXX 64MB AGP

The obligatory size comparison of two legends

And along with other cards that I am fond of
From top:
ASUS V6800 Geforce 256 32MB DDR AGP
Hercules 3d Prophet 4500 Kyro II 64MB SDR AGP
ATI Rage Fury MAXX 64MB SDR AGP
STB 3dfx - Voodoo 5 5500 64MB SDR AGP

I did not expect that I would ever find a Rage Fury Maxx in box, but now its here.
The hunt continues for other classics

Have a nice day

SVD wrote on 2020-10-13, 18:38:

I got this Siemens w26361 w10 with a pentium iii 700/256/100 for about nothing along with a ton of other stuff.
Anyone know something about it? It's an OEM so is it worth having? I guess it can't do 133 fsb since it came with that processor.
Chipset is FW82443BX

SVD wrote on 2020-10-14, 07:33:

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2020-10-13, 23:56:

Actual model is D1107-A (with LAN), and a couple of slightly differing versions of the manual […]
Show full quote

SVD wrote on 2020-10-13, 18:38:

I got this Siemens w26361 w10 with a pentium iii 700/256/100 for about nothing along with a ton of other stuff.
Anyone know something about it? It's an OEM so is it worth having? I guess it can't do 133 fsb since it came with that processor.
Chipset is FW82443BX

Actual model is D1107-A (with LAN), and a couple of slightly differing versions of the manual

A26361-D1107-Z180-US.pdf
A26361-D1107-Z120-US.pdf

Thanks a lot 😁
The board is only 66/100mhz fsb and it looks like its autodetects it.

Those Fujitsu Siemens boards were always a favorite of mine. Usually using standard PSU connectors and are capable of using a FS royalty OEM version of Windows XP (though not certain this will work on your particular board) which would be pre-activated when installed on a compatible FS board, so these never needed to be activated.
The FS version of Windows XP was barely bloated if at all.
These boards typically have few options in the BIOS, but I see them as higher quality boards. Their systems were typically paired with an FSP PSU and not some El Cheapo featherweight, so these boards would usually not be subjected to unstable powerrails.

Not much good for overclocking though, but I loved them as these would just work and I prefer stability over overclocking any day 😁

Definitely a keeper in my book (provided it is functioning properly of course).

dionb wrote on 2020-10-13, 18:31:

I got big balls 😜

16026137593860.jpg

And 3 of them 🤣

H3nrik V! wrote on 2020-10-14, 14:22:

dionb wrote on 2020-10-13, 18:31:

I got big balls 😜

16026137593860.jpg

And 3 of them 🤣

Oh, I have far, far more (and bigger) than these, I'm like some mutant from the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone 😜

not a bad way to spend $200 USD. interesting how the seller marked "for parts/not working"..

Skanque wrote on 2020-10-14, 13:22:

Finally after crossing the atlantic and being held hostage by customs this box arrived:

ATI Rage Fury MAXX 64MB AGP

Aublak wrote on 2020-10-14, 01:47:

As for the 4MHL3S motherboard, I dunno. It just doesn't start. I thought I got the jumpers right. I know the ISA video card works. Tried a bunch of different EDO ram. I just don't know.

EDO won't work there, or in most 486 boards for that matter. Only some of the later boards (usually PCI) support it, and very few (or none) can actually take advantage from it. In most cases you need FPM memory modules.