songoffall wrote on 2023-10-29, 07:24:

So I found this tiny thing in a bunch of e-waste. […]
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So I found this tiny thing in a bunch of e-waste.

As you can see, the chip is marked as a YMF744B-R. At this point I expected it to be a fake - CMI8738/C3DX repainted as Yamaha. But there's an easy way of checking - Yamaha's drivers won't work with CMI8738/C3DX. So I got the Windows drivers from Phil's Computer Lab. And they worked. Now I'm even more confused. This does not look like a Yamaha YMF744 card. But it is one. It even detects a game/MIDI port, even though the card has none.

Have you ever seen one like this?

I have a similar card with exactly the same profile, but with YMF 754R chip. The card was detected at windows 98 startup and I was able to install the WDM drivers. However there was absolutely no sound output. When trying to install Vxd drivers, the installation would keep looping while detecting legacy audio. So it was stuck in that. Under XP, I was able to install the WDM drivers. However, there was a constant hiss and very noisy to the point of annoying.
Tried moving the speaker output to either line in / mic (as many of these types of cards have mislabelled outputs). Then the speaker out completely stopped working. Not sure what would have gone wrong.

stealthjoe wrote on 2025-03-21, 09:24:

songoffall wrote on 2023-10-29, 07:24:

So I found this tiny thing in a bunch of e-waste. […]
Show full quote

So I found this tiny thing in a bunch of e-waste.

As you can see, the chip is marked as a YMF744B-R. At this point I expected it to be a fake - CMI8738/C3DX repainted as Yamaha. But there's an easy way of checking - Yamaha's drivers won't work with CMI8738/C3DX. So I got the Windows drivers from Phil's Computer Lab. And they worked. Now I'm even more confused. This does not look like a Yamaha YMF744 card. But it is one. It even detects a game/MIDI port, even though the card has none.

Have you ever seen one like this?

I have a similar card with exactly the same profile, but with YMF 754R chip. The card was detected at windows 98 startup and I was able to install the WDM drivers. However there was absolutely no sound output. When trying to install Vxd drivers, the installation would keep looping while detecting legacy audio. So it was stuck in that. Under XP, I was able to install the WDM drivers. However, there was a constant hiss and very noisy to the point of annoying.
Tried moving the speaker output to either line in / mic (as many of these types of cards have mislabelled outputs). Then the speaker out completely stopped working. Not sure what would have gone wrong.

Oh, I've had that one. You have to go to BIOS and reserve the IRQ/DMA for retro sound cards for ISA/EISA, even if your computer has no ISA/EISA slots. Unless you do that, the legacy audio causes a resource conflict and BSODs Windows 98.

I think you need to reserve IRQ5, DMA1 and IO200 for this particular card to work.

WDM drivers are extremely castrated and buggy, but the VXD drivers must work fine.

So, after a certain time of having used this tiny card, I can say a few things about it.

While it was clearly released for Windows Vista/Windows 7 era HTPCs and other multimedia applications, the card absolutely shines in Windows 98SE. I do not have a full YMF744 card, so I can't compare mine to those, but it is clearly an upgrade over the onboard AC97 codecs and software-based audio. The card sounds good. But the Yamaha XG MIDI engine is the star of the show - I would argue this card rivals a Roland SoundCanvas in the way it implements both General MIDI and the XG superset.

WDM drivers for the card, as mentioned above, are extremely crippled, but VXD drivers may cause issues on certain boards, because the card tries to take up IRQ5, and if IRQ5 is already taken, there will be a conflict and Windows will BSOD. The solution is to reserve IRQ5 for ISA/EISA, if your BIOS allows it. I'm trying it on an Intel desktop board today, which does not have that option, but allows to reserve IRQ to PCI slots - we'll see how that goes.

songoffall wrote on 2025-03-22, 20:22:

The card sounds good. But the Yamaha XG MIDI engine is the star of the show - I would argue this card rivals a Roland SoundCanvas in the way it implements both General MIDI and the XG superset.

Try it in Final Fantasy 7, with XG music selected in the config utility, if you want to experience the card's full potential.

There are also some native XG music tracks on the YMF744 driver CD which can be played using the supplied YStation32 music player. If you're interested, I made some recordings here.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2025-03-22, 20:30:

Try it in Final Fantasy 7, with XG music selected in the config utility, if you want to experience the card's full potential. […]
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songoffall wrote on 2025-03-22, 20:22:

The card sounds good. But the Yamaha XG MIDI engine is the star of the show - I would argue this card rivals a Roland SoundCanvas in the way it implements both General MIDI and the XG superset.

Try it in Final Fantasy 7, with XG music selected in the config utility, if you want to experience the card's full potential.

There are also some native XG music tracks on the YMF744 driver CD which can be played using the supplied YStation32 music player. If you're interested, I made some recordings here.

I tested the XG music tracks in particular, and Canyon.mid too.

I remember FF7 coming with a software implementation of Yamaha XG, if I'm not mistaken.

songoffall wrote on 2025-03-22, 20:43:

I remember FF7 coming with a software implementation of Yamaha XG, if I'm not mistaken.

It does, but that's an optional component which was very demanding on the CPUs of the time.

However, if you have Yamaha XG capable hardware (which includes YMF7x4 cards) the game can fully utilize that, without needing to install the softsynth. Here is how that sounds.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2025-03-22, 20:46:

songoffall wrote on 2025-03-22, 20:43:

I remember FF7 coming with a software implementation of Yamaha XG, if I'm not mistaken.

It does, but that's an optional component which was very demanding on the CPUs of the time.

However, if you have Yamaha XG capable hardware (which includes YMF7x4 cards) the game can fully utilize that, without needing to install the softsynth.

Thanks for the tip, I guess I'll dust off the old disks and try them one of these days!

(don't hate me, but FF VII was one of my least favorite FF games, my sister liked it though - I was more of a FF V/FF VI/FF IX person - severe lack of Moogles was a dealbreaker)

Just a small update: YMF744 worked without a hitch on Intel Desktop Board 850MD with PCI slot priority set to IRQ5.

songoffall wrote on 2025-03-21, 13:02:

Oh, I've had that one. You have to go to BIOS and reserve the IRQ/DMA for retro sound cards for ISA/EISA, even if your computer has no ISA/EISA slots. Unless you do that, the legacy audio causes a resource conflict and BSODs Windows 98.

I think you need to reserve IRQ5, DMA1 and IO200 for this particular card to work.

WDM drivers are extremely castrated and buggy, but the VXD drivers must work fine.

Well the problem is vxd drivers did nothing at all despite irq reserved in bios. The problem is not bsod under 98 but hardware installation getting hung up (which didn't happen with the actual ymf 724 card). Wmd drivers on the other hand installed fine without a trouble but no audio output. As explained earlier, there was audio under XP after driver installation, but it was extremely noisy. I am suspecting an issue with the component(s) on the card. Looks like I got a dud.

stealthjoe wrote on 2025-03-24, 15:39:

songoffall wrote on 2025-03-21, 13:02:

Oh, I've had that one. You have to go to BIOS and reserve the IRQ/DMA for retro sound cards for ISA/EISA, even if your computer has no ISA/EISA slots. Unless you do that, the legacy audio causes a resource conflict and BSODs Windows 98.

I think you need to reserve IRQ5, DMA1 and IO200 for this particular card to work.

WDM drivers are extremely castrated and buggy, but the VXD drivers must work fine.

Well the problem is vxd drivers did nothing at all despite irq reserved in bios. The problem is not bsod under 98 but hardware installation getting hung up (which didn't happen with the actual ymf 724 card). Wmd drivers on the other hand installed fine without a trouble but no audio output. As explained earlier, there was audio under XP after driver installation, but it was extremely noisy. I am suspecting an issue with the component(s) on the card. Looks like I got a dud.

Might be. Or maybe some of the electrolytic caps got banged and voltage ripple makes the Yamaha chip or codec unstable.

is the 744 a fancy version of 724?

bitzu101 wrote on 2026-07-21, 08:32:

is the 744 a fancy version of 724?

My understanding is the 724 is a stereo chip and the 744 is a quadrophonic chip