# Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :) - OLD Hardware Emporium



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*Hellow people.

I'll post lots of information about older hardware. Stuff that has marked my PC experience from mid '90 until today.

Lots of this stuff was rescued from the "dumpster" some was bought.

These posts have already been uploaded to vogons.cc but I wanted to not have have all my eggs in one basket. So from today I'll present here my stuff here too.

I posted some stuff in the Techpowerup's Nostalgic Harwdware but it was suggested that I start a thread here.

Maybe some of you will enjoy these posts.*

Hellow everybody, my name is Robert, and like you I have a passion for old PC hardware. Over the following weeks, I'll be posting full details about a AMD 5x86 build, AMD K6-2 build, Pentium III Slot 1 build, AMD K7 Classic Athlon build and a few extras. My posts are usually TL;DR and I upload lots of images....I used postimage.cc so that I wont burden your server storage.

*The 5x86 Story*

*What do you do when you first start gathering old hardware?*

In my situation the facts were stacked against me. *The pieces I was trying to find* were, by all means dinosaurs, a foot note into the PC history. Many *have already been discarded, buried into landfills, melted, dismembered.....*

I entered a couple of IT forums in my country and tried to find the pieces for the 5x86 puzzle, but to no avail.

My first purchase was a complete success. I scored for the sum of around 80 $, a large number of AGP and PCI VGA adapters prior to 2000, an awesome Maxi Gamer 3D Voodoo 2, some socket 7 motherboards, two busted socket 3 motherboard, lots on SIMM, and DIMM RAM and the a gem of a PSU *Minebea Electronics 200W AT PSU* - *the first piece of the 5x86 puzzle* 

I tried the local flea market but my searches were fruitless....In the end I found a guy who let me buy from him *three socket 3 motherboars*, *two AMD 5x86 133MHz CPU's*, one AMD 4x86-DX2 66MHz, one AMD 486-DX4-100MHz and two heatsinks complete with clips for my socket 3 build. *This was my second piece of the 5x86 puzzle* 

*I was quite pissed for giving away my first PC back in '98 or '99. I was young and foolish *

The motherboard I found was a *Jetway J446A v2.0* - chipset SiS 496/497 - 256KB cache/3 PCI/3 ISA/4 RAM SLOTS *not a Tomato Board 4DPS* SiS 496/497 like I used to have. *So this was as good as it gets* 

So there I was in 2015 with a motherboard, CPU, RAM and a PSU. *How the hell was I going to find a case like the one I used to have and an exact HDD*? The ODD was not so important....

To my surprise in one of my trips to *the local flea market I found an almost exact case*. The first time a I saw it I was thunder struck!  I just couldn't belive my eyes  It was dirty and scratched but it was complete.

The *bouns inside was a socket 7 motherboard with a Cyrix 6x86 PR233*, Tomato 5STX-J98 motherboard, 32MB RAM, SiS VGA, a Seagate Medalist 3.2GB HDD and a Sony ODD.

*With the case I had another piece of the 5x86 puzzle* 

Through some twist of the fate* I found the HDD on a local forum* and the moment I held it in my hand I new the PC Gods were smiling down to me from above 

*The entire adventure took around three months* of digging up in the local flea market and local IT forums.

So there I was smiling with all my loot  these relics were more valuable to me than the latest GPU, CPU or another IT gizmo 

All the parts were prepared for a complete cleaning process using *99.9% isopropyl alcohol and a lot of elbow grease* 

Steps taken for success 

*1st STEP - deep cleaning of the motherboard,SIMM and CPU preparation*

The first step into my 5x86 (re)build was the cleaning of the motherboard.

Jetway J446A v2.0 - chipset SiS 496/497 - 256KB cache/3 PCI/3 ISA/4 RAM SLOTS

I took my sweet time and after a few hours it came out golden!

All the chips, jumpers and accessories were removed and labeled before cleaning.
















































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/seisg4mw/

*2nd step - THE CASE*

The case received a special treatment - full disassembly. A wash with hot water and detergent, followed by a good scrub with CIF Cream. I removed a bit of the yellowing from the plastic but I wanted to keep the "character" and the aging. The stuff that says 'been there done that!

First I used a coarse fabric/felt but in the end a soft sponge was better.


























gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1bpwv62w2/

*3rd step - FDD, ODD, Bits and Pieces, a lot of attention do detail!*

Next came the turn of the* FDD's and ODD's *

*Full cleaning *process too  I like my components squeaky clean - It makes the experience all more authentic.

The *assembly* of the face of the PC case.

The plastics were kept in water with a small quantity of vinegar.

Check the bug in the system 

More pics and the compressor used to clean/dry the plastic parts.

*LCD display test*. In the end I didnt use it for the 5x86 build because my 5x86 didnt have one to beging with.

*Test fitting of the motherboard *revealed that after all these years the motherboard was little bent out of shape and I had to be very carefull with the RAM sticks touching the metal case. The SIMM problem was solved with carefull bending of the metal  By all means *do not use a hammer*....IBM.....

Some of the *motherboard spacers* were made from plastic which in time changed its shape. Also the motherboard tray had HUGE fitting holes and I had to compensate this with a little bit of* copper wire* wrapped around them. Nothing was moving now 

I used some *soft foam* to stop the motherboard tray from making noise. Also the foam was used to cancel the vibration from the ODD, FDD and 3.5" and 5.25 bay covers.

First I didnt have the metal plate which connects the *POWER SWITCH* to the case and I had make one from a *bike spoke*. I came out strudy as hell.  In the end I found the missing metal plate.....there goes an hour from my life ....The switch had a little play in its internals and I used a zip tie to cancel this.

The *PSU was fully stripped and cleaned*. I checked it with a light load and it was in awesome shape.

The case was missing some rear covers and I decided to make my own from perforated metal strips.

Back in '96 my PC didnt have a sound card or a CD-ROM. They came later in '98 an ESS1868 ISA sound card and an LG 16X which was crap. It read only silver CD's. Any other colour blue or gold was not read by this crappy unit.

*All the cables* were also cleaned with a great attention to detail. I matched the colour of the red strips for all the cables as best as I could 

The HDD was mounted in a 5.25 slot instead of a 3.5, *using metal spacers*, for better cooling.

This case didnt have a Turbo switch like my old one, so I added a Turbo Led and used a jumper to set Turbo On or Off.

*If you are still hanging in here I hope I dont spam the thread  - this work was done in weeks and the build log was full of details written in romanian so for now I cant translate all of it. In the future I'll post simultaneously here and on the lab501 forum, from my country,Romania.*

After all this hustle the result came up.....well you can see for yourself 

*This rebuild of my first PC, in 2015 was like a trip in the past. All the smells of the electronics, the noises were all familiar. It was awesome!*



















































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/34cx2py0o/
https://postimg.cc/gallery/1la9yqliw/

































































































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/ferva3oi/

*The 5x86 - Build*

Vital statistics

1. CPU:* AMD 5X86 133MHz* - AMD-X5-133ADZ/Am5X86-P75 3.45V
2. Motherboard: *Jetway J446A v2.0* - chipset SiS 496/497 - 256KB cache/3 PCI/3 ISA/4 RAM SLOTS
3. RAM: 2x16=*32 MB RAM SIMM FPM*
4. VGA: *ARK Logic ARK2000PV, 2MB, PCI*
5. AUDIO:* ESS AudioDrive 1868F* ISA
6. HDD:* QUANTUM TRAILBLAZER TRB850A* -850MB- 4500RPM
7. FDD: *SONY*
8. CD-ROM: *SON*Y 52x CDU5221 - I couldn't find a period correct CD-ROM so this will have to do...for now
9. PSU: *Minebea Electronics 200W AT PSU*
10. Cooling: CPU-*Noctua NF-4x10FLX *40 mm x 40 mm x 10 mm 4500 rpm/SSO2 SYSTEM: Scythe Mini Kaze 60 mm x 60 mm x 20 mm 2500 rpm/sleeve.
11. CASE:* Generic AT Case* manufactured 1998.
12. Enthusiasm/Nostalgy/Dedication/Time/Headaches/Money 

*The RESULT?PRICELESS!!!*

This was the AMD 5x86 DX5 133MHz rebuild presented in fast forward speed 

More builds have been completed an K6-2 450MHz, a Pentium III 550MHz Slot 1 and an AMD Irongate SLOT A test system.

If there is interest I'll post some later. Also I have an extensive picture collection of other old hardware (mostly '90s) which I can post. All the parts have been cleaned and are kept in boxes.

They were gathered in 2015 and 2016. After this stage I came to a halt. All the stuff fits in about 14+ boxes and I have enough stuff for a lifetime  Hoarding is bad for health and the wallet....

Much more later. Enjoy the pics!




















gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3ibd4aa76/

*And now some fun and testing. The HDD testing was done using a standard PSU, an ABit Serillel adapter, eSATA ExpressCard and a Acer Aspire 5315 laptop.*




































































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2bd3abwgy/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

Here comes the *Pentium III - Slot 1 *- build. Back in the day I couldn't afford such a system. *It was soooo expensive.* In end I used a beefier GPU but I guess that cand be forgiven 

As usual all the parts were stripped and thoroughly cleaned. This build was much easier than the 5x86.

The *case was in mint condition*. The *HDD was almost new*, only *the soundcard was a little roughed up*, but given its name I decided to use it as is .

The testing of the HDD was done using a standard PC PSU, A-bit - Serillel adapter, and a Express Card eSATA adapter plugged into my Acer Aspire 5315 laptop.

The GPU recived a new cooler: *DeepCool V50* becasue the old one was small and the fan was busted.A fresh apply of Arctic MX-4 grease was made 

I also tested a *STB Systems VooDoo 3 3000 AGP 16MB* which was in great condition. I only paid 1.2 EUR for it 

I also added thumb screws to the case and an Enermax T.B. Silence 80mm fan.

*It came out pretty good if I say so myself.* Very easy build. You can see the quality of the case is better than those from the AT era.

























































































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/28lnll7ky/

*Pentium III - Slot 1 Build*

Vital statistics:

1. CPU: *Intel Pentium III 550MHz - SL3FJ *- Costa Rica 512KB cache / 100MHz bus / 2.0V
2. Motherboard:* LuckyStar 6VABX2 VER. 2.0* - Slot 1 - Chipset - VIA VT82C693 & VT82C596A / 1xAGP 2x / 5 PCI (4 bus master 1 slave) / 2 ISA / ATA 33
3. RAM: *384 MB* - PC133 @ PC100 speed : 2X128MB PQI / 1x128MB IBM
4. VGA:* Inno3D Geforce 2 Ti - 64MB* - VGA/TV out
5. AUDIO: *Diamond Aureal Vortex 2 Monster Sound MX300 *- PCI
6. HDD: *QUANTUM FIREBALL PLUS AS40-40GB* - 7200RPM
7. FDD: *NEC*
8. CD-ROM:* ASUS QuieTrack 52X CD-S520/A*
9. LAN: generic 10/100 Mbps
10. Mobile HDD rack 3.5/5.25
11. PSU: generic JNC Computer Corp. 235W
12. Cooling: Intel stock slot 1 cooler / Inno3D - DeepCool v50 / Enermax T.B Silence 80 mm
13. CASE: Generic *ATX Case branded COMRACE ~ 1999*
14. Less effort than the 5x86 build.

Enjoy.











































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nssk8l2a/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

For the *socket 7 build* I had a lot to chose from 

Motherboards

1. *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D* - Socket 7 - Chipset ALi M1542-A1/M1543C-A1
2. *ZIDA-TOMATO BOARD - 5STXJ-98 REV. 1.02* - Socket 7 - Chipset Intel 430TX - 82439TX System Controller(MTXC) & 82371AB PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX4)
3. *LuckyStar 5V-1A VER. 2.0 *- Socket 7- Chipset - VIA 82C585VPX & 82C586A
4.* Epox EP58 MVP3C-M 100MHz Rev. 0.8* - Socket 7 - Chipset - VIA VT82C598MVP & VT82C586B

CPU's

1. AMD K6-2 300MHz - AFR - 1998 -week 41
2. AMD K6-2 350MHz - AFR - 1999- week 21
3. AMD K6-2 400MHz - AFR - 1999- week 50
4. AMD K6-2 450MHz - AFX - 2000- week 02
5. Pentium 100MHz - SX963
6. Pentium 133MHz - SY022
7. Pentium 166MHz - SY037
8. Pentium 166MHz-MMX - SL27K
9. Cyrix 6x86MX PR233 188MHz

In the end I settled on a *Super Socket 7* build using an* AMD K6-2 CPU* coupled with the *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D*

What I liked about the socket 7 build was that I could use Intel and AMD CPU's if I wanted. I could use SDRAM or SIMM/EDO an AT or ATX PSU. A very versatile platform.

Upon closer inspection I found that the *Epox EP58 MVP3C-M* motherboard had a busted *tranzistor* which was branded 1P. At the moment of the assembly I didnt have a spare tranzistor. Later, just by sheer luck I found a suitable replacement from a ceased fan from a slot A heatsink. I made the transplant and the motherboard works  This transitor was separated from its shell by the CPU clamp. Very good placemnt Mr. Engineer! Keep up the GOOD work....yeah right...

The last AT case I had was in *bad shape*. I had to make from scratch a POWER ON ATX compatible switch to fit into an AT compatible slot in the front bezel. I couldn't find a smaller one localy so *I had to improvize * All the switches from the local electronics shop were without release, meaning that once pressed they would not return back and after a few seconds the system would power down. All this trouble was also caused by the fact that* I wanted to use an ATX PSU because I couldn't find a good AT PSU*. To make things worse *the prongs on which the switch had to be screwed were ripped off *and I had to rebuild them. All in all it was worth the effort. The metal cover of the case was roughed up and I decided to wrap it up instead of painting it.

The *V3 3000 *received a fan for better cooling and all the parts for the build were cleaned to perfection using 99,9% isopropyl alcohol.












































gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/oo679ofs/




















































gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/mmo3eebc/
























gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1perucwwy/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

For the *socket 7 build* I had a lot to chose from 

Motherboards

1. *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D* - Socket 7 - Chipset ALi M1542-A1/M1543C-A1
2. *ZIDA-TOMATO BOARD - 5STXJ-98 REV. 1.02* - Socket 7 - Chipset Intel 430TX - 82439TX System Controller(MTXC) & 82371AB PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX4)
3. *LuckyStar 5V-1A VER. 2.0 *- Socket 7- Chipset - VIA 82C585VPX & 82C586A
4.* Epox EP58 MVP3C-M 100MHz Rev. 0.8* - Socket 7 - Chipset - VIA VT82C598MVP & VT82C586B

CPU's

1. AMD K6-2 300MHz - AFR - 1998 -week 41
2. AMD K6-2 350MHz - AFR - 1999- week 21
3. AMD K6-2 400MHz - AFR - 1999- week 50
4. AMD K6-2 450MHz - AFX - 2000- week 02
5. Pentium 100MHz - SX963
6. Pentium 133MHz - SY022
7. Pentium 166MHz - SY037
8. Pentium 166MHz-MMX - SL27K
9. Cyrix 6x86MX PR233 188MHz

In the end I settled on a *Super Socket 7* build using an* AMD K6-2 CPU* coupled with the *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D*

What I liked about the socket 7 build was that I could use Intel and AMD CPU's if I wanted. I could use SDRAM or SIMM/EDO an AT or ATX PSU. A very versatile platform.

Upon closer inspection I found that the *Epox EP58 MVP3C-M* motherboard had a busted *tranzistor* which was branded 1P. At the moment of the assembly I didnt have a spare tranzistor. Later, just by sheer luck I found a suitable replacement from a ceased fan from a slot A heatsink. I made the transplant and the motherboard works  This transitor was separated from its shell by the CPU clamp. Very good placemnt Mr. Engineer! Keep up the GOOD work....yeah right...

The last AT case I had was in *bad shape*. I had to make from scratch a POWER ON ATX compatible switch to fit into an AT compatible slot in the front bezel. I couldn't find a smaller one localy so *I had to improvize * All the switches from the local electronics shop were without release, meaning that once pressed they would not return back and after a few seconds the system would power down. All this trouble was also caused by the fact that* I wanted to use an ATX PSU because I couldn't find a good AT PSU*. To make things worse *the prongs on which the switch had to be screwed were ripped off *and I had to rebuild them. All in all it was worth the effort. The metal cover of the case was roughed up and I decided to wrap it up instead of painting it.

The *V3 3000 *received a fan for better cooling and all the parts for the build were cleaned to perfection using 99,9% isopropyl alcohol.













































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/oo679ofs/





















































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mmo3eebc/

























gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1perucwwy/

*The K6-2 450MHz - Build*

Vital statistics:

1. CPU: *AMD K6-2 450AFX - 450MHz *
2. Motherboard: *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D* - Socket 7 -100MHz- Chipset ALi Alladin V - ALi M1542-A1/M1543C-A1 1AGP 2x/ 3 PCI / 3 ISA
3. RAM: : 2X128MB=*256 MB* - PC133 @ PC100
4. VGA: *STB Systems Inc - Voodoo 3 3000 AGP 16MB Rev. C*
5. AUDIO: *Creative Sound Blaster AWE 64 GOLD ISA *- CT 4390
6. HDD: *FUJITSU 8.4GB - MPD3084AT* - 5400RPM ATA 33 - montat cu distantiere in bay de 5.25"
7. FDD:* Sony *
8. CD-ROM: TOP-G 50X
9. LAN: TP-Link 10/100Mbps PCI Network Adapter TF-3200 - ip100A
10. PSU: *Antec EA-380D Green - 380W 80+ Bronze*
12. Cooling: Socket 7 heatsink with Scythe Mini Kaze 50x50x10mm 4500 rpm / V3 3000 - stock heatsink with Scythe Mini Kaze 50x50x10mm 4500 rpm
13. CASE: Generic AT Case branded 2 Net Computers, retrofitted with ATX switch.
14. Medium effort - smaller than the 5x86 build but greater than the Pentium III build































































































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2gh5azuzm/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*All three together AMD 5x86,AMD K6-2 & PIII *




















gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/152hzwxb6/

Next will be the *K7 slot A test.* But for now I'll let you to digest the above photos 

A lot more to follow!

Sneak peak 

*Enter THE ATHLON!*

Pentium III feels the train is coming, bullet train that is  (Commercial from 1999/2000 for the AMD Athlon Processor)
























gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2v28fonfm/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*The K7 slot A - build*

*1st Step - Slot A Cartridge removal/disassembly/teardown/dismantle*

After I managed to find a SLOT A motherboard with the *Irongate chipset* together with four CPU's my first priority was *a complete disassembly and carefull cleaning*. Little did I know that this would turn into an *adventure* 

As usual *freeing the CPU's from their SECC cartridge*, even if we are talking about AMD Slot A or Intel Slot 1, is sometimes *a hairy business* 

In my case I used a pair of *flat nosed pliers *with a little electrical tape to prevent damage to the catridge and the backplate. Even so, some marks would remain.

I firmly secured one arm of the pliers *into a vice* and with the other arm I applied force. Even so, the entire process required* some convincing. The cartridge was extremely stubborn, it moaned and groaned and squeaked. It was nerve-racking! *

The *upper part of the cartridge* gave up extremely easy with the help of a fine screwdriver.

*The bottom part, near the connector was held tight.* In the end, only one of the cartidge remained intact, the other three sustained one broken securing hole. No big deal. This problem will be adressed later. The exterior was in pristine condition.

After inspecting closely the cartridges I saw that the small securing hole that broke off, *was a different shape from the others.* Three were round and one oval. I guess this was some kind of *anti-tamper system to prevent opening and voiding warranty. *The metal prongs from the heatplate had ca collar like shape that would be retained into the plastic holes of the cartridge.

*After almost 17 years the thermal paste/pad was still kind of soft.* The only surprise was the *thick paste* used to fill the gap between the heatplate and the *cache chips*.* It was brittle and it was poorly applied.*

Under no circumstance was I to power up these CPU's like this. *My gut feeling was right, again* 

After removing the plastic cartridge the metal heatplate was held with* two metal strips.* These were under some tension an removing them proved *challenging.*

You had to press down on the CPU PCB to prevent it from rocking while at the same time you would have to keep a finger on the middle of the metal strip and with the other hand with a fine screwdriver you would have to bend the metal "teeth/hooks" of the metal strips to free them up.

If the PCB would start rocking, damage could occur to the CPU die. *A BIG No No!*

Over the entire process I got fed up with the smell they were releasing and I was anxious to clean them up reallllllllllyyyyyyy well. It's a distinct smell of old electronics, dust, old paste and God know what else....

To my surprise on the K7 500MHz CPU's die it was written *K7900CNRBCA*

a) AMD K7500MTR51B C - 500MHz
b) AMD K7550MTR51B C - 550 MHz
c) AMD K7600MTR51B A - 600MHz
d) AMD K7700MTR51B A - 700MHz



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/vhx874v6/bd0122de/ https://postimg.cc/gallery/1s1u3qeea/101f22ba/

*2nd step - Deep cleaning of the CPU's and heatsinks*

Also I bought a few 50 mm fans- *FRACTAL DESIGN SILENT SERIES 50MM* (FD-FAN-50) 3500 rpm - In the end they proved too weak and I reused some of the old fans from the original heatsinks.

In the end *REVOLTEC Air Guard RL035 - 4500 rpm* 50 mm fans will prove more adequate.

*Note the K7 AMD K7500MTR51B C - 500MHz rated CPU with the K7900CNRBCA markings.*

One of the heatsinks, the *BIG Cooler Master* one, came without the metal retaining clips, so* I had to get creative and improvize.*

I drilled a couple of holes and used a couple that were already in the heatsink and heatplate and with the help of 4 nuts and bolts I tightend the sucker really well 

I made *a spread test* with some ol' Arctic Alumina thermal paste I had around.

*For the final assembly I used less paste to prevent bleeding.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mgplea9k/5251cb2a/



 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1y2pigqyg/de3f1e34/

*
3rd step - Cleaning the motherboard and CPU cartidges, coolers*

*The motherboard I found It's not exotic or OC friendly,* but it is as good as it gets for me. I couldn't find another so, for the time beeing *it will have to do.*

*PC CHIPS/PcCHIPS/PC-CHIPS M800LMR V1.3A - AMD Irongate 750/756 - 1 AGP 2x, 4PCI, onboard Audio and Lan, ATA66, SDRAM - 768MB max*

It *came out golden*, literally 

Well here I was with clean slot A CPU's ready to be put back together and a squeaky clean motherboard.

GPU's I had plenty, RAM plenty, HDD's plenty. *The only thing missing was a good PSU with strong 3.3V and 5V rails.
*
One name came into my mind obsesively - *ENERMAX.*

After asouring the local OLX site to my susprise a found just what I was looking for - *a mint, new in BOX, ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W.*

It was really cheap and at first I thought that it couldn't be right. After a phone call my doubts were quickly put to rest.

After 24 hours I held in my hands the Holy Grail, *a shiny new ENERMAX PSU.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/308awon6q/bb16b057/

*4th step - Slot A CPU assembly*

After I opened up the CPU cartridges I was aware that *for the contact between the heatplate and the cache chips I had to use some kind of thermal pad.
*
I found localy* Arctic branded ones of 1.5 mm and 0.5 mm - blue colour.* They seemed right, but in the end the *0.5 mm one was too slim and the 1.5 mm too thick.*

I tried to determine the exact width I needed and one size came out after a few measurements *~ 1 mm*. Because I couldn't find Arctic blue pad of 1 mm width I resorted to buying a *Thermal Grizzly Minus 8 - 1 mm pad.*

After I received *the Grizzly pad *I found out that this width *wasn't good either.* *It was too thick, hard and brittle. The Arctic one was way softer.*

After a *quick and EXPENSIVE lesson in thermal pads*..... I counted my options and the solution came out in the form of the* Arctic blue pad 1.5 mm* which would have *to be squeezed to the correct width.*

To add to the trouble, *the width between the CACHE chips and the heatplate wasn't always the same.*

Also the cache chips of the CPU's were sometimes c*oncave some time convex.*

For each and every* CPU* I had to cut a smaller piece of *Arctic blue pad, place a small clear plastic film over it and press it down with something flat.

I used the Cooler Master heatsink.*

*The process was repeated 3 or 4 time for each CPU *- very hard work  but for me it was very REWARDING.

When I assembled the heatplates and the heatsinks I also *filled up *with thermal pads the outside square holes of the heatplates which made contact with the cache chips for a better transfer of the heat. From factory there was nothing there.

Also I found out that *the retaining clips of the heatsinks were out of shape and required some bending back. *Initialy the contact between the heatplate and the heatsink was made through a very thin pad but when I used thermal paste I needed more force. From factory the gap was to big between the heatplate and the heatsink. Totally unacceptable! 

*Arctic MX-4* thermal paste was used for the CPU die.

*Puting back the metal strips that hold down the CPU pcb proved difficult, but in the end I prevailed  The trick is to keep the inside tooth of metal strip more inclined while the outside one would have to be more open. Then you would have to use a fine nose plier to bend it into the secured position. A steady hand is required. Damage to to PCB can occur easily, so tread carefully  Check the picture bellow. Also avoid rocking the CPU PCB, otherwise you know....cracked, chipped CPU die.*

After the opening of the cartridges, the holes of the plastic covers were bigger and three of them missed one of the holes. To prevent them from rattling I used two thin strips of *BISON MONTAGEKIT EXTREME GRIP TAPE *on the top side. This proved the winning solution. They were held firmly in place.

All the fans were *cleaned and oiled*. One fan was replaced because the original one was ceased.

The CPUS were once again as the day they were born. *HAPPY DAYS.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2xbk7dd9e/793ea44e/

*5th step - some FUN*

In the end I played some games and installed Win 98 SE. To this date this was my best experience with a PC and Windows 98. *Delta Force - Land Warrior brought back some memories.*

Before even I begun there was a problem. The mouse couldn't be put into the green PS/2. Upon closer inspection I found out that the black prong from a mouse was broken and left inside. I used some double sided tape and a toothpick to fish the part out. *The seller forgot to mention this shortcoming* .

*The only problem was the motherboard.* It lacked any OC feature. I couldn't adjust any timing for the memory. No voltage control, absolutely nothing.

To my surprise *the K7 500MHz CPU with the K7900CNRBCA markings ran at 700MHz without problems. *Some of the other CPU's weren't correctly recongnized. *I wanted to update de BIOS but couldn't find a suitable BIOS file and the chance of bricking the motherboard were too great. Even my old Tomato 5x86 Board had more RAM timing options.
*
Back in the day *this was a budget motherboard* so there is nothing to do about it.

*The CPU's will have to be tested on another motherboard, preferably a high end one.*

So in my case this was *as good as it gets!*

*The reward was priceless though. I enjoyed every moment and I have no regrets  monetary or otherwise *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1kq6l2liw/ad92c60d/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/s0jp5yew/dfff8e2e/

*K7 - Classic Athlon

Test system:

Motherboard: PC CHIPS/PcCHIPS/PC-CHIPS M800LMR V1.3A
CPU: Athlon Classic K7 500, 550, 600 and 700 MHz
RAM: SDRAM 256MB PC100 DS, 2X128MB PC100 SS = 512MB PC100
ODD: LG DVD-RAM-4163B IDE
GPU: Palit Daytona Geforce 3 Ti 200 - 64MB - DeepCool V50 Cooler
FDD: Alps
HDD: WD Caviar 800JB - 7200rpm IDE 8MB
PSU: ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

The* GREAT Voodoo 3 3000 16 MB* rescue

Some backround info.

Back in the day I never saw or heard about VooDoo 1 graphic cards or 3dfx for that matter. In '94 I just entered highschool and I was a total *greenhorn*  This stuff was exotic, expensive and hard to come by. Information was scarce and *Internet* was still a pimple faced teenager  ISP's were as common as hens teeth  we didnt have internet in our highschool. Some had dial-up internet at home but it was expensive.

Time passed  and I started to *accumulate a lot about computer hardware*. Beeing an informatics highschool all day long you heard about *PC's pc PC'S!!!!! Good times indeed*.The first time I heard about TBAV - ThunderByte Antivirus, F-Prot, OneHalf or Michelangelo  infections. The first time I heard about Pentium when I just bought a mere 5x86. Playing Gorillas (Gorilla.bas) The first time playing DOOM on a friends 4x86 until he threw me out  and after that episode I never got to play another game on his PC. Playing Warcraft II multiplayer, Lotus, Grand Prix......

*But lets return to the matter at hand *

In that period I started hearing about *VooDoo 2 and SLI* and how great it was. All the information I had came from highschool friends and one IT magazine called *CHIP*. I used to drool reading about VooDoo 2, Voodoo Banshee, VooDoo Rush. They had such great advertising  Owning any VooDoo card in that time was out of the question. Tooooooooooooooooo expensiveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 

Then came *nVidia* and my focus changed. When I read about VooDoo 3, I wasnt impressed. Starting from that point onward VooDoo and 3dfx werent very high on my list of interests. *TNT, TNT 2 & Geforce* were the name of the game.

Funny thing though that in 2015 when I was at the local flea market I saw a green pcb with the letters *3dfx* printed on it. I paid 1.2 EUR for it and I was very happy for this purchase, not because of the price but because of the memories it brought back . It turned out it was an *STB Systems 3dfx Voodoo 3-3000 - 16MB AGP* card Made in Mexico. It had a few scratches but it was in very good condition. I took it home, cleaned it up well and after I tested it later I found out it was flawless 

In 2016 I came across another VooDoo card. It was tossed above other components, It look rough and rusty. The seller wanted too much for it and I didnt want to pay the asking price. One week later I haggled with him and bought it cheaper  3 EUR. From that point on I actively started looking for VooDoo cards.

This brings me to the begining of an adventure: *The GREAT Voodoo 3 3000 16 MB rescue.*

After I bought the roughed up Voodoo card I tried to identify it. Initialy I thought it was a *V3 2000* but in the end it was another *V3 3000 16MB AGP* card. It was looking tired and beat up. Upon looking closely I saw that *one tantalum capacitor* was missing. Later on I found that another *3 solid capacitors * together with other *2 ceramic* type ones, were *MIA.* In total 6 pieces of the V3 puzzle.

I was quite pissed for not seeing the damage and buying a graphics card which was in essence just *a dirty paper weight.*

Initially I wanted to *toss it into my spare parts bin* but after so much time inspecting it for other signs of damage the 3dfx letters kept on poping in my head. *V-O-O-D-O-O* What if I can resurrect it? That will be a story to tell 

*Lets get on with it shall we?  *

*Stage 1 - Heatsink removal and general cleanup*

*Voodoo 3 3000 16MB AGP - Chip 355-0024-020 / PCB 210-0364-003 Made in China.*

*The roughed up V3 stood in my car overnight at temperatures around 0 degrees C. *I knew that the heatsink was glued on. I tried to remove the heatsink from the first V3 but it was very well glued and I was afraid of damaging the chip. In the case of the roughed up V3 I had nothing to lose 

In the morning I tried to remove the heatsink by moving it gently. *NO DICE! *it wouldnt budge! I tried to insert a flat screwdriver in a corner of the heatsink while using a credit card to protect the PCB. Again *NO DICE!*

*Very well I'll put you into the freezer!* It stood there for 50 minutes in a plastic bag. After this I tried again with the flat screwdriver and the credit card. Again *NO DICE!*

Back into the freezer it went but to no avail. While still beeing cold I had the inspiration to *generously pour isopropyl alcohol *on the heatsink and under it. After this I tired again with the flat screwdriver and the credit card. *POP!* went the heasink and the  GRAPHIC CHIP was free. I finally saw the 3dfx markings. *It was very rewarding!*

Searching for the chip code revealed very few information. This V3 was Made in China not in Mexico. This made me to really want to rescue it.

All the screws and the bracket were cleaned using some auto rust remover: *Szuper Evipass* I also cleaned some rust covered pins.

Cleaning the glue from the heatsink and graphic chip proved dificult. It required lots of isopropyl alcohol and elbow grease.For large pieces of glue I used a credit card to scrape it off. I had to leave the heatsink with a thin film of isopropyl alcohol to soften the glue.* I had to repeat the process numerous times.*

In the end the V3 came out *clean as a whistle* 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1zm2q5hbs/45867d9a/

*Stage 2 - Damage assessment*

I cleaned the old solder from the affected areas.

Upon close inspection and comparation with pictures on the internet I came to the folowing conclusion.

Missing capacitors:* 1 tanatlum 6V 22uf, 3 solid 16V 10uf and 2 ceramic capacitors.*

The *capacitor problem* wasnt so damaging.I knew I could work with it. *The BIG problem were the copper pads missing from the PCB on which the capacitors made contact with the traces. In two places they were completely ripped off.* *SH&#$((!&(TTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1s7ml4l4o/d78c23e9/

*Stage 3 - Solution*

For the ceramic capacitors I already found a donor card: an old *MEDION ATI X740XL *which was dead. I used a visual size comparison to determine the right capacitors.

*For the other capacitors I didnt have replacement parts. *I could buy them but they were expensive. So *I had to improvize.* I used regular electrolytic capacitors. I couldn't find the right tantalum and solid capacitors no matter how hard I tried. They had to be ordered specialy and in big quantity.

The only problem that remained was that of the *copper pads.* I watched closely the PCB and saw that for each pad there was a tiny hole which made *the contact between the pad and the trace in the PCB.* *BINGO!* I used a sharp blade to scrape off the laquer from the tiny holes and I was greeted by a nice copper colour.

To restore the contact with the PCB traces I used tiny strings made from Solder WICK wires.

The revival started to look like it will be a success 

In this stage I made a final comparison using my V3 Made in MEXICO and pictures I found on the internet with the V3 Made in China.

http://ohwc.narod.ru/video/3dfx/v3k_agp_china_f.jpg
http://ohwc.narod.ru/video/3dfx/v3k_agp_mexico_f.jpg
http://ohwc.narod.ru/video.html

Both of my V3's had the same part number* 210-0364-003*, but the value for the tantalum capacitor was different: Made in China 6V 22uf for the Made in Mexico 16v 22uf.

I decided to go for the same capacity (uf) and higher voltage (V).

At shopping I went with high hopes  *The local electronics shop had a disastrous capacitor selection*, and I found only these:

10uf 16v-Yageo
10uf 25V-Huang
10uf 35v-Yageo
22uf 25V-?
47uf 6V - SMD.
All 105C rated.

In the end I used: *3x10uf 35V-Yageo *si *1x22uf 25V.* All have higher voltage values and the same capacity.



 




gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nlqhm1a0/e34a66fe/

*Stage 4 - Reconstruction
*
I took out the smallest soldering iron I had, some sparkling wine and *GOGOGOGOGO!!!!!!!!!*

The whole operation *went very smoothly*. In 30 minutes all the job was done. Pad rebuild and capacitors. I was surprised it went so easy!

The next day I washed again the card with isopropyl alcohol to remove the flux residues and I modified the original heatsink to accept a 50 mm *Scythe Mini KAZE* fan. It came out pretty good. The sanding on the corners of the heatsink where the screws are poses no problem because the area doesnt touch the graphic chip. Finding the correct length for the screws proved a little difficult and the space underneath them was littered with electronic components.

Attchement of the heatsink was done using push pins.

Also I had to be carefull because the fan had to be flush with the heatsink on the side of the AGP connector otherwise it would touch the neighbouring PCI slot and it wouldnt get all the way into the AGP slot.

On the graphic chip I used Arctic MX-4 thermal paste.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/ua3l6i9k/e077d612/

*Stage 5 - BLISS*

*The test of the repaired card was done on the the K6-2 450MHz build.* Game tests for that build were made with this card. No artifacts were present, overheating or freezes.

*I call it a complete success *

So in the end *VOODOO* really lives up to its name *V-O-O-D-O-O!* I'm still working knee deep in the dead! 



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2ni26m9rs/9589e546/

The lessons learned with the V3 were used for a* 3dfx Creative 3D Blaster Banshee 16 MB CT 6760 PCI* which also had a missing tantalum capacitor. This time a attached the capacitor on its side. It came out much better. *If I find a tantalum capacitor I'll replace the electrolytic one.*



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/27dfr58c8/9c60d018/

More stories to follow!

Enjoy!

*Disclaimer: I'm no electronics engineer. All the repairs were done using common sense, my experience and great attention to details  *


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*A not so lucky Asus Geforce 4 4600 Ti*

The story of the *V8460-600 Asustek Geforce4 Ti 4600 128 MB* is like any other *dumpster dive/flea market *buy  First you see it.*WOW!* then you *start digging* in the pile of cards lying in a basket or in a cardboard box  *What is THIS!* WOW! (again) this look *AMAZING!* It's HUGE! A quick search on the internet - Asus GF4 4600Ti 128MB* HELL YEAH!!!* Trying to hide your excitement you* ask soflty* Hhhhhhooow muuucccchhh is it? (gasp)  2.27 EUR / 2.5 $ * Here you go sir!* Then you leave happy with the purchase 

*Yep buying this GF4 was like that. *It looked a little beat up, but whole. The fan was spinning smoothly and there were *no signs of overheating. *

*I took it home and did my magic:*

*Step 1. Full disassembly*

Upon close inspection I found that the heatsink was glued on. Before removing the heatsink from the V3 from the earlier posts the first guinea pig was this GF4 4600 Ti. It stood in the freezer in a bag for around 30 min and then with the help of a flat screwdriver and a credit card to protect the PCB it popped easily on the first try. *Removing the yellow thermal glue was another story though and it took some work* 

*Step 2. Isopropyl alcohol 99.9% *

Full wash with isopropyl alcohol 99.9% *pulverized *from and old window cleaner container. Some scrubing with an old brush. Then *more isopropyl alcohol 99.9%* baths  then more brushing..... *it came out squeaky clean. *

*Step 3. Tiny bits*

The heatsink was *sanded* a bit to remove old thermal glue and some blemishes. The *fan* was cleaned and oiled. The *bracket* had a little rust which needed to be removed. *Other tedious small operations were performed.*

*Step 4. ASsembly *

Smooth sailing. 10 min max 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2ccm5lb6g/6d63a9f5/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/ljb2fx42/c962f314/

By this time *I was feeling pretty good* with my purchase. *I didnt have a PC* to test it on.* Later* when I put together the *K7 Classic Athlon system *I took it for a spin.

On the first startup I got some *bad news*. *It was dying *- artifacts and psyhedelic colours all around.



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2dv3zoqxu/6f1dd4f8/

*Nothing else to do.*I had high hopes that it would work as I always wanted a GF4 4600 Ti. In the hay days of GF4 I only had a Gainward GF4 MX 460 which was kind of meh, but I had bragging rights as my buddies had only GF4 MX 440's 

Well you can't "win them all" 

This is why I called this short story *"A not so lucky Asus Geforce 4 4600 Ti"* In the end it got to a good home but it was too late....*let's move one shall we?*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*The 5,6,7 AGP trio*

The story of this trio was a bit of a *surprise.*

After posting on the forum from my country, the exact stories that I tell you here, a member sent me a *PM * in which he said that he wanted to give me *3 AGP cards*, of which one was completely new. They were *free of charge*. The status of these cards was unkown. They were only *gathering dust* in his drawer.

First I wanted some pictures and after seeing the cards I said *I WANT THEM*, even if they were newer than my "usual" stuff 

After a quick *discution on the phone* he even wanted to pay for shipping despite my arguing that paying for shipping was the least I could do 

One day later I received a *BORG* like package 





After I opened the box I was greeted by three gorgeous AGP cards and even *some extras*: two heatsinks, and IDE cable, a floppy cable, some memory and an old PCI soundcard 

The three AGP cards were:

*MSI 8948* ver 100 - *GeForce FX5700*-VTD128 - AGP 128MB
*Aopen Aeolus 6800GT*-DV256 - AGP 256MB
*BFG GeForce 7800GS OC* AGP 256MB

The* BFG* was new and had no signs of usage 

The *MSI* received a new fan connector as it missed one. First I cleaned the golden heatsink until *it was shining like diamond in the goats a$$*  Then came turn for the PCB and other bits.

The *Aopen* was trickier to dismantle but nothing complicated. I had to keep track of all the screws. I also didnt want to damage the *thermal pads* because *the problems* with the pads for the K7 cache chips was still fresh  The VRM heatsink was *flimsy*. You can clearly see *sign of overheating.* If dust got to obstruct the main heatsink which cooled the GPU then less air would cool the VRM heatsink. *Not good.*

Upon closer inspection of the back of the* Aopen Aeolus 6800GT* I saw that a small ceramic capacitor, found near the AGP connector was crooked. *What the!?* I was amazed that it didnt fall off. After a quick *soldering* it was back in its place 

I used *ARCTIC MX-4* to cool the 5700FX and 6800GT.

The *BFG* beeing a BIG F...... G..N didnt need anything 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/29wghabiw/b18bbcbd/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/nvn2f9p4/18fdf90e/

To test these puppies I took out from storage my 4th PC - a *Good Ol' Athlon XP + VIA KT333 *- I don't have a more potent AGP platform....yet 

Hardware and Software used:

1. CPU: *AMD Athlon XP 1900+* 1.60GHz - Palomino core - unlocked using Bison conductive paint.
2. MOBO: *ECS K7VTA3 V3.0b* - VIA KT333
3. RAM: *1.5 GB* - DDR1 3X512MB DDR333/DDR400
4. HDD: *WD Caviar 800JB 80GB *
5. FDD: 1.44MB *Alps*
6. ODD: *LG DVD-RAM 4163B*
7. GPU'S:
7.1 MSI 8948 ver 100 - *GeForce FX5700*-VTD128 - AGP 128MB
7.2 Aopen Aeolus *GeForce6800GT*-DV256 - AGP 256MB
7.3 BFG *GeForce 7800GS *OC AGP 256MB
8. PSU: ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W
9.Software: Windows XP Home Ed. SP2/Windows XP PRO SP3
10. Misc.



 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1326xsyua/bbc6c481/

*Testing wasnt quite what I have hoped for.*

First I tested the *6800GT* and it worked flawlessly. Clear image. Windows install. Drivers install. GPU-z all ok. The problems started when I wanted to play any game or run other 3D programs(for ex. 3Dmark2001). After some trying I managed to start a furmark test (which completed ok) and one 3dmark2001 test. I tried to play UT but the game would not start.

At this point I decided to use the *5700FX*. This card showed clear picture with some drivers and some artifacts with others.....when I found a good driver and started UT it showed more artifacts. I consider this card dead...

Next came the turn of the *7800GS.* *This puppy was something else*. BIG, golden, heavy, and smelling heavenly. It even featured LED lighting . On powerup the fan made a noise like *a pack of bats right out of hell * I said: *I LIKE IT!!!* (The fan noise goes down after installing the drivers and ramps up with the temperature). Again clear picture. Drivers install with no problems. I tried to run UT or DOOM 3 - *NO DICE!*

What the?!?!??! I looked closer at the card and saw that it wasnt fully seated in the AGP slot. The culprit was the white AGP retainer. Now I remembered why I took it out years ago just to put it back before this test, just for the sake of "originality" *OUT IT WENT!*

I tested again the three cards but the situation didnt change. I couldn't run DOOM 3 on any of the cards...

On the  PCB of the 6800GT and 7800GS is a black round buzzer which makes one hell of a racket if you forget to plug the molex connector  I found out *the hard way* at night around 01.00 hours 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3125lafaa/6342170b/

So this story has an *inconclusive ending.* I consider the *5700FX* dead. About the *6800GT* and *7800GS* I say that the status is *at best uncertain.* Until I test them on a proper AGP platform I shall catalogue them as working.

This Athlon XP 1900+ & KT333 runs well with my Palit Geforce 3 Ti 200 - 64MB. I dont know if there is a software or hardware incompatibilty between this platform and the Geforce 5,6 or 7.....

My favourite from this bunch is the Aopen Aeolus *GeForce6800GT*-DV256 - AGP 256MB. In that time I had a Leadtek 6600GT AGP 128MB which I specially bought for DOOM 3. The 6600GT is also dead...the fan was horrible and ceased a couple of times, despite regular cleaning and the GPU overheated......this is how I got it back from my cousin...



 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/33hf9pnfc/54a3d563/

The casualty rate amongst newer generation components it is much greater than in the case of my older ones. I guess smaller fabrication nodes, higher thermal stress operation plus many other variables make them more susceptible to damage.

Next posts will feature more positive stuff 

More later.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*What's left in my stash?*

Today the weather was mostly sunny and I had three hours dedicated for taking pictures 

Besides the components already posted I present to you the contents of my stash 

Enjoy the pictures 

*CPU'S*





*AMD*

1. AMD 486 DX-2 66MHz - 66NV8T - 1995 week 30
2. AMD 486 DX-4 100MHz - 100NV8T - 1996 week 05
3. AMD 586 133MHz - ADW - 1996 week 42
4. AMD K6-2 300MHz - AFR - 1998 -week 41
5. AMD K6-2 350MHz - AFR - 1998 -week 21
6. AMD K6-2 400MHz - AFQ - 1998 -week 16
7. AMD K6-2 400MHz - AFR - 1998 -week 50



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/12vn0unk2/73d92ac7/

*
Cyrix*

1. Cyrix 6x86MX PR233 188MHz
2. Cyrix GXm-200GP
3. Cyrix MII-300GP



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3b85dilzs/8d360b74/

*Intel*

1. Intel 486-SX-25MHz - SX679
2. Pentium 75MHz - SX961
3. Pentium 100MHz - SX963
4. Pentium 133MHz - SY022 - 2 versions
5. Pentium 166MHz - SY037
6. Pentium 166MHz-MMX - SL27K
7. Celeron 300 MHz - SL2X8
8. Celeron A - 366 MHz - SL36C
9. Pentium II - 350MHz - SL2U4
10. Pentium II - 400MHz - SL2U5
11. Pentium III - 450MHz - SL37C
12. Pentium III - 500MHz - SL35E



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2uy96m2ma/e718e9de/

*Slotket Gigabyte-GA-6R7-Rev 1.7*



 



*Coolers*

Some of them...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/18r1w1s5e/7d0d523f/

*Graphic adapters*

*AGP*

1.Ati Rage 128 PRO
2.ATI Rage IIC AGP - 3D CHARGER 4 MB
3.ACorp - RIVA TnT 2 Vanta - 8MB
4.Inno3D Geforce 2 Ti - 64MB
5.Palit Daytona Geforce 3 Ti 200 - 64MB
6.S3 Trio3D - 4MB
7.S3 Trio3D/2X - 4MB
8.S3 Trio3D/2X - 8MB
9.S3 Savage 4 - 16MB
10.Sapphire Ati 9600PRO - 128MB
11.SiS 6326 8MB
12.STB Systems 3dfx Voodoo 3-3000 - 16MB



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/kmex7zyw/a49b4335/

*ISA*

1.Oak Technology OTI077 - 1077082003 REV. G - 512KB
2.Trident TVGA9000C - 7133 Rev. B1 - 512KB
3.Trident TVGA9000i-2 - 7210 Rev. H1



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1txpyxrrs/b132f7fc/

*PCI*

1.3dfx Creative 3D Blaster Banshee 16 MB CT 6760
2.Ati Rage LT PRO - 8MB
3.Ark Logic ARK2000PV - 2MB
4.Guillemot Maxi Gamer 3D - 3dfx Voodoo 2 - 12MB
5.Matrox MGA-Millenium II - 4MB
6.SiS 6215 - FVGAP-SS6.1A 2MB
7.SiS 6215 - UTD67B - 2MB
8.S3 Trio64V+ - 2MB
9.S3 Trio64V+ Color Max
10.S3 Trio64V2/DX - 2MB
11.Trident TGUI9440-3
12.Tseng Labs Vision Magic ET6000 4 MB MDRAM


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2f39w1kua/d1998d57/

*HDD's*

ATA HDD'S

1.QUANTUM TRAILBLAZER TRB850A -850MB- 4500RPM
2.QUANTUM BIGFOOT 2.1GB -5.25" - CY2160A - 3600RPM
3.QUANTUM FIREBALL PLUS AS40-40GB - 7200RPM
4.SEAGATE MEDALIST ST33232A 3.2GB- 4500RPM
5.IBM 3.6GB - IBM-DCAA-33610 - 5400RPM
6.FUJITSU 8.4GB - MPD3084AT - 5400RPM
7.WESTERN DIGITAL WDC800JB - 80GB - 7200RPM

FUJITSU 8.4GB - MPD3084AT - 5400RPM
http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/COMP/fcpa/hdd/discontinued/mpd3xxxat_datasheet.pdf
QUANTUM BIGFOOT 2.1GB -5.25" - CY2160A - 3600RPM
http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/maxtor/en_us/documentation/data_sheets/bigfoot_cy_datasheet.pdf
QUANTUM FIREBALL PLUS AS40-40GB - 7200RPM
http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/...n/manuals/Fireball_Plus_AS_Product_Manual.pdf
WESTERN DIGITAL WDC800JB - 80GB - 7200RPM
http://www.wdc.com/en/library/sata/2879-001146.pdf
SEAGATE MEDALIST ST33232A - 4500RPM
http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/manuals/ata/4342pmb.pdf



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/j87w5f42/4a0206cc/

*Tests*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2exxgdkns/bfa19d55/

*ISA Network adpters*

1.IBM Turbo 16/4 Token Ring ISA - 72H3500 (72H3496)
2.Viglen Ethernet card P/N:142640-402 REV: 01 - Chipset UL0020



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1s42nyu3c/b55eb097/

*MOTHERBOARDS*

1.Chaintech 486SPM - Socket 3 - Chipset SiS 85C496/85C497
2.Epox EP58 MVP3C-M 100MHz - Socket 7 - Chipset - VIA VT82C598MVP & VT82C586B
3.LuckyStar 5V-1A VER. 2.0 - Socket 7- Chipset - VIA 82C585VPX & 82C586A
4.ZIDA-TOMATO BOARD - 5STXJ-98 REV. 1.02 - Socket 7 - Chipset Intel 430TX - 82439TX System Controller(MTXC) & 82371AB PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX4)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2dloy3654/95b13fef/

*DAMAGED*

1.Super - 486IP-B-2-3 -Socket- Chipset SiS 85C496/85C497 - heavy corrosion, broken plastic SIMM slot, might work.
2.Jetway J446A-V2.0 - Socket 3 - Chiset SiS 85C496/85C497 - missing components
3.TK 82C491 - Chipset UMC - LIF(Low Insertion Force) Socket - UM82C491F - missing components
4.Kaimei Electronic Corp KM-S4-1 Ver: 1.1 - damaged CPU trace - check picture



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/16j48xww2/e8d202f7/

*Memory*

SIMM, FPM, EDO, SDRAM, DDR, DDR2.

Memory for days 



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/k504jgt4/7b560ad6/

*SOUNDCARDS*

*ISA*

1.CREATIVE SoundBlaster AWE64 GOLD - CT4390
2.Crystal CS4235-JQ
3.Crystal CX4235-XQ3 ICUAUD-GW805
4.ESS AudioDrive ES688F
5.ESS AudioDrive ES1868F



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1q09v87a0/12fc2936/

*PCI*

1.CREATIVE SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 - SB0100
2.Diamond Aureal Vortex 2 Monster Sound MX300 - PCI
3.Yamaha XG YMF724-V PCI



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2c0luej7m/8a4f3e93/

*Miscellaneous*

Diamond modem XP 561
LED displays
Socket 3 cooler and bracket
Some smaller bits and pieces, coolers, cables, etc...



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2cjwg4ama/ac3d7fd7/

*The componets posted until now were gathered in a period of one year and half (2015-2016). During this period only the first months were of frantic seaching. Afterwards I wasnt actively looking for parts but didnt pass on the stuff I really wanted.Trips to the local flea market were fewer and I wasnt scouring the forums or the local ads sites. I dont even want to know how much I could've gatherered if I really wanted to to .*

See you with the next episodes


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*Little bent PIN*

*The story* of the *BENT CPU PIN*(ssssssssss) or should I say* lots* of CPU Pins 

Last year I went to the *flea market* in search of *a good AT PSU*. My searches returned a *BIG FAT* *"0"*. I found a couple of them but they were looking like the kind when powered up, they'll make* a small indian smoke signal fire* and bye bye precious components. *So, no way JOSE!* I'll need to buy a new one or at least one from a reliable source.

As I was browsing the market I saw* a little gipsy boy* with* a handfull of CPU's* all laid out on a piece of cloth *Hmmmm* let's see what's there!  It was the first time I saw in the local flea market *CPU's in bulk*.

There were *many CPU's* ceramic, gold cap, etc. but the state they were in was really *meeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:* dirty, scratched, scuffed, with bent pins, smelly, chipped, etc. etc.  you know the drill 

I searched through the pieces and I chosed the following, which to my eye, *had a better chance of survival:*

1. *Intel SX 80486 4x86 - SX679* - 25 MHz!!!  - officially the slowest CPU I own 
2. *Cyrix GXm-200GP* - GX Media Processor - MMX Enhanced - 200MHz bus 33MHz max. temp. 80C
3. *Cyrix MII-300GP* ~ 225MHz
4. AMD *K6-2/350AFR* - 350MHz
5. AMD *K6-2/400AFR* - 400MHz

*All in all not bad if I say so myself *

Until then I didnt have anything to do with bent pins but *there's a first time for everything.*

The state of the CPU's wasnt IDEAL and ranged from *THE WHAT WERE THEY THINKING! *to the *HELL YEAH!! It can still play CRYSIS! *

I browsed the internet for some pointers and in the end armed with common sense, some skill and an old chinese man patience *I took the matter by the horns*

First, all of the CPU's received *a good preliminary cleaning and a close damage assessment.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*4X86/80486/486 - Bent CPU pins repair Aplicable to any PGA socket 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 etc*

*Tools:*

1. *0.5 mm mechanical pen* - you can use a smaller mechanical pen than 0.5 mm, I used what I had.
2. a *plastic credit card* or other type of card
3. regular* scotch tape* or *electrical tape*
4. lots of *patience* and a *steady hand*

I didnt use a fine tipped pliers with a smooth interior of the jaws because there was no space available.It was too thick.

*STEP 1 - General straightening of the PINS*

The aim of this step is to *straighten all the pins* in a general way. You *dont aim for a final position* of the pins. This will come later.

*Note*. If one of the pins is very bent, dont hesitate to bend the surrounding pins to get a better access to it. Be carefull in this case.

a) when straightening a pin you MUST insert the PIN all the way into the tip of mechanical pen, otherwise you'll end up with a pin in the shape of the letter "S" 

b) after you insert the pin *all the way* into the tip of the mechanical pen, with a gentle motion you straighten the pin.

In my case I used a 0.5 mm mechanical pen which has a larger diameter tip than the pin I was straightening. I had to feel the moment when the pin made contact with the inside wall of the tip of the mechanical pen and then start applying force.

*OBS. In some cases you can use a medical needle with a larger diamenter which could fit snuggly on the pins.*



 



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1xec9e0w2/7cfe2530/

*STEP 2 -  The use of a template to straighten the PINS*

On the internet the general recomandation is to use a credit card or a metalic ruller to straighten the bent pins.

*BUT what do you do* when all the pins are bent and twisted? *Your eyes can do only so much.*

*EASY!* You dismantle a CPU socket from a donor motherboard *OF COURSE*

By luck I had a beaten up socket 3 motherboard which already had a broken sliding plastic socket cover and *I put it to good use.*

NOTE. After the general straightening of the pins in STEP 1, dont rush to press the CPU into the socket cover or into a good CPU socket. Use the mechanical pen to straighten the pins some more and starting from one side, try to GENTLY insert the CPU into all the holes. You may repeat several times the procedure of straightening the pins and trying to insert the CPU into the socket cover/ socket. BE GENTLE or you'll damage something.

*NOTE. If you have a good motherboard, be VERY carefull when you try to remove the plastic socket cover because the plastic is OLD and brittle. Common sense and the use of appropriate tools will guard you from problems  See the K6-2 bent PINS straightening guide below*



 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1nvsn4byw/0d41faec/

*STEP 3 - THE USE OF THE CREDIT CARD (or equivalents)*

In the case of the 4x86 socket 3 bent pins problems *I estimated by eye* that the width between the pins is *three times the width of a credit card. *

So *I cut* three pieces from the card and taped them together.

After the CPU was inserted into the plastic socket cover *I used this tool* to straighten the pins some more. I started slow with a gentle lateral movement and moved it into a rectangular pattern row by row, column by column.

*NOTE.Ideally the rounded edges of the card are the leading edge, as they will slide easily between pins.*

In the end I saw that this tool I used *was slightly wider* than the width of the pins, but because the pins are elastic it allowed me to *better bend them into shape.*



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1bin5jes8/48dfef07/

*STEP 4 - FINE TUNING*

*If you have followed the instructions* underlined into the steps above you'll see that *your CPU will fit* into a CPU socket *even if you'll have to use a little bit of force.*

*Start gently from one side *and try to fit the CPU into the socket. *Sometimes* it will drop in like a rock on the first try *but usually it wont*, so if you dont succede then it is *TIME FOR FINE TUNING. DONT USE FORCE!*

*FINE TUNING means using your eyes and the mechanical pen to align the pins really well.*

I recommend this step called *FINE TUNING* regardlessly because it will ensure you'll have a proper CPU ready to be inserted in any socket.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2q912eubm/8190e5e8/

*OBS:*

a) There *are diferences between socket 3 motherboards.* In some, your "repaired" CPU will fit and in other it wont. *DONT USE GORILLA POWER use FINE TUNING instead* and straighten the pins some more. *It will only hurt your eyes * Trust me...

b) Some old CPU's have a *collar like bump on some CPU pins*. Dont get alarmed that your CPU wont fit all the way into the socket. *It is NORMAL*. Please dont use a hammer 
    Some socket 3 motherboards have a number of bigger holes into the CPU socket that will allow the CPU to be inserted all the way in. Some dont have these bigger holes.

c) When *I compared* a CPU with pins straightened by me with one of my GOOD CPU's, I was amazed to see that my GOOD CPU was in much worse shape than the one I fine tuned 

d) *In the case* of the pins which are bent into the shape of the letter *"S"* try to straighten them as much as possible. In some circumstances you wont be able to make them very straight but if the CPU will fit into the socket, leave them be, or you might break them. In some cases I used a fine tipped pliers with smooth interior of the jaws to straighten this kind of bent pins but it was a little nerve-racking. Especially if the pins are finer.

e) *CPU sockets are pretty permisive* and will allow the insertion of CPU's which arent in an IDEAL condition

*The PINS proved pretty resistant and in the end I obtained the RESULT I was looking for *

*I managed with 168 pins, WILL I succede with 321?!??!!?*

*AMD K6-2 - Bent CPU pins repair*

In essence you have to apply the same steps like in the case of the 4x86 CPU but with some recommendations 

1. *The width of the credit card was enough* to straighten the pins once I put the CPU into the plastic socket cover.

2. *The socket 7 plastic cover is more flexible* that the socket 3 one, so the danger of breakage is greater.

3. *GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN* when removing the socket 7 CPU plastic cover. Use something narrow and strong like the blade in the picture.*BE CAREFULL NOT TO CUT THE PLASTIC!* After you have gently inserted the blade into one side of the plastic socket cover, apply a gentle force and once you see the cover moving away from the retaining hook *STOP and go to the next position.* When you finished one side, use a fine screwdriver and again *GENTLY* try to lift the cover. Now it will separate easily.

In my case I didnt have the luxury of a broken socket 7 motherboard and *I had to canibalize a GOOD one* My *LuckyStar 5V-1A VER. 2.0* was really LUCKY!  It received a good socket cleaning too 

4. *FINE TUNING FINE TUNING AND A LOT OF PATIENCE.*

5. *In the case of the socket 7 CPU's I could also straighten the pins without the help of the plastic CPU socket cover. *I used only the credit card. *The DOWNSIDE* is that the pins are more than the socket 3 ones and it's not soo easy to see the lines. This puts more stress on the eyes.

*In the end all the CPU's survived *





 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1ejkcr9nc/73f01eba/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2sozdad20/785c793d/



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1vqnya7eq/8b3bf0aa/





*Later I saved more CPU's: a couple K6-2 CPU's, a Cyrix and a Pentium 133 MHz  After this experience I never found older CPU's in the local flea market. So I'll catalogue this period into the section of SPECIAL ENCOUNTERS - Fallout style *

*Slowly but surely *we are nearing the end of my adventures. There is one episode left and maybe I'll put some pics with my current system which for sure will be a keeper and a *LANDMARK of the GOOD OLD DAYS!!!*

Enjoy! 

Because the last post was about* restoring* components to their former glory or at least to functioning order, when I found in my picture collection these images of the* Matrox MGA-Millenium II - 4MB * I wanted to upload them.

The first time I first saw the* Matrox MGA-Millenium II - 4MB *, which I bought during a bulk sale, I new* I liked it a lot*  It was complete with the add-on card and it looked pretty awesome for the year 1995 

I inspected the patient and it showed lots of rust on the video connectors but to *add assault to injury* I saw that the graphic chip had a few *twisted and bent PCB connectors.* Good thing I didn't test it this way.

First I used some 1000 grit sandpaper to remove much of the rust and in some areas I had to scrape it off with a fine screwdriver as it was real deep. In the end after a good bath with *isopropyl alcohol 99%* it came out gorgeous  *Later when I dealt with rust on other graphic cards I used an auto liquid rust remover with a small rag or I immersed in the solution the rusted metal parts.*

For the PCB connectors of the* graphic chip * I used a small needle and I managed to pull a little to the exterior two of the connectors and then straighten them as much as possible. Afterwards I spread the connectors until there was no contact between them. They were soft and the chances to damage them further was pretty high  so in the end I decided that I did as much as I could. They survived the ordeal 

When you buy older cards be very careful and look closely for missing components(capacitors, small PCB components, etc) or any other visual damage because the cards might have been stacked or tossed in a container by the previous owner/owners or were stored incorrectly. *Don't get fooled by the good looks of the card as they can be deceiving *

After I washed really well the card with isopropyl alcohol 99% even if it was spotless I wanted to make a test. I used a white rag with some isopropyl alcohol 99% and rubbed really well the PCI connector. To my surprise it was still dirty  *If you think your S**T is clean THINK AGAIN! *

I tested this card last year on the 5x86 build and it ran flawlessly 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/36vixmcd4/4f27df7c/


----------



## lagginswag (Dec 24, 2016)

Awesome. I have a pentium 3 550 (as well as think a 366) on a abit bx6 256mb ram, creative awe64 ISA soundcard, diamond stealth iii s540 as well as an old celeron 466mhz emachines etower, lol. Gave the geforce2 mx 400 to a friend that i used in both of these old systems. Still have mad love and respect for the classic 90s computers


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

*How I clean and store my stuff*

*Cleaning and caring* for my parts is* a very involved process*. The moment I aquire something and* IT'S MINE *I want it to bee in as good as possible shape. This means that if there are issues with the part these will most certainly be addressed before beeing placed in a clean container 

All parts will be cleaned *thoroughly*. Damaged pieces will be* rebuilt* or* replaced*. Missing components *will be found* and mounted.

1. Cleaning my parts.

*Until last year* when I didnt have such a big collection, cleaning my parts was *a very straight forward job.* I used a regular,SOFT, animal hairs,*painting brush* or *cotton earbuds* with a mild alcohol solution and I just cleaned as well as I could the surface dirt or dust. Mind though that these parts were not *the result of dumpster diving or buying from the internet.*

After my *first bulk buy* when I was confronted with at least 20+ pieces in various states of dirtiness  *I KNEW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING.*

I searched the internet and got a few pointers  To them *I added my personal touch* (as allways)... 

In general cleaning of the parts presented in the posts above went thorough these steps:

*a) full or partial disassembly
b) dry cleaning and/or using some kind of liquid
c) final assembly*

Sometimes each of these principal steps was comprised *from other smaller steps* depending of the situation. For example final assembly couldnt be completed before some of the cleaned parts werent rebuilt or restored to their original state.

*Dry cleaning my parts meant the use of the following tools:*

1. *Brushes* of varying sizes and composition - *regular painting brushes* made from animal hairs, used* toothbrushes* - I prefer the *Colgate SlimSoft toothbrush*. Sometimes I had to trim the brush at an angle to get better access. Sometimes I had to bend the head of a toothbrush for easier usage.
2. *Cotton *earbuds
3. If available, *a small air compressor* - luckily, my father bought years ago a 1.5HP air compressor, which I took out of storage and put it to good use 

*When I had to resort to deep cleaning  my components I used:*

*Isopropyl Alcohol 99% *- THE BEST THERE IS. The first time I used this alcohol I was put away by the strong smell. I had to use it in well ventilated areas  and after some time I really started to enjoy the smell    *NO I'm not addicted * it's just that I know that after this step my parts will be SPARKLING.

*In my point of view,* you simply should use isopropyl alcohol because its safer for your parts speaking in terms of home usage.

When I first started thinking about *washing *my components I even *EXPERIMENTED* with regular water and distiled water, together with some mild dishwasher detergent (Fairy) or strong detergent (Ariel). At first the results were promising BUT after drying you could see small traces of some kind or *mineral deposits *on the surface of the solder.  These mineral deposits could be removed with a cotton earbud. On the local forum where I posted my stuff one guy said that in some given circumstances these mineral deposits can lead to a short and* PUFF* bye bye sweet PC component. The problem is that these mineral traces can be formed under the surface mounted chips and they cannot be seen.

*I DO NOT RECOMEND USING WATER IN ANY FORM TO WASH YOUR ELECTRONIC PC COMPONENTS!* - this is a fair warning. You can find on youtube videos with people washing motherboards from old arcade machines and they still work, BUT I just wouldnt feel safe, *based on my personal experience*, to wash my parts using water, EVEN IF you leave them to dry a long time afterwards.

In two instances I used water with Ariel detergent to clean well some of the ceramic CPU I found at the local flea market. They were YUCKY and NASTY. The results were very good.

When I found that the heatspreader on the K6-2 CPU's was not glued on the entire circumference I knew that I should STOP using water. In the end the two AMD K6-2 CPU's I washed with water survived. As a precaution I used a syringe with isopropyl alcohol 99% to drip *a small amount* in the places I could see an opening when I put the CPU against a source of light. This way I could see the alcohol going though one side and coming through the other* LIVE AND LEARN!*

When I cleaned my cables I had one nasty 40 PIN cable which I wanted to dump. It even had a missing connector. I said to my self I have nothing to lose and left it over night in water with detergent. It came out sparkling 

I used water and detergent to wash the dirty and nasty heatsinks.

I even used medical alcohol but i didnt like the results. After drying there were many spots on the surfaces.



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*So we've established that you should use ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 99%(for better results). *

Steps after you have partially or totaly disassembled the parts you want to clean:

1. *Place your component at an angle* - sometimes you have to protect the part using a piece of cardboard or a piece of cloth to prevent scratches or other kind of damage. Sometimes I used a mosquito mesh.
2. *Spray the isopropyl alcohol* using a window washing liquid container or other similar tool. *The finer the mist the better.* Also this way you use less isopropyl alcohol. Before spraying the alcohol I experimented using a brush and a cup with isopropyl alcohol. This was a disaster because each time you dipped the brush in the cup you would contaminate the alcohol and in the end you would return the dirt back to its place. So SPRAY THE ALCOHOL.
3. After soaking the component and leave some of the isopropyl alcohol *drain* use a *brush* and *SOFLTY* clean the entire board. *BE GENTLE!*
4. Another* HEAVY SPRAY* of isopropyl alcohol with the part placed at an angle.
5. *Let it drain*. *To speed the process *first I used an *air compressor(be carefull with the distance from which you use it) *but *afterwards I SIMPLY took the component in my hand an shook it *against a wall until I didnt see any drops forming.* DONT HIT THE WALL *  (I NEVER hit a wall this way) BE CAREFULL!
6. Let it dry completely.

*OBS. * Sometimes you have to repeat more times the process of brushing and washing with isopropyl alcohol until you get the desired results 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2tg07ztvs/f9045df2/

SAFETY GEAR USED

When I first started cleaning my parts I was a little bit paranoid  and used safety glasses, gloves and a breathing mask.
Later, I only used gloves when I had to deal with a lot of isopropyl alcohol.
As I used less and less the air compressor there was no need for a breathing mask.
All the cleaning took part outside in spring or summer.

Now you have a very clean PC component.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/31zzqr4lu/732122f8/

If you really want to get even better results use a cotton earbud dipped in isopropyl alcohol and clean even better all the nook and crannies then wash again the part with a heavy spray of isopropyl alcohol.

Sometimes the component connector: ISA, PCI, AGP, etc must be thoroughly cleaned even after repeated washes with isopropyl alcohol. Use a soft pieces of cotton cloth.

*Warning!*

*Labels based on paper* will be damaged by isopropyl alcohol.



Sometimes *ink* stamped marking will be removed.
Writing on the labels of some RAM sticks was removed.
*NOTE.* Labels on newer components werent affected.

*OBS.*
In some instances I used *vinegar 9% *alcohol made from grapes, to clean some heatsinks and plastic PC case componets. In some instances I immersed the parts in water with a part of vinegar.
I used *CIF* cream to clean the surface of some dirty PC cases. *BE CAREFULL as the plastic particles CAN remove decals or screenprinted logos!
REMOVING RUST:* I used fine sandpaper for heavy corrosion or auto rust remover.



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1fyo4z9ci/0416e548/

*All in all I used under 5L of isopropyl alcohol* to wash my parts. Motherboards took greater quantities. After I resorted to the sparying of isopropyl alcohol the consumption went down. I didnt keep track of how many liters I bought but under 5L for sure. *Anyway I wasnt beening stingy with the stuff* 

2. Storing my stuff 

When I saw that my collection is getting bigger *I new I had to do something* regarding storage.

*I wanted to keep the footprint as small as possible.*

For the storage of PC components I resorted to:

1. Retail boxes - IF AVAILABLE
2. Antistatic bags
3. Cardboard boxes

*Given the fact that much part* of my collection is comprised from *graphic adapters* and because *I didnt have* so many antistatic bags I resorted to storage in cardboard *boxes*, but with a twist. I used a *thick cardboard sheet* to stack the parts on top of each other while at the same time I wanted to keep them *as level as possible.* Due to their age some older parts were already warped but with patience I managed to stack them nicely.

*HDD's* are kept only in plastic containers or antistatic bags.

*RAM* stick are sorted in antistatic bags.

All *cables* are catalogued and kept in ONE big BOX.

*CPU's* are kept in a small box carefully stacked - pins between pins or in plastic containers.

The *soundcards* are few and I keep them in a box with a sheet of A4 paper between them.

*Misc *stuff is stored in boxes too. Mice, floppy disks, USB FDD's, ODD, HDD PCB's,  etc.

All the parts are in the boxes you see in the pictures and they occupy a small area which is covered by a piece of cloth. Rougly 1m/0.6m.

*Completed builds* are kept in plastic bags with small holes made underneath for ventilation, and are covered by a piece of cloth.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1twbtl1xu/c30fb0cc/

*This way the parts are destined for LONG TERM STORAGE or as they say kept in SUSPENDED ANIMATION  *

This was a *HELL OF A RIDE* and I hope you enjoyed these stories.

I still have *some stuff to post,* my current PC, built in 2011 , a troublesome Enermax PSU, etc......but that's* later.*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

After all the *builds and cleanup* of various components I remained without *something to do*. Soooooo today I went to the local *flea market*. This was one of the* few visits* made this year. Something was pulling me out of the house. *Follow *me said a wisper to my brain. *Join* ussssssssssssss............... 

Before leaving the house I set my mind to *FIND A RIVA 128ZX and a TNT2.*

I spent about one hour there and I found something nice - each piece was about 1.2 EUR -* MEGA CHEAP!*

1. *Elsa Victory ERAZOR/LT 8SD *- AGP nVidia RIVA 128ZX 8MB 
2. *Elsa ERAZOR II-A16* - AGP nVidia TNT 16 MB  some ceramic capacitors missing but* nothing that I CAN'T FIX*
3. *Matrox G4+M4A16DG* - AGP Matrox G400 16MB 

Next week full disassembly, cleanup and other misc stuff  I'm still debating if I will remove the glued heatsinks. We'll see....

So in the end I found a *RIVA 128ZX* and a *TNT* - not bad at all  The G400 was bought because of the Matrox name 

Next on my list are a proper TNT2 and a V1.

More later.



 

 

 

 

 



gallery : https://postimg.cc/gallery/2mduz39z8/

I made one attempt to unglue the heatsinks using the freezer method followed by a good dose of isopropyl alcohol but *NO DICE!* There was *a ton of thermal glue *used so for the time beeing they will stay in place. I'll try other method at a later date.Maybe the canned spray method suggested by the *Jade Falcon*.





All in all it was *smooth sailing*. The *only problem* was the *Elsa ERAZOR II-A16 *- AGP nVidia TNT 16 MB. Upon close inspection, I saw that there were four missing ceramic capacitors and one memory chip was damaged. The SMD took a *masive hit* with something sharp. Probably beeing tossed around with other of her sisters. The hit *took out* a neighbouring ceramic capacitor too. While soldering new ceramic capacitors isnt a big deal I also found that the solder pads on the PCB were broken and the pins cannot be straightened without desoldering the memory chip. At the moment I dont have *a hot air SMD rework station* and I put the card into my spare parts box. The good news is that half of the solder pad on the pcb isnt detached and I might revive the card at a later date. The bracket was put to good use and completed the *Elsa Victory ERAZOR/LT 8SD* - AGP nVidia RIVA 128ZX 8MB. In the last picture there are the two pads that broke off.



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/dqnc5rba/788d2b6f/

When i bought the card *I didnt see *the damaged memory chip, only the missing ceramic capacitors.....let's move along.

Next on my list was a *deep cleaning with 99% isopropyl alcohol.*



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1bjxtqt04/39433d50/

The ELSA bracket was *rusty *and the Matrox one was *dull and lost its shine*. In the past I used to remove rust by sanding with fine grit sandpaper and a liquid auto rust remover. This time I wanted to try something new and *buffed* the brackets using a felt wheel and a fine buffing compound. They came out *SHINY LIKE NEW! *



 

 

 






gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/nbb4rqci/bcc10711/

*All squaky clean ready to be added into my collection *

1. *Elsa Victory ERAZOR/LT 8SD* - AGP nVidia RIVA 128ZX 8MB 



 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2ix2ku7ri/39cdea76/

2. *Matrox G4+M4A16DG* - AGP Matrox G400 16MB 



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/u9r8bey4/19edea20/

Shining...



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/12q5gfu8e/fdb61e91/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

I didnt buy something *hardware related* for some time and *I didnt feel the "urge"* to go so often to the flea market as I used to, either.

The *few visits* to the flea market were disappointing and they only *strengthened my resolve *to not buy parts that were tossed in *non descript boxes* together with God knows what, *including the kitchen sink! *. The effort needed to *restore* them to their initial glory would be too great and besides, my stash has plenty of pieces that can take me on a trip down on memory lane....

Last sunday though, I felt the bug bitting my "computer geek" (or spider) senses .

Early in the morning I went to buy *some bread and some beer* and I was planning to go afterwards to the flea market. So first  I went shopping  On the return trip home I slipped on the ice and for the first time in years and years I was lying on the sidewalk on my back with all my 1.83 m height  spreaded nicely  The fall wasnt hard because I felt I was falling and left myself fall. The shopping bag though had taken a hit and I registered a casualty of two combatants  aka rwo beers plus a fresh bread!

I heard some *passer-by* saying: look the beer bottles have broken, like that was more important than my well beeing ...

*I "collected" *myself from the ground and went home with* MINUS *two beers and a bread the I gave away to some gypsies.

After a second trip to buy* more beer *and another *bread *, I took the car and went to the flea market. *It was almost closing time.*

I payed the entrance fee that goes to charity about 0.25 EUR and started browsing the merchandise 

First I found an *Asus K8N* socket 754 nforce 3 250 motherboard with a Sempron 64 CPU which I didnt buy because it was tossed in a crate with other stuff and I really didnt want to inspect all that PCB only to find out that it misses some components. Besided I dont buy newer parts unless I know they are working. Newer parts are always more sensible than pre 2000 stuff.

*I was ready to leave the flea market *but I saw a good looking motherboard on a piece o cloth. The first thing that attracted me was the *shinning gold heatsink* complete with the retaining clips. For me it was obvious that the heatsink was destined for a regular ceramic type CPU and it was the reason that I wanted to buy the motherboard. Such clips are hard to find.

Upon closer inspection I was surprised to see that laying on the ground was an* almost complete socket 7 PC*!

Hmmmm....good stuff, *good stuff* indeed!

So with the astronomical sum of around 7 EUR I bought these goddies:

1.* Acorp 5VX32* Rev 1.1 Motherboard
2. *Intel* Pentium MMX 200MHz SL26J CPU
3. Some *SDRAM *
4. IDE Cable, 5.25,3.5 Floppy cable, paralel and *PS/2 cable*, Serial cables
5. *CPU heatsink*
6. *Goldstar* CRD-8240B (CP1) - CDROM
7. *Sony *MP-F17W-59D - FDD
8. S3 Virge PCI - VGA - Sparkle SP-325A Rev. A
9. *Acorp-970* PCI LAN card

The seller even wanted to give me free of charge a Samsung IDE DVD writer and three mice, but I said no because the DVD unit was rusty and the mice needed to much work to restore.

The parts seem to have come from a '97-ish *Compaq* system.





Next on my list was detailed cleaning. I presented above how I clean my stuff so no mysteries here 

I *took apart all the component*s and washed them with *99% isopropyl alcohol.* GOOD STUFF!

Its winter where I live so the washing outside was more challenging. Also I was blessed with a little sun so my pictures came out nice.

The *motherboard* came out GREEN like in EVERGREEN  or ENVY GREEN 












































*gallery: * https://postimg.cc/gallery/2tnpdkv36/

The *CD-ROM* unit was dirty and I washed all the metal and plastic parts with water an detergent. The PCB was washed with isopropyl alcohol and the inside mecanism was cleaned with a brush. Surprisingly it wasnt so dirty like the outside.

*NOTE* the loose ball bearing centering mechanism. I didnt see something like this until now 






















*gallery*: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1t5so41ku/

The *FDD* wasnt so dirty on the outside. The inside was another story. I tried to take it all apart but I gave up and just stripped some parts and washed the entire thing with isopropyl alcohol. Next came some fine cleaning with a brush and cotton sticks. In the end it came out pretty well.

















*gallery: * https://postimg.cc/gallery/1p4ix3p6c/

*All the moving parts* from the CD-ROM unit and FDD drive that were washed will be lubed with *Liquy Molly silicone grease *. Especially the CD-ROM tray, gears and moving parts of the FDD. I will use a small quantity of grease.







The cables were also dirty and after a test I made last year with a IDE cable that washed in hot water with detergent came out sparkling, I decided to wash them also. Only the PS/2 connector-cable was removed and all other cables were washed with hot water and detergent. *Some rinsing required* They came out like new! The connectors will also be washed with isopropyl alcohol.










*gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/2eo0qc9b4/

The PS/2 connector-cable was washed with isopropyl alcohol.

A few weeks ago I stumbled on a Geforce 4 4200 Ti - *Leadtek Winfast A250 64MB LE* Its state is unknown. I changed four capacitors and a Conexant component was damaged so I removed it. I'll test this puppy later but my gut feeling says its just decoration. Anyway I dig the heatsink 



















*gallery: * https://postimg.cc/gallery/3ai3rhxlu/

*Next episode* will be with pictures of all the pieces plus a test of the CD ROM unit and FDD.

More later...BEER ASSISTANT!!!!! time for a refreshing cold one!

*Highlits*: Steaming hot and ripple in the izopropil alcohol lake 











gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2142pnk50/

*Wicked track:*

*







*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2016)

This post is not about *a very old *PC component or peripheral but we're getting there 

My trusty* Logitech MX518 *mouse was suffering from the *peeling* of the rubberized lateral surfaces and the *wear* of the top cover.

Because *it's still going strong* even if it was purchased in 2008 or 2009 I wanted to prolong his life/agony 

This post is not about *a very old *PC component or peripheral but we're getting there 

My trusty* Logitech MX518 *mouse was suffering from the *peeling* of the rubberized lateral surfaces and the *wear* of the top cover.

Because *it's still going strong* even if it was purchased in 2008 or 2009 I wanted to prolong his life/agony 

*Full disassmebly.*

*Dry and wet sanding* with 400 and 1000 grit paper.

The *removal of the rubberized surface* took a lot of elbow grease. *The top coat* gave up easily but *the undercoat* took sanding, hot water, isopropyl alcohol and a small dose of paint stripper to remove (dont use much a it can damage the plastic). It was a PITA 

*Three layers *of auto silver flake paint SINTO brand.

*Three layers* of clear coat KOBER brand.

 I didnt use *primer* even if I had it, for fear that the primer+paint+clear coat would make the parts too thick to put back together.

*Buffing* of the aluminium Logitech Logo until it was like glass  Originally it was held by a thin double sided tape but I didnt have the correct thickness in stock so I used a two parts transparent glue from BISON.

*It came out pretty well for my first try 
*
One of the most *tedious* jobs was to remove the skates. I managed to damage one but I glued back the adhesive part with the teflon part 

Home I use a *Logitech G400* and at work I use the *MX518*  I LOVE THE SHAPE. Too bad I cant find it in stock now...

No I'm not gaming at work, at least not usually 

Today I took some pictures for the last episode: *How I clean and store my stuff. *As soon as I can I'll post the story 

I searched through my picture collection and I'll post some stuff after the last episode.

More later.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1tpzogwle/84a35ebc/

So this about covers it  - the thread will be updated when I find/restore/buy more stuff


----------



## Robert B (Jan 4, 2017)

*Ladieeeessssss and geneeeeeeeeeeetlemen (announcer type shout),*

I present to you the* finished results* 

*1. The complete socket 7 cooler*

When I was at the flea market, this puppy was the *main reason* that made me to take a look at the motherboard and the other pieces of hardware. It was* shining like a diamond in the goats ass* .

The first thing I did after I bought the heatsink and fan combo was to test it. I *didnt like* the sound of the fan because it was making *a little noise,* so with herculean power I *ripped* the wires off and dumped the *smelly rotten fan* into the trash bin. *BIG MISTAKE!!!!* A few days later I started to clean the parts thoroughly and I took a fresh 50 mm fan from my stash and tried to assemble the now clean gold heatsink. ?!?!?!??!?^#*^!^#*!^ *the damn thing wouldnt FIT!!!*

What could be wrong??? I tried to *enlarge the holes* of the 50 mm fan but *NO DICE!!!*

Without the fan, the* four retaining clips simply fell off.*

*It became obvious that the fan was an odd size.*

Hastily I calculated what day it was because on Thursadys the garbage truck comes and takes out the trash and THANK GOD it wasnt a trash day (literaly).

So with a pair of long gloves a big piece of cardboard here I was *sifting the trash.* There were three possible bins....

Luck was with me and in a matter of minutes I was rewared with the smelly rotten fan that I dumped a few days earlier  *YAY!!!!*

I *cleaned* the fan really well and *soldered* the wires back. I made a concotion of a very small bead of silicone grease and thin oil and I greased the fan.

*I tested again the fan and it was silent.* Why did I dumped it in the first place? Hmmmm I have no explanation 

*This heatsink* was used on the *black plastic* Intel Pentium MMX 200MHz SL26J CPU from the pictures bellow but *I think it was destined for flat ceramic CPU and not for plastic ones. * I tested it with a ceramic Intel Pentium CPU and it fit *like a glove.*

I also measured the fan and it was *45 mm x 45 mm*. So not a common size fan. *The quirks of ancient electronics *





























gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1l2uqbxnu/

*2.  Acorp 5VX32 Rev 1.1 Motherboard*

The motherboard was in *great shape*. I simply did *my magic* and I was rewarded with something *bling bling* I'm such an offensive thing  You MUST see me!

I really like the *green colour.*

After I cleaned it, I saw that at some point it was repaired and a* FET transistor* was replaced. The repair was pretty well done. Some marks remained on the PCB but the sodler job was pretty professional.

*The motherboard was without jumpers.* Why do people take away these jumpers I really dont know. You cannot use them for something else ... the mysteries of the human mind  Maybe *the one *that took them was jumper starved and he really *needed some iron and some plastic* to supplement his diet.... 

I didnt find a *manual* for this motherboard. The one that can be found online it *is for another model or revision*. On *ebay* I found another ACorp 5VX32 motherboard with an Intel 166 MMX CPU and from the pictures I determined the jumper locations/settings.



















































gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2hsx02xaw/

*3. Intel Pentium MMX 200MHz SL26J CPU*

It reminds me of my Celeron 366A black plastic  my first Intel CPU.















gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3ehf5wkym/

*4. S3 Virge PCI - VGA - Sparkle SP-325A Rev. A*

*In great shape.*

It begs for a VooDoo setup 

















gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/wekb0kyg/

*5. Acorp-970 PCI LAN card*

Nothing fancy but it's nice it has the same name as the motherboard.











gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/cy9ukycg/

*6. Goldstar CRD-8240B (CP1) - CD-ROM*

The unit had a few plastic pieces broken and I *took my time and glued* them back together.

This CD-ROM completed the *5x86 build *, the one that started all this madness . Back in 1998 two years after I received the 5x86, I bought an LG/Goldstar CRD-8160B CD-ROM, so this Goldstar CRD-8240B is as close as it gets, for the recreation of my first PC. The Sony 52x was kind of new from the other components.

I still *havent fully tested the unit*, but the led lights up and the tray opens and closes nicely.

I had to replace the rubber belt with another that I had in my box of spare parts. I also cleaned the belt well to prevent slipping. With the original belt sometimes the door didnt open.

I have to buy fresh rubber belts just in case 














gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mzzczq5w/

*7. Sony MP-F17W-59D - FDD*

Super clean but untested. I'm sure that it will work.

**** X-RAY PICTURES ***** for your viewing pleasure























gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/xy72tuzc/

*MORE LATER*....


----------



## Robert B (Jan 4, 2017)

L.E. - even if in my posts,  some pictures appear with a *RED X or just IMG*, they are still clickable and available.

Enjoy.


----------



## phanbuey (Jan 4, 2017)

this is awesome....


----------



## Steevo (Jan 4, 2017)

That Acorp-970 also has twinax, and all of this is freaking awesome!!!!

http://www.dansdata.com/thunderbird.htm

Also, any plans to overclock?


----------



## Robert B (Jan 4, 2017)

I also like the Acorp-970. The only one I have in my stash.

I've seen the dansdata site. Pretty awesome stuff back in the day 

I had thought of OC'ing the K7's but I dont have Goldfinger device and a suitable motherboard. The motherboard I have is bare bones literally  No OC featurea at all.

The CPU-s are ready for OC'ing I made sure of that


----------



## t_ski (Jan 5, 2017)

No VESA Local Bus video cards? 

I had a ISA video card back in the day that had socketed ram chips on it.  Every now and then I would turn on the PC, only to get the "bad video ram" beeps (IIRC, one long, eight short).  I would cuss, shut off the PC, pull out the video card and squeeze all the ram chips back into the sockets, then pop it back in the rig and try again.  Eventually I think I started giving them a squeeze whenever I was in the PC for any kind of maintenance.  Good times...


----------



## Robert B (Jan 6, 2017)

No VESA Local Bus cards at all. But who knows maybe that will change in the future  My first contact with anything PC related was with a 4x86 DX2 66MHz playinf DOOM at a friends house, so normally older stuff is just a curiosity for me.

The only motherboard with VESA slots I have it's unfortunately damaged and incomplete. The seller who gave it to me as a bonus said he had 40 KG+ of motherboards that he took to the recycling center for gold recovery........that made me quite angry.....

I've only seen one VESA graphic card on the local OLX site and it was in rough shape. Just a long, crusty, banged up, paper weight 

Old computing = Fun times indeed  all the possible quirks and problems. Anyway back then it was as good as it gets  we didnt know anything better. Looking back today I think we were in the middle ages of computing. In high school we saw tape drives and perforated cards, ancient times indeed.....

I still rember the FUN I had when I took a game on 12 floppies only to find one bad, or I received a good ol' CRC error $&!#&!&~!!!!!! damn


----------



## AhokZYashA (Jan 6, 2017)

amazing


----------



## Robert B (Jan 6, 2017)

Glad you like it! 

More will be available as I get more stuff. I really am trying not to save every piece I find. You really *cant save them all...*


----------



## eidairaman1 (Jan 6, 2017)

Havent Seen AT in a long time since Slot 1 Celerons.

I think 2 Threads might of been ok if Permission was given by mods, just way too many rigs to look through in 1 thread.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 6, 2017)

First I posted my stuff on TPU Nostalgic hardware thread and that got me a lot of flak  - It was suggested by a moderator that I move here  quality of presentation was way too much for that thread, too many files, too many posts 

Anyway it was a good suggestion, I couldnt argue with that  so no problems whatsoever.

TL;DR it seems it is my middle name  - can't change that...

try the VOGONS site for a better experience  - it's a little better on the eye 

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=48835


----------



## Sasqui (Jan 6, 2017)

eidairaman1 said:


> just way too many rigs to look through in 1 thread.



A shit ton of work compiling those logs for sure.  Looking at a lot of that has me all nostalgic and shit.  Particularly seeing a screenshot of Descent, so much work time used up playing amongst co-workers back in the mid 1990's


----------



## P4-630 (Jan 6, 2017)

Why another nostalgic hardware thread, you can post it all here instead:
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/tpus-nostalgic-hardware-club.108251/page-210


----------



## Robert B (Jan 6, 2017)

@Sasqui - it required some work, but for me it comes naturaly so I reached a point where I can cleanup, test, put together any old piece o f hardware very fast. I'm not trying to boast here. Usually I take more time for fine details that maybe only I see. All my logs are written in two languges my native one and in english. I write them right after I finish something so that the information is fresh. I dont write something in advance and then add stuff. Each piece of information is as it happened. For a log it takes me anywhere between 2 hours up until 5. I write in one go with no stops. More time is taken by pictures. I only make them in natural light with a Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 - nothing fancy. If my eye likes what I capture then it is good to go! 

@P4-630 - some of my work might get lost in that thread, a moderator said that I should start a thread here for better visibility. I posted there the first part of this thread then I moved to vogons and then months later I decided to add the rest of my stuff here too. Few people there take their time to really clean and restore their pieces. (this is just a remark I dont try to be rude - each to his own ways  )

Anyway I dont make this only for me (even if for me it is a need like breathing air), I do it for other people to enjoy too. Somebody might find this information useful. I still enjoy some sites from the nineties or the early 2000 with older stuff just to keep the memory going. Stuff that I didnt read back then.

As I said earlier in some of my post these pieces  were collected starting 2015 after many years in which I just planned this stuff in my head. Some was bought from other people some found at the local flea market, some was received as a gift. I really try not to hoard stuff, it is bad for health and wallet.

I might put some systems in a contemporary case and mod it for this, but for now it's just a plan.

I'll have to test some of the systems to get a glimpse of their evolution over time. This is another project that I'm starting to draw.

If TPU will be alive I'll update this thread even it will be 10 years later.

I'm a very organized guy and I keep track of what I do


----------



## Robert B (Jan 19, 2017)

*The three completed builds*(look at the first two pages) have* received much needed attention*. All of them were working nicely but werent really free of some quirks.

*1. The 5x86 build*

This build was suffering from a weird *resources conflict *regarding the *sound card ESS 1868F ISA. I tried* numerous settings in BIOS and Windows but to no avail. In the end the solution was to install *Windows 95 OSR2* and after I installed all the drivers and I received the conflict exclamation mark in Device Manager* I just reinstalled Windows 95 OSR2* on top of the original installation and *this worked nicely. No more conflicts.* Each *fresh clean install* would otherwise end up with a resource conflict notification and the sound card wouldnt work.

The *FDD* was reading some disks and some would made me receive the "disk is not formatted" message. In the end the FDD was just past its best. After I *changed the FDD* with another unit, the same unreadable disks were in perfect condition.

*2.The PIII build*

I installed *Windows 98 SE* and my gut feeling was right. The *GF 2 Ti* and the* Diamond Aureal Vortex 2 Monster Sound MX300 - PCI* were working flawlessly. Even if the soundcard was looking beat up and some connectors were cracked, and some solid capacitor were scratched, it is working like the day it rolled of the assembly line.

*1600x1200 on the HP LP 2065* is looking crispy on the GF2 card.

*Partition Magic 8.0* still works nicely 

*3.The K6-2 build*

This build suffered from some *weird lockups* from time to time. The *memory test* were passed flawlessly. The system would run games but it would sometime *just freeze*. The problem was traced down to *a bent pin at the HDD connecto*r and *at least one bulging capacitor.* I guess the  *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D* it's past its prime and is in need of *a recap.* One capacitor just bulged a little after beeing used for around *8-10 hours. If I would've seen this I wouldnt use it for a build.*

So the *ACorp 5ALi61 REV. D* went out and I tested for the first time the *Epox EP58 MVP3C-M 100MHz Rev. 0.8* motherboard fully loaded. *It worked flawlessly.* It even had recognized *512 MB SDRAM* when the Acorp would struggle with 256 MB.512MB=1x128 DS+1x128 DS+1x256 DS. *I will have to play with it more to see if it can use all the 512 MB. On startup it says 128 MB cacheable....I'll update this later.*

I tried the *400MHz K6-2 CPU* that had a ton a bent pins and this puppy worked flawlessly. I "repaired" this CPU and it was presented in the "little bent pin" guide.

I also tried a *K6-2 450 MHz CPU* but the revision 0.8 of the Epox motherboard *would just take a maximum 400MHz CPU* even if it has jumpers/settings for up to a 500 MHz CPU.So the 450 was detected as a 400 regardless of ratio settings. Later revisions can run more powerfull K6-2 CPU's. First I just installed a CPU and used a Socket 462 Titan CU5TB cooler unclamped just resting on the CPU with some thermal paste. The final setup received a socket 7 cooler with a Scythe fan.

*I had to shave the retaining metal clamp of the heatsink because it would damage the transistor I changed (see the pages before)*. I guess the last owner was careless and ripped off the original transistor.

*WEIRD DESIGN CHOICES EPOX!!!* RIP

This *early revision* of the Epox MVP3 mother board suffers from other *quirks too.* Installing some expansion cards in the last two PCI slots makes the cards unable to seat fully in the slots because in one they rest onto a socketed component and in another they cover the USB motherboard connector.

*The mouse would not work at all *on the Epox motherboard. I tried the PS/2 connector and the serial connectors. Later the problem was traced to damaged serial cables. *Now the mouse works brilliant. *

I installed *Win Me* on the K6-2 machine. I kept the *V3 3000* card but changed the sound card from the *Creative AWE 64 Gold ISA* to a more appropriate *Yamaha YMF-724 PCI*. *I keep the AWE 64 in reserve for another build.*

The *EPOX motherboard* is more suited for K6-2 CPUs because in my opinion the true K6-2 SS7 setup should have a* MVP3 *motherboard. Its just the way I remember them 
*
This is it for now.*

More later.

P.S. Taking pictures indoors in the winter time isnt so great as taking them outside in  natural light.


----------



## natr0n (Jan 19, 2017)

Awesome thread. That noctua fan on the old board made me smile.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 19, 2017)

*Glad you like it*. This is the reason I post this stuff here. No to mention my* GREAT PERSONAL SATISFACTION*  when I can see, feel and use these dinosaurs 

That Noctua FAN costed as much as the whole system if I could find a working 5x86 PC at the flea market (this isnt happening now, they are pretty scarce). When bought in pieces these old PC's require a larger amount of money, but nothing too scary  I guess in some years they will dry up.

That 5x86 recreation of my first PC is my pride and joy. Noctua was used as *a revenge *against the original crappy fan my PC had.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 27, 2017)

The testing of the* Acorp 5VX32 Rev. 1.1* motherboard was a *complete success*  The *S3 Virge* is in *great condition* too.

As expected the CMOS Odin Battery went *the way of the DODO bird.*

For this *"problem"* I have three potential sollutions:

a) Tear the case of the Odin CMOS battery and attach a regular button cell socket
b) Solder a socket for a regular button cell battery, because there is a place already on the motherboard
c) Find a new Odin Cmos battery.

*I prefer the b) variant for commodity. *

Because I had a *PC Speaker* shortage I bought four little speakers plus a BIG one and I made my won. I also bought three from a local computer repair shop.

I needed them to see if the Acorp 5VX32 did all the right noises * beep beep* . Even with a PC Speaker the Acorp wouldnt make any noise or boot. The problem was traced to a couple of jumpers which needed to be set correctly. I dont have a manual for this motherboard.














*gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/12bmckye6/*


----------



## Robert B (Feb 13, 2017)

*THE OPTICAL / MAGNETIC CHALLENGE
*
This endeavour has span across nine days, of which few time was spent on work done to restore these pieces. All in all it took me around 24 hours put together. More time was spent waiting for painted pieces to dry.

*ENJOY!*
*
***** STAGE 1 ******

Around nine days ago my gut feeling was saying  *GO TO THE FLEA MARKET.* The weather is sunny!

I wanted to find a *Creative CD-ROM* unit for some time but I had no luck, until now 

As my CD-ROM units were getting scarce I wanted to try and see if I can rescue some from the dumpster.

The *Goldstar CRD-8240B (CP1) - CD-ROM *from the posts above is not working properly - the door opens, the unit is detected by the PC, the led lights up on power up but the unit is not reading CD-ROMS. You load a CD, the leds lights up and then nothing happens. You can hear the motor working.

I also bought a Seagate HDD - 40GB which has a protective rubber sleeve. The chances are that it is ok.

*FDD -* Panasonic JU-256A428PC
*FDD -* Samsung SFD-321B
*CD-ROM -* LG CRD-8240B
*CD-ROM - * GOLDSTAR CRD-8160B - *THE EXACT MODEL I HAD with my first PC - The door looks different but the model is the same 
CD-ROM -* CREATIVE CD4834E
*CD-RW - *CREATIVE RW8435E
*DVD-ROM - *Pioneer DVD-120S - I bought this unit because it has a slot loader mechanism
*HDD -* Seagate ST340810A - 40GB - Certified Repaired HDD

I bought some surgeons gloves because these pieces look rather nasty. Especially the Creative 48X which is also rusty. If it didnt have the Creative name I wouldnt've even bothered...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/juqsak2c/

****** STAGE 2 ******

*Against my better judgment* I decided to first clean the optical units and then test them  *I know I know* it's not good I did this, but man *they were nasty as hell* and I just couldn't connect them to a nice clean working PC 

Deep down inside I hope that al the units will work.....

Most important, is that I do the cleaning in *a storage space at my workplace, *otherwise at home it would be a nightmare 

First I *dismatled all the pieces* and washed all the metal and plastic parts with hot water and detergent. I also used surgeon gloves for protection  Better safe than sorry!

Next will be some *CIF cream scrub *of the plastics.* I wont use this abrasive paste on screen printing as it will take it of!*

The worst unit was the *CREATIVE CD4834E - 48x* it was rusty and crusty. So first I* buffed* the metal casing. Then I *wet sanded with fine grit sandpaper* the metal surface. Then I used an *auto rust remover which also stripped the paint*  YAY!!!

Then two coats of* PRIMER.*

Next I'll put two coats of *gray paint* that its used for painting car exhausts (it can sustain up to 800 degrees C )  so that I wont need clear coat for the paint. I'm still not sure if I will use clear coat as the unit will inevitably be scratched when I'll put it into a case.

The* CREATIVE units* have a nice mechanism and the door opened so smoothly it was unbelievable. I just used a long needle and they opened on the first try. Some goriila tried to open the door with a screwdriver and scratched the door of the Creative CD-RW.

The Goldstar and LG units are kind of generic.

The Pioneer DVD-ROM has an awesome mechanism.

*I will have to wash the motherboards and clean the mechanisms with fine brushes and with great attention as I dont want problems  I wont be able to make them mint but I'll be close to that *

Observe the huge metal CD retention / centering plate on the Creative units. One of them has two plastic prongs broken I'll have to improvise a retention hook for one part.

This will be time consuming but I LIKE IT!!!

*I still dont know which works  and to be honest I dont care right now 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/kmpetbhe/*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



****** STAGE 3 *****
*
*CREATIVE CD4834E*

This unit *received a lot of work* to give it its former glory. After coats of primer, paint and clear coat it looks pretty well despite its age. I still have to give it one more coat of clear coat and then it will have to dry a few days.

*I didnt want* to use clear coat but it is essential for the durability of the paint. I really didnt want to see it peel off.

*By mistake* I didnt repair some bumps in the metal casing but it's no biggie I like it even more with its face *full of battle scars and all...*

*The internal mechanism is something else.* I like it a lot. It is different than what I have seen until now. One *BIG PLUS* is the *absence of the rubber belt *for the closing / opening of the tray. Everything is on *SPROCKETS *(no, this is not a Jetsons show ) *NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL ENGINEERING!!!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/oito859a/



 

 

 

 

 



*CREATIVE RW8435E* resembles the Creative unit from above but in this instance we are doing with a *CD-RW unit.*

*gallery:*https://postimg.org/gallery/1vmubvd4o/



 

 



*The CREATIVE units will not be dismantled to nuts and bolts. For me it's childs play disassmeble them for better cleaning but their construction is a little more complicated and I'm worried about the ribbon cables which may be brittle after all these years.*

*GOLDSTAR CRD-8160B*- nothing spectacular, ancient rubber belt technology. MY FIRST CD-ROM model....WOW 19 years have passed....damn....

*The PCB-ul* needed washing with 99% izopropyl alcohol.

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/q83neh5g/



 

 

 

 



*LG CRD-8240B*

Standard optical drive...again nothing spectacular.

*The PCB-ul* also needed cleaning...

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1vcoiukpg/



 

 

 

 

 



*Pioneer DVD-120S*

I played a little with the loading mechanism. *Pretty CLEVER STUFF!!!  *

When I moved by hand the ejecting mechanism the CD was sent out without problems. When I'll make a live test, I hope I wont see a CD flying out from this unit cutting all the hanged meat in the slaughter house, like in the PREDATOR 2 movie scene .

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2sadjlydw/



 

 

 

 

 

 



*FDD - Panasonic JU-256A428PC & FDD - Samsung SFD-321B* - nothing fancy. OLD and floppy  i hope they work

The door of the *PANASONIC* unit had a torn plastic bit. I quickly improvised a solution with a needle, a lighter and some patience 

*gallery:*https://postimg.org/gallery/2ncn8lb20/



 

 

 

 



*Seagate ST340810A HDD*

This HDD received a good cleaning. The rubber sleeve saved it from destruction. The IDE socket received some damage and some pins were bent. I straightened them up quickly with a fine pliers.

I washed the PCB with 99% izopropyl alcohol.

I really like the mirror finish of the HDD top cover. *IT IS AWESOME!!!*

When I move the HDD gently by hand,  I can hear the sound of the motor. It sounds healthy 

*gallery:*https://postimg.org/gallery/1kz28rna6/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*More to come:* cleaning of the internal components of the optical drives and FDDs.

****** STAGE 4 ******

*Scratch scratch scratch* 

Because the sticker was old and damaged I had to clean it as good as I could. I used cotton swabs and some 99% isopropyl alcohol.

I also encountered some overspray which needed cleaning. Because the adhesive on the corners was weak I also encountered some underspray. But nothing too excessive.

The use of surgeon gloves ensured a smooth glide over the painted surface and I also didnt contaminate the surface.

After this, I put a last layer of clear coat which sealed the edges of the sticker. I didnt want to clear coat the entire sticker for fear that it will wrinkle. But I think it would've worked. Maybe next time.

*All in all it came out pretty decent * 

I wanted to test at least this unit but it still requires some work  If 2 units out of 5 will work it will be ok.

 I briefly tested the HDD and the results are kind of meh.....it works but....more later 





****** STAGE 5 ******

Last saturday I had *5 hours* of free time and I put them to good use  :

1. I cleaned with *CIF cream* all the plastic bits of the ODD's and FDD's
2. *I assembled* and tested the following units:

*CD-ROM* - LG CRD-8160B
*CD-ROM* - LG CRD-8240B
*DVD-ROM* - Pioneer DVD-120S

I had to use *silicone grease* on the rails and guides of the ODD's plastic trays so that they glide smoothly.

I also used a small quantity of *silicone grease* on the metal rails on which the read head glides.

*The lenses* were cleaned *GENTLY* with 99% isopropyl alcohol and a cotton stick, then wiped *SOFTLY* with a microfiber cloth.

The *DVD-ROM Pioneer DVD-120S* unit was harder to clean but with *PATIENCE*, with a soft long haired brush, with cotton sticks dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol and with a soft rag, *I managed to clean it up nicely.* Not as I would've liked but it's better than nothing. The lens was harder to clean but I in the end I did it .

*All these three units have problems with the rubber belt.* I washed the belts with hot water and soap followed by a wipe with 99% isopropyl alcohol and a rag. Out of three tries the doors open twice. *I will replace the belts FOR SURE. This was to be expected.*

Next will be *a full test* in a working system. It is good news that at least they work. I'll see if they read optical disc as they need to 

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/jz62cb84/



 

 

 



*Seagate ST340810A - 40GB* it's kind of *MEH..*.

*On startup* I thought it is in good shape but upon a closer investigation* the truth was revealed:* *45 reallocated sectors....*

After an *8 hour HDD Regenerator* process followed by *three passes of ERASE* in HD Tune Pro, the READ / WRITE diagram *came out pretty good.*

*New bads* havent appeared but the entire magnetic surface registers *delays in HDD Regenerator.* I dont know if this is caused by the IDE-SATA adapter I used but I'll update the status when I'll test it a real system

As a plus it is very silent. I could short stroke it and use in a 486 system.

For this HDD *his better days are far behind...*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2is4jcele/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The CREATIVE units require more work but I already see the changes *

****** STAGE 6 *****

The road to SUCCESS?* - I still have to wait until I can call this endeavour a true SUCCESS.

I wanted *to save* some anicent electronic "artifacts" of a bygone era and for the time beeing, *I'm on the right track.* Some pieces still need testing but for now *they are in working mechanical / electric condition.* I still have to fully test their read / write capabilities in a working system. At least they are alive and kicking 

*With what shall I begin?*

AaaaaaAAA! YES! With a FDD unit which despite beeing clean as a whistle refused to work as it should:

*Sony MP-F17W-59D - FDD * - This unit had *a problem* with the movement of the read /write heads. The metal wire which was supposed to track the screw axle just jumped over the indentations. At first I thought that the problem was due to damage done to a plastic part but to my amazement the screw which tightens a metal plate which in turn keeps the metal wire on track over the indentation of the axle, *WAS LOOSE. EASY FIX!* Now I can't move the heads by hand sign that the unit might work. Before this fix the PC would report: Floppy Disk(s) Fail (40).* I'll test the unit later.* After this I can safely say I can dismantle a FDD unit in complete confidence.

*gallery: * https://postimg.org/gallery/1b8ncgjbg/



 

 

 



*GOLDSTAR CRD-8160B*

Smooth sailing.

*gallery: * https://postimg.org/gallery/n4dur690/



 

 



*LG CRD-8240B*

Smooth sailing. Again

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/l6onzdm8/



 

 

 



*CREATIVE RW8435E*

Smoo......SMOOTH SAILING my arse  more like: **(#!()#*!)~~)~)~~~!@*@!#&!*()#~~~~~!!!*

*This unit didnt want to be saved.*

*Problems:*

1. On one side *the plastic hooks* for the support / centering of the CD were torn off.
2. *Sign of tampering* - two screws of the metal cover were not completely tightened and the VOID stickers were damaged.
3. *The metal / plastic guide* for the read / write head was in bad shape with lots of cracks.

*Solutions: *

1. *THE HUMBLE SCREW!*
2. Nothing to report *all screws ARE REPORTING.*
3. *Here I wanted to preserve the orginal part.* I could have improvised a more sturdy part but for the sake of originality I decided to find a solution. I wanted to use and adhesive and I thought about POXIPOL but it was to thick and it would require sanding and could cause fittment issues. *So I used SUPERGLUE. *This stuff entered every nook and cranny. *I used gravity and a cotton stick to distribute the liquid.* Usually I dont use superglue but in this case *it was the right "tool" for the job*. Even without superglue the cracked pieces werent moving so this was like an inssurance. *Before applying superglue* I filed and sanded gently the entire part on wich the read / write head would glide.

*I straightened* some pins and a metal prong from the metal case. I used *silicone grease *where it was needed.

I tested the unit. The door opens, the led lights up and the motor spins the CD 

Some signs of damage from attempts to forcefully open the door still remain.

*gallery:*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Pioneer DVD-120S*

Smooth sailing. *I changed the rubber belt with a slighlty thicker one from my BOX O' PARTS* and the unit purrs 

*Man I LIKE THIS UNIT!*

*gallery: * https://postimg.org/gallery/jegkaom2/



 

 

 



*CREATIVE CD4834E*

This unit was *MY LITTLE PROJECT.*

It was in bad shape, rusty, dirty, scratched in a word: *UNDESIRABLE!* but if I wouldn't've bought it I would still be thinking of her 

It was *cleaned* and *painted* and now it stands in front of you in all its *glory*.

I had to clean the metal cover of the EJECT-CLOSE / PLAY switches with liquid auto rust remover as they were a little *rusty.*

*Silicone grease* was used where it was needed.

I should've removed *the dents* in the metal cover but I was in such a hurry to restore this unit that I missed it. Anyway I dont know if I could've make like it was new.

The *biggest problems* were caused by the fact that the temperature at which I painted the metal cover was very low. Also I couldnt paint in a clean closed space.

The *next problem* was caused by the fact that I didnt wait as much as I should have for the paint to dry. Even if the instructions were saying 30 min until applying the next coat because the temperature was low the paint wouldn't dry fast. It was dry to the touch but very soft.

*After I waited a whole day before using clear coat I still had to put the finished metal case parts on supports over the radiator for 4 hours*. After this the painted surfaces were good for assembly. The finished unit will stay for a few more days until I'll put it in a box.

*I present you the finished results! Not to shabby!*

*gallery: * https://postimg.org/gallery/2ds1hg0d2/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



****** THE TOWER! ******

*'NUFF SAID!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/dxuqddze/



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Next I have to:*

1. finish cleaning the Samsung si Panasonic FDD's
2. test the three FDD's Sony, Samsung and Panasonic
3. test the read / write capabilities of the ODD's

This is a 5/5 in regard to the fact that the ODD's arent dead and they show signs of life. Now they are up to my standards required for testing and can be connected to a working system 

More later.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 14, 2017)

*A resounding SUCCESS!!!*

*Yesterday I was telling you that I was on the road to success.Well I've been there and even went to the next level *

What would you say if I were to tell you that I had a success rate of 120% aka 6 out of 5?

*Weird dont you think?*

I took out of storage the Pentium III build and tested all the six ODD''s I had. *GOOD NEWS, ALL ARE IN WORKING CONDITION!*

*The sixth unit* is the *COMPAQ-LG CRD-8420B(CP1)* which I told you earlier that it doesnt work. *Well it doesnt work in the 5x86 build but in the PIII it works as new!*

*Pentium III - Slot 1 Build*

*Vital statistics:*

*1. CPU:* Intel Pentium III 550MHz - SL3FJ - Costa Rica 512KB cache / 100MHz bus / 2.0V
*2. Motherboard:* LuckyStar 6VABX2 VER. 2.0 - Slot 1 - Chipset - VIA VT82C693 & VT82C596A / 1xAGP 2x / 5 PCI (4 bus master 1 slave) / 2 ISA / ATA 33
*3. RAM:* 384 MB - PC133 @ PC100 speed : 2X128MB PQI / 1x128MB IBM
*4. VGA:* Inno3D Geforce 2 Ti - 64MB - VGA/TV out
*5. AUDIO:* Diamond Aureal Vortex 2 Monster Sound MX300 - PCI
*6. HDD:* QUANTUM FIREBALL PLUS AS40-40GB - 7200RPM
*7. FDD:* NEC
*8. CD-ROM:* ASUS QuieTrack 52X CD-S520/A
*9. LAN:* generic 10/100 Mbps
*10. *Mobile HDD rack 3.5/5.25
*11. PSU:* generic JNC Computer Corp. 235W
*12. Cooling:* Intel stock slot 1 cooler / Inno3D - DeepCool v50 / Enermax T.B Silence 80 mm
*13. CASE: *Generic ATX Case branded COMRACE ~ 1999





For testing I used the Good Ol' *CD SPEED 99* program.
http://users.telenet.be/erik.deppe/cdspeed99.htm

*Single pass test.*The best result wasnt on my list of high priorities.

I used a Windows XP Home Edition silver setup CD. It wasnt in mint condition but all the units had the same chances to prove themselves.





*As a note: I prefer low speed units because they are more silent and the chances of an optical disc break are lower. Only once, one of my ODD's, an ASUS CD-S520/A 52x unit, shattered a CD and it wasnt pretty.*

*Lets see the results.*

*GOLDSTAR CRD-8160B*







*LG CRD-8240B*







*Goldstar CRD-8240B (CP1) COMPAQ*

On startup and when the unit stops, the sound of the loose ball bearings is unnerving  You think the unit slices and dices your CD. Otherwise the unit is silent and well behaved.







*CREATIVE RW8435E*

The unit is silent and makes all the right noises 

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2fphji614/





 

 

 

*CREATIVE CD4834E*

This unit has loose ball bearings like the COMPAQ - Goldstar - CRD-8240B (CP1) unit, but in this case they are placed in a space above the motor spindle and not in the top centering mechanism. This is a faster unit and man I was nervous. *The CD reading procedure goes like this: *you load the CD, loose ball bearings noise, the motor builds up the rpms, more loose ball bearing, low to medium rattling, more speed, hissing noises and when you think that your CD will be minced meat, all the noises disappear and the motor has a balanced sound and the unit starts to read. *It's witchcraft I TELL YOU! *







*Pioneer DVD-120S*







*So this was the story of the 6 out of 5.*

*BONUS:* the results of the *ASUS QuieTrack 52X CD-S520/A* as it was already in the system.







The FDD's arent on my list of high priorities and will be tested when I decide to do so.

*Next episode? I dont know what I'll think up next!*


----------



## Robert B (Feb 15, 2017)

*FDD Challenge*

Now it is the turn for the FDD units to show their stuff.

*WARNING:* You should not dismantle the read / write heads of the FDD units. Doing so will mess up the calibration and getting it back is quite a challenge.Sometimes it is impossible without specialized hardware and skills. I did so and by chance I recovered the Panasonic unit. It wasnt pretty  Sometimes you can make the unit work but it might read and write only disks made on it.

*Sony* MP-F17W-59D - Here I managed to make the motor move the read /write heads by tightening a loose screw but the calibration went bye bye. I tried to use the wear marks made by the upper head on the metal, as a guide, but as the head only had one plastic bit and not two as other units, which made the wear marks, it is impossible to calibrate this unit by hand. I consider this unit bye bye as it was from the beginning. Looking back I shouldn't've bothered.





*Panasonic* JU-256A428PC - I think the unit was ok but I didnt test before I cleaned it. I also removed the read / write heads and I was pissed that I did it. I had a clean BUT NOT WORKING UNIT. What to do?

*Solution:*

*1.* I used two floppy disks that I knew were good. One factory made with LG CD-ROM drivers and one I made on a good unit
*2.* I used the wear marks made by the upper read / write head onto the metal on which it rests when the unit is not in operation. I also checked the alignment with the marks when the unit had a floppy disk in it.
*3.* I made read tests with the disks from point 1. Those floppy disks worked on this unit, the samsung one from bellow and another good one I had.





*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/25dfcea4c/



 

 

 

*Samsung* SFD-321B - works very well.





I tried to recover another Sony FDD unit that was on the 5x86 but with no luck. This unit was bad from the start so I couldnt use the wear marks as a guide. When I used it on the 5x86 I was confronted with Format Disk messages, it read disks when it felt like and it even didnt read disks made with it. The signal that it was bad came when I tested an important driver disk on another unit and it worked after I thought it was bad because this unit didnt read it.

USB floppy disk units are also prone to this kind of problems....so it's better to get a new unit or one in better shape. Dont despair when one unit doesnt read floppy disks, try another unit.
*
CONCLUSION:* when it breaks REPLACE IT. It's easier 

*So this was it! I need a BREAK All the parts are resting and so will I *


----------



## Robert B (Feb 17, 2017)

*PIONEER DVD-120S - REPAIR / MAINTENANCE / DISASSEMBLY*





During more testing the *DVD-ROM Pioneer DVD-120s* unit still didnt work as it should. Sometimes it would not take disks and once it scratched one.

*I replaced the original belt with a thicker one but after several load /unload cycles it wouldnt load disks at all.*

*The original belt* has a square profile and *1.0 mm* thick. The belt I used is also square but *1.2 mm* thick.

Eventually *I reused the original belt *because the place where it is located doesnt allow the use of thicker belt. If the belt is thicker it can interfere with the closing of the metal latch from the front after you insert a disk.

For sure, *the scratching of the CD* was caused by *the slipping* of the rubber belt onto the pulleys. *The dirt* from the gears and the *old dusty grease* were other factors that contributed to this problem.

You know what came NEXT? 

*FULL DISASSEMBLY! FTW!!!!!*

a) I removed the rubber belt.
b) I removed 5 springs and a few metal components. I took great care to keep track of the location and orientation of the pieces I removed. I took notes and made pictures.
c) I pushed several plastic safety clips and removed the top disk load / unload mechanism. *EASY AS PIE!*
c) I removed, cleaned and greased with silicone grease almost all the gears. Two I didnt remove (but I greased them), as it was too risky. I would've had to remove the whole laser head assembly.
d) I greased with silicone grease the sliding grooves of the top load / unload mechanism. I lighlty greased the metal rails on which the laser head moves.
e) General cleanup
f) Greasing of other contact surfaces using common sense 
g) Tests with and without CD's

*DON'T USE TOO MUCH SILICONE GREASE AS IT CAN RUN AND DAMAGE THE RUBBER BELT OR OTHER COMPONET(s).*

*Works like a dream!* 

I made a tutorial *in pictures because it's easier this way* 

Almost 6kg of optical units are resting ready to be put to work.

*gallery: *
https://postimg.org/gallery/38jk960g6/


----------



## Robert B (Mar 16, 2017)

Another *PIONEER* optical unit: *PIONEER DVD-105SZ*, MAN, I really like these Pioneer units!

*Last sunday* I went to the flea market, without a real goal, just to browse the merchandise . It wasnt a sunny day and it was kind of cold, so there werent near as many sellers as usual. I took a few steps inside the market and I immediately saw a slot load DVD-ROM unit. The model was *Pioneer DVD-105SZ*. Ever since I found the Pioneer DVD-120S I wanted to find another slot load Pioneer unit to have as a backup. I also wanted a unit with some decals on the front bezel. My wishes were heard by someone above and so* I found this little gem *

I *haggled* a little and paid just 2.2 EUR for it. *NO BRAINER!

The unit was complete,* with some wear marks and a little dirty. It was missing the four screws that hold the metal cover. *My gut feeling* was saying that it is in good working condition so I didnt mind these "little" details. As usual the seller told me that it is working and if I have problems I can come the following week for a refund. *Yeah right.....*

*I tested the unit* home and it was working like it was new. The load / unload cycle was flawless and it read the CD's quickly.

This was *my only purchase* that day, as all the other old hardware available was in a condition which can be included in the following interval: *['DA F..K is DIS - Yep it MIGHT be still kicking].* 

*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/ncu8m76e/



 

 

 



*Teardown* wasnt very complicated

What a barn find.....  *dust devils inside* .....

*I washed* the metal casing and the front bezel until they were squeaky clean.

The load / unload mechanism of the *Pioneer DVD-105SZ* is more streamlined than the one of the Pioneer DVD-120S:

1. *no rubber belt - a screw and sprocket setup - very GOOD!!!!*
2. simplified load / unload mecanism
3. micro switches for load / unload - it operates faster and easier
4. no complex metal or plastic parts.
5. fewer springs

*I like more this type of construction.* I think when Pioneer manufactured this unit, it employed some of its know how from car stereos industry.

*More later.*

*gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/3aebph250/*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Next step was *the cleaning* of the inside of the unit.

*The cleaning* was straight forward and because the unit was in good working condition, I didnt want to damage something, so I didnt disassemble the unit until the last nut and bolt. 

I managed to detach *the PCB *but I couldnt remove it completly because two wires from the load/unload motor were soldered on the motherboard. Even so I managed to clean it pretty well.

*The inside of the unit* was trickier to clean but nothing too difficult. *A long soft brush and some cotton sticks were exactly what the doctor ordered* 

I also *gently cleaned the laser lens* and it was really dirty. Even so it read the CD's without problems.

I also lightly greased with *silicone grease* the sprockets, metal rails and a few guiding plastic rails.

Then *I assembled* the unit *and tested* it again. *It works like it is new *

*Over and out. For now....* 

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/n18amgqg/


----------



## eidairaman1 (Mar 16, 2017)

Interesting I never seen a disk shatter, it was only past 52 that they were


----------



## Aenra (Mar 19, 2017)

Someone should put an 'XXX' warning.. 

Good stuff, thank you for posting all this


----------



## Robert B (Mar 20, 2017)

Thank for your appretiation  *Aenra* - only naked hardware here, nothing to see, move along 

I'm looking for the next step in my "archaeological" trip down the memory lane . I still dont know with what I'll come up next


----------



## Papahyooie (Mar 20, 2017)

This thread is the epitome of "Because I can." 

Well done.


----------



## blobster21 (Mar 20, 2017)

The apparent complexity of a dvd player mecanism always scared me, it's like the gear-wheels of a watch


----------



## Thefumigator (Mar 20, 2017)

no cartridge DVD-RAM recorders? I own like 3 of those and I'm plenty of those 9.4GB double sided cartridges
Ok, they were not very popular among regular PC users...
Very nice thread btw!


----------



## Robert B (Apr 14, 2017)

*Battle of the Slots or should I use a "u" instead of "o" hmm? *

*W*ork *I*n *P*rogress...


----------



## Papahyooie (Apr 14, 2017)

Robert B said:


> *Battle of the Slots or should I use a "u" instead of "o" hmm? *
> 
> *W*ork *I*n *P*rogress...



The first computer I ever built looked exactly like that top one. It was a Pentium 3 500mhz. I upgraded it to a P3 800mhz, upgraded the graphics card to a radeon 9500 (from an nvidia nforce 4 I think) and 768k ram (yuuuuge amount of ram back then.) 
All so I could play morrowind on PC. And a bit of that sweet vanilla WoW.


----------



## Robert B (Apr 14, 2017)

*Battle of the Slots 1 vs A*

The *SLOT 1* and *SLOT A *systems have a special place in my heart. I think that this is the results of the fact, that back in the day, *I never owned such a SLOT system.*

When the *SLOT* systems were heralded as the next BIG THING, I just upgraded my aging* 5x86* to a *Celeron 366A(scoketed)+440BX.* I was reading about *the new SLOT CPU's* in the IT magazines and I was dreaming about *PENTIUM II and VooDoo* but I couldn't afford one.......*yep Good Old Days...just of a different kind! *

By the time I left behind the *Celeron 366A*, the world has moved on, and I bought a *DURON 1.2GHz+Sis 735* which was soon replaced by *Athlon XP 1900+ & Via KT333.*

*Due to these facts* the SLOT systems remained as an undiscovered part of the map. *" THERE BE DRAGONS! "* and *THE WORLD IS FLAT!*

Today, after *20+/- years* the SLOT systems are seen as something like an unnecessary move. Back then, they were seen as the light of a new beginning. *Little did they know that their glory will be short lived.* *The socket outlived the SLOT. 
*
The most *vivid image *from those times is the* BATTLE FOR 1000MHz. *I still remember it like it was yesterday.

After I worked with older systems the switch to SLOT systems came naturally. The fact that they had a short life made them even more enticing. *Who needs a socket? Everybody has a socket! THE SLOT is the NEW socket! *

*The first SLOT system* I owned was* Pentium III - 450 MHz* upgraded to a Pentium III - 550MHz. This system was given to me a couple of years ago. *The next SLOT system *I aquired was a *SLOT A system with 4 CPU's K7 500, 550, 600 and 700MHz. *I was very happy when I bought the SLOT A system. I never saw one in the flesh. *WHITE WHALES and stuff.*There she blows!!!!! I bought from the local OLX site.

The *joy of owning a SLOT A system* was shadowed  by the fact that the motherboard: *PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A* was budget one and didnt permit the alteration of any settings for *BUS, Memory Timings, Multiplier, etc...*

To *add assault to injury* some CPU's were recognized as different models. *The only plus is that the motherboard and CPU's worked as intended.*

*PIII-SLOT 1  & ATHLON-SLOT A info can be found here*

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ly-old-hardware-emporium.228932/#post-3574691
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ly-old-hardware-emporium.228932/#post-3574696

So, for almost a year, I searched for *a suitable SLOT A motherboard.* The search wasnt frantic, but truth be told, the SLOT A motherboards arent so plentiful.

I also wanted to solve the mistery of the *500MHz* CPU with *900MHz* markings which was detected by the *PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A* motherboard as a *700MHz CPU.*

The 550MHz didnt boot on the *PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A* motherboard and I wanted to see if it was still alive and kicking!

*This was the PLAN*

Finding a SLOT A motherboard in my country was *easier said than done*, *because these motherboards are fewer than hens teeth!*

After* almost a year of searching* I found on the local OLX site the motherboard I present you bellow.

In the morning, afternoon and evening, *I entered frequently* the local OLX site and searched the string "SLOT A". *Usually this returned NO RESULTS*. The few times I got a result I found only another budget motherboard or a beat-up SLOT A CPU CRYING - *HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*
On the *27th of March 2017* I found an add on the local *OLX* site which really *got my blood pumping.* In the pictures was my *WHITE WHALE, A F.....G AWESOME* *overclocking friendly SLOT A motherbord.* *THE PERFECT SLO(U)T.*With extras even, - A 700MHz CPU - *F..KIN' A+++++++*

The add was listed since *22th of March* so I rushed and sent a message in which I stated *I WANT THE SLOT A SYSTEM - PRONTO!!!!!!*

!&@!!)!)&@!)&#)!#!)#&!#) *THE KIT WAS RESERVED BY SOMEBODY ELSE....*

*DAMN! Back to:

SLOT A OLX =0 SLOT A OLX=0 SLOT A OLX=0....DIVIDE OVERFLOW....*

On *11th April 2017* I typed on the OLX site, the now classic, string SLOT A and BAM! 2 results: *The beat-up 750 SLOT A CPU crying for help and the SLOT A system I missed*.

*I sent a message instanlty.* The guy who reserved the kit didnt want to pay the full price (22EUR) and it was again available. I bought it instanlty!

Besides the *SLOT A kit* I couldnt resist and I also bought a *SLOT 1* kit. I really didnt have a 440BX motherboard. *Good Old Chipset!*

*The SUSPECTS:*

*SLOT A*

1. *Asus K7M V1.04* Motherboard AMD 751 Northbridge & VIA 686A Southbridge, 3DIMM, 1xAGP x2, 5 PCI slots (with 1 shared ISA), PS2, USB, etc.
•Supports AMD Athlon™ processor de-signed for the AMD Athlon™ Processor Module (242-pin Slot A) and packagedin a plastic ball-grid array (PBGA).
•North Bridge System Chipset: AMD-751™ chipset with AGP/PCI/Memorycontroller supports a 200MHz Front Side Bus (FSB), supports up to 768MB ofPC-100 SDRAM DIMM, complies with AGP 2.0 specifications for 1X and 2XAGP modes and PCI 2.2. bus interface with support for 6 PCI masters. 
•South Bridge System Chipset: VIA VT82C686A PCIset with PCI Super I/Ointegrated peripheral controller supports UltraDMA/66, which allows burst modedata transfer rates of up to 66.6MB/sec.
•PC100 Memory Support: Equipped with three DIMM sockets to support IntelPC100-compliant SDRAMs (16, 32, 64, 128, or 256MB) up to 768MB.
•Expansion Slot Options: Provides either four 32-bit PCI 2.2 and two 16-bit ISAexpansion slots or 5 PCI and 1 ISA. PCI supports up to 133MB/sec maximumthroughput. Each PCI slot can support a Bus Master PCI card, such as a SCSI card.
•AGP Slot: Supports an Accelerated Graphics Port card for high performancecomponent level interconnect targeted at 3D graphical display applications us-ing a 1X or 2X mode bus.
•USB: Supports up to 4 USB ports, two on the back panel and two midboard(optional), for more peripheral connectivity options
•UltraDMA/66 & UltraDMA/33: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDEcontroller with two connectors that support four IDE devices on two channels.Supports UltraDMA/66, UltraDMA/33, PIO Modes 3 & 4 and Bus Master IDEDMA Mode 2, and Enhanced IDE devices, such as DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, LS-120, and Tape Backup drives.
•Smart BIOS: 2Mb firmware gives a new easy-to-use interface that providesmore control and protection over the motherboard. Provides CPU/SDRAM fre-quency adjustments

2. AMD K7 SLOT A CPU 700MHz - *AMD K7700MTR51B A*,  *K7700CURBBA*

*SLOT 1*

1. *Gigabyte 6BXC V1.7* Motherboard - Intel 440BX
· CPU - Pentium II processor 200 – 633 MHz. Suporta si Pentium III.
- 242 pins 66 / 100MHz slot1 on board.
· SPEED - 66/100 MHz system speed.
- 66 MHz AGP bus speed. (133MHz 2xmode)
- 33 MHz PCI-Bus speed.
- 8 MHz AT bus speed.
· DRAM MEMORY - 3 banks 168 pins DIMM module sockets on board.
- 8 ~ 768MB SDRAM.
- Supports DIB speed mode for L2 Cache.
· I/O BUS SLOTS - 4 33MHz Master / Slave PCI-BUS.
- 3 8MHz 16 bits ISA BUS.
- 1 66MHz / 133MHz AGP bus.
· IDE PORTS - 2 Ultra DMA/33 Bus Master IDE channels onboard.(Using IRQ14,15)
- Supports 2 USB ports.
- Supports PS/2 Mouse & PS/2 Keyboard.

2. *Pentium II CPU - 350MHz* - SL37F

The components arrived without damage and the owner took the precaution to remove the retaining clips from the motherboard. *THUMBS UP! Mister! * 

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/fjh4dy8m/



 

 

 

 

 



The *Asus K7M* has some huge capacitors.One is particulary BIG  They are good capacitors branded *Rubycon*. Almost all the capacitors bear this brand. The only "problem" is a missing retaing clip form an SDRAM slot. NO PROBLEM!!!!

The *Gigabyte 6BXC* also has good capacitors branded Sanyo. Almost all of them bear this brand. *MADE IN TAIWAN* used to be as good as it gets!.

Both of the motherboards are *complete* with jumpers and labels 

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/eai2g1y2/


----------



## Robert B (Apr 14, 2017)

*THE BIG mini CLEANUP!*

I say* BIG* because I have lots to do. I say *mini* because it's no big deal.

First I cleaned the *Pentium II 350MHz - SL37F.* I didnt want to take it all apart. The plastic retaining pins are brittle and I wanted to keep it simple.

I cleaned *the fan, the heatsink and the PCB* using a fine, soft, long brush made from animal hairs. I also used *99% isopropyl alcohol, cotton and cotton sticks.* It came out pretty clean if I say so myself! 

*The plus in this case is,* because only the CPU makes contact with the heatsink, *I only have to monitor the CPU temperature.* The *CACHE chips* arent touching the heatsink. The CPU has a* heatspreader* and the thermal pad seems in good condition. *If needed, I'll take this puppy to nuts and bolts in no time  *

*The fan* is in good shape.

*gallery: *https://postimg.cc/gallery/saqj3m86/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The next step was the cleanup of the *AMD K7 SLOT A 700MHz - K7700CURBBA, CPU.*

Here* I went all out.* In this instance I had to deal with *metal pins and the plastic cartridge.* I managed to take it apart *without damaging* the retaining holes.

Like in the case of the other SLOT A CPU's I dismantled, *three retaining holes from the plastic cover, are oval and one is round. The round one is the worst one.* I guess this was an *anti-tampering/warranty* measure form AMD.

*Details for this operation in a post from the link bellow.*
http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=48835&start=20

I tried the method using a *flat nosed pliers* but this didnt work very well. I managed to loosen up the nasty pin caught in the round hole but* I just couldn't get it to separate. I cracked* a little the plastic cartridge. After this I used *my bare hands* and with carefull twisting an pulling I managed to remove the cartridge. My hand were hurting after this ordeal 

*I was greated by a familiar sight.*

*The fan *is with ball bearings but *it's past its prime.* I might take apart the bearings and grease them. *FUTURE PROJECT.*

On the *CPU die* there is the same *small old heatpad* and the *CACHE CHIPS have the same SHITTY paste.* Look at the condition it's in. Just one half-assed drop...

I just couldnt *powerup* a CPU in this state.* It wouldnt be right.

gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/ivq4vm14/



 

 

 

 



*EYE CANDY!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/1uhdi47ti/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery: *https://postimg.cc/gallery/1ljq5w0m6/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*BRACKETS AND STUFF!*

*gallery: *https://postimg.cc/gallery/2qb52bf46/



 

 

 

 

 



*READY FOR THE BIG WASH!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/1f85aa70g/



 

 

 

 

 

 



*STACKED and WAITING!*

*gallery: * https://postimg.cc/gallery/i3oj4ojq/



 

 



The *K7 700MHz - K7700CURBBA* CLEAN UP! and assembly

*1.* *Deep cleaning
2. * I applied thermalpads on the the CACHE chips using the method detailed in a post found here: http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=48835&start=20
*3.ARCTIC MX-4 - FTW!!!!
4.* *Final assembly and fine detailing.*

*THE RESULT? PRICELESS!!!* 

*Hold ON!* Did you think that all was* smooth sailing?* When I mounted the metal retaining clips I almost damaged an IC on the CPU's PCB.* It was a close one! Thank GOD it wasnt TERMINAL!*

Even with all my experience *I STILL rush and cut corners*....NOT RECOMMENDED! 

*Enjoy the pics!*

After this I'll clean the motherboards and then it will be time for some *SOFTWARE TESTING!*

*More to come!*

*gallery: *https://postimg.cc/gallery/10az2hnvi/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery: *https://postimg.cc/gallery/vi0nji1m/


----------



## MIRTAZAPINE (Apr 14, 2017)

I love this thread! Going to spend hours reading this! I always wanted to do something like this! But I don't have space to keep this much "thrash" (treasure). Add to to it the rarity of component and my lack of knowhow of getting it to work again and the type of old of slots.

Keep up the good work! Sub to this thread.

It getting rather sad to see these ancient relic diminishing by the day, their the ground work of modern day computing. NIce to see it being preserved.


----------



## Robert B (Apr 14, 2017)

I'm GLAD you like it. As I said before, *my work is for everybody to enjoy. *I could relax and keep everything to myself but what would be the point?

I know people who have a VAST collection and dont share what they have.

The good thing is that *I still have the time to do this* and for me it comes naturally. So the entire process of returning these "relics" to their former glory is almost painless 

If anybody wants to keep a memento of their computing days, NOW is the time to act before it is too late 

More to come.....


----------



## Luke51087 (Apr 14, 2017)

Amazing work, so nice to see some of those older builds remind me of my past builds, not in this amount but just a few of the chips


----------



## techtard (Apr 14, 2017)

Great thread. Brings back so many memories. Over the years my friends and I went through many of the platforms in this thread, and I believe that there is a lot of vintage hardware still boxed up in storage at our parents houses.
I might be inspired to go looking for some vintage stuff for a legacy win 95/98 and Dos machine.


----------



## natr0n (Apr 14, 2017)

I do this to old hardware I find as well. last week restored a grimmy looking evga 9500 gt to like new. wash/respaste put to use it's fun.


----------



## X828 (Apr 14, 2017)

Wow.. haven't seen a slot CPU or board in years....   The good old days


----------



## Robert B (Apr 22, 2017)

I got a little *sidetracked *by these gifts 

FRESH! 

1.* Iomega Zip 100* - Parallel interface - manufactured in 1998.
2. CD-RW unit* Teac CD-W524E* - this was my first CD-RW unit model and after dumping the original one back in 2007 or so, getting back in 2017 in the shape of a gift from a very good friend, was really nice.

The Iomega unit was *missing the power adapter* so I bought *a universal one.* Power requirements are 5V - 1A / 5V - 1000 mA. *Power adapter model NTS 1000 EuP. Be carefull* for the polarity of the heads as they can provide* + on the inside shaft and - on the outside shell* and with a simple *rotation* they will provide *+ on the outside shell and - on the inside shaft.* See the *PICTOGRAMS* on the adapter heads and on the electronic unit you want to power.

The *Iomega Zip 100* was dusty on the outside but very clean inside.

The *Teac CD-W524E* will be cleaned at a later date.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2k5c7r0ea/



 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I still have to clean the* SLOT *motherboards and I also have to receive a *750MHz Slot A CPU* to add to my collection  I hope I'll find a 1000MHz one just for kicks 

*More later.

Soon the story of the three little pigs....with me the BIG not so bad w o l f 



 

 

 


*


----------



## Robert B (Apr 23, 2017)

*The story of the three little pigs*

This title *fits the bill* like nothing else because each of these "little" jobs *was a PIG in itself*. Damn, it was *a ride full of twists and turns* 

*The pieces* I'm going to talk about over the next paragraphs, *are from different batches* of hardware I received, but given the fact that *they shared the same moment in time* beeing cleaned and restored, it was only befitting that* they shared a common story* 

Without any further ado, I present to you *THE THREE LITTLE PIGS!!! *(soft applauses).

*The CAST:*

A) *Teac CD-W524E *- CD-RW unit 24x10x40 - the pig with the house made of straws 
B) *Pentium II SL2S5* CPU - Slot 1/333MHz Clock/66MHz Bus/512KB Cache - the pig with the house made of sticks 
C) *AMD K7 SLOT A 750MHz* CPU - *K7100CNRBEA* -  the pig with the house made of bricks 
D) *The BIG not so bad wolf *

So here I was roaming *the forest of old computer HARDWARE*. I knew the path well and my senses were tingling. I caught the scent and didnt let go! 

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

*Me smelling piggies *-  (mild evil laughter) and a grinning face.

Here you are little PIGGIE - uuuuhhh - *T E A C CD-W524E* - NICE! I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow...and surely the house built of* STRAWS* went into pieces. I wasnt even trying, said to himself the *BIG* not so bad wolf 

_Storyteller:_ The Teac CD-W524E was my first CD-RW unit. I still remember the moment my father bought it for me. As usual he was nagging: WHY DO YOU NEED THIS NOW?

I still have the CD's I burned back then and they are still readable. After I read an article in a hardware magazine called CHIP I just needed to have it!

*In the middle '00s,* I tried to open my original unit and becauseI  wasnt paying attention some springs came out and I simply threw the unit into the bin. *That moment still "haunts" me to this day.*What was so complicated that I had to throw away my once beloved unit? So when I received this Teac CD-W524E, as a gift from a good friend I was like: *HELL YEAH!!!! *The story has come full circle. Damn! 

The Teac was failry clean on the outside and I wasnt planning to *deep clean* it. I was about to open it, and just remove the dust, clean the belt and maybe grease something inside for easier operation.

Opening the unit was straight forward and what came after was something *new* to me. Sometime in her life the unit received a* coffee bath* and wasnt cleaned. Each piece I took away revealed more coffee contamination.

At this point I went into FULL ATTACK mode and took the entire unit appart. *THE HOUSE BUILT OF STRAWS* crumbled in front of me.

To *my amazement* the unit wasnt so complicated and the design was more elegant than that of other units I cleaned. I hoped that the unit was rubber belt free but it wasnt so. Anyway the belt is in great shape but a pain to change.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/177f1ju48/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Next* was the cleaning of the various parts using 99% isopropyl alcohol, patience and attention to detail.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/kqh24sbo/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Assembly* was straight forward. The pictures I took previously were of great help.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/168ka7hvm/



 

 

 

 

 



*Finished *results - flawless victory!

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/221le8d74/



 

 

 

 

 




***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The first piggie was nice and tasty but the wolf's *HUNGER* only intensified.

*Me smelling piggies *-  (louder evil laughter) and a bigger grinning face.

Here you are little PIGGIE - uuuuhhh - *Pentium II SL2S5* - NICE! I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow....and surely the house built of* STICKS* went into pieces. I must be getting old said to himself the *BIG* not so bad wolf. My huffing and puffing isn't as strong as it used to be. Maybe it was just one of those days 

_Storyteller:_ The Pentium II SL2S5 was bought only for its heatsink, I was planning to use it on the K7 Slot A 750MHz CPU. In the end the PII outlived the K7.....The similarities of the plastic cartridge were obvious. Opening the PII cartridge was *business as usual.*

The *cache chips* didnt touch the heatplate for some unknown obscure reason.Usual practice back in the day.The *metal heatspreader*over the CPU was a nice touch. No more fear of cracking the CPU die.

The *metal retaining clips* were made from a softer metal than I used to encounter. Bending them didnt require *herculean power.*

*It was dirty like a PIG.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/17abs45e2/



 

 

 

 



*Dismantling* was a little challenging. The sharp edges of the metal shroud covering and fixing the fan were like knives. I already cut my fingers with the metal case of the Teac unit so I didnt need new ones .

*The heatsink* was secured with brass screws that moaned when I removed them. The thermal paste used wasnt in great shape so it was necessary to be changed.

When I opened the CPU one *plastic retaining hole* broke away. Pretty common so I wasnt bothered at all.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1fyucwdzk/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Next I *cleaned *all the pieces really well.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1fiskyl8w/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Some *repair* was in order to restore the piece to its former glory  I filed the hole a little for easier assembly.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2o61p4upu/



 

 



*Assembly and finished looks.*

I added heatpads on the cache chips. The pads arent covering the entire surface of the chips because I wanted to reuse the plastic cover it came with. This is better than nothing. The K7 slot A CPUs only have a tiny blob of paste on them.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/31km7cii6/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The first *two piggies* were nice and tasty but the WOLF still had some room for deserts, I mean JUST DESERTS!!! HE he

*Me smelling piggies *-  (LOUD evil laughter) and a HUGE grinning face.

Here you are little PIGGIE - uuuuhhh - *A M D K7 SLOT A 750MHz - K7100CNRBEA* - NICE! I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow...and surely the house built of* BRICKS* STOOD TALL. ^#!*#^!&*~~~~~~!!!!! shouted the *BIG* not so bad wolf  I must be doing something wrong.

He was out of steam and still nothing happened. On an anticlimactic note, this is the END of the story, plain and simple. No cavalry to the rescue and no big party. Because life is sometimes like this....

*The last piggie lived to tell the tale.*

_Storyteller:_ The K7 was in really *BAD shape.* When I first saw the condition it was in, I said it's *DEAD*, plain and simple. Still, after two moths or so, time in which I watched the add posted on the OLX site, my views softened(BIG MISTAKE) and I ended buying the damn thing. The price was higher than its worth and my feelings got the best of me.

The seller said that the CPU is in *good working condition.* I bought all my Athlon SLOT A stuff from him so I wasnt worried.

The heatplate and cartridge suffered *MASSIVE impacts* but I was somewhat confident that the CPU survived - *Yeah right......*

The PCB was cracked, the metal pins were bent, the cartridge was deformed, the plastic clips were broken.

So even if I knew the general condition and I wasnt forced to buy it. Still, if I was the seller I would've wanted to know the real state in which my piece was.......just my luck.

*Arrival state.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/v9hgeuyq/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Cleaning *was business as usual.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/25gv0lrws/



 

 

 



I knew that the *PCB was badly cracked and many traces were broken *but I still planed to repair the damn thing.

*EXTREME MEASURES Part-1 - VICE POWER!!!* - I straightened the PCB using gentle force and thick cardboard strips.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/fv7vcbm8/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*EXTREME MEASURES - Part 2- FINE TUNING!!!*

By this time I knew that the *K7 was beyond rescue.* I didnt have the means to recover it so at least I wanted to somewhat *restore the looks* of the CPU.

Even after some bending the plastic deformation suffered by the PCB meant that it will NEVER be the same as it once was....

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/kyixwswu/



 



*Heatplate repair.*

Flat metal bar and a hammer. *SOFT HAMMERING* the aluminium.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/vh1wluo6/



 

 

 

 

 



*Assembly and finished looks.*

galllery: https://postimg.org/gallery/26zuae3ac/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The K7 didnt live to tell the tale. The BIG not so bad wolf received his JUST DESERTS!!! 

*This wraps up this episode. *

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Apr 25, 2017)

*Lights, Camera, Action!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/eglm1dic/


----------



## Robert B (Apr 26, 2017)

*Morsels for YOU!!!* I still have much more work to do. The cleanup of the motherboards Gigabyte 6BXC and Asus K7M. Also I expect a socket A platform: EPOX 8RDA3I+ Athlon XP - Barton 2500+ which will require some cleaning too. I'll keep you update with my progress.

*Ati Rage Fury MAXX *and 3dfx VoooDoo 2 SLI *Creative CT6670* D18726.00 BE/019894 & D18761.00 BE/019894 *are ready for deep cleaning*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2s9pm3q0w/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Cirrus Logic* GD54M30 & Creative Sound Blaster 16 Prelude *CT2960* VIBRA 16C *have been cleaned very well *

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2ys02xojk/



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (May 4, 2017)

*The 5,6,7 AGP trio* *REVISITED*

Last year I presented to you a story about *three graphic cards *which I received free of charge. https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ly-old-hardware-emporium.228932/#post-3574700

The protagonists of the story were:

*MSI 8948 ver 100* - GeForce FX5700-VTD128 - AGP 128MB
*Aopen Aeolus 6800GT*-DV256 - AGP 256MB
*BFG GeForce 7800GS OC* AGP 256MB

These graphic cards were tested at that time *on this system:*

*1. CPU:* AMD Athlon XP 1900+ 1.60GHz - Palomino core
*2. MOBO:* ECS K7VTA3 V3.0b - VIA KT333
*3. RAM:* DDR1 3X512MB DDR333/DDR400
*4. HDD:* WD Caviar 800JB 80GB 
*5. FDD:* 1.44MB Alps
*6. ODD:* LG DVD-RAM 4163B
*7. GPU'S*: 
*7.1 *MSI 8948 ver 100 - GeForce FX5700-VTD128 - AGP 128MB
*7.2* Aopen Aeolus 6800GT-DV256 - AGP 256MB
*7.3* BFG GeForce 7800GS OC AGP 256MB
*8. PSU:* ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W
*9. Software:* Windows XP Home Ed. SP2/Windows XP PRO SP3 
*10. Misc.*

Back then *I didnt have a better AGP platform* so I was limited to what I had. The testing of the three graphic cards *was a mixed bag*. Artifacts in 3D, inability to install drivers sometimes, unable to run games properly. From the bunch *only the 6800GT* was showing good signs.

So I made a decision to *revisit this episode* and give it a conclusive ending as soon as I had the opportinuty,

So here comes *the new and improved AGP platform: *

*Mobo:* EPOX EP-8RDA3I V2.0 - nforce 2 Ultra 400
*CPU: *Athlon XP 2500+ 1.83GHz Barton core
*Cooler:* Spire FalconRock II 
*RAM:* 2x256 PQI DDR 400
PSU, HDD, and some other misc parts are the same as the original system used for testing.

This kit reminded me of my old Athlon XP system : Barton 2800+, Abit NF7-S, RAID 0  WDC 800JB, Leadtek 6600GT....*Good Old Days...*

*Before any testing took place* I had to clean the motherboard, cooler and memory.

*You know the drill.*

First I dusted off and then washed with cold water the aluminium heatsink. Next came an old hair dryer and the heatsink *was dry, clean and very hot *

*Cooler cleaning.*

*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/2gh8ggv42/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*CPU cleaning.*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/3ifk7o6hc/



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Motherboard cleaning.*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/oqioqrys/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



*TESTING GALORE!!!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/wq2hbmkc/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



*Not all was smooth sailing.*

As usual I had my share of *small troubles:*

*1.* The white plastic *AGP retainer *didnt let me insert some graphic cards all the way in the slot. So out it went for this testing session.
*2.* Sometimies the *EPOX EP-8RDA3I motherboard gave errors: *
 CH - BIOS chip inserted incorrectly - I first pressed well the chip in the socket and eventually I took it out and straightened some pins
 C1 - Memory module inserted incorrectly - I took out and put the RAM back in
The LCD display is very usefull for diagnostics especially when you dont gave a diagnose PC card.
Inserting and taking out RAM was painfull and required a lot of force. Maybe the PQI RAM PCB is thicker or something .
*3.* The motherboard as many of her sisters of that time had *problems with long graphic cards. *If I used the 6800GT then I couldnt remove RAM until I took out the video card. The 7800GS couldnt be used until I removed a long screw holding the backplate.
*4.* I thought that the ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W doesnt have a *4 PIN power connector* and I made one from an old Thermaltake PSU which died. You should've seen my face when I took out of the box the PSU and saw that it already had one  
5. I took out the* MAXX* for a spin, but because the Win XP was already making fits after all the installs of NVIDIA drivers it didnt work well  Anyway the MAXX will only be used on WIN 98 as for WIN XP it doesnt have proper support.
6. The Palit Daytona GF3 TI 200 has *a thick PCB* - inserting and taking out from the AGP slot was painfull!!! 

The Athlon XP 2500+ *AXDA2500K4D / AQYFA 0342SPMW* is locked but runs well at 200 MHz bus x 11 multiplier making it 3200+. I ran 3Dmark 2001 and some games. It is very stable even without voltage increase. I call this A BIG WIN!!! I didnt have a lot of time for testing but this chip seems nice.

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/228n39sy8/



 

 

 

 



*EPOX EP-8RDA3I + PQI DDR does not equal LOVE* at least in this case.

Even if I tested the PQI DDR with memtest and games, and it ran well I still had weird *errors popping on the LCD display.* Errors at boot.Erros with and without overclock. Errors when changing graphic cards. The error codes were not consistent. I used AGP and PCI video cards and I still didnt find the cause.

*THE SOLUTION:* I used a *Kingston KVR 512MB PC3200 DDR1  RAM from my box-o'-parts *and the problems vanished. This exact scenario happened to me a few years back. This might be due to a strange incompatibility as I remember having something similar happen to me on my previous nforce 2 build with Abit NF7-S.

I also tested all my video cards and I have only some casualities: Tseng ET6000, Ti4200, Ti4600, Ati 9600 Pro, S3 Trio. The others are functional and CLEAN 





The 5700FX, 6800GT and 7800GS are *in good working condition.* Testing of hardware should be made on era period correct hardware for less headaches.

*So this is the HAPPY END for the 5,6,7 AGP trio story. Them may live long and prosper *

*More to follow!*


----------



## biffzinker (May 4, 2017)

Thanks for recurring posts @Robert B. Hopefully it's as much fun to do as the work involved getting all of the hardware components back in tip-top shape.


----------



## Robert B (May 5, 2017)

It is a lot of fun and time consuming. Sometimes I lose track of time and hours go by in a flash. It's something like time travelling 

Next week I will receive a SPECIAL DELIVERY which came out of nowhere .

I'll keep you posted!.


----------



## Robert B (May 5, 2017)

After a *successfull socket A story*, albeit with some minor headaches  *my attention shifted* to my precious *Ati Rage Fury MAXX *and 3dfx *VooDoo 2 SLI* - Creative CT6670.

These beauties *will be tested on the Solt A platform* Asus K7M+700MHz CPU. It will be some time until then, but we are getting there.

First was the turn of the *Ati Rage Fury MAXX.* Upon closer inspection I saw *some oxidation on the aluminium heatsinks.* Some crusty white deposits were present on the fans and the heatsinks. Not much, but it was kind of strange. Also *small patches of rust* were present on some chromed surfaces. I think that this component was stored in a humid environment or kept in a basement. *The situation is not bad as I already know that the graphic card is in good working condition. *

I cleaned the little fans using *GREAT CARE AND ATTENTION.* They *are delicate* and spinned nice even if they made a little noise. As I suspected *the oil was long gone* as the rotors were *bone dry*. Only one had the back cover in place.

*I didnt want to remove the rotors* as the washer that held them in place was tiny and I didnt want to lose it or warp it. Another problem was presented by the fact that *the motor wires/winding, were/was very close to the actual propeller *and if I damaged a wire then it would've been* bye bye little fan!* Cleaning was a *tedious and nerve racking business *as fear of damaging the motor wires/winding was always present. I used a *soft brush made from animal hair*s to remove much of the dirt. Also I used a *sharp pointed bamboo stick* to remove the bigger dust deposits from the hard to reach places. Afterwards I used *lots if cotton sticks* dipped into isopropyl alcohol 99% to clean the blades. I *also cleaned the motor wires/winding* using a few strands from the brush made from animal hairs and *GENTLY* touching them I removed the dust. Then I blowed over them strongly and they came out *clean as good as they're going to be*, about 90% of what I wanted.

I *oiled the fans* with a thicker oil and I put only a small drop using a fine needle. Afterwards I let it sink in and I blew over the blades to spin them. The excess oil was removed using a paper towell and I made covers from electrical tape.

*They are ready to ROLL!!!*

*I guess these fans ARE MY BIGGEST FANS!!! *

*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/1q006kz4u/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I *removed the brackets *from all the graphic cards and I will *polish* them with a felt wheel or just using abrasive paste and a rag. I will see which is going to be better.

From the past experiences I knew that *isopropyl alcohol 99% damages or removes ink marking *from the cards - serial numbers and QC stamps.

I made *a test* with a cotton stick dipped in isopropyl alcohol 99% on one of the VooDoo cards and surely *"number 7" was removed* &$!&)!!)!$)!!!!###~~ 

Looking for *a solution to my predicament*  I remembered I had an *ORAFOL STONE GUARD FILM* I used to protect a few painted surfaces on my car which were damaged by stones thrown by the tyres. *I cut small pieces *of it and applied them over the stamped markings. *The trick worked *and the markings survived the isopropyl alcohol 99% wash 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/ewm4s5no/



 

 

 

 

 

 


The cards went through *a first general cleanup* and they came out pretty clean. They need *at least one more isopropyl alcohol 99% bath* and they will be golden. The *VooDoo cards are cleaner* than the Ati Rage Fury MAXX. After the wash, *the MAXX had some sticky deposits on the back of one of the graphic chips. *It took some elbow grease to clean. You wouldn''t believe how much dirt came out from the small tiny holes from the back of the PCB. *Endless cotton sticks felt on the battlefield *.I know it is dirt because of the colour. I will use a syringe with isopropyl alcohol 99% and I will clean the chip really well.I'll try to reach only the contact area between the chip/solder balls/pcb. It could be some residues left from the manufacturing process or the liquid which oxidized the heatsinks and rusted out some chromed parts. I cleaned a lot of components and didnt encounter this stuff. In  a few cases I saw some white streaks but they werent sticky.

Also the other graphic chip from the MAXX has *some brownish small deposits on one the corners. *They are under the heatsink and I dont think I want to remove them. They also could be from the manufacturing process.

All the rust depositis will be removed.

I want to *minimize the ammount of isopropyl alcohol 99%* I use to wash the MAXX as the heatsinks are glued on and I dont want to remove them.

*gallery: * https://postimg.org/gallery/j8mvhkeq/



 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/z5hudqzg/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I hope the MAXX will survive this aggressive cleanup procedure.* I keep my fingers crossed.

I couldn't clean *the oxidation *from the aluminium heatsinks *but I removed almost all of the white deposits* and now they look really well. After 18 years they cant be as the day they were born 

Also I prepared the *Gigabyte 6BXC and Asus K7M* for the BIG CLEANUP they so desperately need.

The *Gigabyte 6BXC* bad a small broken piece from one of the PCI slots and was repaired with transparent POXIPOL. Somone wasnt paying attention when removed a card from the slot and besides the plastic is old.

The *Asus K7M* had two missing screws from a serial port and received new ones.

The two motherboards will receive *special treatment *as I want to retain all the stamped ink markings. Also I will protect the paper labels from the last ISA slots by wrapping them in small plastic bags.

*RESTORING 101! *

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/v7rpc7h6/



 

 

 

 

 

 



*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (May 6, 2017)

*Today was one of those GLORIOUS DAYS!!!*

Around *9.30* in the morning, I left home and went to the place were I keep my old hardware.

*I'm feeling great *and the weather is just right for what I need to do. Mostly sunny, a litte windy and sometimes a little cloudy. *I'm all alone in the building and nobody is there to make me miss my TARGET: the cleaning of all the remainig hardware I aquired lately.*

I already know what I want to do and *everything goes according to plan.*

I *set up the workplace* and I start with the MAXX and the V2 SLI.

The *MAXX received an injection* with isopropyl alcohol 99% to remove the dirt from under one of the graphic chips.A lot of dirt still comes out. The *V2 SLI cleans up really well* and doesnt pose any additiona troubles. The *ORAFOL STONE GUARD FILM* again protects the stamped ink markings.

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/3f0ndiuh8/



 

 



While the graphic cards *dry in the sun* I turn my attention to the *brackets.* They have lost their shine and are covered in a hazy deposit which is very hard to clean.* I take the decision to not buff them with a felt wheel and instead use an abrazive paste and a soft rag.* The choice is *the right one* and the results are past my expectations. *The bracket of the MAXX is like a mirror in minutes.* The brackets from the V2 SLI are hazy from factory but they also *clean up well.* I also clean with abrazive paste the *fixing screws* until they shine. Aferwards I washed all the bracket and screws with *isopropyl alcohol 99% *to remove all the leftover paste.

*See the results bellow!*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1d9cqrb9o/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Once I dealed with the above problems I addressed *the problem of rust. MY No 1 ENEMY!!!*

I used *a cotton stick dipped* in an auto rust remover solution. I took great care not to use too much as it *is corrosive.* The VGA port of the *MAXX* cleaned up really well. In the case of the *Gigabyte 6BXC* I had to remove the fixing screws from all the ports and then use the solution. Even so *the rust is very hard to remove. *I had to use* fine grit sandpaper *to remove all of it. Then I used a cotton stick with *abrazive paste* to give the metal some of its initial shine. Then I used * isopropyl alcohol 99%* to wash all the parts to remove the rust remover solution and the abrazive paste. *Everything goes without a hitch.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1ro9rxo5w/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Next came the *assembly of the graphic cards* and I put back the screws I took out from the *Gigabyte 6BXC* motherboard.

*Ati Rage Fury MAXX*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/vwaubj6i/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*2x 3dfx VooDoo 2 Creative CT 6670*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/mivytcry/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The *Asus K7M* and *Gigabyte 6BXC* motherboards were prepared for the *wash.* I applied *ORAFOL STONE GUARD FILM* over the stamped ink markings. I also used *a plastic bag* to cover the ISA slots to protect the paper labels. *The improvisation with the plastic bags and rubber bands doesnt work as I intended becasue the alcohol gets into the slot from beneath.* Even so the *paper labels survive *despite beeing soaked. The bag protected the labels beeing contaminated by all the dirt removed by the alcohol.

*Both of the motherboards came out GOLDEN!!!*

*Asus K7M v1.04*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/iatdnk2m/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Gigabyte GA-6BXC v1.7*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/3gawa7edw/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Now for your viewing pleasure some *GLAMOUR PICTURES!!!*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/102jz0axw/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*It's 13.20 and in less than 4 hours I gave back the shine to these "sacred monsters" of times passed by.*

Next will be a *software testing* session but this will have to wait a while.

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (May 11, 2017)

*The search for my first computer is over. Now I have all the pieces of the puzzle and I can pursue other objectives  

I hope, you didnt think, even for a fleeting moment, that I am going to stop . At the very least I'll take it a little bit slower... *

Today I received the single *most important piece of hardware*, which I needed to complete the recreation of my 1st PC.

*BEHOLD THE HOLY MOTHERBOARD,* the socketed mother in which ALL THE OTHER PARTS dig in their PINS and come to life.

The package was delivered by courier in the morning around *09.55* *The box was smaller than usual*. After receiveing ATX boards, V2 SLI's and other bigger components, the board which I was about to receive was only* 220mm x 170mm*, smaller than a A4 sheet of paper - https://postimg.org/image/l57zt3w3v/

Surprisingly, *I was very calm* the day before, because I knew what I was about to receive. I went to bed thinking about the *Tomato Board/Zida 4DPS.* I knew its layout, I knew all her curves and I knew that tomorrow *I'll have it in my hands* 

So today *after 21 years* I have in my possession the motherboard of my first PC. This was my ticket into this realm and it was *AWESOME!* This was the single most important piece I needed it and* NOW IT'S MINE!*

Also I purchased two *Cirrus Logic 5446* PCI 1MB video cards. I remember I used to install the CL 54xx drivers in Win 95 but I'm not sure if it the video adapter was 5430 or better. This mistery will be solved only if I find the original invoice from 1996. I know I have it but it's burried deep in a big closet at my workplace.

An *AMD 5x86 P75 - 133MHz - ADZ* and a socket 3 cooler completed this purchase.

Now I have *all the pieces* needed to recreate my first PC: motherboard, cpu, odd, hdd, case, soundcard, etc. Initially I wanted to rebuild the 5x86 build with this motherboard but I guess for now I'll keep it close so I can see it for several days/weeks 

From my first PC there are only *two surviving pieces:* the soundcard and the motherboard manuals.

The only thing that stood out like a sore thumb was the almost identical *2x1GB DDR 400 Kingmax* kit I bought for the socket A platform, after I had troubles with the PQI memory.

*Arrival state*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/21311om3a/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Cleanup*

The motherboard *was clean* by some standards and some may say VERY CLEAN, but after seeing some light dust on the ISA slots and a cotton stick dipped into isopropyl alcohol 99% yielded black marks I prepared the motherboard for a bath.

I took off a small round sticker form the back to avoid damage.

The wash went well. The only* "problem"* was that after the wash with isopropyl alcohol 99% the purple tint from the BIOS hologram sticker kind of vanished, now it's a nice cool SILVER tint.If I knew this I would've protected the hologram with ORAFOL STONEGUARD FILM like I did to the V2's, K7M and 6BXC.* Live and learn.* The Pentium II cartridge holograms werent affected by isopropyl alcohol.

*Piece of advice:* if you want to preserve the paper labels, stamped ink markings and some hologram, first make a test with a cotton stick dipped into isopropyl alcohol 99% and then wash the entire component. Use a film to protect the stamped ink markings.

While the motherboard was drying I took it in my hand and accidentaly bent a little, the MOSFET near the CPU socket. I straightened it and I took off the heatsink to see if it was damaged. The GOOD NEWS WAS:* NO DAMAGE! *HuH!!! That was a close one! 

I also saw a scratch on the opposite side of the adjacent capacitor. The scratch isnt very big and it wasnt made by me. *No biggie here *

*The video cards were more dirty than the motherboard.* One in particular (the one with the black connector) had *a crust* with a white-greenish colour.* It was very hard to remove.*

First I took off *the brackets* and polished them by hand with abrasive paste. They came out nice.

One *screw* that holds the bracket had a sheared screw from the VGA cable plug. For the sake of authenticity I took the decission to remove the sheared piece. A vice, a screwdriver and a small hammer = problem solved. The fixing screws were scratched when I received the video card. Also the black VGA connector was slighlty bent, sign that the sheared screw took some force until it broke.

I removed a little rust from the VGA connector.

The *white-greenish deposit* from the video card wasnt removed by an isopropyl spray so I had to improvise. I took a metal cap from a box and put some isopropyl alcohol just enough that the backside of the card was always dipped/wet. I checked the card regularly and it stayed there 30 min - 1 hour. Every so often I used cotton sticks dipped in alcohol to remove the deposit and the hard stuff was scraped off with a small bamboo stick. In the end I managed to restore the appearance of the card.
*
Based on these findings* I can say that if you have a very dirty component you can submerge it in an alcohol bath. I dont know the submerging time or if this porcedure will damage the laquer or other components. Trial and error. Also in this way you lose much more alcohol due to evaporation. The remaining alcohol should be discarded as it is already contaminated. YMMV.

*The cooler looked CLEAN but LOOKS can be DECEVING!!!!*

The *Kingmax* RAM received a wash too. For good measure 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/o1z22npk/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*For this cleaning operation I used about 350 ml of isopropyl alcohol. I sure wasnt stingy  believe me!!!*





*Finished results!!!*

Allocated time ~ 2 ore

*Nothing more to report....just enjoy!*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1kk3gw6l8/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



 



*More later.

L.E. It seems one of the Kingmax DDR 400 modules is missing a contact pad....RIP!!! 





 


*


----------



## Aenra (May 11, 2017)

This is too much!!!!! (But i want more, lol)

And honestly, really but really thank you for posting all these images.. i'm very thankful. I haven't managed to do something similar and it makes me happy another has. Don't stop dude 

Tiiiiny tiny request.. some Cyrix pics; ideally, for the ultimate porn value, a 6x86, any iteration (M1, M1L, MX). Make me jealous please ^^


----------



## Robert B (May 12, 2017)

I'll post some Cyrix pics this week or the next one. Weather permiting  I really need a sunny day for the hardware to really POP!!!

I only have three Cyrix CPU's:

*1. Cyrix 6x86MX PR233 188MHz
2. Cyrix GXm-200GP
3. Cyrix MII-300GP*

The 6x86 P233 came with the ZIDA-TOMATO BOARD - 5STXJ-98 REV. 1.02 motherboard and since we are on the same page regarding the manufacturer, that will be featured in the next batch of photos. I'll try to make them wallpaper material 

Also I made a full backup to the stuff I posted here and other sites. All pages have been transformed in pdf with web2pdf and all the pictures have been stored in an organzied fashion 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 .To my surprise they dont occupy so much space 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 2085 images - 1.34 GB. *Total pictures taken before editing ~ 14GB

With these measures I can revive the thread anytime !


----------



## Aenra (May 12, 2017)

Robert B said:


> that will be featured in the next batch of photos. I'll try to make them wallpaper material



Ooooh... can't wait ^^


----------



## Robert B (May 12, 2017)

Did someone said T-O-M-A-T-O? like in  *'tuh-MAH-toh' 

By special request, from Aenra I upload some pictures with three Cyrix CPU's I own. Because the 6x86MX came with the ZIDA-TOMATO BOARD - 5STXJ-98 REV. 1.02, the motherboard was also featured in these pictures.
*
Unfortunately I only have three Cyrix CPU's. The GXm cant even be used with a regular motherboard.

I think I'll get some more Cyrix CPU's with the next "shipment" of old HW  but I'm not sure. We'll see 

Some pictures weren't edited so you can use them as you like.

It was a run and dash photo shoot. 15 max including the taking out of the pieces from various boxes 

*Enjoy!*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/393limb8c/


----------



## Aenra (May 12, 2017)

oooh.. Shiny! 

O.K., officially jealous now ^^
Thank you thank you thank you!
And so many angles, haha! Someday, i hope i'll have some pics of my own to share. Wonderful chips they were and i don't care what anyone says, lol
Do you know the Doom story? How the first 6x86 iteration's sales tanked because it couldn't run Doom (i mean ffs) as well as P5 did? Humans... won't even mention the whole "drivers" fiasco. A real shame. In retrospect of course, it only adds to the magic, you know? Bitter-sweet, like most things relating to the nostalgic. Thank you once again for all these, must have taken some time; much obliged Robert!
(you ever build a rig out of these sweethearts, don't forget to post)

By the way, i love how you make everything shine, that mobo looks literally brand new.. and those slots, the plastic is stark white.. 11/10

edit: Got a question.. in this pic here:




That sticker, "replace with Compaq spare", what's that?


----------



## Robert B (May 12, 2017)

Taking these pictures wasnt hard at all. It only took me about 15 minutes.

Cyrix CPU's have their followers too  I know about the FPU performance thing and the support Intel received from game developers and/or industry. Those times were quite hectic if I say so myself. I remember the IDT WinCHip, Cyrix, AMD and the ever so EXPENSIVE Intel chips, I was drooling all over the IT magazines pages  Inteeellll but couldnt afford one.

In those times (~97) I was still using my 5x86 and I was really happy. From 5x86 I jumped straight to a Celeron 366A, but my deskmate from highschool bought a 6x86 166MHz in '97 and he was happy.

I think you speak about Quake instead of Doom? My 6x86 knowledge isn't that great  nothing that the good ol' internet cant fix 

The "replace the Compaq spare" I think means it was to be used with Compaq built systems. I saw similar stickers from HP, IBM, etc and other big companies. It's easier for techs to keep track of compatible components for particular configurations. The sticker is glued like hell and I didnt remove it. Also it is glossy and thick.

All the components I cleaned had their shine they just need a little "dusting"  and the right angles for taking photos. Some were dirtier than others but after cleaning so many of them, I can safely say that even you could make them look as new. Some exception may be those of: components kept outside exposed to elements, components kept in dusty / industrial environments, smokers apartments, etc

I have a thing when I clean motherboards: all the SLOTS must be like a mirror so that you can see other components reflection in them. It is kind of a "dramatic" effect.

Sometimes plastics get slightly warped or yellowed but they still work as intended.

The *ZIDA-TOMATO BOARD - 5STXJ-98 REV. 1.02 *was bought with the case similar to the one of my first PC, two years ago from the flea market. I think it was used as an accountant's system. It was clean even then, just some heavy powdery dirt around the CPU socket. It had a SiS video adapter and a *SEAGATE MEDALIST ST33232A 3.2GB HDD 
*
Everything I post is as soon as it happened  Usually I post the same day or a few days later so that the information is at first hand, fresh and full of details.


----------



## Aenra (May 12, 2017)

You're right Rob, it was Quake, lol, not Doom 

(i googled it..)


----------



## buzzi (May 12, 2017)

@Robert B a...aw...awesome!!!!
I love how meticolous you are!
Thank you very much for what you've shared (so far)!


----------



## Robert B (May 12, 2017)

Dont worry there's more to come. All my COLLECTION is here. Nuts and bolts, Everything.

I still have to test the Slot 1, Slot A platforms and the Zida 4DPS - for this I will need an extra AT PSU or I'll take apart the original 5x86 build form two years ago and completely recreate my first PC (most probably).

I still have to receive a *MISTERY package* from somebody. - this will take some time, IF it will materialize.

*I'll keep you posted!*


----------



## ERazer (May 12, 2017)

O WOW! much 

*Geforce 4 4600 Ti *made me smile, bought it with my first paycheck.


----------



## Aenra (May 13, 2017)

ERazer said:


> made me smile



Something similar for me with the first Voodoo (ie not Voodoo2); and maybe the only time when i could barely wait to get home, tempted to open it up on the way, just to look inside. Usually it'd be the opposite, had a proper ritual for this.
Good times, more innocent times. Missed 

( and at the time, lol, my dad doing the 'assembly' for me, shouldn't forget that. I don't exactly have delicate fingers, took me years before i trusted myself. Had to wait till he too got home, and ate, and showered, and made his coffee, and God, i just couldn't wait ^^ )


----------



## Robert B (May 20, 2017)

*5x86 - THE REBIRTH*

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you *MY FIRST PC!*

Almost *two years ago* I embarked on a journey to find and rebuild my first personal computer.

*This was no easy task,* as the components I wanted, were getting scarce by the second and many have already been turned to scrap. Somehow *I managed to find* the hdd, the soundcard (by a twist of fate my original one ) and the case.* I was missing* the motherboard, the odd and the video adapter. These *were replaced* with the closest equivalent I could find: a SiS 496/497 motherboard, an Ark Logic ARK2000PV video adapter and a 52X CD-ROM.

The *assembly* of this system made me remember all the good times I had back in '96, when my first PC was standing in my room, happily doing his tasks and having the divine new electronics smell  *GOOD TIMES!!!*

The *5x86 build* was the first one posted on this thread.

*During all this time *I searched for my missing pieces of the 5x86 puzzle. I managed to find my missing CD-ROM, a *Goldstar/LG CRD-8160B.* This one didnt have the front panel headphone jack and had a different bezel but for me, the most important thing was the model number *CRD-8160B.* This unit was cleaned, tested and ready to be put to work. Details in the posts above.

* The motherboard* proved to be the most illusive. No matter were I looked *I couldn't find it.* I didnt lose hope but I was pretty close to. All this time the string *4DPS 496/497, P75....133MHz, was daunting me*......*damn, I dont think I'll ever get to see one in the FLESH!!! *

By a twist of fate, *10 days ago* I received a small package containing my last two missing pieces of the 5x86 puzzle: the *ZIDA/TOMATO 4DPS SiS 497/497* motherboard and the *Cirrus Logic 5446 8260B/V6.* Back in the day I think I had a *Cirrus Logic 5430* but this 5446 is as close as it gets. *The 5446 received a 1MB video memory upgrade just because it could . *Against its will, a SiS video adapter was left without its memory chips.*All for the greater GOOD!!!*  These last pieces were found on the local OLX site.

*So here I was with all the pieces of the 5x86 puzzle and I was ready to do the right thing and recreate MY FIRST PC!!!*

Today I had three free hours and I put them to good use.

The first task was to decide which CPU I was going to use. I had two revisions of the *AMD 5x86 CPU: ADW and ADZ.* The ADZ was more desirable as it could run without a heatsink and a fan. I stood a moment and said to myself that back in the day I really couldnt have the ADZ as it was uncommon and *I went with the ADW.*

I removed the *labels* from the back of the CPU. I really hate those stickers, removing them is always a PAIN IN THE A$$. *Thank GOD FOR ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 99%!!!*

Then I set up *the jumpers,* which by the way didnt need setting as it seems the motherboard used to run the same CPU model * Go figure!*

Taking apart the original 5x86 build, filled me with mixed emotions as I thought it'll never be disassembled again. Regardless, I marched on and did what I had to do. *An easy and quick task. *

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/e9gq5f5m/



 

 

 

 

 



Next, I attached the heatsink and made a mock-up to see how my system will look like.

*LOOKING GOOD YOU sexy piece of HW Pr0n!!! *

*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/xb9fff6s/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Now came the time to get the motherboard in the case. *This proved more challeging that I anticipated.*

Of course *the fixing holes from the motherboard tray didnt lign up with the new motherboard* so I did what I had to do, and I added two new standoffs.

The *4DPS motherboard* is so compact that in one corner I couldnt insert a fixing screw as it would damage a nearing IC so I had to improvise. I remembered that back in the day you had a screw in plastic standoff. *GOOD LUCK FINDING THOSE TODAY. *So I took a regular plastic standoff, used a grinding wheel to remove as much as I could from its collar, then I cut all the remaining bits and screwd the thing in the motherboard tray.* PROBLEM SOLVED!!! * 

*When I tried to insert the tray and motherboard combo in the case,* a metal bar used to strengthen the case , stood in my way. I took out the top RAM stick and put the tray in, then I tried to insert the RAM stick back in. *NO DICE.* I removed the power supply and tried again.* NO DICE.*

*Hmmmm*....I took out the tray and started to look at it with a blank expression. *What to do?* To my surprise I find a problem with a RAM slot as I see *a bent pin.* *SHEEETTTT!!! *Not good. With great care *I straightened* the pin and the crysis was averted. *HUH!!! That was a close one.* I started looking at the pictures with the motherboard, I took when I cleaned it and I'm 90% sure it came with the bent pin. I dont have a clear picture but in one picture I took you can see the bent pin.* Regardless the problem was solved.*

I put back all the RAM sticks, loosened the power supply from its fixing screws, then I lifted with a hand the metal bar and with the other I inserted the tray. *THE MOTHERBOARD IS IN!!!*

*Observe* how close to each other  the RAM stick are and the small clearance they have until they touch the case. *You can be sure I took great care and there is no danger of the motheboard or the RAM sticks to come in contact with the case.*

Inserting *the power supply connectors* proved challenging too. The fit is extremely TIGHT as the securing clips must slide between three resistors. *YEP BOYS I think this one's a V....N!!!*  In the end the connectors went ALL THE WAY IN!!! 

*HUH!!!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/x6knmut4/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After these tasks I decided to make a *BOOT* test and attached all the front panel connectors.

The system came to life on the first powerup and it made a clear and happy: *beep! I'm allive!*  The CL5446 and the 4DPS are in excellent working condition! No drama, no more problems!

The PC is purring like a kitten, the hdd makes all the right noises and the Noctua fan is silent as a wisper. *EPIC WIN 4 ME!!! *

*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/1lk67mme4/



 



*REMEMBER MY FACE!!! SAY MY NAME!!! * 





*Next:* wire management & software testing.

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (May 22, 2017)

*With what should I start?* Hmm....this story doesnt have so much material going for it but I'm sure I can make *SOMETHING SPECIAL* with it! 

*Saturday* the *AGER* case received all of its "organs" and she almost went into *cardiac arrest with all its 133MHz!!!*

Next task on the LIST: *WIRE MANAGEMENT!!!*

I took out the* FDD and 40 pin ATA cables* and I did a quick test to see *how they look*. *I really didnt like the results.* Last time I *rolled *them up and they ended up like a *GIANT FUNNEL. NOT GOOD!!!.* I tried to* let them be and hang like in the GOOD OLD DAYS* but they looked *HORRIBLE!!!*

What to do? *CLICK! *I have an idea!

*One or two years ago* I saw somebody fold ribbon cables in half, then in another half, across their length and then tied them up with zip ties. I tried to do the same but the cables turned to be *STIFF AS A BOARD!!! GOD DAMN IT!!!*

You know what came next?  *EXTREME MEASURES *of course.

I started by* looking on the internet* for some information about separating ribbon cable in individual strands / groups of wires. I found something, but as usual what I want * is hard or can't be done....*

I remember the *80 pin round ATA cables with their individual wires.*

So I take in my hand *a cutter / X-acto knife with a fine blade* and *I CUT THE FLESH!!!* Curiously no blood comes out! Hi Hi Hi! *(evil smile)*

*And a TUTORIAL IS BORN!*

*ATA / IDE / FDD RIBBON cable - MANAGEMENT or WIRE MANAGEMENT OF RIBBON CABLES IN AT PC CASES - 386/486/586 etc*

Steps:

*STEP 1. *You take the ribbon cable you *wish to separate in groups of wires.* You cand choose *2,4,6,8 etc, 3,6,9 etc *or *any number of wires* you want to group. I went straight to the *NUMBER 2 *for the FDD and ATA ribbon cables, after I found out that *groups 10 wires arent very flexible*. *You can experiment as much as you like.*

*STEP 2.* Place the ribbon cable on a glass surface with a source of light underneath. In my case I placed it against a glass window.

*NOTE. *First *choose the cable with the most visible / bigger space between wires* by placing it against a source of light. You'll see that not all cables are the same.





PROS and CONS of using the glass window:

*PROS*

a) better control of the ribbon cable when you cut between wires. You have a better feel of the space between wires.
b) the gravity helps by allowing the ribbon cable to stay stretched.
c) when you cut between the wires the ribbon cable follows your cutting motion because it is able to move freely.
*NOTE.* I saw on the internet that when somebody tried to separate groups of wires in ribbon cables, he used clips to stretch and fix the cable onto a surface. *I DONT NOT RECOMMEND* this, as the ribbon cable becomes rigid and the chances to cut or expose a wire are far greater.

*CONS*

a) the ribbon cable slides on the glass surface
b) it is harder to control the cable as you start cutting.

*NOTE.* THE GLASS WINDOW WASNT AFFECTED, but I have very sensitive fingers. *YMMV!!!*





*STEP 3.* The cutter / X-acto knife MUST BE sharp. with a fine blade and reasonable "high" cutting edge to fit nicely between wires.

I started from *one end* and I cut as much as I could, then I started from *the other end.* All this time* I kept the cable by its connectors and I took care to keep the cable straight and under tension, as much as possible.*

The *FDD *cable was more flexible and was easier to separate.

THE *ATA *cable was less flexible beeing new and it was a little harder to separate.

The *SERIAL/PARALLEL* cables had more tightly packed wires and the grooves were closer. It was more difficult to separate and I almost damaged cable  Here I had to completely separate the gropups of wires with the blade.

*TIP.* If you have to stop when you cut, KEEP THE BLADE in the grooves, and just reposition the cable. If you went sideways, start lower bellow or from the other side. The jackets of the wires are thicker than you think. Inspect for damage afterwards.

*NOTE.* Before you start cutting straighten the ribbon cable as much as possible.
*OBS.*Preferably the cutting motion MUST be continuous, without stops. If you stop, start from the other end.Keep the blade straight when you cut. Otherwise bye bye cable.







*STEP 4.* After you have cut between two groups of wires separate them. Dont cut all the cable and then separate it.

*CUT.SEPARATE.CUT.SEPARATE.REPEAT!!!*

*OBS1.* Sometimes *the blade wont cut all the way* and you will have to cut again. *BE CAREFUL*.*Sometimes is possible* to separate the groups of wires even if you havent cut the material between them all the way, *sometimes not.* The *flexibility of the ribbon cable jacket* will dictate this. *Dont use FORCE when you separate the groups.* Faillure to do this right will damage the jacket of a wire or it will expose it and *you will have to start again!*

*OBS2.* Regardless that you have cut the material between the wires all the way or about 50% *the separation of the group of wires MUST BE DONE applying force over the LENGTH of the cable and in a downward motion.* NOT UP or SIDEWAYS!!! Take it step by step, centimeter by centimeter and if the groups arent separating place the cable on the glass surface and cut more material if you didnt cut all of it. DONT start from one place and pull hard.

*OBS3.* *DONT USE FORCE.* The wires are *DELICATE* and each cut makes them *more FRAGILE.* *Tie the groups of wires with zip ties ONLY AFTER YOU PLACED THEM IN THE CASE and you like their position.*




























*I MANAGED TO DO THIS ON MY FIRST TRY. FTW!!! No drama or other problems.
*
And there you have it!* A 40 pin and kind of a round cable*  I wont cover the ribbon cables in a plastic jacket as I like how they look!

i still have more work to do, so *GLAMOUR PICTURES WILL HAVE TO WAIT* a little 

After I separated the groups of wires *I inspected all of them* to look for damage even if I already knew they were *PERFECT!*

I did a quick BOOT test to see if the cables are still working and as expected they are IMPECCABLE! I was nervous at first, and I tried the FDD cable. Afterwards came the ATA cable. I dont know if I will have problems with interference as some 80 pin ATA round cable had, but because these are 40 pin cable I think I'll be OK.

The entire process took about *60 or 90 minutes.* I dont know for sure. This includes the taking of pictures and fitting inside the case. *After this experience I can do it much faster.*

*Just a regular day in my life  Me and my OBSESSIONS!!!  *





*I'll see later if something is wrong but for now I'M PROUD of a JOB WELL DONE! gives himself a pat on the back.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/3e7hf03rq/


----------



## Aenra (May 23, 2017)

The interior of your cases puts any of mine to shame, lol

Everything's awaiting inspection. Sir ^^


----------



## Robert B (May 23, 2017)

ALL CREWS ... not REPORTING SiiiiiiRRRRRRR! 

 wait until you see the finished results. OH MY GOD!!! 

I separated all the ribbon cables and I also found a longer floppy cable to really make this build *my masterpiece.* We are talking about my first PC, after all.

More later.


----------



## Robert B (May 23, 2017)

I found the *MOTHER OF ALL FDD CABLES* which received the same treatment as above  This way the system look cleaner.

*The wire management isnt done yet.* After I'm happy with the placement, I'll reduce de number of zip ties, if possible.

The wires will be *"combed"* to make them look better.

I added *PS2 and PARALLEL *ports to complicate things  even if I dont need them both   I dont see me using a printer even if I have a SEIKO SP-2415.

Some modifications will be done to the placement of the PSU wires. The problem is that in the case of this PSU, the wires come *from the side,* instead from the back.* Nothing difficult though.*

*Try to imagine how good a system with this kind of wire management would look, full of long ISA or VLB cards. No more clutter just clean looking boards *

.....*more to follow.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/wq5skj9i/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


[url=https://postimg.org/image/qx9s165tj/]
	
[/URL]


----------



## Robert B (May 26, 2017)

*A RAINBOW OF CABLES* 

*Tweezers* for fine tuning 

Wire management still in progress...front panel cables, PC speaker and a final inspection of wires and connections are still required. The ODD received a new rubber belt.

*gallery: * https://postimg.org/gallery/11lcpwwfs/



 

 

 







*I extended the RESET, POWER, IDE LED, HDD LED, TB LED and PC SPEAKER cables,* using male-female extension cables. The connection was held in place with *heat shrink tube.*

Not all was *smooth sailing though.*

I had to use *washers* for the screws that hold the cards and brackets at the back of the case. Because the *fixing screws and the brackets are chromed,* even when you tighten the screw to the max the brackets *still move inside-outside* when you plug in or take out the connector from the PS2 port, for example. Also because the thread of the screws isnt going all the way under their head, they werent holding the brackets and sometimes couldnt be tightened. *The washer solved this problem.*

*To fix the extended front panel cables, I used a stretchy and very adhesive electrical tape.* Normaly I dont use such techinque  but given the fact that 5 years ago I was forced to keep in place a fan cable in my system in such a way, and it still didnt come off, *I can vouch for this method.* While I loooked at the pictures *I think I have a solution to reduce the patches of tape use,* through the use of a perforated, rubber coated, metal plate.

*With the mouse plugged in the PS2 port* the system hangs at boot. If I take out the mouse the system resumes the boot process. Here I have to check again *the pinout of the PS2 connector on the motherboard and the connector on the back bracket.* Back in the day my PC didnt have a PS2 port  This however is requried as I could use newer mice on this system. I'll see if there is a BIOS setting required.

Initially *the FDD unit* worked if it was plugged on the *middle connector on the FDD cable.* I know I should've connected the unit *on the last connector on the cable.* I hoped I would get away with this but now I get FDD unit error at boot and I will have to *take out the FDD cable and separate in strands the ending part of it.* *No big problem though.*

The system booted finely in *win95* which was installed on the old configuration 

I'm waiting to *tie up all the loose ends and catch a sunny da*y for some really nice pictures.

The PC looks *incredibly clean and it makes me want to fill it with lots of extension cards 

More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2dc6hbnf8/


----------



## micropage7 (May 27, 2017)

Robert B said:


> *A RAINBOW OF CABLES*
> 
> *Tweezers* for fine tuning
> 
> ...


looks good but i never use steel washer, i prefer make it by using plastic


----------



## Robert B (May 28, 2017)

*The 5x86 - (re) Build*

*This moment is one of great satisfaction,* as I am about to present to you my first PC which I had back in *1996*. The components are identical or as close as possible to what I had then. The name, the looks, the specifications etc. are all as they are supposed to be! * Differences are small and irrelevant.*

The* allocated time* for this rebuild is plain and simple *RIDICULOUS.* Endless hours spent for cleaning, wire management, bug solving, setup, etc.

Now I can *breathe a sigh of relief* as everything I own is were I want it to be and for the first time in MONTHS I can take it a little bit easy, relax and enjoy the fruits of my labour. *I'm really exhausted...*

I've *redone the wire management for the front panel connectors*, as *the tape* used to hold the cables *was looking out of place*. The audio cable bewteen the sound card and the CD-ROM was routed underneath the motherboard.

*To reach this point* and call my first PC done and returend from its ashes scattered in the four conrers of the world, *took more than two years.* *Finding its pieces took a great amount of time. money, effort and luck. *

*I dont think there is anything more to add.* The story of my first PC took center stage in many of my posts.

The system is *incredibly silent.*

*Next* on the list will be some fun with programs and some games. Also I will have to solve the mistery of the TURBO button and I want to see if the TURBO downgrades the performance of it keeps it at maximum levels. Back in the day I kept the TURBO button always ON.

*Enjoy!*

*Vital statistics*

*1. CPU:* AMD 5X86 133MHz - AMD-X5-133ADW/Am5X86-P75 3.45V
*2. Motherboard: *Tomato board / ZIDA 4DPS v2.11- chipset SiS 496/497 - 256KB cache/3 PCI/3 ISA/2 RAM SLOTS
*3. RAM: *2x16=32 MB RAM SIMM FPM
*4. VGA:* Cirrus Logic 5446 - 8260B/V6, 2MB, PCI
*5. AUDIO:* ESS AudioDrive 1868F ISA
*6. HDD: *QUANTUM TRAILBLAZER TRB850A -850MB- 4500RPM
*7. FDD:* NEC
*8. CD-ROM:* Goldstar/LG CRD-8160B
*9. PSU:* Minebea Electronics 200W AT PSU
*10. Cooling:* CPU-Noctua NF-4x10FLX 40 mm x 40 mm x 10 mm 4500 rpm/SSO2 SYSTEM: Scythe Mini Kaze 60 mm x 60 mm x 20 mm 2500 rpm/sleeve.
*11. CASE:* Generic AT Case manufactured 1998.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/d2mxg20y/



 

 

 

 

 




 



*INTERIOR*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The next episode will be about PS/2 PS2 mice:

*THE MISTERY OF THE PS2, PS/2 connectors on vintage systems*

I managed to make mice work on the Zida 4DPS v2.11 motherboard with the onboard PS2, PS/2 connector. An EPOX motherboard proved invaluable  Full story later next week!


----------



## Aenra (May 28, 2017)

Something i'm wondering.. 

Once built, what happens to these beauties?


----------



## Robert B (May 28, 2017)

Storage / Suspended animation  waiting to be put to work on a moment's notice! They will be checked regularly.

In the future I'll have a place where they will be used more. For now I really have no plans for them besides looking good and working flawlessly. I'm just in the hunter-gatherer mode 

Being "reunited" with my first PC is something I consider as an achievement and a source of great satisfaction. Since my father passed away in 2015 I still remember on a daily basis the moment we went to the shop and bought this beauty, Good Ol' '96. Sheeshhhh I feel old.....

Also having into  my possession these relics of days past, means more than just reading about them.


----------



## Aenra (May 29, 2017)

Aaah.. my condolences.. 
I can relate to that. As i mentioned above, most of my "awesome" PC-related moments were shared with (and to be honest, entirely due to) my father. They kinda go hand in hand 

It's funny how we 'link' things together sometimes, isn't it?
You keep enjoying yourself dude.


----------



## Robert B (May 29, 2017)

*THE MISTERY OF THE PS2, PS/2 connectors on vintage systems*

_This story was harder to write than it was to actually do the facts presented bellow._

Using *a serial mouse, the one with the ball inside,* isn't one of the experiences I wish to live again  so when I saw that the* ZIDA 4DPS v2.11* motherboard had *a PS/2, PS2 motherboard connector *I was very excited!

I had *one PS/2, PS2 cable available* and after I read the motherboard manual, I connected the cable and I tried to use a USB optical mouse through a *USB-PS2 converter.* Tough luck! It didnt work. Also the 5x86 system would hang at BOOT. If I took out the mouse from the PS/2, PS2 port the PC would resume the BOOT process.

*Searching for solutions,* I remembered that the* K6-2* - EPOX EP-58MVP3C-M REV 0.8 build also had a PS/2, PS2 cable so I took it out and *I tried the second cable on the ZIDA 4DPS v2.11.* Still nothing. The optical sensor light would flicker and that was it.The PC booted in Win95 but the mouse wasnt working. I put back the cable in the K6-2 build only to find out that it didnt work there either. *!@!&(#!(*&~(*#^~~~~~~~!!!!.*

*Hmmmm..... * this wasnt a case of BIOS settings either....

I thought that *I mixed up the orientation* of the motherboard connector so I checked the manual again. The position was good, as the space of the missing cable*(NC/Not Connected)* was the tell tale sign. Pins I,II,III,IV,V were all in good order. In desperation I even flipped the connector just to see what happens. Well....*NOTHING HAPPENED.* I dont recommend you try this though.

*I searched the internet* and I tried to find a diagram for the PS/2, PS2 pinout. I found some information but sometimes the data was conflicting and also the colour of the cables was different.

*Eventually I settled on a diagram, which looked ok to me and went from there.*





WE WILL CONCENTRATE on the left side of the above image - *THE CONNECTOR AT THE COMPUTER!*





*NOTE 1. The position of the cables on the BRACKET connector at the back of the case will be numbered with arabic numerals: 1,2,3,4,5,6
NOTE 2. The position of the cables on the MOTHERBOARD connector will be numbered with roman numerals: I,II,III,IV,V*

A quick continuity test revealed some interesting facts. The PS/2,PS2 wires were a TOTAL MESS!!!  Like I didnt know this already!

*First* was the cable I took out from the K6-2 system. The one *with the exposed wires at the back* of the PS/2, PS2 connector.

*From the image above I found:*

* 1* - KEY DATA
* 3* - GND
* 4 *- +5V
* 5* - CLOCK

*Looking at the cable colour of the PS/2, PS2, connector on the bracket I found:*

*1* - KEY DATA - RED
*3* - GND - GREEN
*4* - +5V -YELLOW 
*5* - CLOCK - BLUE









*I looked in the EPOX EP-58MVP3C-M & ZIDA 4DPS manuals:*

*  I* - KEY DATA - BLUE
* II* - CLOCK - YELLOW
*III* - GND - GREEN
*V* - +5V - RED







*A TOTAL MESS!!! *

The simple solution was to *rearrange the cable position at the motherboard connector.*

RED went to the place of BLUE
GREEN went to the place of GREEN
YELLOW went to the place of RED
BLUE went to the place of YELLOW





*This way I managed to use PS/2, PS2 mice on both the K6-2 and 5x86 systems.* It was really rewarding after the time spent to find the sollution .

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

*Next came the second cable.* This was a hard nut to crack. The PS/2, PS2 connector on the bracket was cast in hard plastic.

I did *a continuity test* and I received some bad news! I found the *1,4,5* wires but *no number 3*. To make things more complicated *I found the wire 6*, *which was supposed to be NC-NOT CONNECTED!* *, ACTUALLY WAS CONNECTED!!!* This threw a spanner in the works!!!

*So instead of 1,3,4,5 I had 1,4,5,6! GREAT!!! *

After some deliberation *I took a hacksaw *and I did a circular cut around the collar of the PS/2, PS2 connector. I cut a little, then a little, until I reached something hard which sounded metalic.

After I finished cutting *I separated the two plastic pieces.* I WAS LUCKY the backside wasnt glued and that I cut along the exterior metal shroud of the connector. A few millimeters more and bye bye chance of recovering something. *Indeed the green wire was connected to pin 6 and BEHOLD, pin NUMBER 3 connected to the exterior metal shroud of the connector.* I think that GND was supposed to come from the PC CASE instead of the motherboard and knowing this, I might've insulated the metal shroud of the connector from THE PC CASE and soldered a new wire to it and had my GND without cutting the plastic cover. It wouldnt've looked pretty though 

*So I went from having 1,4,5,6 to having 1,3,4,5 again!!! AWESOME!!!*

*I cut the white wire* from the metal shroud of the PS/2 connector and soldered it to the green wire. *So number 6 was no more and I had back my number 3.*

*The solder job on number 3* isn't my best but the wire was very short and I wasnt going to risk to damage something. Also my small soldering iron wasn't with me. *A continuity test revealed that all the wires were OK!!!*





I used *transparent POXIPOL to glue* the pieces and heat shrink tube to cover the missing cable jacket.

I *set up the wires at the motherboard connector* after doing all the checks mentioned above in the case of the first cable and tested the second cable on both the k6-2 and 5x86 systems. *IT WORKED BRILLIANTLY!*

*It doesnt look too pretty but it gets the job done.* I used the first cable in the 5x86 build and the second one went into the K6-2.











*TWO PS/2 PS2 cables ready to be put to good use!*





*As a reward* for giving up its PS/2, PS2 cable, the K6-2 build received an era period correct CD-ROM: LG CRD-8240B instead of the TOP-G 50X it had before 





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (May 30, 2017)

These are *some quick tests* I ran on the 5x86 build. *TURBO - ON makes the PC to function at MAX performance. *

*TURBO - OFF showed some unexptected results. *The CPU frequnecy went from *133MHz* to *125MHz.*  The memory bandwidth went from* 28MB/s *to *20.35MB/s.* The VESA memory speed went from *19376KB/s* to *13975KB/s*. The speed index went from *50.06* to *50.05* .

The HDD has some problems but it works for what I need it to do. I wont exchange it until it breaks down for good. I'll take it out and do something about it at a later date.

*Win95* works beautifully. I tested some games. *IT IS AS GOOD AS IT WILL EVER BE!!! * I call this build truly completed and an incarnation of my first PC in all its glory.

*This is it for now.* The 5x86 will go into storage and I will take *a BREAK, which I need.*

I tested *the external ZIP drive* with the parallel connection on the 5x86 and it worked *FLAWLESSLY.* The floppy with the drivers was in good shape and the ZIP disk was also mint. I call this a WIN!

Testing of the *Slot* 1 and *Slot A* parts will be done at a later date. For now they are sitting pretty 

The *MAXX *and the *V2 SLI* are still waiting paciently 

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2ghhg1qmk/


----------



## Aenra (May 30, 2017)

Am jealous 

Gotta get me some extra space somehow, build me my own, lol

(can't fit another PC+monitor in my cave)


----------



## Robert B (Jun 5, 2017)

*A few days ago* I was looking for a couple of nice *cardboard boxes* to store my Slot 1 and Slot A motherboards.

I went to *a local PC shop* and asked if they had some ATX motherboard boxes. To my surprise *I went home empty handed* as the response was: we give the boxes to our customers for warranty reasons. *Well, I can't argue about this so no BOXES FOR ME!*

*In the end* I used a Slot 1 box I had and a box from a Gaiwnard 9800GTX GPU from the times when the graphic cards really had quality cardboard boxes.

*A few days later* I went to my office where I also store my stuff and because I had a few free hours *I was still thinking about the Gigabyte GA-6BXC and the Asus K7M I put in their boxes.* Also *the box with the Slot 1 and Slot A CPUs was so enticing that in the end I had to do something 
*




*I guess* it is pretty obvious what came next 

*A quick and dirty testing session. YAY!!!*

I took out the Enermax PSU, a HDD, some PC-133 SD-RAM, etc and *by magic a test bed took shape in front of me.* Which I must say was also functional! 

First on the test bed was the *ASUS K7M Slot A motherboard.*

*I took out the first Slot A CPU* - the *500 MHz* one, which was recognized as a *700 MHz* on the previous PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A motherboard. To my surprise it booted also as a *700 MHz CPU.* Please observe the small clearance I have until the beefy cooler will reach the ATX power connector on the motherboard. This ATX power connector placement was pretty common back in the day. NOT GOOD!

*I took out the second Slot A CPU* - the *550 MHz* without a heatsink, which didnt booted on PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A motherboard. To my joy it booted fine and showed the desired frequency of *550 MHz.*

*I took out the third Slot A CPU* - the *600 MHz* with the dual fan heatsink. The system started but the fans spun at low speed and then shutted down and nothing happend. Black screen, no beeps, no noises, nothing. I checked the jumper settings and I manually set VID1, VID2 and VID3 with the correct default voltage and I bypassed the default setting detected by the motherboard.BEHOLD!!!! THE system BOOTS!!! Unfortunately the screen registered the CPU running only at *500 MHz* no matter what I tried. *#%^@%#@^~*~*~*~~!!!!* *By this time the peculiar nature of the K7M reminded me of PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A. DAMN!*

*I took out the forth Slot A CPU* - the *700 MHz *one. It booted correctly and the *700 MHz* was shown on the screen. I am really happy because this CPU didnt work on the *PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A* motherboard. The fact that it is alive is nice.

*I took out the fifth Slot A CPU* - another *700 MHz* core, which came with the *Asus K7M* . This also worked as intended. *This is SUPER OK!!! FTW!!!*

*The sixth Slot A CPU* - a *750 MHz* one, is dead and I'm still pissed about this fact. It is down right *USELESS* aka a corpse aka a shadow of its former self. *DAMN YOU VANDALS FOR DESTROYING MY CPU!!! * (Story in the posts above)

I couldnt get into *WinXP* with the HDD that it was installed on from another test and I wasnt going to install Win 98 as this needed more time than what I had available. *In depth testing will be carried at a later date.*

*The first contact with the Asus K7M wasnt how I hoped it would be.* In *BIOS* the only *OC setting* available was for *FSB* and nothing else. I tried to alter the default setting of 100 MHz by going up or down but on each boot the settings would always revert to the default 100 MHz.

*I was expecting more OC settings* in BIOS but this wasnt the case. I used *jumper settings* only for Vcore but I didnt touch *the jumpers for FSB settings*.

*At least in BIOS there are some settings for RAM*.....the PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A motherboard didnt have any of these.

*With a slight sour taste in my mouth* I came to the conclusion that I need a *GOLD FINGER DEVICE* if by any means I want to do some overclocking. I could try OC without a GF device but I would have to intervene directly on the PCB of the CPU. This job would be time consuming and dangerous. *So GET A GF device or GO HOME!!! These are my 2 cents.*

To add assault to injury, albeit, we arent really talking about assault or injury, *I had mixed feelings* about the fact, that even if the Asus K7M is better than PC CHIPS M800LMR 1.3A, *some CPUs werent detected correctly.* I might try a *BIOS update* but at this point in time I see no reason for it.

The only OC I might able to accomplish would be by *FSB ~ 105-110 MHz *but I dont want to try this for now.

*I have the seed for something great but I still need a freaking GOD damn it GF device which is close to IMPOSSIBLE to find...*























Next on the test bed was the *Gigabyte GA-6BXC Slot 1 motherboard.*

After the test of the Asus K7M *my state of mind wasnt so great.* Little did I know that *I wasnt out of the woods yet*.............

I placed a *Pentium II 350 MHz *CPU in the slot and I tried to start the system. *NOTHING HAPPENED!!! No noises, no beeps, absolutely   n o t h i n g!!! sheeeshhhhh*

I took out a *Pentium II 333 MHz* and I tried again. *NO BOOT!!! WTF WTF WTF!!!

I checked* again the Gigabyte GA-6BXC motherboard, *I checked* the manual, *I checked* the DIP switches *all was OK. I pressed the POWER button.NO BOOT!!! NO NOISE!!! NOTHING!!! just ear piercing SILENCE. (*$^!&^($!%&*^$!%^$!&^)~~!!!!!!
*
I changed the graphic card from the Palit GF3 Ti 200 to a ELSA Riva 128Zx. Still nothing!!!
*
This testing session it's starting to get on my nerves!

I checked* *again the 6BXC motherboard* and this time I concentrated on the *area near the front panel connectors. *I saw a jumper which was set only on one pin instead of two. I checked *the manual *and I see: *J15 - System After Ac Back * Open - Soft Off / Short - Full On.* *I put it on the ON SETTINGS and the system BOOTS!!! Well I'll be......$^!$^!$&(^$&#(&^*!!!!!!!
*
The first *PII-350 MHz* *CPU worked* as intended. *NICE!!!
*
I tried again the *PII - 333MHz - 66 MHz bus SL2S5* which I dismantled a few post ago. I had high hopes for this little one  I knew that some 333-66 CPU's *had unlocked multipliers* but after I tried some settings I found out *it wasn't the case with this one.* I knew this so no biggie. *x5 multiplier will be FOREVER!!!*

*By this time I was starting to get a little angry* so I told myself: *LET'S TRY 100MHz bus*, as the CPU had new thermal paste, the CACHE CHIPS now made contact with the heatplate, the heatsink was BIG and I really needed something to change my mood. *100MHz! FTW!!!

The PII-333MHz SL2S5 booted and was stable at 500 MHz!!!* what a glorious thing  *In my book this is better than the OC of the Celeron A 300MHz to 450 MHz. *Also the cooling fan is silent. The 6BXC is running smoothly and the ATX power connector is out of the way of the CPU heatsink. To think that I only bought this CPU for its heatsink and I was planning to use it on the dead Slot A 750 MHz CPU....if the 750 was alive this 333 was destinded to stay in a box and *I wouldnt've known its potential!
*
I also tried the HDD with the existing *WinXP* installation but it didnt work as it was the case on the K7M. *Win98* in depth testing will have to wait.
*
The PII-500MHz never locked up the system and it ran for some time. I'm 90% sure it is stable. *The heatsink wasnt very warm.  Arctic MX-4 did its job 

I will leave *the pleasure* of testing this PII-500 MHz CPU at a later date. *Win98 will be glorious on this little one 
*
I tried a* Gigabyte-GA-6R7-Rev -366 MHz Celeron A CPU, *slotket but it didnt work. By now I had it with DIP switches, jumpers, etc....*and I called it a day.















The Slot 1 and Slot A systems *deserve to sit in a proper case.* The 440BX is legendary and the Slot A is exotic. *I wont run tests on these parts until I have suitable cases. I have Pionner slot loading ODDs, V2s, V3s, Ati MAXX, AWE64, Vortex MX300, wire management skills for something unique etc... ingredients for something really nice.
*
I end this post on a high note.*For the time beeing I have no loose ends. What I own is functional or/and represents a known quantity without grey areas like "there be dragons" or end of the world after this point. 
*
I STILL have something to do. *When will these projets take shape?* I dont know for now. It's all in the STARS!!!  

I'll have to choose/find two matching cases...I think I'll need two modern ones....

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/298beodj2/*


----------



## Robert B (Jun 25, 2017)

*3RD TIME (MAYBE) LUCKY? AOpen Aeolus GF4 Ti 4200 128MB AGP 8x*

This is my* third GF4* and I hope is in good working condition. I bought it yesterday.

The previous 4600 Ti and 4200 Ti I found at the flea market , werent doing so well. The *Asus GF4 4600 Ti* was giving artifacts and the *Leadtek GF 4200 Ti *was missing a lot of ceramic capacitors and wasnt giving any signal to the monitor. What could you expect from dumpster diving? 




 

 



Today I cleaned the card and I present to you another story:

*A new GF4 RISES FROM ITS ASHES! AOpen Aeolus GF4 Ti 4200 128MB AGP 8x DVC128 (N8) VIVO*

*(whisper)*_ I hope I'm not going to eat my words if in the end the graphic card wont be in good working condition  For sure, a future test will clear this unknown. Regardless, I treated this GF4 as a GPU that is firing on all its cylinders _

As usual the card *was dirty and lost its shine.* I did my magic and sure enough it was returned to its former glory.

*Arrival state*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/i61bbl36/



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Cleaning*

The card was cleaned very well.* I even cleaned all the screws.* By using a cotton disk and a screwdriver each screw had its thread cleaned until it was shining. The card was also washed with isopropyl alcohol 99%.
 This process doesnt require any presentation  *Talk about obsessions!*

Artic MX-4 thermal paste was used on the graphic chip.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/l2oqg3nc/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Final results*

*Nothing more to add  * Smooth sailing all the way!!!

I keep my fingers crossed that the card will function as intended. I dont have a test bed set up yet.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1lur10v42/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*More later.

L.E.

3rd time LUCKY INDEED! 

The 4200 Ti is purring like a kitten . The fan is silent and runs great. Go figure !!! 

I wasnt going to take out of storage a motherboard with AGP 4x or AGP 8X so I used the PIII build. I was a little apprehensive to test an AGP 8x card in a 2x slot but after I quickly refreshed my knowledge with the help of Good Ol' internet , I did it and I found that the AOpen Aeolus 4200 Ti is still going strong. Flawless victory!!!

http://www.playtool.com/pages/agpcompat/agp.html

In pictures, the 4200 Ti runs on the LuckyStar 6VABX2 VER. 2.0 motherboard + PIII 550MHz.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1kt68aws8/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 


*


----------



## jaggerwild (Jun 25, 2017)

Love the shredded cables on the IDE!!!!!


----------



## ozkisses (Jun 25, 2017)

Can't wait for the next episode


----------



## Mr.Scott (Jun 25, 2017)

On your Slot A's,
Don't be too quick to toss those non or mis working CPU's. The Irongate boards even with the correct bios were picky about what processors were supported and supported correctly.
You need a KX133 chipset board for full support. 
Good luck on your GFD quest. It took me near 10 years to find one.


----------



## Robert B (Jun 25, 2017)

10 YEARS for a GFD!!! HOLY COW...  3650, 3649, .......2560.....114,..........0 - are we there yet??!?!?

I already had my sights on a KX133 - I found one last year but I wasnt quick enough!

I found two SLOT A motherboards but they are both on the Irongate chipset so I think I'm goind to pass.


----------



## Robert B (Jul 4, 2017)

This episode is plain and simple called: *NOTHING SPECTACULAR*. I'm sure you will agree with me, if not entirely, at least in part.

*Here it goes* 

The two graphic adapters I'm about to tell you about, *aren't something extraordinary or eye catching, *but they kept me busy for a few hours 

My last visit to the *flea market* ended with the purchase of a *Leadtek WinFast A7600 GS TDH 256MB 128bit AGP* graphic card and a *Inno3D Tornado Geforce 2 MX400 - M400R12 64MB 64bit AGP* graphic card, that's quite a mouthfull for a low end card 

So here I was with two cards which by some standards should've been left in the scrapheap  

The *Leadtek *was bought because it looked pretty clean. Some light dust and a few scratches here and there. I couldn't leave it to die so I gave it another lease of life, providing, of course that future testing will reveal that it is in good working condition. Otherwise it will be a clean good looking paper weight  just like my dead Leadtek 6600GT.

The *Inno3D* was bought just for the name Inno3D. It reminds me of some nice cards back in the day. This card was absolutely disgusting! At first, the back label tricked me and I thought it was a 64 bit DDR card, but in the end I found out it is a *64 bit SDR card*. I wiped the dirt from a VRAM module and tried to find some information by searching the codes.* Tough LUCK!!! Who the F..K is SOLUTION?!?! *So I said to myself how can I differentiate *SDR and DDR* without puting the card in a PC? EASY! Just *count* the contact points on one side of a SDR or DDR memory chip. *The SDR IC has 27x2 contact points and the DDR should have at least 33x2 or more contact points on the PCB.* Mistery solved: Inno3D has SDR and 64 bit - YUCK!!! How low can you get....



 

 

Regardless, what I own* MUST BE SPOTLESS *so I carried on with the cleaning process.

*Steps*:

*1.* Full disassembly.
*2.* Isopropyl alcohol 99% wash. Some paper laber labels were hurt in the process. Inno3D lost some text in translation but that's no big problem 
*3.* Cleaning of the fans and heatsinks.
*4.* Oiling of the fans.
*5.* Cleaning of the brackets.
*6.* Straightening of the bent heatsink fins on the 7600GS.
*7. *New Arctic MX-4 thermal grease and new Arctic heatpad for the 7600GS PCI-E/AGP bridge IC. Inno3D has a glued heatsink and it was left in place. The heatsink is croocked and one side is in the air.A 10/10 job! GG!!!
*8.* Final assembly.

You are familiar with the steps above and they dont need further clarification. I take my "work" very serious 

In the end both of the cards came out pretty well. As expected the Leadtek was better looking.

Note. The exposed die of the 7600 GS is chipped on all four corners due to the fact that when any kind of force is applied on the heatsink, it moves accordingly. Four sponge black squares were glued to the heatsink but they werent sufficient to prevent chipping. BAD DEISGN CHOICE!!! Anyway the damage is not terminal and future testing will reveal if the card is alive or not. The PCI-E/AGP bridge IC is not chipped at all.

*This was a short account about two cards who were lucky enough to come into my little-big collection *

*Arrival state:*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/tn6j5iy8/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Cleaning: *

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2siob7t6w/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Final results: *

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1024r0i64/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*More later.*

*P.S.* This week I'll receive three graphic cards which should be quite pleasent to look at: A *VIOLET* violent thing, A smaller *Ti* and the original *trinitrotoluene*  Sneak peek Thursday or Friday


----------



## Robert B (Jul 6, 2017)

*FRESH DELIVERY!!!*

The V1 has slight damage but I hope it can repaired 

Full cleanup and other details later.

All the pieces will be photographed, cleaned and returned to their original glory!!!!


----------



## Robert B (Jul 6, 2017)

*Laaaaaaaaaaaaadieeeeeeeeeeees and gentlemen!!!* today was another of those glorious days!

*I feel great!!!* Today I received some great* hardware*:

* a *V1* which was really something back in the day, 
* a *TNT* which when it came out couldnt make us imagine how BIG nVIDIA will become, or that it will bring the demise of 3dfx, GREAT things sometimes have humble beginnings,
* a *GF 3 Ti 200*, a smaller Ti, but it still packs a punch
* a *GF 2 Ti* , sooooooo *VIOLET* and pretty rare.





Not all is *sunshine and roses*. One of the cards has some signs of damage. We will see later which one it is.

Before we tackle the main course may I suggest some appetizers? 

This episode is called: *"A Little bit of house cleaning"*

*So be it!*

*House clean*....say what?!?! Have you lost your marbles? No. No, I'm not really talking about house cleaning, it's just a way to speak about my builds and my HW stash  So, we get to the gist of the phrase. One of my finished builds was suffering of an unknown problem. The PIII-550 build was losing its BIOS settings once it was unplugged from the mains.

*PIII-550MHz losing BIOS settings? NO WAY!!!*

I tried:

* New CMOS/BIOS battery - *NO DICE!*
* Bending the contacts of the battery socket from the mainboard - *NO DICE!*

After *several hours* of searching on the internet I found a post which suggested the *PSU might be the culprit.*

The *235W JNC*, which is more than 18 years old, to be the culprit?!?!  . *NO WAY!!!* I opened it, but I saw no sign of damage. The multimeter test during LOAD revealed great voltages. Hmmmm, then it might be the *CapXcon caps* for sure.











I went to a local company and bought a SH PSU with 1 year warranty *HEC - 300W *model *HEC 300-TA-2WX - Bronze rating.*









Yes, yes, I know I'm replacing *a crappy PSU with a less crappy PSU,* but it is vital that I know the PSU is the culprit before I invest in a better one. I went from CapXcon to TEAPO... not much of an upgrade. Regardless, the system wont run 24/7.

After I replaced the PSU, the PIII-550 build didnt lose its BIOS settings after it was disconnected from the mains. *PROBLEM SOLVED!* 

*A tight fit!*





The HEC PSU is very silent and has another advantage. It takes the heat produced by the CPU out of the case. The 12 cm fan is better placed than the 8 cm one form the JNC PSU. The SLOT CPUs have the nasty habbit to blow heat over the graphic card and into the top of the case. *TALK ABOUT BAD DESIGN CHOICES!!!*

I also tested the *Inno3D MX-400* graphic card, which runs great. The poor man's Geforce 256  - The fan is running great even after all these years of abuse.









Now we get to the part *WITHOUT* *sunshine and roses*.

The *V1* which was the most important to me, came a little damaged:

*a. *One solid capacitor almost lost its head, not in translation, but literally - needs replacement
*b. *Minor damage to the contact pins, in the shape of the letter "Z", of the graphic chips - the damage is not terminal, and there are no signs of separation from the PCB or contact between them
*c. * Small scrathes on the PCB traces - the damage is not terminal













The V1 was tested by the owner and it run well even with the problems mentioned above.

All in all I call this V1 - Functional but without ALL CREWS REPORTING...for now...

The *GF3 Ti 200* doesnt have the original fan but I believe I can make a better job *I believe = I KNOW 4 SURE!!!*

*More later. * Next comes the "recovery" of all the pacients!

*Cast:*

*1.* *AOpen* Geforce 2 Ti 64MB DDR AGP - *GF2TiVX V64
2. Asus* Geforce 3 Ti 200 - 64MB DDR AGP - *V8200T2/64MB/(TVR)* Rev. 1.00
*3.* *Creative* Riva TNT 16MB SDR AGP - *CT6710
4.* *Diamond *Monster 3D (3Dfx Voodoo 1) 4MB PCI - Rev.E


----------



## Robert B (Jul 7, 2017)

Today I spent* two hours* with the *repair of the damaged V1.*

I watched a *YouTube video* and I saw there is *no big deal* with the soldering of an SMD capacitor. *The hardest part is to remove *such a capacitor because *to do it right* you would need *a soldering station with a heat gun* and I dont have one. *Luckily *my job was already done as the capacitor lost its head  Besides the damaged capacitor *another one* was a little out of its normal position but because the shift was very small I decided to change it* only if the V1 wouldnt work as intended.*

I used *a small soldering* iron and in seconds I removed the damaged capacitor. Then I used *solder wick* to remove the leftover solder.





I searched a spare *SMD 10uf 16V* in my box-o-parts and other donor cards but I couldnt find one. So I went to a *local electronics shop* but they didnt have a capacitor either.

*So I said to myself,* instead of losing my time searching in the local shops, who only sell dodgy electrolytic capacitors, *I should go to a repair center.* So I went to *the local SAMSUNG service center.* I knew the people there were nice and I had a better chance to find what I was looking for.

I went to the repair center and* I asked politely *if they could help me. I talked to a gentleman and I said that I need a few SMD capacitors 10uf 16V. *I said in exchange I would offer a good price.* So after 5 minutes in which I heard a promising metalic rattle in a plastic container, the gentleman came back with two new capacitors  





*WIN! WIN! WIN! * I overpaid a little but now I know I have a reliable source for other components I might need.

*20 mintes later the capacitor was resting neatly on the PCB.*

*First I put solder on one PAD, then I soldered one leg of the capacitor, then, after I saw that the position was good I soldered the other leg.*













*Problem solved!*

I tested *the V1 in the PIII-550* and it was identified correctly.

























*I didnt play a game with the V1 but I say it is OKAY! I'll run some demos at a later date.*

Now I can focus on the other cards, as the damaged V1 took over all my thoughts!

I bought another liter of *isopropyl alcohol 99%* just to be sure I have enough for the task ahead.





*Next will come the restoration of the other three "victims".* 

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/huyafb64/


----------



## Robert B (Jul 10, 2017)

*An UNEXPECTED Event!*

Yesterday I received *two IDE HDDs*. Nothing to write home about, *right?* This is also exactly what I was thinking. *But wait, there is a catch to this, apparently innocuous event!* He He...

When I heard the name of the first HDD I was about to receive, I was like this: *Quantum* (This sounds about right (raised eyebrow)), *Trail......*(WAIT, IT CANNOT BE!),* .....BLAZER*(ARE YOU FOR REAL?!)

When I saw the HDDs in the flesh, I found out that one was a *Quantum Trailblazer 850MB*  my first HDD, and the other was a *Seagate Medalist ST38420A - 8.6 GB*. When I saw the Seagate I said *WTH! *happened here. Someone separated the* metallic glued top* and now it was glued to the *specifications sticker.* That certain someone also removed the *platter protectiom sticker.* *Observe *the pine tree and the read-write head reflection in the platter . I applied *ORAFOL Film* to temporary protect the platters and I also used *a hair dryer* to separate the metallic cover from the specifications sticker.

*Soon I will test the HDDs.* The *Quantum* looks MINT and if it works as good as it looks, it will take the place of the other Quantum Trailblazer from the 5x86 build, as the latter has seen several hundred thousands of miles of usage and I want to protect it . The* Seagate *might work, I dont know.

*Quantum TRAILBLAZER 840AT* - P/N TR84A011 Rev. 02-D - *funny thing that when you want something, it comes when you least expect it, from someone you least expect it and sometimes in pairs. Now I have TWO Quantum Trailblazers...special event for sure *











*Seagate Medalist ST38420A - 8.6 GB* - This is a case of an extremely curious individual or an uninformed one. If it wont work then we know why it looks like this. 

























gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/33l81eb06/

*Testing, TESTING, 1,2....t e s t i n g!*

Today I ran some tests on:

* *Quantum TRAILBLAZER TRB850A / 840AT* 850MB  P/N TR84A011 Rev. 02-D
* *Seagate Medalist ST38420A* 8.6GB

*Quantum TRAILBLAZER TRB850A* is working fine but not all was *smooth sailing.*

*Initial testing* revealed some problems with the Quantum. The read /write graphs in HDD Tune were kind of bad. The tests were made using an Abit Serillel adapter, AT PSU, ExpressCard - eSATA card, on my Acer Aspire 5315 laptop. The most important fact is that it has no reallocated sectors and the motor works well.





First, the HDD was put through several cycles of ERASE and VERIFY in *HDD Tune*, followed by another set of ERASE and VERIFY cycles in *HDDScan 3.3* - on Windows 10. HDDScan has shown some sectors with delays. These delays were consistent and I was pretty sure that the years it stood in storage, a bad PSU, inadequate storage and other factors have made the HDD to not function properly.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1h82ougng/



 

 

 

 

 

 



The files on the HDD were from 1999/2000 and they were *ERADICATED!* 

I ran a *HDD Regenerator * test on Win 10 to see the real state of the HDD . Yep *HDDScan* was right. DELAYS DELAYS DELAYS. A full format didnt fix this.





Next I took the HDD and I put it in the rack from the PIII-550 build and I ran three passes of HDD Regenerator. I was pretty sure that this wil fix it.

*I wasnt wrong.* Look how nicely the read graph goes down and remember how it looked before. I also ran Atto, and  Roadkil's Disk Speed tests on Win 98SE. THE HDD IS MINT!!!

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/jhtn31qo/



 

 



*Seagate Medalist ST38420A* - the situation wasnt pretty at all.

I hooked it to a PSU and when I saw that the motor was not working I knew it was kind of done for.

I removed the PCB and after I saw burn marks I knew for sure it was done. This was the motive that it looked strange with the removed metalic cover. The owner maybe didnt check the PCB or he tried to spin it by hand......etc etc etc.

*I kept* the PCB, the screws, the magnets and the rest went into the trash.

*Case closed!* I'm not keeping broken pieces of hardware and especially broken HDDs.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/31mm5kr5m/



 

 

 

 

 



*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 12, 2017)

*3dfx Voodoo 1 - Diamond Monster 3D PCI 4MB & Creative Labs Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT - CT6710 - 16MB AGP - IN THE HOUSE!!!*

Today *I took my sweet time* and I've returned these two beauties to their original glory!

Some *battle scars* remain, but a *V1* is still a *V1* even knee deep in the dead and a *TNT* is still a *TNT* under a foot of rubble.

You are well acquainted with the procedures that have been performed so *I think there is no need for further details.* (Full dismantling-Protection of the stamped ink markings-Cleaning-Washing with isopropyl alcohol 99%-Reassembly-Sit back and enjoy a job well done  ).

*Shiny TRINKETS!!! *



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/j69nvyxw/

*3dfx Voodoo 1 - Diamond Monster 3D PCI 4MB Rev. E*

*Arrival state*



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2w79wobe6/

*Preparation*



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1fnyy8l2o/

*Results*



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1i9timud2/

*Photographs aplenty*

Here I took no prisoners and took as many photos as I could.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/3jgndh1q4/

*Creative Labs Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT - CT6710 - 16MB AGP*

*Arrival state*



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/nw8sc23o/

*Preparation*





*Results*



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1vldb3nou/

*Photographs aplenty*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1nixi726y/

*Next * will be the turn of the Asus Geforce 3 Ti 200 - 64MB DDR AGP - V8200T2/64MB/(TVR) Rev. 1.00 and last but not least the AOpen Geforce 2 Ti 64MB DDR AGP - GF2TiVX V64. I keep this purple beauty for later. I'm sure the camera will love it! 

As usual....*MORE LATER!!!*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 14, 2017)

*ASUS nVIDIA GeForce 3 Ti 200 V8200T2/DELUXE/64M/P - V8200T2/64MB/(TVR) Rev. 1.00*

I liked this *golden* graphic card as soon as I laid my eyes on it  I knew* it had some problems*, like the missing of the original fan, but given it is was a *Geforce 3 Ti 200* I took the decision to buy it. I was assured by the seller that* it is in good working condition.*

After the work done to restore the *Diamond VooDoo 1* and the *Creative Riva TNT* it was the turn of the *Asus Geforce 3 Ti 200,* while *the purple AOpen Geforce 2 Ti *will the last to receive a full SPA treatment.

*Said and done!*

At first the Asus *was looking rather clean* as the golden color was very good at masking the dirt and grime.

Besides *non-original fan*, the card has some *minor scufs*, the tip of some of the push-pins have *signs of abrasion* and one of the ICs on the PCB has *a chipped corner*. The good news is that the IC doesnt have the metal insides exposed so* it survived*. Also the tip of the push-pins stand higher than the rest of the ICs so they saved a bunch of other components. *GOOD FOR THEM!!!* The paper labels have signs of water damage and the bracket has a white deposit. A green marker was used by someone on some surfaces and labels....WTF!!! ok OK ok OOOOKKKKK!!!! I'm only three and a half years o l d!...

*Arrival state*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1hph2pasm/

*Repair*

First on the agenda was *the fan* of the graphic card. Because the cooling system was looking close to the one of the AOpen Geforce 2 Ti, I made *a comparison* and I found out that *the original fan was inverted* and the motor was attached to the metal plate that it is fixed with screws. *You will see later what I am talking about when I tear up the AOpen.* The replacement fan on the Asus has *a non standard size* so I couldnt swap it with one from by box-o-parts and I had to reuse it. I checked if the original *fan wires* are long enough and I soldered them to the fan, directly.  That meant that the RPM fan (blue) was useless and I put some electrical tape and tucked it under the fan. I also used *double sided tape* to fix the black and red wires so that the soldered connections werent under stress and in danger to separate. I found *four identical screws* to fix the metal plate and because the fan label didnt have ebough glue on it I improvised something quick.



 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1vxtd9qq4/

After the fan, I cleaned *the rust *that was present on the *VGA connector*, *the screw* that fixes the metal bracket,* the thread* of the metal bracket and on *the springs* of the push-pins. *I told you earlier that this card had contact with water.*

*I used an AUTO, liquid, rust remover.* *The springs and the screw* went into a bottle cap and stayed in solution for 15-20 minutes until I saw some bubbles forming. *The rust on the VGA connector* was removed with a cotton stick dipped in solution and the rust on the thread of the bracket was removed with a bamboo stick dipped in solution. *This rust remover solution really IS THE SOLUTION for my RUST problems * . Did I mention I F.....G HATE RUST!?!?!?

*The bracket* was also cleaned with mild abrasive paste. *The push-pins* took a bath also 

*All the parts came out like NEW!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2xt0d837m/

After all this work I was already on a roll, and the cleaning of the heatsinks was piece of cake! *Looking good!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/lcibjp7o/

*The isopropyl alcohol 99% bath* went well and because I knew the card had some contact with water, I took the precaution to get the alcohol deep under the graphic chip and the memory chips. *A BIG A$$ needle was used*, the right tool for the job!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/325nvtj5u/

After these stages I was rather sure the assembly will be *painless.* Little did I know...

When I first removed the video memory heatsinks I was amazed that *no thermal paste or thermal pads were used.*

After a close look I found out why thermal paste or thermal pads werent used on the video memory chips. The main heatsink is so low that if thermal pads were used then the heatsink wasnt making good contact with the GPU.*GREAT!* If they used paste the results could be messy so they left them dry. The heatsinks are just shiny trinkets that didnt make contact with all the memory chips.*GG! Asus!!*





So I had to do something about this "problem".

*ARCTIC MX-4 FTW!!!*

THERMAL PASTE *TAKE 1* - TOO MUCH!!! Clean up the mess and try again.



 



Thermal paste *TAKE 2* - STILL TOO MUCH!!! Thermal paste comes out from under the heatsinks, clean up the mess and  try again.

*&#*(!(&^#*(!^~~~~!!!!!*



 

 

 

 

 



*TAKE 3* - What if I try themal pads? NOT GOOD - TRY AGAIN!!!

^$&!^$^~!~~~(#(~&###

I had some *SOFT ARCTIC blue thermal pads* and I took one piece, put it under two sheets of plastic and used a flat tool *to spread it*. Afterwards I cut it to size and put it on the memory ICs. ^#!^(!#~~!!!! *the push-pins are offset* and pressure on the heatsinks isnt uniform so one side sits higher. Paper thin pads are still too thick ...*good luck attaching the heatsink for the GPU!!!
*


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Thermal paste *TAKE 4* - pls pls pls pretty pls, may the HW GODS smile down upon me 

*JUST RIGHT!!!*





When I put *thermal paste on the GPU* I also had problems, first it was too little, second time was too much and the third time was just right  This was rather unusual too  never happened to me before 

I couldnt leave the memory ICs without paste. It was easier but where is the FUN in THAT!!! 

*REPORTING IN, SIR!!!!!! At ease PRIVAT AsSsuuuSsS!!!*



 



*FINAL RESULTS!!!*- not bad I might say!

After all this work, that took 8-10 hours over two days, I asked myself, was worth it? You can find the answer yourselves, *just look bellow.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/orkut2xw/

*More later.*


----------



## jaggerwild (Jul 14, 2017)

Love your attention to detail. You keeping all this harddware? You could probably open a E bay store n fetxh a pretty penny for this stuff.....


----------



## Robert B (Jul 14, 2017)

Details, details, details, attention to details makes all the difference  

I am in the "accumulation" stage and for now I keep all my stuff. All my pieces are sparkling and squeaky clean just as I like them. It's kind of scary how many parts I have gathered in a couple of years without even trying too hard. Some might be put for sale.

An ebay store? Who knows? I was thinking about it a few days ago. The only problem is that I will need a steady supplier of HW to really do something BIG. There are already people who have a direct connection with recycling centers and they "regulate" the market.


----------



## Robert B (Jul 19, 2017)

*AOpen Geforce 2 Ti VX 64MB DDR AGP - GF2TiVX-V64*

After quite a ride  we have arrived at the last card *to be returned to its original glory! * 

Last but not least, I present to you, the *AOpen Geforce 2 Ti 64MB DDR AGP - GF2TiVX-V64*

This *purple beauty* made me want *to OWN IT* as soon as I saw it. Needless to say I paid the price and *it was MINE!*

Like the other three of her sisters, the Diamond *V1*, The Riva *TNT* and the *GF3* Ti 200, this *GF2* also came without its shine but I was sure under that dirt I can find the lost sparkle  BLING BLING I'm such a PURPLE THING 

*Said and done! *

*Arrival state*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/hgz8c04u/



 

 

 

 

 



I quickly *stripped the card* and I had all the parts ready for inspection and cleaning.

*Cleaning*

Here it was *business as usual*  - *dust, dirt and contaminated grease/oil.*

You can see *the inverted fan design*. When the card is installed in a tower case, the motor sits down on the metal plate and the fan rests on top of it. Kind of interesting I might say. The fan has *the typical* ball bearing and sleeve bearing design. Nothing fancy.

First I tried *to remove the motor* but it was held tight and instead I decided *to remove just the fan.* I heated the AOpen sticker well with a hair drier and with a fine screwdriver I gently removed the sticker. Luckily the sticker didnt lose its glue. I put it safely on a piece of cerated paper. Afterwards I removed the white plastic retaining washer and the fan was free. All of the pieces,  except the ball bearing, received a good cleaning and an isopropyl alcohol 99% bath.

I took great care *not to damage the fine copper wires of the fan motor.* I used just *sprays* of isopropyl alcohol 99% and  I *shaked it genlty.* The surrounding area was cleaned with cotton sticks, beeing *VERY CAREFULL* not to touch the copper wires. *Otherwise BYE BYE MOTOR!!!*





















I cleaned the push-pins and I oiled everything *that needed oil *and then I assembled the cooling system.















I also *cleaned the bracket.*





The card received an *isopropyl alcohol 99% wash* and I removed a paper sticker which didnt belong on the card. In the end the GF2 came out very good. I knew it didnt lost its sparkle. Now it was shining in my face 

*Here I was a little puzzled. Eversince I removed the heatsink, I saw on the GPU, the GEFORCE 2 GTS marker and under it the Ti VX.I knew this card wasnt a full Ti but I wasnt expecting a glorified in your face GTS  *

I took this info from the VGA Museum site by looking at Geforce 2 cards. Here are the reference speeds:

*Geforce 2 GTS* - GPU clock *200 MHz* - MEM clock *333 MHz* http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/component/k2/item/246-nvidia-geforce2-gts
*Geforce 2 Pro *- GPU clock *200 MHz* - MEM clock *400 MHz* http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/247-nvidia-geforce2-pro
*Geforce 2 Ti Vx* - GPU clock *225 MHz* - MEM clock *400 MHz* http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/technologies/item/880-nvidia-geforce2-ti-vx
*Geforce 2 Ti* -  GPU clock *250 MHz* - MEM clock *400 MHz* http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/249-nvidia-geforce2-ti
*Geforce 2 Ultra* - GPU clock* 250 MHz* - MEM clock *460 MHz* http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/component/k2/item/248-nvidia-geforce2-ultra



















gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/ognsuaec/

Arctic MX-4 thermal paste was used on the GPU die.

*Final results*

Well the results....*speak for themselves* 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/3f8n5xlky/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After this *I tested the GF2, GF3 and the TNT.* All are in GOOD WORKING CONDITION! 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/l17bfx1s/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


*
The MAGNIFICENT.....four 



 

 

 





More later.

*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 28, 2017)

*The MYSTICAL / MYTHICAL ADVENTURE!*

*Thursday* I received a package with *three graphic cards.* *Two* of these cards fit nicely into the *MYSTICAL / MYTHICAL *category (IMO). *The third one* will also be included into this category even if it is more common, just because it came to replace a "departed" friend. A few days ago I presented to you my deceased Leadtek 6600GT. I cleaned it well and I put it in a box among other of her sisters. Ever since I got it back from my cousin, years ago, I was thinking about her premature death from a crappy cooling fan. Not anymore. Together with the two mystical / mythical cards I received a functional Leadtek WinFast A600GT TDH just like the one I had. YAY!!! This card came as a bonus from the seller of the other two  Sure enough the fan was not turning very well when I received it...... Design flaws DAMN IT!!! This story will be said later....

*Lets meet the three guests, shall we?*

1. *Hercules* 3D PROPHET II GTS PRO 64
2. *PowerColor EvilKing IV* VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 AGP 32 MB SDRAM - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001 
3. *Leadtek* WinFast A6600GT TDH  

I wasnt planning to include in my collection a *Hercules* card, anytime soon. Not to speak, such a BEAUTY. *The intense deep blue colour with vivid blue heatsinks is a joy to behold.* Blue is one of my favourite colours by the way. I still remember the retail box art from the advertisments for Hercules cards posted in the national IT magazine CHIP. Wicked stuff! Good Old Days...I hate getting older even if I'M NOT OLD NOW!!!

Ever since I laid my eyes on the *VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500* card I wanted to HAVE IT!. Small, fragile, delicate, it was speaking to me. It was in stark contrast with my view of 3dfx cards. FULL PCB "monsters"  I See this card as a curiosity, a last tremor from 3dfx a few months before it was sold to nVIDIA. From another perspective I see this card as a half of VooDoo 5 5500. Loosely speaking two of the VSA-100 chips from the V4 4500 linked in SLI make a VooDoo 5 5500. 

Even if I never owned a 3dfx back in the day, when they were at their prime, lately I started to really like them. I made a quick headcount and I have a total of nine 3dfx cards:* 1*xV1-PCI, *2*xBanshee-PCI, *3*xV2-PCI, *2*xV3-AGP, *1*xV4 4500 AGP. Who knows, maybe I'll find a *VooDoo 5* without beeing forced to sell my kidney . A *RUSH* might be just around the corner too 

But lets return to the task at hand.

Because the Hercules requires more attention to detail and I just cleaned a Leadtek 6600GT, I started first with the *VooDoo 4  / VooDoo4.*

*PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001 *

*Arrival state*

The card came with the fan shroud broken in two places. The 5V ball bearing fan wasnt turning very well. The bracket had a gold deposit and it lost its shine. *Nothing unusual.* I dont want to mention the specific smell of old dirty electronics. Anyone who opened up a box full with such relics knows the smell well 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1jn796vy2/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



*Cleaning*

First I cleaned *the bracket* with mild abrasive paste and a cloth. Next came *the screws* which first took a bath in a rust remover solution. *Another day at the office.*

The *VGA connector* was also cleaned with mild abrasive paste and rust was removed with the same rust remover solution. It came out as NEW.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2ewk4b60s/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The fan *required more work but again nothing too difficult. Careful cleaning using cotton sticks and isopropyl alcohol 99% was the order for the day.

*The fan shroud* was glued back with superglue. 

When I took apart the fan I saw that it was *missing the back sticker.* Also I saw that the fan might have lost *a rubber plug* to keep inside the oil for the sleeve bearing. I took a big O-ring, a blade and I cut a fine slice. Afterwards I trimmed the slice and I was left with an almost perfect plug.

I put the *ball bearing in a oil bath* fully aware that the oil might not get into the bearing. It was just a precaution as it was already spinning nicely. I might open such a bearing in the near future to grease it. I saw on the net that it is possible.

I used a *thicker oil* to grease the fan.

A piece of *electrical tape* held everything in place.

I *tested* the assembled fan and it runs well even if it is past its prime.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2ncdi9mwq/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The *cleaning of the PCB* doesnt pose a problem to me. The fact the the backside doesnt have any IC's was a big plus as it meant less work.

After *the first wash with isopropyl alcohol 99%* when the card seemed clean, I took a cotton disk and scrubbed the surface. I was amazed that dirt was still present. In the end, four wash cycles were required until the PCB was squeaky clean. The tiny holes in the PCB are traps for dirt and grime.

On the *frontside* of the card I had to use many cotton sticks and soft and harder burshes.  Even so I had to insist on the IC's and memory chips. The plastic part of the VGA connector was covered in a brownish deposit.

*The heatsink* had a black deposit and I used a tooth brush to clean it.

Even if the card *looked kind of clean* in the first pictures, dont be fooled by appearances. It was dirty.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/kiztsj5i/









 



 





 



 



 

 







*Final results*

4 hours well spent. Flawless VICTORY!!!

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/15ummylti/



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



NEXT will be the *Hercules* and *Leadtek cards.*



 

 

 

 

 

*More later!*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 4, 2017)

*Hercules 3D PROPHET II GTS PRO 64* - nVIDIA Geforce 2 /Geforce2 GTS

This *awesome beauty* really is something to BEHOLD. The combination of the *deep blue* PCB, the *vivid blue* of the heatsinks coupled with the *black fan* and the *chromed* bracket make the card to stand out from the crowd.

Even the name of the card is kind of special:  *HERCULES 3D PROPHET II GTS PRO 64*.

*I wasnt successful* on *my first attempt to buy* this card from the previous owner but *in the end* I bought it together with the *PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo4 / VooDoo 4 4500* when *the seller agreed to adjust the price for me.* Good times!

*Arrival state*

When I received the card, it *looked kind of clean* but I knew that after all these years, it couldnt be so. You'll see the pictures in the cleaning section and I'm sure you'll agree with me.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/17fiqp0za/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Restoration & Cleaning*

I cleaned well *the bracket*. As usual it came out shining.  The screws also took a bath in a rust remover solution to remove some discoloration.









When I removed the *four black screws* that hold the fan I saw the tell tale marks of water contact. The thread was rusted on at least two screws. I put the screws in a rust remover solution but that made the black paint to be also removed, so I took the decision to paint them gloss black. I was very pleased with the results.To paint the heads I threaded the screws in a piece of cardboard and to paint the threads I fixed them on a piece of paper tape placed upside down. When I assembled the fan and the heatsink I took the precaution to use a microfiber cloth to not damage the painted screws. *Attention to detail is everything! *


























The *cleaning of the fan* wasnt very difficult. By luck, the glue of the black sticker remained on the backside of the fan so I was able to reuse the sticker. The fan has a ball bearing and a sleeve bearing combo. When I received the card, the fan wasnt turning freely. After I did my magic it spins effortlessly. I also protected the little label when I washed the fan with isopropyl alcohol 99%. *I also changed the tired full plastic push-pins with a new pair from a DeepCool V50 cooler. I used Arctic MX-4 on the graphic chip.*







































gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1948r2iik/

The *cleaning of the PC*B took some work and several cleaning cycles but I was rewarded with a glass like surface. *This made all the time spent well worth it.* The graphic chip had some kind of thermal pad. At first I didnt want to remove the heatsink as it wasnt moving at all. Later I took the decision to remove it no matter what. I was determined to avoid any damage so I put the card upside down and with a syringe full of isopropyl alcohol I soaked the underside of the heatsink. I left it for about 15 minutes. Afterwards I took a small hair dryer and I heated up the heatsink for 20-30 seconds checking from 10 seconds to 10 seconds the temperature of the metal. A gentle twist and the heatsink was free. The cleanup of the thermal compound took some elbow grease and isopropyl alcohol 99%.


gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/ep3ek664/



















































*Final results*

He He He - *business as usual...* I have a reputation to uphold 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/q4pltqv0/























































*More later.  *


----------



## Robert B (Aug 5, 2017)

*Leadtek WinFast A6600GT TDH *

This card came as* a bonus* with the purchase of the *3dfx V4* and *Hercules Geforce 2 GTS.* Revision *F1* is the working one and revision *H1* is my dead card from 2005.

Having already cleaned the H1, the F1 didnt pose any difficulty. This functional replacement came just in time. Now I can put to rest one of my many demons...

*Arrival state *

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/26atagjlo/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Cleaning*

*Business as usual, again.* This time I bought a CD marker to restore two stamped ink markings. I was too excited and my hand wasnt so steady as it should've been. Next time I'll use a small piece from a credit card to help me trace the lines . The sticker from the back of the fan has lost some of its glue when I took it off but in the end I placed it back for the sake of "originality" It wont come off as it sits in the small round depression in the heatsink.

The fan wasnt turning as freely as it should've had to. See the DIRT BOMB like dust around the heatsink  This card has a few miles under its belt 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/17yi3k112/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Final results*

*Squeaky clean!*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/jyuc3h2u/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I hope you have enjoyed the last episode of my HW adventures. *

Here they are, the last *three beautiful cards* to enter my collection.

Next I'll test the V4 and the GF 2 GTS. 

*More later. *


----------



## Robert B (Aug 21, 2017)

*My fellow comrades and old HW enthusiasts, I have very SAD news to give to you.* The *V4 is DEAD* and the *BLUE WONDER Hercules* has given me some troubles too. Thankfully in the case of the GTS it was a curious case of *VooDoo spells*....

Here's the latest episode in my *HW ADVENTURE!!!* The things I've seen until now and the things I've seen over the horizon are out of this world  I wish I had more money to indulge myself. *So many temptations...*I cant even begin to tell you about them...Abit BX6, BH6, Epox KX133, Pentium PRO's....sheeshh I need more minerals, ahem $$$$,.....so many missed opportunities....I should be gratefull for what I have gathered until now but I cant change human nature....the questin IS when will it be ENOUGH!?...a very good question indeed...

*Let's get on with the SHOW!!!

The UNKNOWN CONDITION and THE BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. * (This sounds about right...how's that for a TITLE?)

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

*The UNKNOWN CONDITION*

A few days after I have cleaned the *6600GT*, the *GTS* and the *V4* I was feeling pretty fine, the sky was blue, the birds were singing, the weather was superb, you get the idea...I wanted to test the cards and *I wasnt forseeing any troubles ahead.*  The cleaning process went without a hitch.

*Said and done.* I quickly took out the *Good Ol' PIII 550* build and I inserted the mighty *HERCULES 3D Prophet GF2* in the AGP slot FTW!!!

*Power ON!* All the beeps are OK but I quickly realize that *the fan wasnt working as it should.* DAMN!!! It spinned for several seconds then it stoped. Sheeeshhh I dont want to stick an aftermarket fan on the pristine blue heatsink *I WANT THE ORIGINAL!!!*

*VooDOO SPELL ON THE FAN - JINX jinx JINX IT BABY!!!* Sure enough the spell had effect and I WANT to know WHO CAST IT!!!

When *the fan was mounted on the heatsink* it only spinned for about *5 seconds* then it would stop and it wouldnt spin even if I tried to move it by hand. Each restart would have the exact result! %#@&^%%#$^@%^&#!!!

I *removed the fan* while I was talking to myself and at the same time I was very careful not to scratch the freshly painted black screws. *I took it apart again but I saw nothing wrong with it.* *Just my rotten luck!*

I took *a pointed bamboo stick* and I tried to gently move an *IC* on the PCB of the fan.I was very carefull not to touch or damage the fine copper wires of the winding. I assembled the fan back and I did another test. Now the fan would run for *10 seconds* and then it would stop.

*VooDoo people MAGIC people*....Prodigy...all right...

*Maybe the IC was damaged or a solder joint went bad?*

I *proceeded to remove the motor* from the plastic frame of the fan. VERY RISKY BUSINESS! One wrong move and the fan was toast.

*First I tried to move the motor by hand.* NO DICE! Then I took a *bamboo stick* and I started from one side then from the other side to try and separate the motor. *Small steps and very careful moves.* I could break or damage the copper winding in a matter of nanoseconds.

*After a few tense moments *the motor was free. *NO SIGNS of damage*. Just some white deposits from the leftover flux.* I'll clean this mess later.*







I checked the *solder joints of the IC* but all was OK. I checked *the copper winding* and again all was OK. I saw that *one solder joint of the fine copper wires* of the winding was not up to spec so I took my small soldering iron and I had redone the three solder joints of the copper wires just for a test.





I assembled the fan and I made a test again using an AT PSU. *STILL THE SAME SYMPTOMS.* !!!!!!#@#$^@*&=^$@!!!!!

At this point I inserted the card back in the PC and *I took a reading of the voltage *put out by the fan header. *YEP 12V* ... just what I was expecting!





As I was left without options I put the entire motor in *an isopropyl alcohol 99% bath.*





After 15 minutes I dried the motor and assembled the fan without the plastic frame and I did a quick test. *I put the fan on the metal case of the PSU - the metal center of the motor on which the copper winding is wraped up was touching the metal.* BEHOLD THE FAN WORKED!!!YAY!!!





*Feeling good* I went to put back the entire fan. *I gently set the motor on the plastic frame of the fan and I powered it*. AGAIN THE FAN WORKED for* 5 seconds* then it stoped. &$@*(^@$^*(%!!!!!!!

I took out the motor from the plastic frame and I placed it onto the metal case of the PSU. *The fan worked. GOD DAMN IT!!! )&$*@#($&@!!!!!!$$$####*





*THIS IS CURIOUS AF! AF! AF!!!!!!!!!!!!*

I took *a sheet of paper* and while the fan was working I it put under the motor. Sure enough after 5 seconds the fan stopped...*TSK TSK TSK*...a HARD to remove VooDoo spell...DISPEL wont cut it here...





*Damn SON I'M DISAPPOINT!* 





During all the above tests *I tried to gently move the fine copper wires* of the winding thinking that I changed their position during cleaning but to no avail. I used a very fine needle and it was a very tense experience. I was 100% sure I DIDNT MOVED them during cleaning as I was VERY CAREFUL but I still did it as I was left without options.

I even took *a metal coin* and I did a test to see if the fan was working. YEP it worked all right. *GO FIGURE....
*






*If I placed the motor on the sticker of the PSU it worked if I put a sheet of paper under it it wouldnt work....*





Hmmm is there anything to be said??? 

I've redone the solder joints of the IC but I saw no changes. I took out an old fan and I thought to use the IC on it on the Hercules fan. By mistake the PCB of the old fan broke and bye bye replacement IC...GG!!!

I took the decision *to properly redo the solder joints of the copper wires* and I checked again the puzzling fan.





I had *a small 40mm  Scythe Mini Kaze* fan and I thought *to replace the motor* of the Hercules fan with the Scythe one.* I did the swap* as all the specs were the same but after a test revealed that the copper winding on the Scythe fan was to weak and the Hercules fan spinned very slow *I really was LEFT WITHOUT OPTIONS!*

By now *I was fed up with the F..KED Hercules fan* and I thought to use a DeepCool V50 cooler instead and throw the "ORIGINALITY" the WINDOW!

*One more try said my inner demon.* One more try....I took *the old damaged fan *and I inspected the bits. I saw two tiny metal bars which hold the beginning of the fine copper wires of the winding.





*I paused for a moment and I said to myself. If the fan only works when the metal cylinder of the winding is placed on a metal surface maybe one of the wires isnt making proper contact with the tiny metal poles. The fan works for 5 seconds then is stops. You can feel it is magnetically locked.*

*Then it hit me.* If I try to rotate the winding while I hold the PCB maybe something will be changed. I took the motor and I gently moved clockwise the winding holding it by the metal top while at the same time holding the PCB fixed. I felt a tiny move and I stopped. If I tried to move it more the fine coper wires could break.





*I assembled the motor and propeller.* I did a test and all was OK.

*I solved the problem?*

I placed the motor onto *the plastic frame* and I did a test. THE FAN WORKED!!!!





*UNBELIEVABLE! PROBLEM SOLVED!*

*Backtracking all this experience* I remembered that I tried to remove the motor form the frame the first time I clened the fan but I am 100% sure it never moved at all. If it moved then, the only parts that ever moved were the entire metal cylinder of the motor. My solution to move the winding+metal cylinder while holding the PCB is *an entirely different thing.* I dont think I was to blame here. The card was tested by the seller before it left. Something happened during shipping as we'll that the V4 also arrived with problems...

*What an adventure!* The ordeal took many hours spanned across several days but I was relentless and I was sure I could solve the problem!

When I put back the fan I saw that the thicker oil I used wasnt up to spec so I used *a thinner grease and a small amount of oil.* I took this measure as I saw that a new Fractal fan had the same grease inside.





I put the card in the PC and I was feeling OK that *the card was complete.* Sadly the ball bearing it is not so young anymore. The fans spins well and in the future I'll open up the ball bearing to grease it or I'll repalce the motor from a proper fan. Regardless, I can rest now that the card is as it should.









*As a conclusion I think that the gorgeous Hercules card is kind of kinky and wanted to me to enter were I wasnt supposed to. If she wants me to look into her headers or IC's I might not come back to tell the story...*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1e2nvvauu/

With the V4 the situation was hopeless...

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 22, 2017)

*THE BIG DISAPPOINTMENT*

When I first tested the *Hercules 3D PROPHET II GTS PRO 64* on the PIII-550 build, I also tested the *PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001 on the same configuration.*  Even from the start *the V4 would not give signal *and the PC Speaker would return the dreaded code *BAD VGA...bad vga...BAD VGA...*At first I thought it was just a bad case of incompatibility and I wasnt worried.While the Hercules was in the system I changed the AGP setting in BIOS from *2x* to *1x* and I tried the V4 again. To my disbelief nothing changed. *THIS IS NOT GOOD I said to myself.*

*The L shaped V4 is known to be an AGP 2x 3.3V* card despite the double notches on the AGP connector. The Luckystar 6VABX2 from the PIII build is an AGP 2x 3.3V motherboard. The *UNISEM US1150 CM * spec sheet indicated that it is a 3.3V component. I wasnt planing to use or test the V4 in an AGP 4x slot as I was afraid I might damage something.

When I received the *V4* together with the Hercules and the Leadtek cards, *the PowerColor* came with the fan shroud damaged. I knew that the seller made a test before sending it, so I knew that the fan didnt leave like that. The card was working when it was shipped so *something must have happened during transport.* The three cards were wraped in bubble wrap but *the box with which they came was very thin. * Also when I went to take the package from the courier, the small fragile box was on the floor of a van with other few big packages around. A very stupid thing if you ask me. A small shoe box should've been transported in the drivers cabin at least, not moving arround on a metal floor surrounded by other big packages which for sure moved all over the place.I'm sure the courier drivers are the most gentle on the planet...white van drivers.....I'm so pissed I cant even say anything more.

I saw the condition of the V4 before it was sent to me so I knew I had some work to do. You can see the cleaning process a few posts before.

*I'm 100% sure it wasnt damaged during the cleaning process. There's no way such a thing could've happened.*

Too bad I didnt follow the seller advice and test the card as soon as I received it not after I cleaned it. I, for one, dont power up dirty cards with signs of liquid contamination or hard to spin fans...too bad for me.

*Now I'm pissed that my V4 is KAPUT!!!*

I still dont know what could've happened during transport...as the box, albeit thin, didnt came with signs of damage. Maybe it was compressed by a larger box or something....

*TESTING testing t-E-s-T-i-N-g teeesssstinnnnggg......the V4....*

*Yep the V4 is DEAD alright*...I cant even be angry right now. This situation is like those in which you cant do a thing. *THAT's IT!!! TAKE IT LIKE A MAN! BACK TO THE PIT!!! *

Let's see what made draw such a conclusion.

*I tested the V4 on SIX motherboards* and on five of them the POST beep code was the same: *1 long beep and 3 short beeps - Video card not detected (reseat video card) or bad video card* - this code was also mentioned in the manual of the motherboards.  On one motherboard I didnt receive any beep code as I think it was pissed I gave it such a crappy card  I tried to wiggle the card in the AGP slot but nothing changed. The AGP slot of the PC CHIPS slot A motherboard is so tight that a bad connection of the card with the slot was excluded from the start.

When I tested the V4 on the PIII 550 build, in one instance, I didnt receive a beep code and I could hear the PC starting to load Win98 but soon it restarted. Unlike the Hercules fan the V4 fan ran smoothly.

V4 + *Lucky Star 6VABX2* + PIII 550MHz - AGP 2x, AGP1x - *NO DICE!*

V4 + *Gigabyte 6BXC* + PII 500MHz - AGP 2x -* NO DICE!*





V4 + *EPOX EP-58MVP3C-M* + K6-2 400MHz - AGP 2x - *NO DICE!*







V4 + *Asus K7M* + Athlon 700MHz - AGP 2x- *NO DICE!*







V4 + *PC CHIPS M800LMR *+ Athlon 700MHz - AGP 2x - *NO DICE!*










V4 + *ECS K7VTA3 KT333* + Athlon XP1900+ - Universal AGP - *NO DICE!*









*Conclusion:* *The V4 is gone.* It's hard for me to think it might be a case of a mysterious incompatibility. The V4 was tested on the K6-2 build where a V3 3000 is running well. In every instance where the V4 wasnt working, the Hercules card worked flawlessly. I had motherboards with AMI and AWARD BIOS chips. I tried many RAM sticks and CLEAR CMOS and everything I could think of. NO DICE!!! The next thing would be holy water or something.

*A few days after this blow, my mind was still searching for an answer.* Then it came to me the ideea to *submerge the card in isopropyl alcohol 99%.* Somebody asked if it was a practical measure so I wanted to try it.

I was hoping that maybe a fine piece of solder or other contaminant got caught somewhere and the card went in a safe mode or something. Most of the cards I have come from recycling centers.

*SUBMERGE! DIVE! DIVE!!!*

I took a small *plastic container with a lid.* I had a black plastic case from an auto medical kit which fit the bill. 

I put the stripped card in the container then *I poured 300ml of isopropyl alcohol 99%* until it was almost all covered. 

I left the card in alcohol for* 30 minutes*, while from *10 to 10 minutes I checked* to see what was happening.

*During the 30 minutes in which the card stood in alcohol* nothing unusual happened. After 30 minutes I took out the card and all I could see in the alcohol was a small piece form the silver sticker on the back and some fine impurities. The card was already clean so there wasnt anything else to be seen.

After the operation *I tried to salvage as much alcohol* as I could but I used a too fine cloth sieve and about 30-40 ml of alcohol went on the floor...*The alcohol was pretty clean* as the card was already very clean. I'll reuse the alcohol for other preliminary washes. 

*I dried the V4 and I put it back together. *

I held my breath and I did another test.* NOTHING CHANGED. *The same beeps and black screen. Not even a trace of artifacts or anything else. 

The *thermal glue* from the heatsink wasnt damaged by the isopropyl alcohol 99%. It was like a ROCK!

After this experience *I suggest that if you want to try this*, use a *transparent container* - so that you can see what's going on inside and to reduce evaporation of the alcohol the container must have *a tight lid.*

*Now all my demons were put to rest...*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/3589h1hno/



 

 

 

 

 



*Enough with this sob story. *

When the Athlon XP platform was used to test the V4 I also tested the Leadtek 6600GT and it worked nicely. 

*Leadtek 6600GT* worked THANK GOD!







*Hercules GF2 3D Prophet II GTS PRO 64* also worked well.









While I used the *Athlon XP 1900+ / ECS K7VTA3 KT 333* platform I hit a snag and if I didnt pay attention I could've chipped the Athlon XP die. *It would've been a first for me.*

Usually I use a *TItan CU5TB *when I work with the above mentioned platform, but in this instance I used a beefier and quieter *Spire FalconRock II*. When I tried to mount the Spire cooler I noticed that I had to use a lot more force to clamp it down. Before hooking the clamp I stopped to see what was wrong. *Talk about muscle memory*  If you check the pictures you can see the small gap / clearance between the small step in the bottom of the heatsink and the corresponding space in the socket 462. The first time I tried to clamp the Spire cooler I didnt use my hand to hold the cooler in place so when I applied force on the other side of the clamp, the base shifted back and it was over the ridge of the socket.The heatsink was resting on the socket itself on one side and on the corners of the CPU die on the other side. If I would've continued, for sure I would've chipped the die. I'm sure it happened a lot in back in the day.







*After this story of an UNKNOWN CONDITION and a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT I moved on and I bought something to keep me busy* 

*...*





*More later.*


----------



## xBruce88x (Aug 22, 2017)

Awesome thread man, love these old parts. I had an AMD p75 until I moved to the other side of the USA, from east coast to the rockies. I was able to get Win98 se running with that cpu, 96mb total ram, and some opti brand vga card. I was able to play Starcraft Broodwar and CnC red alert with that system. I've got a dell p3 933mhz system in a box in my car, planning to get a couple VoodooII cards for sli at some point


----------



## Robert B (Aug 24, 2017)

*I STILL HAVE HOPE!!! 

On the vogons site a member suggested I try a PCI graphic card to see if the V4 is recognized by the PC.*

Indeed the V4 was recognized by Windows and for sure will be recognizedin DOS.

*Now the BIG PROBLEM is to find a suitable video BIOS IMAGE to flash.* Easier said than done as this L shaped card is hard to find.

*PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001 

My model DOESNT HAVE a TV header.*

The seller had two so I hope he can track the other buyer and ask for a video BIOS image.

I just started to read and on http://www.3dfxzone.it I found some tools and how to do it.

*If someone has some advice it will be greatly appreciated.*

I'm starting to think this mess isn't transport related...I still dont think this situation is caused by the cleaning process. If it is my mistake I'll recognize my guilt but right now the cause is still unknown to me...as the card never worked from the start in my system.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 





*Here's the BOOT screen and the information that was presented to me before it was shipped.*



 

 

]

*PCI.EXE in DOS.*


----------



## Vayra86 (Aug 24, 2017)

This is epic stuff. Keep it going


----------



## Robert B (Aug 24, 2017)

I'm thinking about flashing the 1.15 regular V4 4500 BIOS if I wont find another solution


----------



## Bones (Aug 24, 2017)

Could be baking it may bring it back to life..... If the V4 is truly dead you've nothing to lose by trying.


----------



## Vayra86 (Aug 24, 2017)

When you have enough cards up and going there is just one thing left to do: organize a true old skool UT'99 LAN party


----------



## Robert B (Aug 24, 2017)

I'm not going to bake it  If it will be necessary 5-10 years from now I'll take it to a specialized repair center. I'm pretty sure the chip is OK.

I'll flash the stock BIOS V1.15 as it had the same version.This fact is evident from the screens sent by the seller. Because the V4 was launched prior to the 3dfx demise I think is safe to say that they didnt have time to make different BIOSes for the same product. Even if it is a PowerColor V4 there is a good chance it had the stock firmware.

I'll use the tools from here:

http://3dfxbios.stantoworld.co.uk/

I'll make a copy of the damaged BIOS .rom and then I'll try my luck but first I'll wait a few more days and then FTW!!!

I have to post a story of three PIII's and a QUAD DAMAGE DEVICE who spits CD's on command like there is no tomorrow  pew pew pew......metaphorically speaking 

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 29, 2017)

*V4 v4 V4 why do you V4 me so much???*

*The news arent good.* There simply wasnt a way for the V4 saga to end so soon....

First I booted with the PCI VGA and I tried to install the drivers for the V4. As expected there was nothing new to report. The naming in Device Manager changed from *Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA)* to *3dfx VooDoo Series.*











Next I took the 3dfx flash V2.17 program and the regular VGA BIOS 1.15 from this site https://3dfxbios.cl-rahden.de/index.php?title=Voodoo4

*I followed the flashing procedure but I received ane error message saying that the EPROM chip is not supported by the flash program...DAMN.*

1. I put in a folder on the HDD, C:\V4\ , the  *3dfx flash 2.17* kit composed from the following files *flash.exe, dos4gw.exe and readme.txt*
2. In the same folder I also put the stock VGA BIOS V1.15  from the site above which I renamed to V115.rom
3. I booted into DOS and from the folder I launched *flash.exe v115.rom*
4. I selected from the list the V4 card: 1
5. The flash procedure couldn't continue because the EPROM chip wasnt supported....*Error: Unknown flash EEPROM manufacturer. (Man. ID: FFh, Dev. ID: FFh)*















The *README.TXT* from the 3dfx flash, versions *V2.13, V2.14 si V2.17* clearly states: *"The following flash parts are supported: * AMD 29010, ATMEL 29010, ATMEL 49F010, SST 29EE010, SST 39SF010 and Atmel AT49BV512." I only tried the V2.17 and because the README.TXT listed the same supported chips I didnt bother to try another version. Only V2.XX are for the V4 and V5.

My card has the EEPROM CHIP: *SST 39VF512 / SST39VF512 / SST MPF 39VF512 90-3C-NH 0014159-D UU002 *





It seems that the EvilKing is all bark and no bite...aka *KAPUT. *

I tried to do a copy of the bad VGA BIOS with the dumpbios.exe/dumpbios64.zip program but I couldnt select the card PCI or AGP and the program made only a copy of the S3 VGA BIOS.
http://3dfxbios.stantoworld.co.uk/

*I found two sites from 2007 in which a guy with a v5 5500 PCI with the same EEPROM BIOS chip had the same problem. Even back then it couldn't be solved, so my hopes of recovering my card have gone up in smoke...*
http://www.modlabs.net/forum/topic/10947/
http://www.david-baum.de/board/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=13324

I might remove the BIOS chip and try to reprogram it using a BIOS programmer but I'm not going to do this anytime soon. I need a good soldering/hot air station and a BIOS programmer. At the moment I dont have any of these. Another solution would be to use a EEPROM chip with better support. *Good luck finding that...* After this experience I think it is obvious that a stock V4 VGA BIOS file wouldnt run on this card. I would need a PowerColor EvilKing IV VGA BIOS file which is hard to find. This card is a rarity from other points of view and not just for its looks. DAMN!!! Bye bye MONEY money MONEY  I wish I had a regular V4 

In all the 3dfx flash kits I searched I found files that had the same date, size, MD5 / CRC32. I dont think that I'll find a flash program to support my chip *SST 39VF512 *. All the README.TXT files list the supported EEPROM chips as: *AMD 29010, ATMEL 29010, ATMEL 49F010, SST 29EE010, SST 39SF010 and Atmel AT49BV512.*

Conclusion? *Fugetaboutit!* ... at least for a while.

*I consider the V4 95% GONE...RIP*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1etgb450m/
**********************************************************************************************

*I have finished all the steps needed to post the next TWO episodes *

*The protagonists are:*

1. CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 600E - 600MHz/256KB/100MHz bus -* SL3H6*
2. CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 700   - 700MHz/256KB/100MHz bus - *SL3XM*
3. CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 800   - 800MHz/256KB/100MHz bus - *SL457*
4. CD-ROM - Mitsumi Quad Speed (4x)- *CRCM-FX400E*

These two episodes are a premiere for me from two points of view: I have successfully removed the retaining clips from a PIII SECC cartridge without damaging them (first try) and I have restored my first ancient 4X CD-ROM unit which by the way doesnt have a rubber belt. The laser lens is HUGE in comparison to the newer models and the mecanism is simple and elegant  All of these will be presented in full detail, as usual 

*A teaser for you* 



 



*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Sep 1, 2017)

*THE PENTIUM III TrIuMvIrAtE*

*This trip down memory lane *is filled with a heavy smell like that from corpses on the Facing Worlds aka CTF-Face map from UT99. Two competitors trading blows, one a GIANT the other being David * Slot 1 VS Slot A.* Back in the day Slot A systems were the stuff I read in magazines. Slot 1 systems were more common though. After I cleaned a number of Slot A and PII CPUs now was the time to clean a few PIII CPUs just to keep my skills on a high level 

Lets get back to the matter at hand: *THREE Slot 1 PIII 100MHz bus CPUs*. I went all out and bought the group as soon as I saw the add. I knew the seller so it was a matter* place the order receive the goods*  Just how I like it!

*1.* CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 600E - 600MHz/256KB/100MHz bus - *SL3H6
2.* CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 700 - 700MHz/256KB/100MHz bus -* SL3XM
3.* CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 800 - 800MHz/256KB/100MHz bus - *SL457*

*These puppies were just what I needed.* 100MHz bus and no fiddling with slotkets and additional headaches. In fact the PIII 800MHz CPU has a higher frequency than my fastest slot A CPU which is a 700MHz. I'll have to restore the balance and find faster Slot A CPUs. *Easier said than done.* The PIII build received a healthy boost from 550MHz to 800MHz. NICE!

The *600MHz PIII* had a Cooler Master cooler and the dismantling procedure was easy as PIE. The *700MHz PIII *also had and aftermarket cooler and dismantling was also easy. The *800MHz PIII* was another matter. It had a boxed cooler which is notorius for beeing hard to dismantle without damaging the retaining clips. Because I saw that the thermal paste was brittle and I also saw cracks in it I knew I will have to take it apart. See bellow my solution  In general I preffer the Intel Boxed Coolers as the *Nidec Fans *are long lasting an relatively quiet.

*Arrival state*

Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 600E - 600MHz/256KB/100MHz bus - *SL3H6*

















Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 700 - 700MHz/256KB/100MHz bus -* SL3XM*















Intel Pentium III Coppermine Slot 1 - 800 - 800MHz/256KB/100MHz bus - *SL457*





























*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/v2fwywdi/

*Intel BOXED COOLER / SECC / SECC 2 cartridge dismantling / removal / teardown procedure*

Before I came with *my solution of dismantling an Intel SECC cartridge* I searched the internet and found some methods but they were not to my liking as they involved a pair of pliers and lots of pulling. I didnt want to damage the plastic retaining clips of the boxed cooler as I wanted to reuse them.

My method needs *two pair of hands aka two people.*

1. *Remove* the fan shroud from the cooler.
2. Take *a block of wood* which must fit between the two pairs of retaining clips.
3. *One man* holds in place the upper part of the CPU - backplate and PCB by holding in place the middle part right where the CPU die is located. This is necessary because damage can be done to the exposed CPU die. All this time the heatsink touches the wood. This person just holds the plastic backplate and the PCB while the other person hammers out the retaining clips. Common sense is your friend here.Use it wisely.
4. *The other man* carefully uses a tool similar to the one in the pictures to hammer out the retaining clips. Some force is requiired. My tool was made from a long screw which had its tip grinded to the correct size.
5.  After a few tense moments the retaining clips should pop out and *the job is done.* Try not to hammer out at once one side of the retaining clips. You hammer out a little one side then the other so that when the clips comes out there is less tension on the other side. Because I used a slightly thicker block of wood the only damage I did was to break the collar of one o the retaining clips. The damage is just cosmetic.

The retaining clips were reused and as they were in good shape. When I put them back I pressed them in an X pattern an in small steps. The final touch was to use a coin the press the clips all the way in. Artic MX-4 thermal paste was used.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 






 

 

 

 

 



*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/e25u9ena/

*Cleaning*

Cleaning of the CPUs was carried in two stages:

1. *Initial cleaning *with isopropyl alcohol 99% and brushes.
2. *Isopropyl alcohol 99% bath* and cotton sticks. Great attention to detail was the order of the day. The PCBs have some spots and some minor scratches, the result of being in contact with water and being thrown around.

*All of the CPU dies have some marks:* discoloration, chips and scratches. All* the damage is not terminal* as we will see they work very well.

The plastic bits took a bath in* soapy water* and they came out as new.

I recovered some isopropyl alcohol 99% as the parts were relatively clean after the initial cleaning.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/20u4nqkbq/

Results:



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*galllery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/10nslh0ti/

Cleaning of the fans was just another matter of dirt, grime and dust. In the case of the 800MHz PIII the fan had some rust on the metal part. Even if they look great, the fans of the 600MHz and 700Mhz PIIIs are past their glory days. I cleaned them just for the sake of originality.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/2e9x0acti/

*Final results*

Bliss BLISS Bling BLING!!! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1lqpnmaue/

*Testing*

*A resounding SUCCESS!!! *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2qgmymova/

Nothing more to add 

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Sep 2, 2017)

*Repeat after me:* *mi mi MI MI(clears throat) mimimi (in fast succession)tsu tsu TSU TSU(slow succession) mimimimi -ahem, cough, cough- MITSUMI!!! *

At one moment I thought I wont be able to say it: *MITSUMI.* Try to say it with a japanese accent . You see, the name Mitsumi makes me remember the Good Old Days, yep *Good Ol' Mitsumi.* The name might even be the name of a character in an ecchi anime  yeah baby you dont know *Mitsumi?* Who the F..K is *Mitsumi?* Eeeeeehhhh *M-i-T-s-U-m-I Chan!* 

Today I'll present to you the complete restoration of a *Mitsumi optical 4x CD-ROM unit*. Among many of my hardware obsessions, vintage CD-ROM units also have a top spot.

*Mitsumi Quad Speed (4x) CD-ROM unit - CRMC-FX400E*

*Hey, nurse check out this patient!* Look at his coated tongue, something is not right here. *DOCTOR LETS OPERATE*! Prep the OPERATION ROOM!!! - Is it time for another sponge bath DOC??? 

*Arrival state*

The unit came *dirty* but in good working condition. It is manufactured in November 1995. Yeah baby I was 16 back then. LOL!!!



 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/39jbw1qhy/

*Cleaning*

At first, the dismantling of the unit was *a straight forward job*. Just some screws needed to be taken care of.

*Ejecting the tray was another business* who made me go, what the HELL is going on! First I took a good ol' paper clip and I tried to eject the tray as I always did with CD-ROM units. In the case of the Mitsumi unit you could feel that something was sliding inside but the tray would not come out no matter what I did. When I powerd the unit, the tray came out without problems. *WHAT GIVES?  hmmmm* I said to myself with a raised eyebrow. *HMMMMMMM!!!*

So I *left the unit with the tray out *and then I detached the plastic front bezel and the screws from the metal cover.

The *metal bottom cover* came out first.

Removing the *top metal cover* was tricky. As stated above, first I left the unit with the tray out but when I tried to remove the top cover three black plastic hooks from the black plastic body of the CD-ROM mechanism* wouldnt let me slide it out.*

So *I took off the removable plastic front plate of the tray.* The one with the "Quad Speed" and CD-Compact Disc logos. *It was a case of careful used force and a little bending.* I also removed the front bezel.

Then *I powered* the unit and I closed the tray.

After this, *the top metal cover was easily removed.* *Behold the inner workings of the CD-ROM unit.* The CD centering mechanism is an integral part of the top metal cover.

I tried to *slide out the tray by hand* but I couldnt do it. Checking closely I saw that *the manual ejection of the CD-ROM disc was something new to me.* It had a head like a regular screw. I used *a screwdriver* and I saw that if you turn it *clockwise* the tray would stay in and the laser head assembly would rise. If you turn it *counterclockwise* the tray would start to move slowly. WOW!!! what sorcery is THIS?!?!?

After I released the lock that held the tray *I managed to slide out the tray by hand.* It required some force and I was sure that the rubber belt would be toast. *To my surprise there was no rubber belt in sight.* THIS IS AWESOME. The open/close mechanism of the tray relies on a big light blue sprocket with a system of grooves and an exposed contact. *WOW!!!* How mechanical of her 

*I slided the tray all the way* and I tried to remove it completely but at first I wasnt able to do it. I looked for some hooks that held the tray like some newer CD-ROM units but I couldnt find any.

I tried to push pull and you name it, *nothing worked.*

*I took a pause and looked closely at the problem.* I slided again the tray all the way and I used force like this: *with one hand I held the sides of the tray and with the other I raised the middle of the tray so that it would clear the teeth of the sprocket.* PROBLEM SOLVED. *Take pictures or notes so that when you put it back you will know over how many teeth you would need to place the tray.
*
After this I had a better look at the manual eject mechanism. *Simple and efficient.*















































*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2qjcddtye/

*RUST MY ENEMY No 1!* For this I had to use surgen gloves and thicker rubber gloves. *HEALTH HAZARD DETECTED!!! *

As soon as I removed the bottom metal cover and the plastic front bezel I saw *a lot of rust*. At one moment this unit had contact with water or was stored in a humid environment. What to expect from *recycling centers*....

I carefully used my slightly corrosive rust remover solution in small quantities and I cleaned all *the metal surfaces.* On the bottom metal cover the rust was mainly *embedded in the clear plastic protection film.* I had to use *fine grit sandpaper 1000 *and water to remove it. To remove the superficial rust I also *wet sanded the metal cover* and I tried to remove as little as possible from the remaining silver coating as I didnt want to paint it or clear coat it. *The eject button came out very well.* The *rust from the plastic parts* was cleaned with CIF cream and cotton sticks or a soft sponge.

*Deep rust* was removed and the surfaces were *painted* with a cotton stick soaked in spray paint.

All the plastic parts and metal parts were washed with *soapy water. CIF cream* was also used to remove some spots. The sponge strips were thoroughly cleaned. I also took the time to *soften some damage* done to one of the corners of the bezel.

The *PCB* was washed with *isopropyl alcohol 99%.* It came out as new.

*The insides were cleaned* with cotton discs, cotton sticks and isopropyl alcohol 99% until they were *spotless.* I didnt want to take all the thing apart.

The motors and other mechanical components *were pretty clean.* The original grease was still soft and I reused the excess to grease the places that had little grease.

*Such an elegant construction. I LIKE IT!!!*

The *laser lens* was GENTLY cleaned with isopropyl alcohol 99% and a microfiber cloth. *THE LENS IS HUGE.* See a comparison with some newer units in the pictures bellow.



 



*Assembly was a breeze.* I used some silicone grease on the rails of the tray.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1lcvowi5i/

*Final results*

*The results speak for themsleves.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2pc5s7lra/

*Testing*

*Another success story.* Ignore the 100% CPU usage for 4x and 8x it's just a quirk of the CD Speed 99 program.



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/lxlq6die/

*More later*


----------



## Robert B (Sep 4, 2017)

I have *a few updates to make* regarding some more or less important bits that I consider I must post.

The *V4-L saga* is still going but ATM I dont see a solution. http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=55610

Last week when I did *a CPU upgrade for the PIII build* from 550MHz to 800MHz I had the pleasure to play with the *Diamond Aureal Vortex 2 Monster Sound MX300* and I must say it was quite a treat.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*A little bit of housekeeping. (again) *

When I post something I try to be as correct and complete as possible. This is why when I revisit older problems and I find a solution, I always write my findings.

*With the CPU upgrade I was again forced to find a solution to an irritating problem.* In the middle part of this post I was telling you that the PIII build with the *Lucky Star 6VABX2 lost its BIOS settings* after it was disconnected from the mains. I tried changing the BIOS battery and I tried to bend the contacts of the battery socket but to no avail.

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=596016#p596016

I *changed the PSU* and even if I was amazed by this SF solution,  the problem went away and the PC kept its BIOS settings the day after.

*Fast forward to our present time. * I did the CPU upgrade and again the PC lost the BIOS settings once it was disconnected from the mains.

I took my multimeter and I did a quick test. On the* Gigabyte GA-6BXC *the reading was OK with the battery in the socket. On the *Lucky Star 6VABX2 *the reading was very low.

I saw that if I pressed a little the battery in the socket the reading would be OK and once I left the battery alone the reading was low. I tried again to bend the contacts of the battery socket but this proved unsuccessful. For sure, the plastic part of the socket is too loose and any movement would make the battery to loose its contact. I also looked for broken solder joints but I saw none. There were no cracks in the metal contacts either.

So I took some electrical tape and started to experiment. The wining combination was a piece of silicone under the "-" lead and some thicker electrical rolled tape at its base. After this when I pressed or moved the battery in the socket, the voltage stayed stable or the drop was 0.01V.



 

 

 

 



*With these updates I must tell you that ATM I dont have any other ongoing projects or components to receive.
*

The *V4-L* will still haunt me and the only wish I have now is to find a working or not working *V5 5500 AGP* for which I wont have to pay an arm and a leg. After the V4 experience I take greater care *how I spend my retro HW funds* 

Over and out!

*More later?*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 14, 2017)

*Hellow everybody!* I'm back in action!* Missed me? *

After the V4-L mess I was a little down on POWER, sort to speak, and I was reluctant to start getting more HW. During these 40+ days of not posting I still managed to find some pieces. Once you get bitten by the retro bug there is no going back. *THE SHOW MUST GO ON!*

Expect interesting stories:

1. *PNY Geforce 4 4600Ti AGP 8872 Ver:200*
2. *Diamond S3 Savage4 Pro* - Rev. A - AGP 8MB -  Diamond STL III S520 ATX AGP 8MB
3. *Diamond nVIDIA Riva 128* - Rev. D - VIPER V330 PCI 4MB
4. nVIDIA *Riva TNT2 M64* - AGP 32MB
5. *ASUS VL/I-486SV2GX4* REV. 2.0
6. *VLB FDD/HDD/SERIAL/PARALLEL/GAME PORT * Winbond W83787F, W83758F / Promise PDC20630- EIDE / Super-I/O VLB Controller
7.* RAM* 3x512MB DDR400 - KINGMAX, 30 PIN SIMMs, 72 PIN SIMMs.
8. Cache stick - 256KB COAST module *Elpina HT-VX Ver. 3.1*
9. Cache stick - 256KB SPB CACHE - COAST module - *HP 0960-0944*
10. *Heatsinks* - Cyrix-unfortunately without CPU's, Generic, Arctic Cooling Copper Silent 3
11. Protac Fastware AG240D* Intel i740* AGP 8MB -VER 1.2 SL292
12. Intel *Pentium II 450MHz* SL2U7
13. AT PSU *Minebea 145W* - 73G4374
14. Intel *Pentium IV* CPU -S423- 1.7GHz - SL57W
15. Inno3D *6600GT* AGP
16. Unknown *socket 3* VLB/ISA/PCI motherboard.
17. Miscellaneous.

*I'm almost done with all of them. *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





The illusive *i* like *I* in the *I*ntel kind of *i* _(Protac Fastware AG240D Intel i740 AGP 8MB -VER 1.2 SL292)_

This is a story with *a happy end.*

Several months ago, somewhere around the begining of summer, I dont remember exactly, I went to the *flea market* to see what new parts I can find. That day, the offer was slim and I didnt find anything worthwhile even if *my spidey senses were tingling* when I left home.

During that time I was set to find an *Intel i740* video card, *an illusive creature*, of which I only read in magazines. When i740 had its heyday I used to see it in the HW stores offers but I wasnt planing to buy one. Back then, I dreamed of TNTs and VooDoo was something out of reach. I dont remember any of my friends having one but I remember talking about it.

I found an i740 on the national *OLX* site but I didnt contact the seller and after a time it was sold to someone else.

*But lets not get sidetracked here.* I was in the flea market, there was nothing interesting and the weather was rainy and gloomy. *Yeah BABY! Super OK for HW hunting*...As I walked slowly, having an absent look on my face, I saw *a glimpse of a golden card*. I dug into a pile of cables, PCBs and various parts and took in my hand the GOLDEN ARTIFACT. I checked it out. *8MB ON BOARD.* Hmmm.It had no bracket and it looked banged up. I stared at it *and it didnt speak to me at all.* I didnt even took out my phone to check out the model number. *During all this time my mind was telling me that it might be my i740. * What IF? *Even so,* I gently placed the card back on top of the pile and* I walked away.

Over the following months* I still remembered the GOLDEN CARD and I wondered what made me not to check the model number. *Mysterious ways of the human mind.* I still felt it WAS AN i740!

*Fast forward to September.* I'm at the flea market again.Believe it or not I am back at *the nondescript pile of whatever you wanna call it.* Inside *I see again the GOLDEN CARD.* During this time the card got a few more scratches and the heatsink is loose.

This time *I took out my phone and I checked the model number AG240D VER 1.2.* Sure enough it said * i740.* You see, back when I first saw it, my spidey senses werent wrong, I was just BLIND.

How much is it? less than 1 EURO. No comment. Here you go!

I checked the card closely and I saw *that all the capacitors will have to be replaced.* Besides that it might be alive.

As soon as I got back to my car *I removed the heatsink* which even if it was moving freely it was a pain to remove as the push pins had their ends deformed after the card was tossed all over the place. *Yep i740 in all its glory!* I saw that the heatsink was attached with *thermal glue* and I knew it will be a PITA to remove. The graphic chip was "stained" with *a semi-transparent film which was extremely hard.*









*The thermal glue was hard to remove I already knew that*. *In phase ONE* I tried to use isopropyl alcohol 99% and a credit card but this didnt yield the expected results. *In phase TWO* I soaked a cotton disk with isopropy alcohol 99% and I placed it over the graphic chip. I closed the card in a plastic bag to reduce the evaporation of the alcohol. The card was kept in the bag for about 30 minutes and I added more alcohol from time to time. I used again the credit card and a pointed bamboo stick. This time the graphic chip looked better but I wanted more. *In phase THREE* I resorted to the BIG GUNS and I used a little bit of acetone. This stuff is potent so use it wisely. I used cotton sticks dipped in low amounts of acetone and I took great care to avoid spills over the black top of the graphic chip. Even so I wasnt able to remove all of the glue and I decided to leave it as it was aka *as good as it gets scenario*. *I also did a TIM test.* I used too much Arctic MX-4 and the heatsink was held down hard and I had to remove it sideways. I was satisfied with the results and I decided not to put additional stress on the graphic chip. *Phase FOUR* would've required a blade and/or fine grit sandpaper, methods which arent my cup of tea.













I had in stock *new capacitors.* They had regular specs and *changing them was a breeze.*









Next came a process that involved, isopropyl alcohol 99% washes, rust removal from the VGA connector, straightening of bent pins, removal of glue from missing labels, etc *you know the drill.*

Satisfied with the results I used less Arctic MX-4 and the card was *GOOD TO GO!* NOTE: After I use thermal paste *I always gently press and twist the heatsink * until I see that the paste comes out, sign that I got an optimum coverage. I try to have minimal bleed and a little as possible excess paste. This way I get better contact as the push pins arent so strong.

After all this work the card still remained with scratches, spots and other marks, signs of a hard life but *even so it smiled at me in the light of the sun while I was taking photos*











BAM! In you go! PIII 800 MHz FTW! *Clear image and a 3D Mark 99 test revealed a healthy card.*















This is the way I found my illusive i740 card. Yep, *true story!*

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/29whqj1jw/


----------



## Robert B (Oct 20, 2017)

*THE TNT* that actually *BLEW UP in MY FACE*_ (not literally)_ 

*I should've cut the blue wire or the red wire?* It seems though that someone already took this decision for me and *I'm just a mere spectator* 

The story of the TNT that actually blew up in my face is in fact about an *nVIDIA TNT 2 M64 32MB AGP graphic card.* I havent been able to identify the model and I'm still wondering what made me buy it.

This TNT 2 M64 was the result of one of a few visits I took at the local flea market this year.

Initially I was attracted by the green heatsink but when I looked on the label and I saw *TNT2 M64 32MB* I said to myself : *YUCK!!!* and I put it back. If it would've been a regular TNT 2 it would've been better. I'm sure that I wont see a TNT 2 *PRO* or an *ULTRA* in the garbage heap anytime soon. The chances of finding a *Canopus* TNT 2 are even lower...*rara avis*...

I went on to see what else I can find in the flea market *but I still couldnt take the M64 off my mind * so I bought it for less than 2 EUROs and  *I took it home.* I said to myself that these old cards are *bullet proof* and most likely the card is working. 







In a way it makes me remember my first 3D accelerator: *ACorp nVIDIA Vanta AGP 8MB*  By the way, I still have this card and boy Carmageddon was a blast with it, coming from an ATI RAGE IIC 4 MB. The difference was night and day.

First I took care of the *bracket,* onto which a monkey with the intelligence of an M&M button shaped candy, carved in an impecable calligraphy: *"B LU E"* ahem *"BLUE"*. 

*Damn,* the blue wire was already cut and *the clock is still ticking?*

*The metal* of the bracket *is soft*. I used a vice to hold the bracket and a couple of cardboard strips to prevent further scratching. I used my hands and I managed to return it to its original shape. 

After I used a metal polish paste and a rag I removed almost all of the offending writing and in the end *even I was amazed by the results.*







*Next I took care of the card itself.* It is small and it was *a piece of cake* to clean. I *"sweated"* more when I polished the bracket. 

After an *isopropyl alcohol 99%* wash it came out clean as a whistle.



























I was very pleased with the results and I wanted to put a small 40 mm fan on the card as it already had a fan connector. I postponed this until I tested the card.

*With a confident look on my face* I put it in the PIII 800 build and I pressed the POWER button.

*BOOM!!!*

Check out those *NICE ARTIFACTS* on the screen bro'! *C H E C K IT O U T!!!* After I saw the nice colours on the Win 98 SE boot screen I turned off the PC and took out the M64.

I found components in far worse shape than this one that are still working. No luck today - *NO SOUP FOR YOU*. Just a a waste of my time.







To make matters worse now I cant dump the M64 in the trash bin so it will join the small group of dead cards that are in my stash.

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/26f57rla4/

*NEXT WEEK:* My 4600Ti ordeals continue with the *PNY Geforce 4 4600Ti AGP 8872 Ver:200*





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 24, 2017)

*KICKED in THE TEETH AGAIN!!!* - *My GF4 4600Ti ordeals continue...*

_Kicked in the teeth again
Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win
Kicked in the teeth again
Ain't this misery ever gonna end?
And I've been kicked in the teeth
Kicked in the teeth again_ *(AC/DC - Kicked in the Teeth)*

*Kicked in the teeth again uhhhhh YEAH!!!*. This story is about my second GF4 4600Ti which like the one before it, presented in the episode: *"A not so lucky Asus Geforce 4 4600 Ti"* will prove to not be in good working condition. *I got burned again. *

In one of the visits I took at the local flea market, this September, I found this gem: *a PNY Geforce 4 4600Ti AGP 8872 Ver:200 128MB AGP *. (A round of applause please). The sheer size of the card attracted my attention and I grabbed it in an instant. *MINE ALL MINE! JUST MINE!!!!*

*The heatsink* was loose and it was held just in one push-pin the other was MIA. The label on the back said it was a good ol' *GF4 4600Ti.* The *HOLY GRAIL* ahem in this instance the *HOLY unexploded GRENADE*.

I closely inspected the card and after I saw that it had all its bits and pieces I haggled a bit and got it for a good price. The bracket was bent and some damage was visible on the DVI connector. Some cosmetic damage was present but nothing too scary.

Said and done - *I paid less than 3 EUROs* for it and it WAS MINE!

















*One solid capacitor *near the VGA connector was clinging for dear life and it fell in my hand as soon as I touched it. *No biggie though.*I put it inside the fan so that I wont lose it. Initially the markings on the capacitor werent too useful to me - *29 330 6A. * After a few unsuccessful searches on the internet I took out my other 4600Ti: a *V8460-600 Asustek Geforce4 Ti 4600 128 MB* and with the help of some clear pictures of other cards, I found out it was a 330uf - 6V capacitor.

At this moment *I knew what I had to do* and the restoration of the card begun.





*The heatsink* was the first to receive a SPA treatment. At one moment it had *a prolonged contact with water* and the interior, besides being dirty, it was also blackend and corroded. I tried different methods to clean it, isopropyl alcohol 99%, pointed bamboo sticks, metal polish cream and a rag but to no avail so I resorted to *immersion in a corrosive rust remover solution* even if I knew it might remove some of the copper plating. *After 30 minutes* I took a tooth brush and I scrubbed the heatsink vigorously and it came out almost as new. Yellow spots were left on my white latex gloves and I knew the solution did its job. Afterwards I washed the heatsink with hot water and detergent. *I was very pleased with the results.*

I also cleaned the transparent plastic cover and the fan. To remove the four screws that held the transparent plastic cover, I had to buy a pair of new Wiha screwdrivers. They were so seized that they busted the cross on my NO NAME screwdrivers .*In all that's bad there is also something GOOD* in the sense that now I have two nice screwdrivers and a full bits set for other projects *$$$  well spent!*

*The fan construction was a little surprising* in the sense that the end of the propeller rests on a round magnet. I havent seen something like this before. Without the magnet the fan wouldnt work as the propeller would sit too low.I couldnt remove the propeller as it was held tight and there was no retaining washer in sight. I put a little oil inside an it spinned freely. The PNY logo got its shine back. The fan was good as new and it was very silent. Go figure 

















*Next came the real deal.* The video card itself. I inspected again the PCB and this time I found a ceramic capacitor that was out of its place and I soldered it back.





*I removed the bracket and I was confronted with a disaster. *I knew the DVI connector was cracked but I wasnt expecting what was to come. I pulled a little from the tip of the DVI connector and it came out into my hand. This made it easier to return the metal part into a usable shape and after some work and a DVI cable test I decided to solder it back to the metal bits that were left in the PCB. I polished the metal parts with metal polish paste and a rag until they were shining. Some filing was required to reduce the size of one of the solder joints. *Again I obtained satisfactory results.*









*Looking at the two 4600Ti cards* - PNY & ASUS something else caught my eye. The PNY was missing a *SANYO OS CON 510Uf 4V* capacitor. Good LUCK finding one locally! In the end I removed one from the ASUS and I put it on the PNY.

The solid *330uf 6V* capacitor was replaced by a regular 330uf 16V electrolytic capacitor just to see if the card was OK.

The cleaning of the *PCB* was nothing too challenging. *Isopropyl alcohol 99% aplenty.*





*After all this work * I started to think that maybe the card is dead. There were so many problems with it. Even so, I still felt that it might be a survivor...if only I knew...

After I assembled the card using my trusty Arctic MX-4 grease and I saw all the parts *shining like a diamond in the goats ASS* I was very pleased. YEAH I DID IT!!!

















*SHE'S READY TO ROCK!!!* _(the *kicked in the teeth again* was getting ready to be played in my mind but I didnt know it yet)_

I put the PNY 4600Ti in the PIII 800 MHz build and as a precaution I used two thick cardboard pieces for protection just in case one of the capacitors might go BOOM!

I pressed the *POWER* buton and in a few moments I knew the card was busted and that the DVI connector is also toast as it wouldnt put out any signal.









This made me play in my mind the *AC/DC -Kicked in the teeth* melody.

*A similar situation* happened when I was searching for *a GF 4 4200Ti* but in that instance I found a good one on my second try. *It seems though, that for a good 4600Ti I will have to wait a little more.*

Even after this ordeal *I have no regrets and I would do it again!* 

*More later.*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/3bw3d2g70/

*NEXT WEEK:* THE TWO ROUGH CUT DIAMONDS which needed a polishing.  YEP true story


----------



## Robert B (Oct 30, 2017)

*THE TWO ROUGH CUT DIAMONDS which needed a polishing* (True story )

This story is about *DIAMONDS*. What kind of DIAMONDS? *Graphic cards OF COURSE!* I hope you werent thinking about *precious stones* 

Let's meet the DIAMONDS:

1. *Diamond S3 Savage4 Pro* - Rev. A - AGP 8MB -  Diamond STL III S520 ATX AGP 8MB
2. *Diamond nVIDIA Riva 128* - Rev. D - VIPER V330 PCI 4MB

Both of them came from a seller which I met by accident at the flea market. Together with the ASUS VL/I-486SV2GX4 REV. 2.0 motherboard I also bought the two Diamond cards. For each of them I paid less than 2 EUROs. *That's some expensive $$IT!*  Yep!

*The RIVA 128* was the first that caught my eye and then I saw the Savage 4/Savage4 card. They had the *DIAMOND Multimedia* logo, so it was a NO BRAINER to buy them both.

*Said and done!* If I went sooner at the flea market I might've left with my trunk full of other goodies *sadly it wasnt the case.....* The prices were so low I couldnt belive it.

*Diamond S3 Savage4 Pro* - Rev. A - AGP 8MB -  Diamond STL III S520 ATX AGP 8MB









This card is in a slightly worse shape than her sister, *the beautiful RIVA 128*, even so, I managed to make her shine 

It was very easy to clean, no heatsinks, no fans, just *smooth sailing all the way.*















*When I finished my work,* the Savage 4/Savage4 card still remained with a lot of scars. It prooved to be a survivor and I was very pleased when I was greeted by a clear image on the screen and the 3Dmark 99 run revealed that it was in good working condition.















I think the performance of the card is nothing to brag about. It is a budget card and I dont think I'll use it in a build in the near future. For now, I'll treat her just as a curiosity, despite its SAVAGE moniker 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/303d2bdt8/

*************

*Diamond nVIDIA Riva 128* - Rev. D - VIPER V330 PCI 4MB

*It was an absolute pleasure to give back the shine to THIS BEAUTY! *

*It is compact and nicely built.* It made me think of a square piece from a fine chocolate. I almost wanted to eat her  After I cleaned the bracket *the card was shining so bright that I could stare a the sun instead of staring at the card *





*I was right dont you think?* Shine my precious relic of times past by! 

The card *wasnt so dirty* but like her sister from above, has some scars on the PCB and some of its chips. Thankfully these are fewer and dont pose any problems.









I think I dont have to give details regarding the cleaning process. You know the drill  Again smooth sailing. *Funny as the simple things are sometimes more rewarding.*

*Feast your eyes on this!*



















I have a bad habit of first cleaning the cards and then test them. In the end the RIVA 128 was in good working condition. It wasnt able run all the  3Dmark 99 tests because the graphic chip lacked some hardware features  but the tests that did ran, revealed a clear image and no artifacts or other problems. *SHE'S A WINNER!!!*















gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/irnil6ek/


*************************

*This story had a happy end.* There were no problems out of the ordinary with any of the cards.Even if they came as *rough cut DIAMONDS* it wasnt long until I made them shine!

*More later* 

*NEXT WEEK:* *THE BOX!*

*Inno*VIP*WILL* 

Extra: 7600GS test.

This story will be on the long side and the ending will be....I guess you'll be able to draw a just conclusion


----------



## Robert B (Nov 6, 2017)

*THE BOX*

This episode will be about the *contents of a box *I received from a hardware collector from my country.

*Several months ago, *I received a message from a big 3dfx collector, telling me that he wants te send me *a package* with some parts. Knowing who he was I said: *HELL YEAH!* I asked him what would be the content of the package but he told me that he didnt know yet. He said it will contain useful stuff and that I should treat the package as a kinder surprise. *Hmmmm...ok.*

Months have passed since we have spoken and *in the end I received the package.* The shipping cost was covered by him even if I told him that I can take care of it.

*Who knows, maybe he stumbled from a 3dfx VooDoo 5 5500 and he decided to put it in the box  (just kidding)*.

I took the package from the local *Post Office *and surprisingly, I resisted *the urge to open it* right away and I opened it the next day.





The parts *were very well packed* and after I made a headcount, on the table in front of me I had the following:

1. Intel *Pentium 4 1.7GHz* CPU - Willamette, S423, SL57W
2. Inno3D *6600GT * - 128MB AGP
3. A *socket 3 VIP REV:A* - 3 PCI / 3 VLB / 2 ISA - SIMM 30 PIN /SIMM 72 PIN, chipset OPTi 82C822/82C895 motherboard

Hmmmmm..................ok?













*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/34k2q1rek/

 Intel *Pentium 4 1.7GHz* CPU - Willamette, S423, SL57W

When I opened the box, the first thing I saw was *a CPU that was stuck on a heatsink.* *WHAT THE ….?!?*

I never saw a *P4 Willamette CPU* in the flesh, so I wondered what it could be? It was obvious it was a CPU.

After *a quick inspection* I found a sticker with some numbers and letters. I googled the string of numbers and letters and it said it was a *P4 Willamette CPU *. At that time I didnt knew the model. The search only returned a part from *DELL* computer.

*The CPU was so stuck on the heatsink* that I just couldnt move it even a fraction of a fraction of an inch. Holy COW! At first I tried to use *a hair dryer* to heat up the heatsink but* this got me nowhere*. After this, I tried to use *isopropyl alcohol 99%* and I soaked the heatspreader and the surrounding area using a syringe. I did this for about *30 minutes* and I added more alcohol after it evaporated. *The thermal compound started to soften* but the CPU didnt budge at all. In the end *I used dental floss* (a lot) and I secured the heatsink in *a vice* to hold it well. *This proved the winning combination and I separated the parts.* The* leftover paste* on the CPU was so hard to remove with isopropyl alcohol 99% that in the end I used a cotton stick and *a small quantity of acetone *to clean it. *The paste from the hole in the heatsink was cleaned with a needle, a bamboo stick and a lot of paticence.* I took great care not to get the acetone in that hole. In any case, the acetone used was in *minute quantities* and it evaporated quickly. The acetone is quite potent and you should be careful when and how you use it. After this, I used *a little bit of metal polish paste and a rag,* to get back the shine from the CPU heatspreader.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2exwymulo/

*This was a first for me.* Separating a CPU from a heatsink. In the end *I was left with a part that I cant use as I dont have a P4 S423 motheboard or any P4 motherboard to be more precise. *Maybe in the future I might need it. *The aluminun heatsink* with a proprietary retaining system which I dont have, went into the trash bin.

*Inno3D 6600GT* – 6600GT-AGP W/128MB DVI TV DDR3 – I-A 6600GT F5F3

*I loved this card as soon as I laid my eyes on it.* The black PCB made me want to buy the finest swiss milk chocolate and eat it all, in a heartbeat! 

*I inspected the card thoroughly. *Soon,* I saw some problems* but at that moment they didnt bother me.





*Quickly* I took the card apart.

*The bracket* was cleaned and polished by hand.

Next came *the cleaning of the heatsinks and of the fan.* Both of the heatsinks were so stuck that I had to use the hair dryer to heat them up and separate them. *That PINK STUFF IS NASTY!!!*

*The fan* was easily cleaned. Regular design in need of OIL. No problems.











*The leftover paste on the heatsinks* was cleaned using acetone, isopropyl alcohol 99% followed by a wash with hot water and detergent.

*Both came out sparkling.* 













*Cleaning the thermal paste from the graphic chip and the AGP bridge chip was another story.* I needed 45 minutes and a lot of patience to get the results I wanted. I had to soak them several times in *isopropyl alcohol 99%* and then use *a bamboo stick* to remove that solidified S..T!!!

In the *final round* I took a *fine needle* and I cleaned a small ceramic capacitor that was covered in pink stuff. It was *nerve-racking* but it was worth it. *After this, all the parts were as good as new.*









*Stage 1*





*Stage 2*







*Stage 3*





*Stage 4*







Next came *the cleaning of the PCB.* In this phase I looked closely at the*“ problems”* that the card had. *A massive hit on the back* and *a missing ceramic capacitor* near the AGP connector. *A second ceramic capacitor* was hanging for dear life.

The area on the back of the card that took *a massive hit* had to cleand with *a pointed awl* because the three solder pads that were affected looked as if they were in contact and I was afraid they might short out.* In the end I was pleased with the results of my work.*

*I replaced the missing ceramic capacitor* from a donor card. I'm was not so pleased with the results and I really need to buy a Soldering Iron Hot Air Gun Rework Station.









*I checked again the PCB* for other signs of damage. I received *more bad news.* I knew that the card was a little deformed. Some sagging from usage is normal, but I didnt expect that the card would be twisted. I say twisted in the loose sense of the word. It suffers from sagging due to normal use and a deformation in the opposite direction due to the massive hit on the back...





*Clean as a whistle.*























This card was cleaned after the PNY 4600Ti from before and *my gut feeling was telling me that this one is also DEAD! *The PCB of the 4600Ti also had a strange shape. *I still hoped I might me wrong…*

I used *ARTIC MX-4* to put back the heatsinks and I took the mandatory glamour shots.





















*SO NICE.*

All this time the voice inside was telling me: “she’s DEAD you can’t do nothing about it!”...

*THE MOMENT OF THE TEST CAME SOON.*

*… …. ….. ………………  ………………………!*

*Which test? NO IMAGE TEST! Yep DEAD!* Oh well…lets move on to better things. I guess. At the very least she’s a stunner. *The card returned no image no matter what I tried.*

*I tested the card* on a *AGP 8X EPOX EP-8RDA3i + Athlon XP 2500+* platform and because this one showed some problems regarding RAM detection and other errors I took out my trusty work horse: *AGP 4X ECS K7VTA3 3.1 + Athlon XP 1900+*, but to no avail. NO IMAGE means NO IMAGE! Period.

*GONE with the WIND.*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2kpk7rip8/

UNKNOWN *socket 3 VIP REV:A *- 3 PCI / 3 VLB / 2 ISA - SIMM 30 PIN /SIMM 72 PIN, chipset OPTi 82C822/82C895 motherboard

On the bottom of the box I received I also found *a motherboard.* *I say A motherboard* because I was unable to determince the exact model. The only thing I could find was a cryptic* VIP REV:A*. What's up with that? Are you a clone of a clone or something? 

Someone suggested that the manufacturer might be *FIC* as he also had a FIC motherboard with the VIP designation. I couldnt verify this.

The motherboard is *missing the BIOS chip*. The only part that could've help me identify the motherboard.F..K! *NO model NO BIOS Nothing to do…*

I found *small traces of corrosion* from the battery. I used *vinegar* to remove most of them.

*The lack of jumpers and CACHE chips is no big deal *

*The capacitor* near the CPU socket was loose and I had to resolder it.

*The motherboard has a desirable layout.* The CPU socket is at the top, out of the reach of extension cards. The POWER connector is well placed. It has PCI/ISA/VLB slots. 72 and 30 pin memory slots.

*I cleaned it well and I took the decision to not lose any more time with it.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/zxt73xbg/

*I wanted to post a more positive story but in the end this is what it is. I must present the facts as they happened. I didnt sugar coat the story but I had to show a little bit of restrain when I present it to you.The reasons are obvious.*

*I had something to do that kept my HW demons in check and you had something to read  At least from this perspective this story is a WIN.*



*EXTRA:* Leadtek WinFast *A7600 GS* TDH 256MB 128bit AGP TEST

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-hardware-emporium.228932/page-4#post-3687746

The *Leadtek 7600GS* was bought a few months ago *from the flea market* for the low low sum of *2.17 EURO.* It was cleaned and then put in the box. *Only now *I got to test her and THANK GOD it didnt dissapoint me. *She’s firing on all its cylinders!* WIN! WIN! WIN!

Testing session over the course of 7 hours.

*1.*EPOX EP-8RDA3I /  ATHLON XP 2500+ / 2x1 GB DDR 400 KINGMAX / WDC 800 JB / ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W / DVD-RW LG GSA-4163B
*2.*ECS K7VTA3 3.1 / ATHLON XP 1900+ / 2x1 GB DDR 400 KINGMAX / WDC 800 JB / ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(G) 353W / DVD-RW LG GSA-4163B

On this occasion I also tested the *KingMax DDR400 3x512MB si 2x1GB RAM sticks* that I bought this year. *Again I received good news as I registered ZERO errors in MEMTEST.* Even the 1GB DDR400 that was missing a pad on its connector was OK. Unbelievable...

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-hardware-emporium.228932/page-3#post-3655669

*Leadtek 7600GS*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 





*Inno3D 6600GT*



 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1x6ksdy0c/

*More to come:*

*1.*A *Pentium II CPU* rises from its ashes
*2.Housekeeping* aka heastinks, RAM and some FUN
*3.Minebea* to the rescue!
*4.*Almost, *VLB* Heaven…


----------



## Robert B (Nov 14, 2017)

_"...Let's come together
Right now, oh yeah
In sweet harmony..."_

A *Pentium II CPU* rises from its ashes

While I'm listening to the song above, I'm trying to remember the steps I took a few weeks ago, *to make this PII-450MHz the BEST in my "small" collection*. A feat easy to accomplish, as this PII-450MHz is the ONLY *Pentium II 450MHz* that I have .* The Winner at the PII-450 category is none other than the PII-450!!!*  Talk about a rigged competition ...sshheeessh.....

For some time, I was looking for a PII-450MHz - TOP OF THE LINE for the *GooD Ol' Pentium II*. I have in my collection a PII-333MHz/66 which I can easily overclock to 500MHz/100, a few PII-350MHz and 400MHz but nothing beats a TRUE PII-450MHz, at least from a *bragging rights* perspective.

I found my *450* on a sheet of plastic at the *GOOD OL' flea market*. I bought it together with the *PNY GF4 4600Ti* and it was really cheap 2.1 EUROs. *CHEAP very CHEAP!*

When I first saw it, it was standing with the fans  right up and I thought it was an *Athlon Slot A CPU* but after I took it in my hands I saw that it was a Pentium II. I lifted the chromed retaining latch of the heatsink and I looked at the markings on the cartridge. *BAM! The magic number 450 was there !!! SWEET!!! IT'S A KEEPER!!*!.

So, I bought the thing but I wasnt going to just put it in a box and forget about it...*far from it.* (I'm sure you know me well by now....)

*Pentium II 450MHz - SL2U7*

*Arrival State*

The PII *was in an average state of decay.* Some dust, some dirt, some scratches but it was complete. One of the ends of the SECC cartridge retaining clips was sheared but that wasnt such a big deal. I searched in my BOX O' PARTS for a replacement retaining clip but the search returned a *BIG FAT ZERO* so the CPU was left with only one ear, good enough I would say...+1 is better than nothing 

*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/282uj2s6u/



 

 

 

 

 



*Cleaning*

The cleaning was a *straight forward task.* *BAM!* - teardown. *BAM!* - hot water and dergent bath for the plastic and metal parts. *BAM!* - isopropyl alcohol 99%. *BAM!* -  Patience and an eye for details. *Easy as 3.14*





























*The thermal paste* was bye bye and I still wonder how someone uses *a 20 years old CPU* and doesnt take this fact into consideration. *YO GUYZ! check my sizzlinng PII with V2 SLI. YEP sizzling alright...* Opening a SECC cartridge might be a little nerve-racking but it is not too difficult to do. *With practice comes self confidence*.

When I first saw *the PCB,* I thought I was looking at a Pentium III and I might've been wrong if I didnt already know that it was a Pentium II.

*All nice and clean.* Looking good you SEXY piece of HW pr0n!

The cleaning of *the fans* was a breeze. *Tear-down / Cleaning / Final Assembly.* I also cleaned the stickers from the back.I always try to keep the parts I clean as close to original as possible.

Again *I was very pleased with the results.*

























*Nice! Nice!! Nice!!! - Smooth sailing.*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/3fh8unz92/

*Small repairs*

The opening of *the SECC cartridge* is sometimes accompanied by some light damage.*You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs*.... Sometimes, the separation of *the plastic cover of the SECC cartridge* from the *CPU heatplate* ends with the breakage of a plastic element. When you open a SECC cartridge this part is always the hardest to separate. I'm pretty sure this is an *anti-tampering* measure and it's something that comes with the territory. *It breakes or it is left intact - luck of the draw.*

In the case of *MY PII-450* the plastic element broke and I glued it back. I also did a test to see how was the fit between the plastic cover and the heatplate before I put back the CPU. I had to use a round file to enlarge the hole in the retaining plastic element for an easier fit and perhaps a future teardown 10 years from now 





The opening of the *SECC cartridge *was left with some light scratches on the inside of the anodized heatplate even if I took the precaution to wrap my tools in electrical tape...

*All in all* these minor blemishes are nothing compared to the signs of wear that the CPU already has. The only thing is that I KNOW ABOUT THEM!!! .... ...

All things considered, I would do this again and again. *No question about it.*

After I sorted the plastic cover of the SECC cartridge my attention shifted to *another classic problem*, the one of the contact between the heatplate and the CACHE chips. I always try to establish this contact no matter what.

As you can see in the photo bellow *the gap between the CACHE chips and the heatplate is quite BIG!* GG! Intel.





I have opened quite a few SECC CPUs - *Slot 1 and Slot A*, and I saw an impressive variation in size of *the space between the CACHE chips and the heatplate.* The gap is usually left empty and only in the case of the *SLOT A CPUs *I saw a small quantity of some kind of thermal paste which was applied quite sloppy. I'm pretty sure that back in the day, no one would've taken the time to have thermal pads of different sizes to fill the gap between the CACHE chips and the heatplate. The variation in the manufacturing process was too great and besides, *the CPUs worked great without this additional hustle.* *What's curious though, is the fact that all the SECC CPUs I opened had a special zone for the contact between the heatplate and the CACHE chips....*

For the task of putting back the PII-450MHz I bought some *Arctic MX-4 20g thermal paste* and *Arctic Thermal Pad* de 1 mm.





I have been using ARCTIC MX-4 for over 10 years. Lately I tried *Noctua NT H1 thermal paste* but I didnt even like the way it looked not to mention that on the Noctua site it says that it has a durability of *3 years*("Recommended usage time (on the CPU) up to 3 years"...). So I returned to my trusty MX-4 which has a life of at least *8 years* FTW!!! I know that *20 years* from now the MX-4 will also dry out...but in my case the *MX-4 fits the bill*.I really dont want to rise a discussion about thermal pastes...

Do you remember *the variation* between the CACHE chips and the heatplate? The *1mm thernal pad was to thick (to fit in memory  )*....if I would've bought *0.5mm thermal pad* I'm sure it would've been to thin. *The Artic Thermal pad is soft* so I did something that I've done before and made some *"custom" thermal pads*.

I took a piece of the soft blue Arctic thermal pad and I placed it inside a sheet of plastic. I used a metal cylinder/wood cylinder/the handle of a screwdriver and I flatened the pad.  After each pass I also did *a contact test* to see if the pads werent to thick and I didnt put additional stress on the PCB of the CPU....

*A job for an old chinese man...*

*Stage 1*









*Stage 2*





*Stage 3*







*...Stage X* PERFECT!!!













*The contact* between the CACHE chips and the heatplte *isnt always spot on*, in the sense that the zone in the heatplate is sometimes *offset* or has a smaller size than that of the CACHE chips... *variation in the manufacturing process...etc*

Another secondary effect of the opening of a SECC cartridge is *the enlargement of the holes in the plastic cover* so I had to use two small strips of a double sided heat resistant thermal tape to keep the cover from rattling. *NO PAIN NO GAIN!!!*

After I have established the contact between the CACHE chips and the heatplate there was another matter to deal with, that of *the contact between the heatplate and the heatsink.* Unfortunately, the end of the heatsink has a step and that leads to smaller contact zone. In the past I have used thermal grease to transfer the heat but in this case I resorted to small pieces of a soft pad made from silicone. For the area of contact between the heatsink and the CPU die I used ARCTIC MX-4. If the retaining clips of the heatsink would've been stronger it would've been better...







*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1hcx92vxy/

Why go through all this HELL? : *low temps means a happy CPU* 

*Final Results*

*Almost good as new!*



 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1b648lovq/*The SLOT 1 CPUs are bulletproof. * I've yet to find a dead one.

I did a quick test and sure enough the PII-450 woke up and ran great.

*I'm starting to love Slot 1 CPUs* and I dont know if it is a bad thing or not  just another thing to add on my list of possible candidates for my collection....

I also tested a PII-350MHz CPU and a Celeron 366A like the one I had back in the day and they worked from the get go.  *BULLETPROOF!!!*

I really like parts before *the year 2000*, heavy duty!

*Enjoy! *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*P.S. I ran the 3Dmark99 test only on the PII-450MHz.*

*MORE, NEXT WEEK!!!*


----------



## Mr.Scott (Nov 14, 2017)

How many more slot 1's do you want?, or even SECC part's and heatsinks? I have boxes of them.
I'm sure we can swing a deal. Message me if you're interested.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 20, 2017)

*Beer?* CHECK!!! *Beer Assistant?* Hardware NOT FOUND!  *well*...Beer is still GOOD!

Let's get on with the next EPISODE.

*Housekeeping* aka heastinks, RAM and some *FUN*

After the previous episodes in which I presented a lot of *goodies* now is the time to take into consideration other * vital components which sometimes are left aside*. *Heatsinks & RAM baby!*

*Cyrix HEATSINKS*

In one of the visits I took at *the flea market* this October, I found three interesting pieces. 

As I was browsing the merchandise, *something green caught my eye*. I'm talking about the *unmistakable green colour* of the Cyrix heatsinks. At first, I was put off by the prospect of digging in a big pile of various heatsinks and I turned ready to walk away. I saw the two green Cyrix heatsink form far away and my pulse soon rised as I saw someone else looking at them.

It didnt take long and the thought: *WHAT IF THERE IS SOMETHING GOOD IN THAT FRIGGIN PILE?* started to haunt me and *several seconds later* I was digging in the pile!  

I started digging and soon I found two green *Cyrix 4x86 DX 40MHz si DX-2 66MHz heatsinks.* Unfortunately the ceramic processors were long gone as I'm sure they were processed for *GOLD RECOVERY! RIP!*

As a *BONUS* I found a Pentium heatsink. 

I paid *less than 2 EUROs* for the lot and I refused the generous offer of almost 4 EUROs for the pile of nondescript heatsinks.

They were cleaned and will be kept in a box. I dont know when or if I'll use them...*too bad the CPUs were gone*...

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1mqgn7rcs/



 

 

 



* Arctic Cooling Copper Silent 3*

This heatsink was the result of antother trip at *the flea market*. It was bought for *less than 2 EUROs* and underwent a well deserved SPA treatment.

I was very pleased by * the cooling performance, looks and level of noise of the cooler*. The FAN is running great.

I had to straighten *the retaining bracket* as it was a little out of line. *A pair of pliers and a good eye were just what the doctor ordered!  *

I glued back the frame of the fan. 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1joo0sb3w/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*RAM* *R*andom *A*ccess *M*emory

All this RAM was also the result of a few visits I took at *the flea market*  * The 30 and 72 pins SIMMs *came as a gift when I bought the Diamond Savage 4 PRO, Diamond RIVA 128 and the ASUS VL/I-486SV2GX4 REV. 2.0 motherboard.*The KingMax RAM *was found during the visit I bought the PII-450, PNY 4600TI and the Riva M64.

To clean all this RAM quickly, I resorted to a bath in isopropyl alcohol 99%.*I dont think I'm going to repeat this operation anytime soon* as I used more isopropyl alcohol 99% than it was needed but even so I wasnt  sorry for the  waste as *it was for the GREATER GOOD!* 

Last year I bought a *ACorp 5VX32 motherboard*. It came without a  *C.O.A.S.T - Cache On A STick* module and I was on a lookout for such a thing.

I found *my first C.O.A.S.T. module* on a visit at the flea market - *256KB COAST module Elpina HT-VX Ver. 3.1* It was placed on a shelf near a DURON 750MHz ceramic CPU. It was in bad shape and it was obvious it had a contact with water. Even so, I wanted it. I paid less than 2 EUROs and the seller thought it was a SIMM stick 

*I also found my second C.O.A.S.T. module at the flea market.*It was plugged in a HP motherboard- *256KB SPB CACHE - COAST module - HP 0960-094. *It was pretty difficult to get out of the slot and I had to negociate with the seller to pay less for the damn thing. She looked at me and said to herself that I can pay more for it even if she didnt know what it was  

I think that the next time I'm going to the flea market I'm going to wear some shabby outfit to keep the prices low 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/dhgadc8s/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*some FUN?*

If you wonder where is the *FUN* part in this episode I think you're missing the point. All of this was a very satisfying activity  I treat each component in an equal manner even if we are talking about a 3dfx VooDoo or a SIMM memory stick...

*More later.*


----------



## dorsetknob (Nov 20, 2017)

Robert B said:


> The SLOT 1 CPUs are bulletproof.


 never owned a Genuine P11 450Mhz CPU 

I Did buy the P11 300Mhz (magic one with the right CPUid)
from New i overclocked it to 450Mhz (by jumper's)  with the Addition of a pair of additional fans to the heatsink
after a year or so use i again upped the clock to 650Mhz ( the highest the board would go )
it ran at that speed with No problems for another year or so untill i gave it to a friend for his girls 1st Pc

i heard it run for over 10 years at 650Mhz before he got her a more modern PC
They were Brilliant Reliable MAGIC OVERCLOCKERS


----------



## Robert B (Nov 30, 2017)

*Minebea* to the rescue!

*Minebea?* MINEBEA! *Mi*-ne-*be*-A? *Yeah man!* A++

We all know that a *PSU* is an important part of any PC build. Without it, we wouldn't be able to do anything with our computers aka A BIG FAT *Z*-*E*-*R*-*O* and here I'm not talking about the Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero Model 22 (NX712Z) 

Ever since I was thinking about starting this project, *Good Old Days,* it became obvious that at some point in time I will also need a few good quality *AT PSUs*. At that moment I didnt know what I was going to find or what I wanted.  In *February 2015*, when for a modest sum of money I bought lots of nice components, I also received * a Minebea 200W AT PSU*. I liked it the moment I saw it: good cables, solid, well built, heavy duty case, silent ball bearing fan, *THE REAL DEAL*. When I opend it up for cleaning I was impressed by the build quality. I'm no guru in regard to PSUs, but *I liked what I saw inside*. That particular PSU had two sets of AT motherboard power connectors. It might've been used on a dual CPU system. It is the exact PSU from *the 5x86 Build and (Re)Build* posted on the thread. It was manufactured in 1996 and still has OK voltages. She's sitting pretty powering a 5x86 and it isnt even seriously using all its capacity. Running cool and quiet as it should. In a way *she's retired and now takes it easy* 

Fast forward to *October 2017*, when at the flea market I found the little sister of the above mentioned PSU. For a very low price it was mine.*The case had some spots of light rust* but I still bought it, as I knew that it was more important what's on the inside than what I could see on the outside. 

It came *without a power switch* and from the looks of it, it never had one as the connector that was supposed to to be in contact with the ON/OFF switch might've been connected directly to the motherboard. I looked at the pictures of my other Minebea PSU and from a paper clip, I improvised a bridge between *the black and gray wires* and I was able to test the PSU with a HDD and use it for testing the system that will be presented in the next episode: Almost, *VLB* Heaven. I wasnt disappointed and the PSU is still in parameters firing on all its cyclinders.*WIN WIN WIN!!!  *

Meet the *MINEBEA Electronics 73G4374* 145W manufactured in 1995! Nice year, me in highschool still without a PC which came in 1996 ..... GOOD TIMES!!! It seems soo long ago...

From the model number it might've come from an *IBM PC*.





The construction is *elegant* and after I removed *two screws*, that were kind of special, I had in front of me the part that interested me the most:  *THE NAKED TRUTH!* 

*Nice NICE Nice* - shake it BABY!!!











The interior was a little *dusty* and to my relief I saw not signs of damaged components. *The capacitors were DANDY*. I found a shriveled spider inside and it seems that in this case we didnt find *a bug in the system* but a *spidey IN THE HOUSE!* 

*NICE!* Less work for me.















*Some magic:* Elbow grease and Isopropyl alcohol 99%.






































*The rusted areas* were cleaned with a rust remover solution and then painted. *I didnt want to fully restore the case.*

*The exhaust grill* is easily recognizable and if you see it, check out that PSU. If IBM used them in their PCs there is no reason to pass them.

*Why do I want to use and OLD PSU?* I know I could use a new ATX PSU with an AT adapter but *where's the fun in that? *The *real deal* is always *THE REAL DEAL* there is no substitute.

Let's talk about *voltage.*

With just a *HDD* connected I registered *11.63V* on the *12V rail* and *5.12V* on the *5V rail*.





When I used the PSU to power *a motherboard, CPU, RAM, cooler, VLB controller combo,* the situation changed but the voltages were still OK: *11.72V* on the *12V rail* and * 5.08V * on the *5V rail*.





*After 22 years* the PSU is still good and I'm sastisfied with my purchase. The voltages are well within spec. For sure, this PSU *will be used in a future build.* *ALIVE AND KICKING!!!*

For now, it will be sitting paciently in a box and not on top of a heap of electronic waste ready to be minced. 

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/186fkhdvg/

*More later.* (I foresee that the next episode will be *a monster*, at least in regard to the length of it  we'll see later )

*512 KB*...soooo much memory  of times past


----------



## Robert B (Dec 1, 2017)

*Special episode*  Soon, pictures with *my army* 






Atesh K. - Don't Know What to Do (Original Mix)


----------



## Robert B (Dec 1, 2017)

*Today* is the national day of my country and because I had a few free hours, I decided to do something I was planning for some time. So, a *special episode* was born 

I took out the stars of the episodes I posted until now and I wanted to see how they look together. Let's call it *a reunion*  All have been cleaned and returned to their original glory. You've seen them and read about them in the pages before.

The entire operation took *about two hours and a half.* I also took my time, to better sort all the parts and I put all the non-functional items in separate boxes.

The pictures *do not contain:* the three completed builds, a big box of cables, a big box of fans and heatsinks, a small box of ram, a few CPUs, the HDDs, FDDs and the ODDs, three PSUs, about 40 floppy discs and 100+CDs, plus several miscellaneous items  . I was afraid to take them out as I was sure that it would take me the entire day to take pictures and put them back in their boxes.

If I wanted I could've had at least three times more parts and I must say it feels kind of scary 

Bellow are the results of almost three years of "work". I  didnt try too hard to find them and I had short periods of intense activity followed by long  periods of inactivity.

*When I saw them all lined up in front of me I felt a great satisfaction. YEAH BABY!!!*

*Enjoy!*

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1uo4lc5q4/


----------



## jaggerwild (Dec 1, 2017)

Holly Shit!
 You my good man, get a hats off!!! You must be Ex military..........


----------



## jaggerwild (Dec 1, 2017)

> Details, details, details, attention to details makes all the difference
> 
> I am in the "accumulation" stage and for now I keep all my stuff. All my pieces are sparkling and squeaky clean just as I like them. It's kind of scary how many parts I have gathered in a couple of years without even trying too hard. Some might be put for sale.
> 
> ...


----------



## Robert B (Dec 5, 2017)

Almost, *VLB* Heaven...

For more than two months I didnt buy anything *retro-HW* related. While I was in *REHAB* , I thought I got over the worst part of this addiction. Unfortunately for me, I was wrong  as this week I'm waiting for a package which contains *MORE RETRO HW* . YEP! *I did it again*...need I say more?.... It's not a prototype, a monstrous graphic card, an IBM 350 (RAMAC) or something extremely rare but the contents make me remember the times in highschool in 1994...my memory is still fresh. The first time I sat on the chair that I used for the next four years, which had carved on the back the words: *IBM PC* and between my legs: *Don't worry / Be Happy *. Go figure 

Let's return to the present day and the story I'm about to tell you.

Almost, *VLB* Heaven.

Why *Almost* and *Heaven* in combination with *VLB*? What made me use these words together? Well, I wish I had a more powerfull mix of components for this endeavour as it would've been even more enjoyable. After this experience, I've aquired the taste for even older parts. While *the newer parts*, usually have a higher casualty rate, *the older parts* have yet to disappoint me and they still work *"knee deep in the dead"*, after taking on the *Apocalypse from DOOM,* being left to the mercy of elements, have escaped the shredder or got away from the vandals who see them only as *a GOLD Recovery source.*

Up until this moment, when I heard about *VLB*  stuff, I was thinking about something complicated which was also shrouded in a mysterious fog. Why should I bother with something like that? (*Little did I know that in the end I was going to like them A LOT!*)

*In September 2017* through a stroke of luck, I bought from *the flea market*, an *ASUS VL/I-486SV2GX4 REV. 2.0 * motherboard and a mighty - FDD/HDD/SERIAL/PARALLEL/GAME PORT Winbond W83787F, W83758F / Promise PDC20630- EIDE / Super-I/O *VLB Controller.* I paid a very low price for the entire package.  The *Asus* smilled at me the moment I saw her even if the first time I didnt bought it and I had to get back from my car and recover it from the pile in which it sat. Looking back, I say it was a good decision as I'm pretty sure, *it would've haunted me beyond the grave* if I wouldn't've done so 

This is how I was bitten *by the VLB bug*. GOD DAMN IT!!! It's crawling under my skin and *I CAN'T ESCAPE!!!* Something has changed inside me and I can't turn back!

First I cleaned the *VLB controller*. Without this piece, the ASUS motherboard is just an inert mass. NO HDD, NO mouse, NO CD-ROM, *zilch, nada, ZERO.* A BIG FAT ZERO!  I must say again.

*The VLB controller,* was in a so-so state. Dusty and dirty with a bent bracket which also lost its shine. The good part was that it was complete.









I took off *all the jumpers*, about 30+ of them and I cleaned them with an old toothbrush and isopropyl alcohol 99%.





Next came the cleaning of the board *with plenty of isopropyl alcohol 99%*. Before this stage, I took the decision *to remove the surface dust using a soft animal hair brush* as I was pretty sure it would've made my life a whole lot worse when I was to use the alcohol.  *IT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE!* as everything went smoothly. I paid great attention to detail. *It was my first VLB Controller, after all.*

















*The bracket got back its shine* and I put back all the jumpers. It took me a while, but the pictures I made earlier were of big help. I didnt have a manual for the controller and if I would've had missing jumpers, this operation would've been a PITA even with the instructions printed on the back.





*Final results.* FLAWLESS VICTORY!!!

















*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/15c7bv6yk/

As I said before, I found the ASUS motherboard and the VLB controller at *the flea market.* I took a picture after I bought them.





*ASUS VL/I-486SV2GX4* REV. 2.0 

This motherboar was *my ticket* in a new stage from the evolution of the PC. As soon as I saw *the printed name on the motherboard,* I knew I was staring at an ASUS board and my mind was racing towards the dual socket Pentium PRO motherboards. The font is specific to the boards belonging to this era. *An ASUS is still an ASUS no matter what.*

*As expected,* the motherboard was dirty and had that specific smell which I cant stand to this day even after more than a hundred cleaned components. *Come to POPPA to make you GREAT AGAIN!* 













I took off all the CACHE chips, the BIOS chip and the jumpers. The jumpers were brittle and I knew I had to replace them. *ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 99%*. Need I say more? *I DON'T THINK SO!*











































After I cleaned the motherboard I started to stare at it and the thought of populating all the CACHE sockets came into my mind.  There were only *128KB* and four chips. The motherboard had 8 sockets! Let's DO IT! *256KB!*.......Little did I know this would mean more work and less FUN!

*I checked the manual * and I found that for 128KB I needed *4x32KB* CACHE chips and a *8KB* TAG chip. *CHECK!* I didnt have *64KB* chips so I had to use *8x32KB* instead of *4x64KB*. For the *8x32KB* I needed a *32KB* TAG chip. At this moment, I didnt know if the TAG chip had to be made by the same manufacturer of the CACHE chips or if it would've had to be of a different construction or of a different brand.  I searched *vogons.org* and the Internet and I found out that these facts dont matter too much as long as *the CACHE chips and the TAG* have the same specs as stated in the manual. So I searched in my stash of organ donors and parts that will not be restored, and I found on a motherboard *9 identical 32KB CACHE chips*. SUPER. Now the ASUS had *256KB CACHE* and it looked wicked.

https://www.philscomputerlab.com/asus-vli-486sv2gx4.html

I didnt have *a tool for the extraction of the CACHE chips* so this operation was nerve racking. I didnt know that I will repeat this process *at least three times*...











*OK. *All was clean and shiny, and I wanted to pick a *CPU* to test the motherboard. I found from the Internet that if I was to use an *AMD 5x86 de 133MHz* the motherboard would need a specific BIOS version to recognize it and I was pretty sure that *it didnt have the correct one*. Besides, I couldnt FLASH the BIOS chip because the motherboard and the chip didnt support this. *DEAD END!* I took from my stash the next BIG thing, an *AMD 486 DX4-100MHz 100NV8T CPU*.

*I set up all the required jumpers* and I took some pictures with the wonder. I also replace *the mix of black jumpers* with new white ones. I had to use a pair of pliers with smooth jaws to straighten some pins. Now the motherboard look GREAT! *WICKED!!!*



































The following day, when I tought I had everything ready for the real test, something was bugging me. *The Revision 2.0* of the motherboard doesnt have settings for 3V, and my *AMD DX4-100 MHz* IS *3V!* Even if I had jumpers settings for this particular CPU, *I decided not to pump 3.45V* in a *3V rated part,* even if I was told I could do so. *The 5x86 133MHz* is rated at *3.45V* but the motherboard wont recognize it...

My board only has the JP32 jumper and in combination with the JP16 I can get: 3.45V, 3.6V, 4.0V and 5.0 V.

*If JP16 is shorted on 1-2, then JP32 sets the voltage. In which case,
JP32 1-2 = 3.45 V
JP32 2-3 = 3.6 V
JP32 OPEN = 4.0 V

If JP16 is OPEN, then the voltage is 5.0 V*

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=51152

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus/svoQg7GSRbQ
http://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/Archive/Asus/486/486sv2g - gx4/sv2g-cpu.html
http://www.dosforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8175

I started to look in my boxes and what do I find? The *Intel 486SX de 25MHz* which I saved from demise in 2015 and it was featured in the episode:  Little bent PIN -
 The story of the *BENT CPU PIN*(ssssssssss) or should I say *lots of CPU Pins* 

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ly-old-hardware-emporium.228932/#post-3574702

*5V? YEAH BABY!* This slow 4x86 will help me test this high-end motherboard. GREAT!!! I have to set again all the jumpers...DON'T forget! 25MHz BUS instead of 33MHz!





*I got everything ready for the test*. I powered up *the Minebea PSU* from the previous episode and *I waited to hear the HAPPY BOOT BEEP*.

*NOTHING!* NO BEEP, NO IMAGE on the screen! Just a cricket chirping....

*What THE....?!?!* I used another stick of *RAM*. STILL NOTHING.* I took out all of the RAM sticks* .....*NOTHING!* Well I'll be F.....

* I changed the PC SPEAKER* as it might be damaged. NOTHING!!! *Hmmmm*

I tried to connect *an FDD* and *a HDD.* I changed a few jumpers on the VLB controller.

*STIL NOTHING!*

*THOSE CACHE CHIPS might be the culprit!* There simply is no other explication. I took out all of them and I powered the system. *BEEP BEEP!!! I'm alive! * I still had no image on the screen... the card *Oak Technology OTI077 - 1077082003 REV. G - 512KB* was dead...RIP





I took out another video card: a *Trident TVGA9000C - 7133 Rev. B1 - 512KB* and BAM! I got a clear image. All was OK as it should.





I tried my third ISA card: a *Trident TVGA9000i-2 - 7210 Rev. H1* and I received more good news. It was working!





At this moment I decided to put back *the original CACHE chips* and combine them with *other 32 pin 32KB CACHE chips* plus another 32KB TAG. This worked and I got the  *256KB* I so much desired.













The motherboard *is finicky about RAM* in regards to capacity, manufacturer, type: SS or DS and the way you fill the slots. *The MANUAL was of great help.* I managed to get a maximum of *16MB* as I only had 4MB and 8MB sticks. *The two 16MB sticks I have are in the 5x86 build and they arent going anywhere no matter what.*















*I ran a few tests* but I didnt like what I saw. Most likely, *THE CPU IS WAY TOO SLOW* for this motherboard. The *CACHE CHECK* program complained about supposedly fake cache chips. It is not the case, as the CPU, the MIX of RAM, the MIX of CACHE chips might be blamed for this behaviour...I didnt set anything in BIOS and only the defaults were loaded...All these "problems" can be easily fixed in the future.






















*During testing I decided to use a cooler for the 4x86 SX 25MHz* as it was quite warm to the touch. It can be used without a heatsink but I wouldnt do this over long periods of time.





In the end I reverted to the *128KB* CACHE and the original chips. A bigger CACHE wont help me if I dont have a RAM capacity to match.

*IF IT WORKS DON'T FIX IT!!!* 





Here we are at the end of the : "Almost, *VLB* Heaven..." story. I'm pretty sure you understand the title by now. It's not about the difficulties I encountered when I wanted to test the system it is about the fact that a more powerful CPU, more RAM, an ET 4000 VLB video card, etc... would've made all of this more enjoyable.

At the very least *I'm glad* that the ASUS and the VLB controller are in good working condition.

I might revisit this VLB moment sometimes in the future...*we'll see*.

*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1wjod5nuk/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 5, 2017)

*EXTRA:* Is it possible to use a RIVA 128 4MB PCI in a SiS 496/497 socket 3 motherboard? (I'm sure this question keeps you awake at night!  )

I was asked by a fellow vogons.org member: *amadeus777999* if I could test a RIVA 128 in my socket 3, 5x86 133MHz, SiS 496/497 build. In his case all his efforts were fruitless as the system hanged at the stage he tried to install the drivers in Windows. In the end he found a solution as he had to set a jumper on his motherboard and he also got a RIVA 128 PCI working on his SiS setup: *"the LuckyStar(SiS) board does indeed work with the Riva128 - there was a misplaced jumper that caused cache corruption and hence the failed assumption of incompatibility."*

I wanted to test a V1 in my first PC but in the end I got to test a mighty NV3 aka RIVA 128  : *Diamond nVIDIA Riva 128* - Rev. D - VIPER V330 PCI 4MB

*Test configuration.*

1. CPU: AMD 5X86 133MHz - AMD-X5-133ADW/Am5X86-P75 3.45V
2. Motherboard: Tomato board / ZIDA 4DPS v2.11- chipset SiS 496/497 - 256KB cache/3 PCI/3 ISA/2 RAM SLOTS
3. RAM: 2x16=32 MB RAM SIMM FPM
4. VGA: Cirrus Logic 5446 - 8260B/V6, 2MB, PCI
5. AUDIO: ESS AudioDrive 1868F ISA
6. HDD: QUANTUM TRAILBLAZER TRB850A -850MB- 4500RPM
7. FDD: NEC
8. CD-ROM: Goldstar/LG CRD-8160B
9. PSU: Minebea Electronics 200W AT PSU
10. Cooling: CPU-Noctua NF-4x10FLX 40 mm x 40 mm x 10 mm 4500 rpm/SSO2 SYSTEM: Scythe Mini Kaze 60 mm x 60 mm x 20 mm 2500 rpm/sleeve.
11. CASE: Generic AT Case manufactured 1998.













I prepared a driver package *version 1.30* I found on the internet and two CDs taken from the vogons driver library called *DIAMOND SUPER CD 98 1,2.*

http://www.helpjet.net/Fs-41580795-4007 ... 35073.html
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=548
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=156























The *Diamond SUPER CD* is awesome as it contains lots of drivers for Diamond graphic cards. First I tried the *V 1.30* package and it installed right away so I didnt use the DIAMOND Super CDs. I had to burn a CD with only the drivers as my floppy disks were a pain to write with my two USB FDD units...errors after errors...this brings back sweet memories....

I encountered no image problems or any kind of issues after I used the *DIAMOND VIPER V330.* All was stable. The colours and image clarity were great.

I was expecting a greater speed in *SpeedSys 4.78* for the *Viper v330*. The *CL 5446 2MB PCI* got a VESA memory speed of *19376KB/s* and the *Viper V330 22289KB/s*. I think the CPU doesnt let the RIVA 128 spread its wings.











I tried a few games: *Shaddow Warrior, DOOM, DOOM II, DUKE NUKEM, DESCENT, HERETIC* and they ran great. When the *RIVA* was in my system the *Settlers 2 and Heroes 2* wouldnt start saying that *the mouse was not present on the COM 1 port or mouse not detected* even if I had a PS/2 mouse. However* Heroes 2* ran great with the *CL 5446 2MB PCI* and the *PS/2 mouse*. I didnt want to try a serial mouse but I'm sure if I would've tried the games would work. The *Lost Vikings Game* which is a pure WIN95 game wouldnt start with the *RIVA 128* saying that it needed a file/gave a Windows error but the game worked from the get go with the *CL 5446 2MB PCI*.

*These are small issues which can be solved but I didnt have the time to do it. *



































I took *Phils* test suite and I ran a few tests.

https://www.philscomputerlab.com/dos-be ... -pack.html

The *RIVA 128* ran *Quake at 640x480*(see the RIVA-TST-034.jpg) and *320x200*. I ran the tests from *WIN95* and I got a *4.6* score for *640x480* and *10.9* score for *320x200*. After this I *restared in MS DOS mode* from Win95 and I got a score of *4.8* for *640x480* and *11.3* for *320x200*.

I also tried to run the *Quake 640x480, 320x200* tests on the *CL 5446 2MB PCI* and only the *320x200* test worked. I got a *11.3* score.

So I'm sure *my CPU is not feeding the RIVA 128 *all the data it needs to show its strength.

















With the *RIVA 128* I was able to play *DN at 800x600* and it worked even if the frame rate was low.

I also tested the Viper and CL cards with *3D Bench 1.0 and 3D Bench 1.0c*. I got the same results for the Viper and CL cards. *If I had another test system with a Pentium CPU I might've seen other scores*. Who knows...

The *RIVA 128* ran the *PC Player Benchmark* in *640x480 and 320x200*. The *CL 5446* ran only the *320x200*. For both the RIVA 128 and CL 5446 the PC Player Benchmark 320x200 test returned the same score *14.6.*











*All the tests were made after I restarted in MS DOS from WIN95. I dont have a pure DOS machine yet. Also I didnt tweak the settings in BIOS. The defaults were loaded.*

I dont know if there are DOS drivers for the RIVA 128. I think the card shows its strength in Windows environment.

So there you have it: 45 pics  No witchcraft or something else. THE RIVA 128 WORKS ON SiS 496/497  kind of...

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2k7j1d2pi/


----------



## phill (Dec 5, 2017)

I'm so in awe of this thread and the level of detail and commitment you have for all of your hardware..  You must have one massive storage place to store all of this!! 

Hats off to you sir, amazing, simply amazing 

Seeing that Quake demo makes me remember back to when I had my Amiga with a 603e and Blizzardvision PPC card..  I use to run that test many a time!!  Brings back some memories...  I wish I still had that system   Sad times....


----------



## Robert B (Dec 16, 2017)

Hey Grandpa,* do you still lose track of time*?!?!? 

Have no fear, I have the solution right here, said *"the greenhorn"*  yep, true story 

As you know well, recently, I have aquired a *socket 4 motherboard and CPU*, an illusive creature which only comes out at night 

*The Pentium 66 MHz* is a real treat, aka *THE ORIGINAL PENTIUM!!!* To put things in perspective, we are talking about THE PENTIUM 66 MHz, top dog back in its heyday and not a Pentium 60 MHz aka a Pentium 66 MHz which didnt make the cut. We all know its story, FDIV and stuff...

Before I received *the socket 4 bundle* I knew I will have to do an *RTC: Real-Time Clock module mod.* After *decades,* it was obvious that the lithium cell/battery inside the RTC module went the way of the DoDo bird. *Do you still believe in fairy tales?...* I know I still do.. kind off...but I wasnt expecting that the battery would still be good...

When I received the package with the Pentium 66, I saw that I didnt get the right RTC module. Instead of a *Dallas DS1287* RTC module I received a *Benchmarq BQ3287MT module.* I used the Benchmarq RTC module but I wasnt able to make the socket 4 system to post or boot. Regardless, this story is not about me not being able to solve the P66 puzzle, which is just a temporary setback, as I'm going to present to you an *RTC module mod for vintage/old systems.*

*The RTC module is kind of special* in the sense that it's more than just a CMOS battery: "The CMOS BQ3287/BQ3287A is a low-power microprocessor peripheral providing a time-of-day clock and 100-year calendar with alarm features and battery operation. Other features include three maskable interrupt sources, squarewave output, and 114 bytes of general nonvolatile storage."

http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets/90/122373_DS.pdf

Without *this humble black toffee,* an older PC is dead in the water not beeing able to boot, get past the boot screen or load an OS. Quirks of ancient technology.

You can find on the internet plenty of *RTC CR2032/RTC chip/module, mod/hack/rework, Dallas DS1287 / Benchmarq BQ3287 / ODIN OEC12C887* tutorials. The gist of these mods/hacks is represented by the attachment of a regular CR2032 socket+battery, to a couple of specific terminals of the RTC module after they are disconnected from the dead lithium cell/battery inside. 

http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/dsrework.htm

After several years, these *lithium cells die* and can't hold the required charge to keep the BIOS settings which are lost after you disconnect the PC from the mains,  power off the system or you just restart the PC.In some instances this fact can render an older PC useless.

*Said and done.* I read again the instructions and I was ready to ROCK and ROLL!

To make things more challenging, fate did so, that *a pin from the Benchmarq BQ3287 RTC module broke off* when I pulled it out of the socket... *call it a bad hair day*  BEHOLD it is the *PIN 13!!!* FTW!!!  Wicked!!! IN YO' FACE!!!







I took *my trusty callipers* and I took a measurment to determine the exact spot where I was about to use a hacksaw to expose the cell battery contacts. *PIN 16: (-) and PIN 20 (+)*. I hacked away until I felt the metal.











I took *a multimeter* and I measured the voltage of the cell battery inside the RTC module: *2.96V* what the f..k??? At first, I thought I was about to open up a good RTC module *but quickly I figured out* that the charge was from the test of the socket 4 system I did earlier and I was sure that* the charge wouldn't've been kept for long, minutes, hours, a few days...*. My hunch was confirmed after I disconnected the battery when I made a new measurement and I got a BIG FAT ZERO VOLTS.





After I made *the initial cuts with the hacksaw*, I used a few fine files of various shapes to fully expose the contacts between the RTC module and the battery. As you can see in the pictures, the *pin 16* and *pin 20*, have been bent the other way to *make contact with the internal lithium cell battery*.









I used *a fine screwdriver* and with a firm rocking motion, left-right, I severed the contact of the *pin 16* and *pin 20* with the lithium cell battery. I took care to remove all *the metal bits* that resulted from this operation.









I prepared *the CR2032 socket* that I wanted to attach to the BQ3287MT RTC module.





To make things bulletproof, I decided *to also cut the tips of the pins I exposed*. Better safe than sorry.





I took a razor and *I cut four little bits of plastic* from the CR2032 socket as they would've hindered me when I was to attach it with *super glue* to the RTC module.





I prepared *the wires* that I was about to use.





I cleaned everthing with *and old toothbrush and 99% isopropyl alcohol.*





*Looking good!*







I used *black electrical tape * to mask the exposed contacts of the dead cell battery. *Looks are VERY IMPORTANT!*





After all of this, *I tackled the problem of the missing pin.* I tried to solder the sheared tip of the pin 13 but I wasnt successful, so I took *the hacksaw and the fine files* and I did a third groove in the RTC module. A *CACHE CHIP* donated a pin and the problem was solved. I used a french key to keep the things in place while I did these delicate procedures.















*I soldered the wires to the CR2032 socket/battery holder.*





I made *a set of CUSTOM heat shrink tubes* for the CR2032 socket, just for looks.





*Almost done.*





I determined *the ideal length of the wires*.





I used *super glue* to attach the CR2032 socket on the Benchmarq BQ3287MT RTC module. To obtain a strong bond I used again the french key. A pen was used as a spacer to protect the pins of the BQ3287MT RTC module.





*I soldered the wires* from the CR2032 socket to the BQ3287MT RTC module.









*Looking SEXY!!!* I used *TRANSPARENT POXIPOL* to cover the soldered joints of the RTC module.













*HOT! HOT! HOT!*





*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/241ax5y0i/

The entire operation *took more than three hours*.I cant establish the time with precision as it went by in a flash. Now, I can make this mod *in less than an hour* and all this experience was worth it even if I wasnt able to wake up the ASUS socket 4 motherboard. This will have to wait a little more...

I have to get a *Dallas DS1287 RTC module*, hack it, and then try to power up again the Pentium 66...





*More later.*

FTW!!! FYW!!! FTW!!!

Moonwalk - Girl For You


----------



## phill (Dec 16, 2017)

You really do take it to the next level   Amazing stuff!!


----------



## CheapMeat (Dec 19, 2017)

This is one of the most epic threads I've ever seen. Should be archived. Lots of fantastic hardware and even learned a bit about cleaning properly.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 5, 2018)

*Three UGLY Sisters!!!*

While I'm writing these lines, I still wonder what made me try *to recover these three things*. They arent rare or extremely useful. They came dirty, covered with corrosion marks, verdigris and God knows what.On their forehead was written in a clear font: *TOO FAR GONE!!! DONT BOTHER!*

All these warning signs meant nothing to me and I decided to see what I can do. *Little did I know that I was just wasting my time.* Better quit while you're ahead...

After all was said and done I saw this adventure as *a test of my skills*, nothing more.  If these things would've been rare or exotic artifacts I might've pulled up a few aces from my sleeve, but after hours allocated for this endeavour one obvious conclusion was vivid in my mind : *STOP! YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME and MONEY!*

Together with the *Pentium 66* I also received three other components. I knew they were in a bad shape and initially I said to the seller that I dont need them but he said he was going to send them anyway. By this time I said to myself that I want to see if I can restore them...

Let's meet *the three things*:

1. Apac 3901A - *S3 Savage 3D* - AGP - 8MB
2. *Modem* ACorp AT-336PCR - RCV336ACF/SP R6749-21
3. *Modem* NIG-EAGLE-1-V1 - DAVICOM 33.6

*Nothing glamorous...*

The arrival state can be seen bellow.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/j4ysy5qm/



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2ji37x7l2/

First I changed *a capacitor* on the S3 card because it was deformed. An easy task.

After this, I turned my attention to *the three brackets*. I kept them *for three hours* in an auto rust remover solution and I checked them at * intervals of 30 minutes *. At each check I removed a layer of rust. I used a sharp needle and other tools to remove the rust which turned to  a black crust. After this I put the brackets back into the solution. I repeated this operation several times.

After I removed all of the rust I was left with *pitting* in the areas that were cleaned. I tried with a *buffing wheel and polishing compound* to eliminate the pitting but it was too advanced so I tried to reduce it a little and then I *manually buffed the brackets with a special cream.*

In the end *they came out looking okay...*







Next came the moment to tackle the cards. You should've seen my face while I was staring at them. *What the F...* Even so I still carried on.

*The rust and the verdigris from the cards werent bothered by the 99% isopropyl alcohol * so I took out the BIG GUNS and with the help of a few cotton sticks *dipped in the rust remover* I covered the entire surface of the modems, the golden pins, connectors and the BIOS socket of the graphic card with a thin layer of solution.

I had to *be pacient* because the procedure was slow and I had to see how it will evolve.

*After a few dabs of rust remover solution and 99% isopropyl alcohol washes I removed much of the rust, verdigris, dirt and whatever was there.*

Almost all of the components *were contaminated* and I paid close attention to each detail: pins, BIOS chips, capacitors, quartz crystals, you name it...

I replaced two screws and I recovered four.

In the end *I was satisfied with the results* and I decided to stop. Against all of my efforts I wasnt able to fully recover any of the cards. Each one of them remained with scars.















































*Test time.*

*S3 TEST?* Ha hAHh aHahHAhhhaHahhhahah - NO IMAGE TEST ! YEP, dead, beep code: VGA NOT DETECTED!!! Well I'll be F.....Go figure...I didnt test the card when I received as it was so nasty I wouldn't've never put it inside my clean and sparkling PIII.

The modems were identified by *Win 98* but I didnt find the original drivers. I installed generic drivers and that was it. *As good as it gets.*









*Back in the BOX and I dont want to see you for a while! *

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1188ql87w/

*More later.* The P66 still refuses to come back to life...full story will be posted later after I have exhausted all of my options...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/nasleyb6/


----------



## Robert B (Jan 8, 2018)

Listen to *this tune* while you watch the HYPE photos!!! 

Martinez-Chord Ripper (Original Mix)

http://classic.beatport.com/track/chord-ripper-original-mix/7660290

It wont be long until I'll resume *the regular show* 

*Sneak peek!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1ted8ydlo/

Do I have to say it?

As usual *MORE LATER*


----------



## Vayra86 (Jan 8, 2018)

I may have said this before but

Mad respek


----------



## Robert B (Jan 10, 2018)

*THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!*





L.E.

*Thar She Blows!*



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/kgdidg6u/

*MORE LATER!!!*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 11, 2018)

I decided to not buy a hot air station *yet* and improve my soldering skills *instead*

Test run in preparation for the *V4-L operation!*





*More later!!!*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 13, 2018)

The first picture contains the *BIOS chip of the V4-L* and the second one is the *emergency solution* I found to save the card that I've damaged while trying to SAVE IT. I still get cold shivers just thinking about it!

*From all this adventure I've come to gain more experience and the V4 in FULL working condition, albeit with a small repair.* Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer  I really didnt want to use the 3dfx as a guinea pig but that has happened and there is no way to change it. Sometimes overconfidence can be the only way forward. In this instance I didnt rely only on overconfidence but even if I knew that I'm not doing the right thing I could almost taste the fact that the V4-L is OK and I wanted to know this NOW and not LATER. This story has been on my mind since last year and has been haunting me eversince. NOW THE DEMON has been slain and THE HERO was left with some scars...

Regardless, I know what I did wrong and in the future I can do a whole lot better. In a nutshell I did *ALL THE BAD THINGS* and I still came on top   Also, all the BAD things that could happen have happened!

*Expect a story of dedication, madness, luck and a certain kind of skill* I'm no brain surgeon but in the end I prevailed as a field medic  I really should've bought a hot air station or have more patience. Patience? What's that???

*THE EVILKING IS BACK!*

ENJOY!



 



In the end you will have to read a nice story that otherwise wouldn't've happened! I must say this was not staged.





*For sure MORE LATER!*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 14, 2018)

*THE EVILKING IS BACK!*

Today I'm going to tell you the ending of *a thrilling story.* A story which I know has captivated a lot of you. The main character of the story is the *3dfx VooDoo4 4500 L- shaped card. *A card that left the seller in good working condition and it arrived in my hands not working. In the links bellow you can read all about this, the restoration of the card, the test, my efforts to revive it. This story has haunted me since last year. This card was one of the most expensive cards I bought last year and I liked it the moment I saw it.

*PowerColor EvilKing IV VooDoo 4 / VooDoo4 4500 - L shaped - 210-0908-01 / 210-0435-001 *

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-hardware-emporium.228932/page-5#post-3700715
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-hardware-emporium.228932/page-5#post-3714129
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-hardware-emporium.228932/page-5#post-3714883
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-hardware-emporium.228932/page-5#post-3717832
http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=55610

Lets get on with the show. *The story about dedication, madness, luck and a certain kind of skill is about to unfold!*

After *I exhausted all of my options* trying to revive the V4-L, I came to the conclusion that sometime in the future I will have to *remove the BIOS chip* and see what's on the damn thing. At that time I was planning to take the card to a shop and have it removed professionally. This week I bought a *MiniPro TL866A BIOS programmer* to revive my first Pentium 66 setup and then I knew that I also must do something about the *V4-L.* I wanted to buy a hot air station but in the end I didnt want to spend more money for a piece of equipment that will stay most of the time in its box so I checked the internet to see how can I remove a PLCC32 BIOS chip without special tools.

*Keep in mind* that I have no training or specialisation in any of the operations I was about to perform. I had little experience and most of the time I used my brain and common sense. The rest came naturally. .

I found these two neat videos:


















I *watched the demonstration a few times* and I was ready to do it. I had *a damaged laptop motherboard* and I tried to replicate the results. *The operation went smoothly and fast.* I was amazed it was so easy. I didnt damage any solder pads so I was confident enough to tackle the V4-L. I used two soldering irons, a 15W to put as much solder I could in the first run and a 40W to add the finishing touch and keep the solder liquid as much as possible. I used a small screwdriver which was hanging in the air and let gravity remove a corner of the BIOS chip after I heated the solder.

*Cleaning the solder* from the BIOS chip I removed was tedious and I had to improvise something to hold it as I couldnt apply enough pressure with the solder wick and the soldering iron.I used a french key and two small fastening nuts. I took care not to overheat the chip and I took my time and I removed 95% of the solder.

I must say that I didnt pay as much attention to this entire experiment as I wanted just to establish a baseline.Get a feel of it. I knew that when the time to tackle the V4-L would come I would have to be *a lot more careful*. This was sort of a worst case scenario and I wanted see what would happen.

*After this operation the chip survived intact and I was able to read, erase and program it as many times as I wanted.*

















A day after this success story I felt confident enough to take on the DEMONS of the V4-L. I bought fresh solder wick and two fine tweezers.

*WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?*

*I prepared the V4-L* using an adhesive aluminium tape and took my time and masked everything nicely. At this moment I was more than anytime aware about how tightly packed the components were on this delicate V4-L.* I carried on.*













After I masked the area I was about to flood with solder I wrapped the entire card in aluminium foil.













*OPEN THE SOLDER GATES!!!*











I performed the same steps as I took in the test run: *"I used two soldering irons, a 15W to put as much solder I could in the first run and a 40W to add the finishing touch and keep the solder liquid as much as possible. I used a small screwdriver which was hanging in the air and let gravity remove a corner of the BIOS chip after I heated the solder." This time I placed a small cardboard box under the screwdriver to reduce the lifting distance of the chip.*

The operation was *much harder* to do than before as the space was smaller and the card was moving on my table. Also for some reason *the solder wouldnt stay liquid for as much time it did during the test run*. *The fact that it was a little colder inside might've contributed to this.* A few moments and it was hard. I didnt have much space to place the tip of the soldering iron. I didnt want to keep the tip on the PCB as much as I did in the test run as I was aware of the small resistors which were a fraction of a millimeter away. It was NERVE WRACKING but I still soldiered on! I said to myself: *YOU SIR ARE MAD AF!!!* I brushed the thought away and I focused on the prize: I SAW ONLY THE BOOT STRING white on black:  *VOODOO4 4500 BIOS.......*

A few tries later *I managed to lift one corner of the BIOS chip.* I knew I was on the right track. I had to add more solder as the tip of the soldering iron sucked it away.

I tried to use the big twezzers but they just got in the way of the soldering iron. I couldnt grab the chip well.

I got to the point where the BIOS chip was almost free and I was just a corner awat from glory. *A thought passed in my mind: dont lift the chip like the lid from a box, heat the solder and move it sideways.* TOO LATE! THE CHIP WAS FREE and I could see the back of a ripped off solder pad.

* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

*I felt cold shivers on my spine a I panicked!* I could almost hear the *3DFX POLICE* coming to get me and the *3DFX SWAT TEAM* busting in from the windows!





*STAY ON THE GROUND! DONT MOVE! KEEP YOU HAND WERE I CAN SEE THEM!!!*

*I finally removed the BIOS chip and BEHOLD another ripped pad. F..K! F..K!F..K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*







I touched the removed pads with the tip of my soldering iron to free them from the solder and I did matters worse. The pads burned and were turned black from the heat.

*DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!*

How could I write about this. How can I explain this to you? *There is no excuse for being STUPID!* I almost felt like the T guy that a few years back damaged many VooDoo 5 6000s. I dont want to pronounce his name.

A few moments later I calmed down and *I inspected the PCB. *I thought that I also removed some resistors when I took off the aluminium tape. I inspected the tape I dumped in my bin for any component that might be stuck on it.NOTHING! I searched frantically for a picture on my thread to see what was missing. Tense moments passed.*A sigh of relief..........NOTHING IS MISSING.*

I composed myself and took a GOOD LOOK at the damage. *I hatched a RESCUE PLAN and again I felt the distant TASTE OF VICTORY AND GLORY!!! LET END THIS!!! SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!!! *

I cleaned the PCB from the leftover adhesive aluminium tape and I was ready to put in action my rescue plan. *My hands were still shaking and sometimes I had use both of my hands to perform some operations *

*I took three strands from a fine wire and twisted them.* I obtained a strong and also fine replacement for the missing pads. With these wires I established the missing contact between the PCB and the PLCC32 socket I was about to solder. I used the two holes in the PCB that were in contact with the missing pads. Using a fine needle I removed a small quantity of lacquer from these tiny holes so that the solder would stick to them. I threaded the wires thorugh the holes and with UTMOST CARE I soldered the wires. I didnt want to burn the PCB. All went smoothly. I pulled a little the wires with the fine tweezers. *THE SOLDER JOB WAS SOLID!*

I felt like a strong wind filled my mainsail.*THIS IS IT!* YOU BROKE IT YOU FIX IT!!!

I put solder on the pads and the wires. I also removed the inside plastic bit from the PLCC32 socket and I put solder on the little contacts.



















I cleaned the solder from BIOS chip SST 39VF512 and I programed it with the * 1.15 * stock version I took from this site: https://3dfxbios.cl-rahden.de/index.php?title=Voodoo4























*I cleaned well all the areas on the PCB. I soldered the PLCC32 socket, I placed a small piece of shrink tube under the BIOS chip and I was ready to FLY!!! LETS END THIS!!!*















I started the PC and I got *the correct beep code from the PC SPEAKER.* I waited paciently to see the screen light up. This was a change coming from a VGA NOT DETECTED beep code.* I GOT NO IMAGE AND I COULD HEAR THE PC loading Windows.*

*NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* It is not happening...

My mind was racing. I must try another BIOS version. This time I tried a *1.06* BIOS from the same site.

I put the card in my PC and BAM: *THE SKIES HAVE CLEARED AND THE DEMONS HAVE BEEN SLAIN!!!*

*I felt a rush I cant describe.* If I had more hair I would've performed a rocker type motion. In any case, I was a little on my back, knees a little bent and with my hands up I let loose all of my tension.





The image was great and I installed a set of drivers. All went OK!














*3Dmark99 and 3Dmark2000 ran flawlessly.*









After this, I searched the internet for another 1.15 BIOS http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/3dfx/voodoo5/bios/roms/ ; http://3dfxbios.stantoworld.co.uk/ ; This time the card booted fine and I had the latest BIOS version for my card. I dont plan to use the 1.16 version or another higher version. At least for now.







I tried a game *(NFS 5/PU)* and again everything ran well. No errors. No artifacts. *SMOOTH SAILING!*





I cleaned the card well and I took the compulsory *GLAMOUR SHOTS!*(again)

























*This was the V4-L adventure.* I didnt plan this. I was stubborn and I wanted to fix it myself. I can still feel the moment the pads ripped off. My muscle memory is now calibrated and if I'm going to perform this operation in the future I will be a lot more careful as I have this experience under my belt 

The removal of the BIOS chip and repair took around four hours including testing and trying different BIOS versions.

*All's is well that ends well.*

I did many mistakes:

1. I rushed this job not taking into account all of the variables due to my lack of experience.
2. I did the classic mistake of ripping of pads.
3. I didnt perform this operation in a well lit room.
4. I didnt perform this operation on a big enough table.
5. I didnt pay attention to warning signs. DONT LIFT THE CHIP like a MINI GORILLA.
6. I did this on a time constraint. I should've done this when I had enough time not when I felt like doing it.
7. Try to use the right equipment. A hot air station would've meant less time and no damage. A 15 minute job turned into a full blown rescue operation Hollywood style.
8. Dont do this when you feel you want to rush it. We all want results and we all want them now. Take a step back and look at the whole picture. You can easily damage more than you think.
9. If you need help call somebody. He might see details that you might miss. Another set of hands might've helped me to not rip off the pads.
10. Keep your work area clean. My work table looked like war zone. I burned a little the tip of one of my fingers. The smell was unpleasant 
11. Do more practice runs on defective components and only then get your hands on the real thing. More test runs will reveal variations in the way the operation will unfold. The exception is not the rule.

*When all the smoke cleared even if I damaged the V4-L, the fact that in the end I revived the card, was priceless. Now I can say I have the confidence to tackle more complicated tasks. Next time I'll try to buy the required equipment or be a lot more careful. I did my discipleship on a rare 3dfx I must be insane  My soldering experience was limited. I'm no expert now but I'm getting there one step at a time. If only I could temper my enthusiasm. We are who we are and we cant change that.*

The damage is just cosmetic and I know that it can be repaired professionally if that will be required. This is why I didnt expose the fine traces that were in contact with the missing pads and I resorted to my solution.

*The card will rest in its box and will only be powered up on special occasions.* It's too rare to throw away. I have more respect for this artefact of times gone by 

It will take something really special to top this V4-L series. In any case I'm looking forward to whatever future will bring. *My 3dfx odyssey is not over yet. * I can feel it!

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/250te13bw/

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Jan 15, 2018)

I love this thread so much!!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 23, 2018)

*Pentium 66 socket 4 preparations* - THE CONTROLLER

I've yet *to fully clean* the *Asus PCI/I-P5MP3 motherboard.* Weather permitting, I'm going to make it shine brighter than a DIAMOND.  What's important is the fact that the motherboard *is alive and kicking*. Washing components with isopropyl alcohol 99% *in temperatures close or bellow zero degrees Celsius* is not an easy task. I know this the hard way. The process is slow, the alcohol doesnt evaporate like is supposed to, spots remain on the PCB and above all this, you freeze and icicles form under your nose  I do not recommend washing/cleaning components *indoors*. The alcohol has a potent smell.

*The socket 4 setup*  can't be tested without an FDD, HDD, SERIAL controller card so in this mini-episode I'll present to you: *THE JPN CORPORATION CA8302E-1 Controller.* The seller of the P66 and Asus motherboard said that this exact card worked with the P66 back in the day.

*The controller* arrived in an ok-ish state but sporting a modified bracket held in place with a case screw. The first thing I did was to remove the abomination and to prepare the card for washing with isopropyl alcohol 99%.With a soft brush I removed much of the loose dirt, I changed a *10uf 50V capacitor* - C28 which was bent out shape and I straightened all the pins on the back.













After *the isopropyl alcohol 99% wash.*































I cleaned and polished *all the metal parts*. I found *an almost perfect bracket*. To mount it, I had to enlarge the slots in the bracket with a small file. I also used a small nut to tighten one of the retaining screws of the bracket.









*Finished. results.*





















*Untested yet.* One of the chips on the controller (C820 114A) is a little chipped, sign that was tossed with other parts. Even so, the card survived and it looks great.

*The full test* will come after I clean the socket 4 motherboard.

*More later. *

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2nwenk47w/ *** 



http://imgur.com/a/dRrMP


----------



## phill (Jan 24, 2018)

So much love for this thread!!


----------



## Robert B (Feb 10, 2018)

*COOL Blue*

*Hercules 3D Prophet III Geforce 3 Titanium 200* (AGP 4x, 64 MB) - 734 5058781 Rev 1.0

Every time I lay my eyes upon *a Hercules graphic card, all dressed in blue*, my heart starts racing. In one of the visits I made *at the flea market* this year, I found this *blue wonder*. As soon as I saw it, my heart started beating fast. Hhhhoowww much is it?  *1.2EUROS ? NO BRAINER! Mine all mine!*

Only when I got back to my car with a bag full of goodies I saw that *the fan was missing a blade*.  

Today I spent *three and half hours* to restore the Hercules graphic card. All the time I worked over the blue wonder, one phrase kept popping in my mind: *COOL Blue.* This is the way the name of this episode was born, *Cool Blue*. I'm sure you agree that the name fits the card perfectly.

*The card was in an average state of decay.* There were signs of *water damage.* The writing on one of la labels was missing and * the rust* started to show on the VGA connector and the screws holding the cooling fan.















First *I turned my attention over the cooler.* *The dirt* was hard to remove. It took me a while *the clean the heatsink * thoroughly. I decided that instead of the original broken fan, I will use  *the fan from a  Deep Cool V50 cooler.*











*Work In Progress.*





*A little metal polishing cream and things started looking great.*













*Isopropyl alcohol 99% and attention to detail.* Removing *the dirt from the graphic card* also prooved to be challenging and it took some elbow grease to send her packing. To clean the tiny spaces from the memory heatsinks I flattened a cotton stick using a pair of pliers and I had to "comb" each "tooth" 





















*LOOKING GOOD!!!*





When I tried to attach the Deep Cool V50 fan I saw that *the fixing holes werent lining up*, so I used a fine blade to make them bigger. I also replaced the original screws with new, longer ones.





*Geforce 3!!! Yeah baby!!! *





*Firing on all its cylinders.* This time I tested the card before I cleaned it and I already knew it was alive





*Flawless VICTORY! * Deep blue, *COOL Blue*, Sky Blue - *awesome*...words arent required here 





























*gallery: *https://postimg.org/gallery/21rjccz2m/

*gallery:*


http://imgur.com/a/q8Eod


*More later.*


----------



## phill (Feb 12, 2018)

So much love for this thread   I remember having one of these


----------



## Robert B (Mar 2, 2018)

*Quantum* *the magnetic attraction*

Metallica - The Unforgiven (Video)










*Quantum*...the name of my first HDD back in '96. After all these years, this name still attracts me like a magnet and I prefer it over other old HDDs . Of course, at that time on the market there were HDDs from WD, Seagate, Maxtor, Hitachi, IBM, Fujitsu, Samsung but when I think about the period before the year 2000, one name obsessively comes into my mind: *QUANTUM!*

We could look at this story from another angle - the way a HDD works. Lets put ourselves into the place of the "humble" *bit*. From an impulse it shifts between "*0*" and "*1*" and the only thing  that makes it "exist" all alone into his little place is "the magnetic attraction". *Wicked stuff if you think about it.*

For some time, I've been planing to buy a few *old HDDs* from the flea market just to see what I could find. I wasnt expecting much, but I knew that *the chances* to find a working HDD from before 2000, * were pretty good. *

*Said and done.*

I went to *the flea market* and I browsed the merchandise. My quick visit, made around 12.00 o'clock just before closing time, when many have already left, netted me two Quantum HDDs. Of all the possible brands I found two Quantums 

As soon as I entered the flea market I saw my first HDD. *Well would you look at that, a QUANTUM HDD. Damn son, magnetic attraction indeed*: *Quantum Fireball SE 3.2GB- 3.2AT SE32A101 REV 01 -B* . For a very low price it was mine. NICE!

After this, I went to another seller which I knew that always had HDDs. Surprise, the basket once full of HDDs was almost empty. Someone *looted* the stash already. Damn...

I started to search in the basket and another Quantum sticked to my fingers. He HE He! *Quantum Fireball TM 1.2GB 1280AT FB12A012 REV 01-A.* In this instance I had to negociate a little, *flea market style.*

-At the begining the HDD was 4 EUR.
-I looked at the seller and said 4 EUR? I bought a Quantum HDD earlier for 1 EUR! I took out the other Quantum from my bag and I showed to him.
-The seller asked a guy to come and see what capacity the HDD was.
-I already looked at it and I knew it was 1.2GB.
-The guy started to look at the labels but he couldn't find anything , (The CHS already gave me clues regarding the capacity. Besides, the label near the Molex/IDE connector said ..1280....)
-The seller asked the guy where are the 750GB HDDs.
-At this moment I smiled and said to them: this is no 750GB HDD, just a 1.2GB and a very old HDD.
-They started to look again at the poor Quantum and another price flew in the air: 2 EUR!
-I smiled again. This time the wolf will be eaten by the sheep: here's your 2 EUR.
-After we finalized the transaction I said to them causally. In the basket, there are two more Fujistu HDDs of around 2.1 GB. One of them has a BAD label on it. If you want to sell your junk, you'd better read all the labels. (Every purchase in the flea market is a gamble, remember that.)
-The guy looked at the label and started to remove it . If they would present their stuff better they could ask more but I have no time to "educate" them...
-We shook hands smiling and that was it.

After I bought the HDDs I powered them up just see if they were alive. GOOD NEWS! *Both powered up and my ears were assaulted by glorious sounds! *The spindown of the 3.2GB is like when a mini-TURBO powers down. I LIKE IT! Dont think they are noisy, they are well within the specs of the time period.

*Quantum *Fireball SE* 3.2GB- 3.2AT SE32A101 REV 01 -B
*Quantum *FireballTM* 1.2GB 1280AT FB12A012 REV 01-A

Both of the HDDs had *data* on them. Mostly files form around 2000. I saved all the kits and drivers and I put them through several *SECURE ERASE* passes. Even if the data was old I still wonder how careless people are...


Quantum *Fireball SE* 3.2GB- 3.2AT SE32A101 REV 01 -B

This bad boy *was in better shape.* First, I removed all the useless labels that werent from factory and I used a little metal polish cream. Satisfied with the preliminary results I started to remove *the PCB*. *BIG MISTAKE!* With some difficulty I removed the screws and I raised the PCB gently. *The PCB was free*, but my plan to wash it with isopropyl alcohol 99% was soon cut short as on the inside I found *a protective adhesive sponge*.Because I didnt want to damage the sponge I put back the PCB and I prepared the HDD for *two passes of manual polishing*. After I ended the polishing stage, *I wanted to start the HDD again* but *the pulse of the HDD was just a flat line* I looked closely at the PCB *and I saw the connector between the PCB and the HDD motor, falling off.* Well I'll be.....it seems the connector took a hit and the solder joints cracked. When I removed the PCB *the connector separated completely*. NO PROBLEM! I soldered it back and *BEHOLD! Quantum lives AGAIN!* Sheeshhh, live and learn, here's another detail I must see when I buy old stuff.













Quantum *Fireball TM* 1.2GB 1280AT FB12A012 REV 01-A

The little one, *looked worse*. Some *rust* and some water marks. Even so, I wasnt discouraged. I removed *the PCB* just to find on the interior the same *protective adhesive sponge*. In this case *the connector between the PCB and the HDD motor* looked kind of "exotic" so *I put all the parts back as they were*. After the polishing stage it looked way better.

I didnt plan to remove all the scratches or give them a mirror like finish. This would require the removal of the labels / screen printing and I dont want to do this.

*Enjoy the pics.*











*After the initial cleaning and polishing*











*Final results.*





































*Testing session.*

The testing session spanned over the course of several hours and *I dont want to repeat this experiment anytime soon*. The time required to establish the state of a HDD is long and even then there are no guarantees that it wont suffer a sudden death. Each HDD was put through several passes of HDD Regenerator even if they didnt have BAD sectors. Next came seven SECURE ERASE passes, full HD Tune tests and many START/STOP cycles.

*The 3.2GB Quantum* is in excelent shape even after working for *21493* hours / *895* days. WIN!
















*The 1.2GB Quantum * is not doing so great but still has some life left in him. The first READ test in HD Tune returned a great graph but after a few functioning hours I found the real state of the HDD. This is fact is clear in the last READ/WRITE graphs.















gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2tylakln2/
gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2qjh2ai6m/

gallery: 



http://imgur.com/a/rvggr


*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Mar 3, 2018)

Croatia Squad - All Alone (Original Mix)










*P* r *E* v *I* e *W* ...





*Hungry?* Here's a *YUMMY cake* 







*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Mar 8, 2018)

In the works:

*Video card E X T R A V A G A N Z A*








http://imgur.com/UDKVpbr




 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/lyqbn426/

*More later*


----------



## Robert B (Mar 26, 2018)

What do you do when you have ZERO experience in *DRAG SOLDERING???*

You jump straight to *QFP 208 ULTRA FINE PITCH DRAG SOLDERING* You simply just cant be bothered with the intermediate stages 

*I needed three tries* but I managed to resurrect a *Tseng ET6000*.

Not all was just *sunshine and roses*:

* the plastic of the PLCC VRAM expansion sockets cracked because of the aged plastic when I removed the chips,
* a VRAM chip was damaged by the extractor,
* I had to remove a nice sticker from the BIOS chip to find out the manufacturer,
* the solder job isnt a professional job but it is strong
* it was a case of many tiny feet of the TSENG ET6000 chip ripped from their pads. Also some of them were bent...etc etc.

I managed to keep all the pads intact. The difficulty was much bigger than in the case of the V4-L. 208 pads! The key word was *FLUX!*



 

 

 



*The ET6000* was bought in 2015 for 2 EUR.

The whole experience was very exciting and full of adrenaline.

I used what I learned from the V4-L job and I took it to the next level.

*I used* a regular 40W soldering iron with a custom tip modified at a grinding wheel. All was done by eye and I didnt use a magnifyng glass.   I wanted to buy a chinese hot air and soldering iron station but I decided I want something top of the line. Such a tool is quite expensive so I resorted to *my trusty soldering iron* FTW!!! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I still have more ongoing projects....

*More later.*

PREVIEW of whats to come over the following weeks/months


----------



## Robert B (Mar 30, 2018)

Passenger 10 - Monsters Off My Back (Nora En Pure Remix)










Soon the *3dfx TRIO* STORY - *READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!* 



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/153h887qm/



http://imgur.com/a/xo6yP


*More later.*


----------



## Toothless (Mar 30, 2018)

You ever build some sweet old rigs from this stuff? Could totally do ads for parts as a really cool way to show off.


----------



## Robert B (Mar 30, 2018)

@Toothless -  I only did three builds 5x86, K6-2 and a PIII. I have plans for more but at the moment they are up in the air  I thought about ads for parts but I dont have experience with such procedures. Who knows, maybe I'll do this in the future.

*The 3dfx TRIO*

Nora En Pure - Morning Dew (Original Mix)










*This is a special episode!*

All of the cards I'm about to present were bought from the flea market, at flea market prices of course . *The Gainward Dragon 4000 VooDoo Banshee* (that's a mouthful) and *VooDoo 3 3000* were a little damaged but nothing too scary. *The VooDoo 3 2000 *has be taken out by me from an old dusty PC case. What a wonderful feeling it was when I removed the retaining screw and I held it in my hands. *My heart was racing...*

*The three protagonists* of this special episode are:

1. *3dfx* Gainward Dragon 4000 *Voodoo Banshee* AGP 16MB ICUVGA-GW816D P/N: 9816-21
2. *3dfx* *VooDoo 3 2000* AGP 16MB - 210-0364-003 STB Systems REV. C
3. *3dfx* *VooDoo 3 3000 *AGP 16MB - 210-0364-003 STB Systems REV. C

*3dfx* Gainward Dragon 4000 *Voodoo Banshee* AGP 16MB ICUVGA-GW816D P/N: 9816-21

This card was the result of *pure luck.*

Several weeks ago I was at *the flea market*. The weather was bad and nothing seemed worthy of my time. When I was about to leave, what did I saw? On a table there were lots of components dumped on top of each other, flea market style. I started sifting through the mess and I found a P4 motherboard *(meh)*, modems *(meh)*, network cards * (meh)*... eventually a green thingie sticked to my hand. I looked at it and nothing happened  so I put it back *(MEH!)*. I turned away ready to leave but a few moments later I took again the green card in my hands. This time I took the phone from my pocket and I searched the Good Ol' Internet: *ICUVGA-GW816D*. DAMN! *Banshee!* How much is it? Less than 2 EUR? Here you go! *I left pretty happy with my purchase!* Not a moment too soon as a few seconds later a guy came and bought the whole lot 

This is how I got my *BANSHEE AGP*. (_I also have two other Banshees PCI cards from Creative.)_

The board was missing a *22uf/16V capacitor* and I took care to buy a replacement with the same specs and if possible, same markings. After a careful search, I decided to buy 10 pieces of: *22uF/16V, SMD, Panasonic EEE1CA220SR.* These are rated at 85C and can be found on many 3dfx cards. They have the marking *S* after the voltage rating.

This as *authentic* as it gets...

After a good clean *the board turned out to be a gem*. Sure it remained with a few scars after it was tossed all over the place but I managed to save it *just in time*.



















































*The card is in good working condition.*









*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1fuadadri/



http://imgur.com/a/v4x7L


*The V3 2000 and V3 3000 are the result of one of my best days at the local flea market. On March 10th, 2018 I bought at bargain prices: an Asus K7M motherboard, an AMD CPU SLOT A 800MHz Thunderbird, the V3 2000, the V3 3000 and a Celeron A 333MHz.* WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY!

*3dfx* *VooDoo 3 2000* AGP 16MB - 210-0364-003 STB Systems REV. C

Nora En Pure - Zambia (Original Mix)










I took out this card from an old dusty case, myself. After *a little haggling* and a little charm, as the seller was a girl,  I managed to buy this card and not the entire system. FTW!!!!!!! I was told that I have an expensive hobby and she asked me what I did with these old parts. I said to her that some people drink, other take drugs, some buy old HARDWARE, etc... and in fact the sum of the vices is constant. It deepends on how you want to look at it 

When I saw the *3dfx logo*, *my eyes almost popped out of the sockets!* What if it was a V5 5500?

*The card is mint!*

On the back it was covered *by a thick layer of dust*, like old wine bottles, stored *in a dark cellar.*.

When I rubbed my finger on a small section of the card to see the exact model, I felt like *Indiana Jones*. A 3dfx is a 3dfx even knee deep in dirt.

The cleaning went without a hitch. The only thing I did, was to dial back the years. The board turned out * great.*

































The testing session revealed that she is at *100%!*







*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/2c50hc8j2/



http://imgur.com/a/gzqlg


*3dfx* *VooDoo 3 3000 *AGP 16MB - 210-0364-003 STB Systems REV. C

Nora En Pure - Lake Arrowhead (Original Mix)










This card *was the starting point of my great day at the flea marlet*. I bought it for less than 2 EUR *before* I found the SLOT A combo and the V3 2000.

Something was telling me *that day was special* but I was deaf and blind  As soon as I saw the *3dfx logo* my heart was pumping. *The card was already levitating towards me through the power of my gaze. * Come to me! Don't fight me! Look me in the eyes! I'm your saviour! 

I saw it was *incomplete*, without a heatsink, missing a few capacitors and the bracket was bent but I already knew * it had my name all over it!*





When I started to restore the card one thing was bothering me the most: *The heatsink.*

My *options* were limited and I wasnt going to buy something that could turn out not to be what I needed.

I took out my calipers and I measured the distances between *the holes.* I got a confirmation of something I already knew. *The distance between the holes is not typical .*

*I searched in my stash for a direct replacement but I couldnt find anything.* I already knew I was about to try and mount a *DeepCool V50 heatsink* because I had a spare one after I used the fan on the Hercules GF3 Ti 200 from the Cool Blue episode.

Said and done.

*I had nothing to lose* so I took the V50 heatsink and modified it. *BIG TIME.* I wanted to know if I could mount such a cooler on a 3dfx so I didnt pay too much attention at the looks of my modification. I knew I could do it and I wanted to know what it would take do it. So I gave it FULL STEAM and leveled everything in my path.

Even if it seems extreme I had to remove *lots of fins* otherwise the board didnt fit in the AGP slot. I had a few headaches with *three tantalum capacitors * plus *a quartz clock generator*. YAY!

*A little skill and a set of fine files later*, I managed to test fit the heatsink on the card .

At this moment *I didnt know* if I had enough material to enlarge the holes in the heatsink so that I could attach with push-pins.

I took *a small round file* and I started removing aluminium.

*A few tries later I obtained the desired results.*

*Something still bothered me though.* Each time I put my hands on a heatsink attached with push-pins I saw that *it also had a little side play* so I decided to also enlarge to holes sideways . *I didnt want* the heatsink to be rigid and stay fixed in one position when the card was about to heat up running games.

*The looks arent so great* as the aluminiun is soft and scratches easily.

*The thermal paste spread was SUPER!*





























After I sorted out *THE COOLING* of the card I took care of *THE RESTORATION* of the card.

Even if I didnt know if the card was working or not I still gave it 110%

*Three 10uf/16V capacitors were missing.* I couldnt find a direct replacement at the supplier so I bought ten Panasonic LOW ESR 105C - 10uF/16V SMD capacitors, EEEFP1C100AR.

*Smooth sailing.*









* The results were above my expectations. The card turned out great.*























I had my reservations regarding the cooling capacity of the modified cooler but these were soon put to rest. I knew that even without its fins, the modified DeepCool V50 was heavier than the heatsink of the V3 2000, so I was safe. When stressed, the V3 3000 with the V50 was cooler than the V3 2000. *My trusty thumb-o-meter said so *

Also, the V50 *helped reduce temperature of the area surrounding the V3 3000 chip.* The passive cooled V3 2000 was much hotter. That was to be expected.

*WIN! WIN! WIN!*









*gallery:* https://postimg.org/gallery/1uc5qcvn2/

https://imgur.com/a/9kkz1

Nora En Pure & Sons of Maria - Sleeping in My Bed (Original Mix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWYxU1-b0Ik

*3 out of 3. A HAPPY END to a special episode.*

All testing was done on a PIII 800MHz, 384MB RAM, LuckyStar 6VABX2 VER. 2.0 - Slot 1 - Chipset - VIA VT82C693 & VT82C596A, WIN98SE.

I wasnt a 3dfx fan back in the day when it was KING but I'm getting there one 3dfx at a time.

* More later. *


----------



## phill (Mar 31, 2018)

Your my new hero!!   So much respect for you and all that you do in this thread it is unreal....   If I was wearing a hat, I would be throwing it at you sir!!


----------



## Robert B (Apr 7, 2018)

*TwO SLOTS*

Two slots, Slot *1* and Slot *A*, Slot *A* and Slot *1*, *so similar and yet so different. *

While I was cleaning the last two *SLOTed CPUs* I bought recently, I said to myself that I should make a mini-episode just with them. Said and done. The methods used for opening and cleaning SECC cartridges have been posted a few times before so I'm not going to present them again.

Let's meet the two CPUS:

1. *Intel Celeron A* SLOT 1 - Mendocino 333MHz/66 - SL2WN
2. * AMD K7* SLOT A - AMD-A0800MPR24B A - Thunderbird 800MHz



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/1z7z49tm0/

*Celeron A 333MHz - SL2WN*

*This little one,* once famed for its *overclocking capability,* was very easy to clean.

I appreciated *the simplicity* of the cooling system and the elegance of the retaining system of the heatsink. No more hassle with a *Single Edge Contact Cartridge*, THANK GOD! 

*Smooth sailing.*

Water and dish soap. Isopropyl alcohol 99%. Metal polish cream. A liberal amount of elbow grease. The results? PRICELESS!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Brand spanking new!*



 

 

 



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/qfi4wca0/


http://imgur.com/a/P8KZy


*AMD K7 - AMD-A0800MPR24B A 800MHz*

*This puppy* is my first SLOT A CPU with a *Thunderbird* core. Before I started to take it apart I said to myself *that it is going to be much easier to clean.* The on die 256KB cache meant that there were no external cache chips and there was no need for custom thermal pads for the contact with the heat plate of the SECC cartridge.* YAY!* _*(at least in theory...)*_

No matter how many times I have opened a SECC cartridge, *I'm still stressed for the duration of the operation.* The bending of the plastic, the deformation of the corners of the aluminium heat plate, the desire to avoid doing damage, the danger of cracking the CPU die, the possibility of scratching the PCB, etc etc etc *are contributing* to the anxiety I feel from the moment I start until I take the glamour shots at the end of the procedure.

*The alternative?* Powering up a CPU with a thermal grease which is almost 20 years old. *What could go wrong, I wonder? *

I know that *X years* from now I will have to repeat this procedure but *I try not to think about it*

*The 800 TB* seemed clean but I knew it couldnt be the case. *Dust and dirt everywhere...*











*First,* I gently opened the clips that attach the heatsink to the heat plate of the cartridge. Then I tried to separate them. After a few failed attempts and a few curse words &)$!)&)*(&$!&)$~~##!!!! I gave up and I took a diferent approach.

I gently *removed the plastic cover from the cooler* and the silver metal clips. This job took me almost 30 minutes. The plastic is very thin and removing the metal clips while the heastink was glued to the heat plate was a real pain in the arse. After I removed the damned plastic cover and metal clips, I tried again to separate the *heatsink from the heat plate.* NO DICE.... *F...............................K!!!!* No matter what I tried, nothing worked.





*F--K IT!* I opened up the SECC cartridge with the heatsink still attached. This allowed me to use more force to remove the plastic cover of the CPU.

I donated a little skin after all the pulling and pushing and pressing of the parts I was trying to separate. *30 de minutes* later I managed to obtain the results I wanted ... *and I thought this job was going to be a walk in the park*...ahem PIGS FLY with JET PACKS, I TELL YOU!!! 

*I kept my eyes on the prize* and I never gave up. In the end I managed to keep all the parts intact. *GG!!!*









*After 2 minutes* on the heater I successfully separated the heatsink and the heat plate. *F...ing A+! *









*YUCK!*





*Naked!*



















*Ready to be assembled.*



















*DELICIOUS!*









*My "biggest" FAN!*











*Perfect!*, another signature job...





























gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/19l1xjkmg/


http://imgur.com/a/6Q6Vw


*Icing on the cake*: RAM....hmmm...serious business 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.org/gallery/2nae3z76w/


http://imgur.com/a/Diyon


The P66 is undergoing a few more steps until it is ready for the PRIME TIME!





I also bought something special from the flea market. The price was very low. NO BRAINER! _(untested)_ 

Western Digital Caviar 140 _AT Compatible Intelligent Drive_ *WDAC140* 980 cyl * 5 heads * 17 spt * *42.7MB!!!* - Produced in 21.01.1992. MDL: WDAC140-32M





http://redhill.net.au/d/18.php

*More later.*


----------



## stinger608 (Apr 9, 2018)

This is just such an epic thread, Robert!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Robert B (Apr 9, 2018)

Thanks stinger608 

*Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love*









This week, the next episode: *ATI special...kind of...my ordeals with ATI cards continue...8500/9500/9800*

*

*

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Apr 9, 2018)

Awesomeness   And amazing


----------



## Robert B (Apr 11, 2018)

It seems that *postimage.org is down*. I dont know for how long. All the pictures in this thread have become inactive.

I knew this might happen but I hoped it will come at a later date.

I have a backup for all my pics and posts so there are no problems.

Until I decide what I'm going to do or postimage.org is back online, I suspend all the posting on the thread. 

I need to change postimage.org into postimage.cc in all of the links....~ 4000 pictures....

Sorry guys.


----------



## phill (Apr 12, 2018)

That'll teach you for putting up such gorgeous pictures


----------



## Robert B (Apr 22, 2018)

Due to the problems related to the free image hosting site postimage I needed to update all the picture links on the forums I post. This took some time.

On TPU I spoke with one of the moderators but the way the forum is coded makes difficult to reset the editing timer. This meant that I could update only three posts from the first page. I've been told that reseting the timer on each post would be nearly impossible.

I have the time to update the links but until I can get in touch with someone on TPU that can solve this predicament if you want to see the pictures for all the posts above you will have to visit this forum:

*https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=48835*

From now on I'll try to also post links to a secondary hosting site. I dont think that TPU would need 3GB (and growing) of pics on their storage...

As soon as possible I will resume the regular program and I hope I wont have any more problems with the pictures. The way I do my work means that without pictures my posts lose much of their appeal.

***

Last weekend I got my A$$ in OVERDRIVE  with * Intel 80486 Overdrive / SZ959 / DX4ODPR100*

I found the CPU without a heatsink and in bad shape, bent pins and the MOSFET was twisted and desoldered by a massive hit. On its forehead it was written: *GOLD SCRAP*! Good thing I found it before it got melted 

I also found a sweet 80386DX 40MHz 



 

 



*See you laters dudes.*


----------



## Robert B (May 5, 2018)

Shimmer - To Be As One










*ATI special...kind of...my ordeals with ATI cards continue...8500/9500/9800*

The title of this episode is *self explanatory.*

*Yep. *Plain and simple, me and ATI have started on the wrong foot. *Back in '99* I bought a mighty Celeron A 366MHz and a 440BX motherboard model MSI-6154. The system came with an *ATI Rage II C 4MB* graphic card. Soon after I received my PC I saw how weak the RAGE II C was. I had a small budget and I didnt want to buy a  K6-2 no matter what. Pentium II/III or a K7 were out of discussion. A year later, on my birthday I bought an *ACorp nVIDIA VANTA 8MB* and THAT was everything I wanted.* Carmagheddon ran like a dream!*

*The differences between ATI RAGE II C and VANTA were like night and day.* That was the first moment I really tasted what meant to have a 3D accelerator.  It was *AS GOOD AS IT GETS!*. I will never forget that *VANTA*.  A few years back I recovered my card from my cousin and now it sits in her box together with her sisters 

As you probably have already noticed, you wont see too many ATI cards in my collection. Also they do not pop up at the flea market very often. This is why when I find them I buy them without having second thoughts.

After the ATI Rage II C moment I never bought an ATI card until this day. In the future I might be tempted to try an ATI, who knows. My bias toward nVIDIA cards and the cycle at which I purchased graphic cards, made that I only bought nVIDIA.

Cirrus Logic-ATI-nVIDIA-nVIDIA-nVIDIA-nVIDIA-nVIDIA-nVIDIA-nVIDIA.

The three cards I'm about to present are the result of three separate visits I took at the flea market this year.

*1.* Ati Radeon All-In-Wonder *8500*DV 64MB
*2.* Ati Radeon *9500* 64 MB - PN 109-94200-30
*3.* Ati Radeon *9800* PRO 256MB - PN 109-A09400-00

Ati Radeon All-In-Wonder *8500*DV 64MB 

This beauty caught my eye as soon as I noticed it. I lifted her from the rag it was sitting on and I inspected her thoroughly. It was impecable and for a very low price *it was mine! *. "Lucky" flea market find....yeah my A$$...pfffffttt...

At that moment I was 99.9999999% sure that it was working. *What could possibly go wrong?* such a nice and clean graphic card. A dumpster find usually isnt that clean.

I decided to clean only the heatsink and the fan and tidy up the PCB with a soft dry brush and a few cotton sticks dipped in isopropyl alcohol 99%. I wanted to preserve the markings on the top of the capacitors for the sake of authenticity.

The heatsink was held in place with thermal glue. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!

After I cleaned the card I powered it up and I waited anxiously for the happy boot beep and a clear image.

...

*The unthinkable became reality in just a few seconds. Check out those cool artefacts on the mighty 20" LCD.* A+++

To make matters worse a burnt smell came from the area of the graphic chip ...  the card still worked though...

*Nothing more to add.* Another one for the section of deceased cards.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1ktsn7ows/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery 2:  8500 AIW


Ati Radeon *9500* 64 MB - PN 109-94200-30

I found this red card tossed in a dirty suitcase. Intially my pulse spiked as I thought it was a faster card but the label on the back soon brought me down to EARTH. *9500 NON PRO 64MB.*

I placed it back in the suitcase and went away. Not long after that, I was back and bought it for a very low price. After I paid for the card, I had a feeling like the one you have when you buy something that in fact you dont want  *Obviously, higher forces were playing with me* and were telling me to buy it  . In the end it seems they were right after all...

The card was cleaned well. The testing session went smoothly. On the PIII-800 the card couldnt stretch its legs but the most important thing is that it is alive and kicking.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3bisokan0/



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery 2:  9500 NP 64MB

Ati Radeon *9800* PRO 256MB - PN 109-A09400-00

I honestly dont know what I was thinking when I bought this card . I was *attracted* by the size, the silver heatsinks and the RED PCB of the damn thing.

I checked her for a while and *I placed it back on the stand*.

*It was in a horrible state. *Dirty, scratched, a capacitor was hanging for dear life, the heatsinks had bent fins, the fan was missing, ... in short: DO NOT BUY!

The only clean part was the area where the missing fan stood. I still wonder why people take the fans off electronics especially the ones with a proprietary design. MAN is a strange beast. This fact reminded me of the case of the motherboards I bought which were stripped of jumpers. What could you possibly do with a bag of jumpers???!!!

While I browsed the wares at the flea market I still thought of the BIG RED CARD. In the end I haggled a bit and bought it for a very low price.

So it was mine. *Like glue BO$$!*

Look at it! * terrible, terrible, terrible* 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I used *a dry soft brush* to remove much of the dirt from the surface. I was very gentle with the card.



 

 

 

 



Next I tackled the cooling of the card. The BIG problem was the missing fan. *The asymmetric holes* where the original fan stood, already signaled the difficulties ahead. I scratched my head *and I wondered how am I going to solve this ...*

The heatsink *was loose* and after I removed it I saw the bent push-pins.

I washed *the heatsink* well and I straightened all the fins.

I didnt have *a replacement* for the missing fan so I started searching in my cooling BOX-O-PARTS. I stopped at a *DeepCool V50* but I soon realised I couldnt use it as the original heatsink had a rised area that made contact with the die of the graphic chip. The flat V50 was of no use to me. I tried other coolers but to no avail. I didnt want to remove the silver frame from the graphic chip.

Hmmmm...*it looks like I'm stuck with you*...

I looked for a fan...and nothing fit.

In the end I decided to use *THE LEGEND* 

At a first look it fit the bill. Silent and stronger than the original fan. It fitted with almost no room to spare.

I wanted to attach it with just a screw and this was a fail. Like i didnt know that...

Still searching for solutions I came up with the idea of *"a frame"* on which I can attach the fan and I wanted to make it from a sheet of aluminium. This would've involved too much work so I looked for alternatives.

I remembered I had a few *sheets of thin textolite*. BINGO!

To save time I wanted to make the frame *in a triangle shape* but that would've reduced the cooling capacity of the heatsink as the airflow woulnd't've reach the area under the fan. In the end I took the difficult path and I made *three textolite extensions.*

*My first try* was about 90% of what I wanted.

*My second attempt* was a WIN.

I searched for *black screws* and I used *a black marker* to conceal the "scaffolding".

The tolerances were small but in the end I prevailed. *A JOB WELL DONE!!!*

I returned the push-pins to their original shape. I used a pair of pliers and a couple of small pieces of textolite. I inserted the textolite at the base of the push-pins and with the pliers I clamped the tip. The brass was cooperative and I saved the push-pins 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I soldered the capacitor, I used some Arctic MX-4 thermal paste and *the card was ready for its test.* _(The capacitor had bent feet so I decided to attach it as well as I could for the testing session and after a successful run I was going to remove it and do a proper job.)_



 

 



On the first power-up the fan wasnt running. WTH?!?!? The fan header was flipped. I put it in the correct position and the fan sprung to life.

Unfortunately the 9800 gave *no signal* on the ABIT SA6 and on the the i850 I received the beep code for  *VGA NOT DETECTED...*

I tried to use a *PCI video card* and rewrite the BIOS-ul of the 9800. The PC refused to ouput a video signal on the PCI card when the ATI was used.

*Not good...*



 



Hmmmmmm..............

*VGA NOT DETECTED?* What if this is a case of a corrupt BIOS like the V4-L?

I searched for the BIOS chip and I soon found it: SOIC 8 - *STMicroelectronics ST25P05 / ST25P05V6*.

I tried to use a SOIC clamp from the TL866A package while the BIOS chip was still soldered on the board. *Overcurrent protection kicked in.* I knew this might happen. I could've tried to rewrite the BIOS with the card powerd-up but I feared I might damage the programmer. My instinct was telling me to try something else.

I found a site where it was *suggested to cut a pin from the soldered SOIC 8 BIOS chip*, rewrite it and make a small solder bridge to rebuild the contact between the cut pin and the PCB pad afterwards . Because of the small area I needed to make the cut, the lack of suitable cutting tools and horror images with ripped pads that came into my mind, I said  *F@CK IT!* and I decided to remove the BIOS chip and do a proper job.

Like it was the case with the V4-L, I first tried to remove a SOIC 8 chip from a dead motherboard. The removal of the SOIC 8 chip was a breeze.





I did the procedure on the 9800 PRO. The removal, programming and soldering of the BIOS chip *went smoothly*.



 

 

 

 



*Regarding the programming of the BIOS chip* I have a few thing to report. At a first *VERIFY* the chip looked blank and I gave the *ERASE* command and it completed successfully. I searched the internet for a BIOS file using the P/N number and I couldnt believe how difficult it was. Luckily TPU/TechPowerUp has a BIOS database for graphic cards. I can find BIOS files for cards older than 20 years and I cant find suitable ones for newer cards...

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/

Even with the help of TPU it was difficult to find a BIOS file for my model. In the end I reduced the search area to *R350 / SAMSUNG* memory and the *stock frequencies* for Ati 9800 PRO 256MB.

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios...&interface=AGP&memType=DDR&memSize=256&since=

As the card was most probably built by ATI I decided to use a stock image and I only found one.

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/23/ati-9800pro-256-samsung22-030404

*NOTE*. During the programming of the BIOS chip I sometimes received the error that *the chip isnt oriented correctly in the socket* even if it was positioned correclty. This fact gave me food for thought that maybe the BIOS chip wasnt blank and the leftover solder on the tiny feet might've made that the chip didnt fit well in the socket of the adapter. But how did the VERFIFY and ERASE commands complete successfully?...

Lets return to the matter at hand.

I had the card ready and willing. The chances that it might work were pretty high.

*Power-up....and.....NOTHING...no change... drat and double drat and even a triple drat...*

Several days have passed.

I read many articles and internet pages. I searched high and low for other BIOS files but I couldnt find anything.

I found the P/N on a old russian site...

For a fact, the card didnt work from the start and maybe the BIOS chip wasnt to blame. I'm a little pissed that when I gave the ERASE command I didnt check to see if the BIOS chip sat perfectly in the socket. Maybe I could've recovered something from it..maybe the card had a bad flash and the chip was empty...assumptions... assumptions...

After a few more days of busting my brains I said STOP but I still tried one more thing. I read a few more reviews I decided to try another BIOS file, this time from GIGABYTE.

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/70/gigabyte-9800pro-256-samsung-030523

I removed the BIOS chip, etc etc etc...

*Unfortunately no change.*

At this moment *I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!* and I prepared the card for the final cleaning.





I used *isopropyl alcohol 99%* but the dirt was stubborn and gave me the middle finger so I used *FAIRY and HOT water.* And by HOT I MEAN REALLY HOT! 

Finally I could see the RED FACTORY colour. F@CK YEAH! I LIKE IT! 

After I used Fairy and water I also washed the card with isopropyl alcohol 99%.



 

 

 



*FINAL RESULTS.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Yep *my ATI ordeals are kind of real * 

From the 8500, 9500 NP and 9800 PRO, only the humble 9500 NP is alive and kicking. *I wasnt expecting this.* Even so the entire affair was a bitter pill to swallow...

The upside is that after this endeavour I still learned a lot of things. LIVE AND LEARN!

It is kind of scary how fast the information can disappear from the internet. In my attempts to recover the 9800 PRO the reviews were a valuable resource. Unfortunately on many occasions  I was greeted by incomplete or blank pages, pictures that wouldnt't load, bad kinks, etc. We are speaking about a graphic card launched in 2003 and not in the 1990.

This is what it is and I cant change it 

*More to come.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/190eaq02k/
gallery 2: 9800 PRO 256


----------



## phill (May 5, 2018)

Such dedication!!  Your an inspiration to us all!!  

Remember guys, clean your hardware!!


----------



## Robert B (May 6, 2018)

As someone said about my "work" on another forum: WELLCOME to MY DUNGEON  LOTS of TORTURE CLEANING AHEAD  NEW VICTIMS AVAILABLE


----------



## Robert B (May 11, 2018)

*My FIRST fully fledged TNT 2*

*DIAMOND Viper V770 ATX AGP 32MB REV. B*

_This card *is my first fully fledged TNT 2* complete in every way and in good working condition. I have another ELSA TNT 2 Pro graphic card, but it has a damaged memory chip and a missing bracket._

I was looking for some time for a TNT 2 but all I could find was the TNT 2 M64.

The TNT 2, TNT 2 PRO or TNT 2 Ultra, arent found so often at the flea market so my best chance of finding one was one of my vintage HW suppliers. Time passed and I found a TNT 2 at one of my contacts but at that moment I had other ongoing projects and I didnt want to buy it so that opportunity quickly evaporated. Several months passed and I went again at the flea market. Here I found two cards placed directly on the pavement. One made by Diamond and the other some forgetable brand. I took the Diamond in my hand, looked at it and I said to myself: what's this dreary old thing? I even didnt bother to look for the model number and I placed it back on the pavement. It was twisted, a little dirty and it had a black passive heatsink.

So I went ahead and browsed the market. As I didnt find anything else that caught my attention I went back to see the Diamond card. I took it again in my hand, took out my phone and I did a search..I couldnt believe my eyes. *TNT ... 2 WTH?!* That was a close one.  I paid a low sum of money for it and it was *MINE ALL MINE!*

If it had a fan it would've been a V770 ULTRA. IF...





 

 

 

 



*I polished the bracket. I used gentle persuasion to straighten the PCB and the bracket. Isopropyl alcohol 99%. 30 minutes later I got the desired results.*





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The test session was smooth. No stress. The card works like a champ. * PIII-800MHz, Slot 1, 384MB RAM.



 



*Short and sweet.* Dont worry though, there are plenty of TL;DR episodes left all Robert B TM.

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1hdxxmbm0/
gallery 2: V770 TNT2


----------



## Robert B (May 19, 2018)

Intel 486 *O V E R D R I V E*

The STAR of todays episode is none other than the *Intel 486 OverDrive 100MHz CPU *. The model number is *SZ959 v1.1* for PGA168 socket 3. Not to be mistaken for the SZ957 which has 169 pins.

This CPU was offered as an upgrade option to slower 486 CPUs. The *upgrade matrix* can be found in the link bellow. Drop in replacement, a few jumper settings and you were good to go. In any case you can use this CPU with many socket 3 motherboards and not just as an upgrade option as stated in the upgrade matrix. It was destined for 5V motherboads lacking 3.3V CPU support. _"The IntelDX4 OverDrive processor offers several new features not found in the IntelDX2 OverDrive processors. It has 16 KByte on-chip cache and the internal core operates at 3x (speed tripled) the external clock frequency. The underlying technology behind the IntelDX4 OverDrive processor is the IntelDX4 microprocessor core with on-package voltage regulation. This allows the OverDrive processor to plug directly into existing 5V systems." _

http://www.cpu-world.com/info/80486/80486upgrade.html
http://www.cpushack.com/UpgradeProcessors.html

For some time I dreamed of a *Pentium OverDrive*. Along the three years since all this "retro" madness has started, I saw a handful of these CPUs but they were either too expensive or I didnt pay enough attention to them, so the opportune moment vanished *into the great void beyond*.

I was dreaming *with my eyes wide open*. Buying boxed OD CPUs at ebay prices was out of the question. For the price I would have to pay I could buy a lot more good stuff from the flea market or one of my local contacts and besides, *where's the challenge in that?* Bragging rights with boxed stuff  _(Do not be mistaken, I DO like boxed stuff but I'm not ready to pay THE PRICE.)_

Lets get back to the story. Some time ago, I bought from the flea market nine CPUs and a 80386 motherboard with a soldered AMD 80386-DX40 CPU. The whole package was arround 24 EUR / 38 USD. *Not bad at all.*

I bought them from a group of gypsies and it required some negociation. *How much are you willing to pay for them, give me X sum of money, buy them all, etc.* In the end I took out a big banknote and bought a few CPUs, they gave me change for the banknote, 30 minutes later I was back and bought some more, negociation as they like it. I made sure they saw the contents of my wallet so they knew I meant business.

They tried to bump up the price in any way possible with stuff like they work, they are good for gold scarp, etc but I told them in a calm way: *"Sir, if you would know as much as I do, about these CPUs that you are trying to sell, you wouldn't say anything more. You want to get as much as you can and I want to pay as little as I can."* With this said I softened them up and I managed to pay a much lower price.  The initial price was about 22 EUR / 34 USD for three ceramic CPUs.





*THE LOOT:*

*AMD* Athlon XP 1800+ / AXDA1800DUT3C / 1533MHz / Thoroughbred - S462
*AMD* Duron 1.1 GHz / DHD1100AMT1B / Morgan -S462
*Intel* 486 DX4 100MHz / SK051 / A80486DX-100 - socket 3
*Intel* 80486 Overdrive / SZ959 / *DX4ODPR100* / Ab252b03CC A4 33 -  socket 3
*Intel* Celeron 1.1GHz/100/128 - SL5XU - Coppermine
*Intel* Pentium 133MHz / SY022 / A80502133 / Fb51b8bbAE
*AMD* K6-2/300AFR / 300MHz
*Intel* Pentium 166MMX / SL27K / A80503166 / E7249948BG
*Intel Mobile Pentium* 4 532 / SL7NA - 3.06GHz/1MB/533 - Prescott

Out of the "CPU pile" one stood out. The CPU with the *banged MOSFET* and the missing heatsink. It looked like a socket 3 CPU but I didnt see anything like that before. I examined the CPU and I searched on the internet the only clue I found: the string "Ab252b03CC" but to no avail. I was already cursing the gorilla that took off the tiny heatsink the easy way to determine the model of the strange CPU.

I knew that it might be an OverDrive CPU or something exotic but I had no clues at that moment.

When I got home I fired up my main PC and I searched for *Intel OverDrive*. Shortly, I reduced the search area to Intel 486 OverDrive. Then, I had to determine the frequency of the CPU. After a few hours of searching, reading  and checking I found out that the only * 486 OD CPU * which *didnt have markings on the three big ceramic capacitors near the banged MOSFET,* is the *100MHz model.* Next, I tried to determine the exact model of the 486 OD CPU I had. I had to choose between DX4ODPR100 and DX4ODP100. A simple pin count 168 vs 169 was needed to find out what I held in my hand. There are two kinds of 486 OD 100MHz CPUs which dont have markings on the ceramic capacitors: SZ959 si SU004. In the case of the SZ959 the string on the back starts with the letter "A" and in the case of the SU004  it starts with the letter "E". In conclusion there is a 99.99% chance that my CPU is *DX4ODPR100 / SZ959 V1.1* 

http://brainstones.narod.ru/collection/intel_overdrive.htm
http://datasheets.chipdb.org/Intel/x86/486/applnots/29043606.PDF

Once I found out what CPU I bought *I started to straighten the bent pins for all them*. The only CPU that lost the fight is the 1.1GHz Celeron. It looked like it was stepped on and it was missing a few pins. The CPU lost two more pins after the straightening process. His story will be told in the ABIT SA6 episode.



 

 



*DX4ODPR100*





*Not looking good.* That thermal glue was giving me the finger across the room 

First I removed the banged MOSFET. It was an easy job as it was held only by the three pins. The other part was separated.



 



After I removed *the LT912 CM 9528 MALAY MOSFET* I tackled the matter of the bent pins. The chances of breaking the pins while I tried to straighten them were pretty high and I took a moment to evaluate my options. First, I took a pair of fine pliers and I tried to move the pins. *NO DICE!* Next, I took a wide screwdriver with a regular head and I put it between the pins. With great attention and moderate controlled force, I twisted the screwdriver and I straightened the pins as best as I could. I had to refrain from a perfect result because the danger of breaking them was real. *The results were above my expectaions.*





Soon after this *I had to solder back the MOSFET*. I cleaned the old solder from the pads and I was ready to go. I quickly soldered the three pins but when came the moment to solder the other part of the MOSFET, I hit a snag. My *40W soldering iron* was weak and the only other option was a 100W one. As the 100W soldering iron seemed to powerfull I search for other options.

I remembered I had a bottle of *TOPNIK RF800 liquid flux*. The lack of experience in soldering MOSFETs meant that my first try was a miss. I looked at a few more *YOUTUBE clips* and I was ready *to try again.* I placed the tip of the soldering iron on the metalic pad of the MOSFET and I waited until the flux started to bubble up then I added solder. After I saw that the solder was sucked up I removed the soldering iron and I waited for the area to cool. Afterwards I checked the strength of my solder job and I was quite pleased with the results.

*My first MOSFET solder job COMPLETED!*





*THERMAL GLUE! A NIGHTMARE TO REMOVE!*

I had to remove *thermal glue* a few times before but nothing like this.

I tried *isopropyl alcohol 99%* but it didnt work. I tried *acetone* but it didnt work.I tried *paint thinner* but it didnt work. I tried *a fine screwdriver* but the thermal glue was HARD and I could damage the surface of the CPU .

*What to do?*

I searched for alternatives. I stopped at a *cutter blade and a bamboo stick*. *My trusty allies in hard times *

When I used isopropyl alcohol 99% I saw that *the surface of the thermal glue is a little easier to scrape off*. So I placed the CPU in isopropyl alcohol  99% anywhere between 5-15 minutes then I took the blade and I scrapped off as much thermal glue as I could. Then I placed the CPU in alcohol again, took it out  and I used the bamboo stick and I scrapped off as much thermal glue as I could. I did this many times.



 

 



At one moment I saw that the blade didnt remove as much thermal glue as before and to my amazement I saw that it lost its edge after a few uses. *HARD STUFF this thermal glue!* The bamboo stick didnt fare better either but it was the perfect tool to remove the last bits of thermal glue.

*OBSERVATION*. I used the blade to scrape off most of the thermal glue. *To remove the last traces of thermal glue and for other fine operations I used ONLY the bamboo stick!*







After *almost three hours* I managed to remove all of the thermal glue. *I dont want to repeat this anytime soon you can be sure of that.*





After I cleaned the CPU *I had to find a heatsink.* I wanted to use a stock socket 3 cooler (plastic frame+heatsink) but the three ceramic capacitors and the MOSFET stood in the way.

In the end I used another socket 3 cooler that had another retaining system. *Where did I find this one?* At the flea market of course  A few months ago I saved it from a pile of junk. Everything is connected with an invisible thread. Bits and pieces of a bigger puzzle 

*PERFECT FIT* I LIKE IT!



 



The CPU testing was done on a *Jetway J446A v2.0 - SiS 496/497 motherboard*.

I searched the manual for jumper settings but because it didnt specify a setting for a 100MHz 486 OD CPU, I used the settings for AMD 586-133MHz and P24D-66MHz CPUs to determine the exact combination required. *Jumper settings, hmmm, serious business!*





*Running like a CHAMP! CPUID is 0480.*



 

 

 

 

 



I used *ARCTIC MX-4 FTW* to cool the OD CPU!!! Way better than thermal glue that's for sure!

*GLAMOUR SHOTS *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



All is well that ends well but *didnt I forget something?* Aaaaa...the pictures with the CPUs after I straightened all the pins  The 486 OD stole my attention and I almost forgot about them 



 

 

 

 

 



*The OverDrive adventure* was a bumpy ride but the result was *PRICELESS*. I wouldnt change a thing.

See you soon with the next episode(s) .  There's plenty more to come. You can be sure of THAT!

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2z1tfzpl4/
gallery2:  486OD


----------



## phill (May 19, 2018)

Your posts @Robert B get better and better 

I was looking about for some K6 2 things last night, man have those boards got expensive!!  The CPUs are as cheap as chips but the boards well the board on ebay is like £180 plus postage!!  Damn..  Will hold out I think..  I've spent far too much this last month!!   Bad Phill


----------



## Robert B (May 19, 2018)

You can try Amibay - the prices are usually more friendly 

http://www.amibay.com/forumdisplay.php?26-Other


----------



## stinger608 (May 19, 2018)

Very cool on the Pentium overdrive Robert!!!! 

I've actually got one of those in an old Packard Bell computer that I've had since the system was new. LOL. 

I couldn't afford another system and decided the best "upgrade" at the time was to buy one of the overdrive units. 

Made a hell of a difference in its glory days.


----------



## Robert B (May 28, 2018)

*Nora En Pure - Deep House & Tech House ' Best Dance Summer Mix 2018*











*Rumble in the jungle with* *RaaaAAAaaAAmmmMMMMMMMMBbbBBBBUUuUuuuSSSS
*


*RAMBUS.* This name stuck in my mind, when *back in the day,* I read in the local CHIP computer magazine, about the mighty Pentium 4 with RAMBUS memory, *the next best thing after sliced bread. *

As we know, RAMBUS didnt get to dominate the market and DDR got to be THE KING. This is already ancient history. I couldnt afford a P4 RAMBUS and when I could buy one, it was already obsolete.

What it is certain is that I still had a few sectors allocated in my memory for the RAMBUS thing so when the opportunity arrived *I pulled the trigger.*

This year, around the beginning of February, I found on the local OLX site a RAMBUS kit: *Intel D850EMV2 + 4x128MB RIMM PC800 + Pentium 4 SL683 2.26GHz*.

If we take into consideration the fact that only in *2018*  I woke from my slumber, all due to the retro bug , I wasnt fussy and I wasnt put off by an Intel Desktop Board and only 512MB RIMM. I would've wanted a motherboard with OC capabilities and some PC1066 RIMM. Even so, I was pleased with my purchase. 28EUR / 33USD well spent.

The add said that the kit was in good working condition and that it only had two bulged capacitors. *Nothing out of the ordinary.*

I called as soon as I saw the add and I spoke with the owner. We agreed upon the price, shipping and other details. I also received additional pictures on email. *ALL GOOD!!!*

The RAMBUS kit came with the local Post transport and it was packed in a sturdy cardboard box. 

The first thing I did after I took the box from the Post Office was to shake it a little. Immediately I heard a suspicious rattle.

When I got home, I opened up the box and BEHOLD: *the four RIMM sticks were moving freely inside.* Blue Danube GOD DAMN IT!. What the...I fished the RIMM sticks and I inspected them. NO DAMAGE. I also found the bag in which the sticks were put and I wondered why wasnt the bag sealed with tape or even better why werent the RIMM sticks in their socket?!? The kit was packed in some thick spongy stuff the kind that it is put under parquet. Bonus points for the seller as he also included the motherboard shield. *A nice bonus indeed!*

.........*I went on to inspect the motherboard*. Immediately I found a broken little black plastic piece from the CPU cooler and the northbridge cooler retention system was held in three points instead of four..........I looked further and I saw that a  1500uf/6.3V capacitor had a small dent in its casing.......... by this time I was already apprehensive and I wasnt in the mood for additional checks. In the end I took a big breath and I went over the parts with *a fine-comb*.  

After a thorough check, I arrived to the conclusion, *that besides the facts mentioned above, all was OK*. I wasnt bothered by *the dirt on the motherboard *. This stuff *comes with the territory.*

For sure, the package *was handled with velvet gloves and stood on soft pillows* and for that matter I was happy that it didnt arrive *sliced and diced.*

I called the seller and I informed him that the package arrived and all was OK. To my question why were the RIMM sticks taken out of their slots and the bag wasnt sealed with tape I received the answer that they are SAMSUNG RIMM sticks and they work for sure...

*I thanked him for the kit and I didnt say anything more.*




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




*A few weeks after I received the package I got to test it. I powered it up and all was as it should. In an uncharacteristic fashion I didnt clean the parts before. I removed the old metalic thermal pad and I applied fresh Arctic MX-4 on the dried up stuff. I only cleaned the dirt from the CPU cooler. DONT DO LIKE I DID!  *




 

 

 

 



I removed *the offending corpses* of the two dead Nichicon 3300Uf/6.3V caps.




 




*There she is in plain daylight.* The motherboard has a deformation due to the fact that it is missing a backplate to relieve the stress put up by the CPU cooler.



 

 

 

 

 




*How to remove the Intel P4 Boxed Cooler. Screwdriver time!*




 

 

 

 

 




First, I cleand the CPU heatsink and all the plastic bits. I wasnt able to remove the northbridge heatsink no matter what I tried and for fear that I might do more bad than good I left it in place.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




*I soldered two new Nichicon 3300uf/6.3V caps.*




 

 




*I restored the shine to all the chromed parts. I paid great attention to detail.*




 

 

 




*Isopropyl alcohol 99%.*







*FINAL RESULTS.*




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




*Shine my precious *




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




*gallery: *https://postimg.cc/gallery/yocg6ktq/

*This was the RAMBUS story.* I didnt have a particular hard time restoring the kit and in the end all was fine. 

I also found at the flea market another plastic retention harness to replace the damaged one even if the damage was just cosmetic and I glued back the broken piece. 

While I did the final assembly of the bits I took off from the motherboard, I also saw that the retention lever for the northbridge heatsink wasnt in the correct position. I put it as it has to be.

The motherboard has the final BIOS version. The check of the motherboard revision - AA number, revealed, that it doesnt support the faster Northwood 3.06GHz/512/533 CPU and at max only a Northwood 2.80/512/533 CPU can be used. I dont intend to further upgrade the system in the near future and it will be used as is. I did find a mobile P4 SL7NA 3.06GHz/1MB/533 but it has a Prescott core.

*C ya later with the next episode*


----------



## Robert B (Jun 2, 2018)

*Flea market surprise!*

Because in my recent visits at the flea market I found a few smaller pieces I decided to include them in shorter episodes. These episodes will be called: *Flea market surprise.*

In these episodes I'll keep the details at a minimum and I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The stars of today's episodes are:

1. *Diamond* Viper V550 SDR ATXNLX 16MB AGP Rev. B - *RIVA TNT*
2. *AMD* K6-2/450AFX - 450MHz 
3. *Intel* Pentium III 1GHz - 1000/256/133/1.7V SL4C8
4. *AMD* Duron 1.2GHz - DHD1200AMT1B
5. Two *C.O.A.S.T.* sticks (at least I think they are?) - SMART 1995
6. PS/2 cable



 

 

 



*Diamond* Viper V550 SDR ATXNLX 16MB AGP Rev. B - *RIVA TNT*

A little bit of elbow grease...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*AMD K6-2/450AFX - 450MHz *** Intel Pentium III 1GHz - 1000/256/133/1.7V SL4C8 *** AMD Duron 1.2GHz - DHD1200AMT1B*

I straightened a few bent pins and I cleaned the K6-2 and Intel CPUs.

The only CPU that still looked like hell after it was cleaned it was the DURON. So, I decided to use metal polish paste and a cotton stick. I gently cleaned the ceramic surface of the CPU and then I washed it with lots of isopropyl alcohol 99%. In the end I was amazed by the results  



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The PS/2 cable and the C.O.A.S.T. sticks were cleaned well.



 



When I prepared to put the cleaned CPUs in their box, I decided to take out a few of the CPUs I own and let them take some air . When I did a headcount I came to the number 35. I raised my eyebrow as I didnt think that I have so many. The pictures dont show the other socket 3, socket 4, socket 7, socket 370, Slot 1, Slot A and Socket A CPUs that are on the stored motherboards or in completed builds.

The wide majority were bought from the flea market along the three years since I started "going back in time".



 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/385p0lu7s/

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Jun 3, 2018)

I do wonder where you store all this too @Robert B and wonder, if there's some more space for any of my hardware as I'm running out of space myself!!


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 4, 2018)

Robert B said:


> *Intel D850EMV2 + 4x128MB RIMM PC800 + Pentium 4 SL683 2.26GHz*.


I'd get yourself a set of 256mb sticks if you plan on running XP or even WinME. If you're planning on 98SE, those 128mb sticks are good.


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 4, 2018)

Your CPU collection is incomplete without the Pentium Pro.


----------



## Robert B (Jun 4, 2018)

@phill  - I want to store my parts in a different way and I'm going to post pics and details on the thread.I still have space as the bulk of my collection is made of VGA cards 
@lexluthermiester -  I too want at least 256MB sticks but I found only ECC and PC800-45. If the board detects anything slower than PC800-40 then it lowers the CPU/BUS speed. I would like PC1066 but I didnt see any localy  For now the RAMBUS system wont be made into a complete build. I keep it as a curiosity.
@biffzinker - no Pentium PRO yet but I saw a dual PPRO at one of my contacts. The board is ＡＳＵＳ Ｐ／Ｉ－Ｐ６５ＵＰ５ with the CPU card and two PPRO - the price is outrageous though 

THIS WEEK: *Creative, the manufacturer with unmistakeble labels  CT! CT! CT!*



 



*More later.*


----------



## AltCapwn (Jun 4, 2018)

You should do videos about your builds; Search for parts, cleanup, mounting your stuff, installation and then benchmarks and gameplay. Could be a good series.  Can speak of the history and the context of the parts when they were released, the games and apps of this time and compare that to today, etc... I would definitly watch that (Who doesn't like nostalgia?).

Cheers,


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 5, 2018)

Robert B said:


> @lexluthermiester - I too want at least 256MB sticks but I found only ECC and PC800-45. If the board detects anything slower than PC800-40 then it lowers the CPU/BUS speed. I would like PC1066 but I didnt see any localy  For now the RAMBUS system wont be made into a complete build. I keep it as a curiosity.


Ebay. If you're not in the USA, ask a seller in the USA if they'll ship to you. Many will for the cost of extra shipping. Trust me, it'll be worth it.


----------



## Robert B (Jun 7, 2018)

*Daso - Meine* *Song*


*RAMBUS* -  - *MINI*-episode.

Last Sunday I went to the *flea market* because I didnt have anything else to do.

*It was almost closing time* but even then, you could find something: a socket 7 motherboard with an intel chipset, some socket A stuff, Matrox cards, HDDs, various CPUs, graphic cards in various states of decay etc. Because my "HW hunger" isnt as strong as in the past, I dont buy each piece I find. I've become a lot more selective.

I found an *acquaintance* and I looked at what he had to offer.

I browsed some 20 CPUs and in the end I stopped at two *Pentium 4 CPUs*. Why P4? Because my i850 RAMBUS wanted *the fastest it can take.*

So, I found a *2.80GHz* Northwood, the maximum the revision of my *Intel Desktop Board D850EMV2* motherboard supports. And to top it off, I also found a *2.53GHz* Northwood. I wanted the 2.80GHz P4 eversince I knew that the RAMBUS kit I bought had a 2.26GHz CPU.

*With the 2.80GHz P4 I put to rest a few of the many demons that haunt me*. The other demons want 2GB of PC1066 RIMM or at least PC800-40 

*For my RAMBUS system* I have the following CPUs:

Pentium 4 *SL683* 2.26GHz 533/512 - came with the kit
Pentium 4 *SL6EG* 2.53GHz 533/512
Pentium 4 *SL6QB* 2.80GHz 533/512

The 2.53GHz and 2.80GHz CPUs *had many bent pins*. Surprisingly, I managed to straighten all of them and I even came close to the ideal *ZERO INSERTION FORCE*. *Please dont ask how many hours it took* I wasnt going to dump the 2.80 CPU as I really wanted one.

I've never straightened the pins on a P4 - s478. The pins were so soft that they got bent just by looking at them. They are more densely packed that other CPUs and more difficult to put into the correct position . I used credit cards and a thin piece of textolite. I had to use a 0.5mm mechanical pen as I didnt have something else. The tip was way bigger than the pins. Even so, my sensitive fingers helped me and I finished the job. I was surprised that no pin broke off as they look fragile.

*Picture time. *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/218ndd6zg/

I didnt stop at straightening the pins and I took out of storage the cleaned *Intel Dektop Board D850EMV2 motherboard* and I tested the rescued CPUs. *SUCCESS! All systems are GO!*. Windows XP time. BIOS - DEFAULTS - NO TWEAKS - GF3 Ti200 Hercules 3D Prophet III.

*Pentium 4 SL6EG 2.53GHz*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/l6bmpiu4/

*Pentium 4 SL6QB 2.80GHz*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mbo2dva4/

*All is well that ends well. *

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Jun 8, 2018)

Amazing   Love these posts


----------



## Robert B (Jun 9, 2018)

*Creative, the manufacturer with unmistakeble labels CT! CT! CT!*

Ahhh *CREATIVE*. Only hearing this name makes me recall many nice components that I couldnt afford back in the day. *Annihilators, Blasters and such.*

My first contact with CREATIVE came in *1999* and it took the shape of an integrated sound card *Creative AUDIO PCI 128* - Creative® ES1373. Nothing fancy. I never had a Sound Blaster 16/32 or AWE.

My first good sound card was a *Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Digital* bulk. I was in extasy after I installed the Demo Audio stuff from the setup CD. Good times! This was roughly around ~2002 when I bought the 1.2GHz Duron / SiS 735 which was soon replaced by an Athlon XP 1900+ / KT333.

Only in 2016 I bought another Creative product, a *Creative Sound Blaster ZX sound card*.  (Second Hand)

So, "my history"  regarding Creative isnt something to speak about, *but I like many Creative products*, especially those launched before 2000.

The cards featured in this episode *"are pretty common"* but I liked to return them to their former glory. All of them were bought from the flea market at very low prices.

*Every time I see a label that has a CT model number* my pulse spikes. Some time ago I found at the flea market * two Creative 3dfx Banshee PCI graphic cards* at a very low price as the seller didnt know what they were. Their *plain Jane looks* helped me to buy them very very very cheap.

Creative cards are easy to identify. The *CT product numbers* are visibile, the label are made from quality materials and the Creative logo is usually present on the PCB. When you see the CT letters you know what you have in your hands, no question about it.

*** Creative Labs Sound Blaster *CT4170* ISA
*** Creative Graphics Blaster *CT6710* nVidia RIVA TNT AGP 16MB
*** Creative Labs *CT6950* nVidia Vanta 32MB PCI (*CT6954*)

Creative Labs Sound Blaster *CT4170* ISA

The card was dirty and it was missing a screw that holds the bracket. Easy fix.



 

 

 

 

 



*I took the necessary steps to protect the stamped ink markings that are easily removed by IPA 99%.*





*I did what I do best.*





*Like new!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1dca02zta/

Creative Graphics Blaster *CT6710* nVidia RIVA TNT AGP 16MB

This is my second *CT6170*.

I like *RIVA TNT* cards and I buy them every time I see them. Usually collectors have eyes for *TNT 2* and sometimes overlook * the first TNT.*

I found this card in a cardboard box at the flea market. I saw a corner of it popping out from one side. *The green squares* from the top of the PCB attracted my eyes like a magnet and I soon was all over it  . RIVA TNT? YEAH! NICE!

*Initial state.*



 

 

 

 



*A little magic.*

*I also had to solder a missing ceramic capacitor. The solder job isnt my best but I left it alone as the solder job is strong. I need better equipment for fine soldering than what I have now.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 



*Running like a champ!*





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/14xzvvefi/

Creative Labs *CT6950* nVidia Vanta 32MB PCI (*CT6954*)

I had to repair this card but it wasnt too difficult.

On the Saturday I found the *Ati Radeon All-In-Wonder 8500DV 64MB* I also found a *Creative Vanta PCI graphic card*. I looked at it and I saw that it was missing two capacitors and a pad was torn from the PCB so I said *MEH* and I put it back where I found it.

When I got home I searched on the internet the model number *CT6950* and I found more about the card.

*On the night between Saturday and Sunday* I had on my mind only the damned Creative card, so, early in the morning I took *a cold shower*, yeah right, I went to the flea market of course.  I looked for *the seller* and I found him. Initially I didnt find him as he wasnt in the same place as the day before. That's what you get when you dont pay attention  I said to myself! Next time peel your eyes MORE! I walked around the flea market and I found him.

*Behold!* The card was still there but it looked like it had a few more scratches than before.

*I paid the price* and I took it home.



 



*After I got home I started the restoration process.*



 



I looked for ways to replace *the missing pad*. I wanted to thread a fine wire through the PCB but the hole didnt communicate with the back of the card. Bummer....*what to do???*

*I took a fine solder wick wire*. I cut a little piece and the thing broke into small pieces of wire all over my desk. *DAMN!!! $^@*$*(@&^(*###~~~@@$$$$*...let's add some solder in a thin layer and then cut a small piece. *SUCCESS!!!*



 



I glued the small solder wick piece with *super glue* then I added a little more solder to establish the contact with the PCB.





I searched on the internet for *pictures* with the CT6950 and it took me a while to find what I wanted. I needed the specs for the missing caps.





When I found what I needed I saw that I didnt have replacement capacitors. I wanted to use regular electrolytic caps but I didnt have something even remotely close, so I used what I had at hand.

The required caps were *22uf/6.3V* (good luck finding those)...so I used solid caps with 47uf/6V. * I said lets shoot and see what falls down.*

*Not only that nothing happened* but the card worked well.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I was pleased with my repair* but the fact that I used caps that had different specs was still nagging me, so when I had to order caps for the repair of 3dfx cards, i850 motherboard, etc I also bought *22uf/16v caps.*

After I repaired the card I was back to *SQUARE ONE* Talk about obsession...

I had to make another pad as the first one went *MIA* after I desoldered the capacitor....

This time the repair *came out better.* Like a BO$$!





*NICE!* LIKE NEW! Almost...



 

 



*I successfully repaired the card (AGAIN) but is it still working?!?!*





*No stress MAN!* ALL IS WELL!!!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1zqk5b2z2/

Remember to not pass on Creative stuff. *Remember the CT label*. Sometimes you might find better cards than the ones presented above.

*C ya later with more shiny stuff.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 10, 2018)

Robert B said:


> Creative Graphics Blaster *CT6710* nVidia RIVA TNT AGP 16MB


In it's time, that was a damn good card. Rock solid, and if you added a fan to the heatsink and heatsinks to the RAM chips, it would OC a solid 20%. The Vanta's were also solid, but didn't OC as well. Ah, the memories..


----------



## phill (Jun 10, 2018)

Such an inspiration for us all @Robert B


----------



## Robert B (Jun 17, 2018)

*French Horn Rebellion - Won You Over (Jamie de Von Remix)*

*Flea market surprise!*..._without the fleas of course_ 

The parts that I am going to present, are the result of a visit at the local flea market made on *21.04.2018*. The weather was superb. 





*THE LOOT!*

1. V7 Mirage P32/PCI / Diamond Stealth SE V1.02 / SPEA Software AG (P103/R20) / MIRP32PCI - *S3 Trio 32* - 1MB PCI
2. Fastware VC963C-3D - *S3 Virge/Dx 86C375* - 4MB PCI
3. 3dfx *VooDoo 3 2000* - AGP 16MB - 1999 STB Systems 210-0364-003 Rev. C
4. Creative *AWE64* Value CT4520 ISA





V7 Mirage P32/PCI / Diamond Stealth SE V1.02 / SPEA Software AG (P103/R20) / MIRP32PCI - *S3 Trio 32* - 1MB PCI

*I tested the card* and I found out that it was dead. YEP! Black screen aka *no signal*...oh well...it happens...

*Initial state.*



 

 



*Cleaning time.*



 

 



*Shiny!*



 

 

 

 

 



Fastware VC963C-3D - *S3 Virge/Dx 86C375* - 4MB PCI

I bought this card for the EXTRA VRAM. You never know when you might need the mighty *2MB*.* Better safe than sorry.* 

*Initial state.*



 



*In working order.*





*Dismantled.*



 

 



*Clean as a whistle.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



3dfx *VooDoo 3 2000* - AGP 16MB - 1999 STB Systems 210-0364-003 Rev. C

*2.17 EUR / 2.56USD* well spent! 

*Initial state.*



 



*Test OK!!!*





*Lets get on with the show.*

The card *was missing a screw* from the VGA port. *Me being me*, I had to find a screw and a washer as close to the original as possible. After some searching, I found a washer that fit the bill. I also found two screws that were *a little bit shorter.* So, I took off *the washer* from the factory screw and by magic I restored *"the equilibrium"*. Now it was whole again. 





Looking at the card I saw that the heatsink had a few bent fins. I straightened the fins as much as I thought it was safe. I didnt want to remove the heatsink from the chip by using too much force. Again, the card *was on its way to a full recovery.*



 



Some polish, some IPA 99% FLOWING!!! OVERFLOWING!!! and don't forget the correct dose of ELBOW GREASE. *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*10/10!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Creative *AWE64* Value CT4520 ISA

*Restored to its former glory.*

*Initial state.*







*Lights, Camera, Action!*



 

 



*Final results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



If all the visits to the flea market would have the same outcome I would go there a lot more often  

*Group photos.*



 

 



As I said in the past, the *Flea market surprise!* episodes are presented in a short and concise manner. Don't worry though, I still have a few *heavy shells* left in the ammunition depot.  

As usual, all my adventures will be posted here. 

*These days I'm waiting for something interesting.* I said that I'm not going to buy more HW but ... as they say: *NEVER SAY NEVER*.  I dont know where I heard this before...maybe I said it myself... 





*More later.*

*gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/319s2tl7c/


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 18, 2018)

Robert B said:


> Creative *AWE64* Value CT4520 ISA


While this was a "value" card, it had premium features like built on ram for sound-fonts and whatnot, rear channel outputs for surround sound and the main chip was an actual DSP processor which off-loaded audio processing from the CPU instead of acting like a pass-through IC like most sound cards of the time(an even some current onboard crap). Way ahead of it's time and set one of the bars for high quality, even in the budget market. I used this card for system builds for years! Nice find!


----------



## Robert B (Jun 18, 2018)

I really like these sisters too!


----------



## Robert B (Jun 19, 2018)

*John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom*

*BOOM BOOM*


----------



## phill (Jun 19, 2018)

I love this thread!!  Infact, so much I might have to put up something for @Robert B to advise me on.....


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 20, 2018)

Robert B said:


> *John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom*
> 
> *BOOM BOOM*


Frickin *SCORE*! Nice find! Only thing now is to find a matched pair of Slot2 Xeons to get it running at it's best. Recommend Windows 2000 for it. Xp will work, but 2k SP4 will be much better in the long run. Is that the revision of board that supports Xeon 3's, or was it just Xeon 2's? If it takes the Xeon 3's, eBay has a few good deals. Looked using the following search;
https://www.ebay.com/sch/164/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=xeon+slot+2&_sop=15&LH_BIN=1


----------



## Robert B (Jun 20, 2018)

The chipset for Super P6DLS is 440LX so it wont take PIII. The max supported is a PII 333/66 but I got it to work with a 366MHz Celeron.

I have 2x333MHz Celereons which might be modded for SMP but I might take the easy route and buy 2x333MHz/66 PIIs.

The board works with 2x350MHz/100 PIIs and it boots as a 2xPII 233MHz/66 

I managed to make my only PII 333MHz/66 run a at a measly 133MHz.

I might buy two slotkets and run two Celerons without mods. There are slotkets that do this. MS-6905 comes to mind.

For my first dual CPU setup I wanted something a little out of the ordinary. After I bought my first LX board from the flea market I jumped and bought the P6DLS as soon as I saw it  

I see this as something overkill and for sure I'll run two CPU even if the OS I'll end up using wont support SMP. Why? Because: reasons  Not everything has to be by the book and for sure I wont use it (_if I end up making a system with it_) with just a CPU  I might do an ioverkill VooDoo 1 build just for kicks.

*Shes HUUUUUUUGEEEEEE*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 21, 2018)

OH! It's a dual slot 1 board! At first glance it looked like a dual slot 2. My bad..


----------



## Robert B (Jun 27, 2018)

*Solomun - Somebody's Story* (Original Mix)

Today, after a quick nap, I woke up and one thought kept *popping in my mind*: *One's work is never finished.* Something along the lines: *Art is never finished, only abandoned. - Leonardo da Vinci*

This made me want to post a quick update on one of my *3dfx* cards.

Maybe you remember the hero of *The GREAT Voodoo 3 3000 16 MB rescue* episode that I posted a while back.


https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ly-old-hardware-emporium.228932/#post-3574698
alternative link: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=511988#p511988

It was about a *3dfx V3 3000 16MB AGP, Made In China,* which was bought for a trivial sum of money from the good ol' flea market. It was in *bad shape* but somehow I managed to repair it and it proved to be alive and kicking.

*A moment of great satisfaction at that time.*

*Years* have passed and I didnt forget that particular card.

So, this June, came *the moment to make it right* and again I was successful in my attempt.

The regular electrolytic capacitors I used to repair the card were replaced by new ones made by Panasonic. 22uF/16V, SMD, Panasonic EEE1CA220SR, 10uF/16V, SMD, Low Esr, EEEFP1C100AR PANASONIC.

The problem was that everytime I took the card in my hands I touched the capacitors and *there was a risk I could snap them off* because they were too tall. *The looks* were important too.

*Initial state.*





*I removed the four caps and I prepared the card to receive the new ones.*



 

 

 



*Almost good as new.*



 

 

 



*Success.*



 



Because I dont like to leave matters at the whims of chance I decided to fix the caps that were mounted on the missing PCB pads with some transparent Poxipol.* Better safe than sorry.* The glue is easy to remove if needed.



 

 

 

 





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/16dkvkhwc/

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Jun 27, 2018)

Loving it @Robert B !!   I think I should have a spare PSU tomorrow, so I might even be able to by the weekend, have a few things tested..  Time to break out the Socket A rig and see what we can manage to get working!!  Hopefully not damaging hardware in the process!!


----------



## Robert B (Jun 30, 2018)

*Tseng DUO*

This episode features two *Tseng video cards.* Both of them are the PCI version.

I was searching for a *Tseng ET4000/W32P video card* for some time. In the end I found it at the good ol' flea market. I would've wanted the VLB or at least the ISA version but *beggars can't be choosers, I guess.*

The *Tseng ET6000 4MB* was bought a few years ago, also from the flea market. A test made after that moment, revealed that it was *dead*, so I put in a box and that was it. *At least until this year *

Let's meet the two video cards:

** JATON* TSENG LABS ET4000/W32P PCI - KY2-JAX-EVGA32PCI - 8248D/V2
** Vision Magic* Tseng Labs ET6000 4 MB MDRAM

*JATON* TSENG LABS ET4000/W32P PCI - KY2-JAX-EVGA32PCI - 8248D/V2

The card was in a rough shape but as soon as I saw *Tseng ET4000/W32P* written all over it, I knew I had to have it. I paid very little for it and I took it home.



 

 

 

 



The card *took a hit before I got to it* and a few pins from the graphic chip were affected but they didnt separate from the PCB. *Lucky me!*





*I took the card apart.*



 



*The BIOS chip* had a few *light scratches* which werent removed by IPA 99% and cotton sticks, so, I searched for other options.

It became clear that I would need *an abrasive paste* which would also have to be friendly with the markings on the chip.

I decided to try a little metal polish paste, the kind I use to restore the shine of the chromed brackets, and a cotton stick. *I rubbed gently* the graphic chip and afterwards I washed it well with IPA 99%.

*After two passes* I got the desired results. *GOOD AS NEW!!!*

The satisfaction I got after this step was *off the scale*.

I applied this *treatment* to other IC's on the board.





*The final results* were notable. The downside is that now I have to apply this step to other cards I restore and the time that I spend with each component will get even longer than already is. Regardless, after these many electronic artifacts recovered from the crusher, one more stage dedicated to the restoration process isn't much. By now, all I do is like a reflex. I'm not kidding. Also, I never say STOP until I am completely satisfied.

*Enjoy.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/jyxc9xso/

* Vision Magic* Tseng Labs ET6000 4 MB MDRAM

I was so proud when I bought this card. *Tseng ET6000 with 4MB, NICE!* Lucky find!

After I tested it I was deflated. Dead!



 



This year, right after I managed to exorcise all the demons from the socket 4 / Pentium 66MHz setup (which will be presented at a later date), amadeus777999, a fellow vogons user, asked me to run some DOOM Shareware 1.9 timedemo tests with some of my graphic cards. These results were needed for a project of his. In the end I made over 100 DOOM Shareware 1.9 runs, so it was obvious that the ET6000 could not miss from the line-up. Needless to say, *the P66+ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 rev. 2.4 combo was rock solid*, even if I got a few gray hairs during the process of eliminating *all the demons* that took over the socket 4 setup, *and believe me they were many!* _(The P66 story will also be very interesting)._ (The results of the DOOM Shareware tests will be presented at the appropriate time)

I checked the ET6000 and I couldn't find anything wrong with it.

At first, I decided to *remove the extra 2MB video memory from the PLCC sockets*. This task was unbelievably hard. *What could possibly go wrong?*

*The PLCC exctractor* that I have is a cheap chinese model and it didnt grab the memory chips as it should. The plastic of the PLCC was brittle and old. After I applied the force required, I was faced *with a disaster*. One of the metal hooks of the PLCC extractor, dug into a memory chip, broke off a corner if it and then left a diagonal scratch.

You should've seen my face. *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!*

*&*($@#*($&###!!!!* Curses, ()&%#*%#&*~)@%~~~!!!

Before I resorted to the chinese PLCC extractor, I tried *two small screwdrivers* but I couldn't remove the memory chips. The PLCC sockets groaned and flexed and I couldn't remove the chips.

In the end I managed to remove the memory chips. The PLCC sockets were cracked, the chips looks like hell....

I tested the card again. *STILL NOTHING!*. No change.....^$@#&$*^@*!@!@!!##

Reluctantly, *I removed the Vision Magic sticker* from the BIOS chip and I verified if the BIOS image was good. I had to know what model the chip was. This information was vital. I placed it into my MiniPro TL866A BIOS programmer and I did a READ and VERIFY test. *ALL WAS OK! Foiled again!* - *ATMEL AT27C256R*





I used double sided tape to put back the Vision Magic sticker and I inserted the memory chips I removed earlier.

Damn it!

What could be the problem?

*And then IT HIT ME!!!*

I saw *some marks on the pins of the graphic chip,* so, I decided to investigate them thoroughly. Flea market cards usually have a few marks on them and I investigate the chips to see if the pins make contact with each other.

I took *a fine needle* and I checked the pins. Needless to say that I found out soon why the ET6000 wasnt running. *Lots of pins were separated from the PCB.*

I knew the cause of the problem and I needed a solution.

*Ideally* I would've needed a hot air station and the required supplies. At the start of this year I thought of buying a hot air station but in the end I gave up. I couldn't justify the costs as I dont have many card to repair.

*The second option* was represented by a repair shop but where's the fun in that?  I think you know me well after the V4-L saga. 

For some time I wanted to try *the drag soldering tehnique.* After I got accustomed with the use of flux and I got a little courageous, I said LET'S DO IT!!!

*The brain-dead ET6000-ul was the perfect candidate!*

I looked at a demo of the drag soldering tehnique.

*HowTo: Drag Soldering Demo*

I looked a few times over these videos.

*Professional SMT Soldering: Hand Soldering Techniques - Surface Mount*

*Professional Hand Soldering: Surface Mount QFP 208 Fine-Pitch*

I couldn't be bothered with the lower stages and I went straight to MASTER class, crash course style  just the way I LIKE IT!!!  QFP 208 Fine-Pitch drag soldering. *How hard can it be?*

Because I couldnt find angled tips for my soldering iron I decided to make my own.



 



*Dont forget the sponge.*





*Let's inspect the pins closer.* Not GOOD!!! Some are bent and some are separated from the PCB due to some force applied over them.



 

 



Before I took over the main task, *I practiced on a dead laptop motherboard.*

I used liquid flux branded *Topnik RF800.*





*The results were encouraging* so I tackled the ET6000.

I applied Topnik RF800 flux and I placed the tip of the soldering iron over the pins. Unfortunately, the flux was liquid and it wouldn't stay in one place. It quickly evaporated at the contact with the soldering iron and it didnt help me. I used a low quantity of solder.

A few weeks before, I bought from the flea market, some *Amtech RMA-223* flux, which in the end proved to be fake. I decided to use it after I saw a comparative video in which it was said that it is OK. To my surprise, I found the exact fake flux at the local electronic shop. YAY!!!  The label has spelling errors and the packaging is not like the original.

I applied *Amtech RM-223-FAKE flux.*

*TOO LITTLE!*





*TOO MUCH!*





*After a soldering pass.*





The *Topnik RF800* flux is a NO CLEAN flux. The *Amtech RMA-223-FAKE* flux was an unknown quantity so I had to clean it.

The weather was cold during this operation. The lack of experience meant that I used too much flux and I had to clean A TON OF IT!

*Cleaning the leftover flux proved to be a challenge.* The difficulty was due to the fact that it was behind the pins and in contact with IPA 99% it would turn in a substance like cheese.

I was afraid that some of the pins I soldered back might separate again, so, I placed the card in a IPA 99% bath. I used a container with a lid to reduce evaporation.



 

 



The IPA 99% bath didnt remove the flux so I had to use *an old tooth brush and a syringe.*

After almost an hour, I managed to remove all the flux. *DAMN SON!*



 



I inspected the solder job and I was pleased with the results. I didnt straighten any of the pins because I was afraid I might break them. Before I got to solder them back I checked that each one of them made contact with their pad.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I placed the card in the PC* and I saw that the orange led of the monitor turned to green but the screen remained black.

*It looks like I'm on the right path.* I inspected again all of the pins, 208 of them....

*I found a few pins that werent making contact.* It looks like my solder job wasnt as strong as I thought and during cleaning I separated some of them.

*BACK TO SQUARE ONE!*

This time I used the right amount of flux.



 



I soldered again all the pins and I cleaned the card.

*Final results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Close view of the soldered pins.*



 

 

 



*I DID THIS!* When all was said and done, I was satisfied with my results.

I tested the card again and it ran flawlessly, *almost.*

The image was crips, the drivers installed without a hitch, I ran a DOOM test. *ALL OK!*



 

 



*I was happy* and I wasnt bothered anymore with the looks of the card. I will remember these battle scars for a long time from now. They look bad from every angle. (One of the soldered memory chips had some chips when I bought it.)



 

 

 

 

 



*Unfortunately, the victory was bitter sweet.* When I ran the *timedemo* benchmark from DOOM Shareware 1.9, I saw on the lower part of the screen, that some *pixels* werent displayed correctly.





I removed the extra VRAM and I left the card with the soldered chips. When I booted in WIN 95 I saw that the image wasnt right.

I inspected again all of the pins of the graphic chip. All was well.

After I put back the extra VRAM chips the video card didnt show the anomalies that were present with just the soldered 2MB and I was left with the odd pixels.

*At this moment I gave up.* There was no way I could recover this card completely.

*Some fights you cannot win.* I could find some memory chips and try something, but this might come *sometime in the far far far future*.

The upside is, that I can execute drag soldering at a reasonable level of quality. *Practice makes perfect and I'm sure I'll need this skill someday.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/31f9xa72w/


*C ya next time with more good stuff.*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 9, 2018)

My first 80386!!! *Pine Technology PT-321 (M3200793) / AMD 386DX 40MHz / am386DX-40 *

_Nebs Jack - Guys like me (Andre Rizo & Dj Pado remix)_

For over three years since I've been going to the flea market, I've never seen a 80386 for sale. The 80286 is even harder to find. *Rara avis.*

The truth is that I wasnt searching for a 80286 or a 80386 as I was pretty sure that I wasnt going to pass the 80486 border and travel further into the past. 

Like many times before, all it took was *a tiny piece of kryptonite* and I was already looking at the 80486 border in my rear view mirror. 

I found the PT-321 motherboard at one of my contacts at the flea market.

On *14.04.2018* I went to the flea market to see what was avaialable. The day didnt look promising. All changed when I was faced with a pile of motherboards. 

I put aside the Pentium 4 and Athlon XP motherbaords and I was left with the 80386 plus 9 CPUs.

*After a quick negociation I took THE LOOT and I went home.*





The PT-321 is compact and the CPU is soldered on the motherboard. This didnt bother me at all as the CPU is pretty potent.

As soon as I laid my eyes on it, I thought about my *Zida Tomato Board 4DPS.*

It seems that the PT-321 was sold at a time when the 80386 cycle was coming to an end, and the 80486 was somewhat expensive.  





*Let's get to the matter at hand.*

Eversince I negociated the price for the 80386, I knew that *the CMOS battery leaked* and all its *poison* spilled over the motherboard.

This didnt put me off as *I was convinced* that the motherboard was still alive. In the past I had to deal with far more desperate situations.

I removed the battery using a fine screwdriver. Some gentle persuasion was needed and the battery was free. I kept the battery terminals as I might need them down the road. 



 

 



*Initial state.*









I applied the usual treatment for battery leaks: *VINEGAR made from GRAPES.* 

Immediately after I used the vinegar, I could see the bubbles forming and the acid started to lose the fight. 

I felt a great satisfaction while I was looking at the bubbles. *BEGONE FIEND!!!*   



 



*When the reaction ended I was pleased to see that the treatment went according to plan.* The laquer was a little affected but the traces are in great shape.





*Cleaning was business as usual.* You know the drill.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The leaked acid left some *marks* on the back of the motherboard. *Nothing too serious.*



 

*The passing of time left its mark* and on the back of the motherboard we can see a few white spots beneath the laquer. I dont know if these spots are from the manufacturing process or are the result of another factor. 





I'm pretty sure, even with the facts mentioned above, that this 386 will continue to work long time from now. I cant say the same thing about some of my newer components though.

*The glass half full.*



 

 

 

 

 

 





The testing session was a complete success. *ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO!*



 

 

 

 

 

 



I didnt think it was necessary to use a controller and install an O.S. The motherboard is working well. Even from the first powerup, the PC SPEAKER greeted me with a happy *BEEP! I'M ALIVE!!!* 

BULLETPROOF! I really like these old parts, they work and work and keep on working.

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 15, 2018)

*Dr. Dre - Kush ft. Snoop Dogg, Akon*

*It seems this will be a HOT SUMMER!*



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





*Hundreds and hundreds* of pictures to post. More than 10 episodes in total, depending of how I decide to group them. 

*More to come!*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 20, 2018)

*Claptone - No Eyes (feat. Jaw)*

The *RED* Beast!

As you probably already know, my luck regarding *ATI cards* is legendary ... bad ... *yep*. I dont see many ATI cards at the flea market and when I find them I think twice before I make a purchase. 

The card featured in this episode is  *A MONSTER*. I saw it briefly and that was enough: I WANT IT! I put my hands on it and I loved the weight of the mammoth. I knew well this feeling as I've experienced it many times since all this retro madness has started.  There's always something "new" at the horizon. Something that stirs you up. *FRESH! FRESH! Fresh from the dumpster, of course.*

I bought the ATI Radeon 3870x2 on a Sunday, in July this year. The price was low. I haggled a bit and I managed to drive the price down. The day was rainy but it cleared up a bit after 12.00 o'clock and that was the window I was waiting for. That day I scored more *good stuff* besides the ATI card.

Meet the *ASUS ROG HD 3870 X2 TOP (EAH3870X2-TOP/G/3DHTI/1G)*



 

 

 



In the past *I avoided* many times to buy from the flea market, newer cards and especially *PCI-E cards*. The reasons are obvious: the danger of missing ICs, the difficulty to restore them, the risk of them beeing dead is far greater than in the case of older parts, etc.

The irony is that I broke this "rule" for an ATI card. *Never say never ... they say. *

So I was stuck with the little *ASUS.* 

Another fact to consider is that the 3870x2 (2008) is the second ATI dual-GPU card after Rage Fury MAXX (1999). I'm talking about ATI factory cards. If it was working it would've been awesome. Only 10 years have passed since it was introduced and it feels old. *Life is in overdrive.*

I left the card in the trunk of my car, but soon after that I brought it into the house and I decided to clean it and give it a go to see *what's what.* 

The 3870x2 was full of dust and fingerprints. The fingerprints were very stubborn and werent removed by IPA 99%.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Before I bought it, I looked to see if something was missing on the back. At that time I didnt see anything suspicious. Later while I was cleaning it, I saw that it was missing two ceramic capacitors above the PCI-E connector and a third one was hanging for dear life.

I soldered the third one and I decided to find and solder the other two, the following day.





After this cold shower I felt I bought a wreck. *My enthusiasm was going down...*

*Ready for testing.*



 



*IN YOU GO!*





POWER ON! - nothing, black screen - *NO SIGNAL!!!*

*Damn son*, I told you not to buy crap form the flea market.

*My gut feeling said it was alive*. Was I mistaken?!

I took out the card from the PC and I conducted a thorough examination. Inch by inch.





Soon, I recevied more bad news.

*MIA: *1 resitor, 1 transistor with unkown specs, one more ceramic capacitor hanging for dear life, 6 ceramic capacitor missing.

*Not a pretty picture.*

I didnt gave up and I hatched a rescue plan. I still believed that the card was alive.

I didnt know the specs of the missing transistor and I couldn't find detailed pictures on the internet. In many instances, articles written 10 years ago werent available. *Such a shame.*

So I looked for *a solution. *

The missing transistor was marked *Q99*. I searched for *Q98* but I didnt find it so I looked for *Q100*. Luckily at Q100 I found two resistors and one tranzistor.





The similarity between Q99 and Q100 put me on the right path. I decided to transplant at the Q99 location one resistor and one tranzistor with the same specs as those at Q100.

*The donor was a Medion ATI X740 XL.*





This was the first time when I had to solder this many tiny components. The results arent my best work but I have accumulated experience and now I can do them a lot better.The solder job was verified and it is *as strong as it can be.*





In the past I used a soldering iron to remove the ceramic capacitors from the PCB and it was tedious.

*Lately, I use gentle persuasion and I remove them flea market style.  * They come off surprisingly easy. A gentle tap with a set of pliers on the head of a fine screwdriver and they are free. A fact to remember when I decide to buy such complex cards from the flea market.





I used *NO CLEAN flux* when I soldered the missing parts as I wanted to test the card before I cleaned it. Even so, I used cotton sticks dipped in IPA 99% and a soft brush to remove the leftover flux and/or tiny bits of solder.

I put the card in the PC.





*POWER ON!*

WIN! WIN! WIN!



 

 

 

 



*The satisfaction I felt was OFF THE CHARTS!!! A highly addictive drug, believe me.*

Clean bill of health.



 

 

 



After I found out that the card was *A-OK * came the moment to clean it properly and restore it to its former glory.





*Let's get to work!*



 

 

 

 



Close-up with the problem areas.



 

 



First I tackled *the heatsinks*. Full of dust, hardened TIM and tired thermal pads. I decided to save the pads as they were softer than what I had available and I didnt know the exact width. I didnt need more problems. 



 

 

 



*I decided to restore the shine of the copper even if I knew that it will not last.* I didnt use vinegar as it might've affected the silver fins.

I used small amounts of *metal polishing paste* and with patience I got *the desired results.*

The base of the heatsinks was left as it was. 



 

 

 

 

 

 



After I finished with the heatsinks I worked on the other metal parts.

I tried to remove *the fingerprints* from the anodized aluminium shroud but to no avail. I used IPA 99%, tar remover, brake cleaner, metal polishing paste, paint polishing paste and none worked, so I gave up. The upside was that after all of this, *the shroud was squeaky clean.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The PCB was cleaned well.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I added a few *high res pictures*.  Maybe someone will find them useful.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I prepared the screws and other small parts.*



 



The fans received some *SPA TREAMENT.*



 



*Looking good!*



 

 



*I left the problem of the pads, for last.*I cleaned them as much as I could with cotton sticks and IPA 99%. I had to be extra careful as the IPA99% softened up the pads and I didnt want to destroy them. I was very gentle with them, fully aware of the problems I was facing in the event of a disaster.



 



The rest was *almost smooth sailing* except the fact that I mounted the first heatsink and then the second one. I had to lign up the fixing holes using a source of light without touching the TIM on the GPU or the four pads on the memory. BUMPY RIDE! I used Arctic MX-4 for the GPU's.

*The results?* He, he, he, watch for yourselves 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Back from the gutter!!!*





*Normally this would the happy end of the story but it isnt so. *

While I was preparing the pictures for this episode I saw that *two more ceramic caps were missing on the back of the card*.

I soldered back the missing caps. *The card is now at 100%*  



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/oohsxgy6/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 1, 2018)

*GAINWARD* _*Beyond Your Senses*_ - *The MIGHTY 7800GS+*

*Gainward Bliss 7800GS+ 512MB AGP
Gainward SilentFX Active 7800GS+
Gainward 7800GS+ AGP8X 512MB TV-OUT 2DVI 
P/N:XNA/780GS+T352+PM8370-GS
S/N:XNA/780GS+T352V906001863
Barcode:4718462007876*

*Back in the day* I was a BIG fan of Gainward graphic cards. As usual, they were waaaaayyy *out of my price range* and all I could do was to read about them on the internet or from magazines and *drool freely  *...  Even so, I wasnt put off by this, and I wanted *a piece of heaven* too and my first Gainward card was a *Geforce 4 MX460* when everybody was buying MX440. The card I bought was a *Gainward Geforce 4 MX460 64MB Golden Sample*. Looking back I should've bought a Geforce 3 Ti 200 but at that time the MX460 brought me a lot of joy. I bought the MX460 together with an *ECS K7VTA3 V3.1 – KT333* motherboard. I still remember vividly the moment when I got the package from the courier. It's like it was yesterday... Later I bought an Athlon XP 1900+/Palomino core CPU, after I tricked my father a little, and *I was good to go!*





*Happy times.*

A few years later I sold the *MX460* to a cousin and I bought it back from him only to sell it to someone else. When I write these lines I wish I didnt sell the card, well..., *I was young and foolish*... 

The *Gainward 7800GS+*, featured in this episode, was bought from the flea market together with the ASUS ATI Radeon HD 3870x2 PCI-E, from the previous episode. 

Like many times in the past, as soon as I laid my eyes on the 7800GS+, *I knew I HAD TO HAVE IT!* The initial price was steep, *around 55 EUR* but I was at the right time and in the right place, Sunday at the end of the flea market day, somewhere around 12.00 o'clock and I managed to drive down the price. In the end I paid for the card *the hefty sum of 11 EUR.* 

After I had my way with this card and I found out what has in the engine bay, the selling price, IF I decide to sell it, * went well beyond what I paid for it.*

From what I read on the internet, the GW 7800GS+ with the *G71-GT2-H-N-A2 core* was a limited edition. It has a Geforce 7950GT core with *24* pixel shaders / *8* vertex shaders but only 8 ROPs instead of 16. This model is quite *overclockable*. I didnt try to see what it can do because * I dont have a powerfull AGP setup yet.*

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/183/geforce-7950-gt

What were the odds to find such a card at the flea market? Pretty small! *11EUR well spent!*

When I bought the card I didnt know if it was working. It had many *scratches* but after I conducted a through PCB inspection and I didnt saw anything suspicious *I decided to do all I could to make it mine.*

When I got home I stared at it for a few minutes and after this I said to myself : *MINE ALL MINE!!!*

Smookin' HOT beastly AGP video card! I love that GAINWARD LOGO! *Such a shame Gainward isn't what it once was...*

Beastie Boys - Sure Shot

*Lets clean this sucker!*

*Hi! It's me the 7800GS+!*



 

 



*RED PCB!!! FTW!!!*



 



*Hefty cooler!*





What do we have here? *FUR?* Nope. Dust, some animal hairs, cigarette smoke and God knows what! *YUCK!*



 

 



*Cool looking fan and a nice shroud.*



 

 

 



I washed the plastic shroud and *I was pleased with the results.*





I still didnt know if I had the full *24/8 setup.* I didnt want to power it up and *I decided to cleant it first.* If you ask yourselves how I managed to restrain myself I can say that it took *will and many other situations like these experienced in the past.* The moment when you power-up a cleaned/restored card has some similarities with moment when you first power-up a new card. *The feeling is intense and addictive. *

After I removed the hardened TIM I was greeted by the string *G71-GT2-H-N-A2. THE REAL DEAL!*

Fatboy Slim - Push The Tempo



 



After this discovery I started the cleaning process and first I tackled the *heatsink.*

Initially I wanted to remove the *thermal pads* but they were glued in place and any attempt to take them off was met with a failure. I even put the heatsink in the freezer for a few minutes but still NO DICE!

In the end I decided to leave them in place. *If it aint broken why fix it?* They were clean, undamaged and reusable. *Why bother?*





The card has *Samsung DK4J52324QC-BC14 GDDR3 memory chips* that are rated up to *700MHz.* From factory they run at a pedestrian *550 MHz.*



 



*On your mark, get, set, GO!*



 



*The heatsink was cleaned thoroughly*. I flatened a few cotton sticks and I dipped then in IPA 99% and *I cleaned each and every fin.* The end result was quite good .



 

 

 

 



Because *the backplate nuts* have a fine thread and they were quite hard to remove, I decided to put them in *my trusty rust remover solution.*





I prepared *the backplate and the bracket* for cleaning. A little polishing paste and they came out *like new.*



 

 



*All this time the rust remover solution did its job.*





Some *metal shards* were left on the bottom of the container.





I took out *the screws* from the rust remover solution and I washed them well with IPA 99%.



 



*The nuts were much easier to thread on the screws.*





*Shiny.*





Because *the plastic shroud* of the cooler has a *mirror finish*, I decided to use *a microfiber cloth* to avoid *scratching it further.*





*The most difficult part was to clean the fan.* I didnt want to take it apart and I used various tools to clean it well. I managed to clean *only 95% of the dirt* from under the fan. The rest of the fan and surrounding area was easier to clean 100%. If I removed the sticker on the back *that meant losing the factory look.* A NO NO in my book. In the end my efforts were enough and the final results were very good. *The fan is still silent and spins easily.*



 

 

 

 

 



*Some battle scars. Nothing too serious.*





I took the required measures to eliminate *the rattle of a few fins.*





*Cooling system DONE!*



 

 



Next came the cleaning of the *PCB*. *My favourite part.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Ready for assembly.*



 



*DONE!*



 

 



As I mentioned above, *I dont have a potent AGP test system, yet,* so I had to use *my trusty KT333*. 

In one of my visits at the flea market I found an *Athlon XP 2400+/266MHz Thorton core CPU*. Because the *3.1 revision* of my *ECS K7VTA3 motherboard* doesnt support 333MHz bus CPUs, the Athlon XP 2400+/266 Thorton core was better than my Athlon XP 1900+/266 Palomino core, so I did *a BIOS update* and I was ready for a test. 

The mainboard *ECS K7VTA3 3.1*, uses an AMD 462-pin Socket A that has the following features:
·  Supports *100(200)/133(266)* MHz frontside bus (FSB)
·  Accommodates AMD Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron processors



 



*Was the 7800GS+ alive and kicking?*

2001: A Space Odyssey Theme • Also Sprach Zarathustra • Richard Strauss





*HELL YEAH!!!*



 

 

 

 



*WIN! WIN! WIN!*



 

 



*That's a wrap!*





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/l4i5t1w2/


*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 5, 2018)

Imagination - Just An Illusion

ASUS *K7M* v 1.04 AMD 750/VIA 686A Slot-A motherboard

Until not long ago, *I wasnt interested in SLOT A stuff*. I knew about them but I didnt see them in the flesh. This changed after I bought my first slot A motherboard with the AMD 750 Irongate chipset and a few Slot A CPUs. Now, they are *a must for me* and I buy them without blinking. 

The motherboard featured in this episode was found *in a tired old case*, at the flea market, in my city, right under my nose. *The icing on the cake* was that it came with an *AMD K7 - AMD-A0800MPR24B A 800MHz* Thunderbird core CPU. My first and only Thundebird Slot A CPU. What were the odds of me finding these goddies in a place like that? I'm sure I've seen that case a few times on separate visits to the flea market before I decided to see what's inside.

Because I found this motherboard in a case, its condition is almost perfect. Besides some dust and grime there was nothing to be repaired or replaced.

*A perfect candidate for the cleaning operation.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



While I prepared the motherboard for cleaning I also removed the *northbridge heatsink* because it moved freely. To my amazement I saw that it didnt have any thermal paste, thermal adhesive or even a thermal pad. *What the ....*



 



I *cleaned* well the elements that I removed.



 



I *protected *the PCB ink stamps against IPA 99%.



 

 



*I did my magic.* I took my sweet time and I didnt rush anything. I took more time to clean this particular board. With each componet I clean, I get better and the steps I take have almost become a reflex. Experience tells me where and how much I have to insist to obtain the desired results. 



 

 



*FANTASTIC RESULTS!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Arctic MX-4*. 'nuff said!





*Dream build candidate sometime down the line... *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/1vu9g3zma/

NEXT EPISODE: *Abit SA6*! 





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 10, 2018)

*Trans-X - Living On Video (Official Music Video)*

*S370* - *Revisiting an old friend.* *Abit SA6 V1.1*

Ahhh, *S370* takes me back a long time ago, when I bought my second PC. After the AMD 586-133MHz I switched over to Intel.

Taking into consideration that the price of Pentium II CPUs was *stratospheric*, I had to choose the next best thing, *THE MIGHTY CELERON A!*. K6-2 was not for me. 

Uh yeah! I bought a *MSI-6154 / 440ZX motherboard and a Celeron 366MHz*. Nearly *20 years* have passed since that moment...sheeshhh getting old suxx BIG TIME!

In January, this year I went to the local flea market and to my surprise I bought an *Abit SA6 V1.1 motherboard* for under 3 EUR. I couldnt believe that I found an Abit motherboard, there, of all places. Usually the motherboards that escape the crusher are low end and the chances to find something nice are very low.

*I bought it without blinking.* There she is on the trunk of my car 



 



The motherboard came with a CPU and a heatsink. A few days later I removed the heatsink and under it I found.....*a Pentium III 733MHz/133/256 - SL4CG CPU*.

I expected something better but I said to myself that *the "little" one is still good to have.*





Some time later I bought three Tualatin CPUs, one at 1.2GHz and two at 1.3GHz, only to find out that *the motherboard doesnt support Tualatin CPUs*....I should've RTFM BETTER!!!

*Lets return to the the Abit SA6.*



 

 

 

 

 



I tested the motherboard with the 733MHz PIII and *BEHOLD: It's ALIVE!*

*Immortal relic of times gone by* even if it is full with crappy capacitors...



 

 



Some *battle scars*, as expected. Nobody at the flea market treats PC components *with velvet gloves.*



 

 



Beside the *"small imperfections"* from above, the board was also missing a jack and I bought a damaged Creative SB Live! SB0060 sound card just for this.



 



*Obscure asian stuff:* Yang An, V0.41 and HIGH QUALITY JACKCON caps...BLISS!....yeah right...what could possibly go wrong? I WONDER!



 

 



The flea market was good to me and I also found a Celeron la 1.1GHz/100/128 - *SL5XU* CPU. I bought it even if I saw that it was missing a few pins. I really dont know what I was thinking...

After *I straightened a bunch of pins,* three more pins broke off and I said to myself that it was the right time to see if I can solder them back. The third one separated completely so I wasnt able to solder it back and I was left with two pins to attach.

The pictures are *self explanatory.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*After I inserted the CPU in the socket a few times, one of the two pins broke off again.* The thin copper layer onto which I added the solder, was already separated from the textolite/fiber, so all my effort was for nothing.





Even so, *now I have the required experience* and I can save other CPUs that have better chances of survival. Soldering back pins is not too complicated. The fact that older CPUs have far less pins, allows for a higher rate of success. All in all I do not recommend that you waste your time with CPUs that have missing pins. I didnt try to see if the 1.1GHz Celeron was alive...too many missing pins...

*Before and close to the end of the straightening process. *If you ask yourselves why I bought the 1.1GHz Celeron, I really dont have an answer * sometimes I believe I can save them all...*





Later I found a nice Pentium III la 1GHz/133/256 -* SL4C8* CPU and I vanquished all my demons. Now the Abit SA6 has a decent CPU under the hood. *Case closed.*





I can make a *Tualatin mod* for my three CPUs or I can modify the CPU socket but I dont want to do this right now.

*I prepared the Abit SA6 for cleaning.* BEHOLD no TIM under the northbridge heastink. This was also the case when I cleaned the  Asus K7M V1.04 motherboard, what the F.........KKKKKKKK!!!





*Ready for action!*



 

 



*WET!*





*CLEAN!*





*Work in progress!*



 

 

 

 



*Results?* Robert B Trade Mark! 



 

 

 

 

 



Byte my shiny metal a$$...ahem *shiny metal bits.*



 

 

 



*Arctic MX-4 - serious business!*



 

 



*Glamour shots.* I take great pride in my "work"!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*V* for VICTORY!!!





Who paid attention has seen that the stamped ink marking under the northbridge was removed by *IPA 99%* because I didnt protect it. So I had to do something about it. A few tries later I managed to get a result close to the original.



 



*Attention to detail is very important!*

I dont have to bother you further with my obsessions ...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1uzxs218y/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 13, 2018)

Eminem - Bitch Please II (Feat. Dr. Dre & Xzibit & Snoop Dogg)

*C*entral *P*rocessing *U*nit

In this episode we will get to meet *a few CPUs.*

One part was bought from the flea market. The other part came from one of my retro HW suppliers 

CPU cleaning doesnt allow me to demonstrate all I know in regard to HW restoration, but even so, I got some pretty good results. I was accustomed to more difficult tasks but sometimes I enjoy the occasional "easy" stuff too 

*From rags to riches.*

*Batch 1 - flea market*

*1.* Pentium 166MHz SL27H
*2.* Pentium 200MHz SL23W
*3. *Pentium 200MHz SL27J
*4.* Celeron 400MHz SL3A2
*5.* AMD Athlon 64 3000 - ADA3000DAA4BW - 2 buc.
*6.* Athlon XP 2800+ / AXDA2800DKV4D

*Batch 2 - my contact*

*1.* Slotket 370SP Rev 1.0
*2.* Celeron 300MHz - SL36A
*3.* Celeron 400MHz - SL3A2
*4.* Celeron 433MHz - SL3BS
*5.* Celeron 433MHz - SL3BA
*6.* Celeron 500MHz - SL3FY - 2buc

The CPUs from the *first batch* were a little rough.



 

 



Besides the fact that I had to deal with dust, dirt, grime, hardenned TIM, I also had to deal with a lot of bent pins. *A "FUN" job let me tell you...*

The first on the operating table was the Pentium 200MHz - SL23W. Unfortunately it came without the original fan.





At first, no matter what I tried, I didnt get the results that I desired. In particular, the black fiber/ textolite Pentium and Celeron CPUs, still looked like hell after a few cleanup procedures.

I took out the BIG GUNS, the rust remover solution, *Szuper Evipass,* and all the "garbage" bought from the flea market took a nice long bath  This way, I also removed some corrosion that was present on some of the pins. Some marks were left in the places were the corrosion was present but otherwise the pins were untouched and were shiny after this operation. This rust remover is not so aggresive like other products.



 

 

 



A few hours later I washed the CPUs with *water and dish soap.*





Afterwards they took a long bath in  *IPA 99%*.



 



I cleaned them well, I used a little metal polish paste, then came even more IPA 99%...

*Results?* HHHHhhhmmmm...acceptable by my standards 



 

 

 

 



While I cleaned the CPUs I also received some bad news.

One *Athlon 64 3000+ CPU* was missing a pin and *the Celeron 400MHz* was also missing a pin...this is what happens when you dont have your eyes peeled when you buy stuff from the flea market!



 



I searched *the pinout* for Athlon 64 and Celeron PGA CPUs.

In the case of the *Athlon 64 3000+ CPU* the identification of the missing pin, took a while, because I could pinpoint it exactly. In the PDF document, the pinout was presented in following way. Initially I thought that the pinout is like when the heatspreader is in the back and the pins are facing you, when in fact, the pinout is like when the CPU is inserted in the socket. The missing pin is AJ-1.

*Page 22-23* in the document: AMD Functional Data Sheet, 940 Pin Package - *https://support.amd.com/TechDocs/31412.pdf*

The missing pin is *THERMDA - A Anode (+) of the thermal diode*. The CPU will run without it  I dont have a 939 motherboard ATM, but I'm sure that the CPU is alive. It seems that the Venice core has a good OC potential. I'll see if it is so when I'll find a nice 939 motherboard and I'll take them for a spin.

*The Celeron 400MHz* was missing the pin 4-D which is a VSS pin. I tested the CPU on the Super P6DLS V2.1 motherboard and it runs well.

*Page 81* in the document: https://www.intel.com/design/celeron/datashts/24365820.pdf

*Huh.* That was a close one.

Cleaning the CPUs from *the second batch* was straight forward. I also had to straighten some pins but not so many like in the case of the CPUs from the first batch.

Before.



 

 



After *IPA 99%  and elbow grease.*



 

 



*Group shot.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*THE TEXTOLITE TOWER!*



 

 



*Exploded view.*





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2q5f3aet8/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Aug 23, 2018)

*Flea market surprise!*

*Yes*! It is  the time for another *FMS episode*!

*Remember*, in these episodes I will keep *the details* at a minimum and you will have to *fill in the blanks.* The pictures will tell the story.

I'm sure that you will not encouter any difficulties, so without any further ado, *let's get on with THE SHOW!!!*

Esther Duijn - Eavalon Rises

*1.* *AMD* K6-2/450AFX CPU
*2.* *EPOX* EP-61LXA-M/440LX + *Pentium II* SL2HD 233MHz
*3.* *Pentium III* SL35E - 500MHz
*4.* *WANG* 3050 ISA
*5.* *AMD* Sempron 2200+ SDA2200DUT3D 1.5GHz/256KB/333 MHz - Thoroughbred - damaged / *AMD* Sempron 2500+ SDA2500DUT3D 1.75GHz/256KB/333MHz - Thoroughbred / *AMD* Athlon XP 2000+ AXDA2000DKV3C 1.65GHz/256KB/266MHz - Thoroughbred / *AMD* Athlon XP 2400+ AXDC2400DKV3C 2.00GHz/256KB/266MHz - Thorton / *Western Digital* Caviar 140 / WDAC140 / 42.7MB

*AMD* K6-2/450AFX CPU

Ben Buitendijk - Promised Land

*NO LABELS PLEASE!!!*



 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/37oen0bw8/

*EPOX* EP-61LXA-M/440LX + *Pentium II* SL2HD 233MHz

Vid Vai - The Daytripper

*Love at first sight! Instant purchase from the good ol' flea market.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*It's ME the first PENTIUM II !!!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I didnt dismantle the CPU with my regular method, using a flat nose pair of pliers, because both of the sides between I wedge the pliers, was made from plastic and I didnt want to damage something. In general, in the case of Pentium II CPUs, the metal heatplate covers the connector but in this case it didnt. Better safe than sorry. So I decided to *keep it simple, as a smart fellow*  Besides, the heatsink was glued to the heatplate so well that I really would've done some damage if I tried to seaparate them. PII=1 - Robert=0. At least I walked away to tell the story. My first SECC cartride that I didnt open 





*Clean!*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Main course*...ahem board. 

After I cleaned the moterboard I had to use *gloves* while I took pictures, otherwise all the PCB would've been covered in oily finger prints.  *I guess I went toooo far with the cleaning* 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

****GOOD NEWS PC HEALTHY****



 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2wuu9pc8o/

*Pentium III SL35E - 500MHz*

Anton Zap - Do It

*Business as usual...*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/fp3pu914/

*WANG* 3050 ISA

Plastic - Untitled

I bought this thing after I saw it week after week *dumped in a pile of old electronic waste* so I decided to save it from the crusher. 

It's missing: the bracket and two quartz/crystall oscillators *40.00 MHz* and *28.322MHz. *

*It might be alive*...I tried to find quartz oscillators but it prooved to be more difficult than I expected. The 28.322MHz is especially hard to find...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2a2vabtx4/

*AMD* Sempron 2200+ SDA2200DUT3D 1.5GHz/256KB/333 MHz - Thoroughbred - damaged / *AMD* Sempron 2500+ SDA2500DUT3D 1.75GHz/256KB/333MHz - Thoroughbred / *AMD* Athlon XP 2000+ AXDA2000DKV3C 1.65GHz/256KB/266MHz - Thoroughbred / *AMD* Athlon XP 2400+ AXDC2400DKV3C 2.00GHz/256KB/266MHz - Thorton / *Western Digital* Caviar 140 / WDAC140 / 42.7MB

Altitude - Framework



 

 

 

 

 

 



The 42MB WD works, sort off... it has a few bad sectors andt the motor is past its prime...

I did all I could and about 20 MB are usable...sort off...

The sponge underneath the PCB disintegrated after I touched it...I improvised something but it is not my best work...

Someone took care of this HDD because patches of laquer are visible on scratched traces. 

I like the wire bridges between components aka FIX IT IN POST. I'm talking about * the blue wires.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2e5vi2e60/

*More later* 

So Inagawa - Logo Queen


----------



## Robert B (Aug 25, 2018)

Atmosphere: *Aleksandir - Yamaha*

*Next episode:* *THE ORIGINAL PENTIUM*



 

 



*More l a t e r zzzzzZZzzzZZZz*


----------



## Robert B (Sep 28, 2018)

Black Sabbath - "N.I.B." from The End

*THE ORIGINAL PENTIUM*

I was in *high school* when I first heard about the *Pentium CPUs* with the *FDIV bug*.  This was happening around *1994-1995*, I cant remember exactly. Back then, I didnt have a PC. My first PC came much later, in *1996*. One thing is certain though, *I couldnt even dream about a Pentium powered PC* and truth be told, I didnt know what the damn thing was. I had to buy my first PC like you buy potatoes at the market. Only after this purchase I was able to know what I need and how I can spend the hard earned money that my parents gave me.

Until 1994 when I entered *the computer science high school from my city,* I didnt know what the heck was with these computers. Because the computers were very expensive, until 1996 my contact with the magic PCs took place *only at high school* and sometimes at few of *my friends* which had a better financial situation. An *internet connection* was out of the question. What the hell was that?!?! Internet serious business.

I remember that *we were thoroughly amused* that those that paid a lot of doe for the first Pentium right at its introduction, bought a *“defective CPU”. *

*Fast forward* to more recent times. In *December 2017* I found the following Pentium setup:

* *ASUS* PCI/I-P5MP3 Rev. 2.4
* CPU Intel *Pentium 66MHz* - SX837 - A8050166 - L4102613 - 94025376AA MALAY 

From the seller's add, by the looks of it, I was pretty sure that it was about a *P66 with the famed FDIV BUG!* The pictures were blurry and I couldnt see well the model number. Even so, I decided to buy the damned thing as it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! _(If you want to find out continue to read.)_

I had to wait *almost two weeks* until the package arrived through *the local Post Office Courier service*. I was very annoyed because the parts should've arrived in two or three days but after I put my hands on the relics, *all my anger vanished in thin air.*

I saw the add on the local *OLX site* and it specified that*  the motherboard was considered defective.* The asking price represented *the value of the Pentium 66MHz CPU* and the motherboard was  bonus. I wouldn't've paid so much for just a CPU even if it was the first Pentium CPU, if I wasnt sure that I could recover the motherboard. *This sounded way easier in my mind than in reality.*

I didnt spend too much time pondering as the add was quite old and I didnt want someone else to steal my thunder, so *I put my hands on the phone* and I took care of the delivery details. The seller was kind and he also said that he had the original RTC/CMOS battery - *Benchmark BQ3287MT*, the controller that worked with the kit, plus two old modems and an old graphic card. For all of this I had to pay *around 50 EUROS.* NO BRAINER! Albeit with the high probability that the motherboard was toast…*little did I know how much effort will be required to awaken THE BEAST! OH BOY!*

After I found out that I was going to receive the *RTC battery*, the only thing that still was nagging me was the fact that *the BIOS chip* looked kind of suspicious as *it didnt have the original silver sticker.* As I wasnt going to back off, I said *F@K IT!* My gut feeling was telling me that all was OK but even so I couldnt be too calm. Good luck finding a BIOS chip replacement when the information about this motherboard is so limited.

Eversince I saw the add, *I wasnt thinking straight* and I left my passion take control.

Right after I receveid the parts, I removed *the black stickers* from the chips of the motherboard. I also had to *straighten a pin* from one of the chips, because it made contact with a neighbouring pin, an absolute NO NO when I was going to power it up. *The whole operation was stressful, as always*. In the end I got the desired results. *Another bullet dodged.*



 



*Initial state.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Little did I know that *the picture bellow*, made in a weather so cold that I couldnt feel my fingers, *will be the solution to my problem with this kit,* which will prove to be quite stubborn and it will refuse until the last moment, *to BOOT from a HDD*, as if it didnt want to be brought back to life...*REMEMBER!* Always take pictures before you do anything with any component. Very often the jumper settings arent well documented and you will search in vain for a manual or additional information on the internet. *I KNOW HOW IT IS because I've been there and trust me, IT SUX BIG TIME!*





After I received the kit I powered it up but *I wasnt greeted by a HAPPY POST BEEP* and the screen remained BLACK.

Initially, I thought that the culprit was the RTC battery and I decided to make *my first RTC BATTERY MOD*. This procedure was presented in the episode:

*"Hey Grandpa, do you still lose track of time?!?!? "*

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=635184#p635184

*Another POST test*, with the modded RTC battery, didnt bring anything new. The kit still didnt POST. The chips from the motherboard were getting warm, sign that it received current, but *the screen was still BLACK*. I tried other RAM sticks, video cards and PSUs  but *to no avail.*

In the end I got to the conclusion that maybe *the data from the BIOS chip was corrupted * and there was nothing else I could do until *I bought a BIOS programmer.*

After this, I started to restore *the controller,* another vital piece of the P66 puzzle, that would render the kit useless if it didnt work. These old motherboards dont have a buil-in FDD/HDD/SERIAL/PARALLEL controller. In the past I ran away from motherboards that need separate controllers or have RTC batteries. Not anymore.

Meet the: *JPN CORPORATION CA8302E-1*

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=644054#p644054

In *January 2018* I bought a *MiniPRO TL866A BIOS programmer* for *almost 120EUROS*. It took me a while to pull the trigger. *I wasnt too happy* that I had to pay so much for a BIOS programmer, but I knew that I will need it in the future, so I bought it. With this programmer I was also able to recover the *PowerColor EvilKing IV L-card 3dfx Voodoo4 4500 32MB AGP,* after many have said that it is beyond rescue...*aaahh sweet memories*...what an adrenaline rush I had when I saw the screen light up and the image was crispy and flawless...3dfx VooDoo4 4500.....*PRICELESS!!!*

*The identification of the specs of the BIOS chip* was difficult as the markings were all but gone.

I used *a powerful source of light* and I wetted the surface of the chip with *IPA 99%*. This way I found the exact model number : *CAT28F010*





https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/CAT28F010-D.PDF

I made *a copy* of the existing BIOS and I had *to choose between three versions* that I found on the *ASUS site*. ASUS, a company that respects itself! I was able to find BIOS files for a motherboard that is over 20 years old right on the manufacturer's site! *GG!!!* This doesnt happen very often today.

https://www.asus.com/supportonly/PCII-P5MP3/HelpDesk_BIOS/

I tried the first BIOS version, *0205/25.05.1994*, even if it was meant for a motherboard with *Revision 2.3* and my board was *Revision 2.4*. I didnt want to use a *BETA BIOS* or a BIOS for a board with the *Revision 3.1 or greater*.

*POWER ON!*

*BEEP!* I'M ALIVE! *F@K YEAH!!!* AWSOME!!! *OUTSTANDING!!!* Man I'm GOOD ! *POST GOODNESS!!!*



 

 



*The RTC battery MOD* for the Benchmark BQ3287MT was executed correctly and *it retained the BIOS settings at POWER OFF and after the system was disconnected from the mains.* AWESOME NEWS!

The system *booted from the FDD* and I was able to access the contents of my floppy disks.

Next, I connected a *HDD* to the controller and I tried to make the system boot from it. *No matter what I tried, I wasnt able to make the system, identify, format or boot from the HDD.* Hours were spent trying different things. The HDD was identified in BIOS but that was it. Even in BIOS, from the built in menu, Hard Disk Low Level Format Utility, I wasnt able to format *the damned thing!* I tried many HDDs to no avail.

I took a moment and I thought about all the steps I took until I got the system to POST and I got to *the conclusion* that maybe *the RTC battery* wasnt what it was supposed to be as the silk screen on the motherboard specified that a *Dallas DS1287 is required*. I knew that *the BQ3287MT* is compatible with *the DS1287* but I paid *13 EUROS* for a DS1287 which also had to be *MODDED.*





http://www.rigelcorp.com/8051/DS1287.pdf

*Another test, this time with the DS1287* and I still couldnt BOOT from the HDD. *W@T THE F.........................K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

The situation was worse, as the *DS1287* *didnt retain the BIOS settings* after I disconnected the system from the mains or it was powered off. I thought that maybe I didnt mod the battery correctly and I separated both the "+" and "-" terminals even if this wasnt required. * All was for nothing.* Two additional modifications later, I came to the conclusion that the DS1287 was either busted or it wasnt what I needed. *Hours lost ...shheeeshhhh....*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2vylqdx0c/

*BACK TO BQ3287! *https://www.dataman.com/media/datasheet/Benchmarq/BQ3287x.pdf

*I removed, checked and tried anything I could think of*. CACHE chips, RAM sticks, HDDs, FDDs, PSUs, you name it, I tried it. *STILL NOTHING!*

*After sleepless nights, moments in the day when parts of my brain were locked trying to solve the P66 puzzle, together with the accumulated stress,* I said that maybe *I need a smaller HDD* as the JPN CORPORATION CA8302E-1 controller has a limit of 10 Heads / 1024 Cyl / HDD up to 528MB.

I found at the flea market *two small HDDs:* a Western Digital Caviar 140 AT Compatible Intelligent Drive *WDAC140* 980 cyl * 5 heads * 17 spt * 42.7MB!!! - Produced in 21.01.1992. MDL: WDAC140-32M and *a CONNER CP30251* - Conner Peripherals 240MB.

These two HDDs brought nothing new. I still wasnt able to BOOT from them. *ALL THE EFFORT WAS FOR NOTHING!*

RTC BATTERY.*NO!* HDD.*NO!* Maybe I should try *other BIOS versions?*

I programmed the BIOS chip with the version *0401/21.07.1994* for motherboards that are *REVISION 3.1*. Surprisingly the board *POSTED and now I had support for HDDs greater than 528MB*: _"PCI/I-P5MP3 (for Rev. 3.1 or above) BIOS 0401 Support 4 IDE HDD & >528MB size (LBA)"_ plus more settings in BIOS.* Even so, I didnt get any results.*

As the *BETA BIOS 0402/17.11.1997* was newer than the version *0401/21.07.1994 * I tried it too. *STILL NOTHING! F@K!F@K!F@K!* I couldnt BOOT from THE HDD.

*THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR PLAYING WITH THE KRAKEN!!! SUFFER !!! SUFFER !!! SUFFER !!! Ohhhh the agony and despair! *

*BIOS VERSION POST/BOOT screens.*



 

 

 

 



*When I was ready to throw in the towel it hit me!*

When I cleaned the motherboard *I took off all the jumpers* and when I put them back I put them as it is specified on the internet and not how they were when the I received it. *I couldnt find a PDF with the manual * so these schematics were all I had. To make matters worse, *the data from the silk screen settings on the motherboard* wasnt intuitive and it didnt help me.

https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/A/ASUS-COMPUTER-INTERNATIONAL-Pentium-PCI-I-P5MP3-188.html

*I think that you already know where I F@KED UP!*

*I put the jumpers how they were when I got the motherboard and reluctantly I pressed the POWER button... *

*ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO!* I was able to boot from any HDD and I even connected a *Western Digital Caviar SE - 80GB/7200rpm*. The speed of this 80GB HDD was dizzying coming from snail type HDDs that were measured in Megabytes.

Well...*that was easy*...

The motherboard went through *two cleaning stages.* One before testing and the final one before it was placed in its box together with her sisters.



 

 

 



*Ready for a good cleaning.*



 

 

 



 





*No detail was overlooked.*



 

 



Smile at the camera you *BIG LUMP OF GOLD!*



 



*Final cleaning.*



 



 



 

 



*Extreme attention to detail.* I preffer *cotton sticks* when I want to make the PCB shine, because *I can apply more "pressure"* when I have to remove *the adherent dirt* which isnt bothered at all by *IPA 99% and a soft brush.* This is the difference between *clean and super clean*. All in all, my cleaning procedures give me about *95%* of what I want. *I'm never satisfied.*



 



 



*Clean! Clean! Clean!*



 



 



 



 

 

 



 



 





*I replaced all the black jumpers with new, white ones,* a new white zip tie for the 66MHz quartz oscillator and the motherboard was better than new.



 



 

 

 



 



 



 





*The seal of approval.* Gloves are needed while handling the motherboard.



 



*Evergreen.*





If I knew how much *effort* will be required for the restoration and recovery of the P66, I might've not bought it, who knows... *In many cases it is better to let passion take over but you should also make a analysis for what is required to achieve your goal. *

After this, *the kit worked flawlessly. *

A fellow vogons member, *amadeus777999*, asked me to run a few DOOM v1.9 Shareware tests. *After 100+ runs* made to quantify the performance of the 66MHz Pentium, I must say that I am quite impressed.  It ran stable and I didnt have any trouble at all. The results were needed for a project of his.

*Test setup: *

*P66 with FDIV bug
*ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 Rev. 2.4 with latest beta BIOS / 256KB CACHE
*16MB 4x4MB
*7200rpm 80GB HDD 8MB buffer
*NO SOUNDCARD INSTALLED.

*STARTING POINT: *https://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/misc/doombench.html

*DOOM Shareware V1.9:* https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/idstuff/doom/doom19s

*Video cards used during testing:*

* 3D BLASTER *BANSHEE* - Creative CT 6760 - PCI
* *Matrox Millenium* 4MB MGA-MIL/2B - PCI
* *S3* VIRGE/DX - PCI
* Jaton Tseng B54/*ET4000W32P* - PCI
* Black Magic *ET6000* - PCI
* ARK LOGIC *ARK2000PV* - PCI
* *Cirrus Logic* CL5446 - PCI
* Creative CT6950 - *TNT2 M64* - PCI
* Diamond VIPER V330 BIOS 1.50 *RIVA 128* - PCI
* *SIS* 6215C - PCI
* *Trident* TGUI9440 - PCI
* Colormax *S3* TRIO64V+ - PCI
* *S3* TRIO64V2/DX - PCI
* *Cirrus Logic* CL5430 - PCI
* *ATI* RAGE LT PRO - PCI
* *Trident* TVGA9000C -ISA

The following cards didnt work on this motherboard: Creative CT6950 - *TNT2 M64* *** Diamond VIPER V330 BIOS 1.50 *RIVA 128* - PCI *** *ATI RAGE LT PRO* - PCI. Fore sure it is a case of PCI version incompatibility.

Before I saw how the P66 and the video cards would perform, I had to *optimize the BIOS settings*.

* *MS-DOS 6.22 stock*.
* *TURBO ON via jumper*.
* *SMARTDRV.EXE* WASNT LOADED.
* In BIOS: *WB* is a few clicks faster decat *WT* so I used *WB* for all tests.*(WT-Write Through / WB-Write Back)*



 



 



 



 





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/154fcylyg/

After I set up all I could and I got some nice *SpeedSyS 4.78 results,* I was ready for the main course.





Next came the testing of the video cards. *Three runs each, FULL SCREEN and SCREEN DECREASED TWO TIMES. *

I was already fed with the same timedemo on and on. Also I had to write *doom -nosound -nomouse -timedemo demo3*   many many times ... ... ...

*SOME NICE RESULTS HERE!*





After this I ran * other tests. *

https://www.philscomputerlab.com/dos-benchmark-pack.html

*Results*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1jq9g3yg8/

*Some FUN and misc stuff.*



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 





*FDIV BUG CPU for sure* WIN! WIN! WIN!



 



All this adventure spanned across *months*. All this time wasnt used just for the P66 as I had other ongoing projects. I had the setup on my test table for a few days and then it spent weeks in its box.

*More months have passed* until I was able to tell you the story.

*Looking back,* I can say that it was all worth it, even if it took a lot of time, money and effort.

This was *THE ORIGINAL PENTIUM* story.

It brings me great pleasure to own this kit, as it is the FIRST PENTIUM and *the cherry on top* it is also "defective" FDIV bug and all. *The ASUS motherboard* with the Intel chipset completes the picture. Add to this the fact that *it is speedy*, I wonder what could I possibly want more. Retro HW digging at its best! *WIN! WIN! WIN!*

Meanwhile, I got my hands on *two RAM FPM kits* one of 2x16MB=32MB and one of 2x32MB=64MB.

In the future I will be able to build an awesome PC in which * pulsates a PENTIUM 66 heart!!!*

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Sep 29, 2018)

OG Pentium and 72 pin SIMMs. Wow that takes me back. Way back..


Robert B said:


> Meanwhile, I got my hands on *two RAM FPM kits* one of 2x16MB=32MB and one of 2x32MB=64MB.


You've got 4 slots, why not use both sets? You'll have 96MB of RAM which is quite a lot for that time. As long as you have your config.sys setup right you will be very unlikely to have any RAM problems..


----------



## phill (Sep 29, 2018)

My god @Robert B - RESPECT!!   

Love reading your posts and all the effort that goes in them, man you are seriously hardcore   I love it!! 

As for all the benchmarks...  Man after my own heart


----------



## Robert B (Sep 29, 2018)

@lexluthermiester  - those RAM kits came a some time after I finished all the testing, and all my stuff was put in boxes. Even finding 4x4MB that worked was quite hard. In my two bags-o'-rams they were all I could muster, at least capacity wise. The motherboard was quite picky even when it comes to brand of FPM RAM. At that time, my other two 16MB FPM sticks that might've worked, were in the 5x86 build but I wasnt going to take it apart no matter what. My first PC will stay as it is indefinitely  Even so, 16Mb was pretty good. I'm sure that those pesky jumper settings also had something to do with my troubles regarding RAM. Now at least I know what was the problem.

@phill - I knew that you will like this story  Took me a while to post it. I wrote this one in around  5 or 6 hours and I tried to present it in a readable manner but even so it came out HUGE! Gathering all the data, preparing the pictures, reapairs, debugging and all other required additional stuff took waaaaayyyy longer. I thought that I wasnt going to be able to post it and it was haunting me for quite some time. I'm glad that I got it out of my system  Regarding the testing, only the DOOM part was planned, the rest was spontaneous and I wanted to cram as much as I could into the available time.

Things to come:





*More later.*


----------



## phill (Sep 29, 2018)

Such  for you @Robert B and all the effort you put into these amazing posts   It's amazing  

I can't wait for the next batch


----------



## Robert B (Oct 18, 2018)

Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing

*Geforce 256 SDR - THE FIRST GPU*

I've been searching for a *Geforce 256,* for some time but all of my efforts returned a big fat ZERO. I was thinking that all I'll ever do will be to stare at pictures on the internet and sigh a little, like it is the case of a *VooDoo 5 5500 card* which is stubborn and doesnt want to enter my collection. For sure it will be punished with intensive cleaning procedures and long baths in IPA 99% plus a full disassembly and other tortures, no wonder it doesnt want to get caught  The prices are ridiculous and I dont want to buy repaired cards. My point of view is: *ALL OR NOTHING.* I'm sure this is old news, as you might've already suspected that 

I have in my collection many components that are fully restored, parts that have marked many of my years, parts that I have owned and many that I've read about back in the day, but it's still not enough  There is always that certain something that makes you say: *I WANT IT!*

At the begining of October I found my first GF256 SDR: *Eagles Geforce 256 32MB AGP* - 30-155AD-155-41A / 128 bit SDRAM - Winbond W986432DH-5.

Even if it wasnt made by a big manufacturer, I wanted to have it and I bought it for a very low price. *A GF256 is still a GF256 no matter the manufacturer.*

I was lucky to find a GF256 SDR with a 128 bit memory bus instead of 64 bit. So, I have in my possesion *a fully fledged GF256 SDR*. The original GF256.

The video memory is running at *150MHz* instead of the default *166MHz* but that doesnt bother me at all. The Winbond W986432DH-5 memory chips are rated for up to 200MHz and they run at 166MHz any day of the week.

The moment I received my first GF256 was a special one. The Holy Grail, *the first GPU*, was in my hands. I had to remove the cooler as soon as possible and take a few pictures with the graphic chip like I saw back in the day on the internet or in magazines. The string: *Geforce and a tiny 256* was there and all my doubts were gone.

I'm already on the trail of a *GF256 DDR* but I dont know if I'll buy it. We'll see...

The *Eagles* card arrived in good condition and kind of clean by some standards. Some dirt and dust in the cooling system and on the back. Nothing too bad.



 

 



As soon as I received the card, I removed the cooler which was held with a *thermal pad*. Given the age of the card I didnt power it up as soon as I put my hands on it and I wanted to be sure that the cooler will do its job.

I raised an eyebrow when I saw *how thin the heatsink was.*

To remove the cooler, I left the card in the sun for a few minutes, I put lots of IPA 99% under the heatsink using a syringe then and I gently twisted the cooler left and right a few times. Soon the cooler was free.

The thermal pad was like a thin black sponge.



 

 

 

 



At first I wanted to replace the cooler with one of the many that I have in stock but *none fitted well.* The distance between the holes is a few milimeters bigger than the standard.

*What to do???*

I searched again in a few boxes with spare parts and I found a green heatsink from the northbridge of an old motherboard.

*PERFECT FIT! * I think that back in the day, they used whatever they had in stock, so the distance between the fixing holes on the PCB wasnt always STANDARD.

I applied some *Arctic MX-4*, I oiled the fan and *I powered up the card.*



 



*Purring like a kitten.*





I ran *3dmark 99* and *3dmark 2000*. All went well. Clear image and ZERO artifacts. (PIII-800MHz, 384MB RAM, Slot 1 motherboard).



 

 

 

 



After I knew that the card was alive and kicking came *the part that I like the most.* I think that you already know what I'm talking about...

I cleaned the metal parts and the card received a well deserved IPA 99% wash.



 

 

 



Microfiber cloth and *attention to detail.*



 



Bracket attached and some pictures with the cleaning results. *Looking good.*



 

 



Because I didnt find another cooler that would fit the card and I didnt want to use the green heatsink, I decided to retain *the originality of the card*  and I replaced only the tired push-pins that came with the card with a fresh spring loaded pair.



 



*Arctic MX-4*, 'nough said .





I cleaned *the fan*. It works well without rattling or other problems.



 

 

 



*Flawless victory.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/s0kvk0k8/

I need to clean two more motherboards. *The rest of the parts that I have aquired are ready to tell their story.* I must say that there will be a few interesting stories ahead 

The past days *I cleand 4 slot CPUs* 3 Pentium II/66MHz and a K7 700MHz. The K7 was a little over 1 EUR at the flea market. *NO BRAINER!*





I also did a little organization : ODDs, FDDs, HDDs, plus 10 socket 7 coolers and an external ZIP drive. The box is quite heavy: 20-25 kg  All parts are squeaky clean!

Next: I need to buy 200 ESD bags for the hoard of other cards I have gathered.





*More later.*


----------



## phill (Oct 18, 2018)

Just a pleasure to see you posting again @Robert B !!  Beautiful work!! Love this thread!!


----------



## Robert B (Oct 19, 2018)

*NEXT WEEK:* I deep freeze a GF2 ...*sort of* 



 

 



*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 26, 2018)

*Almost ANNIHILATED*

This episode will feature two nVIDIA *Geforce 2 GTS* graphic cards.

One required a lot of work to be returned to a state as close to 100% as possible, the other one was just a walk in the park. The difference was like that between night and day. 

Both have been bought from the flea market for *a very low price*.

Even if they have different product numbers/names, there is no doubt that they are identical. Both have been manufactured by Creative, one called *3D Blaster Annihilator 2* the other one a *Compaq OEM model*.

* Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 GeForce 2 GTS / *GB0010*
* Compaq OEM GeForce2 GTS / *WAIMEA 316903700001 R01* / 179642-004 / 231023-001

Let's get to nut cutting.

*Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 GeForce 2 GTS / GB0010*

When I bought this card it seemed that I'll have no problems returning it to its former glory. A few scratches, the fan full of dirt, *the usual stuff.*

When I quickly checked the card at the flea market, all seemed to be in order. I haggled a bit and I managed to drive the starting price down. After this, I was the happy owner of a nice GF2 GTS card. A CREATIVE card nonetheless.



 

 

 



When the moment to restore the card came, *I checked the PCB again*. This time I was thorough. Each component was scrutinized.

To my amazement, I saw that a *memory chip* somehow survived a massive blow which also affected a few neighbouring ceramic capacitors, which suddenly have become a little thinner.  

I checked each ceramic capacitor and each pin of the memory chip and because I didnt find anything bad I decided to leave everything as it was. *THANK GOD for leaded solder!*





I said to myself: *LUCKY ME!!!* You still need to work on your end and *CHECK each part BETTER*, before you BUY!!!

*I dodged a bullet.*

Usually I clean a card before I test it, to ensure that it has the best chances to work but in this instance I decided to just clean the cooler and see if it is alive.



 

 

 



I knew that the fan didnt turn smoothly so I took it apart to see what's what.





*SURPRISE*, the steel shaft of the propeller ate into the sleeve bearing due to the lack of lubrication.

*GREAT!*



 

 

 



I have no ideea as to what has caused the corrosion. Maybe the card took a bath somewhere down the road...

I cleaned well the sleeve bearing and the propeller, I used a thicker oil and I assembled back the fan so that I could test the card.



 

 



When I put the fan back I managed to rip off a piece of the frame of the fan. *Super Glue to the rescue...OLD STUFF IS OLD...*

*All was not OK.*

After I removed all the dirt and God knows what was inside the sleeve bearing, the propeller had a wobble like it was facing a hurricane. I have never seen such a massive wobble and I must say that a quite a few of fans have passed through my hands. Maybe the accumulated dirt on the propeller and the lack of lubrication are the culprits here.

*GREAT!!! NICE!!! OUTSTANDING!!!* What could I possibly want more?!

More problems.

I assembled the fan as best as I could and I was ready for the real test.

*Clear image. ZERO artefacts.*





I looked inside the case to see if everything was alright and what did I see? The fan didnt spin at all. I tried to move it with my finger but* it didnt start to spin*.

*SUPER!!! This GF2 is driving me nuts!!!*

I took out the card from the PC and *I checked the area near the fan connector.*

I didnt like what I saw.* A tranzistor was showing signs of damage.*





A cotton stick dipped in IPA 99% confirmed what I suspected. The stuff on the top of the tranzistor wasnt dirt but a burn mark.





*GREAT!!!* Will I find more damaged parts?! I WONDER?

I removed the dead tranzistor form the PCB.





Because the tranzistor was *TOAST*, the identification number was also *TOAST.*

I couldnt find on the Intenet a clear picture with a good card. Blurry pictures all over the place.

I checked the tranzistor again and I saw the number *"1".*

I took a moment off and I tried to remember where I saw this number?

*Hmmmm.* The way the number "1" was placed on the tranzistor meant that only one more character would fit right on it. This made me remember the humble *1P* tranzistor! This part was also busted on the *EPOX EP-58MVP3C-M* motherboard which I also managed to save some time ago.

The modern equivalent of the 1P tranzistor is *MMBT2222A* - SOT-23 package.

https://www.taitroncomponents.com/catalog/Datasheet/MMBT2222A.pdf

I searched on the Internet and I found a supplier for the required MMBT2222A tranzistor. The only problem was that to justify the price of the tranzistor and shipping I also *had to buy a bunch of electrolytic capacitors. *

At that time *I didnt want to buy anything* even if I had a lot of other pacients on the operating table.

I remembered that I saw a lot of *1P tranzistors* on the PCB of old fans, so I started to dig in various boxes to find damaged fans that I didnt throw out.

BEHOLD! *FULL of 1P tranzitors*. No purchase needed! GREAT NEWS!



 



*Time for a transplant.*



 



When I tested the card again, *I used another fan* which I knew for sure that it worked.



 

 



*FIXED!*

A close-up with *the fallout resulted* after the blow that the memory chip and the ceramic capacitors registered.





*Dont think even for a moment that I was out of the woods...*

I wanted to preserve the originality of the card, being Creative and all, so I decided to save what could not be saved, *the fan.*

*PITA! PITA PITA!* with a burst of RAGE at the END.

The broken piece from the frame of the fan needed to be glued back again...

This time I was more careful.



 

 



After I glued back the broken piece I said *F@K THIS!* and I wanted to change the fan with another one.

Said and done. I took from a box a dead ATI Radeon 8500 AIW which had a similar fan.

A great replacement....*but IS IT?*





NOPE! The voltage is different...*5V vs 12V*





I returned to the pacient on life support...the original fan...Because the card wasnt supposed to run 24/7 *the originality was way more important.*

I cleaned the original fan again and I used a mix of a thicker oil and a little grease. I took all the required steps to ensure that the mix wasnt too thick.



 

 

 

 

 



*The round white plastic part*, is very important as it keeps the magnet of the propeller in alignment with the winding of the motor of the fan. After this I was ready for another test.





*IT WORKS!!! ... but IS IT?*





More fiddling and fine tuning until all was *PERFECT.* The fan must turn smoothly.





Time for *the finishing touches*: transparent Poxipol and fresh 0.2mm TESA double sided tape for the sticker.



 

 



*I managed to obtain what could not be obtained, the recovery of a damaged, consumed, tired, fan...*

*Something still bothered me though....* The fan still didnt run as I wanted it to. Go figure...sometimes it didnt start or it didnt run well.

I took it apart again and this time I separated the motor from the plastic frame...Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain (Official Video)

*DISASTER:* craked tranzistors and a torn/burned wire from the winding of the motor.



 

 



Even if I saw the damage I still thought that I could save it...unfortunately this time * another part of the frame of the fan broke off...*

RAGE!!! RAGE!!! OH THE RELEASE...

*I dumped the fan on the floor and I stepped on it.* All that was left after this were small bits of plastic. When I calmed down I looked at the results of my rage and I slowly said: *there is no coming back from that.*

I didnt take pictures...and even if I did I wouldnt've posted them.

After I composed myself I was ready for another round.

*I must finish what I have started.* No loose ends this side of the border.

I took the card in my hands and I stared at it for a few moments.

*What the F.....K?!?!* A ceramic capacitor was hanging for dear life...solder that son of a gun back! How did I miss that???





Another person could've just attach another fan and would've called it a day.

*NOT ME!* I had to exchange the cooling system no matter what!

The heatsink was glued well.

*I tried:* to put the card in the freezer, dental floss and IPA 99%, baths in IPA 99% for hours and hours, I left the card in the sun, I used a hair dryer and ...ALL WAS FOR NOTHING!!! *The thermal glue didnt budge.*



 

 



I started to look for a solution on the good ol' INTERNET.

I found a method that involved the use of a *freeze spray.* 3Dfx Voodoo 5500 Heatsink Removal - The safe and easy way

After I read some more, I found out that I could buy the freeze spray from local electronics repair shops or I could use a can off compressed air that was held with the head down.

The question was if I could find these in my city.

I found a can of compressed air and a can of freeze spray. The freeze spray can be used to detect damaged PCB components, broken PCB traces, etc. *Clever stuff the freeze spray is.*

iPhone 7+ Finding a Short on VDD Main Using Freeze Spray
Finding a shorted component with freeze spray. Samsung HLN5065

The YT clip was straight forward but me being me and because I had a few mishaps in the past meant that I had to take precautions before I used the freeze spray. You can never be too careful, trust me.

Gloves, glasses and a thick winter jacket. *FULL BODY ARMOR!!!* The freez spray can cool down to -55C. The contents of the freeze spray can splash and you dont want that stuff in your eyes, skin or on your face. The vapors must not be inhaled. After I read the precations on the can and the internet I was close to give up.





Even with the freeze spray *I needed three tries* until I managed to remove the damned heatsink.

Initally I didnt use the clear plastic extension tube that came with the spray and I was enveloped by vapors when the contents of the spray touched the fins of the heatsink.

The spray I bought was way stronger that the one in the YT clip.

I attached the clear plastic extension tube and I was ready for another round.

I pressed until I could see that some liquid came out of the can.

I waited for a few seconds until I saw frost forming, then I took a credit card and I put it between the graphic chip and the heatsink, in an area free of ICs, and  *I applied force, quite a lot of force.*



 

 



You should've seen *my face* when I saw that the markings from the graphic chip remained on the glue that was stuck on the heatsink. Regardless, I was pumped that I managed to remove the heatsink. In YO' FACE MOTHER...

*Frosty pic.*





*Did the card survive this ordeal?*

Apply AC MX-4, DeepCool V50 and fire that $hit UP!!!



 



*I need a drink...Cypress Hill - Tequila Sunrise*

*Different but are they?*

GF2 GTS vs GF2 Ti





*The finishing touches.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/29rbwqkku/

_The recovery of this card took several days and it obsessed me. I didnt let up until I did all I could and then some. This restoration almost destabilized my daily balance. I was truly on the knife's edge._

_After this endeavour I took some time off. I didnt want to look at another component for more than a month._

_I was tired. The obsession almost ate me. A few of you might understand this._

_After this experience I came to the conclusion that I should slow down a little even if I still dont know the true meaning of this._

_*Still it's my way or the highway. 100% or NOTHING.*_

_The upside is that after this downtime, somehow I came BACK STRONGER. I still want to inject myself with old HW only that this time I know how to protect myself and I wont dedicate so much effort for just any old part._

_This was intense. In many aspects it is close to the VooDoo 4 4500 story and even above it in other. _

_*Almost Annihilated and almost an Annihilator.*_

Lets return to the matter at hand.

I still have to present one more card.

*Compaq OEM GeForce2 GTS / WAIMEA 316903700001 R01 / 179642-004 / 231023-001*

Just SMOOTH SAILING...the pictures are self explanatory.

ZERO PROBLEMS!

*Enjoy!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/e94zbl4e/

Didnt I tell you that these stories are different like night and day?

*True story.*Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E. ft. Snoop Dogg

*MORE LATERZZZzzzzZZZZ!*


----------



## Robert B (Nov 2, 2018)

*Creative CR-563-B 2x CD-ROM / Creative SB 16 Value CT2770*

In one of the many trips I made *to the flea market* this year, I came across a Creative CD-ROM unit. At first I didnt want to take it, but after I got home I went back and I bought it.

*I paid the hefty sum of 1.1EUR and it was mine.* Because I have cleaned and reconditioned many ODDs and my success rate was a flawless 100%, I knew what to expect.

*A Creative 2x CD-ROM unit is nothing to sneeze at, I said to myself...*

The unit was made by *PANASONIC* and the model is *CR-563-B*.



 

 



The follwoing day I did a quick test to see if it is alive and kicking.

I already knew that it wasnt a regular IDE CD-ROM unit and if I was going to see if it works I would need a sound card or an add-on card with a *PANASONIC interface*. Because at that time I didnt have a single card with such an interface, I wanted to see if at least worked. I inserted a CD, I saw that the tray still worked well despite the fact that the unit was 24 years old, I saw that the LED lighted up and the unit tried to read the disc.

*Everything seemed well.*





After all of this, I stored the CD-ROM unit and *I started to look for a sound card with a PANASONIC interface*. Back in the day, before the IDE interface became the MASTER BLASTER, there were a few competing standards when it came to ODDs. SONY/MITSUMI/PANASONIC/IDE. A real jungle. This fact alone made me reluctant when I had to buy old parts that dont come in the form of a kit. The probability that I would be missing a piece of the puzzle is greater and I might not be able to find it!

In the end I found a *Creative SB 16 Value CT2770 sound card* at a decent price and I anxiously waited her arrival.



 

 

 



I think that you already know what came after I received the sound card...*A lot of cleaning, of course.*



 

 

 

 



*Peeling off the layers of dirt and grime.* Patience was the word of the game.



 

 



*Clean as a whistle.*



 



*DONE!*



 

 

 

 

 

 



Armed with the missing piece for this puzzle I was ready for *the real test.* I already cleaned the laser lens well and the unit received a mild cleaning.





The CD-ROM unit was correctly identified by *WIN 95* and it seemed that I might be in for a session of smooth sailing. I knew that it might have some *problems* with certain CD-R/CD-RW discs or with different coloured discs so I already prepared a bunch of silver and audio CDs if this was going to be the case.

*20+ CDs later,* all that I could muster, was a correct identification of the length of the track in CD SPeed 99  and the reading of the names of the tracks on an audio CD. No matter what I tried, the unit wasnt able to play a song from an audio CD.



 

 



*Well...this SUX...*

I knew that this units had *a flaw*. The sprocket that is in contact with the motor that moves the laser head back and forth, has the bad habit of cracking so I dismantled the unit completely.

Observe the extremely soft black brush which has the role of maintaing the laser lens clean of dust. I raised an eyebrow when I saw it. A first for me.





*Well...* the sprocket and the worm sprocket from the motor were ALL OK!



 

 

 



I used a little *silicone grease* where it was required and I placed the laser head at the middle of the metal shaft onto which it travels, to see if when I would power-up the CD-ROM unit it would travel to its initial position.

After I powered up the unit, the head traveled to its initial position. This meant that all the sprockets and the motor were in good working condition. The micro-contact placed in the zero position was also OK.

*WARNING* _Do not work on a CD-ROM unit or any other ODD when it is taken out of its casing or has the top cover removed and it is powered up . All the operations described above were done with the unit disconnected from electric current or with *the unit assembled in its casing.* Under no circumstance was I going to do stupid things and maybe suffer some form of eye damage. REMEMBER! It doesnt pay to be STUPID! All in all I DO NOT recommend that you do any kind of work on this type of electronic devices unless YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Even if it seems simple, you might end up in a world of hurt. _ (Just my 2 cents)

I searched for *DOS drivers* hoping that it might be a case of an obscure incompatibility somewhere.

http://ibm-pc.org/drivers/cdrom/PANASONI/panason.html

The unit was correctly identified under MS-DOS. Even so, I still wasnt able to make it read a single CD.





In the end I turned my sight to *the elephant in the room.*

The laser head itself.

I read on the internet that in some instances you can a adjust a *trimpot* from the laser head and give it a new lease of life.



 

 

 

 

 



*I did two adjustments.* I used a small bit from a screwdriver set and the first time a turned the trimpot just a hair and the second time 25% more.

I had to take apart and assemble the unit each time I adjusted the trimpot. *Tedious work I tell you...*

After the second adjustment I could hear that the CD was identified faster and the unit sounded healthier.

*In the end all was for nothing* as the unit didnt read a single disc. After the ordeal with the Creative GF2 GTS from the previous episode I said *THAT'S IT* and I prepared the unit for cleaning. *In the future I might try again to revive this old dog...for now it will be put into storage.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



This is how I remained without my *100%  recovery rate* when it comes to ODDs  *I suppose it had to happen sometime*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/223k8gpjc/ *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/1tf6a0rig/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Nov 3, 2018)

*NEXT WEEK: *Banshee the TWISTED


----------



## Robert B (Nov 11, 2018)

Uriah Heep - Lady In Black 1971

*Banshee The Twisted*

The graphic card presented today is the result of yet another visit I made at the local *flea market.* Lately, I've been making a lot more visits there, as the prices are lower and the satisfaction you get when you find something worthwhile is bigger as you dont know what you are going to find. The fact the the flea market is just 5 km away from my home also makes everything easier. Extraction mission, get in, do your job, get out. Pretty easy.  

My heart started pumping when I saw the card. *MAXI GAMER PHOENIX.* What the hell is this? My senses were tingling and I already intuited that it might be a *3dfx card.* I received the confirmation a few moments later after a quick internet search. Yep, she's a *3dfx VooDoo Banshee* alright. The PCI version. Not bad, I said to myself. *I'll take ten please!* 

Let's meet the *Maxi Gamer Phoenix Banshee* manufactured by *Guillemot* / PCI 16MB SGRAM / 600-0044-02 / 460 5057806



 

 



*4 layer board.*



 



But where's *THE TWIST?* Well...there is no twist in a twisted kind of way...the matter of fact is that the board is twisted and when I mean twisted, I really mean twisted. 



 



*Banshee The Twisted alright.* When I saw the state that she was in, I almost didnt want to take it home with me, a 3dfx is still a 3dfx, so I haggled and I lowered the asking price by quite a large amount so in the end I was stuck with it.  Was this a bad decision? We'll see later...

*No matter the angle, it still looked like hell.* The VGA connector was croocked. The bracket was bent. The PCB was twisted. The black connector from under *MAXI GAMER PHOENIX* silk screen, lost a few millimeters from some kind of friction, but against all the odds, all the components were still in place. Thank GOD that in the past they used leaded solder, otherwise I'm pretty sure that many of the small IC's would've been scattered into the four winds.

I tried to reduce some of the twist of the PCB by twisting gently in the other direction but there was no safe way to do this so I stopped. *This board will be forever twisted.*

I checked each component thoroughly and I received good news. *ZERO PROBLEMS! NO SOLDERING FOR ME! YAY!!!*

The only thing that might prove fatal lay deep under the graphic chip. *Did it survive the ordeal that this board endured?*

*Let's give it a try!*

*VooDoo stuff I tell YOU!*



 



*More good news!*



 



After I found out that it was alive and kicking, I started the cleaning procedure.

*Come on let's twist again 
Like you did last summer ..*.





*Smooth sailing.*



 



*Clean.*



 

 

 



*AC MX-4 please!*





*DONE!*



 

 

 

 

 



*More later...as usual!*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Nov 11, 2018)

If it were me, given that the VooDoo Banshee's ran hot, it would seem wise to mount a better heatsink on it with a fan to keep it cool and running well into the decades to come. Still, great find and great job restoring it!


----------



## steen (Nov 12, 2018)

Robert B said:


> Uriah Heep - Lady In Black 1971



Nice to see you're using my Bansheedrivers 3dfxTools driver mix, circa 2000 IIRC. There are numerous driver mirrors, but more info via WayBackMachine. Improved chip cooling is a good idea. Check if the header is 12V supply & add a 40mm fan.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 14, 2018)

Dave Brubeck - Take Five

*Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2 (CT6670)*

This card was also bought from *the flea market*.  4.2 EUR well spent!

I found it dumped into a bin, together with at least 50 other cards. The negociation was interesting. The seller didnt know what it was and he said that he wont lower the price no matter what, *as the card has a lot of electronic components on it,* hence the fixed price. Interesting. I guess that this is another way to set the price for a part with an unknwon value. I used this tactic a few times, to lower the price for other parts I bought, when I said that the asking price is too high and there are very few components on the PCB.  *To my amazement this has worked well. * 

When I got back to my car I examined the VooDoo 2 thoroughly. I already saw *that a chip had a few bent pins* but after this examination I found a few more. *With all your experience and you still make mistakes... I said to myself.* In any case, I would've bought it even with torn pins, so it didnt matter that it had 3,4 or 10 bent pins.

In the picture bellow I already straightened the bent pins a little. Surprisingly *none of them broke off from their pads.* AWESOME!



 



*Intial state.* Dirty, a lot of scratches on various chips, dull bracket...



 

 



I straightened the pins as best as I could. One in particular was bent inward and I had to straighten it just a little and then let it be, otherwise it might've broken off . *A BIG NO! NO!*



 



*The question was if the card has survived this ordeal.* I put it into my PC and I was ready to power it up.



 



*Suspense.*



 

 

 



*OUTSTANDING! I LIKE IT!!*

4.2 EUR for a V2? HELL YEAH!!!

*Let's make this card GREAT AGAIN!*

*Gentle scrubbing of memory chips and graphic chips with an abrasive paste.* I use this polishing paste to restore the shine of the metal brackets or other metal parts. Because it has a fine grit I also use it to remove mild scratches and other blemishes from various chips. The results are always A+++. *REMEMBER: BE GENTLE!!!* After this treatment I wash the card with IPA 99%.

*NOTE:* Dont use the polishing paste on the pins of the chips, the PCB or other surfaces.



 

 



*What did I tell you? A+++!*



 

 

 



*Ready for assembly.*





*ICE ICE BABY!*



 

 



*Autumn sun...*





*...*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/21u9e7y7i/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Nov 22, 2018)

Boris Brejcha - Purple Noise [Minimal Techno]

*I crack some skulls!*

This episode will feature four SLOT CPUs which have received *"the treatment".*

Let's meet *"THE VICTIMS"!*

* Pentium II *266MHz/66* - SL2HE - IRELAND
* Pentium II *333MHz/66* - SL2S5 - *2 buc* - MALAY/IRELAND
* AMD Athlon K7 - *AMD-K7700MTR51B A*

All of the CPUs have been bought from *the flea market* for a very low price. I really enjoy the trips I take to the local flea market. You never know what you are going to find there.

*Not bad!*

Lately, I put the *PIIs/100* on the back burner and I focused more on *PIIs/66* and I buy them without blinking an eye. They have more appeal in my book but I guess that's just me. 

When it comes to *SLOT A CPUs* it is no contest. *YES PLEASE!* Any day of the week!



 

 

 



As usual, all of the CPUs *have received a full SPA treatment* - cleaning, fresh TIM (AC MX-4), the works. I dont just buy them and toss them in a box. They must be RESTORED! I take no prisoners!

The CACHE chips of the *SLOT A K7 CPU* have received new thermal pads (soft, blue made by Arctic (Cooling)), because the old TIM used from the factory wasnt up to spec. This operation has been presented in the past.

I made detailed pictures of each of the CPUs, because I didnt want to mix-up the cases, the PCB or other components. Afterwards, each CPU has been put back as it came from factory. *As usual, I take my work seriously. No half measures.*

The opening of any SECC CPU has become *a routine job*. Zero incidents. Lately I use only my hands and a small fine screwdriver. This method is less likely to damage something but it takes patience and correctly applied force. The screwdriver is only used to gently separate three of the corners of the SECC cartridge and under no circumstance it is used on the inside.



 





*Old TIM.*



 

 



After all these years, the TIM was still soft. Interesting.



 



*NAKED!*



 



*Ready for cleaning.*



 

 

 

 



*A nice spread.*



 



*Details.Details. Details.*



 

 

 



*Clean. Clean. Clean.*



 

 

 



*IPA 99%.*(lots of it)





After I opened up the cases I was surprised to see that one of the *PII-333(IRELAND)* was missing a ceramic capacitor. It wasnt my blame and I'm surprised that it passed the quality control. I have no ideea what was the purpose of the missing cap and I wasnt expecting something like this. As it was protected by the plastic case and it had an armor bolted with screws, the chances of being damaged were pretty low, even if it came from the flea market or a salvage facility.

The placement of the missing cap, deep inside, under the heatplate made me think that it came like this from the factory. Besides, the plastic case didnt have signs of damage and I'm sure that it was never opened.

When I opened it I didnt have contact with that area.

All the time I handeled the CPU I didnt hear any rattle. I didnt use anything to try and pry the case from the inside either.

*Total mistery.*





Enter my donor card *Medion X740XL.*



 

 

 



After this incident it was *business as usual.*



 

 



*Ready to be GREAT AGAIN!*





*Testing has revealed that all the CPUs are at 100%!*



 

 

 

 

 



*Restored*.



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2fd97o8dq/

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Nov 22, 2018)

Robert B said:


> After all these years, the TIM was still soft. Interesting.


I've seen this a few times as well. Back then Intel used an oil based TIM that didn't evaporate.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 27, 2018)

Lika Morgan - Can't Deny (Radio Mix)

*I'm feeling 440BX*

I found my Celeron 300A - *THE LEGEND* at the local flea market. Fate made it so that I found the 300A together with a 440BX motherboard. As the price was an absolute steal, I took both of them home with me. NO BRAINER!

*** Amptron/Jamicon/FastFame 650B-ATX Rev1.1 / KM650B / 440BX *(The motherboard is probably Jamicon but it was also sold under other names)
** Celeron 300A - SL2WM



 

 



This motherboard isnt top of the line and doesnt have any OC settings but it can support fast Pentium III CPUs via a slotket. The multiplier settings listed on the silk screen present a value of 8 but I'm pretty sure that there are some undocumented settings that can be found given a faster CPU. *Not bad all.*

*"Slot 1 Platform for Pentium II up to 450Mhz *** Slot 1 Platform for SECC 2 Pentium III *** Support FC PGA Pentium III processor (Coppermine™ & Katmai™ ) via Slot-to-Socket Adapter"*

A budget CPU on a budget motherboard. *Sounds about right.*

I removed the BIOS chip, the jumpers, the retaining system of the CPU and I was ready to perform my magic.





*The motherboard was in an average state in regard to cleanliness.* The person that I bought it from has nice parts on a regular basis and the fact that it didnt have any esthetic problems, suggest that it was taken out of a case quite recently. I was the right person at the right time and in the right place and I was able to save this 20 years old kit.



 

 

 



*After a few hours of work...*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The Celeron 300A* was quite dirty but it didnt pose a challenge.



 

 

 



*Clean as a whistle.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Impecable.*





One question that was eating me was if the CPU will be able to run at *450MHz* by only changing the bus setting from 66MHz to 100MHz like it was the case back in the day. This CPU didnt attain THE LEGEND status by chance. A 50% OC at that time was something fantastic. With less money you could get the performance of higher priced models. From my point of view this is the essence of overclocking.

The system booted at 450MHz and I was ready to install Windows 98 SE to see if it would be stable at this frequency.



 

 

 



First, I ran 3dmark 99 with the CPU at 300MHz and I used an Intel i740 graphic adapter. I was going to run more tests with the CPU at 450MHz afterwards.



 



With the CPU at 450MHz I was able to get into Win 98 without incidents. When I ran CPU-Z I saw that the window had a lot of *little squares.* I tried another graphic card but the symptoms were the same.



 



The motherboard *doesnt have voltage settings* so I couldnt increase it a notch to see if this would solve my problem. After this I stopped and I decided to find an answer later when I'll buy *a top of the line OC-friendly SLOT 1 motherboard.*

All in all, for a little over 3 EUR I got a lot more than the value would suggest. Back in the day I had a 440ZX and Celeron 366(A) but I was dreaming of a 440BX and a Pentium II...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1hf57pi7w/

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Nov 28, 2018)

Robert B said:


> The motherboard *doesnt have voltage settings* so I couldnt increase it a notch to see if this would solve my problem. After this I stopped and I decided to find an answer later when I'll buy *a top of the line OC-friendly SLOT 1 motherboard.*


What you could do is drop the multiplier to 4, if that BIOS has that function, and try again.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 4, 2018)

*n u a g e s - Dreams*

*Another blue wonder* *Gigabyte GA-660 PLUS REV 1.4*

This card makes me think about the *legendary HERCULES graphic cards*.  Those cards were something that I couldn't afford back in the day...at least I had an ACorp VANTA 8MB and I appreciated the increase in performance coming from an ATI RAGE IIC 4MB...I wish I had a full TNT 2...at any rate I dont regret a thing. I had a 440ZX with a Celeron A 366MHz and a VANTA 8MB which took me into another realm (3D). Carmageddon ran like a dream. No K6-2 for me. I really wanted an Intel CPU and at least I got a slice of a Pentium II. I had long discussions with my best friend in regard to which CPU was better: K6-2(him) vs Celeron A(me) ... The Pentium II prices were sky high and I was drooling looking at the offers of the local IT suppliers. VooDoo was the stuff of legend...I never saw one in the flesh until 2015 when I started gathering old parts.  

*As usual these days,* I found the GA-660 PLUS at *the local flea market*. It cost me peanuts, dirt cheap. How could I pass it?

It was dumped into a box together with other filthy stuff. *The VIVID BLUE color attracted me like a magnet.* As a matter of fact, this shade of blue is my favourite. 

Less than 2 EUR? *HELL YEAH!* Here's the money! No haggling or going back and forth. Just the way I like it.

This particular card, the Gigabyte GA-660 Plus, is fitted with a *TNT 2 PRO/TNT 2-A chip,* which is nothing more than a regular TNT 2, manufactured into a 0.22 micron process vs 0.25 micron. This translates into a lower working temperature, a lower current draw, a higher working frequency of the graphic chip and a better OC potential. In certain scenarios this card can take on the mighty TNT 2 ULTRA, which isnt something to sneeze at.

The blue TURBO jumper does exactly what it suggests and underlines the "warlike" character of the board. 

The graphic card works at:  CORE *150MHz*(*170MHz* MAX TURBO) / MEMORY *166MHz*(180MHz MAX TURBO) vs Regular TNT 2 *125MHz/150MHz* vs Regular TNT 2 PRO *143MHz/166MHz* vs TNT 2 ULTRA *150MHz/183MHz*

It comes with 32MB and Samsung K4S643232C-TC/L60 chips rated for *166MHz*. In TURBO mode they run at *180MHz* straight from the manufacturer. Factory sanctioned OC? F@K YEAH!

We should take into consideration the OC potential of the GA-660 PLUS which might go way up from the TURBO 170MHz/180MHz frequencies.

*Need I say more?* I really don't think so. *A beast of a card I tell you! * Dont be fooled by the small size of the card. Potent substances are held in small vials.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should point out that this card came on the market at a moment when the Geforce 256 and ATI Rage Fury MAXX were also available. In fact this card is nothing else than a respin of the TNT 2 on another manufacturing node.

Even so, I consider this card *A TRUE GEM!!!* Less than 2 EUR?!??!? F@K YEAH!!! Bring it ON earthling!

After this somewhat bombastic introduction, *let's get down to nut cuttin'*.

*Initial state.*



 

 

 

 



*Looks okay OR IS IT? * Well, I had to put in the hours and I wasnt stingy with the elbow grease. No respect for old cards I TELL YOU!

Against my regular policy *I decided to see if the card is alive and kicking before I cleaned it*. I removed some of the dust and dirt with a soft brush and into the PC it went. The PIII-800MHz didnt help her too much but it was all I could muster at that moment.

*Did it run? ...* *FLAWLESS!!!* I'm a survivor!



 

 



After this moment, all went well until *I received some bad news.* About this a little bit later...

First, I tackled *the fan, the bracket and the screws. *

All cleaned and shining. 



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Battle scars*...lots of them...I inspected all the scratches, hits and blemishes and I can tell you that I felt them like *a slow motion replay*...no respect...no consideration...no feeling for artefacts of a passed era...there are more to be said here and not just about the objects themselves but this is not the moment or the place to do so... 



 

 

 



*Soon after this came the moment when I had to clean the board.* I couldn't remove the heatsinks as they were held in place with thermal tape and or thermal glue. Because I was afraid that I might damage something, I decided to let them be, this time ....



 

 

 



With a set of fine files, *"I sweetened"* the dents made into the soft aluminium. That was about it. I could've filled the gaps with solder, file them with patience and find some paint that would match...*who knows mabe I already did this in a parallel universe...*but at that moment I didnt do such a thing. 



 



When I was about to do my magic with cotton sticks, IPA99% and old chinese man patience, I came across the problem I was telling you above. 

*The diagonal scratches* made by a sharp object, on the back heatsink, were pointing at a cut trace near the AGP connector. The *A2* trace was out of order.





*LUCK* was on my side. The A2 is presented *as A SPARE*. In other words the card works with and without A2.

https://allpinouts.org/pinouts/connectors/buses/agp-bus/

*I could feel the bullet flying above my head.* It's not about the money I spend, it's about the fact that I still think I can save any component even when all hope is lost. Because of this, I decided to avoid, when possible, the purchase of cards that have obvious problems. I get involved way over my head as I cant do things with half measures. Remember the Creative GF2 GTS GB0010? That Annihilator card almost annihiltaed me. 

This was the moment when I did *my first trace repair*, even if it wasnt really needed. I applied all the things I learned until that moment.

As usual, when you do something for the first time, *I hit a few bumps in the road.*

I used a wire that was a little too thick plus other small problems but in the end results were above average. *I say above average, conservatively.*



 



I used transparent POXIPOL to cover the repaired area.





While the glue was still tacky I decided to insert the card into an AGP slot. *Surprise surprise*, the card went inside the slot waaaay more than I anticipated and if I did this after the glue hardened I would've been in a bad spot.

While the glue was still soft I managed to trim it and give it an ideal shape and size. I used and xacto knife and maximum attention to detail.

*Ideal results. *Tests made on ECS P4ITA & GA-8TM.



 

 

 



After all this work, *the rest was smooth sailing.*

*My TNT 2 PRO was on its way to a full recovery.*

After the cleaning process the card was smiling at me.



 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 



*Blue, blue, deep blue, dark blue, sky blue, sea blue, b l u e...and I'm not blue  I LOVE THIS COLOUR!*



 



At the end I put the card into my workhorse PIII 800MHz/Luckystar 6VABX2, for a final test and then it went into a box and it will be taken out *only on special occasions.*



 



*Happy moments filled with satisfaction.*

Benny Benassi - 'Satisfaction'

I can write off my list another milestone that has been achieved. My *TNT 2 * is in good working condition, firing all its cyclinders!

See you with the next episode.

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/37c3gp9mk/


----------



## Robert B (Dec 13, 2018)

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

*PowerColor TNT 2 PRO - CTNT2SD VER2.0*

I've seen this card week after week after week, *dumped on the pavement* together with other electronic components which were *in various states of electronic putrefaction.* Flea market rules: dump them in a big pile and let the buyer sort them out!

When, finally, I decided to see what model it was I said to myself that *I should've paid more attention* ever since I laid my eyes on it. 

CTNT2SD VER2.0 is a *TNT 2 PRO / TNT 2 - A*, like the Gigabyte GA-660 Plus graphic card from the previous episode, but *without the bells and whistles.*

Even so, in an ocean full of Vanta and M64 cards, a full TNT 2 *is something special.* I paid little over 1 EUR for it so I have nothing more to add. *NO BRAINER!*

*Let's meet the star of this episode.*



 

 

 

 



The card *lost its shine* and marks left by contact with water abound. The solder joints were dull, the bracket had spots of surface rust and the cooling system has seen better days. I think that you already have guessed why *I ignored it for weeks.*

A quick test has revealed that *it is still firing on all its cylinders.*. Well I'll be ... 



 

 

 



Satisfied with the preliminary results, I prepared *the operating table* for the rejuvenation treatment that the golden card would undergo.



 



The heatsink was fixed with a metalic clip and it came *with a thick non-adhesive thermal pad.*





At some point, someone has added thermal paste over the thermal pad, strange to say the least. I removed all the traces of thermal paste from the thermal pad with a cotton stick and IPA 99% .*Thermal pad* or *thermal paste* please make up your mind!

I wanted to replace the original heatsink with a *DeepCool V50* but the mounting holes were atypical and it just wouldn't fit even if I was to enlarge the holes in the soft aluminium. So, I decided to reuse the old cooling system.

The thermal pad was mint so I left in place.

The retaining metal clip that was used to fix the heatsink *dug a little into the PCB over the years* but nothing too serious. A couple of plastic push-pins would've been better. The spacing between the holes suggest that a regular motherboard northbridge heatsink could be used.



 

 



Ready for *THE TREATMENT.*



 



Patience, lots of cotton sticks and a lot of alcohol...*isopropyl 99% of ocurse.* 





The moment when I *gave my full attention to the heatsink,* came soon and I weighted my options.

The paint fell off in some areas and I decided to touch up the problem zones instead of painting the entire heatsink. My choice was the right one and the final results were above my expectations. The retaining metal clip was cleaned of rust and hand polished using a rag and some polishing paste.



 

 

 



While I was cleaning the PCB I saw *two ceramic capacitors* hanging for dear life. I dont know how I missed them or how they didnt fell off while I was cleaning the board. The graphic card has worked well with them just held in place by tiny bits of solder.  I take this as a confirmation of my gentle touch while I clean these relics. .

I soldered them well and the problem was solved.





After this hurdle I turned my attention to *the fan* which was kind of meh.



 



*Final results.* When I assemebled the cooling system I reversed the retaining clip and I took precautions that none of the hooks from the ends would touch the PCB as it was the case when I bought the card. *Attention to detail is paramount when your are working with old parts. *



 

 

 



*GOLDEN!*



 

 

 

 



Some marks will remain forever on the surface of the card, signs of a not so fortunate past, but in the end I was able to restore at least some of its original glory. There is no denying that this model is a budget one but the same thing could be said about a Powercolor Evil King 4 if it wasn't a 3dfx card. One thing is certain, I will buy and restore any TNT 2 (not M64/Vanta) that I can get my hands on.

Another success story!

Cya with the next episode!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/10pl7h3bw/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 22, 2018)

Toto - Hold The Line (Official Music Video)

*Flea market surprise!!!*

As you probably know by now, the *Flea Market Surprise* epsiodes contain a bunch of components that I have aquired from the flea market. 

*F*lea *M*arket* S*urprise - *because you never know what you will find there!* This is what makes the visits to the Good Ol' Flea Market, worthwhile. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about  I can quit anytime I want, I just choose not to!

The presentation is short and I usually let the pictures tell the story. *This is what a FMS episode is all about.*

Let's meet the *stars* of this episode!

*1.* AMD K6-2/500AFX - 500MHz
*2.* AMD Athlon 1200MHz - AXIA0124UPBW - A1200AMS3C
*3.* Intel Pentium 4 - 1.4GHZ S423 Willamette - SL4SC
*4.* 3dfx Voodoo 1 - Diamond Monster 3D PCI 4MB Rev. E
*5.* Protac Video Excel AG240D REV2.2 - Fastware Intel i740 Power 3D
*6.* MITSUMI CRMC-FX120T - CD-ROM 12x
*7.* Intel Pentium II 350MHz - SL2U4

Quite a line-up don't you think? 

*AMD K6-2/500AFX - 500MHz ***  AMD Athlon 1200MHz - AXIA0124UPBW - A1200AMS3C *** Intel Pentium 4 - 1.4GHZ S423 Willamette - SL4SC*

The CPUs have been cleaned, pins have been straightened and useless labels have been eliminated.



 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1sw8y5ia6/

*3dfx Voodoo 1 - Diamond Monster 3D PCI 4MB Rev. E*

A common card but illusive at the same time.

I paid for it, a little over 1EUR, even if I knew that it was *knee deep in the dead.* Who knows, maybe I'll fix'er up in the future, I have a knack for hard to solve cases. 



 



*DO NOT BUY!* was written all over it.

An idiot has learned some desoldering tehniques on a 3dfx card. What THE FU..........K?!?!? It's missing almost all of the resistors...a few solid capacitors...inductors...PCB pads...and God know what else...

Needless to say that the idiot still has a lot to learn...

Fortunately I have a Diamond V1 Rev. E in my collection and I was able to conduct a thorough examination...tens of missing componets...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Scary?* Sure, but these V1 cards are very simple and they can be repaired. What is desoldered can be soldered back. You need the missing parts, some soldering skills  and an ounce of madness...*I think that I fit the profile quite well.*.

After I knew the full extent of the damage I prepared the card for cleaning. No dirty stuff in my boxes!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



When I had my two V1 cards side by side I saw that my good V1 was missing *an inductor* so I made a transplant. Another missing part from the almost empty V1 is not a big deal. IMO.



 

 

 



I searched on the internet information regarding the missing components and I found what I needed. Fate made it so that I also found at the flea market a HUGE card made in 1996 which is full of all the parts I need - ceramic capacitors, resistors and a bunch of other parts. 

I think that you get my hint. It can be done if I'm willing to put in the hours or I can use this V1 as a donor card...all good alternatives.



 

 

 

 

 


gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1whc6apxq/



 

 

 

 



*I paid under 3EUR for the card. Money well spent! A treasure trove of parts!*

*Protac Video Excel AG240D REV2.2 - Fastware Intel i740 Power 3D*

*GOLDEN BROWN!*



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3gikxv2dq/

*MITSUMI CRMC-FX120T - CD-ROM 12x*

Ahhh *Mitsumi*...CD-ROMs...I LOVE THEM TO BITS...call me strange I DONT CARE!!! 

A soon as I laid my eyes on it I knew that it will come home with me. Still white and with few scratches it was begging for a rescue.





It costed me under 3EUR. *Cheap date I konw...*

When I got back to my car I noticed that something was rattling inside and the tray would not stay closed when I pointed the unit with the face down... sheeshhhh only you could find this kind of stuff...no further commentary is necessary...superfluous stuff...

Let's restore this *$hit!*

A screw wasnt going to come out...*drilling action required!*





*Some superglue, transparent Poxipol, silicone grease, a little plastic surgery...good as new!* MAN I'M GOOD!!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The unit was very clean inside and it doesnt have a rubber belt. All is based on sprockets...*almost IMMORTAL stuff. *

Even so, I cleaned it well... 



 

 

 



*The good stuff.*



 

 

 

 



*Clean bill of health.*



 

 

 



During testing I noticed that sometimes the tray would open right after I closed it.

I opened the unit and I tweaked a little the micro-switch that was responsible for this behaviour. *Problem solved!*





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1dqj95w3y/

*Intel Pentium II 350MHz - SL2U4*

Opened, cleaned, custom thermal pads made from *soft blue AC thermal pads*, some *AC MX-4* and that's all she wrote....

More words aren't required...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2md2w7lqm/

Don't be fooled by the short presentation, a lot of eblow grease was needed to obtain the results presented above, but I think that you already knew this...aaaa and before I forget I dont like working with half measures...but I think that you also already knew this...who knows maybe YOU, the readers know me better than I know myself . Next year in February 2019 I will celebrate 4 years since I started this incursion into the past...

*Time flies...*

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 25, 2018)

Worakls ft. Linda Clifford - Porto (Nuno Cacho Lovers Mashup)

*Intel 80486 OverDrive 100 MHz and friends*

This story came out of nothing.

All started after I found at the flea market, my second *Intel 80486 Overdrive 100MHz - DX4ODPR100 / SZ959 V1.1 CPU*, which this time was complete and it came with the original heatsink. For this gem I had to pay arround 5 EUR and I had to use all of my haggling skills. The gypsy that sold it, told me to quit messing with him. This guy really didnt like my offer that was less than half of the asking price. I know him well and in the past I bought stuff from him, so I wasnt put off by this. You have to insist and also to present arguments, otherwise he won't sell a component even if he knows that he might not find someone else to buy it. He's quite stubborn but once you have passed his defences and start buying from him, prices drop considerably. The sight of money in your hand helps a lot.

The CPU was dirty, had a few bent pins, several fins from the heatsink were out of line but otherwise it was complete.



 



After a little work it was *almost good as new*. The label has faded but it is still easy to descipher. I test fitted the CPU in my socket 3 *Jetway J446A V2.0 motherboard* and all went well.





Some time after this moment, coupled with the fact that my repairing and restoring skills have increased, I remembered that I have in my possession two socket 3 motherboards which were put in the BOX of damaged components.

The two socket 3 motherboards are:

*** Kaimei Electronic Corp *KM-S4-1* Ver: 1.1 - bought from the flea market in April 2016.
*** Jetway *J446A-V2.0* - bought in February 2015 with my first batch of old components.

Both feature a *SiS 496/497 chipset combination.* They are solid and versatile motherboards. I really like this type of socket 3 motherboard as it makes me remember the *ZIDA Tomato Board 4DPS* that equiped my first PC in 1996.

I took out the two socket 3 motherboard from the BOX in which they sat and *I conducted a thorough examination.* After this examination, I came to the conclusion that * both of them were prime candidates for a full recovery.*

I was prepared to do everything that was possible to recover the motherboards. I felt confident and I was looking only at the final goal: *the complete recovery of the motherboards. *

Kaimei Electronic Corp *KM-S4-1* Ver: 1.1

I tackled this motherboard first as I thought that it had fewer problems to solve. *Little did I know...*

A trace that was placed in the middle of the CPU socket, *was torn and its ends were up in the air.* I found out about this problem right after I bought the motherboard and I started to clean it.



 

 



I used a multimeter to determine from where the trace came and where it went but this proved quite difficult and in the end I got nothing.

I evaluated my options and *I wasnt going to desolder the entire CPU socket* just to see where the trace went, so I decided to remove the cover of the CPU socket hoping that I might get a better view of the situation.

After I removed the CPU cover I found more problems. Even if the holes in the cover were pristine, beneath this cover, *four pins in the CPU socket* were damaged, three bent inward and one a little deformed. *What the hell happened?!*



 



I didnt lose too much time searching for an explanation and I made from a soft needle, *a tiny hook* with which I was going to try and mend the damaged pins of the CPU socket. Initially I wanted to take four good pins from another motherboard, but I gave up on this idea as I suspected that they might have a shape that would not permit me to take them out of the socket even if I was to desolder them.

Even on my first try, *a tiny metal piece broke off from one of the pins of the CPU socket that was bent inward* ...in the end all of the pins that were bent inward lost the same tiny metal piece. *The good news* was that the oposite part of these pins was still in place and I bent this part a little, until it was at an angle that was needed for them to make contact with the pins of the CPU. The fourth pin of the CPU socket *has survived the procedure.*



 



After I completed this task I made a test. All was OK! The force required to secure the CPU in the socket and all the noises made during this procedure were good.    Dire Straits - Going Home





The removal of the CPU cover has yielded ZERO clues in regard to the PCB trace...

After I inspected several good motherboards I came to the conclusion that perhaps, I have nothing to worry about, and the part of the trace that went under the CPU socket probably didnt touch anything, so *I positioned it at angle* that I deemed to be correct.

I used *a thicker wire* to bridge the ends of the torn trace.

*Why I used a thicker wire?* The trace is made from a very fine copper wire and even if I used *my 15W soldering iron* there was a good chance that I might burn it. The thicker wire would take a lot of the heat that was needed for soldering and the trace would have better chances of survival. I dont have a trace repair kit but I know how its done professionally. No big deal if you have what you need. As I didnt have the required tools and materials I used what I had at hand.





I fixed the thicker wire with *transparent POXIPOL* not only to hold it in place but to also insulate it and avoid a contact with other components. The ends of the torn trace were cleaned of laquer with a sharp blade and MAXIMUM ATTENTION so that the solder would adhere as it should. Any mishappening at this moment would've meant THE END.

*Flux, solder, 15W soldering iron.*



 



After all this work I conducted a final examination of the motherboard.

*BEHOLD!* A monkey has played with the solder joints of the MOSFET and has even scratched the PCB. Pfffttt.........I have to fix this mess too.



 



After a good IPA 99% bath I was ready * FOR THE BIG TEST!!!*

Did it work? He he, of course IT DID!



 

 

 



*RETURNED FROM THE DEAD!!!*





Now came the moment to recover the second socket 3 motherboard.

*This was going to be a tough nut to crack...*

Jetway *J446A-V2.0*



 



Problems that needed my attention:

*1.* 6 capacitors were missing 1uf 50V, 10uf 25V, 470uf 16V - TC1, TC2,TC3, TC4, TC20, C45
*2.* Missing MOSFET and missing information regarding the specs of the MOSFET.
*3.* The plastic cover of the CPU was damaged.
*4.* Many bent pins of the memory slots.
*5.* One memory slot was missing the tiny plastic hooks that keep the memory stick in place.
*6.* Hundreds of bent pins on the back of the motherboard.
*7.* The BIOS chip had a torn pin that had been soldered back.
*8.* ZERO JUMPERS PRESENT! about 30 pcs.
*9.* Bent pins in one of the ISA slots.

*WHAT A MESS!!* Even so, I was determined to do something about it and I wasnt going to quit.

*I CAN SAVE THIS MOTHER OF ALL BOARDS!*

The missing capacitors.



 

 

 



*The memory slots.*



 



After very tense minutes I managed to straighten all of the pins of the memory slots. Subsequent tests made with various sticks of RAM have revealed that all of the pins were making good contact with the pads. The sticks of RAM that were inserted in the top memory slot, the one that was missing the tiny plastic hooks, were held well in place so I had no reason to replace the slot.



 



*GET BENT!* I had to straighten a lot of the pins on the back of the motherboard as many even made contact with another. A BIG NO NO when I was about to power up the motherboard. INDIAN SMOKE SIGNAL FOR SURE or 4th of July sparks, depending of the situation.





A new cover for the CPU socket was taken from an incomplete motherboard.





*The damaged ISA slot.* Again tense moments. The bent pins make good contact now but I won't use this slot unless it will be absolutely necessary.



 

 



*I soldered the missing caps.* Instead of a 470uf 16V capacitor I soldered a 470uf 25V SAMXON (GT) Long life/High Ripple/Low IMPEDANCE. It's bigger but I was able the shoehorn it in. The tiny 1uf 50V and 10uf 25V caps are the brand that I found localy: Huang and ChongX. Mr HUANG & ChongX told me: ME FIX YOU UP GOOD! So I used them.  



 

 

 



*I identified the specs of the missing MOSFET.* My working J446A V2.0 motherboard has offered the information I needed, together with a not so great piece of news.

The heatsink required to cool the MOSFET had a special shape.





I searched high and low for *a heatsink* but I couldnt find anything that would fit so I had to order more models. I also had to order the missing *MOSFET* and 100 jumpers.

*REINFORCEMENTS HAVE ARRIVED!* Daft Punk - Veridis Quo



 



The heatsink must be placed under the MOSFET and the MOSFET has to be tightened well with a screw, a washer and a nut.

The ordered heatsinks were all too wide and they wouldn't fit well on the PCB. They were the smallest size that I could buy and I wasn't going to grind them down to size and lose some of the cooling capacity.

I wanted to put the MOSFET in a straight position but it didnt have support.

*Casse-tete probleme!*

*In the end I used a heatsink that was more suitable.* I used a second nut to distance the heatsink from the surrounding components, I arranged the legs of the MOSFET in the required position, I soldered nicely the MOSFET, I even found a red washer like the original one.

*AS GOOD AS IT GETS!* Excellent results! _(Pads himself on the back for a job well done.)_



 

 



*Pictures with the soldering job.*



 

 

 

 

 



*More pictures with the  MOSFET.*



 

 



*Capacitors.*



 

 

 



After all this hard work I was ready for *THE TEST!*

I powered up the motherboard and I waited anxiously for the right noises and sounds.

*NO POST! NO BEEP! NADA!*

Sheeetttttt!

I looked closely at the motherboard and I saw that the graphic adapter didnt go all the way into the slot because one of the jumpers was in the way.  A common problem back in the day.





I moved the graphic card into another slot and I tried again.

*BLACK SCREEN! NO POST! NO BEEP! NADA!*

#$&@*$&(@*&$*(@#~~~~~!!!! 

Hmmm...

*Before I powered the board* I removed the BIOS chip and I verified to see if the BIOS file was good. I didnt find the same version but I looked at another BIOS file and all seemed to be order. I used the HxD editor. At that moment I didnt write a newer version because I thought that maybe the version that was present on the chip was the right one for this motherboard.

Out of options I programmed the BIOS chip with the version that I found on the internet.



 



I crossed my fingers and I pressed THE POWER BUTTON!

*CLANK!*

*BEEP!*

*I'M ALIVE!!!*

The satisfaction was off the scale. Oh the JOY! I breathed deep and I said to myself GOOD JOB!

First I inserted a single RAM stick then *four* and all of them were recognized, sign that all of the RAM slots are operational.

*I tried an AMD 5x86 133MHZ ADZ CPU and the Intel 486 OverDrive 100MHz.*

*ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL!!!*



 

 



*Cleaned and repaired.*



 



*A JOB WEEL DONE!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I took pictures of my good J446A V2.0 together with the repaired motherboards.*



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/jgklxuvw/

A nice spread dont you think? 

Now my collection has two new socket 3 motherboards that are in good working condition.

*It pays to stick to your guns and never give up once you have established a goal.*

A few years ago I labeled these types of boards as organ donors but now I know that I can save them.

*Merry Christmas!*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 26, 2018)

The story telling aspect you take is very interesting and enjoyable! Merry Christmas to you as well!


----------



## phanbuey (Dec 26, 2018)

This is a great thread.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 26, 2018)

Thanks guys! 

*Expect more great stories ahead:* The SUPER aka SUPER P6DLS, RAMBUS troubles with Gigabyte GA-8TM and ECS P4ITA, An episode about the heatsinks I found at the flea market, Another Flea Market Surprise episode, GF256DDR, GUS ACE V1.1, The curious Gigabyte GA-622-16 a TNT 2 M64 with a TURBO BUTTON running at 160/160 unlike the regular TNT 2 M64 125/150, Another episode about the MS-6168 which promises to be quite a challenge if I manage to repair it as it is really banged up, Aureal TRIO, The interesting Leadtek GF2 PRO...and more if I find good stuff at the flea market.

More later.


----------



## Jetster (Dec 26, 2018)

You have some serious time invested


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 26, 2018)

Robert B said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> *Expect more great stories ahead:* The SUPER aka SUPER P6DLS, RAMBUS troubles with Gigabyte GA-8TM and ECS P4ITA, An episode about the heatsinks I found at the flea market, Another Flea Market Surprise episode, GF256DDR, GUS ACE V1.1, The curious Gigabyte GA-622-16 a TNT 2 M64 with a TURBO BUTTON running at 160/160 unlike the regular TNT 2 M64 125/150, Another episode about the MS-6168 which promises to be quite a challenge if I manage to repair it as it is really banged up, Aureal TRIO, The interesting Leadtek GF2 PRO...and more if I find good stuff at the flea market.
> 
> More later.


Have you thought of doing a YouTube channel? I think it would be good! I'd subscribe.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2018)

@Jetster - time flies when you're having fun  Looking back only now I can see the sheer amount of hours that I've put in 
@lexluthermiester - THE YT channel is on my mind but I want to do a proper job and I dont want to use half measures so that will have to wait some more. It is an entire different proposition that I can accomplish but it also needs a another approach.


Darin Epsilon - My Own Time (feat. Alice Rose)

*ON NEW YEARS EVE (UTC/GMT+2): **THE SUPER* -_ not to be confused with SUPPER  _





"*What's All The Hubub...Bub?*" with the toilet seat???.  Well....in due time all will be revealed. 

Over one hundred pictures with a bunch of CPUs, slotkets and a mighty DUAL CPU LX *mother of all moherboards!* My biggest retro board to date!

*CYA laterz my readers!!!*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 31, 2018)

Saber Rider Metal Theme - High Quality

*The SUPER*

Like many other situations in the past, the way that this board has found its way to me, it is af if, *it had my name written all over it.* She was searching for me *but I was playing hard to get.*

In *July 2018* I was having *a session of physiotherapy* because I lifted something too heavy in the wrong way. While the doctor was doing her work and I was lying on the bed, having nothing better to do, I opened the *WhatsApp* application on my phone, to see if I had received a message. BAM! ONE MESSAGE: *"What do you think about this DUAL CPU motherboard?".*

-Hmm...NICE piece of KIT you have there. How much is the DAMAGE?
-$$$
-That's a fair price I said. Let me think about for a few days.

Looking back, *I had no reason to wait and I should've snatched it right away,* but me being me, I had to do my homework before I would buy it.

What was the DUAL CPU motherboard that I'm referring to?

*SUPER/SUPERMICRO P6DLS REV 2.1* - Intel SLOT 1 440LX DUAL CPU

The manual stated that the motherboard supports *Pentium II 233/266/300/333 MHz CPUs on a 66MHz bus.* Now, the board had my full attention.

https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/motherboard/440LX/MNL-607.pdf

I searched for information regarding this model on the internet and I found a particularly interesting webpage written in russian. I used *TRANSLATE* and I obtained some valuable information.

http://www.phantom.sannata.ru/konkurs/2017/kt1701.shtml

From the translated text, *one paragraph* was very important as it stateted that if the VRM of the motherboard was equiped with a *Cherry Semiconductor CS5155* chip, then it would support more CPUs than those stated in the manual. *The CS 5155 can provide a voltage range from 1.3V to 3.5V* versus *the CS5150 which has a voltage range from 2.1V to 3.5V.* The Vcore voltage is supplied automatically as this motherboard doesnt have OC features.

*Why is this so important?* Well, I can use Pentium II Deschutes(Vcore 2.0V) CPUs that run on a 66/100MHz bus besides the Pentium II Klamath (Vcore 2.8V) models specified in the manual. It is understood that the 100MHz bus Deschutes that will run on a 66MHz bus are going to function at a lower frequency than what they are cappable of. Let's take for example a PII 350MHz/100MHz Deschutes which has a 3.5 multiplier. If we multiply 3.5x100MHz=350MHz. On a 66MHz bus we will get a much lower frequency 3.5x66MHz~233MHz.

Besides all the aspects mentioned above, *I also had an ulterior motive* for wanting that *CS5155* chip. I was planning to use two *Celeron A SLOT 1 CPUs*. I already had one Celeron 333MHz *Mendocino core * SL2WN (Vcore 2.0V) CPU which I bought from the flea market.

I asked the seller to send me a few pictures with the VRM area, to see if the CS5155 chip was present. From what I have read on the internet the CS5155 isn't usually seen on *Revision 2.1 motherboards*.

In a way I was looking for reasons not to buy this motherboard...

I received the pictures that I needed: *CS5155 REPORTING FOR DUTY SiiiiiiiiiiiiiiRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!*

*YES!*

After more *WhatApp* conversations I found out that the motherboard belonged to another contact of mine and the one that sent me the pictures was selling it for him. I knew both of them pretty well as we have made several transactions in the past. Over the phone I received all the information I needed from the owner of the motherboard  and from the one that sent me the pictures and was selling it for him, I bought *two Celeron 333MHz SL2WN SLOT 1 CPUs* and I also received the confirmation that the motherboard was in good working condition.

*Pretty complicated isn't it?*

I had several opportunities to obtain *DUAL CPU motherboards* but I didnt buy any of them *as they didnt speak to me.* With the *P6DLS* it was different. As soon as I laid my eyes on it I knew that it was mine. The size, the emerald green color, the fact that it is a SUPERMICRO motherboard, a company that I still respect very much, the quality of construction, made me melt and I paid the asking price.

*MINE!*

I waited anxiously the arrival of the motherboard which had my name written all over it. When the courier came, I received a somewhat curious package.





*A TOILET SEAT?* I mean the package from a toilet seat?!?! That's something! I sure hope the contents aren't shitty.

I removed the components from the box and I took a few pictures. *This thing right here is THE REAL DEAL.*



 



*CS5155*





*440LX*





It was obvious that the motherboard hadn't been used for some time. Even so, it wasnt too dirty. Dust and grime according to age.



 



While I was waiting for its arrival I kept asking myself if I will be able to use *two Celeron 333MHz SL2WN CPU in SMP configuration.* I already read how to execute a *Celeron A SMP mod.* A tricky procedure that it is within my ability to perform.

http://www.ptrlabs.com/celeron/index-sepp.html
http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews/dualcel/dualcel2.shtml

Right after I received the motherboard I updated the BIOS with the latest version straight from the SUPERMICRO webpage. The description stated: *"Supports Pentium II/Celeron Slot1"*. I mounted two Fractal fans on the two 333MHz Celerons SL2WN CPUs and I was ready to go.

https://www.supermicro.com/support/bios/archive.cfm



 



As expected, the two *Celeron 333MHz SL2WN CPUs* didnt work in a *DUAL/SMP configuration* and I needed to mod them. A not so thrilling proposition as I dont like to perform extreme/ireversible modifications on old components.



 

 

 



To rule out any doubt, I wanted to see if the motherboard works in a *DUAL/SMP configuration* with two *Pentium II CPUs*. Because I didnt have two 66MHz bus Pentium II CPUs I used two Deschutes 100MHz bus CPUs. These werent even identical. One was * SL2U4* and the other *SL37F*. Even so, all was OK. The CPUs ran at *233MHz(3.5*66MHz)* and both of them were recognized.

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL2U4.html
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Pentium-II/Intel-Pentium II 350 - 80523PY350512PE SECC2 (BX80523U350512E).html



 

 

 

 



*BIOS*

This type of *AMIBIOS interface* wasnt too popular back in the day, but I liked it. The motherboard has an onboard SCSI controller.



 

 

 

 



After the Pentium II 350MHz test I decided to try my only *Celeron 366MHz/Slotket combo* that I had in my possession.



 

 



I also tested a *Pentium II 333MHz 66MHz bus SL2S5 CPU.* In this instance I fiddled with the multiplier settings. From jumpers I was able to make it run at: 300MHz, 233MHz and 133MHz. When I ran the CPU at 133MHz the 512KB L2 CACHE was DISABLED and it wasnt detected at POST.

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL2S5.html



 

 

 

 

 



I even tried a *Pentium II 450MHz SL2U7 CPU*. This CPU ran at 300MHz and 200MHz.

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL2U7.html



 

 

 



*Jumper settings.*





After all these tests I decided to buy another *slotket* and a bunch of *Celeron - Mendocino core S370 CPUs.* I gave up on the ideea of performing a Celeron A SLOT 1 SMP mod.

To be able to use *Celeron A S370* in *DUAL/SMP configuration,* the slotket must have a connection between *the B75 pin* from the SLOT 1/SECC connector and *the AN15 pin* from the s370 socket of the CPU. If this connection isnt present you can solder a thin wire between them and PRESTO Celeron SMP ACTION! Some more advanced slotkets even have a jumper to ENABLE/DISABLE this feature.

http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews/dual370/dual370-3.shtml





*Pretty easy stuff.*

*THREE Celeron 333MHz CPUs SL2WN.*



 





The P6DLS has the aura of a *HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT.* I dont even want to think how much it costed back in the day when I was still enjoying my  AMD 5x86 133MHz PC.



 

 

 

 

 



I laid the *SUPER/SUPERMICRO P6DLS* next to her 440LX sister, * the EPOX EP-61LXA-M*. There is nothing more to be said. *THIS THING IS MASSIVE!*



 

 

 

 



*A few bent pins, nothing too serious.*





The first task that I performed was * the removal of a label* that was placed in a bad spot. I maintained the label wet using a cotton disk soaked in IPA 99%, I added more alcohol using a syringe, I used a bamboo stick that wasnt too pointed and paciently I removed the label that broke in many many many small pieces. *This was a stressful endavour* The chances to damage something were pretty high and the label had a damn sticky glue.



 

 

 

 



While I waited for the arrival of my second *slotket* and the *Celeron S370 CPUs*, I cleaned the two *Celeron 333MHz SL2WN CPUs.* *It made no sense* to clean the motherboard and then leave it on the desk for two days during testing.



 

 

 



I washed *the heatsinks* with water and dish soap. *The retaining clips* took a bath in a mild rust removal solution and they were hand polished until they shined. I wasnt able to remove the pitting on one of them but in the end I got a more presentable result.



 

 

 

 



*SHINY!*



 

 

 

 



*The white fans* are nothing special. Maybe a little weak but still up to the task.





*ALL DONE!!!*



 

 

 

 

 



*CLEAN!*



 



*The Celerons have arrived!*





After I received my second slotket, model *370SP Rev 1.0*, I used it together with my *Gigabyte GA-6R7 REV 1.7* slotket, to test all the Celeron A S370 CPUs. To my joy, a multimeter test, has revealed that both of them had continuity between *the B75 pin* and *the AN15 pin.* No modding required.

*The SUPER/SUPERMICRO P6DLS motherboard* worked well with two different types of slotket, in DUAL/SMP configuration, at 400MHz, 433MHz and 500MHz. AWESOME STUFF! I LIKE IT!!!



 

 

 

 

 



After this much fun I had to *clean again* the CPUs that I used. *What a mess.*





*The moment when I had to clean the motherboard arrived.*

*BEFORE and AFTER!*





*NOT SHINY!*





I protected all of the stamped ink markings and the *MADE IN U.S.A. logo* with ORAFOL STONE GUARD film. I didnt want them to be removed by IPA 99%.



 



*Ready for ACTION!*





Sadly, I didnt protect the label from beneath the northbridge chip and it was removed by IPA 99%, ...*it happens even to the best of us*. I thought that the protection wouldn't be needed but as soon as it was touched by IPA99% and a soft brush, all the writing has disintegrated.

I dried the motherboard using a small air compressor. Two wash cycles and three pass of *fine detailing* were needed to obtain the results that I wanted.



 

 



*Final results?* *MIRROR-LIKE!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



While I was cleaning the board I had a lot of time to inspect it thoroughly. *Minimal damage.*



 





*More good stuff.*



 

 

 



This was the story of my first *DUAL (Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)) procesor motherboard.* I dont know if I'll buy this type of motherboard in the future. *Maybe YES maybe NOT.*

Appart of *bragging rights* I dont see how am I going to use it. The 440LX chipset makes it to stand out. Even if I like the 440BX a lot, I'm also a 440LX fan, the first AGP+SD-RAM chipset for Pentium II CPUs.

*Windows 98* knows nothing about SMP and I would have to use *a version of Windows NT* or *Windows 2000*. These last ones might have some quirks with some games and other applications.

If I'll include this motherboard in a Windows 98 SE build, one thing is certain. I will use TWO Celeron 500MHz CPUs. *SMP support of not, I want all the SLOTS FILLED!*

After many years of service, after more years of being kept in a case stashed in a dark corner, this motherboard, meticulously restored, is waiting paciently in a box together with her sistes, away from the teeth of the crusher, ready to tell the story of times gone by.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/17rvyrpaa/

Cya next year with more episodes.

*HAPPY NEW YEAR!*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 1, 2019)

I would go for at least one 440BX based dual board. They were great for Cel 300A's(running at 450mhz) and run Win2k/XP very well. There were dual S360 boards that were fun too!

Happy New Year Robert! This year has been fun watching you do your thing!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 24, 2019)

Cleric - The Key Of Night (Original Mix)

The *two missing pieces* from my 3dfx collection have arrived. 

* PCI3DFX-6M - Macronix MX86251FC & 3DFX *Voodoo Rush* 6MB
* 3dfx *VooDoo 5 5500* AGP 64MB



 

 

 



The VooDoo 5 5500 has only *one functional chip*. I knew about this before I bought it. Each attempt to make it work with both of the chips was met with a faillure. There is no doubt that the second chip is toast even if the board looks almost mint. Along three days of testing I have exhausted all of the alternatives. I don't intend to modify or repair the board and I will just do *a complete restoration.* This card is destined to be a *showpiece* and not a *daily driver.* The emotions I felt when I opened the ESD bag will be revealed when I'll post the episode.  For now, *it's waiting paciently* to be restored.

The *VooDoo RUSH* was problematic. The stories about incompatibilities and sometimes the unpredictable behaviour of this card, are completely true. Graphical anomalies, system hang ups,....  the whole nine yards...All in all a thrilling experience.

*The story of these artefacts of times gone by will be told at the appropriate time.*

*More later.*


----------



## stinger608 (Jan 25, 2019)

I have a great working VooDoo 5 5500 and it sure isn't a daily driver as well @Robert B !!! But man, I pull that out of the anti-static bag many times over a year just to look at that puppy. 

They were an amazing piece of hardware history!!!!!!!!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 26, 2019)

After I spent three days with the card I decided to pay the asking price and make it mine.

In the end I came to the conclusion that, in full working order or not, I still want it.

You can pay hundreds of EUR/USD on one and it might die on you unexpectedly so this was a NO BRAINER. 

Droplex - Stay Alive [Minimal Techno]

The next episode in the works: "*The Cooler bunch"*

*

*

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 27, 2019)

Kraftwerk - Das Model

*The COOLER bunch*

All the *CPU coolers* presented bellow have been found last year at *the good ol' local flea market*. Some were *an impulse buy* others were *something that I desired.*.

Let's meet the models.

*1.* *PDC38130BC
2.* *S423 cooler
3.* Titan *CU5TB
4.* Thermaltake *Slim Volcano 10+*


*PDC38130BC*

*An impluse buy*. The golden colour and the very low price made me to take it home.

It didnt look too great but I knew that I could make it like new again.





*All clogged up.*



 



A little magic.



 

 

 



*The fan* required a lot more work.

I tried *IPA 99%*.





*More IPA 99%,* but to no avail. The inside of the fan was covered by *a reddish crust* that was very stubborn and it just showed me the middle finger while it laughed at me. I didnt take it apart as the propeller was fixed with a proprietary washer and I didnt want more headaches.



 



I tried *dishwashing liquid and a little water*, but to no avail.





In the end I resorted to *metal polishing cream*, followed by *dishwashing liquid and a little water* and I finished everything off with *IPA 99%.*



 

 



After a lot of work I had a clean fan but this *aggresive cleaning process* made the plastic surface of the fan to lose its shine. I used a silicone cream designed for cars, I applied a thick layer and I left it overnight closed in a plastic bag. The following day I took it out of the plastic bag and I wiped off the excess.

*The results were above my expectations.* The moral? Be careful who you bring home as they can be more trouble than you think. 



 

 



*Final results.*



 

 

 



The cooler is very silent and well built. All in all, an era period correct element for a future build.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1zc9nt8w8/


*S423* cooler 

This is a stock cooler for *S423 systems*.

It's pretty hard to find and *I didnt think too much* when I saw it. Unfortunately it didnt came with the original fan but I reckon that a *Noctua* would look just about right mounted on it.

I removed it from a damaged *Intel Desktop Board motherboard*. The seller accepted my offer and it was amazed why I didnt take the whole package. A damaged motherboard means a lot of work as we will see in the MS-6168 episode.



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2qu9f66vc/


Titan *CU5TB*

I still own my Titan CU5TB which I bought *back in the day*. I used it on a *KT333/Athlon XP 1900+ Palomino* system.

I read about it on the internet and I wanted to have it. So, I went to a local *HW shop* and I bought it together with the Athlon XP 1900+.

When I arrived home I powered up my new PC. *OH THE NOISE!* You see, there is one thing to read about a cooler and another thing to actually own it. In the end I used it for a few years and even to this day I still remember the noise it made even with the case closed. 

When I bought my *Abit NF7-S 2.0* I used the stock cooler from the *2800+ Barton* as it was more silent.

The moment I saw this *CU5TB* at the flea market I wanted to have it.  I paid a very low price for it and I took it home. *TWICE THE POWER, TWICE THE NOISE, TWICE THE FUN* or something like this...

If I were to use these coolers on a *dual Athlon XP-M system* I would mount two Noctua fans and all would be OK!





*Full disassembly.*





*Shiny.* I washed the heatsink with dishwashing liquid and water, followed by a quick session with a hair dryer, followed by polishing cream and a soft rag .



 

 

 



Because I didnt like *the look of the inside of the cooler* I put it for a few hours in *vinegar made from grapes*.





*Results?* Like new.



 

 



Clean. New thin double sided tape for the sticker.





*Ready for assembly.*





*The fan.*



 

 



*All done!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I just couldnt leave this *jewel* to be recycled. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/34nbq1a2w/


Thermaltake *Slim Volcano 10+*

I found this *Thermaltake Slim Volcano 10+ cooler* on a sunny day at the local flea market. As soon as I saw the box of the cooler I took it my hands.

When I opened the box, I saw that inside was present a *Thermaltake Slim Volcano 10+*. YAY! Usually this is not the case. In the past I found in boxes anything but what was written them.

I paid the asking price and I took it home. The seller said that it was new. It looked great but I was pretty sure that it wasnt brand spanking new so I didnt comment.

Inside I found very little dust and I had to clean just the fan and the bottom of the cooler.

I used it on an Athlon XP 1900+ CPU and I was very satisfied by the performance and the sound of the cooler.

*A great little cooler with a high visual impact.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1mojsmi4o/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Feb 3, 2019)

*RAMBUS FUN!*

Last year I had a case of *RAMBUS "fever'*. Finding a S423 RAMBUS motherboard proved to be a tough proposition, in stark contrast with the CPUs which were quite easy to source. The RIMM memory sticks pop quite often at the flea market and in adds that that sell PC memory. You can easily find 128MB PC800 sticks, sometimes 256MB sticks and rarely 512MB sticks.

My first S423 RAMBUS motherboard was a *Gigabyte GA-8TM* but it was *a total fiasco*. Her story will be told shortly.

My second S423 RAMBUS motherboard was *ECS P4ITA VER:1.0 *** 15-A09-010300*. Not quite a PITA but close. 

The motherboard showed clear signs that it came *from the pile that was ready to be fed to the shredder* and it had a twisted chip. A few bent capacitors. The retaining clips of the CPU heatsink were also affected. One metal clip was missing and the plastic ones were cracked or incomplete. What bothered me the most was the missing heatsink.

At first I didnt want to buy it, but for a very low price I received, a Pentium 4 S423 1.3GHz SL4SF CPU, three RIMM sticks (1x512MB PC800, 2x128MB PC800) and a RIMM Terminator. *All in all not a bad deal.*

The motherboard underwent the standard procedure at the recycling center. The *WINBOND W83627HF-AM chip* was out of line and it had two pins that were in worse shape than the others, one was separated from the pad and the second was badly bent. I still wonder how it didnt fly off the board.



 

 

 



I'm sure that many of you would've passed on this board. Not me!  My experience with ECS boards was always pretty good. They dont stand out but they are solid and reliable. Not speed demons but not slouches either. For example my *ECS K7VTA3 V3.1* is still going strong after I replaced 9 capacitos. I cant say the same thing about other premium motherboards from more reputable manufacturers.

I searched for the diagram for the *WINBOND W83627HF-AM chip* to see if the two pins were important. 

http://drivers.portwell.com/CA_Manual/GPIO/w83627hf(GPIO)explanation.pdf (PAG 11)

Two my joy the two pins had a role in measuring the temperature of the CPU and the temperature of the system. If I wasnt able to fix them, the motherboard could work without them.

* *VTIN2* 103 AIN Temperature sensor 2 input. It is used for CPU1 temperature
measuration.
* *VTIN1* 104 AIN Temperature sensor 1 input. It is used for system temperature measuration.

*With great care* I straightened the bent pin and I managed to arrange and solder the other pin. Taking into consideration that these pins have already been bent and twisted, the risk of them breaking was so much greater.

*All done!*



 



*I prepared the motherboard for testing.* As a precaution I decided to change the thermal paste underneath the northbridge heatsink as it seemed that the heatsink was out of its original position. For sure the thermal paste was dry and brittle.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*First BOOT! NO PROBLEMS!*





*BEFORE. * The sensor indicated a system temperature of 25C and the CPU temperature was stuck at 12C.





*AFTER.* The sensor indicated a system temperature of 25C and the CPU temperature was 45C. The system has the same temperature of 25C because the PC was used in an open bench scenario at the same ambient temperature. I'm sure that if I was to leave the system ON for a longer period of time the system temperature would've increased. The jump in temperature would've been smaller as we are talking about the system temperature and not the CPU temperature.





Pictures with a stock S423 cooler. Unfortunately I had only one metal clip and the plastic parts could not be used. 



 

 



*This retaining system is for me a bad joke.* If the thermal paste hardens, which is frequenlty the case, or if a thermal pad is used, there is no way for you to twist the heatsink to free it from the CPU and in many cases you can remove the CPU from its socket while it is attached to the heatsink. Even with fresh Arctic MX4 thermal paste I had a tough time separating the heatsink from the CPU.* A really bad system....*

*The damaged capacitors. * For sure they will have to be replaced. No leaks yet.



 



The *Pentium 4 1.3GHz SL4SF CPU* had many pins that needed to be aligned.



 



Some time after I bought the ECS P4ITA I found a S423 compatible cooler and a 1GB RIMM PC600 256MBx4 memory kit.

The cooler is *model number 7P182* and it came from a *Dell Optiplex GX240*. The metal clips are good but the plastic bits arent spaced for S423. It came without a fan.

After a decent amount of elbow grease the cooler came out MINT. The metal clips were put in a rust remover solution and hand polished afterwards. I mounted an *ENERMAX T.B Silence 80mm fan* and I was ready to party.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2xs9ovwbm/

*1GB of glorius RAMBUS.* I'm sure this costed an arm and a leg back in the day...



 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1aygpwuw2/

*COMPLETE!*





*The cleaning of the motherboard had its own problems.*

The motherboard was so dirty that IPA 99% wasnt enough. After a few tries I lost patience as the results weren't up to spec. 

In the end I washed the motherboard with *FAIRY LEMON and warm water from the tap*. This way I was able to remove the stubborn layer of dirt from the PCB surface.





I dried the motherboard with a small air compressor.





*Afterwards came a few IPA 99% baths and fine detailing.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I'm starting to like this purple colour. 





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2aazge5wi/

The *Gigabyte GA-8TM* agreed to donate the plastic parts from the cooling system and now the *ECS P4ITA* was whole again.





For me ECS is not such a bad proposition.  Call me strange I don't care! 

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Feb 3, 2019)

Robert B said:


> For me ECS is not such a bad proposition.  Call me strange I don't care!


ECS got a bad wrap for being a budget board company. I never had a problem with even one of their boards. Carry on, it's all good!


----------



## Robert B (Feb 9, 2019)

Lazerhawk - Dream Machine

*Gigabyte GA-8TM REV:1.0* aka *THE FLOP*

I bought this motherboard before I got the *ECS P4ITA* at a time when I really wanted to have a RAMBUS S423 setup.

I found the *Gigabyte GA-8TM* on a local add site and I paid under 3 EUR for it. It was listed as *not working* and I thought that for such a low sum of money what could possibly go wrong? Little did I know that this was going to be *a money pit*...it all starts with an introduction fee and then better fasten your seatbelts! 

*ALL ABOARD!*

I contacted the seller and soon I held in my hands *the object of my desire.*

*Initial impressions were good.* The motherboard had some signs of damage but all in all it looked ok.





I mounted an *intel P4 1.7GHz SL57W CPU*, I straightened some bent pins on the WINBOND W83627HF-AW chip, then I powered up the motherboard.



 

 



*NOTHING! *No POST. No beeps. DEAD. The only time when the motherboard showed signs of life was when there were no RAM sticks installed and the PC SPEAKER gave the NO RAM ERROR BEEP CODE.

I conducted a close inspection and *I found more problems.* Broken plastic bits from the parallel port. Bent fins on the northbridge heatsink. CPU socket with signs of damage. USB port with bent pins. 



 

 

 

 

 



Surprisingly there were *NO SMD componets missing from the PCB*. This made me to take the decision to do whatever it was in my power to save this motherboard. *(Bad choice here)*

I decided to remove the BIOS chip and install a PLCC32 socket for easy BIOS update. I also bought new USB ports for the motherboard.





Removing the BIOS chip and installing the PLCC32 socket was a breeze.



 

 

 

 



The removal of the USB ports was another matter. I dont have a hot air station so I had to use brute force in a gentle way and I removed the damaged ports bit by bit. At that moment it became clear that my puny 40W soldering iron wasnt enough so I had to use something stronger. The multilayer PCBs suck up the heat faster as they have a bigger surface and when a smaller soldering iron is used, the solder doesnt remain fluid for the required amount of time and also the solder joints arent good.

I brought the *THE BIG GUNS* in the shape of an old 100W soldering gun with a modified tip. I simply didnt have anything else available. 

I have to mention that up until that moment I didnt do anything close to the scale of the operation I was to undertake and my experience was limited. 

Using the 100W beast I got decent results and in the end I became an expert in using *this unyielding weapon*. (Once a barbarian always a barbarian). Later on, I used this soldering gun on many occasions with zero problems.  No burn marks on the PCB, zero damaged traces, zero capacitor casualties . Replacing a capacitor is a piece of cake with this tool.

I do not recommed that you do the same, though. *Your mileage might vary.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After a lot of work I was ready for another test. I updated the BIOS chip using a MiniPRO TL866A programmer and I powered up the motherboard. The result was *A BIG FAT ZERO!*

*STILL NO CHANGE!*

Days have passed but my mind was still searching for a solution.

I conducted another inspection of the motherboard.

This time I saw that *a capacitor near the memory slots was MIA.*





I searched on the internet for pictures that would reveal the specs of the missing capacitor but *I found nothing.* Fuzzy pictures with a low resolution. I wanted to at least find the colour of the missing capacitor. *Wasted hours...*

In the end I found this picture from Computex Taipei 2001.





https://www.ixbt.com/news/hard/index.shtml?02/07/11

I stared at the picture for many minutes.  The missing capacitor was *dark green*. There were many dark green capacitors on the board but they had *different sizes* so I was back to square one.

In the end I came up with the following solution: *SHADDOW ANALYSIS*.

I took pictures with my motherboard im such a way that it would emulate the Computex Taipei 2001 picture. This way I was able to find the approximate size of the missing capacitor. As now I had information about the colour and the size of the missing capacitor I could determine the specs using a neighbouring capacitor.

The specs of the missing capacitor were *1200uf 6.3V*. I couldnt find one locally so I used a *1500uf 6.3V capacitor.*



 

 



I tested again the motherboard. *STILL NO CHANGE!!!*

*I tossed the board in a box ready to give up.*

Weeks have passed. Thinking that maybe my 1.7GHz P4 was dead, I bought another *Pentium 4 1.5GHz SL4SH CPU* and I tried again.





*STILL NO CHANGE!* NO POST. NO BEEP. NOTHING!

I bought a new memory kit: 1GB RIMM 4x256MB PC600.

*STILL NO CHANGE!*

While I passed my hand over the motherboard I felt that a few GSC capacitors, *were hotter than the rest,* so I replaced *8 GSC 330uf 25V capacitors with SAMWHA 330uf 50V. *



 

 



*NEW TEST. STILL NO CHANGE!*

I replaced the 1200uf 6.3V capacitor with a 1500uf 6.3V. I replaced other capacitors...I removed the northbridge heatsink and I replaced the thermal paste.

*STILL NO CHANGE!*

I bought a cheap PCI diagnostic card- PCI SMART DEBUGGER CARD but I found nothing new. Money down the drain...I wouldn't buy this debugger card again and I would buy something better instead.

The PCI debugger card at least revealed that the +3.3V +5V +/-12V voltages were OK.

The motherboard was stuck at: *"control to INT 19H boot loader"*.





I searched for a solution for hours and nothing worked.

I connected a HDD, a DVD-ROM and a floppy unit thinking that maybe this was the problem. I tried multiple BIOS versions. I checked the jumpers. *All was for nothing.*

When I connected the HDD on the second IDE port the PCI debugger card showeed nothing.

Problems, problems and even more problems.

Over the course of the last test sessions I saw that *the southbridge chip got extremely hot*. I couldnt keep my finger on it for more than two seconds. For sure this was the culprit for all of my problems. This also meant that the motherboard was toast.

In a gesture of maximum frustration I dumped the board in the box and I tried to forget it.

Even so I wasnt ready to call it quits and I bought some cheap *Chong CD110X capacitors* and I replaced the VRM caps. 7 pcs in total. I would change them with japanese caps if the motherboard would spring into life.



 

 

 

The motherboard showed just a flatline.

*YEP you have guessed it!  NO CHANGE!!!*

If I add up the time, effort and money we arrive at a respectable sum of money. Maybe I should've paid the full price and get a working board from EBAY LIKE A BO$$.

This board was a total faillure!

From this endeavour I also got some positive aspects. Now I can change capacitors with zero headaches. *Dead meat was useful after all. * 

*Over and out! Nothing more to add. I dont want to hear about Gigabyte GA-8TM a long time from now.*

Sometimes it's better *to quit while you are ahead* instead of giving everything for nothing...live and learn. This mishap made me reluctant to buy motherboards that I would've bought in the past. Now I even look to see what brand of capacitors are on the board before I make the purchase. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1ey3rxtgk/

This was *THE FLOP!*





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Feb 13, 2019)

Eminem - Bitch Please II (Feat. Dr. Dre & Xzibit & Snoop Dogg) 

*FLEA MARKET SURPRISE!* - _(the big version)_

As you probably know by now,  *the Flea Market Surprise episodes* present components that I found at the local flea market. *They have been bought at very low prices. 2-5 EUROS max. * 

*F.M.S.* because you never know what you might find there!

The presentation is *short* and I let *the pictures* tell *the story.*

Let's meet the *FRESH MEAT!* Fresh from the gutter I mean.  By the time I'm done with them, *they will shine brighter than a diamond in the g0at$ a$$!!!* 

*1.* Adaptec 1200A RAID Controller
*2.* KINGMAX DDR400 / KINGMAX HARD-CORE DDR500
*3.* NVIDIA Quadro FX 1000 / ZALMANN VF700 AlCu
*4. *Butterfly Intel i740 8MB AGP
*5.* RIMM
*6.* 370CPU REV 1.0 slotket / Intel Celeron 900MHz/100 SL5LX
*7.* ASUS AGP-V6800DDR/32M(TVR) - Geforce 256 DDR / Asus V6800 DELUXE
*8.* Thermaltake Super Orb / Athlon XP 1900+ *** AX1900DMT3C *** AGOIA0152RPBW / Athlon XP 2800+ *** AXDA2800DKV4D *** ADYHA0512RPMW
*9.* Creative Sound Blaster 16 *** Creative Labs CT2890 *** Vibra16SPNP
*10.* Gigabyte GA-622-16 REV 1.0 *** Riva TNT 2 M64 16MB AGP
*11.* GUS ACE 1.1 *** ADVANCED GRAVIS ULTRASOUND ACE VERSION 1.1

*1. Adaptec 1200A RAID Controller*

Nothing fancy. 



 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2e5uj4gpw/

*2. KINGMAX DDR400 / KINGMAX HARD-CORE DDR500*

Ahhh GooD Ol' KINGMAX!

Cleaned, tested and put in *the stash o' RAM*.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/36vxyekro/

*3. NVIDIA Quadro FX 1000 / ZALMANN VF700 AlCu*

*Nice card but DEAD*. The Zalmann VF700 cooler has most likely damaged the card. Even the heatspreader from the graphic chip had its corners reaching for the sky.

It is possbile that maybe the card was put under a twisting action but I didnt find any evidence on the PCB to sustain this. Most likely, the retaining system of the Zalmann cooler is the culprit here. The two anchoring points put a lot of strain on the PCB and the diagonal backplate is not doing her job well.

I used to like this type of coolers but I wouldnt leave one mounted on any card for more than a few hours.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1kyanmh0k/

*4. Butterfly Intel i740 8MB AGP*

*i740!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/vgfe0eck/

*5. RIMM*

Squeaky clean.



 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1srwjzw6c/

*6. 370CPU REV 1.0 slotket / Intel Celeron 900MHz/100 SL5LX*

You never know when you might need a slotket! Better buy them when you see them!



 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/g1ha00x0/

*7. ASUS AGP-V6800DDR/32M(TVR) - Geforce 256 DDR / Asus V6800 DELUXE*

*2.2 EUROS* for a GF256 DDR? HELL YEAH! 

Unfortunately the card has issues. A CHRONTEL CH7005C-T chip has signs of damage. The card shows artifacts. 

*So much for my cheap GF256 DDR...*

I repaired the cooling system and I cleaned the card well. *No dirty parts in my collection!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3adtexhus/

*8. Thermaltake Super Orb / Athlon XP 1900+ *** AX1900DMT3C *** AGOIA0152RPBW / Athlon XP 2800+ *** AXDA2800DKV4D *** ADYHA0512RPMW*

I'll tell you what is the specialty of the TT Super ORB...to make a lot of racket! Man this cooler is noisy as hell! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2vvj60vj8/

*9. Creative Sound Blaster 16 *** Creative Labs CT2890 *** Vibra16SPNP*

Mint!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nbqlbmw4/

*10. Gigabyte GA-622-16 REV 1.0 *** Riva TNT 2 M64 16MB AGP*

A TNT2 M64 with a TURBO JUMPER? Who would've thought? 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 3dmark99 scores are similar as the benchmark ran at a resolution of 800x600(CPU limited). If I would've used a 1024x768 resolution the performance increase coming from 125/150 to 160/160 would've been more visible. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2z2dpki3o/

*11. GUS ACE 1.1 *** ADVANCED GRAVIS ULTRASOUND ACE VERSION 1.1*

*IMMACULATE!* and RED!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/fpkxt50k/

*This was THE BIG F.M.S.!

Enjoy!

IceCube - Check Yo Self

More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Feb 13, 2019)

Robert B said:


> *1. Adaptec 1200A RAID Controller*
> 
> Nothing fancy.


This was an excellent IDE RAID controller!


Robert B said:


> Unfortunately the card has issues. A CHRONTEL CH7005C-T chip has signs of damage.


That can be replaced. Source out the same chip, desolder the old one and solder on the replacement. That card will be good as new!


----------



## blobster21 (Feb 13, 2019)

> *Gigabyte GA-8TM REV:1.0* aka *THE FLOP*


It made for an excellent story though  (if the journey matter more than the destination   )


----------



## Robert B (Mar 3, 2019)

Haddaway - Rock My Heart

*AUREAL - great sound cards that I never owned...*until today

In regard to the sound cards that I have owned over the years *I have nothing to brag about. *

My progression was as it follows:



* 

ESS1868 ISA - AMD 5x86,
 

Creative 128 PCI - onboard MS-6154 Celeron 366A,
 

SiS7012 AC'97 audio controller - ECS K7S5A Duron 1200MHz,
 

Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Digital,
 

RealTek ALC201A AC'97 CODEC - ECS K7VTA3 Athlon XP 1900+,
 

NVIDIA SoundStorm™ - Abit NF7-S V2.0 Athlon XP 2800+,
 

Realtek ALC889A codec - Gigabyte EP35-DS3R E8400,
 

Creative Audigy SE 7.1/PCI Bulk
 

Realtek® ALC889 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC  - ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z 2600K,
 

Creative Sound Blaster ZX.
 *
One fact is obvious. In most instances I never had high-end sound cards and I never had or used *AUREAL sound cards*.

Back in the day, *sound cards were pretty expensive* and I couldn't justify the price that could amount to a sum of money equivalent with a new motherboard, more RAM or even a video card upgrade.

So, I used whatever I could afford and *I didnt feel that I was missing out on something.*

The first sound card that opened my eyes was a *Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Digital.* Even now I can relive the moment I installed the DEMO CD and I was blown away. Lightning sounded realistic, helicopters almost flew above you, shots were taking place near you, what could I say, *the whole package was another experience.*

After my first *2.0 speaker setup*, something bland, low end, made from cheap plastic and of small size, branded ISO TECH Multimedia, I bought a *4.1 Jazz Speakers setup*. Together with the Creative SB LIVE! 5.1 Digital they were all I wanted. All of this was taking place when  5.1 was the new buzz word. I wanted a 5.1 speaker setup but I couldn't afford one. They came later in the shape of a *Jazz Speakers 5.1 J9911* 2000W PMPO!  Goold Ol' *PMPO*...instead of *RMS*. Live an learn. The new 5.1 speaker setup didnt rise up to my expectations. I had problems with the 5.1 implementation in games and movies. Besides some sounds I heard in shooters and car simulators I didnt feel a thing. The fact that the speakers were entry level didnt help either. In 90% of situations the rear speakers were just taking space. I used the JS J9911 for many years just because I was stubborn. A few years ago I bought a *2.0 Edifier R1800TIII speaker setup* and I never looked back.

It seems that even in regard to speakers I have nothing to brag about. *Well, in my defence, audio stuff can be pretty expensive.*

*In the last 20+ years I have always been informed about the sound cards for PCs but even so I couldnt justify paying for the expensive models. The money went over HDDs, mice, keyboards, monitors, RAM, SSDs, etc. anything but better sound cards.*

Above I was talking about AUREAL sound cards and about the fact that I never owned or used one before. When I started colecting old HW, back in 2015, right on my first batch purchase, along with other goodies I also received an *Aureal Vortex 2 - Diamond Monster MX300 - AU8830A2 sound card.* It seems that the MX300 is some kind of a *Holy Grail* in regard to AUREAL sound cards and I was just lucky to get one. Now I have two of them and I must say that it feels good to have them. Some time after I received my first MX300, I used it for a few hours and I can say that there is a big difference between what I had back in the day and this magnificent sound card.

*Let's meet the sound cards featured in this episode:*


Aureal Vortex 1 - P/N BA88ST A-02 - AU8820B2
Aureal Vortex 1 - FSUGSM32 - AU8820B2 - (P/N MPB000093 Rev 1.10)
Aureal Vortex 2 - Diamond Monster MX300 - AU8830A2 - CQEP200502

*All of them have been bought from the flea market.* AV1 at prices under 0.5 EUROS, AV2 at around 1.3 EUROS. Low prices for all of them.

*Aureal Vortex 1 - P/N BA88ST A-02 - AU8820B2*

This sound card was in excellent condition given the fact that it came from "the dumpster". ELNA caps all around.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2pndqahag/

*Aureal Vortex 1 - FSUGSM32 - AU8820B2 - (P/N MPB000093 Rev 1.10)*

I had *to straighten a bent pin* on the AU8820B2 chip. After I finished my work you couldn't say that it had that problem. This operation is always stressful as the risks are high and all it takes is fraction of a second and bye bye card. Usually I dont try to get perfect results but in this instance I was lucky.

*The bracket* was placed between two thick cardboard strips, laid on a flat hard surface and hammered into submission. The results were above my expectations as usually you can't straighten a bracket and make it like new. In this instance the bracket was made from a thicker metal and it responded better to hammering. 

*The cleaning of the card* didnt pose difficulties.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2udte41e0/

*Aureal Vortex 2 - Diamond Monster MX300 - AU8830A2 - CQEP200502*

The main course, *THE MIGHTY MX300!!!*

I found this sound card, at the flea market, dumped into a dirty bag, under some cables and sticks of RAM. The RAM attracted my attention and I started sifting through "the garbage".

The moment I saw the writing *Monster Sound* I said to myself *NO WAY! It cannot be!* I took into my hands and I just couldn't believe my eyes! It's an MX300! Friggin' AWESOME!

I asked how much it was and I couldn't believe my ears. Around 1.3 EUROS! OK! WIN! WIN! WIN!

The sound card had some damage but it was complete. *OH YEAH!!!*


bent pins on the AU8830A chip,
bent pins on the MX Link connector
missing 10uf 16V SMD caps
scratches on the back
scratches on some of the chips
one shattered ceramic capacitor
*I had the work cut out for me.* The damage was only cosmetic. The vital bits were there and this was all it mattered.



 

 

 

 

 

 



The card from above is not an MX300. Why did I start with it? Simple. I paid 3.2EUROS for it just for the resistors and ceramic capacitors. This is just a donor card even if it hurts me when I take parts from it. It is all for the GREATER GOOD! 

*MX300 in all its glory!*





First, I put the copper bits *in vinegar made from grapes* to restore their shine.



 

 



*Ready to go under the knife.*



 

 

 

 

 



*I tried to remove a ceramic capacitor from the donor card but this proved more difficult than I thought.*

When I bought the donor card I was amazed that none of the SMD components flew of it even if they showed impact marks.

I tried to remove a ceramic cap using a screwdriver and brute force but to no avail. From other cards they would've flown off in a heart beat.

I removed the solder using a 15W soldering iron and solder whick, then I tried to remove the ceramic capacitor using a fine set of pliers but it shattered in a million pieces.

In the end I removed the solder and I used a fine needle that I inserted under the ceramic capacitor while I maintained the ends of the ceramic capacitor hot with my 15W soldering iron. After a few tries I managed to remove a ceramic cap that was in perfect condition. No cracks, no damaged ends or any other problems.

All of my problems were caused by the fact that *all of the SMD components are glued to the PCB*. This method could've been used on parts that are of vital importance as it is the first time I saw it used. None of my other components from my collection showed this method of fixing SMD components.

I must say that it hurt me to take parts from the donor card even if there is nothing that I can do with it.



 



*I made a comparison between my two MX300 cards to see what's missing.*





*Results.*





*Because one of my HW suppliers was nagging me,* after I soldered the ceramic capacitor, I soldered the missind SMD capacitors, I straightened the pin on the MX-Link connector and I straightened the pins on the AU8830A2 chip, I decided to test the card before I cleaned it thoroughly. The card was cleaned just so that I was able to put it into my PC.



 

 

 

 

 



*The comparison between my two MX300 also yieled an unexpected fact.*

*My first MX300 was also missing two SMD capacitors. I soldered the missing caps and I tested the card again. All was OK! The card worked well without them but I feel better that now it is complete. *



 

 



*In the end I had to repair two MX300 cards. Who would've thought!*

To sweeten the scratches on the back I used *PLASTIK 70 lacquer* which I had since I coated the ferrite core coils on my Enermax MODU 87+ 900W because they were buzzing like hell.  All this work was for nothing because when I washed the card with IPA 99% almost all of the lacquer went away. Maybe it was too old or I didnt read well the instructions. *I should've applied it after I cleaned the card. Well...live and learn. No biggie...*



 

 

 

 

 



*Side by side.*



 

 



*ALL DONE!!!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*My first MX300 after I soldered the two missing SMD caps.* I also replaced the cracked sockets for CD / AUX  / MODEM with ones coming from a Creative SB Live! sound card. Now she is complete.



 



*Sisters.*



 



*Pictures with the end results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1bl6hdog8/

The final results were directly proportional with the work put in. The only thing that I might do in the future is replacing all of the SMD caps, just to be safe. The caps I soldered  are: *SMD 10uF/16V, Low Esr, EEEFP1C100AR PANASONIC.* Both of the cards work well and for now I postponed the replacement of the SMD caps. Funny fact: I had the exact number of SMD caps to repair my two MX300 cards. Lucky me! 

This is was the episode dedicated to AUREAL sound cards. *Long gone but not forgotten!*

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Mar 10, 2019)

Scooter - Rhapsody in E

*Leadtek* *vs* *OS-CON*

What do you do when you see *artefacts on the screen*? What do you do when you hear *poof, poof, poof,* after powering up a card?...well...you put it out to pasture.  *That was it for you my dear! *

*NOT ME!* In the case of some PC components *my gut feelings kicks in* and I'm relentless in my pursuit for a solution or a definitive answer to my questions.

A few months ago, I saw on the Internet a bunch of pictures with a *Leadtek graphic card* which sported a somewhat peculiar cooling system. At that moment I said to myself that I won't see/have one of those cards anytime soon. *Be careful what you wish for, as it might become true. *

In *December 2018 I was at the flea market* and what do I saw? *A Leadtek Geforce 2 graphic card* just like the one I wanted, was sitting on the bottom of a cardboard box. *It was mine for little over 3 EUROs.* NO BRAINER!



 



The model is: *Leadtek Winfast Geforce 2 PRO 64MB DDR 2842 PCB REV:B*

The graphic card was pretty clean and it was missing only one ceramic capacitor on the back. *An easy fix.*

*The cooler* is the main attraction of this little card. Besides a temperature sensor in the GPU it also has *an external sensor* which reports the: *Chip Edge Temperature.* It also has three LEDs : *ERR, AGP4X si PWR*. BLING BLING about 2001. All in all it is a special one to behold.



 

 

 



I soldered the missing ceramic cap and I changed the TIM then *I power up the card*.





Tense moments have passed after I pressed the POWER button. I waited anxiously for a clear image but *the screen remained BLACK.*

- *POOF!*
- What the!?
- *POOF!*
- Hmmmm....
- *POOF!*

I turned the PC off and I was expecting *to see the tell tale burn marks of toasty SMDs* and other nasty things. I was already pissed because I didnt clean the card first.

I removed the card from the PC and I checked it thoroughly. *Still looking good!* She's a fine piece of ... cough, cough ...

*AHA!* There's your PROBLEM! *Good Ol' GSC RE 1000uf 6.3V caps!* Trash from the BAD CAPS ERA!!! Lately, these crap capacitors are coming back with a vengeance and are biting my A$$ big time. Not to mention my wallet...

Curiously, I didnt feel the usual pungent smell of electrolyte from blown capacitors.They might've dried up. I didnt see any signs of liquid on the PCB.



 



I went into town to buy replacement capacitors and all I could find localy were *SAMXON GT* 1000uf 10V and *Nichicon VY* 1000uf 6.3uf caps.  The Samxons were bigger than the original ones and the Nichicon VY had lower specs than GSC RE if we are to believe the SF spec sheets of the manufacturer.

I decided to use the *SAMXON GT caps*. I had to get a little creative.



 

 



*POWER ON!*



 



Lookin' GOOD! ... *NOT... *



 

 



In MS-DOS the graphic card didn't exhibit artefacts but *the writing was kind of wavy*.

It seemed that *SAMXON GT* wasn't able to help me...or at least that was what I thought at that time.





Somewhat reluctant and because I thought that the card was done for *I decided to embalm it*. First I cleaned and restored the cooling system.



 

 



After I cleaned the heatsink and the fan *I put the card away for a few days*.

My mind was still searching for an answer. Card looks good. Card no damage. Card not used too much. WHY CARD DON'T GO? *ME TARZAN you LEADTEK! *

*Hmmm....*

The artefacts on the screen didn't indicate a problem with the GPU. At the very least I could suspect the video memory. Visual inspection after visual inspection I was becoming more confident that *the GF2 was still alive and kicking.*

*Hmmmmmm....*

I removed the *SAMXON GT caps* and I soldered the *Nichicon VY caps.*



 

 

 



*POWER ON!* Lookin' GOOD! ... *NOT... * No change. *The same graphical anomalies in Windows*...there goes a lot of work, time and MORE TIME down the drain...

Weeks have passed but I was still thinking about *that nice piece of ...* a video card.

I had to buy some capacitors for the Gigabyte GA-8TM motherboard and by chance I found another brand of 1000uf 6.3V caps at one of the shops in town.

Meet the *Chong CD110X LOWESR*. Yep, LOWESR that's right! *A brand you can trust. Built to the highest standards. Yada, yada...* But enough of that. One thing was certain though. I was ready to try again.

*Mr. Chong* whispered to me: *ME FIX YOU UP! ME FIX YOUR CARD! TRUST IN ME!*

I soldered the *Chong caps*. They looked like the *GSC RE caps*, green and gold. Don't ask me about specs.  LOWESR! FTW!!!

RMB - Redemption





Lookin' GOOD! ... *NOT... *

You have guessed it. NO CHANGE! *I was ready to throw in the towel.*

I put the card in a box and I didn't want to see it for a while..

But I still wasnt ready to *let it go...*

I took the card from its box several times and checked the PCB over and over...back in the box ... out of the box ... back in the box ...

Each inspection made me to believe that the problem was a minor one.

*What could it be?*

*After I don't know many visual inspections I started to play with the electrolyte capacitors and I started to wiggle them.*

*A SANYO OS CON 620uf 6.3V* was moving more than the rest.

I flipped the card around and *I FOUND THE ROOT CAUSE of this conundrum.*





*There's your answer.* A cold solder joint. Not to mention an incomplete one. Maybe this is why the card looked so good.  Maybe it came like this from factory and it wasnt used too much.

*PARTY TIME!!!* Three Drives - Greece 2000

I soldered that sucker well and *POWER ON!!!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The Winfox II OC/monitoring utility* was a nice surprise.

*Purring like a kitten!* I tested the card on various motherboards and all was good.



 

 



*I cleaned the card well and I took the compulsory pictures. *



 

 

 

 



To make this episode complete I also present the pictures with the solder job. Not my best work but they are solid and up for the task.



 



 

 



This was *the Leadtek vs OS CON episode*. In the end the problem wasnt represented by low quality capacitors but by a fine japanese cap and to be fair we cant even accuse the OS CON cap for all the trouble. A bad solder joint could've relegated this awesome card to the box of dead components. It makes you think how many cards might've had this problem and now are sitting forgotten inside a drawer screaming for help.

After the POOF! POOF! POOF! episode with the GSC RE caps I thought that this card *was done for* but in the end it wasnt the case. Sometimes it is better to trust you feelings/gut and dont give up. This not only  applies to this instance but to any other situation you might encounter in your life. 

*Mr. Chong* will remain on the PCB for the time being. Some time in the future it will be replaced with quality japanese caps.

Veracocha - Carte Blanche

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1rgay478a/

Review: https://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/212-leadtek-geforce-2-pro/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Mar 10, 2019)

*NEXT EPISODE WILL BE A WHOPPER!!!*

MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This

Can't touch this!  *Hammer time!!!*

*When in doubt HAMMER IT OUT!!!*   





*More laterzzzZZzzZZzzzzzzzzzzz!!!*


----------



## Robert B (Mar 23, 2019)

Sis - Lola

*The PHOENIX* *aka* *The MS-6168 VER:2*

I think that you wonder which is the piece of hardware that made me think about the *Phoenix?* Until today you have been accustomed to many other success stories that could've had the same exact title. Why would this story be any different? 

Like the legendary bird, the tiny *MS-6168 was reborn from its ashes.* So be recorded!

On the *22.12 2018*, on a cold rainy day, I was at the local flea market. *Few customers were present. Very little merchandise. Few vendors.* Not one of the good days. Something made me get out of my comfortable home and go there. My gut was right, because that day I scored quite a few nice parts. I found my *GUS ACE 1.1* / ADVANCED GRAVIS ULTRASOUND ACE VERSION 1.1 and a nice mATX motherboard *MSI MS-6168 VER:2* plus a few other components.

Depending of the revision number, the MS-6168 motherboard, can be equipped with a 440ZX or a 440BX chipset and it accommodates Slot 1 Intel Celeron/Pentium II/III CPUs. Nothing special you might say. What really stands out about this particular board is *the 3dfx VooDoo 3 2000 onboard chip*. Onboard? YES! ONBOARD! It can have 8MB or 16MB of video memory. In my case, the MS-6168 is Rev: 2.0 and it has a *440ZX/V3 2000 8MB*. This model was used by Packard Bell in a series of desktops and it has the code name: *Packard Bell Bora Pro.* A must for 3dfx collectors!







You see, a few months before I found my MS-6168, I watched a few pictures on the internet and *I said to myself that it will take quite some time before I was going to get my grabby hands on one.* I was quite surprised when I found it at the local flea market. *What were the odds?!?!?* 

My MS-6168 was resting on a dirty tarp. The four *Etrontech memory chips* caught my eye and I took it my hands. I looked closely at it and soon I knew what it was. I composed myself and I asked casually how much is it. 2.2 EUROS! OK! MINE ALL MINE! *NO BRAINER!*

The motherboard had some damage, swollen capacitors and a few other problems. I didnt care about these downsides as I was quite happy to have an MS-6168. *Something was telling me that everything will be alright.*

*A friggin' MS-6168! F@#!ING AWESOME!!!*

Let's see how "the wonder" looked when I bought it.





On a first glance you might say that it's not so bad. *Right...*

On *23.12.2018* I took the motherboard form its box and I performed a thorough examination. I removed the CPU plastic supporting arms system so that I could have a clear image of the area.

Right off the bat I saw that *the CPU slot is crooked* and *a few pins were out of place*. 





The CPU slot matter didn't faze me too much as what was worse was yet to come...*5 SMD resistors with unknown specs* together with *7 ceramic capacitors*, were missing from the PCB. Massive force was used to remove the CPU from its slot and what was left behind was just carnage. One of the arms of the CPU support system was *MIA.* *The NB Heatsink* was also missing. You could still see the shreds from the thermal pad that was used to fix the heatsink.



 



I had plenty of ceramic capacitors as I keep many donor parts. The SMD resistors were the real problem. I didnt know their specs. I also knew that it will be a PITA to solder them with what I had available. To make matters worse, the space was limited and I could solder just from one side. *I left this headache for later.*

*Hours of internet searches have returned no information in regard to the specs of the SMD resistors* . Low resolution, fuzzy pictures...what was I expecting after almost 20 years...

In the end I asked the help of two users from this forum: www.vogons.org. Both of them agreed to send me the pictures that I needed.

After these first steps taken towards the recovery of the MS-6168 I enjoyed a great Christmas without seeing any piece of HW. 

On *28.12.2019* I received the pictures from* havli.*



 



Now I had all the missing pieces of the puzzle. I knew what I had to do and *I was confident that I can pull this off.* My objective was the complete recovery of the MS-6168. *GO BIG or GO HOME!*

On *01.01.2019* I had some work to do where I keep my parts and I also had a few hours available for the MS-6168.

I recovered form the PCB, a ceramic capacitor and *a 18A resistor*. I didnt know from where the resistor came but I fished it near R647 where it was hanging by a thread. Later I found out that it came from the *R648 position and not from R647.* More about this will be presented later.





*I took a few pictures before I started the work on the MS-6168.*



 

 

 



*Other problems have been evaluated.*

*** High quality *CHHSI electrolytic capacitors* lay dead on the PCB. *BAD CAPS ERA IN ALL ITS GLORY!!!* 
*** *The fan* had a broken frame. *The V3 2000 heatsink* had a few broken fins.
*** *A couple of pins* for various connectors that look like Front Panel Pins were torn.
*** *Broken CR2032 socket* 
*** Misc *bent elements* on the board
*** Missing *CD-IN* socket



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



From all the problems that this board had, *ONE* was more pressing. *The bent CPU slot.* If the slot was bye bye, the rest was for nothing.

I tried to push the slot back into position by using the force of my hands. *FAT CHANCE!* It didn't budge and it just showed me the middle finger while it laughed at me.

*Hmm...* this is a job for *THE HAMMER!*...I said to myself.

To avoid scratching or cracking the CPU slot and to prevent damage to the PCB or other parts *I used some dense/thick cardboard*.

I cut *two strips* that I placed on top and under the CPU slot to avoid damage. I fixed them with electrical tape.

I positioned the motherboard on a bigger piece of dense/thick cardboard and *I started hammering.*

*HOLD YOUR HORSES!!!* *When I said hammering I didnt mean hitting the board with force as I just lifted the hammer about 5 cm from the board and I let if fall in a controlled manner.* The weight of the hammer, correctly applied, did all the work. I didnt have to use myself too much. 

A few moments later the CPU slot was back in its place and you couldn't tell that it had a problem.



 

 

 

 



Glad that I sorted the CPU slot I removed the cardboard strips. Immediately I saw *the pins that were out of their position.*



 



*They didn't look to well...* I said to myself that maybe it would've been better to put them into their place before I started the process of straightening the CPU slot...*too late now...*

I took a fine needle and I pressed gently on the CPU pins that were out of their position. *Almost by magic, they made ping, ping, ping, ping and were back in their place.* It seemed that it was better to straighten the CPU slot and then return the pins into their position! AWESOME!!!



 



The pins that have been returned into their position didnt have and ideal shape. I used a credit card and a caseless slot 1 CPU to return them to *factory spec.* It didnt make sense to put them through additional stress by using the needle. *What was important it was that they made good contact with the pins of the CPU.*



 

 

 

 

 



After I resolved the matter of the CPU slot I turned my attention towards the cooling of the *VooDoo 3 2000 chip.*

*Not looking too good...*





I already had some *AKASA thermal adhesive pad* and *a replacement heatsink for the NB that looked just like the original*. I bought the heatsink from the flea market, some time ago, thinking that I might need it. *GOOD CALL!*





*A tight fit!*





So ended the day of *01.01.2019.* Success all around!

*I must underline that I didnt know if the MS-6168 was alive. * What it is certain is that I didnt even think about faillure. *The board was alive and kicking!*. Case closed.

The year 2019 started on a high note in regard *to the "Old School" HW.* Eventually, between 03.01.2019-17.01.2019 I managed to return the MS-6168 to its former glory and I might even say that now *it is better than new.*

Once I got rid of the problems of the CPU slot, I tackled the remaining problems one by one and I solved each one of them. *I knew that all could be fixed with patience and some skill.*

I looked closely at the pictures I received. The matter of the ceramic capacitors and SMD resistors had to be dealt with.



 



I couldn't buy *the required SMD resistors* as the minimum order is measured by tens or hundreds of pieces so I had to find them on my donor boards.

The detective work took some time but the results were great. *All the missing bits were in my possession.*





I used my *15W soldering iron* and I managed to solder the *5 SMD resistors* and *7 ceramic capacitors* that were missing.

*The transplant of the SMD components took some skill. I dont have a hot air station and all went at a snail's pace. If in the case of the ceramic capacitors I could mess up, in the case of the SMD resistors I had no space to maneuvre as they weren't too many to be had. * All in all it was a stressful operation.

The final results were encouraging. *At that time I thought that I solved the problem of the SMD resistors and ceramic capacitors. Later we will see that it wasnt so.*



 



The problem was represented by the *18A resistor* which, based on the pictures I took of my MS-6168, had been soldered on the *R647 position* when it should've been placed on the *R648 position.* To make matters worse, because the 18A resistor was torn from the PCB, the solder didn't adhere to one of the ends, sign that the casing was damaged. This aspect remained in my mind and made me come back to this matter. *NOTE:* It is paramount to be pay attention to signs that something might be wrong even if you are certain that you did something correctly. Some signs must not be ignored. Usually I keep these pieces of information in a part of my mind and I come back to them later. It's not good to go in head first because you have more to loose if you do soo. Been there done that...





At that time I thought that "I fixed" the matter of the ceramic capcitors and the SMD resistors so I started the work on *the cooling of the V3 2000 chip and NB.*

*I prepared the replacement NB heatsink and I played with the ideea of replacing the fan on the V3 2000.*





I also wanted to remove the heatsink from the V3 2000 but *I gave up on this ideea* because of the following reasons :

1. If the heatsink didnt fly off after three of its fins were torn off wouldn't I do more bad than good by removing it?  The force needed might damage the solder balls of the V3 2000.
2. A feature of the MS-6168 is that cooling system on the V3-2000.
3. The space was tight and I didnt have a suitable replacement.

*I cleaned up the fan, oiled the bearing and I powered it up. Surprisingly it still ran quiet.*

I found a solution and I returned the fan to its former glory.

*The missing part from the frame was made from a piece of plastic.* The piece was held in place by superglue and reinforced with Poxipol.

The scars of the missing fins from the V3 2000 heatsink were covered with *black enamel paint.*

The NB heatsink wa prepared to be attached with AKASA thermal adhesive pad. I cut the parts where the push-pins entered and I covered the area with paint.

*The final results were spectacular.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Because I wanted everything to be perfect I did some fine-tuning of the fan by adding a washer.*. Now it was better than new. 



 



All the time I was occupied with the cooling of the V3 2000 one problem was still nagging me. *The matter of the resistors still came into my mind, again and again.*

I searched one more time on the Internet for pictures of MS-6168 boards. Eventually I found the pictures that I needed.

*http://users.atw.hu/3dfx-nvidia/cards/msi_6168.htm*





The resistors can have different *tolerances* form the value printed on them.*10%, 5%, 2% si 1%.* The most used ones have *1%* and *5%* tolerances. 

Usually the resistors that have only numbers printed on them, have a tolerance of *5%* and the ones that have numbers and letters printed on them, have a tolerance of *1%.* (EIA-96)

I say usually because if you dont know the manufacturer you cannot check to see if they have a tolerance of 1% or 5%.

I used an online resistor calculator to find the value of the missing resistors.

http://kiloohm.info/smd3-resistor/101
http://kiloohm.info/eia96-resistor/18A

The pictures at my disposal made me come to the conclusion that in the end it didn't matter if the resistors had a tolerance of *1%* or *5%*. I couldn't find this exact information even if I wanted to. Besides, in one picture I had a *18A resistor* and in another on the same exact spot was a *151 resistor.* Probably, at the factory they used what was available.

I decided *to remove the 18A resistor from R647 position* which I didnt know from where it came from and solder a *101 resistor at R647 position*, as it should be. At the*R648 position* I had a *151 resistor* instead of a *18A resistor*.

The *472 resistor* was an exact replacement. I couldnt find a *822 resistor*, no matter how much I searched, so, in the end, the chipped one that was persent on the PCB was my only shot to see if the motherboard is alive.

After a few soldering and desoldering operations, the protective/insulating layer from one of the resistors *(151)* was a little damaged. A multimeter test showed that it was alive so I left in place.

The *102 resistor* was soldered with ease.

You can see the scratches left on the PCB when the SMD componets were sweeped. Miraculously the traces are still OK!





*Notes in regard to the resistor values and position. These are different combinations I found in pictures of MS-6168 motherboards:*


R646     822    822    822    8.2KOHMs
R668     472    472    472    4.7KOHMs
R645     101    101    101    100 OHMs
R647     01A    101    01A    100 OHMs
R646     151    151    18A    150 OHMs
R110     102    1KOHM





While I battled with the SMD resistors I also found some problems with *a few of the ceramic capacitors* that I soldered on the MS-6168. They didnt have the correct color code and had problems with the casing. I emproved the method by which I remove ceramic capacitors from donor boards and I replaced the ceramic capacitors that had problems.

*The results were much better than the initial ones.*





I soldered *the new CR2032 socket* which was taken from a Gigabyte GA-8TM motherbioard. The socket is an exact replacement.

*The CD-IN socket* was also taken from the GA-8TM.

The two torn pins were replaced with ones from a dead socket 3 motherboard.

*I straightened all that was bent.* I forgot to mention that along these repairs the MS-6168 was washed a few times with IPA99% but I guess you already knew that.

After this much work I had only one thing left to do. The replacement of the *CHHSI electrolytic capacitors* with something better.

I wanted to solder the same brand of capacitors *top to bottom* but in the end I bought what I could find at an online shop in my country. Also I had to buy some capacitors that weren't a direct replacement in regard to size. Some were taller by a few milimeters and some were a little wider. I spent for the caps around 13 EUROS. You will see that on my next big recap operation on the *EPOX EP-7KXA*, I ordered caps from a bigger supplier from Poland. All were ordered with the correct size. I also was able to buy all the caps with the same brand, PANASONIC FR all around.

I checked the specs of the new capacitors that I was about to solder and I saw that they were *leaps and bounds* above the CHHSI trash.

http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/

*No contest.* CHHSI vs *NICHICON UPW, RUBYCON YXJ, PANASONIC FC, RUBYCON ZL, PANASONIC FR*. In total 35 caps have been replaced.

I did a few tests with various cards to see if the taller cap would reprezent a problem. *All was ok*. I didnt want to solder the cap on its side.



 

 

 

 

 



*After a few hours of work all the caps have been soldered.*



 



*My work was done as I did all that I could to ensure that the board was restored. There was only one thing left: to see if it is still alive and kicking.*

Was all this effort for nothing? Will this board rise from its ashes?

After a final inspection has revealed that all was at *100%* the board spent a night in a box and the following day was power up.

*How was I able to restrain myself and not power up the board right away? * I tell you how. By great will. Now I don't *rush in like a fool* and I take my sweet time before I press the button. 

I installed a Pentium III 700MHz, 2x128MB=256MB RAM PC133, an ENERMAX PSU, etc and I started the MS-6168 after who knows how many years.

*Did it work?* He, He, He!!!* You betcha!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Surprisingly the *V3 2000 143MHz 8MB onboard / MS-6168 440ZX / PIII-700MHz*100 / 256MB,* scored *5849* points in 3dmark99 800x600, much better than *V3 3000 166MHz 16MB / Luckystar 6VABX2 VIA693 / PIII-800MHz*100 / 384MB*, which had a score of *4990* points. Also the CPU 3DMarks score on *440ZX/PIII-700MHz* was *10469* points when the *VIA693/PIII-800MHz* scored *10554* points. 440ZX, brother of the 440BX was really something too. *440BX the legendary chipset*. Hail for the KING!

*See ya, wouldn't wanna to be ya!*



 



*The good stuff.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The solder job on the electrolytic capacitors.* For an operation of this scale, using a 100W solder gun with a modified tip, with little experience, using only the knowledge accumulated over the past years plus my common sense, I obtained *decent results*.  An hour after I finished soldering the capacitors, the finger that was used to press the trigger started to go a little numb. The solder gun that I used is old and has little in regard to ergonomy. Two days I felt that numbness in my finger. By this you can understand the tension and the stress I was under while I performed this operation. It took me a while to understand that the numbness was from the force I pressed the trigger while all that was necessary was just a slight touch to engage the contact. At first I thought that I burned my finger but it wasnt the case. I didnt want to damage something and because I was sunk into work I didnt feel what I was doing. My eyes were fixed on the spot were I placed the tip of the solder gun. One bad move and I could have more headaches. After this baptism by fire I know what I have to do and I can replace hundreds of caps with little effort. While I worked it became obvious that at some point I will have to buy a soldering/hot air station and the required soldering tips. I must say that I cut the terminals of the caps before I solder them. Each to his own I guess, if the method works. With a suitable soldering/hot air station I'm sure that I can do solder joints like the factory ones as this is my ultimate goal. 



 

 

 

 

 



*Food for thought.* http://capacitorlab.com/replacing-motherboard-capacitors-howto/

*Better than new!* 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



At the end of this story, you can see why I gave it the title *THE PHOENIX*. 

The gist of this story is that: *It could have turned out differently, I suppose. But it didn't.* I'm so glad that this board is alive. It makes for a great story too! 

Looking back I can say that all the effort has paid off. Who would've thought that I would find this board at the local flea market and who would've accepted to go all in without knowing if the board is alive? Sometimes I reckon that it is better to shoot first and ask questions later. 

The knowledge obtained here was put to good use in the recovery of the *EPOX EP-7KXA motherboard,* which incidentally, will be featured in the next episode. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3bdnbqgp4/

*More later.*


----------



## hat (Mar 25, 2019)

I kinda miss my Audigy 2 ZS now. But I do still have an X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro. Onboard audio is playing a nice game of catch up, but I'm still holding on to this one.


----------



## Robert B (Apr 5, 2019)

*Timpuri Noi - Perfect*

*Stayin' Alive*

Some time ago, my highschool buddy, which happens to still be my best friend,  *Mr. R.*, informed me that an acquintance of his, has an old PC which he wants to throw out. *Nothing out of the ordinary until here.* Right?

At first, I was told that it might be a *Pentium system* which might've been upgraded at some point, so I said *BRING IT ON!*

A month or so later, when I returned from work, I received a phone call from Mr. R and he told me that he had the PC in *the trunk of his car* and he wants to bring it over to my place.

*BRING IT ON!* I said. FREE STUFF IS ALWAYS WELCOMED!

When I received the PC I saw that it wasn't a Pentium era system as it had PS/2 ports and an ATX form factor, so I "dumped the junk" in *the trunk of my car* together with the Samtron 55E CRT monitor and the keyboard which was kind of meh.

*ATX motherboard...tsk tsk tsk...I said to myself...Pentium...yeah right...*

At that moment I didnt even want to see what was inside the case. * The funny thing is that at that time I was wondering when I was going to get my hands on a Slot A EPOX EP-7KXA motherboard and a 650MHz Slot A CPU* as a few months earlier, I missed an opportunity to get one because I didnt want to pay the asking price.

The next day I took *"the junk" * out from my trunk. 

I opened up the case and all this time I was visualising an * EPOX EP-7KXA motherboard.* I looked inside. *Unbelievable!* A Slot A *EPOX EP-7KXA motherboard*. Well I'll be F....D! I looked at the CPU and I was thinking about frequencies over 800MHz...wet dreams with 1000MHz popped up before my eyes...I checked the information on the CPU cartridge and I saw that in fact the CPU was a 650MHz model. Pretty neat don't you think? I wanted a *EP-7KXA+CPU 650MHz combo* and I found one in an unexpected fashion. *The cherry on top: it was free.* Now I own all the Slot A CPUs with frequencies netween 500MHz-800MHz (500,550,650,700,750,800). The only one which is dead/hanging is the 750MHz model. The fact that matters though is that I have it. Some of you might remember the state in which it came but even so I have a plan to save that which cannot be saved.  Some time in the future I'll try the recovery of the unrecoverable...Why? *Because nothing is finished until I say so!*

*The CRT monitor and the keyboard were not in great shape .* The monitor still had traces of the double sided tape which was used to fix the radiation filter made from glass, like the one I used to have back in the day. It still worked well but the refresh was low and it gave me headaches. The resolution was also low, 1024x768, so I decided to bring to the Recycling Center. The case also went to the Recycling Center, together with the BenQ 52X CD-ROM unit.

*The rest of the components,* 2 HDDs, the FDD, the RAM, the nVIDIA Riva TNT2 M64 graphic card, the *Epox EP-7KXA V0.4 motherboard*, the 650MHz CPU and the cables were kept.





I must say that I felt some *"disconfort"* when I decided to bring the monitor, the case and the ODD to the Recycling Center. *You can't save them all,* as I used to say more easily back in the past...

*Let's return to the matter at hand.*

When I opened up the case I saw that *the EPOX EP-7KXA motherboard has seen better days.* A capacitor has lost its head and a few were swollen. *BAD CAPS ERA in all its glory.  A dead wasp was also inside...* 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I knew I had my work cut out for me so I decided to replace all the capacitors regardless of the state in which they were. A ticking bomb is still a ticking bomb. *

First, I removed the *2200uf 10V caps*. I washed the motherboard with vinegar made from grapes and IPA 99%.

After this procedure I was greeted by good news as *the PCB was in excellent shape.* There were no corroded areas, the traces, the silk screen and the lacquer were impecable. The residues were cleaned easily. *Thank You BAD CAPS ERA capacitors for being well behaved and not damaging MY PRECIOUS!* 



 



*I prepared a list with the requried caps.*





A few hours were lost in my attempt to find caps on the online shops from my country. As I wasnt able to find all the caps from a reputable brand and with the required size, I decided to buy them from Poland *http://www.tme.eu*. From TME I bought exactly what I wanted. *I was like a kid in a candy store.* 

While I waited for the *PANSONIC FR caps*, I concentrated on the *BIOS chip.* It was cleaned and programmed with the latest BIOS version. I had to remove the sticker to get a better look at the model. I applied 0.2 mm double sided tape to put it back and I also recreated the black marker line which was removed by IPA 99%. *Attention to detail is paramount.*



 

 



Soon came the moment when I tackled the Slot A 650MHz CPU - *AMDK7650MTR51B A*. 

*Right of the bat* I found *a problem.* The retaining metal clips of the heatsink were too close for comfort and they almost touched a couple of resistors on the PCB of the CPU. *What the F..K?!?!*



 





*The initial state of the 650MHz CPU.* Just a day at the office.



 

 



When I removed the heatsink I saw another *problem.* *What the F..K?!?!*



 





*Thermal transfer @ 100%!!!* For sure we are dealing here with a *brain fart* of the one designated to assemble the system...

*YUCK!!!*





*Bubble bath.*





*I opened up the cartridge of the CPU.* I can do this in my sleep. I open them with my bare hands and the damage to the case is ZERO. I have a infallible method which requires force but at the same time patience.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Spick and Span!*



 



*Some assemblies required!*





*I arranged the ends of the retaining metal clips.*





The ensure that the *CACHE chips* have a good contact with the heat plate I fabricated custom thermal pads made from ARCTIC Thermal Pad Blue (soft). _Details about this procedure can be found in the previous episodes dedicated to Slot 1/A systems/CPUs._ *However, I didnt end there and I took it to the next level.* To ensure the heat transfer from the heat plate to the heatsink I used two additional thick thermal pads.  I had them from an AC Accelero Xtreme 9800 VGA Cooler. The 650MHz CPU didnt have them from the factory.



 



*For a good thermal transfer I used ARCTIC MX-4 between the CPU die and the heat plate and between the heat plate and the heatsink! AC MX-4 FTW!!*!

After this, I looked at *the fan.* At first I wanted to use a new one as I didnt want to clean it but soon I came to my senses and I said to myself: *Don't forget the authenticity. Try and see if you can recover the fan.*

I cleaned the fan a little and I powered it up. *It ran horribly*. The ball bearing was past its prime...

*I read somewhere that it might be possible to add or change the grease from the small ball bearing and I wanted to try it out. * Said and done. As I didnt know what to expect I used a needle that was a little too thick and I also used too much force but in the end I was able to remove the dust cover from the small ball bearing and add a little grease. Ideally I should've used a finer needle and way less force.



 



After a quick test I received good news. The fan ran way better but I might've introduced some dirt inside the ball bearing as a grinding noise was present.

To get rid of all the old grease from inside the ball bearing I decided to wash the entire fan with *IPA 99%*. I left the fan imersed in IPA 99% for about an hour.



 



I packed the cleaned ball bearing with MOBIL *Mobilgrease XHP 222 NLGI2*. I had this grease laying around so I used it. *I reckon that it might be enough for a few ball bearing fans*. 

As I was afraid that the dust cover might touch the balls of the bearing *I "vandalized" it a little*. Not looking pretty but it works. After all of this I gathered a lot of information and now I know how to perform this operation better.

*After I packed the ball bearing with fresh grease and I attached the dust cover I used a cotton stick to turn the bearing and eliminate the excess grease. I also powered up the fan and I left it running for a few minutes and after that I opened it up again and checked if some of grease came out. All was ok.*



 

 

 

 



*PERFECT!* *Timpuri Noi - Perfect*



 



*PERFECT AGAIN!* *Timpuri Noi - Perfect*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I was curious to see if the CPU was still alive so I took out from storage my *PC CHIPS/PcCHIPS/PC-CHIPS M800LMR V1.3A motherboard* and I powered that sucker up. 

*PERFECT! ALL IS WONDERFUL!!! * 



 



*Meanwhile the caps have arrived.* *TIME TO INJECT MYSELF!*



 



*I removed all the caps.*



 



*The specs of the original caps can be seen in the picture bellow.*





For the replacement of the caps on the MS-6168 motherboard I used a liquid flux, *Topnik RF800*. For the EPOX EP-7KXA recap, I decide to use a flux in a gel state *AMTECH RMA-223* (FAKE Made in China).

As I didnt have a way to dose the Amtech flux I used a syringe and I cut the tip of the needle. I also made a tool, as I saw on the Internet, from a terminal strip and a stainless sewing needle, which I used to open up the holes in the PCB so that I could insert the new caps. *Pretty sketchy but it works.*



 

 



I bought *1.5 mm copper wire* and I made a few custom tips for my soldering gun. I used the same soldering gun and tips for the MS-6168 recap.





*All done! *





*I present the pictures with the solder job.* In the case of the MS-6168 I didnt have too many problems while I replaced the caps. In the case of the EPOX EP-7KXA I had a little more work to do. The limits of my soldering gun and custom tips were out in the open. *Even so, I soldiered on*. *In the end I got decent results.* I must say that I do not intend to perform this kind of operation too soon. A good soldering station and tips will be needed. *All in all I replaced 48 caps on the 7KXA vs 35 on the MS-6168.* The finger used to press the trigger of the soldering gun was again numb for a couple of hours.  MAXIMUM TENSION!!!

All the solder joints were inspected with a magnifying glass and there were no problems detected even if some of them didn't have an ideal shape. *Hmmm the ideal shape... I'm still searching for it...*

In the pictures, on the solder joints there can be seen the reflexions of my black phone and of my hands. The PCB was like mirror, just as I like it.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I cleaned the motherboard well and the next day was powered up.

*THE BIG DAY!* Did the motherboard work? He He He...*Timpuri Noi - Perfect*



 

 

During testing I used *the Leadtek Winfast Geforce 2 PRO 64MB DDR 2842 PCB REV:B graphic card*. Then I tried the 1/2 *VooDoo 5 5500* to see if maybe the second chips works...still no change...I also tried my *VooDoo 4 4500 L-shaped* which ran irreproachable.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*GLASS!!! Handle with care!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*PERFECT!*



 



This is how I found my *EPOX EP-7KXA / Slot A 650MHz combo.* With effort and patience I brought them *up to my standards.* NO HALF MEASURES HERE!!! 

*Stayin' Alive* - THIS KIT IS HERE TO STAY!

*Slot A stuff is close to my heart but I guess that you somehow knew it already  .*

*gallery:* https://postimg.cc/gallery/3bqw07du0/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Apr 18, 2019)

*VooDoo RUSH, such a rush...**NOT!*

*Back in the day*, in highschool, when I was reading IT magazines(CHIP/Game Over) between classes and I could not afford a 3dfx card, I used to drool when I saw the VooDoo Graphics, Rush, Banshee, VooDoo 2/SLI adds. I saw price tags of thousands of $ for systems equipped with such graphic accelerators and I knew that they were waaaayyyy out of my reach.

This has made me consider 3dfx cards to be a mystical thing. Unobtanium can have this side effect on you.   20 years after the moment I was telling you about, I got my hands on a *3dfx VooDoo RUSH - MX86251FC - 6MB card.* I was expecting this first contact to be quite a RUSH...*but I better not spill the beans just yet*.

In theory, the VooDoo RUSH should've been the next best thing after sliced bread. *Reality was an entire different matter.*

In essence, *the VooDoo Rush* is an attempt made by 3dfx to give gamers an *all in one solution*. A 2D core and the 3D part from VooDoo 1/VooDoo Graphics on the same card. To enjoy a VooDoo 1/VooDoo Graphics you also had to have a 2D card and you needed a cable to make the link between the 2D card and the 3D card. *A solution that is not so elegant.* 3dfx didnt have a 2D core so they used solutions from other manufacturers.

On paper all was fine and dandy but in reality VooDoo RUSH used two mediocre 2D cores: *Macronix MX86251FC and AT3D/Alliance ProMotion AT25/A-Trend ATG2476P.* To make matters worse, because the 2D and the 3D components were on the same PCB we can talk about a BUS FIGHT on the PCI BUS as each o them was competing for bandwidth. There are more facts to be mentioned but I think that it would be better that you read the mini review in the link. http://vintage3d.org/3dfx2.php#sthash.FeIounB6.FqCf3viP.dpbs

There are *single planar* but also *dual planar*(with a daughteboard) VooDoo RUSH implementations. In some instances dual planar models have been withdrawn from the market and exchanged with single planar models.

Now, many years later, when all these aspects are known, I'm sure that I might've not been too happy to spend my parents hard earned cash on a VooDoo Rush, so maybe it was for the better that I wasn't able to afford one.

Let's meet the star of this episode. *The VooDoo Rush*.



 

 

 



The card doesnt sport the logo of a manufacturer and it may be just a generic model: *PCI 3DFX REV:C.*

*The card arrived dirty, with scratches on its back and many of the chips, with dried dirt on the memory chips, a dull bracket, some corrosion on the pins of the 3dfx chips and bent pins on the 2D core and 3D chips. I guess that just about covers it. *

*First, I cleaned the card a little, I straightened all the bent pins and I powered it up.*





*It was alive and kicking. *In Windows the image wasnt so crisp and the colors were a little overbright. This didnt bother me at all. The Macronix MX86251FC chip isnt known as a king in regard to the 2D output.

I installed *the stock drivers* and this was the beginning of my ordeal.

https://3dfxarchive.com/rush.htm


In *DirectX Diagnostic Tool* the amount of RAM was reported wrong.
In *3Dmark99* I got very low scores .PIII-800MHz - 600 points for 640x480. For ex. A V1 on a P166-P233 - has 720-820 points for 640x480. A VooDoo RUSH - Athlon 900/256MB - gets 1002 points. A VooDoo 1 6MB - Athlon 900/256MB - gets 1634 points. I had no way to determine if these score were put out by the MX chip or the 3dfx cores. http://www.voodooalert.de/board/forum/index.php?thread/15507-top-of-the-flops-3dmark99/
I ran *Quake* which for sure ran on the MX chip and the experience sucked BIG TIME.
I tried to run *GLQuake* but it hanged on the 3dfx logo splash screen.
I ran the *Wizmark benchmark* but I got artefacts on many of the frames.
I managed to run *the Final Reality benchmark for one time* and I wasnt able to make it run again no matter what I tried.
I tried to run some *3dfx tech demos* but they didnt work at all.
I received error messages like this one: *no graphics card found.*
I ran the *Tomb Raider Demo *but I didnt know if it worked on the 2D or the 3D part.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After many hours I was ready to give up and throw in the towell. This card is too much trouble for its worth.

*To blow off some steam I decided to clean the card.*



 

 



*Some spit and polish.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I didnt remove *the four memory chips from their sockets* as I'm pretty sure that they would've crumbled . Observe *"the belly"* on them. On an ET6000 card the sockets were wrecked when I removed the memory chips as the plastic was brittle and old. Since then I leave the memory chips alone when I consider that the probablity to damage something is too great.

After I cleaned the card I tried another set of drivers: *"3dfx Mancuso Mix 2.0"* but this didnt change a thing. The same problems that I've ecountered with the stock drivers were present.



 

 

 



I might try other video BIOS versions which can be written with the MiniPRO TL866A programmer but the chances are that this try wont bring anything new. Finding other BIOS versions is also problematic. I'll leave this card as it is.

I dont know if the card is damaged or if this problematic behaviour is normal. When I'll get another card I might give the RUSH another try.

*VooDoo RUSH, such a rush...NOT!*

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Apr 19, 2019)

*A KEYBOARD STORY*

The moment when I had to tackle a keyboard came in the end...

I had to take care of an old keyboard found in an old building...*true story.* The owner of the keyboard asked me to clean it as a gift for his birthday. So, this story was born. *A keyboard story*.

I wasnt able to identify the model exactly and we may be faced by a clone. This isn't exactly a bad thing as this is a product of the 80s-90s? when even a clone was something solid and well put together.

What I found on the internet in regard to the model: *Orientec CSK-1101?  Costar CSK-1102S ver 1.5?*

Orientec CSK-1101

__
		https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/7m2x3o

Costar CSK-1102S ver 1.5
https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=13871

On the PCB of the keyboard all I could find was this string: *870825 CSK1101 ver 1.5*. The label on its back is long gone.

The keyboard is solid and heavy. The keys are clicky but I dont fell a bump when I press them.

At a first glance I thought that this keyboard might be a *rubber dome* or *buckling spring* model but I was wrong on both counts. 

I tried to remove several keycaps but they were held in place so well that I gave up for fear that I might damage something. From internet pictures we may be dealing with *switches/clones ALPS or OMRON.* After so many miles under the hood I'm amazed that it still fell nice to type on.

I had to buy *DIN 5 - PS/2 and USB - PS/2 adapters*. Now it can be used on any PC or laptop.

As I wasnt able to remove the keycaps in a safe way I had to clean the inside as best as I could. It required a lot of elbow grease but *the results were spectacular.*

The case was scrubbed with CIF cream and washed with hot water and dish soap. The cable was also cleaned with CIF cream and washed with hot water and dish soap. While I washed the cable I held the connectors in such a way that they didnt make contact with the water. It took me about an hour to properly clean the cable. The keys were cleaned with Clin Lemon/Window Cleaner and many, many, many cotton sticks and a soft brush. I didnt use IPA 99% for fear that the writing might be removed or damaged even if I did some test that have showed that I had no reason to believe this.  The grime from under the keys was cleaned with an improvised tool made from a long bamboo stick and a cotton stick after I used an air compressor to remove the loose dirt, hairs and who knows what else was there. The PCB was superficially cleaned and I didnt use IPA 99% as I feared that the displaced dirt might get inside the switches and that I would have problems given the fact that the keyboard isn't mine.

I wanted to *RetroBright the keyboard* but I decided to do this on another project. The owner liked the yellowing of the case and keys.

I fixed the cable properly as it was loose in its groove and I found two rubber feet that were a perfect fit.

*The final results were accordingly with the work put in.* Some battle scars have remained but this keyboard is good to go *for another million kilometers*. 

On a first test, the keyboard didnt work properly but the Num Lock, Scroll and Caps Lock leds lighted up. In the end I found on the back a switch that sets the keyboard in *AT or XT mode.* I set the switch on the A(AT) position and the keyboard behaved as it should.

This was a learning experience. I consider the results of my first keyboard restoration as a baseline and the future results will only get better.

*And now the pics.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/ki96y57s/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Apr 24, 2019)

*MY VooDoo 5 5500!*

While I write down these lines I still can't believe that in my collection I have a *3dfx VooDoo 5 5500.* About four years ago, when I started my journey into the past, I thought that it will be some time before I would get my hands on *this legend.* After I obtained this card, there was also a downside, as in a way, I lost my "Guiding Light" as it doesn't get any better than this. Inside me there still burns fire and passion but I got to a point where I was faced with the all important question:* "Where do I go from here?"*. I still havent found the answer to this question...

I had several opportunities to buy a VooDoo 5 5500, one was even boxed, but I wasnt decided enough to pay the asking price even if I could afford it. One had been repaired and I didnt want it so badly to buy it. Another one was from a seller that just teased me and in the end nothing came to fruition. Others who had several pieces didnt want to sell one to me no matter what. I wasnt going to buy one from the all known auction site or from other ones like it. VooDoo 5 5500 after VooDoo 5 5500, slipped through my fingers. At one moment I felt that they run away from me and *they like to taunt me*.

Finally, in *January 2019*, I received a WhatsApp message,  from my best supplier of retro HW, Mr. X , in which I was asked this question: *How's this for the start of the year?* In pictures were featured a bunch of 3dfx cards among which were the VooDoo RUSH from the previous episode and the VooDoo 5 5500 from todays episode. At that moment I didnt know that they will be mine and I thought that I will have to fork BIG $$$ to have them. In a way I knew that this is the "the end of the line". Initially, Mr. X  said that the VooDoo 5 5500 was not for sale, so I said to myself: *there goes another one...*

A few days later I found out that the VooDoo 5 5500 had *a problem*. It wasnt working with both of the VSA-100 chips active. With just the main chip selected it ran without a hitch.

I said to myself that this is my chance and I accepted Mr. X's offer to send me the VooDoo RUSH and VooDoo 5 5500 cards, and sort out the payment later.

I received the package and indeed, the VooDoo 5 5500 had problems and the VooDoo RUSH was quite temperamental. Even so, I wanted both of them. *Like a thirsty man in the desert, tired to run after mirages, I paid a fair price and they were mine.*

*Sweet release. I felt freed from my obsession and a weight lifted from my shoulders.*

*At a first glance* the card had a rusty bracket, the fans had different numbers on them: 2944, 2946 and the AGP hook had been cut. Before I received the card I thought that the removal of the AGP hook would represent a problem but the cut had been executed nicely even if it wasnt as straight as I would've liked.

*3dfx VooDoo 5 5500 AGP 64MB 210-0413-001 REV A Week 21 Year 2000 Samsung Memory Chips*

When I took these first pictures the card had already been superficially cleaned.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I inspected each and every *SAMSUNG 007 K4S643232C-TC60 KOREA video memory chip.* One was a little worse and the other chips beared just superficial marks. One thing was certain: *this card wasnt handled with gloves.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



One fact become obvious while I conducted the inspection of the memory chips. At one moment, someone tried to repair this card. *A bunch of SMD 10uf 16V caps and one OS-CON 470uf 6V cap showed signs of being resoldered.* It is quite visible that the solder joints arent up to factory spec. Also, around the caps I could see an oily residue that had the consistency of leftover flux. I dont know if it really was flux that hadn't been cleaned or if it was electrolyte from the caps. After I cleaned the area there were no more traces of that liquid while I powered the card. Also I didnt feel the smell of electrolyte solution.



 

 



*Picture with factory solder joints.* You can clearly see how the feet of the caps "float" on solder and arent covered by it.





*The close visual inspection revealed other facts.* The blue wire from one of the fans had been repaired and the insulating coating of the wires was cracked in the area around the fan connector. The coating lost its elasticity and it felt like a tough plastic.



 



One of the memory chips, the one that had a series of deeper scratches, also had a slightly rusty pin and a viscous deposit at one of its ends. I cleaned the area well with IPA 99% and while I was doing this I saw that a spot of rust was forming in that region. It took several tries but in the end I managed to remove all the traces of rust and of the viscous deposit.



 

 



Typical VooDoo 5 5500 thermal adhesive application. *A really sloppy job.*



 



I cleaned the fans a little and I oiled them.

After all these intermediary stages, when I was about to power up the card, *I found another problem*. A ceramic capacitor on the back of the card was hanging for dear life. I still don't know how it didn't fly off. I soldered the cap well and finally I was at the point where I felt confident to power up the card.





*START YOUR ENGINES!!!*





As expected, the card didnt run with both of the chips active. Rows of vertical red lines were present on the screen and the PC hanged.





With just one chip active (the main one) the card ran well.





I searched for solutions. The most common one was to set to *Disabled* the *Guardband Clipping setting*. I tried many combinations of settings but to no avail. This measure can work in some instances. Unfortunately it wasnt the case for me. Different driver versions brought nothing new.

I didnt perform a BIOS update as I'm pretty sure that this problem isnt BIOS related.





I didnt want to order and replace the SMD caps, as after I read many posts on many forums, the symptoms showed by my card arent capacitor related.

In the end I decided to celebrate this card for what it is, *a 3dfx VooDoo 5 5500 in the flesh.*

I was going to restore it as well as I could and use it *as a show piece.*

*I removed the fans that had been just superficially cleaned. They were in for a complete rejuvenation procedure.*



 



The PCB was still dirty even if it had been cleaned before I powered the card.



 



*The PRODUCT OF MEXICO sticker* which was a little damaged, was taken off and I prepared 0.2 mm double sided tape to attach after I cleaned the card.



 



I cleaned the bracket as best as I could. I knew from previous attempts that I would not be able to remove the pitting.



 



Some problems with the wires from one of the fans.





I cleaned the fans well. No effort was spared. I had to reconstruct the coating of one of the wires as it was pinched. I used Poxipol and I covered it with a permanent black marker. Because the AAVID stickers from the top of the fans had lifted edges I decided to remove them completely and attach them back with 0.2mm double sided tape.



 

 

 

 



*The results.*



 

 



*Something still bothered me.* I didnt like the *2944* and *2946* numbers so I decided to remove the number *6* and draw a number *4* as best as I could. I also redrew the *3944* numbers on the back. I used a fine tip marker which is made to write on DVDs and CDs.





The moment for the *IPA 99% wash*. The labels and other stamped ink markings that were still on the board were protected with Orafol Stone Guard film.



 

 

 



*I performed several fine detailing passes until the card was up to my standards.*



 



*Final results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Ready to be put back together.*





*Like GLASS!!!*



 



*Glamour shots.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After I restored the card I tried again to see if it would work with both of the chips active.



 



*Still just a flatline...* 

I put the card in an ESD bag and it will stay there for some time





While I restored the card I also became aware of its fragile nature. One phrase came into my mind: *Still only "human"...*

These cards are almost 20 years old, so, in a way, I think that they shouldn't be used as daily drivers and just be celebrated for what they are. This is why I decided to buy this card even if it had a lot of problems. The chances that a fresh bought V5 5500 might "blow a gasket" are quite high and POOF bye bye hard earned cash. I consider the price I paid for the card as *the lowest admission fee into the club.* This makes me feel special, even if I have "only" one VooDoo 5 5500.

Some time after I bought this card, I found at the local flea market another VooDoo 5 5500 card. *The state of this one was worthy of a horror movie.* The card was mutilated, the AGP had been cut for gold recovery, the graphic chips had been removed in a barbaric way, many components were MIA, what could I say...horror story. Many people dont know the value of these cards and I'm pretty sure that many exotic parts had suffered the same treatment over time.

*All is not lost though*, as the PCB still holds many parts that can be used to revive other V5 5500 cards in need of a transplant. Now I have no restraint to take components from this card.  I'm sure that another V5 5500 in need of my attention is out there.

I also tested the VooDoo 5 5500 on my freshly restored slot A EPOX EP-7KXA motherboard hoping that something might change. Still the same. This new test wasnt for nothing as I became aware that the OS-CON 470uf 6V cap didnt warm up at all during the session. Guess what. On the mutilated V5 5500 both of the OS-CON caps are present.  That dead V5 5500 might help my V5 5500, who knows...

I might try something at a later date. I could buy the required OS-CON caps but for now I have all I need for one more try when I decide to do so.

For now I will keep the card in the ESD bag only to take it out and feel its weight in my hands while I ponder of the effect it had on me.

Maybe in the future I'll send the card to be repaired. Who knows...



 

 

 

 

 

 






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Even if I didnt own a 3dfx card back in the day and I am a little late to the party: *3dfx, gone but never forgotten!*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/lsp1x414/

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Apr 24, 2019)

I just have to say this again to you @Robert B .....  Simply bloody amazing as always..  What an inspiration for people to look after their hardware and get things working ....  Absolutely knocked over by this thread..  Love it 

Please don't ever give up this amazing work !!


----------



## Robert B (Apr 25, 2019)

@phill - Thanks for your kind words!  I guess that you are my No.1 FAN!  I'll try to keep up the good work. 

What I post and what I do is a part of me. I wanted to share my experiences so that others can read and maybe learn something. After 20 years of reading IT/HW articles this is my way of giving something back.

New hardware found. 





*More later.*


----------



## phill (Apr 25, 2019)

I'm definitely a fan  

Is that a mint box for an Abit KR7A or something??  Wow that takes me back.....


----------



## Robert B (Apr 25, 2019)

You were close.  Actually it is a minty mint *Abit KT7 V1.02* . The first series of the KT133 chipset.  I wanted to test a bunch of SDRAM sticks and I found out that I have no motherboard capable to use 256MB DS PC133 sticks so I had to correct that.  The fact that it can handle up to 1.5GB is also nice.





I will use a 1.2GHz Duron and a couple of Thoroughbred Athlon XPs even of they are not officially suported. I already updated the BIOS with the latest A9 version using my MiniPRO TL866A Bios programmer.

The only problem are the caps which are kind of meh...caps from the bad caps era. TEAPO and JACKCON.....Teapo might be still ok but the JACKCON caps make me laugh.  I'll see next week if they will pop like popcorn.  The board hasnt been powered for more than 18 years. It still has the original CMOS battery.

It has all the cables, manual and Drivers CD.

I only had to clean the box. I removed the old scotch tape and dirt.

Next week I'll power up the board and I keep my fingers crossed that all will be ok. 

Wish me luck or I'll be in for another full recap job and I really really dont want to do another one.


----------



## AltCapwn (Apr 25, 2019)

Do you have a museum where you store all your projects?


----------



## Robert B (Apr 25, 2019)

For now I keep all my stuff in boxes. If an opportunity arises I will make something awesome with my stuff. I have several ideas but they are just a distant thought at the moment.


----------



## phill (Apr 25, 2019)

I knew why I recognised the name of the board...  It was in my first overclocking PC!!   Febuary 2001....  A massive 128Mb of ram, A Geforce 2 MX 32Mb card, a 13.2Gb HD, floppy drive... oh man...  So many memories!! 

Found this review of the KT7A as well...  Abit KT7A Review  What a board!!


----------



## mashie (May 31, 2019)

This thread is a treat to read.

Where in the world are you located Robert? I have a bunch of old hardware that could do with a new home and you have the right mindset.


----------



## phill (May 31, 2019)

Roberts thread is amazing, I visit here often to see what wonders he's been pulling out of the hat of late     I'm actually surprised it's been a month with no updates..  He must be slacking   

What sort of hardware do you have @mashie ?


----------



## mashie (May 31, 2019)

phill said:


> Roberts thread is amazing, I visit here often to see what wonders he's been pulling out of the hat of late  I'm actually surprised it's been a month with no updates.. He must be slacking
> 
> What sort of hardware do you have @mashie ?


If I remember correctly the list looks a bit like this:

CPU's: 
PII 300
Celeron 300A
PII 450
Athlon 1200
P4 3.06Ghz

Graphics cards:
Diamond Viper 550
Miro Hiscore Voodoo 1 (6MB)
Diamond Monster FireGL 1000 Pro AGP (4 or 8 MB)
2x Diamond Monster 3D2 (12MB) + passthrough, SLI link and 1 box
Geforce 256 SDR (unbranded)
Hercules Prophet II Ultra
Hercules Prophet III Ti500 with box
9800XT

Sound cards:
SoundBlaster AWE64 with memory expansion card
Diamond Monster MX300
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

They should all work although nothing has been tested in 10+ years.


----------



## phill (May 31, 2019)

Looks like a lot of lovely retro hardware, is any of it boxed at all?   If you feel like it or wish to, please share some pictures of the hardware you have  

If only I could offer some cash to you for it all since like a fair few people on here, I do collect hardware as well   Impressive stuff sir


----------



## Robert B (Jun 5, 2019)

*Thank You my fans.  I live in Romania. *

@mashie - Everything I do comes naturally to me. It takes effort but each stage that is needed to restore a component is clear to me once I start something. Each piece that comes into my hands is treated as an artifact of a bygone era. Each has its own story to tell. I like all sorts of components old and new. I tend to go on the restoration route more often than not. 

I took a breather from the breakneck pace I imposed myself. Being "late to the retro party" I had to tick all the checkboxes ASAP. I did this, an now I'm pondering what would be the next step.
I'm not slouching but I'm not giving it the beans like in the last four years. 

*Expect some X58 stuff, A Gainward Wonder, Some Abit and even more Abit, My Intel Batman finally got a P60 CPU as it was set up for it. Even as we speak I'm still searching for the next best thing. *

 Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies 

I'm getting my *X58 fix* one way or another.  The x58 boards are still priced at crazy money even today...I got a Gigabyte EX58-Extreme motherboard but boy it was a basket case. Even so I managed to make it GREAT AGAIN!!! ..... I guess you already new this.  

Piece by piece the X58 puzzle is almost complete. I still need a beefy air cooler and a 1KW PSU for good measure. 





* Mr Oizo "Flat beat" 

Titan CU5TB on a i7-920?* Sure!  Only at idle speeds and a little Windows 7!  That's what happens when you dont have the cooler you need!  I wasn't going to take out the Thermalright Archon from my daily driver so I used "the next best thing" I had.. Boy this cooler is still loud as I remember it!





Uhhh Shiny Copper! 





Hanged to dry. 





 Son Lux - Easy  

*Another Gainward wonder!* (GLH)





 LORN - ANVIL [Official Music Video] 

*Abit KN8 nforce4 Ultra Alive or Dead? In Purgatory for now, aka on artificial ventilation. *





 Billy idol - sweet sixteen (1986)  

*P60 - SX835 with FDIV bug*  and friend(s).





I'll post soon the episode: *SDRAM Adventures.

More later.*


----------



## phill (Jun 5, 2019)

I love your posts mate, inspiration to us all


----------



## Splinterdog (Jun 5, 2019)

Those keyboards are practically indestructible. I have one, cleaned it up and use it regularly with older PCs that come into my workshop.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2019)

Splinterdog said:


> Those keyboards are practically indestructible. I have one, cleaned it up and use it regularly with older PCs that come into my workshop.


You mean the ones from the post on April 19th? Yeah those things could take a beating!


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 6, 2019)

Robert B said:


> I wanted to *RetroBright the keyboard* but I decided to do this on another project. The owner liked the yellowing of the case and keys.


In future if you need to retrobrite plastic all you need is the sun outside, and patience. Saves the plastic from the harshness of the hair salon hydrogen peroxide that use to be the suggested method.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> In future if you need to retrobrite plastic all you need is the sun outside, and patience. Saves the plastic from the harshness of the hair salon hydrogen peroxide that use to be the suggested method.


True, Retro Receipts on Youtube tested this and showed it to be correct and even more effective in enough sunlight.


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 6, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> True, Retro Receipts on Youtube tested this and showed it to be correct and even more effective in enough sunlight.





			https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/profile-posts/17625/


----------



## sam_86314 (Jun 6, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> True, Retro Receipts on Youtube tested this and showed it to be correct and even more effective in enough sunlight.


Figure I should throw this in here...
The 8-bit Guy tested a bunch of different retrobright techniques to find what worked the best.








Looks like hydrogen peroxide and heat are the solution.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2019)

sam_86314 said:


> Figure I should throw this in here...
> The 8-bit Guy tested a bunch of different retrobright techniques to find what worked the best.
> 
> 
> ...


David Murray(The 8-Bit Guy) is awesome, his testing methodology was sound and those solutions do work, true. However they can cost a lot of money and can have some side-effects. Sunlight is free and leaves no effects other than the de-yellowing. The down side is it takes a lot of sunlight to work(from a few days to a week), and thus can take alot of time in areas of the world that don't get an abundance of consistent sunlight.

For example, I tested this on one of my old Super Famicom(Japanese SNES), and easy system to take apart. It was very yellowed and took 5 days to get to an acceptable state, but I gave it a few more days to be through. It looks great, better than any of the systems I've retro-brighted with the H2O2 methods! Took 8 days though. IMHO, the trade off of time is worth it as it's been shown that this method will also prevent any future re-yellowing.


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 6, 2019)

sam_86314 said:


> Figure I should throw this in here...
> The 8-bit Guy tested a bunch of different retrobright techniques to find what worked the best.
> 
> 
> ...


The only gotcha with using hydrogen peroxide is it weakens the structuring of plastic, and the yellowing will return again. Some older plastics are already in a fragile or brittle stage from the 30+ years they were made.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> The only gotcha with using hydrogen peroxide is it weakens the structuring of plastic, and the yellowing will return again.


That depends on the plastic and it's original manufacturing processes. Not all plastics will do this, or be subject to those effects as badly.


----------



## Robert B (Jun 8, 2019)

Iris - Somn bizar (Official Music Video) - 1996

*SDRAM Adventures

As it was the case in the past, this came out of nothing. Like a spiral of cosmic dust, a few scattered bits and pieces have gathered together to make a whole.* 

You might say that at the root of this episode is my need to find *a definitive answer to a question.* Once I decide to do something, I level everything in my path. Nothing seems out of my reach and nothing makes me back off. Days spent with my mind between two worlds. Sleepless nights. Questions that eat my mind...the full menu.   I think that you know that I'm talking about my passion in regard to PC Hardware but I feel that I should underline this. Don't get another idea.  

Some time ago I said that once I'll post the VooDoo 5 5500 episode I'll be taking it easy and I will take a break from old PC components. Well, I did take a break and I'm still on my break. That doesnt mean that I dont keep an eye for interesting pieces or I fall prey to stuff that others wont take a second look.(Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder). So, I decided to increase the interval at which I post something and see if this keeps me in check or it will only make my addiction stronger. The breakneck pace at which I was "working" cant be sustained anymore and one thing that made it so it is called: TIME. Lately my free TIME dedicated to retro HW has gone up in smoke. The reasons are multiple and shouldnt be discussed here.  It is nothing too serious or problematic don't worry.

The last month or so, I kept going each Saturday and sometimes even on Sundays at the local flea market. Like an addict I still go there only to see what I can find. The admission fee is trivial and in return I get a "free show". The people are colorful and sometimes you can eavesdrop at what they discuss. You increase your haggling skills. You meet new people. Sometimes you find awesome pieces. All in all it makes me feel alive. Maybe it's just me but when I go there, for little over one hour, I disconnect from reality and after I leave the market I feel like coming back from a parallel universe. My eyes are trained to look for PCBs. I dig through boxes and then I put everything back. It's not good business to upset the vendors. 

I'm almost fully immunized but every once in a while I find something that makes me say: HOW MUCH IS THIS ANCIENT PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY? So, my stash gets bigger. As it goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I like might not be someone else's cup of tea. We aren't the same. Thank God! 

*Let's return to the matter at hand.*

The flea market Gods have bestowed their blessings. A couple of trips have yielded this loot:


*Enhanced VGA Tseng ET4000AX 1MB - ISA P/N 2142 *** P/N 2142S00105*
*SDRAM 2x256MB PC133 with blue heatspreader - 256UCURTWGBA*
*SDRAM 2x128MB PC150 with blue heatspreader*

The list looks unimpressive but as one thing leads to another, you will understand the meaning of "it came out of nothing".

The SDRAM was the one that made me buy a motherboard just for testing duties. My Intuition said something. The Reason said the opposite. In the end I took the sensible route: *ALL IN!* 

First I handled the *Tseng ET4000AX.*

The card was in excellent shape and it had only a few scratches. My eyes popped out when I saw that it was in a ESD bag. A very uncommon thing at out local flea market.  

-I asked how much it was and I received a straight answer of around 8 EUROS. 
-I said 4 EUROS.
-8!(aggressively). IF YOU DON'T WANT IT PUT IT BACK FROM WHERE YOU TOOK IT! said the vendor.

At such an answer someone might've given him a piece of its mind but since I'm not 20 anymore I took the card out of the bag and stared at it.

6 EUROS! I said that it had some scratches here and there and we dont know if it works or not.

*We shaked hands. 6EUROS.* (6 EUROS for an ET4000AX with the maximum video memory of *(1MB)* is very little.)

She's purring like a kitten. Immortal piece of technology! These old cards have offered me great satisfaction over the years and they keep on working even knee deep in the dead.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2jtmsse5k/


*SDRAM 2x128MB PC150 with blue heatspreader *** SDRAM 2x256MB PC133 with blue heatspreader - 256UCURTWGBA*


For the four *SDRAM sticks* I paid *6 EUROS* too. Haggled from 8 EUROS. I know the gipsy seller well and I know when he wants to reduce the price or not.

I have tens of SDRAM sticks with capacities ranging from 16 to 512MB. These SDRAM sticks with heatsinks reminded me of RAMBUS memory and they got under my skin so I had to have them. Quite predictible I might say...

After I bought them, nothing was foretelling that I will have to spend an additional sum of *38 EUROS* just to get an answer to a question. 

The SDRAM sticks were in great shape with very little signs of damage. Being protected by heatsinks they had a big chance to still be alive and kicking. 

One of the memory kits, the *2x128MB,* is rated to run at *150MHz*. This is not a standard JEDEC speed. If we think that 17MHz over 133 represents an increase of 12.7% in a time when maybe DDR 1 was in its beginnings, my decision to buy the kits was an inspired one. It is certain that some PC133 sticks were able to be overclocked at PC150 but nothing beats looking at those fancy PC150 stickers.  You will see later that I was able to run them at their rated speed.

First, I cleaned well all of the SDRAM sticks.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*The moment for testing came soon.* I was well aware that I had limited choice in regard to motherboards capable of using SDRAM sticks with a capacity greater than 128MB. I knew this fact as *I already Read The F...ing Manual.*  . Also the boards are very picky when they are presented with 256MB sticks. Bummer... 

I tried a few motherboards to see what's what:


PC CHIPS/PcCHIPS/PC-CHIPS M800LMR V1.3A 
Asus K7M V1.04
Gigabyte 6BXC V1.7
EPOX*EP-61LXA-M/440LX
EPOX EP-7KXA V0.4
Amptron/Jamicon/FastFame 650B-ATX Rev1.1 / KM650B / 440BX

Testing on Amptron/Jamicon/FastFame 650B-ATX Rev1.1 / KM650B / 440BX.



 

 

 



None of the above motherboards were able to use the 256MB sticks.  So, I was left trying to see if the 128MB sticks work. * Unfortunately, the results were mixed*. At one power up the sticks were detected. At another start I received just beeps. *The behaviour was inconsistent.*

I was already thinking that the "mighty" 2x128MB PC150 kit was dead...Something was still nagging me though. One word was coming in my mind: *INCOMPATIBILITY.* What if it is just a case of an incompatiblity? I said to myself. This was not uncommon back in the day. Hmmmm...

As a last resort I tested the two *PC150* 128MB sticks in my PIII 800/bus 100MHz - LuckyStar 6VABX2 VER. 2.0. In this case the memory ran at a pedestrian pace of *100MHz*. The board knew nothing about 256MB sticks SS or DS so I was already kind of pissed...



 

 



I entered the BIOS and I set up some relaxed timings and I was ready for a session of MEMTEST86.

I received some bad knews. Error at 113.9MB. I switched the sticks. Again error at 113.9MB. *I may be on to something.* Which were the odds to get the same error at the same area of 113.98 on another 128MB stick? I tell you: extremely low.





I enetered the BIOS again and I set up some super relaxed timings and I was able to complete a MEMTEST86 run withou errors. I used Windows 98 for a while and all was nominal.





Error! Error! Error!





MEMTEST86 run completed without errors after entering the required settings in BIOS. 





All this detective work didnt provide the answers I needed so *I decided to buy a motherboard from the last generation to use SDRAM memory.* This way I had better chances of success. *I must end this ONCE AND FOR ALL!*

I searched on the national OLX site the string "Abit". Immediately I got some results. One in particular was enticing. It was about an *Abit KT7 motherboard* with the KT133 chipset for AMD Athlon CPUs on a 200MHz(2x100MHz) bus. If it was equipped with the KT133A would've been better, but if we look from another angle, this motherboard is a part from the first generation of Socket A platforms after the Athlon Slot A/KX133. In essence it is the KX133 chipsest in its form for the Socket A aka KT133.

I liked the board a lot so I contacted the seller soon. I managed to reduce the asking price a little, from around 32 EUROS to around 28 EUROS. With the cost of shipping and the tip for the courier I ended up at 38 EUROS. Not a small sum of money. One of my HW suppliers pulled my ears as he said that I overpaid for it. What's a few EUROS + or - when you like something. He should know this better than me.  

The KT7 was untested and this fact was specified by the seller. From the pictures I knew that this board will be my first NIB/NOS component. It arrived just in time for Easter. Perfect timing. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



As you know, this board was manufactured during the era of bad capacitors. *Bad Era Capacitors / Capacitor Plague.* A period between 1997-2007 when many manufactures used low quality electrolytic capacitors, which were mainly manufactured by Taiwanese companies. To cut costs, inferior capacitors were used. This "economy" had a ripple effect that led to costs many times greater than the cost of using "good" capacitors. Let's think for a moment at how many motherboards had problems related to capacitors. RMA's. Products returned to factories for capacitor replacement. Well engineered components that have failed just because bad capacitors were used. You already have seen two of my recapping jobs performed on MSI MS-6168 and Epox EP-7KXA. No manufactured was spared by the capacitor plague. The right choice is always the hard choice. Why do a good job when you can cut corners?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

As expected, the *Abit KT7 V1.02* arrived according to the rules of the 2000 electronic fashion. Full of TEAPO and JACKCON caps. La creme de la creme...*the brown type. * I updated the BIOS with the latest version, A9, using my MiniPro TL866A programmer and I braced myself for the testing session that lay ahead.



 

 

 



I was aware that I might wake up in a world of pain...I stared at the capacitors and I waited to see what was in store for me.

On Easter day, Sunday, I decided to go where I keep my parts. At 08.30 nobody was on the streets. A pleasure to drive fast in town. 

*I powered up the board but the extasy was short lived...* As soon as I pressed the button I sensed a funny smell. I thought that it was the smell of the board on its first power up but it wasnt so. Soon I found the culprit. A cluster of JACKCON 1000uf 16V caps were swollen.

I used the board for a few minutes after I saw the bulged caps just to see if the SDRAM stricks were detected. The results were encouraging. The 2x128MB PC150 and the 2x256MB PC133 kits were seen on the first try. YAY! *My gut was right all along!*



 

 



With my heart pounding I inspected the motherboard closely, to see if more caps have lost their head. More good news. The rest seemed or looked OK! (Empirically speaking)

Huh! I really dont want to do another full recap job! 

I searched in my bag for some 1000uf 16V caps but I only had 1000uf 6.3V/10V caps...the shops were closed. Bummer...I have to get my answers after Easter...Damn...

Before I was ready to pack all the stuff and go back home I decided to inspect the NB cooler. The plastic push-pins looked kind of...plastic.  

I removed them because they didnt hold the heatsink well.

Underneath, shock and awe! *What the Fuu.......K IS THAT!?* I corrected the error with AC MX-4 and two heavy duty spring loaded push-pins.



 

 

 



The list of the caps that were on the board. The specs (ripple current and impedance) are an aproximation as I wasnt able find the exact models and I cross-referenced different spec sheets.





The original CMOS battery. Drained. NIB/NOS Baby!





*Well made in Taiwan??? Really?* "Good" caps too bad for the board...





After Easter I found at the local shops only *Mr. Chong* the same guy that wispered to me in the past: ME FIX YOU! ME HELP YOU! TRUST IN ME!  I paid under 1 EURO for the caps. I used this brand in the past and they are "good" if you are in a pinch. If we pause and think a little, the irony is that I put on the board the same  "special caps" as I wasnt about to hurt the motherboard's Feng Shui. I might've had an uprising on my hands and I would've had to change them all.  One thing is certain: at one point I WILL REMOVE ALL THE JUNK and solder some JAPANESE CAPACITORS!



 

 

 



After I bought the Abit KT7 I saw that I didnt have a single Athlon 200MHz bus CPU. As I didnt fancy a Duron I decided to use an Athlon XP on a 266MHz bus (2x133MHz) with a Palomino or Thoroughbred core. They work on this board even if they arent officially supported. 

In the end I settled on a *Athlon XP AXDA2000DKV3C CPU* rated at 1.667GHz 12.5x133MHz. Due to the limitations of the board it ran at 1250MHz aka 12.5x100MHz and I had some wiggle room when I was about to run the SDRAM at 150MHz.

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/AMD-Athlon XP 2000+ - AXDA2000DKV3C.html





The moment for answers came soon. Were the SDRAM kits still alive and kicking? An existential question! 

*Strike 1!*



 

 

 

*Strike 2!*



 

 



I played with some graphic cards:


AOpen Aeolus GF4 Ti 4200 128MB AGP 8x
AOpen Geforce 2 Ti VX64
Leadtek Geforce 2 PRO
Palit Geforce 3 Ti 200
Hercules GTS 2 PRO
Creative VANTA 32MB PCI
Gigabyte GA-622-16

I installed Windows XP. Here I had a few hiccups as the original CD was scratched and a one hour job turned into a four hour job...installs and (re)installs...fun times with old stuff.



 

 

 



2x128MB PC150 @ PC133





SPD 2x128MB PC150 - I wasnt able to determine the manufacturer of the chips but the sticks are smaller than the 256MB sticks. Probably BGA KINGMAX, TONICOM?





SPD 2x256MB PC133 - Equipped with MICRON chips probably TSOP.





3dmark2000 2x256MB PC133 - stock GF4 Ti4200. No tweaks.





Preparation for SDRAM @ 150MHz - FSB 110. SDRAM 110MHz





Preparation for SDRAM @ 150MHz - FSB 117. SDRAM 117MHz



 



*SoftMenu III* was a dream to use. The multitude of BIOS settings allowed me to achieve stability and the magic number of 150MHz for SDRAM. I didnt try for more as this wasnt my goal.



 



After many hours of usage I didnt encounter more problems related to capacitors. This is not an indication that I wont have headaches in the future tough. For now, I will leave the KT7 to rest in the box.

The motherboard preformed admirably during the several days of testing. After I exterminated some gremlins as this is a requirement of an authentic "retro" experience, all was just *smooth sailing.*

Did I overpay for the Abit KT7? I think not. It was a case of NO BRAINER! The full box offered me an authentic experience and if I didnt have near me, my Lenovo I7 2600, the HP LP2065 monitor or my smartphone, I could've thought that I was back in the glory days of Good Ol' Socket A. The smell of a new motherboard. The untouched manual. The immamculate CD with drivers. The sealed accessories. The ESD bag that covered the motherboard... What could I say...After I clened the box of dirt and old tape it became shiny and it was a pleasure to touch it. I also managed to "sweeten" some dents and marks that were present on the box and in the end the complete package looked incredible. 

*My Abit KT7!*





Look at how much I had to tell you and all started with a humble kit of RAM. You never know where the road will take you. *These retro adventures have a charm that continues to be irresistible to me. *

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1utq6b0ko/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jun 19, 2019)

SVET. feat. SevenEver - Is It Love

*Another GAINWARD wonder* ... _*is it love?*_

"_Is it love, love, love
Love, love, love that I'm feeling?"_

*Oh boy ... here we go!* 

Before everything I must confess an obvious secret...*I'm a sucker for Gainward cards*.  I'm referring to the cards released during their glory days and not about the husks we can find on the market today.

Even now I can "feel" the aura emanated by top Gainward cards when *back in the day* I used to read about them on the internet. *Unobtanium in its purest form.* You see, back then, I was never able to buy a top of the line *Gainward* card when they were at their peak. It only took a peek at the painted face or a glimpse of the red PCB and you already knew with whom you were dealing with. Today? Who the F..K is Ali.. ops Gainward...just a shadow of its former self as it is the case with many big names that I grew up with ...

My first Gainward card, took the shape of a *Gainward Geforce4 MX460 Golden Sample 64MB AGP* and the moment when I took it out of its bag was exhilarating. Good Times! The card came in bulk form but that didn't bother me at all. The PCB color, the coloured heatsink, the sticker bearing the GS initials, the scent, have been stuck in mind ever since. I'm sure that I wont feel the same even if today I would buy a diamond studded 2080 RTX Ti. You see, *there is a first time for everything...* so you should make it count! If possible ...  

*Is it love, love, love ?* YOU BETCHA!!! Soooo REEEEEDDDD!!!

The moment when I found *a new Gainward card* was celebrated accordingly. (The details about how I got this card will be presented in full when I'll post the episode dedicated to Abit KN8.)





_"How can I do this?
I've never felt this way before
You keep on staring at me
And I can't take it anymore

But I want you to know
I'm looking for a place where we can go
And I can say the words as I'm tryin break through
But you already know that I really want you?_

Is it me or is it getting kind of hot in here? *Enough lyrics for today!*  

Let's meet the beauty: *GAINWARD Model 6800GS PCI-E 512MB TV-OUT DVI / P/N:NE/6800SXTD52-PM8070-GLH*



 

 



Some of you might have already seen past the bling bling and maybe frowned a little when they saw the PCI-E connector. *Not me!* I'm still blinded by love at first sight so my opinion might be "a little" biased...PCI-E or not, for me, this card has a scent of retro. The card is around 14 years old and even if we like it or not, this is a long time ago. Getting older SUX BIG TIME!

The card was in relative good shape. Dusty and dirty. Just another day at the office for me. Status unknown.

I managed to contain myself and I didn't power up the card to see if it is alive as I was set on getting it restored first. As is stood, the card coul'd've already been dead but I didnt take this into consideration for even a second and I just wanted to recreate the hypothetical moment when another me took the card out of its box and plugged it into the motherboard slot, happy for the purchase.

Even if the 6800GS wasn't top of the line, I still love this card to bits, no matter what. To spice thing up, we are dealing with a GLH model aka *Goes Like Hell!!!* with higher working frequencies than stock models. Core 485MHz vs 425MHz stock / Memory 1300MHz DDR3(650x2) vs 1000MHz stock. Also, the video memory is 512MB vs the usual 256MB. All in all, this card is a keeper!

*Dust bunnies!*



 



*Dirt? CHECK!*





*You can leave your hat on!*





The cooling system is one of the attraction points of this card. *The white fan* gives it a distinctive note.



 

 

 



*Ready to be made GREAT AGAIN!!!*



 

 



The first task was *the cleaning of the cooling system.*



 



*Adherent grime everywhere! * To make things worse, cleaning the white fan was quite a challenge but that was just the tip of the icebreg. Don't think that the other white plastic bits were easier to clean...*Nooooo SiiiiiiiiiiiRRRR!!!*



 

 

 

 



When I removed the white sticker from under the fan I was met by a *dilema.* I saw the thick white axle of the fan and I thought that I'm dealing with a layer of white grease under which I expected to see the metal axle but to my amazement I saw that I have met *my first fan with the axle made from plastic.* The dilema was if it was necessary to take apart the fan or to leave it as it was. It still spun easily and quietly. After a failed attempt to clean it properly without dismantling it, I took it apart and all went better.

As the adherent fine layer of grime wasn't fazed by the IPA 99%, I washed the fan motor and the entire white frame, with *hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap.* I took great precautions not to damage the fine copper wires of the coils. The propeller underwent the same treatment. Just to be safe, I also washed the motor with IPA 99%.

The bracket was cleaned with polishing paste and a soft rag. I also cleaned the memory heatsinks.

*The results were beyond my expectations.*



 



I put great accent on the cleaning of the plastic shroud of the cooling system. Hot water and Fairy Lemon plus a soft microfiber cloth. I don't need more scratches!



 



I cleaned each fin of the *copper heatsink*. Nothing was left to chance.



 

 



I mentioned above something about *results beyond expectation ...*



 

 

 



While I stripped the card down I saw that a white plastic washer that it is used with the nuts that hold the heatsink, was missing, so I took the required actions and I cut a thicker one in two. *Problem fixed.*





*Ready for assembly!*





*The right amount of silicone grease.*





*Almost there...*



 

 



*Fine tools needed!*





*Done and done!*



 

 



*Stored until further orders!!!*





The work went at *a snail's pace* and I enjoyed every moment.





*The main course.*



 

 



Mirror like! *Robert B* (TM) 



 

 

 

 

 



*Video memory.*





While I was cleaning the PCB with IPA 99% one of the labels on the back *fell down* so I took the required measures to restore the "equilibrium".





*Nothing is complete without the utmost attention to detail.* Because I was lazy and I didn't protect the ink stamped serial number on the back of the heatsink, from the action of IPA 99%, I had to recreate it. Almost perfect aka As good as it gets!



 

*And now for the Grand Finale!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Better than new!*

After a lot of work I held into my hands, the object of my desire, my passion and my love. Soon, the most important question presented itself: *Was it all worth it?*

Only one way to find out. *Fire it up!*



 



Because the *Abit KN8* proved incappable to offer what the Gainward card requested, I used the BFG aka the Big F..k..g Gun aka *GA-EX58-EXTREME* which just had a case of a miraculous recovery. *This was a match made in Heaven...* The rest is history ...



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Ultra Durable indeed!*





I absolutely love Gainward cards but at the same time I also like many other components. *My passion is all consuming!*

I could go on and on and lay down many lines of text but I think that it is better to keep it short. *You can read between the lines all that I wanted to say*. 

*Gainward, Beyond Your Senses!*

Cya later with the next episode(s).

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jun 23, 2019)

Ahmet Kilic & Eyup Celik Snap VS Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own (Massive mashup) 

*THE SLEEPER!*

        





*This PUPPY will be made GREAT AGAIN! Full restoration in progress!!!*

Time capsule. Untouched. What's in store for me? Hardship or Smooth sailing? Only time will tell!!! 

*More later.*


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 23, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Only time will tell!!!


The suspense better be worth the payoff.


----------



## dorsetknob (Jun 23, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> The suspense better be worth the payoff.


Having been Impressed with all Roberts previous projects / work we will not be Disapointed


----------



## Robert B (Jun 23, 2019)

The insides have a few surprises. We arent dealing with something top of the line but you will see. I intend to fully restore it. 

It has a P75 ES CPU.

More later.


----------



## blobster21 (Jun 23, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Sometimes it is better to trust you feelings/gut and dont give up. This not only  applies to this instance but to any other situation you might encounter in your life.



There are little bits of wisdom spread all across this thread, i'm browsing it whenever it pops again on the front page !



Robert B said:


> *More later.*



YOU BET !


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 23, 2019)

dorsetknob said:


> Having been Impressed with all Roberts previous projects / work we will not be Disapointed


I didn't expect anything else but the best going from past posts in this thread.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 23, 2019)

Robert B said:


> It has a P75 ES CPU.


Engineering sample! Very interesting. Nice


----------



## Robert B (Jun 24, 2019)

*Check this out!* Funky EDO RAM 2x4MB

*TELBUS MCM Design* - TM 513201-70 / Si-Die 2195 TI - 03.1995

The casing is made from a hard plastic. The SLEEPER is full of surprises.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 24, 2019)

Robert B said:


> *Check this out!* Funky EDO RAM 2x4MB
> 
> *TELBUS MCM Design* - TM 513201-70 / Si-Die 2195 TI - 03.1995
> 
> The casing is made from a hard plastic. The SLEEPER is full of surprises.


Weird! Never seen anything like that before with anything before SDRAM.


----------



## Robert B (Jul 16, 2019)

*The next two stories might not be considered by some to be retro but I felt that they are stories that are fit to be presented here. Even if my soul is back into the '90s my heart is close to many other generations of components old and new.*

Anton Ishutin - Show Me (Dmitri Saidi & Vicent Ballester Remix)

*Abit KN8 ULTRA* *the misfortunate* or *939 a touch and go affair

Ah s939...*

Over the years I never owned a *s939 system* be it with Good Ol' *AGP* slot or "the latest and greatest" with *PCI-E* slots. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? I just can't say for sure.

*One thing is certain.* Back then, instead of waiting just a little while longer and buy a first generation s939 kit, I decided to buy my 3rd socket A PC. *Abit NF7-S* with a Barton core Athlon XP 2800+ and a Leadtek 6600GT AGP...bad move to buy something like that, so late into the cycle. The motherboard was EOL and finding it proved to be quite a challenge. To make matters worse, the Barton *2800+* was a poor overclocker. With great efforts I managed to eek out 2.2GHz out of it and even then it was flaky as hell. The motherboard hanged from time to time when I had HDDs connected to the S-ATA ports. Even to this day, to some extent, I still think of that *A64 3200+* that I should've bought back then. I got as much as I could from this last socket A PC until 2008 when I managed to buy something really good. A P35 with Core 2 Duo E8400. Good times.

Funny fact. Even to this day, my old NF7-S is still used with Win XP for light browsing at my aunts small shop.  Who would've thought. I'm waiting paciently for the moment when I will be called to put her into retirement, clean it and restore it as it deserves. The box of the motherboard is still in my aunts office as I've seen it a while ago. Back in 2008 when I sold that PC, I told them to keep all the boxes. 

Enough reminiscing, I should return to the present. 

On the 01.06.2019 I was at the local flea market. The weather was temperamental to say the least. It was around 09.00. Me and a few other "special" guys, were there looking for the next score. As the saying goes: *"The early bird gets the worm."* I can think of a few ways to interpret this but let's leave it at that. *My mind is restless.* 

The day before, I received on *WhatsApp*, from my best supplier of retro HW, a picture with a mighty *Abit AN7* motherboard. My first thought, after I saw the pictures, went towards *my old NF7-S.* After a restless night, filled with dreams of old HW ,(I know I should go check myself ), I woke up and something was telling me that I might find an Abit motherboard at the flea market. *I just could sense something in the air.*

The odds were pretty low to say the least. Was I able to find an Abit motherboard on that exact day in a small flea market like that from my city?

Well, I arrived at the local flea market and I saw that there were very few sellers and even fewer buyers. It rained the night before and the weather was gloomy. I said to myself that this will be a day to forget and I wont find anything worthwhile.

I walked absent-minded on the alleys and all I could find were butchered and dismembered components in various states of decay...

I arrived at a small strip of concrete and I saw a white shopping bag from which a bright golden heatsink was visible. On that golden heatsink something was written ... *ABIT!*

Ueheheh! My eyes poped out and I reached for the bag and I caught a glimpse of what was inside.

While I was looking inside, I heard a man's voice from behind, telling me quite agressively: *KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE BAG AS YOU ARE GOING TO TEAR IT UP!!!*

I was struck by those words as: *1.* I wasnt expecting such a reaction and *2.* I'm not the kind that tears up shopping bags.  

I turned around and I saw that those words came from a short man with a mustache, wearing a knitted vest, a cap and a pair of glasses.

My first reaction was to underline the fact that the bag was on the ground and I thought that it belonged to the woman that was selling a bunch of stuff.

I was assaulted again by a couple of comments about tearing his shopping bag...

I was quite vexed and I was very close to give him a piece of my mind but I managed to compose myself.

I left but I wasnt able to shake off the images of an nVidia 6800 graphic card and the golden Abit cooler.

If only I would've arrived sooner at the flea market...damn...

I completed my stroll through the market but I found nothing else to buy.

Sheesshhh, a red 6800 card and an Abit motherboard complete with an Arctic heatpipe cooler....damn...

Because I didnt find anything to buy and I had a shopping bag with me, I, being the good samaritan, when I found the man from before, trying to stuff more parts into his bag I told him that he can have my bag, free of charge. I was only thinking about the well-being of the components ...

*I DON'T NEED IT!!!*

What the ... I almost sent him you know where ... but in an instance I managed to remain calm.

- I asked him: How much did you pay for all the parts?
- 4 EUROS. (we're getting somewhere)
- What would you say if I was to buy all the parts from you?
- They are not for sale!
- I give you 10 EUROS for the lot!
- (HDD LED ON for a couple of seconds) Zero reactions.
- Come on, it is more than double what you have paid and I dont need the PSU.

A few moments later I was looking freely inside the bag and the man was also giving me details.  This is a PSU with a separate 12V socket...He bought the parts for scrap and the fact that they looked well, attracted him.

I only had eyes for the Abit motherboard and that RED card!!!: *GAINWARD Model 6800GS PCI-E 512MB TV-OUT DVI / P/N:NE/6800SXTD52-PM8070-GLH* (It was presented before this episode) Sax@cean edit. Rafael Lambert - The Way We Are (Anton Ishutin Remix)

I looked briefly over the Abit motherboard and I only saw an elctrolytic capacitor that had its plastic jacket scratched. Otherwise it looked ok. The mounted cooler was an Arctic Freezer 64 PRO and the CPU was fine and dandy.

*10 EUROS* for the motherboard, graphic card, RAM, CPU and cooler? No brainer ...

Now the Abit kit and the Gainward card were in MY SHOPPING BAG.

After I gave the man the 10 EUROS, the lady that sold them initially, asked me how much I paid for them. She wasnt too happy when she found out that I paid 10 EUROS instead of the 4 she received. 

At that moment I was really happy even if in my bag I held some PCI-E parts that werent so "retro".

I arrived at my car and I took a few pictures.





I removed the cooler thinking that I might score an Athlon FX CPU (I know it was wishful thinking) but I found a common 64 3200+ instead. It seems that over the years this CPU is haunting me. *ADA3200DAA4BW* 





The motherboard model is: *Abit KN8 Ultra V1.0*. With this occasion I saw that besides the electrolytic capacitor with the scratched plastic jacket, a *13NO3LA MOSFET* had been resoldered or changed. I didnt waste too much thought over this. The flea market stuff always has these risks. Even if the motherboard was toast I was still in the green. At that time I didnt take into consideration the fact that the motherboard might be dead.



 



I put the motherboard *on my bench box*  and I powered it up.





*POWER ON!* Tense moments ... seconds pass ... just a flatline. ... Hmm ... NO F..KING BEEPS! That can't be a good thing I said to myself ... My PCI debugger card, being some cheap chinese crap, didnt give me a single clue to what was happening.



 



I updated the BIOS.

The board received power. The leds lighted up. The CPU got warm. Even so, I wasnt able to make it to *P.O.S.T.*. I tried other CPUs and sticks of RAM but to no avail.

While I was trying to resuscitate the board, one thing was annoying me quite bad. *The Good Ol' Abit chipset cooler*, board killer in all its might. Loud and almost ceased was yelling at me: *DEAD CHIPSET!!!* Even to this day I still cant understand why they mounted such crap on a vital component. They could've used an oversized heatsink and call it a day.





While my mind still searched for answers, I decided to address the matter of the *chipset cooler.* To my surprise, I found out that the golden variant is heavier than the silver one. It had a certain weight to it. The heatsink is up for the task but the fan is the weak part. I cleaned the ball bearing and the sleeve bearing. I didnt want to open up the ball bearing and I used pressurised grease to make the bearing run freely. I also used some fine washers to reduce the play in the fan.

*At the end, the cooler was almost new.* The fan still had a small noise but I was going to address that later IF the motherboard proved to be alive.



 

 

 

 



That day all my efforts were futile. *The motherboard didnt POST no matter what.* No beeps. Nothing.

A few day later *I cleaned it well*. I washed it with hot water and dish soap, followed by 99% IPA and a session with and air compressor. I wasnt going to waste time making spotless a board that seemed dead.



 



While I was cleaning the board I checked another thing that seemed out of place. An electrolytic capacitor was too tall and too close from a PCI-E x1 slot. Someone replaced an OST RLX de 1500uf/6.3 cap with a SAMXON KM 3300uf/6.3V cap. The soldering was superb and I had to check the internet to see if the motherboard really had a 3300uf cap there. Taking into consideration that the board didnt POST, I started thinking that maybe those three caps near the chipset were at *the root of all my problems*.





The OST RLX caps were sold as Ultra LOW ESR and I couldnt just solder whatever I could find . Besides, in order to get my final answers I had to solder something good so that I wont have to return and solder other caps.

I looked in my stash of caps and I didnt find what I needed. I wasnt going to solder some 3300uf Nichicon HM caps in an area where were soldered 1500uf caps, even if that might've worked.

The OST RLX specsheets presented some good numbers if we are to believe them.

http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/


			http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/OST/OST%20%5bradial%5d%20RLX%20series.pdf
		


I was in a deadlock.

Days passed.

I cleaned the *Arctic Freezer 64 PRO* cooler. I used hot water and dish soap followed quickly by an air compressor session. The fan received a little oil. The rubber mountings of the fan have perished and the original owner replaced them with screws. Even so, the cooler is quiet.  I also cleaned the memory sticks.



 

 



By chance, I found in my city, some solid caps: *ULR 1500uf 6.3V* which were quickly soldered.



 

 



Hours spent trying to revive the board. *NO POST! NO BEEPS! NOTHING!*

I dumped the motherboard into a box and I forgot about it.

My mind didnt give up so easily though. It still searched for answers.

What if the BIOS chip is toast? The odds were close to ZERO as I was able to delete and reprogram the chip with my MiniPRO TL866A.

Still...

I searched for a replacement BIOS chip and I found it on my dead *GA-8TM s423* motherboard.

GA-8TM - *SST49LF004A*
http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheet/SiliconStorageTechnology/mXyzqwqs.pdf
KN8 Ultra - *Pm49FL004*
http://www.issiusa.com/pdf/Pm49FL002-004.pdf

I checked the specsheets and I arrived to the conclusion that they are compatible and I should try something.

*Last shot for glory.*



 



*NO CHANGE!!!

In a gesture of supreme frustration* I pulled the blue heatsink from the VRM section of the board. If initially it seemed glued and I left it in place while I cleaned the board, now it moved and I was able to remove it.

*THE HORRORS!!!*



 

 



Bad soldering and a replaced MOSFET. There's your problem son! More electrolytic caps with scratched plastic jackets. One slightly burned fan connector...someone before me tried everything to save the board but I think that he shouldn't've bothered...

I tried to remove a MOSFET using my 100W soldering gun but that was something like: pissing in the wind. That soldering gun with modified tips helped me in many situations but not now. My trusty mighty axe is useless here. I need other tools. * I hit a brick wall.

This is the end* I said to myself. I wont waste any more time searching for another MOSFET or for finding the specs of all the MOSFETS.

*Abit KN8 the misfortunate.* Most probably a dead chipset.





R.I.P.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/mo44vbag/

For me, s939 is still a touch and go affair.

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jul 17, 2019)

*SOON:* *X58* _the Semi-Glorious_

It's me the RED GUY ahem the *X58 Gigabyte motherboard*.   Hello, its... Barbara Streisand! //the red guy// 





*More later*.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jul 17, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Hello, its... Barbara Streisand! //the red guy//


That was messed up!


----------



## Robert B (Jul 30, 2019)

Borka - Le Vent

*X58* - *The Semi-Glorious* ...

*Fond memories* tie me to the *X58*, even if back in the day I have never owned such a beast ... Sky high prices while I was rocking a P35-E8400-DDR2 ... Yep, it is kind of sad to be a "filthy peasant" and not one of the "glorious master race" but what can you do ... For a wide majority of us, joy can be found in the "simple" things, that is if you can stop for a moment and realize this. For a select few, it is exactly the opposite. You see, back in 2011 I joined a forum from my country called *lab501*. The fact that attracted me to join this particular forum were the great Overclocking Achievements of the founders of that forum/site that culminated with their win of the MSI MOA in 2011 and their excellent articles posted on the their internet page. In fact, the lab501 is the only overclocking team who ever held the GOOC, MOA and HWBOT Country Cup titles simultaneously! Being one of the select few, takes many sacrifices and perseverence. Reading about their achievements was and still is very exciting. From around that time I started to really like X58 stuff even if I never bought one for myself. That has changed recently when I aquired my X58 *SG* ... Semi-Glorious ... 

LAB501 - Romania OC Team - 2008-2011








						Despre noi
					

Visit the post for more.




					www.lab501.ro
				





			next lab501 – This is mobile !
		









						lab501
					

This is hardware !




					www.lab501.ro
				




Some of the readers of this post might already know about *Monstru, matose, poparamiro* and others that form the lab501 OC team but I'm sure that for a wide majority this information is unknown. 

Let's return the to matter at hand. The mystical aura of the X58 made be buy one. Was it a good ideea or a bad ideea? I'll let you be the Judge of that. 

In April, this year, I arrived at the logical conclusion  , that *I MUST* own a *X58* setup no matter what. It couldn't be just any X58 so I searched high and low. Even from the begining, one fact was quite *OBVIOUS.* The prices for X58 stuff are still very high and in some instances they are close or even greater than those at their introduction on the market. What the FUUUU.....K?!??! The answer to this rather curious situation soon followed. People are still using them and they are still a viable option so the prices are still pretty high up there. If you want a top end X58 motherboard you better be prepared to fork out the cash. *Bummer ...*

These X58 beasts refuse to die and enter my collection, damn ...

Another headache was the fact that my *X58* had to be made only by *Gigabyte*. Nothing else would cut it!

If I knew what was in store for me after I bought my Gigabyte motherboard, you can be sure that I wouldn't've bothered. If we look from another perspective if I wouldnt've bought it you would not have something to read so all evens out in the end, I guess ...  

I found my *Gigabyte EX58-EXTREME v1.0* on the national OLX site. It was equipped with a i7-920 CPU / 6GB DDR3 triple channel. The price was out of my comfort zone so before I decided to buy it I wrote a few lines to the seller and I asked for some details. The seller told me that the motherboard was in good working condition and he had no use for it as he made the switch to a laptop. It had the original box but the package was incomplete. The Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2, the graphic card support, and a few other bits and pieces, were missing from the package. OK, I said to myself. *This looks kind of legit?* The pictures were a little blurry but the kit looked kind of *OK.* I was undecided. Out of the blue, a few days later, the seller sent me a message and told me that he is willing to drop the price. This was now around 60 EUROS for the motherboard, CPU and RAM. The price was pretty low compared to other motherboards on sale on the OLX site. For example, a Gigabyte X58-UD3R motherboard was about 80+ EUROS and the price didnt include a CPU or RAM. Even so, I still didnt want to buy the Gigabyte EX58-EXTREME. One day later I received another message from the seller. 50 EUROS for the motherboard, CPU and RAM, after a buyer thought it was s1150 instead of s1366 and returned it, ... So, I decided to pull the trigger. I spoke with the seller on the phone and he seemed trustworthy so I paid 50 EUROS for the kit and 10 EUROS for shipping. He told me that the motherboard is in good working condition so there were no reasons to worry.

*This wasn't a bad ideea or was it?!?!? Little did I know ...*

I did the classic mistake of not asking for the pictures with the *CPU socket.* 

I waited anxiously the arrival of the package. The first thing I did after I removed the motherboard from the HUGE box in which is sat, was to conduct a close inspection of the CPU socket ...

*THE HORROR! ... THE HORROR! ... THE HORROR!!!!!!!*



 

 

 

 



*I was numb. Cold shivers ran down my spine. What the FUUUUUUUUUUUUU........K!!!!*

Bent and deformed pins. Lint between pins. One missing pin and one discolored pin. How could this motherboard be in GOOD WORKING CONDITION?!?!?! What kind of a man can sell this? I guess *Ignorance si Bliss* ... too bad I'm not an ignorant person. After so many posts, I guess that you already know that for me attention to detail is *EVERYTHING!!!* It all comes naturally to me. It is like breathing air, an effortless thing.

Minutes have passed until I was able shake off the negative feelings. *NO! NO! NO!* 

After a little panic, as this was a totaly new experience for me, I reached for my phone and I called the seller. He was swiftly informed about the situation. I told him about all the problems and that *I had no use for such a kit.* He kept telling me that the motherboard works, that he has entered the BIOS, yadda yadda, etc. etc. etc.

Bent pins are bent pins. THAT IS A FACT!

Besides bent pins, the motherboard had other issues. The stock waterblock had some kind of red sealant at its base, one little heatsink had bent fins an the RAM was anything but true triple channel. Mismatched RAM ... GREAT!!! Add assault to injury ... what could possibly go wrong ... &$@*(&$@*&!)!^$!^)(^$!*)&){!!!!###



 

 

 



In the end I told the seller that all I could do was to buy the i7-920 CPU for the price of the shipping I already paid (10 EUROS) and that he had to pay the shipping back for the motherboard and the 6GB RAM.

Long seconds have passed  ... the seller told be that he had no use the motherboard, that the box is too big and takes up space, etc. etc. etc. I told him that I DONT WANT THE MOTHERBOARD and THAT I DONT EVEN WANT TO POWER IT UP.

In the end, the seller came up with the proposition that he will return 40 EUROS if I was willing to send him back the 6GB of RAM and keep the motherboard. 

*I agreed.* 

In the end for *20 EUROS* I was the pround owner of a damaged motherboard and one i7-920 CPU ... GREAT !!! Yeah right ...  now his problem was MY PROBLEM! The motherboard looked like it went to hell and came back ...

After I spoke with the seller on the phone, I said to myself that even if I was to lose 60 EUROS I should stop worrying about this whole situation. This isnt a great sum of money ... 

If I take into consideration the trips to the courier, plus stress, plus all the convincing I had to do, plus the days it took the seller to return the money, plus yadda yadda, it would've been better for me to fork out the cash for a nice X58 kit and be like a BO$$!!! Too late now ... bad decisions are BAD DECISIONS!!!

I was close to selling the kit and forget the whole thing.

Time passed and in the end I decided to do what I do best.

*LET'S MAKE THIS SORRY A$$ GIGABYTE EX58-EXTREME GREAT AGAIN!!!*

I straightened the pins as best I could. I didnt insist too much as they were already traumatized. Please observe in the pics the pulled pins with their tip bent over their head ... Initially, the straightening of the pins seemed difficult but now I can do this any time of the day.

I remember that after I decided to keep the motherboard, I jumped right in, and with a shaky hand while my heart was pounding I started straightening the pins.  This was a bad proposition but in the end I DID IT!!! It is not rocket science! Easy peasy!

*I recommed that you are ZEN while you straighten CPU pins ... otherwise BAD things CAN and WILL happen ...*



 

 

 



The seller told me that the motherboard was in working condition. As I said to him I say to you: I will not power up a board with bent pins! Only after I straightened them out I was ready for a test.

Initialy, I thought that the discolored pin was a result of some shoddy soldering. The answer to this question came later and it was quite obvious after I was faced with another problem with this motherboard.

*Surprise!* I had no beefy CPU cooler or a mighty PSU and I wasnt going to canibalize them from my daily driver. Bummer ... damn ninja gremlins always busting my chops  ... &$(@*(*@$##!!!!

I searched in my stash of parts and I found : *A Titan CU5TB cooler and an Antec Eathwatts EA-380D Green PSU. *

This looks kind of legit!

A short visit on a site with a PSU calculator and I was ready to start the X58 "garbage".

What graphic card to use?! Hmmm ATI 3807x2?! HELL NO! Too much current needed! Hmmm ... THIS might fit the bill! Creative Labs -CT6950-nVidia Vanta 32MB PCI (CT6954) in the HOUSE!!!

I placed the TITAN CU5TB on the i7-920, after I applied some *MX-4* *ointment* and I was ready for THE DEFINITVE TEST!

*POWER UP!!!*



 

 



DID IT WORK???

*ALL CREWS REPORTING SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR!!!*



 

 

 

 



The CU5TB kept in check a i7-920 CPU that wasnt unleashed. The temperatures varied from 40-41 to 53 degrees Celsius after a few hours of MEMTEST 86+. I say RESPECT FOR the tiny CU5TB! I used a 4GB DDR3 1333MHz Kingston dual channel kit because that was all I had at the time.

The initial tests were encouraging so I decided to restore the board, in spite of all the problems it had.

First I tackled the waterblock. I removed the red sealant after I saw that there were no leaks after a test with water.

I made two plugs that mimicked the factory ones.

I hand polished the waterblock. Patience, polishing cream and soft rags. That's all she wrote! 



 



I removed the cooling system made from a hefty heat pipe.





I inspected the motherboard.

WHAT THE FU...K!!!! What kind of sh.......tttt is this!!??!??!?!!





Remember the missing pin and the discolored one? Initialy I thought that the missing pin was a result of too much straightening and the discolred pin was a result of some soldering iron action. The truth was plain to see. The pins made contact and the motherboard was powered up. As a result, a fuse blew up, a pin was vaporized and another one sticked out like a sore thumb...GREAT!!!

... how can you power up a board with pins that make contact and hope for the best ... I have nothing more to add ...

I stared at the motherboard for many minutes ... 



 



Is still worth it to restore this piece of ... manure ... ???

HELL YEAH!!! When the going gets tough YOU TOUGH THE F..K UP!!! 

I removed the body of the blown fuse. 





I cleaned the area with some IPA 99%. The question was what kind of fuse to solder there ... what were the specs ?

*NEW PICTURES FOUND!*



v 



Mirror mirror on the wall AM I GOING TO BE GREAT AGAIN? *Sure my dear, anything you want!*



 



To remove the blwown fuse I used my trusty soldering gun with a tip adapted for the task.



 



I needed a Littelfuse X16 fuse but I didnt have a single board that had one. Bummer ... I wasnt able find an equivalent from another manufacturer no matter how much I searched through my boxes of parts. Buying a few fuses was out of the question as the minimum order was in the hundreds of pieces ...

I was DEAD IN THE WATER ... again ...

A couple of weeks later at the flea market I found what I needed. A banged up ASUS P8H67 motherboard, for which I paid under 3 EUROS, had lots of Littelfuse X16 fuses. Lucky ME!!!!





Funnny fact. The damaged ASUS P8H67 had no bent or missing pins. WHAT THE ACTUAL F..K??? How could this be?!?!?? Human error is the worst kind of error! 



 



Removing a Littelfuse X16 fuse from the ASUS P8H67, using my 100W monster, proved more difficult than anticipated. The fuse is very thin and bendy. The fusible element is held between two layers of insulation. After a few tries I managed to remove a fuse that fit the bill. 



 



*Final results? Almost good as new!*





After so many problems and so much work I started feeling *THE TASTE OF VICTORY!!!*

The demons had been slain and my gut was telling me that all will be smooth sailing from now on.

I cleaned the motherboard well.



 

 

 



*CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN!*



 

 

 

 



*WARRIORS OF THE NIGHT! ASSEMBLE!!!*





The final results were according to the effort put it. *This looks just like I REMEBER A X58 should look!!!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Many days have passed after I was able to exorcise the Gigabyte X58 ... and I still didn't have a CPU cooler to conduct a FINAL TEST ...

I wanted to buy a *Prolimatech Megahalems or Super Mega CPU cooler* and make something special but the price was a little high and in the end I abandoned the idea ... 

The flea market came to the rescue again. By a stroke of luck, in a big box of coolers, I found the the missing piece of the puzzle in the form of a stock s1366 cooler. The cooler was in bad shape with a verdigrised copper slug and many bent fins. I paid the asking price of under 3 EUROS and after some elbow grease it was almost good as new.



 

 



Arround that time I also posted an add on the lab501 forum in which I stated that I wanted to buy a Gigabyte X58-UD9 or GA-X58A-OC motherboard. I talked with a user on that forum and by another stroke of luck, after he found out about the problems with my Gigabyte EX58-EXTREME, he told be that he had a new Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 heatsink, a new waterblock and the required screws. LUCKY ME! For 10 EUROS, I was able to return this board to its former glory.* NO stupid screaming little fans on this board. ONLY A MANLY HEAT PIPE!!! FTW!!!*



 

 

 

 

 



*AWESOME!* I had a motherboard that underwent a miraculous recovery, a CPU cooler, the extra cooling kit, but I didnt have a RAM kit that was up for the task.

The missing piece came in the shape of a CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB 3x2GB 1866MHz ver 2.1 kit for which I had to wait more than a week and I had to pay a little over 22 EUROS.



 

 



GLORIOUS on the road to become Semi-Glorious ...



 



i wanted, ... I wanted, ... I wanted, ... I wanted a 1+KW monster, I wanted a big piece of "iron" to cool that hot i7-920,  I wanted to heat up that i7-920, I wanted ... so, the Semi-Glorious seeds have been sown ... the funds needed plus the problems of the motherboard made me back off. Maybe one day ... maybe ...

Only one thing was left to be done. In spite of the missing pin, was the motherboard still at 100%?



 

 



To be able to run the 6GB triple channel at 1866MHz I had to increase a little the QPI voltage in BIOS. Initially, I received some errors in MEMTEST 86+ even if the individual sticks turned out to be OK. I started sweating bullets only thinking that maybe the memory kit is bad ... Over the course of testing I was amazed of the heat this monster unleashes. It put my meager Z68-2600K to shame in regard to this aspect. To be honest I must underline that the room temperature was around 24 degrees Celsius.

For testing purposes I still used the Antec de 380W PUS and the PCI Vanta 32MB. I also used a Cirrus Logic 5430 1MB.

The *Hibrid Silent-Pipe 2* did its job and I can say that it wasnt just a marketing gimmick. 



 

 

 

 

 



@100%



 

 



Satisfied with the results, I left the motherboard in its box for a few weeks. Until I decided to post this episode I kept staring at the sorry state of the package and I said to myself why don't I do something about it?

I counted my options.

I knew that I could not use just any type of glue and because I had available some transparent silicone based glue, I said to myself WHY NOT?

I used small strips of thin cardboard to strengthen different areas, I managed to repair fringed areas and some holes in the cardboard. All in all as a trial run I got some decent results.

Initially I wanted to take apart the whole box and made a thin under-armour that was to be glued to the original cardboard but the amount of time and work needed were off the scale. I know I can do it it's just that this is a Semi-Glorious project and this is just as it should remain.* A testimony of how things shouldn't be done and how thing should be restored.*

Enjoy the pics.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



As usual, the final part is reserved for the glamour shots.

*Smiling to the camera.*



 

 

 

 



*Semi-Glorious indeed ...*

After a lot of effort I got just a Small Spark instead of a Supernova Blast. Still, a mighty X58 is still a X58 even knee deep in the dead.

I wanted this story to be so much more than what it is. What has started badly didnt end worse but I was left with a sour aftertaste that is quite difficult to get rid off. I'm sure that many of you have been faced with a similar situation but I dont think that there are many that would've bothered to save this board. Only my stubborn nature and my will to get something from nothing made me go in the "wrong" direction until I got "the maximum" I was looking for.

I wanted to replace the CPU socket at a local shop but after some careful thinking I deemed the operation to be to risky.I spoke with them and the conclusion was something like this: IF IT WORKS WHY FIX IT? The cost was arround 40 EUROS including the socket. A decent price, but there were no guarantees that the board will work after the replacement. The odds of something going bad were pretty small but they had to be taken into consideration. A fact underlined by that company aswell.

A plus after this adventure is that in the end, I can safely say that I can restore just about anything. The methods applied on older parts can be successfully applied to restore any component no matter the generation. *It is only a matter of will, time and of course money.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3cv33mhew/

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Jul 30, 2019)

Much love as always @Robert B !!  Love seeing these posts...  Reminds me of X58 and the fact I never got away from it until it was really too late lol  A pic or two for you sir 









I recently bought a Gigabyte X58 board, wow was that a mistake..  I couldn't get it to post and the guy that I'd bought it from said it was due to the fact I'd not installed the heatsink on the motherboard..  I thought I'm sorry but a two minute test with no load on it, there's no chance it wouldn't at least post..  Funnily enough when he contacted me about the parcel going to the wrong address and I'd messaged him back to say well, I have it, what is your address I'll send it back, I've never heard from him again....  Funny that.... 

Ah well..   I look forward to seeing the next post @Robert B as always


----------



## Robert B (Jul 31, 2019)

@phill - I saw some of your X58 pieces and I must say that you have something really nice there. Exquisite taste my man! 

The next episode will continue along the newer components path but I intend to revert to older tech in the near future. 

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 1, 2019)

Robert B said:


> I found my *Gigabyte EX58-EXTREME v1.0* on the national OLX site.


Given that you got it working stable, I would recommend updating the bios(if needed) and buying an inexpensive Xeon 6 core for that board. An X5650 or X5660 would be perfect as either one can be OC'd on that board very easily and to great effect. I would also get 4GB@1600x3 to get the most out of the triple channel setup.


----------



## phill (Aug 1, 2019)

Robert B said:


> @phill - I saw some of your X58 pieces and I must say that you have something really nice there. Exquisite taste my man!
> 
> The next episode will continue along the newer components path but I intend to revert to older tech in the near future.
> 
> *More later.*



I have a few here that I'm dead pleased and proud of to own, what can I say, in that I love hardware regardless of it's age   Looking forward to the next posting sir!!

I absolutely agree with @lexluthermiester, simply because the 920's etc are great CPUs but as they are a little older in the tooth, you'd be best to have a Xeon simply because it would allow more RAM..  I had a real problem trying to get 12Gb of ram running in my X58 Classy with my 920 and gave up.  Clock speed was more important at that point and then I decided to go over to Z77 or that age of CPU...  32Gb's in that, no more issues


----------



## Robert B (Sep 19, 2019)

Madness - One Step Beyond (Official Video)

_*AGP*_ *tribulations?* *Part 1* aka *Sapphire X1950 GT AGP 256MB DDR3 *

I'm sure that the ones that follow this thread already know that my luck with *ATI* cards is nothing to write home about.

At the flea market and at many of my contacts that supply retro HW, you dont find too many cards from the red camp. So, when I look at my parts list and I see that I have under ten ATI cards, of which many are dead, I keep asking myself the all important question: *WTH has happened?*

Truth be told, I always bought and had *nVIDIA *cards except my first video card which wasn't exactly a speed demon, an *ATI RAGE IIC 4MB AGP*. Looking back and taking everything into account, it seems that there is a reasonable explanation to this situation. My bias towards nVIDIA and my upgrade cycles made it so that I never bought an ATI card for the last 20+ years.

In *July 2019 *I was at the local flea market and after I walked more than half of the area, I was 100% sure that I was going to leave empty handed. I was feeling pretty well thinking that the army of demons that owns my body and soul _(just one more piece, just one more mainboard, just one more ...) _  has been slain and I came out victorious  ... *little did I know* ...

A force from high above made me open a series of old, beaten PC cases. All of them looked to be *Pentium 4* systems. I wanted to have a peek and see *what's inside.* You never know ... 

The first case was meh but once I opened up the second case I was greeted by a long blue card that also had two auxiliary molex connectors. I looked closer and I saw that it was an AGP card. NICE! I flipped the case over and the mystery card revealed its name *Sapphire ATI X1950 GT 256MB DDR3 AGP. * The card looked awesome and I said to myself: *WOW this card really looks the part!* The card was housed inside an HP case that looked rough ... an X1950 GT AGP ... I just dont know ... *let me think about it.*

I closed the case and I walked away to see what else was for sale.

30 minutes later I was back. The case was still there.

I asked the seller how much is the husk and he quickly said:  10 EUROS!

I already knew what I was going to take from inside, so I searched for a screwdriver inside a pile of old and rusty tools and I went to work.

The sun was burning and I started to sweat. The screwdriver was really bad. "Toothless", bent and with a regular head instead of a Philips. That's what you get for not bringing your own tools! ... 5 minutes later I scavenged what I deemed valuable: *an Antec Earthwatts 380W EA-380 PSU, two sticks of Crucial 1GB - DDR400 CL3 and the ATI X1950 GT AGP graphic card. *The rest, the case, the motherboard, the CPU, the HDD, ODD, FDD and everything else were left behind. The motherboard had swollen caps and it wasnt a high end model. The case was dead tired and it was missing a lot of bits. The only regret that I have is that I didnt take the *Pentium 4 3.4GHz SL793 CPU*, top dog for the Northwood HT core. At that time I considered the P4 stuff as being something meh and I said to myself that the 3.4GHz P4 is not coming home with me ... I paid for it but I didnt take it ... the mind works in mysterious ways ... You live and learn all the time. *Brain fart on my behalf ...*

The seller wasnt too pleased that I didnt take the entire case but 10 EUROS later we were both smiling. A late attempt to negociate the price down wasnt successful but regardless, I was very pleased with the deal. What's a few EUROS between old acquaintances. 

*Buying from the flea market is always a risky proposition.* Some parts that look pristine can be dead. Other that look like they went to Hell and came back are still alive. There are no guarantees and no refunds. You pick a ticket and you hope that it is a winning one. 

*The loot.*



 

 



Let's return to the *ATI X1950 GT AGP.*

It had good bones so I knew that after some TLC it will be awesome.



 



I didnt power her up as I didnt have a suitable AGP 8x test bed available. My EPOX EP-8RDA3I V2.0 - nforce 2 Ultra 400 needs a full recap and besided her I dont have any other AGP 8x capable motherboard. I could've used an AGP 4x motherboard but I chose not to do it. So, the rule of the day was: *let's clean this sucker well and see what's what later down the road.*

_Meanwhile my "problem" with the AGP 8x motherboards has been solved. I bought three motherboards that are waiting to be restored: Asrock *AM2NF3-VSTA G/A 1.03*, ASUS *P4P800* Deluxe Rev. 1.02 - i865PE and ASUS *P4C800* Deluxe Rev. 2.00 - i875P._

The *Sapphire ATI X1950 GT AGP* was in very good shape, without traces of damage, just a little dusty. I managed to save all of the thermal pads.



 

 

 

 

 

 



The first to undergo the rejuvenation procedure was the cooling system.



 

 

 



If you look closely at the copper heatsink, you can see some darker spots where the dust used to sit. Because the card has spent some time in a wet or damp environment, that dust has accumulated moisture which in return has affected the copper surface. After I cleaned to heatsink of dust and I saw the blemishes I said to myself that this is the time for *extreme measures.*

The heatsink was full of fine adherent dust so I used water under pressure to clean it really well. I dont use this method too often, and especially not on copper heatsinks, because it can do more bad than good. I didnt want to use vinegar so water it was. After I washed the heatsink I used an air compressor to remove all of the water and then to be really safe I also used a hair dryer for a few minutes.





One sorry looking but otherwise clean heatsink. Even the aluminium surface lost its shine and it had some spots.



 



*There was only one solution.* Some elbow grease, polishing paste and soft rags.

I masked with paper tape the areas where the memory chips and the graphic chip made contact with the heatsink just to avoid some hassle down the road. The polishing paste forms a protective layer that is quite difficult to remove later. The effect is similar with the one you get after you wash and wax your car. 



 



After some work I obtained great results. One downside though. After I polished the copper it attracted fingerprints like a magnet and I had to repeat the procedure several times because I wasnt careful.



 

 

 



I dont know for how long the mirror like effect will hold but it sure looks awesome. *Bling-Bling, I'm such a violent thing!* 





After some "metal work" next on the list was the cooling fan. It was a little dirty but otherwise in great shape. The great big ball bearing received a tiny drop of thick oil, just in case and that was it. The removal of the three screws that hold the fan was a little difficult but when it came the time to put it back I found out what I did wrong. Between the hub and the blades, there are three round recesses through which the screws are inserted and removed. You just turn the fan and center the round recess over the screw, the access is way better. Silly me ... all these years I didnt know what was the use of those small recesses. Now I'm 10.000 times smarter than your average cat. 



 



*Final results.*



 



*Looking good! Ahem ... I MEAN AWESOME!!!*



 



*Cooling system? *DONE and DONE!



 

 

 

 

 



*I spoke above about some moisture.* The evidence is bellow. Even closed in a sturdy case this card had no escape.



 



*I protected the ink stamps and I was ready to go to the next level.* The only thing that couldn't be "saved" were the blue marker marks on the solid caps and other small ICs. These abound on ATI cards.



 

 

 



*Some time later.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I hand polished the bracket and the fixing screws of the heatsink.*



 



*The screws that hold the VRM heatsink took a bath in a rust removal solution.*





*I cleaned the VRM heatsink.*



 



*I hand polished the screws that hold the bracket.*





*Pads and stuff ...*



 



*I almost forgot ... I took out the screws from the rust removal solution and I also polished them ... for that extra effect ...* 





*On your mark, get set, go!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*We have reached the end of the story.* Plain and simple. Just like that.

I have into my possesion a superb card that it is still an unknown quantity. I also have three motherboards that might be alive or dead. I could've fire them up and see what is their status but I chose not to do it. Before any trace of electricity will course into their veins I must be 100% sure that they are in tip-top condition. There is a method to this "madness" or at least I like to think so. 

At the end of the _*AGP*_  tribulations?[/B] series we will see if it was a case of *tribulations* or I was just overreacting. 

I keep my fingers crossed for good results.

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Sep 20, 2019)

I love this thread!!   @Robert B .......


----------



## Kissamies (Sep 20, 2019)

Planning about getting a HD 3850 AGP? Got mine hella cheap, 35 euros including shipping.


----------



## Robert B (Sep 20, 2019)

I bought from the flea market a Gigabyte ATI 4650 1GB(DDR2) AGP which is slower than a 3850  To this date I only saw a couple of 3850s on the national OLX site and the prices were a little high. If I find a 3850 or even a 3870 at  reasonable prices I'll buy them in a jiffy.

*Part 2 *will be HUGE even by my standards. 
*Part 3* will present the results of this "AGP experiment".

After this series of episodes I will present older parts GF256, P60, P1 and a few other bits and pieces.

*More later.*


----------



## Kissamies (Sep 20, 2019)

HD 3870 AGP never came to us consumers, just few prototypes here and there.. so HD 3850 is the fastest AGP card. Pretty fine with my Athlon 64 6000+ AGP rig


----------



## phill (Sep 20, 2019)

Robert B said:


> I bought from the flea market a Gigabyte ATI 4650 1GB(DDR2) AGP which is slower than a 3850  To this date I only saw a couple of 3850s on the national OLX site and the prices were a little high. If I find a 3850 or even a 3870 at  reasonable prices I'll buy them in a jiffy.
> 
> *Part 2 *will be HUGE even by my standards.
> *Part 3* will present the results of this "AGP experiment".
> ...



Looking forward to it!!


----------



## lexluthermiester (Sep 20, 2019)

phill said:


> I love this thread!!   @Robert B .......


----------



## phill (Sep 20, 2019)

It really needs a love and laughing smiley!!


----------



## Robert B (Sep 20, 2019)

*Thanks guys! I'm glad that you like "my work". *I really appreciate your dedication to following this thread which also is a mirror image of like I am in real life. 

For you and the many others that visit this thread I PRESENT (drum roll) A SNEAK PEEK OF THINGS TO COME! 

poldoore - Unconditional

*Glass, glass and even more glass!*



 

 

 

 



*Metal, metal and even more Aluminium!*



 



*CPUs. cpus and even more CPUs!*



 

 

 



*FANS, fans and even more fans!*



 

 



*Uhhh SHINY STUFF!!! *



 



*Delicate soldering using barbarian tools ... I'm testing the limits ... because why not?* 





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Sep 26, 2019)

Poldoore - Morning Glory

_*AGP*_ *tribulations?* *Part 2* 

After a first part dedicated to a video card which is *quite something to look at*, now is the time to make the switch to *the main course* aka *Part 2.*

Let's meet [/b]the stars[/b] of this episode:

1. *Antec* Earthwatts EA-380W 
2. *Asrock* AM2NF3-VSTA REV G/A 1.03
3. *Western Digital* VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS x2
4. *Gigabyte* HD 4650 AGP 1GB(DDR2) - GV-R465D2-1GI
5. *Asus* P4B533-E REV 1.02
6. *Asus* P4P800 DELUXE REV 1.02
7. *Asus* P4C800 DELUXE REV 2.00
8. *Intel* Pentium 4 3GHz(Prescott) SL7PM
9. *Intel* Pentium 4 3.4GHz(Northwood) SL793
10. *AMD* Sempron 3000+ SDA3000IAA3CN

When I bought all of these parts I didnt have the slightest clue regarding their state. The choice of the title * AGP tribulations?* is tied to this fact and it wasnt something random. All of these components had some issues big or small. Instead of powering them up and see what's what, me, as you well know by now, decided to ask the questions later and first restore these "bitchin'" pieces of (hopefully) future "retro" HW. 

All of the parts have been bought from the *local flea market*. I spent under 30 EUROS for all of them and they are the result of several trips made over the course of about a couple of months. It is not like "retro" HW is stacked there just waiting for a buyer.

When I write down these lines, I already now which of them are alive and which of them passed away. I can't spill the beans just yet as you will have to wait until *Part 3* to find out the end of the entire saga. The NDA doesn't allow me to give out this information as it only *on a need to know basis.* 

Don't worry though. You will have plenty to see an read in *Part 2*, *the meatiest part* of the *AGP tribulations* series.

*Saddle up and be ready for quite a journey.

Antec Earthwatts EA-380W*

Even if this PSU isn't the well known Green *EA-380D* variant, nothing makes it to be less than her sister.

I bought this PSU together with the Sapphire X1950 GT AGP 256MB DDR3 and two sticks of Crucial 1GB DDR400 CL3.

It was cleaned well and then put to work. I didnt find any problems inside.



 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2ck6i5k0y/

*Asrock AM2NF3-VSTA REV G/A 1.03*

A somewhat special piece of HW. A typical Asrock product that quickly caught my eye.

I found her sitting on a dirty bed sheet looking sorry for herself. *The AM2+ CPU socket, the DDR2 800 memory slots and the AGP port* have given me plenty of clues to know that before me sits something exotic.

After a quick Internet search I paid the asking price and it was mine. NO BRAINER! https://www.asrock.com/mb/nvidia/am2nf3-vsta/

It looked pretty well. Besides some dirt and grime and a swollen capacitor, there were no other problems that could've made me want to give up on her.

It came with an AMD Sempron 3000+ SDA3000IAA3CN CPU. This didnt bother me at all as the motherboard can use CPUs up to the AMD Phenom II X4 series and this is nothing to sneeze at in regard to AGP systems. DDR2 + AGP is also something somewhat special or should I say peculiar. https://www.asrock.com/mb/nvidia/am2nf3-vsta/#CPU

I must underline that this model came out on the market near the end of the AGP era and it wasnt considered high end. We are talking about a budget solution for those that couldn't make the switch to a PCI-E platform.



 



The swollen *OST RLP 1000uf 6.3V* capacitor was replaced by a *Panasonic FR 1000uf 10V* capacitor. In an ideal world I should've replaced all of the OST RLP capacitors and not just the swollen one but I decided to keep it simple and not overextend myself.

Also, the motherboard received a BIOS update to the lastest version, 3.30. To be able to extract the BIOS file from the .exe package on the Asrock site, I had to use the *AMIUCP 1.07 tool* AMI Utility Configuration. Finding this tool on the internet took me some time. The AM2N3VT3.30.exe package from the Asrock site couldn't be opened with any other program. After I extracted the BIOS file from the AM2N3VT3.30.exe package, it was very easy for me to use my *MiniPro TL866A* programmer to peform the BIOS update whitout having to install Windows or boot in MS-DOS mode. https://www.asrock.com/mb/nvidia/am2nf3-vsta/#BIOS

*Ready to be returned to its former glory.*



 



*WET! *





*The NF3 250.*





*Final results? Flawless!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1mqewclgi/

*Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS. *(x2)

On the same day when I bought the *Asrock AM2NF3-VSTA* motherboard I also bought from someone else two *Western Digital* VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS HDDs.

Even if I had some doubts regarding their state, the sum of 5 EUROS for both of them didnt make me nervous.

In the end they proved to be *still alive and kicking!* 

Me = Happy camper 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1d42rr6hu/

*Gigabyte* HD 4650 AGP 1GB(DDR2) - GV-R465D2-1GI

*Little over 4 EUROS* is all that I have paid for it and *little over 4 EUROS* is the exact sum of money that I almost "lost". I'm not a sore loser but I hate it when I buy something before I should've peeled my eyes better.

I saw that the card looked a little tired but the number 4650 and the Gigabyte of video memory *have made me not think correctly*. On the first visual scan I only saw *one missing ceramic capacitor* but when I got home I found another *5* missing. These last ones were the real headache as they were so small that they made the super fine needle of a 2ml syringe look HUMONGOUS! *The 5* ceramic capacitors were missing from the PCI-E AGP bridge and in a normal situation this card would've been *a complete write-off* ... 

I must underline that the 1GB of video memory is DDR 2 and not DDR 3 as it should've been. Like the Asrock motherboard we are also dealing with a video card that wasnt made to break records. Just a helping hand to those still clinging to AGP systems. Even if it was lauched later, this card is slower than the ATI 3850 AGP. *Go figure* ... 4 is less than 3. *Just a regular day in the HW Universe!*  This has happened and will happen again in the future ... 

*NOT GOOD!!!  What was I thinking ?!?!?! *



 

 

 



*DIRTY!!!*



 



I left the 4650 in a box for more than a month when finally I found an ATI 3450 AGP which, behold, had the same exact problem! I paid for it less than 1 EURO (haggled form more than 1 EURO). 



 

 



*The moment I was waiting for had arrived. LET'S DO THIS!!!*

The odds were stacked against me.

I knew that I would have to put to good use everything that I have learned about soldering. _(And I still have a lot to learn)_. To make matters worse, the tool that I decided to use wasnt something intended for brain surgery ... *meet the 15W soldering iron*.  

I sharpened the tip of the 15W soldering iron on a *grinder* and I was ready to rock 'n' roll.

*READY FOR ACTION!*

Action, action, but before I even was able to do something I had to ruin several ceramic capacitors until I was able to recover one that was in usable shape. The operation wasnt a breeze let me tell you.

After I got the hang of it, I was able to recover several promising candidates and I laid them on a piece of paper.





*Final results?* Well not exactly factory quality but I'm getting there. One capacitor at a time. 





Each capacitor was checked after it was soldered. Each joint was checked for strength.

After *I finished the job* and I was in the green, all was just smooth sailing. Just a regular day at the office.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Final results.*



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1gdq72z6q/

*Asus P4B533-E REV 1.02*

When I was battling with the ATI X1950, the ATI 4650 and the Asrock motherboard, one thought creeped inside my head.

Why not go all out and extend my *AGP arsenal* with some *Pentium 4 lovin'* ???

Until *2019* I looked at Pentium 4 stuff as something forgetable and uninteresting. Time has taken care of everything and something that was unwavering has crumbled into dust. 

*Said and done.* I need some P4 stuff and I NEED IT RIGHT NOW!

The flea market was kind with me and I was able to find three *ASUS* motherboards that had different chipsets *Intel 845E, 865PE and 875P.* 

Straight from the get go I had in my hands three representatives of a generation. *Not bad if I may say so.*

The Asus P4B533-E came with a *Pentium 4 2.4GHz SL6DV CPU.* For the entire kit I paid little over 1 EURO! *NO BRAINER!!! *

The motherboard received a BIOS update to the latest version and then it was cleaned until it looked better than the day it was born.



 

 

 



*The cooler lookin' cool.*



 

 

 

 

 



*The motherboard lookin' smokin' hot!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I didnt remove the NB heatsink as it was well fixed and I didnt need additional headaches. I cleaned the motherboard centimeter by centimeter. Besides some scratches on the back the board was in great shape.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/g8v7yvj6/

The *Asus P4P800 DELUXE* and the *P4C800 DELUXE* motherboards have been bought together. Taking into account that thery are THE DELUXE version, all I can say is: *FRIGGIN' SCORE MY BROTHA' !* The price ? Little over 4 EUROS. Need I say it again? *NO BRAINER!*

When I bought the motherboards I also bought a *Pentium 4 3GHz SL7PM - Prescott CPU*. I had to straighten some pins but this task comes with the territory. The entire job was a little stressful as the pins are extremely fragile.



 

 

 

 

 



*As a precaution both of the motherboards have received a BIOS update.*





Before I even tackled the P4P800 DELUXE and the P4C800 DELUXE I decided to clean the coolers. I love Sanyo Denki fans. They never let me down!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1r5502zoi/

*Asus P4P800 DELUXE REV 1.02

Ready to be made great again.*



 

 

 

 

 



*IPA 99%!.*





*Some minor glitches in the system.* Superglue to the rescue.





*Almost there.*



 



*Final results? Like GLASS BOSS!!! *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Back in the day I made jokes about P4 stuff. Back in the day I was an AXP & A64 kind of guy. Today? I love them all no matter the brand.*

After some quality time with the P4P800 ... aaaannnddd not to forget ... DELUXE, my aversion towards Pentium 4 has melted.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1xq8cp4bm/

*Asus P4C800 DELUXE REV 2.00*

Some time after I bought the P4P800 DELUXE and the P4C800 DELUXE and after I paired the P4P800 DELUXE with the P4 3GHz SL7PM Prescott CPU, I was on the lookout for a CPU that would fit the *P4C800 DELUXE*. I looked at the P4C800 DELUXE as *the jewel of my growing P4 collection.*

Who read *Part 1* is acquainted with the story of the P4 *SL793* which was left behind when I removed from an HP case, the Sapphire ATI X1950GT AGP, the Antec 380W PSU and the two sticks of Crucial 1GB DDR400 CL3. After I paid 10 EUROS for the entire case and I looted just what I needed, I left the SL793 inside. After this, my thoughts kept coming back to it.

*What's the stort with this SL793?* Well, nothing special ... it's just that it is the fastest CPU wtih a Northwood HT core, running at 3.4GHz ... tsk tsk ...  top end ... and stupid me left it to rot after I paid for it ... the mind works in mysterious ways ... or should I say the lack of ... 

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL793.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Pentium_4_microprocessors

Weeks after the SL793 episode, I found again the seller with the HP case. BEHOLD! The case appeared again. I opened it up and BEHOLD AGAIN: The cooler and the CPU were still inside sitting pretty! 

*You know what followed* ... haggling ... again 10 EUROS for the entire case ... me NO! NO! NO! ... I already paid for it once... in the end for about 4 EUROS the CPU was MINE! *YAY!

SL793 + P4C800 DELUXE (  ) = LOVE!*

From all of the P4 motherboards, the P4C800 DELUXE was the most damaged due to the gentle handling procedures that are in effect at the flea market on a weekly basis. Just velvet gloves and pampering.

Problems:

*1. SB LED SB - cracked and one torn connector.
2. Cracked IDE connector.
3. Two SATA ports were missing an ear.
4. Some scratches.*

The damage wasnt terminal. The board still looked well and I didnt have any reasons to worry.



 

 



*Looking kind of clean but looks can be deceiving.*



 

 

 



*QUAD DAMAGE ON MY P4C800 DELUXE*!



 



How on earth that these ceramic capacitors haven't gone MIA? Well, the secret sauce is *RED GLUE!* 





*The board has arrived from nowhere else than Sweet ITALY!*





*WORK! ORC! WORK! *



 



*Final results? Do I need to repeat myself? FLAWLESS against all the "small" flaws!!! *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2aabkfg2q/

After a lot of work and a lot of satisfaction, and after *I MADE GREAT AGAIN ALL THAT COULD BE DONE TO BE GREAT AGAIN,* I was ready to fire up these restored components and find their state. 

*This is how I like 'em, squeaky clean and restored to perfection.* I know I have to check myself but I leave this for another time aka for later or never. My path is the straight and narrow. 

Stay close for the end of the *AGP* *tribulations* saga, when you will find how this story has ended.

*More later.*


----------



## kapone32 (Sep 26, 2019)

Man does this thread make we wax nostalgic


----------



## phill (Sep 26, 2019)

Much love for this thread and @Robert B for the amazing work he puts in to it   Never disappointed at all!!


----------



## Robert B (Sep 28, 2019)

Poldoore - Ain't No Sunshine

_*AGP*_ *tribulations?* *Part 3* aka *The Grand Finale!*

At last, we have arrived at the moment when I powered up all of the parts that *have been painstakingly restored* or at least brought to a state as close to that from factory. 

Was all the effort worth it or it was just a situation like that in *The Old Man and the Sea?*

Without any further ado, I bring to you The Grand Finale of the _*AGP*_ *tribulations?* series!

First, I decided to test the *Asrock* AM2NF3-VSTA REV G/A 1.03 motherboard and together with it to also test the two ATI cards: *Sapphire* X1950 GT AGP 256MB DDR3 and *Gigabyte* HD 4650 AGP 1GB(DDR2) - GV-R465D2-1GI.

Even from the get go all went smoothly. BEEP! I'm alive! BAM! Clear image.



 

 

 

 



The *Asrock* motherboard gave me no troubles and the *Gigabyte* ATI 4650 was working well. It seems that the work put in with those small ceramic capacitors has paid off.

After I found out that the test bed was in good working order I installed the *Sapphire X1950 GT* and I put it through her paces. Like the Gigabyte ATI 4650, the Sapphire X1950 GT also proved to be alive and kicking. To establish exactly the state of the X1950 GT I installed Windows and I ran 3DMark2000 @ 1600x1200 so that the Sempron 3000+ wont fall on his nose. All was okay, the driver install, the image quality, etc. Zero problems.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Next came the turn of the *Gigabyte* HD 4650 AGP 1GB(DDR2) - GV-R465D2-1GI. Again all was okay.



 

 

 

 

Over the course of the testing sessions I observed that the heatsink of the *NF3 250* chip on the Asrock AM2NF3VSTA was getting rather toasty. If you intend to use this board in one of your retro projects I urge you to mount something beefier or ar least mount a fan if possible. 

On the first POST of the Asrock AM2NF3VSTA motherboard, I was greeted by the following error: *MAC Address are invalid in both CMOS and Flash!* which reminded me of *All your base are belong to us* ... 

I looked on the Internet for a solution and I found on the Asrock site a tool to update the MAC address of the onboard LAN chipset.

http://www.asrock.com/support/Download/MacTool.asp

The update of the MAC address can only be done under DOS. I downloaded all of the versions, I made a bootable USB stick and I was ready to get to work. The MAC address can be found on a sticker located on the motherboard. After a few moments of searching I found the 12 figures on a sticker fixed on the parallel port. I tried to write another MAC address instead of the factory one but this was a no go. From all of the MAC Tool versions from the Asrock site: *1.17F*, 1.61B, 2.07A and 2.16B, only the 1.17F worked.

After I updated the MAC address I never received the error: *MAC Address are invalid in both CMOS and Flash!*



 



The start was great! *3 out of 3!* My wish for a 100% success rate seemed to materialize. Something was still nagging me though: *White Men Can't Jump* or do they? Hmmm ...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/29y7hprkq/

Soon followed the testing of the *Asus* P4B533-E REV 1.02 motherboard.

BAM! *Again all was okay*. WOW! 100% here I come!

In this instance I decided not to install Windows and just take the pulse of the board. By all means this motherboard seems to be in good working order.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With this particular board I had a little problem when I wanted to power it up. It didnt have the *Front Panel Connector pins* soldered. WTH? I looked closely and all I could find was something called *VPANEL*. I downloaded the manual but I didnt find any information regarding the VPANEL. ?!?!?! I searched on the Internet for ASUS & VPANEL and I found only a few posts that were of no help to me. I encountered a somewhat similar situation when I dealt with the MS-6168. All that was left for me to do was to guess the POWER pins and go from there. The picture bellow presents the function of each pin.





The *SL6DV* CPU and the *Asus P4B533-E* were alive. NICE!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2eq0rnqhm/

Like the Asus P4B533-E, the *Asus P4P800 DELUXE* was also still working well. *This is friggin' great news!* I told myself. The *SL7PM* CPU which needed a lot of pins straightened was also OK!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/hpmc38be/

After all of the success I registerd, I was expecting the *Asus P4C800 DELUXE* to also be alive. Nothing warned me of what was in store for me. From this point forward the things *took a bad turn.*

Sure I can find another P4C800 DELUXE but each time I get the news that a component has passed away I can't stop to be a little sad.

Well...let me tell you the entire story.

I powered up the board but I got nothing. *NO POST. NO BEEP. NADA. *

The board started, the CPU warmed up, the NB and the SB chips also warmed up but that was all. 

*I tired* many different sticks of RAM.

*I tried* many BIOS versions.

*I tried* three PSUs.

*I tried* many CPUs.

*I inspected* countless times the board for signs of damage.

*I tried* other compatible BIOS chips.

*I removed* the NB heatsink but I found nothing  bad.

*I removed* CPU socket cover but I found nothing bad.

*I tried* to power up the board without CPU, video card and RAM.

*I tried* multiple PCI and AGP video cards.

*I tried* USB and PS2 keyboards.

Over the course of my attempts to resuscitate the board I observed one thing: *the NB heatsink got extremely hot* and when I say extremely I dont exaggerate at all. It burned when you just approached your finger to it and if you touched it you could hold the finger there for no more than a second or two.

It looks like a *dead NB chipset...*

I installed the *Corsair LED DDR* just to see if the board gets to detecting the RAM. No led lighted up no matter what.

The *SB chip* was mildly warm. Because the *SB_PWR LED* (Stand By Power which lights up when the system is ON, in sleep mode or in soft off mode) was broken, I mounted on the back, a red led to see if it would light up and it lighted up, sign that the board might be ok. I replaced the broken led.

My BIOS debugger card didnt give me a lot of clues. The system hanged at: *control to int 19h bootloader* even if a HDD was connected. I couldnt bypass this error no matter what I tried.

The only normal thing was that I got *3 beeps* when there was no RAM installed. Otherwise ZERO BEEPS. No clues.

While I battled with the demons, I noticed a strange buzzing noise that was coming from the right up corner when I powerd up the motherboard with no CPU. I checked by feel all of the electrolytic capacitors and MOSFETs to see if they got warm but none warmed up because there was no CPU installed. By this I ruled out a shorted capacitor. I used Freeze Spray to see what component got warm faster or was warmer than the rest. I checked for *an imperfect contact* or *a solder bridge* but I got nothing. In the end I decided to slightly move a ferite coil that I assumed was buzzing. It looked great, without cracks, with great solder joints and with the wiring intact.  After this I never registered that strange buzzing noise and when I mounted the CPU the leds on the Corsair DDR stick lighted up, sign that the board tried to come to life. My joy was short lived because in the end nothing changed. The BIOS debugger card kept throwing other errors on each power up. The board hanged at *chipset initialisation* or at *set memory wait states*.

While I inspected the motherboard for traces of damage I also observed that on the back, the solder joints from a couple of the pins from one of the memory slots looked a little worse and the laquer seemed to be of a darker colour like it was burned.

In the end I threw in the towel. *The Asus P4C800 DELUXE is DEAD! *

I didnt try the *SL793* CPU but I have no worries. I'm waiting for a suitable motherboard so that I can marry them and they will live happily ever after.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/21hmomti2/

From all the parts that I have gathered I really wasnt expecting the *Asus P4C800 DELUXE* to be dead. In the end I wasnt able to get a 100% success rate with parts *bought at face value* from the flea market. 

In the end this endeavour wasnt a true case of *tribulations* even if the passing from from uncertainty to known fact made me to pose the problem of this word. Until this day I never gathered so many parts to be featured in one story but there's a first time for everything. Also, the time required from the moment I bought these parts and the moment I write down this lines was a long one: more than two months.

Overall, the _*AGP*_ *tribulations?* series was a success story. Besides one motherboard, all of the other components proved to be *still alive and kicking* which is by no means a small feat. If I pause for a moment and think about it, all could've ended a lot worse so I declare myself content with the outcome even if I wasnt able to get that illusive perfect score.

*More later.*


----------



## freeagent (Sep 28, 2019)

Fantastic work, great thread! I enjoyed the view.


----------



## Mr.Scott (Sep 28, 2019)

Don't feel bad Robert. The P4C800 boards are fragile boards. I've gone through 8 of them over the years benching. Getting harder and more expensive to find a good one now.


----------



## ShrimpBrime (Sep 29, 2019)

Mr.Scott said:


> Don't feel bad Robert. The P4C800 boards are fragile boards. I've gone through 8 of them over the years benching. Getting harder and more expensive to find a good one now.


Yep, watched Luke burn a few of them up too. lol. Still a good OC board though.


----------



## Robert B (Sep 29, 2019)

Mr.Scott said:


> Don't feel bad Robert. The P4C800 boards are fragile boards. I've gone through 8 of them over the years benching. Getting harder and more expensive to find a good one now.





ShrimpBrime said:


> Yep, watched Luke burn a few of them up too. lol. Still a good OC board though.



Thanks for your thoughts guys.  After I got my P4C800 I started reading about it and from posts back in the day I found out that it is really flaky.  I would've felt a lot better if I would've burned it taking down an OC record or something but when I see this huge board die like a fly it doesnt seem fair to me. But heck what is fair in this life? 

The next episode will feature a X- A32 Spaceship.  Damn what a name for product.  Even when I saw it at the flea market I started thinking about the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk 

Feast your eyes on this!  My second GF256 SDR and this time from an awesome brand.  Smokin' hot and ICE cool at the same time. Can't beat this combo too easily.

I took my sweet time with this beauty and even if it looked fine when I got it, after I did my magic it really is something to look at.

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Sep 29, 2019)

Robert B said:


> The next episode will feature a X- A32 Spaceship.


Looking forward to this!


Robert B said:


> Damn what a name for product.  Even when I saw it at the flea market I started thinking about the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk


Exactly!


----------



## Robert B (Oct 15, 2019)

Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again

*"Who's that, flyin' up there?
Is it a bird? No
Is it a plane? No
Is it the X -A32*_ ? Yeah_"

I mean who in the marketing department came up with this name? *X -A32?* Seriously? X - friggin' A32? I dont even have to mention the ERAZOR part because it is already too much ...

Ever since I saw this *NLX* card at the local flea market, with its "futuristic" looks accompanied by a slight hint of a SF aroma, (X- A32),  my thoughts went straight to the one and only: *Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.* I mean look at it! It seems harmless but for sure it packed a punch when it was released.

This is my second *Geforce 256 SDR*. I dont think that it is necessary to remind you who is the mighty *GF256*. All that I need to say though, is that it was the first *GPU*. Anything else is just superfluous stuff so I'll return to the star of this episode.

Let's meet the *F-117* ahem, cough , cough ... *ELSA ERAZOR X -A32* aka ELSA GeForce 256 SDR 32MB AGP.

For the paltry sum of 2 EUROS this card came home with me and stoically endured *"all the bad"* treatments that had to be performed.

Even from the get go, this card looked amazing but I knew I could turn the things up to 11. *So I did what I do best ... 

Initial state.*



 

 

 

 



*Looks kind of okay? I think NOT! YUCK! Dirt, dust and a fan that rattled at the slightest turn!*





*On the operating table.*



 

 



*Some elbow grease.*



 



I wanted to remove *the heatsink* but it was fixed with thermal adhesive so I let it be. Better safe than sorry.

After this encounter with and *irremovable obstacle* I got serious to work and I washed the entire card with lots and lots of IPA 99%.





*WET!*





*The results quickly followed.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Looking awesome but something is missing?*





Aaa *the signature fan* ... what am I going to do with this fan which is way past its prime ... _I said to myself_. Hmm... casse-tete probleme!

In the past I have opened, cleaned and greased the ball bearings of different fans but I never got to do this on such a tiny scale.

In some instances a small drop of thin oil can alleviate some symptoms but it is never a long term solution. Sometimes the oil can make things worse as it can thin the old grease of a bearing that can have many miles on its odometer. Also, sometimes the grease can just dry up. The fan can be replaced but when you are dealing with a restoration project there is *no subtitute for the real thing!*

In this instance, the drop of oil made its job but, *me being me*, I had to find a more permanent solution.

I taped with paper tape the entire fan and I plugged the hole in the center with a small piece of cotton. I put everything in a plastic bag and then I used ca grease spray hoping that some of it will find its way inside the bearing.



 

 

 

 

 



In the end *the results werent what I have hoped for*. The ball bearing was even noisier than before. Most likely that inside the ball bearing went the propellant and not the grease.  Deh ... if you have an itch ... you scr ... points points and even more points ...

I searched for solutions. I used some MOBIL Mobilgrease XHP 222 NLGI2 and some GM 5W40 motor oil. I smeared the ball bearing with grease and then I put a few tiny drops of oil. I took great precautions so that none of it would get inside the motor or the winding. I know from experience that motor oil has a property of "clinging" to metal, so in a way I used that to my advantage. I left the "greases" overnight to do their job. I didnt have high hopes for the following day and I was preparing for a brain surgery that could end up with a lobotomy or a damaged ball bearing.

The next day surprise, against all the odds, the ball bearing was turning super smoothly. No more noise. What the ??!?!? I could've removed the dust cover from the ball bearing but I wasnt sure that I could put it back. The same procedure on a bigger ball bearing was close to being a faillure.

Lets not get drunk with success. This procedure usually isnt going according to plan but in this instance I got lucky. *My will to preserve everything has paid off.

Ready for action SiiiiiiiiRRRrrrR!!!* Del Shannon - Runaway 



 

 

 



Now you can understand why I went all the way and I didnt replaced the fan with a new one. There is no subtitute for the original! I mean look at it! *SO PERFECT!*





*Metalwork.* Before and after.



 



*Careful assembly.*





*Final results.* When I say final I really mean final. Bobby Darin - Dream Lover



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After "the grease job" I had no idea how would the fan perform during testing.

*I plugged "the stealth attack aircraft" in the PIII-800 and I pressed the POWER button!*





I must underline the fact that up until that moment I didnt know if the card was alive or not. The fan performed admirably. No noise was present even if the PC case was put horizontally or vertically. *WIN!

Well, such a beautiful card just couldnt be dead or I got lucky again.*  Dion - The Wanderer



 

 

 



*END OF LINE.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/272dx6qki/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 20, 2019)

Oliver $ & Jimi Jules - Pushing On (Official Video)

*The sleeper*

This PC is my fourth completed *"build"*. The first one was the recreation of my first PC with the *AMD 5x86 133MHz*, followed by a *K6-2 500MHz* and a *PIII at 800MHz*.

I say *"build"* because this is how I bought it from the flea market. I didnt have anything to say in regard to the selection of components.

I found this PC on a Saturday morning at the local flea market. The exact date was 23.06.2019. The first things that caught my eye were the *AT format* and that BIG *5.25"* floppy disk drive. The whole package peaked my interest so I politely asked the seller to let me get a glimpse of the stuff that's inside. *You never know what you can find trapped in there.*

As soon as I opened it I saw that it was *untouched*, and it looked exactly like the day it was born. Besides a RAM upgrade everything looked *like it would've been somewhere around '96.*

I removed the CPU from the socket and I saw that it was a *Pentium 75MHz.* The video card was something from *Trident*, the sound card didnt stand out. '90s WM abounded. The case was scratched and the structure looked a little bit deformed. Curriously, the sheet metal and the plastic front were in very good shape just a little dirty.

After a short deliberation I decided not to buy it. The seller tried very hard to make me buy it and the only way I got rid of him was by telling him that I'll see what else is for sale at the market and if I decide to buy I'll return. I didnt want to take only the CPU as I thought that someone else might buy the PC and it would be better if it was complete.

On the night between Saturday and Sunday I was *"haunted"* by that AT case, so, early in the morning I went to the flea market where the PC was wainting paciently for me. I bought it and I took it home. Back then, I wanted to use the case for an overpowered build that would look totaly harmless.

Let's see *what was inside* as we are dealing with an *Intel Inside* kind of system.



 

 



The CD-ROM was manufactured in *July 1995*. I couldn't find more at that moment without starting the PC or removing the unit.





*Once again I removed the CPU from the socket so that I could take a better look.* It was a *Pentium 75MHz / SX969 / A80502-75.* Nothing fancy up to this point but if you look closely at the back you can see two letters *ES* aka *Engineering Sample.*  Something not that common. Even from that moment it became obvious that the choice to buy this PC was an inspired one. This *P75 ES* sits nicely, close to my *P90 ES*, which was also a flea martket find.



 



Because the *heatsink* was loose and it didnt make good contact with the CPU, I decided that before I start the PC I must tackle the cooling. Shortly, I decided to reuse the old cooling fan that still spinned nicely and just replace the anemic thin heatsink with something proper.



 

 

 

 

 



Next on the check list was the *PSU.* SKY HAWK MODEL: *SHT-230W.* Ever since I saw it, it didn't inspire confidence. The letters *SHT* made me thing about the brown stuff.

I was expecting a horror story inside . 20+ years is a lot of time for a PSU. Many things can go bad.



 



Surprise! *Rubycon USP capacitors.* Initially I thought that they are fake but after a short internet check, I found out that they are the real deal. *This PC is full of unexpected stuff.* The other capacitors looked to be OK. The fan was still in great shape so all that was left for me to do was just to clean the entire thing a little.





Soon came the moment when I pressed the *POWER* button. CLANK!

A happy *BEEP* was heard. The image soon followed on the screen. Accustomed with temperamental parts with obscure quirks, I was amazed by this box that *keeps on trucking no matter what.*



 

 



I booted into *Windows 98*.





The OS was in German, sign that this PC travelled some distance to get here. Shortly, the Good Ol' Windows 98 did what it does best ...





Satisfied that the PC was in good working order I checked to see what else was inside.

*Mustek GI1904A ISA Hand Held Scanner Interface Card*. Useless for me ...





*CD-ROM NEC CD-272 4x.* The unit works very well and even if at first it didnt exhibit this, it has the same "problem" like many other older ODDs, with discs that are other color than silver. As expected I might say. My first CD-ROM unit, an LG CRD-8160B 16x had the exact "problem".





*Some funky RAM*. TM 513201-70 Si-Die 2195 Ti.



 



The sound card is an *OPTi 82C929A ISA /  CRYSTAL CD4248-KL ISA* with no less than four CD-ROM interfaces: Mitsumi, Sony, Panasonic and IDE! 



 



32 bit *Trident TGUI9440* - 1MB PCI - 7379 REV. H3



 



The motherboard is *EPOX P55-IT* REV: 0.2 - INTEL Triton 82430FX PCIset chipset. This fact is suggested by the string *2A59CPA9C* visible on the lower part of the P.O.S.T. screen  - 08/04/95-TRITON-2A59CPA9C-00  http://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/Archive/Epox/manuals/p55it.pdf



 



One thing was still nagging me. *The missing badge*. I found a thin aluminium part from a CASE-MATE phone case package and I made a badge that was perfect. *Problem solved!*



 

 

 

 



When I looked at all the parts sitting on the table, the thought of that overpowered system vanished in thin air. I decided to keep this PC as close to the original as possible and just make a few modifications. *The sleeper will remain a sleeper, a time capsule.*

I looked at the motherboard and I saw the * C.O.A.S.T. - Cache On A Stick* slot. What if? I told myself ...



 



I have four C.O.A.S.T. modules and for some time I wanted to know if they are working or not.

*1. Elpina HT-VX - 256KB
2. HP 0960-0944 SPB CACHE - 256KB
3. SMART IN364TCSP83YG15 - 256KB - 2 bucati.*



 

 

 



Because the EPOX P55-IT lacks the VRM section needed for Pentium MMX CPUs, I decided to replace the Pentium 75 with a Pentium (classic) at *166MHz*. *Quite a speed bump let me tell you!*



 



*Some jumper settings later.* 166 @ 167. NICE!  For protection, I applied on the motherboard, under the heatsink clamp, a thin transparent film. You dont want damaged traces as accidents can and will happen. The motherboard is ancient and it doesn't have CD-ROM support in BIOS, so, I had to use my Good Ol' floppy with MS-DOS CD-ROM EXTENSIONS WITH DEVICE DRIVERS from my LG CRD-8160B. My original 1998 floppy disk. 



 

 

 



Before I post the results of the upgrades we must establish the *baseline*.

*P166 - 24MB EDO - 256KB ASYNCHRONOUS SRAM.*



 

 

 

 

 



*P166 - 24MB EDO - 256KB SYNCHRONOUS PIPELINED BURST - C.O.A.S.T.*

The HT-VX C.O.A.S.T. didnt work and I installed the HP 0960-0944 SPB CACHE - 256KB. I wasnt sure if the other two SMART IN364TCSP83YG15 modules were C.O.A.S.T. modules or something else.



 

 

 

 

 



I installed 64MB EDO RAM - 4 x 16MB.

*P166 - 64MB EDO - 256KB SYNCHRONOUS PIPELINED BURST - C.O.A.S.T.*

I tweaked the BIOS a little.



 

 



All was close to perfect but Windows 98 still threw a lot of errors. I knew that it needed a reinstall but even so it seemed way too quirky.

I decided to use *MEMTEST* to see if that maybe the RAM was bad.

There's your problem. DEAD RAM!





I tried to isolate the stick or sticks that were bad but I got to the conclusion that they were all DEAD?!?!?! What the F... ?!?!?!?! It can't be.





Maybe the HP 0960-0944 SPB CACHE - 256KB C.O.A.S.T. module is either dead or it is a case of an incompatibility?

I looked closely at the HP C.O.A.S.T. module and I saw that on it, it was written *SMART (C) 1996*. I looked at the SMART IN364TCSP83YG15 modules and I also saw the string *SMART (C) 1995*. These SMART IN364TCSP83YG15 might be C.O.A.S.T. modules after all. I checked the spec sheets of the CXK77W3211Q ICs and because I didnt see any warning lights I plugged a SMART IN364TCSP83YG15 module in the PC and I powered it up.

*No more MEMTEST ERORRS!*



 

 

 



*Final results.* *P166 - 64MB EDO - 256KB SYNCHRONOUS PIPELINED BURST - C.O.A.S.T.*



 

 

 

 

 



During the time I was working with this PC, I found at the flea market a sealed *Windows 98 CD pack* and two *Windows 95 CDs*. Unfortunately they are all in German. I would've preferred the English version but they were bought for what they are and not to be put to use.





*Some light metalwork.*



 

 

 

 

 



After I sorted out the PC case I cleaned the *5.25"* FDD a little.

*TEAC FD-55GFR.*



 

 

 



I opened up the CD-ROM unit to clean the laser lens. This wasnt necessary as it was already clean. I washed the plastic front and I cleaned some light rust from the exterior.



 

 

 



I cleaned the rust from the PC case and I used some grey primer/filler to cover some parts that were looking worse. I didnt want to cover all of the blemishes as I wanted to preserve  "the character" of this PC. *A time capsule. The Sleeper that really sleeps.* No extreme measures, no extreme cleaning, just some good old fun with old parts.





*Final results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Specs:*

1. CPU: *Intel Pentium* (classic) *166MHz* - SY037 - textolit
2. Motherboard: *EPOX P55-IT* REV: 0.2 - *256KB C.O.A.S.T.* - SMART IN364TCSP83YG15
3. RAM: *64MB EDO* - 4x16MB
4. Video card: *Trident TGUI9440* - 1MB PCI - 7379 REV. H3
5. Sound card: *OPTi 82C929A ISA /  CRYSTAL CD4248-KL*
6. HDD: *Seagate ST31277A* - Seagate MEDALIST *1.2GB*
7. FDD: 1.44" / FDD: 5.25" *TEAC FD-55GFR*
8. PSU: SKY HAWK MODEL: *SHT-230W.*
9. *AT CASE*

In the end I was left with a system that is perfect for *DOS*. The only foreseeable change if I decide to use it as a daily driver is to change the video card for something with a little more muscle. Otherwise *I made this system to be as great as it can be.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1v6omn6qi/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 28, 2019)

Listenbee - Save Me (LondonBridge Remix)

*HERE'S BATMAN!!!

Code name:*

* Premiere PCI ED (Batman) 60MHz *** Intel PREMIERE/PCI *** Intel Batman *** P5-PCI BATMAN
* AA 624415-211 *** PBA 623667-211 *** PB 631446-001

This episode will feature a motherboard made by Intel which has the code name of *"BATMAN"*. In the wild we can find two variants of this motherboard, based on what CPUs they support: *Batman* - Pentium 60 and *Batman's Revenge* - Pentium 60/66. The difference can be spotted by the eye as "Batman" doesnt have the *VRM* components needed to fully support the Pentium 66MHz. At least officially.

At a first glimpse, when I bought the motherboard, I thought that I got myself a Batman but at P.O.S.T. I saw something different. *Batman or Batman's Revenge*, the lack of the VRM components means a less than ideal support for the Pentium 66MHz. But this is for later.

http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/intel/index.html

1.00.xx.AF1: Premiere/PCI Expandable Desktop (Batman)
1.00.xx.AF2: Premiere/PCI ED (Batman's Revenge)

http://pcrebuilding.altervista.org/23/INTEL+DESKTOP+BOARD+NUMBER/Legacy+Intel+Desktop+Boards.html

http://www.dewassoc.com/systems/component/motherboard/intelmbrefer.htm

_"Batman was Intel's first TTM("Time To Market") motherboard and its goal was to ensure the early success of the first Pentium."_

https://www.tomshardware.fr/16-ans-de-cartes-meres-intel-2/

*Now that we have prepared the arena, let's get on with the show.*

The motherboard presented bellow was bought as *"defective"*. It worked but the BIOS couldn't be accessed. This fact meant nothing to me.* Batman is Batman even knee deep in the muck. *

For a low low price it was mine ALL MINE! I anxiously waited the arrival of the relic. You see, several years ago I looked at pictures with Batman and I just drooled. *Not anymore.* I got my grubby hands on one and I'm not letting it go easily. 

*THE PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED!*





*Let's see what has the cat dragged in.*

Would you look at that. The little Bat who thinks is THE BATMAN!!! 



 

 

 

 

 



I didnt know what was *the problem* that made the BIOS to be inaccessible, and even before this I had another "headache". A Pentium *60MHz* - Socket 4 was nowhere in sight.

Eversince I looked at the pictures with the motherboard and I checked the jumpers vs manual, I knew that originally it had a P60. When asked, the seller said that the P60 was not for sale no matter the price. So that meant that it was priceless ... damn ...

I already have a *P66* which is "married" with my ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 and I could've used it but I decided to wait until a P60 will fall in my lap.

As the motherboard was rather clean I decided not to take it in my dungeon where before entering on the wall is written:* "BEWARE! Lots of torture cleaning ahead!"* and I just took a few pictures. 



 

 



Four months have passed since I bought the motherboard when by a stroke of luck I found a P60 right in my backyard ahem, cough cough, ...  town.

Again, for a low low price I bought a P60 SX835 which was a perfect fit for Batman. *A match made in Heaven.*

The CPU was meant to be scrapped and I was very lucky to find it. It didnt look to well and I had to straighten many pins. "The force" needed to straighten the pins on a Socket 4 CPU is greater than that required for Socket 3/7 CPUs and that force is still stuck in my fingers. Also, the weight of the P60 is stuck in my mind. You can feel  "the weight" when you are holding it. *This is something SOLID, let me tell you.*



 

 

 



The moment when I powered up *"the Socket 4 monster"* soon followed after I bought the P60. Now it was the time to see what's what.





I told you earlier about *Batman* and *Batman's Revenge.*

1.00.xx.AF1: Premiere/PCI Expandable Desktop (Batman)
1.00.xx.AF2: Premiere/PCI ED (Batman's Revenge)

At P.O.S.T. I expected to see *1.00.xx.AF1* but on the screen it was listed: *1.00.xx.AF2.*





The lack of the VRM components said another thing.





Well, it is possible that my Batman has the BIOS from a Batman's Revenge ... In the end I decided to call it just Batman.

I ran *SpeedSys 4.78* and as advertised, the motherboard was in good working condition.





I wasnt able to access the BIOS.

Initially I wanted to remove to BIOS chip and reprogram it. I also wanted to solder a PLCC32 socket.

Still, the problem didnt look like it was directly tied to the BIOS version.

I turned my attention to the RTC Dallas DS12887 but again I didnt want to perform a CR2032 mod as it was too much work and I wanted to *keep it simple.*

I searched the Internet for a solution and I found one that was quite elegant.

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=48898&p=762433#p762433

Others like me had the same problem.

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=48898&p=762433#p762433

As the battery from the RTC/CMOS Dallas DS12887 was long dead, the system didnt know in which date/time it was so the BIOS was inaccessible. Quirks of ancient technology.

The utility, G-SETUP, *286,386 Generic BIOS Setup Program - Bypass system BIOS program utility DOS 1996* allows the alteration of BIOS settings straight from DOS.

http://ibm-pc.org/utilities/system/system.htm

Let's see if this was the right solution.

*Before.* The time was 99:106:23. The date was 99/91/55103.



 



*After I inputed some more "humanly" dates.* .





*Did it work?* ... check for yourselves!



 

 

 

 

 



*I felt great satisfaction after I eliminated all the gremlins from the system.*

I ran a few tests just to see if I find other problems. The P60, SX835, has the all important FDIV bug! YAY! Another gem in my ever growing collection.



 

 

 

 

 

 



The Intel Batman motherboard has a spartan BIOS in comparison with the ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3 and I wasnt able to get more performance out of it. Even so, the P60 still packs a punch.

*P60+Intel Batman* *vs P66+ASUS PCI/I-P5MP3*





*P60+Intel Batman BFFs!!!*





Something was still nagging me. I mean, I got my hands on another Socket 4 setup and I didnt get to clean it? That's blasphemy! 

After a cotton stick and IPA 99% test, I arrived to the conclusion that this motherboard is in *a desperate need of cleaning*!  I know that I was looking for excuses ...



 



Was I able to take this puppy to the next level in regard to its looks?

Well, I hate to brag, but I did get way better results than before. 

*Check it out!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Restored to perfection!* Just the way I like it!

This was the story of my second Socket 4 setup. This stuff doesnt pop up very often so in a way I feel quite lucky to own not one but two motherboards and the all important CPUs. 

All the original Pentiums are in my hands, FDIV bug and all. Shinier and looking better than the day they were born.

Stay tuned for more great episodes!

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2lkh0ct42/


----------



## Kissamies (Oct 28, 2019)

You got also an AM2NF3-VSTA?! Wanna have some competition? 

Tho I have about the fastest hardware it can carry on, heard there's problems running Phenoms with it..


----------



## Mr.Scott (Oct 29, 2019)

Chloe Price said:


> You got also an AM2NF3-VSTA?! Wanna have some competition?
> 
> Tho I have about the fastest hardware it can carry on, heard there's problems running Phenoms with it..


There is no problems. I have 2 of them. One of the best, if not THE best, AGP benching boards there is.


----------



## Kissamies (Oct 29, 2019)

Mr.Scott said:


> There is no problems. I have 2 of them. One of the best, if not THE best, AGP benching boards there is.


Hm, weird, I remember having some problems when I tried this 940 BE on it.



			ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA / ALiveDual-eSATA2 Note


----------



## ShrimpBrime (Oct 29, 2019)

Chloe Price said:


> Hm, weird, I remember having some problems when I tried this 940 BE on it.
> 
> 
> 
> ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA / ALiveDual-eSATA2 Note



Strange, that cpu would have run on the P2.80 bios opposed to the P3.00+ that most of the other Phenom II chips where supported.

That board did not support 140w Phenom processors however, but I'm not aware that the 940BE was ever 140w. Think they only made 125w versions of that chip. (don't quote me, I'd have to look)


----------



## Robert B (Oct 29, 2019)

Chloe Price said:


> You got also an AM2NF3-VSTA?! Wanna have some competition?
> 
> Tho I have about the fastest hardware it can carry on, heard there's problems running Phenoms with it..



For me to enter a competition I would need two of them just in case one kicks the bucket.  I have the details regarding modding it from Mr. Scott 

I have a Phenom II X4 960T that I didnt try to see if it works. This should be interesting.  My board has the latest BIOS P3.30

If we are talking about "newer" HW I'm waiting for some S775 goodness to arrive. As usual it will be restored to perfection. Lots of copper on this puppy.  That Pentium 955 that I got a while ago is in need of a suitable motherboard even if is not a  Core 2 Extreme CPU. An Intel EE is still something out of the ordinary.


----------



## Kissamies (Oct 29, 2019)

ShrimpBrime said:


> Strange, that cpu would have run on the P2.80 bios opposed to the P3.00+ that most of the other Phenom II chips where supported.
> 
> That board did not support 140w Phenom processors however, but I'm not aware that the 940BE was ever 140w. Think they only made 125w versions of that chip. (don't quote me, I'd have to look)


965 BE C2 is the only 140W Phenom II there was. First gen had also a 140W 9950 BE.


----------



## biffzinker (Oct 29, 2019)

Robert B said:


> I have a Phenom II X4 960T that I didnt try to see if it works.


Did someone mention having a Phenom II x4 960T? Highest I can go without L1 Data Cache WHEA errors.
Picked the Geforce GT 730 for the more recent drivers being the last for Windows XP compared to the last driver for the Geforce 250 GTS I also have.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 16, 2019)

'Illusions of Existence' - Liquid Drum and Bass Mix

*I.P.A.* or the story of the illusive 100%

From time to time, to spice things up, I like to set some "targets" that are easier or harder to achieve, depending of the situation. One thing is certain tough, no matter the difficulty the satisfaction is always the same. *OFF THE SCALE!* These old components are like a part of my soul and body. I say soul first and body second. I've read about them, I've laughed at them, I lusted over them, I owned them ... heck, they are like an old friend. You sometimes can see someone 20 years later and still have that "connection" even if you weren't in touch with each other. True friends are illusive too like that 100%!  But I digress ...

In the *AGP tribulations?* series I was a little too ambitious and in the end I didn't get that *100%* success rate with components bought from the flea market. Lately, that 100% thing kept popping up in my mind and I wanted to cross it off my list. So, I waited for the opportune moment and I made my move. This came in the form of the *I.P.A.* episode. Was I able to achieve that illusive 100%?

What does I.P.A. stand for? It has nothing to do with Isopropyl Alchool 99%, even if I "snorted" a lot of that stuff, so form where does it come from?

*I.* - ISA - Industry Standard Architecture
*P. *- PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
*A.* - AGP - Accelerated Graphic Port

I think that you already know that we are going to deal with *graphic cards* in this episode. 

Let's meet *"the victims".

1.* VGA ULTRA(I) *Trident TVGA8900C* 1MB ISA
*2.* INTERGRAPH Intense 3D 100 *Rendition Verite V1000-E* 4MB PCI
*3.* LEADTEK WinFast Geforce 2 MX SH PRO 5ns Ultra Speed - *Geforce 2 MX 400* 32MB AGP

All have been bought from the flea market, at about the same time, some days apart. No mistery here.

Let's see if they were all still alive and kicking and if I was able to return them to their former glory ...

*Let's get on with the show!*

 VGA ULTRA(I) *Trident TVGA8900C* 1MB ISA

Something about the ULTRA and Trident being on the same PCB made me shrug just a little bit but I didn't complain about the 1MB of video memory. 



 



These older components are more "organic" and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Also, the older parts are from the *"Die Hard"* category and they keep on going no matter what.

Some spit 'n' polish later.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Lights! Camera! POWER!*



 

 

 



In regard to the state of the Trident 8900C I didnt have any doubts and even since I laid my hands on it I said to myself: this is working 100%!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2uqpr5b56/

INTERGRAPH Intense 3D 100 *Rendition Verite V1000-E* 4MB PCI

*Intergraph.* This is a name that you don't see too often at the flea market.

*Rendition.* Again a name that doesn't pop up too often at the flea market.

When I saw this card I was like a kid in the candy store. It was a package deal with a SK7 motherboard, an ISA modem and a CT2830 sound card. The asking price was very low. *Lucky me!*

The card didn't look too well. Scratches all over the place and some rust here and there. Looking sorry for itself. Have no fear *Robert B* is in here! 



 

 

 

 

 



*Straight as an arrow.*





*Rust be gone!*



 

 

 



*The bracket* wasn't chromed so I was able just to sweeten a little the traces of the contact with water and the inevitable passing of time.



 



Some sessions with fine polishing paste and cotton sticks to reduce/remove the scratches on various chips.



 



You can see the silkscreen *REACTOR*, the initial name of this card, instead of the Intense 3D 100.





*IPA 99%, patience and attention to detail.*



 



*Final results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*My work was done but I didn't know the state of the card.*

Weeks have passed until I fired it up. Something told me that she was alive so I was very relaxed.



 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nw0r7nai/

LEADTEK WinFast Geforce 2MX SH PRO 5ns Ultra Speed - *Geforce 2 MX 400* 32MB AGP

I used to love LEADTEK graphic cards. Now they aren't what they once were ...

I usually don't buy budget cards but in this instance I made an exception. A GF2 MX400 with ultra fast VRAM, LED indicators and a LEADTEK name? HELL YEAH!!! *Shut up an take my money! *(http://ixbtlabs.com/articles/gf2mxshprowinfast/index.html)

The card was looking very well.



 

 

 



I removed the heatsink and surprise surprise, *this is no ordinary GF2 MX400.* Temperature sensor and stuff. NICE!



 

 

 



All was fine but I hit a snag. While I prepared the card for cleaning I saw that a pin from the VGA connector was pushed inward. The unfortunate thing was that it was the *#1 PIN (RED)*. What were the odds?!?!?

*I took a little time to assess the situation. * In the end I used various "tools" and I managed to get the pin in the correct position. The bad thing was that it didnt stay in position and I had to use a little transparent POXIPOL to fix in place. To be safe, I put a fine line of Poxipol from one end to the other. Now even a gorilla can insert the VGA cable and the pins will stay in place.



 

 



Huh, I almost said good bye to that 100%! That was a close one!

I cleaned the card well.



 

 

 

 



I cleaned the cooling system and the bracket. I had to polish the heatsink a little as the old paste left some marks that didn't look too well.



 

 

 



The final results were very good. *Shining like a diamond in the goat's a$$. *



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



If there was a card from these three, that could jeopardize my 100%, this was the one.

But I was lucky ... again! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



In the end I was able to achieve that illusive *100%*. A 100% success rate with parts bought from the flea market that were still alive and kicking against all the odds. Dumped in boxes, dirty, forgotten, ready to be sent to the crusher and returned to the void from which they came ...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1lwem9y22/

But wait, life is never so easy.

*There is a twist* ... the mistery variable that could've damage my perfect score and make a me look like a n00b celebrating before the last shot was taken. 

Meet the: STB Velocity 128-VBX AGP - *nVIDIA Riva 128ZX* 8MB AGP.

Another card that will prove to be alive?





From all of the four cards, this one was in worse shape even if it looked pretty well.

It took me some time to reduce the ugly scrathes that were present on various chips. The side effect was the reduction of the intensity of the markings on some of them. All in all not a deal breaker.



 



The card was missing a ceramic capacitor. After tens of minutes of searches I managed to find one that had the right colour but was a little too tall. After I soldered a capacitor that was the correct size but it was of a different colour I decided to remove it and replace it with the one with the correct colour but was a little taller. Back and forth, back and forth ... even from the get go, this card seemed a lost cause. Something was bothering me every time I laid my hands on it.



 

 



The card was missing a small heatsink that used to be fixed with thermal adhesive.





The transparent tape used to protect the already damaged label backfired and I had to remove the label entirely. Because an initial test with a cotton stick dipped in IPA 99% showed that the ink from the label started to run I decided to use the transparent tape that usually saved the day. Not today ...

This card *fought me tooth and nail* like it was saying: let me be ... let me sleep ... let me go ...



 



In regard to the missing heatsink I already had a suitable replacement. To fix something that for all intents and purposes looks to be a MOSFET heatsink is something sketchy to say the least. STB come on ... what the heck ...

Surprise surprise, I wasnt able to fix the heatsink no matter what. A sign that the AKASA adhesive thermal tape was too old or a VooDoo spell had been cast on my card. The tape didnt adhere to the heatsink or the chip. No push-pins holes so I was stuck.





The card stood in a box for days.

In the end I found at a local store some tape, that even if it was thicker, it was what I needed. The thermal transfer was better 1.5W/mk (AG Termopad) vs 0.9W/mk (AKASA) so that was it.

I already had a backup plan involving thermal adhesive or some AC MX-4 thermal paste and superglue in the corners. In the end I used the thicker tape. Many RIVA 128ZX dont have a heatsink.



 



*How did the card turn out?*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Looking good! So far so good! Flatline or pulse?* The card was very cool and the heatsink barely got warm. The finger-o-meter registered just some very mild warmth on the back of the card. The heatsink measure was kind of overkill but I did it for peace of mind.



 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/25pw1wzoq/

Huh! That was a close one!

In the end I got a perfect score. A *100% success rate* with components bought from the flea market that were a complete unknown. Some champagne is in order.

This was the story of my illusive 100%. A combination of experience, luck or a correct choice of candidates. You be the judge of that.

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Nov 16, 2019)

Amazing as always @Robert B    Can't wait for the next one


----------



## Kissamies (Nov 16, 2019)

Damn, Riva 128 ZX is something I'll want too..!


----------



## Robert B (Nov 17, 2019)

*Thank You my trusty fans and all of you that visit this thread! Also Thank You TPU! * 

The next episode will be a Good Ol' *Flea Market Surprise* Episode with various bits and pieces that I found over the last months. All in all minimum 100 pics. I found so many little pieces that I must unload them somwhere.  On their own they dont make much of a story but as a whole they are another matter entirely. 

More later.


----------



## biffzinker (Nov 17, 2019)

Robert B said:


> *Thank You my trusty fans and all of you that visit this thread! Also Thank You TPU! *


So when do you plan on doing a YouTube channel or something similar?


----------



## Kissamies (Nov 17, 2019)

BTW, is there a board which supports the fastest AXP CPUs and Riva 128 ZX? That would be awesome to see benchmarks, ofc Riva OCd to the max


----------



## Mr.Scott (Nov 17, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> Did someone mention having a Phenom II x4 960T? Highest I can go without L1 Data Cache WHEA errors.



My 960T.   On both 4 core and unlocked to 6 core.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 23, 2019)

*Flea Market Surprise!* _(The "short" version)_

It is the time for another *F*lea *M*arket *S*urprise episode! You never know what you will find there!

In this kind of episodes I present parts that didnt make the cut for a full episode. Even so, there's plenty to be seen. All of them have been cleaned, restored and tested. The percent of dead components is under 1% which is no small feat let me tell you! 

*The list.*


Creative Labs *CT2830* Soundblaster 16 IDE CSP 16-bit ISA
*DFI* G586-VPS REV.C1
*Pionee*r DVD-104SZ
Intel *Pentium* 120MHz - SY033
Intel *Pentium* 133MHz - SY022
AMD *K6-2* 500MHZ / AMD-K6-2/500AFX
Intel *Pentium II* 333MHz -SL2TV
Intel *Pentium 4* - SL7PM - 3GHz/1MB/800
Intel *Pentium III* 800MHz - SL4CD - 800/256/133 - missing pin
*Athlon XP* 2600+ / AXDA2600DKV4D
Intel *Pentium 4* - SL793 - 3.4GHz/512/800
Intel *Celeron* 800MHz - SL55R - 800/128/100
Intel *Celeron* 1000MHz - 1000A/256/100 - SL5ZF
Intel *Pentium III* 1000MHz - SL52R - 1000/256/133
Intel *Pentium II* 266MHz - SL2HE 
05S2020A-4 / DET 0051-170953-01 *VRM  module* from dead DELL dual S370 motherboard
Slot 1 motherboard - *AK-611*
Slot 1 motherboard - *KA3I*
*PQI* 512MB(256x2) - PQI TURBO PQI3200-512DBH / 2.5-3-3-7
Intel *Xeon* 1.7 GHz - SL5TE / Coolers
Samsung *Rambus* / RDRAM / RIMM 5x256MB PC800
Intel *Pentium* 120MHz - SY033
Intel *Pentium Extreme Edition* 955 - SL94N
*Zalman* ZM80C
*Razer* Blackwidow Chroma V1 - RZ03-0122
*Enermax* 353W - EG365AX-VE(G)
*IDT* C6-PSME200GA - WinChip 200MHz/66/3.52V
Intel Pentium 4 *S423* 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400

Let's GO!

*Creative Labs CT2830 Soundblaster 16 IDE CSP 16-bit ISA*

My first Creative Sound Blaster 16 sound card and my first ISA "the long version" sound card. Two out of two!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/p09jq51m/

*DFI G586 VPS rev. C1*

Completely restored. My only SK7 motherboard with a VLSI chipset. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2bu2ip6h6/

*Pioneer DVD-104SZ*

This unit looked great when I bought it but *looks can be deceiving ...*

Even from the get go is presented weird noises and slow reading of the optical disks.

It was cleaned and lubed with silicone grease. I didnt find anything wrong inside.

After I cleaned the lense the performance improved but even so, from time to time when it spins up it makes a faint bang then spins down and after one or more tries it starts reading.

A firmware update didn't solve anything.

Most likely, the laser is dying or it needs a calibration. 

All in all it was bought for looks. It is my third Pioneer Slot Loading DVD-ROM unit.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/36uwgvbwq/

*Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033, Intel Pentium 133MHz - SY022, AMD K6-2 500MHZ / AMD-K6-2/500AFX*

The *Pentium 120MHz CPU* lost a pin after the straightening procedure and I had to solder it back. I tried making a mask from electrical tape to hold the pin while I soldered it but it shrinked form the heat. I tried some thin copper wire but to no avail. In the end I used fine tweezers and I managed to solder it with my 15W soldering iron. I needed several tries and I had to search on the floor for the pin after it flew off during the soldering process. In the end I managed to save the CPU. It has been tested and it is still alive and kicking!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Intel Pentium II 333MHz -SL2TV*





*Intel Pentium 4 - SL7PM - 3GHz/1MB/800, Intel Pentium III 800MHz - SL4CD - 800/256/133 - missing pin, Athlon XP 2600+ / AXDA2600DKV4D, Intel Pentium 4 - SL793 - 3.4GHz/512/800, Intel Celeron 800MHz - SL55R - 800/128/100, Intel Celeron 1000MHz - 1000A/256/100 - SL5ZF, Intel Pentium III 1000MHz - SL52R - 1000/256/133*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Intel Pentium II 266MHz - SL2HE *

The CPU has been taken from a dead ACER V66LA motherboard.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Dead DELL dual S370 at the flea market.*





Slot 1 motherboard - AK-611. Slot 1 motherboard - FIC KA31. I bought these as organ donors. One ASUS K7M motherboard form my stash was missing a plastic clip from one of the memory slots. Not anymore!



 

 

 

*05S2020A-4 / DET 0051-170953-01 VRM  module from a dead DELL dual S370 motherboard*



 

*Slot 1 heatsinks.*





*Testing.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*PQI 512MB(256x2) - PQI TURBO PQI3200-512DBH / 2.5-3-3-7*



 



*Intel Xeon 1.7 GHz - SL5TE / Coolers, Samsung Rambus / RDRAM / RIMM 5x256MB PC800*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Intel Pentium 120MHz - SY033*

Another Pentium 120MHz bought with the socket and the heatsink. Of course that I paid only for the heatsink. A lucky find.



 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Misc.*



 



*Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 - SL94N*





*Zalman ZM80C*





*Razer Blackwidow Chroma V1 - RZ03-0122

Before and After ...*

Work put in:

1. Removal and cleaning of one switch. 
2. Rust issues. I used a rust converter, primer and white paint. I applied the paint using a small brush and the results werent quite factory quality. I must underline that I didnt want to remove all of the switches and paint the entire metal backplate. The repaired surface is visible only at close inspection and 95% of it is under the plastic cover and under the keycaps.
3. Each part was cleaned to perfection.
4. I greased with tiny amounts of silicone grease all of the stabilizing wire bars and contact surfaces.
5. The cable was washed with hot water and dish soap.

"Problems":

1. 4 LEDs have some issues with some colors but work great on GREEN. The leds can be replaced easily.
2. One plastic element used to raise the keyboard from the table. Not a deal breaker.
3. Minor blemishes on the plastic surfaces.

Usage:

I compared the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V1 with my trusty Ozone Strike Cherry MX Black. I still preffer the Ozone and I don't consider the illumination a requirement as I don't need it. The Nordic layout didn't bother me too much but I preffer the US layout any day of the week! I must say that the Razer felt quite comfortable and I didn't need a palm rest. The keys are way more easy to press.

Surprisingly, the flea market Razer didnt have any problems with the switches themselves and it worked as it was supposed to. The keycaps are close to perfect, just the SPACE and one keycap have minor blemishes. The manufacturing date is Week 17 Year 2016 even if the PCB has a 2014 code.

Usually I dont buy keyboards from the flea market as they require A LOT OF WORK to clean. In this instance I made an exception from the rule and I was happy with the results.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Enermax 353W - EG365AX-VE(G)*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Misc.*





*IDT C6-PSME200GA - WinChip 200MHz/66/3.52V*

A lucky find! It was found on the bottom of a box full with HDDs. The funny fact is that a couple of weeks before I searched inside the same box without finding it. Maybe it was there and I didnt see it or it was put there when I found it ... I just dont know. 

I had to straighten a lot of pins. Some still remained a little crooked or wavy but the CPU is easily inserted and removed form the socket. 

It ran beautifully at a bus of 75MHz and a frequency of 225MHz instead of 200/66. By mistake I didnt set the correct jumpers for the 66MHz bus. The voltage was 3.5V(stock) on a ZIDA 5STX-J98 motherboard. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400*



 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1fkrob30q/

*The "short" version was quite long! Who would've thought!* 

*More later.*


----------



## biffzinker (Nov 24, 2019)

Robert B said:


> *Intel Pentium 4 S423 1.9GHz - SL5VN - 1.9GHz/256/400*


Just shy of 2 GHz, poor Pentium 4 didn't make the cut in binning.

Nice score on the Razer keyboard.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 24, 2019)

Static-X - Push It 

*In the works:* *HEAVY COPPER!

Heavy copper* a story waiting to be told. Two opposing city states! One from the gutter, the other pampered from birth.

Even if I would've wanted this story couldn't've turned out like this.  



 

 

 

 

 

 

As usual *MORE LATER* and on a need to know basis!


----------



## phill (Nov 24, 2019)

Amazing as always @Robert B !!  I love this thread!!


----------



## biffzinker (Nov 24, 2019)

Without the Gigabyte name I could of mistaken it for Asrock based on the silkscreen lettering.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Nov 25, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Static-X - Push It
> 
> *In the works:* *HEAVY COPPER!
> 
> ...


That damage is repairable. I would make the effort for such an excellent board.


----------



## jaggerwild (Nov 25, 2019)

Hey Robert, I love the hardware porn. Haven't been on much but wanted to chime in to let you know how AWESOME this is!!


----------



## Robert B (Nov 25, 2019)

phill said:


> Amazing as always @Robert B !!  I love this thread!!



I'm close to running out of material to post as I didnt buy so much stuff lately. Who knows maybe the mother lode is somewhere down the road  I still consider that I have a lot of stuff to do and post. 



biffzinker said:


> Without the Gigabyte name I could of mistaken it for Asrock based on the silkscreen lettering.



The Asrock has a slightly darker blue color. Because I reduced the gamma of the pic to get that extra effect it could've easily been mistaken for Asrock. 



lexluthermiester said:


> That damage is repairable. I would make the effort for such an excellent board.



You said it brother!  I can't spill the beans yet but what I can say is that the HEAVY COPPER story is still on track. 



jaggerwild said:


> Hey Robert, I love the hardware porn. Haven't been on much but wanted to chime in to let you know how AWESOME this is!!



I used to look at hardware pron and just drool but now as I OWN many of the pieces I lusted over, it is an entirely different matter.  Thanks for the appreciation.

I'm addicted to gathering, restoring and especially posting my adventures. For me this is the ultimate drug. There is no substitute for this. I know that I might "have a problem" but I'm still in the safe zone.  Some time down the road I will have to start selling some stuff.  We'll see if I can let them go when/if the situation will arise.

*More later.*


----------



## ShrimpBrime (Nov 25, 2019)

Robert B said:


> I'm close to running out of material to post as I didnt buy so much stuff lately. Who knows maybe the mother lode is somewhere down the road  I still consider that I have a lot of stuff to do and post.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I just tell everyone that there's worse things to be addicted to, and they stop bothering me.

Just remember you're not alone. My wife just can't figure out why I need at least 3 rigs running. She just doesn't know. Can't explain it. But i says "Hey babe, at least it's not crack" and she just shakes her head and walks away. No different than, "Hey honey, why do you have more shoes than Al Bundy??" Then.... I'm in the dog house.... but fun while it lasted!

Love your restore builds man. This thread brings back many old memories for many people. Keep up the good work!!


----------



## lexluthermiester (Nov 26, 2019)

ShrimpBrime said:


> I just tell everyone that there's worse things to be addicted to, and they stop bothering me.


Very good point!


----------



## Robert B (Dec 18, 2019)

Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time

*MAD PROJECT #1* (Prequel to the HEAVY COPPER episode)

After 4 years of going to the flea market I think that I've seen almost everything that there is. I know what can be saved and *what's beyond hope*. With so much experience under my belt I can safely say that * I'm not a greenhorn anymore*. NO SIR!

Where people see *trash* I see *treasure*. Where people see *a lost cause* I see *opportunity*. I like to take it to 11 all the time. No shortcuts! *All in or all out!* 

Every once in a while I get that itch and I like a challenge and from nothing a new series of episodes has been born: *MAD PROJECT(s) #X.* MAD PROJECT(s) because WHY NOT? MAD PROJECT(s) because if it wasn't me who would've done it instead? MAD PROJECT(s) fits/fit me like a glove!

In episode *#1* we are dealing with a cooler form the HEAVY WEIGHT category *aka* 1KG of COPPER and ALUMINIUM!

Let's meet the (drum roll): *Scythe Infinity SCINF-1000 Heatsink aka MUGEN 1*

Ever since I bought the *Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6* motherboard and I came to the conclusion that my CPU cooling side of things was somewhat lacking, I was on the lookout for a better cooling solution. As I wasn't planning to cough up the dough I was extremely receptive to opportunities.

The asthmatic *Intel stock cooler* made me smile a little ironic ... sure it gets the job done but CAN IT PLAY CRYSIS?!?!?!

*Time passed by ...*

For weeks on end I saw at the flea market a beefy *Scythe* CPU cooler. For several times I took it my hands but I put it back into the box . MEH! *A lost cause ...* I still remember my first aftermarket cooler: *Scythe ANDY SAMURAI MASTER!* Good times!

What I didn't know at that moment was the fact that this cooler will represent the starting point of a new series of episode which I intend to post from time to time. I want to see what I can do and how much I can stretch myself. I'll give you a hint: A LOT! Once I set a goal I never let go even if I stumble and fall! 

*But I digress.*

After I took the cooler in my hands for a last time and after an ornament shaped like a nut from one of the heatpipes fell into my palm I said to myself: You've suffered enough, now it is the time for redemption! Come! Take my hand! 

How much is this stuff, I asked? 4 EUROS! Too much! 2 EUROS or I don't buy it! Okay ... 2 EUROS! Thank You!

And this is how I got stuck with something that had a face that only a mother could love ...



 



Yep! It sure looks like Sh.........tttttt! What was I thinking? ... My point exactly! Said the *Pinky* upstairs ... You weren't thinking at all said *Brain* ...



 

 

 

 



The base of the cooler was still in great shape and it also had the retaining clips. WIN!

That *s775 backplate* that I bought in ~ 2008 was already jumping for joy in its box in anticipation that it will be put to good use 11 years later ... 





At first, my intention was to remove all of the cooling fins, straighten the heat pipes and then solder all of the fins back. From factory the fins were just pressed into position and I remember that even in the case of my new Andy Samurai Master some of them moved freely. I really don't like the design.

I decided to remove the ornaments from the ends of the copper heat pipes. I used a wrench and I managed to remove all of them. These were fixed with a double sided tape that was quite tough to get rid of. I used IPA 99%, paint thinner and a lighter but to no avail. In the end I used a very sharp razor to remove much of the tape ...

What I didn't know at that time was the fact that my idea to remove the cooling fins would backfire and I'll have extra work to do ...

*OK.* I started removing the cooling fins ... *1* ... *2* ... *3* ... What the f..k? When the going gets tough you get tougher! ... *4* ... *5* ... That's it! I'm frowing in the towel! I put the cooler on the heater for half an hour but I only found out that the fins wouldn't move at all ... well, well, the men from Scythe knew something, when metal expands ... I put the cooler into the freezer but besides my fingers sticking to the metal I wasn't able to remove more fins ... &$@&$%@)&$!@$@%^*^#@%^!!!!!!!!!!!

After more than two hours of work I put the cooler into a bag and I tossed it outside into the trash can! BANG! Get dinged! You pile of steaming ... What was I thinking?!?!??! My point exactly! I wasnt thinking at all ...

And so, the cooler returned from where it came ... into the trash can ...

After a good night sleep I returned to better feelings and I was ready to give it one more try. In the morning I took the frozen cooler from the trash can and I was back to square ONE.

I put back the cooling fins that I removed previously and I straightened them as mush as possible. I wasn't going for 100%. I was satisfied with 99%(ish) with a lot of "-ish" ... 

I used a small piece of tube to straighten the ends of the heat pipes. At that moment I found out that the heat pipes are very soft and you can bend them with your bare hands. Go figure ...

After some straightening "at hand" I switched to something more VICE duty. The vice was used to keep in place the cooler while a wrestled with the heat pipes and the base of the cooler using my hands. You really dont want to use tools as you risk to bend/dent the heat pipes.



 



My idea to solder all of the cooling thins soon vanished after I factored in the costs ... so I decided to use the next best thing ... duct tape ... NO! ahem epoxy: *BISON EPOXY METAL.*

I straightened the fins using a pair of flat nose pliers. I used a palette knife and I pressed all of the fins as best I could. I fixed the bottom fin with epoxy. I used scotch tape to prevent any movement.



 

 

 



I prepared the retaining clips to accommodate the new back plate. I really don't like push-pins.



 



After *24 hours* I pressed again all of the fins and I glued into position with *epoxy* the top fin and the ornaments of the ends of the heat pipes. This task was more difficult than I anticipated and the fact that I removed them was quite a bad idea. I tied all of the fins to prevent movement.

Another *24 hours* were needed for the *epoxy* to cure.

*I polished* the base of the cooler a little.



 

 

 



I tested the alignment of the cooler on my Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4  motherboard and I was quite pleased with the results. I also had to return to factory spec the retaining clips that were quite bent.



 



*TIM!*





*A tight fit! LIKE A GLOVE!*



 

 

 



*AWESOME results! IMO!*





*Standing tall against all the odds!*





The AC MX-4 spread was decent considering that the cooler moved sideways while I attached the backplate and the fact that the heat spreader of the Pentium 4 wasn't something to write home about.



 

 



*Final results!*



 

 



This cooler will never be like it was new but I still managed to return some of its original glory. I have all of the other retaining clips for AMD and S478. I must underline that the cooler has been washed several times with hot water and dish soap then dried with an air compressor.

As I didn't have the required steel wire I decided to make the fan clips from thicker copper wire. The results were beyond my expectation as I was able to lift the 1KG cooler just from the frame of the fan, without the clips getting loose. For peace of mind in the future I will make new clips from strong steel wire.

The fan chosen to cool this behemoth is none other than *Thermalright TY-140*. It should've been a Scythe but I really dig Thermalright.





Even if the BISON EPOXY METAL has separated from the aluminium fins, it has adhered strongly to the copper heat pipes.  The epoxy collars that were formed keep all the fins *close to factory specs*.

*Final Final results!*



 

 

 

 

 



This was *MAD PROJECT #1.* I assure you that there is a method to my madness. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2z9is8st0/

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 18, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time


I've always liked that song... Never knew it was Eddie Murphy. LOL!


Robert B said:


> Final Final results!


Wow! You worked that up a fair treat!


----------



## phill (Dec 18, 2019)

Amazing as always mate!!    Inspiration in this thread is over 9000!!    Probably why I did what I did with a friends build last weekend...  I thought, how would Robert do it??


----------



## ShrimpBrime (Dec 18, 2019)

That cooler by design was intelligent. Love the mini heat sink on top of the cold plate. THAT is exactly how tower coolers should be made. ALL of them. Keeping the cold plate as cool as possible is the key to success with any air cooler. 

Super nice job on the restore. hats off once again Robert!


----------



## Robert B (Dec 20, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> I've always liked that song... Never knew it was Eddie Murphy. LOL!
> Wow! You worked that up a fair treat!




Neither did I! So that makes two of us. 

It took some elbow grease but it sure paid off. 



phill said:


> Amazing as always mate!!   Inspiration in this thread is over 9000!!   Probably why I did what I did with a friends build last weekend... I thought, how would Robert do it??



OVER 9000!!! ALL THE WAY!!!  



ShrimpBrime said:


> That cooler by design was intelligent. Love the mini heat sink on top of the cold plate. THAT is exactly how tower coolers should be made. ALL of them. Keeping the cold plate as cool as possible is the key to success with any air cooler.
> 
> Super nice job on the restore. hats off once again Robert!



Thanks ShrimpBrime!  I still like air coolers more than AIOs but I recognize the advantages of the liquid coolers. I'm still rocking a Thermalright Archon with 2xTY-150. This setup is hassle free.


I have prepared all the materials for the *HEAVY COPPER* episode. Over the coming weeks I plan to post several episodes. 





*More later.*


----------



## potato580+ (Dec 20, 2019)

i acidently signed as fans, those stuff shine like diamonds for me smh
hail to this thread


----------



## phill (Dec 20, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Neither did I! So that makes two of us.
> 
> It took some elbow grease but it sure paid off.
> 
> ...


I definitely recognise the Gigabyte boards, I think I have some here still!! lol  As always Robert, it's amazing to see you post here with the level of quality that you do for each individual item you buy...  I hope my cleaned up case I did for a friend is getting there for your standards  (It's over in the desktop thread... I'll grab the name in a moment, mind blank!! )

EDIT - The Flithy, Rotten Nasty Helpdesk Nightmare Picture Clubhouse Linky....


----------



## Robert B (Dec 21, 2019)

Wow Phill!  You had quite some work to do there. Awesome results! I had to do something similar a few years back with the PC of a lady but it was nothing like your case. Look at those dust deposits! phewww! 

This great GTX 260 that I had to clean, came from an electronic cigar smoker. Vaping that stuff meant a lot of work for me just to get rid of the deposits on the heatsink. It wasnt too bad but that mild sugary heavy smell like a heavy perfume made me nuts!  In the end after 3 washes with hot water and Fairy plus 2 washes with IPA 99% and a lot of work I was able to clean the heatsink pretty well. After the work with the heatsink there still was plenty to do with the plastics and the PCB. All in all this was my first card that came from a smoking environment but I sure am going to pay more attention before I buy stuff and try as much as possible to avoid them.

Before the HEAVY COPPER story I will post the Prequel No.2 with this card as it deserves a separate episode. 

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Dec 21, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Wow Phill!  You had quite some work to do there. Awesome results! I had to do something similar a few years back with the PC of a lady but it was nothing like your case. Look at those dust deposits! phewww!
> 
> This great GTX 260 that I had to clean, came from an electronic cigar smoker. Vaping that stuff meant a lot of work for me just to get rid of the deposits on the heatsink. It wasnt too bad but that mild sugary heavy smell like a heavy perfume made me nuts!  In the end after 3 washes with hot water and Fairy plus 2 washes with IPA 99% and a lot of work I was able to clean the heatsink pretty well. After the work with the heatsink there still was plenty to do with the plastics and the PCB. All in all this was my first card that came from a smoking environment but I sure am going to pay more attention before I buy stuff and try as much as possible to avoid them.
> 
> ...


Like I said mate, you inspire us to go that extra mile    I hope it's a pass mark, I was always thinking, what would Robert B do....  

Love that X48 Gigabyte board, I believe I have the exact same model   It looks like it's never been used!! lol


----------



## Robert B (Dec 24, 2019)

Wu-Tang Clan - Shame on a Nigga

*ASUS ROG Matrix GeForce GTX 260 896MB / ENGTX260* (Prequel No.2 to the *HEAVY COPPER* episode)

If I stay and think a little, maybe I should've called this episode: *"GET PUNK'D!"*. Why use this as a secondary title for this episode? Well, you see, I found this card in my city on the OLX site. I sent a message, I negotiated, I got a reduction of the asking price and I established when and where to meet the seller. All was fine... I went to the meeting place and to my surprise I was met by a 17 year old "kid". Heck brother do you like PCs and stuff? I said. Yeah my brother! Said the young'un. After we chatted for a few minutes I asked to see the wonder that made us to get together : *THE ASUS ROG MATRIX GTX 260!!!* AWESOME! What a brick! I said. I looked briefly over the card and I paid the asking price. One of the DVI ports was missing a screw, a few pins were a little ruffled and the plastic had some marks made by a neanderthalian which maybe tried to insert a VGA cable in the DVI slot but all in all I fell in love with the card. *The deal concluded*. The seller assured me that it was in good working condition and if I was to have troubles with it we will speak on the phone. The boy seemed trustworthy and I wasn't worried. I didn't want to test the card before I bought it.

I got back to my car and when I took the card in my hands I felt a sweet heavy smell coming from it. *YUCK! IT STINKS!*

I thoroughly checked the card and I soon found some problems. On the back a Schottky diode was missing. *F..K!* Oh well, it could be worse I said to myself. I flipped the card and I found another problem. A ferrite choke was damaged. *F..K!* 



 



*GET PUNK'D!* ... that's how I felt ... I called the seller and I informed him of the problems, I sent him pictures and I said that I will test the card when I have the time and I will call him afterwards. He agreed but I was still feeling the sour taste of GET PUNK'D! If I didn't peel my eyes better ...

Initially I wanted to return the card but it already had my name written all over it and besides the seller seemed trustworthy and he said that he wasn't aware of the problems that it had. He assured me again that the card works and that he has used it recently.

I stood for a moment and thought about it. If I found this card at the flea market I would've bought even if it would've had bigger problems so why bother? *THIS IS MINE!* I said to myself ...

*The card was awesome.* Back in the day I wanted one but I used a 9800GTX until I got a 460GTX Hawk. I loved that Hawk but I trade it for something way better, but this is a story for another time ... 



 

 



Awesome non-reference design. *ASUS ROG BABY!!!

Dingded perfection ...*



 

 



*Slightly bent heat pipe.*





The following day I searched for a Schottky diode but I didnt find what I needed. The missing diode was *SX34 *https://www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/352/SX34-pdf.php. In the end I found something close to perfect but I was very close to soldering a higher value diode. I found a *SB34 diode* on a damaged motherboard from a dead laptop. https://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/354461/GULFSEMI/SB34.html. The transplant went without a hitch. The SB34 is slightly wider than the SX34 but it fit perfectly. 





I quickly tested the card before I was to return it to its lost glory. All was well. It ran like a dream. 





*Purring like a kitten!* ... but what's that smell ... that awful perfume like smell ... 



 



*Fan stop.*





*Independent fan stop.*





*The fans* were in great condition. No suspect noises. They have a nice tone even if they arent exactly silent. The moment they stopped spinning I thought the card passed away ... but it was normal. I dodged a bullet, I said to myself.



 

 

 

 

 



The *SB34 diode* got warm during testing, sign that it did its job.

I wasn't going to replace the *dinged ferrite choke* as it was too much hassle for little return. I had a back up plan for this shortcoming.

I called the seller and "I pulled him by the ears". I said to him to pay more attention as he might meet someone that could have an inappropriate reaction next time. I asked him to delete the add as the card will remain with me. The boy was respectful and he assured me that he didn't know about those problems and he will be more careful with the stuff he sells in the future.  Also I should've paid more attention to what I buy. One thing is certain though: I would've bought it regardless.  I didn't ask for another price reduction as I deemed it out of place. Maybe the boy needed the money more than me. *All in all I was quite happy wit ma brick!*

My work was just beginning. *Let's see what I did wit ma brick!* 

*What was that sweet heavy perfume like smell?* Initially I thought that the smell was from a GLADE type like perfume, but a test with a cotton stick dipped in IPA 99% on the brown crust present on the heatsink brought me some bad news. *My sneaking suspicion was right.* It seemed that the graphic card was a heavy vaper or at least one of the previous owners was vaping like hell. Yep electronic cigar residue. Sheeshhhh ... I have the work cut out for me I said to myself. If there is something that I didn't do before then it is to clean something that came from a smoking environment. I read of such horror stories. At least I'm not dealing with a regular cigar smoker I said to myself. *Little did I know* ... I washed the card so many times that it was kind of ridiculous ... 





*Let's crack this can of worms open.*



 

 

 

 

 



Awsome! I will not have to deal with any damned thermal pads! I love this non-reference design even if I regret that it's missing some heatsinks on those tasty memory chips or VRM ICs.

*Skunk smell.* Brownish deposits all over those cooling fins.



 

 



The *TIM* was still in good condition albeit it was starting to dry a little.



 

 

 

 

*Brown stuff started to pour out as soon as I started to wash the heatsink with IPA 99%.* I washed the heatsink many times with hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap. After this I used an air compressor to eliminate any moisture as it could damage the metal surfaces. Next on the list were many IPA 99% washes with a soft tooth brush until I removed 99% of the deposits. *It took a lot of elbow grease.*





*Nothing was spared from contamination. Brownish residues all over the place. *





*I removed everything that could be removed.*



 



*YUCK!*



 

 



*The light at the end of the tunnel. There's still hope.*



 



*I immersed in IPA 99% just about everything I coould.*





*I prepared the PCB for cleaning.*



 

 

 

I *"fixed"* the problem that was hurting my eyes. Intially I wanted to use BISON EPOXY METAL to rebuild the missing piece from the ferrite choke but in the end I used grey POXIPOL as it is easier to file. Also the POXIPOL is rated for max 120C vs the BISON EPOXY METAL which is rated up to 100C. I knew that the fan would blow over the area and the ferrite choke would not reach high temps but I felt more comfortable to use something rated for a higher temperature.



 



*I straightened all the bent heat pipes and I fixed with transparent POXIPOL some fins that were rattling.* From factory they have been fixed with something similar.



 



*I cleaned the PCB to perfection.* IPA 99% in ridiculous quantities.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I washed with hot water and dish soap all of the plastics. Again it took a lot of elbow grease to remove all of the residues that were present.* 

*The fans were also caked in brown stuff ...* GREAT! More work.



 



*Fallen soldiers.*





*There was still hope that I would be able to get rid of all this vaping byproduct.*





i didn't want to dismantle the fans as they worked great and I had to make an exception from the rule. I cleaned them *through the keyhole.

The results were beyond my expectations.*



 

 

 



*I keep on talking about the heatsink but where are the pictures? I saved the best for last!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



All the fins were checked so they won't rattle. All of the fins that have been moved during cleaning were fixed using fine tweezers and each small hook that attaches them to each other has been brought to the required position. At the end *I pat myself on the shoulder for a job well done.* 

*I must underline that those minor scratches present on the base of the cooler have been there from the start. I'm not responsible for them. 

Clean as a whistle.*



 



Some *Arctic MX-4 2019* lovin'. Good for at least 8 years from now. The quantity of TIM used initially was huge. I used an amount that I deemed it was adequate for the task.





*Smiling to the camera.*





*DONE!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*DONE! & DONE!*





*I absolutely love this brick! My BRICK!*

I decided to give this card an entire episode as it took a lot of work to restore. Also, let's be honest, this card is anything but regular.

I wanted to have such a card, which I consider to be collectible, as during the testing fase of the *HEAVY COPPER* episode, I came to the obvious conclusion that I don't have a more capable PCI-E single GPU. My dual GPU ASUS ATI 3870x2 is too hungry and I don't have a PSU higher than 370W. In the future I plan to address this shortcoming with something that is at least 1200W. We'll see ...

I can report that I got rid of *95%* of the smell that the card had initially. The chemicals present in the vape smoke have penetrated the plastics and the smell still can be faintly felt on the cooling fans. All in all I am not bothered by the smell as it is way bellow the minimum threshold.

VAPING is bad for health but I guess you already knew that ... Because I didn't want to start smoking just to escape from cleaning this card, I had put in some work to get it up to my stringent standards. If I will ever buy something that comes from a smoking environment this aspect will weigh heavily in my buying decision.

But didn't I forget something? AaaaaaAAaA the DVI port that had some cosmetic issued worked well I just had to straighten some pins with a fine needle. *I won't lose any sleep over this.

THIS GPU IS HERE TO STAY!* aka I GOT PUNK'D with this beauty so who's complainin'?  Mariah Carey - Fantasy

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1mdkl35ck/

*More later.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!*


----------



## phill (Dec 24, 2019)

@Robert B


----------



## Robert B (Dec 31, 2019)

Noisestorm - Barracuda [Monstercat Release] 

*TODAY! HEAVY COPPER* ... *if there is such a thing* ... 

*Good Ol' P35 & X48!*





*More later.*


----------



## freeagent (Dec 31, 2019)

Theres a lot of badassery going on it this thread


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 31, 2019)

freeagent said:


> Theres a lot of badassery going on it this thread


Yes there is..


----------



## Robert B (Dec 31, 2019)

Muzzy - Children of Hell 

*HEAVY COPPER*

After two prequels, the time to handle something *"heavy"* has arrived. Why heavy? Let's read on and find out! 

Before we start I must say that I absolutely love Gigabyte motherboards with the blue PCB and the golden heat pipes. Call me strange I don't care! If I stare enough at them I start getting all the wrong thoughts if you know what I mean. 

Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? ... Probably just me ... *Probably* ... 

As you have noticed, lately I started presenting newer parts but this should not be a reason for concern as I'm still on the lookout for old and very old stuff. I say newer parts in the broad sense of the word as this stuff is way over the ten years old mark . Many of us, which grew up with them, might feel as if they handled them yesterday but we should not fool ourselves as TIME FLIES and it is unforgiving. 

Because back in the day I had a nice *Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R* with a *E8400* C0, the motherboards from that era are close to my heart. 

A few months ago I started thinking about *DQ*s and *X*s and *P*s ... P35, X38, P45, X48, DQ6, DS5, DS4, etc ... so something had to be done! 

I was on the lookout for a Gigabyte motherboard but I wouldn't've turned down other offers if the price would've been right. To my surprise I soon came to the rather obvious conclusion that high end motherboards still sell for quite a lot of money and some are even growing in price. My thought of buying them cheap wasn't a realistic one. Too late to the party, I guess ... 

*Time passed...*

On a Saturday, in November this year, *I was at the local flea market*, and what did I find? A *Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 Rev: 2.1!* motherboard! Ueheheheh, how did you end up here? Poor thing! Hmmm a bend here, a dent there, a scratch here, a Texas Instruments chip absolutely clubbed to death, what the F..K?  The color of the heat pipes told me that this motherboard wasn't used too much or it might've been taken out from its box and dumped in a pile with various other bits.  Such a shame ... 

I looked at the pins from the CPU socket and I saw that they were in a reasonable state. The damaged ones could be easily put back into the original position.

Surprisingly I decided not to buy it as I deemed it too far gone, so I put it back from where I took it and I left.

As I didn't find anything else that day, my thoughts went back to that Gigabyte motherboard ...  elementary ... so I returned to the seller.

I looked again at the motherboard and I almost started cursing. More pins from the CPU socket have been bent. In just 20 minutes this motherboard registered more hits under its belt.

*HOW MUCH IS IT? 6 EUROS as it is very heavy. I can take this much at the scrappers! Nope! 5!*

For just 5 EUROS I had yet another project on my hands... Robert B (TM)!

*Let's see the "marvel".*





From high up it looks rather well but let's delve deeper.



 

 

 

 



The Texas Instruments chip responsible for the *IEEE 1394* connectivity took one for the country and it ended up with a missing pin and many other bent.

After I checked the spec sheet for the *Texas Instruments TSB43AB23* I arrived at the conclusion that the torn pin was NC so it wasn't needed.



			http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tsb43ab23.pdf
		


I started straightening the bent pins with a fine needle. The results were promising.



 



While I battled with the bent pins I overlooked the mighty scratch on the PCB. A sharp object has cut a few traces. After an analysis I came to the conclusion that I can use *jumper wires* but I didn't do this as I still don't have the required tools as the traces are very fine. I want to do this right so for the time being I left the matter untouched. This is not a deal breaker for me as in almost 25 years I only used a FireWire device once and I don't have anything else that would require something like this.





I straightened the bent pins from the CPU socket and I was ready to see if the motherboard was still alive. 





Did it work? Well ... *my gut feeling* ... was right! It usually is by the way.



 

 

 



During testing I saw that the top end heat pipe, the one that was quite damaged, didn't make good contact with the chips so I cut the testing time short and I went straight to the restoration part.

*Some lovin'. Fine tweezers. Various other tools. Patience. Hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap. An air compressor soon after the wash. Awesome final results.*



 

 

 



I bought a *E8400 E0* CPU that was just about right for this motherboard.



 



Intial state. Some dirt and grime. Scratches. Hits. You name it. Against all the odds nothing vital was harmed and this motherboard is here to stay for another 20 years! *ULTRA DURABLE BABY!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*I arranged again the pins from the CPU socket. This time I was quite thorough. Only one pin still isn't perfect but I let you find out which one.* 



 

 

 

 

*I installed a P4 s775 CPU as protection during cleaning and I was ready to do my job.*





*I've seen worse. Child's play!*



 



*Nothing was left to chance.*





On another Saturday, I found two *Corsair DDR2 800MHz XM2* kits at the same flea market and I started to feel that I have something really nice in my hands. P35+Corsair XMS2=LOVE!



 



*As usual, to wash the board I used IPA 99% in ridiculous quantities. *



 



*Two washes later I was still not satisfied with the results. Some leftover dirt and grime gave me the middle finger. White streaks were still present on the PCB so I said to myself that there's only one thing left to do: hot water and dish soap, followed by a a quick air compressor session, more IPA 99% washes, other air compressor sessions, then fine detailing. *

Some time later I got what I wanted.





*Uuuhhhhhhhhhhhh it is sooooooo SHINY!*



 

 

 



*I had to massage the slightly bent heat pipe that didn't make good contact with the chips from the top part of the motherboard and I was ready to take the final shots of the board..* MX-4 paste was used over the NB chip and I was ready to rock and roll!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*This board is a survivor.*





Why *HEAVY COPPER*. How I came up with such a title?

When I took this motherboard in my hands for the first time I thought that much of the weight came from the cooling system and boy was I surprised that when I removed it, it was feather-light . *Elementary my dear Robert! Elementary! HEAVY COPPER is LIGHT! Who would've thought ... food for thought I said to myself.* 

Regardless, I must say that just by looking at this motherboard there's only one thing that would come up into your mind and this is HEAVY. The joining of the word HEAVY with the word COPPER was rather obvious so this is how the name of this episode was born.

Hold your horses! I'm not done yet! There's still time for something HEAVY. *Here comes part. 2! *

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/11zz7rpxs

*Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 REV: 1.1

High end glory!*

Some of you might think that the DDR3 (GA-X48T-DQ6) is better than this motherboard but I don't think this way. *This is a high-end motherboard. Period. * It has all the bells and whistles and it is quite something to look at.

After I got my P35 I still wanted a X48 and it had to also be from GIGABYTE. *Nothing else would cut it!*

Obviously I wanted a *DQ6*.

The seller of the motherboard gave me all the details and it even sent the board with someone for fear that it might be damaged if he would've sent it by courier. The one that delivered it to me didn't want to take anything for its effort. *GG!

P35 and in the opposite corner the X48. Two awesome boards from two different places. One kicked in the teeth the other pampered from birth. Opposing city states in all their glory.

Looking good! HEAVY COPPER! Look at the thickness of that slab of copper!*



 

 

 

 

 



Before I restored the motherboard I tested to see if it was in good working condition. All crews reporting!



 

 

 

 

I conducted a thorough examination of the motherboard and besides some dust I only found one problem. The heat pipes weren't shiny enough. 



 



*I removed the cooling system.* This was a breeze. Thermal pads all around.



 



Ready to be great again!



 

 

 



Thermal pads.



 

 



While I cleaned the motherboard I had the same troubles like the P35 motherboard so I knew what I had to do.

Hot water. Fairy Lemon. Air compressor. IPA 99%. Air compressor. Fine detailing.



 



*To rejuvenate the heat pipes I decided to address only the areas that were dull and leave the other parts that had the required shine coefficient, alone. *

I patiently polished, the copper tubes and other bits. Afterwards I washed them with hot water and dish soap . Then a quick dry with my trusty air compressor.

The dirty thermal pads were gently cleaned with a cotton stick and IPA 99%.

*Shiny!*



 

 



*When I removed the cooling system from the motherboard I was quite shocked to see that it is quite heavy. While the P35 cooling was feather light the X48 was something else entirely. Who would've thought that LIGHT COPPER is actually HEAVY? or Not all heat pipes are created equally!*

Elementary my dear Robert! Elementary! LIGHT COPPER is HEAVY! Who would've thought ... food for thought I said to myself.

*Almost there.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Final results!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Awesome piece of HW!*





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1q8euvk7k/

Now I can cross something else from my list of must have parts. The only downside is that the list is getting longer and longer. Damn it!

This was the *HEAVY COPPER* story and in the end we arrived at the conclusion that *COPPER* is *LIGHT* or *HEAVY * depending of the situation or the "angle" from which we "look". Elementary ... indeed!

*HAPPY NEW YEAR!

More later. *


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 31, 2019)

Hope this doesn't offend, but most of the readers on TPU can't read the majority of this post.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 31, 2019)

Fixed! My bad! This has never happened before.  I posted the wrong version.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 31, 2019)

Robert B said:


> Fixed! My bad! This has never happened before.  I posted the wrong version.


No worries. Nice work!
Happy New Year!


----------



## biffzinker (Dec 31, 2019)

Nice job @Robert B for resuscitating that Gigabyte P35 board.


----------



## phill (Dec 31, 2019)

Such love for this thread!!   @Robert B, you've outdone yourself again!!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 1, 2020)

Space Laces - Dungeons and Dragons 

*NEXT EPISODE:* The *FX 5900 Ult..* ahem *FX 5900* ahem ... I mean ... F..K IT! *QUADRO FX 3000!*





*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 1, 2020)

Robert B said:


> *NEXT EPISODE:* The *FX 5900 Ult..* ahem *FX 5900* ahem ... I mean ... F..K IT! *QUADRO FX 3000!*


That was funny!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 10, 2020)

Poldoore - This Road (feat. Sleepy Wonder) 


The *FX 5900 Ult..* ahem *FX 5900* ahem ... I mean ... F..K IT! *QUADRO FX 3000!*


I wanted a Geforce *FX 5800* but I couldn't find one. A Geforce *FX 5800 Ultra* smiled at me but my wallet said HECK NO! I wanted a Geforce *FX 5900* but I couldn't find one. So I looked for a *Geforce FX 5900 Ultra* but I couldn't find one. So ... I wanted nothing for a long time. 

In *December 2019* I was at the flea market. The weather was nice, sun, a lot of people, many sellers. Even so it seemed that I'll go home empty handed. Someone snatched from me two Corsair DDR2 kits because I didn't buy them when I held them in my hands. *My plan to first see what is available and then buy has backfired ...*

I walked absent minded and I was a little pissed ... "the crisis" came to our little flea market too ... 

When I was about to call it a day, I saw something green with a beefy cooler and that was quite long. *The heck is this? *

The label said the following: *Quadro FX 3000!*

The heck is this *3000*? A quick Internet search has revealed that actually is an *nVIDIA Geforce FX 5900* in disguise. NICE! Being fed up with FX 5200, 5500, 5600 or 5700 stuff, this card was something else.

By looks, the Quadro FX 3000 is very much alike the *FX 5900 Ultra*. After I checked the specs I came to the conclusion that this card is and it isn't an ULTRA. A regular *FX 5900* has a GPU(NV35) frequency of 400 MHz and 128MB at 425MHz / 850MHz effective. A *FX 5900 Ultra* has a GPU(NV35) running at 450MHz and 256MB at 425MHz / 850MHz effective. A *Quadro FX 3000* has a GPU(NV35) frequency of 400MHz and 256MB at 425Mhz / 800MHz Effective. So this is how the name of this episode came to be  ...

I checked out the card and I saw that one of the DVI ports was damaged.

The seller assaulted me with questions and in the end threw out a price: around 10 EUR.

I said that it is too much and I really don't like that messed up DVI port.

The seller was swift to demonstrate that the DVI port was ok, so he took a DVI cable from the table and plugged it into the damaged DVI port. He also said the card came from a server and that it is 100% working.

I spoke at length with the seller and I said that I'm willing to pay 4 EUR as this is the usual price here at the flea market but in the end I didn't even pay that as I backed off and I decided to think about for a little more.

*Bad move ... what was to think about I really don't know ... *. 

I checked out the rest of the market and as I was preparing to leave I walked again past the table of the seller of the FX 3000.

My thoughts remained with that long card ...

What do I see? The guy that probably snatched those two Corsair DDR2 kits, was holding the Quadro FX 3000 in his hand. ^$@#^*&#$&*^!#$!%$!*!!!!!  I also snatched some stuff from him over the time so in a way we are even. 

The seller took the same cable in his hands and showed him that it goes in easily ... 

I was looking from the distance and I saw that the cable did not enter easily.

*%^#&^@&^%#$!!!!*

Not even this time the seller was able to sell the card. 

By this time I was quite furious that right before my eyes the card took yet another hit bellow its belt and I went straight to him and I handed him the 4 EUR. I bought it without even looking at the DVI ports.

Don't you want to buy the cable? *THANKS BUT NO THANKS!!! *

Bad move after bad move on my behalf, I had yet another project on my hands.

Let's see the star of this episode.

*SUN 900-50171-1800-000 Quadro 256MB Dual DVI AGP/ 370-6803-02 SUN MICROSYSTEMS FX3000 QUADRO 256MB DUAL DVI AGP* 



 

 



Not even taking into account the abuse from the seller, this card didn't have an easy life. Look at *the wool* stuck in the cooling fan.

Now let's look at the messed up DVI ports. The damaged area is the one responsible with the analogue signal.





Before everything I wanted to sort out the DVI ports. I had to use a tiny bit of white plastic to replace what was missing. This piece was a little thicker but I didn't find anything better no matter how much I searched. Even so, it took some fiddling to get it in place using super glue. I had to be very careful with the super glue. Too much could spell disaster. I really wanted to glue the missing piece as maybe the neighbouring pins could make contact in some instances. I knew that the probability was quite low but I did it anyway. 

After about *30 minutes* I got what I wanted.



 



I made some tests with various DVI cables and VGA adapters. *The DVI Port #1*, the one with the glued plastic piece, was only tested with DVI cables. *The DVI Port #2*, which was in better shape was tested with all the types of cables.

All was ok. The glue job held. The pins that were arranged with a fine needle stayed in place.

The DVI ports can be replaced but I'm not sure that I can find someone to do a factory level job so I discarded this option.

Some time after I sorted out the DVI ports I briefly tested the card to see if it is alive.

*I cleaned the fan.*



 

 



I plugged the FX 3000 in my PIII 800MHz with *AGP 2x 3.3V* not before cheking out that it can run at *3.3V* and I powered it up for the first time.

http://www.playtool.com/pages/agpcompat/newagp.html

All was okay and the image was crystal clear.

I didn't run more tests as I was planing to get out a *AGP 8x* test bed and determine exactly the state of the card.



 

 



I knew that the card was alive so I did what *I do best*.

I removed the heatsink from the video memory. I really liked the construction of the card. You can almost taste that workstation quality all over the place.

The screws that hold the heatsinks from the video memory were a little stuck and I was stressed that I might strip the threads. *All was ok though.* Also I manged to save the paper thin and extremely soft thermal pads which are the fiberglass reinforced kind. The one that starts falling apart just by looking at them. I dodged a bullet. I really didn't want to buy replacements.





When I wanted to remove the heatsink from the GPU I was confronted with a somewhat new situation. The cable from the fan was held in place on a neighbouring capacitor through the use of some sort of hot glue. It took some work to free it using a fine needle. There was no other way to do it. No capacitors were harmed during this process.  YAY!

Next came the removal of *the GPU heatsink*. This was quite well fixed and it didn't budge at all. I removed the fan and I tried to clean it with it in place. This wasn't easy and I didn't like the end results so I decided to remove it no matter what. Said and done. After a few minutes of thinking I came up with the perfect solution. I put the card with the face down and I flooded the contact area of the heatsink with the GPU with IPA 99% using a syringe. Then I placed the card with the face down on a heater for a few minutes. Afterwards I just gently twisted the heatsink back and forth until *it was free*.





To remove the leftover *TIM* I used small quantities of acetone and a cotton stick. You don't want that stuff all over the PCB.





Eversince I bought the card, the black ring present on the silver shroud of the cooler was hurting my eyes. The dirt that was stuck in the cooling fan rubbed against it over the time. Some polishing paste and a cotton stick later *made all the difference.*



 

 

 



Cleaning the heatsink from the GPU took some work. The black deposits inside were a pain to remove. In the end the dirt was *no match* for hot water, Fairy and a determined guy like me. The leftover TIM was removed with acetone.



 

 



I protected the thermal pads from contamination .





I dismantled the fan for future cleaning. The fan was also quite dirty and covered by black stuff that got into all the nooks and crannies.



 

 



I cleaned the heatsink from the video memory. The thermal pads were gently cleaned with cotton sticks dipped in IPA 99%. Scratched fins were covered with glossy black paint. The final results were up to my specs so *I was very pleased* with them.



 

 

 

 



I cleaned the PCB. 



 

 

 

 



The screws that hold the heatsinks from the video memory were cleaned with polishing paste and a rag so that I won't have problems later. I must say that when I cleaned the heatsinks from the video memory I also cleaned the holes where the screws go in, with cotton sticks and polishing paste. Afterwards the holes have been cleaned with cotton sticks and IPA 99%. 



 



All the small bits were cleaned.





I cleaned the fan and I greased it with a thin vaseline and a tiny amount of thin oil. 



 



In the end it all came together quite nicely don't you think?



 

 



The GPU was cleaned one last time with acetone and cotton sticks. I was on the straight home and I felt it. I looked at the card and I liked what I saw.





*ALL DONE!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



For testing I decided to use my *Asrock AM2NF3-VSTA* motherboard. For some time I wanted to see if my AMD Phenom II X4 *960T* Black Edition works even if it isn't on the list of supported CPUs. Even with the BIOS updated to the final version and no matter what BIOS settings I used, I wasn't able to make the 960T run at more that *800MHz* so I had to use my crappy Sempron 3000+. Even to this day I don't have a faster CPU for this motherboard. Oh well, this is no biggie I said to myself.

*The DVI port #1* worked well. I knew this from before.





*The DVI port #2* didn't work no matter what DVI cable I used. I started thinking that maybe it is dead but inspection after inspection of the PCB and various pins and chips have led me believe that the explanation lays in other place.

As you know by now I never quit until I find and answer or I run out of options. I looked on the Internet at a few pictures with FX 5900 Ultra cards and I saw that they have a VGA port and a DVI port. I looked at my FX 3000 and I saw that there are two Silicon Image chips present that might service each port. I said to myself that my sneaking suspicion, that the second port might be just a VGA port disguised as a DVI port, might be true. So, I used a VGA-DVI cable and an DVI-VGA adaptor. Sure enough the DVI port #2 put out a clear image on the first try. I don't know if this is normal but I'm not complaining.



 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Smile in the sun! My FX 5900 Ult.. / FX 590. / QUADRO FX 3000!*





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2r0f24rv4/

For some time I wanted to mod this card into a FX 5900 ULTRA but I decided not to do it even if I can as I deemed that I would not get more from this. It only takes some *hardmods* and a BIOS rewrite. This card is a Quadro and that's it. During testing it was pretty cool and I liked the sound of the fan even if it was on the loud side. *You could feel those frames churning away.*  I'm sure that it can run at more than 400MHz so my Quadro-ULTRA is firing on all its cyclinders.

Being a Quadro, it means that it has a few extra settings in the drivers. There is also the option for a *softmod* using RivaTuner. All in all I wasn't going to mod this card. *A Quadro from birth a Quadro 'till death.* Over the time I used it I didn't encounter any problems with the drivers and it ran like any other video card. 

Phill says it better here.  Quadro FX to GeForce mod - And is it even worth it?   Overpriced GeForce FX 5800 Ultra vs $15 Quadro FX 2000 - Revisiting the Quadro to GeForce Mod 

*Didn't I forget something?* Aaaaa, the cable of the cooling fan that was held with hot glue was fixed on the same capacitor using transparent POXIPOL. *No loose ends here!

More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 14, 2020)

The Trashmen - Surfin Bird - Bird is the Word 

cough, cough, ahem, ahem, ... *surfin' bird finds a way!* 





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Feb 14, 2020)

Bob Sinclar - Cinderella (She Said Her Name)  

She said her name was ... Cinder ... *Gainward 7900 GTX*!

I don't know how to say this but *I'm addicted* to the trips I take to the flea market. Talking to people, meeting friends, losing some parts to competition right in front of my eyes, finding diamonds in the rough, getting pushed around by an angry seller (yep that has happened to me) but not responding to insults, haggling to a certain extent, giving some money to an old gipsy that needed to buy a cup of hot wine because it was very cold, giving some money to an old lady that was selling some stuff she had around the house and many other situations like these. *Life is colorful!* However, from the buyer's perspective, the grass is a tad greener than from the seller's perspective, just sayin' ... as the buyer isn't the one standing in the market trying to make a buck ...

I must underline the fact that no matter the state or the age of the components I find at the flea market, in regard to their functionality I'm an *absolute optimist/idealist*. I strongly believe by default that all of them are still alive an kicking and just by a twist of fate they ended up in the *"dumpster"*. Most of the time this is a healthy perspective but as they say: all that glitters is not gold or is it?

On a Sunday morning in January 2020 I was at the flea market even if the day before I did the same exact thing. Something made me get out of the house quite early and drive there.

Once I arrived at the flea market I did my usual routine and I walked the same path I take every time. A careful planned route that allows me to go through the market in one go. I was in very good spirits even if I didn't find anything ... *it looks like I won't spend any money today! I said to myself ... YAY!*

A few meters later though, I found something huge that was placed on a dirty bed sheet.

*GAINWARD 7900GTX PCI-E 512MB TV-OUT 2DVI *** NE/79GTX+T352-P348-non GS *



 

 



It was a reference nVIDIA 7900 GTX which only had a few GAINWARD stickers. I would've wanted *a red PCB* and *a funky* cooling system but even so, this card is anything but mundane. Well built, heavy, *something that doesn't pop up to often at the flea market*.

Obviously that I bought it but not before negociating a reduction of the asking price by *50%*. If you don't haggle, the seller will remember you and the price will be bigger next time. I dislike this tactic but *when in Rome* ...

The fever that takes control of me when I find nice things at the flea market, took over and had incapacitated me. so I wasn't able to judge correctly. *I know this feeling well but I still get caught off guard.* Even if I checked the card very carefully two times, I completely missed details that were pretty obvious once I got back to my car and I looked at it "objectively". Three ceramic capacitors were MIA. One in particular was a tougher nut to crack but I knew I had a solution for it. To make matters worse, while I was still deciding, I saw that the PCB was bent but I bought the card regardless and I took it home with me.  

Gainward my *kryptonite* ... I absolutely love Gainward cards, there is no secret ... 

What was already a project, has turned into something bigger ... 

When I dismantled the card I saw that a piece of the aluminium heatsink fell off, sign that the card took one for the country. This is not good I said to myself. Even so, I soldiered on and I was fully committed to restore it. There was no going back.



 

 

 



The shiny PCB, the fan that was barely dusty, the plastic shroud still in good shape, the almost new DVI ports, have reinforced my belief that the card was still alive so I didn't do a preliminary test. 99% of the time I don't test the cards before I restore them even if I am aware that this is not exactly "healthy". *I might have a few screws loose but who cares.* One of these days I really should tighten them but in the mean time ... 



 

 

 



*The missing ceramic capacitors.* Usual problem with stuff bought from the flea market.



 

 



The naked PCB.



 



*Hammer time!* I used a piece of soft wood, two strips of cardboard that held the bracket between them and a hammer. After a couple of well placed blows I managed to obtain very good results. Getting this perfect requires specialized tools and a little more metal work experience. So, this was as good as it was going to get. 



 



I fixed the broken piece from the heatsink with *superglue*. Afterwards I reinforced the area with *Bison Expoxy Metal.*



 

 



Soon came the moment to tackle the ceramic capacitor at the position *C700.* The pad was missing completely so my options were limited.

In the end I decided to clean of lacquer a tiny trace that used to make contact with the missing pad.

With an *exacto knife* I carefully cleaned an area that I deemed it was big enough for the solder to stick. 



 



I cut a tiny piece of *solder wick* that had some solder added to it.



 



I glued the piece on the PCB with a tiny amount of superglue then I soldered the ceramic capacitor. At that time I thought that I solved the problem. *Little did I know...* 



 



I soldered the other missing *ceramic capacitors*.



 



*Something was still nagging me though.* The tiny piece of solder wick that I used as a pad replacement didn't inspire confidence. There was no way for me to tell if it really made contact with the trace that had been cleaned of lacquer.

I decided to heat the opposite side of the ceramic capacitor and see if it would move. Right away, the ceramic capacitor had moved, a clear indication that the solder wick didn't make contact with the PCB. *My hunch was right.* When I added more solder to the solder wick piece, that piece had sucked more solder and it had separated from the PCB. *Elementary ... 

My solution to the missing pad wasn't the right one. *

As a last resort I decided to try and solder the ceramic capacitor directly hoping that somehow I might be able to add enough solder and get a good contact with the cleaned trace.

I was successful right on the first try. *It doesn't get any better than this. * As a precaution I fixed the ceramic capacitor with a tiny amount of transparent POXIPOL.



 



*I polished the bracket.*



 



*I cleaned the fan.*



 

 



*I cleaned the heatsink.* A fin that was rattling was fixed with a discrete amount of transparent POXIPOL.



 

 

 



*The PCB* was cleaned until it was like a mirror. *Damn this is an evil green PCB!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



While I dismantled the card I saw that I had to deal with those awesome white thin and fragile fiberglass reinforced thermal pads  ... $@&&$@*))!(&*#!()!$&!%!^&^!!!!! The good stuff !!!

As the thermal pads on the VRM section couldn't be saved I had to replace them with custom ones made from soft blue Arctic Cooling thermal pad. 



 

 



I wanted to place an order for more Arctic Cooling thermal pads as replacements for the ones on the video memory chips but *something stopped me from doing this.*

The thought that the card might be dead came into my mind quite vividly so, I decided to test it right away.

I reused the original thermal pads and I reconstructed them with bits from the pads that were on the VRM section. *Not an ideal solution but it was the right one for that moment.*





*I assembled the cooling system*. Damn this is a beefy cooler. I LIKE IT!



 

 

 

 



*Bits and pieces ...*



 

 

 



When I got to the end and I held the card in my hands I saw that all of my effort had been for nothing.

*With what should I begin?* I mentioned earlier that I knew that the card had a bent PCB but when I put everything back and I saw that the VRM heatsink almost made contact with the cooling fins of the main heatsink I knew that something was terribly wrong.

To make matters worse I also saw the there was a huge gap between the heatsink and the memory chips. *Damn son* ... you should've checked the card better ...



 

 

 

 



That broken off piece from the heatsink should've made me think. Warped PCB? Warped heatsink? In the end it doesn't matter.

*I quickly put together a test bed and I anxiously pressed the power button.*

Tense moments passed. *Yep ... she ded ...*



 

 



*My GAINWARD eBorce 7900 GTX IS NOT firing on all its cylinders.* Busted memory chip. RIP.

 Angelo Badalamenti Twin Peaks Theme  





A show piece and nothing more.

*Relatively speaking*, being pissed off, not for the work put in but for the fact that the card was dead, when I was about to post this story and I did a final check of the pictures, I saw that from the PCB *a tiny resistor* was also missing. So, I decided to address this new problem and see what's what.





I had around some *Grizzly Minus Pad 8 1.0 mm* thermal pads that I used on the video memory chips. The added thickness and the higher durity of the Grizzly pads have allowed me to reduce the warp of the PCB. That was my intention from the get go.

I must underline that after I mounted the thicker pads I also checked to see if the heatsink still made good *contact* with the die of the GPU. The results were great and I was able to *assemble the card for the last time.

As expected,* the added work *didn't bring anything new*. For sure one or more memory chips are damaged. 

A reflow might cure it but for the mean time, the card, now completely restored, will sit in a box, just as a reminder of times gone by and will not be put to work no more.

As the PCB is warped, the explanation is quite obvious. Bent PCB - Damaged solder ball(s) - *That's all she wrote.*



 

 



What hurts me the most, is the fact that a card that had very little signs of use suffered a stupid death. It was dumped in a pile with a bunch of stuff and that was it. *THE END!*

Better luck next time.   DBMM - Starscream feat. Lostcause (Original Mix) 





This was just another learning experience for me as I was faced with new problems that needed new solutions. The upside is that now I am better prepared to take on future patients that hopefully won't be dead on arrival.  

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1g1kw0xq8/ *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/1uhg8at9c/

*More later.*


----------



## Kissamies (Feb 14, 2020)

I remember how that cooler was praised, IMO one of the best reference coolers ever made.


----------



## Schmuckley (Feb 15, 2020)

I had a Voodoo card in like ..1998.

It was needed to play "You no mess with Lo Wang".

My comp was an AST 5x86 and I "upgraded" the CPU to 133Mhz Cyrix.
The sink was necessary. Burned my finger firing it up without the sink.

No Ceramique2 in them days.


----------



## Kissamies (Feb 15, 2020)

Schmuckley said:


> I had a Voodoo card in like ..1998.
> 
> It was needed to play "You no mess with Lo Wang".
> 
> ...


I hate that I was so stupid that I sold my Voodoo2 12MB for like 20EUR several years ago.


----------



## Schmuckley (Feb 15, 2020)

I threw away a ..what's that company that went out of business with the lifetime guarantee? 9800GT
A hot air reflow would have fixed that. I baked it 2x..lol!
BFG! That's the name of the company.

BFG for life! 

Or until they disappear.


----------



## Schmuckley (Feb 15, 2020)




----------



## Schmuckley (Feb 15, 2020)

I sense Mr. Scott is nearby.

He's just about the epitome of vintage hardware. Much respect to Mr. Scott.

Even though I've gone head-to-head with his Bori friend teammate many a time.

Oh yeah! I've been benching ..talkin' 'bout.."I'm a get that Puerto-Rican this time, he's going down! He's got go!"



Did not always beat him, either. The bar has been set high. You better come strong!


----------



## Schmuckley (Feb 15, 2020)

Is this the guy that bought those those 2 mobos from me?

I had a couple p45 DQ6s, one of the most heavy-duty boards ever made.

The engineering is a spectacle to behold!


----------



## Schmuckley (Feb 15, 2020)

You into pin-straightening? Have I got something for you! 

I never managed to bend a 775 pin, they're pretty tough. 

Later platforms, probably have a few around here. OC Formula comes to mind.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 15, 2020)

Parachute Youth - Can't Get Better Than This 

*NEXT EPISODE:* *Another Dragon joins the herd!*





*More later.*


----------



## Mr.Scott (Feb 15, 2020)

Schmuckley said:


> I sense Mr. Scott is nearby.
> 
> He's just about the epitome of vintage hardware. Much respect to Mr. Scott.
> 
> ...


Long time no see Schmuckles. 
You retired or what?


----------



## Robert B (Feb 15, 2020)

Schmuckley said:


> I had a Voodoo card in like ..1998.
> 
> It was needed to play "You no mess with Lo Wang".
> 
> ...



I never owned a 3dfx card when they were available. I was a "filthy" peasant back then. No high end PCs for me until 2011. Even my daily driver is kind of "collectible" now. ASUS MAXIMUS IV Extreme-Z and a 2600K @ 4.4GHz. My MSI 580 GTX Lightning is sitting in its box and a 1070 GTX is still doing nicely @ FHD. I never ever thought that my 2600K will hold so many years.

Shaddow Warrior and his corny humor! I only had the shareware version and I didn't get to play it. 



Schmuckley said:


> I threw away a ..what's that company that went out of business with the lifetime guarantee? 9800GT
> A hot air reflow would have fixed that. I baked it 2x..lol!
> BFG! That's the name of the company.
> 
> ...



Yeah Good Ol' BFG -  Never had one but I liked reading about them.



Schmuckley said:


> Is this the guy that bought those those 2 mobos from me?
> 
> I had a couple p45 DQ6s, one of the most heavy-duty boards ever made.
> 
> The engineering is a spectacle to behold!



I absolutely love the Gigabyte P35, X38, P45, X48 and X58 high end motherboards. They speak my language: "You no mess wit me!" 



Schmuckley said:


> You into pin-straightening? Have I got something for you!
> 
> I never managed to bend a 775 pin, they're pretty tough.
> 
> Later platforms, probably have a few around here. OC Formula comes to mind.



Pin straightening is serious business and I find it pretty relaxing.  One tiny slip and you might bend other pins. I remember the first time when I had to hold my hand with the other so high was the tension. I couldn't approach the socket with my fine twezeers that's how my hand shook.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 21, 2020)

Scorpions - Always Somewhere

*3dfx! Gainward DRAGON 4000! VOODOO! BANSHEEE!!!* - _half cocked ..._

I wasn't planning to post this episode so soon, *but truth be told* I don't have anything else prepared at the moment, so ... , *this is it folks!* 

While I was editing the pictures for this episode I suddenly became aware of a fact that was *blatantly obvious* by the way ... It's been a while since I was over the moon about a *3dfx* card ... 5 years since all this "madness" has started is quite a lot. *Getting OLDER SUX BIG TIME!* *There's still fire inside me* but the thing I miss the most is *TIME*! My ally and my enemy! *TIME IS EVERYTHING!*

I'm still free of many chains still waiting to hold me but that doesn't mean that I don't feel them against my skin ...

I still get sucked into my work and *4 hours later* I wonder at how fast time has gone by even if *I ENJOY EVERY GOD DAMN SECOND OF IT!* For me it is a form a travelling into the past and also into the future.

Time is unforgiving ...

*A few moons ago* I was at my "eternal" hunting ground, the good ol' flea market.

What did I see on a dirty bed sheet? *An unmistakable heatsink!*  Send me an angel - Scorpions

The NLX format and the green heatsink have caught my eye! *Gainward Dragon 4000 3dfx  Voodoo Banshee!* ICUVGA-GW816D

The crude writing "WOODOO BANSHEE 16MB", made all easier for me even if I didn't appreciate the slight error made with a fine point marker.

*A WOODOO is still a 3dfx no matter what!*

I paid a trivial sum of money and the card was trapped into my hungry hands. MINE ALL MINE JUST MINE!!! After months and months this 3dfx card was like a rain from above that fell onto the thirsty savannah. There is nothing like finding a 3dfx a card that has "a value" that only you know  ... a value which by the way is relative, monetary or otherwise ... but a 3dfx is still a 3dfx ... they don't make them anymore ...

*Don't you want the other cards?* ATI RAGE IIC and a card that I don't remember anymore ... unfortunately no, thank you very much ... jus this WOODOO card ...





Looking sorry for itself but I knew I had a gem in front of me ... come my sweet and rest, your ordeals are over, fear no more, I'll treat you right ...

*Battle scars* all over the place ... and a missing bracket ...



 

 



Taking into consideration the dirt and the rust present on the card I had no restraint in washing the card with plenty of water and Fairy Lemon dish soap. Then came a few rounds of IPA 99%, cotton sticks and polishing paste ... I think you know the drill by now ... all of the restoring procedures were done in a *gentle* manner.

At the end of the restoring procedures I took out of a box my other GWD 4000 but why did a  *SiS card* enjoy such a select crowd?

You see, the only bracket that would fit the WOODOO card was the one present on the *SiS 6326.* With a tight heart I removed the bracket and I put it on the 3dfx card but not before I promised, the SiS card that on the first occasion I get I will return *the all important bracket.*



 



*Shining like diamond in the goat's a$$!* I didn't replace the "damaged" capacitor as I wanted to preserve the "character" of the card. I must underline that I didn't test the card before I cleaned it. I just feel when a card is alive or dead or should I say I just want and think they are all alive and kicking and I just postpone the moment of truth ... well, words are just words ...

I didn't have anything suitable to cover the scratched traces on the back. Even so I still felt I had a winner in my hand ... *How?* I just felt it ...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Two is a crowd* ... or is it? Well, I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves ...   Guns N' Roses - November Rain



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Looking at my first GWD 4000 I wondered why I didn't remove that ALS 1999 sticker. Now I know why I left in place. A testimony of times gone by, *20 years of it* ...

And here we are at the end of this short story. Was the *WOODOO* still alive? For sure the *TY-140* with its awesome cooling powah was to be blamed ... 



 

 



Why call this episode _half cocked?_ Because it is in a way somewhat unfinished.

I searched locally for for some green solder mask to cover those exposed traces on the back but I didn't find anything. The online searches have returned only some green markers so I put this "problem" on the back burner for now.

When I'll find what I need I'll revisit this moment.

Cya next time with "meatier" episodes.   Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1ypf9823k/

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Feb 23, 2020)

Róisín Murphy - Overpowered 

*Episodes in progress:*

1. *Biscuits*



 



2. *NV30* in the house!



 



3. *Leadtek* WinFast A350XT





4. *A slot* motherboard in distress!






5. Good Ol' Socket A with a *nForce* engine 






_The posting order might change over time._ 

*More later.*


----------



## steen (Feb 23, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Scorpions - Always Somewhere



Lovedrive. Brilliant album cover.



> 3dfx! Gainward DRAGON 4000! VOODOO! BANSHEEE!!!



Update the BIOS to 1.00.10SD (SDRAM board). It fixes numerous issues. The damaged poly cap is bus I/O & might be an issue if it was a dead short electrolytic.

Thanks for the memories. Again.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 24, 2020)

Thanks for the advice. The first chance I get I'll update the BIOS and I'll order some caps.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Feb 24, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Thanks for the advice. The first chance I get I'll update the BIOS and I'll order some caps.


That'll be a fun thing to see!


----------



## Robert B (Feb 24, 2020)

I also already have two major recap projects to do. We are talking about two motherboards. A sk A that I bought two years ago and a K7 Pro. Both are considered dead now but maybe I will be able to resurrect them. We'll see. 

As always I'll post everything here.


----------



## phill (Feb 26, 2020)

How have I missed these updates??!!  Amazing as always @Robert B !!


----------



## steen (Feb 28, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Thanks for the advice. The first chance I get I'll update the BIOS and I'll order some caps.


No probs. Run the TSR BIOS in DOS to test. Reboot before flashing.

Memories of my ancient (~20yrs) bansheedrivers.geocities.com site mirrored at www.oocities.org/bansheedrivers. No need to use the Wayback Machine if I get nostalgic...


----------



## Robert B (Mar 29, 2020)

Pryda ~ Loving You (Original Mix) 

*Leadtek WinFast A350XT TDH - GeForce FX 5900XT - 128 MB* Rev D1

*Finally I get to post something after a long time!* 

I managed to finish almost all of the ongoing projects that have been started a couple of months ago or so. 

I have only one card left to restore but this one is something special that requires more attention and effort so I left it last.

Starting this year, the good stuff has been quite scarce at *the flea market* but I was still able to get my hands on some nice pieces. *"My guardian angel"* aka my main retro HW supplier, took care of me and he also "sent me" a few heavy parts so that I won't go into *withdrawal.* All in all expect at least *7* episodes over the following weeks!

*Let's get on with the show!*

Where was I? Aaaa Good Ol' *LEADTEK!*

I loved Leadtek cards. Together with Gainward they were at the top of my preferences. I used to day dream reading about high end cards featured in reviews. Too expensive, was the word of the day...

My first Leadtek card was a *6600GT AGP* but I didn't get the satisfaction that I expected. The cooling fan was absolute crap and it seized a couple of times even if I took care of it by keeping it clean and oiled. In the end it died in a session of Test Drive Unlimited after I sold it to my cousins. For sure, the fan seized again and it overheated.  Bye bye solder balls ...

Even so, I still love Leadtek cards and I buy them every time I get the chance.

I found the card featured in this episode at the local flea market. 

It looked mint and I was quick to snatch it. *MINE!*



 



Because the card looked very well, before I was to restore it, I decided to see if she's still alive and kicking. I just cleaned the cooling fan a bit and I removed the dust from the card. I plugged into my test rig and I pressed the POWER button.

*All was OK!*



 

 

 

 

 



Satisfied with the results of the tests I started the *restoration* procedures.

*Initial state*.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Some time later.* The metal parts didn't need polishing and they were just washed with water and Fairy Lemon dish soap then they were dried using an air compressor. The results have surpassed my expectations.



 



Ever since I got the card, I saw that the heatsink was very well held by *a pink silicone thermal pad*. In the past, when I was faced with something like this, I heated up the heatsink and by gently twisting it I was able to remove it without damage. The leftover traces of thermal pad were cleaned using a tiny amount of acetone and some IPA 99%. In this instance I decided to keep it simple and I left the heatsink in place as the card didn't go above 53C during testing. 

The adherent grime on the back of the card wasn't fazed by *IPA 99% * so I also washed the card with *hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap*, then I dried it using an air compressor.

Next, followed more *IPA 99%* washes until I got the results I wanted.

Even if the heatsink remained on the board that doesn't mean that I didn't pay attention to detail. A few fins from the heatsink were out of their position and they were quickly put back in line.





*Results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



During testing one fact became quite obvious. *The ball bearing* from the cooling fan was way past its prime. The rumble was present albeit it wasn't too loud.

That meant one thing. *Tear *it up and pack it up with fresh grease. Even if I was able to remove the dust cover with minimal damage, when I had to put it back, because I wasn't able to remove the ball bearing from the fan casing, it deformed a little. I left it like that but I checked to see that it didn't rub against the bearing balls. I had try two types of grease until I was able to make the ball bearing silent. After I packed the ball bearing with fresh grease I assembled the fan and I let it run for a couple of minutes. Then I took the fan apart again and I removed the excess grease.

When I was done with the cooling fan, I spun it into my hand and I was still able to feel the "wear" of the ball bearing but with fresh grease I prolonged its life. 

*Why all this effort?* There is no replacement for the original. I could've mounted another cooler but the card would've lost its identity.

The fact that the card is not only clean but also silent is for me a big plus. 



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Perfect!*





*Final results!*



 

 

 

 

 



In a sea of FX 5200, FX 5500 and some times FX 5600 or FX 5700 cards, FX 5800 or FX 5900 cards represent something out of the ordinary.

If you find one buy it in a blink of an eye. They don't pop up very often.

I miss the old Leadtek but I also know that things can't be like in the past so I embrace the future with an open heart. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/T6D3n68

*More later.*


----------



## Lorec (Mar 29, 2020)

Great post! 
...gosh, the things You find


----------



## Splinterdog (Mar 29, 2020)

Wow, such careful attention to detail is very impressive and so rewarding.
I have a Leadtek WinFast A400 6800GT, but the 3D output no longer works, yet it was an amazingly well built card in its day.


----------



## Robert B (Mar 29, 2020)

When I saw the 5900XT my eyes popped out! Come to DADDY! 

More awesome pieces wait for their story to be told!

If you liked the post wait until I finish this! 

It will be taken apart entirely, heatsink, thermal glue, the works! This puppy can't be restored with the heatsink in place. I also need new thermal pads as the old ones are done. Also I must address the issues of the good ol' coil noise which in this instance is the worst I've had with old HW.  I have a battle plan ready but I don't know if I will get the results I hope. We'll see. I plan to inject with a syringe some electronics laquer into those noisy coils ... or I might try something else ...

I'll post details galore have no worries.


----------



## Kissamies (Mar 29, 2020)

I'm still so damn jealous about those FX cards dammit!


----------



## Robert B (Mar 30, 2020)

Don't worry Chloe Price, I'm sure you will find ca couple of them some time into the future.  It took me a while to get the FX 5900XT and the FX 5800 but they literally came out of nowhere. 

In other turn of events, sneak peek of the next episode. 

Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies

*A bleeding chipset???!!!* This can't be good ...





*More later.*


----------



## phill (Mar 30, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Don't worry Chloe Price, I'm sure you will find ca couple of them some time into the future.  It took me a while to get the FX 5900XT and the FX 5800 but they literally came out of nowhere.
> 
> In other turn of events, sneak peek of the next episode.
> 
> ...


Your the hardware God..  If anyone can fix it, clean it and make it look and run like new, it's you @Robert B   Total love and respect for this thread


----------



## Robert B (Apr 5, 2020)

Goddard - Drumble 

*A Slot A motherboard in DISTRESS!!!* MSI K7 PRO Ver:1 - MS-6195

This episode *had* all of the requirements to be a great one. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, you mustn't count your chickens before they hatch. 

My Good Ol' HW supplier has done it again and thanks to him I soon held in my hands this glorious Slot A motherboard. At that moment *I was thinking that I've scored again ...*

The motherboard arrived untested as the seller didn't have a suitable CPU to power it up. Before I decided to make it mine, from the pictures, I already spotted a few problems: *swollen capacitors* and the elephant in the room aka *the mismatched NB heatsink*. 

As *Slot A motherboards* rank high on my wish list, I wasn't put off by a few bad caps and a heatsink. So, said and done, it was mine with all her problems. There was no turning back. Besides, I was to pay for it after I tested it. All in all it was a good deal.

Upon arrival, I conducted a thorough inspection and I came to the conclusion that 13 caps will have to be replaced. All of them were branded *CHHSI*, an old acquaintance from the Bad Caps Era. As the bulk of these caps wasn't in vital areas, I decided that it was safe to test the motherboard as is. Another factor that contributed to this decision was that the other caps were from reputable brands: *SANYO, United Chemi-Con and PANASONIC.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Before I powered it up I wanted to see what's under the NB heatsink. As expected, underneath, *the thermal paste was hard and almost non-existent*. I addressed this matter and I soon put together a test system. I used a 650MHz CPU, some RAM, a video card, an Enermax 465W PSU and then I pressed the POWER button.



 

 

 



I expected a *happy BEEP* but all was * silent like the grave.* Hmmmmm ... 

*This can't be good ...*

I tried just a about everything I could but I wasn't able to make the board beep let alone POST. It powered up by itself as soon as it was connected at the mains. In search of a solution I read the manual many times but to no avail. NADA! ZILCH! NOTHING!

As a feature, the motherboard has a group of four leds called * D-LED* or *Diagnostic Led*._ "The mainboard provides a Special Diagnostic LED for users to be aware of their mainboard conditions. The LED helps user determine the problem of the mainboard."_ To the experienced users this feature isn't a must but in this instance it was useful.

No matter what I tried I got the same error: *3 GREEN and 1 RED leds!* aka *Early Chipset Initialization* aka *Boot Attempt*, straight on power up, without cycling through other color combinations.

*Stuck!*



 

 



I checked again the manual and the only thing I found was: *** aka *Check with local vendor for possible internal motherboard problem.* I wish that I didn't read that, I said to myself.

Hoping that something will change, I installed another CPU, a 500MHz Athlon. *RESISTANCE IF FUTILE!* Nothing happened.



 



I installed my cheap PCI debug card and I got an error message that reminded of the *Gigabyte GA-8TM* aka *THE FLOP*. Yeah ... I remember that one ... it was a doozy!

Good Ol' *control to int 19h boot loader* error message. I can't say that I am fond of this one.





I already felt that this board was a goner. Dead NB? Hmmm ... it can't be ... 

In spite of all of these facts I still clinged on my last hope of recovering this relic of times gone by. *Changing the swollen caps.*

The *CHHSI RB, HS and HK caps* were to be replaced with whatever I had available at that time, *Nichicon PW, Samxon GT and Aishi WH caps.* The Aishi Wh caps were a stop-gap solution and I planned to swap them later with something better. In the end, as three Nichicon PW 1000uf caps were too tall and they were near the AGP slot, I replaced them with three *Rubycon YXF* even if the latter were wider. 1cm vs 0.8cm.



 



Some time later I was ready to try again. Unfortunately even from the get go, I got the same error: *3 Green and 1 Red leds.* &^$#&^&*#!!!!!!

I tried to start the motherboard with and without a CPU, with and without RAM, with and without a graphic card, with and without a BIOS chip, with and without a CMOS battery, clear CMOS, BIOS update, many BIOS versions, another BIOS chip ... the works. *All was for nothing!* The CPU got warm, the NB chip got warm, the SB had a normal temperature, the jumpers were ok ... NO BEEP(s) and NO POST.

Because according to the error reported by the D-LED, the board was stuck at *Boot Attempt* I also installed a HDD, FDD and ODD. *Still no change!*

Because at power up the led of the FDD was on, I also put a BIOS image on a floppy disk and I tried again even if I updated the BIOS with my MiniPRO TL866A programmer.

You guessed it! *Nothing worked!*

I also removed another PLCC chip that had a sticker with *MSIG 1.0* on it. I was able to read the contents of the chip with my MiniPro TL866A but this brought nothing new. The file recovered was small and it contained just "0"s and "1"s. I powered up the board with and without this chip installed. *Nothing changed.*

I scoured the Internet in search of information regarding this MSIG 1.0 but I got nothing to help me. I wanted to edit the contents of this chip but because I didn't know its purpose I didn't do anything.

*GREAT!* &$#@(^*%^#!$#!!!!!



 



The road to greatness is paved with good challenges not to be mistaken for intentions or it was something along these lines ... &*($#&^*(#$#!!!  I WAS QUITE PISSED to say the least. This seemed an easy job. Get in. Get out. Take the prize and live to tell the tale ...

Well, it was fun while it lasted, so, I prepared the board for cleaning. Just a show piece, nothing more. RIP.

In spite of everything, while I cleaned the motherboard one thought kept creeping inside my mind. *What if the other caps are bad?* _(It seems that I didn't learn anything from the Gigabyte GA-8TM story. In that instance I changed almost all of the caps and all was for nothing too. That was my first experience with the int 19h ... )_





After I washed the K7 PRO and I dried it using my air compressor, I placed it for a few minutes under the sun to let some of the leftover alcohol that might be trapped under some chips, evaporate.

A few minutes later I checked the board.

*BEHOLD! THE SMOKING GUN! YEP dead NB!*



 



Even if I dried the board using an air compressor, some of the IPA 99% that got inside the NB chip, oozed out. I wiped the alcohol that came from that tiny crack, twice, a clear sign that this mobo don't work no more ...

Looking back, the NB missing it original heatsink should've given me food for thought. When I changed the TIM on the NB chip, that tiny "scratch" didn't alarm me as it looked to be on the surface. I knew that the board wasn't handled with silk gloves. Deep scratches on the CPU locking arms, on the PCI slots and a few superficial ones on the back. Bent pins from the Front Panel connector, etc.





*The SB chip* is in good shape ... but this doesn't matter ...





*Embalmed for posterity ...*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/w3wStzb

*More later.*


----------



## biffzinker (Apr 5, 2020)

After all that you tried might as well of swapped the northbridge chipset from a dead board. Would require a bit of expertise with BGA re-soldering though.


----------



## Robert B (Apr 5, 2020)

I thought of it but I will need to find a chip or a donor board. I might do this in the future. There's a shop in my home town and the prices aren't so high.


----------



## Robert B (Apr 6, 2020)

*Marcu Rares - Minute*

NEXT EPISODE: *Yep! Another Slot A motherboard!*

This is my 3rd K7M so this episode will be mainly just pictures as words are superfluous in this instance.  I've presented this mobo twice already. 

I just love ASUS boards with their presence and good quality caps. When I finish working on such boards I'm still awed by the results.

I got this one right before the flea markets got closed.  Lucky me and especially A VERY LUCKY MOTHERBOARD!

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Apr 10, 2020)

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby  _"... If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it ..."_ glass glass baby!

*ASUS K7M the 3rd!*

Ahh *K7M*, my love, ... I just love this board to bits! Being my third K7M you would expect that I might be tired of it but I'm happy to report that it is not the case. After all these years I'm still thirsty! Even if I would have 10 K7M motherboards this wouldn't change what I "feel" for them. Yeah I know I'm strange but I don't care! For me, the Irongate chipset screams Slot A goodness.

By a lucky turn of events, right around the time I was embalming the *MSI K7 PRO motherboard,* I found (_where else?_) at the local flea market, another Slot A motherboard: *ASUS K7M REV:1.04*.

I saw it from far away and I made a bee line for it! Initially I thought that it was a Slot 1 motherboard but when I got close I just couldn't believe my eyes. *YEAH BABY! A Slot A mobo! WICKED!!!* Would you look at that! AWESOME!

I quickly paid the asking price and IT WAS MINE!

Before I even checked to see what CPU was included in the kit I already started thinking of something in the *850+ MHz* range, but in the end I found out that I held in my hands a "meager" *600MHz CPU.* *I'm not complaining though.* A slot A combo is not something to sneeze at! 

This kit was the result of my last visit to the flea market on *14.03.2020.* I'm anxiously waiting for the moment when I will be able to regain "my bad habit" of going to the flea market on a a weekly basis. 

But I digress ... 

Kit Slot A. Flea market. Jackpot!


*Asus K7M Rev:1.04*
*AMD Athlon - AMD-K7600MTR51B A*

I first tackled *the restoration of the CPU*. I "cracked it" open. Custom thermal pads(Arctic) for the CACHE chips. Arctic MX-4. I enlarged a hole in the casing for an easy access in the future. NOS Neolec fan from a NOS s370 cooler. *The works!*_ (The entire procedure has already been presented many times in the past)_

*Check it out!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/gG1kx3G

After the MSI K7 PRO story the first thing I did when I got this kit was to fire it up and see what's what. To my joy, the combo was running like dream. I tested two CPUs at 650MHz and 600MHz. No problems to report! AWESOME!



 

 

 



*The motherboard* was extra dirty so I had no remorse when I washed it with lots of *hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap*. Several times. Then came many *IPA 99%* washes. It was dried many times with an air compressor. The NB heatsink wasn't removed as it is held with an adhesive thermal pad.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







*The initial results were very good but not up to my stringent standards.*



 

 

 

 



*More washing and drying.*



 



We all know that something awesome can't be obtained without some elbow grease so I put the work in and *a couple of hours later ...*





*...* I got what I was looking for. *Glass or nothing!*



 

 

 



*Final results.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*This is a a very lucky K7M. Straight from the dump and into my arms! Curious trajectory but I'm pretty sure that the board isn't complaining!* 



 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/cNtKSJx

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Apr 11, 2020)

Your level of detail @Robert B is definitely over 90,000!!    I love this thread....


----------



## Robert B (Apr 15, 2020)

Judas Priest - Electric Eye (Official Video) 

*NEXT EPISODE:* *BLUE WONDER from a G Dimension! *





*More later.*  ROCK ON!!!


----------



## Kissamies (Apr 15, 2020)

phill said:


> Your level of detail @Robert B is definitely over 90,000!!    I love this thread....


Exactly, every time I see new posts in this thread, I'm sure that Robert has some new stuff and lots of pictures.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Apr 15, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Judas Priest - Electric Eye (Official Video)
> 
> *NEXT EPISODE:* *BLUE WONDER from a G Dimension! *
> 
> ...


I know what that is. Haven't seen one in a while.


----------



## Kissamies (Apr 15, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> I know what that is. Haven't seen one in a while.


Ah, those VRM modules Gigabyte had back in the Athlon 64 days.


----------



## Robert B (Apr 15, 2020)

One thing I learned cleaning blue PCBs ...  you have to use water for sure ...


----------



## Robert B (Jun 5, 2020)

1992 -  Analysis - Climax

*BLUE WONDER from a G Dimension!*

Yeah! Good Ol' *GIGI!* *GG!* aka *Gigabyte.*

I must confess that back in the day I wasn't too interested in Gigabyte motherboards. I read about them but I only had eyes for *ASUS, MSI, EPOX* or *Abit*.

My first Gigabyte motherboard was a *GA-EP35-DS3R* destined for s775 CPUs. *I loved that board.* Together with a *E8400 CPU* overclocked at 3.6GHz and sometimes at 4+GHz, 4GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz RAM, an Enermax Modu 82+ 625W PSU and a *Gainward Bliss 9800 GTX 512MB graphic card,* I was taken to the farthest graphical horizons. 

However, since I started this trip into the past I came to see Gigabyte motherboards in a completely different way. Gigabyte IS one of the *Sacred Monsters* of motherboard manufacturing.

Some time in February 2020 I received a few pictures with a blue motherboard. As soon as I saw the first imagine my heart started pumping. *The F... IS THAT UFO!!?!??!*

She's a beauty!* I LIKE IT!!!*

HOW MUCH IS IT??? For you is XXX EUR/USD responded the seller. SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!!!

*Arigatou gozaimasu! Arigatou gozaimasu! Arigatou gozaimasu!*

What am I actually talking about? He He ... an awesome Socket A motherboard! And not your plain Jane!

I know that you want me tell you the model number but you will have to wait a little longer. 

The motherboard came as a kit together with a *Thermaltake Volcano 9 CPU cooler* and an *AMD Athlon XP 2600+ AXDA2600DKV3D CPU*, a thoroughbred through and through if I may say so. 

*Needless to say* that I waited for the arrival of the kit like it was Christmas Day. 

As soon as I received the goods I fired them up to see what's what.





_*(Drum roll)*_ The star of this episode is none other than the: *Gigabyte 7NNXP (nForce2 Ultra 400) REV:1.00!*

The *Tt Volcano 9 CPU cooler* is a beast and I like it a lot. *Chrome, Aluminium, Copper, Size and the Orange Fan*. However nothing prepared me for the sheer noise it makes at *FULL BLAST.* A VOLCANO not only for its cooling capacity but for its levels of dBs also. 





*dBs! dBs! dBs! Who's counting?!*

This cooler reminded me of my *Titan CU5TB* and the times when I slept with my PC running and downloading all kinds of anime series.  I used to wake up on a hourly basis and listen to the soft, silky smooth, soft sound of the CU5TB!!!  Good times! KT333+Athlon XP 1900+!!! FTW!!!

In 2010 when I stopped downloading anime stuff I burned around 1000 DVDs. About 1500 titles are archived for posterity. 

*But let's return to the star of this episode.

The blue wonder from the G dimension.*

7NNXP? Check! DPS? Check!

*DPS? The F... is a DPS?*

DPS=GIGABYTE unique Dual Power System (DPS) design.

*GC-DPVRM REV:1.0* - _"DPVRM (Dual Power Voltage Regulator Module) is a daughter card which can provide you the DPS (Dual Power System) function. A cool stylish neon blue DPVRM that supply a total 6-phase power circuit design, delivers a high durable power design for the new generation motherboard." _ Let's not forget the cool stylish neon blue FAN! CHECK!!! and DOUBLE/TRIPLE CHECK!!! RGB in its infancy when it didn't know what he wanted to be when he will grow up ...

In essence this DPS module is an add-on that supplies the CPU with 3 more VRM phases on top of the 3 VRM phases that are already on the board. In practice this module is, as expected, just a marketing gimmick, but this aspect makes the motherboard all the more *collectible.* OVERKILL!!!

Some of you might not see *socket A* motherboards as something collectible but remember that this motherboard is already 17 years old, time is unforgiving and a few years down the road you might not find these jewels. *Who wants something like this must act now!*

I spoke a lot about this kit but where's the picture???





Someone _(who knew what he was doing)_ took care of this kit and has mounted a beefier fan on the NB. *40x40x25 vs 40x40x10 (mm).* For sure, the motherboard like many other of the same period (Abit NF7-S comes into my mind), came with a crappy NB fan that seized and it was replaced .Good call! You don't want that NB to get toasty!





Besides the beefier NB fan, this kit had another surprise in store for me.

How was a *Tt Volcano 9 CPU cooler* able to fit on this motherboard!?!?? EASY! *Shave a corner and you're golden!*





The workmanship isn't exactly *A+* but it gets the job done. *Props to the original owner whoever you might be!

7NNXP BABY!* FULL SPEED! HIGH END! yadda, yadda ... *nforce 2 ULTRA 400* etc. etc. ...





*GC-DPVRM REV:1.0!*





*REV:1.00!*





As there is a method to my madness, *as a great part of this thread can't be qualified as nothing but madness*, I gave attention to each part and I did what I do best. *RESTORING 101! ABOVE AND BEYOND!

Enter the Tt Volcano 9!*





*Eblow grease required.*



 



*Hot water. Patience. Attention to detail. Fairy Lemon. Various brushes. Polishing paste. Rags.*





*The elbow grease has paid off in the end.* Nothing comes without effort.



 



*Exit the Tt Volcano 9!* 

After some convincing work I got the results I was looking for.



 

 

 

 

 



Next came the main course, the moment when I tackled the mother ship *aka* the mother of all mothers *aka* *THE MOTHERBOARD!*





The original NB fan has been replaced with a *Sunon D1204PKS2* which is silent, Thank GOD! *Thumbs up!*





My previous experience with cleaning blue PCBs has paid off and I went straight to washing with *H2O*! Yep Good Ol' *H2O!*





... and *Fairy Lemon*, of course ... you can't have one without the other ...





*Bubble bath.*





*Drips.* IPA 99% drips as I must say that after two H2O and Fairy Lemon washes an IPA 99% wash was in order. I might be mad but there is a method to my madness.





Satisfactory *initial* results. For some of you these initial results might be enough but not for me. NO SIR! *MAXIMUM/ALL or NOTHING!* 1 or 0. Binary trouble. In general I don't expect maximum from someone but when something rests only on me I give it 100%!



 

 



After I put the motherboard through the initial cleaning procedures I turned my attention toward the DPS module - *GC-DPVRM REV:1.0*

I looked at it and I came to the logical conclusion that a hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap wash is in order. Next came an IPA 99% wash just so that you rest easy knowing that I didn't F..K up something. 





I didn't remove the heatsink as it was held by a thin pink adhesive thermalpad. *Better safe than sorry.*





*Basking in the SUN!*





*The cool blue led fan isn't looking so cool in the snow.*





*Gimme love! Gimme HEAT!*





DPS module DONE! Some marks will be forever engraved into the PCB lacquer. Unfortunately the running hours can't be turned back. Each breath of fresh air is also a step toward the void ...



 



*MY BIGGEST FAN!* _(Pun intended)_





*Final results* of the DPS module.





After I cleaned the DPS module I tackled the NB fan. Nothing was left to chance.



 

 



I wish I had an Athlon XP 3200+ to put on this puppy and I felt some remorse thinking that a few months ago I said no to a boxed one ... choices choices ...

I wanted to mount an Athlon XP *2800+* AXDA2800DKV4D  CPU but in the end I decided to use the Athlon *2600+* that came with the motherboard.





After many hours spent on the small bits and pieces came the moment for the main course. THE MOTHERBOARD!





This stage is where all the *MAGIC* is happening.

*IPA 99%. Brushes. Cotton sticks. Endless passion.*





After hours and hours of being a man over board I returned to reality and I was ready to *face the world.* 

I am hooked on the moments in which I forget about myself and I am focused only on the task at hand.

*Let's see what I got in exchange of my hard work.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I think that a pair of ice skates is in order for the next pictures. If you fancy a skating ring *NOW* is the moment! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Looking back*, I loved the time I spent with the wonder from the *G* dimension. GIGABYTE!

At the end of this episode I was left without words so I will leave the pictures speak for me.

Cya with more awesome episodes in a forum near you! 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/vm00YCY

*More later.*


----------



## Papahyooie (Jun 5, 2020)

I recently got hold of a Q6600 and one of the super nice intel boards. Not the most vintage thing in the world, but the exact machine I dreamed of but could never purchase back during my college years. I plan to spruce it up and build a nostalgia rig, and I can only hope it brings me as much excitement and enthusiasm as your finds do for you lol. Always enjoy reading your posts. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## phill (Jun 6, 2020)

Another post in this amazing thread, thank you @Robert B !!  I can't wait for the next one!!

Those boxed XP3200's or anything of that era, man aren't they not cheap!!     I'd love to track down a boxed Abit NF7-S Rev 2, as I'd had one previously I'd love a boxed one...  Out of all the hardware I have that's one of the ones I wished I never got rid of as I bought it new at the time...  Oh those wonderful days of the XP2500M or was it XP-M2500....  I forget which.....

Hexus review on the XP-M 2500+


----------



## Robert B (Jun 6, 2020)

@phill - My Abit NF7-S Rev 2 is at my cousin full box and all. I'm just waiting for him to call me and give it back to me. I guess it won't be long until I'll get my hands on it.  I sold him that PC back in 2007 and it is still in use today for some old programs at his firm.

I had three different socket A systems. Duron 1200MHz+SiS 735, AXP 1900+ / KT333, AXP 2800+ / Abit NF7-S Rev 2. I loved those times.

The next episode I think is going to be with an awesome *Geforce FX 5800 128MB*. 

For the FX 5800 I made around 460 pics but I didn't sort them yet. The card had some surprises in store for me. You'll see.


----------



## phill (Jun 6, 2020)

Beautiful  

Do you have the Epox socket A board as well @Robert B ??  They always said that was a better board but I was never sure.....


----------



## Robert B (Jun 6, 2020)

I have just a EP-8RDA3i. Not quite high end but it has some issues. I'll post a mini episode with it soon. Good ol' C1 error ...

nforce 2 ultra 400 boards are an instant buy for me now.


----------



## phill (Jun 6, 2020)

I think I only ever had two makes of socket A boards.....  Abit and DFI...  That's all I remember having!    Wish I'd kept both of them really....


----------



## Robert B (Jun 21, 2020)

Analysis - Climax 


*FX!* fx? YEAH DUDE!!! ... is it a 3dfx? HECK NO!


Good Ol' *NV30*. After the FX 3000 foreplay, a *Geforce FX 5800* was obviously in order. As *The FX 5800 Ultra cards* sell for *stupid money* and I am at least 15 years late to the party, the odds of me finding a NV30 weren't all that great. I looked at pictures on the Internet and said to myself: I MUST GET ME ONE OF THOSE! Someday ... Someday ...

Well what do you know, *someday*, came in *January 2020*.  Be careful what you wish for ... I wish for a V5 6K ... that ain't gonna happen anytime soon. 

But I digress. *Mr. X* aka my best retro HW supplier of the land, came through and found a *Mercury NVIDIA GeForce FX 5800 AGP 8X Graphic Card *** KOB N5800 *** KOB N5800TE-128MB *** GF FX5800 128MB DDR2 DVI TV .* http://www.mercury-pc.com/product/324

The card was looking great and it also had the original drivers CD. *JACKPOT!*

I received the pictures and even if it was obvious that I wanted the card, I beat around the bush a little until I made my decision.

The seller was patient and in the end the card landed into my hands.

*Check it out.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



Yep. *A true and true NV30 and it's MINE!*

Ever since I got the first pictures, I noticed that the push pins from the heatsink looked a little strange and they seemed covered in something that looked like *hot glue*.

At that time I thought that this was an *anti-tampering/warranty measure* from the vendor of the card and I was sure that I could remove "the offending stuff".

The first thing that I did when I received the card, was to remove the *shroud* of the heatsink and clean the wool that was inside. If in the case of the FX 3000 I had to deal with a lot of dirt, the case of the FX 5800 was child's play.



 

 



After I felt comfortable with the state of the card and after I also conducted a thorough inspection of the card, even if it had been tested by Mr. X, I finally powered up the monster.

*Lights! Camera! Action!*



 

 

 

 



*Alive and still going STRONG!* I briefly tested the card in a PC with a PIII 800MHz CPU and AGP 2x motherboard just to check its vital statistics.

Psssstt. I have to tell you something and I'll have to whisper as I don't want the card to hear what I am about to tell you.

I think that *deep inside* this card would've wanted to be an *ULTRA* and howl like the legendary *Dustbuster* because it has a massive *coil noise*. 

In idle it makes Reeeeeeeeeeee. In load it is the same story. *REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!* I isolated the source of the noise as best as I could and I think that the culprits are the SMD Power Inductors that are present in the power supply area. The noise isn't like capacitor squeal. Also on the board we have many solid Panasonic SVP caps that I think that are still okay.

The cooler on the FX 5800 looks similar to that of the FX 3000 and I was expecting the same sound timbre. Wishful thinking! I quickly found out that is was just a presumption. *Full throttle dBs galore.*

By the looks of it *I got my DUSTBUSTER ALRIGHT!* 

All of the problems listed above didn't deter me as they just made me like the card a lot more. There was no time to waste so I got to work.

My mind was racing in search of solutions to each and one of the problems it had and I was sure that I will be able to solve them all.

*My gut was telling me that all will be alright in the end.*

The first task was that of removing all of the non factory *stickers*. The sticker on the back was the kind that tears in small pieces and it was very stubborn to remove. After many minutes, using a small hair dryer, cotton sticks, IPA 99% and other tools I was finally able to get rid of all of them . 



 



After the card was sticker free, I gazed at it and I didn't like the looks of the *aluminium shroud* from the heatsink so I used *a microfiber cloth and some polishing paste.*



 

 



The initial results were great but I decided to aim higher and I started thinking of going with *a brushed aluminium texture*. This is for later though.

Soon came the moment when I had to solve the *hot glue problem*.





To make matters worse, on the back of the card, in the area of the VGA/DVI connectors, *disgusting* brown deposit was present. The heck is that!?





*One problem at a time* hot glue first, the rest later.

*The hot glue was very stubborn* so I placed the card on a radiator/heater for a few minutes. I used some spacers to protect the card.





With the method presented above I was able to remove most of the hot glue. The leftovers were "softened" using very carefully a hair dryer and then eliminated with a bamboo stick that wasn't too sharp.





Little did I know that the hot glue held a nasty surprise. Under it I was greeted by a *substance that was very hard and almost impossible to remove* without damaging something.

I looked closely and I intuited what it was but I wasn't 100% sure.



 



After the initial test on the *AGP 2x motherboard* I took out of storage an *AGP 8x platform* and *I put the graphic card through the wringer.*



 

 

 

 



*FX 5800 @ 100%! Great!*

From the pictures above you can plainly see that the aluminium shroud isn't looking so great and as I decided to go above and beyond, it was obvious that I had to take care of this "shortcoming".

As we have to walk first before we run, I first had to remove the cooler from the card.

I tried very hard to remove the central pin from the old generation push-pins but to no avail.



 

 



*Super glue my dear readers.* Someone fixed the push pins with super glue and added the hot glue in top. *What the actual F..K?*

After tens of minutes in which I tried to gently remove the push pins, I took *a pair of needle nose pliers* and I twisted them off until they broke.





*Finally free.*



 



I was relived when I was able to see the whole *PCB*.





My enthusiasm was short lived though when I looked at *the super glue disaster.*



 

 

 



*Good push pin. Bad push pin.* There was no way for me to remove the central pin and even if I would've been able to do it, the push pins were also held strong by the super glue.





The card had more surprises in store for me though. 

The push pins business should've given me some clues that I wasn't the first to remove the heatsink but nothing prepared me for the deep scratches on the heat spreader of the graphic chip. *Hello Mr. whoever you have been, have you heard about acetone?* Obviously not. In most cases, the heatsink of the FX cards is held with a soft pink thermal pad that has a toffee like consistency and is easily removed with cotton sticks and IPA 99%. It takes time and patience but as we like in the speed of sound era there is no time to waste. SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH!



 



Not even *the heatsink* escaped without scars. I rest my case ...





I looked again at the aluminiun shroud and it looked okay. One thing was still nagging me though. I knew that I wanted MORE!





I removed the leftovers from the push pin massacre.



 



To clean the fixing holes I used *a torx bit* with the correct dimensions. I gently rotated the bit and I removed much of the super glue.



 

 



*The results* were very good and I finally had something that resembled a fixing hole.



 



I tried to clean some super glue with a blunt bamboo stick but it was like pissing against the wind. I also tried some acetone and a cotton stick but the super glue gave me the middle finger.





The brown deposit on the back of the card, that was present in the VGA/DVI was swiftly removed by IPA 99%. YAY!





During all of the work my mind still searched for a solution for the *coil noise problem* and a path soon opened up in front of me. I was ready to follow it and see what I'll get in the end.





The moment when I gave the aluminium shroud my maximum attention soon came.

To protect the Geforce FX sticker when I was about to polish the aluminiun I decided to use some paper tape. *Bad ideea!*





I made a test to see if the paper tape would damage the sticker and I just pressed on an area and then I removed the paper tape. The sticker is glossy and I thought that I had nothing to worry about. Bad move. I lost from view one aspect. The sticker is also paper based so when I removed the paper tape I also damaged the sticker. 





*Damaged sticker! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Well, this kind of sucks* ... I'll polish you without protection and I'll fringe your ends. It is what it is! Brushed aluminium here I COME!



 

 



More polishing was required but I was on the right track. 

*I cleaned the PCB with IPA 99%.*



 

 

 



*The bracket was cleaned of rust and I polished it manually.*



 

 

 



*Replacement push-pins and clean bits and pieces.*





*I cleaned the heatsink.*



 



I didn't want to remove *the fan* because the wire is held with hot glue from factory. The wire sits very close to the PCB and if I removed it I would've had some difficulties to put it back as it was. If I didn't put the wire correctly in place the heatsink might've made bad contact with the graphic chip. The distance between the wire, the heatsink and the PCB is extremely small. Better safe than sorry.

In the end, to clean the fan I had to remove the fixing screws and I was able to reach all the areas that needed to be cleaned.

I didn't had to tear up the cooling fan as it is still running great and the ball bearing is still young. *Go figure*. 



 



*Looking great!*



 

 



*And now for the final results!* _(Drum roll)_



 

 

 

 



I wanted *the brushed aluminium texture* to be with a perfect parallel lines pattern but the sticker kept me from achieving perfection. 

The final results were great though and I didn't had to insist.

*More cleaning and drying.*



 



*Ready to embark on the assembly line.*





*Some glamour shots.*



 

 

 

 



*The PCB looked the part but the super glue areas weren't looking so hot ...* A solution to this problem came into my mind but first I had to tackle the coil noise.





I took an old laptop motherboard and *I tore an SMD Power Inductor* to see what makes it tick. 





Initially, "to solve" the coil noise problem I tried to use some *RTV silicone* but the results were kind of messy. As during the hardening process some of the compounds from the RTV silicone can damage the PCB I gave up on the idea of using it.



 



In the end I used a lacquer called *Plastik 70*. I used this stuff to coat the ferrite coils on my *Enermax Modu 87+ 900W PSU* and I got rid of the noise they made. 





*The whole plan was to inject this lacquer with a syringe inside the SMD Power Inductors.* I conducted some tests *using IPA 99%* to see if I can inject liquid inside the cavity of the SMD Power Inductors. All was ok and inside the big SMD Power Inducors I was able to inject more than *0.1 ml* of IPA 99%.

*My plan looked like a winner* so I decided to devise a procedure for the entire injecting operation.



 



As the *Plastik 70 lacquer* at my disposal was in a spray canister I had find a way to get it into a container and fill a syringe with it. I placed on the ground a piece of cardboard, I held my distance from the area that was to be sprayed, I used gloves and safety glasses and I kept pressing the nozzle until I couldn't stand the smell.



 



*The syringe was full.* The gun was loaded.

Before I was to tackle the main course I decided to do more tests. I knew from the past that this lacquer can easily be removed with IPA 99% so I tested this again. _(The Plastik 70 spec sheet states acetone as a removal agent. I use acetone on PCBs only in desperate situations and this wasn't such a case. In the past I covered with this lacquer, some scratches on the back of a card and I let it dry for 24h. The second day I washed the card with IPA 99% and I was amazed that the lacquer had been removed completely)._



 

 



All was okay and I was ready for *the main event.

With maximum attention, holding the card with the face down, I injected the lacquer in all the SMD Power Inductors regardless of size and the position in which they were placed.*





*I took great precautions not to get the lacquer on the neighbouring components.*

I injected the lacquer in stages, little by little, into each SMD Power Inductor. During the injection process I held the card with the face down and I waited between each injection for the lacquer to harden while the card was still face down on a level surface.

The hot weather accelerated the hardening of the lacquer.

All in all this process was nerve raking and my pulse was high the entire time.

I registered some *spillage* but it was fixed with IPA 99%.

*Final results*. Did the coil noise diminish? Only time will tell.



 

 



*Not a trace. Looking good!*





While I worked with the lacquer, the idea of using it to tidy up a little the super glue damage, came into my mind. The super glue stuff was there to stay and I had to do something about it.

*Said and done.*

First on the operating table were *the fixing holes*. They looked like $hit.

*I cut the ends of a cotton stick* and I plugged the fixing holes to prevent the infiltration of the lacquer.



 

 

 



The results were way beyond my expectations. *WIN!*



 

 



*The cover up* with lacquer of the areas damaged with super glue is an imperfect solution but I'm happy with it. The alternatives are few and they pose some risk. Scraping off using a blade could've ended messy.





*Soon my dear you will be complete*. Just wait a little longer ...



 

 

 

 

 



I had to place and order for *0.5 mm Arctic thermal pads* ACTPD00004A / ACTPD00012A as the old ones couldn't be saved.



 



I took care to cut the thermal pads *to the correct size* as I don't like them hanging on the sides. I also made *some economy*.



 

 



*Looking good!*



 

 



I absolutely love the final stages of the restoration process when I put back all *"the brightwork"*. I already knew how it would look in the end.



 

 

 



*Always check your work!* I think that I did a good job as after I placed the thermal pads I was left with *16* pieces of wrap. *Don't you think?* 





*Arctic MX-4* thermal paste FTW! I love this stuff.





*My latest and greatest restoration job was completed!*





Looking back at the problems that I had to face I can safely say that I got the maximum possible from what I had. The only thing that I am not proud of, is the damaged *sticker*. Well, you can't win them all that's what I say in my late years. 

I'm talking about *the final results* but where are the rest of the pictures?



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Done and Done!*





*Didn't I forget something?* That *Plastik 70* lacquer stuff, coil noise, yadda yadda?

*AAAAaaaaa you're right.*

After I was done with the card I put it in a box and I forgot about it. A few days later I powered it up again.

I got something in the end after all this effort ?



 

 

 

 

*In idle* the coil noise was reduced by 5-10%. It depends of the situation.

*In load* I got the greatest reduction of the coil noise. Up to 70% lower. This might seem counter intuitive because the increased voltage supplied to the card in full load usually translates into less coil noise but this was not the case as the card made the same nasty noise in load and idle. So I think that the lacquer did its job. After the lacquer job I wanted to have the card always in full load as I couldn't stand it in idle. 

*You should consider the lacquer job as an experiment.* It is not a general solution. In my case it worked, to some extent. What it is certain, is the fact that a 70% reduction of an already annoying sound, coupled with a noise that rivals the Dustbuster design, don't make this card a silent one. NO SIR! This puppy is loud, and the cooler has nothing in common with the one present on my FX 3000 even is they look alike. If the FX 3000 has for me a pleasant whooosh, the FX 5800 howls my brother. *Reeeeeeeee!*

After all the work put in I had other reasons for joy. This card is considered to be quite hot but in my case I was pleasantly surprised. The DDR 2 memory chips get quite hot but the NV30 chip never got above *47C* no matter what I did with it . The tests were conducted with an open case but for a card that is considered hot this is something worth noting.



 

 

 



The end of this story was getting close so I took out from storage a few FX cards and I did some group pictures. FX 3000, FX 1000 (dead), FX 5700 and the mighty FX 5800.



 

 

 

 



After I took the shots above I found two more FX cards. The *Leadtek FX 5900 XT* that has already received its episode and a *MSI FX 5900* which needs restoring. The state of the last one it is still unknown. I soldered two missing ceramic caps but I didn't power it up. Most certainly I will restore the beast and then I'll test it.

I got my FX 5800 and you can bet that they will get rarer than hen's' teeth in the coming years.

*Cya later with more awesome stories*. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/wBMbgzN


----------



## droopyRO (Jun 21, 2020)

> heatsink and clean the wool that was inside


I think someone used that cooler to trim a cat.


----------



## phill (Jun 21, 2020)

I love this thread...  @Robert B the amount of time and love you give these cards and the hardware is nothing short of amazing!!  May you long get that V5 6k you wish for!!  I know they can be a little pricey which is crazy for what they have power wise, but that doesn't matter!!   

Massive massive respect for you and your work sir!!


----------



## Robert B (Jun 22, 2020)

Thanks @phill 

Well, I've been sitting on this bombshell for some months. I bought it in January, did some work on it, I left it sitting in a box for two months and I finished it in April. Two months later it was the right time to post it.  I had other ongoing projects and my free time was very limited otherwise I would've knocked it out in less than a few days.

The pics were sorted a few days ago and just on Saturday I got to write down the story. 

The next episode will feature some ... *BISCUITS!*


----------



## Recon-UK (Jun 22, 2020)

Awesome stuff Robert, cool thread!


----------



## Recon-UK (Jun 22, 2020)

Your 7800... just snipping it in here...










I want to kiss it.... I know i need my head checking, still kissing it...


----------



## Robert B (Jun 22, 2020)

I remember the monster.


----------



## phill (Jun 22, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Thanks @phill
> 
> Well, I've been sitting on this bombshell for some months. I bought it in January, did some work on it, I left it sitting in a box for two months and I finished it in April. Two months later it was the right time to post it.  I had other ongoing projects and my free time was very limited otherwise I would've knocked it out in less than a few days.
> 
> ...


It says chips in that first photo........


----------



## Recon-UK (Jun 22, 2020)

phill said:


> It says chips in that first photo........


Passing you the salt & V.


----------



## phill (Jun 22, 2020)

Recon-UK said:


> Passing you the salt & V.


I'm ok with just the salt mate ta!!


----------



## Robert B (Aug 12, 2020)

*Biscuits*

On *25.01.2020* I was, where else, at the flea market in my home town. A new year usually means new challenges and new parts that enter my collection. 

It was a sunny but very cold day. I remember the cold piercing through my clothes and biting my hands while I searched through a pile of miscellaneous components. 

As soon as I entered the flea market I saw a new seller that had a pile of stuff laid on a bed sheet. *MFM controllers*, *8bit ISA video cards*, *telecommunication components*, all kinds of *PCBs* in various states of decay.

All were *dirt cheap.*

When I'm faced with a huge pile of old parts my *"sanity instinct"* kicks in, I switch to a very rigorous selection mode and I pick only the stuff that I consider at that time to be a must have. So I decided to only buy three 8bit ISA video cards.

1. *Paradise Systems PVGA1A-JK* - WDC '89 62-003139-130 - WDC 1989 61-603235 - mnf *1990* week 30 FCC ID : DBM603235P - ISA 8 bit - http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/479-paradise-systems-pvga1a-jk
2. *ATI Graphics Solution Plus Rev. 1* - mnf *1987* week 40 - ISA 8 bit - P/N 168248 - http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/65-ati-cw16800-b-graphics-solution-plus
3. *Chips & Technologies P82C435 - P82A436* - ISA 8 bit - http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/176-chips-technologies-p82c435 



 

 



The only card that looked to have some problems was the *Chips & Technologies P82C435 - P82A436* which had a missing label on the BIOS chip. As this chip was an UV erasable EPROM I thought that it lost the information that was stored on it. Good luck finding a video BIOS for an ancient video card! As soon as I bought it I placed a piece of black tape over the exposed core. Some time after this I removed the BIOS chip, I placed it inside my MiniPro TL866A programmer and to my surprise I was able to recover a full BIOS image. The *SGS 88745S M27256-2FI* BIOS chip was very cooperative. Go figure. Outstanding!

After I bought these three video cards I was faced with a problem. Of the three cards, only the *Paradise Systems PVGA1A-JK* has a *VGA 15 pin DE-15* connector, the other two have a 9 pini DE-9 connector. I have no idea if the 9 pins DE-9 cards are EGA/CGA/MGA/VGA compatible?! To test them out I would need an converter/adapter or a suitable monitor. Regardless, these cards are for me just a curiosity from a time that I did not experience. For me it is an area marked on the map with: "*here be dragons*!".  These cards will remain untested but I can bet that they are still alive and kicking. *A tantalum cap here and there might blow up but that can be fixed if it happens*. 

http://www.nullmodem.com/DB-9.htm
http://www.nullmodem.com/HD-DB-15.htm

Some time after I bought these video cards I found my first ever *MFM HDD - NEC D3142* and I was a little sad that I didn't buy the MFM controllers. Well, I won't lose any sleep over this that's for sure.

The Chips & Technologies P82C435 - P82A436 card was missing *the metal shroud from the video connector* so my first task was to address this shortcoming. A damaged graphic card was selected as an organ donor and even if the part wasn't an exact replacement it was as good as it was going to get.



 

 

 

 

 



Let's greet the *new victims* that have entered my dungeon of torture cleaning and restoring! 

*Paradise Systems PVGA1A-JK*



 

 

 

 

*ATI Graphics Solution Plus Rev. 1*



 

 

 

 

*Chips & Technologies P82C435 - P82A436*



 

 

 

 

 

*Rust issues galore!*





*The brackets* were the first ones to go on the operating table.

I used a rust removal solution, needles, bamboo sticks, cotton sticks, polishing paste, a felt wheel and lots of patience. Even so, in the end I was left with some pitting and small imperfections but the good news was that I was able to recover all the brackets.



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Final results.*



 



*The fixing screws* that looked like hell weren't tossed away even if I had replacements. The original parts must be saved no matter what.

After an hour in the rust removal solution and some hand polishing they came out looking *mint*.



 

 

 



All of the *video card connectors* have been cleaned of rust and all kinds of blemishes. Like in the case of the brackets I was also left with some imperfections big or small but all in all I was pleased with the end results. 

*Inital results.* I repeated the restoring procedures two times until I came to the conclusion that these were the best results I could get with what I have available at this time.



 



I washed the video cards with *hot water and Fairy Lemon dish soap* and only in the final cleaning stage they were baptized with IPA 99%. After I saw the rust that covered them I had no remorse using water. Also my IPA 99% levels were extremely low and I wasn't able to buy more at a reasonable price.



 



*The results were proportional with the work put in.* Don't get fooled by the small size of the cards. I had to work harder than in the case of some bigger parts. All the scratched ICs have been carefully polished with polishing paste and cotton sticks. Each component was thoroughly cleaned. The whole nine yards. Some scars are still present on the back but they aren't something to take into consideration. I've seen a lot worse.

These relics from times gone by are looking awesome!

*Paradise Systems PVGA1A-JK*



 

 

 

 

 

 



*ATI Graphics Solution Plus Rev. 1*



 

 

 

 

 





*Chips & Technologies P82C435 - P82A436*



 

 

 

 

 



I waited anxiously for the moment when I was about to mount *the brackets*. I knew that after I'll attach them the cards would be transformed.

*Paradise Systems PVGA1A-JK*



 

 

 

 



*ATI Graphics Solution Plus Rev. 1*



 

 

 

 



*Chips & Technologies P82C435 - P82A436*



 

 

 



*Before*





*After*



 

 



*X-Ray pictures.*



 

 



*Saved from the crusher.*



 



*We've come a long way don't you think?* It's easy to forget from where you've come but it's also easy to know where you go. Forward. Whatever forward means. 

The oldest and the newest ATI card in my collection.

ATI Graphics Solution Plus Rev. 1 ('86/87) vs ATI 3870x2 ('08)





Why *BISCUITS?* Well, while I was working with these cards only one thing kept popping in my mind. BISCUITS! Their rectangular shape and small size have made me think only of biscuits.  Where's my cup of black tea and a big slice of lemon? Let's not forget some honey too! Nice!





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/0ST8v6R

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Aug 13, 2020)

Such love for this thread and what you do @Robert B for the hardware you buy..  Unreal sir


----------



## Splinterdog (Aug 13, 2020)

That's dedicated!
I highly recommend Jaffa Cakes by the way.


----------



## Robert B (Aug 13, 2020)

Thanks phill    and Splinterdog . I forgot about Jaffa Cakes. (_Goes to buy several packages _....  )

*More to come.*


----------



## phill (Aug 13, 2020)

More love for the thread and that NF7-S....  Oh that's always going to hold a special place for me


----------



## ShrimpBrime (Aug 14, 2020)

phill said:


> More love for the thread and that NF7-S....  Oh that's always going to hold a special place for me



I love this thread. Keeps me coming back to TPU


----------



## phill (Aug 15, 2020)

ShrimpBrime said:


> I love this thread. Keeps me coming back to TPU


I still have my NF7-S but I'd love to find a boxed model..  No real need to be honest, bit like trying to track down a few Voodoo cards and such. but just for the memories.....


----------



## ShrimpBrime (Aug 15, 2020)

phill said:


> I still have my NF7-S but I'd love to find a boxed model..  No real need to be honest, bit like trying to track down a few Voodoo cards and such. but just for the memories.....


I also have an Abit board thanks to a good friend of mine. Use it only for overclocking.
The box is in horrible shape though, but at least I have a working 462 board!

I wouldn't mind some VooDoo gear.


----------



## buzzi (Aug 30, 2020)

Robert B said:


> *Saved from the crusher.*



This is what makes you a hero.


----------



## Robert B (Aug 31, 2020)

Thanks buzzi !  I try to do my best when I can. 

Some flea market rescues have been put on the right track towards recovery. Untested for now.

*Double* the SPEED double the FUN? 

and

I repaired the ATI 9800 PRO. It still needs some memory heatsinks and I also must finish cleaning the cooling system.


----------



## buzzi (Sep 1, 2020)

Cool, what was the issue with the card?


----------



## Robert B (Sep 1, 2020)

*Standard treatment* at the flea market. Good thing that I found it soon. Even so, its state is unknwon. *Alive or dead?* We'll find together.  I was so close to powering it up but in the end common sense has prevailed and I decided to make it great again and see what's what later. One thing is certain: *I'm anxious to give it juice and find out*. From experience I know that ATI 9700/9800 aren't great survivors. They somehow die unexpectedly. I have very few ATI cards in my collection so I keep my fingers crossed for a positive outcome. This card will be a looker by the time I'm done with it.


----------



## phill (Sep 1, 2020)

Just reminds me of the Bon Jovi song, Dead or Alive!!  

Well if anyone can raise anything from the dead its you @Robert B and that is why I follow this thread and anything you up up to see what works of art you produce and show us   It is unbelieveable the lengths and depths that you go for this 'flea market' hardware.  If I'm honest I find it amazing.

Doesn't matter how old or young hardware is, it should always be respected, cared for and loved without question!!   I can't wait for the next update, whatever it will be, it'll be awesome!!  

Everything is Awesome!!


----------



## buzzi (Sep 2, 2020)

Ouch! It seems quite damaged, how do you know the value of missing caps?


----------



## Robert B (Sep 2, 2020)

In the case of the small ceramic caps I usually eyeball them  I judge the size and the color and that's it. I know that this is not recommended but I have nothing to lose and in all the cases that I did this (many times) all was ok.

I also scavenge these ceramic caps from dead boards. Again I know that this is not recommended but these small caps can only be bought in big quantities and I just can't buy 50 pcs if I need just 2 for example. Also I check the caps I remove very closely so that they are not damaged physically.  

I know my method isn't perfect but as long as it works I'm satisfied.


----------



## buzzi (Sep 2, 2020)

Nice to hear, so does different color mean different value? They look all the same to me


----------



## Robert B (Sep 27, 2020)

*His EXCALIBUR ATI 9800PRO 128MB AGP IceQ*

I was going to start this episode on an entire different tone but I told myself what the heck? With all these components and parts all I get in return is *PARTY NON STOP!*  _(Pirupa ‘Party Non Stop’ - Official Video)_

Pirupa ‘Party Non Stop’ - Official Video

*PARTY ON MY BROTHER!!!*

Ahem, let's start spilling the beans as there isn't any other way to do it. 

*Me and ATI does not equal LOVE.* How have I come to this conclusion? Well, firstly, I rarely find ATI cards at my retro HW suppliers and secondly, I only find them at the flea market, in exceptional circumstances, when all the planets align. To make matters worse, the wide majority of the few cards that I find at the flea market are long gone into the great void beyond. *This certainly means no fun for me* and it makes me think twice before I buy an ATI card that has an uncertain status. There is also a third aspect that has to be mentioned, a minor one, ahem, I'm an nVIDIOT through and through and in most cases than not, I prefer the green cards. This doesn't mean that I do not recognize the merits of the red cards is just that given a choice I tend to lean towards the green side. 

Will the card featured in today's episode be alive and kicking or has it already kicked the bucket?

*Let's find out!*

On 16.08.2020 I went to the local flea market and BEHOLD!  On top of a pile of dismembered PCBs I saw *a mighty ATI Radeon AGP beauty.*

Needless to say that I reached for it in the blink of an eye. *MINE ALL MINE!* The card is exotic and has a wicked *Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer Rev. 3* cooler that also has a two step fan speed control via an old school switch. Low (silent) and High (performance). https://www.techpowerup.com/review/arctic-cooling-vga-silencer-rev-3/ . The card itself is a bone stock ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 128MB AGP PN 109-A07500-00 but the cooler makes it special.

The exact model name of the card I found is *His EXCALIBUR ATI 9800PRO 128MB AGP IceQ* and is a part of the *IceQ* line of cards from *His* aka Hightech Information Systems manufacturer.



 



The card had a bent bracket, featured some dirt and grime, a little bit of rust to spice thing up and a missing heatsink from the video memory. *All in all not a bad start.*

The video memory chips are *Samsung K4D263238E-GC2A.*



 



I started the restoration procedures  soon after I got the card. I didn't test the card first as I deemed this to be a little *too risky*. I didn't know anything about the way it was stored or in what environment was kept. *I really don't like the little indian smoke signal fire that might come from a card that I know for sure that is not @ 100%.*



 

 

 

 

 



Besides the problems mentioned above, the card also had some nasty scratches on the back where the paper label used to reside. A sharp object was used by an ape that must've relived its long forgotten time in the caves and decided that it was a good time to practice some cave painting figures on a red PCB. What a way to remove a paper label. I DID THIS! What the ...

The scratches looked kind of bad but I didn't saw a cut trace and I already had a backup plan on how to cover that area. This sort of stuff comes with the territory and there's no escaping it. No soft pillows and silk gloves treatment for the stuff coming from the dump. Harsh but true.





*A regular day at the office.*



 

 

 



The first part that received a 7* SPA treatment was *the cooling system.* I knew from the start that in the end I would have something awesome in my hands.



 

 



*Big lump of Al aka Aluminium aka Aluminum.*



 

 



The plastic shroud of the *Arctic Cooling cooler* was covered by a fine dust and the fan surely has seen better days.



 

 

 



To avoid the scratching of the plastic surface of the shroud I used *a microfiber cloth, Fairy Lemon dish soap and tap water.* I cleaned gently all the surfaces. I only used brushes on the sides or in the hard to reach areas. On the open parts I used the microfiber cloth exclusively. I took great precautions not to damage the sticker that was applied.

I washed well the heatsink using a brush, Fairy Lemon dish soap and tap water. Water under pressure via a hose was used to get rid of the last remaining traces of dust and dirt.



 



After I used a soft brush made from animal hairs, to remove much of the dust that was present on the *PCB*, I conducted *a thorough inspection* that gave me some not so good news.



 

 

 

 

 

 



*The rings of Saturn.* Initially I thought that this is how the die is supposed to look but I guess that the pattern is a result of the transfer due to the pressure exerted by the mounting system of the cooler. I really like how they look.





After the PCB inspection I found two missing parts. A resistor  *@ R882* and a ceramic capacitor *@ C149*. *Easy fixes.* Good thing that I didn't power up the card like that. Sure that the risk of something going wrong was slim but I always say better safe than sorry.





The scratched ICs were polished with a cotton stick and polishing paste. *Good as new.*





After I finished the initial procedures of the restoration process I tackled *the bracket* and the stainless plate. I used bits of thick cardboard and a piece of thin textolite, a flat granite slab and a suitable hammer. The word of the day was: GENTLE! A vice helped me where the hammer wasn't able to. The results were quick to follow.



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Here's Al again. Shiny and looking like new.* Some detailing was needed even after a thorough wash. Someone before me has changed the TIM as there are some fine scratches around the fixing hole made by the screw used to keep in place the heatsink. I don't think that this is from factory but I also don't rule this out. A fine scratch was also present on the PCB. Nothing serious.







 

 

 

 



*Another PCB inspection* brought me more bad news. How I missed these details I really don't know. I must've been high or something.  An Inductance Coil / SMD Power Inductor 3R3 had a smashed head and another ceramic capacitor was missing @ C198. Well ... better sort this out quick!



 



*I soldered the missing ceramic capacitors and the missing resistor. *



 

 



The parts came form a dead *MSI nVIDIA 7300GT PCI-E*. I used a *15W soldering iron* which had a grinded/sharpened tip so that I could solder small parts. I know that you are not supposed to sharpen the tip of the soldering iron but I do this quite often. I still don't have a suitable soldering station. One day ... 

The ATI Radeon 9800 PRO was first washed with tap water and Fairy Lemon dish soap. I didn't bat an eye when I used water as I knew the place from where it came from. The water wash was followed by many IPA 99% washes and lots of detailing work.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Attention to detail*. I knew that after a lot of work I would have something special in my hands. This puppy will look awesome by the time I'm done with it. *Upwards and onwards!*



 



*Polish it baby!*



 



As the Inductance Coil / SMD Power Inductor 3R3 with a smashed head looked otherwise okay I decided to make it "a new hat" with a bit of *Bison Epoxy Metal*.





When I cleaned the plastic parts of the shroud I tried to clean the fan without taking it apart. Needless to say that the results were less than stellar so I did the right thing and I dismantled everything. The propeller was washed with tap water and Fairy Lemon dish soap and the motor with IPA 99%.



 

 

 

 

 



While the propeller dried I eliminated the rust from a nut an washer using a rag and some polishing paste.





*Excellent results.*



 



*A tiny drop of 10W40 motor oil and a bit of Mobil blue grease.* Spinning nicely and quietly. Refurbished sticker with some 0.2mm TESA double sided tape. *Good as new.*



 

 

 



While I worked with the card one thing kept creeping constantly. *How was I going to solve the problem of the missing heatsink from the video memory*. For some weeks I kept visiting the flea market hoping that I would find that tiny silver heatsink in the pile I found the card. Unfortunately I didn't find it and as the moment of powering up the card was fast approaching I was forced to find another solution.

I wanted to buy something aftermarket but I didn't find something to satisfy me. They were too small or too big, black or golden. Nope. It won't do.

Enter a humble GF3 Ti 200 heatsink.





I used a hacksaw and I cut a piece from it. After two hours of grinding, polishing with a buffing wheel, tuning with fine files, cursing, I ended up with something usable.



 



I already saw the FINISH LINE. *Cooling system COMPLETED!*



 

 

 

 

 



*Bits and pieces DONE!*





I used *Akasa Thermal Adhesive Tape* to attach the heatsink to the memory chips. The original heatsink was also held with some kind of tape or soft glue that was easily removed with IPA 99%.





*Shining like a diamond.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After the cleanup, the scratches on the back became extremely visible. The picture is made up close an in reality they look a little better but * there is no hiding those nasty scars.*





Another fact that I forgot to mention is that someone has used some kind of epoxy to fix a heatsink that also fell from the video memory. You can see the overflow on the sides and I'm pretty sure this is not up to factory spec.



 



*Almost there.*



 



*Done and done.* The scratches on the back have been covered with a sticker that I found in a box of bike parts. *I think that it totally fits the card.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



My latest and greatest project comple ... nah ... completed my arse ...

The only area that I didn't check was the MOLEX connector. When the card was done, all cleaned and assembled, looking better than new, I saw a discolored pin and some rust pigmentation inside the MOLEX socket. *^$@&^^$#&*^$&*!!!!!* I didn't saw any burn marks and I'm sure that all of this was the result of the contact with water or another liquid.

I tried to clean the pin using a cut cotton stick and some polishing paste but this didn't work. I tried to use a little bit of rust remover solution but that didn't change anything and it only made matters worse as it has discolored the adjacent pin. Also, bits of plastic fell from the MOLEX connector so I decided to replace it.

Sure that I could've powered the card like this but I didn't. *100% or bust!*



 

 

 

 

 



Finding a suitable *MOLEX connector* proved tougher that I thought. I wasn't able to find one at the electronic shops in town and I was already thinking to solder the wires from a regular molex cable and leave it longer.

In the end I found at the flea market a FireWire PCI card and I transplanted what I needed.

That meant taking apart a finished card and start again.



 

 



*Finally I get to power up this card!* I sure hope that it is still alive and kicking!



 

 



*Final results.*



 


*Testing time!* I put together a test bed and I pressed the POWER button or should I say I used the screwdriver on the PWR pins. 

 

 



And ... it's dead. No signal. No POST. No Beeps. NOTHING!!!

*Nooooooooooooooooooo!* 2 stupid dogs No kind of sound. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!   2 stupid dogs - little dog shouting 'NO!' 

What did you expect? ATI and me just don't mix or I look for ATI cards in the wrong place.

I tried another PSU thinking that maybe the 465W Enermax wasn't enough but to no avail.

Of course that  "the junk" ATI 9250 worked flawlessly. A clear confirmation that the His *EXCALIBUR ATI 9800PRO 128MB AGP IceQ* is KAPUT. Dead.





In a gesture of supreme frustration I plugged the card in my PIII AGP 2x 3.3V PC an still nothing. Not even  a squeak.



 



Even faced with such overwhelming proof I was still reluctant to throw in the towel so I put the card in a box and I took a break.

While I cleaned the card I saw that someone has tampered with the SW1 dip switch, so I took the card apart again and I put the  switch No 1 in the same position as the switch No 2, as they are on other ATI Radeon 9800 PRO cards. *This was a long shot and of course that it didn't work.*



 

 

 



In the end I also did a continuity check of the scratched traces and as expected I didn't find anything wrong.





*Dead! RIP!*

What can I say? There's nothing more to be said.

I wasn't able to pull the sword from the rock it sits but I can tell you that on the first occasion I find a working ATI 9800 PRO I will perform a cooling system transplant and I will have my *His EXCALIBUR ATI 9800PRO 128MB AGP IceQ* @ 100%. In the mean time this card is nothing more than a show piece, a friggin' brick, a useless prespapier, etc.

ATI, ATI why you ATI me so much ... 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/kbsFtZk

Cya with more episodes in a forum near you.

*More later.*


----------



## biffzinker (Sep 27, 2020)

Robert B said:


> And ... it's dead. No signal. No POST. No Beeps. NOTHING!!!


You might want to start testing the cards before investing time into cleaning, and fixing the card up (missing memory heatsink as an example.) The missing capacitors obviously need fixing before powering the card up. It's a shame the card was dead.


----------



## Robert B (Sep 28, 2020)

biffzinker said:


> You might want to start testing the cards before investing time into cleaning, and fixing the card up (missing memory heatsink as an example.) The missing capacitors obviously need fixing before powering the card up. It's a shame the card was dead.



A valid point biffzinker! 

I know it is best to first test the cards I get but not knowing their state is half the fun. Besides I already paid for them so at the very least when I'm done I have something to put up for display.


----------



## Robert B (Sep 28, 2020)

The next episode will feature a rusty crusty ... YEP ... you have guessed ... *ATI RADEON 9800 PRO!!! *FTW!!! 

I can't get enough of these cards!  _(I really should quit buying these ...)_


----------



## phill (Sep 28, 2020)

Robert B said:


> The next episode will feature a rusty crusty ... YEP ... you have guessed ... *ATI RADEON 9800 PRO!!! *FTW!!!
> 
> I can't get enough of these cards!  _(I really should quit buying these ...)_


I hope that this one will work for you @Robert B !!


----------



## Robert B (Sep 29, 2020)

I ain't gonna spill the beans just yet!


----------



## phill (Sep 29, 2020)

Just love and respect for this thread, I love it!!


----------



## Robert B (Oct 9, 2020)

Status Quo - In The Army Now 

*ATI Radeon 9800 PRO* _or should I say_ *Zalman VF700-Cu* _(I wonder ...)_

Another *ATI 9800 PRO 128MB* another _*deception*_. Truth be told *I wasn't without blame*. No, this card didn't die because of me it's just that *I did mistake after mistake worse than a beginner.* Looking back I still ask myself what happened? Even so I still got something in return and valuable data was gathered for the future.  I say future because I don't intend to quit this "hobby" even if lately I don't post as often as I would like to.

This is already the third ATI 9800 which *has kicked the bucket.* Some of you experienced something like this back in the day when this card costed an arm and a leg. Cards that died without a warning so I, who has paid peanuts for this card, shouldn't complain. Even more for the fact that this card came straight from "the dump".

For months I saw this card at the flea market. Tossed on a dirty sheet or a tarp. The fist time I saw it, it was missing only one blue heatsink on the back, the rust was creating havoc and the cooler was ruffled. For me it was an instant DON'T BUY! This however has changed after I found out that my His EXCALIBUR ATI 9800 PRO 128MB AGP IceQ was dead. The next time I saw it I said what the heck and I bough it in even worse shape than before with all the blue heatsinks missing on the back, a busted ceramic capacitor on the back (C86)  and a torn SMD inductor 2.2 FALCO 0435. At least this was what I thought initially. *Little did I know!  

I should have my head checked.* 



 

 

 

 

 



*ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 128MB AGP 8x in all its glory. PN 109-A07500-00.*



 



Without a doubt, the central piece of this card is the *Zalman VF700-Cu cooler.* For sure that it has seen better days and ever since I bought the card I hatched a plan cu give some of its glory back.



 

 

 

 



After I removed the Zalman cooler from the board I was greeted by more bad news. Besides the area on the back that was damaged by water or a corrosive substance, I saw that also on the front of the card, many ICs have received the same treatment. To make matters worse, besides the missing ceramic capacitor C86, another capacitor C152 was MIA. *GREAT!!! *





I took a deep breath and I got to work. 

It was the first time when I was confronted with such PCB damage. I weighed my options and I decided to use a rust remover solution that I knew that it had a mild action. I planed to use cotton sticks dipped in solution and remove the corrosion with patience, in stages until I got what I was looking for: *the total annihilation of the rusted areas.*



 

I took a blow bellow the waist from the start. *A BUSSED RESISTOR ARRAY 8 with the markings 560* flew off the board. Noooooooooooo!  





Initially I thought that the solution was too aggressive but in fact rust was all that kept the resistor in place.

So I took an old toothbrush which had shortened hairs and I scrubbed the PCB with greater force. *This is a test to see if other bits will fly from the board.* MY WAY or the HIGHWAY!





I told myself there's no biggie. I'll solder the sucker back. So I placed it in a safe place, a plastic cap filled with IPA 99%.

Looking back I should've been more careful where I place the tiny part ...





Besides the toothbrush and the cotton sticks dipped in the rust remover solution I also had to use tiny needles to remove some of the crust that was extremely stubborn. Hours have passed until I got decent results. I didn't quit until I got the maximum from what it could be done.





After I sorted out the PCB I turned my attention towards the *Zalman cooler.*



 



After a quick polish of the base that yielded encouraging results I knew that I could get something special in the end if I decided to do what had to be done.





*YUCK!*





In the past, to make old copper heatsinks shine, even if temporary, I placed them in vinegar made from grapes for 2-3 hours. This time I decided to keep the heatsink in vinegar for 24 hours. ALL IN!



 

 



The next day I was disappointed to find out that the cooler still looked like $hit.  The only plus was that the areas that suffered from verdigris were now clean. DAMN!

I counted my options and I decided to use *polishing paste* and a lot of elbow grease.



 

 



The initial results were encouraging.



 



Because I wasn't able to enter too deep with the cotton sticks between the fins I decided to bend them all and see what's what after I finished with the manual polishing.

Hours passed by. What am I doing here? What's my name? Why am I doing this? SHUT UP AN WORK you ORC! ORC! 



 



The partial results, were for me, a moment of satisfaction even if I knew that many more hours will be needed to straighten them back. I knew that they will never be up to factory spec but I wanted them to be bling bling the rest didn't matter. Many of them were already bent from the start so I took this a step further (too far). 



 

 



The fan was missing its header so I used a cable from a dead fan, I removed one of the four wires, I found a three pin header and I soldered the new cable on the PCB of the fan.

All went well. Spick and span. Smooth revolutions. WIN!



 

 

 



I fixed in place the wires with  a bit of transparent POXIPOL.





The most difficult task was that of removing the fixing screws from the backplate. "The age old rust" was quite stubborn.



 

 

 

 

 



All the parts from the retention system of the cooler took a bath in the rust remover solution.



 



I polished manually or with a felt wheel all of the screws. One screw had to be replaced.





*Shiny trinkets!*





Screws.





The o-rings have seen better days but they are still up to spec. They will be replaced only if it will be needed.





*Final results.* 



 

 

 

 

 



My Zalman VF700 collection.  





The naked die.





While I was working with this card I found out that my His ATI 9800 card is dead so I didn't have the patience to finish all of the repairs that were planned for this card. I mounted the cooler and I was quick to power it up. No replaced ceramic capacitors, no soldered 560 resistor and no soldered Falco SMD inductor. I was in a hurry. I should've at least soldered the SMD inductor but I forgot completely. I didn't want to solder the missing ceramic capacitors as I lost the 560 resistor. How did this happen? Well, I removed the resistor from the cap filled with IPA 99% with a tweezer and I placed it n a concrete surface. When I returned to recover it I wasn't able to find it. Maybe it stuck to the ends of the tweezer and it flew off into the void. I searched for it many minutes but to no avail. GREAT! A professional beginner!



 

 

 

 



Unsurprisingly I found out that the card has problems. The only upside was that at least I got the BIOS beep code for VGA not detected: *1 long followed by 3 short beeps.* My other ATI 9800 PRO cards haven't been able to even spit out this error.



 



I forgot to mention that when I used the rust remover solution I also damaged the plastic jacket of some of the electrolytic capacitors. Initially I used cotton sticks but when I turned to the toothbrush tiny drops of solution were propelled on the caps. The damage is only cosmetic and can only be fixed by replacing the caps. "The good news" is that I won't have to do this as the card is already dead.



 

 



A few weeks later I soldered the missing ceramic capacitors, I made a tiny heatsink that was also missing from the card and I tried one more time. I didn't find a 560 resistor.



 



As expected the card returned a black screen and the same beep code. Most probably a dead GPU.





*Another fallen ATI. Better luck next time.*

This card was a lost cause from the start. *Sometimes is better to know when to quit. This comes from someone who still doesn't know when to quit.* Do as I say and don't do as I did/do. 

In the end I got a cooler that will be put to good use on another occasion. A learning experience and nothing more. 

This was one of my worst jobs. Mistakes and bad decisions. Only fools rush in and I guess in this instance I was a fool. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/nxNBWkL

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Oct 9, 2020)

@Robert B would it be a bad thing if I bought you a 9800 Pro that was working?!?


----------



## Robert B (Oct 10, 2020)

Hi @phill . That would be great especially coming from you but I think that we should leave this for another time. Let's be honest, I already have tons of HW pr0n. I don't want to burden you with sourcing and shipping the card to me.

The  matter of  the fact is that I buy this tuff from the flea market and in more cases than not, ATI cards above 9500/9600 are almost always dead. Coupled with the low spread/use of ATI cards in my area plus the fact that they die like flies, it only means one thing: the odds of me obtaining what I want are pretty low. Or should I say non existent? 

Don't worry, I'll find a working ATI 9800 PRO one of these days. 

Another funny fact is that a few weeks ago, I was put in a place to make another decision: two busted graphic cards one ATI VTX 6870 and one MSI 470GTX. Needless to say that I bought the nVIDIA card and needless to say that it worked. So I have to stick what I know I'm "lucky". The 470GTX was dirt cheap, little above 2 EUROS and I wasn't able to leave the brick rot at the dump. What am I going to do with it I just don't know.

In other turn of events I WANT TO BELIEVE THIS IS ALIVE and YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT BELIEVE I DID.  Excuse my French.  An AOpen KT133A and a 1GHz AMD Athlon. All will be reveled in a future episode.

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Oct 11, 2020)

Its not a problem, I'll keep an eye out    Worth it mind to see the reacton of your face and to see how it performs when its up and running and have some @Robert B lovin'!!


----------



## INSTG8R (Oct 11, 2020)

@Robert B  The 9800 Pro is the card that brought me here and ended up staying and was the resident guru on flashing them to XT So seeing your finds and restoration attempts brings back fond memories. I’m just really sad you have gotten a live one with the gems you’ve found so far. .


----------



## Robert B (Oct 11, 2020)

phill said:


> Its not a problem, I'll keep an eye out   Worth it mind to see the reacton of your face and to see how it performs when its up and running and have some @Robert B lovin'!!



Ok phill. Take your time as there is no rush involved. I've got plenty of patients to deal with.  Today I found a really banged up Intel SE440BX2 and boy did it take a lot damage. Surprisingly it might just make it. IMMORRTAL 440BX !!! 



INSTG8R said:


> @Robert B  The 9800 Pro is the card that brought me here and ended up staying and was the resident guru on flashing them to XT So seeing your finds and restoration attempts brings back fond memories. I’m just really sad you have gotten a live one with the gems you’ve found so far. .



I've been lurking on this forum for years before I signed up in 2016. I know many of you from your forum names so here it feels like home.  Great community here!

I was also sad but as I have a steady stream of patients pouring in, I must focus on the next project. I'm sure that some time down the road I'll find a 9800 PRO. Also I might get a 9700 soon.


----------



## INSTG8R (Oct 11, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Ok phill. Take your time as there is no rush involved. I've got plenty of patients to deal with.  Today I found a really banged up Intel SE440BX2 and boy did it take a lot damage. Surprisingly it might just make it. IMMORRTAL 440BX !!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’m just sad that the “golden age” of ATI hasn’t managed to survive to be appreciated considering your efforts.


----------



## Robert B (Oct 11, 2020)

*NEXT EPISODE:* *Double the speed Double the fun?!*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 16, 2020)

MI-mi-MI-mi-MI-_(clears throat)_ *MITSUMI!*

There is no secret that I absolutely love optical disk drives. Here I'm mainly talking about the old optical units that have a low speed rating. If I would have to give an explanation for this fact then I'll have to say that I think it is because *I was optical disk drives deprived when I was little.*  You see, back in the day, when the floppy disk was the main way to transfer data between PCs not just about anybody could own a CD-ROM unit. Yep, when I was rocking an 850MB HDD and a CD could hold 650-700MB I really didn't have much reason to smile. 

I still remember my first CD-ROM unit, back in '98, *an LG CRD-8160B*, 16x. Initially I was supposed to receive a Toshiba 12x but I got the LG 16x instead. 16x is way better than 12x I said to myself but what did I know back then ... 

The LG 16x proved to be very temperamental. It only read silver disks and any other color put a heavy strain on the poor thing. In spite of this I used the unit for many years. Later I bought my first CD-RW Teac, BTC and ASUS units, but even if my first LG was a dud, I still preferred LG ODDs. I still have my good ol' LG GSA-4163B. That one is bullet proof, except for the rubber belt, that for sure won't last a lifetime. 

In todays episode I will present a *Mitsumi CRMC-FX001D CD ROM* with an incredible 2x speed rating which in the end had its way with me.

Yep, she got the last laugh in the end. Let's see how has this happened.

*Double the speed Double the fun?*

I found the *Mitsumi CD ROM* at the local flea market from my city sitting in a dirty cardboard box. Together with some other sisters, it sat with it ass up and only my curiosity made me pick it up and look at its face. 

Just by looking at it I already new that it was a Mitsumi unit. *The Double Speed string* filled in the missing blanks and I knew that I had in my hands a mighty 2x CD-ROM unit.

I looked closely at it and after a thorough inspection I put it back in the box.

*Too much hassle* I said to myself. I knew that I could make it great again but I just didn't feel like doing it.

The following week I went again at the flea market and my thought went instinctively towards the 2x unit. Unfortunately I couldn't find it.

*RIP, old relic of times gone by, I said to myself.*

After several weeks I was in for a surprise. The dirty cardboard box appeared again.

*BEHOLD! The 2x wonder!*

How much is it? 2 EUR? Here you go sir!

On the same day I bought the Mitsumi unit I also bought a sealed copy of Windows 98 or should I say _Deuxieme Edition._ Not a bad combo IMO.



 

 



Even if I had many undergoing projects I decided to restore the Mitsumi unit ASAP!

As a note, no matter what you decide to tear up or restore, always make clear pictures with everything you deem to be of importance. Screws, cables, clips, etc. Even if you are absolutely sure that you will remember everything I must tell you that in most cases than not you will forget a detail and then you will have to search for hours or days for pictures on the Internet or it will take you hours to determine where everything goes back. *Been there done that.

Screws or otherwise you'll be screwed.*



 



*Count the teeth as you will need it for later.*





*Remember the orientation.*





The disassembly of the unit was in general straight forward, screws, plastic clips.

In the case of this unit to eject the tray you don't need a paper clip but *a small screwdriver* which fits into the small opening at the front of the unit. You have to rotate the screwdriver in a counter clockwise motion. It will take quite a few revolutions until the laser body is in its down position and only after this the tray will start to open slowly. After the tray is out a few centimeters all it takes to open it fully is a gentle pull.

After the tray was fully opened and I wanted to remove it completely from the unit I had to use "brute force" and push it upwards until the teeth from the side cleared the sprocket inside. (In the case of the newer units this is much easier to do as you only have to deal with some plastic clips.) This is why I had to make good pictures and also count the teeth for the correct position of the tray. The required force to remove the tray isn't great and the whole operation needs finesse. I'll give you more details when present how I put back the tray. 

There might be another method to completely remove the tray but I didn't want to fiddle with the sprockets inside or to dismantle the unit further.

The removal of the metal case had to be done with the tray closed as it is held in place by a few plastic hooks placed at the front.

After I took apart the unit I was greeted by an all too familiar view. *Yep, rust, glad to see you old friend!* ^$#&^##!!!



 

 



*The mechanism inside was in very good shape.*





I removed the paper label that wasn't from factory and I was finally able to see the exact model of the unit.





Rusty rust rust.



 



To get rid of the rust inside I first tried cotton sticks and a rust removal solution but the results where kind of meh. I was successful in my attempt to remove the rust but I was left with discolored areas. This was to be expected but I needed something better as I wasn't going to let the metal looking like this.



 

 

 



After a short deliberation and an initial test I decided *to polish the metal with a felt wheel and polishing compound.* I didn't want to take this operation to the extreme and I didn't want to repair all the dings and the small imperfections. They give the unit character.

The results of the polishing stage were above my expectations.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Rust be gone!*





To remove the rust from the plastic surfaces I first used a rust removal solution but this didn't yield good results.





In the end I used polishing paste, soft rags and cotton sticks. In the past, to clean the plastic surfaces I used CIF cream but the use of polishing paste was better as the results were quicker and the plastics looked better. I didn't overdo the polishing stage and I didn't use too much pressure when I polished the plastics. When I saw that the dirt was gone and the rust vanished I stopped. Afterwards I washed the parts with water and Fairy dish soap and then it was a case of drying time.



 

 

 

 



The insides were pretty clean considering the age and the origin of the unit.



 



Always check all the connectors for stuff like this. Pins that aren't supposed to be touching are always a bad thing.





Ever since I first laid my eyes on the PCB I was amused by the way the capacitors looked. It was as if a hurricane came and it put them down. Their position isn't random. If they were to sit upright they just wouldn't fit under the mechanism. Funny fact.

The PCB was cleaned well. It came out shining.



 

 

 

 

 



After "the mechanical peeling" stage the plastics came out looking nice. Some deep scratches have been left as they were. There are methods to eliminate them but I didn't want to do this.



 

 

 



While I was cleaning the insides of the unit I was surprised to find something interesting. After I removed a metal cover from the laser assembly I was greeted by a 26 years old fingerprint from the one that assembled the unit.  For that extra effect, I decided to polish the outside of the cover and leave the fingerprint intact.





The insides of the unit were cleaned well. I cleaned the laser lens by gently touching it with a microfiber cloth dipped in IPA 99%.



 

 

 

 



No rubber belt. In the picture you can clearly see why a small screwdriver is needed when you want to eject the tray when the unit is unpowered. The screwdriver engages the small metal strip by the hole in the front. A gentle push compresses the tiny spring and the plastic cone engages the rubber wheel. The turning of the screwdriver in a counter clockwise motion ejects the tray.





*Looking sharp!*



 



After I used some silicone grease on some of the metal parts and sprockets I was ready to put everything back as it was. I must say that the original grease was still good and a great part of it was redistributed where it was needed. If something is still good why not use it?

Inserting the tray was the exact opposite of the removal procedure. I know it sounds cheesy but it is as I said. In the picture you can clearly see how I had to deform the plastic a little to clear the teeth from the sprocket. 4 teeth was the exact number. *Remember to always check the number of teeth as there can be difference between units.* Don't use excessive force. Common sense is the name of the game. To make it easier you can use a marker to pinpoint the correct position.



 



Silicone grease. I used cotton sticks to spread the silicone grease in a thin and uniform layer. Too much is not recommended.





Some assemblies required! 

As I said before you cannot assemble or disassemble the unit with the tray ejected. At least not without damaging something.



 

 



*As good as new.*





Ever since I bought my first flea market ODD I wanted to find a CD inside. Well, eventually I got my wish, but what I found inside isn't something worth talking about. I was hoping for something better but this is just a time capsule. 



 



My job is completed! My latest and greatest project is done!



 

 

 



When the unit was done I was anxious to test it but something caught my attention. No SLAVE/MASTER/CABLE SELECT jumper? 40 pins interfaces aren't always the same!

Wait a minute! This isn't an IDE/ATAPI unit! Damn! I need a proprietary card with a Mitsumi interface! Damn it!

A quick FCC ID search *EW4CRMC-FX001D* confirmed my suspicion. https://fccid.io/EW4CRMC-FX001D  Internal CD-ROM Drive * A CD-ROM interface card must be supplied with each unit.

I searched in all of my boxes for a soundcard with a Mitsumi interface but I didn't find one. Bummer. That sux!

Besides a soundcard or an add-on card with a Mitsumi interface the correct drivers are also required. I had the same problem when I restored a Creative CR-563-B 2x unit and the whole operation took some work. In the end the Creative unit was unusable as the laser was quite tired. Or should I say dead tired. 

All I could do was to power up the Mitsumi ODD and see if it would try to read a disk. The sounds it made and its behaviour led me to believe that it is still in good working condition. Until proven contrary I consider this unit @ 100%.



 



Even if the Mitsumi units are looked upon like a Cinderella of the ODDs, I was impressed by the construction, the attention to detail, the Nichicon capacitors, the ICs Made In Japan. All in all it is a solid unit.

As they say, who laughs last laughs best and for now it seems that the Mitsumi laughed last but don't fret as I'm pretty sure that we haven't reached the end of this story. I sense a rematch some time down the road, days, weeks, years, who cares, I always finish what I start!  

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/K2GtJ29

More later.


----------



## biffzinker (Oct 16, 2020)

Nice work on the restoration of the 2X ODD.


----------



## Robert B (Oct 16, 2020)

Thanks biffzinker! 

Next episode will feature some more restoration work. The card is newer than what I usually take on but it had to be done.


----------



## Robert B (Oct 30, 2020)

Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters

After so much *"red meat"* aka 2x dead ATI 9800 PRO cards, I was in dire need of something *"green"*. You can eat meat all day long but you also need some fruits and vegetables,  the green stuff. Besides, the three dead ATI 9800 PRO from my collection that went Beyond the Dark Portal meant that I wasn't in the mood to buy such cards from the flea market any time soon.

Knowing all to well that "my luck" with ATI 9800 cards is something that doesn't need mentioning and to underline the fact that I feel when "the green cards" are still alive and kicking, I was ready to put to the test *what I already knew.* I have a knack for nVIDIA cards. Even to this day I still feel ATI cards as something alien. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against ATI cards it's just that I'm so used to nVIDIA cards that practically I don't want to change this. At least for the foreseeable future. Who knows what lies ahead? This might change over time but from where I'm sitting it doesn't look like it will. So, I'll stick with what I know is best for me.

*To spice things up*, I decided to look into "my dumpster" aka my eternal hunting ground, *the local flea market*, for a suitable candidate that will be able to endure the treatment that will receive and also to demonstrate, if it was still needed, "my theory".

As fate made it, at the end of September I found what I needed. Where? At the flea market of course.

Given a choice between a VTX *ATI* Radeon HD 6870 and a *nVIDIA* GTX 470 it was crystal clear what I was going to choose.

*nVIDIA !*

Usually I don't buy PCI-E cards from the flea market but when I saw this massive *brick* I couldn't resist asking how much it was. The initial asking price was dirt cheap but that didn't stop me from negotiating. You see, flea market rules state that if you don't negotiate you were prepared to pay more for something.  This will be remembered next time when you go there and as I go there on a weekly basis I must do what must be done. 

After a short haggling session I paid little above 2 EUROS for the card and it was mine. For such a price I was ready *to bite the bullet.*  I'm sure that many of you would've done the same.

Meet the *MSI N470GTX 1.2GB 320bit GDDR5 N470GTX-M2D12 *!





*Looking sorry for itself!*

The card was full of scratches, mud, dust and *the cherry on top* a wood screw and a shard of glass stuck in the fan! 



 

 



After a first scan I didn't find any missing components on the back of card.

I could feel the "energon" pouring from the card. I'm so happy that you saved me from the crusher said the BRICK! 

*Let's see if this thing will really fly!*





*Didn't I forget something?* AaaaAAA the wood screw and the shard of glass where swiftly removed on the spot. *First things always come FIRST!*





Yep, the scratches aren't going anywhere. I could remove the stickers but much of the identity of the card will be lost in the process so they are here to stay.





Nothing to worry about. A bent bracket? Child's play!





*Naked!* Show me everything!





This is my first GTX 470 that I had to work with. Back in the day I had a MSI N460GTX Hawk Twin Frozr II as I couldn't afford something better. After the Hawk, in 2011 I got an awesome MSI GTX 580. I will remember that GTX 580 my entire life. *TRUE UNALTERED HIGH END!* I can still feel the tingles I got when I opened up the box. *Better than anything!* I will present the card later aka waaaayy later. I'm waiting for it to age like a fine wine.

But I digress.

To remove the plastic shroud / cover from the GTX 470 I had to disengage a few plastic hooks. Needless to say that a couple of them broke off.* Flimsy bits of plastic.*

What I wasn't expecting to find were a couple of springs that keep the cover under tension when the plastic hooks are engaged. Nice touch! No rattling under pressure.



 



*Dried up TIM*. Yep. I worked with Pentium II CPUs that had 20 years old TIM and that was still soft. 10 years old TIM is now dried up. Nice.





The fan was in dire need of a cleaning.



 



*New thermal pads needed!* Damn, this card is sooooo neeeeeedyyyy!!! I want this and I want that, give me your credit card and PIN number, give me everything! 





I soooo like it when water comes in contact with electronic artifacts! Let's not forget the MUD! It is good for the skin.





A mighty *GF100* heart is under that armor.





*IPA 99.9%!!!*



 



*WORK IT BABY!!!*





After some work the results were quick to follow. *Even so, something still bothered me*. After many functioning hours, the PCB shows some marks that I will never be able to remove. The fact that these cards run hot or the choice made in regard to the materials used in their production, means that whatever I would do they will never look better than new.



 

 

 

 

 

 



*Well, let's carry on shall we?*

While I cleaned the PCB I found out that my initial inspection wasn't a thorough one. Three tiny components were missing. Two ceramic capacitors and one resistor. *My choice, to settle on the nVIDIA card started to look a little uninspired.* Still, I carried on like nothing happened. My gut is always right! _(or something along this line)_

Fixed.



 



I cleaned the heatsink well. It was washed with water under pressure and quickly dried using an air compressor.



 

 

 

 

 

 



*The fan* was thoroughly cleaned. Fully dismantled, a tiny drop of oil and precise cleaning.



 

 

 



*Looking good!*



 



By eye I judged that the original thermald pads *have a width of 1 mm*. I also searched the Internet for information that confirmed my suspicion. One fact was also blatant. A very soft thermal pad with a width of 1 mm isn't the same thing as a thermal pad of 1 mm made from a more rigid material.

I searched through my boxes and all I could find was some Arctic 0.5 mm soft blue thermal pad.

As I wasn't going to buy a 1mm thermal pad just for this card I decided to stack the 0.5 mm and get the 1 mm I needed. Good or bad this was my choice.



 



I really want to power this puppy up. You better be alive or ELSE!





I could've give more attention to the way the thermal pad look, in the sense that I could've made them perfect but I didn't. I was already feeling the pressure to fire up the card and confirm that it is still alive. Don't worry, the pads don't need to be perfect for them to do their thing. For once my OCD didn't kick in. 

*I can feel it!*



 

 



I mentioned above that the Artic blue thermal pad is a little bit harder than the original thermal pads. Even if I didn't test this I am sure that the 0.5 mm width wasn't enough. 1 mm was close to the maximum limit. After I mounted the new thermal pads I had to apply a little bit of pressure on the metal "skeleton" to reduce the small deformation of the PCB that resulted from the use of the Arctic pads. The entire procedure was nerve raking as everyone knows that you don't mess with the tiny solder balls. But I did it regardless. Also I was sure that under the heat resulted from the running of the card, the thermal pads will soften more and all will be ok in the end. They will bed themselves in nicely.

Soon came the moment when I had to attach the heatsink. Here I hit a snag. I had no marks to guide me in regard to the exact placement of the heatsink.

I mean I knew where it was supposed to go but I didn't want to mess up the freshly applied Arctic MX-4 TIM so I placed the heatsink in a position that looked ok and I started to screw it down.

*BIG MISTAKE!*

I placed the heatsink in the wrong position and I was close to killing the card in the process.

*Too close for comfort.*



 



I had to disassemble the card again and clean all the tiny metal shavings. Lots of screws to undone. Thermal pads to arrange. The works.

New Arctic MX-4 TIM. Lots of it. This GPU eats TIM all day long. The heatspreader is huge. The direct touch heatpipe design doesn't help also.

I covered the minor "damage" with fresh black glossy paint and I was ready for another try.

I was such a *n00b*. 



 



Bracket? FIXED!





*NICE! NICE! NICE!*



 



The little bits of plastic that broke off have been glued back with the all mighty superglue. This wasn't such a super choice as they literally jumped into my face when I attached the plastic shroud.



 

 



Still naked.





I glued again the bits of plastic using superglue but as a precaution I also strengthened them with transparent POXIPOL. They were boxed in. Try and jump into my face now you little $#^^$#$%^#%$^@&!!!!!



 

 

 

 



*Ready for ACTION SIR!!! All crews reporting!*





After all of the troubles the card gave me I looked at it and I said to myself: if it really works it is perfect!

You see, when you want to prove something it is best to leave your doubts for later. If you believe in something go for it. In the end even if you lose you can at least say that you have tried. The taste of success is sweet and it makes you want more and more. So don't give up and try even if the odds are stacked against you.

Between what my gut was telling me and what my brain compiled I just knew that the card was still alive. Call it whatever you want I was sure I had a winner in my hand.

*First POST! BAM!*



 



Driver installed.





Flawless.



 

 

 

 

 



I was telling you that I never had a GTX 470 back in the day, so I was under the impression that the Thermi will scream like hell and my Bitfenix Colossus will take off when I was about to power it up.

*Surprise.* The fan was silent and the card was quite well behaved for a blower solution.

After a short investigation I quickly found the answer. The card has a silent fan profile and in full load it goes easily to 90C. Barbecue anyone?

When I saw the temperature of 90C @ 2620 rpm I said to myself that I mounted the heatsink wrong or I didn't apply enough thermal paste but after I set an aggressive fan profile and I  got a maximum temperature of 64C @ 4770 rpm in full load after several 3Dmark runs, all of my doubts vanished. One thing I want to mention: YOU DON'T WANT THE FAN @ 4770 rpm! Trust me.

This card is @100%! Sheesh! What a relief!

You got me there! Once a Thermi always a Fermi! 



 

 

 

 



And so I got my share of "greens" after so much meat. IT'S ALIVE!

This card will never be like the day it was born but the fact that I saved from the crusher makes me warm inside.

From the brink of destruction to salvation. From certain death to a new beginning. This card lived to fight another day.

All wasn't just sunshine and rainbows. After several dismantling sessions even if I used the correct screwdriver I saw that many of the screws were already "tired". Call it whatever you want, anti-tampering measure or cost above else, these newer cards aren't built to last. Regardless, I will always buy whatever tickles my fancy.





Believe it or not, only 10 years have passed since the time this card roamed in the wild and it feels like a lifetime ago.

We live fast but we don't stop to ask ourselves if we live better.

FULL SPEED AHEAD!

Cya later with more stuff!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/v1pRXsm

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 31, 2020)

*The Next episodes *will represent a return to the not so distant past.  20+ years ago ain't that much, or is it?  Time as we all know is kind of relative. 



 



*More later.*


----------



## storm-chaser (Oct 31, 2020)

Robert B said:


> *The Next episodes *will represent a return to the not so distant past.  20+ years ago ain't that much, or is it?  Time as we all know is kind of relative.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Love the build and your emphasis on older hardware. It's a forgotten world to most!

I have these saved for a rainy day. My first rig had the Pentium 133 in it. Hopefully someday I will rebuild that rig.


----------



## phill (Oct 31, 2020)

Such aweseome efforts as always @Robert B     Very glad you never had a ATI repeat with this card and it's all up and running   

Those GTX 4 series cards where a bit on the warm side... The GTX 580's I have here aren't much better but isn't it weird that I sold them and then bought them back with water blocks attached... I really do need to get my benching rig setup and then see what those three cards can do underwater...

The trouble with a few bits and pieces of hardware, you have all the kit you wish for, but my god time to try it all out and such, I've got more hope in winning the damn lottery!!  However that said, apparently there's another lock down coming... I smell a hardware benching session coming along!!    Well, that's if I can manage to get away from the Mrs... Sophia will probably just end up helping me!!   !!


----------



## Robert B (Nov 2, 2020)

storm-chaser said:


> Love the build and your emphasis on older hardware. It's a forgotten world to most!
> 
> I have these saved for a rainy day. My first rig had the Pentium 133 in it. Hopefully someday I will rebuild that rig.



Thanks storm-chaser. Nice LOOT you have there!!! I thought that in the States you have already recycled those relics. 

After my father passed away in 2015 the only thing I could think off was to recreate my first PC that he bought me in '96. First things are always those that stick with you longest.

By now I think that we all know that I went way past rebuilding my first PC.  I still have *many demons that need slaying* so I don't plan to stop anytime soon! 



phill said:


> Such aweseome efforts as always @Robert B   Very glad you never had a ATI repeat with this card and it's all up and running
> 
> Those GTX 4 series cards where a bit on the warm side... The GTX 580's I have here aren't much better but isn't it weird that I sold them and then bought them back with water blocks attached... I really do need to get my benching rig setup and then see what those three cards can do underwater...
> 
> The trouble with a few bits and pieces of hardware, you have all the kit you wish for, but my god time to try it all out and such, I've got more hope in winning the damn lottery!!  However that said, apparently there's another lock down coming... I smell a hardware benching session coming along!!    Well, that's if I can manage to get away from the Mrs... Sophia will probably just end up helping me!!   !!



The secret is in the wrist.  I eat, sleep and breathe HW!!! If one day I don't touch or read about HW I get the jitters.  26 years of PCs have left their mark. Even if I back in the day I had some bottom of the barrel PCs I don't regret a thing. That didn't stop me from playing games of reading about PCs. Heck, for me it is like yesterday in '94 when I was sitting in high school and learning, Turbo Pascal, FoxPro and C++. I remember each detail and sensation that I had sitting in my bench on a wooden chair. The pupils before me wrote with something sharp on the seat " Don't worry be happy" and on the backrest: IBM PC!!!. 

These days I'm waiting for a RED card not a 9800 but a 9700.  As soon as I get my hands on it I'll post a picture.

My special GTX 580 is in its box and I might find one of her sisters and that will be a party to remember. 

I also don't have the free time I used to have a few years ago. I don't have kids yet. So that area is still "there be dragons" territory! 

I think that you should totally let Mrs. Sophia participate. Maybe you are a little "rusty" and she will help you out. 


Song for Denise (Maxi Version)  

The AOpen is *OPEN* for business!!! FTW!!! 





*A fistful of caps! * 





*Damn! Look at this Ti !* 





*More later.*


----------



## storm-chaser (Nov 3, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Thanks storm-chaser. Nice LOOT you have there!!! I thought that in the States you have already recycled those relics.
> 
> After my father passed away in 2015 the only thing I could think off was to recreate my first PC that he bought me in '96. First things are always those that stick with you longest.



That's good on you. I admire the dedication in which you are going about this, especially because its in memory/remembrance of your father. 

And I lost my dad in 2013, so I know in part what you are going through. It's just great to see you restoring that bond, in a sense, through this build.


----------



## r.h.p (Nov 3, 2020)

Robert B said:


> I didnt buy something *hardware related* for some time and *I didnt feel the "urge"* to go so often to the flea market as I used to, either.
> 
> The *few visits* to the flea market were disappointing and they only *strengthened my resolve *to not buy parts that were tossed in *non descript boxes* together with God knows what, *including the kitchen sink! *. The effort needed to *restore* them to their initial glory would be too great and besides, my stash has plenty of pieces that can take me on a trip down on memory lane....
> 
> ...


those Leadtek cards were solid good  my bro had one
Great work by the way mate :}


----------



## Robert B (Nov 3, 2020)

Hi r.h.p.  Thanks for the good thoughts!  

Well, I really dig Leadtek cards. The problem is that I want all the cards I can get my grabby hands on. MINE! I want THIS and I want THAT! I know that I "might" have a problem but I'm dealing with it one component at a time. I can stop anytime I just chose not to!   

No loose ends! Attention to detail is paramount! Each and every time I start work on a fresh "victim" I have something like a 6th sense and I can detect stuff that can easily go under the radar.

The MSI FX is waiting patiently to be GREAT AGAIN! Such a gorgeous card. Golden heatsink on a RED PCB! 

More later.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 5, 2020)

It is here! An ATI 9700 128MB 

Looking great but we all know that I can make it look even better!

*More later.*


----------



## biffzinker (Nov 5, 2020)

Robert B said:


> It is here! An ATI 9700 128MB
> 
> Looking great but we all know that I can make it look even better!
> 
> *More later.*


Is it a functional ATi 9700? Does it show a POST screen?


----------



## Robert B (Nov 6, 2020)

Fully functional albeit my old old old P3 800 / VIA 693 AGP 2x _might_ limit the performance a bit.  

2002 here I come!!!


----------



## biffzinker (Nov 6, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Fully functional albeit my old old old P3 800 / VIA 693 AGP 2x _might_ limit the performance a bit.
> 
> 2002 here I come!!!


No way? You finally found a working 9700? Is that screenshot a lie?


----------



## Robert B (Nov 6, 2020)

Nope.  . Someone from my country,  on the lab501 forum where all this madness has started in 2015,  said he has a working ATI 9700 that I can have for the cost of shipping. 7 EUROS and a few days later I had it my hands. NO BRAINER!!!

A few weeks ago I was close to buying an ATI 9700 from the flea market but it was so mangled that I passed on it.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 19, 2020)

Los Del Rio - Macarena

*Finally!* I got one of my old computers back! I retired this relic of times gone by and I'm prepared to make it GREAT AGAIN!!! This puppy has a lot of miles under its hood! I sold it in 2007 after I used it around 3 years. Since then it has worked around the clock at my aunts shop.

It really needs A LOT OF TLC!!!





The next episode is almost ready but "life happened" so my free time has gone out the window. You will have to wait a little longer. I'll try to do my best.

*Cya later!*


----------



## phill (Nov 19, 2020)

I spy an NF7-S there....   Sooooo looking forward to this next update @Robert B !!     I hope you're ok sir!!


----------



## Robert B (Nov 21, 2020)

Beastie Boys - Hold It Now, Hit It

*Slot 1* "trash" fresh from the gutter

The slotted CPUs hold a special place in my *"little"* collection. Over the years my "taste" has formed and in my book *A* comes in front of *1* if you ask what I prefer but they are also way harder to come by. I don't have to mention the 1GHz slotted beasts as they are rarer than hen's teeth no matter if we are referring to the A or the 1.

In todays episode we will focus on *4* Slot 1 intel CPUs. *Two* in *great shape* and *two* which were subjected to a bad treatment. When I say bad treatment I mean they were butchered and prepared *to be scrapped* kind of treatment.

All of the four CPUs came straight from *the flea market*. No mystery here. They were as cheap as they come.

Let's meet *"the victims"*:

1. Intel Pentium II 266MHz 266/512/66 SL2HE
2. Intel Pentium II 350MHz 350/512/100 SL356
3. Mystery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 1
4. Mystery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 2



 



The four CPUs have been obtained from three separate visits I made to the flea market from my home town. As I didn't want to make a small episode for each of them I waited for the moment that could make matters more interesting. This moment took the shape of the two Mystery Intel Slot 1 CPUs.

A few years ago I wouldn't've looked twice at those two busted CPUs but as time passed and my skills have increased, nothing "scares" me now and I'm willing to do whatever it needs to be done to recover any component no matter the stage of electronic putrefaction in which I might find it. What I can't fix now is stored for a later date when I get to the next level of my skills.  I never quit and I take my sweet time when I have to. These relics of times gone by are very resilient and they don't give up so easily so why should I?

*Let's get on with the show.


Intel Pentium II 266MHz 266/512/66 SL2HE*


One of the early Pentium II CPUs with a 66MHz bus. As soon as I laid my eyes on this chunk of black plastic I knew what it was and I made a beeline for it. A complete slotted CPU doesn't pop up so often at the flea market anymore. If we take into account the exotic cooler this makes it a lot more special.

*Cooler Master *- The Ultimate Thermal Solution



 

 

 

 

 



The Cooler Master present on this Pentium II CPU is a joy to work with. An absolute unit! A few screws, a metal clip and presto naked slot 1 CPU.



 



The CPU wasn't very dirty and the simplicity of the cooling system made things even easier. It almost felt like playing with LEGO.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



In general, the heatsinks used to cool slotted CPUs, are held with two metal clips that have tiny hooks that are fixed into holes present on the CPU heatplate. These are very effective but *the Cooler Master solution is way more elegant*. A sturdy plastic frame with four tiny hooks is fixed on the heatplate, then you just drop in the heatsink and you tension the whole thing with the small lever present on the square metal clip. Child's play. I LIKE IT!

In the case of this CPU I decided to not go overboard and I didn't change the TIM. Over the years I opened up quite a few of these CPUs only to find out that the TIM was still soft. This CPU is close to perfect so *I let him be* even if to this date I opened all of my other CPUs. All have their TIM changed with cu AC MX-4. The good stuff.

If in the past I employed more invasive procedures to open slotted CPUs but now I just use a small screwdriver to detach the top part of the plastic casing, my hands and patience. A little bit of patience goes a long way. You hear the plastic "cry" and you know when you are doing the right thing. Almost each and every attempt to open slotted CPUs will halt with the case stuck in one or two points. This is where you have to pay attention. One will submit to gentle persuasion but the last one will hang for dear life. Here you need patience and some twisting action until it will give up. That's where your hands come in. If you don't care how the CPU will look after you crack it open use whatever means necessary to achieve your goal. 

Over the years I presented how I open slotted CPUs so *feel free to browse the thread.

All cleaned now. Looking sharp.*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I kept the thermal pad that was present on the heatsink because there wasn't nothing wrong with it.

In the past I replaced the thermal pad with AC MX-4 but in this instance I didn't want to experiment only to find out that maybe I really needed the thermal pad because the gap between the heatsink and the heatplate was too big.

The cooling fans of the 266 MHz and 350 MHz CPUs were cleaned together.

In the case of the *Delta AFB0512 MA* mounted on the 350 MHz  CPU, I found a small spring that tensions the propeller. Due to my lack of attention I lost the spring. ^$&@#&^*$#*&$$!@!#!!!! Lucky me!  I had to make another one and that was no easy task. In the end I managed to solve "the problem". I could've replaced the fan but I like to keep things as close to original as possible.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Almost there.*



 



When I had to put back the plastic cover of the cooler I consulted the pictures I took prior to disassembly. The cable from the cooling fan seemed to be in the wrong position. Even if you have or don't have pictures of the component you disassembled you must always read all the signs of something being out of place. A cable that stood for years in a position and now it doesn't fit right means that something is wrong and you need to investigate the matter. This is true for each and every other situation that implies assembling a part that has been taken apart even if we are talking about screws, clips, cables, parts that don't sit flush, etc.



 



*Done!*



 



*The moment of truth soon came*. I was certain that this CPU is still alive and kicking.

I managed to clock this CPU at *133, 166, 200, 233 and 266 MHz* just by selecting the multiplier from BIOS. It doesn't come easier than this folks.



 

 

 

 

 

 



I must say that the cooling fan was fully recovered and it still works well. Originality is intact. Nice. *The P266 lived to tell its tale.


Intel Pentium II 350MHz 350/512/100 SL356*


The 350 MHz CPU also had a cooling system from *Cooler Master.* Even if it isn't so elegant like the one present on the 266 MHz CPU it doesn't mean it is inferior. Still, I must mention that you can fell the cost cuts everywhere. The metal clip is thin and it feels like it can cut you, the heatsink is smaller, it just feels cheaper.

Ever since I bought the CPU I noticed the black plastic shim present on the back that seemed a little suspect. On the shim it is written: *H-PPGA(OLGA) CPU ONLY.

The metal clip was a pain to remove.* The mounting pressure is the biggest one I registered since I work with these CPUs. *Something's afoot here let me tell you.*

To free the heatsink I had to use a sturdy flat screwdriver and disengage the clip . Over the years the clip bit the soft meat of the aluminum heatsink leaving tiny nasty cuts.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Ready for IPA 99%.*



 



*Cleaning in progress ...*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



As the thermal pad was in great shape I decided to keep in place.

Whenever possible when I open slotted CPUs I also apply thermal pads to cool the *CACHE chips.* This is not necessary every time but I just do it for peace of mind.

In this instance the gap between the CACHE chips and the heatsink was so great that some very thick thermal pads were required.

As it happened I had the right solution for this. I used a couple of thermal pads from a busted AC Accelero Xtreme 9800 cooler. They were thick and squishy.



 



*Done!*



 

 

 

 



*Still alive and kicking. As expected I must say. * I must mention that the Delta fan is past its prime. It needs to be replaced at some point. I could service the bearings with some fresh grease but I won't do it too soon or I  could change the bearings entirely ... hmmm ... nah not right now.



 

 

 



While I used this CPU I was met with an interesting situation. When I inserted the CPU in the slot I saw that it wasn't sitting quite right. I looked closer and behold the plastic shim was bumping into a few capacitors.



 



I know that my Luckystar motherboard isn't high end but bad design choices aside this never happened to me before.

I searched the internet for stuff on the OLGA matter and *Anandtech* came to the rescue. https://www.anandtech.com/show/254/3 As I thought initially, this plastic shim wasn't meant to be installed on this CPU. *This is why you have to RTFM!*

You can clearly see that the shim was destined for OLGA CPUs which are "thinner" than the PLGA CPUs. The difference in width is clearly visible.



 

 



I had to open the CPU again and remove the shim. Without the shim the CPU entered in the slot better even if some capacitors were offended by the lack of vital space.



 



*Done and done!*





After the two easy to restore CPUs it was the time to tackle the two *Mystery CPUs*.

No matter how hard I searched for clues I couldn't find something certain. Was it so hard to mention on the PCB the frequency at which they work?

The only clues that made it possible to narrow down the possibilities were the strings present on the CPU, manufacturing year, PB number, the SL2WF TagRAM and the CACHE chips. Even with all this information I still wasn't able to find for sure the frequency at which they ran.

*Mistery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 1* - L838A041 / 21831004BF 7337 / SEC KOREA 840 KM736V604YMT-44 SBH104JE / PB 713539-001 / Compeq 9833
*Mistery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 2* - L912A340 /  TOSHIBA B23983 TC55V2377AFF-225 JAPAN 9910 MBD / PB 713539-001 / NM4 9909

After hours of searching the internet for clues I was able to narrow down the possibilities to *350MHz*. Not bad but the only moment that could clear all the doubts was the moment when I would power them up. I still had a ways to go though ...


*Mistery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 1


This vandalized CPU looked better that its brother.* Ceramic capacitors missing at C11 and C79,  bent pins on the SL2WF TagRAM chip, deep scratches that didn't look terminal . The PCB was slightly deformed near the holes where the heatplate once stood. The CPU die was slightly chipped.

I didn't take long and I started operating. I soldered new ceramic capacitors and I arranged the pins on the SL2WF TagRAM chip. One pin required soldering.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



When I counted the missing ceramic capacitors on the two CPU I just couldn't help but notice how many were *MIA*.





Damage aside I still had to address the matter of *missing coolers*.

I searched for solutions and the first one that came into my mind was to use a *Zalman ZM-80 cooler*. https://pc.zoznam.sk/cpu-intel-pentium-2-400-mhz-slot-verzia-chladene-zalman-om-zm80c-hp  I have three of these coolers but as they sit well where they are I might remove them from the package only for a setup that has dual slotted CPUs and some RDRAM lovin'  so I had to search some more.

The final solution came in the shape of a chipset cooler from *Revoltec*. It was perfect and I didn't have to perform any modifications. Of course this isn't enough for long term use but for my needs it was the right tool for the job.





*Scavenged from willing donors.*





In regard to the ceramic capacitors I must mention that I didn't have ones that have the same color as the originals. Also even if I removed a capacitor from the board I don't have a tool to read the specs so I judged by eye what was needed. *This was as good as it was going to get. 

Mystery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 1 fixed!*



 

 

 

 

 



*Mystery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 2

This CPU was in the worse shape from the lot*. Missing ceramic capacitor at C10, C11, C28, C71, C72, C77, C79 plus 4 pieces on the back. SMD tantalum capacitor missing at C51. Bent pin on the SL2WF TagRAM chip and a blow to the head that deformed the textolite on the CPU. CPU die slightly chipped. YAY! Nice! Some HARD lovin' here folks!

The 22uf 6V / KEMET 226 6K SMD tantalum capacitor missing at C51 was replaced with a SMD Panasonic EEEFP1V220AR 22uf 35V. The Panasonic is taller that the original but I don't think that this is a problem as this CPU will never have a plastic casing.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain  *** I might be insane in the brain but I treat myself with some HW hoping that I might also fix myself. 

IPA 99%!



 

 



*The moment of truth* for the two mystery CPUs soon came. Even if they required some serious work I was sure that they won't disappoint.

*Mystery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 1*



 

 

 

 



No mystery here. *350 MHz as expected*. Working flawlessly.

*Mystery Intel Pentium Slot 1 CPU 2*



 

 

 

 

 



*A real surprise. * This is a *400 MHz* CPU. NICE! Again working flawlessly.

The test system was improvised. I used a roll of toilet paper to hold the PSU and I left the fan from the 800 MHz CPU connected to the motherboard as I feared that it would otherwise freak out when it didn't detect the RPMs. I did this as the Revoltec fan only has two wires.

Later I found out that the motherboard being from the stone age couldn't care less if the cooling fan was spinning or not. Well, better safe than beep beep beep. 

As a precaution, before I powered up the CPUs I used two pieces of cardboard to protect the neighbouring components. You never know when sparks might fly. I also kept a safe distance from the PC when I powered the whole thing UP. 

Of course that something could've gone wrong but all was a calculated risk. The odds of me damaging the motherboard were small and I said let's go for it.

It seems that in the end I didn't need this roll of toilet paper made from recycled paper. 





*For those wondering about the contact between the push pins cooler and the CPU.* After you apply the TIM if you gently push and twist the cooler you can achieve a good contact with the die. During testing the CPUs didn't get very hot sign that the small Revoltec can be used for short stints. I don't recommend using it in a closed case.





If needed I already have thought about other options to cool these CPUs.

In the end I got a perfect score. 100%. Who would've thought?  *There's nothing that I can't fix as I can do it in the MIX!!!*

Saved to fight another day.  DMX - Party Up (Up In Here)



 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/zN4LB8j

*More later.*


----------



## seth1911 (Nov 21, 2020)

This thread  

Now i did look a bit, i wanna back a 775/AM2 system not so old like those here but its usable in 2020 


A former friend is still using a Q8200 in daily use


----------



## Robert B (Dec 6, 2020)

Scooter - Ti Sento 

*V1* - _short and sweet_

I wish that all of my *restoration jobs* were as easy as this but I'm pretty sure that the demon inside of me wouldn't be too happy of this. This episode will be something that doesn't resemble the regular show I perform each and every episode.  I like to be challenged and every time I think of new ways to improve my already strict restoration procedures, so, when I'm faced with a situation that is just plain smooth sailing I start to think that something is rotten in the State of Denmark. 

This *mini-episode* transported me back to my humble beginnings, over 5 years ago when I was just getting my "sea legs" in regard to the restoration of the electronic artefacts that have marked my existence. Believe it or not, just 5 years ago I started gathering these relics of times gone by. For me it doesn't matter if the components were super high-end or rock-bottom low-end. If I decide to make them mine I treat them equally and they will be made great again no matter what. 

The *3dfx cards* need no introduction and when I find them at the flea market I snatch them in a blink of an eye.

A V1 card at 1 EURO? *YES PLEASE!*

Even if this is the most common VooDoo 1 out there my heart still started pumping when I saw the 3dfx logo. 

*Back in the day* I never had such a card when it was new but I still can asses its impact.

I had an experience that might resemble installing a  V1 in a PC when the V1 was The New Kid On The Block, somewhere in '99, when, for my birthday, I ditched the ATI Rage IIC 4MB and I bought a VANTA 8MB. *A Vanta made by ACorp. The most prestigious brand in all the land! *  I played the hell out of Carmageddon on my "old" Celeron 366MHz. All the games ran smooth. I was in Heaven. (I still have the little card). *That was the first time I felt what 3D acceleration meant.* Sweet memories. The rest is history. When you get bit by this demon you want to experience the same feeling each time and that is something that gets increasingly difficult. Like a drug you have to increase the dosage.  

*But I digress.*

Meet another V1 that joins my herd of 3dfx cards.

*Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. Monster 3D PCI 3dfx VooDoo 1 4MB Rev. B - Manufactured Week 30 Year 1997

The card was in great shape.* It was missing just two 10uf 16V capacitors. The bracket had its tip bent but it was present. This isn't a common occurrence at the flea market where all that it is chromed, made from aluminum or copper is gone in a second.



 

 



I first tackled *the bracket*.



 



I prepared a suitable hammer, two pieces of thick cardboard, a slab of granite and I was good to go.





The bracket was straightened as much as possible.



 

 



In the end, to obtain a result that was close to perfect, I used a thin piece of textolite and I put the bracket through the final straightening stages.





I manually polished the bracket until it was shining.



 



The metal of the bracket was softer than that of other brackets. This was both a blessing and a curse but in the end I prevailed.





To make this card *whole again* and to maintain its originality, after I counted my options, I decided to transplant two capacitors from the dead VooDoo 5 5500 I found at the flea market some time ago. The V5 is in a sorry state. Missing the graphic chips, cut AGP connector but it still holds many components that will help other 3dfx to live just a little bit longer.





*Looking good.*





A close brush with death. Minimal damage to the pins.





*Still alive or dead an burried?*





*You can be sure that it was still alive and kicking.* Come to think of it, besides the V5 5500 I got from the flea market and the V5 5500 that is complete but it was bought with the second graphic chip busted, all my other 3dfx V1, V2, V3, V4-L, and Banshee cards are still running strong. This is VooDoo stuff let me tell you! 

After a hick-up related to drivers and my old Windows 98 SE installation that is way too tired from the dozens of drivers installed and cards tested, I found the definitive answer in regard to the state of this card. She's @ 100% !!!  Unbelievable!

Should I stick it in my first PC? Nah! My 1st PC never had such a glamorous card inside so why change something that isn't meant to be altered? I already installed 32MB of FPM SIMM instead of the original 8MB. 



 



I cleaned the card well and I gave it back the revision letter that was washed away by IPA 99%.

*B!* B from ... hmmm ... what am I looking for? ... I got it! ... *Bitchin' card!* 





*My work is DONE!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



This was the V1 short and sweet. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/4313bNs

Cya later with more awesome stuff in a forum near you! A *RED* card is on the home straight and it will presented some time soon! RED AND GOLD with a pinch of silver! Shining brighter than a Diamond In The Goat's A$$!!!





*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 8, 2020)

My latest and greatest project completed! I'm anxiously waiting for the Holidays to begin and have the free time I desire to post my $hit! 

*Rising SUN!*


----------



## cameronh779 (Dec 8, 2020)

What a beautiful thread. I was a baby when a lot of this stuff came out.


----------



## Kissamies (Dec 9, 2020)

Robert B said:


> My latest and greatest project completed! I'm anxiously waiting for the Holidays to begin and have the free time I desire to post my $hit!
> 
> *Rising SUN!*


MSI FX 5900?


----------



## Mussels (Dec 9, 2020)

Robert B said:


> For the *socket 7 build* I had a lot to chose from
> 
> Motherboards
> 
> ...




All the images attached to this post have died :O

this was a great nostalgia trip to revive, i remember slot and slocket CPU's back when i wasnt allowed to touch - so seeing em ripped open was interesting


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 9, 2020)

Chloe Price said:


> MSI FX 5900?


Looks like it.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 9, 2020)

Mussels said:


> All the images attached to this post have died :O
> 
> this was a great nostalgia trip to revive, i remember slot and slocket CPU's back when i wasnt allowed to touch - so seeing em ripped open was interesting



Some years ago postimage had the links with the .org extensions removed and they were renamed to .cc

I wanted to update the links in the thread and I spoke with a moderator but it was too difficult so nothing could be done. I just couldn't edit my old posts or the timeout to edit them expired too soon or after a few edited posts. I updated the links from the other two forums I post my stuff but I couldn't do anything on TPU.

The missing links from the first pages can be found here.  https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=48835

Yep. It is an *MSI FX 5900 AGP 8X 128MB* / *MSI GeForce FX 5900 VTD128 / MS-8929 VER:100 *which is running waaaaaaayyyy out of spec.  You'll see when I post the episode. I call it *MY OELTRA!!!* (Arnold Schwarzenegger accent).


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2020)

MIKA - Relax, Take It Easy 

*RISING SUN*

Relax, Take It Easy, *The Doc* is in the house and YOU will be made great again. Better than new! Where does it hurt?

This is how the restoring procedure underwent in regard to this emblematic graphic card. Looking at my "small" collection, this card stands out, like a superb blonde, just the kind I like. *Fire engine RED, some gold sparkle and a little bit of silver glitter.* Fireworks Inc. all the way. 

Even if in the end, this blonde turned out not to be a natural one, let me tell you, in my book, real or not *I'm still digging THIS blonde!*  

*Now that we got this out of the way let's find out how I got this drop dead gorgeous babe of a card.*

There is no secret that these last years, most of my heavy hitters came from  *the flea market of my home town*, my eternal hunting ground. In the past, *the national OLX site* has also helped me to get a few unicorns of which I can proudly enumerate:  Socket 4 motherboards and CPUs, Slot A motherboards and CPUs, Slot 1 CPUs,  Socket A motherboards, 3dfx cards, etc. Lately, the OLX site hasn't been great for me as many more people like myself keep an eye out for vintage HW and to make matters worse, the sellers have started asking stupid money for parts that have an uncertain condition not to mention value. Also I can't forget to mention my retro HW suppliers. They aren't too many but they are what you need if you are in the field or collecting PC HW.

To my surprise, on a day from the month of June, this year, on a morning, I decided to open the OLX app on my phone and make a quick search. Immediately I was greeted by a RED card that had a huge GOLDEN cooler.

*The hell is this? WOW! I NEED IT NOW!*

I quickly wrote to the seller and starting from the asking price, that was for a bunch of stuff besides this card,  I made an offer he couldn't refuse. My offer was quickly accepted and I anxiously waited for the card to arrive.

From the pictures presented in the add I saw that at least two ceramic caps were missing and also a couple of ICs near the DVI/VGA looked a little strange. 

I didn't ask if the card worked or has been tested I just put my paws on it and that was it. My gut was saying to me: *This is THE ONE!*

The card was presented to be an MSI nVIDIA Geforce FX 5900 Ultra. As to that date my collection didn't have an ULTRA card I was very happy with my decision to buy it.

*After I shook hands with the seller, I started looking at pictures and I gathered more information regarding this card. The more I searched the more confused I got and I wasn't sure if it really was an ULTRA or not.* Anyway I must underline the fact that no matter the model it would turn out to be I wasn't going to give up on it. The sticker that was supposed to be on the back of card and could've cleared the mystery, was missing.

At the end of this story you will see that  I got something that I didn't bargain for. *An OLETRA  (Arnold Schwarzenegger accent) alright.*

I like to think that I found this card on the OLX site just by pure luck, even if I know that she found me as a result of algorithms running in the background of an app, which based on my previous searches, have dumped this beauty into my welcoming arms. *So, fate made it that I found my blonde and the rest is history!*  

*Meet the MSI FX5900-VTD128 MS-8929 VER:100 / nVIDIA Geforce FX 5900 AGP 8x 128MB / GPU @400MHz, MEM @425MHz.*



 

 

 



Looking at the pictures, some of you might have already seen that this card doesn't seem to be an *ULTRA* as it has a lower GPU frequency 400MHz vs 450MHz and it has just 128MB instead of the more common 256MB,  a fact pointed by the missing memory chips on the back. There are some FX 5900 Ultra cards with 128MB but this card being an MS-8929 VER:100 doesn't fit the bill that qualifies it to be an ULTRA.

*Why did the seller advertise this card as an illusive ULTRA? Maybe it was from the way it looked or maybe he knew something that I didn't know at that point in time?* Food for thought ...

Well, regardless of what I was thinking at the time, one fact was certain. This card was nothing like I remembered from the reviews I read back in the day. *FIRE ENGINE RED, shining and making me lust for it.

So this was were I stepped in.*

First things always come first. Elementary my dear readers. The repairs are always a priority. Never power up any part that has missing components. 

A small IC, probably an inductor, as on PCB it has designated near him the letter "L", was missing a tiny black plastic cover. A second one lost the piece as soon as I touched it. From the pictures I didn't know if these inductors are still in one piece or they were missing just these tiny covers and I bought the card hoping for the best. After I got the card I was relieved that the damage was just cosmetic. *Phew I dodged a bullet there!*

Of course that I already had a fix for this predicament. One missing cover was taken from a damaged Quadro FX 1000 card, (it takes an FX to repair another FX, ) and the other was glued back.

To keep in place these tiny pieces of plastic I used tiny amounts of transparent POXIPOL. *All in all a very fiddly affair.*

I soldered the two missing ceramic caps.



 

 

 

 

 



*After I performed the repairs I looked at the card and I asked myself: Should I power you up now or should I wait for The Grand Finale?*

Hmmm ... ? NO BRAINER! *TAKE ME FOR A SPIN NOW!* She whispered to me.

I looked into my stash and I had nothing that was ready to go on a moment's notice and that was also capable of letting this card stretch its legs,  so I had to use my trusty workhorse, the PIII 800MHz Slot 1 AGP 2x PC just to see if the card was still alive and kicking.

I know, not an ideal setup and something miles away from what the card wanted. A power up that came after who knows how much time and just from a life support kind of system.

This was as good as it was going to get, so I took a deep breath and I pressed the power button.

*3 ... 2 ... 1 ... We Have Lift Off!*



 



Even from the first POST I was greeted by a clear image and in Windows I received news that made me jump for joy. I'm not going to spill the beans just yet. You must wait a little longer.

*The most important fact was that the card was @100!*



 



Drunken with success, and not to mention so early in the game, I rolled up my sleeves and I got to work.

*This card will be a stunner by the time I'm done with it! ALL OR NOTHING!*



 

 

 

 

 



The card was in great shape, with minimal blemishes, and I was quick to assess its potential. I already saw the finished "product" but at the same time I knew what it would take to get there. The restoration of *THE GOLDEN COOLER* la piece de resistance of this card will be a challenge. Une casse tete probleme!



 

 

 



I was expecting thermal pads on the video memory. Surprise! Just regular thermal paste. Hmm ... if it gets the job done ...

*Pfffft, good thing that I have a solution for this predicament. *



 

 



As soon as I removed the heatsink I was amazed to find that it was kind of light. You might've been led to believe that it was made entirely from copper but I'm pretty sure that it is just aluminium plated with copper. It is way to light to be copper. Besides you can see areas where the plating has gone south. So my blonde isn't a natural blonde at all but I don't care as I'm still head over heels in love with it!  

I wasn't put off by this small shortcoming and I was already looking for solutions for the problems of the heatsink. Without this cooler the card wasn't complete no matter what. This cooler is the heart and soul of the card. *Something must be done to restore it!*

The heatsink from the GPU has some scratches on the back. I don't know who made them but they are superficial.

The cooling fans were also kind of meh. They were full of scratches and dust build up. Being transparent doesn't help one bit. The only upside was that they were still silent and complete. No cracks, missing bits or other problems.



 



The cooler from the back of the card is attached with a thick soft thermal pad that was cleaned and reused.





Also it was in a better shape than the one from the front of the card but it still was in need of some TLC.



 

 

 





*Any disassembly procedure must be done in an orderly fashion. All the components must be accounted for and stored accordingly. I know from experience how it is not to know what goes where or what are the steps of putting back something that has been turned into bits. Some restoring procedures can have  stages that can take place days, weeks or even months apart. Also take as many pictures as you think are necessary. In more cases than not you will need them. Nothing is unimportant. Details are always relevant. Even if you are 100% sure that when you remove a screw you will remember where to put it  back you might forget or get confused by other type of screws and you will be forced to backtrack. *





What's the story with this tiny spring?





*This spring has nothing to do with this episode.*

In the *Slot 1 "trash" fresh from the gutter* episode, I was telling you that I lost this spring from a Delta AFB0512 MA fan and I couldn't find it no matter how hard I searched.  

Most probably that it got stuck to something and it came back when I cleaned this card. 

Now you see why you must be organized?

Besides being organized you also have to be calm. If you are sometimes working like a hurricane, (as I sometimes am) in more cases than not you will register some MIA components. 

*All is well that ends well.* Got my spring back. No loose ends here!

Let me take a moment to remove from the stage the little spring that photobombed my GF FX pics and get back to the task at hand.

*No matter the angle, both of you look like $hit! And this is no compliment!*





*HEAR YE, HEAR YE! NO ULTRA IN HERE!* No matter, I still have hope!  I know something that you don't!





*On your marks! Get Set! GO!*



 



Based on my previous experience I was sure that I would have to polish both of the heatsinks but I also knew that their shape will give me headaches that no painkiller can keep in check.

*A small scale test gave me hope.* This is what I am looking for!





As I really didn't want  to hand polish the damned heatsinks I searched for alternatives. I knew what I was in for and I simply refused to do it.

In the past I used vinegar to restore some copper heatsinks and I got decent results but what I wanted to do with these heatsinks couldn't be achieved just with vinegar.

*I searched the internet for solutions and I found this recipe:* Boil a cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of salt, and three cups of water in a large pot and add the copper item. Let it boil until the tarnish begins to come off, then remove the item, let it cool, polish, rinse, and dry. In the "recipe" it is stated that you must boil the object until the tarnish comes off but as I knew that the heatsinks are aluminium plated with copper I decided to keep them in the boiled solution and not boil them to kingdom come. I judged by eye the quantity of water, vinegar and salt.

Said and done. I kept the heatsinks in the solution for one hour but I think that 30 de minutes would've been enough.



 

 



*Looking good. This is way to easy. Something is not right!*





The results were a clear improvement but I still wasn't satisfied.



 



As the "recipe" stated that after "boiling" I must cover the parts with some kind of wax to preserve the new look, I did as suggested.

I used a  Carnauba Wax solution designed for cars as I didn't have anything better at the time.



 

 



The lets say final results were kind of ok.



 

 



I still wasn't satisfied with the results so I did another polishing test ... The elephant in the room said to me: He, He, you ain't out of the polishing woods yet!



 



*There's no replacement for displacement*, ops ... wrong forum,  .  When you want something be ready to do whatever it is necessary, so, in the end I had to polish by hand every millimeter of the heatsinks. *A tall order let me tell you*. There is no magic solution other than electroplating the heatsink and that's not possible at the moment.

As I was out of the metal polishing paste I usually use and I couldn't find the same brand, I bought some polishing paste used for car paints that I deemed it was up for the task and that was it.



 



*Upward and onward! Don't look back!*



 

 



The water, vinegar and salt solution helped to remove much of the black tarnish that was present on the heatsink and I wasn't sure that another try would yield better results.

To polish all the nooks and crannies of the heatsink I used all kinds of tools: credit cards wrapped in rags, cotton sticks, bamboo sticks, tooth brushes. A messy job.



 



When it became obvious that I was in *the diminishing returns territory* I put an end to the polishing and I called it a day. *This is as good as it will ever going to get.

Let's see what I got in the end.*



 

 

 

 



Not too shabby, if I may say so myself. *THIS IS HOW I remember this card!*

The bracket was also polished by hand.



 

 



I washed the card with IPA 99% and I let it dry. *Man I like this RED!*



 

 

 

 

 



After the work put in with the heatsinks *I had another mountain to climb* until I would get the maximum in regard to the cooling system of this card.

*The cooling fans.* Another piece of the puzzle.

Their transparence doesn't help one bit. Scratches are visible from a mile away and the dust make them look awful.

Because they were still silent I didn't want to take them apart but things didn't go according to plan. So,* I had another thing on my already full plate, to deal with.

No biggie. When the going gets tough you toughen the F..K UP!*





After so much polishing of the heatsinks when I looked at the cooling fans and I saw all the blemishes one thing popped in my head. What if I polish the plastics too?  I knew that there are some super fine polishing pastes for plastics but I wasn't going to search for something like this in various shops or pay some ridiculous price for them. I mean who is polishing plastic on a regular basis?

After I conducted tests with two car paint polishing pastes, I decided that I already had what I needed, so I got to work.

I hand polished just the frame of the front fan and the cover of the back fan. The propeller and the body of the fans have been cleaned with hot water and dish soap or  IPA 99%.

*Uncharted territory. * I didn't know if this operation will make things worse or better but I was ready to give it a go. What have I got to lose? Nothing! Instead I have everything to gain.

Let's go go go!





*The first stage of fine polishing.* I was gentle when I polished the plastic and I was careful not to apply too much pressure. Also I didn't insist too much on one area. In a way this operation was like a superficial mechanical peeling.

I used microfiber cloths and cotton sticks. After polishing, the excess paste was removed with a soft cloth. This operation has been repeated as much as necessary.



 

 



*I WANT MORE!*



 



As expected, I was aware that I couldn't remove all of the deep scratches and at the same time I was aware that I will induce more fine scratches via the polishing stage.

These surfaces will never be like new but I was sure that I can make things better. *When you believe in something, just do it, don't ask for permission!* 

*Totally worth it!*





Fresh light grease and a drop of oil. New 0.2 mm double sided tape for the sticker and *MY JOB IS COMPLETED!!!*



 

 

 

 

 



*Without bragging I'm a friggin' WIZARD!!! * 



 

 

 



I also polished the cover of the back fan. Again, I got good results.



 



I couldn't take apart the fan from the back without damaging it so I was forced to perform a "a peephole" cleaning with IPA 99% and cotton sticks. This was an easy task as the fan is small and has blades that have a simple design.



 

 

 

 

 



The screws that keep in place the cover were a little rusty so I hand polished them too. Man! This job has involved a lot of touching. 



 



Told you I'm a friggin' wizard! 





After so much work I finally was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and  *restoring this gem didn't seem just a pipe dream anymore.*

The push pins are an exotic model. The spring is already compressed and it stretches only when it is inserted into the tiny black tube that has an inside collar onto which the spring rests. Better not to loose these bespoke babies!



 



*Shazzam!* *Just the way I remember it!*





I conducted an inspection of the PCB and I wanted to finish cleaning it.



 

 

 

 

 



The PCB was looking well but a trained eye can spot *all kinds of spots and shadows*. These were very hard to remove and sometimes impossible as there are many small components that get in the way and you simply can't get between them.

You know what came next. *Good Ol' hot water and Fairy dish soap.*





*More IPA 99% and hanged to dry.*





*Final results* after more fine detailing with cotton sticks and IPA 99%.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Warriors of the night, ASSEMBLE!* ... ahem wrong game!  

Some assemblies required.





As the thermal pad from the back of the card, had deep indentations and I feared that at some point the big ceramic caps might make contact with the heatsink I decided to add a layer of *0.5 mm Arctic thermal pad* just for peace of mind.

The added thickness of 0.5 mm is negligible and I had zero difficulties attaching the push pins.

The original thermal pad was placed into the same exact position it came.



 

 



I applied a thin layer of *Arctic MX-4*. The good stuff!





After I cleaned to perfection the PCB, applying thermal paste on the memory chips seemed like sacrilege.

For a short time I wanted to make some custom thermal pads by thinning the 0.5 mm Arctic thermal pad but soon I dismissed the idea as the probability of them to affect the contact of the heatsink with the GPU was too great.

If the card came from factory with thermal paste that is what I also used.

I had no idea if the amount of thermal paste I applied on the memory chips was enough and I didn't want to do a trial run. This would've been quite a messy proposition. I did my best and hoped for success.

The card was @ 99.99%. Why 99.99%? The card was still missing something. A tiny plastic clip to keep in place the wires of the two cooling fans.

The solution presented itself in the form of a repurposed push pin.





After I finished restoring the card and I put it in a box I had an unexpected surprise.

I managed to recover my old PC with an Athlon XP 2800+ CPU and an Abit NF7-S V2.0 motherboard. Now I had the machine to really test this card. This PC will be presented in another episode.

*The stars were aligned and I felt a great satisfaction.* It took a while to get here but it was worth it!

I kept my composure and I removed the Segotep junk and I fitted some ENERMAX power inside. I really didn't want to fry something. I'm amazed that my PC ran for 7 years with that firecracker.





*Some preliminary glamour shots.* I judged correctly the amount of TIM that was needed on the memory chips and I registered no spillage. Lucky me!



 

 

 

 



*In the PC you go and let's find out what's all the hubbub with the ULTRA naming scheme.

A tight fit!* In more ways than one. Memory slots, motherboard capacitors and other neighbouring components. LIKE A GLOVE!



 

 

 



*RISING SUN!*





*Camera! Lights! Action!*





 

 

 



Now you will find out why this card is *an illusive ULTRA*.

Back in the day it was common to overclock FX 5900 cards to FX 5900 ULTRA levels because the difference between was minimal. The video memory size aside, 128MB vs 256MB, as there are FX 5900 ULTRA cards with 128MB or 256MB, which ran at 425MHz, the only difference was that of the frequency at which the GPU ran. A 50MHz difference, 400MHz vs 450MHz. 50 MHz might seem insignificant but at that time these were cutting edge components and squeezing out more from them wasn't so easy. In practice though these 50MHz weren't something unattainable.

The video memory chips are *HY5DU28322 AF-22*, rated for 450MHz. This card was begging to be OC'ed. https://datasheetspdf.com/pdf-file/909306/HynixSemiconductor/HY5DU283222BF/1

Taking into account the fact presented above you can assess the impact this screenshot had on me when the card was identified as a *GEFORCE FX 5950 ULTRA* running at *475MHz GPU and 475MHz MEM.* That is quite a speed increase. And all of this using the stock cooling! Whoever had this card knew what he was doing.  I say RESPECT for him! 





*EPIC STUFF!!!*

Initially I thought that there is  a problem with the drivers but no matter what I tried I still got FX 5950 ULTRA.

I started digging deeper into the Internet and I found out about modified BIOS files that can turn FX 5900 cards into FX 5950 ULTRA cards. This wasn't something recommended to everybody and not many cards could sustain the speed increase.

*So, this card is in a way some kind of a unicorn. * I wonder if I can clock it higher? 

*From FX 5900 ULTRA to FX 5900 and then to FX 5950 ULTRA.* Who would've thought..

A GPU-Z screen shoot means nothing without a thorough test.

*Said and done.*



 



Now you understand why I like blondes. They sure have more fun! 

A maximum GPU temperature of 58C and a maximum PCB temperature of 41C at a room temperature of around 20C, with a healthy overclock, stock cooling, even if we are talking of a test with an open case, it is something out of the ordinary. Maximum fan speed of 27%? My work is done! (Drops the mic and walks away.)

The card is very silent. WIN all around!

*Feeling Christmassy.*





*Awesome card is awesome.*



 

 

 

 



The story of the *RISING SUN* is the story of how I got my first *ULTRA* card. Sure, some might not agree with my opinion, given the memory size difference and the fact that this card isn't a pure ULTRA but I don't care. If it looks like an ULTRA, runs like an ULTRA therefore it must be an ULTRA. 

I consider this card an *OLETRA* through and through.  If you pause and think about the fact that there aren't so many FX cards still running in the wild not to mention the fact that it runs way above specs, you should be able to appreciate the value of this card. If not, then we agree to disagree.

Looking back at the moment when this retro HW adventure has started, back in February 2015 and looking at what I was able to save and restore, without any hint of bragging , I can say that I feel a great satisfaction. Also I am aware from where I have started, where I am and where I want to go. For now I enjoy the present.

I must mention that my satisfaction would not have been the same if I would not have been able to tell you about my adventures.

*Thank You TPU and Thank You readers of this forum regardless if you are registered users or just guests. *

I wish you Happy Holidays and I hope that I'll be able to post another episode before or close after The New Year.

The RISING SUN bombshell will be hard to topple though. Regardless, what will always remain constant are the attention to detail and the passion taken to the extreme.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Znf2H9S

 Ahmet KILIC - Deephouse (summer mix 2) 

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 27, 2020)

Robert B said:


> I wonder if I can clock it higher?


I wouldn't push it. That series of 5900 Ultra cards were generally pushed to their limits. It's badass as is!


----------



## Mr.Scott (Dec 27, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> I wouldn't push it. That series of 5900 Ultra cards were generally pushed to their limits. It's badass as is!


Eh.......mine go 550/500 on stock cooling.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 27, 2020)

Mr.Scott said:


> Eh.......mine go 550/500 on stock cooling.


While that's fair, the heatsink combo on this particular card likely couldn't handle the extra heat.. Now put on a Zalman Cooler and ok, hell yeah!


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2020)

Mr.Scott said:


> Eh.......mine go 550/500 on stock cooling.



Your cards need no introduction Mr. Scott!  I know that you have a lot of heavy hitters. 



lexluthermiester said:


> While that's fair, the heatsink combo on this particular card likely couldn't handle the extra heat.. Now put on a Zalman Cooler and ok, hell yeah!



I have three Zalman coolers that fit the bill and an Arctic Cooling one. The thing is I'm going to keep the card as is. It will be used only on special occasions.


----------



## phill (Dec 27, 2020)

Your posts never cease to amaze me @Robert B .....   Absolutely outstanding


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2020)

Thanks phill! 

I try to do my best each time but in a way I think that these parts find me and let me tell their story.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2020)

Fresh MEAT!!! 

Status unknown! Flea market loot! 

They need repairs but I can do it! If they are still alive and kicking it will be a good haul! If not, at least I tried.


----------



## INSTG8R (Dec 27, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Fresh MEAT!!!
> 
> Status unknown! Flea market loot!
> 
> They need repairs but I can do it! If they are still alive and kicking it will be a good haul! If not, at least I tried.


Not bad, solid caps is a good sign but my old brain can ID them?


----------



## biffzinker (Dec 27, 2020)

INSTG8R said:


> but my old brain can ID them?


OEM 9800/Pro?


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2020)

Yep 9800 PRO 128MB  - they need 3x 2.2 FALCO Inductors and one 180uf 16V cap. I have three dead 9800 PRO cards that will more than gladly provide them 

The ATI cards in my collection have a very very very low percentage and a I want to change that. These monsters of times gone by need to have their time in the spotlight too!


----------



## INSTG8R (Dec 27, 2020)

biffzinker said:


> OEM 9800/Pro?





Robert B said:


> Yep 9800 PRO 128MB  - they need 3x 2.2 FALCO Inductors and one 180uf 16V cap. I have three dead 9800 PRO card that will more than gladly provide them


Aww it’s shame the old site archives are gone I was the Pro to XT guru back then. The BIOS might still be in the database if you wanted to flash one to XT. But then the OEMs weren’t great candidates if I recall.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 27, 2020)

I feel you my brother. Time is a cruel mistress. A while back I needed some pics of an ATI 9800 PRO with 256MB and it was a PITA to find them.

For sure I won't flash them to XT as these cards are quite sensible. I mean I might've done it back in the day but today it will be a miracle if they work. Finding working ATI cards in my country has proven an uphill battle.

I'll archive the BIOS file if I'll find it just to be sure that I have it.  You never know when you might need it.


----------



## INSTG8R (Dec 27, 2020)

Robert B said:


> I feel you my brother. Time is a cruel mistress. A while back I needed some pics of an ATI 9800 PRO with 256MB and it was a PITA to find them.
> 
> For sure I won't flash them to XT as these cards are quite sensible. I mean I might've done it back in the day but today it will be a miracle if they work. Finding working ATI cards in my country has proven an uphill battle.
> 
> I'll archive the BIOS file if I'll find it just to be sure that I have it.  You never know when you might need it.


Indeed such mighty beasts of their time I would love for you to get a live one.


----------



## Mr.Scott (Dec 27, 2020)

Robert B said:


> A while back I needed some pics of an ATI 9800 PRO with 256MB and it was a PITA to find them.


Wish I would have known that. I have one.


----------



## INSTG8R (Dec 28, 2020)

Mr.Scott said:


> Wish I would have known that. I have one.


You sir are a lucky man. I know mine was probably passed along to someone needing better hardware as I upgraded my own. So many great cards, boards and CPU given away(and was happy to do)But there's definitely some you miss


----------



## Robert B (Dec 28, 2020)

Mr.Scott said:


> Wish I would have known that. I have one.



Next time, when I'm going to need something like that you can be sure that I'll contact you Mr. Scott. Thanks.

Next episode will be dedicated to an ATI card which is firing on all its cylinders!!! Yep, it seems that the end of this year is ATI all around.


----------



## phill (Dec 28, 2020)

Robert B said:


> Next time, when I'm going to need something like that you can be sure that I'll contact you Mr. Scott. Thanks.
> 
> Next episode will be dedicated to an ATI card which is firing on all its cylinders!!! Yep, it seems that the end of this year is ATI all around.


And you've found one that's not dead as well, impressed to say the least!!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 14, 2021)

SNAP! - Colour of Love 

*ATI 9700! Life in the FAST LANE!*

*It seems that the time to tackle the cards from the red camp has finally arrived.* As you know by now, I'm a complete nVIDIOT but that doesn't mean that I'm also an a$$ and I can't appreciate the value of legendary cards that have other color than green. Green with envy should summize my reaction when I saw the reds delivering and a$$ whopping to the greens. *ATI 9700 the meanest, baddest card on the block! Good Ol' 2002!* https://www.anandtech.com/show/947

In case that you have forgotten, I must remind you that the only ATI card that I ever used was a mighty ATI Rage II C AGP with 4MB, back in '99. That magnificent card made not want an ATI graphic card for the next 20+ years. *This is what happens when you are broke and your first 3D experience isn't quite what you were expecting!*

The 366 Celeron came as a package deal with the ATI Rage II C and a 5400 rpm HDD. Yep. No money = NO FUN!

A year later I managed to buy a VANTA 8MB and boy was I impressed. No more ATI for me no matter what!

I know I was and I still am biased but at least you know my color! 

*But I digress.*

For a few years I have been telling you about the difficulties I encountered when I tried to find a functional ATI 9700/PRO or 9800/PRO card.

Failure after failure with cards bought from the flea market that time and time again proved to be dead and buried.

Eventually, a moderator from a forum from my country where all this project has started back in 2015, contacted me and said that he wanted to send me a fully functional ATI 9700! 

*GOOD TIMES!!!*

For the cost of shipping I soon held in my hands *a red card* which by all means was supposed to end my bad luck with ATI cards. *A 20+ year redemption!

Such unassuming looks!*



 



*Remember!* Strong essences are kept in small bottles!

The ATI 9700 was in excellent condition given its age and  for someone accustomed with "wrecks" from the flea market, a card that had no signs of damage and only had to be restored was *a breath of fresh air.* Is this all that I have to do? LOL! Bring it ON

When you are in the trenches and you must decide who gets to live or not, you are focused on what you can see before your eyes. *My visits to the flea market have become a mission to save everything that I consider it has a chance to catch another sunrise.* 

One more piece. One more card. One more motherboard. One more ... I know I have a problem but I treat my self with a component at a time. 

The *ATI Radeon 9700 128MB AGP / PN 109-94200-01 / P/N 1029421902 0001 * came a little dirty, with a a still silent fan, all in all it was a perfect candidate for the operation I was going to perform on it.

Be gentle she whispered to me. Have no fear, only soft pillows and silk gloves for you! 



 

 

 

 



As soon as I got the card only one thought came into my mind. What if this card is also dead?

*There's only one thing to do! POWER IT UP!*





Vital signs?

*Still all out of gum and kicking A$$!!!*



 

 

 

 



The PIII 800MHz with AGP 2x and Win 98 SE wasn't what she would've wanted but I got the information I needed. It was in perfect working condition. A working ATI 9700? WOW! They do exist! Who would've thought?

As you've come to expect, *I was going to leave no heatsink unturned* and even before I got the card I wanted to change the TIM.

After I read a lot on the internet, I was expecting to find a thick yellow thermal pad, which was supposed to need some work if I was about to remove the heatsink from the die of the graphic chip.

I was quite surprised when I laid my eyes on this.



 

 



Well. *It seems I wasn't the first one to get here.* Hmmm ... less work for me.

Expecting smooth sailing I wasn't prepared for the amount of work that was required to remove the nasty yellow stuff.

*Acetone.*





Pieces from a credit card, used with great attention.





Acetone and more acetone to remove yet another fine layer of the yellow trash.





SPA with IPA 99% for good measure.





Even so I had to use stronger tools to get what I wanted.

Bamboo stick anyone? Carefully though! Any damage sustained in this stage =  THE END!





Cotton sticks? HAHAHHAAHhaHAHHAH! Pathetic!





Well, there no replacement for the right tool for the job!





Many tense minutes. Scratch, scratch, ... I can see the LIGHT!!! NOT! 

*Almost there.*





The reward was equal to the effort put it.





Just a little bit more.





*More fine tuning. *





Fallen soldiers.





*Totally worth it!*



 

 



After I removed the yellow stuff *the cooling fan* came next.

It was covered with dirt and dust but it still spun smoothly.



 



The bracket also needed some TLC. I got this in spades! Have no fear!





I tried to clean the fan without taking it apart but the results weren't up to my standards so you know what came next.



 

 



*Got water? Of course! Got Fairy Lemon? YOU BET!*

Because no matter how many cottons sticks dipped in IPA 99% I used, I wasn't able to get rid of the dirt from the fan, I decided to wash the whole thing with hot tap water and Fairy Lemon dish soap. YES! You read that correctly! WATER!





I was very careful when I washed the motor not to damage the wires from the winding. They are very thin and fragile. In the end I got what I was looking for.

*Flawless!*





*Some lube. Fresh 0.2 mm double sided tape for the sticker and PRESTO! Better than new!*



 

 



Before I started restoring the  ATI 9700, I was informed that on the ATI 9700/PRO cards, a thicker thermal pad was used and once this pad was removed, it was possible that the heatsink will not make good contact with the die of the graphic chip and I must remove the shim around the GPU to fix this. This fact is well documented on the internet. Many enthusiasts removed the shim to get better temps or solve instabilities dues to the high temperatures registered in full load. Believe it or not, the ATI 9700 hasn't got a GPU temperature monitoring sensor and you can read the temperature using software.

I wasn't too enthused by the prospect of removing the shim but I would've done it in the blink of an eye if it would've been necessary.

In the case of the ATI 9700 I got, I didn't had to remove the shim and this fact became obvious since I removed the heatsink. The thermal paste spread was good.

Even so, for peace of mind I also conducted an experiment of my own. 

I put some fresh thermal paste, a little too much, and I pressed the heatsink with my hands against the die. Then, I verified if I would get a light slit between the heatsink and the GPU.





*We got light! Ship it!*

Fit for the job! Less paste next time and the heat will solve the rest. MX-4! I love this stuff!



 



To clean the PCB I used hot tap water and Fairy Lemon dish soap.





Next came a few  IPA 99% cleaning stages and a lot of patience.



 

 



The final results were exactly what I was expecting.



 

 

 

 

 



Metal, metal, precious metal.





*Better than new*





Once my work was done I got the urge to test the card one more time.

*What if I f..ked up something?!*

I plugged it in my Abit NF7-S / AXP 2800+ PC and I pressed the POWER button.





Tense moments have passed ...

*ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL!*



 

 



This is how I got my fully working ATI 9700! 

*Meet the shiny beast!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Such a nice card. So understated and yet so powerful. I must say that I really love this RED card.*

After I got this card, as if *the skies have cleared*, I also found two *ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 128MB* beauties and a mighty *ATI Radeon HD 5870 E6* which patiently wait form me to tell their story. I hope that all of them are still alive and kicking but no matter the outcome I must say that I love "working" with these cards. They bring back so many memories ... getting older sux BIG TIME!!!

It seems that the beginning of this year will be RED but I'm not complaining at all.

Cya soon with more awesome stuff! (Weather, ahem time, permitting)

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1Xdq8QS

*More later.*


----------



## biffzinker (Jan 14, 2021)

Oh hey, you finally got a working R300 card. I remember cleaning that yellow stuff off the GPU die, and trying not kill the card. I think it was toothpicks I used to push, and scrape it off the sides on the die.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 14, 2021)

Yep! A working R300!!!  YAY!!!


----------



## biffzinker (Jan 14, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Yep! A working R300!!!  YAY!!!


If only I still had my 9700, the Athlon XP, Abit NF7-S, and Corsair DDR400.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 15, 2021)

I took the fan off mine and affixed a low-profile 80mm fan to keep the card cool. I did that to A LOT of video cards BITD because those puny little fans were never enough, always making horrendous noise and then dying. Quality 70mm or 80mm fans always did the trick. But I digress...


----------



## Robert B (Jan 15, 2021)

Have no worries. This ATI 9700 will see little to no use. If I'll decide to put her through her paces I'll mount a beefier cooling solution. A Zalman VF700 or an Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer. 

Also I'll remove the shim if necessary. 

But from where I'm standing it is good to have an all original ATI 9700. Heck, I consider this puppy on the same level as my 3dfx stuff. A working ATI 9700/9800 is something rarer than hen's teeth where I live.


----------



## Arcdar (Jan 15, 2021)

Really nice, I know that feeling. I still have some treasures I won't use the way you do but also not give away from my early times  …. one is a 80486 intel with 60mhz turbo boost  … one is the Cyrix 6x86MX PR233 188MHz you have lying around as well as the Celleron366 

but my greatest treassure, which actually still works is happily packed upstairs on the attick - my Diamond Monster Vodoo2 with 12!!!! Mb of GFX-Memory  .... god, I still remember getting this one around half a year before the release of HalfLife and being able to play that one on release in 1200x1024 resolution ..... memories


----------



## micropage7 (Jan 15, 2021)

Robert B said:


> SNAP! - Colour of Love
> 
> *ATI 9700! Life in the FAST LANE!*
> 
> ...


sometimes i just use needle, never use bamboo before, maybe i'm gonna try it in the future


----------



## Robert B (Jan 23, 2021)

Sander van Doorn vs Robbie Williams - Close My Eyes

*Open for business *

Believe it or not, you learn something new every day. I thought that *AOpen* was and still is a distinct company so when I found this on the Internet I was a little surprised: _ "AOpen used to be the Open System Business Unit of Acer Computer Inc. which designed, manufactured and sold computer components. It was incorporated in December 1996 as a subsidiary of Acer Group with an initial public offering (IPO) at the Taiwan stock exchange in August 2002. It is also the first subsidiary which established the entrepreneurship paradigm in the pan-Acer Group. Currently, AOpen is a subsidiary of Wistron Group, a spin-off of the Acer Group."_ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOpen

Acer and awesome components in one sentence? Don't get me wrong. I got nothing against Acer, I even own many laptops made by them and I have a good opinion about this company. The fact is I just wasn't expecting that a brand that is sacred to me, of which I read religiously in the PC magazines back in the day, to have ties with Acer. Truth be told I also never searched for information about Acer.

Now that we got this out of the way,  if it is still the case, I must underline that I absolutely love *AOpen* stuff. They have to me a certain je ne sais quois. They attract me and they speak my language.

In September 2020 I found at the flea market a motherboard that me made think about the delicious Lindt swiss milk chocolate. I love milk chocolate since childhood.  I eat it anytime, anywhere. Don't get me started about hazelnuts ...  Have no fear, I'm still in great shape at 1.83m, 74 kg and 41 years old. Come to think of it on February 26th I'll celebrate 6 years since I started with great enthuziasm on the path of HW restoring. Getting older sux in more ways than one! 

I found the AOpen motherboard in a state that would've made other people to turn away. A veteran like me wasn't put off by the sad looking image and like many times in the past * I got the last laugh in the end.* With experience comes confidence and you know what can be saved and what is gone into the great void beyond.

*Man I love going to the flea market and travel back in time. *





The exact model of the motherboard is: *AOpen AK73 Pro(A) Socket-A KT133A / AK73-1394 A / AK73 PRO(A) *. A wonderful KT 133A motherboard.

I found it tossed in a big bag together with other parts. It still had its cooler and underneath it I could see something ceramic. NICE!

Even if it had three damaged electrolytic capacitors when I laid my eyes on the AOpen lettering my eyes popped out. *ME WANT! ME NEED! ME ACQUIRE!* 

The seller, a regular at the flea market , even if he doesn't now what he sells, has enough intuition to detect the interest of someone who happens to casually ask in an absent manner: *How much is this piece of "junk"?*, immediately started pulling from the heatsink, without unhooking the clamp, to see if there is something pink under it.

All this time, completely frozen, I  looked in slow motion how he twists back-and-forth the heatsink and could feel the edges of the CPU die starting to fray .

*NooooOOOOO!!! * The fraction of the second from when I saw him yanking the cooler and the moment I started telling him to stop and that I'll buy the whole kit ceramic CPU and all, *felt like an eternity*.

*Too late.* What's done is done. The cooling fan had two broken blades so the kit already took one for the country, the added perversions bestowed on the meager ceramic CPU didn't make any difference if at all.

#$*@$)&@$@^$&@%%@!(*#^!&*~!!!!!!! Damn hooligans!

Ever since I saw the motherboard I was thinking about an *Athlon 1GHz CPU* on a *200MHz bus* and I said to myself that more water will flow down the Danube until I'll find one.

*Be careful what you wish for it might just come true!* I wish for a V5 6K? cough, cough,  ... fat chance.

When I got to my car, I used a screwdriver and with surgical precision I removed the clamp from the heatsink.





Carnage! Carnage and even more carnage!

*F..K!!! A 1GHz/200MHz Athlon!? A1000AMT3B F..K! F..K!! F......K!!!*

Wait a minute! I feel the energon still pumping inside! It must still be alive!

*I took a deep breath and I said to myself that all will be alright in the end.*

I gently touched the motherboard and I said to her: you're safe. Welcome to my humble laboratory where amazing things happen and *pigs DO FLY*!!! 

*I'm ready and willing to do my best!*





The motherboard was quite filthy and I already knew that using only IPA 99% will not be enough.



 



The three electrolytic capacitors that I mentioned earlier aren't visible because I put them back into position just for taking pictures. Don't worry, I never work with half measures. All IN or all OUT! They have been replaced.



 

 

 



Due to the flea market treatment which mainly involves soft cushions and silk gloves, the board has a lot of scratches on the back but none of them are terminal. Surprisingly, the ceramic caps underneath the NB *are sitting fine and dandy.* Phew! NICE! Die Hard mobo!



 



Before I started restoring the motherboard I did what must be done and I replaced the damaged capacitors. A Rubycon YXG 2200uf/6.3V was replaced with a Panasonic FR 2200uf/10V. A GL 10uf/25V was replaced with a Panasonic FR de 10uf/50V. A Lelon RXA 680uf/16V was replaced with an AISHI RZ 680V/16V. In the case of the last cap I didn't have one with a pedigree but a working cap is way better than a dead one.





*When in doubt hose it down!* Even if in the picture the water jet seems too strong let me tell you that in fact it was not. 





After the wash one paper label went MIA but it was no loss really. In exchange I got a silkscreened string logo *AK73 Pro(A)* which is way better than the cryptic barcode.

After the wash I dried the board as long as necessary. Slow drying in action.



 



I cleaned the CPU a little and I was able to better asses the damage. If this CPU still works I'll be both grateful and amazed, I said to myself.



 



*Ready! Get set! GO!*





Some PC133 goodness.





As expected, the temperamental and at the same funky RAM kit, of 2x256MB PC133, which only worked well on my Abit KT7, showed some fits and just 256MB were recognized.



 

 

 



*Even if the board posted the good news was another.* The 1GHz Athlon was still alive and kicking. The satisfaction I felt is hard to describe with just words. Wave after wave of adrenaline took over me and I started making all kinds of moves with my hands up in the air. YES! YES!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

I tried another kit of RAM. A PC150, 2x128MB kit and this moment was one taken straight from the X-Files.

I inserted the RAM sticks. I powered up the motherboard and I got no beeps.

A few moments have passed and I heard something like a hissing noise, the kind you hear when some electronic components get damaged. For sure the CPU is bye bye I said to myself...

What the F..K?

I approached the motherboard and I tried to identify the area that made that noise.

I smelled the board and I was expecting to feel the good ol' burned stuff smell. Barbecue anyone?

Eventually I directed my ear towards the little PC speaker I mounted on the board. The tiny one not the big kid like that from the 486 PCs.

I restarted the motherboard and I finally found the source of the strange noise.

A gentle feminine voice was informing me via the PC Speaker that: *"The memory may have a problem!" *

WOW! This is something new! My jaw dropped on the floor ...

This is why the kit wasn't posting! The RAM beep code was replaced by the nice lady telling me to take out that PC150 crap and give her some love. Damn!

Wanting to solve the memory issues, ONCE AND FOR ALL, I prepared three sticks of 512MB PC133 RAM and I was ready for another round. *1.5GB of PC133 FTW!*





Did it work? He he!





Clean bill of health.





Some AOpen motherboards had an option called *Die Hard BIOS*. In essence this option involves two separate BIOS chips and you can switch between them, when needed, via a jumper.





The board has a soldered *SST 39SF020A chip.* Because I didn't have another SST chip and because after I consulted the spec sheets I arrived to the conclusion that they are  pin compatible, I mounted in the free PLCC socket a *Winbond W29C020CP90B chip*.

*A Die Hard mobo requires a Die Hard BIOS don't you think?*

The SST chips has a R1.13 BIOS and the Winbond a R1.20 BIOS. I switched between the chips via the *JP30 Die Hard BIOS Select Jumper* and all was ok.

More testing. More good news.





*@100%!*

The last stage was dedicated to cleaning the board. IPA 99%.





*WET!*





Looking good!



 



After a few careful cleaning passes I got the following results.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Unfortunately some scars and stains could not be removed. In the future I might use some lacquer to cover some of them but at the moment this isn't a priority. The good news is that these blemishes do not change the fact that this board is *a great one*! Remember, they don't make'em anymore!



 

 



*The Die Hard 1GHz CPU.*



 



After my work was done I held in my hands the motherboard and I just stared at it for a few minutes.

*A DIE HARD KIT for the ages!*



 

 

 

 



I'm sure that some of you think about Sk.A as something common that still hasn't won its rightful place like many other exotic parts, but for some, including me, which used them for many years(I had 3 PCs with Sk.A CPUs), these kits have started to become irresistible. *Get them while they last!*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/Sykvzzk

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 28, 2021)

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Main Title 

*5GB.* It seems that the flea market visits of the last 6 years weren't for nothing. 

*I'm waiting for something special* to arrive. I'll post a few pics and hints after I get the stuff and I want you to identify the exact model otherwise I won't tell you the story. 



 

 

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 28, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Star Trek: The Next Generation - Main Title
> 
> *5GB.* It seems that the flea market visits of the last 6 years weren't for nothing.
> 
> ...


WOW! That a lot of RDRAM!


----------



## s3thra (Jan 29, 2021)

Robert B said:


> immediately started pulling from the heatsink, without unhooking the clamp, to see if there is something pink under it.


I just died inside reading this. Ugh!

Glad it didn't kill the chip though. Well done one the cleanup job. Looks fantastic.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 29, 2021)

@lexluthermiester - truth be told I wasn't hunting for RDRAM. That amount is what happened to be available when I went to the flea market. Today I received 1GB more with the special stuff I was talking previously. So I'm the proud owner of 6GB of RDRAM mostly 128MB, 256MB and 512MB sticks PC-600/PC-800/PC-1066.

@s3thra - I'm also glad for the outcome, especially for the chocolate brown motherboard and most importantly for that CPU that still is OK!  The whole affair was a rollercoaster ride and what I put into words it is exactly what it happened. Also I tried to put as much of the emotions I felt while I worked with the parts as possible. 

This evening I'll post the first hint of the special delivery I got today. You, my readers are tasked to identify the mystery item/s. 

More later.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 29, 2021)

*Hint No. 1* - What could possibly be?

We already know that is uses RAMBUS memory.

I'll post a hint a day until the exact model will be identified.  This baby is something special to get me so hyped.


----------



## dorsetknob (Jan 29, 2021)

probably a s462 willamite board inc early P4 cpu 
they were restricted to rdimm unlike the later s478


----------



## Robert B (Jan 29, 2021)

It was used in Workstations from a very reputable company. It predates the P4.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 30, 2021)

Robert B said:


> *Hint No. 1* - What could possibly be?
> 
> We already know that is uses RAMBUS memory.
> 
> I'll post a hint a day until the exact model will be identified.  This baby is something special to get me so hyped.


Dual Socket 360 370 board with the 820 chipset. Pentium 4 is too easy, but what a lot of people don't know is that for a short time Intel made the 820 chipset for Coppermine & Tualatin core Pentium 3's. Support for up to 2GB of RDRAM(4x512MB). I had one for a short time.

This is my guess...


----------



## Robert B (Jan 30, 2021)

Pretty close but still not what I have. 

It is a dual CPU board but not the 820.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 30, 2021)

Robert B said:


> It is a dual CPU board but not the 820.


i820E or i840 then? Dual socket can't be Pentium 4.


----------



## Robert B (Jan 30, 2021)

i840


----------



## Robert B (Jan 30, 2021)

Dumitru Farcas - Doina 

This day will forever remain in my memory. My hands are still shaking. As soon as I identify all the cards that I got today I'll upload pics and detailed specs.

*Legendary Flea Market loot. *The stuff of dreams. I never thought that I'll find such loot there!

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 30, 2021)

Here's the *LOOT!* I'll post better pictures and I'll present the full specs at a later date.

*Now I need a couple of beers to celebrate!*


Albatron GeForce FX 5700 Ultra
Abit Siluro GF4 Ti4200 OTES
Intel 752 Reference Board
WinFast PX6800 Ultra
Imagination Technologies Videologic Vivid! 32MB KYRO
VideoLogic Vivid! XS 32MB KYRO II
Hercules Terminator BEAST Supercharged S3 Savage 3D
AMD K7 Slot A - AMD-K7800MPR52B A
AMD K7 Slot A - AMD-A0700MPR24B A
AMD K7 Slot A - AMD-K7800MPR52B A
AMD K7 Slot A - AMD-K7700MTR51B A
Intel Celeron 266MHz 266/66 Q525 ES A4 - Intel Confidential Engineering Sample
Powerleap PL-IP3/T PL-IP3T Slot 1 to 370 Slocket Adapter Converter Card + Pentium III 1GHz 1000/256/133



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



There was so much stuff but I couldn't buy everything that I wanted.

Anyway, I'll always remember the white van that brought this treasure to our flea market. 

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Jan 30, 2021)

As the cat is already out of the bag on the other forums where I post, the i840 motherboard is an IBM IntelliStation M Pro (Type 6868) Intel OR840 motherboard.

... or should I say that there are two of them with all the bells and whistles 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/4sBnvhq


----------



## biffzinker (Jan 30, 2021)

Dual Slot 2 Xeon (Pentium III)?


----------



## Robert B (Jan 30, 2021)

Yes SIR!!!  Ever since I saw one I wanted one. I never believed that I'll find one in my country let alone 2!

It uses regular Pentium III Slot 1 - 133MHz bus CPUs. 100MHz bus CPUs also work as I've seen on the Internet. You can also mount modded slotkets with Tualatin CPUs.

Check this out: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=53839


----------



## Kissamies (Jan 31, 2021)

Robert B said:


> As the cat is already out of the bag on the other forums where I post, the i840 motherboard is an IBM IntelliStation M Pro (Type 6868) Intel OR840 motherboard.
> 
> ... or should I say that there are two of them with all the bells and whistles
> 
> ...


GF2 MX with DVI? Gimme!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 31, 2021)

That was unexpected for me too.


----------



## l0ngts4r (Feb 1, 2021)

Amazing thread - only read the first page yet, but I feel a kinship :-D Sadly my wife is trying hard to get rid all of my prized items, but still have a few boxes of old cpus, memory sticks, mobos and graphics cards stashed away. Was thinking for some time to breathe life into the agp system I have "procured" a few weeks back, and your thread just made me remember the good ol' days.

When I finally got my Voodoo3 2000 in 2002! And when it artefacted all over in Max Payne, and my friend showed the rusty door blowing up bullet time scene in the tunnel on his shiny, awesome, Geforce 2 Ti card.. I have played Imperium Galactica on my 5x86 at nights until it got morning and was time to go to school. I was the happy owner of a i740 once, which was a tremendous failure from Intel, nevertheless it played Homeworld fairly well. Or it didn't, cannot really remember all the hardware I had, but I remember playing Hexxen on a S3Trio64V2 - still have that card around.

From now on your thread will be my "coffee morning read"


----------



## Robert B (Feb 17, 2021)

*Unlikely survivors!* aka *The story of two GeForce 3 Ti 200 128MB cards*

Last year, on the 6th of June, I found at the flea market, dumped into a dirty bag, *two cards that looked to be something out of the ordinary.* These apparitions are something uncommon at "the dump" of the city,  as I've seen them there just a few times over the span of more than five years. Even now I remember the blue Prophet that has been restored up the the last nut and bolt. Good times!

So, what are the cards that I am  talking about?

No more, no less, than two *nVIDIA GeForce 3 Ti 200* cards. You might be inclined to say that this is nothing special and in any normal circumstance you might be right. So, what's all the hubbub with these cards? 

The catch is that these puppies are the *128MB* variant.

Some time ago I was telling you that my old "violent" purple Palit Daytona GeForce 3 Ti 200 64MB AGP graphic card bite the dust and that wasn't ok with me. Any HW casualty, even if we are talking about bottom of the barrel stuff or stratospheric high end, makes me equally sad. *The VOID is hungry for frags so he snipes whatever he can.*

Fast forward to 2020 and behold! Instead of one GeForce 3 Ti 200 I got two cards and with 128MB on top!

What can I say? *This is as good as it gets!*

The cards I found are:


*Chaintech* A-G320 GeForce 3 Ti 200 128MB
*Palit Daytona* AGP719 GeForce 3 Ti 200 128MB



 



Wish granted but at what cost?

I got what I wanted but when I saw the state they were in, I couldn't stop asking myself what am I going to do with them! 

Well, let's see what can we get from these two potatoes.

The *Palit Daytona* was very dirty. The fan was clogged by a thick brown deposit the worst I've seen to that date. The rust was feeling like home, all in all it wasn't something for the faint hearted. 1 EURO you pay, 1 EURO you get!.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Before anything, I did what could only be called *a humanitarian gesture* and I cleaned the cooler as best as I could just to get rid of as much dirt and grime as possible in the first stage cleanup. I just couldn't leave it as it was until the moment to restore it would come.





To complete the package, the *Chaintech* wasn't in better shape. Deposits everywhere. Rust in many places, the fan and the heatsink were full to the brim with an adherent deposit that had a solid feel. 1 EURO you pay, 1 EURO you get!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Like it was the case with the Palit Daytona, the first task was that dedicated to cleaning the cooler. Nothing was more important than the removal of the dirt that was offending my eyes!



 



A few days after I cleaned the cards just so that I will be able to store them in a box, one thought kept creeping in more and more insistently.

*Are these cards still among the living or I'm going to give it my all and in the end I'll get a big FAT ZERO?*

Let's find out if they are still alive and kicking! What have I got to lose?

I prepared the PIII 800 MHz and I powered them up.

The news were positive. Both of the cards were running great. Who would've thought?



 

 



After the quick testing session I got even more *good news*. A few caps on the Palit Daytona just couldn't help themselves and got swollen.





And what is the good news? Well, I got rid of the Canicon junk and I soldered something better. 

I looked on the internet for the specs of the Canicon 1000uf 6.3V caps and I searched for replacements.

The visits to the local electronic shops returned only *Mr. Chong LOW ESR aka Me fix it! Me fix it GOOD!* A not so great choice.

I searched into my box-o-things and I found some *Nichicon VY* caps. These were perfect in regard to the size but inferior in regard to the specs required.

I wanted to buy some premium caps from *TME*, like I did in the past, but the order was too small so in the end I gave up on this ideea.



 

 

 



After deliberating for a few days, I decided to solder the Nichicon VY caps even if their specs were a little inferior than those Canicon caps. When I read spec sheets about Canicon, JackCon, Chhsi, etc caps that are presented as having better specs than many established japanese caps, I reserve my right to be wary of such "literature".

*Nichicon VY it was.*



 

 



*Operation completed!*





*The compulsory test.*





*Flawless!*





The *Chaintech* has Sanyo caps. *I say RESPECT to the japanese caps for not losing their heads under pressure!*

In case you are wondering if I changed the TIM before the testing sessions I can say that I did NOT. Before I powered up the cards I gently twisted the heatsinks and I saw that the TIM was still soft, so I decided not to waste MX-4 paste. The good stuff!



 



*What's hiding under the white stuff?*



 

 

 



*Rusty, rust-rust!* I really hate this stuff. My worst enemy. Even if you get rid of it it leaves deep scars.



 

 

 



Given the fact that both of the cards were suffering from rust issues I had no restraints and I washed them with lots of hot tap water and lots of Fairy dish soap.

Afterward a few *IPA 99%* sessions followed.





*Say a prayer.*





The brackets were put in a rust removal solution.





I washed the coolers with hot tap water and dish soap electric motors included. Lots of Fairy dish soap bubbles and soft brushes not to damage the windings.





*Fizzing action.*



 



When I took apart the cooling fan from the Chaintech card I had a nasty surprise. Rust inside the propeller and the electric motor. Good times ahead!!! *&$*#&#*($%^@#%$!!!!!*

I was already asking myself what made me buy these basket case video cards!



 



I put the propeller in water to see if some of the rust would go away but that didn't help one bit.





At first I was reluctant to put the plastic propeller in the rust removal solution but in the end it landed there with the metal bits.





Free rust on the bottom of the container.





As I said earlier. *Rust doesn't forgive!* Pitting in all its glory. At least rust is eliminated. Is that a plus? I really can't say for sure. Lots of polishing action ahead!



 

 

 

 



Fresh *push-pins* for the Palit Daytona card.





*As good as it gets.* The springs from the push-pins of the Chaintech card were also put in the rust removal solution. Rust be gone!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Final results.*



 



The brackets have been polished by hand and with a felt wheel.  I insisted until I was in the diminishing returns territory. The results were acceptable and I knew from past experience that once the plating is gone from a surface no amount of polishing can make them new again. To restore these bracket to as new state I would need access to a company that is plating metals and that is not an option for now.

*The PCBs have registered a full recovery.* As expected. No suspense here.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Some assemblies required!





After a lot of work I was able to give these cards a little of their original sparkle. After being put through great hardships by their owners and the environment they sat in until I got to them, they got a chance to shine again.  

*Not all was perfect though.* The scars from the rust will never fade away. The cooling fans, against all of my efforts, even if they spin freely, are far from silent.

*However,* let's see what I was able to get in return after all the hours put in.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Two working GF3 Ti 200 128MB AGP cards?* NO BRAINER! I'll take it any day of the week!  These cards are close to 20 years old. Time flies!





gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/hQzcf3R

*More later.*


----------



## l0ngts4r (Feb 17, 2021)

This was a good read thanks  I literally got goosebumbps looking at the shiny clean cards there, like I was transported back to 2002, when I was watching them in the shop wondering if I ever get one.
Just looked up the spec here to refresh my memory, and Techpowerup says "Since GeForce3 Ti200 does not support DirectX 11 or DirectX 12, it might not be able to run all the latest games. " No way??!! "Might not be able to run all the latest games"?? How come? Hehe.

You wrote "*Not all was perfect though.* The scars from the rust will never fade away. The cooling fans, against all of my efforts, even if they spin freely, are far from silent." Yeah they might not have been all that silent to start with. I remember mine - when I finally got one used - was quite the murmuring type. Do you mod any of these at all? Like get new fans for them, or a better cooling solution maybe. I know it would not make much sense, but still.. I have installed an Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 I had lying around onto a Geforce GTS 250 with a 12cm silent fan in place of the horrible original alu heatsink and jet engine fan, and had played around with it a bit. After that it went back to the box it was in for years, so maybe I just wasted a couple of hours on nothing. But hey, this is a hobby.

A question here about plastics - I recently got a Tesla C1060 from a friend, who asked me if I want it or should he bin it.. Of course I kept the card. The plastic got all sticky - it seems like its melting or something. Do you have a method to clean up such sticky plastic by any chance? Thanks


----------



## Robert B (Feb 17, 2021)

DX11? DX12? Yeah I know that part of the TPU 

These cards and many more will not be used as daily drivers and it makes sense to keep them original or as close to original as possible. I have quite a few coolers that fit the bill but I won't mount them unless it will be necessary. 

In regard to the Tesla is the plastic covered with a rubberized material? If that is the case then that stuff after some time breaks down and it is a PITA to remove. Sometimes it can be restored with some rubber restore compounds other times it must be removed. Sometimes you can use hot water and a soft sponge. Sometimes it can be removed with IPA 99% but beware as it takes a lot of elbow grease to remove and the surface underneath might not look to good afterwards an it might require painting. My Bitfenix Colossus Venom Edition case has that stuff all over it. I had to wrap the case with car wrap film and some parts of it I had to clean with IPA 99% and then cover with wrap. It looks decent but at some point in time I'll have to paint it as I love the case to bits. It's 10 years old but I won't let it go no matter what!

 Mo-Do - Hallo

*ATI 5870 WOOL EDITION!*





*More later.*


----------



## l0ngts4r (Feb 22, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Here's the *LOOT!* I'll post better pictures and I'll present the full specs at a later date.
> 
> *Now I need a couple of beers to celebrate!*
> 
> ...


Epic loot! That big box of cards.. I bet you had hard time leaving most of the stuff behind.


----------



## l0ngts4r (Feb 23, 2021)

What really gets me are the pics showing you hosing down the parts with water. Every little braincell in my head screams NONONONONONO, but still they all look fab and work after such treatment. Would have never occured to me! You are a magician /bows/.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 23, 2021)

@l0ngts4r - Took me  a few years to use water when I restore some parts.  Sometimes it can't be avoided. The secret is to quickly dry all the parts you wash with an air compressor or other methods. Also the IPA 99% wash afterwards is a must as the water may contain some minerals that can damage a card once powered up.

The cards I found that day are second to none in my collection. I still have to test them though.

It still pains me that I had to leave those other cards behind but the price was too high for all of them. Also I know for a fact that the next day all the lot was sold as scrap to a recycler. For sure that they have already been turned into minced meat. RIP.

This isn't all though.

A week later I found a heap of cool CPUs, the stuff of dreams. Stuff you may never see or get in a lifetime. These CPUs were in a big lot for recycling and I managed to save them by sweettalking the sellers. I had to pay for each piece. It took me hours to sort the pile. This wasn't all as I also had to leave behind more CPUs that a few hours later vanished into the pockets of yet another recycler. RIP.

1. AMP1900DMS3C *** Athlon XP Mobile 1900+ *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/AM...1900DMS3C.html
2. QEJ1ES *** Intel Pentium III 1.133MHz ES *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QE/QEJ1.html
3. AX2100DMT3C *** Athlon XP 2100+ the fastest Palomino core CPU *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/AM...2100DMT3C.html
4. ADX6400IAA6CZ - Fastest dual-core for the AM2 socket *** AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AM...400CZWOF).html
5. HDZ940XCJ4DGI *** AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/A...0XCGIBOX).html
6. ADAFX51CEP5AK *** AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AM...AFX51BOX).html
7. ADAFX53CEP5AT *** AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AM...X53ASBOX).html
8. FD4170FRW4KGU *** AMD FX-Series FX-4170 Black Edition *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulld...70FRW4KGU.html
9. HDT90ZFBK6DGR *** AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/A...ZFBGRBOX).html
10. QBFJ ES 3 pcs *** Intel Pentium 4 3.733 GHz (EE ES) *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QB/QBFJ.html
11. QPHV ES *** Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 ES *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QP/QPHV.html
12. SR00T *** Intel Core i5-2500 *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SR/SR00T.html
13. QJYW ES *** Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 955 *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QJ/QJYW.html
14. Q650 ES *** Intel Pentium 4 3.46 Pentium Extreme Edition ES *** https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Penti...PH0992MS).html
15. Q730 ES *** Intel Pentium 4 3.4 (EE ES) *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/Q7/Q730.html
16. QEH6 ES *** Intel Core i7-4770K ES *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QE/QEH6.html
17. QWN2 ES 2 pcs *** Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QW/QWN2.html
18. QLB2 ES *** Intel Pentium 4 2.533 GHz *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QL/QLB2.html
19. QWN3 ES *** Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QW/QWN3.html
20. QFF8 ES *** Intel Pentium 4 2 GHz Willamette for S478*** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QF/QFF8.html
21. QJS0 ES *** Intel Pentium 4 2.2 GHz *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QJ/QJS0.html
22. QT03 ES *** Intel Celeron 667 MHz *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QT/QT03.html
23. QAM8 ES *** Intel Celeron 800 MHz *** https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/QA/QAM8.html

Since then only the A64 X2 6400+ lost the battle with life as an important pin broke off during straightening. I still have lots of pins to straighten but I'm doing it one CPU at a time 

After these two uber super mega special encounters I didn't find anything more at the flea market. I still hope for more loot in the near future.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Feb 23, 2021)

That image looks like a FirePro card.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 23, 2021)

Close but in fact it is a ATI Radeon HD 5870 2GB Eyefinity 6.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Feb 23, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Close but in fact it is a ATI Radeon HD 5870 2GB Eyefinity 6.


Really? The output ports all look like mini-displayports. Given that there are 6 of them it seemed logical that it would be a workstation card. My bad..


----------



## Robert B (Feb 23, 2021)

I had to find a mini-DP - DVI adapter. I was like what the heck are these!?


----------



## lexluthermiester (Feb 23, 2021)

Robert B said:


> I had to find a mini-DP - DVI adapter. I was like what the heck are these!?


Right! Forgot about those. It was an attempt to give some workstation features to a desktop GPU so gamers and power users didn't have to spend the FirePro prices to get some pro features. Great idea but it didn't work out so well.


----------



## Robert B (Feb 28, 2021)

Monica Bellucci - Mediterranean Nights 

MAD PROJECT #2: *GOT WOOL?! NOPE! Then GET RESTORED!* 

Any resemblance to actual things or of other nature is purely coincidental!

Joke aside, now is the time to return to our muttons. *I mean components, cards and even more boards!* For the HW maniac there is nothing more appealing than  *a component,* be it a motherboard, a graphic card, a soundcard or any lump of textolite littered with as many ICs as possible. The more components the better. Money is no object, the end justifies the means, so why bother? You know you need it! You know you want it! YOU HAVE TO GET IT!  

We live in strange times! Graphic cards toil in the salt mines, prices are down right obscene, a hard time to be a gamer ... *I miss the days when things were simpler* ... life was closer to the real stuff ... but I digress ...

*ME+THE FLEA MARKET=LOVE!* 

Yep. Good ol' flea market. Come to think of it I really don't know why they call it flea market. I mean I understand the meaning of it but I found so many *treasures* there that the naming "scheme" eludes me entirely.

The flea market. My father also had "a flaw". He used to go regularly at the flea market but he didn't buy anything. He just went to see what's for sale and to repair our family car. A LADA 1200s in the '90s. We had three LADA 1200 cars but the one with *the s* was the best. I loved that car and I still do! My first car. The car I learned to drive. The car I drove 'till the pistons gave up. Rear wheel drive. No ABS. No Power Steering. When others used to freeze in their cars I was in  short sleeves in my LADA.  ... but I digress again ... The sound of the engine @ 120 km/h  in 4th gear! The speedometer needle was leaning toward the right. You could feel the drive shaft vibrate with every fiber of your body. Ahh the sound ... Ops! I digress again ...

I think that the flea market affliction got transmitted genetically as I have the same "flaw" as my father. If only he was still alive so that we could drink a beer and chat some more ... but I digress again ...

Once in a while, something gets past my armor and I buy stuff that plainly screams: *DO NOT BUY ME!

Are you a fluffer?* Sure boss! For 3 EUROS I got stuck with this puppy:



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*WOOL INSIDE! Idiot OUTSIDE!*





ATI Radeon HD 5870 cards represent something special to me and I have great respect for them. I can clearly remember the time when these monsters appeared and *I still get goose bumps!*

If I could afford such a card? Ha Ha Ha! NOPE! Me, an nvidiot through and through, was using a GAINWARD BLISS 9800GTX 512MB DDR3 256-bit bought right before the launch of the GTX 260, in 2008, ... 999,99 RON wasted away. *Regardless, I still loved the 9800GTX as it was mine!*

The actor of this episode is none other than: * PowerColor ATI Radeon HD 5870 2GB Eyefinity 6*

It was an impulse buy as it looked to be whole. The backplate did its job and protected the card and I said to myself: *WHY NOT?

What could possibly go wrong?* Yep! What on Earth could possibly go wrong?!

Ever since I bought the card I new that I would have to take my restoring skills to the next level.

*So, methodically, I went on to eliminate each obstacle that stood in my way *, until the total conquest of the Pl..t, ahem, conquest of the ATI 5870!

Initialy I expected the dismantling of this card to be a complicated matter but to my surprise everything went smoothly, like when you undress a beautiful woman, ahem, a high caliber graphic card. 

The screws were easily sorted depending of their size and location. Every element that has been removed could easily be put back just by using the power of intuition.

*THE REDS* really know how to make stuff said the envious *GREEN* guy inside me ...

Screw after screw, I got to the point when I was about to separate the backplate from the card.

I heaved. I heaved again! *NOTHING happened!* The F..K?!?!

Hoping to separate the backplate I tried to heat up the card using a hair dryer.

Still NO DICE!

Well, brute force from a gentle angle came to the rescue. From one side I managed to lift the backplate a little and with carefully placed force I could feel it giving in.

*It gave up but at what cost?*





Add thermal pads to the shopping cart please.

Maybe you are wondering why I didn't power up the card as it was. Well, the cooler was looking quite tired and I wasn't going to risk giving the juice to something in that state.

I mean, respect for the cards must come first even if in the end you might not get what you were hoping for. You know me. *ALL IN or ALL OUT!* No half measures. No corners cut! The straight and narrow! Nothing will stop me!

Without even feeling it, I emarked on an expedition toward the unknown, guided by a blind belief in the vivacity of this card. 

Every path must have a guiding light.  I had complete and total faith in this card. If a 470 GTX managed to crawl out of the gutter why couldn't a mighty 5870 do the same?

Add to the mix the 2GB of VRAM plus Eyefinity E6 and this card had all the data to become legendary.

*Let's get to nutcracking.

Torn thermal pads.* You have to break some eggs if you want to make an omelette.





*2010*. A good year! I was 11 years younger! It seems like yesterday!





As expected, the separation of the PCB from the cooler didn't go according to plan. I got a little sweaty in the process.

Against all the odds I managed to save the wide majority of the thermal pads. At least I thought I did at that time! Those soft and yellowed bits had *SINGLE USE* plastered all over them.





*The mighty PCB! NAKED!*





Look at that real estate! I feel something rising and that isn't the real estate price!

The *naked die* made all the effort to be worthwhile.



 

 



*My precious! So perfect! I was in love ...*

Encased into an impenetrable armor made from plastic, aluminum and copper, the PCB was intact. Apart of some dirt and grime in the cooling fan area it was minty fresh.

It seemed that I had a winner in my hands.



 

 

 



All the data gathered implied the high end nature of this monster.

Some stains and dirt.





What's the matter with this screw that is kind of loose? Hmmm ...





Ever since I bought the card I just couldn't help but notice the stuff that was clogging the cooling fan. Even so I was still caught with my guard down by the deposits inside the cooler. Also the fan wasn't spinning too well and I knew that it will require some elbow grease if I was about to use it.



 



These tiny bits of plastic gently whispered to me that I will have more stuff do somewhere down the line.





The scratches and the tiny dents in the backplate were a clear indicator that this card suffered not only from a bad treatment from its former (careless) owner but also from  "a good" treatment applied in transit aka from where it came until it reached me. Supposedly from Germany.

Against all of the warning signs I was still unabated and my belief in this card was at an all time high. *Besides, if in the end the card would prove to be a lost cause I could console myself with the saying: the journey is more important than the destination!*



 



What beast can leave a card like this? Ignorance is bliss ...

Taking into account the dirt inside the cooling fan, I equipped myself with a breathing mask, protection goggles and latex gloves. The hairs inside the fan blades were clearly from some animal. 

I used a pair of fine tweezers to remove most of the wool that was stuck inside the cooling fan but the operation didn't go according to plan as the result was kind of meh.





After  "the failure" with the tweezers I resorted to the BIG GUNS.

Water under pressure.





Look at the debris.





MORE!





*Heatsink included!*





After many minutes of using water under pressure I held in my hand something that looked familiar. The stock fan.



 



After this initial cleanup I could closely inspect *the wobble* that the cooling fan had. The play inside the bearing was colossal  and nothing could've made me foresee the damage inside . 

Due to the accumulated dirt, the propeller was off balance and the steel shaft dug into the bearing. In turn, the cooling fan ate from the aluminum onto which is was fixed and also seriously scraped the plastic shroud.

At that time I still believed that I could save the fan so I searched on the Internet for a way to dismantle it. *An easy procedure and totally safe if done properly aka my middle name.* 

After I managed to clean the poor cooling fan , I quickly washed the PCB using hot tap water and some Fairy dish soap.



 

 



When in doubt water it down or something like this?! Well, ..., in the ballpark at least ...

After the hot tap water and dish soap stage, an IPA 99% wash was in order and then the PCB was dried using the now classic method: *hanged to dry.*



 

 



The thermal pads were toast but I kept them for future reference.





I washed the metal parts and the plastic shroud  with hot tap water and dish soap. I used microfiber cloths and soft brushes.

I took precautions to keep the contact of the water with the plastic shroud to a minimum. I really didn't want to damage the massive paper sticker that was present. It had a glossy surface but on the sides the paper was clearly visible.



 

 



The massive heatsink turned out quite well after the wash with water. To be safe I quickly dried it using an air compressor.





In the picture bellow you can clearly see how the fan ate from the aluminum.

Even now I can't understand how a human being can use a card in such conditions. It is beyond me. Ignorance is bliss, again ...





Until I dismantled the cooling fan, more cleaning stages were in order.

With a sharp blade I had to scrape off the black stuff from the plastic shroud that dug inside the surface and also to scrape off the black paint from the heatsink that contaminated  the red plastic.

A pig of a job. Labor and time intensive.

Let's see what I got in the end.



 

 



At last! Something that I can work with!

The PCB was cleaned one more time and it came close to what I wanted but I was still not satisfied. I WANTED MORE!



 



Ever since I got the card it was obvious that if I wanted to test it I would need an adapter. 

A quick search has revealed that a suitable mini DP - DVI adapter can be expensive.

The flea market came to the rescue as I found there a couple of Apple adapters that seemed that they might do the trick. 2 EUROS / pcs.





As expected, the *NTK(HK) FD9238H12S DC 12V 0.8A* fan, is capsulated.





So I had to use the  "three levers method" as presented on the internet.





The picture above is for reference only.

*The safe method* is to position two of the levers on top of each other in such a way that they do not make contact with the PCB of the fan. The third one is used as a  counter force when you will dismantle the fan.





I kept the screws so that the levers won't get out of their position.

I placed the fan on a soft rag or a soft surface and I *carefully* applied force.

*There is no need for excessive force. *You just keep everything under tension and by gently alternating force on the right and left side you will feel the moment when the propeller will separate from the electric motor.

The YT clips are too violent and there is no need for the motor to pop up. You will hear and feel a soft click and that is it.

The propeller is held in place by *a teflon washer* and can be put back without problems.

*Easy as pie!*





The groove that fixes the propeller into the teflon washer.





The motor!





To my surprise, the brownish dirt that was present on the fan, was also present inside the motor.

Due to the hard conditions it had to work, for who knows how much time, the old grease and the fine copper dust resulted from the damaged bearing, were a PITA to remove.

*I still hoped that I could save the fan*  so I took everything past 11!



 

 

 

 

 



This wasn't supposed to happen but it did. More stuff to clean.



 

 



*If you think that I was ready to throw in the towel you are mistaken. This was absolute madness!*

Next came some polishing stages using polishing paste and rags  and because I didn't get what I was looking for I resorted to wet sanding with 1500 grit sandpaper.

This was uncharted territory and I wanted to see what must be done for the future when I'll have tackle this stuff again.

Many stages of cotton sticks and IPA 99% followed.  

Even after so much cleaning some brown stuff would still creep out from an area that looked clean. Thank GOD that it wasn't tobacco residue!

I already was asking myself when I was going to see the light at the end of the tunnel as it seemed that I was going nowhere.



 



After so much scrubbing, the plastic wasn't looking too well. This was to be expected so I used some silicone grease that was left to dry on the affected surfaces and then the excess was wiped off with a soft rag.



 

 



So fresh, so clean!



 

 

 

 

 



Some black tape and some grease.

*I am ready to power this sucker up and see what's what!*



 



Well ... this didn't end well. I really don't know what I was expecting ... maybe the fan fixing itself ...






This fan is a beast and that wobble made me feel uncomfortable around it. *At full blast it can tear your face off!*  

Any sane person would've given up by now. 

*Not me!*  

To eliminate the wobble I planned to use a steel piece  *to take out the play inside the bearing.*





This didn't go according to plan as the steel piece was too small and got lost inside the cavern dug out by the steel shaft of the propeller.

At this point in time any tentative to save the fan was thrown outside the window and I just wanted to see if I could really could do something that would give me a somewhat usable item.

I drilled a hole inside the bearing.





As I didn't know how far I could go, while I drilled away, I touched with the teflon washer a little but I managed to not damage it too much. It was still in place.

In the pictures you can clearly see the teflon washer and its role..



 



As I still wanted to power up the fan even if the teflon washer lost its function I searched for alternatives.

The winner came into the form of the classic solution that is present on the wide majority of the fans. It was a PITA to shoehorn the new teflon washer but in the end I was successful.



 

 



As the tiny steel piece failed to do its job I used a bigger iron piece that seemed to be what I needed.

I cut a tiny piece and by carefully positioning that bit I was able to eliminate 95% of the wobble of the fan. To permanently fix the iron piece I used POXIPOL.

I was confident that I solved the problem even if I was fully aware that I will have to buy a replacement fan. * You don't want this beast loose inside your case! 

This was just a matter of ambition beyond reason and nothing more.*



 

 



*START YOUR ENGINES!*





Well, ... no improvent! 

For 6 EUROS plus shipping I bought a cooler from a  Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 5870, just for the fan.

*This card was a money pit but I wasn't ready to stop spending.*

I removed the label while I waited for the replacement fan.





After so much trouble with the fan if you think that the rest was smooth sailing you are quite mistaken. NO SIR!

The plastic shroud had many torn bits into which the screws went and many of them could not be glued back. Many more were missing.

So I asked myself  *what options do I have?*

To reconstruct the missing parts I resorted to  POXIPOL.

I inserted a screw into each damaged channel and I used POXIPOL to create a thick collar.

As it was the first time I did this, the looks weren't to high on my list and the most important aspect was the strength of the patched areas. This was an "inside" job so the looks were secondary. What mattered the most was for it to hold.





A few minutes later, while the POXIPOL was still soft/tacky I gently removed the screws.

This way I got a mirror image of what was missing.

In the future I'll use some moldings in which I will press the POXIPOL  and in the end everything will look close to factory spec.  I'm mad I know!



 

 



The heatsink came out shining.



 

 

 



A few fins were rattling and I used some POXIPOL to fix them in place. Nothing gets past me. Every imperfection must be addressed individually!  



 

 



Some black paint to cover the scars.





I filed and scraped off the excess POXIPOL.





A good fit!



 



I'm still hoping!





*The replacement fan arrived.*

As expected it was also dirty but it had zero play. YAY!

If you think that I used it as it was your are again mistaken as it underwent the same cleaning procedures as the one before it. 

As an added bonus I had to tackle some rust that was present on the inside. I used an anti-rust solution to get rid of it.

No remorse. I used lots of hot tap water and dish soap.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Looking sorry for itself.



 



You can clearly see the difference in the evacuation of the hot air between the ATI 5870 and the ATI 5870 E6.





As good as it will ever going to get.



 

 

 

 



I performed the sticker transplant and I cleaned the propeller.



 



Bearing OK!





Fresh grease and a tiny drop of motor oil 5W40. Click and the propeller was in place as if nothing happened.





DONE AND DONE!



 



Clean bill of health.






Stacked and waiting. 





One step closer to the truth. *I wonder if this card is still alive and kicking!*



 



Power cable permanently fixed.



 



Looking good!



 

 

 

 

 



High intensity friction!





This almost got past me!





*Sisters*. I did a quick test to see if the screws were easily entering the areas that were reconstructed with POXIOPOL. All was OK and I registered nothing besides some moaning. I was careful not to tighten them to much. In the end the plastic shroud was held tightly against the heatsink.



 

 



Sparkling. I wasn't able to remove some stains and I insisted no more.



 

 

 



*The thermal pads are of two types.* 1 mm the soft squishy type, which once pressed is around 0.5-0.8 mm depending of the location and 0.5 mm fiberglass reinforced.





As I didn't want to buy two types of thermal pads and I was anxious to power up the card, I resorted to the Arctic soft blue 0.5 mm thermal pad I had available.

To get the 1 mm I needed I stacked two sheets of 0.5 mm.

*A not so sane approach as the Artic thermal pad even it is soft it is anything but squishy.*

I was ready for a custom job and I had no doubts that I could pull this off.



 



Cya in another life. Into the trash you go!





*The PCB came out mirror like!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The cooling fan connector was damage during the dismantling procedure and it was repaired with POXIPOL. The plastic is thin and brittle.





Pads applied. Ready for a first test.





After the first test, the thermal pads adhered perfectly to the heatsink and stayed there when I separated the PCB.

The TIM imprint wasn't too good, a clear sign that the thermal pads required fine tuning.



 



More fine tuning needed.



 



After some fine tuning.



 



Some tests with various TIM thickness. Arctic MX-4. 





Tighten it down!





On the right path.



 



The imprints in the thermal pads denote a good contact. After the card will be powered up the heat will do the rest.



 



The adjust the more rigid thermal pads I used a tiny plastic cylinder. I placed a tiny transparent film on them I gently applied pressure. I repeated this procedure as much as needed. No corners were cut or this could spell disaster.



 



Thermal pads applied on the memory chips on the back of the card.





Screws tightened.





Testing. Thermal pads showed good contact. Minimal tuning required.



 



I must mention that at all times I verified the deformation of the PCB in relation to the cooler and the backplate. Everything had to be as close to original as possible. The width of the thermal pads was adjusted until all was perfect.

After so many dismantling stages something was due to get out of my sight.

As I'm always paying attention to details, once I counted the bits of transparent film that were on the thermal pads something wasn't right. Each time I checked I came out one piece short.

I dismantled one more time the card even if I didn't want to. 





With this occasion I got a confirmation of a fact that I already knew.



 



After a titanic effort that could only be compared to something close to insanity I managed to finish the restoration of the card.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Expectations were HIGH!*



 

 

 



 



Even from the first power up it was clear that something wasn't right.



 

 



*Black screen of nothingness.*

The error returned on the Q-Code of my ASUS MAXIMUS IV EXTREME-Z says it all. *Error Code 62 (installation of the pch runtime services)* : "Very often Qcode 62 is related to the GPU especially if the VGA_LED is lit".

*Dead 5870 E6.*

In a last attempt I plugged my MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X and next to it I installed the ATI 5870.

I managed to get into Windows and in Device Manager the ATI was detected but the system hanged no matter what I tried. All I was able to see was the Microsoft Basic Display Driver installed and that was it.

The card didn't output an image no matter what I tried.

Also the fan didn't get to normal speed and the card got hot as hell.

*Dead and buried.*



 



Many lines ago I was telling you that *the journey is more important than the destination and what a journey this was!*.

I had faith in this card up to the last moment.

I have no regrets. I learned many things and much experience was gathered. It would've been nice to have a card that was living and breathing but at this point in time there is nothing more to be done. 

*If you believe that I won't buy these kind of cards in the future you are gravely mistaken.* 

Nothing more to add. *That's a wrap!* And don't even think about coming up with stuff like: TOLD YOU SO! 

Cya later with more episodes in a forum near you!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3YkCwPK

*More later.*


----------



## l0ngts4r (Mar 2, 2021)

I was sure it will end in a black screen due to the clogged fan and the heat this card generates, but still what a story  Watched the dismantling of that fan and your efforts in restoring it with interest - there is always something to learn here!

My dad filled up the bottom of our LADA 1200 with concrete as it rusted through many places. It was a tad slower afterwards being 120 kgs heavier, but was taking it like  soldier. Until it died.


----------



## Robert B (Mar 18, 2021)

Pump It Up [8 Bit Tribute to Endor] - 8 Bit Universe 

*Boards and even MORE boards!*

Boards, boards and even more boards! MORE! *I need to inject myself!* 

If in the beginnings of collecting (or should I say hoarding) of old HW, I had certain *restraints* in regard of the acquisition of motherboards, especially because of their sheer size, *these restraints are long gone*. 

When you already have hundreds of parts, you know what this entails and even if you want it or not, you always have to make room for more tenants. Boxes upon boxes of electronic artefacts, stacked on top of each other, all in different stages of occupation, sit and stare at you wondering what you will put inside them this time?! *You would be amazed about how much stuff can fit even in the smallest of them!* Such a case is that of the box that has inside it 12 3dfx graphic cards and one of them is the V4-L. From outside it looks unassuming, not bigger than an A4 sheet of paper, about 8-10 cm tall, but what it matters is the content of it which is really special!

In a way I'm privileged as I don't keep my parts at home but the reverse of the medal is constituted by the moment when I'll have to move them! That will be for sure a fun experience! 

For some time I have in plan a big reorganization of my collection but I keep postponing it year after year. The last time I did this was around 2017. I know exactly what I have but I have difficulties finding the parts in the boxes..  The excel table tells me what I have but it doesn't tell me the column and the row where I put them. I tried to write with a maker on the outside of the boxes what they contain but this doesn't help me when there are tens of cards inside. So, I still rely on my memory but that isn't enough. I need a few hundred ESD bags and some standard sized cardboard boxes on which I'll put a comprehensive list that tells me what's in there! Soon ...

In todays episode I will present *four* motherboards that easily fit into the retro category. We are not talking about high-end stuff or some exotic parts but we one fact is blatantly obvious: motherboards with ISA slots are getting rarer and rarer. I don't even have to mention the ones with the VLB slots, rara avis ...

So let's get on with the show!

*Four motherboards* bought last year, weeks, months apart, went through my hands and all were saved. Some were in better shape, others looking worse for wear, but in the end all of them proved to be still alive and kicking, so no mystery here. Some were an impulse buy, at 2 EUROS/pcs with the CPU. Others a clear why not? With these four motherboards I have crossed the psychological threshold of 50 motherboards! *Yikes!* 100 here I come! 

The actors of this episde are:

** Acorp 5TX29 VER: 1.1, REV. B Sk. 7 + AMD K6 200MHz AMD-K6-200ALR
* Expert EXP4045 VER 1.2 Sk. 3 + AMD 486 DX4 100MHz * A80486DX4-100NV8T * Am486DX4-100
* FIC PA-2005 Ver. / Rev. 1.3 Sk. 7 + Intel Pentium MMX 166MHz * FV80503166 * SL27H
* Lucky Star 5VP3 Rev 2.1 Sk. 7 + Intel Pentium MMX 200MHz * FV80503200 * SL27J*

Let's GO! GO! GO!!!

*Acorp 5TX29 VER: 1.1, REV. B Sk. 7 + AMD K6 200MHz AMD-K6-200ALR*  Paradisio Ft Maria Garcia & Dj Patrick Samoy - Bailando 


I bough this kit for just one reason. I'm pretty sure that you already know why as soon as you have read the title above.

Why haggle for the CPU alone when for the same price you can have the whole kit? NO BRAINER!

To date, this is the slowest AMD K6 that I own and the moment I found it was really special. I wasn't expecting something like this but this is the charm of flea market visits: *you never know what you will find there.* I lost count of how many *treasures* I found there, so, a fact is certain: *I'll go there as long as the market will be open and as long as I am still breathing.*  Flea market adventures but without the fleas! YAY! Good times!

A motherboards with the date code of week 12 year 1998. 1998. A good year! I just finished high school and I entered the university. It seems like it was yesterday. Only when I look in the mirror I see how much time has passed since then. I don't feel or look (too) old  but man, 23 years is a lot of years!



 

 



The tasty *AMD K6 200MHz AMD-K6-200ALR.* Minty fresh! No TIM?! What the f...?





The motherboard isn't something special. Just your regular Sk. 7 mobo, a "transition model" towards SS7 with SIMM and SD-RAM slots,  AT and ATX power connectors.

*ACorp.* My first graphic accelerator was made by this company, so ACorp is something special to me. The 8 meg Vanta was the $hit when I had it with my Celeron 366MHz+440ZX.

The motherboard was in good shape apart from some scratches on the back, which albeit big, were only skin deep. Some dust in the CPU socket area. All in all nothing out of the ordinary.



 



On close inspection though, I found a lot of bent pins in the SIMM slots. YIKES!





The doc is operating! With the help of various tools I managed to straighten all of the bent pins from the SIMM slots. A SIMM slot replacement is a daunting task even for me. I can do it but I lack the required tools.



 



Even these guys got a second chance.





Mechanical testing in progress ... and in the end I prevailed! It felt so good!



 

 

 



All done!





I believe that a few eagle eyed readers have already spotted this detail. I'm talking about the tiny white plastic hooks from the SIMM slots that are placed in such a way so that the corresponding hole made in the PCB of the SIMM memory sticks rests over them. It is a measure to fix the memory stick in the slot and also to ensure a correct insertion of the memory stick in the slot. Even without these tiny hooks, the memory sticks are held well in the slot. A few being MIA is just an aesthetic shortcoming and nothing more.

The gorilla that removed the SIMM sticks didn't have the patience and/or the knowledge to push aside the metal clamps as it is normal. For sure this motherboard was destined to be recycled.

As my eyes were hurting from watching the torn plastic where the tiny hooks once stood, I used a nail clipper to make them look better.





*Better? Better! Job done!*



 

 



Even if this motherboard is just an ACorp, that doesn't mean that I treated her differently. I handled it like it was the greatest board on earth.

Get that dirt! Every nook and cranny!





*So fresh! So clean!*





A few rows above I was telling you that I managed to save all of the bent pins that were present in SIMM 72 pins slots. I was quite proud of my achievement. Unfortunately I was forced to learn a lesson the hard way. The name of that lesson is:  *what happens when you take things too far. *

After the intermediate stages of cleaning I decided to fire up the board, so I installed some SIMMs and I pressed the power button. The board refused to POST no matter what. RAM error code, stick after stick!

I checked all of the jumpers but I could not find anything wrong.

As I thought that I have to arrange again the pins from the SIMM memory slots, even if I saw that they made good contact, I applied another stage of fine tuning that ended with a foreseeable outcome: *a broken pin*. It was to be expected ...

However, after a few moments of cold shivers, luck was still on my side as the broken pin is *PIN 48*, which is *N/C* or not connected. YAY!





If I was to use this board I would install some SD-RAM for obvious reasons, but it is something else when all is present and still in good working condition.

In the end, my problems with the SIMM sticks, weren't because of the bent pins but from a very simple reason. The board simply "didn't like" some sticks. Plain and simple.



 

 

 



I tried various SIMM sticks combinations and all of them worked. This motherboard got a clean bill of health!



 

 



*The rest was smooth sailing*. Elbow grease and patience. Hot tap water. Fairy. IPA 99%. Many cotton sticks.

*The results? Well, you know me!*



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/pzd5495


*Expert EXP4045 VER 1.2 Sk. 3 + AMD 486 DX4 100MHz * A80486DX4-100NV8T * Am486DX4-100*  Milesybwoy Ft. Murphy - Persuasive Talk [LAK7-09] 


*Ahhh Sk. 3!* My first PC, was powered by an AMD 586 at 133MHz!

The socket 3 motherboards are very special to me. My first PC had a socket 3 motherboard, back in '96. The string SiS 496/497 is engraved into my soul. 

The*Expert EXP4045 motherboard*, is an example of an early Sk. 3 board, full of ISA 16 bit and VLB slots. 

*To fully utilize this puppy you need a separate controller card for FDD, HDD, Serial and Parallel ports. Awesome stuff!*

Even knee deep in the dirt, this board still looked awesome. I dig it!



 



The CMOS battery didn't have the time to pour out its venom and it was quickly removed.





The dirt was feeling like home and was present everywhere.



 

 

*ExpertBoard.* A nice touch putting that on the PCB.





The AMD 486 DX4 100MHz * A80486DX4-100NV8T * Am486DX4-100 CPU.



 



Even if the battery didn't have enough time to damage the PCB, the traces of "salt" on the terminals, made me to use vinegar to neutralize any potential trace of acid.

Besides, some areas like the pins in the ISA slots, had some *green stains/B] after the contact with some substance, so I had no excuse to not use vinegar. I still dislike the smell of it.



 



This type of silent killer is responsible for the demise of many precious electronic artefacts.





To make matters worse, the motherboard had contact with water or it was kept in a damp environment. Rust didn't need a special invitation and did what it does best: to give me headaches!

All of the tiny metal clamps, that fix the SIMM memory sticks in the slot, were rusty. 

I used a tiny screwdriver to get them out from the slots. I was very careful while I performed this operation as I didn't want to crack the plastic.



 

 

 



I left them in the rust remover solution for about an hour.



 

 



Meanwhile, I turned my attention towards the place where the rusty metal clamps used to sit. The plastic was brown and I tried very hard to get rid of the staining. I wasn't expecting so much hassle with such a simple task but I refused to quit no matter what.

I tried IPA 99% and rust remover solution but I didn't get the expected results. No matter what I tried it looked like the stains are there to stay.



 

 



I tried water under pressure and some dish soap but to no avail.





Still not what I was looking for.





I tried to manufacture various "tools" made from cotton sticks, but to no avail.





While I scratched my head looking for a solution, inspiration struck me!

Well, the solution was staring me in the eyes but it took me a while to see it!

To simply put it, what I used in my attempts to get rid of the rust stains up to that point, weren't the right tool for the job.

The salvation came in the form of very fine tweezers that were able to get in all of the corners. Using tiny bits of cotton soaked in the anti rust solution I was able to remove every trace of the rust present and in the end all the areas looked as good as new. This procedure required some time and a lot of patience.



 

 



The results speak for themselves.



 

 

 

 

 



Rust be gone! YAY!

The metal clamps came out better than expected. Apart of some minimal pitting and some tiny marks they looked pristine.



 

 



PERFECT!



 

 



Rezidues.





Before I performed the final stage of cleaning I fired up the board.

These motherboards are immortal. Time and time again, when I find and I restore them, they refuse to die and the happy POST beep fills me with joy. I had no doubts that this one is still alive.



 

 



In the end the motherboard came out better than new. While I took the pictures I was very careful not to leave marks all over the glass surface. 



 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 









 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/X3fjM1v


FIC PA-2005 Ver. / Rev. 1.3 Sk. 7 + Intel Pentium MMX 166MHz * FV80503166 * SL27H  Deborah Aime La Bagarre - Cheat Codes 


The first time I laid my eyes other this board I knew that it was something special. 

The board is beautiful, the construction is solid and even just by looking at it you know that it is a quality product.

FIC stands for First International Computer, Inc., an old manufacturer of PC components founded in 1980.

After I bought I browsed the Internet and I found out that this model is quite desirable. Thanks Internet! Only that PA-2005 string didn't give me any clues!

You could see from a mile away that not long ago it was taken from the case that protected her for many years. In the blink of an eye my hand instinctively reach out for her. MINE! ALL MINE! I also took the two neighbouring SIMM sticks that for sure were removed the board and I tried to haggle for kit. Ahem, I say I tried to haggle but to no avail as the seller knows me well and the haggling margin is influenced only by the moment of the day when you have the "bad luck" to find something worthy to buy from her. How much is it? This much? Do you take less? NO! Here you go! Thank You! Done deal.



 

 

 



A TITAN cooler sat pretty over the socket, and under it a Pentium textolite edition was also sitting pretty. Nice! NICE!

Damage? One torn electrolytic capacitor. An easy fix. I got this covered in spades!



 

 

 



So fresh! A Pentium CPU that sees the light of day after who knows how many years. Looking perfect in every way. Still no TIM. Damn! This stuff wasn't optional you know! I say this to whoever put together this system but I'm pretty sure that I'm just talking to myself.



 

 



Mobo? Check! PA-2005? CHECK!





I quickly soldered a new capacitor. I found one that was perfect in regard to size and color but with higher specs. Problem fixed!





Look at those detailed jumper settings with the little white arrows pointing towards them. Nice! NICE!





1.3 revision. 





The cooler was cleaned well and the fact that it is from a well known manufacturer made all the process feel a lot more worthwhile. The fan is with ball bearings and as we all know once the balls go south aka the tiny steels ball lose their coating or the balls "get square" there isn't much that you can do. Even so, I made it spin from the smallest breeze. The first chance I get, I'll replace it with a brown Noctua and I'll transplant the sticker. Talk about an upgrade! 



 



Testing 1,2! TESTING! Beware of the machine's range!



 

 



Immortal piece of tech! Nice! NICE! The board is firing on all its cylinders! What do I have left to do?

Let's make this puppy shine better than a diamond in the goat's a$$!!! It really whips the llama a$$!

I really wouldn't want to look at this wonder in direct sunlight! Good thing that the sun wasn't out while I took these pictures. Sunglasses needed!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Like its sister the Acorp, this motherboard also had some torn hooks from the SIMM slots that I fixed as best I could. No biggie.

Looking fantastic!



 

 

 

 

 



One edge of the motherboard started to fray, and some fibers were starting to come loose so I quickly took measures to fix this. The cause can be anything from age to mechanical shock. Most probably it rubbed on something hard hence "the damage".

Some carefully placed transparent POXIPOL and all was ok.



 



Such a beautiful board. I wish I had one back in the day!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/L45Wh3t


Lucky Star 5VP3 Rev 2.1 Sk. 7 + Intel Pentium MMX 200MHz * FV80503200 * SL27J


Lucky Star! There is a name I remember fondly from back in the day.

This motherboard was really lucky too! By the looks of it, scrap was plastered all over it! (Madonna - Lucky Star echoing in the back ...)   Madonna - Lucky Star 

The motherboard was very dirty with some black deposits that were very adherent. To make matters worse it also had a fractured jaw. All in all DO NOT BUY was all that I could think when I first saw it.



 



As I felt really lucky I bought it together with the Expert board.

Uhhh Pentium!





So much crap sticking to every surface!





The broken jaw ahem ISA slot(s).



 



5VP3?! YEAH MAN! 5-V-P-3!!! The heck is that? You don't fell Lucky? Well check the Internets to find out bro!





So much abuse! In the end the bent metal part broke off in half while I tried to straighten it. I took out the two tiny rivets and I removed it entirely. To solder broken stainless bits is a PITA and I decided to skip this.





1998 again? Nice! NICE!!! Back in the '90s I wasn't a 90's kind of guy but after I got older I really miss those days!





Serial presence detect? Ahem Serial Number present and accounted for! LS QC-OK! OKAY! ROGER! COPY! OVER!





The Pentium CPU still looking kind of fresh. Can it play Cr...s? Ops wrong timeline. I meant to say Quake!



 



I put the damaged ISA slot in a vice grip after I glued it back. Shhh don't cry. I know exactly what I'm (not) doing!  Now I know why I bought this tool. I knew that X years from then that I would need it! At that time I liked how it looked so I took it home.



 



After I glued the ends of the ISA slots I had to straighten the bent pins inside. A pig of a job, as the pins have some hooks on the inside and it is quite hard to get them back to factory spec.

The best method to solve this was also the use of the vice grip but this time to the extreme. With this occasion I also got to test the quality of the "glue job" that held up very well. I squeezed the ISA slot as much as I could or as much as I felt comfortable in such a way that the pins inside would be in a "compressed" state.





Then, using various tools I massaged the pins until I got what I wanted. 

After I "relaxed" the ISA slot I could see the results that exceeded my expectations.



 

 



Clean it baby!





Testing?! Yep Good ol' testing session(s) when you anxiously press the POWER button! You never know what you will get but you hope for the best!



 

 

 



Didn't I forget something?! Yep! The ISA slot was fully recovered.





Glass Glass Baby! or it was ICE ICE BABY! I don't recall exactly! 



 

 

 

 



I still feel like I forgot something! AAaaaaa the pics with the problematic ISA slots! 





Besides the top ISA slot, the bottom one was also out of line. With a gentle approach, that required the use of a rag and the vice grip, I was able to get it back to factory specs.

Now more pics with the board.



 

 

 

 



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/QjXNJPz

And there you have it! 4 recovered boards. 4 saved beauties. 4 mother of all boards ready to do my bidding!  Damn what a group, I feel like a G6!   Far East Movement ft. The Cataracs, DEV - Like A G6 



 

 

 



 Erol Alkan - Spectrum 

More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Mar 19, 2021)

@Robert B 
You are the ultimate author of love letters to retro tech restoration!


----------



## Robert B (Mar 19, 2021)

Thanks @lexluthermiester 

Much appreciated!


----------



## phill (Aug 5, 2021)

@Robert B

One word and one word only is all I need to describe you - Legend  
Utterly amazing and thank you for bringing us along for the journey...  I am in complete and total awe of your work, regardless of it works or not, always the same amount of effort and love into each and every component, fan, GPU, CPU, motherboard etc.  Doesn't matter...

               

Pardon the phrase, but I need to get my big respect out, I'll update this post later when I find it 



 

 

 



Gotta love the big respect!!


----------



## Robert B (Aug 5, 2021)

@phill - I'm overwhelmed by your posts each and every time.  I know that they come from your heart and that makes them quite special.  I saw your Aladdin's cave in the attic. Neat stuff bro, you're quite a craftsman and your taste is quite exquisite. Lots of heavy hitters in your inventory. 

I know that I have neglected the thread for quite some time but that doesn't mean that I have been slacking.  I got so many new additions that it isn't even funny.  For ex. between 16.06.2021 and 05.08.2021 I took almost 2200 pictures, many are doubles, as I take at least two shots of each detail, but still, I have to sort, store, edit, each and every one of them. Since March, only from July I really got into high gear in regard to old HW. The passion is at an all time high!

I'm quite sure that I got to the next level of madness as I have started repairing stuff that I bought 4-5 years ago, stuff that I held in my memory to sort out later, even if I have a lot of newcomers in need of my attention. Lately I got to the point that every detail is important no matter how insignificant it may be. My mind races and tries to sort out any shortcoming, it is just like a reflex, I'm like a well oiled machine, I eat, sleep and drink HW! I hope that the people with the white shirt and long sleeves aren't out to get me.  Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me (Official Music Video)  Today I managed to repair an ELSA ERAZOR II-A16, a card that back in 2016 was left for dead and I even scavenged the bracket to put on another card.  Today I returned the bracket to the rightful owner and the other ELSA card that borrowed the bracket for 5 years got a new one. Took me about 2 hours to modify a bracket but it was worth it!  Minutes, hours, days, years ... who's counting! 

I might have a couple of screws loose or should I say a whole box, but who cares. I'm pretty sure that this is normal, in this day and age. 

Enjoy the pics.


----------



## Audioave10 (Aug 6, 2021)

This is like reading a book on Tech history...with nice pictures! My limited knowledge only goes back to about 2003. 
Thank You...Robert B.........


----------



## phill (Aug 6, 2021)

Robert B said:


> @phill - I'm overwhelmed by your posts each and every time.  I know that they come from your heart and that makes them quite special.  I saw your Aladdin's cave in the attic. Neat stuff bro, you're quite a craftsman and your taste is quite exquisite. Lots of heavy hitters in your inventory.
> 
> I know that I have neglected the thread for quite some time but that doesn't mean that I have been slacking.  I got so many new additions that it isn't even funny.  For ex. between 16.06.2021 and 05.08.2021 I took almost 2200 pictures, many are doubles, as I take at least two shots of each detail, but still, I have to sort, store, edit, each and every one of them. Since March, only from July I really got into high gear in regard to old HW. The passion is at an all time high!
> 
> ...


Well I am very taken back and kinda speechless with your kind words @Robert B so just a massive thanks to you for saying them   I'm glad you like the attic, its not quite done (need to sort a few things out and so on) but I will get to do that at some point, at least I can actually get up there now!!   With more hardware in bound at some point from the US, I've a few builds I think I need to get sorted out and done...  Also still got to see if my mate wants rid of his kit he mentioned back along, that was a few bits and pieces....  Can't say no to quality hardware!!

But I digress,.....  I love this thread, it's the thread that everyone comes to see to see just how far one man will go to make sure that fan is completely clean and 100% dust free to getting things back working from the dead and this is why I need my big respect for you again sir, 







Your just fricking awesome!!        I can't wait for the next update you do, I'll be still here hanging about and waiting!!  

Thank you again for sharing


----------



## Robert B (Aug 6, 2021)

More and More

*Thank You for the kind words and all the love and appreciation*. It really means a lot to me. A genuine human emotion is worth more than anything money can buy! I am humbled by the fact that you call me a legend. Far from it, I'm just a regular guy who wants to give back a little of the experience he has accumulated over the past 27 years. I still vividly remember the day, on that faithful year, 1994, when I entered the Informatics High School from my city. It seems like yesterday. I remember each and every moment. An exam was required to enter that High School. I took the Math Exam in little over 2 hours instead of the 3 hours allocated and I went home and got my bike. My mom was waiting for me in the school yard and she was quite surprised to see me there as she thought that I was still in the building.  The rest is history.

Needles to say that I got bit by the BUG and HW started flowing through my veins. I only received a PC in late 1996 and that costed over 1000 USD, a lot of money back in the day. I was never a great programmer but the HW part has captured my life and soul, couple that with my innate inclination to tinkering and there you have it. ME! As I said in the past, all of the stuff I do comes naturally, there is no script, you get to experience each of the stages I went through until I got what I wanted. 100% or nothing! 0 or 1!

Funny fact. Back when I didn't have a PC, DOOM came out and I went to a friend and played that game for 4+ hours. It was such an experience and to this day nothing even comes close to it. The poor friend just waited for me to get my fill. Needless to say that I never got to play on that PC again. Also when I got my first PC I kept calling the same friend to ask him what to do. After many calls I heard the grandmother of that friend, asking if that nut job called again, and I said to myself that I will never call for help and I'll figure stuff on my own. *One man army*. That philosophy is still my motto to this day. Why ask for help when you can do it yourself? Of course that you can't do everything by yourself but you can try to give more than you are capable and see where is the limit. We are only human.

But I digress. Today I got a perfect score *10 out of 10*! 100%! It doesn't happen too often. After each press of the POWER button I wanted to hear the HAPPY POST BEEP and so it happened!  Today was a special day! All of the these cards that I bought from the flea market or I received from a close acquaintance are still alive and kicking. GOD I LOVE OLD HW!!! Immortal tech! Riva TNT, TNT 2, TNT 2 M64, TNT 2 PRO, Permedia 2, Matrox G250, GF 2 MX400, GF 2 GTS, ... names engraved into my soul.

Many of the cards had problems with missing ceramic caps or missing SMD caps but in the end my gut was right all along. I just feel when HW is still in its prime. With a lot of trial and error comes a lot of experience. I'm still learning and improving. Evolution is the main word.

Cya later in a forum near you! TPU rocks the house!!!   Afrika Bambaataa Feel The Vibe Dance Mix


----------



## Robert B (Aug 17, 2021)

Back in saddle!   Shakedown - At Night (Kid Creme Funksta mix)

*Yamaha CRW8824E* - The FANtastic ODD

What if I told you that an *O*ptical *D*isk *D*rive that had an active cooling fan existed? For sure, some of you might say that I'm off the rails but I'm really speaking the truth.  The people from *Yamaha *did this back in the day. Meet the *Yamaha CRW8824E CD Writer* unit, a marvelous piece of tech, a treat to work on.

I found this ODD quite recently. My eyes popped out and I grabbed the beauty from the bottom of the cardboard box where it sat silently. Upon closer inspection I found out that it is the IDE variant. Fact mentioned clearly on the back of the unit by a nice glossy black sticker.

This puppy oozed quality and immediately made me think if it really was profitable to manufacture such a nice unit. Who knows?





TAKE ME HOME! And take it I DID! Check out the miniature fan on the back. Something out of the ordinary for sure, at least for me. It never ceases to amaze me to see the evolution of tech from the early '90s to the  late 2000s. I'm always caught off guard by what I find at the flea market, stuff that I never even knew existed. For instance, last Sunday I found an Intel RC440BX, the 3PCI 1 ISA version, damn I like that board. It begs for a nice V2 SLI action in a small unassuming case.





I asked politely the ODD to stick out its tongue to see if it was healthy or not. All was ok. Stuff that can be sorted in a blink of an eye.



 

 



To open the unit, you first have to remove two sets of screws on the back. One set holds the metal case, top and bottom, together and the second set holds the PCB to the bottom metal plate. In a normal unit the PCB is held by a set of plastic clips. The Yamaha people took this to the extreme, screws and a PCB that had to be warped a little to be taken out of the fixing slots in the black plastic frame from inside.

The bottom metal plate is made from high quality metal and it is quite heavy and thick. Notice the metal slots that act as vents to get air inside the unit or to equalize the pressure inside when a disk is spinning inside. I don't know the actual function of these slots and I just assume their role.





Boys we are IN! Yamaha YX581.



 



To remove the front bezel (the tray must be ejected) as there weren't any  clips visible on the outside, after I removed the bottom metal plate I tried to unclip two white plastic retainers that were present on the inside but that proved difficult, so I backed off and tried to find an alternative.





I went on to remove the top metal shroud and I was greeted by another "quirk". On a "normal" read low cost unit, the top metal shroud comes off quite easily after you remove the screws, on the Yamaha you also have to unclip two black plastic clips on the sides.



 



Once I was inside I found the solution to the removal of the front bezel. Just two elegant plastic clips on the sides. Frigging slick I must say.



 

 

 



When I remove any part from anything that I want to clean or restore I always use a marker to pinpoint the exact position from where it came. A trivial aspect for some, paramount for me. What is left for me to do is to also put the same screws in the same exact orientation and position too, but I'm not there yet. 





To remove the tray you must lift a small plastic clip. Be gentle. You really don't want to break it off. Unless you want some UT Ripper action when you eject a disk.





Check out the inside of the unit. No rubber belt in sight, just sprockets everywhere. I LIKE IT!!!  RoboCop - I Like It 





This must be the most beautiful laser head assembly that I saw to date.





Sprockets everywhere.





I must say that I am a FAN of your work. Do tell!  SHICOH ICFAN 2510-5L DC 5V 0.09A. A 2.5cm mini precision cooling fan. KAWAII!





Always take pictures of every cable, connection or any other detail as you never know when you might need it.





The PCB in al its glory. Look at the IC density on square cm. Damn!



 



While I was taking apart the unit, after I removed the ribbon cable from the PCB, when I flipped the black plastic frame I was amazed to see that the laser head moved smoothly on the rails  just from gravity alone like it was on ice. This is the smoothest action I registered after I worked on 25+ ODDs over the years.

Such a nice unit. All ribbon cables beautifully routed and held down with tape or even small plastic removable clips. Damn!





The fan was a little dusty and at first I tried to clean it without taking it apart but that was a solid NO GO.



 

 

 



A closer inspection of the front bezel was a confirmation of the fact the the plastic retainers weren't the good route to remove the bezel from the unit. These retainers just hold a reinforcing metal plate for the buttons and LED lenses. Notice the thickness of the metal. On a normal unit, you won't usually find LED lenses, just tiny holes, and the buttons aren't held by a reinforcing plate, just a small plastic strip that either is glued or held by melted plastic tabs.



 



I dismantled the fan as I also didn't like the sound it made. I cleaned it with small paint brushes, cotton sticks and IPA 99%. The sticker received new 0.2mm double sided tape. No matter the size, all details are important.



 

 

 

 

 



After I worked on the small bits and pieces and I saw that much of the original grease was still in great shape and the unit felt solid, I decided not to take it apart entirely as I wasn't going to get more out of this. If the unit would've been really dirty I would've made the choice to dismantle it to the last nut and bolt but since it wasn't the case, I applied the KISS principle. (Keep It Simple Stupid). The inside of the unit was just tidied up using cotton sticks, microfiber cloths and IPA 99%. I didn't go overboard.





The lens was gently cleaned with IPA 99% and a microfiber cloth. I applied minute pressure and with a couple of motions I removed a thin layer of dust. This operation is always risky but I do it regardless. I do not trust high spinning cleaning disks. Had one back in the day. It made quite a racket in my 16X LG CD-ROM.





The laser head cradle is held by tiny metal strips and screws instead of plastic clips. Neat stuff. Excess engineering.





Looking great.



 



Small details that you usually do not see on a regular ODD.





Its mechanical! I LOVE IT!





The PCB is coated in a protective lacquer, that it is easily removed by IPA 99% and leaves streaks that are quite hard to get rid of. This stuff is not like that found on motherboards, so, after a test on a small area using cotton sticks and IPA 99% I decided to clean the PCB only using a small brush made from animal hairs and I limited the use of IPA 99% just on the really dirty areas, like the rear connectors and other parts. The results were quite good.



 

 

 

 



I cleaned the fan duct well.



 



The fan was put back and the wires were carefully routed in the same way they were. Some 0.2 mm double sided tape was required to fix some of the original cloth tape that lost its stickiness.





The plastic and metal parts were washed with water and dish soap. Some stains that were present on the front bezel have been removed with small amounts of polishing paste and cotton sticks. Some small scratches remained as I didn't want to lose some of the texture that was present on the plastics due to the use of the polishing paste.



 

 

 

 



On the road to recovery. The gears, and the laser head rails received a small amount of clear silicone grease. Also the tray rails have been lightly greased.



 

 

 



DONE!





If you want to know if I tested the unit before I started the restoration process I must say that I did not.  Why? No reason really. Such a good looking unit can't be dead, right? 

One aspect that I forgot to mention is that on the front tray cover there are also vents/tiny slots present, that get fresh air inside the unit.  An over the top ODD that is for sure. This unit made my cogs turn every step I took and everywhere I looked I saw attention to detail and craftmanship. I must say that they are really not making them as they used to and this is true for many things not just computer HW.





NICE!





The LED action was interesting, to say the least. They even tell you if you have a disk inside. Neat stuff. The LEDs are quite nice and the amount of light they put out is carefully dosed. If you look closely to the PCB you will see that the LEDs have some kind of diffuser in addition to the lenses that are present on the front bezel.





Enough chit-chat I guess. The unit was running great and at the specified speeds. The scratched CD-ROM was read brilliantly. This unit is @ 100%!





I praised this unit but I didn't say anything about the all important fan. Is such a fan doing anything? Well, I used a small piece of toilet paper and I saw that some air was moved by it. As to the real benefit of it I really can't say for sure. Maybe it has something to do in regard to the CD writing process where it might reduce the temperature inside the unit, but I have some doubts as some of the hot air from inside of the PC case is sucked inside the ODD via the vents in the bottom metal plate. Maybe the design of this unit was inspired by some car stereos or high end Hi-Fi stuff where cooling might be more important. Who knows?





Also I must mention an annoying fact. This fan is ON all the time even if you have a CD inside or not. I thought that the fan would kick in only when you use the ODD but NO SIR! It is ON ALL THE TIME. This was quite unexpected and it made me think why this design choice was made. I guess that I will never know.

It isn't loud but it has a higher pitched sound that was noticeable only when I put my ear near the unit. Also the bearing is a little grindy. I guess that much of its life, due to the very low level of wear and tear inside, this ODD just sat unused, with the tiny fan blasting away, doing nothing more than getting dust inside, a real treat to any ODD. Dusty dust dustiner checking out the premises aka all the holes, nooks and crannies.

All of the few shortcomings are only noticeable when you are really close to the unit and if the Yamaha CRW8824E would've been closed inside a case they would go unnoticed.

Now at the end, I must say again, that I really like this ODD and any respectable PC case would be insane not to want this piece of tech inside it. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/TWTfnZS

*More later.*


----------



## Mussels (Aug 17, 2021)

everything was amazing until you wrote kawaii as kaway and my inner weeb started writing "AKSHUALLY..."

hot air from inside a PC wont even hit 40C, vs that little enclosed unit going 60+ (possibly much higher, with an early design with PEW PEW LAAAAZORS!)


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 17, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Also I must mention an annoying fact. This fan is ON all the time even if you have a CD inside or not. I thought that the fan would kick in only when you use the ODD but NO SIR! It is ON ALL THE TIME. This was quite unexpected and it made me think why this design choice was made. I guess that I will never know.


That answer is simple, the laser diode in some early ODDs got very hot and sometimes failed from overheating. The solution was to install a fan that provided constant cooling. This was before a few very important advances in laser diode tech were made.

 If the fan is noisy, a solution is to service the fan bearings with a 50/50 mix of synthetic motor oil and dielectric grease(mixed very well!). The fan will become very quiet and very efficient!


----------



## Audioave10 (Aug 18, 2021)

That was quite the education...I love this kind of product review and tear-down.


----------



## Robert B (Aug 18, 2021)

Mussels said:


> everything was amazing until you wrote kawaii as kaway and my inner weeb started writing "AKSHUALLY..."
> 
> hot air from inside a PC wont even hit 40C, vs that little enclosed unit going 60+ (possibly much higher, with an early design with PEW PEW LAAAAZORS!)



Fixed!  You sir are correct. 



lexluthermiester said:


> That answer is simple, the laser diode in some early ODDs got very hot and sometimes failed from overheating. The solution was to install a fan that provided constant cooling. This was before a few very important advances in laser diode tech were made.
> 
> If the fan is noisy, a solution is to service the fan bearings with a 50/50 mix of synthetic motor oil and dielectric grease(mixed very well!). The fan will become very quiet and very efficient!



I think that you have something here with the quality of laser diodes but I mean a fan spinning away for no obvious reasons while the laser head isn't in use begs the question: why? My only gripe is this and nothing else. Maybe the unit gets hot just by idling. I really don't want to check this with the unit opened up.  The fan is much more quiet than a regular fan, inaudible to many but it isn't like new anymore even after a careful treatment. This was expected so I'm not bothered.

In general, to quiet down fans I use all matter of concoctions with grease (3 types), motor oil, sewing machine oils and some types of thicker oils used for motorcycles chains but I learned one thing: once the ball bearings go south there is very little things to be done. I opened up many other bigger bearings to get fresh grease in but even that is not a guarantee that it'll fix it. Sometimes I left the small bearings for 24 hours in IPA 99% to get all of the old grease out, then in fresh grease for 24 hours and I got lucky as some grease got inside without opening them up. The tiny bearings do not need much grease as they'll push it out anyway.



Audioave10 said:


> That was quite the education...I love this kind of product review and tear-down.



My pleasure. I have at least two episodes with ODDs and you will see that I'll take things much further than in this case.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 18, 2021)

Robert B said:


> why?


Remember, at the time, power management wasn't a thing. It was common practice to make something with a fan that was always running when the power was on.


Robert B said:


> Maybe the unit gets hot just by idling.


This. Back then the laser diodes never shut off. They were always in a state of laser activity, and because laser diodes back then were not very efficient, they got hot easily and needed constant cooling.


----------



## phill (Aug 20, 2021)

Amazing attention to detail as always @Robert B !!     You never cease to amaze!!


----------



## Robert B (Aug 20, 2021)

This is only the beginning.  I have quite a few heavy hitters already done. 

CJ#1 - featuring a V5 5500.

And a Canopus card  The Jacksons - Can You Feel It  One of a kind beauty!!!


----------



## Robert B (Aug 29, 2021)

Space Frog & The Grim Reaper - Follow me (Original)  

*CJ#1* aka Client Job No. 1 - 3dfx Voodoo 5 5500 64MB AGP

Usually I don't take *repair jobs* from anybody, for various reasons, but as they say, never say never, here I am performing one. 

In this instance, this particular card came from my best supplier of retro HW. A contact from the not so distant past, when I used to buy many things from him until I discovered the local flea market. I keep a good relation with this guy and we write to each other on WhatsApp to present what treasures we have found. Each week we have something as a "duel" to see what we got. Lately I started selling him stuff from the flea market that I don't need. It is a WIN WIN situation. He also sells newer stuff and does this on a bigger scale.

In *July 2021 *I received a picture with a card that looked familiar, as I have one of these beauties, even if it is only @50%, as my card has only one working VSA chip. 

I still cherish the card as it means more to me as a physical object that I can touch and feel, than to put it to work. I could send it to be repaired but I won't do it for now. I searched for it for years and when I got it I was struck by its aura and also by it fragility. The first thing that came into my mind when I got my card, was: You're only "human" but I still dig you with or without a shovel. 

As soon as I saw the card I knew what it was. The V5 5500, came from a scrap lot and had some damage. It had been powered but it didn't output any image on the screen. The only thing that gave a hint that the card was alive were the leds on the keyboard lighting up at startup.

I was asked to repair the card and I said that I need clear pictures and a day to think it over.

The first thing I did was to see if I had all of the required components, ceramic caps, capacitors, SMD power inductors, etc.

I had *a dismembered V5 5500 AGP *that a few years back, I found at the flea market and this was the starting point of this adventure. Also I had another damaged card that provided the required power inductors. 

As we all know, it takes a VooDoo to repair a VooDoo ( not really  ) and an nVidia Geforce 4 Ti 4200 to repair a VooDoo ( not really  ).  So I was set on the right path and I accepted the job. You will see later that I also had to do an operation that I never did before as the card had a little more damage than just a few ICs flying off the board.





I cross referenced the card I received with mine and I found out that I had all I needed except the SMD power inductors marked with 4.7 aka 4.7uH.





I searched through my pile of dead cards and I found a *Leadtek WinFast Geforce 4 Ti 4200 64MB  AGP A250 LE *that had two matching SMD power inductors marked GS 4R7. I searched the Internet and I found out that they are equivalent with the ones marked 4.7. I asked the guy that sent the card if he is okay with this and he laughed at me and he told me to repair it the best way I could as this was more than he hoped to get out of the whole situation.





*Get ready! Set! GO!*





One of the details that give a V5 5500 its originality are the big OS-CON SMD caps near the auxiliary power plug. I removed the needed capacitor from the donor card and I also removed the SMD power inductors from the Leadtek card. 





In total, the card was missing ceramic caps at *C501, C502, C554,* a resistor at *R504*, an SMD OS-CON 470uf 6V at *C90* and two SMD power inductor at *L20* and *L21*. Not too bad, taking into consideration from where it came.

The card was looking pretty well, and the lacquer was shiny, a sign that not long ago it sat protected inside a case, only to be taken out and thrown into a pile by careless individuals.

The repair operation went forward. Each missing part was removed with great care. The donor card was very cooperative and I was also in great spirits as everything went smoothly, like a COPY PASTE procedure. I was ZEN and I don't mean Ryzen.  It was like the card wanted me to repair it and it guided me each step I took.



 

 

After a close inspection of the card, I found out that I had more work to do, besides soldering the missing parts. 

The card received a blow that bent a couple of pins on one of the memory chips on the back, but this was not the worst problem, as the object that bent those pins, also cut a few traces that went to the neighbouring memory chip.



 

At first I tried to rearrange the tiny copper traces that were visible and I thought that I might rebuild them using solder. This was my first choice but later you will see that I gave up on this idea.





Here it is the back of the card I received. 



 

 



Even if the lacquer was shiny it didn't mean that the card was by any means clean.





And now lets see the face of this beauty. 





The missing components on the front of the card.



 

 



Using a fine needle I gently checked and I also separated more the bent pins so that no contact was ever possible. As they were bent inside any chance of making them to look better flew out of the window. The only way to do this professionally would've been to remove the chip and replace it with the same exact thing, date code and all. Good luck finding one. So it was left as it was.

I must say that during the entire operation I never ever thought that the card wasn't alive. I was like someone who just has to adjust some things and let the card do the rest. 



 



Looking good. This example of a V5 5500 was oozing personality from all its pores. It had the heatsinks glued almost perfect. Flat, correctly centered with the thermal glue nicely spread albeit a little too thick as it is always the case. The only thing that bothered me (and maybe just me) were the slightly mismatched  cooling fans.  

I already knew how it will look once my job was done. I visualized this since the beginning.





The donor card was of great help and it also made me feel at peace that the originality would be still intact once I'll place down the soldering iron.



 



While I went on performing the various tasks required to revive this relic of times gone by, my mind was also searching for a solution to the cut traces. I knew that bridging the copper traces with solder wasn't my best solution. The reasons were a few and among them the most important were: the durability of the repair and not knowing if the cut traces would make contact with other traces or layers of copper beneath as I had no way to check this and I also didn't want to dig deeper into the crater. 

So, I was in for a trace repair using jumper wires. I chose a wire that was solid and it was the thickness I deemed optimal as I didn't want this thing flapping around. I wanted to buy a dedicated wire for trace repair but I didn't find anything localy. Also this was my first ever trace repair and I wanted it to be a success. I watched how trace repair is done professionally but I lack the required tools to do it. That stuff is for pros who do this everyday not for someone like me. Option A) a muscle car or Option B) an Italian super car.   Guess what I chose or should I say I had to use whatever was available. 

I cleaned the copper wire with sandpaper to remove any coating it might have.





In the end I decided to remove each piece of the cut traces that were visible. Even if I managed to solder the bits that survived, one trace in particular, that snaked through, would've been impossible for me to repair without the correct tools. All in all 3 traces needed repairs. 

I had a clean slate to begin with.





As you might've expected, I first tried the proposed repair on the donor card. This was a job that I didn't want to rush no matter what.



 

 



Don't mind the wavy wire, baby steps if you know what I mean. In my mind the procedure was a walk in the park. In reality it was quite fiddly.

And now on the actual thing. The real deal. Before any wire was soldered I filled the crater with a two part epoxy to eliminate any possible contact with some phantom traces/layers even if I knew that none was possible.



 



The missing parts have returned to their rightful position.





The wires have been soldered. The shape of the wires wasn't perfect but I was still proud of my work. I wanted to follow the shape of the "lost" traces. One wire in particular went near two eyelets. Don't be fooled by the optical illusion as there is no contact between the exposed wire and the eyelets. Remember, the wire is round and the part that sits close to the eyelets is thinner that the diameter of the wire.





All things considered I liked the results. One step was quite a challenge. Soldering the end of the wires to the tiny legs of the memory chips. I decided not to intervene on the shape of the wires once I soldered them. Remember that the area where I worked was small and the last thing I needed was a damaged memory chip or a torn pad. Sometimes it is better to choose your battles than rush in.

I soldered the OS-CON cap and the SMD power inductors. To solder the SMD power inductors I used a method I saw on YT. I added some solder to one pad on the PCB and while the solder was still liquid by holding the tip of the soldering iron on the pad, I slided in the power inductor gently. Then I removed the soldering iron and I waited for the solder to cool. Soldering the other end was easy afterwards.





*So there you have it. ALL DONE!*



 



Using basic tools and my common sense, plus experience, I was ready to wake up the two headed monster. Rise and shine you wonderful card.



 



*Well?!?!?!?!?!* Well what? You mean the card? A! Yep! It's firing on all its cylinders. 



 



After testing it was obvious that I had a winner in my hands. 

The card ran solid and never missed one beat. I wished that it was mine but ever since I accepted to repair it I knew that I will have to let it go once I was done with it. 



 



For the extra comfort and to be 1000000% sure, I also fixed the jumper wires with some transparent two part epoxy. If I would've had some green epoxy/solder mask the repair would've looked even better.





After my job was done and after I informed the owner that the card is @100% I asked him if he would like me to restore it. The answer was swift and I guess that you know what comes next. 

*Nothing was left to chance.* Every nook and cranny was inspected and cleaned. 

The fans were dusty and the bearings were grindy.





This card wasn't handled with gloves. The frames of the cooling fans have managed to mitigate some of the damage.





The bracket had seen better days.



 



IPA 99% FTW!!!



 

 

 

 



Extra attention was given to the cooling fans, a hallmark of a V5 5500. I used some oil and some grease and I was able to make them more quiet. They turned out great and after treatment I would say that they are at 85-90% of how they were when they were new, in regard to their functionality. The bearings are still a little grindy but very little. A major improvement than before. This was quite unexpected as this operation is a hit and miss affair and you don't know what you will get in the end.



 

 

 



Uhhhh shiny!!!





Attention to detail.



 

*SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!*



 

 

 



DONE & DONE! 



 

 

 

 



After I was done I knew that it had been a very special day. Not every day you get to work on a rare card and not every day everything goes without a hitch. Even the flowers on my window smiled at me. 





Before I sent the card I tested it one more time and after it got the green light it was time to let it go.





*SHIP IT!*

I put the card in a box that was way too big and I sent it on its way towards the happy owner.





Now, at the end I must say that it was an absolute treat to work on this puppy and I'm happy that I got to do it. Also, many things were learned especially in regard to fine repairs using just basic tools. If I were to do something differently I would use a wire that would be just a fraction thinner but I do not regret using something that it is above what it was required. What I do must be solid in more ways than one this is my motto ever since I was a kid. 

To wrap this up. The card arrived at the very happy guy and he played NFS II SE on it plus many other games. In return, I didn't want any money for this job as I said to him that this is a way to repay him for all the great parts that got into my collection even if I had to pay for them.

Because he wanted to send me something I accepted to receive an Abit KR7A-Raid motherboard that had some problems but when I got the package I was struck by its contents. Inside were also a couple of Celeron Tualatin CPUs, a Diamond Fire 1k Pro card and the icing on the cake *the card for the next episode.*  Not just any other card, you will see what I'm talking about in the next episode. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/rT2X3jf

*More later.*


----------



## Audioave10 (Aug 29, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Space Frog & The Grim Reaper - Follow me (Original)
> 
> *CJ#1* aka Client Job No. 1 - 3dfx Voodoo 5 5500 64MB AGP
> 
> ...


Yes... another beautiful story with a happy ending. Nice work and well done!


----------



## Mussels (Aug 30, 2021)

My lordy, those old cards may be easier to repair by hand than newer ones but the sheer effort for that repair and documenting it so thoroughly...


----------



## Robert B (Aug 30, 2021)

Audioave10 said:


> Yes... another beautiful story with a happy ending. Nice work and well done!



A great experience from start to finish. There was no way that I could keep this only to myself. 



Mussels said:


> My lordy, those old cards may be easier to repair by hand than newer ones but the sheer effort for that repair and documenting it so thoroughly...



You are absolutely right. Thank God that they can be repaired with house hold tools.  Also with these older cards restoration procedures return better results as the manufacturing process was different, with other types of lacquers that are shinier than that on new cards. Also the PCBs were more resilient  than that on newer cards. All in all when I work on these components is like you have an older car and you buff out all the chrome and after you're done you need an eye exam when the sun touches the surfaces. 

A methodic approach to restoration. You experience the same path I took from start to finish. I don't even have to think and while I work my hand reaches to the phone to grab some pics. No detail is unimportant. I have in excess of 75K pics taken since 2015. Each year more and more as my style and method have evolved. 

In the works: *The card from The Land of the Rising Sun.*





In case you are wondering what's the hubbub with the thread locker then all I can say now is this: *I had so much fun with it so I had to be sure that I will have MORE fun with it at a later date.* 

*More later.*  Method Man, Redman - Da Rockwilder (Official Video)


----------



## Robert B (Sep 17, 2021)

*Some spit'n polish!* 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Canopus card is ready to have its story told. The pics have been sorted and edited. The only thing I miss is time. Lately I have so much awesome HW coming in that is kind of ridiculous.  Some was sold, some was kept, but gone are the times when I had a few ongoing projects. Now, I juggle with 15+ projects, all in various states of completeness. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't worry, I didn't forget about you, my faithful fans. 

Soon a new episode will be posted. I mean soon not that kind of soon.


----------



## phill (Sep 18, 2021)

You never cease to amaze me @Robert B !!   Can't wait!!


----------



## Mussels (Sep 18, 2021)

The longer you take, the more retro it is when you post the pics!


----------



## Robert B (Sep 19, 2021)

Bombdogs - First Time (Original mix)  _(No House of the Rising Sun song here)_

*The card from The Land of the Rising Sun*

*There are a few cards that stick with you for a very long time. *You might think that I'm referring to some mythical cards like the VooDoo 5 6K or something along the line, but that is not always the case. As we are different, or at least we like to think that we are, each of us resonate to certain things that for others mean absolutely nothing or they are just a footnote on their scale of "values". 

Sometimes, a card that it is not sold in certain regions of the world due to the fact that it is simply destined for other markets, quickly achieves a status that can make many people hearts race. 

For me, among many other things (as you probably know by now), the *Canopus *line of cards has a very special place in my heart.

Back in their hay day I'm not sure that I heard or read about them. Maybe I saw some ads with their 3dfx cards? My memory is a little hazy but what I can say for sure is that I never heard anyone  close to me to own such a card when they were King of the Hill.

Fast forward to somewhere around 2010 I stumbled on some pictures with a few Canopus TNT 2 Ultra cards. I was awed by their presence and I was impressed by their design. *They were simply stunning.* They have a je ne sais quoi that speaks my language.

For the last *6 years* since I started actively acquiring HW I never saw one in the flesh and truth be told I wasn't holding my breath for finding one anytime soon.

I was quite surprised in July 2021, when I  received some pictures with a Canopus card from the guy that also found the VooDoo 5 5500 that I repaired in the previous episode.

How LUCKY can you be to score two awesome cards in such a short span of time? 

The card was tested and it worked but as soon as I got the pictures I pointed out some problems. Due to the fact that I didn't want to spend money and buy it, I congratulated the guy for a job well done. For the last few years I'm not inclined to spend big money on many parts and I'm just waiting patiently for them to pop up at the flea market.  Sure that they may come with some problems but my body is ready. 

*That was it for the time being.*

After I  repaired the V5 5K I sent the card to the very happy owner and I didn't want something in return for my services.  Soon after this, because he asked me, I agreed to receive an Abit KR7A-RAID motherboard as compensation for repairing the V5. The motherboard had issues but I still wanted it as I always like to challenge myself. What? An Abit mobo? Heck yeah! Send it! After I changed some bad caps I found out the real problem of that motherboard as it proved to have a shorted SB. Bummer. In the end I wasn't able to do anything with it. It can be repaired but it is a question of time and money, like everything in life.

But that wasn't everything. When I got the package, to my surprise, I found a few extras inside. A couple of Celeron Tualatin CPUs, a Diamond Fire 1K Pro AGP card and you guessed it, The Cherry On Top, *the Canopus card.* I called the guy to ask him if he wanted the card repaired or if it was for me. *And so, I got my very own Canopus card.* It had a lot of problems but the fact that it was still kind of alive made me want to do everything in my power to restore it. Where  people see junk, where people see lost causes, I see opportunity. I can't remember how many times I was asked, what are you doing with those "corpses" and when I present the "finished product" the question quickly turns into: are they for sale? For sale? Not yet! They might be but I can't say for now. Even today I hear people saying that if a component has a few torn caps or other cosmetic damage, they aren't to be bought. That always makes me smile. Remember that these parts will never be manufactured again. Need I say more?

So, in the end, after I thought that the Canopus card was already sold to someone else, I was the lucky winner of yet another "unicorn". Looking back, that card had my name written all over it.

Let's meet the *Canopus Spectra 5400R2 N17-AG-904!*



 



The signature feature of many Canopus cards is the SSH daughterboard. In essence that SSH daughterboard which stands for *S*ignal *S*uper *H*ighway, together with other ICs that are present on the card, ensure a better video output from it or at least that is the gist of it. In practice I saw that indeed the signal output was crispier than that on some other TNT 2 cards I own. This was registered on an LCD. As I do not own any CRTs I can't say if the same difference could be observed on the good old cathode-ray tube monitors.





The tip of the iceberg.





The back of the card was full of scars and missing components. Not a pretty sight.





The label that was present on the card had some very interesting information on it. *Spectra 5400 Premium Edition or Spectra 5400.* What? Spectra 5400 PE? The heck is that? A quick search has revealed that the PE edition is the well known TNT 2 ULTRA variant. What's the stuff with this sticker I wondered? Is it 0 or 1? Why would you put such a sticker on your product? Which one is it?

I already knew that this card was a regular TNT 2 but I still had a 0.0000001% hope that maybe it was the PE edition. I know I was greedy. 





Let's focus on the problems of this card. Many missing ceramic caps, cracked ceramic caps and some deep scratches. Well, it could be worse I said to myself. 





Let's count the number of threads on those screws as I know that I'll need this information later. I really don't want to screw up something.

Left.





Right.





I was intrigued by the miniature cooling fan. It looked to be of high quality and it still spun silently even if it was looking worse for wear. Model Panaflo UDQFNKH01 DC5V 0.14A. Made In Japan. Well, it was to be expected that a high quality miniature fan made in Japan was to be used on a card made by a Japanese company. Elementary.



 



I had some reservations in regard to this diminutive 3cm pygmy but in the end I was won over by it. It was looking a little under the weather, with scratches, dents and some black deposits inside.

Break it up folks! No PE in here! There's nothing to be seen!





I never expected that it would be so tough to remove that tiny cooler from the card. Sure that a nut and bolt combination is way better than some crappy plastic push pins, but using thread locker on them was quite a sneaky move.

I had to be very patient and use a fine needle to remove some of the thread locker that was visible, then I had to use a pair of pliers to keep in place the nut, while I tried to unscrew the bolt from the other side without damaging the card. It was quite a tense situation as I didn't have a wrench that was so small and I knew that if my pliers would slip or if my screwdriver would slip I might have to add some more repairs on the already long list of stuff to do on this card.

In the end I prevailed and I managed to free the tiny cooler from the card.





I took a close look at the cooler and at first I wanted to take it apart but I soon dismissed this idea. The cooler has a shroud that it is riveted to the heatsink so, I had to resort to a "key hole" cleaning procedure. A tedious thing, let me tell you.





I could've submerged the entire thing in IPA 99% but as the fan bearing was still running smoothly I wanted to keep that way. 

After I used about 15 cotton sticks dipped in IPA I took a close look at the results.



 



Well, it looks kind of ok, I said to myself, BUT I WANT MORE!

The back of the cooler was in pretty good shape.





To get into all the tiny spaces of the cooler I bought a set of small brushes and then millimeter by millimeter I cleaned the inside of that tiny thing. I was amazed at how much dirt and grime came out of it. I reckon it took me close to two hours to clean it.





After this, I looked at the results and I played with the idea of using some sandpaper to smooth out the dents that were on the aluminum shroud and then polish it.

In the end I opted to leave it as is, as I deemed this operation to be well into the diminishing results territory. Some of the dents were simply too deep and I had to remove a lot of material.

After some more detailing and polishing I got these results.



 

 



You might wonder why I spent so much time with this operation. Well, look at the card and tell me which signature feature is the most striking? Among, other things, that cooler screams Canopus all the way. This is why I wanted to do everything I could to give this battered thing a new lease of life.

After another inspection of the card I got more good news. Cough, cough. MORE WORK! For ME?! Oh, you shouldn've have! &^%$*#^($#%^!!!! 





Ready to be made great again.





It's ME the SSH thingy. I don't know about you, but all I see is just a PCB and some traces. Well, the Marketing Department needs some material, don't they? 



 

YAY! More bent pins and a few scars. YAY! 





The bracket has seen better days. I'm sure of it.



 



Rust! A very nice flavor! You know! RUST! aka Rusty rust rust ... a very nice fellow ... not.





Into the rust remover solution you go! NOOOO!!! Suffer and be reborn!





OHHHHH!!! A torn pad! NICE! Look at that cotton sticking to that lifted trace that used to make contact with the missing pad.



 



Joke aside, I was quite relieved when I saw that I had something to solder onto. That tiny bit of copper made my day. I CAN FIX THIS! Phew!

I scraped the copper trace as much as I could, using an X-acto knife, then I soldered a tiny piece of copper wire onto it. The connection was solid. Then I soldered the replacement ceramic cap to the wire. The ceramic caps was first soldered firmly on the other side. While I soldered the ceramic cap, the wire lifted a little but the result was still good and I was pleased with this fix. The rest of the ceramic caps were a breeze to replace. I must say that all of the replacement ceramic caps have been scavenged from donor cards. 



 

 

 

 



The flapping label on the back was secured with 0.2mm double sided tape. That thing was getting on my nerves. The originality of the card must be preserved at all costs.



 



As something was still nagging me I secured the ceramic cap that had the torn pad with a little two part epoxy. Come high water you are there to stay!





Bubble bath. Due to the fact that the card was already rusty and it was quite dirty I had no reservations in washing it with tap water and dish soap.





Looking good!



 



Look closely to the memory chips. I really am amazed that this card has survived.



 



*RGB anyone?* If you wonder what's the use of these jumpers head over here: "Dual Filter System (DFS: patent pending). To allow the best performance on a variety of monitors, the Fine Filter was developed. In addition, a Super-fine Filter was developed to ensure the best performance on high-end monitors exceeding 21 inches. This setting can be altered via colored jumpers on the board itself. Fine Filter is set by default." http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews/5400pe/5400pe-3.shtml





I already see the final result.  All the hard work will pay dividends in the end.



 

 



Poor memory chips on the back and a slightly damaged corner. How is this thing still alive?





After the cleaning procedures with water and IPA, one of the paper labels on the back was on its way out. A black marker attempt made things worse. &$#*&$(#^$&!!!!





The SSH daughterboard came out pretty nice but some rust was still giving me the finger.



 

 



The bracket was looking awesome after some rust remover solution treatment and manual polishing.



 

 



The SSH daughterboard was put through more stages of rust elimination treatment. In the end I had to stop as I simply could not get things to look better than they were apart from maybe changing the connector. 

*Final results.*



 

 



You remember the paper label from above don't you? Well, I tried some white corrector on it but that made me lose my marbles.  So I tore up the offending part of the label. Auch!



 



I was left with a gap that had to be filled. Hmmmm ...

I wanted to print out a new label but the font was hard to identify, so I searched for a clear picture with another label. Then I printed that label on a piece of brown paper that kind of looked old.

After I printed the label I saw that I had to adjust the size of the writing a few times. Trial and error.

Once I got things perfect I rubbed my finger on the paper and you have guessed it. The whole thing came off ...

I could not use the entire label I found on the Internet as each card has its own SN ...

Back to the drawing board.

A new label and some nail varnish. Sure the paper is darker now but the ink is there to stay.

I slapped some 0.2 mm double sided tape.

*DONE! *



 



After a lot of work came the best moment. All the parts have been made to look as good as they were ever going to get. Everything was set and ready to go.

I applied some AC MX-4 paste and I removed some of it from the four corners of the graphic chip as the tiny cooler does not cover the entire area. 





And now for the coup de grace. THREAD LOCKER!!!

But WHY?

WHY? I had so much fun with it that I had to be sure that I will have more FUN with it at a later date. 

Joke aside, that thread locker is vital as due to heat cycles, or just by handling the card, the nuts and bolts might come lose.





If you have paid attention, you remember the two pictures from the beginning of this episode. Left and Right.

I counted the number of threads on each bolt to ensure the same exact torque specs as the original. Then, the thread locker was applied with a fine needle. Also I checked if the cooler wasn't too tight even if I secured it like it was before.





Attention to detail is everything, at least for me.

So here we are, close to the end of this endeavor. The results of my work speak for themselves.



 

 

 

 

 



Bask in the SUN my beloved! 



 

 



Almost perfect. Some scars are there to stay but who can see them?





After all the effort I was ready to power it up. The guy that gave me the card said that it was picky and it might not give signal every time. Well, with so many missing caps, I would also not give a signal from time time. 

POWER!

*The card XPLODED!!!*

Not literally of course.

The BIOS string made ma smile. This thing has gone Supernova! 





After hours of testing I labeled this card to be @ 100%! 

The satisfaction I felt was off the charts. This is a drug that is quite addictive let me tell you.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



There you have it. Another success story.  Canopus, the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina and the second-brightest star in the night sky.  Quite a fitting name for this uncommon card I must say.  Even if the Canopus Corporation is no more, its legacy still lives on in their electronic artefacts which will endure the test of time for many years to come.  You are only forgotten when nobody remembers you.

This card has a very special place in my collection and as I always say, once something goes (will go) out of my collection, then all of them will go as I really am a binary person, 0 or 1, when it comes to certain things that are important to me. 

Stay close for more thrilling adventures.  You never know what life has in store for you. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/6CwYzZF

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Sep 22, 2021)

You are spot on *pshipkov* but where would we be without marketing.  

Next episode in the works: *Geforce 3 Ti 500 *- *An above and beyond adventure*

This didn't pan out like in the manual. Well ... 





In other turn of events, stuff in need of rescuing is piling up but I'm not complaining.  Many of them will receive the love and attention they need and also they may head to a loving home once I'll reluctantly be able to part with them.





*More later.*


----------



## Audioave10 (Sep 22, 2021)

I can't wait...the Canopus story was awesome. Your complete explanations add depth.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Sep 22, 2021)

Robert B said:


> This didn't pan out like in the manual. Well ...


I've been doing this for years. Metal tape is a wonderful way to do heat isolation on PCBs. It's better than Kapton tape..


----------



## Robert B (Oct 1, 2021)

Quasimodo - Let It Out 

*Geforce 3 Ti 500* *- An above and beyond adventure* 

As any HW collector out in the wild, I too like to own the absolute high end of a certain line of cards or any other PC component. These evasive creatures aren't easily found in the wild and even if you manage to find them, they more often than not, cost and arm and a leg and we know that we need our body parts to function at an optimal level, so there aren't many of us that can pay that arm and leg in $$$ form.

As you know well by now, I'm a person that doesn't like to spend a lot of dough on a certain component and instead I choose to wait patiently for it to pop up at the flea market. These last years I've been quite lucky and I managed to score quite a few "unicorns" so it seems that my "strategy", even somewhat unusual, pays up in the end. This doesn't mean that if I see a good deal outside the flea market I don't pull the trigger and I take ownership of other strange creatures that happen to cross my path. NO SIR! Though, between me and you, these encounters aren't too common. 

In May 2021 I was at the flea market and if I remember correctly, it was a slow day with little interesting stuff. I was relaxed though, as that meant that the $$$ would stay in my pocket!

Somewhere in the middle of the market I saw a big suitcase full of stuff. Old dismembered phones, chargers, junk and everything but the kitchen sink. On top of that pile of non descript stuff, my eyes caught a glimpse of a green AGP card that sported a green, square nVIDIA heatsink.

'the HECK is that?! Hmm ... a Geforce of some sort. Let's check the tricorder, ahem, smart (dumb) phone and see what's what.

** Loading ...
* Compaq ...
* WHOOOOO!!! A GEFORCE 3 Ti 500! WHOOOOOOOO!!!!
* Hmm ... for sure it had seen better days ... poor thing.
* How much is it? I asked politely.
* 1 EURO! 
* Here you go!
* Thank You!*

So I found another "unicorn" and of all places, at the flea market form my city. How friggin' cool is THAT!

I knew that it was going to be a PITA to restore this card but I was ready come hell or high water!

*So let's get on with the show! *Strap yourself in as this was quite a ride for me. For months I tried to get the maximum out of this whole situation and only in August 2021 I was ready to put down my tools and accept the outcome. 

This whole affair took a long time as I worked on it sporadically. Some components took a while to get here and some were found at the flea market many weeks after I got the card. Also I wasn't ready to put an end to this story until I was absolutely sure that I had exhausted all the possibilities.

*NO REST FOR THE WICKED!*

This GF3 Ti 500, the star of this episode, is a model made for Compaq. At a first glance there weren't many tell tale signs that it was an uncommon card. No outrageous cooler, no eye popping color, no special PCB, etc.

The first thing that caught my attention was the string: MS-8853 VER:100, so it seems that this card was manufactured by MSI for Compaq. A good start I said to myself.

This is how it looked when I got it.





Apart from the missing heatsink from the top video memory chips, some dings and a torn connector of the cooling fan, it seemed that she was all there. *Looks can be deceiving we all know that,* so for a sane mind we all should choose our women only at the light of day or should I say at night all the cats are gray!?  Nevertheless, I bought this basket case in broad daylight so I had to deal with this situation no matter what!

nVIDIA 180-10050-000-C01 MADE IN TAIWAN.





YIKES!!! Torn fan connector, cracked power inductor, missing various ceramic caps of unknown value. Well, I was sure that the Good Ol' Internets aka SERIOUS BUSINESS, will eventually help me out, so, I wasn't too worried. 



 



The back of the card looked rather alright but I knew that I was in for a treat when I saw with what I was faced. *Facepalm in progress ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...*  Why do you do these things?! said my inner self. Well, for *funsies*? Yeah right! And pigs can fly!





A thorough inspection of the back of the card revealed a slaughter that was a carbon copy of a battle from the Civil War, many missing ceramic caps, a torn resistor, a shifted IC, and you name it. The problems were so many that I lost count of them.





You might wonder why I bought this train wreck. I must say that I saw many of the problems before I bought the card and I knew what I was doing. Many of the repairs were a straight forward job and well within my skill level, so I said WHY NOT? You only live once!

Let's recapitulate the list of repairs that I was to perform. 



 



NVIDIA Corporation Model: P50 * Replace with Compaq Spare SPS-BD NV20 64MB W/TV * 254095-101 * 254216-002





The bracket was a little bent but it looked quite okay. Ever since I saw the card, my gut was telling me that for sure this card was alive when it was tossed at the garbage bin. I couldn't help but to sympathize with the poor thing.



 



Nuts and bolts, ahem, bits and pieces.





The massive hit that took out the heatsink from the top memory chips also dislodged the cooler from the GPU. This was both a blessing and a curse. We all know why. Less work for me, more deadly for the card.





I saw a GF3 Ti  500 GPU die only in pictures, so, the moment I laid my eyes on the real thing, was quite special. It remined me of the time when I got my first Geforce 256. Good times!





After some cleaning. "A million dollars" shot! There is no replacement for the real thing. I sure hope that you are still among the living I said to myself ...





The first task on my agenda was to clean the cooler until it was up to my standards. Some acetone and lots of IPA and cotton sticks were required plus an abundance of elbow grease. The cooling fan was still running strong with zero grinding noise, another clue that made me think that this card had just a few miles under its hood. I didn't disassemble the fan as it was easy to clean as it was. There is no need to intervene if things are just as they are supposed to be. This is the result of countless hours spent restoring various components. Experience is the name of the game.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



During a restoration process I take my time to make things right and no detail is overlooked. Be it a cooling fan or a tiny ceramic cap, all of them receive the needed attention. No detail is unimportant. Where does it hurt? Time for another sponge bath?

The power inductor with a cracked head received a prosthesis made from a two part epoxy that was later painted black.



 

 



I scavenged the MIA heatsink from a dead GF3 Ti 200. The removal process was tedious to say the least. I tried various methods including heat but in the end I had to perform surgery with and X-acto knife.



 



An ideal replacement, minus the color. Well, in life, you don't always get what you want ...



 

 



At the end of the restoration process I was going to fix the silver heatsink with some double sided thermal tape. It seemed that this whole affair was to be a smooth sailing case for me. All the puzzle pieces seemed to fall into the right place. Little did I know  ...





The mighty GPU,  the beating heart of any graphic card.





I removed the various papers stickers that were kept safe in a plastic bag and I braced myself for what was to come.



 

 

 

 



Even from the get go I hit a brick wall. The removal of the torn pins of the cooling fan connector proved especially difficult. Even my trusty 100W soldering gun wasn't able to get the torn bits out. I tried many things but the only thing that I didn't try was to gently heat the PCB a little with a hair drier or with the help of the sun, before I went on to remove the little pieces of metal. This realization came too late as I already started to feel the tell tale smell of burnt PCB.

So, while I tried to do good I did a lot of wrong. Minus points for me! I must say that I felt that burn like the time when I burnt my hand a few years back. Accidentally I dropped the hot 15W soldering iron on the back of my forearm. The skin was so sensible that the top layer came off under the water. Took me a month to not feel the pain and a couple doctor visits. The recovery process was slow but in the end there were no repercussions. I have just a tiny scar to remind me not to play with fire.  The road to success is sometimes paved with hardship so I place this affair as something inevitable.

The only upside was that the damage I inflicted on the card wasn't something too serious and apart of the unsightly look, the functionality of the card was intact. Thank GOD! I scavenged the replacement pins from a donor card.





Among the many things that were wrong with this card, I also had to deal with many solder pads that were scarred, a clue of the bad treatment this card endured until it got to me. I did the right thing and I returned the areas to their former glory.

At this point I just couldn't stop and think of the amount of stuff that was wrong with this particular card. And this was just the tip of the iceberg.





A 224 resistor was scavenged from the same GF3 Ti 200 that also gave the silver heatsink. The many ceramic caps needed were also scavenged. The bent IC on the back was left in place as apart of it being out of position, there was nothing wrong with it. For peace of mind I just added some solder to all its feet. I couldn't find a replacement and I decided to keep it as it was. If some time down the road I was to find a replacement for sure I was to do a swap. 

I knew that against all of my efforts this card will never be as it was but at least it had a chance to prove if it was still alive or dead and buried. 0 or 1. 

The entire operation took some time but in the end I had something that looked as it should. Something whole that could be plugged into a motherboard.



 

 

 



While I tackled the bent bracket I could feel that the time when I was to power up the beast was fast approaching. Anticipation started to build up.



 

 



During the various restoration and repair procedures I managed to damage the golden MADE IN TAIWAN sticker. I wanted to repair it with some aluminum tape but in the end I gave up. Too much hassle. 





The only thing that kept me from powering up the card were two SMD OS-CON SVP 82uf 16V caps. The pictures I found on the internet indicated that these were an absolute must, so to ensure the best odds of success for this card, I placed and order at TME and I anxiously waited their arrival.





If you closely look at the pictures you might already spot a problem.

The caps I ordered were a size too small. &*%()#&$#&$!!! The original caps were OS-CON SVP 82uf 16V with a diameter of 8 mm while the replacements were OS-CON SVPF 82uf 16V with a diameter of 5 mm. Damn! I didn't read the specs thoroughly and I did a mistake. DAMN IT! 

After I read the spec sheets, as I should've the first time, I came to the conclusion that I had nothing to worry. the SVPF were superior to SVP and apart of the size there was nothing wrong with them. The order of the SVP(F) caps was made in a hurry. This was a mistake on my part. At first I didn't pay attention to the size factor and then to the fact that the new caps were SVPF and not SVP. All I saw was SVP 82uf 16V and I placed the order. 





After this mix up in regard to the SVP caps,  I looked at pictures of other GF3 Ti 500 cards and on a Leadtek I saw that regular 100uf 16V SMD caps were installed in the same location. Facepalm in progress ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Well that could've save me a few bucks ... No matter, only the BEST for my precious!

The tiny SVPF caps barely touched the solder pads but at least they filled the gaps. I really had to do something about this shortcoming ...



 

 



Let's turn back the time and see if we can restore some zing to this beauty.





The fruits of my labor.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Attention to detail.



 



After a lot of work and commitment, I was ready to power up the card.



 



Well?

Well, nothing. No beep, no signal ... I paused for a few seconds and counted my options. I soon came the the realization that this was it. The card is dead. Just a big fat zero.



 



I tried various things but nothing worked, so I tossed the card in a box and I decided to try something else at a later date when I had a clear mind. 



 

 

 



My options were limited but of all the scenarios I could come up with, one stood out. I wanted to find the correct SVP 82uf 16V caps. I had one on a dead Leadtek GF4 Ti 4200, but I needed two. The last one came from another dead Leadtek card I found at the flea market.

So, after many weeks, as I wasn't ready to let go, I was back in business.





SWAP COMPLETED!





POWER!





Still nothing. Bummer ...

For the 100th time I checked the card for other signs of damage.

To my surprise, I found something. Hope filled my sails once more. An inductor at the L84 position was MIA. The solder pads didn't have the obvious tell tale signs of a torn component so I overlooked that exact spot. I had to cross reference other pictures from the internet to be sure that the L84 was indeed present on this GF3 Ti 500.





For the last time I pressed the POWER BUTTON and I was filled with joy when I saw the green led light up on my monitor.

The joy was short lived though. The card showed artifacts but also had instances when it showed a perfect image. Damn ... I checked the top memory chips for broken or unsoldered pins so I was sure that the problem lay somewhere else.



 

 

 

 



At this point I threw in the towel. That's it I'm done! Troubleshooting the cause of this behavior was something out of my skill level and truth be told I was quite tired to deal with this card. Accepting that I was defeated wasn't easy but I had to let it go.

I'm sure that I'll find another GF3 Ti 500 one of these days. 

This above and beyond adventure had its moments of glory but also of despair but in the end I came out stronger and more determined. There is no limit to what you can do once you put your mind to it. It is just a question of how far you want to take things.

The only upside of this experience was that at least, in the end, I managed to make this sorry a$$ card output an image, so for a brief moment in time this card was as it once was. Shiny and whole, like it left the factory.

Up to this date I didn't try anything else and I intend to keep things like this. I don't want to poke the demon lurking below. I'm sure that if I just take this card in my hands I'll lose many more days, weeks, thinking of ways to recover something that has minute chances of survival. At least until I am able to obtain the tools and the expertise to tackle even more difficult cases. But this is for another time ... 

Sleep my dear ...





*Who knows what the future will bring?*

*More later.*

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/5yJ8Tcg * https://postimg.cc/gallery/0vvsjfh


----------



## ThaiTaffy (Oct 1, 2021)

A good tip if you want to repair traces and can't find a good wire is find an old induction heating coil and strip the wire from that I had an old soldering iron over a decade ago that died and I'm still using the coil today for trace repair.


----------



## Audioave10 (Oct 1, 2021)

That was a Massive attempt at fixing the unfixable and deserves big respect. Nice try!


----------



## Mussels (Oct 2, 2021)

The effort you to go for GPU repairs and documenting the steps is amazing


----------



## lexluthermiester (Oct 2, 2021)

Mussels said:


> The effort you to go for GPU repairs and documenting the steps is amazing


You should look back at past posts, Robert does this with a ton of stuff. While many people can do the repairs shown in this thread, Robert adds his own style and flare that gives it a charm all it's own!


----------



## Robert B (Oct 3, 2021)

ThaiTaffy said:


> A good tip if you want to repair traces and can't find a good wire is find an old induction heating coil and strip the wire from that I had an old soldering iron over a decade ago that died and I'm still using the coil today for trace repair.



Tip noted! Thanks! 



Audioave10 said:


> That was a Massive attempt at fixing the unfixable and deserves big respect. Nice try!



I gave it my best but after I wrote the episode, as expected, a new idea has popped up so this baby will need my attention again some time in the future. This is such a needy card! &$#*)&%#%^#$#!!!



Mussels said:


> The effort you to go for GPU repairs and documenting the steps is amazing



It comes naturally to me. After 6 years of constantly improving my method it is second nature, a reflex.  I tried to restore a piece without taking pictures but it wasn't the same. I still kept reaching for the phone when I saw something interesting. It seems I am "broken" but not quite. I like to think that there is a method to my madness.



lexluthermiester said:


> You should look back at past posts, Robert does this with a ton of stuff. While many people can do the repairs shown in this thread, Robert adds his own style and flare that gives it a charm all it's own!



I know I'm "special" but I'm a modest person and I want "my work" to speak for me.  I like to think that "the whole package" makes me stand out. I had a few words with others trying to replicate what I do and as it turned out it is not an easy task, especially being focused and doing this years on end. These adventures have gone past the just cleaning stage and are way into the heavy restoration territory. Lately, as stuff has come in big numbers, I was overwhelmed by what I must do over the following years. Yes years! So, even if I take a few moments off, you can be sure that I'll be back!  I also intend to tackle other projects and I have a few ideas that I'll present when I'm done with the "thinking/preparation" part. Who knows what the future will bring?! 

***

In other turn of events I finally scored THIS baby. It took me many years but I finally got one. My very first Intel Venus VS440FX.  Shocking Blue - Venus  A little banged up but I'm not complaining. 

I'll pair it with my PPRO 180MHz I found a while back. Add to this some high capacity EDO SIMMs I also found a while back and I'm golden. 

Socket 8 in the house ready for action at a moment's notice IF the mobo or the CPU are still alive! So many unknown factors! The CPU has a damaged pin that I managed to fix but other than that everything is possible. 

As usual you will be the first ones to find what happened!

*More later.*


----------



## ThaiTaffy (Oct 3, 2021)

Look forward to it.


----------



## Mussels (Oct 3, 2021)

@Robert B  you'd probably love this random find that came out of my dads storage boxes when he moved house, un-opened...












I mean, look at all the built in I/O ports...


----------



## Robert B (Oct 4, 2021)

Yeah she's a looker alright!  I also have a Chaintech Sk.7 motherboard with white PCI and ISA slots. This combination is uncommon.

The Sk. 8 motherboard from yesterday is on the right track towards recovery! All the cosmetic damage has been taken care of. Now is the time for deep cleaning and the all important POWERING UP TEST!

Clean PPRO in a very dirty socket!


----------



## Mussels (Oct 4, 2021)

If you could use it for anything, pay shipping and it's yours

would rather it go to someone who could build a working system with it, after all these years... cant believe how much damage you can fix


----------



## Robert B (Oct 5, 2021)

@Mussels - Coming from you it means a lot to me. I am a long time lurker on TPU and I know your nick from way back.  There are quite a few nicks that I associate with TPU. Ever since I registered here I knew that I am stepping into a special place. 

You live in Australia right? I'm from Romania (Europe). I did some research and the shipping costs are way out of my league. Add to this the changes in local laws related to customs expenses and this board will cost me an arm and a leg. For customs I would need an invoice with the declared value, otherwise I would be charged according to a fixed rate. At least this is what I found after some research online.

All in all I am sorry to inform you that I won't be able to take this awesome motherboard into my already big stash.  

My advice would be to find a good home for it somewhere near you. 

I must thank you from my heart for proposing this. You remind me of someone from my country that sent me a lot of stuff way back when I was just a greenhorn in regard to old HW.  

In other turn of events I found more stuff that needed fixing on the Intel Venus board. I did the right thing and the board came out great. Unfortunately I just can't spill the beans just yet but what I can tell you is that ahead of schedule, the NEXT EPISODE will be about the SOCKET 8 MOTHERBOARD. It was an unexpected find and it needed a lot of attention but I hope that in the end it will pay off. 

From rags to riches, from nothing to something, maybe the Gods of HW will be on my side and I will get the expected outcome!  SOCKET 8 IN THE HOUSE! I can't even think what this would've meant back in the day when it just came out. Come to think of it I don't even remember if I ever read about the PPRO boards back in the day when I was in high school. This stuff was rarer than hen's teeth. Also remember that Internet wasn't what it is back in '94-'96 ... time flies and getting older sux BIG TIME!!!

More later.


----------



## Mussels (Oct 6, 2021)

Damn, it's annoying how i can get things sent out bulk for free from china, but cant send anything to other countries myself


----------



## phill (Oct 7, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Yeah she's a looker alright!  I also have a Chaintech Sk.7 motherboard with white PCI and ISA slots. This combination is uncommon.
> 
> The Sk. 8 motherboard from yesterday is on the right track towards recovery! All the cosmetic damage has been taken care of. Now is the time for deep cleaning and the all important POWERING UP TEST!
> 
> Clean PPRO in a very dirty socket!


Robert do you ever just check over the hardware, see if it's ok and just test it or do you go to the very limits that you do and then test??  I was just curious how you do your testing, before the main clean or after


----------



## Robert B (Oct 7, 2021)

In the "old" days, I mean when I was starting in this endeavor, I always did a full restoration and then I would test the components. There was no exception. 

Starting a few years ago, due to the fact that I also started collecting "newer" stuff, like Geforce 3,4,5,6 video cards, ATI 9 series, Socket A, 478 motherboards, etc., the need to test them before has arisen. If the state of a component is good or if I do enough repairs that I deem that it is fit for testing, I sometimes test it before going to town on it but in general I still prefer to make a component pretty before I plug it in.  It is my way of ensuring the best conditions for a test. The casualty rate among these "newer" parts is usually bigger. Stuff from before the 2000s is in general more resilient. This has made me consider testing before restoring. I must say that even if a component turns up to be dead I still restore it quite nicely. Sometimes I do not go the extra mile but they are still going to be restored to a level of at least 95% of that of a full working part. 

I never power up a component without ensuring the safety of it. The basics are: dusting off, visual caps check, missing parts checks, TIM quality, checks for scratches, touching parts that aren't supposed to touch, cooling fans operation, etc.

I consider any component alive and kicking, no matter the state, until proven contrary.  If I would consider a component dead just by the looks of it then I would not own many of the jewels that now are in my possession.

There are a few cases with components that have given me a lot of grief or they provided a particular frustrating experience. To these, if they are dead, I just give them a once over and I "toss them" in the box of dead parts for a resurrection at an undisclosed date. 

Not one component is/will be left in the condition it came if I decide to keep it. They have to wait in line but all will be restored eventually. 

Testing means, for video cards several runs of 3DMark '99,'00.'01,'05,'11. Temps checks with GPU-z or the utility supplied by the manufacturer. For motherboards, POST tests, BIOS checks, BOOT tests and in some cases a full OS install with all the trimmings followed by a few 3DMark runs. The memory is subjected to a few passes of MEMTEST 86 /+. HDDs undergo a sector check with HDDScan or HDTUNE. The ODDs are checked with CD Speed util. 

One more thing. Many of these parts are decades old. If I intend to use a component more often then I test it more thoroughly. If it will be kept in a box, then I take it easy on them.

What I am going to do with all of the stuff I gathered is an entirely different thing,  I know that some time down the line I'll have to part with some of them but I am at peace with this.  A year ago, I came to the realization that this is an inevitable part of this experience. I'll see how it will feel in the not so distant future. A month ago I started selling stuff locally. Mostly unrestored, some with caps changed, cleaned to about 40% of what I can do, in general newer stuff or stuff that it is not in my area of interests.


----------



## Robert B (Oct 12, 2021)

The *Socket 8* motherboard is giving me the fits, as a lady she is ... As this threw a spanner in my works I have to change plans and prepare another episode.

*NEXT EPISODE:* Retr08right? What's the hubbub with the bleaching of ancient electronic artefacts?

I took the easiest route I could and to my amazement it really worked as intended.

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Oct 15, 2021)

*Retr08right?* What's the hubbub with the bleaching of ancient electronic artefacts?

*Retrobright*. Ever since I heard about this "thing" called retrobright, I wanted to try it. The main obstacle that prevented me from doing this was and still is, the fact that I mainly "specialize" in gathering components. I have just five complete PCs and of these, two need a retrobright treatment. The rest are looking fine and there is no need to fix something that's not "broken".

I watched a lot of videos on YT and read quite a few articles on the good ol' internet about what makes the retrobright tick. From all the information I gathered, I decided to use the 40 vol (12%)  Hydrogen peroxide solution. 

I won't go into detail in regard to types of retrobright solutions and methods as I think that there are way better tutorials on the internet than what I can present at this early stage. This will be a presentation of my first retrobright experience. 

As this was my first ever foray into this new area, I needed the proverbial guinea pig which arrived in the form of two ODDs that initially were destined for recycling.





I took a long hard look at them and I said: Why don't I try a rejuvenating treatment on you two? What do you say? *Yes please!* was the unanimous answer.

Before I tackled these two, cough, ahem, beauties, I briefly tested them and they proved to be in good shape. They read DVDs like a dream. NOICE!

Let's meet the duo. 

*Lite-On DVD-RW LDW-851S*



 

 

 

 



*Samsung DVD-ROM TS-H352 *



 

 

 

 



These drives are common as dirt where I live and if I didn't get them as a combo deal with other parts I might've never bought them. Also, I must confess, that once I get something, it is quite hard for me to knowingly send them to the crusher. So I was stuck with these two ODDs and I wanted to at least give them a new lease of life. I mean, who in their right mind would stick something looking like that into a retro PC? For sure I would not do such thing. 

I disassembled the trays and front bezels and I assessed the state of the plastics.





Inside the units, the trays looked quite well and they gave an indication of the original shade of white.



 

 



Being confronted by 50 shades of yellow I was even more determined to make these ODDs look as good as possible.

As I don't have zip bags or cling film and I didn't want to buy them just for this experiment, I took a regular plastic sheet cover, tied it with a zip tie to see if it held air and I was good to go.   Not ideal but wth, the main purpose of this is to prevent the evaporation of the hydrogen peroxide solution/emulsion.





Finding the hydrogen peroxide solution/emulsion that I needed proved a little tricky but in the end I prevailed. At first I wanted to go to a hair saloon and buy a bottle of 40 vol (12%) hydrogen peroxide but in the end I bought what I needed from a local supermarket. Buying from the internet would've been even easier but I left that for the next time when I'll retrobright bigger plastic elements.

Initially I wanted to use a hydrogen peroxide in liquid form like I saw on the internet but when I found a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide in gel form I knew that it was perfect. As a backup I also bought some hydrogen peroxide in powder form which once water was added would also turn to a gel consistency.



 

 







I used a couple of brushes and I coated the plastic bits with a generous layer of hydrogen peroxide gel. When I did this, I also did my first "mistake". I didn't wear gloves while I handled the plastics and even if I took great care I still got some of hydrogen peroxide gel on my fingers. When I saw my skin turn white I rushed to the sink and with lots of water I washed away all of the hydrogen peroxide. This wasn't dangerous but it made my heart race a little. What can I say. Beginner mistake. During the time I worked with the hydrogen peroxide I had the inspiration to at least wear some safety glasses. You really really don't want this stuff in or near your eyes. 

The bigger plastic bits were put in plastic sheet covers that were tied with zip ties, and the tray covers were put in a plastic sheet cover that was just rolled at the end. Nothing fancy.



 

 

 

 



After 30 minutes in the summer sun, I could see the transformation taking place just in front of my eyes. It was like magic, even if this sounds cheesy.  After just a few minutes in the sun you could tell that the stuff was doing its job.

I left the bits in the sun for an hour, then I washed them with water and dish soap. I used some regular rubber gloves just as a precaution. My skin is very sensitive.

Let's see what I got in the end.





Fantastic results. An exigent eye can spot some hints of yellow still present but that didn't bother me at all. I didn't want to do another pass of retrobright as the scope of this entire thing was not to make perfect these humble ODDs, as to gather the all important data for future projects.

Before and now. Night and day difference.





Another reason why I didn't want to do another pass of retrobright was the fact that it is quite easy to overdo a retrobright treatment and get a shade of white that will not match an older case. Also it is worth mentioning that retrobrighting a part doesn't mean that it will stay like that forever. The yellow shade will return some time down the road. When? Nobody knows, as this is variable. In some cases it may take years or much less. Also it may return with a vengeance yellower than any yellow before it.  It depends. The fire retardants used in the composition of the plastics that are responsible of the yellowing will still do their thing no matter what. Sure you could just paint the plastics but that it is an entirely different matter that needs a whole more experience to get it perfect, so retrobrighting is a lets say, safe and easy method to improve the appearance of all sorts of computer plastic bits.

The 50 shades of yellow are almost gone. 



 

 



After the success of the the retrobright treatment I was ready to do what I know best. Restoring everything that's PC related and sometimes even more.





I still couldn't believe my eyes while I performed the final stages of cleaning.



 

 

 



The front bezels of the ODDs have taken some beating but as the plastic is soft I used a small screwdriver and with the round metal part I pressed the plastic back into shape. This was as good as it was ever going to get.



 



The metal cover of the Samsung drive had some small scuffs and spots of rust that were removed. I used a cotton stick and some paint to blend in the areas that were damaged. The results were quite good as the drive looked like it was never touched up.





The Lite-On drive had a lot more rust and the paint had a different shade of gray that didn't match anything that I had in stock. I treated the rust and I painted the area that was damaged. Nothing fancy.





Both of the drives have been taken completely apart and thoroughly cleaned. I took detailed pictures of all the important bits. To my joy the Lite-On drive didn't have a rubber belt. That's a plus in my book no matter the ODD. During the cleaning process I had to use some polishing paste to remove some brown stains on the inside.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Some assemblies required.*





The first to be assembled was the *Lite-On* drive. All of the rails and all contact parts have been lubed with silicone grease. The laser lens has been cleaned gently with a microfiber cloth and some IPA 99%.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Next came the turn of the *Samsung* drive.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After a lot of work I had in my hands a couple of usable ODDs and I was filled with a sense of accomplishment.



 



*My joy was short lived though.*

After I finished the drives I installed them into my Slot 1 PC and I was ready to check them thoroughly. These two, cough, ahem, beauties, would not read CDs no matter what I tried. They read DVDs perfectly.

I tried to clean the laser head lenses a few more times but got the same results. It seems that the CD lens inside the laser head assembly it is toast on both of the units. *What where to odds of this happening?!* I even used cotton sticks dipped in IPA 99% that I left to rest on the lenses for a few minutes. Nothing worked. DVDs were read great CDs not so much. &*#&*($#%^#$!@#&!!!!!!  The ASUS CD-ROM inside the Slot 1 PC worked as usual. I even changed the cable. Nothing changed.





I was a little bummed but I looked at the bright side of this affair. The retrobright section of this adventure was a complete success. 

Retrobrighting is not complicated and if you decide to do it, it is better to start on small bits and pieces. In some cases retrobrighting might not get you the results you expect but this doesn't have to stop you from trying. You must decide if a piece of tech needs this treatment. There are cons and pros like everything in life. _"If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"_ 

As always Google is your friend. There is a lot of information on this subject waiting at your fingertips. 

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/QTBxyFY

*More later.*


----------



## Audioave10 (Oct 15, 2021)

Nice work and fun Pink Floyd reference!


----------



## ThaiTaffy (Oct 15, 2021)

Great job!!  retrobright is a extremely rewarding process personally I use UV led's as it's more controlled than sunshine but it does take longer. I used to use salon bleach also when I first started but large projects can get expensive so I moved on to mixing my own with baking soda. Once again a brilliant read Bob look forward to your next adventure.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Oct 16, 2021)

I usually just use the store bought 3% stuff. Always works well for me.


----------



## ThaiTaffy (Oct 16, 2021)

Store bought stuff is great but when you do multiple large items in my case retro chairs it starts to add up so making your own is the only viable option.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Oct 16, 2021)

ThaiTaffy said:


> Store bought stuff is great but when you do multiple large items in my case retro chairs it starts to add up so making your own is the only viable option.


Very good point. Some things are too big to be submerged.


----------



## Robert B (Oct 17, 2021)

Show Me What You Believe Baby 1989  *Party up in here! *

Friday I had some cake and I also got to see some topless action! 

I hoped for a 1000MHz core like my defunct K7 750MHz but I was out of luck. Next time will be my lucky day!  Still, a fresh 8(O)(O) MHZ slot A CPU that enters my collection is nothing to sneeze at.

NEXT EPISODE: *A bunch of coolers! You need them! You love them! Some may hate them but there is no way around them!*

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Oct 23, 2021)

Such love and respect for the thread and you @Robert B I can't wait!!    Apologises for not being around much to see the awesome next level stuff that you do... It's bloody amazing!!


----------



## Robert B (Oct 24, 2021)

@phill I know you love "my work".  Much appreciated. As always I try to keep up the good work each and every time.

The next episode will feature quite a few CPU coolers and even one VGA cooler. All have been restored no matter the brand. I'll present detailed info as usual. 

I have even serviced the smallest ball bearing to date. Just 5 mm in diameter!  I must be nuts but I don't care. 

Why replace something when you can restore it?


----------



## Robert B (Oct 25, 2021)

Daft Punk - Derezzed (from the movie TRON: Legacy)  

*500! BABY!!!* 

More *laterzzzz *dudes!!!


----------



## lexluthermiester (Oct 25, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Daft Punk - Derezzed (from the movie TRON: Legacy)
> 
> *500! BABY!!!*
> 
> More *laterzzzz *dudes!!!


Use a lighter to melt and pull away that broken plastic post.


----------



## droid-I (Oct 25, 2021)

> I have even serviced the smallest ball bearing to date. Just 5 mm in diameter!


It is like a watchmakers job


----------



## Robert B (Oct 26, 2021)

droid-I said:


> It is like a watchmakers job



Indeed, but without watchmaker tools.  I use whatever I have to get the job done. 



lexluthermiester said:


> Use a lighter to melt and pull away that broken plastic post.



Suggestion noted.   The cartridge was already vandalized by an ape and it was partially opened. Good thing that the CPU survived!

In the end, the tiny plastic bit had a little crack on the side and I just had to widen it a little and the bit came out. It was promptly glued back.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Oct 26, 2021)

Robert B said:


> In the end, the tiny plastic bit had a little crack on the side and I just had to widen it a little and the bit came out. It was promptly glued back.


Ah you wanted to recover it. My bad. Thought you were just removing it.


----------



## Robert B (Nov 10, 2021)

Legend Intro - Martijn Schutten - (Unknown) - C64 chiptune

*Shenanigans in progress ...* 

I "mummified" the VS440FX in a last ditch effort to resurrect her.  Tomorrow I'll power it up to see if she's still alive and kicking. I keep my fingers crossed!  If this doesn't work then I'll have to send her to Valhalla on a burning longship!

Also I know that I'm way overdue on the coolers episode!

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Nov 27, 2021)

KMBN - Der Panther (Tänzer) 

*A bunch of coolers! You need them! You love them! Some may hate them but there is no way around them!

The humble or not so humble cooler. *A cooler has a vital role inside any PC be it older or the latest tech. Often, the importance of a cooler is overlooked and only when something doesn't work as it is supposed to, people realize that from time to time, you have to clean that spinning fan and heatsink inside your computer.

As I mainly deal with stuff from the flea market, I found coolers that were in a state that ranges from perfect to one that is quite ridiculous. Fans and heatsinks caked with animal hairs, paint and all sorts of deposits of an unknown nature. Smelly and looking nasty. I'm not fazed by this fact as I know that it comes with the territory.

In regard to restoring old coolers I apply the same principles I always do. Nothing is unimportant. Surviving parts that once were destined to the crusher but had the opportunity to come into my possession deserve my absolute attention. 

Over the time, when I restored old parts you also got to read how I gave a new lease of life to old lumps of aluminum and/or copper. There is a certain charm to building a system with era period correct components. This is why I try when possible, to save old fans, old stickers and everything in between.

The stars of today's episode aren't something out of this world. No exotic stuff. No water coolers. Just regular coolers that for sure will be put to good use. Some of them are more desirable than others but all of them are more than capable to fulfill their role. Keep things cool under pressure. These coolers have been acquired in the last 4-6 months with motherboards or on their own. I decided to have a small stash of coolers as the number of motherboards that I bought is growing way faster that I anticipated. In a word: I need to "reserve" more cooling capacity for the future! 

*So, without further ado, let's get on with the show! * 

Alpha PAL6035
Spire Falcon Rock II 
AVC AV-112C86FBL01 AMD Sk. A Stock Cooler - Copper insert x2
No Name Socket. A CPU Cooler x2
Arctic Cooling Cooper Silent
Arctic Cooling Super Silent PRO
Zalman VF900-Cu
Akasa, Neolec 
Mighty AMD K7 700MHz with dual cooling fans

Back in the day I read about the *ALPHA* coolers. I never owned such a cooler and to be honest I was on the lookout for one. Sure, I would've wanted an *Alpha P3125* or something along the lines of it, but heck, beggars can't be choosers so I'm happy with  my purchase.

I found this puppy inside a big plastic 200L barrel. It flew outside when the barrel released its contents on the ground. At first I looked at it in an absent manner. A few seconds later, though, it was in my hands. To my surprise I saw that it was an *ALPHA PAL6035 *CPU cooler. NICE! I liked the way it looked so I bought it asap. On the same day I also bought a *Spire Falcon Rock II*. The Spire cooler, albeit being nothing spectacular, is well built and silent. I have three or four of them and they are decent performers.





The *Alpha PAL6035 *had a rough life in the dust mines and it begged to be saved. Which I did in spades.



 

 

 



Dismantling.





The cooling fan certainly had seen better days.



 



I can't imagine how hard the cooling fan had to work to ensure a proper temperature of the CPU. Truth be told, the "hedgehog" design of the heatsink doesn't help either. Also, the cooling fan was mounted in a reversed position than regular, drawing air inside the heatsink instead of blowing it out. Why? I have no idea. Later on I'll put things in order from my point of view.



 

 



I removed the four round bits of foam that were present on the bottom of the heatsink as I want to use this cooler on other CPUs that aren't Sk.A. Also, the heatsink underwent an initial cleaning and detailing stage. I used water under pressure to remove all of the stuff that was inside the heatsink. It felt so good to watch it shine.



 

 

 



All bits have been washed with dish soap and hot tap water. Some rust that was on the long screws has been eradicated.





This was the easy part. Next came the cooling fan. Saving cooling fans isn't an exact science or a particularly sure shot procedure. Despite your efforts you might not get the expected results. Even if I am fully aware of this fact I always try to save them. There are two reasons for this: *authenticity and money. *



 



I have cleaned quite a few fans over the course of the time and I have a few tricks up my sleeve. In this instance I decided that I need to wash the whole thing with dish soap and hot tap water before I even start to assess its state. 



 

 

Out with the old bearings! In with the still old bearings!  Despite the washing with water, the bearings still worked nicely so I decided not to open and service them and just give them a grease treatment. I tried to get some grease inside by spinning them or just by using a very fine needle. If you are patient, using a fine needle you can get inside the bearings that minute quantity of grease that is required. *Servicing bearings doesn't always get you the expected results.* Sometimes they are so far gone that no grease will help. Also, using a thinner or a thicker oil instead of grease usually it is not recommended as it will push the grease out and make the bearing run way louder. In any case, the original grease can became contaminated or even dry out so all in all this is not an exact science. YMMV.



 

 



Looking good!





The scratches that were present on the heatsink have been covered with black paint that is resistant to temperature. This wasn't exactly needed but I had a can laying around so I said: why not?



 

 



The cooling fan received its final stage of cleaning.



 

 



After a day inside the grease bath, I removed the bearings and massaged them until they ran like butter. I think that I got lucky this time or maybe the bearing were of a better quality. 



 



The hedgehog heatsink in all its glory.



 



The sticker from the cooling fan received a backing of aluminum tape to make it a little stiffer, then it was mounted with o.2mm double sided tape. Also, the frame of the cooling fan was damaged and it was glued back with super glue. Before the final assembly I removed the protective film that was on the aluminum shroud of the cooler. It felt so good! 



 

 

 

 

 



Saved to fight another day. I put some high strength clear tape to prevent the scratching of the heatsink and I also mounted the fan in the position that I wanted. 

This cooler is @100! The cooling fan is running great. I have yet to test it in a a system but it sure looks the part, ready to give an old runner that original look!



 

 



The *Spire Falcon Rock II* was in bad shape. I bought it for 1 EURO as I really didn't want to spend anything more. 



 



Always take pictures of the way the metal clamp is positioned.





I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. 



 



The cooling fan has an aluminum frame and by the looks of it, had contact with moisture so it lost some of its original appearance. Regardless, I took it apart and gave it what it so desperately needed.



 

 



During the time I was occupied with the Spire cooler I also had an *AVC AV-112C86FBL01 AMD Sk. A Stock Cooler *that underwent the same procedure. 



 

 

 

 



The heatsink from the *AVC* cooler had some very hard specs of some gray stuff on the cooper insert so I lightly sanded it down and polished it by hand. I wasn't looking for perfection just for functionality.



 

 

 

 



The cooling fan on the AVC cooler was running well. Also the fan from the Spire cooler made a full recovery. 



 

 

 

 



As good as it gets.



 

 



The AVC cooler isn't the best or one of the most silent coolers but it gets the job done. Tossing it out to be recycled wasn't an option so I was stuck with it. It can be upgraded with a better fan and be put to good use. The Spire on the other hand is everything that the AVC cooler isn't. A better option overall.

*Three coolers got to fight another day*. Three restored coolers that wait patiently to be jump back into action.



 

 

 

 



These two coolers, another AVC AV-112C86FBL01 and a No name Sk. A cooler, were fished from two Sk. A ASUS motherboards. They were also cleaned and made a full recovery.



 

 

 

 

 



The next three coolers were found on a few more Sk.A motherboards that I acquired recently. The most interesting ones are the Arctic coolers. They are well built. Silent and in my book, they look the part.

No Name Socket. A CPU Cooler *** *Arctic Cooling Cooper Silent* *** *Arctic Cooling Super Silent PRO*



 

 



Initial state. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The *Arctic Super Silent PRO*, that's a mouthful, is well built. I never saw or had one back in the day. When I took it apart I found out what it made it tick. I appreciated the nice addition of that plastic ring that ensures a concentrated stream of air inside the heatsink. An out of the ordinary detail that many coolers didn't have.  Both of the Arctic coolers have this method of construction. 

The Arctic Cooling Cooper Silent was full of everything you do not want inside a CPU cooler.



 

 

 

 



The No Name cooler was pretty clean. Go figure.





I washed the heatsinks with hot tap water and dish soap. The heatsink from the Arctic Cooling Cooper Silent was put inside a container to remove some of the more adherent stuff that was inside. I used an old long brush to stir the water inside. The heatsink have been dried with an air compressor after they were washed.



 

 

 



In regard to the Arctic coolers one thing was quite clear. I needed to restore both of the fans and any other replacement would throw a spanner into the way they looked and worked. I had no intention to modify new fans to fit inside the nicely made funnel rings. Also, given the track record of Arctic I knew that these fans should be quiet straight out of the door. They had a sleeve bearing type of construction that was still very, very quiet. Go figure.



 

 

 

 

 



The No Name cooler had a ball bearing and sleeve bearing combo. I opened up the tiny ball bearing. I used a fine needle to remove the dust cap only to find out that it had a security ring that would've made things way easier. I put it back with minimal tampering evidence. Fresh grease and stuff.



 

 

 



The cooling fan had signs of water damage. The copper sleeve bearing had some corrosion that was removed with vinegar. This damned cooling fan required so much work that once I was deep in, there was no turning back. I had to carry on and hope for the best.  I plugged the hole with a bamboo stick and made a small pool of vinegar and it was left like that for a few hours.



 



After washing, detailing and polishing I could see that in the end, all my efforts will pay off.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Clean screws.





The fight with the verdigris was intense.



 

 

 



Some rust is still present but it doesn't interfere with the functioning of the fan.





I used some aluminum tape to restore the old sticker. 0.2mm double sided tape was used to fix it well.



 

 

 



This cooling fan was an affair that I want to forget. Despite my efforts it didn't respond well to treatment. Valuable information was gathered and experience has been gained, though. A Noctua fan is a perfect replacement both in the color department and also from a performance point of view.



 

 

 

After I put back the cooling fan on the Arctic Cooling Cooper Silent, I saw that once the cooler was flat on a surface, it would make a grindy noise that was gone once the cooler was flipped over. After a few minutes of investigation I found a solution.

*I call it fan tuning! * I made a small lever from a piece of metal and I tuned the round magnet that sits inside the propeller. How I found this solution? At first I experimented with small rubber o rings  but that was a tedious affair and it didn't get me the expected outcome. Then, while I fiddled with the fan the solution hit me! From what I found, the whole grinding sound problem was due to the distance between the propeller and the sleeve bearing and/or motor so the solution was resting in that area. 

A minute change in the position of the round magnet inside the propeller made all the change! The fan ran like a dream. YEAH!!!



 

 

 



Perfect VICTORY!

*Arctic Cooling Copper Silent.*



 

 

 

 

 

 



The *Arctic Cooling Super Silent PRO* also made a full recovery. The fan was running well from the get go. I had to use some tape to ensure a proper grip of the screws that hold the fan.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Three coolers got another lease of life. NICE!



 

 

 



A close up with the funnel ring. 



 

 

 



During the time I was restoring these coolers I also made some progress with smaller fans that have 0.5cm bearing inside. While trying to service these bearing is in most cases problematic, as they usually do not respond too well to this treatment, I still do it.  I even started experimenting with other magnets to try and restore other fans in the future. I do this from the perspective that if I get another ATI Rage Fury MAXX or another V5 5500 or even a V5 6k I want the original fans on, no matter what. Instead of replacing something it is sometimes better to try at least to save those parts. IMO. There is too much garbage and waste as it is.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



*HUH! This is a long episode!* We are not done yet though! No rest for the wicked!

Next is the *Zalman VF900-Cu *VGA cooler.

I found the Zalman cooler on a regular trip to the flea market. It was mounted on a beat up 7600GT PCI-E. It looked worse for wear but nothing too serious. Some elbow grease and it will be golden ahem, copper(y) like.  I said to myself. 





It had some rust on some parts. Nothing that the rust remover solution can't handle.



 

 

 

 

 



The copper heatsink took a nice 15 minutes bath inside vinegar mixed with some table salt.





The copper base will forever be engraved with the nVIDIA logo. I wonder what will an ATI card say if I manage to mount this cooler on one. I'm pretty sure that it will puke it out! Fixing nuts and all. 



 

 

 

 



The rust was stubborn and it needed to be flushed out.





Clean as a whistle.



 

 

 



The seal of approval.





LED action. NICE!





Tiny coolers that also got what they so desperately needed. The AKASA fan was still good the Neolec not so much. Crappy balls inside the ball bearing. For sure they used square balls inside! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After quite a few stand alone coolers we have arrived to one that was still firmly attached to a CPU.

Meet a very dusty double headed monster. A two PAPST beast that I really like! It was mounted on a Slot A AMD 700MHz CPU that in turn was mounted on a very dead Gigabyte GA-7IXE motherboard. When I mean dead I mean riddled with holes. Precious metal hunting + small brains = lot's of dead components. Not all that glitters is GOLD! 



 

 

 



Holy dust bunnies Batman!



 



Dirty bits. In case you are wondering, I powered up the CPU to see if it works. It worked well but I also got a dust storm effect. Like when old plane engine fire up for the first time.  I used a breathing mask of course. The CPU said NOT DEAD YET! AWESOME STUFF! The fans coughed up and got back to life. 



 

 



Exemplary TIM placement that marginally touches the area of the CPU. NICE! GREAT! AWESOME!



 

 



Bubble bath.





I wanted to service the cooling fans but I found out that they have an enclosed design. I could've tried to try and pull on the propellers and try to remove them as for sure this is the way they were built, with a tiny plastic washer that holds the shaft, but I decided to try something that it is let's say a little more lazy.  

Also they were so dirty that there was no way to clean them without extreme measures.



 



I washed them inside and outside!





Even after a good scrub they were still nasty. In what conditions has been poor thing used? In a mine or something?





After I was done with the cleaning of the fans I used a thick oil to lube the bearings inside. Not ideal but they were in bad shape to begin with. Three tiny holes inside the propeller made things nice and easy. In the end the tiny fans got from a very bad working state to a more than decent one. Still not perfect but perfectly usable if you know what I mean. A small grumble is still present but otherwise they spin freely.



 

 



Nice and clean.





I decided  not to open the CPU cartridge as I do not plan to use this CPU in a build any time soon. I gave it a good clean and some air compressor treatment.





Some assembly required. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did some tests with Arctic MX-4 to determine the best quantity of TIM needed. Also I put the blob of TIM on the center of the die of the CPU.



 

 

 

 



Done and Done!



 

 

 

 

 

 



*RIP GA-7IXE *...



 

 



There you have it! A huge episode dedicated to the silent (or sometimes not so silent) heroes inside our machines. They toil in scorching heat, keeping things in check so that we can enjoy our purpose driven PCs. Do not overlook them and give them the attention they seldom need. A little bit goes a long way.

*More later.*

gallery:  https://postimg.cc/gallery/dyNHsHx *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/gwDvvNF *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/D4CV88T *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/0vC4cRp *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/Gyqjrzm *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/wvT4XBw *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/np27L0K


----------



## Mussels (Nov 27, 2021)

It is beyond criminal you can only get one like per user for that post

Make a guide for your fan repair/restoration techniques in its own thread and you'll have people commenting and asking advice for decades.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 5, 2021)

Queen - A Kind of Magic

It's easier than you might think! It's a kind of magic! 

Full details here when I'm done with testing and restoring. 

More later.


----------



## Mussels (Dec 5, 2021)

Did.... DID YOU REPLACE THE ENTIRE GODDAMN SOCKET?


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 6, 2021)

Mussels said:


> Did.... DID YOU REPLACE THE ENTIRE GODDAMN SOCKET?


It can be done. It's not common, but it can be done.


----------



## Mussels (Dec 6, 2021)

lexluthermiester said:


> It can be done. It not common, but it can be done.


This man is a monster, i tell you


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 6, 2021)

Mussels said:


> This man is a monster, i tell you


I've done a socket swap. A highend Gigabyte DDR3 775 board that had messed up pins. Bought a cheap nothing board and desoldered the sockets on both, then resoldered the good socket back onto the highend board. It was a bit fiddly, but it worked.


----------



## Mussels (Dec 6, 2021)

man i just bend all the pins straight because i like suffering

This one had 6 or 7 damaged ones, straightened them all, slapped in a 2500K and called it a day...






Why do you think i love this thread, i just aim for "it works" and leave it at that


----------



## Robert B (Dec 6, 2021)

*Guys, thanks for the inputs! *  I had to think outside the box a little and then it hit me! I am not talking about the box of course. 

The method that I am going to present, somewhere around Christmas, *even common folk can do it. I think that I might call it, CPU Socket Replacement without special tools.  *Even if the title is like click bait, in this instance *it is* something as the title suggests.  It can even used on many other compatible sockets.

*It's magic!*  

I can't spill the beans just yet. What I can tell you though is that the MSI board is working well, and the Asus also works well.

A sure shot method. No risks. Etc. Yada. Yada. 

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 6, 2021)

*Hi! Hi! Ho Ho! He! He! *Basshunter DotA * 

Dual CPU stuff is AWESOME!!! *

I still need a few Opteron 200 series CPUs, Coolers and brackets for the H8DAE. The Supermicro H8DAE motherboard was a complete basket case. Repairs are done. 38+ missing parts, cut traces, missing various plastic bits, mangled caps and everything in between! As expected an FX51 was a no go in the finicky H8DAE. She's a needy mother of all boards!  I had to try even if I knew that it was a long shot!

*More later.*


----------



## Robert B (Dec 14, 2021)

Christmas Special in the works.  Paradis - Toi Et Moi (Official Video)

*CPU Socket "replacement" without special tools* aka MSI K7D Master-L

Yes! No special tools required! This is no clickbait posting!

If I did it YOU CAN DO IT TOO! 

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 15, 2021)

Robert B said:


> Christmas Special in the works.  Paradis - Toi Et Moi (Official Video)
> 
> *CPU Socket "replacement" without special tools* aka MSI K7D Master-L
> 
> ...


It'll be fun what we can see that picture. W1zzard is still fixing things..

EDIT:
Seems things are working again. @Robert B, Try uploading your attachment again.


----------



## Robert B (Dec 25, 2021)

Convextion - Convextion (AA) 

*CPU Socket "replacement" without special tools* aka MSI K7D Master-L MS-6501

Before we get to the matter at hand, we must first read the following lines:

_*Socket A mechanical load limits

AMD recommends that the mass of a Socket A CPU cooler to not exceed 300 grams (10.6 ounces). Heavier coolers may result in damage to the die when the system is not properly handled.

All socket A processors (Athlon, Sempron, Duron and Geode NX) have the following mechanical maximum load limits which should not be exceeded during heatsink assembly, shipping conditions, or standard use. Load above those limits may crack the processor die and make it unusable.

Location           Dynamic    Static
Die Surface    445 N(100 lbf)    133 N(30 lbf)
Die Edge               44 N(10 lbf)              44 N(10 lbf)*_


*What does the text above tells us? *Well, for what I am going to present today, the most important aspect is the one related to the *300g* weight limit regarding the socket A CPU coolers. This is not about chipped CPU dies or coolers installed incorrectly. I never had this problem and I did my share of stupid things.

Ever since I read about that 300g weight limit, the first question that popped in my mind was: WHY?  You see, back in the day I never had problems related with the weight of the CPU coolers, but also, I never had to mount a heavy CPU cooler on my CPUs.

So what's the stuff with the weight restriction regarding the socket A CPU coolers?

As the story will unfold you will get an insight that now is a well known fact to me. Back in the day this might've never been an issue but as it happens, many times we take for granted things that aren't meant to be taken for granted.

*So without any further ado, let's get on with the show!* 

It all started, on a wet, cold, rainy day at the local flea market. There wasn't much to be seen and I wasn't holding much hope that things would change on that faithful day.

Like many times in the past, I was proven wrong and fate made that I found this huge red beauty lying on a wet and dirty bed sheet, begging to be saved.





I looked at it and I quickly assessed the situation. What was to be assessed? One look and all you could see was that the board was disfigured. A once mighty piece of tech now a decayed and deprecated mess. The second CPU socket also had a partially torn middle hook but the rest were okay.

I really hate when this happens. I might be too sensible or too involved as I felt the pain of this red mother of all boards. *DAMN IT!*





Should I zoom in?!





Yep. There seems to be a slight problem with this motherboard. IT IS MISSING AN ENTIRE CPU SOCKET!!!

Other than the minor fact pointed above there was little wrong with the MSI K7D Master-L. This was a fresh kill as I could still pick up the scent of the perpetrator. A recycler-predator or a Cro-Magnon human had its way with this RED HOT board. Damn! If only the dice would've rolled a higher chance for a saving throw! $#&*$*(#&*($(#*&##!!!!



 



I bought the board without blinking an eye. You see, with experience comes confidence and with confidence you can achieve almost anything. If you believe in something then there is nothing to stop you from trying something.

For many years I roamed the flea market and I have seen my share of socket A motherboards missing their heart and soul, namely the all important CPU socket. Without it there is no coming back from the brink. Many times I thought that those boards were a write off as the damage seemed to be terminal or close to that. Now I have a solution even for this. The mind is a beautiful thing!

The thought that gave birth to the idea that I put in practice in this episode, came to fruition after I found these CPUs, many moons ago. The fact that they came with the plastic shell of the CPU socket was out of the ordinary.



 

 



The pictures above tell something that it is blatantly obvious. It is very easy to remove the plastic shell from a socket A CPU socket and also from a socket 7 CPU socket. Ever since I saw this, I saved a sector in my mind and I stored that information for future use. The mind has a curious way of putting things together.

Now comes into play the weight limit restriction for CPU coolers that I mentioned at the start of this thread. You see, as the CPUs got faster so the cooling requirements got tighter. Bigger more performant coolers were required to cool the beasts running faster and faster. This wasn't an issue at first but it got pretty serious later and it goes on to this day. Better coolers had a bolt through mounting mechanism but at the age of the socket A stuff, this was, should we say exotic? Even if motherboards had mounting holes for coolers, I never saw one in the flesh or remember reading about one that made use of those holes. Even if I knew about them, pfft, who needs that stuff when we have clip on CPU coolers that do the same job?!?! This doesn't mean that they didn't exist, it is simply that I considered this information as unimportant. This also means that I have some catching up on that info. *Good Ol' Internets to the rescue.

But I digress ...*

As I really wanted to save this motherboard, my mind *searched relentlessly for a solution*. One was a complete CPU socket replacement which was a daunting task for someone who lacks the required tools. Even with the best tools there is no guarantee that things will go according to plan. To this day I still rely on ancient soldering irons, 15W, 40W, 80W, with unregulated temperature and a 100W soldering gun.  *I might have a couple of screws loose but I tight them up on a regular basis!* 

There has to be an easier solution! All the pieces of the puzzle were in the correct place. *Then it hit me!

Guinea pig? CHECK! Replacement CPU socket? CHECK! Able and willing? CCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!*





By sheer luck, all of the pins from the CPU socket were in a perfect position. What were the odds?!?!? So what are you waiting for?!?!?

Slap that plastic shell on that puppy and POWER IT UP!!!



 

 

 

 



The matter of putting back the plastic shell on a socket A CPU socket is as fiddly as a mistress but it is also very easy to be done.

You have to:

1. Start from one side, preferably from the side with which forms the back side of the CPU pins. The part that normally has the Socket 462 string written on it. Starting from the front of the CPU pins means dealing with the tiny hooks of the pins and that is asking for trouble.
2. Work your way through, slowly and gently. Feel each pin through the tips of your fingers.
3. Check to see that row after row of pins, get into their corresponding hole.
4. Row after row, at some point, you will feel that the plastic shell slides in by itself.
5. You are home free.

*Easy as that. I am not kidding.

Who knew that CPU socket "replacement" was so easy! You even don't need special tools!* It doesn't come easier than that folks!!!

Little did I know, that on my first try, as it is ALWAYS the case, you make all the mistakes and then some! Phewwww!!! I was in for a ride and it was awesome!

I always thought that CPU sockets were as sturdy as they come. That nothing could move them. They are there to stay.

*WRONG! *

At the moment in time when I was performing the surgery described above, I was thinking that the plastic shell from the CPU socket had to have some kind of retention mechanism so I took things further and I used a .... HAMMER! Yep! I still laugh when I remember that moment.

Don't worry, the hammer wasn't used to hammer stuff down, it was just used to gently tap on the plastic shell while I used thick pieces of cardboard as cushion on the plastic shell and under the motherboard. I may be mad but not that MAD!



 

 



I must confess that while I "hammered" away, I heard an echo in my mind:  *"All parts should go together without forcing. Therefore, if you can't get them back together again, there must be a reason. By all means, do not use a hammer. IBM maintenance manual 1975"*.

What was that? Must've been the WIND! 



 

 



To be sure that things are how they are supposed to be, I also used a pair of fine tweezers to gently bend the pins into a position that I thought was correct. This step wasn't necessary but I found out this only later. When you go into uncharted territory there is bound that STUFF will happen! DUDE!



 

 



I was ecstatic. Dunk with success. A feeling that cannot be put into words.

When I got home I checked the pictures to see what I have accomplished. I even opened a cold refreshing one to celebrate.

My victory was short lived though, as upon a close inspection of the pictures I got some bad news. My flawless victory wasn't so flawless after all ...





YEP! A God Damned &*#&*(#%(&#(&)(*!!!!!!! bent PIN!!!! F....................................K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I took all of the precautions. I checked and double checked. I even triple checked but I still screwed up. BIG TIME!

I took a deep breath and I evaluated my options. There weren't too many. Without finishing my beer I went to where I keep my stuff, (the other part of the town) and I checked to see if what I saw in the pictures was true. And boy was it TRUE.

^$#^&*^$#^$&#^&*$^#&*@#$(*!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

To really understand what I felt is hard to put into words. To some, what I do might seem trivial but to me it is a matter of life and death. When I do some damage, even unintentional, it is something that I feel organically. Don't worry though as I recover quickly.  I have a thick skin and each such experience is treated as a learning experience. Ever since I know myself I have always been a perfectionist but only when it come to me or to what I do as I take people as they are. I learned way back that people do not change or change very little. We should take everyone as they are. But I digress again ...

So, I Fed UP BIG TIME! Bent pin and all ...

I took the rest of the day off.

The next day, a Sunday I was back at the flea market. This time I bought a donor board to see if that 300g weight limit was true. You see, there was something fishy about that plastic shell and I just couldn't put my finger on it. This required more investigation.

Enter an MS-6777  K7N2GM-L. Ignore all of the extra plastic connectors for CD-IN and such, as I took the liberty to "steal" many of them from other damaged boards to be used to complete other boards in my collection. This was just a means to transport them.  The MS-6777 was trashed and one corner was almost missing. Poor thing. Nevertheless you will get to live in many other motherboards so I thank You for that! I said to it.

Go figure. A RED HOT mobo rescuing another RED HOT mobo. How quaint ...





There I was with a socket A CPU socket in front of me. The top plastic cover and steel lever removed. The pins inside were a carbon copy of the ones on the MS-6501.





Let's test the 300g limit!





Shock and awe! Too easy to remove for comfort!

Using a flat head screwdriver with the required width plus some pieces of an old credit card as cushion, I removed the plastic shell in a matter of seconds. WOW! This is too easy! And to think that to that date I handled so many socket A boards by holding the CPU cooler. This was equal to asking for trouble. Damn. Once you overcome the initial threshold required to remove the shell and lift it a little, you just have to use your fingers and it comes off! What the actual ...

Sure, when the CPU is in, friction is multiplied by all of the tiny CPU socket pins, clinging to the CPU pins, but still, this was a shock. Removing the plastic shell without the CPU mounted is easier as the cooler weight limit refers to a mounted cooler but I wasnt prepared for this.



 

 



After all the "hammering" I thought that the plastic shell was sitting tight on the K7D Master-L.

WRONG! It came out easier than it went in! What the F......K ?!?!?!!?!?



 

 



Now was the time to inspect the damage that I inflicted on my precious MSI K7D Master-L.

*Things were looking grim.*

One pin collapsed on itself and it broke off when I tried to straighten it up. HOW COULD I not feel it?! If I had a hammer ... all day ...

&*#&$#$%^#&*$%*@^#)!%#$^!(#&!%^%!!!!!!



 

 

 



So there I was with a board that looked worse than it came in, wondering where it all went so wrong. The road to HELL is paved with GOOD intentions!!!

I took a deep breath and I shook off all of the negative thoughts.

Square ONE. Let's start again. This time FTW!!!

I had another socket A motherboard that had a damaged plastic shell on the CPU socket. An *ASUS A7A266*. Some may say that it is an unremarkable board but as it is the only socket A motherboard with an ALi chipset that I own, it is quite special to me. Not to mention that it is looking quite snazzy. After all it is an Asus (pronounced correctly like on the YT clips) board.  It doesn't come more A S U S than that folks!!! 

So what did I stand to lose? A damaged ASUS board and a donor MSI MS-6777 board? Pfftt, I LIKE THE ODDS!!!

LET'S DO IT!

I performed on the A7A266 the same surgery I did on the MS-6501.

Needless to say that it was a complete SUCCESS!!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



There is still HOPE for the MS-6501!

With renewed forces I was ready to solve the issues of the dual headed monster! FTW!!! FTW!!! FTW!!!

Let's END THIS!!!

The first thing that popped in my mind was to desolder the damaged pin. I took the MS-6777 and with the help of the 15W (unregulated) soldering iron I removed 4 pins quite easily.

Oh YEAH!!! I GOT THIS!!!

Hold your horses! When it came the time for the real deal, removing the VCC_CORE M8 pin from the MS-6501, I hit a brick wall. I tried many things, even a 40W soldering iron, I tried to heat the board with a hair dryer, all the tricks I could think of given the tools at my disposal.

Nothing worked. *#(&%&#^(&^$#_%@&*^!!~~~~~~!!!!!!

After several futile attempts I took a moment to assess the situation. In case you are wondering nothing got damaged. I must say that I did things that I won't speak of, while I tried to remove the damaged pin. All for nothing. If there was a moment that told me that I need better tools it was that moment. Needless to say that I took note but I didn't give up. I needed to sort this motherboard not later but NOW! I was relentless.



 

 



When I saw that I wasn't able to safely remove the pin from the MS-6501 even if I was able to safely remove the same pin from the MS-6777, I came up with a bodge, ahem alternative solution.





I removed the top part from one pin from the MS-6777 and I soldered it on the MS-6501.

The whole deal was quite tricky. Aligning and soldering the pin required all the hands of the Shiva Goddess but I managed to do it with just two. All in all, it took about four tries to get it right. After soldering the missing part of the pin I ended up with a THICC pin so I had to enlarge the hole in the plastic shell to accommodate the THICC shortstack (gf) pin. Well, take the good with the bad. This isn't pretty but it works. I might desolder the pin when I get the required tools but if it works why mess with it?!



 

 

 



Putting back the plastic shell was a trivial task. Muscle memory and experience were there to guide me. Slowly, gently, this is how a socket is made whole again. RISE my precious. RISE AND SHINE!!! (nondescript incantations in the background).



 

 

 

 



Did it fly? Ahem, work?!

Well, ...



 

 

 



After I powered up the board, even if I knew that there was no reason that this wouldn't work, albeit the board being literally dead, I was filled with an energy that it is hard to describe. Mental orgasm might cover half of it. I felt that I could do anything, even bend space and time continuum ... ( just kidding).

After the good news, I started experimenting with various BIOS versions to see what makes this board tick. https://www.voodooalert.de/board/fo...23481-almost-abandoned-a-home-for-bios-files/





As I only had  an AMD Athlon MP 2600+ AMSN2600DKT3C that came with the board and I wanted to test the dual CPU function, I looked for alternatives. On the internet I found that some Duron CPUs with Morgan cores are MP capable so I decided to try it out. I went for broke and I mounted a pair of AMD Duron 1.3GHz with Morgan cores. This didn't go according to plan but at least the two CPUs have been recognized sign that the board was @100%! NICE! I must confess that a few years back I could've bought 10 AMSN2600DKT3C for a trivial sum but I didn't. I mean who needs Athlon MP CPUs? Right?

The stock AMD Socket A CPU coolers from the previous episode have been put to good use. I LIKE THEM!!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



So there you have it. CPU socket "replacement" for the dummies. All you need is basic tools and common sense. *Lack of any of those means that you should not attempt to perform the operation described above.*

I did all the mistakes and then some, so that you won't have to do them. So please take notes.

After the "mechanical" part has been solved I had to do what I do best. Restoring this mother (f) of all boards. Yeah! Get restored ... (non descript words included) !

The board was dirty with thick deposits and mud on some parts, like the PS/2 connectors and the cooler on the NB.



 

 



DURON POWA!!!



 

 

 

 



Don't worry. Where does it hurt? Let me take care of that!



 



Vintage TIM! YUMMY!





The mighty AMD-762.



 



The package of the AMD-762 reminded me of the CPU package of the Slot A CPUs. Interesting.



 

 



I forgot to mention that the board came with the optional MS-9516 VER:100 4-port PCI Adapter Card. This was included in the package with the MS-6501 because at launch there was a problem with the onboard USB ports so this was a solution to this shortcoming. Neat! Funny fact. On Saturday I didn't buy the MS-9516 but after I read on internet that is came with the MS-6501, the next day, on Sunday I went back and bought it. Lucky me that the seller was still there. 

The MS-9516 cleaned up nicely. I mean look at it! It is green and shiny!



 



Things were looking up and I had little reasons to worry. Little did I know. When I thought that I was out of the woods, I was faced with the following issue.

While the CPU was in the socket and the cooler mounted I didn't notice that the plastic shell of the socket would lift from the board. It flexed a little while the cooler was clamped but it was tight and I could handle the board just by holding the cooler. (Don't do this though, 300g and all ...).

So I was faced with this.





I was shocked at how easy was to remove the plastic shell from the CPU socket. What the ... 101 dalmatians is this now?!?! I mean I just lift it with my fingers and it moves?!?!



 



With this happening I got a definitive answer, to the normal question: *How is the plastic shell fixed onto the pins when there are no physical means that keep it in place?* Before this development no matter how hard I searched for an answer I couldn't came up with a conclusive one. I had a hunch but it was, you know, just a hunch.

Now the answer was staring me in the eyes.

Yep. Good Ol' friction as I said earlier. Nothing more. 300g. Shuffle the info and spit out the answer. All those many tiny pins are held into tiny slim grooves in the plastic shell. Nothing more. I was shocked to say the least. I was expecting more. Like lets say a few pins with odd shapes that would hold tight on the plastic shell  but there were no such exotic measures in place. Man ... 300g ... Now I understand, even if in practice I still feel that the socket is stronger than that. Well, we'd better use those mounting holes around the CPU socket when we need beefy coolers or we move our vintage systems around, or else.

Sure, maybe the fact that the MS-6501 CPU socket has been handled with brute force might explain why the plastic shell came out so easy but is this all that there is to it? It seems so.

I even went so far to try another plastic shell. Nothing changed. For sure, something happened with the shape of the pins or maybe the plastic shell being a recovered one had its grooves enlarged in the process ... the plot thickens ... this is madness ...

I checked the ASUS A7A266 and to my relief the plastic shell held on tightly as it should. So what gives?

When I tweaked the pins on the MS-6501 I meant that I put them in a position that I thought was correct and I didn't use too much force. They weren't deformed or bent as they were already in their tiny holes and there was no room to manoeuvre.

Well, I think that there is a huge difference in the way the plastic shell is removed. Forcefully or purposely.

So what did I do with the MS-6501? Nothing. I just mounted a CPU that will be there at all times. *Friction to the rescue*. I was able to hold the whole motherboard by the replaced socket and it didn't move at all.

This was a roller coaster  ride of the most extreme type. In the end I got more than I hoped for. I was thankful for this. I still wanted more but there was nothing more to be gained from this so I stopped thinking about it.

This board is awesome. A true survivor. Nothing more to be said.



 



The restoration procedure carried on without a hitch.

As the board already had an encounter with water I did the right thing and I added MORE water and some dish soap for good measure. Did I mention that the water was HOT? NO? My bad! 



 



Uhhh! Look! A RAINBOW!!! (not a real one of course, any resemblance with the real thing is purely coincidental unless stated otherwise...)





The NB cooler has been washed entirely with hot water and dish soap. Fan and heatsink. As the fan had a tendency to become stuck even after I cleaned it and lubed it, I polished the sleeve bearing with a bamboo stick and some polishing compound. I also use IPA 99% to clean certain parts. In the end, the cooler was as good as new.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Waiting for some AC MX-4 TIM.





Also ready for some AC MX-4 TIM.



 



After I did my magic all of the problems and nagging things have been washed away and I was left with the most gorgeous piece of tech this side of the continent. 





I took my sweet time and it showed. RED! IN YOUR EYES RED! SEE MEE RED! Good thing that the Fire Department folks weren't around  as I am pretty sure that they would've hosed down my precious. 



 

 

 

 



I want to see MORE!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Totally worth it! Is all I could come up with when I took a hard long look at what I had accomplished. To some, this motherboard might not be a huge deal but to me it was a personal affair. It could've been another board but it happened to be this one. The rest is history.

What did we learn? You can perform a CPU socket "replacement" with basic tools and the all important common sense like I said earlier. Easy as pie. This goes to show that even if something seems stupid or pointless it doesn't necessarily mean that it is stupid or pointless.

I searched for something like the I described above in regard to the CPU socket replacement but I found nothing on the Internet so this means that it is a World Premiere?!?!? Maybe? I am a modest guy and I let my "work" do the speaking for me.

I still haven't gotten over how easy is to remove the plastic shell from the CPU socket. It is mind boggling. Also I never intended to replace the second CPU shell even if one hook is damaged. The rest are in great shape.

My data shows that this method can be applied to socket 7 CPU sockets and maybe other types but until I get to do it on other sockets, take this with a bucket of salt.

Think of how many board that have this exact type of damage, can be saved. I am a little sad of the many boards that I saw and I didn't buy due to this problem when the solution was so easy.

*Now you know! Get out there and save some boards! 

Merry Christmas everyone!*





*More later.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/LhdZtdC*


----------



## Audioave10 (Dec 26, 2021)

I'm too old and with fuzzy eyesight and industrial hands to do such work. I'd rather read your stories of HOW to do it correctly. Nice work! 
Merry Christmas!


----------



## Robert B (Dec 26, 2021)

Thanks Audioave10!  No need to worry. This isn't rocket science by any means but I understand your point of view. 

I hope that the next year I will be able to post many awesome stories as I have plenty of unfinished projects and not to mention that my Spidey-Sense has picked some vibes, sign that I will be finding many more relics of times gone over the course of the following months. 

Lately I have started to look for storage options and I came up with a few variants. This is still WIP.

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Jan 13, 2022)

@Robert B 

                                          


That is all.
Man I love this thread!!


----------



## Mussels (Jan 13, 2022)

phill said:


> @Robert B
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He doesn't get enough love and attention for what he posts here


----------



## phill (Jan 13, 2022)

Mussels said:


> He doesn't get enough love and attention for what he posts here


You sir, are 1001% correct...  @Robert B's level of detail is second to none...  I don't think even manufactures are putting that much effort into a product.....


----------



## Robert B (Jan 13, 2022)

phill said:


> @Robert B
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks @phill - I'm just doing my thing, nothing special in my opinion, putting to rest my demons one by one. Nothing too fancy.  I'm glad that you still love my thread. Looking back, at the 6 years since I post on TPU and 7 years since all this madness has started, I can say without any doubt that I have no regrets. No matter the hours put in, no matter the hundreds of days spent at the flea market, no matter the sleepless nights, I can say that all I do it is totally worth it. I am very grateful that I can present my adventures here on TPU. LONG LIVE TPU! 



Mussels said:


> He doesn't get enough love and attention for what he posts here



You might be right but as I said in my earlier posts, what I do comes naturally and this thread is a way of giving back all the knowledge I have gathered from many other people on the internet while adding my personal touch. I'm glad that my thread is watched and from time to time I get some feedback. 

Guys I appreciate your kind words and also the fact that this thread is read by many other people and this can only make me carry on and continue what I do with added strength and determination. 

Yesterday I managed to finish a project which was started waaaaay back the previous year. Slot A in the HOUSE. I think that it came out pretty slick in my not so humble opinion, if I may. 

Also a MIGHTY ABIT BE6 motherboard underwent extensive plastic surgery and registered a complete recovery. One thing is still missing though, a Winbond W83783S chip, which I hope to find at (where else) the flea market. 

An AOpen AK73(A) had a few caps replaced and it is still alive and kicking.

A QDI KinteiZ 7E also had many caps replaced and it is still alive and kicking.

Also last weekend I got some fresh loot from the flea market and I had some fun with it. 

*More later.*


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jan 13, 2022)

Robert B said:


> I'm just doing my thing, nothing special in my opinion, putting to rest my demons one by one. Nothing too fancy.  I'm glad that you still love my thread.


You clearly love doing what you do. That's why we keep coming back! It's a joy to watch you do your thing and we appreciate it!

EDIT:
Nice cap job on the Slot1 board! It's too bad QDI is gone, you might have been able to update the BIOS to support that AthlonXP properly.

EDIT2:
I spoke too soon;





						Download QDI K7V8363  KinetiZ 7T 7B 7E motherboard BIOS - 6A6LMQ11
					

Download and update your QDI K7V8363  KinetiZ 7T 7B 7E motherboard BIOS - 6A6LMQ11 to the latest version




					www.wimsbios.com
				



The above BIOS is dated 2004, where as yours is dated 2001(from the screenshot).

Also found this from the Wayback machine;





						QDI      	K7V8363/K7T (KinetiZ 7T)
					

QDI K7V8363/K7T (KinetiZ 7T) BIOS/manuals/jumper settings, VIA VT8363, Socket A, 01/06/2004-8363-686A-6A6LMQ19C-00,03/07/2003-8363-686A-6A6LMQ19C-00| UH19



					web.archive.org
				



I've looked at both files and they look legit. Might do you a fair treat!


----------



## Robert B (Jan 13, 2022)

I had a Duron 1.4GHz for testing that is why it said unsupported CPU. I'll update the BIOS on both boards.  Those are KT133 and KT133A boards. Real early Sk. A stuff. A Thunderbird is all they (will ever) need 

Thanks for the links lex.  I also did a full backup of the UH Ultimate Hardware site before it went on the Wayback Machine.


----------



## Robert B (Mar 24, 2022)

*A delve into the world of cosmetic surgery *aka MSI MS-6191

As we all know, flea market stuff is bound to have a few problems that can range from just a few scuffs and scratches to total carnage. 

"Back in the day", I mean a few years ago , I used to discard the thought of buying basket cases and I chose the safe route of buying nothing but the best examples of old tech that I could find. 

This approach quickly changed when my skills regarding the restoration of electronic relics (and more) have increased. Today I feel confident to tackle even the most difficult cases.  As I said in the past, where people see stuff beyond rescue I see opportunity.

The star of today's episode is a Slot A motherboard that had a few cosmetic issues but luckily was still in one piece. 

I have a huge soft spot for slot A stuff and when I find such beauties I snatch them in a heartbeat. After 7 years of collecting I have 10 motherboards and 25 CPUs. It took a while to get here but I am not complaining.  The only nagging thing is that all of the CPUs are in the range 500-800MHz and nothing in the 800-1000MHz range. No matter, I am patient and one day I'll find the rest of them.  

But I digress ... Slot A motherboard. Flea market.

The Slot A setup I found was composed of an *MSI MS-6191 VER:1 Micro ATX AMD-750 Irongate* motherboard and an *AMD Athlon 800MHz CPU* - K7800MPR52B A.



 

 



Apart from the fact that the kit was very dirty, the most obvious problems were:  

* a damaged AGP slot which was missing a piece of the plastic, 
* a few minor scratches on the back, 
* the FDD connector had a torn piece of plastic
* one IDE connector was missing a piece of plastic
* the CPU cartridge was heavily scratched.

The problems above are nothing terminal and a very good example of the flea market being gentle for once. 

The AGP slot was like a sore eye and I had to deal with it ASAP as it made me hurt internally just by looking at it. The good news was that the pins inside the slot were in perfect condition so the damage was just cosmetic.

I looked for solutions and the first thing that came into my mind was the use of a two part epoxy. The stuff I used is called POXIPOL but any two part epoxy might work just as good.

I cut some pieces from an old credit card and I made a formwork to try and mimic the shape of a regular AGP slot.



 

 

 

 



Next I prepared the two part epoxy and I put the correct amount to fill the gaps.  After I put the epoxy, I used small bits of credit card to squeeze out the excess and also stabilize the adhesive.



 

 



The operation was a complete success from the get go.

A few hours later I removed the formwork and I was greeted by a lovely sight. 



 

 

 

 

 

 



I was so captured by the problem of the AGP slot that I didn't even bother to clean the motherboard before I got to work.



 

 



While the epoxy was left to dry a few hours more, I tackled the CPU which was destined to receive the full treatment that I am capable at this date.

Like the motherboard, the CPU was also very dirty. The combo was a match made in heaven. Equally dirty but dirty in a different way. The motherboard was covered by a fine dust and the CPU was clogged with dust and some type of hair. 



 

 



A dust cake of perfect shape.



 



The poor cooling fan. Not a Cooler Master anymore. An asthmatic cooler at best.



 



While I looked at this kit, I hoped that it will still be alive and kicking as I never powered it up before I started working on it.

The NB was still covered in TIM. A sign that maybe the motherboard has survived this ordeal as the moment of pressing the POWER button was still far away.



 

 



I rolled up my sleeves and I got to work. Nothing was left to chance. Broken bits of plastic have been glued back. Missing bits have been scavenged from donor parts and made to fit. The results have been decent in my opinion.



 

 



A sign of things to come.



 



Tests have been made to ensure that the fix was viable. In regard to the broken side tabs on IDE and FDD ports due to the pulling of the cables when the PC has been taken apart, I have a couple of solution besides gluing back the missing bits. One is a complete change of the plastic socket with a new one after the old one was heated up a little with a hot air station set on a low temperature and removed. Steps to protect the surrounding area must the taken. The second solution is the trimming of the sides with a fine blade so that they look the same.



 



I am sure that you have observed that the AGP port is brown and the epoxy is grey. To cover the grey epoxy I used a combination of red, black and light brown markers. While I wasn't able to match the color exactly, one thing was obvious: this fix was just what was needed in this case.

Before I used the markers to cover the grey epoxy I took my sweet time to trim the excess epoxy and give the repaired area the best look it could possibly have, without compromising the strength of the repair.

In the pictures we can see why the edge of the AGP slot tore off. Some motherboards of that era, had, on some slots, be it ISA, PCI or AGP, a small bit of metal in the shape of the letter "U" that acted as a protection against damaging the slot while the card was taken out. This measure was just plain old stupid in my opinion as it did more bad than good. That metal "clip" also had a couple of hooks that dug into the plastic, the double scars on the slot indicate this. So when the card was taken out by force this translated in the damage that we can see.



 

 

 

 



I was lucky when I judged the thickness of the epoxy as there is a very small gap between the video card and the edge of the slot. Ideally the gap would've had to be a smidgen bigger but I left it as is. More strength.





This is what I meant by decent results. Gluing broken stuff is not an exact science.



 



Minor scratches. To check if there are cut traces I use a magnifying glass. If I have doubts, I use some IPA 99% on the scratches and I check again. The liquid fills the gaps and gives a better look at the damage. Think of when you polish a scratch in the paint of a car. By polishing, you change the way light falls on the scratch.



 



Dull looking ports.





Let's return to the matter of the CPU which was destined to receive THE TREATMENT!





The cooling fan was taken apart. The ball bearing was cleaned and greased. Servicing ball bearings is a hit and miss situation but I do it regardless. Opening them means damaging the dust cover a little but I flip them when I put them back so that no dirt will get inside.



 

 

 



Looking good!



 

 



To make the plastic case of the CPU look better, I applied some aluminum tape for protection and I used a lighter to soften the edges of the scratches. I took great precautions regarding the time the flame spent on the plastic. The results have been very good. The marks will remain but they look better than before.



 

 



Nothing was left to chance.



 



To open up the CPU cartridge I used a tried and true method that I presented many years ago.



 

 

 



As it is always the case, one edge of the CPU heat plate is harder to remove. In some instances this results with a broken bit of plastic on the plastic case. This happened here too. The fix is to use some superglue.

I used a screw to hold the broken bit in place while the glue hardened.





I used a small drill and by twisting it using my hand, I enlarged the hole so that the plastic case will be easier to remove in the future. Alternatively you can use a fine round file.





Naked.



 

 

 



The "glue" job.



 



The CPU PCB, plastic case, heat plate and heatsink have been thoroughly cleaned.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The sloppy applied TIM on the cache chips has been replaced with Arctic thermal pad that was custom fitted. I used a small metal cylinder to flatten and create the perfect custom width of thermal pad. Each PCB is different. I started doing this a while back. After each pass with the metal cylinder I check the gaps between the heat plate and the cache chips and not mention the all important CPU die. I repeat this until I get perfect results. Also I keep an eye out for PCB warping by checking the alignment of the edge connector of the CPU. The excess thermal pad is trimmed with a small blade.



 

 



After some work, the results speak for themselves.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



All this work and no test can make a man loose his temper. So, after restoring the CPU, a motherboard test was also necessary to establish if the combo was still among the living.

Would you look at that!



 

 



To my joy both the motherboard and the CPU were still alive and kicking! 

The original push-pins from the NB have been replaced with identical ones that were better in the sense that they stayed in the PCB holes not like the original ones that would just pop out unexpected. You really do not wan this to happen.





About the same time I was having fun with the MSI MS-6191 and the 800MHz beast,I also acquired a 500MHz slot A CPU. So as these were fit to each other like peas in a pod, I also decided to include it in this episode.

More "skull cracking" ensued. The CPU model was AMD-K7500MTR51B C. It sported a dual FAN setup and underwent the same treatment like the 800MHz CPU got.

The plastic case was damaged as the ape that removed it from the slot used a screwdriver. Thankfully the PCB wasn't affected.

The job of separating the plastic case from the CPU was as easy as it can be as the stubborn bit was already torn. More gluing was in order. Like glue BOSS!!!



 

 

 

 



Removing the broken piece was hard. Initially I tried a flat screwdriver and a credit card piece to try an separate them. This didn't work, so I resorted to a pair of fine pliers.



 



The PCB was a few millimeters away from disaster.



 

 

 



500! BABY!  The OG AMD Athlon!



 

 



The heatsink was washed and some rust was eliminated.



 

 



IPA 99%!



 



Done!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Neolec fans were restored.

While I was cleaning them, I dropped one of the propellers and one blade broke off. Bummer! No matter as I managed to glue it back and it was as good as new. Even at full rpms there was no vibration. Nice! This stuff usually doesn't work but hey I am not complaining!



 

 

 



Just a regular day at the office.



 

 

 

 



The sleeve bearings were polished using a bamboo stick and some polishing paste. They were cleaned with IPA 99% after.



 

 

 

 



Ready to rumble in the jungle!



 

 

 

 

 



Black paint was used to cover the scars in the metal.



 



As expected, the CPU ran fine. No stress here. From all of the slot A CPUs that I have, only one is not working. A 750MHz model that looks like a tank has driven over it. These classic Athlon CPUs are hardcore and they can take some abuse without blinking and eye.



 

 



After I finished the 500MHz Athlon, I went on to restore the motherboard which ended looking as good if not better than it was new.

Glass!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



No doubt about it. This motherboard is a looker alright!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A small touch up and she's done and done!





From lost to found and loved.



 

 

 

 

 



This adventure reminded me of my first slot A motherboard, a PC CHIPS/PcCHIPS/PC-CHIPS M800LMR V1.3A  and the four CPU I bought with it. That was the spark that ignited my passion for Slot A. 





Now at the end of this episode, I can safely say that I have saved a fine combo from the jaws of the crusher. The fixes weren't something exotic or difficult. This stands as a testimony that simple things correctly applied can solve many problems as long as you are willing to try. There is no harm in trying. Even in failure there is much to be learned.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/NytC52G

*More later.*


----------



## Audioave10 (Mar 24, 2022)

In 1983 I had a slight accident and went to the Doctor to get 10 stitches in my arm. I can promise you that you have a great deal more talent than he did.


----------



## phill (Mar 25, 2022)

This thread @Robert B is just full of pure awesomeness, amazing talent, amazing hardware and some of the most amazing attention to detail I've ever seen.

This is why this is one of my most favourite threads in TPU.  The love and respect you have for the hardware and determinism is out of this world and to you sir, you have my utmost respect for everything that you do because its not just about the effort putting into it to clean it up and test it, its the effort that goes into each and every post you make which again, you have my utmost respect for.  

Love the thread sir, love your love of hardware.   Now all we need is a respect emoji.........


----------



## Robert B (Mar 25, 2022)

@phill  - Thank You my brother!  I appreciate your kind words as I know that they come straight from your heart! 

It took a while to get back on track. I was quite busy with at least 40 ongoing projects in the sense that each new arrival had to be tested and eventually repaired so I didn't have enough time to post and finish restoring too many parts.

The next episode will be called: *From left 4 dead to standing tall! *

If in the previous episode we had to deal with the letter "A" in this episode we will have to deal with the number "1".

The whole story is peppered with twists and turns, small problems and big problems.

The only thing that matters, though, is that a great motherboard deemed to be too expensive to fix was eventually fixed. 

*More later.*


----------



## phill (Mar 25, 2022)

Robert B said:


> @phill  - Thank You my brother!  I appreciate your kind words as I know that they come straight from your heart!
> 
> It took a while to get back on track. I was quite busy with at least 40 ongoing projects in the sense that each new arrival had to be tested and eventually repaired so I didn't have enough time to post and finish restoring too many parts.
> 
> ...


As always sir @Robert B I look forward to the next adventure when you post it!!    I'm a kind of blunt person, but I never see a reason to lie about anything, so definitely, from the heart   Please do keep up the most excellent work


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2022)

As my response goes a bit off topic for that thread, it seemed correct to reply here:



Robert B said:


> This Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 was dirtier than a 25 year old socket 3 motherboard that I find at the scrappers.  Good thing that the dust didn't make contact with water as it would've been a lot more challenging to clean.
> 
> I still have to sort the damaged SATA ports but otherwise this high end UD6 has all the bells and whistles to become collectible in about 20 years time.
> 
> After 5 min of some light brushing and a session with my trusty air compressor it came out quite nice. It will require some more elbow grease but only after testing and repairs.


Good grief!! That pair of SATA ports are gonesville. Luckily there 8 more so it's not a super critical loss.

Does it boot up?


----------



## Mussels (Jun 7, 2022)

lexluthermiester said:


> As my response goes a bit off topic for that thread, it seemed correct to reply here:
> 
> 
> Good grief!! That pair of SATA ports are gonesville. Luckily there 8 more so it's not a super critical loss.
> ...


Nah, bobert can totally fix that with some duct tape, supeglue and a paperclip


----------



## Robert B (Jun 7, 2022)

Do not forget the spit n' polish! 

Yeah the P55 (not P51 Mustang) kind of it is both dead and alive.  My bet is that the Main Bios is shot so I'll have to take out of the closet the paper clip trick so that the Backup Bios kicks in (probably) to the rescue.  The board is stuck in a power on / off loop. It is hard to believe that it is dead. I mean 24 phases FTW!!!  Joke aside, with that much dust and God knows how many running hours plus a closed case I'm going to be amazed if it still works.

Also I'll have to investigate the CPU retention system. I checked the pads on the CPU and there are no signs of damage. The CPU socket pins also look great. Back in 2009 there were some problems with the P55 motherboards that had a FOXCONN retention system. In the case of High Power OC the CPU and the pins could get damaged if certain conditions were met. I'll replace the top part of the retention system with another from a newer board so that it might increase the pressure a bit. I have a Thermalright Archon on my 9700K that has a pressure vault mount but I don't want to take apart my main rig just for this. In case you didn't know I still prefer air coolers for my daily drivers. Hassle free is always nice in my book. 

The board spits a brief C1 error then some other code that I am unable to read as the board shuts off immediately. I got it to make some beeps so my bet with the Main Bios being borked might be true.

If nothing works I'll be sad to see this beast dead. I bought it dirt cheap. Price aside I can't leave such a beauty get torn up and destroyed even if it is not considered retro (yet).

You should've seen the graphic card. A Sapphire 6770 that looked like it was full of cement dust.

Also I got a second i7-860 CPU with a broken tooth ahem capacitor that I'll fix as soon as I get the new tips for my 30+ year old Weller Soldering station. Old HW needs OLD tools to repair. Right? 

I'll scavenge the SATA ports from a dead board but I have to be extra patient so that they'll pop up at the flea market when I least expect it. 

I can't believe that this board is 13 years old. Damn time flies.


----------



## Audioave10 (Jun 7, 2022)

Any time "I" can read all the text that is printed on the Motherboard...I know you take great pictures!


----------

