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Rare GPUs / Unreleased GPUs

Last bit I forgot to get a photo of because it's so incredibly faint, but here's the production date and "ES" etching into the package support and info band around the GPU:

IMG_20190810_205615137_HDR.jpg

cdawall said:
I don't believe AMD ever did a reference cooler for that card. The fury X had the AIO and the fury Nano had a reference cooler. The XFX and Sapphire cards have similar cooler to each other and the model you have, but I would wager a bet that Pine Group manufactured the card you have.
Click to expand...

You would lose that wager, since I know this card came directly from AMD's Toronto campus and that it's one of two that were given out in 2016. It's an internal sample designed and built by AMD for AIBs to base their designs on, XFX opted to accept AMD's reference design and ship it as their own card.

The key things to look at:
  1. BIOS date and information string.
  2. PCB Revision and date.
  3. PCB testing and QC points/switches still intact.
  4. ASIC info (ES = Engineering Sample).
 
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Been about 8 years since I began looking, and I finally have one in my collection.

Radeon HD 2900 XTX
1567827970679.pngDSC04116.JPG1567828068328.png

While functional as a secondary adapter, it currently does not boot as primary. I'm assuming an incomplete BIOS might be the culprit, and will attempt to boot it with the later March build of the XTX firmware. The PCI-E is damaged and only operates at PCI-E x1, but that's an hour of work with the iron away from being fixed. Otherwise it reports properly and exactly in line with other A1 revision/A12 silicon cards. The only thing uncertain at this stage is the condition of the VRAM, and whether it'll be bench-stable after patching things up.
 
Just spent about an hour looking through this thread. To be honest, because of a low tech budget growing up and a dad who feared technology (who also worked in technology?) I missed out on the golden age of this kind of stuff. No internet access until 2008. Didn't have a PC with a discreet graphics card until 2015. My knowledge is limited on this topic due to these circumstances, but boy do I find this stuff fascinating. Most of the time I don't understand what you are talking about in these posts, but seeing vintage graphics cards from back in the time that I missed makes me feel a bit better.
 
Boatvan said:
Just spent about an hour looking through this thread. To be honest, because of a low tech budget growing up and a dad who feared technology (who also worked in technology?) I missed out on the golden age of this kind of stuff. No internet access until 2008. Didn't have a PC with a discreet graphics card until 2015. My knowledge is limited on this topic due to these circumstances, but boy do I find this stuff fascinating. Most of the time I don't understand what you are talking about in these posts, but seeing vintage graphics cards from back in the time that I missed makes me feel a bit better.
Click to expand...
Scratch your itch then and build a retro system. :D
 
Mr.Scott said:
Scratch your itch then and build a retro system.
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I think someday, but right now I lack the expertise, confidence and money to do so. Viewing the thread was enough for me today. Since I missed out on most PC gaming back in the day, I really don't know what I am missing.

lexluthermiester said:
Good grief! I had 256K broadband(that was blazing fast back then) DSL in 1996.
Click to expand...
It wasn't a question of money totally. My dad thought the internet would be a bad influence on us kids. We had dial up until 2008 but I wasn't given the credentials. I used the internet at school and the public library sometimes. I missed out.

lexluthermiester said:
This is even more bizarre! I feel for you, I really do.
Click to expand...
I know right? I think it is ironic that I turned into an IT guy after so much catching up to do!
 
Can add the video card ATI Sapphire HD 4850 X2 to the list.
And if any one has this card for sale, I'd be interested in purchasing it. (Had one, sold it like a dummy years ago lol)

sapphire-radeon-hd-4850-x2.jpg
 
Not sure how rare it is, but here's my GTX 750 v2 :
GPUz.gif


Front.jpg


back.jpg
 
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Creative is the company that made the soundblaster cards; I still use an OG SB16 ISA card. :)

Here's info on the video card; I'd forgotten about GLINT. :)


I also have a Creative Live 5.1 PCI card that kicks ass.

VLB cards...

(Beats head on table)

I think I also threw one of those away...

:cry:
 
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Grog6 said:
Creative is the company that made the soundblaster cards; I still use an OG SB16 ISA card. :)

I also have a Creative Live 5.1 PCI card that kicks ass.

VLB cards...

(Beats head on table)

I think I also threw one of those away...

:cry:
Click to expand...
that was my 1st thought too:D
 
Grog6 said:
Creative is the company that made the soundblaster cards
Click to expand...
There's a Soundblaster hiding in that Power Mac 6100 PC Compatible.
 
(not mine)

 
Voodoo 5 6000 and Voodoo 5 4000 seem to be missing
 

I received a GeForce4 Ti 4600 Engineering Sample and GeForce3 Ti Engineering Sample for my collection!

134000
133999
133998
IMG-2516.jpg
 
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