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It made for an excellent story though
(if the journey matter more than the destination 
)
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Hello, World! :D - Robert B's PC builds - oogle away freely :) - OLD Hardware Emporium
- Thread starter Robert B
- Start date
(if the journey matter more than the destination )
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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:
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:
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!!!
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.
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.
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
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.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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.
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.
Last edited:
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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!!!
MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This
Can't touch this!
Hammer time!!!When in doubt HAMMER IT OUT!!!
More laterzzzZZzzZZzzzzzzzzzzz!!!
- Joined
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- Messages
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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 theR648 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:
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.
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 theR648 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
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2006
- Messages
- 21,750 (3.28/day)
- Location
- Ohio
| System Name | Starlifter :: Dragonfly |
|---|---|
| Processor | i7 2600k 4.4GHz :: i5 10400 |
| Motherboard | ASUS P8P67 Pro :: ASUS Prime H570-Plus |
| Cooling | Cryorig M9 :: Stock |
| Memory | 4x4GB DDR3 2133 :: 2x8GB DDR4 2400 |
| Video Card(s) | PNY GTX1070 :: Integrated UHD 630 |
| Storage | Crucial MX500 1TB, 2x1TB Seagate RAID 0 :: Mushkin Enhanced 60GB SSD, 3x4TB Seagate HDD RAID5 |
| Display(s) | Onn 165hz 1080p :: Acer 1080p |
| Case | Antec SOHO 1030B :: Old White Full Tower |
| Audio Device(s) | Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro - Bose Companion 2 Series III :: None |
| Power Supply | FSP Hydro GE 550w :: EVGA Supernova 550 |
| Software | Windows 10 Pro - Plex Server on Dragonfly |
| Benchmark Scores | >9000 |
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.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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
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.
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.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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
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.
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
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.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 17,026 (3.43/day)
- Location
- Somerset, UK
| System Name | Not so complete or overkill - There are others!! Just no room to put! :D |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen Threadripper 3970X |
| Motherboard | Asus Zenith 2 Extreme Alpha |
| Cooling | Lots!! Dual GTX 560 rads with D5 pumps for each rad. One rad for each component |
| Memory | Viper Steel 4 x 16GB DDR4 3600MHz not sure on the timings... Probably still at 2667!! :( |
| Video Card(s) | Asus Strix 3090 with front and rear active full cover water blocks |
| Storage | I'm bound to forget something here - 250GB OS, 2 x 1TB NVME, 2 x 1TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 2 x 8TB HD etc... |
| Display(s) | 3 x Dell 27" S2721DGFA @ 7680 x 1440P @ 144Hz or 165Hz - working on it!! |
| Case | The big Thermaltake that looks like a Case Mods |
| Audio Device(s) | Onboard |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600W T2 |
| Mouse | Corsair thingy |
| Keyboard | Razer something or other.... |
| VR HMD | No headset yet |
| Software | Windows 11 OS... Not a fan!! |
| Benchmark Scores | I've actually never benched it!! Too busy with WCG and FAH and not gaming! :( :( Not OC'd it!! :( |
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
@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.
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.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 17,026 (3.43/day)
- Location
- Somerset, UK
| System Name | Not so complete or overkill - There are others!! Just no room to put! :D |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen Threadripper 3970X |
| Motherboard | Asus Zenith 2 Extreme Alpha |
| Cooling | Lots!! Dual GTX 560 rads with D5 pumps for each rad. One rad for each component |
| Memory | Viper Steel 4 x 16GB DDR4 3600MHz not sure on the timings... Probably still at 2667!! :( |
| Video Card(s) | Asus Strix 3090 with front and rear active full cover water blocks |
| Storage | I'm bound to forget something here - 250GB OS, 2 x 1TB NVME, 2 x 1TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 2 x 8TB HD etc... |
| Display(s) | 3 x Dell 27" S2721DGFA @ 7680 x 1440P @ 144Hz or 165Hz - working on it!! |
| Case | The big Thermaltake that looks like a Case Mods |
| Audio Device(s) | Onboard |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600W T2 |
| Mouse | Corsair thingy |
| Keyboard | Razer something or other.... |
| VR HMD | No headset yet |
| Software | Windows 11 OS... Not a fan!! |
| Benchmark Scores | I've actually never benched it!! Too busy with WCG and FAH and not gaming! :( :( Not OC'd it!! :( |
I'm definitely a fan
Is that a mint box for an Abit KR7A or something?? Wow that takes me back.....
Is that a mint box for an Abit KR7A or something?? Wow that takes me back.....
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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.
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.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 17,026 (3.43/day)
- Location
- Somerset, UK
| System Name | Not so complete or overkill - There are others!! Just no room to put! :D |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen Threadripper 3970X |
| Motherboard | Asus Zenith 2 Extreme Alpha |
| Cooling | Lots!! Dual GTX 560 rads with D5 pumps for each rad. One rad for each component |
| Memory | Viper Steel 4 x 16GB DDR4 3600MHz not sure on the timings... Probably still at 2667!! :( |
| Video Card(s) | Asus Strix 3090 with front and rear active full cover water blocks |
| Storage | I'm bound to forget something here - 250GB OS, 2 x 1TB NVME, 2 x 1TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 2 x 8TB HD etc... |
| Display(s) | 3 x Dell 27" S2721DGFA @ 7680 x 1440P @ 144Hz or 165Hz - working on it!! |
| Case | The big Thermaltake that looks like a Case Mods |
| Audio Device(s) | Onboard |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600W T2 |
| Mouse | Corsair thingy |
| Keyboard | Razer something or other.... |
| VR HMD | No headset yet |
| Software | Windows 11 OS... Not a fan!! |
| Benchmark Scores | I've actually never benched it!! Too busy with WCG and FAH and not gaming! :( :( Not OC'd it!! :( |
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!!
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!!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2004
- Messages
- 189 (0.03/day)
- Location
- Peterborough, UK
| System Name | IONE |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900X |
| Motherboard | ASUS STRIX B550-A Gaming |
| Cooling | Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 |
| Memory | 128GB (4x32GB) Corsair DDR4 Vengeance LPX Black, PC4-25600 (3200), CMK128GX4M4E3200C16 |
| Video Card(s) | PNY GeForce RTX 3080 12GB |
| Storage | Samsung 980 1TB NVMe (system), Lexar NM790 4TB NVMe (temp), 16x Seagate IronWolf 10TB RAID6 |
| Display(s) | Dell UP3017 |
| Case | Lian-Li PC-777B |
| Audio Device(s) | Focal Alpha 65 Evo |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX1200 |
| Mouse | Logitech M510 |
| Keyboard | Keychron Q10, brass plate, Kailh Box Summer switches and PBT Cherry keycaps |
| Software | Xubuntu 24.04 |
| Benchmark Scores | N/A |
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 17,026 (3.43/day)
- Location
- Somerset, UK
| System Name | Not so complete or overkill - There are others!! Just no room to put! :D |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen Threadripper 3970X |
| Motherboard | Asus Zenith 2 Extreme Alpha |
| Cooling | Lots!! Dual GTX 560 rads with D5 pumps for each rad. One rad for each component |
| Memory | Viper Steel 4 x 16GB DDR4 3600MHz not sure on the timings... Probably still at 2667!! :( |
| Video Card(s) | Asus Strix 3090 with front and rear active full cover water blocks |
| Storage | I'm bound to forget something here - 250GB OS, 2 x 1TB NVME, 2 x 1TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 2 x 8TB HD etc... |
| Display(s) | 3 x Dell 27" S2721DGFA @ 7680 x 1440P @ 144Hz or 165Hz - working on it!! |
| Case | The big Thermaltake that looks like a Case Mods |
| Audio Device(s) | Onboard |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600W T2 |
| Mouse | Corsair thingy |
| Keyboard | Razer something or other.... |
| VR HMD | No headset yet |
| Software | Windows 11 OS... Not a fan!! |
| Benchmark Scores | I've actually never benched it!! Too busy with WCG and FAH and not gaming! :( :( Not OC'd it!! :( |
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2004
- Messages
- 189 (0.03/day)
- Location
- Peterborough, UK
| System Name | IONE |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900X |
| Motherboard | ASUS STRIX B550-A Gaming |
| Cooling | Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4 |
| Memory | 128GB (4x32GB) Corsair DDR4 Vengeance LPX Black, PC4-25600 (3200), CMK128GX4M4E3200C16 |
| Video Card(s) | PNY GeForce RTX 3080 12GB |
| Storage | Samsung 980 1TB NVMe (system), Lexar NM790 4TB NVMe (temp), 16x Seagate IronWolf 10TB RAID6 |
| Display(s) | Dell UP3017 |
| Case | Lian-Li PC-777B |
| Audio Device(s) | Focal Alpha 65 Evo |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX1200 |
| Mouse | Logitech M510 |
| Keyboard | Keychron Q10, brass plate, Kailh Box Summer switches and PBT Cherry keycaps |
| Software | Xubuntu 24.04 |
| Benchmark Scores | N/A |
If I remember correctly the list looks a bit like this:Roberts thread is amazing, I visit here often to see what wonders he's been pulling out of the hat of late
What sort of hardware do you have @mashie ?
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.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 17,026 (3.43/day)
- Location
- Somerset, UK
| System Name | Not so complete or overkill - There are others!! Just no room to put! :D |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen Threadripper 3970X |
| Motherboard | Asus Zenith 2 Extreme Alpha |
| Cooling | Lots!! Dual GTX 560 rads with D5 pumps for each rad. One rad for each component |
| Memory | Viper Steel 4 x 16GB DDR4 3600MHz not sure on the timings... Probably still at 2667!! :( |
| Video Card(s) | Asus Strix 3090 with front and rear active full cover water blocks |
| Storage | I'm bound to forget something here - 250GB OS, 2 x 1TB NVME, 2 x 1TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 2 x 8TB HD etc... |
| Display(s) | 3 x Dell 27" S2721DGFA @ 7680 x 1440P @ 144Hz or 165Hz - working on it!! |
| Case | The big Thermaltake that looks like a Case Mods |
| Audio Device(s) | Onboard |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600W T2 |
| Mouse | Corsair thingy |
| Keyboard | Razer something or other.... |
| VR HMD | No headset yet |
| Software | Windows 11 OS... Not a fan!! |
| Benchmark Scores | I've actually never benched it!! Too busy with WCG and FAH and not gaming! :( :( Not OC'd it!! :( |
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
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
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 760 (0.24/day)
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.
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.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 17,026 (3.43/day)
- Location
- Somerset, UK
| System Name | Not so complete or overkill - There are others!! Just no room to put! :D |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen Threadripper 3970X |
| Motherboard | Asus Zenith 2 Extreme Alpha |
| Cooling | Lots!! Dual GTX 560 rads with D5 pumps for each rad. One rad for each component |
| Memory | Viper Steel 4 x 16GB DDR4 3600MHz not sure on the timings... Probably still at 2667!! :( |
| Video Card(s) | Asus Strix 3090 with front and rear active full cover water blocks |
| Storage | I'm bound to forget something here - 250GB OS, 2 x 1TB NVME, 2 x 1TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 2 x 8TB HD etc... |
| Display(s) | 3 x Dell 27" S2721DGFA @ 7680 x 1440P @ 144Hz or 165Hz - working on it!! |
| Case | The big Thermaltake that looks like a Case Mods |
| Audio Device(s) | Onboard |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600W T2 |
| Mouse | Corsair thingy |
| Keyboard | Razer something or other.... |
| VR HMD | No headset yet |
| Software | Windows 11 OS... Not a fan!! |
| Benchmark Scores | I've actually never benched it!! Too busy with WCG and FAH and not gaming! :( :( Not OC'd it!! :( |
I love your posts mate, inspiration to us all
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2016
- Messages
- 3,302 (1.02/day)
- Location
- Buenos Aires
| System Name | Ryzen Monster |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen 7 5700X3D |
| Motherboard | Asus ROG Crosshair Hero VII WiFi |
| Cooling | Corsair H100i RGB Platinum |
| Memory | Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (4x8GB) 3200Mhz CMW16GX4M2C3200C16 |
| Video Card(s) | Asus ROG Strix RX5700XT OC 8Gb |
| Storage | WD Black 500GB NVMe 250Gb Samsung SSD, OCZ 500Gb SSD WD M.2 500Gb, plus three spinners up to 1.5Tb |
| Display(s) | LG 32GK650F-B 32" UltraGear™ QHD |
| Case | Cooler Master Storm Trooper |
| Audio Device(s) | Supreme FX on board |
| Power Supply | Corsair RM850X full modular |
| Mouse | Corsair Ironclaw wireless |
| Keyboard | Logitech G213 |
| VR HMD | Headphones Logitech G533 wireless |
| Software | Windows 11 Start 11 |
| Benchmark Scores | 3DMark Time Spy 4532 (9258 March 2021, 9399 July 2021) |
Those keyboards are practically indestructible. I have one, cleaned it up and use it regularly with older PCs that come into my workshop.
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2013
- Messages
- 28,450 (6.77/day)
You mean the ones from the post on April 19th? Yeah those things could take a beating!