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

[Robert B]

Boris Brejcha - Purple Noise [Minimal Techno]

I crack some skulls!

This episode will feature four SLOT CPUs which have received "the treatment".

Let's meet "THE VICTIMS"!

* Pentium II 266MHz/66 - SL2HE - IRELAND
* Pentium II 333MHz/66 - SL2S5 - 2 buc - MALAY/IRELAND
* AMD Athlon K7 - AMD-K7700MTR51B A

All of the CPUs have been bought from the flea market for a very low price. I really enjoy the trips I take to the local flea market. You never know what you are going to find there.

Not bad!

Lately, I put the PIIs/100 on the back burner and I focused more on PIIs/66 and I buy them without blinking an eye. They have more appeal in my book but I guess that's just me.

When it comes to SLOT A CPUs it is no contest. YES PLEASE! Any day of the week!



As usual, all of the CPUs have received a full SPA treatment - cleaning, fresh TIM (AC MX-4), the works. I dont just buy them and toss them in a box. They must be RESTORED! I take no prisoners!

The CACHE chips of the SLOT A K7 CPU have received new thermal pads (soft, blue made by Arctic (Cooling)), because the old TIM used from the factory wasnt up to spec. This operation has been presented in the past.

I made detailed pictures of each of the CPUs, because I didnt want to mix-up the cases, the PCB or other components. Afterwards, each CPU has been put back as it came from factory. As usual, I take my work seriously. No half measures.

The opening of any SECC CPU has become a routine job. Zero incidents. Lately I use only my hands and a small fine screwdriver. This method is less likely to damage something but it takes patience and correctly applied force. The screwdriver is only used to gently separate three of the corners of the SECC cartridge and under no circumstance it is used on the inside.



Old TIM.



After all these years, the TIM was still soft. Interesting.



NAKED!



Ready for cleaning.



A nice spread.



Details.Details. Details.



Clean. Clean. Clean.



IPA 99%.(lots of it)



After I opened up the cases I was surprised to see that one of the PII-333(IRELAND) was missing a ceramic capacitor. It wasnt my blame and I'm surprised that it passed the quality control. I have no ideea what was the purpose of the missing cap and I wasnt expecting something like this. As it was protected by the plastic case and it had an armor bolted with screws, the chances of being damaged were pretty low, even if it came from the flea market or a salvage facility.

The placement of the missing cap, deep inside, under the heatplate made me think that it came like this from the factory. Besides, the plastic case didnt have signs of damage and I'm sure that it was never opened.

When I opened it I didnt have contact with that area.

All the time I handeled the CPU I didnt hear any rattle. I didnt use anything to try and pry the case from the inside either.

Total mistery.



Enter my donor card Medion X740XL.



After this incident it was business as usual.



Ready to be GREAT AGAIN!



Testing has revealed that all the CPUs are at 100%!



Restored.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2fd97o8dq/

More later.

 

[lexluthermiester]

After all these years, the TIM was still soft. Interesting.

I've seen this a few times as well. Back then Intel used an oil based TIM that didn't evaporate.

 

[Robert B]

Lika Morgan - Can't Deny (Radio Mix)

I'm feeling 440BX

I found my Celeron 300A - THE LEGEND at the local flea market. Fate made it so that I found the 300A together with a 440BX motherboard. As the price was an absolute steal, I took both of them home with me. NO BRAINER!

* Amptron/Jamicon/FastFame 650B-ATX Rev1.1 / KM650B / 440BX (The motherboard is probably Jamicon but it was also sold under other names)
* Celeron 300A - SL2WM



This motherboard isnt top of the line and doesnt have any OC settings but it can support fast Pentium III CPUs via a slotket. The multiplier settings listed on the silk screen present a value of 8 but I'm pretty sure that there are some undocumented settings that can be found given a faster CPU. Not bad all.

"Slot 1 Platform for Pentium II up to 450Mhz *** Slot 1 Platform for SECC 2 Pentium III *** Support FC PGA Pentium III processor (Coppermine™ & Katmai™ ) via Slot-to-Socket Adapter"

A budget CPU on a budget motherboard. Sounds about right.

I removed the BIOS chip, the jumpers, the retaining system of the CPU and I was ready to perform my magic.



The motherboard was in an average state in regard to cleanliness. The person that I bought it from has nice parts on a regular basis and the fact that it didnt have any esthetic problems, suggest that it was taken out of a case quite recently. I was the right person at the right time and in the right place and I was able to save this 20 years old kit.



After a few hours of work...



The Celeron 300A was quite dirty but it didnt pose a challenge.



Clean as a whistle.



Impecable.



One question that was eating me was if the CPU will be able to run at 450MHz by only changing the bus setting from 66MHz to 100MHz like it was the case back in the day. This CPU didnt attain THE LEGEND status by chance. A 50% OC at that time was something fantastic. With less money you could get the performance of higher priced models. From my point of view this is the essence of overclocking.

The system booted at 450MHz and I was ready to install Windows 98 SE to see if it would be stable at this frequency.



First, I ran 3dmark 99 with the CPU at 300MHz and I used an Intel i740 graphic adapter. I was going to run more tests with the CPU at 450MHz afterwards.



With the CPU at 450MHz I was able to get into Win 98 without incidents. When I ran CPU-Z I saw that the window had a lot of little squares. I tried another graphic card but the symptoms were the same.



The motherboard doesnt have voltage settings so I couldnt increase it a notch to see if this would solve my problem. After this I stopped and I decided to find an answer later when I'll buy a top of the line OC-friendly SLOT 1 motherboard.

All in all, for a little over 3 EUR I got a lot more than the value would suggest. Back in the day I had a 440ZX and Celeron 366(A) but I was dreaming of a 440BX and a Pentium II...

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1hf57pi7w/

More later.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The motherboard doesnt have voltage settings so I couldnt increase it a notch to see if this would solve my problem. After this I stopped and I decided to find an answer later when I'll buy a top of the line OC-friendly SLOT 1 motherboard.

What you could do is drop the multiplier to 4, if that BIOS has that function, and try again.

 

[Robert B]

n u a g e s - Dreams

Another blue wonder Gigabyte GA-660 PLUS REV 1.4

This card makes me think about the legendary HERCULES graphic cards. Those cards were something that I couldn't afford back in the day...at least I had an ACorp VANTA 8MB and I appreciated the increase in performance coming from an ATI RAGE IIC 4MB...I wish I had a full TNT 2...at any rate I dont regret a thing. I had a 440ZX with a Celeron A 366MHz and a VANTA 8MB which took me into another realm (3D). Carmageddon ran like a dream. No K6-2 for me. I really wanted an Intel CPU and at least I got a slice of a Pentium II. I had long discussions with my best friend in regard to which CPU was better: K6-2(him) vs Celeron A(me) ... The Pentium II prices were sky high and I was drooling looking at the offers of the local IT suppliers. VooDoo was the stuff of legend...I never saw one in the flesh until 2015 when I started gathering old parts.

As usual these days, I found the GA-660 PLUS at the local flea market. It cost me peanuts, dirt cheap. How could I pass it?

It was dumped into a box together with other filthy stuff. The VIVID BLUE color attracted me like a magnet. As a matter of fact, this shade of blue is my favourite.

Less than 2 EUR? HELL YEAH! Here's the money! No haggling or going back and forth. Just the way I like it.

This particular card, the Gigabyte GA-660 Plus, is fitted with a TNT 2 PRO/TNT 2-A chip, which is nothing more than a regular TNT 2, manufactured into a 0.22 micron process vs 0.25 micron. This translates into a lower working temperature, a lower current draw, a higher working frequency of the graphic chip and a better OC potential. In certain scenarios this card can take on the mighty TNT 2 ULTRA, which isnt something to sneeze at.

The blue TURBO jumper does exactly what it suggests and underlines the "warlike" character of the board.

The graphic card works at: CORE 150MHz(170MHz MAX TURBO) / MEMORY 166MHz(180MHz MAX TURBO) vs Regular TNT 2 125MHz/150MHz vs Regular TNT 2 PRO 143MHz/166MHz vs TNT 2 ULTRA 150MHz/183MHz

It comes with 32MB and Samsung K4S643232C-TC/L60 chips rated for 166MHz. In TURBO mode they run at 180MHz straight from the manufacturer. Factory sanctioned OC? F@K YEAH!

We should take into consideration the OC potential of the GA-660 PLUS which might go way up from the TURBO 170MHz/180MHz frequencies.

Need I say more? I really don't think so. A beast of a card I tell you! Dont be fooled by the small size of the card. Potent substances are held in small vials.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should point out that this card came on the market at a moment when the Geforce 256 and ATI Rage Fury MAXX were also available. In fact this card is nothing else than a respin of the TNT 2 on another manufacturing node.

Even so, I consider this card A TRUE GEM!!! Less than 2 EUR?!??!? F@K YEAH!!! Bring it ON earthling!

After this somewhat bombastic introduction, let's get down to nut cuttin'.

Initial state.



Looks okay OR IS IT? Well, I had to put in the hours and I wasnt stingy with the elbow grease. No respect for old cards I TELL YOU!

Against my regular policy I decided to see if the card is alive and kicking before I cleaned it. I removed some of the dust and dirt with a soft brush and into the PC it went. The PIII-800MHz didnt help her too much but it was all I could muster at that moment.

Did it run? ... FLAWLESS!!! I'm a survivor!



After this moment, all went well until I received some bad news. About this a little bit later...

First, I tackled the fan, the bracket and the screws.

All cleaned and shining.



Battle scars...lots of them...I inspected all the scratches, hits and blemishes and I can tell you that I felt them like a slow motion replay...no respect...no consideration...no feeling for artefacts of a passed era...there are more to be said here and not just about the objects themselves but this is not the moment or the place to do so...



Soon after this came the moment when I had to clean the board. I couldn't remove the heatsinks as they were held in place with thermal tape and or thermal glue. Because I was afraid that I might damage something, I decided to let them be, this time ....



With a set of fine files, "I sweetened" the dents made into the soft aluminium. That was about it. I could've filled the gaps with solder, file them with patience and find some paint that would match...who knows mabe I already did this in a parallel universe...but at that moment I didnt do such a thing.



When I was about to do my magic with cotton sticks, IPA99% and old chinese man patience, I came across the problem I was telling you above.

The diagonal scratches made by a sharp object, on the back heatsink, were pointing at a cut trace near the AGP connector. The A2 trace was out of order.



LUCK was on my side. The A2 is presented as A SPARE. In other words the card works with and without A2.

https://allpinouts.org/pinouts/connectors/buses/agp-bus/

I could feel the bullet flying above my head. It's not about the money I spend, it's about the fact that I still think I can save any component even when all hope is lost. Because of this, I decided to avoid, when possible, the purchase of cards that have obvious problems. I get involved way over my head as I cant do things with half measures. Remember the Creative GF2 GTS GB0010? That Annihilator card almost annihiltaed me.

This was the moment when I did my first trace repair, even if it wasnt really needed. I applied all the things I learned until that moment.

As usual, when you do something for the first time, I hit a few bumps in the road.

I used a wire that was a little too thick plus other small problems but in the end results were above average. I say above average, conservatively.



I used transparent POXIPOL to cover the repaired area.



While the glue was still tacky I decided to insert the card into an AGP slot. Surprise surprise, the card went inside the slot waaaay more than I anticipated and if I did this after the glue hardened I would've been in a bad spot.

While the glue was still soft I managed to trim it and give it an ideal shape and size. I used and xacto knife and maximum attention to detail.

Ideal results. Tests made on ECS P4ITA & GA-8TM.



After all this work, the rest was smooth sailing.

My TNT 2 PRO was on its way to a full recovery.

After the cleaning process the card was smiling at me.




Blue, blue, deep blue, dark blue, sky blue, sea blue, b l u e...and I'm not blue I LOVE THIS COLOUR!



At the end I put the card into my workhorse PIII 800MHz/Luckystar 6VABX2, for a final test and then it went into a box and it will be taken out only on special occasions.



Happy moments filled with satisfaction.

Benny Benassi - 'Satisfaction'

I can write off my list another milestone that has been achieved. My TNT 2 is in good working condition, firing all its cyclinders!

See you with the next episode.

More later.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/37c3gp9mk/

 

[Robert B]

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

PowerColor TNT 2 PRO - CTNT2SD VER2.0

I've seen this card week after week after week, dumped on the pavement together with other electronic components which were in various states of electronic putrefaction. Flea market rules: dump them in a big pile and let the buyer sort them out!

When, finally, I decided to see what model it was I said to myself that I should've paid more attention ever since I laid my eyes on it.

CTNT2SD VER2.0 is a TNT 2 PRO / TNT 2 - A, like the Gigabyte GA-660 Plus graphic card from the previous episode, but without the bells and whistles.

Even so, in an ocean full of Vanta and M64 cards, a full TNT 2 is something special. I paid little over 1 EUR for it so I have nothing more to add. NO BRAINER!

Let's meet the star of this episode.



The card lost its shine and marks left by contact with water abound. The solder joints were dull, the bracket had spots of surface rust and the cooling system has seen better days. I think that you already have guessed why I ignored it for weeks.

A quick test has revealed that it is still firing on all its cylinders.. Well I'll be ...



Satisfied with the preliminary results, I prepared the operating table for the rejuvenation treatment that the golden card would undergo.



The heatsink was fixed with a metalic clip and it came with a thick non-adhesive thermal pad.



At some point, someone has added thermal paste over the thermal pad, strange to say the least. I removed all the traces of thermal paste from the thermal pad with a cotton stick and IPA 99% .Thermal pad or thermal paste please make up your mind!

I wanted to replace the original heatsink with a DeepCool V50 but the mounting holes were atypical and it just wouldn't fit even if I was to enlarge the holes in the soft aluminium. So, I decided to reuse the old cooling system.

The thermal pad was mint so I left in place.

The retaining metal clip that was used to fix the heatsink dug a little into the PCB over the years but nothing too serious. A couple of plastic push-pins would've been better. The spacing between the holes suggest that a regular motherboard northbridge heatsink could be used.



Ready for THE TREATMENT.



Patience, lots of cotton sticks and a lot of alcohol...isopropyl 99% of ocurse.



The moment when I gave my full attention to the heatsink, came soon and I weighted my options.

The paint fell off in some areas and I decided to touch up the problem zones instead of painting the entire heatsink. My choice was the right one and the final results were above my expectations. The retaining metal clip was cleaned of rust and hand polished using a rag and some polishing paste.



While I was cleaning the PCB I saw two ceramic capacitors hanging for dear life. I dont know how I missed them or how they didnt fell off while I was cleaning the board. The graphic card has worked well with them just held in place by tiny bits of solder. I take this as a confirmation of my gentle touch while I clean these relics. .

I soldered them well and the problem was solved.



After this hurdle I turned my attention to the fan which was kind of meh.



Final results. When I assemebled the cooling system I reversed the retaining clip and I took precautions that none of the hooks from the ends would touch the PCB as it was the case when I bought the card. Attention to detail is paramount when your are working with old parts.



GOLDEN!



Some marks will remain forever on the surface of the card, signs of a not so fortunate past, but in the end I was able to restore at least some of its original glory. There is no denying that this model is a budget one but the same thing could be said about a Powercolor Evil King 4 if it wasn't a 3dfx card. One thing is certain, I will buy and restore any TNT 2 (not M64/Vanta) that I can get my hands on.

Another success story!

Cya with the next episode!

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/10pl7h3bw/

More later.

 

[Robert B]

Toto - Hold The Line (Official Music Video)

Flea market surprise!!!

As you probably know by now, the Flea Market Surprise epsiodes contain a bunch of components that I have aquired from the flea market.

Flea Market Surprise - because you never know what you will find there! This is what makes the visits to the Good Ol' Flea Market, worthwhile. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about I can quit anytime I want, I just choose not to!

The presentation is short and I usually let the pictures tell the story. This is what a FMS episode is all about.

Let's meet the stars of this episode!

1. AMD K6-2/500AFX - 500MHz
2. AMD Athlon 1200MHz - AXIA0124UPBW - A1200AMS3C
3. Intel Pentium 4 - 1.4GHZ S423 Willamette - SL4SC
4. 3dfx Voodoo 1 - Diamond Monster 3D PCI 4MB Rev. E
5. Protac Video Excel AG240D REV2.2 - Fastware Intel i740 Power 3D
6. MITSUMI CRMC-FX120T - CD-ROM 12x
7. Intel Pentium II 350MHz - SL2U4

Quite a line-up don't you think?

AMD K6-2/500AFX - 500MHz *** AMD Athlon 1200MHz - AXIA0124UPBW - A1200AMS3C *** Intel Pentium 4 - 1.4GHZ S423 Willamette - SL4SC

The CPUs have been cleaned, pins have been straightened and useless labels have been eliminated.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1sw8y5ia6/

3dfx Voodoo 1 - Diamond Monster 3D PCI 4MB Rev. E

A common card but illusive at the same time.

I paid for it, a little over 1EUR, even if I knew that it was knee deep in the dead. Who knows, maybe I'll fix'er up in the future, I have a knack for hard to solve cases.



DO NOT BUY! was written all over it.

An idiot has learned some desoldering tehniques on a 3dfx card. What THE FU..........K?!?!? It's missing almost all of the resistors...a few solid capacitors...inductors...PCB pads...and God know what else...

Needless to say that the idiot still has a lot to learn...

Fortunately I have a Diamond V1 Rev. E in my collection and I was able to conduct a thorough examination...tens of missing componets...



Scary? Sure, but these V1 cards are very simple and they can be repaired. What is desoldered can be soldered back. You need the missing parts, some soldering skills and an ounce of madness...I think that I fit the profile quite well..

After I knew the full extent of the damage I prepared the card for cleaning. No dirty stuff in my boxes!



When I had my two V1 cards side by side I saw that my good V1 was missing an inductor so I made a transplant. Another missing part from the almost empty V1 is not a big deal. IMO.



I searched on the internet information regarding the missing components and I found what I needed. Fate made it so that I also found at the flea market a HUGE card made in 1996 which is full of all the parts I need - ceramic capacitors, resistors and a bunch of other parts.

I think that you get my hint. It can be done if I'm willing to put in the hours or I can use this V1 as a donor card...all good alternatives.




gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1whc6apxq/



I paid under 3EUR for the card. Money well spent! A treasure trove of parts!

Protac Video Excel AG240D REV2.2 - Fastware Intel i740 Power 3D

GOLDEN BROWN!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3gikxv2dq/

MITSUMI CRMC-FX120T - CD-ROM 12x

Ahhh Mitsumi...CD-ROMs...I LOVE THEM TO BITS...call me strange I DONT CARE!!!

A soon as I laid my eyes on it I knew that it will come home with me. Still white and with few scratches it was begging for a rescue.



It costed me under 3EUR. Cheap date I konw...

When I got back to my car I noticed that something was rattling inside and the tray would not stay closed when I pointed the unit with the face down... sheeshhhh only you could find this kind of stuff...no further commentary is necessary...superfluous stuff...

Let's restore this $hit!

A screw wasnt going to come out...drilling action required!



Some superglue, transparent Poxipol, silicone grease, a little plastic surgery...good as new! MAN I'M GOOD!!!



The unit was very clean inside and it doesnt have a rubber belt. All is based on sprockets...almost IMMORTAL stuff.

Even so, I cleaned it well...



The good stuff.



Clean bill of health.



During testing I noticed that sometimes the tray would open right after I closed it.

I opened the unit and I tweaked a little the micro-switch that was responsible for this behaviour. Problem solved!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1dqj95w3y/

Intel Pentium II 350MHz - SL2U4

Opened, cleaned, custom thermal pads made from soft blue AC thermal pads, some AC MX-4 and that's all she wrote....

More words aren't required...



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2md2w7lqm/

Don't be fooled by the short presentation, a lot of eblow grease was needed to obtain the results presented above, but I think that you already knew this...aaaa and before I forget I dont like working with half measures...but I think that you also already knew this...who knows maybe YOU, the readers know me better than I know myself . Next year in February 2019 I will celebrate 4 years since I started this incursion into the past...

Time flies...

More later.

 

[Robert B]

Worakls ft. Linda Clifford - Porto (Nuno Cacho Lovers Mashup)

Intel 80486 OverDrive 100 MHz and friends

This story came out of nothing.

All started after I found at the flea market, my second Intel 80486 Overdrive 100MHz - DX4ODPR100 / SZ959 V1.1 CPU, which this time was complete and it came with the original heatsink. For this gem I had to pay arround 5 EUR and I had to use all of my haggling skills. The gypsy that sold it, told me to quit messing with him. This guy really didnt like my offer that was less than half of the asking price. I know him well and in the past I bought stuff from him, so I wasnt put off by this. You have to insist and also to present arguments, otherwise he won't sell a component even if he knows that he might not find someone else to buy it. He's quite stubborn but once you have passed his defences and start buying from him, prices drop considerably. The sight of money in your hand helps a lot.

The CPU was dirty, had a few bent pins, several fins from the heatsink were out of line but otherwise it was complete.



After a little work it was almost good as new. The label has faded but it is still easy to descipher. I test fitted the CPU in my socket 3 Jetway J446A V2.0 motherboard and all went well.



Some time after this moment, coupled with the fact that my repairing and restoring skills have increased, I remembered that I have in my possession two socket 3 motherboards which were put in the BOX of damaged components.

The two socket 3 motherboards are:

* Kaimei Electronic Corp KM-S4-1 Ver: 1.1 - bought from the flea market in April 2016.
* Jetway J446A-V2.0 - bought in February 2015 with my first batch of old components.

Both feature a SiS 496/497 chipset combination. They are solid and versatile motherboards. I really like this type of socket 3 motherboard as it makes me remember the ZIDA Tomato Board 4DPS that equiped my first PC in 1996.

I took out the two socket 3 motherboard from the BOX in which they sat and I conducted a thorough examination. After this examination, I came to the conclusion that both of them were prime candidates for a full recovery.

I was prepared to do everything that was possible to recover the motherboards. I felt confident and I was looking only at the final goal: the complete recovery of the motherboards.

Kaimei Electronic Corp KM-S4-1 Ver: 1.1

I tackled this motherboard first as I thought that it had fewer problems to solve. Little did I know...

A trace that was placed in the middle of the CPU socket, was torn and its ends were up in the air. I found out about this problem right after I bought the motherboard and I started to clean it.



I used a multimeter to determine from where the trace came and where it went but this proved quite difficult and in the end I got nothing.

I evaluated my options and I wasnt going to desolder the entire CPU socket just to see where the trace went, so I decided to remove the cover of the CPU socket hoping that I might get a better view of the situation.

After I removed the CPU cover I found more problems. Even if the holes in the cover were pristine, beneath this cover, four pins in the CPU socket were damaged, three bent inward and one a little deformed. What the hell happened?!



I didnt lose too much time searching for an explanation and I made from a soft needle, a tiny hook with which I was going to try and mend the damaged pins of the CPU socket. Initially I wanted to take four good pins from another motherboard, but I gave up on this idea as I suspected that they might have a shape that would not permit me to take them out of the socket even if I was to desolder them.

Even on my first try, a tiny metal piece broke off from one of the pins of the CPU socket that was bent inward ...in the end all of the pins that were bent inward lost the same tiny metal piece. The good news was that the oposite part of these pins was still in place and I bent this part a little, until it was at an angle that was needed for them to make contact with the pins of the CPU. The fourth pin of the CPU socket has survived the procedure.



After I completed this task I made a test. All was OK! The force required to secure the CPU in the socket and all the noises made during this procedure were good. Dire Straits - Going Home



The removal of the CPU cover has yielded ZERO clues in regard to the PCB trace...

After I inspected several good motherboards I came to the conclusion that perhaps, I have nothing to worry about, and the part of the trace that went under the CPU socket probably didnt touch anything, so I positioned it at angle that I deemed to be correct.

I used a thicker wire to bridge the ends of the torn trace.

Why I used a thicker wire? The trace is made from a very fine copper wire and even if I used my 15W soldering iron there was a good chance that I might burn it. The thicker wire would take a lot of the heat that was needed for soldering and the trace would have better chances of survival. I dont have a trace repair kit but I know how its done professionally. No big deal if you have what you need. As I didnt have the required tools and materials I used what I had at hand.



I fixed the thicker wire with transparent POXIPOL not only to hold it in place but to also insulate it and avoid a contact with other components. The ends of the torn trace were cleaned of laquer with a sharp blade and MAXIMUM ATTENTION so that the solder would adhere as it should. Any mishappening at this moment would've meant THE END.

Flux, solder, 15W soldering iron.



After all this work I conducted a final examination of the motherboard.

BEHOLD! A monkey has played with the solder joints of the MOSFET and has even scratched the PCB. Pfffttt.........I have to fix this mess too.



After a good IPA 99% bath I was ready FOR THE BIG TEST!!!

Did it work? He he, of course IT DID!



RETURNED FROM THE DEAD!!!



Now came the moment to recover the second socket 3 motherboard.

This was going to be a tough nut to crack...

Jetway J446A-V2.0



Problems that needed my attention:

1. 6 capacitors were missing 1uf 50V, 10uf 25V, 470uf 16V - TC1, TC2,TC3, TC4, TC20, C45
2. Missing MOSFET and missing information regarding the specs of the MOSFET.
3. The plastic cover of the CPU was damaged.
4. Many bent pins of the memory slots.
5. One memory slot was missing the tiny plastic hooks that keep the memory stick in place.
6. Hundreds of bent pins on the back of the motherboard.
7. The BIOS chip had a torn pin that had been soldered back.
8. ZERO JUMPERS PRESENT! about 30 pcs.
9. Bent pins in one of the ISA slots.

WHAT A MESS!! Even so, I was determined to do something about it and I wasnt going to quit.

I CAN SAVE THIS MOTHER OF ALL BOARDS!

The missing capacitors.



The memory slots.



After very tense minutes I managed to straighten all of the pins of the memory slots. Subsequent tests made with various sticks of RAM have revealed that all of the pins were making good contact with the pads. The sticks of RAM that were inserted in the top memory slot, the one that was missing the tiny plastic hooks, were held well in place so I had no reason to replace the slot.



GET BENT! I had to straighten a lot of the pins on the back of the motherboard as many even made contact with another. A BIG NO NO when I was about to power up the motherboard. INDIAN SMOKE SIGNAL FOR SURE or 4th of July sparks, depending of the situation.



A new cover for the CPU socket was taken from an incomplete motherboard.



The damaged ISA slot. Again tense moments. The bent pins make good contact now but I won't use this slot unless it will be absolutely necessary.



I soldered the missing caps. Instead of a 470uf 16V capacitor I soldered a 470uf 25V SAMXON (GT) Long life/High Ripple/Low IMPEDANCE. It's bigger but I was able the shoehorn it in. The tiny 1uf 50V and 10uf 25V caps are the brand that I found localy: Huang and ChongX. Mr HUANG & ChongX told me: ME FIX YOU UP GOOD! So I used them.



I identified the specs of the missing MOSFET. My working J446A V2.0 motherboard has offered the information I needed, together with a not so great piece of news.

The heatsink required to cool the MOSFET had a special shape.



I searched high and low for a heatsink but I couldnt find anything that would fit so I had to order more models. I also had to order the missing MOSFET and 100 jumpers.

REINFORCEMENTS HAVE ARRIVED! Daft Punk - Veridis Quo



The heatsink must be placed under the MOSFET and the MOSFET has to be tightened well with a screw, a washer and a nut.

The ordered heatsinks were all too wide and they wouldn't fit well on the PCB. They were the smallest size that I could buy and I wasn't going to grind them down to size and lose some of the cooling capacity.

I wanted to put the MOSFET in a straight position but it didnt have support.

Casse-tete probleme!

In the end I used a heatsink that was more suitable. I used a second nut to distance the heatsink from the surrounding components, I arranged the legs of the MOSFET in the required position, I soldered nicely the MOSFET, I even found a red washer like the original one.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS! Excellent results! (Pads himself on the back for a job well done.)



Pictures with the soldering job.



More pictures with the MOSFET.



Capacitors.



After all this hard work I was ready for THE TEST!

I powered up the motherboard and I waited anxiously for the right noises and sounds.

NO POST! NO BEEP! NADA!

Sheeetttttt!

I looked closely at the motherboard and I saw that the graphic adapter didnt go all the way into the slot because one of the jumpers was in the way. A common problem back in the day.



I moved the graphic card into another slot and I tried again.

BLACK SCREEN! NO POST! NO BEEP! NADA!

#$&@*$&(@*&$*(@#~~~~~!!!!

Hmmm...

Before I powered the board I removed the BIOS chip and I verified to see if the BIOS file was good. I didnt find the same version but I looked at another BIOS file and all seemed to be order. I used the HxD editor. At that moment I didnt write a newer version because I thought that maybe the version that was present on the chip was the right one for this motherboard.

Out of options I programmed the BIOS chip with the version that I found on the internet.



I crossed my fingers and I pressed THE POWER BUTTON!

CLANK!

BEEP!

I'M ALIVE!!!

The satisfaction was off the scale. Oh the JOY! I breathed deep and I said to myself GOOD JOB!

First I inserted a single RAM stick then four and all of them were recognized, sign that all of the RAM slots are operational.

I tried an AMD 5x86 133MHZ ADZ CPU and the Intel 486 OverDrive 100MHz.

ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL!!!



Cleaned and repaired.



A JOB WEEL DONE!



I took pictures of my good J446A V2.0 together with the repaired motherboards.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/jgklxuvw/

A nice spread dont you think?

Now my collection has two new socket 3 motherboards that are in good working condition.

It pays to stick to your guns and never give up once you have established a goal.

A few years ago I labeled these types of boards as organ donors but now I know that I can save them.

Merry Christmas!

 

[lexluthermiester]

The story telling aspect you take is very interesting and enjoyable! Merry Christmas to you as well!

 

[phanbuey]

This is a great thread.

 

[Robert B]

Thanks guys!

Expect more great stories ahead: The SUPER aka SUPER P6DLS, RAMBUS troubles with Gigabyte GA-8TM and ECS P4ITA, An episode about the heatsinks I found at the flea market, Another Flea Market Surprise episode, GF256DDR, GUS ACE V1.1, The curious Gigabyte GA-622-16 a TNT 2 M64 with a TURBO BUTTON running at 160/160 unlike the regular TNT 2 M64 125/150, Another episode about the MS-6168 which promises to be quite a challenge if I manage to repair it as it is really banged up, Aureal TRIO, The interesting Leadtek GF2 PRO...and more if I find good stuff at the flea market.

More later.

 

[Jetster]

You have some serious time invested

 

[lexluthermiester]

Thanks guys!

Expect more great stories ahead: The SUPER aka SUPER P6DLS, RAMBUS troubles with Gigabyte GA-8TM and ECS P4ITA, An episode about the heatsinks I found at the flea market, Another Flea Market Surprise episode, GF256DDR, GUS ACE V1.1, The curious Gigabyte GA-622-16 a TNT 2 M64 with a TURBO BUTTON running at 160/160 unlike the regular TNT 2 M64 125/150, Another episode about the MS-6168 which promises to be quite a challenge if I manage to repair it as it is really banged up, Aureal TRIO, The interesting Leadtek GF2 PRO...and more if I find good stuff at the flea market.

More later.

Have you thought of doing a YouTube channel? I think it would be good! I'd subscribe.

 

[Robert B]

@Jetster - time flies when you're having fun Looking back only now I can see the sheer amount of hours that I've put in
@lexluthermiester - THE YT channel is on my mind but I want to do a proper job and I dont want to use half measures so that will have to wait some more. It is an entire different proposition that I can accomplish but it also needs a another approach.


Darin Epsilon - My Own Time (feat. Alice Rose)

ON NEW YEARS EVE (UTC/GMT+2): THE SUPER - not to be confused with SUPPER



"What's All The Hubub...Bub?" with the toilet seat???. Well....in due time all will be revealed.

Over one hundred pictures with a bunch of CPUs, slotkets and a mighty DUAL CPU LX mother of all moherboards! My biggest retro board to date!

CYA laterz my readers!!!

 

[Robert B]

Saber Rider Metal Theme - High Quality

The SUPER

Like many other situations in the past, the way that this board has found its way to me, it is af if, it had my name written all over it. She was searching for me but I was playing hard to get.

In July 2018 I was having a session of physiotherapy because I lifted something too heavy in the wrong way. While the doctor was doing her work and I was lying on the bed, having nothing better to do, I opened the WhatsApp application on my phone, to see if I had received a message. BAM! ONE MESSAGE: "What do you think about this DUAL CPU motherboard?".

-Hmm...NICE piece of KIT you have there. How much is the DAMAGE?
-$$$
-That's a fair price I said. Let me think about for a few days.

Looking back, I had no reason to wait and I should've snatched it right away, but me being me, I had to do my homework before I would buy it.

What was the DUAL CPU motherboard that I'm referring to?

SUPER/SUPERMICRO P6DLS REV 2.1 - Intel SLOT 1 440LX DUAL CPU

The manual stated that the motherboard supports Pentium II 233/266/300/333 MHz CPUs on a 66MHz bus. Now, the board had my full attention.

https://www.supermicro.com/manuals/motherboard/440LX/MNL-607.pdf

I searched for information regarding this model on the internet and I found a particularly interesting webpage written in russian. I used TRANSLATE and I obtained some valuable information.

http://www.phantom.sannata.ru/konkurs/2017/kt1701.shtml

From the translated text, one paragraph was very important as it stateted that if the VRM of the motherboard was equiped with a Cherry Semiconductor CS5155 chip, then it would support more CPUs than those stated in the manual. The CS 5155 can provide a voltage range from 1.3V to 3.5V versus the CS5150 which has a voltage range from 2.1V to 3.5V. The Vcore voltage is supplied automatically as this motherboard doesnt have OC features.

Why is this so important? Well, I can use Pentium II Deschutes(Vcore 2.0V) CPUs that run on a 66/100MHz bus besides the Pentium II Klamath (Vcore 2.8V) models specified in the manual. It is understood that the 100MHz bus Deschutes that will run on a 66MHz bus are going to function at a lower frequency than what they are cappable of. Let's take for example a PII 350MHz/100MHz Deschutes which has a 3.5 multiplier. If we multiply 3.5x100MHz=350MHz. On a 66MHz bus we will get a much lower frequency 3.5x66MHz~233MHz.

Besides all the aspects mentioned above, I also had an ulterior motive for wanting that CS5155 chip. I was planning to use two Celeron A SLOT 1 CPUs. I already had one Celeron 333MHz Mendocino core SL2WN (Vcore 2.0V) CPU which I bought from the flea market.

I asked the seller to send me a few pictures with the VRM area, to see if the CS5155 chip was present. From what I have read on the internet the CS5155 isn't usually seen on Revision 2.1 motherboards.

In a way I was looking for reasons not to buy this motherboard...

I received the pictures that I needed: CS5155 REPORTING FOR DUTY SiiiiiiiiiiiiiiRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

YES!

After more WhatApp conversations I found out that the motherboard belonged to another contact of mine and the one that sent me the pictures was selling it for him. I knew both of them pretty well as we have made several transactions in the past. Over the phone I received all the information I needed from the owner of the motherboard and from the one that sent me the pictures and was selling it for him, I bought two Celeron 333MHz SL2WN SLOT 1 CPUs and I also received the confirmation that the motherboard was in good working condition.

Pretty complicated isn't it?

I had several opportunities to obtain DUAL CPU motherboards but I didnt buy any of them as they didnt speak to me. With the P6DLS it was different. As soon as I laid my eyes on it I knew that it was mine. The size, the emerald green color, the fact that it is a SUPERMICRO motherboard, a company that I still respect very much, the quality of construction, made me melt and I paid the asking price.

MINE!

I waited anxiously the arrival of the motherboard which had my name written all over it. When the courier came, I received a somewhat curious package.



A TOILET SEAT? I mean the package from a toilet seat?!?! That's something! I sure hope the contents aren't shitty.

I removed the components from the box and I took a few pictures. This thing right here is THE REAL DEAL.



CS5155



440LX



It was obvious that the motherboard hadn't been used for some time. Even so, it wasnt too dirty. Dust and grime according to age.



While I was waiting for its arrival I kept asking myself if I will be able to use two Celeron 333MHz SL2WN CPU in SMP configuration. I already read how to execute a Celeron A SMP mod. A tricky procedure that it is within my ability to perform.

http://www.ptrlabs.com/celeron/index-sepp.html
http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews/dualcel/dualcel2.shtml

Right after I received the motherboard I updated the BIOS with the latest version straight from the SUPERMICRO webpage. The description stated: "Supports Pentium II/Celeron Slot1". I mounted two Fractal fans on the two 333MHz Celerons SL2WN CPUs and I was ready to go.

https://www.supermicro.com/support/bios/archive.cfm



As expected, the two Celeron 333MHz SL2WN CPUs didnt work in a DUAL/SMP configuration and I needed to mod them. A not so thrilling proposition as I dont like to perform extreme/ireversible modifications on old components.



To rule out any doubt, I wanted to see if the motherboard works in a DUAL/SMP configuration with two Pentium II CPUs. Because I didnt have two 66MHz bus Pentium II CPUs I used two Deschutes 100MHz bus CPUs. These werent even identical. One was SL2U4 and the other SL37F. Even so, all was OK. The CPUs ran at 233MHz(3.5*66MHz) and both of them were recognized.

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL2U4.html
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Pentium-II/Intel-Pentium II 350 - 80523PY350512PE SECC2 (BX80523U350512E).html



BIOS

This type of AMIBIOS interface wasnt too popular back in the day, but I liked it. The motherboard has an onboard SCSI controller.



After the Pentium II 350MHz test I decided to try my only Celeron 366MHz/Slotket combo that I had in my possession.



I also tested a Pentium II 333MHz 66MHz bus SL2S5 CPU. In this instance I fiddled with the multiplier settings. From jumpers I was able to make it run at: 300MHz, 233MHz and 133MHz. When I ran the CPU at 133MHz the 512KB L2 CACHE was DISABLED and it wasnt detected at POST.

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL2S5.html



I even tried a Pentium II 450MHz SL2U7 CPU. This CPU ran at 300MHz and 200MHz.

http://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SL/SL2U7.html



Jumper settings.



After all these tests I decided to buy another slotket and a bunch of Celeron - Mendocino core S370 CPUs. I gave up on the ideea of performing a Celeron A SLOT 1 SMP mod.

To be able to use Celeron A S370 in DUAL/SMP configuration, the slotket must have a connection between the B75 pin from the SLOT 1/SECC connector and the AN15 pin from the s370 socket of the CPU. If this connection isnt present you can solder a thin wire between them and PRESTO Celeron SMP ACTION! Some more advanced slotkets even have a jumper to ENABLE/DISABLE this feature.

http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews/dual370/dual370-3.shtml



Pretty easy stuff.

THREE Celeron 333MHz CPUs SL2WN.



The P6DLS has the aura of a HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT. I dont even want to think how much it costed back in the day when I was still enjoying my AMD 5x86 133MHz PC.



I laid the SUPER/SUPERMICRO P6DLS next to her 440LX sister, the EPOX EP-61LXA-M. There is nothing more to be said. THIS THING IS MASSIVE!



A few bent pins, nothing too serious.



The first task that I performed was the removal of a label that was placed in a bad spot. I maintained the label wet using a cotton disk soaked in IPA 99%, I added more alcohol using a syringe, I used a bamboo stick that wasnt too pointed and paciently I removed the label that broke in many many many small pieces. This was a stressful endavour The chances to damage something were pretty high and the label had a damn sticky glue.



While I waited for the arrival of my second slotket and the Celeron S370 CPUs, I cleaned the two Celeron 333MHz SL2WN CPUs. It made no sense to clean the motherboard and then leave it on the desk for two days during testing.



I washed the heatsinks with water and dish soap. The retaining clips took a bath in a mild rust removal solution and they were hand polished until they shined. I wasnt able to remove the pitting on one of them but in the end I got a more presentable result.



SHINY!



The white fans are nothing special. Maybe a little weak but still up to the task.



ALL DONE!!!



CLEAN!



The Celerons have arrived!



After I received my second slotket, model 370SP Rev 1.0, I used it together with my Gigabyte GA-6R7 REV 1.7 slotket, to test all the Celeron A S370 CPUs. To my joy, a multimeter test, has revealed that both of them had continuity between the B75 pin and the AN15 pin. No modding required.

The SUPER/SUPERMICRO P6DLS motherboard worked well with two different types of slotket, in DUAL/SMP configuration, at 400MHz, 433MHz and 500MHz. AWESOME STUFF! I LIKE IT!!!



After this much fun I had to clean again the CPUs that I used. What a mess.



The moment when I had to clean the motherboard arrived.

BEFORE and AFTER!



NOT SHINY!



I protected all of the stamped ink markings and the MADE IN U.S.A. logo with ORAFOL STONE GUARD film. I didnt want them to be removed by IPA 99%.



Ready for ACTION!



Sadly, I didnt protect the label from beneath the northbridge chip and it was removed by IPA 99%, ...it happens even to the best of us. I thought that the protection wouldn't be needed but as soon as it was touched by IPA99% and a soft brush, all the writing has disintegrated.

I dried the motherboard using a small air compressor. Two wash cycles and three pass of fine detailing were needed to obtain the results that I wanted.



Final results? MIRROR-LIKE!



While I was cleaning the board I had a lot of time to inspect it thoroughly. Minimal damage.



More good stuff.



This was the story of my first DUAL (Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)) procesor motherboard. I dont know if I'll buy this type of motherboard in the future. Maybe YES maybe NOT.

Appart of bragging rights I dont see how am I going to use it. The 440LX chipset makes it to stand out. Even if I like the 440BX a lot, I'm also a 440LX fan, the first AGP+SD-RAM chipset for Pentium II CPUs.

Windows 98 knows nothing about SMP and I would have to use a version of Windows NT or Windows 2000. These last ones might have some quirks with some games and other applications.

If I'll include this motherboard in a Windows 98 SE build, one thing is certain. I will use TWO Celeron 500MHz CPUs. SMP support of not, I want all the SLOTS FILLED!

After many years of service, after more years of being kept in a case stashed in a dark corner, this motherboard, meticulously restored, is waiting paciently in a box together with her sistes, away from the teeth of the crusher, ready to tell the story of times gone by.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/17rvyrpaa/

Cya next year with more episodes.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[lexluthermiester]

I would go for at least one 440BX based dual board. They were great for Cel 300A's(running at 450mhz) and run Win2k/XP very well. There were dual S360 boards that were fun too!

Happy New Year Robert! This year has been fun watching you do your thing!

 

[Robert B]

Cleric - The Key Of Night (Original Mix)

The two missing pieces from my 3dfx collection have arrived.

* PCI3DFX-6M - Macronix MX86251FC & 3DFX Voodoo Rush 6MB
* 3dfx VooDoo 5 5500 AGP 64MB



The VooDoo 5 5500 has only one functional chip. I knew about this before I bought it. Each attempt to make it work with both of the chips was met with a faillure. There is no doubt that the second chip is toast even if the board looks almost mint. Along three days of testing I have exhausted all of the alternatives. I don't intend to modify or repair the board and I will just do a complete restoration. This card is destined to be a showpiece and not a daily driver. The emotions I felt when I opened the ESD bag will be revealed when I'll post the episode. For now, it's waiting paciently to be restored.

The VooDoo RUSH was problematic. The stories about incompatibilities and sometimes the unpredictable behaviour of this card, are completely true. Graphical anomalies, system hang ups,.... the whole nine yards...All in all a thrilling experience.

The story of these artefacts of times gone by will be told at the appropriate time.

More later.

 

[stinger608]

I have a great working VooDoo 5 5500 and it sure isn't a daily driver as well @Robert B !!! But man, I pull that out of the anti-static bag many times over a year just to look at that puppy.

They were an amazing piece of hardware history!!!!!!!!

 

[Robert B]

After I spent three days with the card I decided to pay the asking price and make it mine.

In the end I came to the conclusion that, in full working order or not, I still want it.

You can pay hundreds of EUR/USD on one and it might die on you unexpectedly so this was a NO BRAINER.

Droplex - Stay Alive [Minimal Techno]

The next episode in the works: "The Cooler bunch"



More later.

 

[Robert B]

Kraftwerk - Das Model

The COOLER bunch

All the CPU coolers presented bellow have been found last year at the good ol' local flea market. Some were an impulse buy others were something that I desired..

Let's meet the models.

1. PDC38130BC
2. S423 cooler
3. Titan CU5TB
4. Thermaltake Slim Volcano 10+


PDC38130BC

An impluse buy. The golden colour and the very low price made me to take it home.

It didnt look too great but I knew that I could make it like new again.



All clogged up.



A little magic.



The fan required a lot more work.

I tried IPA 99%.



More IPA 99%, but to no avail. The inside of the fan was covered by a reddish crust that was very stubborn and it just showed me the middle finger while it laughed at me. I didnt take it apart as the propeller was fixed with a proprietary washer and I didnt want more headaches.



I tried dishwashing liquid and a little water, but to no avail.



In the end I resorted to metal polishing cream, followed by dishwashing liquid and a little water and I finished everything off with IPA 99%.



After a lot of work I had a clean fan but this aggresive cleaning process made the plastic surface of the fan to lose its shine. I used a silicone cream designed for cars, I applied a thick layer and I left it overnight closed in a plastic bag. The following day I took it out of the plastic bag and I wiped off the excess.

The results were above my expectations. The moral? Be careful who you bring home as they can be more trouble than you think.



Final results.



The cooler is very silent and well built. All in all, an era period correct element for a future build.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1zc9nt8w8/


S423 cooler

This is a stock cooler for S423 systems.

It's pretty hard to find and I didnt think too much when I saw it. Unfortunately it didnt came with the original fan but I reckon that a Noctua would look just about right mounted on it.

I removed it from a damaged Intel Desktop Board motherboard. The seller accepted my offer and it was amazed why I didnt take the whole package. A damaged motherboard means a lot of work as we will see in the MS-6168 episode.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2qu9f66vc/


Titan CU5TB

I still own my Titan CU5TB which I bought back in the day. I used it on a KT333/Athlon XP 1900+ Palomino system.

I read about it on the internet and I wanted to have it. So, I went to a local HW shop and I bought it together with the Athlon XP 1900+.

When I arrived home I powered up my new PC. OH THE NOISE! You see, there is one thing to read about a cooler and another thing to actually own it. In the end I used it for a few years and even to this day I still remember the noise it made even with the case closed.

When I bought my Abit NF7-S 2.0 I used the stock cooler from the 2800+ Barton as it was more silent.

The moment I saw this CU5TB at the flea market I wanted to have it. I paid a very low price for it and I took it home. TWICE THE POWER, TWICE THE NOISE, TWICE THE FUN or something like this...

If I were to use these coolers on a dual Athlon XP-M system I would mount two Noctua fans and all would be OK!



Full disassembly.



Shiny. I washed the heatsink with dishwashing liquid and water, followed by a quick session with a hair dryer, followed by polishing cream and a soft rag .



Because I didnt like the look of the inside of the cooler I put it for a few hours in vinegar made from grapes.



Results? Like new.



Clean. New thin double sided tape for the sticker.



Ready for assembly.



The fan.



All done!



I just couldnt leave this jewel to be recycled.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/34nbq1a2w/


Thermaltake Slim Volcano 10+

I found this Thermaltake Slim Volcano 10+ cooler on a sunny day at the local flea market. As soon as I saw the box of the cooler I took it my hands.

When I opened the box, I saw that inside was present a Thermaltake Slim Volcano 10+. YAY! Usually this is not the case. In the past I found in boxes anything but what was written them.

I paid the asking price and I took it home. The seller said that it was new. It looked great but I was pretty sure that it wasnt brand spanking new so I didnt comment.

Inside I found very little dust and I had to clean just the fan and the bottom of the cooler.

I used it on an Athlon XP 1900+ CPU and I was very satisfied by the performance and the sound of the cooler.

A great little cooler with a high visual impact.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1mojsmi4o/

More later.

 

[Robert B]

RAMBUS FUN!

Last year I had a case of RAMBUS "fever'. Finding a S423 RAMBUS motherboard proved to be a tough proposition, in stark contrast with the CPUs which were quite easy to source. The RIMM memory sticks pop quite often at the flea market and in adds that that sell PC memory. You can easily find 128MB PC800 sticks, sometimes 256MB sticks and rarely 512MB sticks.

My first S423 RAMBUS motherboard was a Gigabyte GA-8TM but it was a total fiasco. Her story will be told shortly.

My second S423 RAMBUS motherboard was ECS P4ITA VER:1.0 *** 15-A09-010300. Not quite a PITA but close.

The motherboard showed clear signs that it came from the pile that was ready to be fed to the shredder and it had a twisted chip. A few bent capacitors. The retaining clips of the CPU heatsink were also affected. One metal clip was missing and the plastic ones were cracked or incomplete. What bothered me the most was the missing heatsink.

At first I didnt want to buy it, but for a very low price I received, a Pentium 4 S423 1.3GHz SL4SF CPU, three RIMM sticks (1x512MB PC800, 2x128MB PC800) and a RIMM Terminator. All in all not a bad deal.

The motherboard underwent the standard procedure at the recycling center. The WINBOND W83627HF-AM chip was out of line and it had two pins that were in worse shape than the others, one was separated from the pad and the second was badly bent. I still wonder how it didnt fly off the board.



I'm sure that many of you would've passed on this board. Not me! My experience with ECS boards was always pretty good. They dont stand out but they are solid and reliable. Not speed demons but not slouches either. For example my ECS K7VTA3 V3.1 is still going strong after I replaced 9 capacitos. I cant say the same thing about other premium motherboards from more reputable manufacturers.

I searched for the diagram for the WINBOND W83627HF-AM chip to see if the two pins were important.

http://drivers.portwell.com/CA_Manual/GPIO/w83627hf(GPIO)explanation.pdf (PAG 11)

Two my joy the two pins had a role in measuring the temperature of the CPU and the temperature of the system. If I wasnt able to fix them, the motherboard could work without them.

* VTIN2 103 AIN Temperature sensor 2 input. It is used for CPU1 temperature
measuration.
* VTIN1 104 AIN Temperature sensor 1 input. It is used for system temperature measuration.

With great care I straightened the bent pin and I managed to arrange and solder the other pin. Taking into consideration that these pins have already been bent and twisted, the risk of them breaking was so much greater.

All done!



I prepared the motherboard for testing. As a precaution I decided to change the thermal paste underneath the northbridge heatsink as it seemed that the heatsink was out of its original position. For sure the thermal paste was dry and brittle.



First BOOT! NO PROBLEMS!



BEFORE. The sensor indicated a system temperature of 25C and the CPU temperature was stuck at 12C.



AFTER. The sensor indicated a system temperature of 25C and the CPU temperature was 45C. The system has the same temperature of 25C because the PC was used in an open bench scenario at the same ambient temperature. I'm sure that if I was to leave the system ON for a longer period of time the system temperature would've increased. The jump in temperature would've been smaller as we are talking about the system temperature and not the CPU temperature.



Pictures with a stock S423 cooler. Unfortunately I had only one metal clip and the plastic parts could not be used.



This retaining system is for me a bad joke. If the thermal paste hardens, which is frequenlty the case, or if a thermal pad is used, there is no way for you to twist the heatsink to free it from the CPU and in many cases you can remove the CPU from its socket while it is attached to the heatsink. Even with fresh Arctic MX4 thermal paste I had a tough time separating the heatsink from the CPU. A really bad system....

The damaged capacitors. For sure they will have to be replaced. No leaks yet.



The Pentium 4 1.3GHz SL4SF CPU had many pins that needed to be aligned.



Some time after I bought the ECS P4ITA I found a S423 compatible cooler and a 1GB RIMM PC600 256MBx4 memory kit.

The cooler is model number 7P182 and it came from a Dell Optiplex GX240. The metal clips are good but the plastic bits arent spaced for S423. It came without a fan.

After a decent amount of elbow grease the cooler came out MINT. The metal clips were put in a rust remover solution and hand polished afterwards. I mounted an ENERMAX T.B Silence 80mm fan and I was ready to party.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2xs9ovwbm/

1GB of glorius RAMBUS. I'm sure this costed an arm and a leg back in the day...



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1aygpwuw2/

COMPLETE!



The cleaning of the motherboard had its own problems.

The motherboard was so dirty that IPA 99% wasnt enough. After a few tries I lost patience as the results weren't up to spec.

In the end I washed the motherboard with FAIRY LEMON and warm water from the tap. This way I was able to remove the stubborn layer of dirt from the PCB surface.



I dried the motherboard with a small air compressor.



Afterwards came a few IPA 99% baths and fine detailing.



I'm starting to like this purple colour.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2aazge5wi/

The Gigabyte GA-8TM agreed to donate the plastic parts from the cooling system and now the ECS P4ITA was whole again.



For me ECS is not such a bad proposition. Call me strange I don't care!

More later.

 

[lexluthermiester]

For me ECS is not such a bad proposition. Call me strange I don't care!

ECS got a bad wrap for being a budget board company. I never had a problem with even one of their boards. Carry on, it's all good!

 

[Robert B]

Lazerhawk - Dream Machine

Gigabyte GA-8TM REV:1.0 aka THE FLOP

I bought this motherboard before I got the ECS P4ITA at a time when I really wanted to have a RAMBUS S423 setup.

I found the Gigabyte GA-8TM on a local add site and I paid under 3 EUR for it. It was listed as not working and I thought that for such a low sum of money what could possibly go wrong? Little did I know that this was going to be a money pit...it all starts with an introduction fee and then better fasten your seatbelts!

ALL ABOARD!

I contacted the seller and soon I held in my hands the object of my desire.

Initial impressions were good. The motherboard had some signs of damage but all in all it looked ok.



I mounted an intel P4 1.7GHz SL57W CPU, I straightened some bent pins on the WINBOND W83627HF-AW chip, then I powered up the motherboard.



NOTHING! No POST. No beeps. DEAD. The only time when the motherboard showed signs of life was when there were no RAM sticks installed and the PC SPEAKER gave the NO RAM ERROR BEEP CODE.

I conducted a close inspection and I found more problems. Broken plastic bits from the parallel port. Bent fins on the northbridge heatsink. CPU socket with signs of damage. USB port with bent pins.



Surprisingly there were NO SMD componets missing from the PCB. This made me to take the decision to do whatever it was in my power to save this motherboard. (Bad choice here)

I decided to remove the BIOS chip and install a PLCC32 socket for easy BIOS update. I also bought new USB ports for the motherboard.



Removing the BIOS chip and installing the PLCC32 socket was a breeze.



The removal of the USB ports was another matter. I dont have a hot air station so I had to use brute force in a gentle way and I removed the damaged ports bit by bit. At that moment it became clear that my puny 40W soldering iron wasnt enough so I had to use something stronger. The multilayer PCBs suck up the heat faster as they have a bigger surface and when a smaller soldering iron is used, the solder doesnt remain fluid for the required amount of time and also the solder joints arent good.

I brought the THE BIG GUNS in the shape of an old 100W soldering gun with a modified tip. I simply didnt have anything else available.

I have to mention that up until that moment I didnt do anything close to the scale of the operation I was to undertake and my experience was limited.

Using the 100W beast I got decent results and in the end I became an expert in using this unyielding weapon. (Once a barbarian always a barbarian). Later on, I used this soldering gun on many occasions with zero problems. No burn marks on the PCB, zero damaged traces, zero capacitor casualties . Replacing a capacitor is a piece of cake with this tool.

I do not recommed that you do the same, though. Your mileage might vary.



After a lot of work I was ready for another test. I updated the BIOS chip using a MiniPRO TL866A programmer and I powered up the motherboard. The result was A BIG FAT ZERO!

STILL NO CHANGE!

Days have passed but my mind was still searching for a solution.

I conducted another inspection of the motherboard.

This time I saw that a capacitor near the memory slots was MIA.



I searched on the internet for pictures that would reveal the specs of the missing capacitor but I found nothing. Fuzzy pictures with a low resolution. I wanted to at least find the colour of the missing capacitor. Wasted hours...

In the end I found this picture from Computex Taipei 2001.



https://www.ixbt.com/news/hard/index.shtml?02/07/11

I stared at the picture for many minutes. The missing capacitor was dark green. There were many dark green capacitors on the board but they had different sizes so I was back to square one.

In the end I came up with the following solution: SHADDOW ANALYSIS.

I took pictures with my motherboard im such a way that it would emulate the Computex Taipei 2001 picture. This way I was able to find the approximate size of the missing capacitor. As now I had information about the colour and the size of the missing capacitor I could determine the specs using a neighbouring capacitor.

The specs of the missing capacitor were 1200uf 6.3V. I couldnt find one locally so I used a 1500uf 6.3V capacitor.



I tested again the motherboard. STILL NO CHANGE!!!

I tossed the board in a box ready to give up.

Weeks have passed. Thinking that maybe my 1.7GHz P4 was dead, I bought another Pentium 4 1.5GHz SL4SH CPU and I tried again.



STILL NO CHANGE! NO POST. NO BEEP. NOTHING!

I bought a new memory kit: 1GB RIMM 4x256MB PC600.

STILL NO CHANGE!

While I passed my hand over the motherboard I felt that a few GSC capacitors, were hotter than the rest, so I replaced 8 GSC 330uf 25V capacitors with SAMWHA 330uf 50V.



NEW TEST. STILL NO CHANGE!

I replaced the 1200uf 6.3V capacitor with a 1500uf 6.3V. I replaced other capacitors...I removed the northbridge heatsink and I replaced the thermal paste.

STILL NO CHANGE!

I bought a cheap PCI diagnostic card- PCI SMART DEBUGGER CARD but I found nothing new. Money down the drain...I wouldn't buy this debugger card again and I would buy something better instead.

The PCI debugger card at least revealed that the +3.3V +5V +/-12V voltages were OK.

The motherboard was stuck at: "control to INT 19H boot loader".



I searched for a solution for hours and nothing worked.

I connected a HDD, a DVD-ROM and a floppy unit thinking that maybe this was the problem. I tried multiple BIOS versions. I checked the jumpers. All was for nothing.

When I connected the HDD on the second IDE port the PCI debugger card showeed nothing.

Problems, problems and even more problems.

Over the course of the last test sessions I saw that the southbridge chip got extremely hot. I couldnt keep my finger on it for more than two seconds. For sure this was the culprit for all of my problems. This also meant that the motherboard was toast.

In a gesture of maximum frustration I dumped the board in the box and I tried to forget it.

Even so I wasnt ready to call it quits and I bought some cheap Chong CD110X capacitors and I replaced the VRM caps. 7 pcs in total. I would change them with japanese caps if the motherboard would spring into life.



The motherboard showed just a flatline.

YEP you have guessed it! NO CHANGE!!!

If I add up the time, effort and money we arrive at a respectable sum of money. Maybe I should've paid the full price and get a working board from EBAY LIKE A BO$$.

This board was a total faillure!

From this endeavour I also got some positive aspects. Now I can change capacitors with zero headaches. Dead meat was useful after all.

Over and out! Nothing more to add. I dont want to hear about Gigabyte GA-8TM a long time from now.

Sometimes it's better to quit while you are ahead instead of giving everything for nothing...live and learn. This mishap made me reluctant to buy motherboards that I would've bought in the past. Now I even look to see what brand of capacitors are on the board before I make the purchase.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1ey3rxtgk/

This was THE FLOP!



More later.

 

[Robert B]

Eminem - Bitch Please II (Feat. Dr. Dre & Xzibit & Snoop Dogg)

FLEA MARKET SURPRISE! - (the big version)

As you probably know by now, the Flea Market Surprise episodes present components that I found at the local flea market. They have been bought at very low prices. 2-5 EUROS max.

F.M.S. because you never know what you might find there!

The presentation is short and I let the pictures tell the story.

Let's meet the FRESH MEAT! Fresh from the gutter I mean. By the time I'm done with them, they will shine brighter than a diamond in the g0at$ a$$!!!

1. Adaptec 1200A RAID Controller
2. KINGMAX DDR400 / KINGMAX HARD-CORE DDR500
3. NVIDIA Quadro FX 1000 / ZALMANN VF700 AlCu
4. Butterfly Intel i740 8MB AGP
5. RIMM
6. 370CPU REV 1.0 slotket / Intel Celeron 900MHz/100 SL5LX
7. ASUS AGP-V6800DDR/32M(TVR) - Geforce 256 DDR / Asus V6800 DELUXE
8. Thermaltake Super Orb / Athlon XP 1900+ *** AX1900DMT3C *** AGOIA0152RPBW / Athlon XP 2800+ *** AXDA2800DKV4D *** ADYHA0512RPMW
9. Creative Sound Blaster 16 *** Creative Labs CT2890 *** Vibra16SPNP
10. Gigabyte GA-622-16 REV 1.0 *** Riva TNT 2 M64 16MB AGP
11. GUS ACE 1.1 *** ADVANCED GRAVIS ULTRASOUND ACE VERSION 1.1

1. Adaptec 1200A RAID Controller

Nothing fancy.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2e5uj4gpw/

2. KINGMAX DDR400 / KINGMAX HARD-CORE DDR500

Ahhh GooD Ol' KINGMAX!

Cleaned, tested and put in the stash o' RAM.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/36vxyekro/

3. NVIDIA Quadro FX 1000 / ZALMANN VF700 AlCu

Nice card but DEAD. The Zalmann VF700 cooler has most likely damaged the card. Even the heatspreader from the graphic chip had its corners reaching for the sky.

It is possbile that maybe the card was put under a twisting action but I didnt find any evidence on the PCB to sustain this. Most likely, the retaining system of the Zalmann cooler is the culprit here. The two anchoring points put a lot of strain on the PCB and the diagonal backplate is not doing her job well.

I used to like this type of coolers but I wouldnt leave one mounted on any card for more than a few hours.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1kyanmh0k/

4. Butterfly Intel i740 8MB AGP

i740!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/vgfe0eck/

5. RIMM

Squeaky clean.



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/1srwjzw6c/

6. 370CPU REV 1.0 slotket / Intel Celeron 900MHz/100 SL5LX

You never know when you might need a slotket! Better buy them when you see them!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/g1ha00x0/

7. ASUS AGP-V6800DDR/32M(TVR) - Geforce 256 DDR / Asus V6800 DELUXE

2.2 EUROS for a GF256 DDR? HELL YEAH!

Unfortunately the card has issues. A CHRONTEL CH7005C-T chip has signs of damage. The card shows artifacts.

So much for my cheap GF256 DDR...

I repaired the cooling system and I cleaned the card well. No dirty parts in my collection!



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

8. Thermaltake Super Orb / Athlon XP 1900+ *** AX1900DMT3C *** AGOIA0152RPBW / Athlon XP 2800+ *** AXDA2800DKV4D *** ADYHA0512RPMW

I'll tell you what is the specialty of the TT Super ORB...to make a lot of racket! Man this cooler is noisy as hell!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2vvj60vj8/

9. Creative Sound Blaster 16 *** Creative Labs CT2890 *** Vibra16SPNP

Mint!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2nbqlbmw4/

10. Gigabyte GA-622-16 REV 1.0 *** Riva TNT 2 M64 16MB AGP

A TNT2 M64 with a TURBO JUMPER? Who would've thought?



The 3dmark99 scores are similar as the benchmark ran at a resolution of 800x600(CPU limited). If I would've used a 1024x768 resolution the performance increase coming from 125/150 to 160/160 would've been more visible.

gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/2z2dpki3o/

11. GUS ACE 1.1 *** ADVANCED GRAVIS ULTRASOUND ACE VERSION 1.1

IMMACULATE! and RED!



gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/fpkxt50k/

This was THE BIG F.M.S.!

Enjoy!

IceCube - Check Yo Self

More later.

 

[lexluthermiester]

1. Adaptec 1200A RAID Controller

Nothing fancy.

This was an excellent IDE RAID controller!

Unfortunately the card has issues. A CHRONTEL CH7005C-T chip has signs of damage.

That can be replaced. Source out the same chip, desolder the old one and solder on the replacement. That card will be good as new!