Prototype video cards

>>52603051
Why would you waste money on tech trash?

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>>52603087
I have lots of old computers.
Dinosaurs, some call them.

When you have an old computer that works perfectly fine for the task it performs, why throw it out?

>pic related is my home office

>>52603191
What's your job, anon?

>>52603520
"IT," but it's more like "Fix this PC, fix that PC, that guy has a Mac, tell him he's fired," etc.

>>52603581
And do you earn enough to live comfortably, then?

>>52604449
In short, yes.

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>>52603051
They should be in a museum, or framed.

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>>52604710
by the way, I am a collector of this rubbish too

>>52604777
Nice lucky 7s!
>triangle of Pentium computers
Illuminati confirmed.

I'd really just like to know what they are in detail so I can make a decision appropriately.

Only reason I posted about it here is because I'll get faster replies than Vogons, and I was banned from WinBoards.

I'm thinking they might be prototypes, but I've got no clue.

>>52603191
That sounds kind of sad anon...
Why don't you try aiming a little higher?

>>52603191
Looks comfy desu

>>52603581
Is your job similar to the IT Crowd?

>>52604905
What makes it sad?
>desu the only sad part about it is that people walk into this room, see this, and ask if I'm building a rocket and this is my control deck

>>52604926
It is, it's a bedroom converted to an office.
Central AC makes it 400000% better.

>>52604957
IT Crowd? Haven't heard that term before.

>>52604971
Apparently "to be honest" translates to "desu"?

Didn't know /a/ paid a visit.

>>52604971
IT Crowd it's a British comedy show about 3 IT workers. I'd suggest you watch a few episodes.

>>52605000
Yeah surprised me as well.

>>52605030
Huh.
>I'm murican so I wouldn't know
Maybe I will watch a few episodes.

>>52605034
>tfw this is weirder than some of the things that happen on /a/ and /b/ combined

>>52604971
I wonder how much gold there is in those computers.

>>52605079
Lol

>>52605079
I'm an Ausfag, but it's a damn good show.

>>52605087
In all honest, not as much as people claim.

All the "gold" is generally on the CPU and inside the more needed components - RAM, North & South bridge, etc.

It's an overblown myth, for every CPU I own there'd be about a pound of gold for all around ~250 pounds of components.

It's not really worth it, considering ow much I paid for some of these systems back in the day, comparing it to how much I would get from the gold.

>>52605129
I'll watch it later; I'm on an underpowered netbook right now, so I can't Flash Player (well, at least) or HTML5.

>>52604971
>What makes it sad?
That is literally the bottom barrel of technology jobs. You'll max out at $50k a year and end up bitter and angry because of peoples stupidity.
Aim higher anon, aim higher.

>>52605336
I thought you were talking about my computer room / office.

>aim higher
I enjoy my job because I do next to nothing all day and still make the same pay.

>>52605185
Yeah figured it wouldn't be much.

So do you use them for anything specific or only collecting them?

>>52603051
Anon, are you sure those are RF/AV connectors? I have a few cards like that (along with like 20's of 286/386/486/p1 boards and a lot of other stuff) and i tried connecting them to a tv for testing purposes without any result.
Now since components from 20+ years ago are fucking sturdy (the only non working boards i had were the ones with the battery leaked all over), i dont think all the cards are dead (as a matter of fact, two of them look new, without a trace), so there must be something else.
Also the fact that you couldn't find anything about them online doesnt necesserily (i hope i spelled that right) mean they're prototypes, i didnt manage to identify my own either, since back then everyone was making hardware (like everyone wants the piece of android cake now and we have shitty chinkphones from noname manufacturers or smartphones from forgotten brands like alcatel)
i hope you're still there, anon

>>52605444
Many have designated jobs.

Mostly menial tasks like being a firewall, a sort of extention cord for things, and even one who's primary purpose in life is to simply keep a monitor on, but some get the big jobs, like DVR, media handlers, and even primary and secondary backup structures.

>>52605479
I'm still here, don't worry, I've been replying to a lot of people here, actually.

The cards may not be dead, but I still can't use them until I get a correct monitor.

As I said in the OP, I wasn't sure if they were AV /RF connectors, but since some CGA and EGA boards do have said connectors, I thought a plausible idea.

I've never seen cards like this, and they bear the traits of a prototype board, so I thought that they may be some.

>>52603051
You might want to post here
>>>/vr/2926174

>>52603191
1. Power consumption - Newer, cheaper hardware runs just as fast but doesn't destroy your electric bill
2. Space - Which you have very little of with all those midtowers crammed in there

>>52605490
>>52605490
Sounds pretty awesome.

>>52605490
>even one who's primary purpose in life is to simply keep a monitor on
What is on said monitor?

>>52605546
Actually, space isn't really an issue. they're spread about the house.

Power consumption doesn't make any sense, since most of these computers run on 85W(!) power supplies anyways.

>>52605565
It's an AT monitor, so it needs the PSU pass-thru to stay on.

>>52605561
It is (when everything goes right, that is)

>>52603051
>I don't have manuals or even an appropriate monitor to test these with

you can try to hook it up with an oscilloscope and check if you get a steady signal or just noise or nothing at all

I literally dropped out of the uni so I never tried the oscilloscope with video signals and wouldn't know what to expect, but it should be pretty obvious if the thing is working or not.

>>52605336
I wouldn't mind a "fix this, fix that" job if I didn't have to work directly with customers. Tired of fucks that think I should spend hours fixing their computer for free. Nobody has any respect for computer workers desu.

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Chicke 'em - whatever system they worked with is long gone and so would be any software. RCA jacks had several uses (audio, video, coaxial digital (which that ain't!)), but those uses are decidedly low-res compared to todays cheap miracles.

>>52605604
Don't have an oscilloscope at home.

>>52605623
It gets boring after a while.

>>52605629
I'd still like to know more about said cards.
Also, check what?

>>52605523
I checked the total hardware 99 page for one of the cards i have (video seven) and for those connectors it says "undefined"

i have an EXPERT GEGA 480 (Gemini VC-001 chip) card and a Genoa SUPEREGA HIRES+ (Genoa GN006002 chip), plus video seven vega deluxe (i checked with my hardware list) and the info on those connectors is nowhere to be found. Maybe the dip switch settings enable/disable these?

I also found this, its some video seven manual, says something about needing optional feature adapters for RCA or something, i didnt bother reading too much:
http://www. minuszerodegrees . net/manuals/Video-7%20Enhanced%20Graphics%20Adapter%20%28VEGA%29%20-%20Users%20Manual%20-%201985.pdf

hope it helps

>>52603191
Any IBMs?

>>52605649
>Don't have an oscilloscope at home.

maybe you should get one

>>52603051
Those don't look like prototype cards, one of them is just a regular EGA wonder, the other two are just regular C&T cards. Socketed designs were common since it was more economical to replace a failed chip than buy a brand new card.

>>52605546
>Newer, cheaper hardware runs just as fast but doesn't destroy your electric bill
This is only true for like NetBurst shit, most of the shit he has in that setup run slimmer power supplies than most modern shitboxes and have CPU power consumption of maybe 20-30 watts max.

Why is this thread full of so many spergs anyway? Who cares what he does as long as he enjoys it? What's the point of money and space if you aren't using it on things that make your life more meaningful and happy? Working with old hardware is wonderfully educational compared to just dicking around with a VM or a cheap SBC, and you develop a better appreciation for hardware as it was yesterday and how it is today.

>>52605858
exactly what i was thinking (not OP), back then things were made to last and be repaired rather than thrown out
Do you know anything about the RF connectors or about how to hook them up to a regular tv via AV cable?

>>52605595
Considering you can get a miniPC that takes up 5-10 watts at most, I'm definitely not convinced an ancient power supply that probably runs at ~50% efficiency due to age and poor components is that great.

>>52605925
You can buy a raspberry pi that uses next to jack shit even cheaper, so why aren't you using one?

>>52605925
Always someone like you that shows up when someone posts their old computers hobby. Why does it matter to you that someone is interested in using old computers?

To me tinkering with an old 90s computer is a lot more interesting than some RPI.

>>52605912
You'd need an adapter that turns the coax into antenna leads for the RF output, the other output is likely standard composite for televisions or monochrome composite monitors.

>>52606112
i tried regular AV but it didnt work, ill try RF cable when i get back home, thanks anon

>>52606086
Because that guy is using them every day, 24/7, in a business environment. That's not "tinkering" or collecting.

>>52606138
http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/manuals/EGA%20Wonder%20Operation%20Manual%20%28Edition%202.3,%20January%201988%29.pdf

Here's a manual for the larger card on the right of your OP pic.

You should test the boards too on a modern motherboard with ISA to see if they work

also OP: Is there a way to get in contact with you, say email? These prototype cards are interesting and I'm looking to get the schematics traced.

>>52606169
It's his personal collection in a room he's calling his "home office", not a "business environment" you dipshit.

>>52606226
>I'm looking to get the schematics traced.
or rather/and emulate them*

>>52606169
but still who fucking cares? he can use whatever the fuck he wants, it's his money and his house

>>52606226
>modern motherboard with ISA
These exist?

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>>52606258
If you will it to happen
If you have the money for it to happen
It will happen.

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>>52605800
There's a 5170/AT in the back. Don't have a pic on hand, but it's there (in parts, at least)

>>52605833
Looking into that now, yes.

>>52605858
Makes sense.

>>52605908
I had no idea a 12MHz 286 could take 20-30 watts!

>>52605912
OP here, actually:
No clue if they're RF/AV, haven't tried yet, but they can't possibly be outputs.
The real tip off that made me think prototypes was the open EPROM window and all the botched on components.

>>52605925
>>52606073
But I'm not into self-harming...

>>52606086
This.

>>52606112
Haven't tried yet. I'll look into it and post back, if thread is still alive.

>>52606169
Problem? There are uses for such machines that no Linux trashbox could handle without the same hardware.

>>52606189
Thanks much!

>>52606226
Modern and ISA shouldn't be in the same sentence.

[email protected]

>>52606231
I do use the systems daily, but not for work in most cases.

Work is done on the Pentium 4 at the back with the printer.

>>52606253
This.

>>52606258
My thoughts exactly!

Pic related is the longer card (front).

>>52606290
Dang, nice.

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>>52606290
I require the model number of this board!

pic related is the front of the board.

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>>52606323
pic related is the back of the board.

>>52606323
If you're talking about the card, it's an ATI EGA Wonder, ATI's first real general availability video controller AFAIK, and their second overall.

The mainboard I got from here http://www.interloper.com/products/product-details.php?productid=115510&cat=400

Don't think they'd be of much use to people like you and me though, unless you're down for writing some drivers.

>>52606364
Ah.

>the number of botches on this card is astounding for something that was put into production

I'm not planning on using these cards unless the other 9 die somehow.

Not looking for graphics, just text.

>Is there an ISA MFM driver for Windows 2000/XP/7 for that motherboard?

>>52606307
thanks for the email anon, ill send you one if i find out anything interesting about the topic
im this guy btw
>>52605791
>>52605479
>>52605912
im off to bed now, its 3am here

>>52606434
Okay.

>3AM
It's 9PM here...

>>52606403
There's likely a driver to support the chipset, however these boards are mostly made for industrial applications where they likely have programmers or companies still supporting machinery driven by ISA controller cards.

However, maybe GNU/Linux systems can drive the old EGA cards? Who knows, there were early 386 systems that did ship with them.

>>52606522
I have Pentiums that apparently shipped with CGA and MFM boards.

OP here, I've got work tomorrow, so I'm going to leave the thread for the night as well.

~It's me! I was the turkey all along!

>>52606552
That would be some shit. I'm too skeptical though, sounds like some board swap upgrades gone wrong, it's incredible how retarded people used to be.

>>52606307
Damn i need a 40100