Tessera
Folgen

IO Sam

@iosam.bsky.social

DIY PC enthusiast — Vintage PC peripherals collector — http://youtube.com/IOSam

395 Posts247 Follower151 Folgt
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 5d ago

First time playing with a Slot A setup (I went from Slot 1 to Socket A back in the day). This is a 750 Mhz "Pluto" core (180 nm) Athlon CPU from 1999, with 128 Kb L1 and 512 Kb external L2 cache, on a Gigabyte GA-7VM Slot A motherboard with a VIA KX133 chipset and universal (1/2/4x) AGP slot.

Close-up of an AMD Athlon Slot A processor cartridge installed on a Gigabyte motherboard, highlighting the large black CPU module and colorful capacitors around the socket.Close-up of a Slot A AMD Athlon 750 MHz cartridge showing the engraved model number (AMD-K7750MTR52B A), installed on a Gigabyte motherboard with capacitors softly blurred in the background.Top-down view of a Gigabyte Slot A motherboard (GA-7VM) with an AMD Athlon 750 MHz processor installed. The large cartridge-style CPU dominates the board beside AGP, PCI, ISA, and DIMM slots.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 2w ago

Just found these old pictures of my 2014 incredibly busy "battlestation"... Head spins just to think about the amount of stuff I managed to put in a single corner desk 😂

Photo of a multi-monitor desktop workstation from 2014 featuring three Acer widescreen displays arranged in a panoramic layout. The desk includes a backlit mechanical keyboard, gaming mouse, joystick, game controller, speakers, webcam, and various computer peripherals. The monitors display technology websites and desktop applications, while shelves above hold electronics and camera equipment. Close-up photo of a 2014 desktop gaming and multimedia setup centered around an Acer widescreen monitor. Visible peripherals include a Coolermaster red-backlit mechanical keyboard, Xbox 360 controller, Sound Blaster volume control, Corsair speakers, USB hub, and other desktop accessories.Rear-side photo of a triple-monitor desktop workstation showing the monitor arm mounting system and cable management. Visible equipment includes three Acer displays, a webcam, mechanical keyboard, Xbox 360 controller, Sound Blaster volume control, speakers, external hard drive, USB hub, and various peripherals. The image provides a behind-the-scenes view of the workspace, illustrating how the monitors and accessories are mounted and interconnected.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 3w ago

My Smurve80: a modern keyboard inspired by the IBM Model M SSK, designed by Play Keyboard & Swagkeys (sold by @novelkeys.com). It has both 2.4Ghz and Bluetooth. Mine came Cherry MX2A "Honey" (damped tactile switch with stronger tactility than "Brown"). Keycaps by Domikey ("Astronaut" cherry set).

Photo of a **Smurve80**, a modern mechanical keyboard inspired by the IBM Model M Space Saving Keyboard (SSK), designed by **Play Keyboard** in collaboration with **Swagkeys**. The keyboard features a compact 80% layout with beige, gray, and red **Domikey "Astronaut" Cherry-profile keycaps**, including Japanese sublegends. It is shown on a desktop alongside vintage PC audio equipment, highlighting a blend of classic IBM-inspired design and modern custom keyboard aesthetics.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · last mo.

What a difference 2 years can make on Hard Drive prices! Ended up buying a simple USB dock from Sabrent this week (Prime Day), to bring some old 8TB (from 2021) and 3TB (from 2011!) HDs out of retirement, since $600 is a bit too much for a new >10TB HDD. Desperate measures for desperate times :P

Screenshot comparing the price of 14 TB external hard drives on Newegg across different dates. The upper section shows a Seagate Expansion 14 TB USB 3.0 drive purchased on **April 18, 2024** for **$224.69**, while the lower section shows a current listing for a **WD Elements 14 TB USB 3.0** external drive priced at **$619.99**, with alternative offers starting around **$199.99**. Red circles emphasize the purchase date and both prices, illustrating the dramatic price difference.Retail box for the Sabrent 4-Bay 3.5-inch SATA Hard Drive Tray-Less Docking Station with USB 3.1 Gen 2 connectivity. The packaging features an image of the four-bay docking station and highlights key features, including support for four SATA drives, individual locking drive bays, a built-in 120 mm cooling fan, USB-C Gen 2, a Kensington security slot, and compatibility with Windows, macOS, and Linux.Sabrent 4-Bay 3.5-inch SATA Hard Drive Tray-Less Docking Station with its front door open. A person is unlocking and opening one of the drive bay doors, revealing the tool-free SATA drive slots inside. The image highlights the docking station's individual locking bays, front power buttons, and tray-less design for quick hard drive installation and removal.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I am still trying to catch up to my early days of Space/Flight Sims... I guess I had to wait for almost 30 years of "inflation induced devaluation" for me to be able to afford these things! 😂

IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Capacitors, capacitors and more capacitors! New fresh batch from Mouser just arrived today for recapping two nice looking NOS purple motherboards: a 2003 ECS K7S5A Pro (Socket A) and a 2006 ECS P4M800PRO-M (LGA 775) So, @vswitchzero.com will have company on "recapping duty" this weekend!

Workbench photo showing an ECS P4M800PRO-M and a ECS K7S5A Pro motherboard retail boxes with several bags of replacement capacitors and electronic components placed on top.ECS K7S5A Pro Rev. 5.0A Socket A (Socket 462) ATX motherboard. Visible features include the CPU socket, two SDRAM and two DDR memory slots, universal AGP graphics slot, five PCI slots, SiS chipset with gold heatsink, IDE and floppy connectors, onboard audio and LAN, and rear I/O ports. The board is shown without a CPU, memory, or expansion cards installed.ECS P4M800PRO-M LGA775 micro-ATX motherboard. Visible components include the Socket 775 CPU socket, four DDR memory slots, AGP 8X graphics slot, three PCI slots, VIA chipset, IDE and SATA connectors, CMOS battery, rear I/O ports, and onboard power regulation circuitry. The board is shown without a CPU, memory, or expansion cards installed.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Mail day was good! Catching up with some good old PC classics: - Halo: Combat Evolved - Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast - Delta Force: Land Warrior

The image shows three classic PC game boxes laid out on a gray cutting mat with measurement markings. Left: A large box for Delta Force: Land Warrior (by NovaLogic). The cover is mostly red and orange with a bold “DELTA” title. A yellow Best Buy $19.99 price sticker is visible near the bottom. Center: Halo: Combat Evolved for PC. The cover features Master Chief in green armor aiming a weapon, with vehicles and aircraft in the background. A red banner at the top says “NEW! Online Multiplayer, Maps, Weapons, and More!” A yellow Best Buy $49.99 sticker is attached to the lower center of the box. Logos for Gearbox, Bungie, and Microsoft Game Studios appear along the bottom. Right: Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. The cover is minimalist and dark blue with a glowing lightsaber forming a circular Jedi emblem. The title appears in silver text with “LucasArts Entertainment Company Presents” at the top. The three boxes overlap slightly, arranged from left to right, and appear to be in good condition with original retail price stickers intact — a very authentic early-2000s retail shelf vibe.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Look what the cat dragged in! First time seeing a big box version of Expendable (1999)... Not even sure if this BB version was sold in the US (previous owner imported from the UK in 2002). The list of compatible graphics cards APIs is something to behold! I have never heard of half of these... 😂

The image shows a boxed PC video game titled “Expendable” displayed upright on a desk. The game is published by Rage Software, whose logo appears in the top left corner of the box. The front cover artwork features a futuristic armored soldier viewed from behind, wearing bulky combat gear and holding a large sci-fi weapon. The background shows explosions, enemy figures, and bright orange and blue lighting effects, giving the scene an action-heavy, late-1990s science fiction aesthetic. A targeting reticle graphic appears behind the stylized game title “Expendable”, written in metallic blue lettering across the top front. Along the bottom left corner of the box, a “3D” badge indicates the game supports 3D graphics technology. A promotional quote is printed near the bottom front, though only partially readable from this angle. The spine of the box is visible on the left side and also displays the game title and branding. The box appears to be a classic large-format PC game retail package common in the late 1990s and early 2000s.Here is a concise, under-2000-character accessible description of the image: Image Description The image shows the contents of the PC game “Expendable” laid out on a desk with the box fully opened. The items are arranged neatly on a black desk surface with a measuring mat partially visible underneath. On the left side is the back cover of the game box, showing promotional text, screenshots from the game, technical requirements, and logos for Rage Software. The center section contains the game jewel case, placed inside the white cardboard insert of the box. The jewel case cover displays the same futuristic soldier artwork seen on the front retail packaging. Above the jewel case lies a printed document titled “Important Addendum – DirectX 6.0 Installation Procedure.” The document includes installation instructions and appears slightly wrinkled from handling. On the right side is the inside cover of the box, which is mostly black with a large stylized “R” logo and the text “Rage Software PLC.”The image shows a close-up of the side panel of a vintage PC game box, positioned on a black desk surface. The cardboard edge is slightly worn and frayed, indicating age and handling. Printed on the side is a hardware compatibility chart arranged into two columns labeled “Manufacturer” and “Chipset.” The list details supported 3D accelerator graphics cards common in the late 1990s. Manufacturers listed include: - 3dfx Company - 3D Labs - ASUS - ATI Technologies - California Graphics - Creative Labs - Diamond Multimedia - ELSA - Gainward - Guillemot - Intel - I-O Magic Corp. The chipset column includes well-known early 3D graphics solutions such as: - Voodoo Banshee, Voodoo Graphics, Voodoo 2, Voodoo Rush, Voodoo 3 - Permedia 2 and Permedia 3 - ATI 3D Rage series and Rage 128 - RIVA TNT and related NVIDIA cards - Diamond Monster Fusion and Viper series - Creative 3D Blaster models - MagicRush 3D and several AGP-based graphics cards The compatibility list continues toward the right side of the box, showing additional manufacturers and chipsets, though they are partially out of focus.The image shows a close-up side view of a PC game box, focusing on a printed compatibility list. The box appears slightly worn, with small creases and edge wear visible along the cardboard seam. The printed section displays two columns labeled “Manufacturer” and “Chipset.” The list identifies supported or compatible 3D graphics hardware from the late 1990s. Manufacturers shown include Matrox, Leadtek, NVIDIA, Real3D, Rendition, S3 Inc., STB Systems, Trident, Wicked3D Board Co., and others. The chipset column lists several classic 3D accelerators such as: - RIVA 128/ZX, TNT, TNT2 - Savage 3D, Savage 4 - Verite V2100/V2200 - G200, G400 - Video-77 and Video-87 AGP - Wicked3D Vengeance (Voodoo 2 based) The left portion of the box shows an additional partial compatibility list that appears to include 3dfx Voodoo series cards, though it is slightly out of focus.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Time to try the "other" PC gaming 3D spatial audio engine from the late-90's/early-00's: Sensaura These days is all about EAX & A3D/Vortex with retro enthusiasts, but I'm curious to see what a supposedly good software solution of the time could do (before Microsoft basically killed DirectSound3D).

The image is a close-up photograph of a Diamond Monster Sound MX400 PCI sound card. The focus is on the electronic components and circuitry rather than the card’s external connectors. The card’s gold PCI edge connector runs along the bottom, with evenly spaced gold contacts that slot into a desktop computer’s motherboard. The green printed circuit board is densely covered with fine copper traces forming intricate patterns. Near the center-right is a large square integrated circuit labeled “ESS Canyon3D”, identifying it as an ESS Technologies audio processor commonly used in late-1990s and early-2000s PC sound cards, often associated with Sensaura 3D audio support. Surrounding the main chip are many small components: cylindrical capacitors, tiny rectangular resistors, surface-mounted chips, and a small metal crystal oscillator marked with a frequency number. A smaller square chip and several clusters of capacitors appear toward the upper left. On the far left edge, part of the metal audio connector bracket is visible, with black plastic audio jacks partially seen. Along the right edge of the board, white printed warning text reads “CAUTION – CAUSING EQUIPMENT REGULATION” (partially visible).
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Got one of these obscure VIA C3 cpus (from 2004) to play around... This one runs at 1.2 GHz (socket 370) and was one of the latest with the "nehemiah" core. Now to find a motherboard that works with this... 😬

The image shows a VIA C3 processor. This specific model is identified by the text on the chip as a VIA C3 1.2AGHz (133 x 9.0) 1.45V.
IO Sam@iosam.bsky.social · 9mo ago

A Fan Control (getfancontrol.com) update (from V248 to V249) just bricked my entire Windows 11 install... Made my main SSD unbootable. Thank goodness I had JUST updated my backup via Acronis True Image an hour earlier, and was able to restore everything back! This saved me hours of frustration! 🙏

Bild