Questions tagged [motherboard]

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19 votes
2 answers
5k views

What is a DVD add on card?

I have a MS-6340 micro ATX motherboard in my retro PC. It has multiple audio connectors and one is called JAUX1. It can be used to input analogue stereo sound. But the description in the motherboard ...
zomega's user avatar
  • 4,276
3 votes
2 answers
655 views

How do I diagnose a "system board error" on IBM Thinkpad 600E?

I have an IBM Thinkpad 600E that won't boot up. I used ctrl + alt + ins to boot into a screen with some diagnostic tools. Memory test passes HD test passes SystemBoard test FAILS with Dev = 1 ERR = ...
Cool Pontiac's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
1k views

25 PIN sound/game ribbon cable

I'm trying to figure out to use onboard sound on a Matasonic MS6260S motherboard. There is a 25 Pin Connector located on the motherboard labeled as J2. The motherboard manual states to "Connect ...
boris's user avatar
  • 93
6 votes
1 answer
659 views

What was the first motherboard with UEFI? [closed]

UEFI is a publicly available (and a bit controversial) specification that replaces the legacy BIOS which has been in x86 computers since the original IBM PC (12 August 1981) At first, I know that this ...
eeeeeeeeeee's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
265 views

When substituting a modern capacitor for an unavailable model can the inductance and rated ripple current be off from the original?

I am recapping a damaged electrolytic capacitor for a mid 2000's motherboard and the model family the Nippon Chemi-con KZG series is not produced any more so I am looking for a modern replacement. ...
Zeno of Elea's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
761 views

Is there a way to trick my 386SX laptop into thinking there's a floppy drive installed?

I have a 1991 vintage AST Premium Exec 386SX/20 laptop, which is in excellent condition apart from that the original hard drive and the floppy drive are both dead. I've replaced the hard drive with a ...
user882326721's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
3k views

Identifying motherboard and CPU

Anyone ever see a CPU with this identification? Or does anyone know what kind of motherboard this is? Thanks
Jeremy Hubbard's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
705 views

Award BIOS error code meaning

I have a faulty Asus SP-97V Pentium motherboard. It doesn't boot, but it definitely takes power and does something. I plugged a PCI diagnostics card into it, and it shows error codes C0 or C1. It ...
Tamás Polgár's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
89 views

Soltek SL-52B2 motherboard manual

I'm looking for the manual of this motherboard. Google can't seem to find one for this exact model, only similar ones. Help appreciated, thanks!
Tamás Polgár's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
139 views

Asus SP97V motherboard not powering up

I found an Asus SP97V Pentium-I motherboard. It works with both AT and ATX power supplies. At least it's supposed to, because it actually doesn't. I put a Pentium 120 CPU, four RAM modules and a ...
Tamás Polgár's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

32-bit PCI riser cards: different types?

[copied from superuser.com] I'm duplicating an existing compact PC; I'd love to replace it with modern components, but for various reasons I can't. I'm having a tough time finding the correct 32-bit ...
Daniel Griscom's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
986 views

How can I tell if my old PC supports > 137 GB hard drives?

I have an old PC from 1999 that has an ASUS P5A motherboard. When I power it on, it says ASUS P5A ACPI BIOS Revision 1011 Beta 005 and 05/02/2002-ALADDIN5-<<P5A>>: I recently read that up ...
pacoverflow's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
299 views

304-Keyboard or System Unit Error -- Compaq Prolinea 4/25s

I've recently got this error: 304-Keyboard or System Unit Error when booting my Compaq Prolinea. I've tested the keyboard on another computer and it's fine. I don't have another PS/2 keyboard to ...
Quasi_Stomach's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
251 views

CPU slaves on a PCI card to retrofit single processor to multiple processors. Any ideas how? [closed]

My desktop computer is no longer manufactured and no longer supported since more than 18 years ago. It was a very expensive top of the line business computer back in the day. I like it and wish to ...
Mr. Lopez's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
407 views

Rationale for almost heatsunk TO-220 packages on C64 motherboard

The TO-220 packaged VR1 regulator and Q1 transistor in the Commodore 64 motherboard (reference designators cited here from the Rev. B breadbin) are mounted in a way that suggests they were supposed to ...
Retrograde's user avatar
  • 4,476
3 votes
1 answer
673 views

What is this socket for in 386 notebook motherboard

What is this socket for on 386 motherboard? I have no manual, no documentation and no resources readily available for this machine (Commodore C386SX-LT). Source: Probably oldcrap.org Close-up: ...
Bartek Malysz's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
191 views

Portable 386 that only ever beeps continuously; no video

I've acquired a late-80s portable 386 with builtin LCD in unknown working state. It only ever beeps continuously on boot, with no picture on either the built-in LCD or an external VGA-connected ...
incanus's user avatar
  • 109
20 votes
2 answers
7k views

Why did Socket 3 have more pins than needed for the 486?

Intel's Socket 3, used for 486 processors, was a 19×19 pin grid array socket. However, all compatible processors, to my knowledge, used 17×17 PGA packages. What was the point of the extra pins around ...
Hearth's user avatar
  • 715
0 votes
2 answers
352 views

IBM PC 5150 motherboard labelling

The motherboard of the IBM PC 5150 has labels of letters followed by numbers. What are the letters representing? Examples being U1, P1, C1, T1 and Y1. I am trying to ascertain which component is the ...
Single Malt's user avatar
  • 1,829
21 votes
2 answers
2k views

What causes the traces to wrinkle like this and should I be worried

I have a Macintosh SE in my collection and I noticed these odd looking traces on the mainboard. Not quite sure what to think of it
yanagibashi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
658 views

Can you help me identify this AMD 386-DX40 motherboard?

I'd like to find some documentation for this mainboard I just picked up for my very first retro computer, but I don't see any brand or model markings whatsoever. Does anyone have any tips? P. S. I ...
Violet Giraffe's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
2k views

Small RAM 4 KB on the early Apple II?

Most of the reference material for the Apple II that I have seen refers to the 4116 RAM chip which held 16x1 kbit. This provided 16, 32 or 48 KB in banks of 8 chips. The Apple II motherboard layout ...
RETRAC's user avatar
  • 13.4k
18 votes
5 answers
6k views

What was the first multiprocessor x86 motherboard?

I know dual socket motherboards were around in the 90's before Intel released the Core series. And SMP hardware and operating systems have been around earlier than the PC platform of course. ...
LawrenceC's user avatar
  • 1,159