Preparing my 486 PC dx2 (disassembly and battery cleanup) for some gaming

[@DxDeksor]

Well this isn't really a Sound blaster 16, it's an AWE64 which is much more newer ^^ Also these cache chips don't hold 32Kilobytes each, but 256Kilobits ! You may want to simplify it to kilobytes, but actually it's the main reason there's 8 of them ! The "battery acid" is actually the opposite : it's a base, that's why white vinegar works so well with it ! they simply cancel one another. I'd advice you to put some tin on these eaten traces as they now they lost some material, and if possible use epoxy on top of it to make sure the traces are once again protected, since the solder mask has gone away as well :)

[@burntoutelectronics]

32 kilobytes is 256 kilobits

[@DxDeksor]

@@burntoutelectronics yes, but when you select an address you only get one bit. So you need 8 of them to have a byte and avoid multiple reads.

[@burntoutelectronics]

@@DxDeksor True, however each chip still does store 32kb. Just they are configured so that the whole byte can be read at once with eight

[@undefinedperson7816]

Nice video as usual. I also had Microprose GP on my childhood, good memories came back.

[@Eyetrauma]

1:42 There’s something so aesthetically pleasing about really shiny, reflective PCBs like this.

[@Triumph-dg4bv]

I had grand prix 2 as a Kid. Brings back good memories. It ran fine on a pentium 133

[@RetroSpector78]

Yeah great game ... but a bit difficult on a 486.

[@Shmbler]

Back in the day I found that VLB Multi-I/O cards were not "standard stuff" at all. Mine came with a set of DOS drivers for some enhanced 32 bit transfer modes. Paired with a DX2-66@80 and a Sony Double Speed CDROM, I was able to enjoy Wing Commander 3 cinematic cutscenes without stuttering. My friend already had very expensive a P90 and a Quad Speed CDROM. He could not understand why WC 3 cutscenes would stutter on his PC but not on my old and slow box.

[@airfixer9461]

Lovely vintage PC, I've never seen an 486-33 Overdrive before......I have some old cpu's lying around still, my original DX486-33 (the one I started my AT career with) and the upgrades for it, an Overdrive DX2-66 and an Overdrive DX4-100. I remember the DX4 really made the difference those days!

[@okona1up]

The screwdriver you used and which broke looks like a Pozi. However the majority of the screws inside computers are Philips. Using the wrong screwdriver will damage driver and/or screw. Pozi screws usually have two crosses instead of one for the Philips screw. (The replacement driver you then used was a Philips one.)

[@azzajohnson2123]

Man I love the fake floppy drive blanking plate on that thing. True retro.

[@Evil.Turkey]

I had a 8086XT 10Mhz, after this it was a 286 12Mhz and then a 386SX 25Mhz. Would love to have a DX2-66 or a DX4100 back then.

[@pascalmariany]

Awesome channel! Subscribed and enjoying the videos. Thanks for your efforts!

[@RetroSpector78]

Thanks ... appreciate it ! Lots more cool stuff to come.

[@guidolehwalder9376]

these 72-pin Simms are only the "old" 30-pin Simms :) 72-pins Simms where these PS/2-Simms (FPM ore EDO) ;)

[@TheSulross]

Really like that vintage/era of PC clones - especially 486 from 24 to 100 MHz, as prior to the advent of Pentium

[@paulschmidt7473]

With alkaline and lithium batteries you use acid to neutralise,. with acid batteries use an alkaline solution such as baking soda to neutralise.

[@altbeetle1998]

so what happened to the battery? what replacement did you find?

[@SianaGearz]

I'd say the hard drive was supposed to go into the bottom of the floppy drive cage, because there appear to be 3 mounting slots for drives there but the case will only accept two floppy drives. It's a possibility that it's a retrofit, and that the computer housed a 5.25" drive originally. After all the Overdrive CPU is a retrofit too, and the memory configuration is obviously not factory either, with two different models of SIMM cards. What i'm most curious about: how did the jumpers for the front panel Turbo display work? :D Because my first enclosure had a simple LED, was cheaper and more subdued that way, and i only saw the 7-segment displays in stores and at exhibitions and such, never seen the back of one!

[@MarkTheMorose]

I also thought the hard drive should have been in the 3.5" cage with the floppy drive. The block of wood is there because the drive should have been in some form of caddy or adapter to hold it in place in a 5.25" bay.

[@ferrari2k]

Hm, I don't know about the overdrive chip, but isn't a 486 DX just with the coprocessor included (as in opposite to the SX, which lacks it) and the clock increasement comes with the DX-2 and DX-4 (which "only" increases internal clock by 3x instead of 4x which the name suggests)? Because the CPU just reads DX, but I don't know how a DX2 CPU would be labeled. Just curious :)

[@davidedolcini4762]

I HATED MP F1 Gp for the insane basic ram requirements (>600 if I'm not wrong). Remember doing multiple configurations on the autoexec.bat to have various boot option. I started with an used 1989 286, going up to a 386 16 then with the same case a 486 dx4/100 (with mobo changes of course). The funny thing was I kept the old 5" drive. I guess mine was the only 486 machine with that kinda weird thing. And... playing with ISA slots, setting IRQ, DMA.... those were the days :)

[@sebrura]

I remember having to change extended to expanded memory or something like that. Wonder how many weeks of my life I’ve been editing config.sys and autoexec.bat 🤣

[@phillycheesetake]

Over-using vinegar isn't a problem, get a spray bottle and a toothbrush and go wild. Spray on, wait, brush off. It takes a battery months to cause damage by leaking, it would take vinegar just as long.

[@fradd182]

I think those 72-pin simms are available in 2MB and even 4MB sizes, you can easily upgrade RAM (for win 95).

[@yakovkhalip9714]

they can be even 16 or 32 mb on a unit. Once had even two 64mb modules. Foreseing you question - I collect all that stuff - retrocomputers and so on)

[@eddiehimself]

I love the blatant Fleetwood Mac ripoff music in that game lol.

[@Renegade666]

was gonna say that sounds very close to the Chain lol

[@Psychx_]

It's actually lye and not acid that leaked out of the battery. Lye converts to carbonates on contact with air, given enough time. Hence the sizzeling when applying vinegar.

[@azzajohnson7997]

I would have replaced the socket and a few of those resistors near the impacted area, the parts are cheap and you may as well. That floppy disk drive i would have scrapped too.

[@centauri0]

How are you getting 66mhz on a 486-33, Did I miss something? Are you overclocking it?

[@mikeall7012]

Safe to say ur guitar probably held its value better than the ram, lol

[@centauri0]

I have a pc just like this with one of those old batteries. How do you replace them?

[@mito-pb8qg]

My god. The GP music. I came.

[@spidermcgavenport8767]

My favorite Microprose title would be Master of Magic, which would require a pageframe address, and the first game that taught me how to set emm386.exe ems expanded memory.

[@spidermcgavenport8767]

I knew that 486 had overdrive. Always see now the Pentium version overdrive. Yes ram was expensive for my Packard Bell Legend 386sx 2mb ram found inexpensive 2mb for a total of 4 but then purchased an 8mb simm upgrade and that really seen a huge improvement in performance.

[@catriona_drummond]

I have a flatter version of the same case, funny. Expension cards are in via a riser card.

[@RetroSpector78]

Catriona cool ... I really like this case and computer in general. To me this encompasses everything about nineties 486 computing :)

[@catriona_drummond]

@@RetroSpector78 It is beautiful indeed. I hope I can get mine working again. Its a texas instuments i486/40. The board has some battery leakage damage and the ISA riser card seems to be dead... :/ Currently I have a whole bunch of boards that I will take some place with a desoldering station maybe next week so I can get all the bad caps and dallas and barrel batteries off in one go. Might link a pic once its all pretty and working...

[@zarkoujdur9424]

Both cards You showed here are Vesa Local Bus... AFAIK, Cirrus Logic cards were pretty average, they could not compete with Tseng Labs, Matrox or ATI... Intel overdrive was some crippled version of early Pentium, AFAIK...

[@SomeAngryGuy1997]

That's Pentium Overdrive you're talking about.

[@antoni3071]

Did you manage to run PC without the battery ? If so how ?

[@fhwolthuis]

Don't you replace the battery?

[@Homemade-Blurb]

❤❤

[@asanjuas]

what happens with the battery ??

[@RetroSpector78]

Was saving that for a next video but life and other challenges got in the way :(

[@piecaruso97]

the shots looks really nice, how did you make those?

[@RetroSpector78]

As a true amateur would, my iphone and a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 :) Glad you enjoyed it.

[@piecaruso97]

RetroSpector78 so with proper lights I can make something like this with my own iPhone, thanks for the info

[@RetroSpector78]

That and some good content. Best of luck !

[@piecaruso97]

RetroSpector78 I have my main KZbin channel which is focused on computers, my programs and hackintoshes, and I am working hard to a new video right now, it's a pc build, I have already some footage I made with my own iPhone which are some parts seen individually and the time lapse assembly, now I am writing the voiceover and the part that I will record on camera with me speaking. The channel name is ITzTravelInTime if you are interested.

[@bamdadkhan]

too bad about the guitar.. : (

[@SomeAngryGuy1997]

@@AstroKitty16 Are you an expert?

[@fulkthered]

I love looking in some of these old computers and seeing DIY solutions to problems.Today people will see that piece of wood as being a "ghetto solution" but back in the day if it works it works nobody going to see it anyway.

[@Intelschop.]

amigo no le puso la opción de subtitulo de otros idioma para entender

[@elektrosmokes1911]

This is painful to watch. These fucking batteries have killed tons and tons of cool hardware over the years.

[@boowh1]

flux much