Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

[Topcat]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Tried increasing the DPI?

LOL...this is GL Quake 1....resolutions are set in command lines when starting the game....very primitive.

[momaka]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Nearly the anniversary of this build.....and a slow day at the shop, so what the hell!!

Some GL Quake1 in 1024x768! The bliss of 3DFX cards and really old games. I couldn't make this work with XP, I suppose XP was far too new for any of this....so I reloaded the system with Win2k. It ran fine in 1600x1200, but the numbers were so small I couldn't see them. I remember playing this on my Pentium classic with no acceleration in 320x200 back in the 90's.

Damn nice!

Graphics look pretty decent too, even for today. In fact, no more primitive than Minecraft... which takes a quad core PC with decent graphics to run - what a hog! (Then again, what does one expect from a project that was coded in Java initially. Ugh ). These old games are super-efficient.

I remember playing Need For Speed High Stakes back in 1999 on my Pentium II PC, also with no acceleration (because I didn't know anything about computers at the time, and this is what the default settings were. ) Can't remember if the default resolution was 512x384 or 400x300. Same with Half-Life when I tried it for the first time... but those were the times Both of these games have turned just over 20 years now - wow how time flies!

And yet this old hardware will probably easily do another 20 years no problem. On the other hand, I don't imagine any of my current or semi-current gaming PCs will be working in 20 years.

[Topcat]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Damn nice!

Thanks. This one is one of my favorite retro builds....Always wanted a slot-2 gamer way back in the day....not only were they way out of my budget, they were hard to find in non-server formats (ATX form factor, with AGP's, no onboard graphics, etc)....

Graphics look pretty decent too, even for today. In fact, no more primitive than Minecraft... which takes a quad core PC with decent graphics to run - what a hog! (Then again, what does one expect from a project that was coded in Java initially. Ugh ). These old games are super-efficient.

They had to be....look at the hardware they were intended to run on...not even close to what this machine is. When I first started gaming, 3D acceleration wasn't even a twinkle in our eyes yet....

And yet this old hardware will probably easily do another 20 years no problem. On the other hand, I don't imagine any of my current or semi-current gaming PCs will be working in 20 years.

Everything is freshly recapped, and really won't be used much....so yea, they should still be tickin' in a couple more decades!

A few pics I think you'll like....

This monitor is that 19" Hitachi freebie I picked up a couple weeks ago.



Win2k in 1600x1200 @ 75Hz.



Quake1 in 1024x768. It plays nice in 1600x1200....I'm just partial to 1024x768 for this antiquity of a game.



....and a FF view of this thread....



This was a fun build!

[BigTroll]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

looks good I laugh at the JUSTer speakers though, I just threw a identical set out in the junk pile at work, one side quick working and they sounded like shit, just get some altec lansing beige and thats a 100% perfect system. Wish I bought your Voodoo 2 yesterday I forgot to go bid as I was hooking up that AT power supply.

[Topcat]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

looks good I laugh at the JUSTer speakers though, I just threw a identical set out in the junk pile at work, one side quick working and they sounded like shit, just get some altec lansing beige and thats a 100% perfect system.

They were the only beige ones I had handy.

[momaka]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Win2k in 1600x1200 @ 75Hz.

Looking at this throws back good memories at me from the era of beige boxes. Really miss those times. Beautiful work there!

Quake1 in 1024x768. It plays nice in 1600x1200....I'm just partial to 1024x768 for this antiquity of a game.

I don't blame ya. Most older games look just fine at 1024x768 anyways.

A few pics I think you'll like....

This monitor is that 19" Hitachi freebie I picked up a couple weeks ago.

That thing with all the lights off in the room and contrast at max (or near) should provide some awesome video. This is one reason I sometimes like my 17" and 19" CRTs better than my 21" ones: extreme contrast. In particular, I have this one 17" CRT with a NEC tube. Although not the sharpest monitor, it has colors and contrast out of this world. I tried doing a "scary" game with lots of blinking/flashing lights. With a standard LCD, the image is just... MEH. And it's easy to tell by the light output on the walls of my room. With the LCD, there isn't as much change between full bright and full dark screen. But with that 17" CRT with the NEC tube - holy hell, the difference! With a full dark image, my room is pitch-black. With a bright image, it's like I have a bright light on. So with a "scary" game with lots of flashes, you can imagine the difference in visual experience. Unfortunately, with any lights turned on in the room, the CRTs immediately start looking too dull, due to their glossy glass screens.

This was a fun build!

And awesome watching it getting built too

looks good I laugh at the JUSTer speakers though, I just threw a identical set out in the junk pile at work

Yeah, they are sad, but very era appropriate. I don't think there were any decent PC speakers in the early 90's. It wasn't until the mid-late 90's that better ones started coming out.

[TechGeek]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

... Yeah, they are sad, but very era appropriate. I don't think there were any decent PC speakers in the early 90's. It wasn't until the mid-late 90's that better ones started coming out.

I would've gone back a couple decades (for the time) and attached a small stereo to the thing. Pump computer audio into the AUX connection and hook up a good pair of bookshelf speakers.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

I would've gone back a couple decades (for the time) and attached a small stereo to the thing. Pump computer audio into the AUX connection and hook up a good pair of bookshelf speakers.

Even in 2018, IIRC, I did that. I plan to do that again later on this year!

[momaka]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

I would've gone back a couple decades (for the time) and attached a small stereo to the thing. Pump computer audio into the AUX connection and hook up a good pair of bookshelf speakers.

But you are missing the point, though - the idea was to have a retro PC build with components mostly from the same era. And TC did a great job with that.

As to hooking old stereo system to a PC... hell yeah! I still do that all the time. Right now, I have one system hooked up in another room to a late 80's Yamaha Natural Sound stereo amp and a pair of 90's Realistic Nova 18 speakers. The Nova 18 speakers are pretty crappy, but they have heavy woofer cones and make you "feel" the sound (have a very weird "thump" to their bass that you really do feel, especially from up close, even though their low-range bass is pretty much non-existent below 40 Hz and also very weak between 45 and 65 Hz.) The placement in the room and the room itself really helps them sound better than they are, though - hence why I didn't bother going with better speakers (and they are smaller and better-looking than some of other speakers I have.)

[raybob]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

That's real wizardry! Amazing!

I have a Pentium 2 266mhz in my loft along with an ISA card and parts I have forgotten.

Thank you.

[TechGeek]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

But you are missing the point, though - the idea was to have a retro PC build with components mostly from the same era. And TC did a great job with that.

As to hooking old stereo system to a PC... hell yeah! I still do that all the time. Right now, I have one system hooked up in another room to a late 80's Yamaha Natural Sound stereo amp and a pair of 90's Realistic Nova 18 speakers. The Nova 18 speakers are pretty crappy, but they have heavy woofer cones and make you "feel" the sound (have a very weird "thump" to their bass that you really do feel, especially from up close, even though their low-range bass is pretty much non-existent below 40 Hz and also very weak between 45 and 65 Hz.) The placement in the room and the room itself really helps them sound better than they are, though - hence why I didn't bother going with better speakers (and they are smaller and better-looking than some of other speakers I have.)

I also do this. I have a Fisher RS-2010 connected to a pair of Sharp bookshelf speakers. One of them has a non-factory tweeter (blew the original one with Audacity, ROFL) and a *lot* more bass power to it. Need to mod the other speaker when I get another of the same model replacement tweeter. (Which, BTW, was cut out of the front of a speaker made for some kind of classroom audio system or something like that.)

[Topcat]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Just a few finishing touches.....since some 'Troll' ( ) made fun of my speakers....I remembered vaguely of some better ones in the attic that I bought new back in the 90's...but they quit working....Guess what was wrong with them? Bad caps.....but 25 years ago, I didn't bother taking them apart.....I just bought new ones and stored these away.

Anyway.....they're a little yellowed....but not horrible.



Gets even better, a subwoofer.... It doesn't sound the best anymore, its elderly. Cranked up, it crackles a little...but its fine at normal listening levels.



Just how awesomesauce is all this!!



...and FWIW, a little Q3A because I actually found the CD for it...





...and if anyone noticed the power distribution panel under the monitor....I found that inadvertently when digging out the speakers... Who remembers having their monitors perched on one of these? Talk about a dream system 1999, and period-specific!

[TechGeek]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

I have that power distribution thing, too. Branded Info and doesn't have the green LED. It currently switches power to accessory equipment in my main computer setup that I don't need or want to have electrical power all of the time.

[momaka]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Just a few finishing touches.....since some 'Troll' ( ) made fun of my speakers....I remembered vaguely of some better ones in the attic that I bought new back in the 90's...but they quit working....Guess what was wrong with them? Bad caps.....but 25 years ago, I didn't bother taking them apart.....I just bought new ones and stored these away.

I like that touch at the end: "I just bought new ones and stored these away". Most people would have just thrown them away. Only a true tech >saves< broken stuff and then tries to fix/thinker/use it for parts.

Just how awesomesauce is all this!!

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1579021178

Very!

Saved images to my PC to show to some of my fellow geek friends. Not sure if they can appreciate it as much as we do here... but who cares. I like old systems like this any day.

That said, I still have many saved pictures from the "Post Your System" thread from the early days. If you feel like taking a trip back to the early 2000's, have a go at it here, starting from page 1:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=852

...and if anyone noticed the power distribution panel under the monitor....I found that inadvertently when digging out the speakers... Who remembers having their monitors perched on one of these? Talk about a dream system 1999, and period-specific!

Never had and I don't remember seeing those distribution blocks... but then again, that was back in elementary school, and I hardly knew anything about computers or PC hardware - let alone pay attention to small things like this.

But looking at it now... yeah, that would have indeed been a very kickass system back in the late 90's.

As for period-specific - I'm only going to nick you for the optical mouse. I think I first remember seeing those in the early 2000's back in middle school. Before that, I remember it was all ball mice. If you want period-specific, you're going to need one of those Microsoft ones (forgot what model #.) They are pretty bad, though, in terms of tracking. If you want something that performs as good as that optical mouse (or even better, IMO), look for a Logitech M/S34 (or SAW-34) Many OEMs like Dell and HP used to use them too. It's only a 2-button mouse with no scroll wheel, though.

On a different note, I wonder I have any (paper) photos of our system back in '99 in "as it was" image. I still do actually have the monitor, case, speakers, mouse, and keyboard (the mouse and keyboard I am still using - this post created with them. ) Even have the original Pentium II motherboard and attached hardware. I'm actually planning to rebuild that system again someday - Windows 98 and all. The PC case and monitor are majorly yellowed - almost as dark as piss after a large salty meal and no water all day (o.0 maybe TMI. )

[BigTroll]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Those are some bad ass speakers I 100% love it!!

[Per Hansson]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Those speakers bring back some memories, I have had the exact same set!
Badcaps in beige PC speakers of all things, just lol
Did you snap any pics with the speakers apart so we can laugh at them?

[Topcat]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

As for period-specific - I'm only going to nick you for the optical mouse.

Ohh for crying out loud, it's always something with you!

Here went an hour of my life I'll never get back....and now I don't have my 'attic puck' anymore....as this mouse has been sitting on the attic floor for years and was constantly being kicked around... Its ball was so filthy, I had to completely disassemble this thing....and it required an extended fondling of the ball (get your mind out of the gutter) to get it clean....

Apart after cleaning....



Clean ball!



Back together and working....





I bought that mouse back in the 90's as well....it was replaced in the late 90's with the same style, but with a scroll wheel... I don't know whatever happened to that one. FWIW, I bought the first release Intellimouse Explorer in the late 90's....M$'s first optical mouse. I still have it, but after years of use, it looks pretty gross.

Did you snap any pics with the speakers apart so we can laugh at them?

LOL...I didn't even think to snap any pics of them while they were apart.... It would have been humorous though. The "tweeters" were glued together and just fell apart. I had to reassemble them with some hot glue. Amazingly enough, they still work.

[momaka]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Here went an hour of my life I'll never get back....

Should'a said something.
I got 5 or 6 of these in a box somewhere. Got them with a box of PC cables that were all heading to the dump. Maybe I'll add one or two to the box of stuff I'm prepping for ya, so you got spares for more of these classic builds. Just have to check if I cleaned them or not, as I don't remember. They do have the scroll wheel, though!

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1579458287

OK, I promise I'll shut up now.
She's perfect!

Those speakers bring back some memories, I have had the exact same set!
Badcaps in beige PC speakers of all things, just lol

Man, you guys were ballin' back in the 90's then.
Though I also had a pretty decent set of beige PC speakers. They didn't have a subwoofer, but the speakers did have a decent-sized driver - probably the same as the ones in your sets (3" drivers, I think?). Also had legit tweeters too. Powered by a KIA6283 IC amp. Oh, and filled with crappy GL caps to the brim, too (but none look visibly failed, even after all of these years.)

I'll see if I can snap some pics and post them. Like I said, they weren't as good as the above set your guys have, but still made decent sound for what they were and miles better than the "standard" cheapo rectangular speakers that everyone used to have.

Ohh for crying out loud, it's always something with you!

Yes, unfortunately, I've always been a nutty - right from birth. Can't help it.

[Topcat]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

Should'a said something.
I got 5 or 6 of these in a box somewhere. Got them with a box of PC cables that were all heading to the dump. Maybe I'll add one or two to the box of stuff I'm prepping for ya, so you got spares for more of these classic builds. Just have to check if I cleaned them or not, as I don't remember. They do have the scroll wheel, though!

If they have the scroll wheels, I'll totally take those!

Yes, unfortunately, I've always been a nutty - right from birth. Can't help it.

Not nearly as bad as me most likely....

[lti]

Re: Not Even BCN's Russia Connections Can Top This One - Supermicro S2DGU Build

My better beige speakers are still sitting partially disassembled after one speaker blew many years ago.

That said, I still have many saved pictures from the "Post Your System" thread from the early days. If you feel like taking a trip back to the early 2000's, have a go at it here, starting from page 1:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=852

I found my old pictures in that thread. The mess actually got worse.

Never had and I don't remember seeing those distribution blocks... but then again, that was back in elementary school, and I hardly knew anything about computers or PC hardware - let alone pay attention to small things like this.

I saw those in one computer lab in middle school. It was an Apple IIgs lab in 2004.

If you want something that performs as good as that optical mouse (or even better, IMO), look for a Logitech M/S34 (or SAW-34) Many OEMs like Dell and HP used to use them too. It's only a 2-button mouse with no scroll wheel, though.

It's strange that such a cheap and common mouse (used with every Compaq I saw in the '90s) performs better than some modern mice. The lack of a scroll wheel annoys me, and mine needs new switches. I still have a Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical from 2007, and it works better than the mouse I'm using with my main desktop. I'll probably get some spare switches for it (and it uses the same type of switch as my Microsoft mobile mouse with incredibly loud switches, so I can make it tolerable at the same time). Maybe I should put it back into daily use.