best cheap/free scores 1.1

[vinceroger69]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Picked up a Samsung UE48H6400AW 3d smart tv with both remotes of a local free site typical samsung bright spots on screen (lens fell off two leds) and blue tint so just orderd a full led strip kit from ali express.

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

A couple items from the most recent EDU dropoff that I finally go around to checking...

HP Proliant server...I couldn't seem to find a model number on it....but it supports 5500/5600 series LGA 1366 Xeons. It has 1x E5530 with 6gb RAM...pretty weaksauce for what it's capable of...but it does function. SAS controller is belching up SMART errors on a couple of the 147gb SAS HDD's, probably why it got taken out of service. It has Server 2008 R2 on it....I craked the password and got in it....No Uranium, nothing on it....not even any roles or features. No idea what they used it for....but they definitely used it, it as filthy inside.





Now for the next one; a 3com SuperStack 3848 48-port gigabit switch....I thought it strange when I pulled it off the pile, and I did ask why it was being trashed....he said it didn't work. I dind't ask anymore questions about it.



hmmm...why doesn't it work?



A closer look....yep...bad caps... KZG no less; 1800uF 16v to be specific...







Hey, atleast it had the ears!!



I haven't recapped it yet.....but I certainly will. Well worth fixing.

[ratdude747]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

A couple items from the most recent EDU dropoff that I finally go around to checking...

HP Proliant server...I couldn't seem to find a model number on it....but it supports 5500/5600 series LGA 1366 Xeons. It has 1x E5530 with 6gb RAM...pretty weaksauce for what it's capable of...but it does function. SAS controller is belching up SMART errors on a couple of the 147gb SAS HDD's, probably why it got taken out of service. It has Server 2008 R2 on it....I craked the password and got in it....No Uranium, nothing on it....not even any roles or features. No idea what they used it for....but they definitely used it, it as filthy inside.





Now for the next one; a 3com SuperStack 3848 48-port gigabit switch....I thought it strange when I pulled it off the pile, and I did ask why it was being trashed....he said it didn't work. I dind't ask anymore questions about it.



hmmm...why doesn't it work?



A closer look....yep...bad caps... KZG no less; 1800uF 16v to be specific...







Hey, atleast it had the ears!!



I haven't recapped it yet.....but I certainly will. Well worth fixing.

Nice server find... I've used a few of those in FIRST robotics (The servers that run the game field). They seem pretty solid.

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Nice server find... I've used a few of those in FIRST robotics (The servers that run the game field). They seem pretty solid.

I played around with it some more this morning. I did finally identify it through their diagnostics software in Windows; it's a Proliant DL360 G6. It had its original firmware on it from 2009, which was flaky & very limited CPU support... The last revision from late 2018 really woke this thing up. With a temporary heatsink, I stuck a pair of 5660's in it (Hexcore @ 2.8GHz) and a couple memory modules in that CPU's bank and away it went with 12 cores. It wouldn't POST at all with a Westmere core with the first release firmware. One nice thing about it, parts are filthy cheap....I got the second CPU heatsink & fan bank for $18.00; new-old-stock. I'll get it running nicely...I wish I had a place to colocate, this would be a fabulous BCN server with some very cheap ECC DDR3 10600 and some SAS SSD's...

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Here's a bit of an interesting one.... I had a drop-off of a box of old laptops....most P4-era junk....but there's always one oddity in the mix, first time in all my years I've seen one in it's native habitat and working; a Toshiba Satellite 330CDS with a Tillamook CPU in it @ 266MHz. I've messed with Tillamook's in some socket-7 boards back in the day, but it wasn't an experiment worth writing home about. The HDD is missing, as well as the charger...but otherwise working.





Powered off a bench supply.

[stj]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

damn, it looks new - not even yellowed plastic!

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

damn, it looks new - not even yellowed plastic!

Even stranger than that, the battery is good!

[TechGeek]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

What testing/diagnostic software is that that I see on many of your testing/recap pictures?

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

What testing/diagnostic software is that that I see on many of your testing/recap pictures?

A utility called 'the troubleshooter'.

[Dan81]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Welp, some news on my last scores from Sunday. Sorry I wasn't able to post earlier but ever since Tuesday I've been feeling horribly sick. (it ain't COVID.)

- the dv7 works now, suprisingly cool - the fan is kinda rattling a bit so I'll probably open it up again and clean the fan thoroughly, fin by fin.
- the Toshiba A300D also sprung to life. I'm not really sure but either 2 of my Samsung DDR2 sticks (667MHz) are bad, or it absolutely reguses to run with 667 sticks - the combo that finally worked was 2x1GB sticks, both PC2-6400 (one original to the Toshiba and the other from the dv7 above.). I then installed 2x2GB sticks (both different manufacturers - one is a Micron, the other is a Hynix) and it's been running fine - ordered some new sealant glue for the speakers though as the original speaker rings are done for.
- the 3TB Seagate is a ST3000DM001. Unsurprisingly dead with a head crash.
- the 500GB Seagate is a ST3500630AS and it seems it's completing seek test fine. Couldn't advance further as I don't have any desktop or external enclosure available at the moment.

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Abovementioned relic with NT4 on it. No networking abilities at all; I don't have any PCMCIA NIC's, so no post from it.....but it works!

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

wow always an impressive collection of stuff u keep getting there always where u are, topcat! lots of stuff there for me to play with at your shop for sure! its certainly an entire complete computer tech tourist attraction and tourist trap thats for sure! could spend days touring, going through and playing with all your stuff there thats for sure! if u dont mind me doing that! hahaha!

[Dan81]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Scored a free mint HP dv9845eo with some funny contraption of a charger made out of a two prong universal adapter plug and an ASUS 90W charger.

Anyways, my surprise was that everything worked first try. GPU didn't even need reflowing, and had bately any dust. Never opened though as the thermal paste was horribly crusty on the CPU.

Sprcs aren't very exotic - Core 2 Duo T8300 (rare sight in these dv9000s, next to the T9300), Geforce 8600M GS 512MB (also rare, as IIRC most machines had the 256MB variant labeled G86-730-A2, while two of my 512MB machines use G86-770-A2), 4GB DDR2, 320GB Fujitsu HDD, Fingerprint reader + BT capability. Might need to look into a new WLAN card though as the current 4965AGN I have has some strange issues. Been repasted already with MX4 and also removed the stupid tin foil HP applied for the GPU.

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Today was an amazing day for tube-type relics....details tomorrow.

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

The abovementioned scores, a couple days late....I've been busy!

2x Predicta 'princess' models. Model on left has horizontal drive issues, one on right is missing high voltage. Dried lytics and cracked tube sockets are the 'usual suspects'....but I haven't dug into them yet.





The big score, Fisher aka "the fisher" model 400 tube-type FM receiver & amplifier. Original owner bought it new in 1966. In flawless condition; real walnut veneer.









...with its matching speakers...





Not a bad haul!

[ratdude747]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Abovementioned relic with NT4 on it. No networking abilities at all; I don't have any PCMCIA NIC's, so no post from it.....but it works!

I'll have to look but I used to have a 3Com 10/100 PCMCIA card with a deployable jack (no dongle required). I might have others too... I'm pretty sure I scored a couple a year or two ago?

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

I'll have to look but I used to have a 3Com 10/100 PCMCIA card with a deployable jack (no dongle required). I might have others too... I'm pretty sure I scored a couple a year or two ago?

That would do it. I'm sure theres a NT or win9x driver for it. With a memory upgrade, this would run win2k decently.

[ratdude747]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

That would do it. I'm sure theres a NT or win9x driver for it. With a memory upgrade, this would run win2k decently.

I know I have a card... or at least I had one recently. The 3COM was nice but I think that card's lost to the ages. Was my favorite. I only have one laptop that can use it (or rather, needs one), and it's screen busted (an old gateway solo with a Celeron Mendocino).

[Uranium-235]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Those fishers go for some serious $$$

I had the same issue with a linksys srw2048 I got from goodwill. Freezes. about 10-15 "stone" brand caps bloated inside

[Topcat]

Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1

Those fishers go for some serious $$$

I've already been offered a grand for it in as-is condition; no repairs made. Fair offer, but I declined it. Odds are I'd never find one in that condition again....This one is a keeper for the collection.

I powered it up, amp seems to work fine, tuner is wonky...but deep in the bowels of this metal building, that's likely the cause. Got a little hum in the left channel...I'm sure its a dried out lytic.