Simviation Forums

So for my technology project I am making a games console prototype... anyway when I went to the recycling plant earlier today they were generous enough to give us a few 'dead' computers.

This is the only one that has its key components intact and it does turn on (but I need to give it a hardrive and RAM first)

So yeh, I dont know which RAM type it requires and I generally need to know things about the motherboard so that I can get the speeds or things like that right.

There are no markings on the case to say which brand or model the computer is (I have looked a lot) and there isnt anything on the motherboard.


I took this photo just to see if anyone can find it a brand




Any thoughts atall?

Other info includes talk of an AMD K7 CPU (power supply power warnings) and the PSU looks like it is an LC-300ATX which I will look for now.


Cheers

This mobo is ALMOST exactly the same (maybe just a slightly different model..) but fits the description well...the HD connector slots are different and the AGP slot on your mobo is covered with a warning label?
http://www.1steweb.net/web/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=eWeb&Product_Code=MB-AMP-K7-810LM&Category_Code=AMPTRON-MB

Lemmee know if that helps at all...

That looks like it, thanks.

Yeh.. there is a warning on the AGP slot for different AGP cards that should be used or something.

Now I need to find some SDRAM. I had like 256mb or so of it hanging around the other day... seem to have lost it.


A great help though. Cheers.

Ram type is either PC-100 or PC-133, Notch layout in the DIMM slots

Is the heatsink logo scraped or has it never been there..

And can you post a better picture of the BIOS chip... that sticker on there usually has some more info about what it really is

I cant tell you much about the history of it as it is roughly 6 hours old in my posession hehe.

Which one is the BIOS chip? Is it the one a bit south of the CMOS battery?

I cant tell you much about the history of it as it is roughly 6 hours old in my posession hehe.

Which one is the BIOS chip? Is it the one a bit south of the CMOS battery?

The BIOS chip is the one right under (or behind) the power led connector in the picture.

I presume thats it... I couldnt get the sticky off when I tried (incase there is more under it) but I am guessing thats the BIOS chip right there.

Usually there's information written on the top of processors... so you could try taking the heatsink off the north bridge and south bridge to find out?

I tried.. the text is too unclear on the CPU

Board manufacturer is Aopen... at least that is what google turns up for 'AX30'
Cant find anything on their site that looks like it though, but the fact that there is no logo on the heatsink might suggest that it might be a de-branded example for OEM purposes...

if you manage to turn it on, can't you pull up hardware info on the setup menu?

just a thought... might require you to find that memory you were talking about

hehe, 'frankenputers' are so much fun  :D

Cheers

HarvesteR

HarvesteR...

Yeh, no memory (though BIOS should be fine) and I think the VGA connection is smashed because 'No input' is showing up on my monitor... so I guess I might need a very cheap AGP card to get it going. Of course, I need to find a contraption which will be able to bend the AGP (or PCI) card 90 degrees so that it is flat and parallel to the motherboard instead of perpendicular. If anyone knows of anything that will turn an AGP or PCI card on its side in the case, please let me know.

HarvesteR...

Yeh, no memory (though BIOS should be fine) and I think the VGA connection is smashed because 'No input' is showing up on my monitor... so I guess I might need a very cheap AGP card to get it going. Of course, I need to find a contraption which will be able to bend the AGP (or PCI) card 90 degrees so that it is flat and parallel to the motherboard instead of perpendicular. If anyone knows of anything that will turn an AGP or PCI card on its side in the case, please let me know.

Err what!

You see the pre-cut thing besides that adio riser board... smash the removable part of that out with a hammer and you can put a normal card in


or did you get a different case for it

yes, just remove those rear bay covers and you can insert a card there...

see that notch they have on the top? jab a screwdriver in there and twist it... that'll bend the cover and you can snap it off

this is standard on unused cases, but this one might just be a 40-year-old virgin  ;D

but do try to add some memory before worrying about the VGA connection... without memory the only thing you'll see is the coolers spinning anyways

Cheers

HarvesteR

Blimey... ...!

For a "thrown away" Computer, that is the cleanest looking Motherboard and Case I have ever seen!... ...!

I have to dig/Hoover the dust, termites, Mice, Marines, etc, out of mine every few days...and its still full of cr*p... ...!

Paul... ...!