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http://www.falconfly.de/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl General Section >> General Discussion >> 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0 http://www.falconfly.de/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1373544187 Message started by trevormacro on 11.07.13 at 14:03:07

Title: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 11.07.13 at 14:03:07

Hi everybody,

I have found a 3dfx Rampage card Revision A0.

According to the ex owner,

It was working while we were bringing up the chip. It’s this very one.

The clamp was from my garage and was used to get good contact between the chip and the socket.

It has not been powered up since that time.

Here is the frontside and the rearside of the rampy:

nb. I don't have the card yet.

Video:

http://youtu.be/Uhu7zKKDAyY

Best Regards,
Trevormacro.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 11.07.13 at 14:08:32

Simply AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by Loeschzwerg on 11.07.13 at 16:20:06

First time we see pictures of a Rev A0 that close 8-)

Equipped with 16MB memory and some very nice wiring :D

Edit: But wait a minute, the PCB says Rev A1 ?!

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by NitroX infinity on 11.07.13 at 16:59:10

The chip is probably A0, the PCB A1.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by Loeschzwerg on 11.07.13 at 17:16:59

As far as I know there is only one first revision of the Rampage GPU.

No matter how, the PCB is quite different to the other Rampage cards we've seen. Also there is no production date engraved.

So this is really a Rev A0. But we can see how fast it was rushed through design if we compare both versions :o

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 11.07.13 at 17:20:19

On the top front puts A0 and possibly it is dated 4600. Yes, down frontis marked as A1.

Card comes without chip.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by m14radu on 11.07.13 at 18:36:16

Great find Michael !
:D

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 11.07.13 at 20:50:29

According to the ex owner,

The memory is SDRAM 2Mx32.
There is no etag. The board is A0 with ECO wires as you can see.
He doesn’t have a Rampage chip, just the board.
The memories are in a clam-shell configuration. This means that I have ½ the total available memory capacity. The card will still function.
This card is from 13 years ago.

Here is a picture with the socket cover removed:

Regards,
Trevor.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by goriath on 11.07.13 at 21:47:02

This card has a HUGE hystorical value and should be preserved as-is.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by EMPEROR on 11.07.13 at 22:05:24

This must be the Holy Rampage Grail :) Should be preserved as is, although another working card (if possible), would be even better... :)

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 11.07.13 at 22:05:30

Website created:

http://www27.brinkster.com/trevormacro/specter1000A0/rampageA0.html

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by ultima on 11.07.13 at 22:18:08

Dare I ask what you spent on the card?? I really would love to know what these cards go for....

And ofcourse awesome find, I'm jealous as hell, also cause I'd really like to know where you keep finding these babies

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 11.07.13 at 22:49:05

ultima wrote on 11.07.13 at 22:18:08:

Huge amount of money!

Just with some hard research.

Thank you Ultima.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 12.07.13 at 13:51:09

If anyone is interested to see the bare rampage layout rev. A0.

Here some nice sshots.

Regards,
Oscar.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by gdonovan on 12.07.13 at 14:14:09

osckhar wrote on 11.07.13 at 14:08:32:

Simply AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

E-mail sent Oscar.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by m14radu on 12.07.13 at 17:41:45

Osckhar, you have this bare card ?

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 12.07.13 at 20:22:17

m14radu wrote on 12.07.13 at 17:41:45:

Osckhar, you have this bare card ?

Yes, it is mine! 8-)

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by val_parthen on 12.07.13 at 21:05:12

osckhar wrote on 12.07.13 at 13:51:09:

If anyone is interested to see the bare rampage layout rev. A0.

Here some nice sshots.

Regards,
Oscar.

!!! That's amazing! I never expected to see one of those!
I had a blank V3 PCB, but Varus got it when he bought my engineering V4. :)

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by gdonovan on 12.07.13 at 21:13:44

val_parthen wrote on 12.07.13 at 21:05:12:

I had a blank V3 PCB, but Varus got it when he bought my engineering V4. :)

The little v4 with SDRAM? I was hunting that for years.

I had the blank V3 PCB, let it go a few years back.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 12.07.13 at 21:38:10

Well, I also have bare PCB for V4 prototype L-shape, and V3 black PCB.

Gary, I think he means the V4 beta copper, not the daytona.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by val_parthen on 12.07.13 at 23:07:57

gdonovan wrote on 12.07.13 at 21:13:44:

val_parthen wrote on 12.07.13 at 21:05:12:

I had a blank V3 PCB, but Varus got it when he bought my engineering V4. :)

The little v4 with SDRAM? I was hunting that for years.

I had the blank V3 PCB, let it go a few years back.

osckhar wrote on 12.07.13 at 21:38:10:

Well, I also have bare PCB for V4 prototype L-shape, and V3 black PCB.

Gary, I think he means the V4 beta copper, not the daytona.

Osckhar's on the money -- it was one of the copper V4's:

I also scanned my blank V3 back in the day -- paid $15 on eBay when I bought it. :) :

It's interesting to me that the blank Rampage board's contacts are all gold versus the silver in my V3, but tha'ts probably more due to the engineering type stuff they were doing at the time.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 13.07.13 at 17:37:49

Hi,

Some news:

1) According to ex owner,

The two wires on the rearside are for probing with an oscilloscope. They should not touch each other or anything else during normal operation.

All the 3dfx Rampage engineers received the cards in November of 2000.

2) Yesterday, the Rampage A0 was shipped to my home.

Regards,
Trevor.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 16.07.13 at 13:37:44

Package is at my home.
Rampy A0 perfect received without any damages.
It's a beauty :)

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by m14radu on 16.07.13 at 15:45:23

Plug your Rampage chip in the board.
It should work ;)

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 16.07.13 at 16:39:07

m14radu wrote on 16.07.13 at 15:45:23:

Plug your Rampage chip in the board.
It should work ;)

Oscar need to unsold it from my rampy A1 pcb.

My website is updated with some news pictures.

If you look more closer the test socket you will see there are 8 golds contacts missing. All the corners are connected to ground. Anyway the chip will work.

On the rearside we can see 4600 for the date.

EDIT:

News 18 High Resolution Pictures added on my website.

Regards,
Trevor.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 25.07.13 at 11:37:52

Since Michel needs a rampage chip for checking if his A0 boots up. I sent my Rampage chip him. Not time here for reballing his chip yet.

A0 will boot up? My guess is not- What I understood this card was alive and engineers were to able to read register but nothing more.

- Oscar.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 31.07.13 at 12:44:36

I have the oscar's chip.
I put in the rampy A0 but no boot and the temperature up on the cooler and more fastly if I put a sheet of aluminium.
Perhaps the jumpers on sdrams and bios can get the card boot in the right position.
Is it dangerous to change their positions? anyone have an idea?

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 31.07.13 at 13:03:27

I dont think to move the jumpers can be dangerous.

What I interpret checking pics from jumpers on memory.

Only will work the jumper-test on right and left. The middle has not connection.

Jumpers is taking voltage from condensator and each jumper is connected to one resistence and each resistence is connected another resistence. Possibly this jumper-test want to check what behaviour has the card upping the voltage in some point but difficult to say.

NOTE- BE WARE changing the position from vertical to horitzontal on the jumpers . Then you will have short circuit. The only position on the memory test jumper is vertical. Ok?

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by osckhar on 31.07.13 at 13:31:15

Michel,

Be ware moving the test-jumper from onto chip bios. I cant see how it works and such jumper if can damage totally the Ramapage card.

My guess is such test-jumper is used to enable some VGA set mode for working developing on the card. For example in multimedia vga mode.

So dont play with this jumper until we have more info about it.

- Oscar.

Title: Re: 3dfx Specter 1000 AGP TEST SOCKET Rev.A0
Post by trevormacro on 31.07.13 at 14:59:24

Sure I will wait.

Here is the picture of the cooler temperature 30s after the boot:

Here are the Bios and Memory jumpers including red wires:

Regards,
Trevor.