This HDD-FDD Controller NCL NDC5425 dated cca. 1988

I really appreciate all the replies regarding the FX 5500, I won't quote everone individually but I will run some benchmarks on the P3 Coppermine tonight and let you know it's looking. I read that some, if not most FX 5500s ran on a 128-bit bus, where as the 5200 was almost exclusively 64-bit despite sharing the same core. Of course, mine is further limited by being the PCI version.

FWIW, I bought this GPU planning to use it with a 6x86MX PR300, it's looking increasingly like that's a terrible idea 🤣

I think that the FX 5500 is exclusively 128-bit. I'm just spitballing, but I can't think of any examples that I have encountered otherwise.

Dan386DX wrote on 2024-04-16, 19:09:

I really appreciate all the replies regarding the FX 5500, I won't quote everone individually but I will run some benchmarks on the P3 Coppermine tonight and let you know it's looking. I read that some, if not most FX 5500s ran on a 128-bit bus, where as the 5200 was almost exclusively 64-bit despite sharing the same core. Of course, mine is further limited by being the PCI version.

FWIW, I bought this GPU planning to use it with a 6x86MX PR300, it's looking increasingly like that's a terrible idea 🤣

Not sure if the PCI bottlenecks that much.
I tested a much later system last week and played with a late PCI GPU.
It was a P4 Presscott 3.8 with a PCI HD 4350.
HL2 runs on very high + AA4x at 1024x768 (30+ fps)
I pushed it a little with Crysis. Which ran at 800x600 on low in the 15 to 20-something fps (dropping a lot during fights)

(Edit : and the games were running from a USB ke 😃)

Testing it in a faster system could show some improvements over the P3. (And driver version is key, as always)

Some cards that I got today 😀

Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 AGP with an orange label instead of the more common blue one(all the other cards I've seen had blue labels)

Canopus SPECTRA 7400 GeForce 256 DDR

AOpen Aeolus GeForce4 Ti4200 8X

And last, but most definitely not least..
AOpen Aeolus GeForce FX5950 Ultra

Got a PCIe XFX GeForce 6800 Xtreme 256MB. I only realized it was missing a cover over most of the heatsink when I got home after buying it.

This is actually my first dedicated PCIe graphics card ever.

Dan386DX wrote on 2024-04-16, 19:09:

I really appreciate all the replies regarding the FX 5500, I won't quote everone individually but I will run some benchmarks on the P3 Coppermine tonight and let you know it's looking. I read that some, if not most FX 5500s ran on a 128-bit bus, where as the 5200 was almost exclusively 64-bit despite sharing the same core. Of course, mine is further limited by being the PCI version.

FWIW, I bought this GPU planning to use it with a 6x86MX PR300, it's looking increasingly like that's a terrible idea 🤣

While I'm pretty sure that most FX 5500 cards have a 128bit memory interface, there are a few exceptions, this is true for most FX 5200 cards having a 64bit memory interface as well, both cards can come with either config, I believe even the FX 5700 LE cards have a 64bit memory interface.. although those cards don't suffer as much because they at least utilise their bandwidth more efficiently

Okay, so after forcing an earlier driver to work with the FX 5500, I managed to get 20% more in 3DMark 2001. Driver 45.23 works with Windows 98 but doesn't support FX 5500 without a little tweaking.

With a Pentium III 500e, one of the more modest Coppermine P3s, I was able to get reasonable 3D performance in Swat 3, but Project IGI still chugs. Now the latter game I remember playing on my S370 Celeron using onboard graphics in 2001, and at the time I didn't notice performance to be an issue at all - could just be that I was more used to bad frame rates then, but I'm almost certain the experience I'm getting with the FX is worse than that was.

@acl - thank you for the detailed post, there is an interesting guide on Phil's channel where he compares FX5500 AGP vs PCI, worth checking out. I think you're right though, and I'm bottlenecking the hell out of the card.

Would you guys say that running this card with 6x86 233MHz is a pointless endeavour? Could anybody suggest a better-fitting PCI card?

Anyway, here's the benchmarks, at stock vs the modded 45.23 driver.

...and now I will stop hijacking this thread 😀

Kahenraz wrote on 2024-04-16, 19:30:

I think that the FX 5500 is exclusively 128-bit. I'm just spitballing, but I can't think of any examples that I have encountered otherwise.

Unfortunately this isn't true. I had a hard time finding a 128 bit one (a PCI one anyway), and one that I purchased that was advertised as such turned out to be 64 bit.

Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-04-17, 01:08:

Kahenraz wrote on 2024-04-16, 19:30:

I think that the FX 5500 is exclusively 128-bit. I'm just spitballing, but I can't think of any examples that I have encountered otherwise.

Unfortunately this isn't true. I had a hard time finding a 128 bit one (a PCI one anyway), and one that I purchased that was advertised as such turned out to be 64 bit.

Likely a rebadged 5200 with a bios mod to make it a 5500, since they are essentially the same silicon with the only real difference being that the OG 5500 was the full 128bit bus with higher clocks, they even share the same horrible feature cuts and same even more shit DX9 performance.

This little beauty arrived today. I'll need to replace 4 caps but she still works fine. I thought the Geforce 2 Ti's were 64MB but this one is showing itself as 128MB?

I've never heard of a 128MB GeForce 2-anything. Even Quadro 2s were only ever 64MB. Very curious.

MSI had a short spate of gussied up models, would be a Starforce Titanium VIVO or something

Kahenraz wrote on 2024-04-17, 03:55:

I've never heard of a 128MB GeForce 2-anything. Even Quadro 2s were only ever 64MB. Very curious.

https://www.pcstats.com/articles/915/index.html

Its one of the early 1.1 versions with 5ns ram . .likely that program is reading it wrong as it should be 64Mb according to MSI specs, could the GF2 adress 128Mb of DDR ? ...would be very weird as we didn't see 128Mb till the GF3 TI cards.

Today I picked up a dinky little guy.

I mean just look at him. Small PCB, weird feature connector popping outta his head. And he doesn't even fit in to the system he's meant to be put in to.

I mean, just look at those hanging fingers...

As you can tell by the joking, It's not actually a bad thing to have. This is an ATi VGA Wonder Basic, which just so happens to support being inside an 8-Bit machine like my XT. Lo and behold, I can finally use something actually readable to do things on said XT instead of the smeary 5151.

And hey, it's compatible with most modes it seems.

I certainly can't complain.

Trashbytes wrote on 2024-04-17, 04:07:

Kahenraz wrote on 2024-04-17, 03:55:

I've never heard of a 128MB GeForce 2-anything. Even Quadro 2s were only ever 64MB. Very curious.

https://www.pcstats.com/articles/915/index.html

Its one of the early 1.1 versions with 5ns ram . .likely that program is reading it wrong as it should be 64Mb according to MSI specs, could the GF2 adress 128Mb of DDR ? ...would be very weird as we didn't see 128Mb till the GF3 TI cards.

This site mentions “Max memory 128MB”. https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item … dia-geforce2-ti

I’ll run some other software packages and see what they report.

zuldan wrote on 2024-04-17, 06:10:

Trashbytes wrote on 2024-04-17, 04:07:

Kahenraz wrote on 2024-04-17, 03:55:

I've never heard of a 128MB GeForce 2-anything. Even Quadro 2s were only ever 64MB. Very curious.

https://www.pcstats.com/articles/915/index.html

Its one of the early 1.1 versions with 5ns ram . .likely that program is reading it wrong as it should be 64Mb according to MSI specs, could the GF2 adress 128Mb of DDR ? ...would be very weird as we didn't see 128Mb till the GF3 TI cards.

This site mentions “Max memory 128MB”. https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item … dia-geforce2-ti

I’ll run some other software packages and see what they report.

If it is 128Mb then thats a very nice GPU to have around ! totally worth replacing all the caps on it and perhaps finding some small heat sinks for the memory.

Trashbytes wrote on 2024-04-17, 06:15:

If it is 128Mb then thats a very nice GPU to have around ! totally worth replacing all the caps on it and perhaps finding some small heat sinks for the memory.

I really hope it’s 128mb. I grabbed it for $30 plus delivery. I’m surprised you didn’t take it before me 😉

zuldan wrote on 2024-04-17, 07:12:

Trashbytes wrote on 2024-04-17, 06:15:

If it is 128Mb then thats a very nice GPU to have around ! totally worth replacing all the caps on it and perhaps finding some small heat sinks for the memory.

I really hope it’s 128mb. I grabbed it for $30 plus delivery. I’m surprised you didn’t take it before me 😉

I saw it and realised I dont need anymore repair projects and I already have 3 GF2 cards.

Trashbytes wrote on 2024-04-17, 07:20:

zuldan wrote on 2024-04-17, 07:12:

Trashbytes wrote on 2024-04-17, 06:15:

If it is 128Mb then thats a very nice GPU to have around ! totally worth replacing all the caps on it and perhaps finding some small heat sinks for the memory.

I really hope it’s 128mb. I grabbed it for $30 plus delivery. I’m surprised you didn’t take it before me 😉

I saw it and realised I dont need anymore repair projects and I already have 3 GF2 cards.

Sounds like you have too many cards. I think you should sell me your GeForce 4 Ti4600 for $30 😉 🤣