SFF S370 Motherboard + WORKING!! IR Keyboard $30 @ Package2You

[Lostinmyusa]

WARNING SIS CHIPSET BOARDS ARE KRAP,,

why waste cash on this junk??

get a via chipset board, much more reliable,,

and package2you was KICKED OFF EBAY !!!!!!!

why waste cash on this junk??

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: Lostinmyusa
WARNING SIS CHIPSET BOARDS ARE KRAP,,

why waste cash on this junk??

get a via chipset board, much more reliable,,

and package2you was KICKED OFF EBAY !!!!!!!

why waste cash on this junk??

I agree that SIS chipset could be a crap compared to Intel chipset. However, I do not agree on bringing in VIA chipset and calling it more 'realiable'. I assume that you have not gone through all the nightmare with VIA chipset during the age of Super 7 and Slot 1.

I also agree that it's a crap waiting for fake rebates.

 

[mindless1]

SIS 620 had bad performance, but so did Via 693. SIS 630 is faster, but so is Via 694, it's an evolutionary thing. I'd like to see Via chipsets with as much integration as this SIS, but until then...

The bigger problem with Sis chipsets is that they're cheaper... isn't a problem in itself, but it often means that a particular motherboard model using Sis chipset is optimized for low cost (corners cut) in other ways as well. Heh, this isn't a problem with ECS boards, ALL their boards are optimized for low cost, are crap, but I get an infrared keyboard with THIS particular crap motherboard... now if we could get the keyboard to work...

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: Lostinmyusa
WARNING SIS CHIPSET BOARDS ARE KRAP,,

why waste cash on this junk??

get a via chipset board, much more reliable,,

and package2you was KICKED OFF EBAY !!!!!!!

why waste cash on this junk??

They were kicked off eBay? When? And for what?

 

[alm99]

could someone email the sketch also.

 

[tedinde1]

This is what i got from him in reverse order, He doesnt even know what he's selling or what to do. He has a lot of them though.

HMM no shxt just line pin 1 up?? Ok found pin one, and the other 4, but what do i do with the other 12 pins that "Might Need" to be hooked up??

I've got a serial infared hookup from the creative remote deal, maybe i'll try it, or solder a dam key/mouse port on, i have a bad ecs board here.

They keyboard made the deal, without it, this sucks. Plus the board wont boot unless you hook up a USB board also.

Man this sucks



TED





I got a question for you, did the infrared keyboard/mouse work from startup? Or did you actually have to load windows and let drivers install before it worked? I was just wondering in case I get any more emails/calls about it. If you don't mind answering. Thanks!

Regards,

Wayne

support@package2you.com
(903)-962-7504


----- Original Message -----
From: Wayne
To: 'Ted'
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 9:57 AM
Subject: RE: new MB i received


Good morning Ted...

The infrared connector the connects to the board should have a small arrow on it pointing to one of the holes. This is pin one. This should line up with the connector on the board. I will attach an image I made of this connector and the location of Pin one on the board. Just line up Pin 1 on the connector to Pin 1 on the board. DO NOT Plug infrared connector into the jumpers below Pin 1.
Also, you may need to boot the windows using a USB keyboard in order for windows to install infrared support. Hope this helps. Thanks!


Regards,

Wayne

support@package2you.com
(903)-962-7504

NOTE -- In *ALL* replies, please include *ALL* previous email
messages -- if these are not included, we will not be able to
properly help you; also please do not include any
attachments as they are automatically deleted.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ted [mailto:tedinde@comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 9:03 PM
To: support@package2you.com
Subject: new MB i received


I've built quite a few computers. But....

I have received this board with fast shipping. Mu question is, It has no keyboard/mouse port like the pic?? Ok but it did come with the infared keyboard/mouse. Connector on MB for infared does not match the ir connector that comes with the keyboard.

Any ideas or how you hook it up if you have??

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Ted

 

[fxsts]

Can somebody email me the sketch/picture as werll? email address

 

[kami333]

The board won't boot without a USB card???

 

[ChrisIsBored]

Hmmm... interesting. Anyone else get the keyboard working? I was thinking about ordering one of these...

 

[sativen]

If someone could email me that sketch, I'll host it.
I got my board yesterday, and only hooked it up thus far to check that it would work (did it with a USB keyboard).
Anyone that has tried the IR in the place that they said to plug it in, did you update the BIOS or not? Maybe we shouldn't. A friend mentioned it could be a special BIOS made for the IR keyboard....... I doubt it, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[mindless1]

Package2You Email Sketch hosted, thanks tedinde1

This doesn't do us much good though, but won't the board at least boot without keyboard if "halt on error" is set to "NO" ?

I still don't have my motherboard/keyboard, but I'll attempt to determine the pinouts for this IR receiver when i get it, there is definitely SOMETHING that can be done to get this working, most likely without any addt'l electronics, just swapping pins if necessary, perhaps cutting off a portion of the receiver's connector.

 

[kami333]

hehe, time for some fun with wire and ducttape!

If no good looking motherboards show up somewhere on Mon, I think I'm going to order this. I'm liking the way things are heading.

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: mindless1
Package2You Email Sketch hosted, thanks tedinde1

This doesn't do us much good though, but won't the board at least boot without keyboard if "halt on error" is set to "NO" ?

I still don't have my motherboard/keyboard, but I'll attempt to determine the pinouts for this IR receiver when i get it, there is definitely SOMETHING that can be done to get this working, most likely without any addt'l electronics, just swapping pins if necessary, perhaps cutting off a portion of the receiver's connector.

The strange thing is that pin 1 of the connector is not connected to the circuitry (It's empty). If you connect the way suggested in the diagram, only three out of 4 pins get connected.

 

[tedinde1]

Yes it will boot if you turn off halt on error. But what if you dont have a USB keyboard. I have a microsoft office keyboard here so no problem. Sucks for some of you to have to buy a keyboard just to disable something. I guess you could return it after you get it set up.

but i cant get the IRDA keyboard to do anything, That was the best part of the deal. Nice couch keyboard/ with mouse onboard, Dam this sucks.

I didnt read it that good, I just ordered from them for the cheapest on pricewatch. got some celeron 533's i was going to slap some cheap rigs together to sell at xmas for some $$'s.

Didnt even read the description good, Who would even think no keyboard/mouse port. I just unsoldered a keyboard/mouse port off a bad ECS board i have, looks like it matches up. I'll post my results tomorrow, should work.

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: tedinde1
Yes it will boot if you turn off halt on error. But what if you dont have a USB keyboard. I have a microsoft office keyboard here so no problem. Sucks for some of you to have to buy a keyboard just to disable something. I guess you could return it after you get it set up.

but i cant get the IRDA keyboard to do anything, That was the best part of the deal. Nice couch keyboard/ with mouse onboard, Dam this sucks.

I didnt read it that good, I just ordered from them for the cheapest on pricewatch. got some celeron 533's i was going to slap some cheap rigs together to sell at xmas for some $$'s.

Didnt even read the description good, Who would even think no keyboard/mouse port. I just unsoldered a keyboard/mouse port off a bad ECS board i have, looks like it matches up. I'll post my results tomorrow, should work.

Oops, i guess you WOULD need the keyboard to disable halt on error

For anyone else that's going to take ports off of a dead motherboard, the best way I've found to do it is the "brute force" method... take aluminum foil, cut out hole where you want heat to go, then hold a blowtorch just far enough away to melt solder, not catch board on fire (stinks like crazy), and exploding capacitors are a bad thing too, might want to puncture any very near the heat. Done well (maybe practice on an unneeded component first), the ports will just pull out into your gloved hand, but until you get the technique down you might melt "stuff".

 

[inCreek]

Will this MB support an FCPGA2 chip. It is hard to find a reasonally fast (> 1 GHz) and rather cheap FCPGA chip. Any good deals or locations for a chip for MB.

Thanks for help.

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: inCreek
Will this MB support an FCPGA2 chip. It is hard to find a reasonally fast (> 1 GHz) and rather cheap FCPGA chip. Any good deals or locations for a chip for MB.

Thanks for help.

no, it will handle only PPGA and FCPGA. Celeron up to 800mhz, Pentium III up to 1ghz. Directron.com has a 700 mhz celeron for $26.99 right now. What were you planning on doing with this mb?

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: inCreek
Will this MB support an FCPGA2 chip. It is hard to find a reasonally fast (> 1 GHz) and rather cheap FCPGA chip. Any good deals or locations for a chip for MB.

Thanks for help.

These motherboards will not natively support FCPGA2... i don't know if they're hackable to run Tualatin or not, never heard of anyone having success doing so with any SIS or Via chipset, but perhaps using a powerleap adapter.

What is the intended purpose for the system? Earlier I linked to a Celeron 700 $27 @ Directron, but you might have to act fast to get one of those, Directron is probably clearing them out as they have each lower speed. Celeron 700 was an ideal choice for me because I wanted to be able to reduce the voltage, use a passive heatsink, and only needed enough processing power to output MP3, JPEG, Divx at moderate (TV) resolutions. According to Radiate Heat Calculator, my CPU will radiate only 14.2W of heat. If I had a HDTV and thus needed DVD resolution Divx I might need more than 700MHz, but I don't have HDTV

I also saw a few good deals on Celerons at Newegg's refurbs section last Friday night, one was even selling for a mere $19 but it went too quick for me to snatch up.

EDIT: The above linked Radiate Heat Calc doesn't include needed CPU/Heatsink data files, which can be downloaded here among other places, place them in installed Radiate folder.

 

[mindless1]

Those of you who already received their motherboards, do these boards have any of the Taiwanese Low-ESR capacitors that are rumored to be defective, potentially brands like Lelon, Luxon, Tayeh, Jackcon, IQ ? I don't want to cause panic, i have some boards with these caps that are still working fine ,but I've also had to replace a ton of the above caps.

 

[kami333]

I think you can stick a 1.1Ghz Celeron in there, no? That is if you can find one, I've been looking for the past few weeks and no luck.

 

[inCreek]

I plan to set this up in a Netvista case (from eBay) in my entertainment center to serve MP3s and videos. I have a Dell Audio Receiver and so this will be serving music files to it. I guess for this use the Celeron 700 will be good enough. Hope I can get the Keyboard to work.

Thanks.

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: inCreek
I plan to set this up in a Netvista case (from eBay) in my entertainment center to serve MP3s and videos. I have a Dell Audio Receiver and so this will be serving music files to it. I guess for this use the Celeron 700 will be good enough. Hope I can get the Keyboard to work.

Thanks.

Just to let you know, you will have to mod the back plate to get the outputs exposed and aligned. Or you could just take the back plate off, which is what I am going to do until I get my dremel for christmas.

 

[ChrisIsBored]

Odd... why does a flex-atx motherboard have such problems fitting correctly in a flex-atx case? Damn them... can't we get some standards!?

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: chrisisbored
Odd... why does a flex-atx motherboard have such problems fitting correctly in a flex-atx case? Damn them... can't we get some standards!?

each mb has different built in features. Depending on the manufacturer they would include the corresponding backplate for a generic case. Since this is a Netvista case we are putting the mb in its different. IBM had their own mb to put in it that fit.

 

[sativen]

What drivers are people using to try the IR ??? I have the transceiver hooked up, and tried in Win2K to tell it that it's an internal IR, to no avail, it wants me to set up the resources manually. I tried the Package2You website, also no help. Tehy may be getting an angry phone call from me here soon.