XCell 2000

[BarryG]

Does anyone have knowledge of this board? I would really like to download an owner manual and drivers for onboard devices. I tried a Google search but only had minor success.
Thanks, Barry

 

[BarryG]

Bump

 

[TStep]

I've got an Xcel2000 based mobo and it really is:

M741LMRT

I think it's a PCChips mobo. Try this page.

 

[BarryG]

After some investigating I've discovered it is either the one you have or M748LMRT. I haven't figured out how to tell the difference yet. I've downloaded both manuals from the PCChips site. I have discovered that I'm missing some parts to it too, such as the modem and LAN connectors and the optional 4 speaker sound connector. Hey, it was cheap. I found it in a thrift store with a PII processor. I'm just trying to figure it out so I can make something out of it for fun/profit.
I've also noticed the AT keyboard socket is a bit shaky on the board. Guess there's some soldering to do there.
Thanks for the link.
B

 

[BarryG]

Bump

 

[BarryG]

Bump

 

[BarryG]

Bump

 

[ChineseDemocracyGNR]

What else do you want to know?

 

[BarryG]

Originally posted by: ChineseDemocracyGNR
What else do you want to know?

One good thing would be to find a place to purchase the optional brackets for LAN and sound plus the modem card that came with it. All plugged onto pins on the board rather than a PCI or ISA slot.
Besides that, any experiences with the board would be helpful.
Barry

 

[BarryG]

Okay, I finally located the model number screen printed on the board. It's an M748LMRT ver 3.5! Yippee! I think. Would you believe I picked this up with a PII 233 MMX processor on it for $10? Now I just need the missing (optional?) cables/brackets.
Barry

 

[Peter]

The 748 model is BAT, the 741 is mATX. That's easy to sort out. Both had various revisions, the "T" bringing the unique dual setup (socket OR slot CPU), the later revisions of those having P-III support as well.

The maker is PC-Chips. They might have leftovers of the LAN card (which isn't just a bracket, there is circuitry on it) as well as the "DAA" modem card (which essentially is an MC97 modem attaching to the onboard PCI sound/modem chip). Also, there is the so-called "ATX form card" which you'll find is very handy, bringing PS2 mouse, 2x USB, and an IR serial port. You know the board has onboard graphics and sound too? (Yes, setting the 748 up with all the options is a real ribbon cable MESS. This is part of the reason why ATX was invented.)

This is what Google turned up:

http://www.pccables.com/70599.htm

Amptron, long-time retailer of PC-Chips gear, might also be helpful in locating the stuff.

http://www.amptron.com/html/accessory_mb.html

 

[BarryG]

THANK YOU!! I've had a bear of a time figuring out what to put in for a Google Search. Eventually I came up with a picture of it ( http://www.mercadolivre.com.br...2005/25015901_6947.jpg ) and I've spotted a Yahoo store ( http://shop.store.yahoo.com/newtech/accesories.html ) with the DAA Modem Module the LAN Adapter Module and an ATX Form Card. My total so far is $26 which is more than twice what I paid at the thrift store for the mainboard and processor!
I'll look at your links next.
Thanks again!
ANANDTECH PEOPLE ARE THE BEST!
Oh, I'm sorta thinking about finding the Digital Sound bracket too. Wish me luck!
Barry

 

[BarryG]

Well this is great. I accidentally fried the motherboard. Something touched it and shorted something and POOF there was smoke. This After I order board accessories. <sigh>
Barry

 

[Peter]

Duh. I just wanted to alert you that I've put one complete set of cables and slot brackets onto eBay. As it happens, I resurrected this out of a dead system from a customer who did exactly the same thing you did - short'n'fry.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...tem=6745439264&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

 

[BarryG]

Originally posted by: Peter
Duh. I just wanted to alert you that I've put one complete set of cables and slot brackets onto eBay. As it happens, I resurrected this out of a dead system from a customer who did exactly the same thing you did - short'n'fry.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...tem=6745439264&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

I don't read German but it's not hard to decifer since the layout is still eBay. I'll bet the shipping to the USA would be murder.
I bought a board and assembled it all into a working computer already. There's another board with no cables on eBay right now:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...tem=6744088609&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
One thing you don't have in your auction is the DAA modem that goes with these things. Fortunately in my 'net searches I've found where to get all these items.
Thanks, Barry

 

[Peter]

The DAA modem goes only with those boards that have the true-PCI audio/modem chip on (CMI8738). The dead board where the auctioned set of cables come from has the HT1869+ sound chip on, which is labelled "PCI" but actually is a PnP ISA CMI8330. No modem engine on that one.

 

[bluemax]

Originally posted by: Peter
Duh. I just wanted to alert you that I've put one complete set of cables and slot brackets onto eBay. As it happens, I resurrected this out of a dead system from a customer who did exactly the same thing you did - short'n'fry.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...tem=6745439264&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

I've got the exact same Xcel2000 motherboard missing the same accessories. There's a local old-computer-recycle shop that has the board with all connectors.
Quite a neat board... hardly worth it this day and age though - there's tons of integrated boards that would do the same job without a ton of headers to lose.

How much are those cables anyway? Somehow I hardly thing it's worth even shipping them! I think I'm just going to dump this system at the recycle place and trade it for a stick-o-RAM.

 

[BarryG]

Originally posted by: Peter
The DAA modem goes only with those boards that have the true-PCI audio/modem chip on (CMI8738). The dead board where the auctioned set of cables come from has the HT1869+ sound chip on, which is labelled "PCI" but actually is a PnP ISA CMI8330. No modem engine on that one.

I see, I see. Hmmm.

Originally posted by: bluemax
I've got the exact same Xcel2000 motherboard missing the same accessories. There's a local old-computer-recycle shop that has the board with all connectors.
Quite a neat board... hardly worth it this day and age though - there's tons of integrated boards that would do the same job without a ton of headers to lose.

How much are those cables anyway? Somehow I hardly thing it's worth even shipping them! I think I'm just going to dump this system at the recycle place and trade it for a stick-o-RAM.

I don't know how much they would be. I could ask them. I had them pull those cables off the board they sent me. Most of the *optional* add on items were about $8.00 plus shipping from the two places I ordered them from.
Now that I have it all together it seems to run fine. I would load it up with RAM if I were you and put the fastest CPU on it that it will hold. The PII 233 MMX I have on it right now could be better, if you get my drift.
Here's a LAN adapter
Here's a seller's description page
Here are some drivers though you'll note that it's missing the T at the end of the model number.
Here's a SiS 5595 driver
Here are some more drivers
My Google search for a modem
More help with links
Some PcChips BIOS downloads
Modem driver
description page
Bios page from PCCHIPS
List of items updated with each new BIOS
A forum page with good links
The chipset heat sink mod page
The PCChips Lottery
The USB/IR/PS2 card
User manuals
A vendor with a translated description of the board
Some driver or something
Place where I got my replacement motherboard which graciously removed the cables I didn't need. I got two of the three optional items from them as well. I got the other one from PCCables.com, IIRC. Newtecpc and pccables.com were both nice to work with. LAN Module DAA modem module

I do my research, eh?

I picked up the board (which I later shorted out) with the processor on it at a local thrift store for $10. Naturally it didn't have the modem, USB/PS2/IR card or the LAN card. I've put it together to sell through a classifed ad. There's a market here for computers that will "get you by".

Barry

 

[BarryG]

Originally posted by: bluemax
I've got the exact same Xcel2000 motherboard missing the same accessories. There's a local old-computer-recycle shop that has the board with all connectors.
Quite a neat board... hardly worth it this day and age though - there's tons of integrated boards that would do the same job without a ton of headers to lose.

How much are those cables anyway? Somehow I hardly thing it's worth even shipping them! I think I'm just going to dump this system at the recycle place and trade it for a stick-o-RAM.

One thing I forgot to mention from my research is that some people have noticed the on-board video isn't the greatest. They've disabled it via the motherboard and put a nicer card in the (shared with an ISA slot) PCI slot. Unfortunately that means that the only expansion slot on the board is taken. Oh well.
Barry

 

[Peter]

Minor correction: The sound/modem chip is the CMI8738. The 8338 is PCI, but has no modem.

The "XCel2000" is the SiS 620. The integrated video is the engine from the SiS 6326 discrete graphics chip - which is first-generation 3D (DirectX6 or so), has quite good 2D, and also features two-stage DVD decoders. Not that bad actually when you remind yourself that we're talking 1998's low-end gear.

 

[BarryG]

Originally posted by: Peter
Minor correction: The sound/modem chip is the CMI8738. The 8338 is PCI, but has no modem.

The "XCel2000" is the SiS 620. The integrated video is the engine from the SiS 6326 discrete graphics chip - which is first-generation 3D (DirectX6 or so), has quite good 2D, and also features two-stage DVD decoders. Not that bad actually when you remind yourself that we're talking 1998's low-end gear.

Did I list 8338? My bad. Sorry.
You're corrrect that it isn't all that bad. I just need to load it up with more RAM and a faster PII to make it like I would prefer. I probably will just sell it as it is though.
Barry

 

[Peter]

No I thought I'd said 8338 above originally. Turns out I didn't. Must remember not to post when not really awake

 

[bluemax]

If you scour the same kind of stores you can find slot1 or s370 motherboards (370 especially) that have integrated lan and video without all the headers to lose.

An old i815 motherboard would almost be CHEAPER than finding/buying all those header cables!

 

[Peter]

Those old PC-Chips mainboards have been available in BAT and mATX form factors all the time. BAT -> ribbon cable mess; mATX -> nice'n'clean. And this is one of the prime reasons why ATX has been brought up in the first place - to have a roomy space for more onboard connectors than just keyboard.

 

[BarryG]

LOL, ribbon cable mess is right indeed!!
I found an M598LMR this morning for $10 with a K6-2 350 in a computer for sale at the thrift store. The hard drives are small and on the verge of disaster. I haven't been able to try the CD-ROM drive yet but the floppy doesn't appear to work either. It doesn't have the LAN module but I believe the header is there on the mainboard. It's too bad it appears the processor is bad. I stuck a P1 in there and it booted. I also had to stick a spare stick of RAM in because the RAM was gone.
Barry