Help me ID this ATI graphics card

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sal Amie
  • Start date Start date
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Sal Amie

I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
labelled Sept 1999.

The circuit board has a logo on the circuit side which says
"graphics by ATI Rage 128"

On the components side of the circuit board it says ""C in a
circle"" (copyright) 1999 ATI Technologies Inc.

(1) Does this mean the board is actually made by ATI or is it
probbaly made by someone else using an ATI Rage chip? (I didn't
think grahhics chip companies like ATI made complete graphics
boards.)

(2) Also on the circuit board it says "N625". What does this
mean?

(3) Another paper label (with a barcode) says R128 GL 32M" but I
can't find that on the Web.

(4) One of the chips has a paper label saying "R128 66501"

Can someone tell me what board this is and which of those bits of
info were ther key indentifiers.

---

Another question I would like to ask is .... is this graphics card
any better than the integrated video on modern boards using the
latest integrated graphics chips like the "NVIDIA nForce2 IGP"?

(E.G. the Asus AV8NX-VM motherboard)
 
I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
labelled Sept 1999.

The circuit board has a logo on the circuit side which says
"graphics by ATI Rage 128"
Click to expand...

So it's an ATI Rage 128 or 128 Pro.
On the components side of the circuit board it says ""C in a
circle"" (copyright) 1999 ATI Technologies Inc.

(1) Does this mean the board is actually made by ATI or is it
probbaly made by someone else using an ATI Rage chip? (I didn't
think grahhics chip companies like ATI made complete graphics
boards.)
Click to expand...

Doesn't really matter who made it, the standard driver offered by ATI,
most current version, is typically the best to use regardless of who made
it.
(2) Also on the circuit board it says "N625". What does this
mean?
Click to expand...

Don't know, don't think it matters.
(3) Another paper label (with a barcode) says R128 GL 32M" but I
can't find that on the Web.
Click to expand...

32MB of memory, suggests it's the "Pro" version. Fortunately that means
it will work on modern boards, not only the 3.3V AGP1 boards.

(4) One of the chips has a paper label saying "R128 66501"
Click to expand...

Sounds like it might be the bios EPROM, not necessary to consider.

Can someone tell me what board this is and which of those bits of
info were ther key indentifiers.
Click to expand...

Go here,
http://www.ati.com/support/driver.html
select the OS, "graphics driver", and "Rage 128 Pro"

The next page would offer the driver and Tuner/Capture software. If this
isn't an All-In-Wonder, which it doesn't seem to be, you most likely do
not need the Tuner/Capture software. However if the card does have an
S-video input jack then that capture software could be needed.

Another question I would like to ask is .... is this graphics card
any better than the integrated video on modern boards using the
latest integrated graphics chips like the "NVIDIA nForce2 IGP"?

(E.G. the Asus AV8NX-VM motherboard)
Click to expand...

It should be similar or perhaps a little better at display crispness
(which can vary from card to card, you'll have to try that and see for
yourself).

The motherboard example you gave it wrong/mistyped or something.
Asus has an A7V8X-VM, Via chipset integrated video, or an A7N8X-VM,
nForce2 integrated video. Either of those OR the ATI 128 are plenty fast
enough for 2D usage, movie/DVD playback, etc.

The ATI 128 is, IIRC, just a little bit slower than the A7V8X-VM's video
in 3D gaming, but much, much slower than the A7N8X-VM's video, providing
you use 2 memory modules for dual channel mode. However for 3D gaming,
any modern mid to high-end video card would be faster than any of the
above.
 
Sal said:
I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
labelled Sept 1999.

The circuit board has a logo on the circuit side which says
"graphics by ATI Rage 128"

On the components side of the circuit board it says ""C in a
circle"" (copyright) 1999 ATI Technologies Inc.

(1) Does this mean the board is actually made by ATI or is it
probbaly made by someone else using an ATI Rage chip? (I didn't
think grahhics chip companies like ATI made complete graphics
boards.)
Click to expand...

Well that's where you're wrong, you see. ATI make their own boards - Nvidia
never have. Just visit ATI's site.
 
uh.....lessee.......
click RUN
type in "cmd" <enter>
type in "DEBUG" <enter>
type in "d c000:0010" <enter>
type in "d" <enter> a couple times for a couple more screens until you get
to the part of the Video BIOS that has the model # you want to see.
It should tell you what it is.

when you're done, type in "q" <enter> {for quit}
Of course <enter> is the enter key and the parts in "" are what you type (without
the "" quotes.

I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
labelled Sept 1999.

The circuit board has a logo on the circuit side which says
"graphics by ATI Rage 128"

On the components side of the circuit board it says ""C in a
circle"" (copyright) 1999 ATI Technologies Inc.

(1) Does this mean the board is actually made by ATI or is it
probbaly made by someone else using an ATI Rage chip? (I didn't
think grahhics chip companies like ATI made complete graphics
boards.)

(2) Also on the circuit board it says "N625". What does this
mean?

(3) Another paper label (with a barcode) says R128 GL 32M" but I
can't find that on the Web.

(4) One of the chips has a paper label saying "R128 66501"

Can someone tell me what board this is and which of those bits of
info were ther key indentifiers.

---

Another question I would like to ask is .... is this graphics card
any better than the integrated video on modern boards using the
latest integrated graphics chips like the "NVIDIA nForce2 IGP"?

(E.G. the Asus AV8NX-VM motherboard)
Click to expand...

~~~~~~
Bait for spammers:
root@localhost
postmaster@localhost
admin@localhost
abuse@localhost
postmaster@[127.0.0.1]
(e-mail address removed)
~~~~~~
Remove "spamless" to email me.
 
Overlord said:
uh.....lessee.......
click RUN
type in "cmd" <enter>
type in "DEBUG" <enter>
type in "d c000:0010" <enter>
type in "d" <enter> a couple times for a couple more screens until you get
to the part of the Video BIOS that has the model # you want to see.
It should tell you what it is.

when you're done, type in "q" <enter> {for quit}
Of course <enter> is the enter key and the parts in "" are what you type (without
the "" quotes.
Click to expand...

OUCH!!

Been doing this a while, eh?

Remember how to format an MFM drive in debug?
 
Noozer said:
OUCH!!

Been doing this a while, eh?

Remember how to format an MFM drive in debug?
Click to expand...

Oh, man. Talk about dredging up nasty memories.

I used to be so good at making typos in the worst
possible places when using debug - and I remember
managing to permanently ruin an MFM drive. It was
a 5 MB or 10 MB drive and cost more than I made in
a month.
 
OUCH!!

Been doing this a while, eh?

Remember how to format an MFM drive in debug?
Click to expand...
Sometimes the old tricks work best<G>.
I seem to remember formatting floppies that way.

I recall keeping a cheap generic config.sys and autoexec.bat on the root
and editing command.com so it looked for and used files other than those
to fire up. Didn't want some empty headed installation program editing my
baby; my 10 or 12 page autoexec.bat and almost as large config.sys.

I remember making 50 character init$ for modems.

I remember typing in switches to make zmodem file transfers from the DOS prompt...
But there got to be so many protocols; Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, DSZmodem,
GSZmodem, FASTmodem, Hydra, Imodem, HSlink, DSZ Qmodem G, IceZmodem,
Jmodem, Tmodem, VisualZmodem, Smodem, VXY Xmodem 1k.... and each one had it's variants.
I forget the more exotic and obscure protocols now, used a couple dozen I guess.
Eventually I had to put them all in a batch file as each would have a line of switches.
Typing in a simple Xmodem transfer and find you're adding a Kermit switch is a Bad Thing.

Forgot a hell of a lot since then.....

~~~~~~
Bait for spammers:
root@localhost
postmaster@localhost
admin@localhost
abuse@localhost
postmaster@[127.0.0.1]
(e-mail address removed)
~~~~~~
Remove "spamless" to email me.
 
Oh, man. Talk about dredging up nasty memories.

I used to be so good at making typos in the worst
possible places when using debug - and I remember
managing to permanently ruin an MFM drive. It was
a 5 MB or 10 MB drive and cost more than I made in
a month.
Click to expand...

But doublespace was great. Almost doubled your storage.
You ever find that huge file on that G or H partition and
delete it for the space.... and find that was your entire C
drive in a single compressed file on a sneaky partition?
I forget what the name of the util was before M$ stole it...

Remember using Copy con for cobbling your files and then
when they didn't work using Debug or Edlin to troubleshoot 'em?

I remember kids bringing me dual 5¼ floppy systems and wanting
me to make it so they could run Doom....
~~~~~~
Bait for spammers:
root@localhost
postmaster@localhost
admin@localhost
abuse@localhost
postmaster@[127.0.0.1]
(e-mail address removed)
~~~~~~
Remove "spamless" to email me.
 
Overlord said:
But doublespace was great. Almost doubled your storage.
You ever find that huge file on that G or H partition and
delete it for the space.... and find that was your entire C
drive in a single compressed file on a sneaky partition?
I forget what the name of the util was before M$ stole it...
Click to expand...

Stacker by Stac IIRC.
Remember using Copy con for cobbling your files and then
when they didn't work using Debug or Edlin to troubleshoot 'em?

I remember kids bringing me dual 5¼ floppy systems and wanting
me to make it so they could run Doom....
~~~~~~
Bait for spammers:
root@localhost
postmaster@localhost
admin@localhost
abuse@localhost
postmaster@[127.0.0.1]
(e-mail address removed)
~~~~~~
Remove "spamless" to email me.
Click to expand...
 
But doublespace was great. Almost doubled your storage.
You ever find that huge file on that G or H partition and
delete it for the space.... and find that was your entire C
drive in a single compressed file on a sneaky partition?
I forget what the name of the util was before M$ stole it...
Click to expand...

Stacker... was impressive until you start using it for a while...
Remember using Copy con for cobbling your files and then
when they didn't work using Debug or Edlin to troubleshoot 'em?
Click to expand...

I still use copy con now and then when I forgot to put a copy of edit
onto a boot disk. :PpPp

--
L.Angel: I'm looking for web design work.
If you need basic to med complexity webpages at affordable rates, email me :)
Standard HTML, SHTML, MySQL + PHP or ASP, Javascript.
If you really want, FrontPage & DreamWeaver too.
But keep in mind you pay extra bandwidth for their bloated code
 
Sal Amie said:
I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
labelled Sept 1999.

The circuit board has a logo on the circuit side which says
"graphics by ATI Rage 128"

On the components side of the circuit board it says ""C in a
circle"" (copyright) 1999 ATI Technologies Inc.

(1) Does this mean the board is actually made by ATI or is it
probbaly made by someone else using an ATI Rage chip? (I didn't
think grahhics chip companies like ATI made complete graphics
boards.)

(2) Also on the circuit board it says "N625". What does this
mean?

(3) Another paper label (with a barcode) says R128 GL 32M" but I
can't find that on the Web.

(4) One of the chips has a paper label saying "R128 66501"

Can someone tell me what board this is and which of those bits of
info were ther key indentifiers.

---

Another question I would like to ask is .... is this graphics card
any better than the integrated video on modern boards using the
latest integrated graphics chips like the "NVIDIA nForce2 IGP"?

(E.G. the Asus AV8NX-VM motherboard)
Click to expand...

http://www.halfdone.com/Development/UnknownDevices/
 
I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
ATI does make their own graphics cards and they also sell their
chips to other manufacturers. Your board was made by ATI.


The card is a a RAGE 128 card with 32MB of RAM.
It could be an Expert 2000.


It's slower that the built-in video on that motherboard.
 
ATI solution

Sal Amie said:
I have this old graphics card which I am trying to identify. It is
labelled Sept 1999.

The circuit board has a logo on the circuit side which says
"graphics by ATI Rage 128"

On the components side of the circuit board it says ""C in a
circle"" (copyright) 1999 ATI Technologies Inc.

(1) Does this mean the board is actually made by ATI or is it
probbaly made by someone else using an ATI Rage chip? (I didn't
think grahhics chip companies like ATI made complete graphics
boards.)

(2) Also on the circuit board it says "N625". What does this
mean?

(3) Another paper label (with a barcode) says R128 GL 32M" but I
can't find that on the Web.

(4) One of the chips has a paper label saying "R128 66501"

Can someone tell me what board this is and which of those bits of
info were ther key indentifiers.

---

Another question I would like to ask is .... is this graphics card
any better than the integrated video on modern boards using the
latest integrated graphics chips like the "NVIDIA nForce2 IGP"?

(E.G. the Asus AV8NX-VM motherboard)
Click to expand...

Look for a number starting with S/N102*******
Mine turned out to be a radeon 7000 32M agp / vga - dell.
It only has the DVIl connector - nothing else!
You can look the 102 number up at the ATI website.
Gotta surf a bit to find the product look up page:-(
 
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