WTB: ISA video card VGA

[Mike Chambers]

i'm actually looking for better than VGA. i need an ISA video card that will do at least 1024x768 @ 256 color or better. (prefer 16-bit color or better if possible)

the cirrus logic VGA card in my 286 can only do 640x480 @ 256 color and it is nearly impossible to use arachne like that. i would very much prefer a VESA compatible card.

let me know if you have something you're willing to part with, thanks! i will pay you, or if you prefer i can trade you something. let me know if there's something you're looking for and i'll let you know if i have it.

 

[Trixter]

If you still need this in a week or two, email me; I have a few 16-bit ISA cards that do VGA (they'll do VESA with UNIVBE/Scitech Display Doctor).

My cirrus logic boards do 640x480 @ 24-bit color and 1024x768 @ 256... are you sure your board doesn't? I never saw a cirrus logic that couldn't do those...

Now, if you want an 8-bit VGA board, those are much harder to come by. Some 16-bit boards will work in an 8-bit slot but that's always a crap shoot.

 

[Mike Chambers]

actually, mine is an 8-bit card. i move it back and forth between my XT and 286. what i'd like to do is just keep it in the XT, along with the monochrome card i have for it (dual monitor w00t)

with the cirrus card i've never been able to do more than 640x480 @ 256 color in either windows 3.x or arachne. i have tried using the scitech software, no help. it doesn't make sense though, as i'm almost positive it's got 512 KB of memory on it. if thats the case i SHOULD be able to do 800x600 @ 4-bit but it just doesn't seem to want to do it. whenever i try to google up some info on this thing i can't find anything. not even on th99.

i used to have another 16-bit SVGA card years ago, unfortunately have no clue what happened to it.

 

[vwestlife]

Now, if you want an 8-bit VGA board, those are much harder to come by. Some 16-bit boards will work in an 8-bit slot but that's always a crap shoot.

My CompuAdd 810 came with an 8-bit Western Digital VGA card. It's just a basic 256K VGA card. I replaced it with a 1024K 16-bit Super VGA card that works fine in an 8-bit slot. Many 16-bit cards will work in an 8-bit slot but with reduced functionality (slower speed and/or loss of 16-bit-specific features): sound cards, Ethernet cards, I/O cards (serial/parallel ports), etc.

Anyway, if you want to get really historical, IBM itself released an 8-bit VGA card in 1987, as an add-on for non-PS/2 computers. It is a full-length card with only an 8-bit ISA connector.

p.s. There are also some 8-bit ISA cards which do not work in a 16-bit slot, such as the original IBM CGA board which is so big that it "hangs down" immediately behind the 8-bit connector and thus gets in the way of the extended part of a 16-bit ISA slot. I actually hacked that part off on one slot of a 386SX motherboard because all it had were 16-bit slots and I wanted to use some of these oversized 8-bit cards on it.

 

[IBMMuseum]

...Anyway, if you want to get really historical, IBM itself released an 8-bit VGA card in 1987, as an add-on for non-PS/2 computers. It is a full-length card with only an 8-bit ISA connector...

It did work in the 8086-based Model 30 too, so one PS/2...

The VRAM was minimal too, although it did have connections for some elusive daughtercard. Anybody know where is? I thought it interesting too to find a Video 7 card with exactly the same form-factor and daughtercard pinouts, being a 16-bit adapter.

 

[kb2syd]

Wasn't the "daughtercard" connector the VGA feature connector, but put out in header pins instead of card edge?
Two links of interest:
http://www.answers.com/topic/vga-feature-connector?cat=technology
http://www.answers.com/topic/vesa-advanced-feature-connector?cat=technology

 

[Mike Chambers]

My CompuAdd 810 came with an 8-bit Western Digital VGA card. It's just a basic 256K VGA card. I replaced it with a 1024K 16-bit Super VGA card that works fine in an 8-bit slot. Many 16-bit cards will work in an 8-bit slot but with reduced functionality (slower speed and/or loss of 16-bit-specific features): sound cards, Ethernet cards, I/O cards (serial/parallel ports), etc.

Anyway, if you want to get really historical, IBM itself released an 8-bit VGA card in 1987, as an add-on for non-PS/2 computers. It is a full-length card with only an 8-bit ISA connector.

p.s. There are also some 8-bit ISA cards which do not work in a 16-bit slot, such as the original IBM CGA board which is so big that it "hangs down" immediately behind the 8-bit connector and thus gets in the way of the extended part of a 16-bit ISA slot. I actually hacked that part off on one slot of a 386SX motherboard because all it had were 16-bit slots and I wanted to use some of these oversized 8-bit cards on it.

8-bit is definitely slower. my CL card is painfully slow for some reason. it's crazy. say i'm doing something like IRC chatting from an XT with that card. you can actually watch the screen update. if i do the same thing but take the VGA out and put in a monochrome card it's literally twice as fast. i dunno if it's just a poorly designed card, a shoddy chipset, or maybe it has been damaged somehow. i don't know, but it is really bad and i'm about ready to throw it out the window.

the only reason i even use it in my XT is because it's a normal 25-pin VGA output that i can route through my 4-port KVM.

can't do that with the mono TTL 9-pin out card and i don't feel like hooking up the old 12 inch amber phosphor display and trying to make room on the desk.

 

[Druid6900]

I'm guessing you meant "15 pin VGA output", Mike.

If you can come up with the Brand and Model of some that you KNOW works in an 8 bit slot, I would be happy to look through all my ISA video cards for them.

 

[cudasales]

I have a Trident ISA Video Card that is Tested and Works Great (Just pulled from an old 486)
I also have a Diamond VLB Card but I have not had a chance to test it.

 

[Jorg]

I'm sure a have a spare 16 bit OAK -77 card with 512 mb somewhere, but I guess you are in the US, IIRC