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Need information on this and also where to get RAM modules how much it takes

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Smack2k

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Broke open my old, first 486 today for a good cleaning before I put it all back together and power it on for some tests..found something out.

My video card is Trident TGUI9400CXi: - I think its a VGA graphics card...not 100% sure!

Trident Card.jpg

Trident Proc.jpg

As you can see here, all the RAM slots are empty as well. How much and what type of RAM do I need to fill this up to MAX Capacity?

Trident RAM.jpg

I know nothing about this card either, so not sure if pursuing RAM and cleaning it is worth it or not, so your help is appreciated!

Also, anywhere I can find good / bad info about this card? I didnt build this 486 (it was my first "PC" computer after Apples as a very young kid) and was built by my uncle who ran a computer business...so any help is appreciated!

Good for 486 gaming?
 
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It takes the regular 256k x 4 70ns FPM DRAMs like pretty much every other video card of the early '90s, but since they were used in so many different things, those chips are still somewhat in demand and can be a little tough to find for a reasonable price.

I wouldn't invest in one of those things anyway. Honestly, the main thing those Trident cards are good for, is harvesting the above mentioned RAM chips for use in upgrading better video cards. They're not very fast, they tend to be a bit buggy, and the video quality is mediocre at best. I mean, it'll work OK if that's all you have, but if you're going to spend the money on an upgrade, I'd just swap it out for something better... Cirrus Logic VLB cards can be had for not too terribly much money.
 
It is problably something along the lines of standard 1Mx1 or most problably 256Kx4 DRAM. The chipset doesn't seem to handle more than 2MB of RAM in total (in 256Kx16 banks), so it's certainly not 1Mx4 or 4Mx1.

Buying individual RAM chips these days is quite expensive, as mentioned. The best source is if you can find an old memory board to loan from.
 
Something like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cirrus-Logi...511?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item4d093d9c8f

Also, it has 8 slots on it, so that would put it at 2 MB if using the 256k correct?

Thanks...

Is this RAM correct type?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynamic-Ram...908?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6c2ef5b4

Doesnt seem horribly expensive, so I am guessing not the right stuff?

I have some old memory boards as well...I can just pull them from there?

Sorry still learning the older stuff as I didnt really become fully into the insides of PC / MAC until 2001 and on...before that just used it for games "as was given to me"
 
Well, someone will want it if it works. VLB video cards were never exactly common. It should be very good for a gaming machine running DOS or Win 3; there seems to have been some bugs with Win95.

RAM: If my sources are accurate, it has 1 MB [not that I can see it] and the sockets would increase the memory to 2 MB. Note that for most gaming uses the extra memory won't matter. I hope you have a manual for the specific model of card you have. I don't want to risk suggesting the wrong memory for your card.
 
I am trying to find that info right now as I have no manual on it. So with the 8 empty slots, adding another 1 MB really wont matter?
 
Something like this?
Click to expand...

That one is 1MB, and isn't easy to upgrade without some soldering skill... those empty pads are for two 256K x 16 chips like your Trident card has.

If I was going to buy such a thing, I'd go for something more like this or better yet, this, which have sockets that can be filled with a couple of these. Even buying the card and the chips separately, you still come out about even price-wise, compared to eight 256kx4 chips at $3-4 each (which seems to be about the usual eBay rate for 'em these days).

Edit:
Is this RAM correct type?
Click to expand...
I missed that part... no, that's not the right type, those are 256kx1, 120ns. Common numbers for the chips you need are 44256, 514256, and 81C4256, but there are a bunch of others too. Speed rating is usually the number after the dash at the end of the part number, -7 or -70 would be the 70ns ones you need. You might find some on an old memory board, but most such boards used the 256kx1 chips.
 
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Smack2k said:
Is this RAM correct type?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynamic-Ram...908?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6c2ef5b4

Doesnt seem horribly expensive, so I am guessing not the right stuff?

I have some old memory boards as well...I can just pull them from there?
Click to expand...

Those are only 256Kx1. You need 256Kx4.

$1.5 per chip may not seem much, but it is very expensive if you try to fill something like an EMS memory board with it. 8 banks with parity is typically 72 chips, so at $1.5 per chip then you have $108 woth of RAM on a filled board.
 
Thanks for all this...

Will take a look and make a choice...in the end, buying that JAX card and the extra RAM Chips (at $2.50 a piece) looks similar in total to filling my Trident with that RAM type..I will hook it up!!

As for the Cirrus card you linked to, with a lower price point...is it good to use for RPG / Adventure / Action games on a 486 with 256 MB memory installed?
 
Smack2k said:
Will take a look and make a choice...in the end, buying that JAX card and the extra RAM Chips (at $2.50 a piece) looks similar in total to filling my Trident with that RAM type..I will hook it up!!
Click to expand...
Keep in mind... your Trident may have been cannibalized because the card was hosed and only the ram was good. You could get ram for it and it still might not work.
 
I know the card worked last time it was on (a few years back) and hasnt moved from its slot until I took it out last night to clean it...so should be OK...

I found this info online for this line of cards...not sure if I am reading it right, but looks like there are several RAM options I can put into this card?

Trident 1.jpg

Trident 2.jpg

Also, is this the RAM type - http://www.ebay.com/itm/4X256-Dram-...651?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c46eecfb

Its 256x4 70ns as mentioned earlier.

Or, spending 25 bucks to get that JAX Card with the RAM upgrades may be the way to go...
 
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A lot of those Trident cards only came with 1MB to begin with... they were intended to be one thing and one thing only: cheap. Adding another meg of RAM would have also added to the cost. And 1MB of video memory was an acceptable amount at the time anyhow, since most people only used 800x600 or 1024x768, at 256 colors.

I found this info online for this line of cards...not sure if I am reading it right, but looks like there are several RAM options I can put into this card?
Click to expand...

That just describes the types of RAM that the chip will support. The design of the board you have only allows for 1MB of 256kx16 chips (the two that are soldered on) plus another 1MB in the form of eight 256kx4 DIP chips in the sockets.

Also, is this the RAM type - http://www.ebay.com/itm/4X256-Dram-D...item35c46eecfb
Click to expand...

Yep, those are the ones. And that's probably about as good a price as you're gonna find, unless you get lucky and find some in a junk box or something.

There's also another option for upgrading... use the Trident with 1MB for now, and keep an eye out for a deal on one of the really good VLB cards, like an S3 864 / Trio64, ATi Mach32/Mach64, or Cirrus GD543x based board. Once in awhile you can find one on eBay that doesn't have a ridiculous starting bid or BIN price.
 
What is a good price for those you listed to look for?

If I left it at 1 MB, what types of things CANT it do?

Also, if I did load up my current to 2MB...what types of things CANT it do? That would help me decide if I want to keep this as is, upgrade or get a new card...

I play mostly action / adventure / RPG games, so would want those to play the best they could on every machine I own in the end and will play each game based on the system it was meant for..

Thanks for all the help so far and not pointing out my stupidity as I learn the older stuff...my addiction to this is growing fast!
 
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With 1MB of RAM, the card would allow for 1024 x 768 but only up to 256 colors. 2MB of RAM will allow colors to increase to 65,536. Most VGA games were designed around 640x480 with 256 colors or lower resolutions and often fewer colors. If you plan on using high end photo manipulation software or 1996 era games, upgrade to 2MB. Note that even if you can run those on a 486, the experience is less than fun.
 
krebizfan said:
With 1MB of RAM, the card would allow for 1024 x 768 but only up to 256 colors. 2MB of RAM will allow colors to increase to 65,536. Most VGA games were designed around 640x480 with 256 colors or lower resolutions and often fewer colors. If you plan on using high end photo manipulation software or 1996 era games, upgrade to 2MB. Note that even if you can run those on a 486, the experience is less than fun.
Click to expand...

Cool, that really helps me out...

As far as 96 games...I'd probably use my Pentium 1 machine for those..that's running a TSENG ET4000/W32P so could use an upgrade I'd think to...these two in particular werent built by me and were setup by my mom and uncle, so I am sure she (mom) didnt get all high end stuff!!! All my other PC stuff I put together or was bought together...

But the Pentuim Upgrade questions will come later...dont want to clog multiple things here and irritate anyone!
 
Will these RAM chips work? If you want I'll sell you these memory chips.

They are un-tested though, so I'll sell it cheap.
 

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