Running an AS/400e 9046-170 with 3dfx PCI video

[EverythingIBM]

So I recently ordered some parts to get a perfect cosmetic AS/400e (system type 9046). It's the 170 variant. The base system is still in the mail. I don't believe it has a tape drive, but I don't care anyways because I wouldn't have tapes for it. That will be an issue if I need to do a backup of the system-- which presumably could be used to redeploy everything on different HDDs. Another worrying thing is the whole OS licensing... going to have to figure out how to extract the license from the existing installation.

After doing some research, I noticed there was an S3 PCI video card FRU. Now, it is presumable that said video card has a POWER BIOS instead of x86. I am going to try to get a 3dfx PCI card weaseled into the AS/400e-- I am hoping if the x86 BIOS doesn't work (which will most likely be the case) if I can put on the mac POWER BIOS.

I was finally able to get the manuals for the system, presently glossing over them. It's quite interesting, uses a netfinity daughtercard to run the webhosting elements. Another thing to note is that it uses PAPST fans, unusual for late 90's systems. Too bad intellistations don't use PAPST...

Because I am going to mod my Model F 122, I will not be buying an infowindow. Going to do my best to get the terminal-ing done over the ethernet card. Don't really want to use a discreet terminal anyways.

Anywho, I'll report back here with the results of the science experiments.

 

[deathshadow]

The Mac "power" bios isn't actually PPC if I remember correctly, it's F-Code (aka "open firmware"). I'm not sure that a Northstar CPU based IBM is new enough to support that.

Don't quote me on that though... I'm struggling with something similar on my newly acquired Sun Blade 2K.

 

[EverythingIBM]

So some bad news:
#1 UPS must have smashed the AS/400e against the ground as all of the PCI cards were bent from their I/O panels at 40 degrees-- meaning they just torched the PCI slots. The SCSI controller may potentially be dead as a result-- if it's not, it requires to be in that specific slot which I think is the case. The bezel was smashed up too, but I already had a complete replacement for that, so not an issue.
#2 it doesn't have the optional netfinity daughterboard (guess I'll have to hunt one down). At least the AS/400 board has fully populated memory.

Well I'm a bit sad about it all really. Going to be delayed until I get it fixed.