Alright, I have a 486 as seen in "Moments of Joy". However, I now need 72-PIN SIMM RAM modules for it but I'm unsure of which ones to use since I can find sweet **** all in regards to documentation and it came with no RAM modules either.

 

All I know is that it's an ICL DRS M75, it has an Intel 486 SX-25 CPU. I'll check for a motherboard brand name and model, but I think it's some sort of proprietary lark due to the fact it actually has peripheral ports on it.

 

Any advice and tips on what I should be buying would help as the furthest back I've worked is SDRAM on a Cyrix 6x86 CPU based system.

Take an old memory module out and find the sticker on it.

Take a picture of the sticker and post it up here.

 

Also any reason you're trying to save an SX... if it was a DX I'd understand

16 minutes ago, cheezemonkhai said:

Take an old memory module out and find the sticker on it.

Take a picture of the sticker and post it up here.

 

That's the issue, it didn't have any. All I know is it's an early one since it's socket 1/2 (LIF type) AFAIK.

 

16 minutes ago, cheezemonkhai said:

Also any reason you're trying to save an SX... if it was a DX I'd understand

 

It was my late father's when he was about my age, his first computer on a working wage as an apprentice for Ritchie's Printing in Kilmarnock, bought second hand around 1995/1996 we reckon. I've got almost everything there for it including the original Conner 100-and-something megabyte hard drive, a Sound Blaster 2.0, and a 256KB video card. Here's a photo of it... I have the blanking plate too for that 5 1/4" drive bay, plus a floppy drive from my Pentium II to go into it. It powers on, but doesn't get much further since there's no RAM.

 

Edited 14 January, 20224 yr by AnnoyingPentium

1 hour ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I'll check for a motherboard brand name and model

Well, that would be where I'd start, and probably finish since that or match the SIMMs you don't have were how we always bought RAM back in the day.

6 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

match the SIMMs you don't have were how we always bought RAM back in the day.

 

It would be great if I had any SIMMs at all for it, I should have specified. There's none at all, just rows of unpopulated slots since those were probably taken to another computer.

Okay there's no model number anywhere that I can access and pulling it apart is going to require a bit of time and effort at the moment. 

 

It's now a matter of finding someone with a good memory (pun fully intended) and experience with ICL computers of this era.

Are you sure they are 72 pin and not 60/30 pin?

 

 

Close up photo of memory slot would help. 72 pin have a gap in the middle of the slot

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIMM

Edited 14 January, 20224 yr by xman

As above, I'd have thought an SX/25 would be 30 pin. There's a few different sorts, the main difference if it's parity or none-parity, so it's probably best to start with some pictures of the board. 

59 minutes ago, xman said:

Close up photo of memory slot would help. 72 pin have a gap in the middle of the slot

 

Some photos of some perhaps relevant stuff.

 

 

 

Turns out that's a DX, no? The motherboard is proprietary to the PC case since it's not a standard AT fitment.

Edited 14 January, 20224 yr by AnnoyingPentium

Yes thats an early 486DX. And those are 72pin EDO ram slots. I might have a few in the loft somewhere amongst all the computer junk in the loft I've hoarded since god knows when.

 

Why would you want to ressurect a 486 system? Are you opening a museum?

 

It's been a while since I've had anything that age open, but I'm surprised that it's 72 pin RAM with that many slots. I wouldn't expect to see more than 4 slots for 72 pin. 30pin normally has more because it needs to be installed in pairs. If it is 72 pin, 486's would normally be FPM rather than EDO, but EDO will almost always work. 

2 hours ago, xman said:

Why would you want to ressurect a 486 system?

 

Purely curiosity as I did with my other systems, plus it was my late father's computer.

Thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

I also may have some relevent bits but I'm a) away from home at the moment and b) tied up with jury service for (hopefully) the next couple of weeks.  On my next home visit I will delve into the dusty corners and take a look-see.  Sorry it can't be any quicker.

 

1 hour ago, MikeTheThinker said:

I also may have some relevent bits but I'm a) away from home at the moment and b) tied up with jury service for (hopefully) the next couple of weeks.  On my next home visit I will delve into the dusty corners and take a look-see.  Sorry it can't be any quicker.

 

 

Thanks Mike, there's no rush to get it running. 

AP- something to aware of is that RAM comes with speeds. I've found that certain boards require RAM to have a set speed, but if the RAM speed exceeds the speed the board needs/ the other set is slower, then the board will run at the speed of the slower one. e.g. I've uprated my system from an Asus A55 to an Intel A5, but with same RAM. Old board would only run RAM at 1330, but new board runs at 1600. Results is  that FSB runs at faster speed. Meaning faster processing.

48 minutes ago, VWD said:

AP- something to aware of is that RAM comes with speeds. I've found that certain boards require RAM to have a set speed, but if the RAM speed exceeds the speed the board needs/ the other set is slower, then the board will run at the speed of the slower one. e.g. I've uprated my system from an Asus A55 to an Intel A5, but with same RAM. Old board would only run RAM at 1330, but new board runs at 1600. Results is  that FSB runs at faster speed. Meaning faster processing.

 

Ah yes. With this system I don't know the speed as there's no paperwork, so it's a gamble really.

 

I've been building other PC systems for quite a long time now, so am familiar with FSB speeds etc in relation to RAM etc, such as my 300MHz Celeron system using a 66MHz front-side-bus as well, of which the RAM used the same frequency speed to run at.

Wow, blast from the past there.  Used to use those when i worked for ICL, back in the mid 90's.  Just around the time they started rolling in the FujitsuICL Pentiums.

I've got a boxful of memory modules too, anyone needs anything for old machines its available for postage. Anyone interested I'll spread it out and post a pic.

1 hour ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

I've got a boxful of memory modules too, anyone needs anything for old machines its available for postage. Anyone interested I'll spread it out and post a pic.

 

I'll mibbie send you a PM in the morning.

Sorry - 486 a "bit" too advanced for me. But my suggestion, ask one of the "big" memory firms( e.g. Crucial) for help. Or an alternative is a car boot/market. One thing I've been told at this sort of place in days of old was that the type was important and that faster speeds would still work, but the speed of the slowest chip.

Another place to look for help is "vintage" forums, where they have folks with older computers etc.

Edited 1 May, 20224 yr by VWD
addition

6 minutes ago, VWD said:

Sorry - 486 a "bit" too advanced for me. But my suggestion, ask one of the "big" memory firms( e.g. Crucial) for help. Or an alternative is a car boot/market. One thing I've been told at this sort of place in days of old was that the type was important and that faster speeds would still work, but the speed of the slowest chip.

Another place to look for help is "vintage" forums, where they have folks with older computers etc.

 

I'll have a wee shot of the car boot sale in Ayr next weekend. I've usually had some decent results. There's also a couple of sellers I've used online before, so the plan is to get some matching sets from one of those. 

 

I'm also a member of the Vogons computer forums although I haven't used much of that membership yet.

 

Currently the 486 is laid up while I sort out my later Windows 98 system so I can run some legacy applications that a VM won't work with.

Memory flash(yep, it's a pun). Many years ago, I did work for an IT firm and often got "odds & sods" they'd been asked to dispose of. One of these was an old Apple Laser printer ,that gone to meet it's maker. Another was a set of speakers I still use. Last, but not least, was an old PC , which struggled to run W98. The intention was for it to give my granddaughter a PC.

The PC on last memory is sitting in son's place. If it's any help, I'll ask him it it's there and what sort of board is fitted.

AP - might be a bit too old for you, but I've still got a copy of Norton 4.5 on my HDD. I found it great for sorting out floppy problems on the old 286 and even into W95, although it was better on older DOS.

1 hour ago, VWD said:

AP - might be a bit too old for you, but I've still got a copy of Norton 4.5 on my HDD. I found it great for sorting out floppy problems on the old 286 and even into W95, although it was better on older DOS.

 

I'd like that. I'll PM you my email later on today.

AP - I've posted "help" on another site I post on, and I've had a reply that "4/8/16/64 sizes from eBay. ".