Thanks Paul, I did not find my GA-EP45-DS3L until Dec. 16, 2008. Back then
they recommended ATI. I used WBM to find
www.ati.com. That was worse. ATI
was acquired by AMD so MBW was very confused.
One kind gentle whom I may have unfairly roasted suggested I check power. I
checked the ATX power cable and it was not tight, so I tightened it. I can
check +5, +12 and -12 (if present) on a SATA power cable. It is hard, and I
haven't gotten there yet, but it should be good, given a new 400W PSU. This
is the fourth PSU. The 3rd I sold because I falsely diagnosed a sympathetic
(harmonic) vibration. NOT the PSU but a bad bearing in the CPU fan. It is
good to sell good parts, one finds new friends. The first 250W PSU failed in
the manner described by kind gentleman I roasted. Using a multimeter I
showed the +12 rail had drooped. Then went to 400W. Now I will go backwards
and recheck the various boards offered me.
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I was not able to test voltages on SATA power cable, but did so on PCI
connector. Of academic interest: I have an USB/SATA adapter. With 3.5 HDDs
solution to drooping power was to buy new PSU. For 2.5 laptop HHDs my
USB/SATA adapter delivered +5V to power drive. Drill is: put non spinning
drive in freezer. Warm. Then use USB/SATA adapter to recover files. Discard
drive. +5V is sufficient power. However this trick does not work with SSD
drives. Requirement of +12V may be security measure. Hence: 1. this is one
more example of hardware specific hardware and 2. this is a reason I need to
make my new build work.
PCI voltages: Only +5V is present . I was able to find +5V and COM on some
pins shared on side A and B. Using probes on two PCI slots, I confirmed +5V.
First it peaks and then falls back, consistent with smart power management.
I may be able to confirm +5V on an old Fax/modem adapter but that would
require solder leads onto board. Useless idea.
Gigabyte does not make video adapters but does recommend ATI, now AMD. I
found that in 2008, ATI released ATI Wonder in a decades long series. In
2008 ATI still supported AGP. ATI Wonder evolved through CGA, MGA and VGA
for IBM compatible PCs. Apple is different. EVGA is now current. In 2008,
ATI even offered an ATI Wonder VGA with composite video for TV. Long ago I
may have owned an ATI Wonder, they were common.
Google search revealed such prices through the roof. Why would a low tech,
decrepit adapter appreciate in value? Supply and demand and hardware
specific hardware. There are many people trying to rescue old
hardware.Plug-n-Play only works in Microsoft Windows.
My task now is to fund a 2008 ATI Wonder PCI VGA adapter nearby and not to
pay hundred$ of dollars.
Ideas? eBay and Amazon are clip joints. Does any reader of this newsgroup
have a 2008 ATI Wonder PCI VGA adapter?
Thanks.