The Blog

Leaking NiCad Batteries and Motherboards

Nix McRetro // 28th October 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs

I hate NiCad batteries. I hate them so much. The rechargeable barrel-style NiCd batteries used on many vintage computer motherboards are notorious for leaking and destroying nearby tracks and components. The electrolyte inside a NiCd cell is alkaline, primarily a potassium-hydroxide solution, rather than an acid. That distinction matters chemically,... Continue reading

Sega Dreamcast PAL VA0 Internal Update

Nix McRetro // 27th October 2012 // Sega, YouTube

Today I just couldn’t help myself. I opened up the PAL VA0 Dreamcast and took some proper photographs of the internals. It is definitely a VA0 board. There is no ambiguity there. PAL VA0 machines genuinely exist, although they are much less commonly documented than PAL VA1 consoles. This particular... Continue reading

Sega Dreamcast PAL Revision VA0

Nix McRetro // 25th October 2012 // News, Sega

A Dreamcast post? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Here’s a Dreamcast I picked up from the UK some time ago and somehow never properly wrote about after it arrived. It has shown a few problems, including occasional random restarts. That said, I’ve had it running Bomberman Online for about... Continue reading

IBM PS/2 Model 30 8086 Sound, Video and CPU Upgrades

Nix McRetro // 25th October 2012 // IBM PC, YouTube

Easiest to start with the CPU upgrade, I suppose. NEC V30 and 8087 I replaced the original 8 MHz 8086-2 with an 8 MHz NEC V30 and installed an 8087-2 math coprocessor. The V30 is a pin-compatible 8086 replacement and executes many instructions more efficiently. Running a few basic benchmarks... Continue reading

Osborne 486 Windows 95 Installation Demo

Nix McRetro // 24th October 2012 // IBM PC, YouTube

Finally got the video together. Windows 95 is installed and running on the Osborne 486. The CD-ROM drive works most of the time, but it is extremely selective about burned discs. With some burned discs, the system also tended to lock up. In my testing, the TDK Gold 80-minute CD-Rs... Continue reading