Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: keropi on March 03, 2005, 06:58:53 AM
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I have read several posts about a g-rex frying a BPPC... is it always true? or was the first bunch of g-rex's/bppc that where buggy? I won THIS (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5166848920&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT) auction, assuming it was working for the person that sold it, will I be OK?
I am waiting also to receive my p5 BPPC 603/200 060/60 ...
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HA!!!
That's to funny, I sold that a few months ago on Amibench.
I recognize the Burned CD. HE even has the same pinkish static bags I sold them in.... :lol:
As far as I could tell, it worked but I was having problems with my whole A1200 system and sold it in parts.
What I was told here on Amiga.ORG is that the FIRST version of the B-PPC does not work correctly with the G-Rex. I happen to have the first ver. in my Miggy so I sold everything seperatly. :boohoo:
Again, the cards on the G-Rex DID come up in the early startup sequence, only one at a time and inconsistantly (apparently the trade make of the wrong Accel. Ver.) so as far as I can tell you, it's a good-un.
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LOL!!! did I get it at a good prize? I wonder why he sold it...
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ah, and what's with the burned CD? Is it a backup or has newer version drivers inside?
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well luckily my bppc didnt die but my grexx did, it melted infact.
i was told it was a warrenty case so i sent it in for inspection/repairs ....bla bla so i bought a mediator instead and never looked back.
(got my grexx back after a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time and it wasnt repaird even..)
i know that some people has reported it killing their bppc in the fall aswell as the grexx itself.
hope you wont be one of them, also make sure you have a revision 2 or higher of your bppc or else the grexx will not work properly (or at all) .
good luck
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how can I see the BPPC revision? is it printed on the board?
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no you need to run a prog to tell you the version.
Yes you got the Grex FAR expensive (I was biding also) the new ones cost 69e .
The prog name is boardtype and you can find it in this page:
www.grex.amigaworld.de
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I think I payed just right, remember it also had a voodoo3 and an lan card... 90euros is fine, I was wondering how much the original seller sold it to the person on ebay...
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@keropi:
But you got a used Grex version 1, with only one DMA capable slot. The new ones from Vesalia for 69EUR come with two DMA capable slots (useful for Sound and RTG card, as this will releive the CPU).
Grex will work fine, as long as your BPPC is revision 2. It's a bit of a pain to fix and keep it connected to the logic-board and the PPC card. I think that provided bits that come with it for installation are as good as garbage, and you definitely need to fiure out by yourself exactly how and what to use in order to make it not so wobbly inside your case. The logic-board particulary likes to slowly disconnect itself from the PCI board, and something is needed to fix this sad connection (perhaps a hot glue gun).
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keropi wrote:
I think I payed just right, remember it also had a voodoo3 and an lan card... 90euros is fine, I was wondering how much the original seller sold it to the person on ebay...
Could just be me, but doesn't the advert say you get a Blizzard PPC too?
Sounds like a very good price to me.
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how do you know it is version 1????
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version 2 its the same old pcb but with a sticker on it labeling version 2 and some external wires. As I could see from the auction photo no such wires exists. These wires is to fix the second slot to gain dma, it was forgoten when the pcb was desinged
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damn....
but I could not care less about a 2nd DMA slot, all I want is to use a SOLO-1 sound card and the voodoo3...
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I had a G-Rex and it didn't fry my BPPC, but it did fry my A1200 mobo.
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keropi wrote:
damn....
but I could not care less about a 2nd DMA slot, all I want is to use a SOLO-1 sound card and the voodoo3...
Voodoo3 does not use busmaster anyway only the soundcard, ethernet and TVcards benefit from busmaster.
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@Keropi
The burned CD is updates of the software used for the G-Rex board. I happend to know since I was the one burning the CD, so now you know how my handwriting looks like :-D
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LOL doctorq , I can blackmail you somehow... !
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Just a notice for keropi.
Patient with his questions he is a newcomer to the amiga community . a pationate SWITCHER :banana:
he didn't knew what an amiga was before 5-6 months but is learning FAST!!! REALY FAST!
I belive that from now on he will help us more than we 'll help him ;-)
ViVa keropi , WELCOME to the straight road ! :angel:
:-D
out of subject but I couldn't resist I had to write it somewere! :-D
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Short answerr, no G-Rex is not a deepfryer for BPPC cards, it's a peice of amiga hardware that connects to the BPPC. ;-)
Bur seriously, I would never buy a G-Rex since they have a tendancy to fry them selves and sometimes taking the BPPC, motherboard or both with them in their fall. Many of these fatalitys might have something to do with the louse connection for the G-Rex, I dunno. To mee it all seem like a very poor peice of hardware rushed on the market at it's time and now long forgotten and still lacking in drivers, support and/or warranty (yes even NEW boards are sold without warranty).
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@Brian:
Agreed. Grex 1200 is not a very well implemented design. The word is that the 4000 version(s) are much better. The same rule applies for Mediator, that I can confirm. :-)
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thanx for your kind words stormlord! :-D You have helped me a lot, and with dumb questions too...
I'm gonna take my chances and use it...
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@x56h34
I have to dissagree with you there, it's not fair to stamp the mediator with same lable of crappy design as the G-rex. I agree that the A1200 CPU slot isn't realy made to hold a big busscard but it's far better than G-rex's solusion of hanging the busscard onto a mini connector (not ment to handle anything like it) of a card hanging in the CPU slot.
Again with G-rex as with Mediator are both much more sturdy in their bigbox Amiga version(s).
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Both mediator ang Grex for the 1200 has advantages and disadvantages. Grex have the mecanical problem, mediator is more sturdy in this, but grex is faster and no memory swaping because of the local bus connector that is using (thanks to ppc implementation) but lack support. As far as 4000 both are sturdier and none of them has the penalty speed from swaping memory. My needs on classic hardware is running 3.9 if I want 4.0 I will go to to something like ACK or better A1. so my choice is Grex for 1200 and Mediator for 4000, and thats because both support V3 cards some decent but low end Sound card and a TV tuner card (not realy a "need"). On A1200 you can connect ethernet via pcmcia and the speed is OK for classic amiga needs.
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Brian wrote:
@x56h34
I have to dissagree with you there, it's not fair to stamp the mediator with same lable of crappy design as the G-rex.
When I said "the same rule applies for Mediator" I meant that it is better in the A3000/A4000 flavor, compared to the A1200 version, and also better as far as functionality goes by all accounts.
I agree that the A1200 CPU slot isn't realy made to hold a big busscard but it's far better than G-rex's solusion of hanging the busscard onto a mini connector (not ment to handle anything like it) of a card hanging in the CPU slot.
Grex is in theory a better design as far as what it was supposed to deliver and how it delivered the goods, however the lack of support totally killed it and of course the very poor design which requires a lot of effort by the user to install it correctly and securely.
Mediator 1200 is worse in theory as far as delivery goes and how it delivers, however it fits much better in your case, compared to Grex 1200. Fitting it inside your case is much easier. Mediator of today is also much better than the Grex of today, obviously because Grex support stopped. In conclusion, no matter how crappy Grex 1200 design is, I will always like it for the simple fact that it doesn't rely on the sorry 8mb ZII memory window, as the Mediator does. It's a real shame that DCE didn't make it 100% well and supported, however the general idea of Grex and how it works was a better plan than what the Mediator was.
Again with G-rex as with Mediator are both much more sturdy in their bigbox Amiga version(s).
No question about this one. My point too, in the previous post. If anything, Mediator A3000/A4000 is better for not being crippled with the 8MB ZII memory window like the A1200 version.