a problem with my 486

[smeezekitty]

ok i have thsi old packard bell
486/25
12mb ram
130watt psu
and lately the psu is getting to hot to touch and the fan sounds really odd
what could be causing this?

[Karnac]

PSU is on the way out...might want to change it before it takes something else with it....

[smeezekitty]

thats what i thought

[soybean]

Finding a PSU that will fit in that will be difficult, I believe.  It's not a standard ATX case.  Bout time to send that one to the computer museum, isn't it?  I used to have a Packard Bell 486 with a 25Mhz processor when new (later upgraded to 75MHz CPU) but it's long gone now.

[smeezekitty]

i really like old stuff
and thats why i argue with BC_programmer

[BC_Programmer]

I still have a Pentium 75mhz thinkpad, myself actually. I mostly used it for older DOS games, like (lol) Sopwith, my favourite DOS game ever. (heh, it uses CGA). but it doesn't work anymore. oh well.


is this an older PSU that uses the good ol' P8 and P9 connectors, or a 20-pin connector? I believe you can get adapters that go one way or the other.


by sounds odd- do you mean it's louder?

[smeezekitty]

sounds like a loud hummming noise
and suddenly it will go quite
and then start getting louder

[BC_Programmer]

sounds like my old k6-2 before I replaced the power supply- it worked just fine, for over 3 years after it began that, (it never failed though... I ended up replacing the beast).

but that was a 20-Pin ATX PSU, pretty easy to come by.

[smeezekitty]

one more thing is the CD-ROM drive doesnt work
its setup in an odd way
the cd rom is pluged into a sound card
that is pluged into an ISA slot in a splitter card that turns
the 1 ISA on the motherboard into 3
but the cdrom doesnt work
and the drivers cannot detect the sound card or cdrom
any ideas?

[patio]

This was common in older PC's.
Try removing and re-seating the sound card and re-install the drivers...
Unfortunately if the sound card is dead=no CDRom.

[smeezekitty]

the sound cad works if i drive it as if it was a creatve sound blaster
but if i use it as it is (reveal) the driver does not detect it

[soybean]

the sound cad works if i drive it as if it was a creatve sound blaster
but if i use it as it is (reveal) the driver does not detect it

So, use it with Creative's driver.   

[squall_01]

ok i have thsi old packard bell
486/25
12mb ram
130watt psu
and lately the psu is getting to hot to touch and the fan sounds really odd
what could be causing this?

dust is probably clogging it. 

[mroilfield]

dust is probably clogging it. 

As old as that thing is it would be dirt clogging not dust.