As others have mentioned, a j-tip is better for drag soldering, but also use more flux, like a lot more, make sure you have a completely clean tip (giggedy) before you start, and apply only the tiniest amount of solder to your iron, use a slightly higher temperature to make the solder a little more fluid, if you're at 315c for example, then try using 325-335c instead, and drag the excess along the pads until it's all in one spot at the very end, and if it can't be redistributed across the pins cause there's too much then wipe away the excess and thoroughly clean your tip in brass wool each time until it's all gone. Even though I can do drag soldering, I rarely use it as I don't like risking delicate pins with the technique as I don't have the correct tip for it.
I _really_ don't like the bevel tip for drag soldering, even with practice. The J/hook tip is my favorite because it gives you a balance between having a solder reservoir and precision, and all you have to do is adjust your angle to "pour" the reservoir or not. The downside is that the only type of system I've seen with more than one size of J tip is the JBC/JBC clone system, and my soldering station is not such a system. I really should upgrade; I've had the same knockoff Hakko 936 for more than a decade.
I remember now having exactly one of those 50Mhz models. It was 1999 and they were up for grabs. I got it for free because it was artifacting and running hot as hell. It did not matter much, since we only wanted it to play Quake on a lan party. I ended hooking a Pentium II radiator, with fans, on it. Then I installed the thing on a heavily overclocked Pentium 120 I found on a trash can. To increase the airflow I removed the front of the case and installed some big fans in there. The monstrosity worked very well during the whole party, but it spontaneously catched fire not long after it.
I used the 2nd technique on a few Voodoo2s and it worked fine. Dragging a solder tip on those thin legs sideways can bend them to the side and they end up touching and sticking together. Then it'll be quite difficult to pry them apart without damaging the pads under them :(
Yes, I agree. You have to be very careful. Voodoo 2 legs may even be a bit thinner than the ones on the original Voodoo card. I haven't had the pleasure to work on Voodoo 2s yet.
I am really curious what the maximum stable frequencies of the Voodoo 1 cards are. I always wondered why 3dfx never released in 1997 higher frequency Voodoo 1s to consolidate their dominance, at 55, 60 or even 65 mhz, since many of those cards are capable of running / overclocking at those frequencies.
A Voodoo at 60MHz does speed up games noticably. I wonder why some manufacturers put 66MHz memory on them (I don't think it was due to availability). I guess it's time for some research...
Nice work! I use the same “dab a few pins at a time” method and it works well for me. I’ve tried drag soldering with a few different tips but just get a lot of bridges too. As others have said the delicate pins make it a bit riskier too. I always say just do whatever works best for you and feels most comfortable 👍
I have big practice resoldering those kind of chips. Its doesnt really matter what kind of a tip to use, just use the smallest one. A lot of flux and a braid wick is your friends. Just form a ball of solder and drug it through all legs on four sides, dont scare if some solder left on the end of the line - just remove exhausted solder after with a braid wick. Very fast and easy. Bottom PCB heater helps a lot BTW.
I personally don't like drag soldering on these delicate legs, I use a pointed tip and solder each leg individually, I don't have anything fancy just an Andonstar Microscope hooked up to an old 22" Dell monitor and it makes it soooo much easier, I don't even look at the card or board I'm soldering anymore, just the screen, with the pointed tip I can see each leg take solder on and you can watch it run up the leg and fill the pad behind too, drag soldering is probably quicker but I'm not in a race I just want it right so I take my time, sometimes you still get a bridge but just cleaning the tip off and applying a little more flux and dragging away from the leg pulls it back onto the tip quite easily, clean clean clean and flux flux flux and soldering is made way easier, love your videos. 👍
You're doing good work resurrecting those old classics - they are such an awesome part of gaming history that really needs to be preserved. Besides Banshees, which appear to be as unpopular as 25 years ago 😂, functioning and affordable models are getting quite scarce. You're also becoming quite the expert on Voodoo 1 cards, thanks for letting us take part in the process! Some day I want to fix myself a Righteous 3D too. Currently, I only have a *very* broken Monster 3D II - let me know if you're interested in an *extreme* challenge, we're talking burned memory modules. 😅 The TMUs and the 500-0009-01 at least look visually ok though, so there may still be hope. Furthermore, I would like to take this opportunity to perform a public dance of joy for winning the Xinfraredx InfiRay P2 Pro! 🕺🏻 The folks at Xinfraredx are really kind and it looks like I'll receive it soon. I'm already so excited about it and coming up with ideas about all the things I will be able to use it for every day - it will be a game changer for many things for sure. 😊
Congratulations on winning the InfiRay P2 Pro! Hopefully you will get it soon - definitely let me know once you get it and what you think about it! I do have a few Voodoo cards coming my way that will be a challenge, but I am willing to try my best and increase the difficulty over time - I am learning with each card that I am able to fix. If it is possible to get the card to Dubai somehow, I could give it a try. You can contact me figuring out the details using the email address found in the "About" register of my channel. Congrats once more!
@@bitsundbolts Thank you! You bet I'll let everyone and their mom know about my new favorite tool, whether they're interested or not. 😆 I was hoping you would say that about my Voodoo 2, there's nothing like a good challenge, right? I'll mail you details and good pictures asap, so that you can get a good idea of what you would be getting yourself into. 😉 If it turns out to be beyond repair, it may at least serve as a donor for another card. I believe I will be able to get the card to you easily.
Interesting video! A 60 mhz Voodoo 1 would have competed much better against the newer Riva 128, Matrox G200 or Intel i740. And the 1997-1998 games would have run significantly better. But sadly 3dfx never released a 60 mhz Voodoo 1. As far as know the fastest Voodoo 1 ever released was the Diamond Monster 3D which had a special option to run at 57.5 mhz, 15% faster than all other Voodoo 1 cards.
If there is too much old tin on the legs of the IC, you can remove it using a desoldering wick and then apply new tin. These tips come in several sizes, maybe this particular size doesn't suit you. Flux in large quantities solves problems ;) You may be using too much tin, this tip was designed for soldering new ICs with the one already soldered. Either way, practice will quickly improve your technique, remember not to overheat the IC. Regards.
I use a bevel tip because I tend to do a lot of work that varies in size so I tend to use the soldering iron upside down so I have a smaller part of the tip to use.
My guess for why the pins come loose is board flexion. Stack enough boards on top of each other and they'll flex because of the I/O bracket holds up one side. Although this card looks in pretty good condition, so I'm surprised that many pins were disconnected. As for soldering QFPs, I use a blade tip and the flood with solder then wick method. It's pretty lazy, and you do get some bridges, but I always check for continuity between adjacent pins afterwards anyway.
I was surprised as well with the number of pins lifted from the pads. The card looked like it was in pristine condition. So, your assumption may be correct with flexion.
Yeah, sellers saying cards work properly when there is something wrong is a problem with old and new cards. I recently bought a radeon card sold as working, the card actually had a modified bios that was broken (or corrupted but I'm guessing the card was a modded crypto mining special), causing the Windows drivers to fail (probably worked fine in linux). Fun times trying to find the problem. Sure the card worked enough to get into Windows with the Microsoft Basic Display Driver but I don't buy a 3d card for only 2D. It was cheap though and an easy fix once I figured out the problem so I'm only a bit annoyed about how much time of mine was wasted.
Yo, i hope you read this! Please test your 4mb to 8mb mod with the game Quake III, it will definitely benefit from additional memory, as it benefits from 12mb on voodoo2,
Would do you think would be ways to attach a heatsink and/or fan to these cards? Since they don't have holes or hooks to attach those to. And for a fan, would you use a regular molex connector or try to have the card power the fan?
what brand/part# of flux is that? i like a good flux that stays clear while you're actually heating it. most discolor, and make it hard to keep working without cleaning it off regularly.
Hi, thanks for pointing this out. I was not aware of that point. I have removed the links since I don't know. I do not want to promote non-genuine products. Unfortunately, it will stay in the video.
As others have mentioned, a j-tip is better for drag soldering, but also use more flux, like a lot more, make sure you have a completely clean tip (giggedy) before you start, and apply only the tiniest amount of solder to your iron, use a slightly higher temperature to make the solder a little more fluid, if you're at 315c for example, then try using 325-335c instead, and drag the excess along the pads until it's all in one spot at the very end, and if it can't be redistributed across the pins cause there's too much then wipe away the excess and thoroughly clean your tip in brass wool each time until it's all gone.
Even though I can do drag soldering, I rarely use it as I don't like risking delicate pins with the technique as I don't have the correct tip for it.
Wow. That takes me back. Diamond Monster 3D. Quake 1, Quake 2, Capture the Flag, Rocket Jumps. Dual Celeron on Super Micro. Good times.
I love to see these repairs, even the simpler ones. It's good to see one more come back to life
I _really_ don't like the bevel tip for drag soldering, even with practice. The J/hook tip is my favorite because it gives you a balance between having a solder reservoir and precision, and all you have to do is adjust your angle to "pour" the reservoir or not. The downside is that the only type of system I've seen with more than one size of J tip is the JBC/JBC clone system, and my soldering station is not such a system. I really should upgrade; I've had the same knockoff Hakko 936 for more than a decade.
epic fix. cant wait to see how the monster turns out.
Great to see another Voodoo repaired, looking forward to the next ones!
I remember now having exactly one of those 50Mhz models. It was 1999 and they were up for grabs. I got it for free because it was artifacting and running hot as hell. It did not matter much, since we only wanted it to play Quake on a lan party. I ended hooking a Pentium II radiator, with fans, on it. Then I installed the thing on a heavily overclocked Pentium 120 I found on a trash can. To increase the airflow I removed the front of the case and installed some big fans in there. The monstrosity worked very well during the whole party, but it spontaneously catched fire not long after it.
😂 Ahhh, good times!
@@bitsundbolts The best ones! I was enjoying those machines much more than my current rig!
I used the 2nd technique on a few Voodoo2s and it worked fine. Dragging a solder tip on those thin legs sideways can bend them to the side and they end up touching and sticking together. Then it'll be quite difficult to pry them apart without damaging the pads under them :(
Yes, I agree. You have to be very careful. Voodoo 2 legs may even be a bit thinner than the ones on the original Voodoo card. I haven't had the pleasure to work on Voodoo 2s yet.
I am really curious what the maximum stable frequencies of the Voodoo 1 cards are. I always wondered why 3dfx never released in 1997 higher frequency Voodoo 1s to consolidate their dominance, at 55, 60 or even 65 mhz, since many of those cards are capable of running / overclocking at those frequencies.
A Voodoo at 60MHz does speed up games noticably. I wonder why some manufacturers put 66MHz memory on them (I don't think it was due to availability). I guess it's time for some research...
Nice work! I use the same “dab a few pins at a time” method and it works well for me. I’ve tried drag soldering with a few different tips but just get a lot of bridges too. As others have said the delicate pins make it a bit riskier too. I always say just do whatever works best for you and feels most comfortable 👍
That Diamond Monster 3D card looks like a good project for a "repair for hell" video.
Absolutely! But somehow I have more hopes fixing that Diamond Monster 3D than the Voodoo 3 mentioned at the end of the video.
Great job! To get better solder points, either dab in and out (like you did), or drag over the pad (with chisel tip) and not the pin!
I did notice my mistake after watching my own footage. You are absolutely right, I shouldn't have dragged the tip over the pins.
I have big practice resoldering those kind of chips. Its doesnt really matter what kind of a tip to use, just use the smallest one. A lot of flux and a braid wick is your friends. Just form a ball of solder and drug it through all legs on four sides, dont scare if some solder left on the end of the line - just remove exhausted solder after with a braid wick. Very fast and easy. Bottom PCB heater helps a lot BTW.
I personally don't like drag soldering on these delicate legs, I use a pointed tip and solder each leg individually, I don't have anything fancy just an Andonstar Microscope hooked up to an old 22" Dell monitor and it makes it soooo much easier, I don't even look at the card or board I'm soldering anymore, just the screen, with the pointed tip I can see each leg take solder on and you can watch it run up the leg and fill the pad behind too, drag soldering is probably quicker but I'm not in a race I just want it right so I take my time, sometimes you still get a bridge but just cleaning the tip off and applying a little more flux and dragging away from the leg pulls it back onto the tip quite easily, clean clean clean and flux flux flux and soldering is made way easier, love your videos. 👍
You're doing good work resurrecting those old classics - they are such an awesome part of gaming history that really needs to be preserved. Besides Banshees, which appear to be as unpopular as 25 years ago 😂, functioning and affordable models are getting quite scarce. You're also becoming quite the expert on Voodoo 1 cards, thanks for letting us take part in the process! Some day I want to fix myself a Righteous 3D too. Currently, I only have a *very* broken Monster 3D II - let me know if you're interested in an *extreme* challenge, we're talking burned memory modules. 😅 The TMUs and the 500-0009-01 at least look visually ok though, so there may still be hope.
Furthermore, I would like to take this opportunity to perform a public dance of joy for winning the Xinfraredx InfiRay P2 Pro! 🕺🏻 The folks at Xinfraredx are really kind and it looks like I'll receive it soon. I'm already so excited about it and coming up with ideas about all the things I will be able to use it for every day - it will be a game changer for many things for sure. 😊
Congratulations on winning the InfiRay P2 Pro! Hopefully you will get it soon - definitely let me know once you get it and what you think about it! I do have a few Voodoo cards coming my way that will be a challenge, but I am willing to try my best and increase the difficulty over time - I am learning with each card that I am able to fix. If it is possible to get the card to Dubai somehow, I could give it a try. You can contact me figuring out the details using the email address found in the "About" register of my channel. Congrats once more!
@@bitsundbolts Thank you! You bet I'll let everyone and their mom know about my new favorite tool, whether they're interested or not. 😆 I was hoping you would say that about my Voodoo 2, there's nothing like a good challenge, right? I'll mail you details and good pictures asap, so that you can get a good idea of what you would be getting yourself into. 😉 If it turns out to be beyond repair, it may at least serve as a donor for another card. I believe I will be able to get the card to you easily.
Interesting video! A 60 mhz Voodoo 1 would have competed much better against the newer Riva 128, Matrox G200 or Intel i740. And the 1997-1998 games would have run significantly better. But sadly 3dfx never released a 60 mhz Voodoo 1. As far as know the fastest Voodoo 1 ever released was the Diamond Monster 3D which had a special option to run at 57.5 mhz, 15% faster than all other Voodoo 1 cards.
Ah, the acute disconnectitis. Got that on one of my cards.
We call those 'hoof' tips. Also, predrying/preheating the board would make the process go a bit smoother in the future.
I live in Dubai, it's pretty hot here by default. Just kidding, it's quite humid sometimes. Need to get a preheating plate some day.
Nice to see that you used several hundred micropauls of flux
If there is too much old tin on the legs of the IC, you can remove it using a desoldering wick and then apply new tin.
These tips come in several sizes, maybe this particular size doesn't suit you.
Flux in large quantities solves problems ;)
You may be using too much tin, this tip was designed for soldering new ICs with the one already soldered.
Either way, practice will quickly improve your technique, remember not to overheat the IC.
Regards.
I use a bevel tip because I tend to do a lot of work that varies in size so I tend to use the soldering iron upside down so I have a smaller part of the tip to use.
My guess for why the pins come loose is board flexion. Stack enough boards on top of each other and they'll flex because of the I/O bracket holds up one side. Although this card looks in pretty good condition, so I'm surprised that many pins were disconnected.
As for soldering QFPs, I use a blade tip and the flood with solder then wick method. It's pretty lazy, and you do get some bridges, but I always check for continuity between adjacent pins afterwards anyway.
I was surprised as well with the number of pins lifted from the pads. The card looked like it was in pristine condition. So, your assumption may be correct with flexion.
Yeah, sellers saying cards work properly when there is something wrong is a problem with old and new cards. I recently bought a radeon card sold as working, the card actually had a modified bios that was broken (or corrupted but I'm guessing the card was a modded crypto mining special), causing the Windows drivers to fail (probably worked fine in linux). Fun times trying to find the problem. Sure the card worked enough to get into Windows with the Microsoft Basic Display Driver but I don't buy a 3d card for only 2D. It was cheap though and an easy fix once I figured out the problem so I'm only a bit annoyed about how much time of mine was wasted.
Heatsinks attached with thermal epoxy should be lesson 1 for retro card owners. A shame someone didn't learn before ruining (probably) a Voodoo 3 😭
Yo, i hope you read this! Please test your 4mb to 8mb mod with the game Quake III, it will definitely benefit from additional memory, as it benefits from 12mb on voodoo2,
Of course I read all comments :) I will try it on Quake some day - thanks for the suggestion!
@@bitsundbolts quake 3 arena to be exact, thanks for the reply!
I prefer a knife tip for drag soldering, or most soldering to be honest 😜
Would do you think would be ways to attach a heatsink and/or fan to these cards? Since they don't have holes or hooks to attach those to. And for a fan, would you use a regular molex connector or try to have the card power the fan?
You did use the right flux, but not the rossmann recommended amount of it.
😂 Very true! It must be swimming in flux!
I'm sitting here asking myself, "I wonder if he could make a better graphics card with PCBWay"
Hehe, I doubt that. You have seen my drag-soldering-skills in this video, haven't you?
This card was in working condition... when it came from the factory 😅
what brand/part# of flux is that? i like a good flux that stays clear while you're actually heating it. most discolor, and make it hard to keep working without cleaning it off regularly.
Amtech NC-559. Links are in the video description.
@@bitsundbolts The AliExpress one is "Made in China". Isn't the genuine one always "Made in USA"?
Hi, thanks for pointing this out. I was not aware of that point. I have removed the links since I don't know. I do not want to promote non-genuine products. Unfortunately, it will stay in the video.
awesome, i'll try and dig some up.
@@bitsundbolts where is the one you were using made? If the China one is okay, then why not using it...
Say it with me,
you can do it.
Ahh you didn't show us the working card. I feel cheated.
Oh, I'm sorry... Don't know how I could have missed that. Trust me, it's working 😅
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