Packard Bell Multimedia 7950 Vintage PC from 1999!!
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2023
- Let's explore this awesome Packard Bell Multimedia PC from 1999 and see what's inside. Is it is good condition? Does it Post? In this video we will do a complete overview, answer these questions and attempt to restore this beautiful vintage computer back to its former glory.
#nostalgia #retropc #vintage #ewaste #packardbell #intel #celeron #pentium #restoration #pcrepair #multimedia
22:57 "You only need to sign up to the Internet once."
You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave!
Hahah yup
The first computer my dad bought for the family was a Packard Bell Multimedia something-or-other in 1994 with a 33MHz 486. My dad said it was a Pentium which I learned later didn't exist at that speed...so my dad probably just lied and told us that's what it was. He did eventually upgrade it to a 66 MHz though. Wish I knew what the model number was. Great find!
Haha tricky! Either way, it was great you had a computer going at that time.
I love this Packard-Bell, fun video to watch; thanks for sharing. I'm actually surprised at how conventional this model is; P-B did some really out-there stuff on some of their models, like motherboards mounted to the bottom of the case, with risers and sub-boards going every which way. I love that yours still has all of the stickers on it. And amen to the factory install, including bloatware! I did the same thing with my eMachines from '99---it's all about keeping things as original as possible
Thanks and yes totally agree. If it's an oem machine and I can do it I will :)
Love your retro videos.
Thanks so much!!! Stay tuned, more to come!
Great video preview so far!😊
Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
Great video,as usual. Try and preserve those stickers they are a big part of the look of the pc. A little light heat with a hair drier should get them off.
You are welcome. I completely agree and thanks for the help!!
Cool channel brother, brings back some cool memories as a kid
That's the idea, Nostalgia! Thanks for watching.
More very enjoyable nostalgia! My very first computer was a Packard Bell with Windows 3.11. I’d love to find one like it that works, just for giggles! Keep up the good content 👍🏻
Thank you!!!
An enjoyable video!👍👍
Thank you!!
Funny, my first pc was a Packard Bell Legend 20CD, my second pc was a Compaq Presario 5050. I remember the controversy where Compaq sued Packard Bell for copy right infringements and then Packard Bell turned around and sued Compaq for the very same thing. Got to love it, the good old days!
Hahaha the wild west of computing!
I was right there with you on having a preference for US Robotics modems and 3Com network cards.... although I hated Packard Bell computers back then I kinda miss them now :)
Hahah same!!! Been hunting for some lately to bring back the hate lmao.
keep up good work watched lot of vids i was kid in the 80s
Thanks and same!!
Very good and potential motherboard for CPU upgrades(440BX chipset), ISA, 3xPCI slots and AGP. Good find. There is a good info in RetroWeb available, also bios and drivers.
Thanks for the video :)
Awesome and thanks!! I never thought to check this out on the retro web site where it was in an OEM build. Thanks again!
In '97 I worked at a small computer shop. Since a Best Buy opened up in the next town over, our manager had our shop certified to be a Packard Bell service center. A user would call for service, they would give the user our address. We'd diagnose the problem and replace the defective part. I think there was a firmware problem with early PB systems, because some problems would persist even with the motherboard replaced. PB's response was they only covered hardware failures, not software. Their response was restore the factory software.
Haha. Love when people share these memories. I guess they would cut wherever they could to keep things going.
@@TheRetroRecall This was in the Pentium 1 era. Hopefully their engineering improved after the purchase of ZDS
My parents got a lawyer because the Pentium 1 System didn’t run stable because it had too many pci cards installed that conflicted with each other. Was an individual configuration from a smaller shop chain. They had to replace it in the end more than a year after purchase for a Pentium II. Wish I still had the Pentium I.
That's one thing about this era of computing... There were so many hardware manufacturers, configurations, software changes, etc that would cause conflicts and would make it difficult to troubleshoot.
Bad caps on motherboards, I kind of just let them ride unless they cause an issue. If it is a PSU or something, then I replace them. But I have seen countless cases where a motherboard has multiple bad caps on it and is seemingly unaffected. I have an HP D-530 SFF, which I got around 10 years ago, and when I got it, nearly every cap on the board was bloated. 10 years later with pretty much daily use, nothing has changed and it still works fine. Similar story with several Dell systems I have and IBM Thinkcentres.
Yeah I mean I've been of two oworlds on this topic, however at the end of the days these systems are getting up there in age and aren't used daily / stored. Capacitors can leak out of no where if bad and can cause silent damage if left unchecked. So, in my opinion it's good to catch them and replace them unless you plan on ditching the equipment. Where these are kept, I am attempting to restore them, while preserving them as original as possible.
My first ever family PC was a Packard Bell with Windows 3.1. I cannot remember the model as I was only like 5 or 6 years old when we purchased it but I do know it was supposedly the first Packard Bell with CD ROM support. This is nostalgic for me.
Awesome!! Thanks for sharing. That's what this channel is all about!
I know custom built machines are generally of better components and such, but for some reason I have always preferred pre-built systems. My favorite Windows 98 era machines are the old Gateway machines, which were pretty much custom order pre-built machines. I also really enjoy old Compaq machines, although they aren't the greatest, I just have fond memories with them.
I have that same feeling for some. The Packard Bell ones that I mentioned and the Compaq line of the mid to late 90s.
I still have my Gateway Essentials 500 Pentium III machine that came with windows 98SE. I still play around with it from time to time. The 17" CRT monitor it came with still has a phenomenal picture and perfect color.
It's so true. The gaming on CRTs is so good.
My first computer ages ago was a Packard Bell Legend. It was good for its time. It had a 25 MHz 486 SX processor. Thankfully it did all of what we needed then since the CPU was one of those soldered down ones. It was a Christmas present so I had no idea what it would come with.
Haha nice. It would be awesome to get my hands on one of those for sure.
My first "just mine" computer was a 486SX/25 too. Likewise, the CPU was soldered to the motherboard. But, what I didn't realize back then, is that the coprocessor socket was really just a second CPU socket, because 486 math-co's were literally just a 486DX with a minor pin modification. Totally could've upgraded that system to something else.
But, in the end, it didn't matter anyway. My next computer was a custom-built DX2/66. Over all the years I spent worrying about upgradeability, I think I swapped CPUs... maybe.... twice? And that was in the Pentium 4 era, when I worked at a computer store, and got into overclocking and water cooling.
Upgrades were almost entirely a FOMO tactic. By the time the system was showing its age, everything had changed around it, and it wasn't worth the money to exchange one part for a slightly better part, when a little more money could yield a much longer lifespan out of all-new components.
Hahaha so true! You would upgrade a component and before you knew it, the following week there was an updated 'insert component name here'!
Ahhh!! :) I wonder where I can buy it. My dad had that model, but we lost it when we moved out :(
EBay probably has one or two, but keep your eye out on your local online marker places.
That is a very good CPU. My go to in the hundreds of white boxes I built back in the day. I used Tyan motherboards for ultimate stability. Those were good times.
Definitely good times! It was always exciting to see what was coming out next or just how hard you could push the performance of your system with what you had.
I would like to buy DOS and or windows 95 laptops to tinker and sell. The problem is finding a price that isn't 500 dollars per laptop.
Yes, I've been lucky with excellent supporters and finds at local thrift stores. Keep looking online on marketplaces, etc.
glad you went to the lcd more easy on our eyes
100%. Sorry about that :)
I have to get an updated camera, this one is having issues filming CRTs and is also having issues with the light balance. Good times haha
Nostalgia is such a weird thing, I never liked these big brand name systems, full of proprietary parts that I couldn't choose, mix and match, but nowadays I find them pretty intriguing and can't help myself wanting to collect them all and bring them home. LOL.
Sometimes you can find pretty unique solutions integrated on these systems like onboard 3dfx or nvidia TNT video, Aureal vortex, yamaha or creative labs sound chips, etc.
Cool video.
Haha you are so right. I was one to build custom PC's in the past while these were on the shelves, however I always walked by them and a secret part of me wanted them. Today - I'm on the hunt for them haha! You are right - they definitely introduced different hardware configs based on what they wanted from the manufacturers to fit a certain price point when bringing these to market.
This is so true. I would not have been caught dead with a Packard Bell in my house back then. No way, not a chance, not if you paid me. Now I have three. :-P
OEM computers are a time capsule. Everything I hated about them at the time is now intriguing -- the weird design choices that limit you to THAT case with THAT power supply and THAT motherboard -- the lack of upgradeability, that doesn't matter at all now because I will keep it in stock configuration forever -- and the excessive and mostly garbage software bundle it came with, that is now a window into a long-gone era. And, like above, the OEM darling graphics / audio chipsets can be interesting glimpses into a world I never knew, having always had hand-chosen top-tier components.
I was watching/ listening to this while scanning and fixing photos on another pc when all of a sudden my ears pricked up.
MGI PhotoSuite. I'm using that now. :-)
No way!!! That's awesome. Was it good at the time?
I think it's still good now. I use it a lot and it's easy to use.
That's pretty cool.
I have a US Robotics modem in my desktop and in windows 11 I still have 100% support with no drivers needed
Awesome, I love USR modems, I have 'a few' haha.
all you are missing for that all 90's setup was the altec lansing speakers that came with most pc's back then
Haha I may even have a set!
Reminds me of my first machine. Especially the SiS graphics. When it went dead i replaced it with a Matrox G200 card that worked very well with 2D video games. The only thing that had me miffed at the time was that it did not have any trouble with Command & Conqueror Red Alert 2 which needed a P2 @ 400 MHz and i had a P2 Xeon @ 233MHz.
Now i know that it had way more cache memory. 10 year old me did not know that :D.
Hahahaha true! The Matrox G200 is a nice card, I showcased that in my p2450 restoration vid!
my neighbor had a packard bell pc back in the early to mid 90's and he played sim city 2000 alot.
Nice! They were common and I saw a bunch around. I always had a custom pc build growing up.
You can leave the stickers on there if you use retrobrighting without direct contact using vapor. Did that last summer and worked pretty well.
Hmmm with vapour - never heard of that process. I will have to look into that!
@@TheRetroRecall There is a vid on that here on youtube. Did the same only for longer. It also works without the sun and generates its own heat to work. It even works if done during the night. Ive tested that much. It gives a nice and even finish.
Ok now that's interesting. Doing it overnight and without the sun would be extremely helpful. I have a lot that needs the retrobrite process and if this works it would be perfect. I'll check it out! Thanks!
@@TheRetroRecall The process needs energy to work. If you use 12% hydrogen peroxide it will react with air to form water, heating up the air around it. That heat is the energy needed, which can also be generated by sun light. It will form vapor. Just use gloves to prevent chemburns. Your welcome.
Damn, you (briefly) went with the good ol' chunky CRT. We had a small 'computer' room back in those days and the CRT would definitely warm the room up!
Haha yes but man that camera wasn't playing nice even when I adjusted the shutter speed lol.
@@TheRetroRecall You wouldn't miss having to lug those around either!
Haha so true. Honestly for filming, the LCD is so much better haha.
i have a compaq presario 5003us with a p3 800mhz completely restored....took a while to find the restore cd online as there were several slightly different ones back then. have the mouse, keyboard, and the detachable speakers with the stands. only thing i don't have is the monitor. this pc is from 2000 so it has win me installed which is what it shipped with.......my wifes uncle who gave it to me also had the original compusa ad that displays it and the price back then.
Nice!!! That sounds like a great build. Matching peripherals is always a bonus.
The color of the case.. says it al... lol
Ahhaah vintage! Needs a bunch of peroxide lol
In late-1999 I had an almost identical configuration - Celeron 400 mhz, 64 mb ram and 6.4 GB HDD. I had a Riva TNT1 - a dissapointment because it had compatibility issues with many games, I upgraded it with a V3 2000 which worked like magic.
Awesome! I think this one deserves a little Voodoo love!
@@TheRetroRecall A V3 2000 or 3000 would be the perfect match for this system :)
I may be able to find one of those haha!
I have a soft spot for Packard Bells, especially the older square and gray ones. I have a Multimedia L198 with a Pentium 200mhz running Windows 98 SE. I plan to put a voodoo card into it as the Virge 325 graphics, while good for DOS games, can’t handle much 3d stuff. It also has a Creative Audio PCI, which isn’t bad, but I want to replace with an SB Live.
Yes!! I love the look of the legend, multimedia series as I overplayed in the video. This packard bells have strong memories for me back in the day walking through Walmart haha.
nice
Thanks!
Awesome stuff... mind to share that Recovery CD-ROM?
No problem. It's on archive.org under Packard Bell Master CD 1998
Been a minute since ive seen a Packard Bell. I knew at least 10 people who had a Legend series machine.
Yeah I always wanted one when I was growing up for sure.
Had one of those, just not the specs that thia model has.
Mine had the Cyrix M2 300 @ 224 Mhz, 32MB edo-ram with the SiS 5598 Chipset. Also 3,2GB HDD that i have still today😅
Also mine had the matching monitor with build in amp and speakers on the sides. Also they were removeable.
Loved that casedesign 😊
Edit: see the SiS 6326, mine was the pci model with 4MB.
Haha let me know if you want to part with them lol! I'm on the hunt for matching monitor, mouse speakers for this system. I know they are out there, however shipping accross birders has become increasingly expensive and usually the item (crt) doesn't survive.
This one if use LGA1700, it maybe only install the CD-Rom or replace that space as external drive
This is the Slot 1 interface unless you are referring to the socket in the slot 1 card.
I had the 875 with the celeron 300a from I think 1998. Mine doesn't have an agp. The biggest negative is the face plate. If you replace the optical drive good luck with the eject button and the led light for it. You can probably make the eject button work with a little modification of the faceplate button. Also I had lost the floppy disk eject button at some point too sadly. I've been on the fence about replacing my mobo or processor as its handicapped at 300mhz and 66mhz fsb. Just don't think it would be the same pc from my childhood.
For sure! What I love about this system is the limitation. Back in the day I would have hated it.. But there's something that brings back those 'how do I overcome this' memory haha.
@@TheRetroRecall I ended up putting in a celeron 533 mendocino using a slocket. Am happy with it, for now 🙃
Ahhh the slockets!! Now you are bringing back some memories for me haha.
Wouldn't have been my choice given the vast selection on your latest haul. Still; hopefully you will now move on to some more worthy machines? ;)
Don't know how to reply to this except to say there are many different people who like to see all types of content - not every system or item chatted about on the channel will be everyone's favorite :). Hopefully you will enjoy others more so. Thanks!
Much appreciated, I couldn't agree more. Thank you!
I know awhile back LGR covered a Packard Bell of this vintage, but his was an AMD K6. It otherwise had the exact same bloatware.
Nice! Yeah pretty generic system, but that bloatware was pretty neat to see
i still have some 2010's laptops from Packard Bell. They are no good.
Laptops, neat. I don't remember ever using a Packard Bell laptop.
@@TheRetroRecall Can't find it as of now but build quality is same as cheapest Toshiba or eMachines laptops. Only usable for lightest websurfing. Or maybe i expect too much.
Where did you get the recovery CD from? I have a PB 9367 PC and need one. Did you find it on a website. Please any help would be great
www.archive.org is a great resource!
TheRetroRecall music would be a perfect ringtone. Could you please share it maybe? Thanks
I have to think about that one :)
Oh i love this computer!!!!! Can you try to install Windows 95 on another hard disk? I would love to see it lol
It's pretty great. Do you mean install another drive and walk through the Windows 95 installation? If so I did a Windows 95 installation and overview on the channel - check it out!!
@@TheRetroRecall Exactly! Did another installation on this computer but with Windows 95! I would like to see if its possible. I said on another hard disk so you wont touch the original with 98 🤗
Sure! Now finding the drivers will be fun lol.
@@TheRetroRecall Lol i advice you to use maybe Windows 95 C it has even USB support... and more drivers for sure. I think anyway that if the machine was designed for 98 would be not so difficult the drivers. Since are always Win 9X Drivers.. I hope you will do it! Oh and of course don't forget to install even Microsoft Plus! And Office 97
I have office 97, plus will have to be a mini search :).
What happens if you choose the option with the safeguards during the tutorial?
I'm not sure to be honest. Id have to try it.
In the US you couldn’t hit 56k due to FCC regulations. Max was 53.3 I think?
You are 100% correct.
That game plays better on a new computer
Of course. Most games do, and especially through emulation. However the spirit of retro is seeing what it was like back then with the wild west of hardware always changing.
NEVER obsolete!
Hahahahaha yup. I think emachines made that their branding for quite a while as well!
@@TheRetroRecall I bought my first emachines in 1999 from future shop over east side!
I never had one, but am on the hunt for one.
@@TheRetroRecall I just stripped one down, it was my parents old one from 2002…
It did still have the fold out and everything but it was junk and all the manuals and stuff were ripped. Not collectors items by any means.
I just want one in tact collectors or not... Why? A - a video and B - because lol!!
I want one of these but I’m 13
Keep an eye out at local thrift stores, you never know what you can find.
@@TheRetroRecall true but my thrift store has everything but no pcs
That seems to be a common trend. Maybe online market places?
@@TheRetroRecall when i got my 2 desktops they turned out to be 2 laptops 1 I got November of 2023 and the 2nd one i got February
Nice!
If I were me, I would carefully peel off the stickers and put them on the inside of the side panel. Keep the info, but remove the clutter from the front.
One person's clutter is another's treasure lol! I personally love the look in the interests of keeping things as original as possible. I just really want to get that front retro brite'd which means I will probably have to remove the stickers.
Can I make a suggestion? Your videos would pace a lot better if you didn't spend as much time talking about what you're _going to_ do. (E.g., "in today's video, we're not going to remove everything. I'm just going to clean everything, make sure it works, boot it up, etc...")
We're only here after you've edited the footage, so we're going to go directly from that description of what's about to happen, to the other side of the wormhole where you're just doing it. The time between only exists for you. :-) Ergo, we don't need to prepare. Let's goooo!!
Appreciate the feedback - I will give it some thought. There are folks out there that enjoy this style, and seemingly others that do not. IE: If I didn't describe the scope of the video (what I am going to do in the video) in question others would not understand what they are getting into and if this is in fact something that they would like to watch / continue on with. I always value feedback such as this.
May I make a suggestion? You could move past the point where I am going to explain the scope of the video and go right to watching the main content - thus making it the best of both worlds for all types of viewers :)
Thanks for watching!
@@TheRetroRecall Hey, it's your channel, and you're the boss. :-) It was merely a suggestion (because how else are you going to know what your audience thinks?), not a demand.
Absolutely! Appreciate it.
I believes Winplayer came in play after Real player
By win player, are you referring to Windows Media Player?
i remember Internet Explorer 2.1
Haha now that's an oldie.
@@TheRetroRecall remember when microsoft gave out internet explorer cds at the IDG computer fair
Nice! I remember they were free on end caps at Walmart haha.
It's pronounced Pan-a-sonic. not Pana-sinc. Boy is the front yellow
I understand... It's a Panasonic 'Panasync' monitor ;)
Use a hair dryer to remove these stickers from the front.
Great suggestion, I never thought of that to be honest. I will attempt that, retrobrite then hopefully reapply to the original locations.
It makes no sense that Windows 2000 was made In 1999
RTM was Dec, 1999, retail was Feb 2000. System (packard bell) manufactured in 1999.
@@TheRetroRecall sorry if my comment is not related to the video
It's ok
never owned a packard bell
They weren't terrible systems.
@@TheRetroRecall They had a bad reputation in Sweden