I am currently working on getting a possible 5500agp proto from some random guy.  He cannot take pictures because he does not have a camera, but he took the following screencap.

http://www.abload.de/img/5500.info1jw.jpg

From what I have been told it might be a fake however.  

1.) Missing Bracket
2.) NFR Stickers
3.) Engineer Tag
4.) 1.12 BIOS
5.) 183mhz clock

The above things are VERY easy to do. (a little sticker paper a tag and a screw driver)  I am going to get the card whether or not its a fake though. for $50, it is not a terrible deal.  After I receive the card I will post pics and test it a bit to see what was done to it.  

If you guys want to give me a few tips for what to look for that would be great. Thanks

-rotten

Fake.

No VSA proto ever came with a 183 mhz clock. Protos have stock or lower than stock clockspeed to support early revisions.

Going through my archives all the BIOS images I have for 5500 are either 143 mhz or 166.

Ask what the PCB date and revision is.

Well.. thats an easy decision.  I won't even waste my time or money then.

Thanks Gary :)

What kind of world do we live in that someone needs to do such a thing... seriously WTF?

Update:  he said the pcb date was 2300.  I KNOW thats a production date because I have a few of those already.  So it must be fake. :(

first production cards made 1900 maybe 1800

but maybe it have 55ns memory

exxe wrote on 29.06.08 at 19:03:45:

first production cards made 1900 maybe 1800 but maybe it have 55ns memory

Only 5500 I have seen with 55 ram have been rare production PCI boards.

I decided to waste my money.  ( I actually bought the card before I started this thread, I just didnt want to sound like a dumbass for buying the card.. lol  ;D  Regardless if it fake (or not), I thought it would be fun to get and play around with.   Everything looks like a production card to me, but why would someone create a fake proto and sell it for $50? For $20 profit?

I will do some playing around with it and see what the hell he did to it.. I could not find any reworks or anything like that... again if anyone has suggestions of what to look for or wants any info just ask :)

http://www.abload.de/thumb/front031.jpg

http://www.abload.de/thumb/backy2y.jpg

*EDIT* - Here is a picture of the card in action.  It has been looping q3a for about 30 minutes and is dead stable.  4xAA q3a does look sexy (with good framerates too) ;)

http://www.abload.de/thumb/inactionkl5.jpg

sucks that it is a fake tho, would have been a neat find.

Hmm, looks like a normal card to me and those NFR tags seems fake.

RaverX wrote on 02.07.08 at 00:49:29:

Hmm, looks like a normal card to me and those NFR tags seems fake.

Yeah, it's kind of funny though... that guy must have TONS of spare time on his hands.  It's fast tho, thats a plus... I think I will put this card in my 3dfx gaming rig :)

So fake makes my teeth hurt- The "NFS" decals are almost round at the end instead of rounded off square.

well only thing looking funny to me is stickers and tag look to new and clean, maybe just me.

hope the card is a great card no matter what.

it's a fake.
the NFR stickers are not straight, it seems that they are cutted with hand...
i saw some stickers on the women lipstick  ;)

I don´t own a Prototype card, but his handwriting is really close to that i remember to have seen on v5 6k cards. even if its not like this he started a nice topic, a good o/c 5,5k and put a lot of effort in his work. i am amused!;-)

and quake 3 was released in 2k...really early prototypes were from 99 when i am informed correctly. maybe a 5550 card with higher clock was in testing/production phase...

22/00 production week...

c74 is missing....

Replace or watch it dieee ....