Need help identifying old computer

Yesterday, I picked this little nugget up from a church yard sale:

001_zps1a990643.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

After doing a little research, I've concluded that this computer was built before 1996, but I've not been able to find out anything else regarding this specific model of computer. It is an NCR model 1210 and its FCC id is C6P3420-16. Can any of you guys point me in the right direction regarding its value and what I should do with it (sell as is/break down for parts/or what not)?

Looks like an IBM compatible. There were all kinds... I would break it down. I'm betting you'll have a pretty nice processor in that.

Ok, after doing a little more research, I believe it was actually built before 1994, as NCR had been acquired by AT&T in 1991, then changed their name a few years later. I've heard that older computers sell better as e-scrap because of a higher gold content, but I'm not well versed on the specifics of that.

forget the fcc id. look on the main board and use those numbers

With that 3.5" floppy it isn't going to reach anywhere near vintage, so unless it's somehow a sought after board of some sort, your next and final hope might be a high PM content for better scrap category. Other visual clues are USB ports(not real old), and larger keyboard plug/socket(older than the smaller PS/2 type)

I always recommend for those pursuing computers to learn something about them, but it oft goes unheeded, only to find them posting more photos and asking, "what WAS this?", many times finding they've just destroyed some major jingles in their pocket, or trophies on their shelf, whatever. It takes less than 2x3ft space, with only a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, which still leaves plenty of room (even using an old CRT monitor) to set a computer laying sideways with the cover off. plug it up, turn it on, pretty simple really. Most times heeding the "setup/startup" key as it begins to run will take you into the bios, which will usually give you the board, the BIOS and date, the CPU, and the RAM, right in one window. A MUCH simpler solution than having to ask what was this, BEFORE i tore it up?

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Originally Posted by Bear

forget the fcc id. look on the main board and use those numbers

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Do you mean the motherboard?

Yes, Bamcis, I edited that to add a few more thoughts to it. If you'll pop the cover and look on the motherboard you should find numbers, if embedded are usually the largest ones on it, and possibly a brand too. Otherwise may be on a small label along the edge of the board somewhere.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bear

forget the fcc id. look on the main board and use those numbers

With that 3.5" floppy it isn't going to reach anywhere near vintage, so unless it's somehow a sought after board of some sort, your next and final hope might be a high PM content for better scrap category. Other visual clues are USB ports(not real old), and larger keyboard plug/socket(older than the smaller PS/2 type)

I always recommend for those pursuing computers to learn something about them, but it oft goes unheeded, only to find them posting more photos and asking, "what WAS this?", many times finding they've just destroyed some major jingles in their pocket, or trophies on their shelf, whatever. It takes less than 2x3ft space, with only a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, which still leaves plenty of room (even using an old CRT monitor) to set a computer laying sideways with the cover off. plug it up, turn it on, pretty simple really. Most times heeding the "setup/startup" key as it begins to run will take you into the bios, which will usually give you the board, the BIOS and date, the CPU, and the RAM, right in one window. A MUCH simpler solution than having to ask what was this, BEFORE i tore it up?

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Ok. I guess I'll just go ahead and take this thing apart. It didn't come with a hard drive, and I don't have any of the accessory or power cables, so I can't plug it up to see if it works. I'll post some pics once I have this thing taken apart and laid out.

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Originally Posted by Bamcis

Ok. I guess I'll just go ahead and take this thing apart. It didn't come with a hard drive, and I don't have any of the accessory or power cables, so I can't plug it up to see if it works. I'll post some pics once I have this thing taken apart and laid out.

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you dont need a hard drive bamcis, a monitor keyboard and mouse, two power cords, one each for the monitor and PC unit

Ok, so I've taken this thing apart, and it turns out it has a hard drive after all. However, I have yet to identify the processor. Below are the photos.

Label under the lid
002_zpsebfb967b.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Inside
005_zps6b4c74d1.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Motherboard
007_zpse53ffb2e.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Daughterboards
006_zpsaf36d531.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

hard drive
009_zps96c1b2be.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket
010_zps798f23a7.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

Power Supply
008_zps7805ce80.jpg picture by Eadiot - Photobucket

nice! does any of it work ??

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Originally Posted by Bear

nice! does any of it work ??

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Not sure. Sorry, I kinda jumped the gun and went ahead and took it apart before reading your last post about not needing a hard drive. I've gone ahead and started to remove the heat sinks and transformers from the power supply. Regarding the processor, I still haven't located it. I've found one port on the motherboard labeled "co-processor", but it is empty. All of the other chips on the board that could be the processor are just plain-jane black chips with no discernible markings.

What you have is a rare NCR liscenced IBM Microchannel BUS machine, no idea why you are in such a hurry to scrap it when it is worth more on ebay.

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Originally Posted by unknownk

What you have is a rare NCR liscenced IBM Microchannel BUS machine, no idea why you are in such a hurry to scrap it when it is worth more on ebay.

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Well darn... I guess that's what I get for being trigger happy when it comes to taking things apart. :p I searched ebay and couldn't find anything like it. Do you have any idea what it would have been worth if I had just left it alone and tried to sell it? Also, are the boards worth anything to computer hobbyist/collectors?

wishes to borrow someones little smilie facie (the one where he's banging his head on a block wall)

Now I'm scared to even take apart any of the other stuff I picked up at that yard sale...

might as well laugh, it sure won't do any good to cry ; ) Hence my first comment, if you're going to be doing computers, learn some little bit of something about them, and a little test station in a corner, or even just an extension cord out to the back yard is really all you need in getting there. After that it's just a matter of time and exploration until you begin to get an idea of what you're looking at, before you even touch it. Computers and old vacuum cleaners are similar in ways, when it comes to scrapping, but on the other hand, they can be two different ball parks. The 44MB SCSI HD alone would probably have done more than scrap value of the whole unit. You might still do well to Ebay the two full length cards as "untested-As Is", and google could still help you there

You could still google the Mobo numbers too, I think you'll find them on the two little white labels near the right edge of the board in your photo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bear

You could still google the Mobo numbers too, I think you'll find them on the two little white labels near the right edge of the board in your photo

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Yeah, I tried googling the numbers, but google came up with absolutely nothing.

I did however find the HD on Ebay. It looks like its selling for between 35 and 40 bucks.

check those fuul length cards too, one was video, can't recall what the other one was, but it should have numbers on it too

By the way, could anyone spot the CPU on the motherboard in the picture? There were no fans or heatsinks attached to the board, so I really have nothing to go on for finding it.