Up for sale is a classic piece of early PC clone history: an original Compaq Video Graphics Controller 16-Bit ISA Video Card featuring the legendary Western Digital Paradise PVGA1A chipset. Manufactured around 1988, these high-tier boards were frequently equipped in premium early-generation systems like the Compaq Deskpro series to break past standard IBM graphic constraints.
This specific example is fully populated with extra DRAM memory chips, bringing it to a total of 512KB VRAM. This upgrade allows for a much broader array of deep-color and higher-resolution modes—particularly in vintage environments like DOS gaming and Windows 3.1. It also highlights a beautiful, golden-capped ceramic Inmos A RAMDAC chip on the upper half.
Condition & Testing Details:
• Visual Condition: Physically excellent. The board is incredibly clean. Traces are bright, pins on the edge connector are crisp, and the rear side features a hand-written note from a collector outlining its hardware configuration ("Paradise PVGA1 512K ISA VGA").
• Functional Condition: Untested. I lack a functional vintage 286/386/486 test rig with an ISA motherboard to verify output signals. Therefore, this card is sold strictly AS-IS / for parts, retro builds, or historic collection.
📦 Shipping & Packaging:
• Careful Packing: The card will be handled using ESD safety standards, wrapped entirely in an anti-static bag, and nested securely within layers of bubble wrap inside a sturdy cardboard shipping box.
• Carrier: Shipped quickly and safely via UPS with tracking uploaded instantly.