Awch Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 My first 400 was a CTIA version. I never realized there was an upgrade path to GTIA. I sold it decades ago but have since collected a few systems. I've been slowly accumulating components to recreate my original setup (400, 48k ram, original 410 recorder, Rana 1000 disk drive...) The remaining aspect that doesn't match my original system is that my 400s have the GTIA chip. I'm wondering if it's possible to simply swap the GTIA with a CTIA and, if it is, are they available anywhere? (I understand that this is ultimately a marketplace request, but I'd first like to assess the viability before I go looking for the chip.) Thanks for your help, Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 As far as I know, they are a direct swap. If you can find one. They're pretty few and far between these days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awch Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 As far as I know, they are a direct swap. If you can find one. They're pretty few and far between these days. Thanks for your help. I guess it's a lot to ask to find a chip that was made obsolete in 1981! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I'm wondering if it's possible to simply swap the GTIA with a CTIA and, if it is, are they available anywhere? Maybe "why would you want to do so" is the wrong question as it is every collector's right to strive for a system as original as possible, but if you just don't use the extra modes offered by GTIA there won't be much of a difference after the swap. BTW, just realizing that I never checked whether my 400 actually has a GTIA in it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awch Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 Maybe "why would you want to do so" is the wrong question as it is every collector's right to strive for a system as original as possible, but if you just don't use the extra modes offered by GTIA there won't be much of a difference after the swap. That's a pretty reasonable question that I don't have a particular compelling answer to. It's really just for sentimental reasons. That was my first computer system and I'd like to recreate that period. The 400 is mostly just a museum piece for me (unless I need to play four player games). And yet it's surprisingly important to me to get it "right". My daily driver is an Atari 800xl with an Ultimate 1MB, UNO Cart, SDrive 2 and a almost finished SDrive-Max. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FifthPlayer Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 There is a difference between CTIA and GTIA other than the missing modes, and that is CTIA presents artifact colors differently in Graphics 8 and other high-res pixel modes. I think you get red/blue artifact colors on CTIA, and green/purple on GTIA. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 that artifact changes by Atari model line as well, 130 XE artifacts differently than XL, and monitor/ television can reverse the artifact as well... there is a capacitor that effects it also... noted in the threads somewhere.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 did you get a ctia and where shall it be sent if one is found Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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