Vintage Hardware... 486DX with a 202mb HDD

Rondog · #1 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 05:51 AM

I just got given this old school machine, by one of my brothers, he thought I could use it for parts, which I may very well do.

This machine, is a 486DX. 202mb HDD. Complete with CD-ROM, B floppy and A floppy drives. Not sure how much RAM.

And...... a turbo button. Instant 400% overclock!!! From 10mhz to 40mhz. How hardcore is that!

Any suggestions on what I can do with it?

dsio · #2 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 06:11 AM

Plug the turbo button into your current motherboard and see if it works on your Athlon 64.

MONKEYMAN · #3 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 07:10 AM

err.....pass.

Not really sure that there is much that the PC will be any use for anymore.

Rondog · #4 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 07:31 AM

dsio, the number of system incompatibilities that spring to mind because of that statement, not to mention the level of stupidity.

What can I expect from a Queenslander though.

Yeah I didnt really think so. I just havent seen a computer this old since I was a boy. Oh man do I sound old!

MONKEYMAN · #5 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 07:45 AM

Have you got a rifle of any description? if so turn it on and see how many times you can shoot it before it stops working.

chrisbard · #6 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rondog

What can I expect from a Queenslander though.

Each word in the right place!!! By his own !

cloasters · #7 (**permalink**) 2nd June, 2006, 11:49 AM

I had a 386SX with a clock speed of 9 Mhz and a 40 Mb HDD. This was when 586's started to be available, I didn't feel like I had the slowest machine in town. Might have, though.

dabaerman · #8 (**permalink**) 4th June, 2006, 12:43 AM

fodder for the AOA Museum of Ancient Computers.

Ron

Rondog · #9 (**permalink**) 4th June, 2006, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONKEYMAN

Have you got a rifle of any description? if so turn it on and see how many times you can shoot it before it stops working.

No, I dont.... I may set it on fire though.

I will record it if I do and post it up.

JimF · #10 (**permalink**) 4th June, 2006, 07:20 AM

It could do possibly do service as an MP3 jukebox, a midi box for old soundcards or to get some experience on Linux.

The case is most likely the AT type, it will take a mini ATX board but would probably require considerable butchery.

CD ROM, HDD and Floppy drives should be reuseable, if slow by todays standards, the PSU is unikely.

Extermination seems the best solution.....

Rondog · #11 (**permalink**) 4th June, 2006, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimF

It could do possibly do service as an MP3 jukebox, a midi box for old soundcards or to get some experience on Linux.

The case is most likely the AT type, it will take a mini ATX board but would probably require considerable butchery.

CD ROM, HDD and Floppy drives should be reuseable, if slow by todays standards, the PSU is unikely.

Extermination seems the best solution.....

Its an AT power supply. Is it possible to rig an AT power supply so that it starts without having a power switch?

JimF · #12 (**permalink**) 5th June, 2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rondog

Its an AT power supply. Is it possible to rig an AT power supply so that it starts without having a power switch?

All the AT setups I recall switch mains voltage on the front panel but check the bios as some had support for Power Management that would switch the computer off to a degree, like suspend mode, and let it restart on wake-up events (hardware activity on IRQ devices such as the comms ports).

I seem to recall that Power Management was not that reliable on a significant number of boards.....

Aedan · #13 (**permalink**) 5th June, 2006, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimF

It could do possibly do service as an MP3 jukebox

Unlikely to have enough processing power to do much with MP3s. If it were a Pentium class machine, then that would be a possible solution.

robbie · #14 (**permalink**) 5th June, 2006, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Áedán

Unlikely to have enough processing power to do much with MP3s. If it were a Pentium class machine, then that would be a possible solution.

We ARE overclockers!!!

Rondog · #15 (**permalink**) 6th June, 2006, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbie

We ARE overclockers!!!

It has a turbo button! :-P

chrisbard · #16 (**permalink**) 6th June, 2006, 02:36 AM

I am not sure it would be able to handle mp3 unless at very poor quality !

Aedan · #17 (**permalink**) 6th June, 2006, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbie

We ARE overclockers!!!

There is overclocking and there is over-the-top-optimism. Perhaps if you could bring it's clock speed up to 90-100MHz, it might be fast enough.

JimF · #18 (**permalink**) 10th June, 2006, 02:28 AM

I seem to recall 486's were OK but I don't like to rely on memory so found this thread:

http://www.codingforums.com/archive/...p?t-10182.html

dsio · #19 (**permalink**) 10th June, 2006, 02:53 AM

A 586 133Mhz is enough to play MP3s in realtime in Windows 95 / winamp. Run a stripped down to nothing command line OS, and you might get it to work.

Bluepixie · #20 (**permalink**) 10th June, 2006, 04:30 AM

Play Syndicate on it?

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