Making my Ultimate DOS Machine

Posted by Proto Man

Ok, so I have been wanting to make my Ultimate DOS Machine for playing old games on for a while now. The question was, what I was going to use. I had 3 choices:

1.) Make my own custom machine from scratch.

2.) Use my uncle's old Packard Bell (A 486 Machine)

3.) Somehow find the original 486 that my family had back from my childhood.

#3 is quite impossible actually, as it was an IBM PS/1 (Newer model, NOT the one with the Power Supply in the monitor.) and I have looked all over the net for it with no luck.

#1 was a more likely choice, but then I really didn't feel like doing that, and hunting down ALL the parts I needed.

SO I was going to go with #2, but then on Friday I took another look at my IBM Aptiva (We upgraded to this from the PS/1), and think it will do quite nicely. It is a Pentium machine, and originally had Windows 95 on it. However, DOS games really don't do too well in this, even when you exit out into DOS itself.

So I reformatted the hard drive with the copy of DOS 6.22 that I have, and then loaded Pirates! Gold on as well. I will tell you what, that game worked the best I had ever seen it work since I have had it! Working in a pure DOS environment does wonders for it. So I am going to use this Aptiva as my Ultimate DOS Gaming Machine.

Specs:

2 GB HD
32 MB of RAM
Pentium Processor (133 MHz I think...)
16x CDROM Drive though I am not sure.
3.5in Floppy Drive
MWAVE Soundcard/Modem


This is what I have for now, but I AM thinking about making a few changes. Changes such as putting in a 5

Posted by Trigger

What a waste. Most old DOS games are available to download on the Internet that still work with newer systems and within the Windows environment. If you really are considering on wasting your money and time building such a futile machine, then get a Soundblaster 16, at least. As for your claim that games don't do well in the Windows 95 environment, or even in DOS when exited to it - I've never had a single issue with my plethora of old DOS games, whilst having Windows 95 installed (and then later, Windows 98).

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Trigger: What a waste. Most old DOS games are available to download on the Internet that still work with newer systems and within the Windows environment. If you really are considering on wasting your money and time building such a futile machine, then get a Soundblaster 16, at least. As for your claim that games don't do well in the Windows 95 environment, or even in DOS when exited to it - I've never had a single issue with my plethora of old DOS games, whilst having Windows 95 installed (and then later, Windows 98).


I don't think you have ever played Pirates! Gold before... that game is very difficult to run with out it crashing. In fact there is no way that it works with XP. Either way, I thought this would be a cool project, as I am into stuff like that.

And yes, I think a Sound Blaster 16 would do nicely.
Posted by Trigger

As I said, it's a waste of money but even more of a waste if it's just for the sake of one game.

Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Trigger: As I said, it's a waste of money


Well really there isn't much money involved, except to get Win 3.1 and DOS 6.22. My teacher said he would give me a Sound Blaster 32.

Quoted post: but even more of a waste if it's just for the sake of one game.


One of the best games you could ever play on the PC at that. It's not for the sake of THAT game though. I am basing this on that game, yes, but I will be getting other DOS games as well, such as Duke Nukem, DOOM, Descent, Kings Quest and many others I used to play as a kid on my Grandma's 386.
Posted by Zeta

Quoting Protoman: yes, but I will be getting other DOS games as well, such as Duke Nukem

The old side-scrolling ones? God I loved those. You got Commander Keen?
Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Zeta: You got Commander Keen?


Never heard of it till now, but I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation
Posted by Trigger

[quote=Protoman]...such as Duke Nukem, DOOM, Descent, Kings Quest and many others I used to play as a kid on my Grandma's 386.
All playable on today's machines, even whilst in the Windows environment. I should know, I have all those games, including many more. Oh, and Zeta, I do know of Commander Keen and I have the series. How about Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure?

Posted by KoF

I think the idea is dumb because ALL DOS GAMES ARE PIECES OF JUNK. I use them for my bon-fire. :cool:

Posted by Roger Smith

Quoting KoF: I think the idea is dumb because ALL DOS GAMES ARE PIECES OF JUNK. I use them for my bon-fire. :cool:


God your getting good at these flames. Pretty soon all of VGC will PHEER you.

I say go for it Protoman, you seem to be good at doing stuff like this so put your mad skillz to work and make it happen!
Posted by Trigger

[quote=KoF]I use them for my bon-fire.
WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!

[quote=Roger Smith]...mad skillz...
This one titillated me; as though DOS, the installation of DOS games and Windows 3.1 requires 'mad skills'.

:cookie:

Posted by Philsdad

Have you ever tried running it on Dosbox? I've never had any problem running DOS games on there.

http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download.php?main=1

Try it out if you haven't already.

Posted by Zeta

Quoting Trigger: How about Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure?

The guy that shoots fireballs? Yeah, I remember that. That game used to frusterate me when I was younger. Good times.
Posted by Proto Man

Quoting Philsdad: Have you ever tried running it on Dosbox? I've never had any problem running DOS games on there.

http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download.php?main=1

Try it out if you haven't already.


Yeah I know, I have seen those before myself. Only thing is, then it kinda takes the fun out of it. Not only the fun of putting it together, but the fun of just having a seperate machine just for that purpose.

Quoting Zeta: The guy that shoots fireballs? Yeah, I remember that. That game used to frusterate me when I was younger. Good times.


Hmm... I will keep that game in mind too!
Posted by Proto Man

Ok, here are pictures!

So here is the motherboard, which is the old AT style:

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/CowboyJMB/IMAGE001.jpg[/IMG]

As you see there are no typical expansion slots on the MB itself. This is because they are on a seperate daughterboard.


These, I have no clue what they are:

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/CowboyJMB/IMAGE003.jpg[/IMG]

They may be some kind of expansion ports, but I don't know what for. I was hoping someone could help me out with that.


This is the front of the daughterboard:

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/CowboyJMB/IMAGE008.jpg[/IMG]

Lol, 6 ISA slots, and only 2 PCI slots.


The back of the daughterboard which hooks into the main MB.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/CowboyJMB/IMAGE009.jpg[/IMG]


This is a big ol' nasty ISA MWAVE card I am taking out:

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/CowboyJMB/IMAGE005.jpg[/IMG]

If you didn't know, a MWAVE card is a combined soundcard and modem that IBM slapped in their Aptivas. On this card, the modem is shot.


This is the SoundBlaster 16 card I am replacing the MWAVE with:

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/CowboyJMB/IMAGE006.jpg[/IMG]

This puppy has an IDE port as well as expansion for a Wave Blaster II daughterboard, and an ASP chip. I tried looking up the daughterboard for this, but it must be rare and hard to find, cause I couldn't find it. Oh well, I guess it's not important for my purpose.


So thats it for now... later I will have pictures of this thing in action!


I still haven't decided whether I want to put a NIC card in. It depends if I get Windows for Workgroups 3.11 I guess. I don't know... would it be able to be on my network and on the internet if I did that? Would it even be worth it? Or should I just stick with putting regular Win 3.1 as planned?