800XL
05-24-1999, 06:14 PM
I have several of the classic IBM machines laying around and have started amassing parts to create a monster out of one of them. Starting with a stock XT motherboard (the 5 slot PC board with only 64k RAM was too slot poor, but I've got them) I've been adding stuff until it has become something entirely new. An NEC V20 CPU, then 286 on a card for the CPU with 2 megs of RAM. A pair of 2 meg Tall Tree memory boards that allow you to get 704k of DOS memory with some funky drivers. An 8 bit VGA card. 8 bit future domain SCSI card that I have not yet tried, but I hope it will drive the 2 gig SCSI drive I have. I need more space than the 20meg MFM Micropolis can give me. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif Lets see, I think I can rustle up an 8 bit soundblaster or a thunderboard for sounds, and maybe a SCSI CD-ROM. Do you think the DAT drive would be overkill? Floppy support may be tough, but I think I can graft a 1.44 into it if I can find that old DOS driver that allows it to work. So, anyone think that a BIOS written in 1982 can handle any of this? Next I may try one of the old 286 to 486 upgrades on the addin card, just to make bad get so much worse.
FYI, I do have other hobbies, but this is so much more fun. Now to find a 250W power supply that will fit in place of the pathetic 53 watt supply that these things came with.
Anyone care to counter that with your most insanely upgraded dinosaur? I know I could get an AT slot 1 board and just make it look cool, but getting all that hardware to work together would be much more of an accomplishment.
FYI, I do have other hobbies, but this is so much more fun. Now to find a 250W power supply that will fit in place of the pathetic 53 watt supply that these things came with.
Anyone care to counter that with your most insanely upgraded dinosaur? I know I could get an AT slot 1 board and just make it look cool, but getting all that hardware to work together would be much more of an accomplishment.