Nice! bit too early for any games I really want to play, (486 era) but feel the attraction getting something older stronger.
As you want budget choices..
SB Pro should match this era and still plentiful
VGA, anything, 286 isn't really going to push it to the limits.
OS, as its your earliest system I would go with Dos 3.33 and Windows 1.03 just for something different.
As lets face it, most the time It'll be in a dos game anyway

Actually I don't own any 286 game yet. This thing is older than me, it's from 86 I'm from 87 🤣

No problem. Just take what you can get. 😉 Even though it probably is against popular belief,
286 machines lived well into the first part of the 90s when the SB Pro/16 was released.

In fact, I had such unpopular configuration myself.: Re: Worst cpus and worst computer builds
I believe 286 machines were considered higher end between late 80s to early 90s (~88-92).

Heck, in the early 90s a lot of DOS games still ran on PC/XT and had CGA support as a fallback.
The year 1993 was about the year of change, when 386/486 machines became a requirement (blame DOS4GW extender games).

286 game? How about lemmings?

candle_86 wrote:

Actually I don't own any 286 game yet. This thing is older than me, it's from 86 I'm from 87 🤣

Not older than me! I was 1 😀

The main reason for swicthing to VGA, besides compatability, is sourcing a non-VGA monitor for Herc/CGA/EGA adapters - they are impossible to find. That's why I upgraded my 286 to VGA.

I've got a 13in amber monochrome that is now working 🤣

probnot wrote:

candle_86 wrote:

Future plans […]
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Future plans

Soundcard but which one to get on a budget?
VGA card but again budget?
Memory expansion board?
Mutli I/O I have a 6gb IDE I'd love to put in here if i can find a compatabile multi I/O

What OS
My options are Dos 3.33, 5.0 and 6.22 as well as Windows 1.03 and Windows 3.0

I would just go DOS 6.22 for ease of use. Not sure what you'll be able to get out of Windows, but it would be fun to install and play with.

For sound - adlib, sound blaster, or sb pro? I guess any non-pnp sound card. My preference would be an original sound blaster. Seems most appropriate.

What about a PAS16?

I always used china dos union 7.10 myself. But that is abit on the warez side.
For a sound card, I'd ether get a adlib or SB pro, maybe a Gus classic.

so tested it out with a dos 3.31 disk, it works cant store my configuration lack of a battery, so ive just got to find my external battery connector