First post, by renejr902
I have several builds ( like 6 or 7 ) already from 486 to Pentium III. But now i want a 386.
Right now i use a lot my P2 266mhz because i can change fsb and multiplier to get it working at 133mhz. With setemul its the only build i got 2.51 in speedsys , so its my only system that can run at speed of 386 sx 16 to 20mhz or we can say 286 at 16 mhz. So i can play some 8088 and 286 games at acceptable speed, but a little too fast sometime.
But i can still use Slowdown utilities from Bret Johnson and use this parameter: slowdown /xt and i got a Ibm xt 8088 4.77mhz speed. With this utility some games froze like Moon Patrol, but Frogger 1 and 2, a old pinball, patrooper and much more games play near perfect speed like a 8088. Frogger 1 play with a few slowdown or too fast a little, instable speed, but frogger 2 is 100% like a 8088 to me. At least without slowdown utility but using setemul only and my 2.51 speedsys speed somes 8088 and 286 games play perfect like paratrooper and moon patrol is very playable just a little too fast, but playable. Frogger 2 is just a little too fast , but frogger 1 is really too fast to be playable.
So if i get a 386 sx 16 or 20mhz i can play Moon Patrol with it and some others 8088 and 286 games. But i cant really play Jazz Jackrabbit, its not fast enough for me, not with a 386 sx 16 by my memory or with setmul at 2.51 speedsys speed.
But with a 386 DX, for example at 25mhz, moon patrol is too fast to be playable, but Jazz Jackrabbit play good enough.
I know nothing is perfect. I play a lot of 8088 and 286 games from my childhood from 1982-1990 but im not interested to buy a 8088 or 8086 anymore. i had both a 8088 and a 8086 when i had 8-12 years old. I never had a 286 , only playing on my cousin 286 computer, so im not sure i want a 286. If possible i would like to play a lot of 8088 and 286 games and some 386 games like Jazz jackrabbit at acceptable speed with this build.
Questions: ( Read below before answering thanks)
1. What should i do. Buying a 386sx 16 or 20 or a 386 dx 20-25-33 ? I only like intel cpu, i dont want amd or cyrix for this build at least. i have a 100$ canadian deal for a epson equity 386 sx20 motherboard with all necessary accesories. But i hesitate to wait for a 386 dx. I dont know much things about a 286 , i only know stuff about 8088 and 8086. But i only want a vga monitor and im not sure a 286 can use a vga video card and vga monitor in a great way. And i think a 286 cant run any 32bit games like Jazz. or even doom. By the way at 14 years old i beat doom with a 386 dx-20 LoL! so for me doom on a 386 dx-33 is still playable today and Jazz is good enough on a 386 dx-20 or better at dx-25.( i compare them by my memories or by setemul test done recently. my 486 dx-75 can run at 386 dx-33 speed more like 37-38mhz i think, i dont remember my speedsys score anymore.)( i can have a Tandy 1000sx for 200$ canadian, but i dont think i want it, its a 8088, but i have a 8088 and 8086 for so much years when i was young, i dont miss them much, except for games.)
2. I know 386 sx have soldered cpu so i cant change it. But if i buy a 386 motherboard for 386 dx cpu. Could i change and switch the cpu for a dx-20 or dx-33 depending if i play Moon Patrol or Jazz ?Does all 386 dx motherboard that can accept any intel dx cpu like a dx-20 or dx-25 or dx-33 ? (or even any amd dx cpu ?)
3. Can i use setemul or slowdown or throttle with a 386 computer ? ( dx or sx)
4. Any recommandation.
5. Does all 386 sx or dx motherboard that can accept one of my 500 megs ide hard disk ?
6. I know that 8088 games exist. I can say the same thing for 386. But does exist games that target 286? if yes, which ones for example? Do all they work at correct speed on 386 ? or they can be too fast for a 386 ? Thanks
Thanks for advices and opinions.
( Note: I have corrected the spelling and grammar of my topic, but thanks for understand that my english is my 2nd language)