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Very compact retro PCs?

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Reply 20 of 43, by Jo22

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+1 🤣

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 21 of 43, by LightStruk

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Jo22 wrote:

Surfstation.. Built-in SB16/OPL3, VBE graphics, S-Video&CVBS out, ISA/PCI.

That's a Cyrix MediaGX-based computer, is it not? I've always wondered how accurate the SB and OPL2/3 implementations were.

Reply 22 of 43, by Jo22

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LightStruk wrote:
Jo22 wrote:

Surfstation.. Built-in SB16/OPL3, VBE graphics, S-Video&CVBS out, ISA/PCI.

That's a Cyrix MediaGX-based computer, is it not? I've always wondered how accurate the SB and OPL2/3 implementations were.

Yes, it is. I'm running Windows 3.11 on it by help of a VBE driver, also. OPL3 is fine but not 100% perfect, I guess.
You can also check this other OPL3 thread by nukeykt : The way to detect OPL3 clone
The musical score of that -uhm- "game" mentioned before was recorded by myself too with that system (have a look at my channel). 😉

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 23 of 43, by Caluser2000

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gca wrote:

Seeing how someone brought up small form factor Amstrad machine here is a picture of my 4386SX complete with its little 10" CRT.

It might be small but it makes one hell of a racket, damn thing can almost drown out the hoover on a good day.

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cga I had the 286 version. It didn't last long. I still have the original disks that came with it, MSDos 3.3, Amstrad branded Counterpoint menu and the two games pack disks. Sing out (PM) if you want images of them.

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I also retrieved the Amstrad Adlib clone sound card that was in it. Only thing worth while keeping in it any way. That is my Redstone XT Turbo now.

Last edited by Caluser2000 on 2019-09-26, 23:06. Edited 1 time in total.

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 24 of 43, by gca

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Sounds just like the bundle I got with my machine (I assume you also got Windows 3.0). Still got everything for mine but the joystick is a bit dodgy but that is the least of that machines worries right now. Kind of surprised the box is still running at this point.

Reply 25 of 43, by Caluser2000

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No Windows 3.0 wasn't bundled with mine. With 1meg ram I doubt there was any point, despite MSs claims. It was shipped with my Zenith 286/12 though which was designed to run windows from the out set, capable of supporting 8megs of ram on-board..

There's a glitch in the matrix.
A founding member of the 286 appreciation society.
Apparently 32-bit is dead and nobody likes P4s.
Of course, as always, I'm open to correction...😉

Reply 28 of 43, by The Serpent Rider

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Eventually, Mini-ITX boards start appearing with VIA processors on them and a single PCI slot. What about before that?

Probably this:
M789CG-01.jpg

Also some late BabyAT SuperSocket7 boards are very small and could be potentially used in a small custom case.

I must be some kind of standard: the anonymous gangbanger of the 21st century.

Reply 29 of 43, by keropi

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wiretap wrote:
Here's one of my compact builds -- 9" CRT, half-ISA Pentium MMX SBC + SB AWE64 Gold. […]
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Here's one of my compact builds -- 9" CRT, half-ISA Pentium MMX SBC + SB AWE64 Gold.

Hk03C5Ah.jpg

oooooh
I am jealous of this monitor

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Reply 30 of 43, by LightStruk

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wiretap wrote:
Here's one of my compact builds -- 9" CRT, half-ISA Pentium MMX SBC + SB AWE64 Gold. […]
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Here's one of my compact builds -- 9" CRT, half-ISA Pentium MMX SBC + SB AWE64 Gold.

Hk03C5Ah.jpg

That's beautiful. Which SBC did you use? Also, is that some kind of baby AT or micro ATX case?

Reply 32 of 43, by wiretap

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LightStruk wrote:
wiretap wrote:
Here's one of my compact builds -- 9" CRT, half-ISA Pentium MMX SBC + SB AWE64 Gold. […]
Show full quote

Here's one of my compact builds -- 9" CRT, half-ISA Pentium MMX SBC + SB AWE64 Gold.

Hk03C5Ah.jpg

That's beautiful. Which SBC did you use? Also, is that some kind of baby AT or micro ATX case?

AT half-ISA SBC case. (4-slot backplane.. I also have a smaller 3-slot without the 3.5" bay) The SBC is an Advantech PCA-6751.

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Reply 33 of 43, by torindkflt

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The most compact computer I personally own that still has desktop-style expansion slots would be my Toshiba T5200 luggable from the early 90s. Clamshell style, so kinda like a laptop, but has no built-in battery. It's got two ISA slots in the back, one 16-bit and one 8-bit. It's only a 386 system though, and likely wouldn't qualify if the OP is only wanting 486 or newer.

I also have my Compaq Presario 2200 desktop, it's the smallest desktop computer I currently own (but not the smallest I have ever owned). It only has a single 8-bit ISA slot though for the modem or a NIC, I dunno what else you could put in there (it would have to be a low-profile card).

Reply 34 of 43, by Hamby

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torindkflt wrote:

The most compact computer I personally own that still has desktop-style expansion slots would be my Toshiba T5200 luggable from the early 90s. Clamshell style, so kinda like a laptop, but has no built-in battery. It's got two ISA slots in the back, one 16-bit and one 8-bit. It's only a 386 system though, and likely wouldn't qualify if the OP is only wanting 486 or newer.

I also have my Compaq Presario 2200 desktop, it's the smallest desktop computer I currently own (but not the smallest I have ever owned). It only has a single 8-bit ISA slot though for the modem or a NIC, I dunno what else you could put in there (it would have to be a low-profile card).

My T5200 is sitting under the desk with a 486DX 25 in it. Also a 4GB CF drive, ethernet adapter and soundblaster card.
My backup T5200 is sitting in the closet with its stock 386.

Reply 36 of 43, by dr.zeissler

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Fujitsu Siemens built small machines too like:
- ScoveryXS (P3 S370)
- Scovery2x (K6/2 or P2/3 Slot)
- Scenic 4 (486)
- Scenic S2 (P4)
- Scenic C-Series

These are really great machines!

Retro-Gamer 😀 ...on different machines

Reply 37 of 43, by RandomStranger

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I used to have a Raijintek Metis PC case I've sold about 2 years ago and now I regret it.
I realized it can take a certain kind of uATX board like the Biostar H61MHV2 with room 2 full height expansion slots and also uses full size ATX PSUs. This allows to build a great compact late XP era PC with a decent graphics card AND a PCI-e 1x sound card.

sreq.png retrogamer-s.png

Reply 38 of 43, by Sphere478

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I’ve thought to myself it would be pretty fun to take a tyan s1564c, install a pico psu, 512mb of ram, dual pentium cpus, and a pci riser card for a sideways mount video and sound card and use one of those flash on IDE hard drives, and a slim pata dvd drive on adapter. And make a acrylic case with keyboard for it. And mount a lcd display.

Boom! Dual cpu pentium 1 laptop!

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Reply 39 of 43, by leonardo

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LightStruk wrote on 2019-09-25, 14:36:

What are the options for very compact retro PCs? Obviously there are tons of old laptops out there, but they don't have any true ISA or PCI expansion slots. There are the very small and highly-integrated Unisys CWD4001, CWD4002 / Leo Data Book 486-DBA, CWD5001, and CWP5002 computers. Was Unisys the only company making desktop computers this small?

Eventually, Mini-ITX boards start appearing with VIA processors on them and a single PCI slot. What about before that?

Here's one you might find interesting (and one I also possess):

A VIA C3 400 MHz based system with very retro-OS (DOS/Win9x) friendly specs.
Here's the motherboard manual:

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Motherboard user's manual
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The case has a kind of unique look to it:

barebones_CV860B-fig1.jpg
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Fig. 1 - assembled appearance
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barebones_CV860B-fig5-8.jpg
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Fig. 14-20-2 - internals
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Right now mine awaits a two-cap replacement, but it's been sitting a while because it's mostly been succeeded by other hardware in the house.

[Install Win95 like you were born in 1985!] on systems like this or this.