I have a very similar card in my 286:

(not my pic but it's the exact same)

My 486 ISA build will receive a WD90C30

maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:14:

I have a very similar card in my 286: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Dop-eDMechk/TcQ8YcNYeZI/AAAAAAAABkM/suklAOBLikM/s800/PI […]
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I have a very similar card in my 286:

(not my pic but it's the exact same)

My 486 ISA build will receive a WD90C30

Nice card. How is the cards image quality? Any of those vertical spaghetti lines or jail bars as some call it?
That is to me, one of the most critical questions, when dealing with ISA and VLB cards.
I would rather settle with 80% performance than have spaghetti lines. They annoy the heck out of me.

brostenen wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:21:

Nice card. How is the cards image quality? Any of those vertical spaghetti lines or jail bars as some call it? That is to me, on […]
Show full quote

maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:14:

I have a very similar card in my 286: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Dop-eDMechk/TcQ8YcNYeZI/AAAAAAAABkM/suklAOBLikM/s800/PI […]
Show full quote

I have a very similar card in my 286:

(not my pic but it's the exact same)

My 486 ISA build will receive a WD90C30

Nice card. How is the cards image quality? Any of those vertical spaghetti lines or jail bars as some call it?
That is to me, one of the most critical questions, when dealing with ISA and VLB cards.
I would rather settle with 80% performance than have spaghetti lines. They annoy the heck out of me.

No the output is clean, those MUSIC DACs are top notch.

BTW I make a inline VGA LPF product that you can plug onto your other ISA cards to filter out the jailbars on digital displays and scalers.

I don't think anyone is contesting that a 486dx33 would beat the 386sx, but why build an all ISA 486 if you could build a VLB 486 and have the low end covered by the 386sx ^^
unless you just plan to try a bit of everything and passionately build systems of every kind, but I think the OP is specifically asking for reasons to build a 486, and I think VLB would be the main reason to do it.

brostenen wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:21:

Nice card. How is the cards image quality? Any of those vertical spaghetti lines or jail bars as some call it? That is to me, on […]
Show full quote

maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:14:

I have a very similar card in my 286: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Dop-eDMechk/TcQ8YcNYeZI/AAAAAAAABkM/suklAOBLikM/s800/PI […]
Show full quote

I have a very similar card in my 286:

(not my pic but it's the exact same)

My 486 ISA build will receive a WD90C30

Nice card. How is the cards image quality? Any of those vertical spaghetti lines or jail bars as some call it?
That is to me, one of the most critical questions, when dealing with ISA and VLB cards.
I would rather settle with 80% performance than have spaghetti lines. They annoy the heck out of me.

I also have a Diamond SpeedSTAR24 that is similar that I fished out of a scrap box ^^, the VGA output on LCDs is superb see: download/file.php?id=75403&mode=view (the only artifacts in that image are from jpeg compression)

Dang.... Those speedstar's are wonderfull. I like the clean output, so a scanline generator is not really my thing at all.
I perfectly well see why people like scanlines. It is how things were back then. It is just not for me.

imi wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:41:

I don't think anyone is contesting that a 486dx33 would beat the 386sx, but why build an all ISA 486 if you could build a VLB 486 and have the low end covered by the 386sx ^^
unless you just plan to try a bit of everything and passionately build systems of every kind, but I think the OP is specifically asking for reasons to build a 486, and I think VLB would be the main reason to do it.

Exactly. Doing a 486dx33 can do with ISA, it is also wonderfull with VLB. Going for 486dx2-66 and faster, then go for VLB or PCI.
My 5x86-133 have a CL-5446 in it, and that does not produce any spaghetti lines eighter.
It is a PCI system, and sometimes you find that VLB stuff are too expensive, and PCI are cheaper, when dealing with the 486 class.
Basically. If you absolutely have no money for VLB and you can pay for PCI, then build a 486dx2-66 with PCI and save up for VLB.
At some point, you can sell the PCI board and just pay the rest up to what VLB costs. 😉

brostenen wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:47:

Dang.... Those speedstar's are wonderfull. I like the clean output, so a scanline generator is not really my thing at all.
I perfectly well see why people like scanlines. It is how things were back then. It is just not for me.

it's not a scanline generator, I hate those

it's a low pass filter - the jailbars are caused by high frequency noise on the color signal lines, filtering out the HF noise gives you clean output

maxtherabbit wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:06:

brostenen wrote on 2020-02-01, 17:47:

Dang.... Those speedstar's are wonderfull. I like the clean output, so a scanline generator is not really my thing at all.
I perfectly well see why people like scanlines. It is how things were back then. It is just not for me.

it's not a scanline generator, I hate those

it's a low pass filter - the jailbars are caused by high frequency noise on the color signal lines, filtering out the HF noise gives you clean output

Ahhh... That explains. Were to buy?