Laptop Question \ VOGONS

Laptop Question

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First post, by n3xu5

Posted on 2011-06-05, 01:16

n3xu5 Offline

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Joined: 2011-06-05, 01:14

Greetings!

This would be my first post and first time visiting these forums, so let me start off by asking what may be a common question.

What are the ideal specs for a DOSBOX? (not to be confused with the software emulator), by this I mean a dos gaming computer... I'm looking at two possible laptop candidates right now and I'm not sure if I should grab either just yet. Perhaps some of the dos guru's can provide some enlightenment to the unenlightened.

Candidate#1 - TOSHIBA PORTEGE 3015CT
Intel PII: 266Mhz
Memory: 32MB EDO DRAM (Upgradeable to 96MB)
Video: NeoMagic (2160) 2MB 32bit
Sound: Yamaha OPL3-SA3 (Supports SoundBlaster Pro v3.01)
Storage: Internal 4GB Hdd

Candidate#2 - ThinkPad 770ED
Intel PII: 266Mhz
Memory: 256MB SDRAM
Video: Trident Cyber9397 2MB or 4MB (unknown which size)
Sound: CS4237B Audio controller
Storage: Internal 9GB Hdd

Which setup would be ideal for DOS games in native DOS and anything that may require Win95 DOS? Opinions? All criticism is welcome!

Reply 1 of 5, by SavantStrike

Posted on 2011-06-05, 01:47

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I would recommend you just skip the laptop and go for a desktop.

However, if you want it to be a laptop, then the Toshiba is definitely the way I'd go. Real OPL3, and 32MB of ram is plenty for Win95 and DOS, although the 96MB would be a lot snappier.

Reply 2 of 5, by leileilol

Posted on 2011-06-05, 02:07

leileilol Offline

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The CS4237 should have YMF262 integrated in there afaik, I know the CS4248, CS4231 and CS4232 do. Also, the Trident has decent VGA and VESA. I'd go for #2 of these #2s.

90's Thinkpads are less reliable than 90's Toshibas. These days though, it's the reverse... so #1 might be a cool pick too possibly though I never used anything Neomagic.

long live PCem

Reply 3 of 5, by Tetrium

Posted on 2011-06-05, 08:14

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SavantStrike wrote:
I would recommend you just skip the laptop and go for a desktop.

I'd agree.

And welcome to Vogons! Now wheres my coffee...

Whats missing in your collections?
My retro rigs (old topic)
Interesting Vogons threads (links to Vogonswiki)
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Reply 4 of 5, by Pippy P. Poopypants

Posted on 2011-06-05, 11:19

Pippy P. Poopypants Offline

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Either one would suffice, however, I would lean more towards #2, as you're more likely to get better overall performance, and audio compatibility should roughly the same between the two. Not too familiar with the NeoMagic (read: NeoTRAGIC) chips besides the fact that they're optimized primarily for GUI acceleration, so DOS VGA and VESA performance is questionable.

GUIs and reviews of other random stuff

Reply 5 of 5, by gerwin

Posted on 2011-06-23, 21:34

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CS4237 has an OPL3 clone inside. (@leileilol: the other chips you mention do not have any FM functionality)

The OPL3-SA has a genuine yamaha OPL3. I like the standalone OPL3-SA ISA cards, but remember having trouble trying to get the laptop chip to function in DOS.

The big problem with a laptop based DosBox is the screen. It will scale badly if it scales at all. A 4:3 CRT screen is the way to go.

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

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