jmarsh wrote on 2022-09-13, 12:23:
rasz_pl wrote on 2022-09-13, 11:49:
quake, descent is all post 1995 and unplayable on 486.
Descent had its shareware release in 94, full release in March 95 and was bearable on a decent 386, easily playable on a 486.
I've played Descent 1 a lot on 486 PCs and early 586 PCs.
The shareware version was so nice because of the different music, I remember.
When I got the full version as part of a pair of VR glasses, I noticed that it supported 3D accelerators, too.
So technically, someone with a lovingly cared for 486 system could have taken advantage of this.
Let's remember, power users in the 486 era had their big towers, still.
There was lots of headroom for upgrades.
A 486DX4 processor with a big heathsink? No problem.
Keeping/installing full-size expansion cards for the Very Long Bus? Why not!
Extra fans for better air flow? No problem.
A massive number of CD and floppy drives? Sure.
Abd even if a new PCI slot was required for an accelerator card..
Many higher end 486 or 586 boards were VIP - VESA/ISA/PCI.
So even if a motherboard swap was inevitable at the time, users hadvtge choice to keep using the old processor, the RAM and all thevexisting expansion cards.
Sure, VIP boards had their issues. They were slower than pure VLB boards, often. Or buggy.
Their PCI slots were PCI 1.x or similar, perhaps operating with waitstates or at a slower bus speed.
However, they were usually good enough for the common VGA cards, like an S3 or Cirrus.
So the other slots were free for more rare hardware.
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In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel
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