Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-01, 20:13:

The Sound Blaster Pro already has a Yamaha YMF chip. It does not have a connector for a daughterboard. […]
Show full quote

boxpressed wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:59:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-01, 18:26:

Any ideas on how i can make this a better 1993/94 computer ?

LA or wavetable synthesis. MT-32, GUS, or high-quality GM sound card/daughterboard (preferably all).

The Sound Blaster Pro already has a Yamaha YMF chip.
It does not have a connector for a daughterboard.

I would have to get something like the Edison Gold Sound card for that.

What about video?
What was the Best VLB video card back in 1993/94 ?

You just need a Sound Blaster 16 or any 16-bit sound card with MPU-401 compatibility and a wavetable header (like a Yamaha Audician). Not sure why you bring up such an unusual card like the Edison.

IMO, it's fine. An SB16 works for a 486 too, but doesn't do a heck of a lot that the SB Pro doesn't unless you're doing multimedia stuff in Windows. As far as MIDI.... I would just look at getting one of those new DIY MPU-401 clones rather than using hardware of the day. All those onboard MIDI interfaces were teh suck.

Regarding video -- again, unless you are planning to spend some quality time in Windows with like Corel Draw, whatever VLB card you have on-hand is fine. You might get a few FPS from one or the other in some benchmark, but on a 486, the important thing is, "it's not ISA."

It's done, just enjoy it now. 😀

SirNickity wrote on 2020-02-03, 19:28:

IMO, it's fine. An SB16 works for a 486 too, but doesn't do a heck of a lot that the SB Pro doesn't unless you're doing multimedia stuff in Windows. As far as MIDI.... I would just look at getting one of those new DIY MPU-401 clones rather than using hardware of the day. All those onboard MIDI interfaces were teh suck.

Regarding video -- again, unless you are planning to spend some quality time in Windows with like Corel Draw, whatever VLB card you have on-hand is fine. You might get a few FPS from one or the other in some benchmark, but on a 486, the important thing is, "it's not ISA."

It's done, just enjoy it now. 😀

In games that have SB Pro support and don't have SB16 support, the SB16 is only going to give you mono output instead of stereo.

SBPro compatibility on a card that does 44Khz/16-bit PCM is better than a normal SB16 IMO too. To each their own of course, but on a system very similar to what the OP built I used a YMF719 card instead, for these reasons.

If all you need is sb pro, opl. ESS audiodrive is a good way to go. This is what I used on my build and i don't regret it. SB16 is not really a thing in 386/486 era games. there maybe 1-2 games. They are also standard IDE. And have wave table headers. They have good sb pro emulation with proper reverse stereo. Also No noise unlike creative cards.
Ess AudioDrive ES1688F BTC-1831

Yes, this is a 1993/94 dream build. So
I want the best components possible for that time period.
I except for the CD-ROM drive i think everything else is period correct.
The SB16 Pro 2.0 is setup correctly and sounds okay with the Advent 2.1 speakers I am using.
So I am going to stick with this sound card.
I may change the video card if I can find a better one.

What other sound card would provide best compatibility for DOS games ?

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-04, 12:49:

What other sound card would provide best compatibility for DOS games ?

SB 2.0 obviously, but it would sound much worse. Both the Pro and the 16 are period correct for a 93/94 486. When I got my 486DX33 in 1993 the Pro 2.0 was around 120 bucks and the SB 16 was around 250 bucks.

The Pro is probably the best DOS card (or best standard, if you prefer to go off-brand), since it can do regular SB just fine. As mentioned above, by myself and Warlord, there's not much benefit to 16/44.1 in DOS. Nothing uses it. If you want to run multimedia Windows apps, then you can take advantage of it. But only for short sound effects that fit on 1993 hard drives. Even CD-ROM games would usually have 8-bit 22kHz stereo audio at best.

I guess you could upsample MODs in your favorite tracker. Not sure it makes that big of a difference though.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-02-04, 12:49:

What other sound card would provide best compatibility for DOS games ?

I used an Opti 930 based card with either real or clone OPL3 and onboard wavetable until I built a system that didn't have PCI slots.

Never played a game that it didn't work with.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-09, 12:50:

More photos: […]
Show full quote

More photos:

Conner 240mb Hard drive from 1993
Intel 486dx4-100 CPU with fan/heatsink
4x CDROM drive.

I have a question about your CPU cooler. I'm using one of these on a 5x86, but it is the same. However the label that yours is showing in the 'up' position, is actually down against the heatsink. Should it be like yours?

Thanks
TW

Looks to me like the label is on the fan's hub. Is yours? Most fans have a side with the hub exposed, and the other side has the braces that hold the motor assembly. Sometimes that side has a sticker, sometimes it doesn't. Likewise for the fan hub itself - sometimes stickered, sometimes not.

If you wanted to flip the fan hub-side-down, you would have to ensure the hub does not interfere with the heatsink fins. It's OK if the motor side touches the sink, but contact with the hub would prevent it from turning smoothly or at all (...obviously). Then you get to choose whether you want air blown on to the top of the sink, or pulled through it. You don't always get a choice, but when you do, I generally prefer to suck air through the fins of the sink and expel the exhaust through the fan, up and away from the board. At least until the exhaust air gets VERY warm, then I like to have the fan blowing cool air into the heated area, but that's more to improve the serviceable life of the fan (by not baking its lubricants dry). Opinions may vary.

TimWolf wrote on 2020-02-04, 19:32:

I have a question about your CPU cooler. I'm using one of these on a 5x86, but it is the same. However the label that yours is s […]
Show full quote

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-09, 12:50:

More photos: […]
Show full quote

More photos:

Conner 240mb Hard drive from 1993
Intel 486dx4-100 CPU with fan/heatsink
4x CDROM drive.

I have a question about your CPU cooler. I'm using one of these on a 5x86, but it is the same. However the label that yours is showing in the 'up' position, is actually down against the heatsink. Should it be like yours?

Thanks
TW

I was going to use the “evercool” 486 CPU heatsink with fan but I change motherboard and CPU’s.
So I did not use it.

I am using the Intel Overdrive CPU with has a heatsink but no fan built in.

Yes I have that very same unit. For some reason my fan was the opposite direction. I've turned it over now. Played a few more hours of C&C Covert Missions last night, and it still kept nice and cool.

I am currently testing this computer with games and demos
So far so good. It works good.
Very stable.

How does the Earthworm Jim run for you?

That’s a Win95 game. I am only testing DOS and Win3x games.

One swell system - the ram prices of yesteryear were something to behold.
I remember cruising along with 8MiB in 1995.

Do you plan to try Aladdin?

amadeus777999 wrote on 2020-02-12, 14:52:

One swell system - the ram prices of yesteryear were something to behold.
I remember cruising along with 8MiB in 1995.

Yes, I had 8mb in 1995 too because ram was so expensive at $100 per megabyte in 1993
So originally in 1993 I only had 4mb. Later I purchased 4 more megabytes for $50 each.
So I can see why these OEM builders where only putting 4mb in there computers from 1993.
4mb is fine for DOS and Win3x but not for Win95. And some Multimedia games play slow with 4mb.
I know the 2x CDROM drives did allot of seeking with only 4mb.

So for this “Dream build” I am going to add 32mb which is the max ram this motherboard can support.

So far so good. It plays DOS games really good.

TimWolf wrote on 2020-02-04, 19:32:

I have a question about your CPU cooler. I'm using one of these on a 5x86, but it is the same. However the label that yours is s […]
Show full quote

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-01-09, 12:50:

More photos: […]
Show full quote

More photos:

Conner 240mb Hard drive from 1993
Intel 486dx4-100 CPU with fan/heatsink
4x CDROM drive.

I have a question about your CPU cooler. I'm using one of these on a 5x86, but it is the same. However the label that yours is showing in the 'up' position, is actually down against the heatsink. Should it be like yours?

Thanks
TW

Mine spins counter clock wise and pushes air down onto the heatsink.