My 486dx-33 budget computer cost me $2500 back in 1993.
Generic Chinese motherboard ISA
128kb cache
4mb ram
120mb hard-drive
Sony 2x CDROM
Oaktech VGA ISA
Sound Blaster clone
14.4 modem
Case very similar to yours.
14” SVGA display.
Cheap desktop speakers.
Win3.11 and DOS 6.22
There was a local computer store that would build computers to your choice of components.
And this was all I could afford at the time.
Your computer would have cost about well over $5000.
Motherboard: ASUS VL/I-486SVGO (an early edition of SV2GO, which I had but failed to get running). Based on SIS chipset, with 2 VLB slots and PS/2 connector. ( $150 )
- CPU: i486DX2 66 ODPR. It was already in the board as I bought it. I love the purple looks of this CPU. And it supports writeback cache. ( $150 )
- Memory: 16mb FPU (2x8mb) ( $1600 )
- Cache: 256kb (the board is expandable to 1024kb, but did not find the proper modules) ( $100 )
- Video: VLB Cardex TSENG-ET4000/W32i with 2mb DRAM ( $150 )
- IDE controller: Longshine LCS-6941 VLB caching controller with 4mb cache (4x1mb modules). I flashed the BIOS with the newest firmwere and now it supports LBA flawslessly! First I had some trouble getting FDD working. It was simply a foulty 1.44 drive. ( $100 )
-Soundcards: Ensoniq Soundscape II Elite (with DSP module) - form MIDI and MT32 emulation, Sound Blaster CT-1600 for OPL3 and Gravis Ultrasound Classic 3.73 for the games that support it and some demos.
( Allot of MONEY $$$$$ )
- CD-ROM: Mitsumi 2x. Propietary inteface hooked up to Ensoniq card. ( $150 )
- 1.2 and 1.44 floppy drives
- CF-IDE adapter with 2gb CF card (some Sandisk) ( Hard-drives where about $1 per megabyte ).
- Also replaced the crappy PSU with some better quality one.