I bought my first 386 motherboard since 1993 last year, it was a cheap IBM 386SX 25 from amibay and I've had loads of fun with it since. Here is my thread about my 386 experience.My new IBM 386 build
Best,
Chris

Hmm, well, this 386 im getting is from something called sir henry the cpu.

386 are great for playing around. I like them a lot 😁

I have my 386 computer mainly for playing Wing Commander 1&2 at true "game speeds". Worth it to me, yes. Worth it to someone else who didn't grow up with a 286/386...hmm...maybe not?

Optimise the motherboard/expansion cards the best you can, get the best looking case, then stick it in your closet to save it as an integral part of computer history. This is what most of us do (I think?).

feipoa wrote:

Optimise the motherboard/expansion cards the best you can, get the best looking case, then stick it in your closet to save it as an integral part of computer history. This is what most of us do (I think?).

"stick *it* in your closet"... *them*, closet got full a long time ago unfortunately.

"This is what most of us do"... If only I was a conformist, 386's in some cases (no pun int) now serve as furniture.

Edit; - in answer to the original question and thread title... indeed.

I got myself a 386 some years ago, won't say it's the investment I've used the most. I think the games are just to simple and aged too much. My era is end of the 90's with the 3D accelerators. I've little to no interest getting a 286 or XT system (if I find it cheap/free I'll ofc take it/save it 😉 )

Grew up with an XT, then a 286, then a 386, then a 486, then got a Pentium.

Yes, I want them all. Just for the record, my 386 is the most used retro-build of mine.

If you're really into reliving your childhood then you need a 386 as well. If you never had one, it doesn't have much more to offer than a 286 or a 486/early Pentium. So it's all up to you: Do you want to cover a specific era? You can do it without a 386.

In fact I'm pretty sure that if you needed a 386, you'd know it by now;)

I have to admit I do not use any of my 386 systems much but my 286-16 is the retro system I use the most.

I bought my first PC late 1991, it was a then 2 year old IBM 55SX 386SX-16. I do not use the 286 because the speed match the IBM 386 perfectly, I use it because it's my MIDI jukebox and it's in use on avarage perhaps 10 hours a week. A memory upgraded AWE32 with the 2MB Soundfont makes a perfect MIDI box as long as you dont expect that every random MIDI file from the Internets will sound perfect.

The 386 was my first and still favorite retro project. I started it back around year 2000 when it was still possible to do some basic web browsing with Windows 95. Admittedly, at this point it time, it does spend a lot of time in the closet. I will from time to time fire it up to play Jet Fighter 2, Raptor, or Sim City 2000 😀.

I have a K6-III+ on a baby at that looks like a 386 (there's even a turbo button), I think I joined the best parts, the performance and scability of a K6-III+ and the look of a 386 case 😁

ibm5155 wrote:

I have a K6-III+ on a baby at that looks like a 386 (there's even a turbo button), I think I joined the best parts, the performance and scability of a K6-III+ and the look of a 386 case 😁

A K6-III+ uses or is compatible with AT form factor? This would be kinda cool... totally false advertising though! 🤣

konc wrote:

Grew up with an XT, then a 286, then a 386, then a 486, then got a Pentium. […]
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Grew up with an XT, then a 286, then a 386, then a 486, then got a Pentium.

Yes, I want them all. Just for the record, my 386 is the most used retro-build of mine.

If you're really into reliving your childhood then you need a 386 as well. If you never had one, it doesn't have much more to offer than a 286 or a 486/early Pentium. So it's all up to you: Do you want to cover a specific era? You can do it without a 386.

In fact I'm pretty sure that if you needed a 386, you'd know it by now;)

I am quiet aware of there is some old computer game's out there that would simply go to fast on a 486 or pentium, werent there specific pc games made for a 386?

and aint there software out there in general that would need the speed of a 386 computer?

Nic-93 wrote:

and aint there software out there in general that would need the speed of a 386 computer?

Mr Nic-93... meet Mr Turbo button.

The turbo function slows PC's down to the clock many of these old programs run at.

Still, it's not a reason to not buy a 386... if you have 386 games & software, then that's all the more reason to get a 386 (even if you do have a turbo button)... I much prefer the experience using them rather than modern equiv's and Dosbox emulators etc

386_junkie wrote:

ibm5155 wrote:

I have a K6-III+ on a baby at that looks like a 386 (there's even a turbo button), I think I joined the best parts, the performance and scability of a K6-III+ and the look of a 386 case 😁

A K6-III+ uses or is compatible with AT form factor? This would be kinda cool... totally false advertising though! 🤣

I have a baby at super socket 7 motherboard, + AT PSU, the only thing that doesnt work is the turbo button, but at least I wired the processor clock and the turbo button to the usb, so it shwos 199 and 16 when the turbo is pressed, but nothing happens with the processor 🤣 (It could on the future, if I make some hardware to send the info by serial or usb, so it cals setmul and set it to the minimun clock and disable cache

Worth buying a 386?

Only if it's worth to you.

I begun with 286 so I collect everything from 286 onward. Stuff I didn't have or wanted back then, I don't want even today. Although forums like this one makes you want "everything" 🤣

But like i said, i wouldnt mind giveing a 386 a try and this 386 computer ive been offered the complete acessorie set.

Quick update, this machine im talking about is not a 386 but is apearently a i486DX!
those machine's are nice and really usefull.