First post, by x0zm_
I think I posted about my intention to do this awhile ago in some other thread, but the time has come to prepare. With my Extreme PIII build drawing ever closer to its completion and my eyes opened to a world of modding possibilities beyond anything I'd ever done before, I want to create a small form factor build - specifically for ANSI Art. I've been making it for over a decade and I want to bring a bit of that onto my desk in the office. My previous idea has gone out the window in favour of a new idea, which is somewhat irrelevant to this topic and more suited for the eventual build log.
That said - I'd love some hardware suggestions. I'm not looking to spend much money because my last project was a wallet killer.
It will only be running TheDraw/ACiDDraw/ACiDView and some custom software in DOS, and then Windows 95 for some other tasks AT MOST.
No 3D acceleration required. Performance requirements are minimum. Era accuracy is not important but would be a nice bonus. Stability IS important. Image quality IS important.
So I've narrowed it down to a few options and wanted opinions from you guys.
Socket 370 MATX
Pros
- Most retro.
- Fairly easy to obtain a board and already have memory/CPU available.
- Can use an IDE to CF adapter and not worry about hard drives.
- Know exactly what I'm getting myself into - well tested, stable platform.
Cons
- Largest option.
- Can be expensive. Lots of people overcharge on S370 boards.
- Often has awkward ATX/IDE placement, which makes it challenging to cable manage neatly in a restricted space with limited airflow.
Socket 775 ITX
Pros
- Boards, CPUs and memory are plentiful and cheap.
- Easy to power without shenanigans.
- Small form factor.
- Easy to cable manage.
- Know exactly what I'm getting myself into - well tested, stable platform.
Cons
- A lot less retro.
- Most are SATA only, which sucks for cheap and quiet storage solutions so it's likely a hard drive.
- Don't know how well it runs on DOS/Win95 - never tried and don't have anything to test with.
VIA C3 ITX
Pros
- Still pretty retro.
- Decently cheap overseas
- Small form factor.
- External power, which means I can fit it inside really small ITX cases.
- All-in-one solution.
Cons
- Not very easy to find locally.
- Never used one, so I don't know what to expect.
- Not sure how good LCD panel compatibility is with onboard graphics - Some have PCI slots so I can get a good VGA card, but that negates SFF benefit.
Additionally:
Does anyone know which VGA cards work well on both a CRT and LCD panel for DOS and Windows?
Look forward to hearing any suggestions on the plan, or anything I totally looked over and should check out hardware wise.
Cheers guys.
