Having used both CPUs in the past, the DX2 66 is more period-accurate, but the 5x86 133 delivers better performance. I'm not aware of any games that will run on the 66 that won't also run on the 133.

and if there was, that's what that awesome turbo button is for. 😀

I found crusader:no remorse unplayable on an AMD 5x86-P75-133 CPU that had been overclocked a little. It was way too fast.

For compatibility straight off the bat I'd go with the Intel DX2-66. classic chip for games made between 1989 and 1995

It will also mean less fiddling with cache and having to use the turbo button.

rgart wrote:

I found crusader:no remorse unplayable on an AMD 5x86-P75-133 CPU that had been overclocked a little. It was way too fast.

For compatibility straight off the bat I'd go with the Intel DX2-66. classic chip for games made between 1989 and 1995

It will also mean less fiddling with cache and having to use the turbo button.

But did you actually try disabling L1 Cache?

The P75 is just a wannabe Pentium, hence the P75 rating! Might as well just get a Pentium. The 66 is a classic 486.

I had an AMD 486DX4-100 as a kid. I drilled a few switches to the front of the case and connected wires to the FSB and multiplier pins 😁

I believe I could set the FSB from 25MHz to 33MHz and 40 MHz and the multiplier from 2x to 3x. It was quite cool. The multiplier could be set while running if memory serves me right, but the FSB would crash the system.

Still it was cool to have a DX2-50 one Minute and a DX4-100 the other.

In terms of grunt, the 486 quickly runs out of steam and you really want a Pentium. Especially once the 3D games started to take off. There are levels in Doom that can tax a 486, especially custom maps.

Comanche might be a game that runs too fast on a 486DX-4 but I can't remember exactly.

A TON of friends had a DX2-66. It was the first clock doubling chip and dramatically increased performance. The486DX4 is also a very interesting chip to be honest.

So if I would build a 486 I would, just as I did as a kid, go with the AMD, mod some switches to the front as I hate compromises and "want it all" 😁

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

In terms of grunt, the 486 quickly runs out of steam and you really want a Pentium.

So why not recommend a Pentium Overdrive instead?

I could bring down the speed of my Pentium 133 respectably to a 286's 12MHz - like system by playing around with the Turbo Button and the Internal Cache, I can even play WIng Commander I comfortably in this setting : The Pentium P54c, the Turbo Buton and the Internal Cache. And Wing Commander I is Happy!

Using this, you can cover a variety of high-end games and older, speed-sensitive games.

Unlike using software solutions like moslo,etc., the Turbo Button and Internal Cache manipulation using the easier ICD.EXE and ICE.EXE files produce constant, consistent and smooth slowdown.

sliderider wrote:

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

So why not recommend a Pentium Overdrive instead?

Because there are ton of other benefits of Socket 7 I'm finding.

I think that is strongly depends what you are going to do with the system if a 486 is sufficient.

A pentium 133-200mhz may be more useful/practical as it can cover a wider variety of games.
It seems that the 486 stands at no-mans-land as it has been discussed already in several ocassions.
Specially when we are talking about early 3d.

Nevertheless the 486 is surrounded by a certain glamour IMO. The 486 is in the borderline between retro (486) and new (pentium). Of course first pentiums are not new at all, but they are the ones that opened the gate into "modern computers", maybe I'm being a bit subjective here.

I keep considering if I should stick to the 486 + 200MMX, or just the 200MMX as it may have almost same compatibility as the 486.

At the end you have to consider pragmatism if you actually wanna play any games. (different matter if you are a collector or just likes to mess around with hardware.)
Having 3, 4 computers just to play games...well....better to stick with 1, max 2 IMO.

I have to add that I do have a separate dedicated 486DX2-66 machine, in addition to my Pentiums. Mostly for nostalgic sake, and well....it's a 486 after all. 😁

I love my 386 system, it's very nostalgic as it pretty much matches the hardware of my first computer. Plus the 386 DX 40 was the boom of the IBM PC clone, very popular wit vendors and people that wanted to build their computers.

So i'm actually wondering instead my 386 DX 40 and 486 class AMD 5x86 @160, i would be better off with a 486 DX-25 to replace the 386 (no need for ISA controllers and i could replace the serial ball mouse by a ps/2 optical) and give use to my AMD K5 or P54C Pentiums to replace the AMD 5x86.

Or maybe just one Socket 7 system for DOS playing.

I have a 386DX40, a 486SX33, and a P166MMX. The 386 and the Pentium cover anything I'd want to play, and if I had to choose just one then the Pentium would have me covered thanks to some well documented tricks to slow it down. The 486 is pure nostalgia and does indeed fall into no-mans-land somewhat.

badmofo wrote:

I have a 386DX40, a 486SX33, and a P166MMX. The 386 and the Pentium cover anything I'd want to play, and if I had to choose just one then the Pentium would have me covered thanks to some well documented tricks to slow it down. The 486 is pure nostalgia and does indeed fall into no-mans-land somewhat.

Didn't you post in a previous thread that you used your 486 as an "ultimate" machine for Ultima? I guess it is perfect for this game then?

carlostex wrote:

Or maybe just one Socket 7 system for DOS playing.

I'm waiting for a new ATX case and will do a video similar to VictorB's time-laps. Less me talking, more "arty" as my brother calls it 😁

vetz wrote:

Didn't you post in a previous thread that you used your 486 as an "ultimate" machine for Ultima? I guess it is perfect for this game then?

I did! You have a good memory. The 33Mhz 486 is about right for Ultima7 I think and that game is unique in that it's very speed sensitive, and does lots of disk reads. So although the 386DX40 could handle the load OK, the IO really benefited from the VLB controller in the 486.

But having a specific machine for 1 game is a bit of an indulgence; I could easily play it on the 386 or the Pentium (slowed down a bit).