First post, by clb
Heya,
1) it is possible to install a dedicated EMS card on an XT and 286 class of PCs, e.g. https://www.lo-tech.co.uk/wiki/Lo-tech_2MB_EMS_Board
There's a list of games that can leverage EMS memory to their benefit: https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/List_of_ … hat_require_EMS
Looking at that list, these are all games that won't run fast enough on a XT 8088 CPU with 4.77MHz (well, I have a turbo board that goes up to 8MHz, but probably doesn't make much difference in any of those games). Based on that list, it seems that such an EMS card is more useful for a 286 PC?
Though my question is - is that accurate? Or are there games (or other software?) out there that run playable on a 8088, and can leverage EMS memory?
The reason for asking is that list does not seem complete: it is missing Wolfenstein 3D, and also Commander Keen 4/5/6? (not sure what Keen uses EMS for, but at least it does detect its presence at startup: https://i.postimg.cc/x80c8kgq/keen5.png ). Wolfenstein3D looks unplayable on a 8088, but Keen apparently should work?
2) Another way of upgrading memory would be to install this kind of UMB card https://monotech.fwscart.com/MicroRAM_640K_UM … 4_19914752.aspx that enables RAM at any higher memory addresses that are unused by option ROMs. That would allow filling high address space with UMB blocks, and according to the photos should work on a 8088 as well.
While 8088 era games never would have used this UMB since that card is a "modern approach"(?), 286+ era games certainly might have been programmed for upper memory. That makes me wonder whether there might be some games from that era out there that could utilize UMB if available, but also be light enough on CPU that they'd also be playable on a 8088 with such an UMB card?
There are some earlier threads about this topic here at vogons and vcfed that I was able to find, but none that felt like they'd clear the topic.
Thanks!
