MNrocketry wrote on 2021-09-28, 14:09:

How about an actual vintage system photo? This photo is of my first PC, taken in my college apartment sometime between Septembe […]
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How about an actual vintage system photo? This photo is of my first PC, taken in my college apartment sometime between September 1991 and August 1993.

In the summer of 1991, I sold my car and used most of that money to purchase my first PC. It was a Comtrade brand 80386DX/33 system for ~$US 2,000. I picked it out from a magazine ad and ordered it C.O.D. by phone. (The attached ad scans are from the September 1991 issue of Byte which is the closest that I've found to when I bought it.)

It came with 4Mb of RAM, an ~80Mb Maxtor hard drive, Trident SVGA card with 1Mb, 14-inch CTX monitor, and MS-DOS 5.

Over time, I added more RAM, a 330Mb Maxtor hard drive, 80387 math coprocessor, an internal 9600 baud modem, Soundblaster 2.0 and then replaced with an original Gravis Ultrasound.
The CTX monitor was later replaced with a 15-inch Sony Trinitron.
I wore out the joystick that is partially visible on top of the case in this photo and replaced it with a CH Flightstick.
I used the Epson LQ-500 24-pin dot matrix printer leftover from my previous computer (Laser 128EX).
I can't recall whether I put a CD-ROM drive in this PC.
I installed Windows 3.1 on it, but only really used Windows for Word and Excel.

This computer served me well until about January 1995 when I replaced it with a 486DX2/80 system that I pieced together.

that's great, always nice to see the vintage PC in it's own time, if you had kept it (for 25 years!) then it would have been fun to do a then and now 😀

Two of my favourite machines in the same place. Always with apperture grille CRTs

rcarkk wrote on 2021-10-06, 13:33:

Two of my favourite machines in the same place. Always with apperture grille CRTs

Supremely neat builds! That's what I love to see.

MNrocketry wrote on 2021-09-28, 14:09:

How about an actual vintage system photo? This photo is of my first PC, taken in my college apartment sometime between Septembe […]
Show full quote

How about an actual vintage system photo? This photo is of my first PC, taken in my college apartment sometime between September 1991 and August 1993.

In the summer of 1991, I sold my car and used most of that money to purchase my first PC. It was a Comtrade brand 80386DX/33 system for ~$US 2,000. I picked it out from a magazine ad and ordered it C.O.D. by phone. (The attached ad scans are from the September 1991 issue of Byte which is the closest that I've found to when I bought it.)

It came with 4Mb of RAM, an ~80Mb Maxtor hard drive, Trident SVGA card with 1Mb, 14-inch CTX monitor, and MS-DOS 5.

Over time, I added more RAM, a 330Mb Maxtor hard drive, 80387 math coprocessor, an internal 9600 baud modem, Soundblaster 2.0 and then replaced with an original Gravis Ultrasound.
The CTX monitor was later replaced with a 15-inch Sony Trinitron.
I wore out the joystick that is partially visible on top of the case in this photo and replaced it with a CH Flightstick.
I used the Epson LQ-500 24-pin dot matrix printer leftover from my previous computer (Laser 128EX).
I can't recall whether I put a CD-ROM drive in this PC.
I installed Windows 3.1 on it, but only really used Windows for Word and Excel.

This computer served me well until about January 1995 when I replaced it with a 486DX2/80 system that I pieced together.

Great stuff, thanks for posting this. I don't think many of us took pictures of our computers back in the day, so it's definitely not a common sight 😀

Here's a system I've been working on for a while.
I put together the machine I always wanted as a teen, but with a modern take.

The specs are as follows:
Pentium III 650
Asus P3B-F
256MB SDRAM
Geforce 4 ti4200
2 x Voodoo2 (SLI)
Aureal Vortex 2
PCI USB card
PCI Sata controller
120G Kingston SSD
USB DVD-ROM drive
USB Ethernet interface (ran out of PCI slots)

I built it in a modern In Win 101 case with tempered side glass panel, along with RGB Corsair case fans.

A few notes about the system.. It was a real tricky build, took me quite a while to get the PCI Sata controller working properly, and booting from the SSD, but it's blazing fast.
I'm running Windows 98SE2ME for the OS.

As far as cooling, I'm running a Thermaltake Golden Orb CPU cooler.
For the graphics cards, I picked up a Zalman ZM80D-H, and matching ZM-OP1 fan module, which I was able to get rigged up on the ti4200. I had to drill a few extra holes in the cooler so that I could mount it in a way that would clear the CPU.
As an added bonus the ZM-OP1 blows some air over the Voodoo2 cards, so they stay reasonably cool.

I'm using a cheapo Belkin PS/2 keyboard, and a Microsoft optical USB mouse.
My monitor is a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u.

I know this isn't to everyone's taste, but I absolutely love this setup.

I was recently given this PC . Its a 486 25MHz IBM.

I need a cable for it though for the monitor but I dont know where id find one .

You just need a HD15 to DB9 adapter and any VGA cable should work.

Law212 wrote on 2021-10-16, 19:27:

I was recently given this PC . Its a 486 25MHz IBM. […]
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I was recently given this PC . Its a 486 25MHz IBM.

I need a cable for it though for the monitor but I dont know where id find one .

I can't see where that DB9 connector you posted a picture from is on that machine, but I'm pretty sure this is not where you should plug the monitor. Unless the onboard video has been disabled for some reason (and AFAICT I can't see a discrete video card), the monitor should be plugged in the designated connector on the back panel. As often on IBM machines from this era, it requires a VGA cable with pin 9 missing. You can take any old VGA cable and carefully break then remove pin 9 with a small knife and it should work.

I actually prefer drilling the extra hole. i.e. mod things towards more standard, rather than other things towards less standard. Whether that be an actual defined one, or a de facto one.

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-10-17, 16:13:

I actually prefer drilling the extra hole. i.e. mod things towards more standard, rather than other things towards less standard. Whether that be an actual defined one, or a de facto one.

That's always an option, but I personally prefer modding a VGA cable since they are cheap and plentiful, instead of poking holes in the connector of a vintage system 😉

thehoj wrote on 2021-10-16, 04:44:

Here's a system I've been working on for a while. I put together the machine I always wanted as a teen, but with a modern take. […]
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Here's a system I've been working on for a while.
I put together the machine I always wanted as a teen, but with a modern take.
...
I know this isn't to everyone's taste, but I absolutely love this setup.

thats the idea, to make something you enjoy - and it does look pretty cool !

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives.
I got it for the rare tower mainly but the specs are great as well may swap out the ram and PSU for my new ones.
Also may add a RAID array.
Brand new black floppy drive goes into it can't wait to buzz it.
Foxconn seems to have completly dissapeared so it'll be a challenge to get its drivers!

Intel P4 - 3.06 GHz running Windows 7 x64 (Prescott)
Motherboard Foxconn P4M80007MA
1 TB HDD
Two DVD burners
ATI Radeon 9600 Graphics card
2 GB Ram
550 Watt Power supply
Led lit tower and front display panel
Front USB ports
TV card

zapbuzz wrote on 2021-10-20, 11:13:

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives […]
Show full quote

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives.
I got it for the rare tower mainly but the specs are great as well may swap out the ram and PSU for my new ones.
Also may add a RAID array.
Brand new black floppy drive goes into it can't wait to buzz it.
Foxconn seems to have completly dissapeared so it'll be a challenge to get its drivers!

Intel P4 - 3.06 GHz running Windows 7 x64 (Prescott)
Motherboard Foxconn P4M80007MA
1 TB HDD
Two DVD burners
ATI Radeon 9600 Graphics card
2 GB Ram
550 Watt Power supply
Led lit tower and front display panel
Front USB ports
TV card

The case really has that special mid 2000s style but the fake CE and TÜV logo would warn me not to use that PSU.

Doornkaat wrote on 2021-10-20, 15:07:

zapbuzz wrote on 2021-10-20, 11:13:

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives […]
Show full quote

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives.
I got it for the rare tower mainly but the specs are great as well may swap out the ram and PSU for my new ones.
Also may add a RAID array.
Brand new black floppy drive goes into it can't wait to buzz it.
Foxconn seems to have completly dissapeared so it'll be a challenge to get its drivers!

Intel P4 - 3.06 GHz running Windows 7 x64 (Prescott)
Motherboard Foxconn P4M80007MA
1 TB HDD
Two DVD burners
ATI Radeon 9600 Graphics card
2 GB Ram
550 Watt Power supply
Led lit tower and front display panel
Front USB ports
TV card

The case really has that special mid 2000s style but the fake CE and TÜV logo would warn me not to use that PSU.

Yeah, i got stuff to fix that and I may find a way to rid those molex connectors so many it blocks the view 🤣
The silver monitor i want now but I have seen one since like 2005-2008 they are even more rare maybe I just spray paint beige monitor to silver? could work or get a nice big black one to go with keyboard and mouse 😀

zapbuzz wrote on 2021-10-20, 17:33:

Doornkaat wrote on 2021-10-20, 15:07:

zapbuzz wrote on 2021-10-20, 11:13:

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives […]
Show full quote

My multimedia system its on its way I'll put some more photos up in my own bragging thread after playing with it when it arrives.
I got it for the rare tower mainly but the specs are great as well may swap out the ram and PSU for my new ones.
Also may add a RAID array.
Brand new black floppy drive goes into it can't wait to buzz it.
Foxconn seems to have completly dissapeared so it'll be a challenge to get its drivers!

Intel P4 - 3.06 GHz running Windows 7 x64 (Prescott)
Motherboard Foxconn P4M80007MA
1 TB HDD
Two DVD burners
ATI Radeon 9600 Graphics card
2 GB Ram
550 Watt Power supply
Led lit tower and front display panel
Front USB ports
TV card

The case really has that special mid 2000s style but the fake CE and TÜV logo would warn me not to use that PSU.

Yeah, i got stuff to fix that and I may find a way to rid those molex connectors so many it blocks the view 🤣
The silver monitor i want now but I have seen one since like 2005-2008 they are even more rare maybe I just spray paint beige monitor to silver? could work or get a nice big black one to go with keyboard and mouse 😀

Anything spraycan silver diy-modded matches my personal 2000s experience quite well. 😄

devius wrote on 2021-10-16, 21:17:

You just need a HD15 to DB9 adapter and any VGA cable should work.

OK thanks , ill look for one .

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-10-17, 16:13:

I actually prefer drilling the extra hole. i.e. mod things towards more standard, rather than other things towards less standard. Whether that be an actual defined one, or a de facto one.

I do exactly the same thing.

I have the same issue on my PS/1, instead of drilling the hole I just pulled off the offending pin from one end of the VGA cable. That pin is for DDC and in my experience it is pretty useless for anything that doesn't have DVI anyway..

A month ago, I posted a vintage photo of my first PC (386/33) back in the early 1990s.

My 2nd PC was a 486DX2/80 (1995 - 1997) that I assembled from parts, but I haven't found a photo of it.

My 3rd PC, also assembled from parts, was a Pentium 200MMX system (1997 - 2000). This "vintage" photo (taken in the summer of 1999) shows that system in my apartment.
Some of the details in the photo are interesting - like the manual and discs for Baldur's Gate on the far left side of the desk. (Still have those!)

What's interesting is that I still have a list of the system components and their original purchase dates and prices (see the other image) from September 1999.
I don't recall what the original video card was in this system. I added an original Voodoo card to it when that came out, and then replaced that pair of cards with the Voodoo3.
That 19-inch Sony Trinitron was an amazing monitor. I got many, many years of use out of it at home. Then, I brought it to work and used it for several more years. Sadly, it eventually died and was recycled.

This is the system that I wish I had stuck in a closet 20 years ago and saved. I am still using this same computer desk - some 27 years after I originally purchased it!

I like the detail of the scanner underneath the speaker where you can't open the lid 😆