i have a pulsar 19 model unsure of specs

I acquired this Packard Bell Exec yesterday along with a few others 🙄, obviously not done anything to it yet other than a quick check over and booted it up to check everything works , which fortunately it does.

Specs
P1 166 (don't think it supports MMX or 3.5x Multi 😢)
80mb edo
430vx chipset
S3 Trio64 on board with a whole 1mb of video ram (upgradeable to a whopping 2mb😂)
30gb hdd although it's only formatted to 8.5gb which having a quick read seems to be the board limit ?
4x cd drive
Zip Drive ?
One of those whopping great Aztec modem/soundcards

I remember these back in the day , they're such a unique(🤔) layout and I think it's kinda funky cool.
Needs a good strip/clean and retrobrite(maybe) and I'm going to put a Banshee pci in it which I think would be a cool match , up the edo to 128mb and probably put a p200 in it for MAX POWER!! 😁
Gonna be a fun project , it looks very interesting to work on 🤣.

This is another Packard Bell out of the 4 I got , this time a very tidy case, just needs a good strip and clean and a CD/RW , everything works fine.
The other two are in the loft so no pics yet , I'm running out of room. 🙄

Specs
Athlon Slot A 600mhz
384mb Ram
Voodoo 3 3000 agp
PB MSI motherboard (I think I read somewhere you can bios swap these to MSI's Award/AMI bios , anyone know?)
80gb HDD
CD Drive

Really like this one as it's so small and I never owned a Slot A Athlon back in the day , I only went back to AMD with the T/Bird 1.4 iirc.

Here’s my contribution to the thread, the Legend IV:

286 @ 12 MHz + 287
4 MB RAM
40 MB HD
Trident VGA
Modem, game port cards

Back when I was younger, a 486 Packard Bell was my first computer. My parents bought it because our bank offered it with a discount here in Spain. Hence the reason why I own one and why I just love Packard Bells!!!
So, this is my beauty! Love PB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Packard Bell Pulsar 16.

Here are the Specs:

Motherboard: Packard Bell 685 M/Board / Bus Architecture : PCI 2.1/ISA based system bus.66MHz maximum bus speed / Cache : 16K level 1 cache.May have 256KB Pipelined Burst Cache soldered on board
Chipset : Intel 82437VX PCI set
CPU : Intel MMX Pentium 166 MHz
Sound Card: Orpheus
Keyboard: Packard Bell 5131C
Mouse: PS2 Mitsumi Optic Mouse
PCI Chipset : Intel Triton 82430VX PCI chipset
RAM : 16MB EDO
Video: S3 Trio64V+ motherboards have 1MB expandable to 2MB.S
CD-ROM: Hemlett Packard CD-Writer Plus 8200 Series
Extra: Compact Flash to IDE adapter with 1GB CF card

The insides of the computer:

An Intel MMX Pentium 166Mhz is perfect for playing mid-late 90s DOS games such as Blood or Duke Nukem while also being able to play 386 era DOS games. For such task I just disable Cache in the BIOS options and the Packard Bell transforms into a fast 386. More than enough for my needs!

I use solely MS-DOS 6.22. For rapid data copying from my main PC to the Packard Bell I use a 1GB Compact Flash as I have installed a CF to IDE adapter in the back of the computer. This is one of the easiest ways to copy games or programs into the system.

As for the sound, this computer had an Aztech Sound Blaster 16 compatible card. I swaped it for an Orpheus Sound Card. What a difference! Amazing sound card with great quality sound and 0 noise.
I bought the standard version as I'm only interested in using the OPL3 FM. Sorry, I'm not that fan of MIDI music!!!! Yes I know.....😬
I would like to comment that the purchase of the card went perfectly! Leo really made everything super easy for me. I ordered the Sound Card and received it in less than a month. Really impressed with the service. Top Quality!

Here's the sound card installed in the Packard Bell in all its beauty:

For typing I also use a Packard Bell branded keyboard model 5131C. I just love this keyboard! It is not a mechanical keyboard but it feels really nice when typing with it. Really, really nice.
I bought it second hand, it was quite yellowy. I disassembled it, cleaned it and used Hydrogen peroxide to whiten it.

I bought a new PS2 Optic Mouse in white colour to much the rest of the components. "Mitsumi" Anybody knows this brand???? 🤷‍♂️

I also bought some stickers to "decorate" the case. In the following picture we can see a Sound Blaster logo, and MS-DOS logo and a Intel Inside MMX logo as well.

In regards to the MOBO, I couldn't find much info about it so here are some pictures at least:

So that's about it! The computer runs flawlesly and I'm very happy with it! This is the only retro computer I use at the moment. Hope you enjoy the post!

In order to relive the past, I had been looking quite a while to get my hands on a Packard Bell model similar to the OP, but as it turns out they're getting hard to find these days (at least near me). I've always really liked the "ribbed for your aesthetic pleasure" designs of PB in the mid-nineties and how they incorporated that design in the peripherals as well. In the end I was happy to get this Multimedia CL 4711/R (according to biospeek.exe) with a PB 1015 monitor.

It seems to be almost the same case layout as I remember from my good old Executive 486 (unfortunately long since scrapped), but with a very different face plate. It still has the ribbed trim on the sides though. CPU is a first-generation 266Mhz Covington Slot1 Celeron, which was apparently notorious for bad performance due to no secondary cache. My model has no sensor behind what looks like an IR receiver window in the top left front, maybe other models had one?

I would be interested if anyone had any other information or thoughts about this model and its peculiar design mash-up. Seems to me like a somewhat haphazard attempt to modernize the classical models with their imho much more beautiful front face plates. Maybe it was a kind of transitional design on the path towards something altogether more coherent-looking like the Pulsar models? Or just NEC undoing the PB design work to quickly produce a budget PC?

In any case, I'm hoping to find a master CD to restore this machine to original software glory including PB Navigator and other bundled software.

Macca70 wrote on 2021-10-23, 14:57:

This is another Packard Bell out of the 4 I got , this time a very tidy case, just needs a good strip and clean and a CD/RW , e […]
Show full quote

This is another Packard Bell out of the 4 I got , this time a very tidy case, just needs a good strip and clean and a CD/RW , everything works fine.
The other two are in the loft so no pics yet , I'm running out of room. 🙄

Specs
Athlon Slot A 600mhz
384mb Ram
Voodoo 3 3000 agp
PB MSI motherboard (I think I read somewhere you can bios swap these to MSI's Award/AMI bios , anyone know?)
80gb HDD
CD Drive

Really like this one as it's so small and I never owned a Slot A Athlon back in the day , I only went back to AMD with the T/Bird 1.4 iirc.

Hi Macca, What is the exact model number of your Packard Bell? The micro ATX one I mean? This was my childhood computer and Im trying to find one. The model number would be really helpful. Thanks in advance!

My Club 30 (which I'm gonna sell)

Murugan wrote on 2022-04-17, 13:00:

My Club 30 (which I'm gonna sell)

Your Club 30 looks very similar to my "Multimedia CL" posted above. Out of curiosity: does yours have an IR remote control sensor behind that black oval window in the front panel?

Never checked that TBH.
I'll have a look tomorrow.

Murugan wrote on 2022-04-27, 07:45:

Never checked that TBH.
I'll have a look tomorrow.

Thanks, I would love to know! I've made a separate topic so as to not distract any further from the current one: any Packard Bell models Club/Multimedia with built-in IR receiver?

Is there a full list of Packard Bell models somewhere?

With stock specs would be even better.

I was able to find a partial list, but it was woefully incomplete.

I've been wanting to get a Socket 4 system for quite a while and just bought a PB Axcel 120CD which I have been unable to find any real information on. The seller showed the BIOS screen which confirmed that it was a Pentium 60.

I also bought a PB software / manual bundle for mostly a 100CD which also came with a Pentium 60. The CDs and paperwork look like it originally came with Windows 3.1.

The Axcel 300CD, 350CD and Axcel 4500 also came with a Pentium 60.

My guess is that they all used the same motherboard but the case and other hardware and software would have been different between these models.

cyclone3d wrote on 2022-05-24, 01:26:

Is there a full list of Packard Bell models somewhere? […]
Show full quote

Is there a full list of Packard Bell models somewhere?

With stock specs would be even better.

I was able to find a partial list, but it was woefully incomplete.

I've been wanting to get a Socket 4 system for quite a while and just bought a PB Axcel 120CD which I have been unable to find any real information on. The seller showed the BIOS screen which confirmed that it was a Pentium 60.

I also bought a PB software / manual bundle for mostly a 100CD which also came with a Pentium 60. The CDs and paperwork look like it originally came with Windows 3.1.

The Axcel 300CD, 350CD and Axcel 4500 also came with a Pentium 60.

My guess is that they all used the same motherboard but the case and other hardware and software would have been different between these models.

I sometimes refer to this list but I've no idea how good it is - http://www.epocalc.net/php/liste_models.php?b … nd=Packard+Bell - no drill down specs sadly.

Layout-wise it looks as if the board might be a version of the Robin LC / 520R - if so, here are a few related links which might help

https://web.archive.org/web/19990428092501/ht … s/PB520rupg.asp
https://www.ultimateretro.net/en/motherboards/3165
http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/pb/mb/520r.htm

Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today

https://www.oocities.org/sjg/pb520r.html
https://www.oocities.org/sjg/upstory/pb520r.html

Thanks for the links.
I have seen that first linked page before.
Not super useful since there are no specs but I guess it is something.

The 120CD I bought I think has been upgraded.
It has a modem, NIC and sound card that has 4 metal 1/8" plugs and a game port. Not really finding pics of any Aztech cards that have that configuration.

Macca70 wrote on 2021-10-23, 14:38:

I remember these back in the day , they're such a unique(🤔) layout and I think it's kinda funky cool.

I had one with an identical case / layout back in early 2003 briefly when I just arrived US and hadn't ordered a new computer yet. It was a retired machine from my roommate and I don't have to tell you how frustrating it was using a Win95-era computer in 2003, not to mention it being below average performance even as a new machine. Once my Alienware arrived it was retired immediately. 😅

Oh I have this light blue Packard Bell iMedia set complete with monitor, speakers, keyboard and mouse. I will make some pictures of it later this week. It's stored in my old room at my dad's place. 😀

Strahssis wrote on 2022-05-24, 21:39:

Oh I have this light blue Packard Bell iMedia set complete with monitor, speakers, keyboard and mouse. I will make some pictures of it later this week. It's stored in my old room at my dad's place. 😀

Yes, the Packard Blue! I have one of those as well. Also in storage. Let's see if I can't beat you to posting pictures first 😉

This one is hibernating in a stack, been a while since I last powered it. Has 286-12, VGA, 40MB HDD and not sure what else. VGA might be onboard. That is the keyboard hole at the front I think, I may have a matching keyboard. Don't know what model or series it is, but branding looks very basic, so early model??

My latest one...The screen I fear,has the G2 voltage drift issue. Stock install with the original cd's (the previous owner had XP on it 🤣) and stock config except RAM is upgraded to 128mb.

@Murugan that one of yours looks awesome. I have a different one. It seems like I forgot to make the pictures. Maybe tomorrow. 😀