First post, by Shponglefan
- Rank
- l33t
This build is a recreation of the first family computer we had growing up. While it's not the original hardware, I was able to cobble together the same basic make and model, even including the off-color 3.5" floppy drive. Then I added some quality-of-life upgrades and enhancements for late 80s / early 90s gaming.
Specs:
CPU: 80286-12 (AMD)
Math co-processor: 80287-8
RAM: 640KB conventional
Removable storage: 5.25" and 3.5" floppy drives
Fixed Storage: 128 MB Compact Flash via 16-bit ISA adapter, plus lo-tech ISA card w/ XTIDE BIOS extension
Video: Aamazing (Acumos AVGA1) 16-bit ISA VGA graphics adapter
Audio: Adlib and Roland LAPC-I sound cards
Speakers: Harman Kardon 2.0 multimedia speaker system
Keyboard: Epson Q203A mechanical keyboard
Mouse: 2- button Microsoft Mouse
Monitor: Samsung 15" SyncMaster 550b
A few notes about the system:
The Epson features a couple hinged doors on the front for the keyboard connector and switches. The keyboard hinged door is usually missing on most used units. I ended up buying a pair of old Epsons, one in good cosmetic condition, and another for scavenging parts from. I even got an original box with one of the units.
The Epson features a selector switch for 12 MHz and 8 MHz speeds. The power LED toggles between green (12 MHz) and amber (8 MHz).
The monitor, keyboard and mouse were all purchased as new-old-stock. I'm not 100% sure if the keyboard wasn't previously used, but it is is really good condition and even has the original plastic wrap still on the cord. The connector on the case is designed for a 90 degree DIN plug, which makes me especially glad I was able to find an original Epson keyboard for this build.
Both units came with hard drives (IDE and MFM drives respectively). I haven't tested them yet, as I plan to stick with CF for each of file transfer and general reliability compared to using 30+ year old drives. The 5.25" drive is not currently hooked up. I still need to test it and will do so in the future.
For audio, the Adlib and Roland LAPC-I combo works well for the era this machine is from. I did test a Sound Blaster 1.5 w/ CMS upgrade, but found it noisier than I would have liked. So I stuck with the Adlib. Also, the case fortunately the case fits full-length ISA cards, which meant the Roland could just fit.