I also have doubts about IBM 486SLC upgrade.

I have a motherboard with IBM 386SLC 25Mhz installed, it works well, by chance I got a motherboard that is said to be installed with IBM 486SLC2, it was severely damaged due to battery leakage and could not be repaired, which gave me a bold idea, can I remove 486SLC2 from the scrapped motherboard and use it to replace 386SLC?

I really want to know whether the pin definitions of IBM 386SLC and 486SLC2 are the same? I tried to find relevant information, but did not find any available information.

I hope someone can provide information about IBM 386SLC and 486SLC2.

With the “rare” memory module you should be up to 6mb of ram which is ok for software that runs well on a 386sx-16. There is a GitHub of a homemade memory expansion card for this system.

A variety of individuals have installed upgrade CPUs to a ps1 on VCFED, I would check there but most upgrade modules are always a pain.

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/ibm … 6-to-486.69539/

If you do manage to get a 486slc2 working in there
there were also IBM branded memory expansion cards that fit in the ISA slots that allowed for up to the full 16mb of ram. Even though 486 class games will always be a tad slow on your machine 8mb of ram is needed for some of them.

More ram does make windows more snappy

Good luck

4mb of RAM is enough.
Just configure your device drivers to load HIGH in config.sys.
I have my 486dx-100 computer running with just 3mb of Memory.
You only need more Memory when running Windows 3x or Win95

Get a Fast 52x CDROM
Replace your hard drive with a 8gb Compact Flash card.
A 1mb Video card is good enough
Add Networking with 3com 3c509b card
Connect to WiFi with TP-Link WiFi-N Extender

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2024-09-15, 09:49:

4mb of RAM is enough. Just configure your device drivers to load HIGH in config.sys. I have my 486dx-100 computer running with j […]
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4mb of RAM is enough.
Just configure your device drivers to load HIGH in config.sys.
I have my 486dx-100 computer running with just 3mb of Memory.
You only need more Memory when running Windows 3x or Win95

Get a Fast 52x CDROM
Replace your hard drive with a 8gb Compact Flash card.
A 1mb Video card is good enough
Add Networking with 3com 3c509b card
Connect to WiFi with TP-Link WiFi-N Extender

Even on early 90’s “high end “ DOS games that require a 386DX at a minimum 4mb was pushing it. I can think of several games that realistically should have 8mb even with a 386 minimum cpu (the ops 6mb may be enough but 4 could be aggravating if cdrom and other drivers were involved )

Most of those games ran better on a 486 but if you ran them on a 386 hybrid 4mb many times wasn’t enough especially with cd drivers, expansion packs, maps etc.

Regardless of this the op has tons of game options with 4mb, just that a few will be fringe cases.