RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-01-14, 14:00:

Kampfkoloss wrote on 2025-01-14, 13:15:

Hey, haven't been here since 2022.^^ Time passes. Here's my work desk / computing area. The black PC ontop of that silver Lian Li one is my actual main PC with Ryzen etc. So you can ignore that one^^ I'm going to post some external views of each system in the respective thread 😀

So 5 retro PCs and one modern one? Nice!

More like 4 retro and two modern ones: that Lian Li case houses my Xeon box I plan on using for a migration testbed over to Debian GNU/Linux. Before that it was my Core2 Quad Q9550 box thats taken apart now. I thought about using the Socket 775 parts for XP and take apart my Athlon 64 build (that black and silver one) but that wouldn't feel right...

Changes!!!!

The retro setup usually ends up looking something like this. I have a horrible KVM stack, and machines are occasionally cycled in and out of storage and to the setup. At the moment the machines are:

Desktop: IBM SurePOS 4964 Model 104, Am5x86 @ 3 x 33MHz (like DX4-100), Cirrus Logic GD5440 1MB VLB, Yamaha YMF719E-S, Windows 95B (OSR 2)
Mecca: K6-III+ @ 550MHz, PCPartner MVP3BS7-954 variant, Voodoo 3 2000, ESS ES1868F, Windows Me w/ real-mode DOS patch
Thermaltake: Athlon XP 3000+ @ 2.1GHz/400FSB, Asus A7V8X-LA (HP OEM, Kelut KM400A), Radeon X800 Pro 256MB, SB Audigy 2 ZS, Windows XP Pro SP3
OptiPlex 760: Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3.0GHz, GeForce GT 240 (512MB/GDDR5), Windows XP Pro SP3

A Raspberry Pi 4 server shares the area.

TheChexWarrior wrote on 2025-03-17, 08:20:

Changes!!!!

How's that Cyrix perform?

Atari SM124 Monitor added.

Here's my humble little retro corner, both PC's lovingly refined over the course of 10 years or so:

DOS / Win98
CPU: K6-2+ 450
Motherboard: GA-586T2 (Socket 7)
HDD: 16GB SSD
RAM: 64MB SDRAM
GPU: Nvidia MX400 64MB
Sound card: YMF719 + X2GS
MIDI: PCMIDI + McCake

Win XP
CPU: 3.4GHz P4 Cedar Mill
Motherboard: ASUS P5LD2
HDD: 256 GB WD SSD
RAM: 2GB DDR2
GPU: Geforce 8800GTX
Sound: X-Fi Titanium PCIe

Both machines share keyboard / mouse / monitor via a switch so I have early 90's to late 2000's covered with this setup, and between them I have C64, Atari 2600, SMS, NES, and PS1 emulated too. It makes me very happy 😍

Even the desk is retro!
Although just 2 computers and not upgraded to the hilt, you have more self-control then me!

chinny22 wrote on 2025-03-27, 23:35:

Even the desk is retro!
Although just 2 computers and not upgraded to the hilt, you have more self-control then me!

Yes that desk certainly looks the part but it's also surprisingly functional and ergonomic. And those PCs might look pretty restrained but all of the major components have a story behind them and have been lovingly restored, documented, and configured. So don't worry there's been plenty of indulging going on!

I'm done with the shed full of old PC's and monster stash of components, which is sad. I wish I could go back to the start and do it all again but I've explored every retro PC avenue I'm interested in - getting old sucks.

badmojo wrote on 2025-03-27, 06:07:

Here's my humble little retro corner, both PC's lovingly refined over the course of 10 years or so: […]
Show full quote

Here's my humble little retro corner, both PC's lovingly refined over the course of 10 years or so:

DOS / Win98
CPU: K6-2+ 450
Motherboard: GA-586T2 (Socket 7)
HDD: 16GB SSD
RAM: 64MB SDRAM
GPU: Nvidia MX400 64MB
Sound card: YMF719 + X2GS
MIDI: PCMIDI + McCake

Win XP
CPU: 3.4GHz P4 Cedar Mill
Motherboard: ASUS P5LD2
HDD: 256 GB WD SSD
RAM: 2GB DDR2
GPU: Geforce 8800GTX
Sound: X-Fi Titanium PCIe

Both machines share keyboard / mouse / monitor via a switch so I have early 90's to late 2000's covered with this setup, and between them I have C64, Atari 2600, SMS, NES, and PS1 emulated too. It makes me very happy 😍

great specs, so well matched to respective OSes and eras.

badmojo wrote on 2025-03-28, 02:24:

I'm done with the shed full of old PC's and monster stash of components, which is sad. I wish I could go back to the start and do it all again but I've explored every retro PC avenue I'm interested in - getting old sucks.

i can understand that, but i'd be nervous not having a spare or two for each component 😀

gerry wrote on 2025-03-28, 10:46:

great specs, so well matched to respective OSes and eras.

i can understand that, but i'd be nervous not having a spare or two for each component 😀

Thanks! And worry not I have lots of spares for these 2 specific machines - I've had to write "DON'T BUY ANY MORE" next to several of them in my hardware tracking spreadsheet 😁 - I just don't have a huge number of random parts and PC's like I used to.

badmojo wrote on 2025-03-28, 11:00:

Thanks! And worry not I have lots of spares for these 2 specific machines - I've had to write "DON'T BUY ANY MORE" next to several of them in my hardware tracking spreadsheet 😁 - I just don't have a huge number of random parts and PC's like I used to.

Would love to see that spreadsheet 😀

So this is my retro computer setup that I have going on one side of a room atm. Tried my best to get it all in frame.

Just a cheap desk, nothing fancy there, but on top of it to the left is the computer that I show running and also the one I use the most by far which the most noteworthy specs are:
Pentium MMX 233, 64mb ram, 120gb HDD, S3 Trio 64 V2/DX 4mb, Diamond Monster 3D Voodoo 1, Yamaha Audition 32 ISA sound card

Love that machine, found it while thrifting for $10 in 2019 but ended up spending quite a bit more after that upgrading it over the years to what it is now. Just did a fresh re-install of Windows 95 about a week ago btw.

Anyway, next to that to give it more flare I guess is a vintage desktop calculator I found while thrifting years ago that iirc is from the early-mid 70s. In the middle is my Gateway Vivitron 1776 (rebranded Sony Trinitron I'm pretty sure) manufactured in early 1996. Also have some very nice imo Yamaha speakers that again I found while thrifting many years ago now. Finally, the three computers to the right are my NEC PC-9821 Cs2, Tandy 1000 RL/HD, and HP Vectra VL2 4/66 486 PC. Got more old computers than that but those are the ones I care to have on the desk top at all times for now.

thepirategamerboy12 wrote on 2025-03-29, 22:23:

So this is my retro computer setup that I have going on one side of a room atm. Tried my best to get it all in frame.

Looks really good! 😃👍

Btw, do I see a little Gravis gamepad hiding there? 🙂

Jo22 wrote on 2025-03-29, 22:28:

Looks really good! 😃👍

Btw, do I see a little Gravis gamepad hiding there? 🙂

Thanks! Indeed you do, haven't used it on that computer though because iirc when I plugged it in the sound card stopped being detected. Kinda odd.

thepirategamerboy12 wrote on 2025-03-29, 22:23:

So this is my retro computer setup that I have going on one side of a room atm. Tried my best to get it all in frame. […]
Show full quote

So this is my retro computer setup that I have going on one side of a room atm. Tried my best to get it all in frame.

The attachment Retro Computer Setup 2025.jpg is no longer available

Just a cheap desk, nothing fancy there, but on top of it to the left is the computer that I show running and also the one I use the most by far which the most noteworthy specs are:
Pentium MMX 233, 64mb ram, 120gb HDD, S3 Trio 64 V2/DX 4mb, Diamond Monster 3D Voodoo 1, Yamaha Audition 32 ISA sound card

Love that machine, found it while thrifting for $10 in 2019 but ended up spending quite a bit more after that upgrading it over the years to what it is now. Just did a fresh re-install of Windows 95 about a week ago btw.

Anyway, next to that to give it more flare I guess is a vintage desktop calculator I found while thrifting years ago that iirc is from the early-mid 70s. In the middle is my Gateway Vivitron 1776 (rebranded Sony Trinitron I'm pretty sure) manufactured in early 1996. Also have some very nice imo Yamaha speakers that again I found while thrifting many years ago now. Finally, the three computers to the right are my NEC PC-9821 Cs2, Tandy 1000 RL/HD, and HP Vectra VL2 4/66 486 PC. Got more old computers than that but those are the ones I care to have on the desk top at all times for now.

We got the same issue: tight IKEA desk, and wasted space. That's the reason I have on mind getting some wood and supplies and do a DIY-project desk, with better materials, wider dimensions, and way more practical usage. With no doubt it's the clevest idea.

Current setup for my Windows 10/XP dual-boot, daily driver.

Not entirely happy with my Dell monitor being off-center, but it's the only way I could avoid having to pull the whole desk out from the wall, which just eats up too much space in my tiny bedroom.

Alexraptor wrote on 2025-04-07, 23:03:

Current setup for my Windows 10/XP dual-boot, daily driver.

The attachment GninVx7XAAEbfxG.jpg is no longer available

Not entirely happy with my Dell monitor being off-center, but it's the only way I could avoid having to pull the whole desk out from the wall, which just eats up too much space in my tiny bedroom.

if you are in a small room this is a perfectly good way to place the monitor, overall looks very tidy 😀

gerry wrote on 2025-04-08, 15:32:

Alexraptor wrote on 2025-04-07, 23:03:

Current setup for my Windows 10/XP dual-boot, daily driver.

The attachment GninVx7XAAEbfxG.jpg is no longer available

Not entirely happy with my Dell monitor being off-center, but it's the only way I could avoid having to pull the whole desk out from the wall, which just eats up too much space in my tiny bedroom.

if you are in a small room this is a perfectly good way to place the monitor, overall looks very tidy 😀

Thanks! Is just a little awkward is all, though I think I'm starting to get used to it. Although i definitely need a better mouse-pad setup, for when I'm gaming on the CRT.

Standard Def Steve wrote on 2022-10-10, 18:48:

My favourite spot for fall DOS gaming is right under this Ohio Buckeye, especially on a holiday morning like today. I always get […]
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My favourite spot for fall DOS gaming is right under this Ohio Buckeye, especially on a holiday morning like today. I always get a kind of neat feeling bringing out a mug of cocoa & playing DOS games out here as the sun rises. This morning, the tree happened to shed half its weight; the golden leaves gently landing on me, my keyboard, and the laptop screen just made playing The Legend of Kyrandia an almost surreal experience!

I just saw this photo and think it must be amazing to sit there and play Kyrandia, one of my favourite point&click games, plus my fav year season 😀

paprika wrote on 2021-04-05, 17:01:

Hi everyone, […]
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Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and hope this is a good thread to introduce myself. I'm from Poland, and I first used a computer around 1985 (a ZX81), first owned a computer in 1988 (C64), and first owned a PC in 1994... I love restoring and working with computers from the 90s. Any kind — Amigas, Apples, PCs.

Well, nice to meet you all, I hope to learn from, and contribute to, this fascinating forum (I've been an anonymous lurker for a while).

Here's my happy place which I often share with my son 😀 Recently I started to explore DOS-era sound cards and I'm currently sitting in that rabbit hole — hence the prominent loudspeakers.

Hej hej:)
Probuje znalezc stara obudowe PC, cos jak te wlasnie budy od Optimusa z naszych czasow, ale ATX, nie AT - nie pamietasz czy Optimus mial ATX bude w tym stylu? Cos mi sie chyba obija w glowie pamiec ze bylo cos takiego. najpierw byly wszystkie pierwsze Pentiumy, 60, 75, 90 100 itd, ale chyba pozniej byla taka obudowa w ATX nie?