While searching eBay for a cheap 486DX4, I found this: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Siemens-i486-25-33-Process … 3DLVI%26ps%3D63
What exactly are these "processor modules?" Are these like part of a 486 computer slapped onto an ISA card? Or is this something else?
A lot of industrial systems and a very small number of desktops had the computer itself on a card like that and it'd simply plug into a backplane.
Would this be of any use to upgrade my crappy Packard Bell Legend 316SX? That computer runs on a 25MHz AMD 386SX and has VERY poor performance. I can't even upgrade the CPU as it's soldered onto the motherboard. Would a card like this work to get a 486 into the computer or would I be better off with replacing the motherboard already in the computer with a 486 motherboard?
Creator of The Many Sounds of:, a collection of various DOS games played using different sound cards.
No.
1+1=10
Crap. *searches for 486 motherboard that can fit in the 316SX*
Creator of The Many Sounds of:, a collection of various DOS games played using different sound cards.
Being in North America, you shouldn't have a hard time finding plenty of vintage technology. If anything, post an ad on Craigslist or check the thrift stores in more populated parts of town. For the 316SX itself, I'd say keep it a 386 and simply find some games and apps that run fine on it. IMO, figuring out how to get the most out of a platform is the fun part of setting up a vintage legacy system.
I still have some weird Tulip ISA upgrade card laying around somewhere. It's quite massive.
In Montreal, most of the old computer hardware around here is thrown out. I've only seen a few places with some ISA sound cards and older PCI sound cards, but when it comes to old computers, I've only found two in one booth at a flea market, but the seller has since closed up his booth, which sucks, as there was a 486 Overdrive computer sitting there that was already set up very well with one of the bigger SoundBlaster 16s. All I had to do with it was to add in all my DOS games. I did buy my 120MHz Pentium-S computer from that same guy(that's the second classic computer I saw at that booth), but the sound card needed to be changed(it came with an AOpen AW32 Pro containing a Crystal CX4236, and I HATE Crystal sound cards).
But, one of the employees at a pawn shop I frequent regularly ends up with old computer equipment, so I told him I was looking for a 486 machine and he told me he'll save some 486 computers for me whenever he finds some sometime this week.
Creator of The Many Sounds of:, a collection of various DOS games played using different sound cards.
wrote:Crap. *searches for 486 motherboard that can fit in the 316SX*
Good luck finding a motherboard to fit in a mass marketers case. Back then they did all they could to limit the upgradeability of their machines. Some used cases that were nearly impossible to get your hands into, some used motherboards that were made in non-standard shapes, others used unique voltages that you couldn't get from a standard power supply. Usually, though, they would stick you with some crappy onboard video and audio and then not give you enough expansion slots to upgrade them. Memory expansion was usually limited to one or two slots max and if they did give you ISA or PCI expansion slots at all, you usually didn't get enough to be really useful. If your motherboard uses a riser, forget fitting a different motherboard because the expansion slots will be oriented the wrong way or in the wrong place if you can get the board in at all. They wanted you to throw away your old computer when you outgrew it, not upgrade it to keep it going longer. They don't make any money selling you a computer you can keep for 10 years.
I found this 486 motherboard which looks like it could fit in the computer: http://cgi.ebay.ca/486-Motherboard-Socket-3-b … =item3f084a171c
It does appear to be a bit longer than the 386SX motherboard currently in the 316SX, but from what I can tell, it won't take much to make this 486 motherboard fit. It's also got a single ISA slot much like my 316SX where I can fit a PCB with 3 ISA slots(this is sufficient for me - I'll most likely use one or two sound cards and a good ISA graphics card if the on-board graphics card sucks, so I'll have all 3 ISA slots filled). The PS/2 ports, Game port, Parallel port and Serial port are all placed the same way as on my 316SX, but the modem found on my 316SX's motherboard is missing from this one. There might a place where I fit the modem, but I'll only know for sure if I buy the motherboard.
Mind you, I have seen some Packard Bell 486 computers which appear to use the exact same case as my 316SX. I'm sure there are some 486 motherboards I can fit in the computer.
I hope it works out for you, but personally I don't even wanna bother with the non standard stuff...
That board is whats called a SBC. or single board computer. its designed to plug into a backplane such as this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/14-SLOT-ISA-PASSIVE-BACKP … =item4aaa8257c3
its for industrial and automation computers mostly. SBC's pretty much died out with the P4. Wide adoption of USB 2.0 was a big nail in the coffin. There are some SBC's made off the new chips but they seem pretty rare.
Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them. - Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
It does appear to be a bit longer than the 386SX motherboard currently in the 316SX, but from what I can tell, it won't take much to make this 486 motherboard fit.
Just because it looks like it will fit, doesn't mean it actually will. That LPX form factor was never standardized in any way... mounting holes, rear port cutouts, and location of the riser slot can all be different. Hell, I've even come across similar models from the same manufacturer that weren't interchangeable. Also, it's a bad idea to ever buy one of those boards without the riser card, as the risers were often specific to the motherboard as well... that may or may not be a standard ISA slot on that board.
