VOGONS


First post, by Intel486dx33

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Purpose of this computer build is for playing Old DOS games and modern DOS games.
I want to be able to slow down the CPU enough to play old DOS games like "Wing Commander"
ability to set the CPU at speeds from 25mhz. thru 133mhz.

I have this Intel 486dx4-100mhz. computer built and running fine.
Time to test it out with some games.
Performace is good.
Audio playback is good.

Later I added more ram ( 32mb ) and replaced the CPU with an AMD 5x86-133-P75.
The AMD CPU did make a substantial performance difference.
About 15% faster.
DOS boot up time is about 5 seconds.
With the turbo button turned on I can slow down the CPU to 66mhz. And even more with “Setmul” program. In combination with turbo switch, Disabling L1 cache slows down the computer to 386sx-25mhz or maybe even slower. I received a score of 5.48 in “speedsys” program and a score of 45 in “topbench” program. In order to play really old DOS games.
I don’t know what these scores amount to but they appear to be lower than a 386dx-40mhz.

Specs:
CPU - Intel 486dx4-100 , and AMD 5x86-P75-133
Motherboard - Lucky Star LS-486.
http://www.elhvb.com/webhq/models/486pci/ls486ec2.htm
Chipset - SIS
Cache - 512kb. ( 15ns )
RAM - 32mb. FPM
Video - STB S3 trio64 ( 2mb. , PCI ).
Audio - Sound Blaster AWE64 ( ISA ) CT4520
Hard-drive - CF card with IDE adapter ( Sandisk extreme 8gb.).
CDROM - Sony 32x
Network - 3com 3c509b-TP Etherlink III ( ISA )
Case - Some NEW inexpensive ATX from ebay. It’s okay I guess. ( # 3045KA ).
PSU - 300watt AT.
OS - DOS 6.22

Software -
DOS 6.22 (from WinWorldPC)
TCP/IP package ( mTCP )
http://www.brutman.com/mTCP/
3com 3c509 packet driver
https://www.uselesssoftware.com/download/3c5x9x-zip
SB AWE64 install CD
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … =26&menustate=0
Phils computerlab benchmark tools and DOS Starter pack.
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/dos-benchmark-pack.html
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/ms-dos-starter-pack.html
All disk DOS 6.22 boot disk image.
https://www.allbootdisks.com/download/dos.html
Setmul utility
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/k6-2-2-3-resources.html

Installation process:
First configure your BIOS with default and optimal settings and configure to boot from “A:” first then “C:”.
1) create DOS 6.22 boot disk
2) boot from boot disk and the fdisk and format the hard-drive.
xcopy all the contents for the boot disk to the hard-drive.
Use this command A:\ xcopy /e *.* C:\
Then sys the C: drive with this command A:\sys C: and reboot.
This will give you a bootable hard drive with CDROM and mouse support.
3) Download the “Phil’s DOS starter pack” and install with “install.bat” batch file. Reboot
4) Install sound card software and test sound card and then reboot.
5) Setup 3com 3c509b network card. Copy mTCP and 3com files to hard drive. In directories
C:\Drivers\3com\3c509
C:\Tools\Lan\mTCP
Run 3C5X9CFG.EXE setup program to setup your 3c509 NIC and test.
Copy 3C5X9PD and MTCP.CFG to the root of C:\

Edit autoexec.bat with these lines

REM command to load 3c509 NIC packet driver.
3C5X9PD -w 0x60 IOBASE=0x300
SET MTCPCFG=C:\Tools\Lan\mTCP\Sample\MTCP.CFG
REM Set path to MTCP.CFG ( Where MTCP.CFG is your sample MTCP.CFG file provided with mTCP package )
REM Add the PATH to all directories and files needed:
PATH=C:\DRIVERS\LAN\3com\3c509;C:\Tools\Lan\mTCP;C:\DOStools;C:\DOS622

6) Download, extract and burn DOS 6.22 files to a CDROM. Copy to hard-drive directory C:\DOS622
with command # D:\xcopy *.* C:\DOS622
7) Download, extract and burn DOS_bench-mark pack to CDROM disk and run tests from there.

CREDITS: Thanks to all the hardware and software providers. Philscomputerlab.com and Vogons community.

How can I make this better ?

Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2020-09-26, 16:59. Edited 64 times in total.

Reply 1 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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More photos:

Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2019-06-28, 17:04. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 2 of 17, by foil_fresh

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How can I make this better ?

It's pretty much perfect - but if it was me i'd be trying to find a suitable AT case.

Reply 3 of 17, by treeman

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yeah that case is too new, need the 90s classic clean white case

Reply 4 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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What is some good audio software to load for use with this AWE64 sound card.
I need a good MP3 player and MIDI player and Sound file player.
Currently I only have the Sound Blaster default Player which only plays CDROM's.

Reply 5 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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Intel 486dx4-100 Benchmarks.
8mb. Ram
256kb cache

Benchmarks for speed of 100mhz.
Speedsys - 35.87
Graphics FPS - 40
Doom bench mark score: Gametics =2134 , Realtics= 3602

Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2019-06-30, 19:52. Edited 5 times in total.

Reply 6 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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I swapped out the CPU for an AMD 5x86-133-P75.
Running at default 133mhz. ( Not over clocked ).

I don’t know if this is an improvement over the Inteldx4-100 but I will tests and see.

And I added more RAM. I only had a single stick of FPM -60ns 32mb. So I used that.

I also finished configuring the NIC card and it is working fine.

Last edited by Intel486dx33 on 2019-06-27, 23:00. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 7 of 17, by BinaryDemon

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It’s been a while since I touched a 486, but isn’t 20-21 FPS on the low side for a dx4-100 with a pci videocard?

Check out DOSBox Distro:

https://sites.google.com/site/dosboxdistro/ [*]

a lightweight Linux distro (tinycore) which boots off a usb flash drive and goes straight to DOSBox.

Make your dos retrogaming experience portable!

Reply 8 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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BinaryDemon wrote:

It’s been a while since I touched a 486, but isn’t 20-21 FPS on the low side for a dx4-100 with a pci videocard?

It’s 40 frames per sec. I am using a 2mb S3 trio64 PCI graphics card.

Reply 9 of 17, by BinaryDemon

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Oh oops, guess I used the wrong formula to convert realtics.

Check out DOSBox Distro:

https://sites.google.com/site/dosboxdistro/ [*]

a lightweight Linux distro (tinycore) which boots off a usb flash drive and goes straight to DOSBox.

Make your dos retrogaming experience portable!

Reply 10 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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BinaryDemon wrote:

Oh oops, guess I used the wrong formula to convert realtics.

Your right, I had the turbo jumper set wrong so turbo was enabled.
I was running the CPU at 66mhz.

Here are the NEWest benchmarks with the AMD 5x86-133
Performance is much improved over the Intel-dx4-100.

MS-DOS 2.66 loads very quickly with all the drivers.
In about 5 seconds.

AMD 5x86-133 with 32mb ram benchmarks
FPS - 62.2
Speedsys - 50
Top bench CPU score - 229

Reply 11 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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I really like this DOS boot menu provided by Phil’s computer lab.
It is very convenient and works great.

Reply 12 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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This computer works great !
I made some turbo switches this weekend and I put one into this computer
With turbo turned on I can slow down the computer to 66mhz.
In combination with “Setmul” utility and disabling L1 cache I can slow down the computer to 386sx-25mhz.
Or maybe even less. I don’t know what a score of 5.48 in “speedsys” utility would amount to?
My “topbench” score is 45.

Reply 13 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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What are some good audio programs to use in DOS ?
Also what is a good file manager to use in DOS ?
Or menu manager ?

Reply 14 of 17, by BinaryDemon

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When I was picking an audio player for inclusion within Dosbox Distro I settled on MPXPlay. My main testing criteria was mp3 compatibility tho.

Check out DOSBox Distro:

https://sites.google.com/site/dosboxdistro/ [*]

a lightweight Linux distro (tinycore) which boots off a usb flash drive and goes straight to DOSBox.

Make your dos retrogaming experience portable!

Reply 15 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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Hooked this computer back up. Works good.
Just needs some fine tuning in config files.

What games and programs should I install on it ?

Reply 16 of 17, by TheMobRules

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Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-09-26, 14:48:

What games and programs should I install on it ?

That's kind of like asking what you should get for diner... whatever you like I guess?

Pretty much every DOS game released before 1996 will work fine on that PC, with a few exceptions. And "programs" is even more generic, so you could at least give us a clue of the types of games you enjoy or what you intend to do with that computer.

Unless you built it just for the sake of it, which is also fine, but in that case it may be a better option to say "mission accomplished" and move on to build something else.

Reply 17 of 17, by Intel486dx33

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I have some 5.25” floppy drives lying around. I think I will add one to this computer as I just want it for playing DOS games.

UPDATE: works great.