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Please recommend a 286 class system

S

Shadow Lord

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Hello All,

As just about everybody knows I am looking for an IBM Industrial 7531 computer. However, this is proving more elusive than I originally thought. So I am looking for recs on other systems to keep an eye out for. Here is what I am looking for:

1. A brand name computer system (e.g. IBM, Compaq, Dell, Zeos, Gateway 2000, etc...)
2. A tower system. This is just so much easier in my "man cave" to deal with then a desktop system. My space is limited and a desktop system just takes up too much room for me to work/tinker with.
3. ISA bus (this unfortunately rules out the way awesome IBM PS/2 60 series as they are MCA and make my ISA cards useless).
4. Std. 8 slots would be nice so I can expand the system and get my goodies in there (NIC, sound, video, hard card, etc...)

This is going to be my main 286 working machine (as opposed to the 5170 which is more of a thing of beauty ;)) so I want a faster 286 then the original AT. Something in the 10-12 MHz range (at least 8). I am going to be using this with an EGA card and either a 5154 or a multisync.

Any recommendation, specs, etc. is appreciated. I am also open to offers for any systems you may have. Thanks.
 
The late 80s--early 90s systems with 16-20MHz CPUs are probably the most mature and fastest of the lot--and because they use LSI chipsets and can use SIMMs, they have a lot of room on the motherboard for memory. Some also used the "double DIP" sockets into which 256Kx1 or 1024Kx1 (1MB or 4MB total) chips could be used.

The 80286 lasted quite a long time in industrial applications--it was some time before it was displaced by the 80386 or 486.
 
For some reason those Harris CMOS 16 and 20 MHz systems are quite rare. I've been looking but they don't come around often.
 
Can you track down one of the converter stands that lets you put a standard AT style box on its side? (I think I have a stand but its badly worn and expensive to ship.) That would be a lot easier than obtaining a working 286 tower. And I think the only 286 tower server I ever saw was 8Mhz; towers quickly moved to 386 before the faster 10, 12 or 16 Mhz 286s were common. Don't forget, you could always move the motherboard to a better case.

Dell wasn't too good; Compaq had propietary interfaces. I would go with the any of the better cloners: Compuadd, Northgate, Zeos. These are very similar until you get to 1990 when even the clones transition to SIMMS and designs got more experimental.
 
krebizfan said:
Can you track down one of the converter stands that lets you put a standard AT style box on its side? (I think I have a stand but its badly worn and expensive to ship.) That would be a lot easier than obtaining a working 286 tower. And I think the only 286 tower server I ever saw was 8Mhz; towers quickly moved to 386 before the faster 10, 12 or 16 Mhz 286s were common. Don't forget, you could always move the motherboard to a better case.

Dell wasn't too good; Compaq had propietary interfaces. I would go with the any of the better cloners: Compuadd, Northgate, Zeos. These are very similar until you get to 1990 when even the clones transition to SIMMS and designs got more experimental.
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Shipping is shipping and cant be avoided. The convertor stand is another idea I had considered. I let a NIB one go a few month back on ebay as I wasn't quite sure what it was good for. :( DOH! Thanks for the info on Dell and Compaq. I'll keep on eye out for some of the other guys. Eventually something will show up.
 
Chuck(G) said:
The late 80s--early 90s systems with 16-20MHz CPUs are probably the most mature and fastest of the lot--and because they use LSI chipsets and can use SIMMs, they have a lot of room on the motherboard for memory. Some also used the "double DIP" sockets into which 256Kx1 or 1024Kx1 (1MB or 4MB total) chips could be used.

The 80286 lasted quite a long time in industrial applications--it was some time before it was displaced by the 80386 or 486.
Click to expand...

Yeah, systems lasted much longer back then. I used my 5160 until 1992 when I finally got a 486-33. Now a days w/ the 6 month upgrade/refereh cycle they have going on you are a generation behind before you have broken the system in. As for the 286 I am trying to stay era specific so the 16-20 MHz systems are probably going to be too fast. However, I am not against one if anyone has a line on one ;).
 
I'd just recommend getting a board and sticking it into a case. 286 tower systems weren't exactly plentiful, and so you won't have many options. Recasing a board is probably your best bet.

I personally have a Type 1 IBM AT board in a mini-tower case with a removable MB tray. Sacrilege, I know, but I traded my AT about a year ago to LyonAdmiral, and was after another - decided on the MB when the $17 shipped price came up (at auction no less). Replaced 4 bad 4128 memory chips, and was good to go. I also purchased a CompuAdd 286-16mhz board and connectors from a forum member a few weeks ago. Haven't had a chance to fire it up, but wanted a faster 286 available, just in case - and since this one had an 8/16mhz Turbo switch, it's highly likely that it will become my workhorse 286 (I'm wanting a towerized 286 machine to build floppy images for preservation w/ my Option Board).

If you're after a historically-significant board, snag an AT board, or even a PC-XT board (they can be had bare-board for $50+ship, but no case/etc, sadly). Also I believe that ChromeDome45 may have a 5162 board available for sale/trade - might try PMing him.
 
The 5162 board and XT case I have it in are pending a sale. So it's not available. But I do have a 12MHz 80286 motherbaord available with 4 Meg RAM installed. Kind of a small size to boot. Low asking price too. PM me if you are interested.
 
Shadow Lord said:
Yeah, systems lasted much longer back then. I used my 5160 until 1992 when I finally got a 486-33. Now a days w/ the 6 month upgrade/refereh cycle they have going on you are a generation behind before you have broken the system in. As for the 286 I am trying to stay era specific so the 16-20 MHz systems are probably going to be too fast. However, I am not against one if anyone has a line on one ;).
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There's at least one 16MHz board (looks like it also has the NDP on it) for not a lot of money on eBay.
 
Chromedome45 said:
The 5162 board and XT case I have it in are pending a sale. So it's not available. But I do have a 12MHz 80286 motherbaord available with 4 Meg RAM installed. Kind of a small size to boot. Low asking price too. PM me if you are interested.
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Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. At this point though I am trying to avoid that route.
 
Okay, I am exploring the role my own option and so far it is not looking good. Problem is I don't have alot of the necessary equipment (AT Case, MB, PSU, Floppy/HDD controller, HDD). By the time I source everything, get them shipped I could probably buy a 5170 and just sit it on its side. Of course it would be one hell of an AT if I rolled my own...
 
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I put out the idea of a DIY because (1) Most 286 systems were probably done that way, even if by Uncle Wong or Dell and (2) you'd asked for a minitower configuration. These were fairly uncommon in the 286 days. Full towers and horizontal cases, yes, but minis, not so much.
 
Chuck(G) said:
I put out the idea of a DIY because (1) Most 286 systems were probably done that way, even if by Uncle Wong or Dell and (2) you'd asked for a minitower configuration. These were fairly uncommon in the 286 days. Full towers and horizontal cases, yes, but minis, not so much.
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sorry if i wasn't clear but I actually prefer a full tower Chuck as opposed to a mini. I just don't want a desktop as desk space is at a premium in hte Man Cave. One of the things I love about the Everex Megacube is that it sits under one of my desks leaving the desktop available for huge CRTs :D.
 
If you're after a full tower, man, be prepared to pay on the shipping if you can't source one locally!

I bought mine years ago from the flea market vendor, completely empty for $20. It weighs about 40-45lbs completely empty.

So far as sourcing your own AT case, well, you don't really NEED an AT minitower - many of the ATX cases I've seen will house an AT board if you're careful and not afraid to punch your own motherboard mounting holes. Zero troubles if you source a baby-AT motherboard and pop it in the ATX housing... although you might have to fashion a plate for the keyboard if having a square hole in the back where the ATX connector headers are at bothers you overly much.

I've found that the local dump has a nice bin for electronics to be dumped in... drive up there with scrap, see computer case, toss case into back of truck when no one's looking, drive away!

(or in my case, computer case, flat-panel monitor, flat-panel tv, clicky keyboard, anything that has old cpus or memory in there, rounded cable edging.... or in other words, anything useful!)

I guess a recycler works too, although the closest one to my area is probably 45+ mins away - too far to check frequently.
 
What Mav said. Some earlier ATX cases even came with an I/O shield for AT style motherboards. But making your own I/O shield for an AT board shouldn't be very difficult as you need only provide a hole for the keyboard connector. I've made I/O shields from scrap blank PCB stock.
 
Maverick1978 said:
If you're after a full tower, man, be prepared to pay on the shipping if you can't source one locally!
Click to expand...

Chuck(G) said:
What Mav said. Some earlier ATX cases even came with an I/O shield for AT style motherboards. But making your own I/O shield for an AT board shouldn't be very difficult as you need only provide a hole for the keyboard connector. I've made I/O shields from scrap blank PCB stock.
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Well, I can probaly get my hands on a local case and PSU. I got to double check with my friend, I have floppy drives I can use for the system. But I would need MB, Controller and HDD. If he has his old tower case and PSU then I can consider doing a price calc for the rest of it... Anyone have an ESDI HDD they like ot get rid of? :)
 
ESDI!? Why ESDI? Just pop an XT-IDE in there, or grab a cheap-o 16-bit ISA IDE card and use an overlay software for large drive support! I think I paid $4 shipped for the one I purchased off of ebay that's in my "5170 tower"
 
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