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80's IBM recommendation

vol.2

vol.2

Experienced Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
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baltimore
Hi all,

I recently dusted off my software boxes from the late '80s to early 90s and I am looking for a recommendation for an IBM machine to run that stuff on. I have an EGA card and an CGA monitor that is kinda nostalgic for me that I want to use, so I need something I can drop that card into.

A second question is whether or not I need one or two machines.
I remember having issues back when I purchased a 286 with programs from the 8086 XT era running too fast (even with turbo mode disabled), so I'm wondering if I have to get 2 machines (an XT and a 286), or if there is some solution to where I can slow down a 286 to run something like "The Ancient Art of War" if anyone remembers that title?

I don't need a super collectors item, just a nice stable machine I can drop my EGA card into and go. Hopefully just one machine to run everything.

Thanks,
 
There are various software solutions to slow down a 286 to XT speeds so that those particular games will run well on the 286. So one machine should suffice.
 
vol.2 said:
I recently dusted off my software boxes from the late '80s to early 90s and I am looking for a recommendation for an IBM machine to run that stuff on.
Click to expand...
Completely depends on the software titles. Some software only runs or only runs well on an 8088, other software only runs or only runs well on a 286, yet other software only runs or only runs well on a 386. If you have a mix, then you very well might need several machines.

My personal recommendation is to go the generic clone route. A good generic AT form case can fit both XT and AT clone motherboards. Then if you decide you need to change things, you don't have to ditch and re-ship an entire case and power supply.
 
2icebitn said:
I remember getting a kick out of the speed increase in AAoW, whatever I ran it on.
Click to expand...

lol. I remember it being so fast I couldn't play it, but also that it gave me a good laugh to see how fast the units moved around.
 
good to know, is there a specific software solution that you would recommend?
 
thanks for the info

Another poster here has recommended that I just use software to slow down a 286. Are there issues with said software that you are aware of?

Also, I doubt that I will use this machine to play anything beyond the EGA era. My goal is to run everything on my old monitor. Do you think that some of those CGA/EGA titles could warrant a 386?

Thanks,
 
I have both a TurboXT clone @ 10Mhz. and an AT 286 clone @ 12Mhz. In my experience the the TurboXT is too slow for anything beyond CGA or "basic" EGA/VGA (i.e. Graphic Adventures) and only with speaker sound. So if you only want to have one machine follow the 286 route and use a slowdown utility.
 
Unless you're married to the idea of getting a genuine IBM machine, that's not a real problem. Most clone makers allowed a switch between base (4.77Mz or 6Mz, depending) speed for compatibility and fast speed. About the only exception to that, that I own is a Zenith AT clone that runs at a straight 8Mz.
 
dieymir said:
I have both a TurboXT clone @ 10Mhz. and an AT 286 clone @ 12Mhz. In my experience the the TurboXT is too slow for anything beyond CGA or "basic" EGA/VGA (i.e. Graphic Adventures) and only with speaker sound. So if you only want to have one machine follow the 286 route and use a slowdown utility.
Click to expand...

I have a Zenith XT clone with an 8mhz V20 in it, along with a VGA card and a SB16 and it does pretty well with lots of games from the 286 era, as long as they dont require a 286. Puzzle games and basic action/platformers run great, as well as the graphical adventures. Really the only thing it struggles with are any sort of 3D.
 
vol.2 said:
Another poster here has recommended that I just use software to slow down a 286. Are there issues with said software that you are aware of?
Click to expand...

ATSLOW is consistent, but not highly configurable. MOSLO is highly configurable, but only uses the system timer, so not consistent. A mixture of both may serve your needs. You can also run a realtime benchmark such as TOPBENCH to adjust your slowdown parameters and see in real time what your system now "measures" at.

Also, I doubt that I will use this machine to play anything beyond the EGA era. My goal is to run everything on my old monitor. Do you think that some of those CGA/EGA titles could warrant a 386?
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll find any title that supports EGA that also *requires* a 386. There are a few that perform smoother with a 386 (Flight Simulator, Indianapolis 500) but none that would require one.
 
For mid-to-late ‘80s games you should also consider something from the Tandy 1000 family. They’re more plentiful than any other XT class machine besides the 5150/5160 and their graphics and sound were well supported during their time.
 
vol.2 said:
to run something like "The Ancient Art of War" if anyone remembers that title?
Click to expand...

I loved that game, I use to play it on my PCjr all the time and it ran at the perfect speed.


Unless it really has to be an IBM machine I think trr94001 has the right idea with a Tandy.
 
Casey said:
Unless you're married to the idea of getting a genuine IBM machine, that's not a real problem. Most clone makers allowed a switch between base (4.77Mz or 6Mz, depending) speed for compatibility and fast speed. About the only exception to that, that I own is a Zenith AT clone that runs at a straight 8Mz.
Click to expand...

Do you think I should avoid the real IBM machines for other reasons, or just a lack of turbo?

I've never owned an IBM made machine; my 8086 was a Heath Zenith and my 286 was a ZEOS. Both were pretty great in their day. I played some serious Monkey island on that ZEOS.
 
The only real issue with the readily available PC and XT is that they run at 4.77Mhz. That was already getting kind of slow for games by 1987/88. The AT is faster and more capable but seem to be more expensive today.

The low end IBM PS/2s are also worth looking at. The models 25, 30, and 30-286 are ISA based so you don’t have to deal with MicroChannel. They are also reasonably common today because they were bought in huge quantities as cheap(ish) business machines. They’re not as collectible as the AT so you may find better deals.

My only caveat would be that they use oddball XT-IDE hard drives that are hard to replace. A modern drive controller like the XT-CF might be a good investment.

I had a Model 30-286 in high school. It wasn’t a particularly fast 286 but it had VGA and could take an Adlib/Sound Blaster
 
vol.2 said:
Do you think I should avoid the real IBM machines for other reasons, or just a lack of turbo?

I've never owned an IBM made machine; my 8086 was a Heath Zenith and my 286 was a ZEOS. Both were pretty great in their day. I played some serious Monkey island on that ZEOS.
Click to expand...

I just thought you might prefer something a little faster. A turbo option allows you to run at a faster speed (to make a game more playable on an older system) yet still allows you to run at "standard" (IBM spec) speed.
 
A-ko said:
I have a Zenith XT clone with an 8mhz V20 in it, along with a VGA card and a SB16 and it does pretty well with lots of games from the 286 era, as long as they dont require a 286. Puzzle games and basic action/platformers run great, as well as the graphical adventures. Really the only thing it struggles with are any sort of 3D.
Click to expand...


Which model Zenith do you have? I have a z148 & a z158. It might be fun to drop a V20 into one. Also, which vga card did you install?
 
Trixter said:
ATSLOW is consistent, but not highly configurable. MOSLO is highly configurable, but only uses the system timer, so not consistent. A mixture of both may serve your needs. You can also run a realtime benchmark such as TOPBENCH to adjust your slowdown parameters and see in real time what your system now "measures" at.



I don't think you'll find any title that supports EGA that also *requires* a 386. There are a few that perform smoother with a 386 (Flight Simulator, Indianapolis 500) but none that would require one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Trixter, it's really helpful to get those details on the utilities. :)
 
So, I am looking now at the IBM PS1 line, which seems to be more reasonable than the PS2 stuff right now. There are some 386 PS1s for pretty cheap. I already have my ATI video card (it's a VGA wonder which also has the DB9 connector for my EGA/CGA monitor) and I plan to buy a soundblaster. (i guess a 16 bit card?)

It seems like the PS1 386 stuff has pretty good compatibility and I can insert ISA cards into them. Before I go buy one, is there anyone here that can see I'm missing something important with the PS1 that I'm going to regret?
I guess I plan to use MS DOS 5 or 6, whatever runs. (if that is helpful info)

Thanks,

brian
 
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