DOS ain't dead

Dream computer for DOS system (Users)

posted by RayeR , CZ, 27.04.2008, 13:45

> Let try to specify the best PC configuration for DOS. "Best" means as fast
> as possible and as compatible as possible (working sound, VESA video,
> etc.)

I think that my PC, before I upgraded to intel Core 2 Duo platform, was exactly you asked.

MB: Abit BX133 Raid - up to 768MB RAM, up to 1.4GHz CPU, 8*IDE, 2*USB, 1 ISA slot for snd card, AGP 2x.

CPU: intel Celeron Tualatin 1100@1466 (best you can get is PIII-S 1.4GHz). Some progs in BP has runtime error 200 on such fast CPU but it can be patched.

Sound: SB-Live 1024 PCI and SB-AWE64 ISA (i used ESS1868 with 1MB WT bank)

VGA: nVidia GeForce4 MX440 64MB - it's passive cooled, no excessive heat, full support of VBE 3.0 (including refresh rate CRTC pgm - this is problem on 5xxx and newer series) but you can put much powerfull GF4 4200 or 4600TI in that AGP slot.

I ran many of DOS games and demos on this machine without problems.

If you ask really for max. performance you need to get some industrial S478 mobo for P4 with ISA slot based on intel 8xx & ICH<=6 (very hard to buy in Czech Rep.). I saw such 845, 865 and 875 mobos. But any of them don't support C2D. But I don't like P4 arch because it's crippled. Several tests proved that PIII Tualatin CPUs can beat P4 at higher clock rates. And P4 Prescott dissipate a lot of heat... On some P4 mobos was possible to run Pentium-M in S479->S478 adapter.

Warning! Don't try to get some MB with later chipset than ICH6. It has ommited some necessary lines for ISA DMA via PCI2ISA bridge and ISA soundcards don't work there. It's my bad experience (I wrote it here before).

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

Complete thread:

• Dream computer for DOS system - Laaca, 26.04.2008, 20:40 (Users)
  • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 26.04.2008, 21:18
    • Dream computer for DOS system - Laaca, 26.04.2008, 21:42
      • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 27.04.2008, 00:21
        • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 27.04.2008, 05:54
        • Dream computer for DOS system - DOS386, 01.05.2008, 05:24
          • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 01.05.2008, 06:02
            • Dream computer for DOS system | huge memory - DOS386, 02.05.2008, 21:38
          • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 01.05.2008, 14:17
            • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 01.05.2008, 22:04
    • Dream computer for DOS system - rr, 29.04.2008, 09:10
      • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 01.05.2008, 05:19
  • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 27.04.2008, 00:15
    • Dream computer for DOS system - Laaca, 27.04.2008, 07:07
      • Dream computer for DOS system - RayeR, 27.04.2008, 13:58
  • Dream computer for DOS system - RayeR, 27.04.2008, 13:45
    • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 27.04.2008, 15:43
      • Dream computer for DOS system - RayeR, 27.04.2008, 17:24
        • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 27.04.2008, 22:49
          • Dream computer for DOS system - RayeR, 28.04.2008, 00:28
          • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 28.04.2008, 20:43
    • Dream computer for DOS system - Laaca, 27.04.2008, 16:09
      • Dream computer for DOS system - RayeR, 27.04.2008, 17:47
        • Dream computer for DOS system - Laaca, 27.04.2008, 18:25
          • Dream computer for DOS system - RayeR, 27.04.2008, 20:11
  • Dream computer for DOS system - rr, 29.04.2008, 09:08
    • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 01.05.2008, 14:16
      • Dream computer for DOS system - Steve, 01.05.2008, 21:21
        • Dream computer for DOS system - Rugxulo, 01.05.2008, 22:02
        • Dream computer for DOS system - rr, 02.05.2008, 16:16
        • Dream computer for DOS system - marcov, 08.05.2008, 12:44
  • Dream computer for DOS system - DOS386, 01.05.2008, 05:58