DOS ain't dead - Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

RayeR

CZ,
23.02.2026, 17:47

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS (Users)

Hi,
I got some 2 trashed Dell thin clients:
https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/wyse/d/d10d
This crap is usually not much usable for DOS stuff but this one not so bad...
It's based on Dual core AMD G-T48E 1.4GHz APU (GPU with shared RAM), 2GB DDR3, RTL8111E NIC, intel WiFi+BT4, internal 8GB SATA SSD, analog/digital DVI out + DP...

I has only 4 USB ports (OHCI/EHCI) - no PS/2 but fortunatelly it has USB legacy support implemented in BIOS (cannot be changed in SETUP) so USB KBD works fine under DOS and Win9x, but not under NT4. Also I was happy it cooperate with VSBHDA - detected as AMD SB600 so I can play Doom, Quake, etc. under DOS with sound. With MTRRLFBE I got ~38FPS in Quake @1024x768. The SSD can be set in IDE mode or AHCI mode so no problem. The RTL8111E has still packet/NDIS driver for DOS so networking is also possible (wifo of course not). I tried also boot up Win98SE and installed VBEMP SVGA driver that can do 1600x1200/32bpp (no acceleration). IDE works. Other PCI devices like USB, wifi, GPU, some bridges left with ! mark in devmgr as there are probably no any drivers for Win9x. Also tried DOS USB driver, it detected mupltiple controllers but hanged when detecting flashdisk, maybe collision with USB keyboard SMM handling.

BTW the original SSD was partitioned to 4 primary FAT32 partitions (1+1+1+4,7GB) but it containded unknown FS, I was unable to mount it even under Linux. I used Qphotorec to recover some data but it recovered only some linux ELF binaries and few text files. It should use some Linux-based Wyse Thin OS. I partitioned it and formatted with std. DOS tools.

So it's quite a compact box that can easily fit behid your LCD or TV, powered by std. 19V laptop adapter. If you find one it may worth give a try to play...

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

Laaca

Czech republic,
23.02.2026, 21:33

@ RayeR

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

Hm, pretty cool!
Only the harddisk could be bigger but I suppose it can be easily replaced to bigger one.

---
DOS-u-akbar!

RayeR

CZ,
24.02.2026, 00:26

@ Laaca

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

> Hm, pretty cool!
> Only the harddisk could be bigger but I suppose it can be easily replaced
> to bigger one.

Used SSD is about 1/3 length of std 2,5" drive and is directly sticked to SATA connector on MB. But there's 2nd free SATA port, I saw some one attached std 2,5" HDD via cable, there's some room for it in the box.

I didn't try mouse yet, it may be problem. I remember there are some DOS mouse drivers...

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

Zyzzle

24.02.2026, 05:25

@ RayeR

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

> > Hm, pretty cool!
> > Only the harddisk could be bigger but I suppose it can be easily
> replaced
> > to bigger one.
>
> Used SSD is about 1/3 length of std 2,5" drive and is directly sticked to
> SATA connector on MB. But there's 2nd free SATA port, I saw some one
> attached std 2,5" HDD via cable, there's some room for it in the box.
>
> I didn't try mouse yet, it may be problem. I remember there are some DOS
> mouse drivers...
If it has USB keyboard legacy support for DOS in BIOS, it should also have legacy USB mouse support, so CTMOUSE version 2.0, alpha should work.

RayeR

CZ,
24.02.2026, 07:24

@ Zyzzle

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

> If it has USB keyboard legacy support for DOS in BIOS, it should also have
> legacy USB mouse support, so CTMOUSE version 2.0, alpha should work.

I connected MS IntelliMouse Optical (tried all ports) and it light up at boot but CTMouse cannot find it. Only with option /M it detects COM1 port and enable mouse cursor but it doesn't move. It seems that SuperIO IT8721F has enabled COM1 and PS/2 but they are not wired out. Maybe could be tapped somewhere on PCB...

I also tried Bret's USB drivers but they are obsolete as supports only UHCI while this has OHCI and EHCI. Panasonic USBASPI.SYS detects both OHCI and EHCI buth hangs at flashdisk detection. If there's not flashdisk it list 3 USB devices with VID:PID and breaks USB legacy keyboard so system is not controllable anymore.

I tried network and it works fine, I can e.g. play internet radio via MPXPlay.
ACPI shutdown also works.

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

Zyzzle

24.02.2026, 12:06

@ RayeR

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

> I connected MS IntelliMouse Optical (tried all ports) and it light up at
> boot but CTMouse cannot find it. Only with option /M it detects COM1 port
> and enable mouse cursor but it doesn't move. It seems that SuperIO IT8721F
> has enabled COM1 and PS/2 but they are not wired out. Maybe could be tapped
> somewhere on PCB...
Damn. Did you try Microsoft mouse DOS driver? Version 9.0, I think, was the latest. Did you try regular non-optical wired mouse with ball? Not sure if those were even made with USB connections.

If mouse is unusable, this limits the DOS functionality. Otherwise, this thin client looks almost perfect.

RayeR

CZ,
01.03.2026, 08:07

@ Zyzzle

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

Luckily I found the pinout of ITE IT8721F SuperIO chip and located unused MCLK & MDAT pins that was tied via pull-ups to VCC. Even there are little testpoints that can be soldered more easily than tiny SIO pins. So I wired that 2 lines to additional PS/2 connector and got mouse working :)
As usual the SIO has autodetection of KBD or mouse is attached so I can plug in KBD too. There are also KBD PS/2 lines but no room on backpanel for dual PS/2 connector so I added only a single one, glued it on the PCB and drilled a hole in backpanel...
http://rayer.g6.cz/hardware/wyse5010/it8721f.jpg

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

Zyzzle

23.02.2026, 23:48

@ RayeR

Old Dell Wyse 5010 (Dx0D) thin client for use with DOS

Post reply

> Hi,
> I got some 2 trashed Dell thin clients:
> https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/wyse/d/d10d
> This crap is usually not much usable for DOS stuff but this one not so
Not bad for 14-16W TDP. Takes less power than most laptops. I see that memory can be upgraded to 8GB if you've got some spare DDR2 sticks around.

Also, glad that your MTRRLFBE works- that's a huge benefit. Obviously has proper VESA 2 / VBE 3 support. And VSBHDA / SBEMU works. Would make a nice DOS machine connected up to a 4:3 LCD/LED. It hits most of the buttons very nicely.