486 Update! HELP! AHHHHHH!

[StephenH]

First of all, a 486 IS going to run MAME pretty slow.   It simply does not have enough power to run MAME.    If you are searching for a cheap MAME PC, you could search for a used P2 or P3, if you want to play mainly early 80s games.  For later (16/32/64 bit games), you need a much faster CPU.

If you really want to use a 486, Search the web for the Retrocade emu.  It runs a lot of older games well on a 486.

[SirPoonga]

hey...there's this program called PacPC kinda like a vertically scrolling pacman (mazes are still the arcade versions, though).  it can run in DOS on a 386 25.

Whoa, I think I just went into shock.  SG, what brought you out of the chat room and into the forum?


Anyway, back to subject.  Yeah, glad you realized the computer is just too old.  I am trying to get one of eightbit's 486 computer.  I might convert it to a digital picture frame or a way to display scores for my dartboard, otherwise I don't see much use for it  I'm just glad you can install linux over network:)  No cdrom drive will cause some issues.

[rampy]

Peale... Have you tried utlizing an old copy of scitech display doctor to get the most out of that old embeded trident chip?

Odd that this comes up as yesterday I was looking for vid card bargains on ebay and saw someone selling a VLB (very long bus card -  remember those!?) and nearly spit my soda through my nose =P

I downloaded Display Doctor, and it came thru...beautifully!

It's only a 486/66 DX, but plays Pac-Man at 60 FPS.  Everything else around 30 or so.  Scanlines enabled chops that figure in half.

This is using VAntAGE 1.11

Too bad this thing doesn't have onboard sound, I'd be all set.

while we are getting wacky with 486's here...  it got me thinking...

If you want to keep the profile low, maybe you could create/get one of those 90 degree bend slot adapter...   they basically take card that would go vertical and have it go in sideways/horizontal (although in  a mobo not designed for that you might be sacrificing the other slots just to get sound out of one....)

Just a wacky idea, and probably way too much effort... (but if you have a junk/parts pile you might have the stuff to make your own)  but  hey...  it's an option (another option is buying any other semi-modern smallish/incuded form factor mobo/chip) =P

good luck!
rampy

[SirPeale]

First of all, a 486 IS going to run MAME pretty slow.   It simply does not have enough power to run MAME.    If you are searching for a cheap MAME PC, you could search for a used P2 or P3, if you want to play mainly early 80s games.  For later (16/32/64 bit games), you need a much faster CPU.

If you really want to use a 486, Search the web for the Retrocade emu.  It runs a lot of older games well on a 486.

Who said I was running MAME?  VAntAGE runs what I want it to very well.  

[SirPeale]

while we are getting wacky with 486's here...  it got me thinking...

If you want to keep the profile low, maybe you could create/get one of those 90 degree bend slot adapter...   they basically take card that would go vertical and have it go in sideways/horizontal (although in  a mobo not designed for that you might be sacrificing the other slots just to get sound out of one....)

Just a wacky idea, and probably way too much effort... (but if you have a junk/parts pile you might have the stuff to make your own)  but  hey...  it's an option (another option is buying any other semi-modern smallish/incuded form factor mobo/chip) =P

The 486 motherboard I've got has PCI slots as well as ISA, so the riser adaptor (for the 90 degree thing) isn't like one of those.  Pity, as I've got like three ISA 90 degree adaptors (they're not really adaptors, they just add three ISA slots to a low profile case)

Well, I'll just have to keep looking.  There's a guy in town that has a lot of old stuff.  I'll have to pay him a visit.  I was just looking for specific make/model that people might remember, so if I ran across something on eBay, I could focus on it.