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Legacy Dos Gaming Box


russolini

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Would anyone think I was crazy or stupid if I put together a kit that you could build your own legacy DOS gaming box with? Just a barebones kit with an old Pentium 1 processor, 16MB of RAM, a PCI VGA card with 1MB of VRAM, 1-2 GB hard drive, just the bare essentials, but the bare essentials from 10 years ago... because I've always wanted to do this, and I figured other people fond of retro-gaming and emulation would want to as well, but I put together the kit and tried to sell it on eBay and nobody bit. Is it just not worth $50, is it easier to find all those parts yourself, or did I just not market it correctly? Would YOU pay $50 for a kit like that?

Interested in hearing people's opinions on this...

-russolini

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If you're really interested in playing old DOS games its far cheaper to get DOSBox (free). A computer from the last five years or so shouldn't have any problems running games thru DOSBox.

I've got a couple of old computers (one's a K6-2 350 Mhz and the other is a PII 400 Mhz) that I used to play DOS/Win3.1 games on after I got a newer computer a few years ago. Then someone pointed me to DOSBox and now those two computers are sitting in a corner collecting dust.

DOSBox can be a pain (I had to configure it for each individual game), and some games don't work properly (or at all), but I find it easier than having a dedicated computer for older games.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

And the biggest problem is that if you do aquire old computer, loading speed will be realy small, and new hard drives (large) are not compatible with old hardware, so your collections could not be placed on one hard drive. And sometimes it is realy hard to find some replacement parts for older computer, and you may even pay more than for new component.

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And the biggest problem is that if you do aquire old computer, loading speed will be realy small, and new hard drives (large) are not compatible with old hardware, so your collections could not be placed on one hard drive. And sometimes it is realy hard to find some replacement parts for older computer, and you may even pay more than for new component.

I don't think that's the biggest problem; I think you just described how we all used to experience games 10 years ago. ;)

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And the biggest problem is that if you do aquire old computer, loading speed will be realy small, and new hard drives (large) are not compatible with old hardware, so your collections could not be placed on one hard drive. And sometimes it is realy hard to find some replacement parts for older computer, and you may even pay more than for new component.

As long as there are pci slots on the motherboard, hard drives are compatible with use of an ide controller card. If the motherboard has isa/eisa slots, then you have problems.

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's easy enough to get hold of an old P2 or P3 nowadays for nothing anyway, and you'd be surprised at how well some of the stuff found on the side of the road works. I acquired a 933 MHz P3 which i now use as my server on a verge collection, and it works perfectly.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am working on a huge DOS project for a few weeks now and I hardly get problems by getting these games to work with dosbox.

But there are a few newer games which do not run that properly (later released ones like imperium romanum). I guess an old machine is the best way to play old games, but 50 bucks is a lot as everyone can get a similar system for a lower price...

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  • 1 month later...
Would anyone think I was crazy or stupid if I put together a kit that you could build your own legacy DOS gaming box with? Just a barebones kit with an old Pentium 1 processor, 16MB of RAM, a PCI VGA card with 1MB of VRAM, 1-2 GB hard drive, just the bare essentials, but the bare essentials from 10 years ago

From personal experience, I'd say that's a good solution, assuming you have enough space where you live for a spare computer.

I would refrain from purchasing a system. I built 4 legacy computers from parts that local libraries and universities were throwing away when they upgraded their machines.

If you are hard pressed to find a place that throws away computers and/or computer components, you can probably pick up a decent legacy system for $10 (as opposed to $50) if you visit a local thrift store. Where I live, there is a chain of stores called Value Village, which not only stocks a lot of great clothes (granted, you have to weed out the junk, but its worth your time if you want to get awesome clothes very cheap), but usually has an assortment of computers and peripherals that are in the 8-10 year old range.

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  • 2 months later...

I have 6 computer on my room! One is a Pentium 1 200Mhz with 32 Mb ram and 2 Gb HD, I use this one to use some oldest games and to use Clipper, DBase and others. Its works with Win 95. I put on this computer a Vodoo 3000 3d Videoboard just because I dont have anything else to do

And I have a P 3 850Mhz wih 20Gb HD and 256 Mb ram! Its to use some oldest games to!

I have this 2 oldest computers because I hate DOSBox. Have many configuration to do, i need mount something, and I dont want lose time. I just want turn On and play! And I happely do this with my Oldest computers!!!! DOSbox in my opnion is a Dos Emulator. Emulator its good but doesnt have the real emotion like the oldest stuff.

I dont know if is crazy, but I like old stuff!!!! Well I can play Atari 2600 games in a emulator, but... why I will play this on emulator, if the good one its play on real console! Why some peple have a console! They are crazy to???? I think no!!!!!

I have many old stuff Olg Magazines, Old equipments, consoles, computers.... etc etc...

I respect all opinion and this is the my opnion about.....

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I have 6 computer on my room! One is a Pentium 1 200Mhz with 32 Mb ram and 2 Gb HD, I use this one to use some oldest games and to use Clipper, DBase and others. Its works with Win 95. I put on this computer a Vodoo 3000 3d Videoboard just because I dont have anything else to do

And I have a P 3 850Mhz wih 20Gb HD and 256 Mb ram! Its to use some oldest games to!

I have this 2 oldest computers because I hate DOSBox. Have many configuration to do, i need mount something, and I dont want lose time. I just want turn On and play! And I happely do this with my Oldest computers!!!! DOSbox in my opnion is a Dos Emulator. Emulator its good but doesnt have the real emotion like the oldest stuff.

I dont know if is crazy, but I like old stuff!!!! Well I can play Atari 2600 games in a emulator, but... why I will play this on emulator, if the good one its play on real console! Why some peple have a console! They are crazy to???? I think no!!!!!

I have many old stuff Olg Magazines, Old equipments, consoles, computers.... etc etc...

I respect all opinion and this is the my opnion about.....

You must be rich! That would be a huge power bill :D

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  • 3 weeks later...

I used Dosbox to replay some Eye of the Beholder games. I did the whole multiple computer network thing for a bit and then decided that I was making life too complicated for myself. I just run the one now, and emus. But the bright side is that maybe if you bought 50 bucks worth of PI processors, you might get enough gold from them to make a few bucks.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I guess that would be worth it only... and only if it were more of a small computer. Such as the ones people have made to fit into an NES or a lunch box. I'd rather not have an ugly old tower sitting around anywhere. I'd much rather just make an emulation machine that would have a nice camoflage like the NES idea or built into an old CD-i 740 box.

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