Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!spool2.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!sjsca4!poffen From: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: how to upgrade an old IBM pc? Message-ID: <1991Jan18.180548.1782@sj.ate.slb.com> Date: 18 Jan 91 18:05:48 GMT References: <1991Jan17.212429.5106@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Reply-To: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) Organization: Schlumberger Technologies, San Jose, CA. Lines: 41 In article <1991Jan17.212429.5106@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> berger@iboga (Mike Berger) writes: >murray@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Murray Karstadt) writes: > >>hello out there in netland, > >> I have been a novice question which someone may be able to help me with. >> I would like to upgrade an old 2 drive IBM PC to a 386SX with two >> high density drives. One drive has to be 5.25 the other 3.5. My question >> is what kind of pieces parts do I need? My guess is that I need the >> following: >> >> mother board with 640K >> disk controller >> power supply(how many watts?) >> hd drives 5.25 and 3.5 >> >> have I left anything out? do you have any brands you like or dislike? >> >*---- >You'll need a new keyboard. The new motherboard will probably not fit in the >original enclosure, so you'll need that too. Unless you plan to boot with a >floppy every time, you'll also need a new hard disk controller. > >I'm not convinced that you'll save any money by using your old computer. If you >can get $ 250 for selling it, you'll probably come out ahead. >-- Much of this is not true. Many "baby" size motherboards will fit PC/XT cases just fine. What you need to be concerned about is that the original AT had a taller case. Some AT boards are too tal to fit in a PC case. If you go this route, check the size of any boards you plan to purchase. You may very possibly be able to use the old disk controller, but the performance will suck. You are not likely to get more than $100 for that old thing. Russ Poffenberger DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com Schlumberger Technologies UUCP: {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen 1601 Technology Drive CIS: 72401,276 San Jose, Ca. 95110 (408)437-5254