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RetroTech Chris Profile picture
@RetroTechChris
Aug 9, 2025 ā€¢ 6 tweets ā€¢ 4 min read ā€¢ Read on X
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Got a few things in the mail today! No need to really test the CPU fans or batteries, but let's test the video card! Time for a šŸ§µ Image
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So, this video card is a Tseng Labs ET4000AX. Here it is next to my other ET4000AX card. Some differences for sure! Image
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I figured I would test this card in the Kehtron 486DX/50 card... and... uh oh! What is the deal here? Seller tested card, and my other Tseng Labs ET4000AX card works in this PC. How odd! Must be a bad card, right? Image
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Well, perhaps. I decided to test it in my 486DX2/66 VLB system, and it works. There is some "jail bar" effects, but on a CRT, I don't think we would see those. So, maybe this card just isn't compatible with the mobo/CPU/chipset in the 486DX/50 who knows! Image
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So, while we are here, I thought I would test some 30 pin SIMMs. However, THAT didn't work out... the 486DX2/66 requires four of them to work! And working inside of that 486DX/50 desktop? Forget it. We'll test these later šŸ˜‚ Image
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Anyway, that was fun. Going to run MemTest86+ on the 486DX2/66 with the "original" memory installed in it, but otherwise this concludes the fun for now. Thx for following along!

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More from @RetroTechChris

RetroTech Chris Profile picture
Feb 1
I just watched a video where YouTuber Action Retro set up a web server on a floppy disk using ELKS (the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset). I thought, I have to try this for myself! Let's talk about it briefly in a šŸ§µ Image
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So, first of all, what is ELKS? It's the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset, and it will run on a wide range of hardware, including 8088 systems. Pretty wild for a modern product! If you want to read more or try it out, GitHub repo is here: github.com/ghaerr/elksImage
Alright, let's go. I need to choose a system that will support the networking for ELKS. Turning to the Wiki, as of right now, the network cards supported are NE1000, NE2000, Western Digital 8003, Western Digital 8013, and 3com Ethernet III (3c509). My 486 DX4 has a 3Com 3c509! Image
Read 11 tweets
RetroTech Chris Profile picture
Jan 25
I got a new DOS file transfer toy! Now, these have been around since the dawn of time, but let's talk about it: a MicroSD to LPT Printer Port Adapter. We'll give it a test on my Compaq LTE 5400. Time for a šŸ§µ Image
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First, if you are interested in reading about these, there is a thread on Vogons! Included in that thread is where I found the DOS drivers for it, you can go here for that, and to read about this device! vogons.org/viewtopic.php?ā€¦Image
Also, here's a few more perspective shots of it, captured from different angles. Image
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Read 11 tweets
RetroTech Chris Profile picture
Jan 17
I got some Xircom PC Cards in the mail today! Let's test them out and see if they work! šŸ§µ time! Image
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First, if you missed it, a few days ago I posted this. Given what I have paid for these in the past, I was very pleased!
And speaking of the past, here's what I had before today: four cards. These Xircom RealPort Ethernet 10/100 cards are great for getting a laptop without Internet connected to a wired network! Image
Read 10 tweets
RetroTech Chris Profile picture
Jan 8
My holiday break is quickly coming to an end. So, I think it's time to power on the retro PCs that I have yet to power on recently. I am sure this will go flawlessly šŸ˜‚. Let's do most of this, in real time, in a šŸ§µ here! Image
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Alright, you've already seen the first three. My trusty, original 486DX4/100 powered right up, as did the Packard Bell Multimedia 601 Pentium 233 MMX Image
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How about the Kehtron 486 DX/50? Weeelll.. the front seven segment display needed reconnected (I really should fix this permanently), and the sound card was being a pain, but I moved it over one slot and it is now working! Image
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Read 30 tweets
RetroTech Chris Profile picture
Jan 3
The challenges and solutions in retro computing never cease to amaze me, and today's project is no different. Today's goal was getting working storage in this AST Premium Exec 386 laptop. And fortunately, somewhat against the odds, I found one! Let's talk about it in a šŸ§µ here! Image
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So, anyway, the issue I had with this laptop is that the original 20MB 3.5" IDE hard drive had died. I thought "no problem, I'll pop on eBay and get one." Except they are scarce and expensive. I picked up two 120MB drives and one 40MB drive. None of them worked. Image
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In the past, I had also tried a CF card. I could get the CF cards to a point where they were accessible, but when I go to boot, I get a blinking cursor.. and sometimes a "non system disk or disk error" a few minutes later. Tried multiple CF cards, same result. Image
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Read 9 tweets
RetroTech Chris Profile picture
Dec 28, 2025
Has anyone ever worked with GEOS, GeoWorks, New Deal Office, or Breadbox Ensemble on a PC? Well, I decided to load it up on one of my 486 systems today and take it for a spin... including getting online! Let's talk about what I discovered in a šŸ§µ here! Image
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I decided to install Breadbox Ensemble 4.1.3, which was originally released in 2009. Keep in mind that this would be late in the cycle for, say, a 486 PC, that does give some perspective! Install was text based an a cinch! Image
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After installation, we get to configure a bit. I bumped up the video to 800x600x256, configured use of a DOS mouse driver, and set up my Panasonic dot matrix printer. Image
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Read 14 tweets

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