Retro Computing Archives

ESS Audiodrive: An underrated retro sound card

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 21, 2019November 16, 2019

Recently I’ve heard a few people singing the virtues of the ESS Audiodrive, a budget sound card from the 1990s. It turns out that in several regards, especially if you want to run older software, the ESS Audiodrive is a better Sound Blaster than the Sound Blaster 16.

The ESS Audiodrive is a 16-bit ISA sound card that can emulate older Sound Blasters. Some late 90s software supports it natively, but older DOS games use it as a Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, or Ad Lib.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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My rebuilt IBM 5170 PC/AT

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 19, 2019January 24, 2026

I have what appears to be an IBM 5170 in my collection. I’ve owned it since the mid 1990s. There’s not much original about it. Part of that is due to the ravages of time. But it’s mine. And since I did some fairly major repairs to it myself, I’m pretty attached to my Frankenstein PC/AT.

It’s a Frankenstein because it has parts from at least six different computers in it.

Dave Farquhar

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Using a Sound Blaster 16 on a 286

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 13, 2019November 9, 2019

I wanted to play 1990-era games on my 286 that don’t run right on my 486, but that meant I needed a sound card. Early PC sound cards are very expensive, so I wanted a cheaper alternative. Here’s how I got a Sound Blaster 16 to work on a 286.

Creative’s DOS drivers for the Sound Blaster 16 require a 386. But the hardware functions properly on earlier PCs, so you can use them on a 286 or even an XT-class PC with a third-party driver.

Dave Farquhar

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Where to buy CRT monitors

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 11, 2019December 16, 2020

I generally prefer LCD monitors with vintage PCs, but if you want a true retro experience, you need a CRT. The problem is finding one. Here’s where to buy CRT monitors.

Dave Farquhar

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5.25 floppy drive maintenance

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 4, 2019March 23, 2024

It’s been a long time since 5.25-inch floppy drives were mainstream. But a lot of them can still work today with a little bit of cleaning and lubrication. Here’s a quick guide to 5.25 floppy drive maintenance.

Cleaning the heads, then cleaning and lubricating the rails is usually all it takes to get a 5.25-inch drive working well. Using the right cleaner and lubricating sparingly is the key to doing more good than harm.

Dave Farquhar

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Building a computer in the 90s

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing October 31, 2019March 19, 2024

Building a computer in the 90s was different than it is today. It wasn’t just harder or more expensive. It seemed like every new build was an adventure. I probably built a few hundred systems before the decade ended, but the first few were definitely the most memorable. One in particular stands out above the rest.

Dave Farquhar

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Advantages and disadvantages of floppy disks

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing October 29, 2019June 4, 2026

You may think of floppy disks as an obsolete technology. But they were very important in the 1980s and 1990s, and they aren’t completely gone today. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of floppy disks, and why they just won’t quite go away.

Dave Farquhar

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What is MS-DOS?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing October 15, 2019February 23, 2024

What is MS-DOS? I guess the question dates itself, or rather, the person who asked it. DOS is obsolete today, but was so important in the 80s and 90s that people assume you know what it was.

MS-DOS was the operating system PCs used before Windows. It was the first popular 16-bit operating system, and was the dominant operating system of the 1980s and early 1990s. It did not multitask.

Dave Farquhar

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First 486 computer: The Apricot VX FT

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing October 3, 2019October 5, 2019

It’s fairly common knowledge that Compaq made the first 386-based computer, but what about the 486? What was the first 486 computer? When did the first 486 computer come out? And why have you never heard of it?

The first 486 computer was the Apricot VX FT, a line of servers announced in June 1989, with general availability later that year. They were expensive and they were only marketed as servers, so that’s why they aren’t as well known as the Compaq Deskpro 386.

Dave Farquhar

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VGA connector doesn’t fit? Here’s why.

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing October 2, 2019April 19, 2023

I dusted off my 486 the other weekend because I had some 90s nostalgia. And just like the 90s, I immediately ran into some trouble. The VGA connector didn’t fit on the 15-inch 4:3 LCD monitor I wanted to use. If your VGA connector doesn’t fit, you probably have the same problem I had.

VGA connectors used to leave out pin 9 as a key pin, to keep you from plugging the wrong kind of cable into the connector and damaging the connector. Modern VGA cables use pin 9, so if your cable doesn’t fit, check to see if the port has 14 pins or 15. A 14-pin VGA cable is almost a must-have if you travel and give presentations a lot, or are into retro computers.

Dave Farquhar

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