Completed build

A 486 Built for DOS

A DX4-100 DOS machine with ISA graphics and CompactFlash storage.

I built this 486 to boot straight into DOS and play games on the hardware they were written for. The CompactFlash card serves as the DOS drive through an IDE adapter, while the ISA graphics and sound cards handle the games.

Processor: AMD 486 DX4-100
Motherboard: Zida 4DPS v2.11 (Baby-AT)
Memory: 32 MB FPM RAM
Graphics: Tseng ET4000AX, 1 MB, ISA
Sound: Audiowave Platinum 16
Storage: 1 GB CompactFlash via a CF-to-IDE adapter
Operating system: MS-DOS 6.22

DOS benchmarks

I used Doom’s timedemo to test how the finished build handled the game.

Socket 3 benchmark table comparing six CPUs, including the AMD 486DX4-100, across Doom, 3DBench, PCPBench, SpeedSys, Norton SI, TOPBench, and Quake. — Socket 3 benchmark comparison. The AMD 486DX4-100 is on the fourth row of results.

Project photos

Project photos to follow