The Art of Choosing a DOS Computer: A Guide to Old School Gaming

As I sit here, surrounded by my vintage gaming rigs, I get asked often what kind of computer one should buy to play old DOS games. Well, let me tell you, it's not as simple as just picking a machine and hoping for the best. No, no, no. There are three crucial steps to take before embarking on your quest for retro gaming bliss.

The First Step: Deciding What Games You Want to Play

So, where do you even start? Well, first things first, you need to decide what kind of games you want to play. If you're into really old school 1980s DOS games, you'll likely want a machine that's slow enough to play them without needing a slowdown utility. You know, the ones with the iconic sounds and graphics that still bring a smile to your face today. But if you're into first-person shooters, you'll need something quite a bit faster. Think Wolfenstein 3D or Duke Nukem 3D - these games require a machine that can keep up with their fast-paced action.

Now, here's the thing: many older games are coded in old languages or CPU-dependent, which means they might not run smoothly on newer machines even if you upgrade them to faster hardware. So, it's essential to know what games you want to play before you start shopping for a machine. Don't get me wrong, it's always exciting to discover new titles, but some games are just better suited for older hardware.

The Second Step: Deciding on Your Maximum Price

Buying a vintage PC can be expensive, especially if you're not one to wait around while looking for a good deal. And let me tell you, sometimes the deals don't even exist! You can easily spend upwards of $150 on a nice computer system complete, but that's not always necessary. In fact, there are plenty of options out there that won't break the bank.

For instance, it's possible to get away with a complete system for as little as $30, but that's pretty rare, especially when shopping online. Of course, if you're willing to wait around and look for deals, you can find some great machines at lower prices. But let's be real, sometimes you just need to splurge and buy the best machine possible.

Luckily, there's an alternative: DOSBox. Ah, DOSBox - the unsung hero of retro gaming. With Version 0.73 running pretty much every game flawlessly, it's an excellent option for those who don't want to shell out top dollar for a vintage machine. And let me tell you, it's amazing how well it emulates the original experience.

The Third Step: Choose Your Destiny

Now that we've covered the first two steps, it's time to get to the good stuff - choosing your dream machine. For me, I use dedicated different systems for each era of gaming. I have my IBM 5150 and Tandy 1000 series, both for CGA graphics for the oldest games. These machines are perfect for playing many games that are in monochrome or early CGA modes, even though they only have 640K of RAM. The processor just isn't fast enough for later CGA games like Sky Runner or Test Drive.

On the other hand, my Tandy gives me the ability to play games built for the PCjr or Tandy machines, with enhanced graphics and sound. Ah, the nostalgia! These are the specs I used for my earliest PC gaming. For games from around 1988 to '93, I use a 486 or 386 computer with SVGA or VGA graphics.

These systems are great for those games that are dependent on CPU speed to run properly without having to use any extra programs like Jazz Jackrabbit or Test Drive III. They have a Sound Blaster 2.0 or higher sound card, unlike earlier machines which only had a square wave PC beeper speaker thing. However, games like Duke 3D or Doom maxed out can run extremely slowly on these things.

And then there are the Pentium-based machines - my go-to for modern DOS gaming. For games from 1990 to 1997, I use a Pentium-based machine with the last DOS games or even early Windows 95 games. These machines make a great all-around machine and it's probably the one I use the most since it plays most every game just fine.

In fact, I recommend this machine to anyone just getting started with retro gaming. The list of games you can't play on this is pretty limited, so most of the time you'll be playing your favorite classics without any issues. Of course, there are always exceptions, but that's just part of the fun of vintage gaming.

So, there you have it - my guide to choosing a DOS computer for old school gaming. It may seem daunting at first, but trust me, with these three steps and a little bit of research, you'll be well on your way to creating an amazing retro gaming rig that will transport you back in time to the good ol' days of pixel art and chiptune goodness.

Thanks for watching!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enAahhh!I've been getting the question quite a lotof what is a good DOS computer to go out and buyto play old DOS games? Well...There's really a lot of answers to that one question,so I figured I'd do a little bit something different hereand just try to answer thatas best as I can.Now really, there are three steps,in my opinion, to go throughin order to find out what kind of computer you'll want.The first step is deciding whatgames you will be playing.Now first, before looking at a machine,decide what kind of games you want to play.If you're into really old school 1980s DOS games,you'll likely want a machinethat's slow enough to play themwithout needing a slowdown utility.And if you're into first-person shooters,you'll need something quite a bit faster.And with that, there could be problemsrunning many older games at the proper speed,since they're probably coded inold languages or CPU-dependent.So you'll need to know whatgames you want to play first.The next step is deciding on your maximum price.Buying a vintage PCcan actually be pretty expensive,especially if you're not one to waitaround while looking for a good deal.It's possible to get away with acomplete system for as little as $30,but that's actually quite rare,depending if you're shopping online or not.You can easily spend upwards of $150on a nice computer system complete,so if it ends up being too much,DOSBox is still a great alternative nowadays.Especially with Version 0.73 runningpretty much every game flawlessly.Of course, nothing can beat playing it on a real system,so if you're okay with the price,go straight to Number 3,which is Choose Your Destiny.For me, I use dedicated differentsystem for each era of gaming.I have my IBM 5150 and Tandy 1000 series,both for CGA graphics for the oldest games.These are great for playing many gamesthat are in monochrome or early CGA modes.Even though they have 640K of RAM,the processor just isn't fastenough for later CGA games,like Sky Runner or Test Drive.And the Tandy gives me the ability to play gamesbuilt for the PCjr or Tandy machines,with enhanced graphics and sound.These are the specs I used for my earliest PC gaming.For games from around 1988 to '93,I use a 486 or 386 computerwith SVGA or VGA graphics.A lot of machines from Compaq and Gateway and suchwere really awesome during this time.Each of these systems are great for those gamesthat are dependent on CPU speed to run properlywithout having to use any extra programs.like Jazz Jackrabbit or Test Drive III.They have a Sound Blaster 2.0 or higher sound card,unlike earlier machines which only hada square wave PC beeper speaker thing.However, games like Duke 3D or Doom maxed outcan run extremely slowly on these things.Lastly, for the best machine probably forgames from 1990 to 1997,I use a Pentium-based machinewith the last DOS gamesor even early Windows 95 games.This makes a great all-around machineand it's probably the one I use the mostsince it plays most every game just fine.And honesty, it's what I recommendif you're just getting started.Really, the list of games you can't play on thisis pretty limited.So, most of them will work just fine.And there are programs like Mo'Slo that you can usefor those few games that don't work properly.This one is a generic custom PCwith a Pentium II 233 and Windows 95and of course a Voodoo card.And this machine here is an HP Vectrawith a Pentium 100.Or at least it used to be.I modified it for a pure DOS machine.Either one will run pretty much anythingfrom SimCity up on to Carmageddonand Blood, if you want.You *can* install Windows 95,like I did on this one,but I still prefer the abilityto run true, true DOSand the stability that that providesfor pretty much any DOS game.Most computers around this timefully supported VESA graphicsand Sound Blaster standards usedin the majority of DOS games,so unless you need a particular abilitymost integrated or generic chipsetsshould be fine, no matter what it comes with.Alright, so that is my take on DOS computersand which one you may or may not want to buy.Really, it doesn't take a whole lot of knowhow.If you have more questions, there's sites like VOGONS,or you can email me or whatever.And, um...Yeah, hopefully that helped a little bitwith any questions you may have.Thanks for watching.Lazy Game Reviews coming!Next week.\n"