This listing is for a Classic 386 Mini-Tower AT PC. The ideal machine to enjoy the start of what would become the golden age of MS-DOS games - the early 90s. It comes with a 386DX CPU running at 33 MHz, and 8MB of RAM, which is more than enough for MS-DOS and Windows 3.1. It has a Frequency Display and Turbo LED. It also has a Turbo Button so that you can easily slow down the machine. It also comes with Cirrus Logic SuperVGA Graphics and a Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 ISA compatible sound card with a real OPL 3 chip. This allows it to run most DOS games from the start of the PC era, right into the early to mid 90s.

Note that his PC features a very beautiful and rare inverted AT case: the PSU and 3.5'' bays are on the bottom of the machine, while ports and slots are on the top.

This unit is also compatible with legacy software and software that needs access to legacy ports.

Please note that the listing is just for the computer and it's internal components. Monitor, mouse, keyboard, or any other accessories used for testing, mentioned or not in the description, are not included. Please read below.

Hardware

Serial/RS232 port was tested with a serial mouse and it works. The Joystick port on the sound card was also tested and found to be working.

This PC was tested under Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 6.22 for 10+ hours.

Software

This PC comes prepared for Windows 3.1 English and MS-DOS 6.22. You can find all utilized drivers (graphics, audio, etc.) in the unit hard disk. It also comes with shareware/free/demo games installed and additional utilities: Office 4.3, Media Player, etc. The majority of games appropriate for this era will run, although you may find some exceptions. I've tested Commander Keen 4 and 5, Prince of Persia 1 and 2, The Secret of Monkey Island, Lemmings, Crystal Caves, Wolfenstein 3D, Blake Stone, Dune, Dune II, Jazz Jackrabbit, Turrican II, Civilization, Epic Pinball, Stunts, King's Quest 6, Ultima VII, among others.

Condition

This is a used item which was cleaned and restored. You may still find signs of usage here and there. For example, there is some wear on the IO ports and also on the front bezel. From most angles, though, the machine looks like a well preserved used 386 PC. The front bezel shows very few signs of yellowing. Both the case frame and cover were treated for corrosion and then spray painted (take a look at the pictures).

All components, like the motherboard, the floppy, internal cards, the case interior, etc, were cleaned in great detail. The motherboard looks in very good condition without bulging or leaking capacitors. The PSU was tested and outputs good voltage signals (as measured with a multimeter).

The machine came with a barrel battery from Varta that just started to leak. Only a very small area was affected by the leakage. After removing the battery and neutralizing the battery liquid and testing all surrounding traces for continuity, the machine booted without problems. An external CR2032 battery was connected to the external battery jumper. The only issue is that the PC can't keep track of time, even though all other settings (disk and floppy configuration, etc.) are stored and preserved correctly between reboots.

Return Policy

This unit and all components were thoroughly tested and were complete functional at the time of shipping. Being vintage items with old parts, no warranty applies. This is sold as-is. No returns accepted.

Please Take Note Of The Following Before Buying

  1. This listing is just for the PC. No keyboard, mouse, monitor, cables, power cords or any other equipment or material is included. Note that you will need both a serial mouse and AT style keyboard to use this machine.
  2. As explained above, for some unknown reason this machine doesn't keep track of time, although all other BIOS settings are correctly maintained.
  3. The parallel port wasn't tested (don't have the equipment to test it).
  4. The PSU has a 110V/230V switch. Being in Europe, I've only tested the 230V operating voltage.
  5. Unlike what was common back then, on this machine you actually need to press the Turbo button to run the machine at maximum speed. It will then show "33" (33Mhz) in the speed display. Releasing the button will slow down the machine, and you'll see "12" (aprox. 12MHz) in the speed display.
  6. The 12MHz value for the low speed is an estimation that I obtained after running several benchmarks with the turbo on and off. The turbo button doesn't actually change the clock speed (it uses some other way to slow down the machine).
  7. The machine boots into DOS. You need to start Windows manually by entering the command "win" at the DOS prompt.
  8. You need to have some knowledge of MS-DOS to operate this machine properly. Specifically, you should be confortable entering DOS commands at the command line.
  9. Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS are old and sometimes unreliable and unsecure operating systems. As with all computers of that era, crashes and incompatibilities will occur. Most software and games will run, but you may encounter incompatibilities and vulnerabilities. That's just how it is.

International Buyers

  1. This item is shipped from Portugal. Buyers from outside the European Union must be aware that import charges may apply. I'm not responsible for any customs or import duties/taxes that you may incur. Not all countries will be subject to import charges, but, in doubt, please check with your local authorities before buying.
  2. Shipping for non-EU countries: I take no responsability if an item gets retained or is blocked in customs due to whatever reason. You take full responsability for importing an item into your country/economic zone. When I ship an item, I provide the authorities with all necessary information that is demanded for a private sale. That includes contents, price and shipping costs.
  3. Every shipped item is packed in a sturdy package, with lots of bubble wrap and other padding materials. I take no responsibility for damaged items during shipping.
  4. Every item is shipped uninsured. If you want shipping insurance provided by the carrier, please contact me to get a shipping quote with insurance.