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Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

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Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#21

Post by pram »

jinto36 wrote: post #11
abraxas wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, obviously there is nostalgia value for a lot of people but objectively it's a pretty average looking case even for the era... which leads me to ask this: what _was_ the best looking computer case of the retro era?

See the GP's comment about SGI- SGI cases were still some kind of box or tower, but usually with curvy accents and bright colors at least. Otherwise, I wish I had managed to pick up a NeXT when they were not as rare as they are now. Apple of course didn't make any regular-looking towers or desktops while Steve Jobs was in control. Sun tried a bunch of different form factors in the Sparcstation line, but they were gen…

The PCjr was a pretty good looking pizza-box case, much nicer than the 5150 IMO.

Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#22

Post by pram »

geoffeg wrote: post #2

It is somewhat wild to me that PC towers are still a thing. So many other tech products have had significant form factor reductions in the past ~40 years yet gaming PCs have largely remained unchanged. (I understand we've had massive increases in computing capabilities, especially around 3D graphics and the power and cooling required for them.)

The cases made today are 100x better than even stuff from the late 00s. Better cable management, better air flow, better aesthetics. I think being able to ditch 5.25 drive bays has been a major positive change. Also not ripping your hand open on random sharp metal, always nice.

Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#23

Post by [deleted] »

jonah wrote: post #15

I don't have anything to add to this aside from nice job. I just wanted to marvel at the banner ad that I saw on the imgur page. https://aeroparts.aero/repair/nitropure-asm/ Replacement parts for Boeing 737s?! I'm intrigued that they take out display ads for those kinds of things.

[deleted]

Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#24

Post by pvg »

geoffeg wrote: post #2

It is somewhat wild to me that PC towers are still a thing. So many other tech products have had significant form factor reductions in the past ~40 years yet gaming PCs have largely remained unchanged. (I understand we've had massive increases in computing capabilities, especially around 3D graphics and the power and cooling required for them.)

yet gaming PCs have largely remained unchanged.

I don't think this is really true, lots of smaller form factor devices are now used for gaming. Gaming laptops have been around for a decade+, gaming NUCs started popping up 4-5 years ago, the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC came out this year. The tower is still around but 'gaming PC' has diversified a great deal.

Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#26

Post by cfeduke »

kube-system wrote: post #5
abraxas wrote: post #3

Nice although this would not have been my choice of a case to mod. I'd love to and some day may attempt to do this to a well preserved SGI Octane or O2.

This build really resonated with me because the Aptiva was my first IBM ~~compatible~~ PC. I later broke it learning how to work on PCs as a child. If I can find where it ended up, I may very well do the same build.

Same thing for me, the Aptiva was the first computer I actually owned, and learned how to program on. I still have mine, upstairs in a closet, though it is the flat desktop case and not a tower. Every few years when I am cleaning past debris I think "why do I keep this thing?" and somehow manage to hold onto it.

Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#27

Post by userbinator »

I suspect if he found a smaller motherboard, it would drop right in. I've always found it a little ironic that IBM, which started the whole PC industry that standardised on the PC, XT, and AT, yet had some of the more proprietary form-factors in their later models. ATX was Intel's effort.

Re: Turning a 1995 IBM Aptiva, 66mhz 486DX2, into an i7 6700k

#30

Post by walrus01 »

userbinator wrote: post #27

I suspect if he found a smaller motherboard, it would drop right in. I've always found it a little ironic that IBM, which started the whole PC industry that standardised on the PC, XT, and AT, yet had some of the more proprietary form-factors in their later models. ATX was Intel's effort.

not just proprietary form factors but also buses (MCA) with unreasonable licensing terms, which is why the x86 pc industry stuck with 16-bit ISA and then EISA right up until VLB and then PCI began to exist as a thing. The PS/2 was a terribly proprietary design. Just about the only thing it gave us was the PS/2 keyboard and mouse interface, and widespread use of 3.5" 1.44MB FDDs which would have happened even if IBM didn't exist.
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