Are the tiny EBOX PCs worth it for DOS/Win98 gaming
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Date: 2025-09-01
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Comments and reviews: 20
greggv8
Please test it to see if it can do LIM 3. 2 or 4. 0 EMS memory in DOS. If it can then one like it would be perfect to run an old CNC milling machine I have. This model of mill was made for quite a while but the company never bothered to do newer control software, for the better model with servo motors. For the same mill equipped with stepper motors they had DOS and Windows software.
The DOS software absolutely can not be used under Windows of any type because #1 it must have truly exclusive use of a serial port #2 it can only use EMS RAM. It's so old it predates XMS style RAM management. I have tried it with Windows 9x and XP. Even with software that supposedly 100% dedicates a COM port to a DOS program, Windows will take a poke at the port in a Whatcha doin way and that causes the CNC software to immediately stop the mill.
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Please test it to see if it can do LIM 3. 2 or 4. 0 EMS memory in DOS. If it can then one like it would be perfect to run an old CNC milling machine I have. This model of mill was made for quite a while but the company never bothered to do newer control software, for the better model with servo motors. For the same mill equipped with stepper motors they had DOS and Windows software.
The DOS software absolutely can not be used under Windows of any type because #1 it must have truly exclusive use of a serial port #2 it can only use EMS RAM. It's so old it predates XMS style RAM management. I have tried it with Windows 9x and XP. Even with software that supposedly 100% dedicates a COM port to a DOS program, Windows will take a poke at the port in a Whatcha doin way and that causes the CNC software to immediately stop the mill.
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tlhIngan
I was doing a project for a company working with Microsoft to help improve networking speeds. We were working on the company's hardware but one of those eBoxes were what they were comparing the x86 networking speeds to. I remember going to one of the meetings at the Microsoft campus (Redmond, WA) and our work lab was littered with them as it appeared they were also the standard PC system that Microsoft used for testing Windows CE. There was another project that was using them as well at my company and I know this because the main reason was to run Puppy Linux on them. They were the original mini PCs before things like the Intel NUC existed and exploded the category.
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I was doing a project for a company working with Microsoft to help improve networking speeds. We were working on the company's hardware but one of those eBoxes were what they were comparing the x86 networking speeds to. I remember going to one of the meetings at the Microsoft campus (Redmond, WA) and our work lab was littered with them as it appeared they were also the standard PC system that Microsoft used for testing Windows CE. There was another project that was using them as well at my company and I know this because the main reason was to run Puppy Linux on them. They were the original mini PCs before things like the Intel NUC existed and exploded the category.
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ryujicm
LGR I'd love to see Clint play The Sims 4 again in the last couple of expansions that come out.
But from the situation that you have come out to tell about, it Looks like I've given up hope.
Never mind, I'll wait to see you take on inZOI Cahaya if you make the video. It just released a free DLC for the game, complete with an update that adds even more features than when the game first launched. I've seen a lot of people who couldn't stand the latest broken update for The Sims 4, so they switched to inZOI Cahaya and never went back to the old game again. I hope to see you play some of these games when you have the chance or free time.
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LGR I'd love to see Clint play The Sims 4 again in the last couple of expansions that come out.
But from the situation that you have come out to tell about, it Looks like I've given up hope.
Never mind, I'll wait to see you take on inZOI Cahaya if you make the video. It just released a free DLC for the game, complete with an update that adds even more features than when the game first launched. I've seen a lot of people who couldn't stand the latest broken update for The Sims 4, so they switched to inZOI Cahaya and never went back to the old game again. I hope to see you play some of these games when you have the chance or free time.
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lemagreengreen
So apparently the Vortex86DX was derived from earlier work by Rise (who were bought by SiS and later sold the design to DM&P, apparently) that little known x86 vendor in the 90s. If it is truly a 586 design though this does differ from Rise's MP6 processor they are best known for. If this is truly a '586' design this might well be the fastest 486 ever, would love to know more about it though.
Pretty amazing what transistor miniaturisation can achieve, apparently only consumes 1W of power. There is also apparently Vortex86MX models that implement MMX instructions. somehow. but I assume that must be a modernised Rise MP6.
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So apparently the Vortex86DX was derived from earlier work by Rise (who were bought by SiS and later sold the design to DM&P, apparently) that little known x86 vendor in the 90s. If it is truly a 586 design though this does differ from Rise's MP6 processor they are best known for. If this is truly a '586' design this might well be the fastest 486 ever, would love to know more about it though.
Pretty amazing what transistor miniaturisation can achieve, apparently only consumes 1W of power. There is also apparently Vortex86MX models that implement MMX instructions. somehow. but I assume that must be a modernised Rise MP6.
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Butterscott_NJ
It's meant for plugging into an old CNC machine running software from 1992 in the middle of Ohio is way more accurate than you know.
I work for a company that does preowned hardware sales, and many of these and similar boxes have come across my desk, usually as a same day priority order with overnight shipping.
Most of them, especially the ones with serial and other models with parallel ports, are bought by companies running old, expensive machinery that have software protection dongles.
And yeah, don't exactly need audio if all it's doing is taking photos from a $100k microscope or interfacing with a PLC.
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It's meant for plugging into an old CNC machine running software from 1992 in the middle of Ohio is way more accurate than you know.
I work for a company that does preowned hardware sales, and many of these and similar boxes have come across my desk, usually as a same day priority order with overnight shipping.
Most of them, especially the ones with serial and other models with parallel ports, are bought by companies running old, expensive machinery that have software protection dongles.
And yeah, don't exactly need audio if all it's doing is taking photos from a $100k microscope or interfacing with a PLC.
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Jakeinlivincolor
At my old job at Alcon, we had a bunch of MiniPCs (the ones that are server based) at first connected to machinert and TVs, but then they switched to something like these, but I have no idea what brand they were the specs, but they were attached to a metal cage and were used to run slideshows that showcased upcoming events, Employees of the Month, and more. They spent thousands of dollars for a glorified PowerPoint box. They also said screw WiFi and just updated it via flash drives. Not even the Ethernet ports were attached. What a waste.
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At my old job at Alcon, we had a bunch of MiniPCs (the ones that are server based) at first connected to machinert and TVs, but then they switched to something like these, but I have no idea what brand they were the specs, but they were attached to a metal cage and were used to run slideshows that showcased upcoming events, Employees of the Month, and more. They spent thousands of dollars for a glorified PowerPoint box. They also said screw WiFi and just updated it via flash drives. Not even the Ethernet ports were attached. What a waste.
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1BitFeverDreams
WeeCee status report: I build 2 units back in 2021 and they're still both running strong, one dedicated for MSDOS6. 22, the other on Win98SE. I mirror the file system's slowness in the win98se only (dos is fine. All I had to modify was to replace the input power fuse (it tripped too often) with a bridge, replace one's microsd card socket early on due to losing the ability to push eject. I also soldered wires for a cmos battery but either it consumed too fast or the batteries I had were already old, so I'm not using that anymore.
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WeeCee status report: I build 2 units back in 2021 and they're still both running strong, one dedicated for MSDOS6. 22, the other on Win98SE. I mirror the file system's slowness in the win98se only (dos is fine. All I had to modify was to replace the input power fuse (it tripped too often) with a bridge, replace one's microsd card socket early on due to losing the ability to push eject. I also soldered wires for a cmos battery but either it consumed too fast or the batteries I had were already old, so I'm not using that anymore.
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RarefoilB
Moral of the story: good retro computer hardware that's the real deal is probably gonna be expensive these days, that's just how it is. Whether through new projects or the original older stuff. Sure you may get lucky, but that's a big may. And chances are the lower you go down in price, its lower in price for a reason.
If you want to get more affordable and good, your options really are just ports, remasters, emulation, and FPGA stuff. Heck, It'd be really neat to see this type of product using only 1 or 2 FPGAs to cut on cost.
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Moral of the story: good retro computer hardware that's the real deal is probably gonna be expensive these days, that's just how it is. Whether through new projects or the original older stuff. Sure you may get lucky, but that's a big may. And chances are the lower you go down in price, its lower in price for a reason.
If you want to get more affordable and good, your options really are just ports, remasters, emulation, and FPGA stuff. Heck, It'd be really neat to see this type of product using only 1 or 2 FPGAs to cut on cost.
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hackerx7329
I'd be delighted if we got a proper ATX board from somebody that could connect with modern power supplies and drives and have some basic good enough sound and graphics built in but give use some breakout connectors to add slots for old ISA, PCI, and maybe even AGP and VLB slots for people wanting to set up particular cards for DOS or old versions of Windows for games. Even better if they get the geys for the PicoMEM and PicoGUS and have those projects built in on the board ready to go on the bus
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I'd be delighted if we got a proper ATX board from somebody that could connect with modern power supplies and drives and have some basic good enough sound and graphics built in but give use some breakout connectors to add slots for old ISA, PCI, and maybe even AGP and VLB slots for people wanting to set up particular cards for DOS or old versions of Windows for games. Even better if they get the geys for the PicoMEM and PicoGUS and have those projects built in on the board ready to go on the bus
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woodenotaku
I got one of these over a decade ago for very very cheap, and there's one absolutely massive problem these have which simply must be mentioned! It's specifically ONLY 586-compatible (as shown on the box 5: 06.
While this isn't a big deal for most Windows 9x software (though exceptions do exist, this is a really big problem for Linux and Windows XP compatibility as it means anything compiled for a Pentium 2 (a 686) or newer simply can't run on it.
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I got one of these over a decade ago for very very cheap, and there's one absolutely massive problem these have which simply must be mentioned! It's specifically ONLY 586-compatible (as shown on the box 5: 06.
While this isn't a big deal for most Windows 9x software (though exceptions do exist, this is a really big problem for Linux and Windows XP compatibility as it means anything compiled for a Pentium 2 (a 686) or newer simply can't run on it.
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dwang05
I am glad I watched the whole video because I was seriously thinking of looking up one of these suckers. I may consider the more current options available though because I like the idea of like a Modern small machine that can run older Windows for games. Although this eBox would be a decent alternative for Win9x based games that are kind of a pain to modern systems. An example for me would be Simcity 2000 Special Edition for Win95 (not the DOS version.
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I am glad I watched the whole video because I was seriously thinking of looking up one of these suckers. I may consider the more current options available though because I like the idea of like a Modern small machine that can run older Windows for games. Although this eBox would be a decent alternative for Win9x based games that are kind of a pain to modern systems. An example for me would be Simcity 2000 Special Edition for Win95 (not the DOS version.
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56kflyingtoaster
While there are downsides i think these devices are still cool if you're willing to accept the compromises, being forced to use the PC speaker emulation for some games might even be a retro enhancement; )
Would love to see one of these new Vortex86 projects or some of these existing machine with slight modification become a moderate retro gaming powerhouse, the form factor is excellent something anyone can just plop on their desk.
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While there are downsides i think these devices are still cool if you're willing to accept the compromises, being forced to use the PC speaker emulation for some games might even be a retro enhancement; )
Would love to see one of these new Vortex86 projects or some of these existing machine with slight modification become a moderate retro gaming powerhouse, the form factor is excellent something anyone can just plop on their desk.
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bng0072
If you want something similar for XP, look up the Dell Optiplex FX170. It’s the size of a pack of index cards. Intel Atom N170, 2 GB DDR2, GMA 950 graphics, 2. 5 IDE (2. 5 to SD works great, DVI so you can use an HDMI monitor, and AC97 sound. Works great with 98 through early XP games like RA2, AOE2, Simcity 3000, Quake 3, and UT GOTY. Haven’t tried installing 98 but it might work, depending on driver support for the video and sound.
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If you want something similar for XP, look up the Dell Optiplex FX170. It’s the size of a pack of index cards. Intel Atom N170, 2 GB DDR2, GMA 950 graphics, 2. 5 IDE (2. 5 to SD works great, DVI so you can use an HDMI monitor, and AC97 sound. Works great with 98 through early XP games like RA2, AOE2, Simcity 3000, Quake 3, and UT GOTY. Haven’t tried installing 98 but it might work, depending on driver support for the video and sound.
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analogMensch
I've seen many of these running touch screen applictions on large industry machines. Or better to say most likely still run, cause these companies oft use the never change a running system attitue (which I totally get at the prices for these machines. Often the touch on the display is even serial, USB was not that common. Most of these machines are not even networked, just fully airgapped stuff doing its thing.
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I've seen many of these running touch screen applictions on large industry machines. Or better to say most likely still run, cause these companies oft use the never change a running system attitue (which I totally get at the prices for these machines. Often the touch on the display is even serial, USB was not that common. Most of these machines are not even networked, just fully airgapped stuff doing its thing.
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TonyGearSolid
When I worked at Walmart they used these for accessing the software that manages things like inventory and scheduling. It was also used to go on the site that lets employees request days off, time adjustments, check their paystubs and stuff like that. I could also clock in/out, but they really didn't like employees using it for that, but nobody did anything to try to stop them either.
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When I worked at Walmart they used these for accessing the software that manages things like inventory and scheduling. It was also used to go on the site that lets employees request days off, time adjustments, check their paystubs and stuff like that. I could also clock in/out, but they really didn't like employees using it for that, but nobody did anything to try to stop them either.
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mkastelovic
Yeah, something similar we were implementing to a radar system as a main CPU. :) Hower what I wanted to highligh - take a look on GMKtec G5, it a new machine running Win 11, but it's perfectly capable to run Dosbox and it's really, really small. I have it home and it's really a perfect solution, if you want to have a smal machine in bedroom, for example. And it's cheap. :)
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Yeah, something similar we were implementing to a radar system as a main CPU. :) Hower what I wanted to highligh - take a look on GMKtec G5, it a new machine running Win 11, but it's perfectly capable to run Dosbox and it's really, really small. I have it home and it's really a perfect solution, if you want to have a smal machine in bedroom, for example. And it's cheap. :)
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guardiane
I still really want to buy one of these mini-PC's for retro gaming purposes, but I haven't dealt with old-school systems / O/S's in so long, I'd be completely out of touch. I guess it's never too late to re-learn something. But then it's deciding which one to buy. ah well, just gives me an excuse to go through Clint's collection of videos again and find out: )
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I still really want to buy one of these mini-PC's for retro gaming purposes, but I haven't dealt with old-school systems / O/S's in so long, I'd be completely out of touch. I guess it's never too late to re-learn something. But then it's deciding which one to buy. ah well, just gives me an excuse to go through Clint's collection of videos again and find out: )
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donbot5000
I am once again connected to an LGR video. I had let you know that i worked for my family cd/dvd duplication video that produced the bulk of the flux cds. Well guess what. we had some of these controlling robotic arms that unloaded and reloaded cd trays in our industrial duplicators and presses! Would be happy to discuss when ever.
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I am once again connected to an LGR video. I had let you know that i worked for my family cd/dvd duplication video that produced the bulk of the flux cds. Well guess what. we had some of these controlling robotic arms that unloaded and reloaded cd trays in our industrial duplicators and presses! Would be happy to discuss when ever.
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Gary_Hun
I hate that as soon as the narrative anytime anywhere hits manufacturing, Chinese frick'in characters must come up. Regardless of ethical issues and their shoddy work, unless it's Taiwan of course, just bring back the damn manufacturing to local people, everywhere. And shove your proudly designed in. crap next to Made In China.
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I hate that as soon as the narrative anytime anywhere hits manufacturing, Chinese frick'in characters must come up. Regardless of ethical issues and their shoddy work, unless it's Taiwan of course, just bring back the damn manufacturing to local people, everywhere. And shove your proudly designed in. crap next to Made In China.
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quickbeamfilms
I have one that is similar but only has a SD card slot and the sound chip is a Intel HDA, so it works well with SBEMU. I think its the MX series. Couldn't get a video driver to work in Win98 though XP works fine but is slow! So I just put MSDOS 7. 1 on it. Works great. USB keyboard and mice even work in DOS.
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I have one that is similar but only has a SD card slot and the sound chip is a Intel HDA, so it works well with SBEMU. I think its the MX series. Couldn't get a video driver to work in Win98 though XP works fine but is slow! So I just put MSDOS 7. 1 on it. Works great. USB keyboard and mice even work in DOS.
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