Forum Rules - Formats - Spotlights  -  Home - Library - New Additions

Minimum RAM for IBM PC DOS

ibmpc5150ibmpc5150
edited June 2016 in Software
This is minimum RAM for boot IBM PC DOS.
(I've tested it on PCE IBM PC emulator with BIOS 04/24/81 not supported EGA/VGA or Hard Disk.)

Version 1.00 / RAM : 32KB
Version 1.10 / RAM : 32KB
Version 2.00 / RAM : 48KB
Version 2.10 / RAM : 48KB
Version 3.00 / RAM : 64KB
Version 3.10 / RAM : 64KB
Version 3.20 / RAM : 96KB
Version 3.30 / RAM : 96KB

I'll add version 4.00 ~ 5.02 later.

Comments

  • ibmpc5150ibmpc5150
    Version 4.00 / RAM : 128KB
    Version 4.01 / RAM : 128KB
    Version 5.00 / RAM : 256KB
    Version 5.00.1 / RAM : 256KB
    Version 5.02 / RAM : 256KB


    *Compaq MS-DOS

    Version 1.11 / RAM : 48KB
    Version 1.12 / RAM : 48KB
    Version 2.12 / RAM : 48KB
    Version 3.00 / RAM : 64KB
    Version 3.10 / RAM : 64KB
    Version 3.31 / RAM : 96KB
  • majkl98semajkl98se
    ibmpc5150 wrote:
    Version 4.00 / RAM : 128KB
    Version 5.00 / RAM : 256KB

    I remember seeing a commercial for MS-DOS 5 Upgrade (such cringe), and it mentioned something about only taking up 48(ish)K of memory. Could it be that it just frees up more memory for other programs?
  • ibmpc5150ibmpc5150
    majkl98se wrote:
    ibmpc5150 wrote:
    Version 4.00 / RAM : 128KB
    Version 5.00 / RAM : 256KB

    I remember seeing a commercial for MS-DOS 5 Upgrade (such cringe), and it mentioned something about only taking up 48(ish)K of memory. Could it be that it just frees up more memory for other programs?

    MS-DOS 5 upgrade version requires 256KB RAM to install.
  • SomeGuySomeGuy
    majkl98se wrote:
    Could it be that it just frees up more memory for other programs?
    That is exactly what it did. If your machine was at least a 286 with 1mb of ram or more then DOS 5 would move the MS-DOS kernel in to a special HMA memory area. That exists outside of the normal base 640k area, thereby freeing up space for applications.

    To the application it would look like DOS was only using 48K or so, but it was really using more.

    But if your machine only had 640K of ram total or less then it could not do that trick, and used up more of the base RAM. So a machine with only 256k would have its RAM quite full.
  • ibmpc5150ibmpc5150
    I figured out that DOS Shell for IBM PC DOS needs 384KB of RAM (512KB recommend)

    So DOS 5.0 can't be installed under 384KB RAM.

    sQzGFuy.png
Sign In or Register to comment.