Common PC Hardware in '93 to early '94

ratman743

Yes, I know, another one of these posts.

But there's no real easy answer to these kinds of things.
Anyhow, I only have a shadow of an idea of what you would commonly see on PC hardware around that time.
I'm assuming 2-4MB RAM (Maybe even 1MB or less), something in the wind of 100, 200, 300 MB and so on HDDs, and a 386 or 486.

These are all 'in betweens', however.
I'm looking for the specs of a Mid-Range PC compatible, that could be picked up for less than USD $2,000 at the time.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Twiggy

My zenith zwl-183-92 says it has 640kram and it's from 1993.

menage

PC Magazine issues are online and make for a quick source of information. I am using prices systems including monitor; very few people replacing computers had a monitor capable of 1024 x 768 at the time.

Using the Zeos ad in June 1993, a $2000 computer would have a 486-33, 200 MB drive and 4 MB RAM but components can be changed. The 486-66 at about the same price has 2 MB RAM and 100 MB hard drive; listed $100 cheaper but only includes a single floppy drive while the models with weaker CPUs had both 5.25" and 3.5" floppy drives. Since a floppy drive would cost about $100, that comes out to a wash.

Add about $300 to $500 for a CD-ROM. Gateway would be a little cheaper while IBM would cost more. 1994, one could expect $2000 business systems to increase memory to 8MB and have 66 MHz CPUs and might even include a CD ROM as those prices were falling rapidly.

thinkpadman

Do a search "486 1993" under Google Books. The third item found was PC Magazine issued in December 1993 and the cover shows "486 Buyers' Guide". A heaps of 486 PCs were under review. Some low-end 486s would sell as low as $1,500 though you'd be looking at a 486 SX, 2 MB RAM, ~160 MB HDD, 1 MB video, and a 14" SVGA monitor. The earliest Pentiums (60-66 Mhz) came out then using a Socket 4 motherboard though priced out of reach for many people. Based on that I'd say a 386 could be had for around $1,000.

Personally I'd be usually using a 286 at home or at a friend's house back then.

Here's a price guide from a ZEOS advertisement in that 1993 magazine:

ibmpc5150

@ratman743

You can search the 92-93's PC H/W on google book search thinkpadman mentioned.

I remember that I still used 80286 based PC (IBM PC 5162 compatible Not 5170 compatible) until 1995.
(Why 5162 compatible? I had checked H/W information by PC-Tools 6.0 deluxe.)

I had no enough money to upgrade (or replace) 80286 PC to 80386 or 80486 machine in 1993.

English Invader

Here's a Computer Chronicles episode on PC Building from 1992:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5_doCwi608

PC Buyer's Guide from 1993:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4Uk_e0WHyc

Beginner's Guide to PCs (1993):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYeMDcMLxKA

02k-guy

The infamous 1st gen pentium bug. And Intel tried to duck it. So many many users went back to the 486 DX66 and overclocking.

I'd built & sold friends a Pentium system with the bug - they were terrified - of what I don't know.. But I do remember sending in for a qualified replacement.

Those were big chips - made you feel like you had something special in your hand.

Anyway, that's what I remember.

Oh yeah, and el cheapo Trident and S3 cards.

calvinb

Ironically, the Pentium controversies of the time actually made Intel into a brand name in consumer's minds of the time. Before they were just a company that made chips.

02k-guy

I know that they handled it badly at first. There was some little util they (or somebody) offered so an enduser could confirm if theirs had the bug. Plus a simple division calc would show it.

Anyway, big hoopla back then, nowadays, hardly even a footnote - so yeah nice save on Intel's part.