Your Fond Memories of Retro Hardware

Giles_Habibula · November 24, 2023, 4:43am

Here is a really cute YouTube review of one of my all-time favorite video cards, the nVidia 6600 GT. This was in the very first PC I ever built myself. But I didn’t start with the 6600 GT. When I ordered parts for that rig around 2003, price was a huge factor for me, and NewEgg had a new 5500 FX for like $70, so I ordered that, thinking $70 would buy a decent card.

And the 5500 FX worked okay, at least for a while. Then Doom 3 came out in 2004, along with Far Cry, and suddenly I had a slideshow card on my hands. That 5500 finally taught me to read up on video cards, and I came away from that by spending $200 on the amazing 6600 GT, which served me well for several more years.

Do any of you have your own personal favorite pieces of retro hardware?

draxen · November 24, 2023, 7:19am

Giles_Habibula · November 24, 2023, 1:23pm

I do enjoy those channels too, but I was hoping for some personal reminiscences. I edited the OP to make that more clear, but it may not matter after all.

Ginger_Yellow · November 24, 2023, 1:46pm

Hard to beat this for me:

The first computer I ever used, used tapes and later a 5 1/4 inch disc drive. Learned BASIC on it, played everything from Repton to Elite. Had a ROM-based word processor. Bizarrely, even way back then it had an analogue joystick.

Courteous_D · November 24, 2023, 2:14pm

Mine was the 4200Ti, which I bought, after much painstaking research, to play Mafia in 2003. Along with slotting in new RAM, that was the first genuine upgrade that I undertook myself—at least successfully. I think I upgraded the processor on that motherboard on the same machine. (Which IIRC was the only way to make a PC last more than two years before it was hopeless out of date.)

So much beige. Happy times!

tfernando · November 24, 2023, 2:14pm

How did you hold that joystick? It looks like the button would be in your palm??

Ginger_Yellow · November 24, 2023, 2:43pm

Thumb. It was a two handed affair. Actually, maybe it was index finger. Either way, one hand on the stick itself and the other on the body.

draxen · November 24, 2023, 3:56pm

My first computer was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k (feel the power).
I left it on top of the TV and the rubber keys melted.

JoshL · November 24, 2023, 4:09pm

I had a Creative Labs Soundblaster AWE 32 sound card. That thing lasted through at least 3 different computers. It had memory slots like a motherboard. It had software you could use to download MIDI instruments to it. It came with a stack of manuals about a foot high. For a sound card!

mono · November 24, 2023, 4:44pm

The infamous leaf blower video card.

That card is why one of my all time faves is the Ti 4600. It was an amazing card and allowed me to comfortably skip the 5000 series debacle. I moved on to the 6800 Ultra at release, in plenty of time to play HL2, and Doom 3 in it’s full ‘glory’. These were the halcyon ATI 9700 / 9800 years, but the 4600 saw me through until 4/2004.

easytarget · November 24, 2023, 5:17pm

While I suppose it wasn’t considered retro at the time, this one piece of hardware is easily the largest game changer in my life:

The before state was you on just your little ole PC.

The after state was you dialed into the world.

HideousRex · November 24, 2023, 6:04pm

PREACH

BrianRubin · November 24, 2023, 7:14pm

YUS. I had that in several PCs. Loved it.

So, I’m gonna start with retro hardware I still currently own.

Microsoft’s Sidewinder Force Feedback 2. One of the finest joysticks ever created, works with anything, and with force feedback-specific games, it’s a delight. I use it almost every day these days, with various sims in DOSBox and beyond, and it just works every time.

Roland’s MT-32 MIDI unit, which introduced me to the joy of actual MIDI for a specific era of DOS games. It also l led me to get an SC-55mkII

Which I’ve chained with the MT-32 for a little MIDI powerhouse.

Now for stuff I no longer own:

Radio Shack’s TRS-80 Micro Color Computer. This was my first-ever computer in 1982 or 83, and I spent so, so, so much time with it. Making games in BASIC, playing games via its external cassette tape drive. Ah, memories.

Sierra’s Screamin’ 3D video card. My first 3D accelerator, and the one I remember most fondly. I had it in three different PCs, and when coupled with a Vooodoo2, it was an astounding combination for its time.

CH’s Flightstick Pro, my second PC joystick ever, but the one that took me through X-Wing, Privateer, TIE Fighter, Star Crusader and so many others. I had it for five years, only to replace it with a Saitek HOTAS, which I now kind of regret.

There is probably more but that should be enough for now.

Daagar · November 24, 2023, 7:24pm

My C64 was the best thing ever. And then the day I learned about modems, BBSes, etc.? Holy crap.

Like an early Epyx 500XJ prototype.

easytarget · November 24, 2023, 7:25pm

This was a great bit of hardware and easily my favorite joystick. No idea how many hours I spent in Red Baron with this.

BrianRubin · November 24, 2023, 7:26pm

Ye gods it was so good. If I didn’t love my Sidewinder so much, I might actually own one. My throttle and pedals are both CH.

mono · November 24, 2023, 7:29pm

To this day, my wife’s favorite home stereo hardware, sadly it is long gone from our household…

The Turtle Beach AudioTron AT-100

It could see your SMB share of music and stream it to speakers. We had it in the kitchen on top of the fridge plugged into some bookshelf speakers. Tons of devices that can perform a similar function these days, and totally supplanted by Sonos, but still a great product in its day.

Chuck · November 24, 2023, 7:34pm

Obligatory inclusion. I’m sure most of us old gamers had this bad boy.

Daagar · November 24, 2023, 7:34pm

And it was amazing

BrianRubin · November 24, 2023, 7:37pm

Never owned one, tried it in the store though. Too stiff for me.