Retro Computer Salvage Finds: Packard Bell Axcel 2420 from 1995

This is an original Packard Bell Axcel 2420 from 1995 that I obtained in a recent salvage yard "treasure" search.

Packard Bell, once one of the most prolific computer manufacturers in the world, had a habit of naming these various models differently depending on where they were sold.

This Axcel 2420 was also known as the Legend 410CD.

I open the case for the first time in the video and see if it boots.

The plan is to try to add in a period-specific PCI video card and possibly upgrade the CPU for some game play and benchmarking in future videos.

Index:
0:00 Introduction to the Axcel 2420
1:17 Opening the case for the first time and exploring the components
4:43 First boot and exploring the Windows 95 device manager

[UncleMikeRetro]

Hey all! I am thinking about adding in a PCI Diamond Stealth 2000 then a Voodoo 2 card just to see where we can take this computer in something like GL Quake or maybe even Quake 2. Just for fun of course!

[UnkyjoesPlayhouse]

I worked on a lot of these years ago, they were very popular.

[EricTheComputerGuy]

Amazing find it's rare to find an old computer not full of dust. Definitely excited to see what you end up doing to it.

[TribbleBot]

This is a lot like the Axcel 3510 we got from my in-laws when they got divorced in 2007, except theirs had a 100 MHz processor. I maxed out both the system and video RAM and replaced the processor with a 200 MHz Pentium Overdrive with MMX CPU, and it chugged along nicely like that for a few years running Slackware Linux as a home server.

I should dig it out of the garage sometime and build it into a retro gaming rig.

[CRG]

Nice video, this reminds me of my first PC a Packard Bell Executive Pentium 60mhz. It was certainly in the same case. That system died and was soon replaced with a Pentium 100 version. Loved that computer, would love to get another one someday. My upgrades of the time were an additional 8mb of ram (so 16 total it only 8 to begin with) and a matrox mystique. Look forward to seeing what you do with this.

[OCROldComputerRebuilds]

at least you got the hard drive for yours and a great find!!!