Upgraded Compaq Presario 425 | Overview

The Compaq 486dx2 66Mhz (Presario 425) from 1993 is a lovely little PC. One of my favourite retro computers that I use at home. This video introduces how it came to be in my possession, what upgrades I've put in and some of the software I run on it.

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Originally it came stock with a 486SX 25MHz processor and 4Meg of RAM and a useful ESS sound card (decent soundblaster clone!).

-=-Some more info about this awesome machine!-=-

I have upgraded with an 486DX2 66MHz Intel Overdrive Processor Replacement and also maxed out the RAM to take it to 20Meg.

One thing I forgot to mention in the video that I upgraded from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95 when I got the external CD-ROM and upgraded the processor. I much prefer this Operating System for gaming and maintaining software on the meagre 214 megabyte hard drive. It also now matches the version of Dos. Interestingly when I had Win 3.11 installed, Under a Killing Moon refused to install as it identified the mismatch between Dos and Windows versions.

I took footage with my Go Pro of the intro sequences for Xwing (didn't go into a mission), I let the demo's run on Doom and Doom 2 and then showed me driving terribly on Grand Prix before finishing off with a little Sim City Classic. I was going to show the dream sequence of the Succubus from Noctropolis but I thought I'd keep this video family friendly.

Apologies for the relative low video quality, seems I still have a way to go to improve my camera skills! Will work on that for the next few vids!

Please do put some comments, I am excited to keep experimenting with this PC and would love to hear some of your ideas!

If you enjoyed the video then consider subscribing as I will be creating more content and publishing one video a week.

Next step is to find a good gamepad or joystick to use (need the old 15 pin connector type!) with FX Fighter.

Cameras:
- Nikon D90 with Tamron wide angle lens
- Go Pro Hero 4

[ByteSizeThoughts]

What are your favourite games or software to run on your 486 PC?

Also if you want to skip ahead:
1:20 - How I found the computer
6:36 - What hardware upgrades I've made
11:36 - Pulling out the motherboard tray
14:47 - Some game footage

[DVDfeverGames]

I still remember the day I upgraded my 386 sx33 to a 486 dx66 and Doom II ran like an absolute dream :)

[CHAOSMOVEMENT]

This was my first PC. It was really my grandfather's, but when he got a new one in 1995 I got it. I had already upgraded the RAM to 12MB and the hard drive. Mine came with a CD ROM actually which was a huge feature back in those days. I put Windows 3.1 and then later 95 on it. Played the hell out of Doom 2, Duke 3D, Police Quest Swat, and Diablo.

[notattoo]

That was .my first computer! The lag is not the sound card it the slow harddrive! This was a great machine in its day . I paid $1400 us in 1993 and did the same max upgrade you did. I lost mine for not paying storage fee and all contents were sold at auction

[notattoo]

I'm glad you saved it from the rain!

[molivil]

For anyone looking for video drivers online, and having problems with the included drviers with Windows 95, you can check the VBEMP project. Vogons has drivers for the CL-GD5424 for Windows 3.1, but doesn't seem to have updated drivers for Windows 95 (at the time of writing this)

[molivil]

Thanks for the video. Glad to hear more people interested in retro computing. I just bought a 425. It's been a long time dream to get one. It still has the original software that came with it in the US in 1993 (Windows 3.1, DOS 6.0, AOL, WinWorks, Quicken and Symantec Game Pack) so I'm planning on imaging the hard disk and storing the files somewhere safe, maybe share them online. I'll probably end up opening up a website for it with drivers, software, utilities and so on. Great to hear your upgrades were successful. I was wondering if it would take a regular 486DX2-66 or will it actually need to be an overdrive processor. I'm planning on adding RAM, a sound card (probably just an ESS AudioDrive), the 486DX2-66 and changing out the BIOS battery (which looks like it's soldered in there??). Anyways, good video, hope to see more of these.

[keithbeesting]

Great video and congratulations on the pickup im in the UK and ive been after one of these for years and ive never seen one for sale.

[ernestojimenez]

i have a 433 in restoration, its mostly the same as yours, do yo have any problem configuring the isa ports?

[BBC]

:-( I think I had one of these as a kid but I never got to actually use it (my mum said she didn’t know how to hook it up) if I recall my mum took it to Sarcan (the recycling centre in Saskatchewan) along with a dot matrix printer... I think the saddest machine to Sarcan was when someone (unbeknown what they had) gave my dad a Windows 98 E-Machine... it wouldn’t have been too special except it was the one they shaped like an iMac. He has bipolar and got mad at it and recycled it. I didn’t know what it was at the time until I saw it in a YouTube video years after... Probably never going to see one of those in person again!

[nitroraptor]

Can I upgrade mine to a DX4/100? I downloaded the manual and it says it only goes up to a DX2 or Overdrive (presumably up to the Pentium Overdrive) with the jumpers.

[jpmacunha]

Awesome video! The 425 model is a beautiful compact system, keep it and take care of it :) This week I was able to finish a deal on a Compaq Presario CDS 520 which was my first computer (for only 100 euros) almost mint condition. Like you I'm trying to snatch a good deal for a dx4 100mhz overdrive cpu :)

[slckby]

my very first computer ... what a POS it was lol