What can I do with old 486 CPUs?

[checkmate]

SBCs are very good for learning microprocessor systems. It's just that the huge data/address buses make it somewhat challenging to DIY a PCB.

 

[The Svin]

"What can I do with old 486 CPUs?"
It's a treasure. It was the last reliable stone from x86 family and used in DoD, outerspace, lifesupport and other Big fields. After that ones (DX2-4) all successor are only for games etc. and you can clearly see it stated by Intel itself on their manuals.
They (486) also have many unic features (for example TRs) that are not supported in later stones.

 

[Cortex]

have you ever tryed to comb your hair with a 486 ?
it soo klew to see hair senddently get fixed like if a Gel was used.

 

[VSMVDD]

connect power to them all

form them into bricks


and build a storage heater

 

[erodeboy]

donate it to some elementary school with some dos games installed

 

[nikhilele]

donating is good thing,
u can used the static ram i.e cache memory in ur ram requirements, u can also use the printer port and serial port card and use it for printing and serial communcation, u can use the pc with some program loaded to control lights and fan of ur home.
u can make good keychains of 1mb ram chips

 

[jhbbunch]

Even if you knew how to wire the chips up to a board and program them, step back and think about it. How many pins on a 486? What board fab equipment do you have to get these thing soldered properly onto a board? I don't think a guy who collects 486 CPU's is the kind of guy who is going to have that kind of equipment.

 

[the_risk_master]

What about, try to build a MoBo that could hold all your CPU collection and work together and do the same thing as the Sempron's (heh, just Joking....)

well pal, I too have collected and salvaged old PCs and rebuild another new out of the old stuffs. The "reborn" PC in now a lab rat that is used to experiment on Computer Networks and do some hacky things on them. I think it isnt a bad idea huh.