Transforming old PC hardware into powerful classic Amigas

[xc8]

maybe you have to check this :

http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/Mandriva_InstantOn

its a commercial product works with windows linux etc.. (around 10 euro, 8 gbp).

I think it can be customized..so maybe its possible to put winuae/uae there (and some other emulators too)

chris

[bigfoot catnap]

will a pc mother board pci slots line up with the brackets of a 2000 ?

[salax54]

@bigfoot catnap: err, not necessarilly! It all depends on your specific motherboard... You'd have to empty the case and test your mobo in there. A full-ATX mobo will most possibly have some problems. Check the other thread where i took my project http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=50463
You'll notice that i placed the motherboard vertically to the rear. Which means that cards won't face the case slots. In my case i don't feel uncomfortable with this, because i intend to extend every card's jacks to metal plates like i did with the MacMini's extensions..
(slight soldering skills are required)

[bigfoot catnap]

you made me think about the two computers under my bench A2000 and a pc
duron with aros installed
the amiga never sees power
the pc gets pluged up when i fancy icaros play i already have a nice 1200 tower and whd load works very well
and thought maybe i could
use the 2000 as a working monitor stand
then junk the pc case make more room and if slots line up use the cards that i collected for aros that would shure be
Transforming old PC hardware into powerful classic Amigas

[Jonathan Drain]

I did some tests to see how fast an emulated Amiga can get nowadays, and the results were astounding. To say "as fast as lightning" is to give too much credit to lightning.

An emulated A600 with cycle-exact used only 20% CPU on a good gaming PC (3GHz Core 2 Duo). On maximum speed an emulated A1200 runs the Dhrystone benchmark 36 times faster than an A1200, and with JIT enabled 240 times faster. The Dhrystone result is equivalent to a Pentium III 500MHz - that's one fast Amiga. Once I enabled Picasso96, AIBB gave over 100 times better performance in LineTest.

Using Picasso96 I ran Workbench full screen in 1680x1050, in a 32-bit screenmode with a 24-bit background image. It's exceptionally fast, possibly even faster than Windows running natively. Workbench is so much more responsive than a real A1200 it's unreal.

[Fabie]

I think the best way to create a nostalgic amiga with PC hardware is:

1:Install: windows xp and the drivers for your gfx card and sound ,last direct X and others drivers

2:then customize that hardisk that when you boot,loads windows without any adverts (black screen) and then automatically runs winuae in script mode and launch your preferred config

all of that is possible...it requires a bit of patience to design it

but there is still the floppy problem....(for nostalgic reason)........ insert a real amiga floppy disk and play is not yet possible on winuae ...so we must wait for news for a new floppy controller

[Bloodwych]

Originally Posted by Fabie

I think the best way to create a nostalgic amiga with PC hardware is:

1:Install: windows xp and the drivers for your gfx card and sound ,last direct X and others drivers

2:then customize that hardisk that when you boot,loads windows without any adverts (black screen) and then automatically runs winuae in script mode and launch your preferred config

all of that is possible...it requires a bit of patience to design it

but there is still the floppy problem....(for nostalgic reason)........ insert a real amiga floppy disk and play is not yet possible on winuae ...so we must wait for news for a new floppy controller

A nice guide mentioned earlier in this thread:

Originally Posted by rare_j

Have a look at what this guy did.

http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=49465

It's not PE but it looks fun. Although he does go too far and removes the F12 option, I would leave that in myself.

I've tried it with MicroXP and it works VERY well with these changes. A bit of messing around, but it does create an x86 Amiga. Feels quite realistic.

Had no issues installing drivers and programs, but MicroXP is so cut down your mileage will vary. It only runs a small number of essential services, and has to hit the CD for simple drivers like USB sticks.

I did notice that Virus checkers don't install well on it - or programs that want to run their own services and servers. 3rd party firewalls seemed ok. But it's not meant to be used as a full OS or replacement for a normal XP install. It's meant to be used as a really fast stand alone for gaming, netbooks and emulation.

[bigfoot catnap]

yes i know were you coming from xp drivers most comon works with most hardware and winuae is cool ive yet to finish building my a2000 pc with aros on it and would like to include your ideas maybe run aros and micro xp multi boot for the best of both worlds when finished anyway!
the floppy controler thing u mean catweazel support in winuae ?

i may upset a few amigans my A2000 with pc guts lol
comin soon pics if interested

[bigfoot catnap]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Drain

I did some tests to see how fast an emulated Amiga can get nowadays, and the results were astounding. To say "as fast as lightning" is to give too much credit to lightning.

An emulated A600 with cycle-exact used only 20% CPU on a good gaming PC (3GHz Core 2 Duo). On maximum speed an emulated A1200 runs the Dhrystone benchmark 36 times faster than an A1200, and with JIT enabled 240 times faster. The Dhrystone result is equivalent to a Pentium III 500MHz - that's one fast Amiga. Once I enabled Picasso96, AIBB gave over 100 times better performance in LineTest.

Using Picasso96 I ran Workbench full screen in 1680x1050, in a 32-bit screenmode with a 24-bit background image. It's exceptionally fast, possibly even faster than Windows running natively. Workbench is so much more responsive than a real A1200 it's unreal.

wow winuae nocks the spots off my 030 50 1200 with a mediator voodoo2
but u jus gota own a real amiga before u can realy exsperiance winuae

[Photon]

Originally Posted by Photon

I don't really care about somehow covering up that I'm running WinUAE in XP, I wouldn't have any way of concealing that I'm using a PC keyboard anyway And where would I hide the beige metal box with the noisy PSU fan?

I'm not towering any Amiga and adding a PC keyboard and LCD monitor to it either, if a visitor has questions I'll proudly explain why I have an Amiga on my work desk.

Then again, the idea of having a PC for the sole purpose of using it as an Amiga has its merit. But I'd rather use Amiga on loved and cared for hardware than deprecated hardware.

Update: I was forced to buy a demoparty laptop, and so I've gone the same route on my own just to see if it was possible.

I've even found a way of concealing that I'm typing on a PC keyboard, hehe I'm using Keyrah, so instead of concealing it I'm actually typing on a real Amiga keyboard in a real sawed-in-half Amiga chassi

[Photon]

Read the guide & seems cool, reacted to setting "Above Normal" priorities as that can make WinUAE extremely unresponsive on even pretty fast CPUs (especially single core, I'd assume). If sound is struggling you should even set it to Below normal. Even if the goal is to make it like only WinUAE is running, that's not the case

That guide works fine if you never want/need to use Windows, such as for file transfer from PC/Internet or play mp3 or check email or such. (The start menu, taskbar, systray will be inaccessible.) But ofc if it's on a USB stick or LiveCD you can reboot if you want Windows again.

I went a different route, my goal was to cold-start a laptop, see black, gray, white, WinUAE starts Workbench (and if you exit WinUAE, to be a fully functional Windows machine). I'm waiting for an SSD to make the timing of this 'emulated Amiga bootsequence' be more realistic - right now the black part of the bootcycle (Windows loading) takes over a minute, and that's not really what booting an Amiga looks like

To get around some of the hard-coded 'features' of XP takes a little more strange tweaks.

When I get the SSD I'll film it (you know, "Youtube or it didn't happen"... kind of) and write a guide.

[athiga]

the idea of having a clasic workbench which is fast and reactive on pc hardware through
winuae is the main goal an if we can skip certain parts of windows sevices and get right
in im all for it aslong as we can exit and start the login and go to a usful os for files ect

good work

i don't really care about somehow covering up that I'm running WinUAE in XP
jus making a few tweeks here n there and giving winuae more cpu time

[Bloodwych]

Well, I've managed to find some perfect hardware for my dedicated Amiga x86:

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/8076/c5910.jpg Outside shot

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/8076/c5910.jpg The guts are exposed

It's a Fujitsu Siemans C5910 custom SFF, and it's whisper quiet and cool running. Got a core2 duo 6320 and 2GB dual channel RAM (upgradeable to 8GB), laptop DVD drive and SATA 3.5" drive, plus integrated graphics and PSU. It's very well made and has a fully screwless design.

This thing is small and power efficient. I'm going to use it for various tasks (like utorrent, server and general websurfing tasks to save electricity, plus emulation and 2D games), but it will also be my Amiga x86 too via a boot menu. I think it's perfect for the job. Goodness knows how fast a 68020 this thing will have in WinUAE.

I know, I know, you can't beat the real thing. But I think this has some old school charm about it. Plus it's ITX size and easy to move around!

Got it off the bay for £90. Only a few years old too.

Photon - any updates on your laptop project?

[Zetr0]

hmmmm

Transparent e-uae on a DSL box or transparent WinUAE on a TinyXP?


this one is a tough on Bloodwych,

of course its possible, with a lot of hardwork either can be done, and done VERY well...

however - how do you get an official release ?

[SailorSat]

Hm...
This may be a little off-topic...

To keep some fun up, I won't comment on my A600 yet
http://images.arianchen.de/?x=a600pc

The whole project took of into a fully fledged Home Computer/Console Emulation Machine

[Bloodwych]

OMG SailorSat!!!! I never thought it was possible - with an A1200 yes, but A600???

That is absolutely mind-blowingly awesome! Love your Arcade machines too and personal wildlife nesting spot! I am totally jealous!!!!

What software do you use on the A600 x86 to give the classic looks and icons? I'd really like to run something similar on my C5910.

[cosmicfrog]

wow no WOW & OMG thats amazing SailorSat

[Jope]

What are your plans on interfacing the A600's keyboard to the laptop motherboard? Keyrah?

[AmigaFriend]

SailorSat, mindblowing A600.

Amazing machine you made there.

[seuden]

WOW, that is pretty awesome SailorSat, good work.