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Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 8:59 am
by oeuvre
Got this the other day and played around with it a bunch. It's in great shape.
Specs are Pentium 166MHz with 48MB RAM, 4GB Compact Flash card (used a CF to IDE adapter), MWAVE sound card/modem combo, 3COM 3C509B-TPO network card, and a 2MB Trident Providia 9685 PCI graphics card.
The door wasn't functioning properly but I was able to fix it. A piece of plastic where a line of bendable metal curls up to adjust the door had broken off. I replaced it with a small screw and it works perfectly.
http://imgur.com/a/zA2yy
GIF of the door opening
http://i.imgur.com/c48WZL3.gif
Some old IBM wallpapers
http://imgur.com/a/oDqyN
A lil' video of the machine itself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1wEZvcLg5U
Thanks for looking.
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 1:31 pm
by axur-delmeria
Very nice!
We used to have a similar machine (my sister's friend gave it to us when she upgraded to a Pentium III), but I think it was a later model with an Intel chipset and a Pentium MMX processor.
Since we already had a faster computer, we gave it to our cousins, but it got wrecked by a severe flood during a typhoon after a year or two.

Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 3:15 pm
by oeuvre
Unfortunate to hear a classic machine getting flooded.
Just tossed in an 8MB ATL Rage XL.
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 3:39 pm
by axur-delmeria
oeuvre wrote:Unfortunate to hear a classic machine getting flooded.
Ended up dismantling it myself when I came over, since none of my cousins were technically-inclined.
Just tossed in an 8MB ATL Rage XL.
Quite an upgrade. The 2MB Trident card is only good for 1024x768 16-bit color IIRC.
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:02 pm
by MikalE
I had one of those too. I used to sell them at Radio Shack.
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 8:43 pm
by brchan
Very cool find. These desktops are well built similar to the older IBM XT models. Thick, 16 gauge steel for the outer and inner shell, as well as a strong plastic front panel.
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 6:58 pm
by oeuvre
Yeah, it's built very well and is pretty easy to work with. Typical of IBM
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 10:50 am
by oeuvre
Added more RAM, now up to 64MB. Replaced the MWave with an Aztech Sound Galaxy modem/sound combo card. It has a Yamaha YMF262 chip!
http://imgur.com/a/luj3u
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:30 pm
by aptivaboy
Oh, those pics bring back memories. That riser card always vexed me.
My first "real" PC was a 2176-C65. I still regret getting rid of it. A 2176-C66 with a 166mhz Pentium from the Bay of Evil currently sits in my spare room, awaiting either a total rebuild or a super duper update like you are doing. IBM really built the Aptiva solidly, much like their Thinkpads. The internal cable management left something to be desired, but other than that, superb.
Bob
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:47 pm
by oeuvre
Cable management was hard in a time where ribbon cables were everywhere.
Re: Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:37 am
by thinkpadcollection
Fold them and small zip-ties two at a time like two snakes eat their tails. For 90 degrees I fold ribbon cable 45 degrees. I do this all the time with my generic built computers using quality parts and yet I did used to have computers from the era with ribbon cables.
Cheers, thinkpadcollection