Got an IBM Aptiva 2168-A90

[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.

[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.

[oeuvre]

Unfortunate to hear a classic machine getting flooded.

Just tossed in an 8MB ATL Rage XL.

[axur-delmeria]

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.

[MikalE]

I had one of those too. I used to sell them at Radio Shack.

[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.

[oeuvre]

Yeah, it's built very well and is pretty easy to work with. Typical of IBM

[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

[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

[oeuvre]

Cable management was hard in a time where ribbon cables were everywhere.

[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