386 on a 286 board? AKA, thought I bought a 286, got a 386 instead!

[Gary C]

I have a Zenith 286, and it came with Zenith MS-DOS 3.2 & Windows version 1.

If memory serves, Bill Gates once called the 286 "brain damaged."

And we run our reactors with them.

 

[Xacalite]

If memory serves, Bill Gates once called the 286 "brain damaged."

You know, he also said that "640K ought to be enough for anyone" - that must be why he later criticized a chip that allowed for more :D

 

[WimWalther]

Oh come now.. Gates never actually said that, it's just an urban myth.

 

[mixerjdp]

So, I'm new to the world of IBM Compatibles, so please pardon me for any inaccuracies I may make.

So, I recently bought an AT-clone, with Packard Bell monitor for a steal of a deal. (Well, I haven't tested it, but the parts alone were worth it)

Anyway, I was digging into it, trying to see what speed of CPU I had, when I made a rather shocking discovery: It has an Am386 DX/DXL in it.

The case says it's a 286, but it appears to have been updated over its life, including dual ST-225 40MB HDD's, a 1.2MB FDD, and a 1.44MB FDD, and of course, an Am386. It also has an EGA card. I'm not sure of the RAM, but according to the case, it at least started life with 640K, but without booting it up, I have no idea how much is actually in there...

Anyway, was this a thing back in the day? Swapping in a 386 into a 286 computer? It appears to have last run somewhere between 1993-2000, as those are the dates I have found inside the case.


Many thanks,
Peter

I think 386 will help you with games and application compatibilitym you have a wider range of compatibility because 386 have Protected - real mode, so it will help you to load more games than a 286