Should I get a 5151 or a 5153 monitor?

[onesimus]

Hey guys, I have been interested in vintage computing for a while, but have just recently started acquiring some. I have an IBM 5150 that will be coming in the mail tomorrow (very excited!!!) that comes with a CGA card supposedly (I'm not sure which kind it is exactly, see pics in the link below.) Only the computer is coming, though, which has left me a lot of time to think about which monitor I want to get. On the one hand, the 5151 is classic, has the true vintage look and feel, and I've always wanted to get a green phosphorus monitor. On the other hand, it would be quite limited, and I will be wanting to game a bit here and there on it.

What do you guys think? You guys have more experience with these machines than I do and are the ones to ask, that's for sure. Or should I just go all out and buy an EGA card and a 5154? lol. If only money weren't an issue...

By the way, I will post a link to the ebay page of what I bought. I thought it was a halfway decent deal considering the cards that came with it and I think I'll be able to get it cleaned up somewhat decently.

IBM 5150 PC Personal Computer XT Vintage Computer 30MB Hard drive 2 floppy 8088 | eBay

The computer is complete and boots to DOS 5.0. It is missing a front cover on top of the hard drive. You are buying just the main computer, the monitor, keyboard or wires are not included, they were used to demonstrate functionality.

www.ebay.com

 

[maxtherabbit]

My opinion: gaming on a stock PC is shit. I use mine with my 5151 almost exclusively despite also owning two 5154s

 

[Chuck(G)]

2 floppies+hard drive and a 63 watt psu is pushing things a bit.
Regardless of the display you choose, shipping one is going to be um, "interesting", judging from the reports of broken cases and tubes that have cropped up lately.

I've owned a 5150 when that was the only game in town, but graduated to the 5160 just for the added slots, bigger PSU and more memory on the planar.
YMMV, of course.

 

[VERAULT]

I actually am pretty taken with hercules graphics, they are in some ways better than CGA so I think a 5151 is a great choice. Now with that said my first PC monitor for years was the 5153. Honestly I hated it at the time.

 

[Plasma]

Hey guys, I have been interested in vintage computing for a while, but have just recently started acquiring some. I have an IBM 5150 that will be coming in the mail tomorrow (very excited!!!) that comes with a CGA card supposedly (I'm not sure which kind it is exactly, see pics in the link below.) Only the computer is coming, though, which has left me a lot of time to think about which monitor I want to get. On the one hand, the 5151 is classic, has the true vintage look and feel, and I've always wanted to get a green phosphorus monitor. On the other hand, it would be quite limited, and I will be wanting to game a bit here and there on it.

What do you guys think? You guys have more experience with these machines than I do and are the ones to ask, that's for sure. Or should I just go all out and buy an EGA card and a 5154? lol. If only money weren't an issue...

By the way, I will post a link to the ebay page of what I bought. I thought it was a halfway decent deal considering the cards that came with it and I think I'll be able to get it cleaned up somewhat decently.

IBM 5150 PC Personal Computer XT Vintage Computer 30MB Hard drive 2 floppy 8088 | eBay

The computer is complete and boots to DOS 5.0. It is missing a front cover on top of the hard drive. You are buying just the main computer, the monitor, keyboard or wires are not included, they were used to demonstrate functionality.

www.ebay.com

I don't see anything that indicates it has a CGA card? It looks like MDA or Hercules.

 

[VileR]

There are also quite a few options for displaying CGA/EGA graphics on an IBM 5151 or equivalent mono monitor. Most famously the early ATI Wonder series, but there are others - they could either coexist with a Hercules/MDA or support these modes natively as well.

 

[onesimus]

My opinion: gaming on a stock PC is shit. I use mine with my 5151 almost exclusively despite also owning two 5154s

it's not it's primary purpose, i'm not exactly expecting it to be great. I have a ps/2 for dos gaming, although that has been an ...experience to get going.

2 floppies+hard drive and a 63 watt psu is pushing things a bit.
Regardless of the display you choose, shipping one is going to be um, "interesting", judging from the reports of broken cases and tubes that have cropped up lately.

I've owned a 5150 when that was the only game in town, but graduated to the 5160 just for the added slots, bigger PSU and more memory on the planar.
YMMV, of course.

Yeah, ideally I'd have gotten a 5160, and eventually I will. I thought it'd be nice to have an original PC too and I could afford this one, plus it came with some cards and an hdd so I went for it.

I actually am pretty taken with hercules graphics, they are in some ways better than CGA so I think a 5151 is a great choice. Now with that said my first PC monitor for years was the 5153. Honestly I hated it at the time.

Interesting. I've have definitely been leaning 5151 so that's interesting to hear.

I don't see anything that indicates it has a CGA card? It looks like MDA or Hercules.

I'm thinking it's Hercules. I have asked the seller and they said it was "CGA/MDA" which is Hercules, no?

There are also quite a few options for displaying CGA/EGA graphics on an IBM 5151 or equivalent mono monitor. Most famously the early ATI Wonder series, but there are others - they could either coexist with a Hercules/MDA or support these modes natively as well.

Will definitely look more into this.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I'm thinking it's Hercules. I have asked the seller and they said it was "CGA/MDA" which is Hercules, no?

Not necessarily, unfortunately. Herc mono is sometimes referred to as MGA. Pull it out, post some pictures and we'll be able to tell you.

 

[onesimus]

Here is what I believe to be the graphics card.

 

[maxtherabbit]

That's a herc clone yeah

 

[VERAULT]

@onesimus You dont need to stick with IBM for monitors either. Since you have a Hercules card the Amdek 310A is a beutiful amber monitor that looks really nice with an Early IBM.

I love amdek monitors. I have maybe 5 at this point

 

[onesimus]

That's a herc clone yeah

awesome, sounds like a better outcome than CGA anyway at this point. Just to know for future reference, how does one tell? Is it by the ports?

@onesimus You dont need to stick with IBM for monitors either. Since you have a Hercules card the Amdek 310A is a beutiful amber monitor that looks really nice with an Early IBM.

I love amdek monitors. I have maybe 5 at this point

yeah, I saw a good deal on one on ebay for a green amdek. There is just something about those old IBM ones from this era, though. Considering I don't even have a monitor to use with my PC right now, I want to get one of those first and kind of complete the set with that and a model F. After that, I wouldn't really care that much about which monitor I got in the future. I do like the Amdeks quite a bit too, however, I've just gotta get the IBM for now.

 

[modem7]

Here is what I believe to be the graphics card.

The layout of your card matches with the layout shown on the final page of the user manual at [here].

 

[onesimus]

The layout of your card matches with the layout shown on the final page of the user manual at [here].

ah, thanks so much for the link. Gonna have a look through that for sure.

 

[VERAULT]

awesome, sounds like a better outcome than CGA anyway at this point. Just to know for future reference, how does one tell? Is it by the ports?


yeah, I saw a good deal on one on ebay for a green amdek. There is just something about those old IBM ones from this era, though. Considering I don't even have a monitor to use with my PC right now, I want to get one of those first and kind of complete the set with that and a model F. After that, I wouldn't really care that much about which monitor I got in the future. I do like the Amdeks quite a bit too, however, I've just gotta get the IBM for now.

ibm monitors are archaic and clunky... and its not even an age thing. Older monitors from the 1970s are better designed. The Amdeks are stylish and easy to work on.. And most importantly easy to open.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Occasionally, when I need a MDA-compatible monochrome monitor, I use one from a Brother 3000-series PWP. Right pinout on the DE-9 to boot.

 

[onesimus]

ibm monitors are archaic and clunky... and its not even an age thing. Older monitors from the 1970s are better designed. The Amdeks are stylish and easy to work on.. And most importantly easy to open.

I'll keep this stuff in mind, I have another month (at least) to think about it before I can buy one anyway.

Occasionally, when I need a MDA-compatible monochrome monitor, I use one from a Brother 3000-series PWP. Right pinout on the DE-9 to boot.

Interesting, I'm not super huge on how CGA looks from what I've seen online, but I am definitely wishing I had the composite output that most CGA cards seem to have right now just so that I could at least use the thing. All I can do right now is turn it on, listen to the hdd do some seeking, and listen to the single POST beep.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I could be mistaken, but I don't think your card will generate CGA output, but that's just a guess.
CGA is grainy and coarse--just look at the character matrix size of CGA and MDA. After seeing a CGA display on a 5150, I opted for MDA rather than destroy my eyesight.

 

[onesimus]

I could be mistaken, but I don't think your card will generate CGA output, but that's just a guess.
CGA is grainy and coarse--just look at the character matrix size of CGA and MDA. After seeing a CGA display on a 5150, I opted for MDA rather than destroy my eyesight.

Yeah at this point I'm not expecting it to considering it seems to be MDA/Herc/Herc-compatible. I'm just saying it would be nice to have composite right now where I don't have a monitor is all, if I had a composite out jack I have things I could hook it up to.

 

[Plasma]

You can sometimes find cheap word processor monitors on ebay that are MDA/Hercules compatible. Examples include Brother CT-1050/CT-1450 and Smith Corona HRM2.