Retro PC: IBM 5150

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Bop

2[H]4U
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Every decade or so I dig this out of the basement to see if it still works. It's an IBM PC 5150-176 with a COLOR monitor and video board! I debate selling it since it holds no sentimental value (I picked it up from a former co-worker), but it's just so damn neat. Keyboard is in another box... somewhere (I think it's a model F).

I'm not sure if I should take any precautions to preserve it like unplug the power supply from the motherboard and drives. The molex connectors to the floppy drives are in TIGHT.

Pics:
IMG_1763.JPEG


IMG_1746.JPEG
IMG_1744.JPEG

IMG_1752.JPEG
 
No RAM expansion? Just 64K?

Edit: Never mind, I learned that later versions (not just the XT) could take 256K which is probably what you have (pic is too blurry to make out chip numbers and the board writing is blocked by the video card).

https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/8/897/ENUS183-068/index.html

"Overall memory capacity of the 5150 has been increased to 640KB." btw, the fake Bill Gates quote has a date of 1981 but this is from 1983.

I guess the revised PC and XT were actually the same, just that XT came standard with a hard drive.
 
Last edited:
Luke M said:
No RAM expansion? Just 64K?

Edit: Never mind, I learned that later versions (not just the XT) could take 256K which is probably what you have (pic is too blurry to make out chip numbers and the board writing is blocked by the video card).

https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/8/897/ENUS183-068/index.html

"Overall memory capacity of the 5150 has been increased to 640KB." btw, the fake Bill Gates quote has a date of 1981 but this is from 1983.

I guess the revised PC and XT were actually the same, just that XT came standard with a hard drive.
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure that this one is just 64K. No memory expansion boards and the startup screen says 64K.
 
The only thing you will likely have to worry about is if you have any RIFA caps in your PSU letting the magic smoke out, or any of the tantalum caps on the board and cards also doing so.
 
Bop said:
I’m pretty sure that this one is just 64K. No memory expansion boards and the startup screen says 64K.
Click to expand...

I missed that you gave the sub model number, 176...

https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_sm/0/872/ENUS5150/index.html

Model Abstract 5150-176​


(For IBM US, No Longer Available as of March 17, 1989)

The IBM 5150 Model 176 is a System Unit/Keyboard, 256Kb Memory, 5-1/4 Inch Diskette Drive Adapter, two 5-1/4 Inch Double-Sided Diskette Drive.

The screen picture in the first post is not a startup screen, that's ROM BASIC.
 
Luke M said:
I missed that you gave the sub model number, 176...

https://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_sm/0/872/ENUS5150/index.html

Model Abstract 5150-176​


(For IBM US, No Longer Available as of March 17, 1989)

The IBM 5150 Model 176 is a System Unit/Keyboard, 256Kb Memory, 5-1/4 Inch Diskette Drive Adapter, two 5-1/4 Inch Double-Sided Diskette Drive.

The screen picture in the first post is not a startup screen, that's ROM BASIC.
Click to expand...
Shows how much I know. :LOL: I'd assumed it was some BIOS POST screen. I never dove much into the details of this machine as I was given it and am usually hesitant to boot it up more than once in a blue moon. I like it as a historical piece, but it doesn't get as much attention as my 90's era PCs.
 
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