I was still making the ROM boards for the CPC6128 when I bought my first PC in 1996 (I think!) - a shiny new desktop made by Packard-Bell (known as Packard-Hell by users now) with the following specifications :-
P120
8 MB RAM (which I later upgraded to stunning 24 MB)
1 GB hard disk (no additional 3.5" bays available)
1 MB in-built graphics (which I upgraded to 2 MB (woohoo!))
In-built sound card
8x CD-ROM
14" monitor with speakers attached
Windows 95 OS
Desktop case
At the time it was one of the best machines you could get for the money without breaking the bank. I used it learn about the OS and familiarise myself with these new fangled machines every one was talking about.
A year later in 1997 I decided it was time to upgrade again and bought a mail-order system based around a P200 MMX with the following specifications :-
P200 MMX
Motherboard based on the Intel 440TX chipset
64 MB RAM
4.3 GB hard disk
Opti sound card
4 MB 2D graphics
16x CD-ROM
Motorola VoiceSurfer 56k modem
Windows 95 OS
Mini-tower AT case
Once again, that was an excellent system at the time, with the PII just appearing 6 months later. Again, after another year I decided it was time to upgrade once again.
In 1998 I saw a good deal from Sight & Sound Computers - their SSC Vision system based upon :-
PII 266
PCChips M729 AT motherboard based upon the Aladdin Pro II (BXcel chipset)
64 MB RAM
4.3 GB hard disk (additional 8.4 GB bought later)
4 MB SiS 6326 AGP 2D/3D graphics
8 MB Voodoo 1 PCI 3D accelerator (later replaced with 16MB AGP Voodoo Banshee)
In-built sound card (replaced with Diamond Sonic Impact S370)
32x CD-ROM
8x2x1x Philips CD-RW
Motorola VoiceSurfer 56k modem (from previous machine)
Window 95 OS
Mini-tower AT case
This system brought me into 3D gaming for the first time with the PII 266 and Voodoo 1 being an ideal platform at the time. It was also at this point I started playing my favourite golf game on the PC - Links LS. Later that year the famous Intel 440BX chipset appeared for the first time and started getting rave reviews, along with the introduction of the cheaper Intel Celeron processors in PPGA format.
So, in 1999 I decided it was time to upgrade once again - this time taking a different approach and building my own system.