Building a computer isn't complicated. All you need is a bit of time, space, and know-how to bring the parts together inside a case. But what if you had to solder every chip, port, capacitor, and socket yourself? That's essentially what Scott Baker did with the Xi 8088, a design by Sergey Kiselev that's compatible with the IBM PC/XT. It doesn't get more retro than this.
Replacing a damaged capacitor on a motherboard can be challenging without basic equipment, but the first thing you need is willpower. Taking apart the entire computer, removing the board, pulling the capacitor, and installing a new one without making a mess—the key is to enjoy it. Now imagine a computer that requires manual installation of chips, sockets, ports, resistors, and everything else. A kit, so to speak.
The first home computers were distributed that way (if you want to learn more, the Altair 8800 should be your first stop), and today you can recreate that experience with designs like the Xi 8088, by Sergey Kiselev. The video below shows Scott Baker in the building process:
Essentially, the computer is an ISA card connected to a 16-bit backplane, though the entire system is 8-bit. Instead of using an Intel 8088 processor, Baker decided to install a NEC V20, which is 30 percent faster and includes 80186 instructions. Sourcing the parts was a titanic task.
eBay came to the rescue for most items, but Baker had issues with very low-quality components from China (the two DM9368 controllers he received were faulty). Most elements can be installed with a traditional soldering iron, but soldering the VGA chip and the socket for the CompactFlash reader (which acts as the hard drive) demanded patience, a microscope, and even more patience.
The video was edited in several places, but that doesn't prevent it from stretching to almost an hour. If you want to see the first boot with a monitor connected, skip to 17 minutes. Honestly, it's worth watching all of it. Baker's blog has additional information, and the technical details are on Kiselev's portal (links below).
