A programming, electronics, and retro enthusiast has showcased an open-source Intel 486 motherboard that they claim was “made from scratch” in under six months. The M8SBC-486 isn’t based on existing designs, but on previous experimental work by the maker, Maniek86. This real Intel 486 CPU packing project originally began with the goal of creating a system that could run Linux and Doom. However, Maniek86 excelled themselves and noted that the system also runs various flavors of DOS, Windows 3.1 (kinda), various programs, and games like Prince of Persia and Wolfenstein 3D.
It is quite astonishing how quickly Maniek86 put together this working 486 system. Research on the project started in April last year, even though actual work is said to have begun in August, which adds a little more time to the achievement clock.
Another thing that helped Maniek86 was a relaxed attitude to compatibility. The target was ‘simply’ to be able to run Linux and Doom on the assembled machine. Providing a speedier route to this goal, the dev’s chipset (Codename Hamster 1) was implemented in an FPGA, as were some other essentials like input device controllers, CMOS RTC, and storage. PCB prototyping and manufacturing outfit PCBWay was also praised for its help and support.
Maniek86 also didn’t care too much about functions that weren’t essential to the original goal. Thus, “the secondary PIC and DMA” are missing. Check out the list below for the full specs of M8SBC-486, as of January 14, 2026.
150 x 150mm 4 layer PCB. Custom hole placement! (a bit smaller than the 170mm square Mini-ITX standard).
PGA-168 socket for 5V 486 CPUs. FSB currently runs at 24 MHz, meaning that DX2 CPUs work at 48 MHz
Currently operating at 24 MHz FSB
Xilinx Spartan II XC2S100 FPGA as the chipset. Codename "Hamster 1"
4MB of SRAM
256KB (224KB accessible) ROM for BIOS
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