The HP Compaq t5710 is one of my favourite retro-PC finds. I picked mine up for about $60 in September 2020, just after moving into a small New York apartment — I wanted something tiny but still authentic, and a Phil’s Retro Computing Lab video pushed me toward giving this odd little thin client a chance. It’s since become my favourite mini retro PC.
What it is
A fanless thin client from the mid-2000s, sold as a compact office terminal. Mine has an 800MHz Transmeta Crusoe (x86-compatible) and 256MB of PC2700 DDR — modest, but plenty for DOS and Windows 98. Storage is a flash module on a standard 44-pin IDE header (mine shipped with 512MB; a bigger module or an IDE-to-CompactFlash adapter is an easy upgrade). What makes it interesting for retro use is what the spec sheet doesn’t advertise: built-in Sound Blaster and AdLib audio that works in native DOS, and a single PCI expansion slot — genuinely unusual in a machine this small.
Why I like it
- it’s genuinely tiny and completely silent
- the onboard audio does real DOS Sound Blaster and AdLib, which most small-form-factor PCs of this era can’t
- the PCI slot opens up far more ambitious builds than a thin client has any right to — I’ve run an ESS Solo-1 in it for better sound, and a 3dfx Voodoo 2 for Glide
- it feels like real hardware, not a compromise
My take
For DOS and light Windows gaming, this is one of the best small-footprint options going. The catch is the CPU: the Crusoe is fine for DOS and 2D Windows but weak for heavier Windows 3D, so treat it as a DOS-first machine rather than an all-purpose late-90s gaming box.
Pros
- tiny, silent, and cheap
- real onboard Sound Blaster and AdLib for native DOS audio
- a PCI slot for a sound or graphics upgrade
- an excellent DOS machine out of the box
Cons
- the Transmeta Crusoe is weak for demanding Windows 3D games
- only one PCI slot, so it’s a sound card or a GPU, not both
- storage needs an adapter and a bit of planning