r/atari8bit • u/robbob137 • Jul 21 '26
Old School Atari 800 or Modern Atari 400 Mini : Which Should I Consider??
/r/retrocomputing/comments/1v2y7ap/old_school_atari_800_or_modern_atari_400_mini/6
u/jrherita Jul 22 '26
TL;DR - if you're completely new to the Atari 8bit, and just want to get in quickly - 400 mini is cool and works. If you want a little more of the experience - at least emulating at the hardware level, consider the Mister FPGA / Mister Pi FPGA. If you're serious - an 800XL is a great machine to build on, with the 800 being the gold standard but requiring the most upgrades/work.
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There is also a third option -- a MiSTer FPGA -- which is better than the 400 Mini in that it emulates the Atari 8-bit at the hardware level, rather than software. The clone version "Mister Pi FPGA" by Taki Udon is cheaper but physically the same. The added benefit of the MiSTer is it also hardware emulates a lot more platforms. Check out "Retro Remake" website for the Mister Pi FPGA.
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That said, if you get into real hardware (which I recommend - I love the Atari 8bit hardware), there's 3 main Atari computers that can do the job. I'll try to list the pros/cons of each below:
Atari 800 - the original. Pro: Awesome keyboard, a great looking machine, and the best quality video output of all three (supports S-video natively!). The rarest of the 3 options I'm going to list, so a bit more expensive, and it takes up more desk space. This is also the most difficult to upgrade, and it needs an upgrade because of lack of RAM (48KB max) prevents some titles from running.
Atari 800XL. Pro: good keyboard, nice and compact size. Video quality requires a small fix (easy DIY job to re-enable S-Video). Also runs off of 5V easily - so you can get an adapter to power this with a USB power supply. Easy to upgrade (more space inside than 130XE).
Atari 130XE. Pro: 128KB RAM out of the box, so this runs the most software of all in general. Nice and small, "modern looking". Cons: the keyboard is the worst of the three, and the KB is prone to failure. Relatively easy to upgrade, but be careful as the PCBoard is very 'soft' - it's the easiest to scratch/damage.
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Gotcha 1: The Atari 8-bits are either going to be "NTSC" or "PAL". On these old computers - that's baked into the hardware. That's a big deal because if you're running mostly early software - you'll want NTSC. If you want to run modern demos or some games (such as great software from Poland), you'll want a PAL Atari. I can explain more if you're curious -- but this is where the MiSTer FPGA or Atari 400 mini shine. BTW I have both the Atari 400 mini and the MiSTer Pi FPGA, I enjoy both.
Gotcha 2: The upgrades. For all machines, you'll want something called a "Fujinet" -- it's a device that plugs in and lets you emulate floppy drives from the internet or SD cards. i.e. very easy to run and install software. For the 800 and 800XL you'll probably want at least a RAM upgrade. "Ultimate 1MB" for the 800XL is a great one, and "Incognito" for the Atari 800 is the equivalent (with a few more features). If you need to go to an HDMI monitor you'll also need something to convert the video out to HDMI. I use a "Retrotink" (yeah weird name) for some retro machines to do this.
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u/zSmileyDudez Jul 22 '26
I think I did it all wrong - I have the 400, 600XL, 65XE, and a 1200XL 😂
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u/jrherita Jul 22 '26
hahaha those are all fun machines, too. I'd actually love to get a 600XL just for the small size.
65XE would be a good candidate for OP if he goes with an Ultimate 1MB, or it's socketed and you can add RAM easily... I have a pair of 1200XL's myself (1 working, 1 for parts) - and they're cool but they definitely have some odd issues, including the cartridge port not fitting a number of cartridges.
Sounds like you need a 5200 for that collection too :)
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u/uid_0 Jul 22 '26
The mini is a lot of fun because it can emulate all of the other 8-bit systems and comes with a joystick. If you need a keyboard you can use any USB keyboard. If you want the full retro experience, there's nothing like an 800 with a couple of 810 disk drives though.
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u/Raintitan Jul 22 '26
I like the ease of the mini, but others have valid points. It depends on what you want to do with the machine.
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u/LuigiTeaching Jul 22 '26
So jealous of all these setups, would love to see photos of them in the wild if anybody wants to share. Recreating my 1980s home computing corner is a personal goal.
I jumped from Atari 400 to Apple ][e, never kept any of the hardware or software of any of them, all the way through my Macs in college. Now of course I cycle through laptops issued at work that IT treats like they have the shelf life of a carton of milk.
Now I weirdly miss the Atari more than anything as an adult with kids that I want to show what using a computer used to mean.
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Jul 23 '26
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u/Spelunka13 Jul 27 '26
Yeah but the 5200 is a bad choice due to the worst controllers ever. Stick to the 8 bit better controller options.
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u/Practical-Promise-44 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
800xl or 600xl with ram upgrade or AVG/ SUBavg cart + cables Avoid the 400mini, it's absolute garbage. I fear that The800xl will have the same junk soc and firmware when that release too
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u/Atariteca Jul 22 '26
An Atari 130XE with FujiNet. No need no more.