Compaq ESS ES1868 ISA Sound Card 247428-001 DeskPro 2000 4000 6000 Audio

Compaq ESS ES1868 ISA Sound Card 247428-001 DeskPro 2000 4000 6000 Audio

This is a genuine Compaq ESS ES1868 ISA audio card, part number 247428-001, manufactured for the Compaq DeskPro 2000, 4000, and 6000 desktop systems. Labeled on the board itself as the "ES1868 Audio Feature Board," it is a half-length ISA card built around the ESS ES1868 audio controller — a widely used Sound Blaster-compatible ISA chipset from the mid-1990s. The board is marked Rev B (A/W Rev B, Fab Rev B) and was assembled in Singapore under Compaq's DeskPro product line circa 1996.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Compaq
• Part Number: 247428-001 (Compaq spare)
• Board Assembly Number: 006049-001
• Audio Chipset: ESS ES1868
• Bus Interface: ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
• Form Factor: Half-length ISA card
• Hardware Revision: A/W Rev B, Fab Rev B
• Front Bracket Connectors: 3.5mm Line Out, Line In, Microphone In
• Bracket also includes: MIDI / Game port (15-pin DA connector)
• Auxiliary input header: present on board (labeled Auxiliary Input)
• Speaker/P3 header: present on board
• FCC ID: CNT75MXZ47 / Model X071
• Country of Manufacture: Singapore
• Compatible Systems: Compaq DeskPro 2000, DeskPro 4000, DeskPro 6000
• Included: Card only — no driver software, cables, or bracket accessories

Applications

The ESS ES1868 was one of the most common ISA audio controllers of the mid-to-late 1990s, offering Sound Blaster Pro and FM synthesis (OPL3-compatible) compatibility that made it broadly supported under MS-DOS and Windows 3.x/95/98. Compaq integrated this chipset into their DeskPro business desktop line — the DeskPro 2000, 4000, and 6000 — as the standard audio solution for multimedia business PCs of the era. These machines were Intel Pentium-generation towers and small-form-factor desktops aimed at corporate environments, and the ES1868 audio board handled both Windows multimedia duties and DOS game/application audio through its Sound Blaster compatibility layer. Today this card is sought by collectors and enthusiasts restoring Compaq DeskPro systems, and by vintage PC builders looking for a period-correct ISA sound card with reliable DOS game compatibility. The ES1868's ISA bus interface means it is only compatible with motherboards that have ISA expansion slots — a feature found on Pentium-era and earlier systems, largely superseded by PCI audio after 1997–1998.