Many 486 PCs (old) and all Pentiums (or the like) should have modern 16550As (usually called just 16550's) with FIFOs. If you have something really old, the chip may unplug so that you may be able to upgrade by buying a 16550A chip and replacing your existing 16450 UART. If the functionality has been built into another type of chip, you are out of luck. If the UART is socketed, then upgrading is easy (if you can find a replacement). The new and old are pin-to-pin compatible. It may be more feasible to just buy a new serial card on the Internet (few retail stores stock them today) or find a used one.
END OF Serial-HOWTO