inherit
1093
0
1,467
bmwcrazy
1,088
August 2016
bmwcrazy
|
Post by bmwcrazy on Jul 10, 2021 0:51:47 GMT
I've started a fun project for nostalgia's sake. This time I'm doing a Windows 98 SE build based on the Socket 370 platform. Originally I wanted to reuse my old Socket A 1.2ghz "Thunderbird" Athlon, but there were some problems. These old high-end Athlon CPUs require a lot of power from the 5v rail, and modern PSUs all have pretty weak 3.3v and 5v rail. So instead of overspending on a PSU for a pet project like this, it would be far easier and cheaper to use a more power efficient CPU instead. The CPU I've decided to use is the Socket 370 1.2ghz "Tualatin" Pentium 3, which is a basically a 130nm die shrink based on the 180nm "Coppermine" Pentium 3. It was on sale for only $15 on eBay, so it was an easy decision.  (Not my pic, but it's the same CPU.) To go with the "Tualatin" Pentium 3, I bought an Intel 815EEA2 motherboard for $35. This is a great motherboard that supports even the fastest Pentium 3 "S" processors with 512KB L2 cache. I also dug out two sticks of 256MB PC133 from my storage and plugged them in.  For Windows 95/98 and classic MSDOS games, I figured I would need a video card and a sound card that are more idiot proof for a noob like me. So I got a video card that I had always wanted when I was little. The 3dfx Voodoo3 3000 AGP with 16MB of RAM.  The 3dfx video cards are still very sought after and they are getting more and more expensive on the second hand market. It is mostly due to the fact that a lot of early 3D games like Unreal, Need For Speed 2 SE, and Tomb Raider used 3dfx's proprietary Glide API. The Voodoo3 cards can get quite toasty under heavy load. So I've added a Vantec PCI card cooler with two fans (which I also found in my storage room) and hopefully it keeps the 20-year-old video card cool and comfortable. The system has a Sound Blaster Live! sound card for now, but I might replace it with an Audigy 2 ZS down the line.  The system POSTs perfectly fine with all the devices detected. Now I just need to figure out whether to reuse my old 40GB Ultra ATA/100 IDE HDD (that's full of hentai DOS games  ) or go with something more modern like an IDE to Compact Flash adapter. |
|
inherit
Another Crazy Finn
11505
0
Apr 28, 2024 10:17:31 GMT
4,455
rewindbutton
2,420
May 2020
rewindbutton
Dragon Age: Origins, KOTOR
|
Post by rewindbutton on Jul 10, 2021 7:02:11 GMT
Legacy PCs are my favourite, thanks for starting this thread.  Expect the usual suspects to attend.  I did a build like this a few years back, but with more period accurate components. I still have it but haven't fired it up in ages. It's a Celeron A333/512MB/9GB rig with a Matrox G200 video card and SB 16 for sounds. So I got a video card that I had always wanted when I was little. The 3dfx Voodoo3 3000 AGP with 16MB of RAM. Never had that either; it's a beauty! Now I just need to figure out whether to reuse my old 40GB Ultra ATA/100 IDE HDD Just as long as you remember, that Win98SE has that 32GB limit out of the box. And FAT32 is the one to use. I expect screenshots. |
|
inherit
1093
0
1,467
bmwcrazy
1,088
August 2016
bmwcrazy
|
Post by bmwcrazy on Jul 10, 2021 7:57:10 GMT
Just as long as you remember, that Win98SE has that 32GB limit out of the box. And FAT32 is the one to use. I know the earlier version of fdsik couldn't create partitions larger than 64GB and Windows 98 SE also has a 137GB HDD limit. I'll be installing Windows 98 SE with an USB drive. If I run into any 32GB HDD limitation, I'll let you know. Though I probably won't post any update for a while because I actually don't have a monitor with a VGA port at home. Only my work PC's monitor has one and I only got to do a sneaky test run to make sure it could actually POST with all the used parts. So I guess I'll be hunting for some bargain PC monitor deals. I'd love to have a CRT but I honestly have no room for such luxury.
|
|
inherit
Another Crazy Finn
11505
0
Apr 28, 2024 10:17:31 GMT
4,455
rewindbutton
2,420
May 2020
rewindbutton
Dragon Age: Origins, KOTOR
|
Post by rewindbutton on Jul 10, 2021 12:21:12 GMT
If I run into any 32GB HDD limitation, I'll let you know. Nope, that would be my mistake, sorry about that. It was Win XP that had the 32GB limit. Win98SE can handle drives up to 137GB. Not that that was an issue back in the day.  I actually don't have a monitor with a VGA port at home Yeah, those are becoming scarce. I'd love to have a CRT but I honestly have no room for such luxury. Yup, same here. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Deleted
inherit
guest@proboards.com
11521
0
Deleted
0
January 1970
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2021 14:53:00 GMT
I get really sad everytime I think about my Apple //c. It got wrecked in a flood, monitor submerged, along with a great deal of other personal mementos, when I was much younger. Not all wounds heal. This is different, and fantastic. I missed this era of PC gaming, as I was without any computer from the time of the flood (1996) until 2000 when I got a hand-me-down ThinkPad from my Dad, which was not gaming capable and was upgraded to Win2kPro for work (best OS of that era, IMO, so much better than XP). I am as interested in what you will play on this, as the build process/refinement. Please carry on |
|
inherit
The homeostatic problem-solving structure
8860
0
Apr 26, 2022 11:22:31 GMT
8,542
Unicephalon 40-D
An unknown possibly hostile flotilla detected at eight hundred astronomical units from the sun!
4,800
Jun 29, 2017 12:57:11 GMT
June 2017
legendcncd
Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem
LegendCNCD / AsariLoverFI
|
Post by Unicephalon 40-D on Jul 10, 2021 15:47:59 GMT
All good, but that i815  *really bad intel early integrated "GPU" flashbacks* Thankfully you dont have to use it. Jeeeeez the "secretary" machines that shipped with these (I didnt order them) - first few months I saw black icons, suddenly broken redraws, BSOD's that resolved back to the graphics drivers and various very strange slowdowns and lags. No wonder I left IT-Admin industry. Anyway, I quite like the era of first really good PC's. I had Cel300@450 first with 64MB and i740 8MB. Then I upgraded to 933 P3 with TNT2 and more memory with AWE64GOLD as soundcard. Every upgrade actually brought very significant processing additions. Most of the time as still, the disks were the I/O bottleneck. Next machine will have at least 2TB 7000/5000 R/W SSD. |
|
inherit
1086
0
Jan 25, 2017 20:52:04 GMT
2,600
nanotm
a tidy workspace is the sign of a deranged mind
3,879
Aug 20, 2016 19:53:16 GMT
August 2016
nanotm
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect Andromeda
nanotm
nanotm
|
Post by nanotm on Jul 10, 2021 19:06:05 GMT
its cool to see old gear running 20+ years on, although personally when I want to play retro stuff in the past I just used to plug in an old hard drive setup a VM and bingo...
although I'll be honest the vast majority of old games were great back in the day but look and feel like trash today, there are a couple of notable exceptions but those are also available in updated versions that just work on current hardware anyway... also if you didn't magic carpet or dune then you suck...
|
|
House Targaryen
N5
The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away.
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: gscott7833
Prime Posts: 1,584
Posts: 4,535 Likes: 10,214
inherit
621
0
10,214
House Targaryen
The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away.
4,535
August 2016
thehound
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
gscott7833
1,584
|
Post by House Targaryen on Jul 10, 2021 20:51:13 GMT
Awesome OS from back in the day
|
|
inherit
Another Crazy Finn
11505
0
Apr 28, 2024 10:17:31 GMT
4,455
rewindbutton
2,420
May 2020
rewindbutton
Dragon Age: Origins, KOTOR
|
Post by rewindbutton on Jul 12, 2021 8:34:55 GMT
That was the time of serious overclocking. I ran my Celeron 333A @450 from the beginning and it was rock solid. All I did was I changed the stock cooler to a beefier one, no fan needed. It probably could have done a lot better, but 450MHz was the best my MoBo could do. |
|
inherit
Another Crazy Finn
11505
0
Apr 28, 2024 10:17:31 GMT
4,455
rewindbutton
2,420
May 2020
rewindbutton
Dragon Age: Origins, KOTOR
|
Post by rewindbutton on Jul 12, 2021 8:37:27 GMT
Awesome OS from back in the day I much prefer Windows 95 SR 2.5
|
|
inherit
2044
0
Nov 10, 2016 16:47:07 GMT
10,096
AnDromedary
4,380
Nov 10, 2016 16:30:09 GMT
November 2016
andromedary
|
Post by AnDromedary on Jul 12, 2021 17:37:48 GMT
I've started a fun project for nostalgia's sake. This time I'm doing a Windows 98 SE build based on the Socket 370 platform. Nice!  I really hope you put that build in a case like this:
|
|
House Targaryen
N5
The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away.
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: gscott7833
Prime Posts: 1,584
Posts: 4,535 Likes: 10,214
inherit
621
0
10,214
House Targaryen
The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away.
4,535
August 2016
thehound
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
gscott7833
1,584
|
Post by House Targaryen on Jul 12, 2021 17:59:06 GMT
Awesome OS from back in the day I much prefer Windows 95 SR 2.5  That was in my first computer. Upgraded to Win98 as soon as it came out. Win95 was a hackers wet dream. I remember having some hack for the AOL chat rooms. One of the commands made it so everyone's computers, that had Win95, lock up. They would have to do a hard reboot of the system.
|
|
) or go with something more modern like an IDE to Compact Flash adapter.
Expect the usual suspects to attend. 
*really bad intel early integrated "GPU" flashbacks* 
I really hope you put that build in a case like this:
