Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-05-26, 13:54

by

by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hi! I've recently decided to upgrade to Pentium 4 machines and I got 20 MSI Medion MD8080 boards with 2.8 Ghz Northwood 800 FSB CPUs, just to be sure I would have more juice to run FPS games more fluid. But I encountered a big problem with the P1130 Dell monitors. The anti glare coating is scratched …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-04-15, 16:51

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Quick update, I settled on 24 being the magic number, 4 being considered as backups. I managed to get 24 brand new IBM NETVISTA 6648 motherboards, which are 815 chipset boards, so no more VIA as an option. I also have another 7, Intel 815 boards which I will probably use to build systems to sell, to …

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Re: Help installing Sound Blasters Live! CT4780 on Windows 98 please

Posted on 2025-04-15, 16:18

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

Hello all. I recently got a Sound Blasters Live! CT4870 card to put in my Windows 98 computer. I found some newer drivers that were supposed to work I think from this site. I had the card installed and installed the drivers but it would have an error at the end of installation. After restart it …

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Re: 3COM 3C905B nic stops Windows 98 from shutting down

Posted on 2025-04-15, 16:12

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I know it's an old topic but I encountered just that and managed to solve it. The blame's on the IRQ set to "auto" in bios. That conflicts with another PCI board that you have installed and that uses the same IRQ, which this particular board does not like. I encountered the same problem and had to …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-24, 12:25

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Thanks! Will look into it... I am now thinking about the mainboards, can't really decide between the 815 chipset and the Via 694 motherboard from alibaba.com. I may have someone in China and I might be able to get them without risk. I know that the 815 is more reliable and slightly faster, but I …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-21, 17:48

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I am aware there will be failures, that's why I will counteract this in the simplest way, with sheer numbers. At least 20% will mostly serve as backups. Reimaging, and even reimaged hard drives would be handy. I should think about cases with racks, to swap drives immediately...

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-20, 20:55

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Corded dial phones would fit really well 😀

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-20, 19:29

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I wish you good luck with this project. I have tried to get friends interested in playing network games on period hardware that I supplied before and many of them were not so enthusiastic about it 😄. Even with the tech resolved it may be a challenge to get enough regular business to sustain the …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-20, 19:20

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I’d love to have lan parties again you just don’t see them nowadays nor finding enough people with enough time and appropriate hardware. I just came across something when I looked up lan parties in my area there’s a gaming bus you can hire tho it’s all modern crap tho the setup could be a good …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-20, 16:35

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

What about virtual drives? Most of these games would run without being added to registry. Would the installed legal copies on one PC and shared system drive over local area network, theoretically run over lan? Thanks for all your responses!

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-20, 16:14

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

It started as an idea of one computer, than became a man-cave for friends and right now I'm thinking more about a thematic club / cafe, with one or more gaming rooms and all the activity from the game room/ rooms, projected in the bar area. A Blade Runner/ Robocop / Matrix kind of vibe. I know it's …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-20, 13:48

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Of course you can. How do you think the modern world works? Ok, so you have 30 VGA CRT monitors that need to connect to 30 VM's on a server that emulates windows 98. How would that work and what hardware would you emulate times 30, with what resources/ hardware on server? You misunderstand. I’m not …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 23:00

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

The legal side will be solved by force-feeding keys legally acquired in bulk from a software company with receipt. The rest is not my problem, unless Bill decides to check out the joint and gives me a better solution 😁

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 22:54

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I don't think I would be renting by the hour anyways. I only plan to do events, tournaments planned in advance, paid in advance. With sessions, breaks, scorekeeping, forum for members, serious stuff. And I gave up the idea of going online, it will be lan only.

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 22:05

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I want the real deal :). I don't want impersonations of the real deal. I already solved the licensing problem. I genuinely want a time machine, not a prop. The idea of reimaging that BinaryDemon suggested was great. I only need to figure how to automate the process. More of that stuff would be …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 20:15

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by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

As keeping 30 client machines running happily is already going to consume a lot of time, I'd probably look to run your dedicated servers on a modern server with multiple VMs of older operating systems. More often than not, the dedicated server executable doesn't need 3D video (certainly was the …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 19:56

by

by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

First- a very cool idea. I see tons of barriers and personally I have no practical experience in hosting gaming LAN parties. No Microsoft isn't going to allow any sort of cross-license agreement. Realistically I dont think Microsoft cares if you illegally use 30 copies of Win98, but unless the …

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Re: Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 19:49

by

by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

As keeping 30 client machines running happily is already going to consume a lot of time, I'd probably look to run your dedicated servers on a modern server with multiple VMs of older operating systems. More often than not, the dedicated server executable doesn't need 3D video (certainly was the …

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Windows 98 based Internet Cafe mega-build!

Posted on 2025-03-19, 15:37

by

by MeatboySupreme

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hi! Very nice and useful community you have here, I've just joined in and I apologize for the long first post I'm about to throw at you :). The last couple of months I've been completely swooped by the nostalgia train and have been spending my nights reading and relearning the old ways with the help …

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