486DX and Win98 speed \ VOGONS

486DX and Win98 speed

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First post, by 386SX

Posted on 2016-07-25, 12:23

386SX Offline

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Hi,
I built this machine a Overdrive 486DX4 100Mhz with 256Kbyte of L2 cache on UMC TK8498F mainboard, 32MB 60ns, a Seagate FastATA 512MB disk, a GD5429 VLB card and a Soundblaster CT2950 with another IDE controller + 2Gbyte HD. I am using the "heavy" Win98 FE into this and obviously it's a bit too much. Any way to speed up the o.s. as much as possible? I could try to use 2x32MB simms but the maybe it would not change a lot. I am writing from this machine anyway.
Thank

Reply 1 of 6, by matze79

Posted on 2016-07-25, 12:34

matze79 Offline

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Simply strip it down.

98lite Software helps you.
Isnt your HDD a bit small for 98 ?

https://www.retrokits.de - blog, retro projects, hdd clicker, diy soundcards etc
https://www.retroianer.de - german retro computer board

Reply 2 of 6, by 386SX

Posted on 2016-07-25, 12:40

386SX Offline

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It is certainly time correct but it would be better to use directly the 2GB, but I don't know how to configure it from the bios considering it should have the limit of the 512Mb as all the older mainboard. I have a VLB controller anyway.

Reply 3 of 6, by 386SX

Posted on 2016-07-25, 12:49

386SX Offline

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I remember there was a way to use the Win95 16bit GUI into Win98?

Reply 4 of 6, by jesolo

Posted on 2016-07-25, 16:24

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You can try to use Dynamic Drive Overlay (DDO) software in order to utilize the full HDD capacity, if your BIOS doesn't support HDD's larger than 512 MB.
However, Windows 98 (excluding the Lite Edition) doesn't run well on a 486 (even Microsoft recommended a Pentium processor). You could try the following:

Install Windows 95 OSR 2.5 instead (with or without IE4, which includes the Windows Desktop Update).
If you can get hold of one, upgrade your CPU to a Pentium Overdrive 83 MHz (P24T).

Unfortunately, your motherboard does not support the later "5x86" CPU's from AMD and Cyrix, otherwise I would have recommend perhaps a faster AMD processor.

Reply 5 of 6, by 386SX

Posted on 2016-07-25, 18:05

386SX Offline

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jesolo wrote:
You can try to use Dynamic Drive Overlay (DDO) software in order to utilize the full HDD capacity, if your BIOS doesn't support […]
Show full quote
You can try to use Dynamic Drive Overlay (DDO) software in order to utilize the full HDD capacity, if your BIOS doesn't support HDD's larger than 512 MB.
However, Windows 98 (excluding the Lite Edition) doesn't run well on a 486 (even Microsoft recommended a Pentium processor). You could try the following:

Install Windows 95 OSR 2.5 instead (with or without IE4, which includes the Windows Desktop Update).

If you can get hold of one, upgrade your CPU to a Pentium Overdrive 83 MHz (P24T).

Unfortunately, your motherboard does not support the later "5x86" CPU's from AMD and Cyrix, otherwise I would have recommend perhaps a faster AMD processor.

Also the mainboard has no regulator and resistors where it should for 3,x volts cpu. I'll see if I can solder them in.
Yeah I think this card with the Pentium Overdrive 5V would be really good!

Reply 6 of 6, by chinny22

Posted on 2016-07-31, 17:26

chinny22 Offline

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Any reason for 98 over 95?

Used Win95c (without IE4) on our DX2 66 back in the day and even then It wasn't fast, but it was the only computer we had and Internet was much nicer on 95 then Win3x.
Our solution then was to max the RAM out, and defag, often!

If you really want 98, I would go with 98lite

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