I have also around 8 complete systems, ranging from 386SX/25, 4MB RAM, 1MB VGA, 80MB HDD to PIII 750, 256MB RAM, 16MB VGA, 80GB HDD and after many many many maaaany changes, I've reached the following conclusion:

1) You need one powerful system to cover Win95-Win98 games up to ~2000. This must have support to the following: UDMA or SCSI, Glide, USB, PS/2. OS: Win98SE
2) You also need one flexible system to cover all games from 80s to late DOS and early glide. One good solution is MVP3 with K6-III, UDMA, Glide, USB, PS/2. Another one is 430TX & Pentium MMX233. OS: DOS&Win95
3) You may need one older system to be able to "remember" what could hardware of that age do (e.g. load win3.1 on a 386 and play solitaire) or play the very very small amount of speed-sensitive games that you couldn't achieve with the system 2. OS: DOs & Win3.1
4) Your childhood PC, loaded with your childhood software only. Nothing more to say. 😁

So I'd stick to systems 8, 7, 6 and one of the others.

PS: Are you sure about the K6-III on the 430VX? :p
PS#2: Do not combine Windows with 430VX. Its onboard IDE controller does not support UDMA and HDD performance will be crippled. 😉

2,3,7 and 8 gets my vote 😀

Do all the systems work with the KVM? I retired my KVM in 2011 because some older systems would not work with it (IBM PS/2s for example). 😵

PeterLI wrote:

Do all the systems work with the KVM? I retired my KVM in 2011 because some older systems would not work with it (IBM PS/2s for example). 😵

Interesting, since I've never owned an actual IBM PS/2 system I never had a chance to try it out, I've not come across any old computer not working properly with a KVM switchbox.

Even a really old manual switchbox worked for me.

@OP, I think the choice is really up to the games/apps you are going to run on each, maybe a little overlap with two of the machines would be nice in that you could run these games/apps on either machine.

All my gear works with my four way KVM. It's a cheap one from eBay, blue transparent plastic and auto switching with a button on it. It also beeps and draws power from the PS/2 port.

This is a tricky one, not helped by the fact you have so many excellent machines there! I have this problem too - I have retro machines from a 286 to a PIII 1GHz, and the conclusion I came to recently is that the PIII covers just about all the games I'd want to play. It dual boots to DOS / Win98 and has dual sound cards, has USB - on and on goes the list of pro's.

But having one machine is no fun, so I've gone for a setup which allows me to easily switch boxes in and out if I want the true vintage hardware experience. I use the same monitor (17" CRT) and keyboard for all, and simply have an AT -> PS2 converter permanently attached to each of the AT machines. I have a PS2 and serial mouse in place, and just use the relevant one. The other cables are universal - sound, power, MIDI if relevant.

I like the clean setup of having one machine out at a time - it saves on a lot of wiring and the other machines can be stashed away out of the UV and dust. Plus absence makes the heart grow fonder; it's great to pull an old friend out of the shed when it's their turn.

That's not very helpful is it? But my question is - do you really need more than one system out at a time?

GeorgeMan wrote:

I have also around 8 complete systems, ranging from 386SX/25, 4MB RAM, 1MB VGA, 80MB HDD to PIII 750, 256MB RAM, 16MB VGA, 80GB […]
Show full quote

I have also around 8 complete systems, ranging from 386SX/25, 4MB RAM, 1MB VGA, 80MB HDD to PIII 750, 256MB RAM, 16MB VGA, 80GB HDD and after many many many maaaany changes, I've reached the following conclusion:

1) You need one powerful system to cover Win95-Win98 games up to ~2000. This must have support to the following: UDMA or SCSI, Glide, USB, PS/2. OS: Win98SE
2) You also need one flexible system to cover all games from 80s to late DOS and early glide. One good solution is MVP3 with K6-III, UDMA, Glide, USB, PS/2. Another one is 430TX & Pentium MMX233. OS: DOS&Win95
3) You may need one older system to be able to "remember" what could hardware of that age do (e.g. load win3.1 on a 386 and play solitaire) or play the very very small amount of speed-sensitive games that you couldn't achieve with the system 2. OS: DOs & Win3.1
4) Your childhood PC, loaded with your childhood software only. Nothing more to say. 😁

Good conclusion. I agree on all bullet points actually. Number four is an option I didn't think much off, but it won't be used much tbh. The main problem is that the Compaq is so easily covered by the other Socket 7 and Slot 1. I prefer sticking to 2 machines for 95% of the gaming.

PS: Are you sure about the K6-III on the 430VX? :p
PS#2: Do not combine Windows with 430VX. Its onboard IDE controller does not support UDMA and HDD performance will be crippled. 😉

It uses the Powerleap PL-K6-III cpu adapter, thus enabling the K6-III to work. Windows HDD performance is good enough for me tbh. Haven't noticed much difference compared to other boards with the same drive. The harddrive itself matters more.

PeterLI wrote:

Do all the systems work with the KVM? I retired my KVM in 2011 because some older systems would not work with it (IBM PS/2s for example). 😵

I believe they do. I have a 2 port KVM switch atm, and it has worked so far.

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

2,3,7 and 8 gets my vote 😀

Hehe, I wasn't too surprised about number 7 from you 😉 Why number 3 over 4 btw?

badmojo wrote:

This is a tricky one, not helped by the fact you have so many excellent machines there! I have this problem too - I have retro m […]
Show full quote

This is a tricky one, not helped by the fact you have so many excellent machines there! I have this problem too - I have retro machines from a 286 to a PIII 1GHz, and the conclusion I came to recently is that the PIII covers just about all the games I'd want to play. It dual boots to DOS / Win98 and has dual sound cards, has USB - on and on goes the list of pro's.

But having one machine is no fun, so I've gone for a setup which allows me to easily switch boxes in and out if I want the true vintage hardware experience. I use the same monitor (17" CRT) and keyboard for all, and simply have an AT -> PS2 converter permanently attached to each of the AT machines. I have a PS2 and serial mouse in place, and just use the relevant one. The other cables are universal - sound, power, MIDI if relevant.

I like the clean setup of having one machine out at a time - it saves on a lot of wiring and the other machines can be stashed away out of the UV and dust. Plus absence makes the heart grow fonder; it's great to pull an old friend out of the shed when it's their turn.

That's not very helpful is it? But my question is - do you really need more than one system out at a time?

Excellent answer badmojo! This is a luxury problem with too much choice! As you say, the Pentium III system covers basically 75% of the games I play, maybe even more. I do like to experiment and test out new games. I missed out on games from 1990 to 1996 in my childhood so this is a new "area" for me.

I agree that your solution with just having one machine and keep swapping them works for you, but for me I'm not entirely sure. I feel that if I don't have them connected I don't find the effort worth it just for an hour or two of playing to rig everything up. The KVM switch was an idea to keep most connected (atm I don't have a system to connect all the MIDI and external devices to all machines at the same time). It would also allow me to turn on any machine I want and remotely access the disks from my Win7 machines to copy over what I need. If it really boiled down and I had to choose it would have to be the P3 system and the Socket 7 AT or ATX system. The reason I don't want to get rid of the AT system is to stay period accurate for my capturing. I feel that if you show performance related to when the game or 3D card was new you need to be as accurate as possible.

Because the DX2-66 is THE 486.

vetz wrote:

- Hardware is of higher value and it is a higher risk it'll break with use, making me more cautious to use it for everyday use.

Hm, you know, I think it's a common problem with people fascinated with retro hardware. Probably, 'cause sometimes it takes time (and money) to track down and get a piece of hardware ...

I tend to NOT use my favorite hardware, if I have only one piece of it.

I'd rather set up (for everyday use) something, that is, more or less - common.

Probably that's the reason I "invested" in a slot 1 platform. I just don't love it, and I don't have the same passion for it, as I have for the Socket 7. I would do everything with my slot 1 - mod it, burn it, test suspicious hardware in it. I don't care if it dies on the road.

But for example - today, I finally got my hands on a Gigabyte GA-5AX (it took me months to find one!!!), and I feel somewhat scared to have it for an everyday use - I will not assemble it before Christmas. I don't even know if it works (should be, according to the seller) 😀

So ... I won't "vote" for any of the platforms you have listed. I'd rather share my thoughts - go for that setups, that you're willing to use for gaming, and you won't miss a lot, if they just stop working.

"I tend to NOT use my favorite hardware, if I have only one piece of it.

Yes, the eternal dilemma - use it and have fun while you can or let it decay on the shelf ? It was meant to be used, after all...

The Gigabyte GA-5AX - my all time favourite of all SS7 boards as well. I only have 4 of them so far, and the got the ultra rare last version (v5.2, UDMA66) only recently. The machine is nearly complete but I would rather use one of the older boards for everyday gaming...

I sold a GA-5AX rev4.1 some months ago along with a P-233MMX for 20 euros. I just don't like ATX systems for retro gaming after all!

Using machines is better than idling them. From personal experience I find that machines that are in regular use survive much longer. 😊

PeterLI wrote:

Using machines is better than idling them. From personal experience I find that machines that are in regular use survive much longer. 😊

Agree, but when you sum it up - socket 7 is a way trickier to set up for use, than slot 1 (Asus P3B-F, in my case).

And then slot 1, compared to socket A (socket 478, or socket 370 FCPGA2)?

If you're about to "use" it (which means gaming in 95% of the case), your best option is to choose the most ... compatible path.

GeorgeMan wrote:

I sold a GA-5AX rev4.1 some months ago along with a P-233MMX for 20 euros. I just don't like ATX systems for retro gaming after all!

Gave 15EUR for mine (same revision), along with the (useless for me) - K6-2 500.

That's how the "retro" obsession works - something "valuable" for one, could be of no use for another ...

This summer I happened to trash a few 386 PCs, 'cause I found no use for them, but I see people here, that have a passion for them. The next 386 I get, I'll just post here for someone who wants it - at the cost of the shipment.

Space Cowboy wrote:

Agree, but when you sum it up - socket 7 is a way trickier to set up for use, than slot 1 (Asus P3B-F, in my case).

The main platform I would consider "tricky" is the 486. The late ATX Super Socket 7 boards are very similar to Slot 1 boards. Most have a set of dip switches for voltage, FSB and multiplier. It's really not that hard.

Late SS7 boards have USB, AGP, ATA66 and are very easy to work with.

Slot 1 has a big downside, no mainboard cache is is important if you want to slow the machine down by disabling CPU cache. A Slot 1 machine is either very fast, or super slow (286 speed). It can't properly simulate a 386DX or 486DX2 like the SS7 platform.

Slot 1 boards are however very easy to source. For me they are perfect W95/98 platforms. But for DOS SS7 is king 😀

Thanks for all the input guys.

I've been busy buying MIDI input selectors, 4 port ehternet switch and stereo mixer. I want to be able to run my external devices without any hassle as well 😀

The plan is to use the MIDI input selector to choose which computer I want to play MIDI from. Then that device will output to my SC55mkII which is also connected to my CM32L. I will then use a simple input selector for sound that will let me choose between output of the CM32L and the SC55mkII. This will feed into the AUX input of the Roland MX-5 which also mixes the sound from the computer. Sound then split up with the two outputs on the MX-5 to both my capture computer and directly into the speakers.

I will also let the VGA signal run through a VGA splitter. This whole setup will enable me to connect up to four computers with sound, midi, network, keyboard, mouse and display all at once and also let me capture both sound and video.

Anyone got any feedback on these two?