VOGONS


Retro Gaming Laptops Win9x and XP

Topic actions

Reply 40 of 74, by henryVK

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Asaki wrote:
henryVK wrote:

However, if run at full speed and under a heavy load the unit will get pretty hot after a while, and you can feel the heat through the keyboard.

On my 701, the fan never comes on, even after BIOS updates. I have to use a custom program, and I usually have it set to default at 100%. It doesn't get too warm if I leave the CPU underclocked, but I usually keep it at 900MHz =)

Hmm, now that you say that, maybe it's time for a thorough cleaning, checking the fan and some thermal paste.

Reply 43 of 74, by NamelessPlayer

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

I just nabbed a Dell Inspiron 8200 from a neighbor for a quarter (and some other assorted gadgets like an Apple Wireless Keyboard A1016, an SGH-I717 Galaxy Note 8.0 AT&T LTE tablet, and what appears to be a green 16x2 text LCD of the sort I can easily interface with a Teensy++ or Pi Zero). Looks like it hasn't been used too hard, as the keycaps, mouse button and trackpad still have their texture. XP boots right up.

Mobile P4 1.7 GHz, 512 MB DDR (most likely a pair of 256 MB SO-DIMMs without visually inspecting), Mobility Radeon 9000, 40 GB HDD, Belkin 802.11g PCMCIA/CardBus Wi-Fi adapter of some sort, 1400x1050 TN LCD, single battery and a space saver in the other bay.

I'm not entirely sure what to do with it at the moment. It never officially got drivers for anything past XP (especially problematic when it comes to GPU drivers), and it strikes me as weak sauce by modern standards, but reviews show that in its heyday, it was billed as a powerful desktop replacement sort of laptop... albeit at a time when no self-respecting PC gamer would ever consider a laptop just for the lack of GPU options alone, never mind how sound cards also still mattered back then.

But hey, it's not often that I just stumble across laptops that were powerful for their time, instead of being commodity consumer crap. This one might be worth putting through its paces.

Reply 44 of 74, by FrontSideBlunderer

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Awesome thread. I wonder what the newest/most powerful laptop is that still has native DOS sound compatibility? That Toshiba Satellite Pro 4300 that Vincent_Vega_SA mentioned sounds sweet, I just wonder if there's anything like it with more grunt.

Reply 45 of 74, by henryVK

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Asaki wrote:
henryVK wrote:

...checking the fan and some thermal paste.

Mine has pads instead of paste. They got a bit messed up after opening it a few times, so I bought some new ones.

Are they made of copper, by chance? Or is this an aftermarket thing?

https://www.amazon.com/Vktech%C2%AE-Heatsink- … m/dp/B00E5SMY0W

Reply 46 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Hi ..
I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 ..
I recently got this going ..and although the sticker says
'designed for XP ' ..I thought this would make a good 98se machine.
So ..nice and easy to install 98se which I've done on account it does have a working floppy.
But I am having problems with drivers..
for example No audio ..No network..No USB etc .
Basically ..no chipset drivers..
I did find a suitable screen/display driver ..so I now have truecolour ..and a larger screen resolution.
I suspect since this was never intended for an O/S less than XP ..drivers may not have been created..?
Could anyone prove me wrong and help here ?
rgds
VS

Attachments

  • DSCF0015.JPG
    Filename
    DSCF0015.JPG
    File size
    306.9 KiB
    Views
    1172 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception
  • DSCF0013.JPG
    Filename
    DSCF0013.JPG
    File size
    324.57 KiB
    Views
    1172 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

Reply 48 of 74, by LHN91

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Vipersan wrote:
Hi .. I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 .. I recently got this going ..and although the sticker says 'designed for XP ' ..I thought t […]
Show full quote

Hi ..
I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 ..
I recently got this going ..and although the sticker says
'designed for XP ' ..I thought this would make a good 98se machine.
So ..nice and easy to install 98se which I've done on account it does have a working floppy.
But I am having problems with drivers..
for example No audio ..No network..No USB etc .
Basically ..no chipset drivers..
I did find a suitable screen/display driver ..so I now have truecolour ..and a larger screen resolution.
I suspect since this was never intended for an O/S less than XP ..drivers may not have been created..?
Could anyone prove me wrong and help here ?
rgds
VS

Looks like the 2500 is a P3-M based machine. It'll definitely work with 98se.

You should be able to get the chipset drivers from here: https://www.philscomputerlab.com/intel.html - you have an intel 815 chipset.

Also, it looks like Dell still has some 9x drivers for the machine. The sound drivers only seem to appear under Windows ME, but they should work on 98se

Reply 50 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

So ..I dont know what I'm doing wrong here ..
Sadly the chipset drivers dont help ..
I am still missing LAN and Audio etc..
No audio drivers for any O/S to be found at Dell ..???
please can someone help ?
rgds
VS

hmm ..looks to be wording specific ..
Search for drivers ...finds nothing
search for driver ..me audio driver found.
now that's picky..

Attachments

  • no drivers2.jpg
    Filename
    no drivers2.jpg
    File size
    119.9 KiB
    Views
    1144 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception
  • no drivers.jpg
    Filename
    no drivers.jpg
    File size
    110.69 KiB
    Views
    1144 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

Reply 51 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Good news ..I now have some audio.
As to the LAN ..
I am not surprised the chipset drivers didn't install one.
There isn't one ?
Yes there is a LAN port and a Modem port on the side of the laptop ..but these are connected to a 3com mini pci dual function card..
which is fitted ..but I assume I'd need seperate drivers for this.
No idea where to go for this ..as it is I suppose not strictly speaking Dells problem
I'm attaching a couple of pics ..just in case someone recognises it.
rgds

Attachments

  • DSCF0018.JPG
    Filename
    DSCF0018.JPG
    File size
    335.52 KiB
    Views
    1137 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception
  • DSCF0017.JPG
    Filename
    DSCF0017.JPG
    File size
    348.15 KiB
    Views
    1137 views
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

Reply 52 of 74, by Anaxagoras

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Vipersan wrote:
So ..I dont know what I'm doing wrong here .. Sadly the chipset drivers dont help .. I am still missing LAN and Audio etc.. No a […]
Show full quote

So ..I dont know what I'm doing wrong here ..
Sadly the chipset drivers dont help ..
I am still missing LAN and Audio etc..
No audio drivers for any O/S to be found at Dell ..???
please can someone help ?
rgds
VS

hmm ..looks to be wording specific ..
Search for drivers ...finds nothing
search for driver ..me audio driver found.
now that's picky..

Hi.
I tried the same search and I obtained several results.
Make your selection in the combo boxes first and then don't type anything in the keyword box.

My computers

qp92nk-6.png

Reply 53 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Found this file here :- http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt … driverId=R22739
and took a chance ..
It is for mini pci lan/modem cards ..
No install so unpacked ..did a refresh of the driver and pointed at the win98 folder and it installed the drivers I needed.
I'm feeling quite smug atm..
😉
got access to the internet ..but not much to see in http ..but I can now access my home network..

Reply 54 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

So ..the only thing that is really bugging me now with this laptop is lack of USB ?
The chipset drivers were insralled last night ..
Device manager is showing a USB cotriller and a USB Root Hub
When I plug in a small usb thumb drive ..the system recognises a flash drive and asks for a suitable driver ?
Is this normal ..and if so why ?
Obviously I cannot use USB atm.
Is there such a thing as an general purpose driver I might use ?
rgds
VS

Reply 55 of 74, by LHN91

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Vipersan wrote:
So ..the only thing that is really bugging me now with this laptop is lack of USB ? The chipset drivers were insralled last nigh […]
Show full quote

So ..the only thing that is really bugging me now with this laptop is lack of USB ?
The chipset drivers were insralled last night ..
Device manager is showing a USB cotriller and a USB Root Hub
When I plug in a small usb thumb drive ..the system recognises a flash drive and asks for a suitable driver ?
Is this normal ..and if so why ?
Obviously I cannot use USB atm.
Is there such a thing as an general purpose driver I might use ?
rgds
VS

http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/win9 … age-drivers.php

I always forget you need to install this because most of the time I'm either using ME (which has built in USB drivers) on something new enough to have USB, or 95 on something that doesn't have it.

Reply 57 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Just tested my OPL2LPT on this laptop..
Only built the OPL2 today ..and WoW ..just the test music program sounds amazing..
Can't wait to get some old games running.
rgds
VS
I'll try not to hi-jack this thread any more..

Reply 58 of 74, by Vipersan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Thread Hijack time again..
Sorry..
I have on order a used Audigy 2 ZS pcmcia card ..which I'm hoping to use with inspiron 2500 running 98SE ..
..but on doing some reading ..I have read this officially is unsupported pre 2000 ?
The card hasn't arrived yet ..so am preparing myself for disappointment in advance..
unless one of you guys knows otherwise ?????
rgds
VS

Reply 59 of 74, by Radical Vision

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Vipersan wrote:
Hi .. I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 .. I recently got this going ..and although the sticker says 'designed for XP ' ..I thought t […]
Show full quote

Hi ..
I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 ..
I recently got this going ..and although the sticker says
'designed for XP ' ..I thought this would make a good 98se machine.
So ..nice and easy to install 98se which I've done on account it does have a working floppy.
But I am having problems with drivers..
for example No audio ..No network..No USB etc .
Basically ..no chipset drivers..
I did find a suitable screen/display driver ..so I now have truecolour ..and a larger screen resolution.
I suspect since this was never intended for an O/S less than XP ..drivers may not have been created..?
Could anyone prove me wrong and help here ?
rgds
VS

Well depend, mine Compaq Armada is made for Windows 95NT but i did install XP, and it run well, as the previous os Win 98 was corrupted..
I don`t see how if Win XP runs fine, there will be better at 98...
Only solution i can find is to have one laptop for XP, one for 98......

Attachments

Mah systems retro, old, newer (Radical stuff)
W3680 4.5/ GA-x58 UD7/ R9 280x
K7 2.6/ NF7-S/ HD3850
IBM x2 P3 933/ GA-6VXD7/ Voodoo V 5.5K
Cmq P2 450/ GA-BX2000/ V2 SLI
IBM PC365
Cmq DeskPRO 486/33
IBM PS/2 Model 56
SPS IntelleXT 8088