GeForce 256 - ok. AWE32 could be better on local markets.

I can only surely answer your first question, the other ones maybe and yes you did get an amazing price for the GeForce 256-AWE32 combo for how utterly rare they both are nowadays.

For the 486 machine get some ISA card, or if your MoBo supports is, a PCI one, with up to 4MB of onboard RAM, it was that era when the Voodoo and other early 3D cards began emerging so they all continued with the 4MB base. I'm not very familiar with 2D graphics cards at all but I've seen a few ISA bus ones. If you're looking for a budget card you'll definitely want a PCI solution since they seem to be less expensive overall.

One of the best motherboards for the Pentium III was the ASUS P3B, although it only supported Slot 1 processors, and even those were somewhat limited. If you're planning to use the 1.4Ghz version you'll need a Slotket adapter, since the later Coppermine-T and Tualatin architectures used Socket 370 and fiddle around with some of the jumpers to get it to work. Not quite sure which actual S370 board I should recommend though.Just ask around and make sure your board is fully compatible with it so you don't end up having to mod voltages and FSB clocks.

Is the Geforce card the SDR variant or DDR variant? If it's the latter, than I would say yes - the DDR version is much better and more sought after. $50 for the AWE32 is great as well, especially for a model with a waveblaster header if you tire of the AWE32 native synth. It's also got true Yamaha OPL3 through the CT-1747 chip and is NOT plug and play, so a win-win-win in my book. Well done!

Artex wrote:

Is the Geforce card the SDR variant or DDR variant? If it's the latter, than I would say yes - the DDR version is much better and more sought after. $50 for the AWE32 is great as well, especially for a model with a waveblaster header if you tire of the AWE32 native synth. It's also got true Yamaha OPL3 through the CT-1747 chip and is NOT plug and play, so a win-win-win in my book. Well done!

from what I can figure out then it is the SDR variant CT6940, I know the DDR one is better but either one is extremely hard to find and this one was the first I found, might scoop up the other if I find it as well. The Soundcard was an easy choice, insta-snatched it when I saw it, from what I know it doesn't have the hanging bug (win) either + NOT pnp (big win) and as you say OPL (win) and yeah can add on waveblaster headers (win) but finding the add ons seems hard or extremely pricey? and adding the Waveblaster from Creative Labs seems moot since it should be the same as on the card if I remember right but some of the "others" might be better but which ones I don't know, so on that point I am on deep water.

Had the DDR version a ways back and found it a tad slow even though it had only cost me a few bucks at a goodwill before they could suck a golf ball through a garden hose. Fun collectable but once you get bored of it put it away in a safe place where you can lose it as it will only get more valuable.