For DOS, the SBLive is not going to be very good. It will be good for Windows.

Your onboard ESS sound should work for DOS. You just need to install the drivers/software.

Make sure to have the ESS???.INI file in C:\. Not sure of the exact .INI file name as I haven't set up an Allegro under DOS.

I recommend an YMF-724 card. They are the best for a hybrid Dos/Win98 PCI soundcard.
If you were going for a Win98 only PCI stereo card, then the Vortex2.
If you are going for a surround and Win98-Only card, then the SB-Live.
SB-Live is crappy for Dos, and it has some issues regarding stereo playback.

Aglenoth wrote:

Hello ,
Iam building 98’ PC with Super Socket 7 k6-2 500 however my base which is Compaq Presario 7479 has only PCI slots and some integrated ESS allegro 1, I was thinking about SB Live SB0100 since they are quite common in place I live , and I wanted to ask what are your opinions 😀

Any help is hugely appriciated 😀

Yes, Phils computer lab has drivers for Sound Blaster live 5.1 DOS drivers.
He also made a video on how to hookup S/PDIF Toslink to your Sound Blaster live 5.1 in DOS and Win3x.
Hookup the Toslink S/PDIF to an A/V Audio receiver for 5.1 or 7.1 Surround sound. Just let the AV receiver handle the signal processing.

I think this is the best Sound Blaster card for DOS in PCI
The Audigy 2 zs is not supported in DOS.

https://www.philscomputerlab.com/sound-blaster-live.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVNSyRAwVXs&t=1s

I say use the onboard ESS.

The dos compatibility should be very good with it, and it's FM synthesis is pretty good.

The SB-Live is not too bad either, even for DOS games, as long as you can actually get it working on your particular system. But the ESS onboard will have higher compatibility.

But where should I look for drivers ? Or should I just use windows 98 DOS mode ?

Aglenoth wrote:

But where should I look for drivers ? Or should I just use windows 98 DOS mode ?

Just run the games straight from Windows. It's what was expected when Win98 was designed.

Aglenoth wrote:

But where should I look for drivers ? Or should I just use windows 98 DOS mode ?

Do you mean DOS drivers or Win98?

DOS:
http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=6 … menustate=45,35

Idealy both

If you can get it set up properly, and your motherboard supports D-DMA, this Yamaha YMF-744 card sounds great in my DOS machine without a PC-PCI cable:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/282981342279

The manufacturer also has the latest drivers available on their website.

Im looking to do the same, to find something better than what im currently using.... i play mostly windows and just a handful pure DOS games, the yamaha sound card suggested by "flare" lQQks like a good canidate because trying to locate a decent vortex2/diamond monster sound mx300 sound cards is getting hard to find, but keep in mind, im not looking for anything fancy, just good, clean, and undistorted sound.

SPECS:
CPU - Intel 1.0Ghz 133fsb Coppermine
MOBO - Intel D815BN s370 mATX
MEM - Crucial 2X256mb pc133 cl2
HARD DRIVE - WD Caviar 20gb pata 7200rpm
VIDEOCARD - Abit Siluro GF3 64mb AGP4x
SOUNDCARD - HP Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI 128 ES1373 CT5801
POWER SUPPLY - Enermax 420w EG425P-VE
Dell DVDrom - Dell 3.5'' floppy drive
Windows98se

Bige4u wrote:

Im looking to do the same, to find something better than what im currently using.... i play mostly windows and just a handful pu […]
Show full quote

Im looking to do the same, to find something better than what im currently using.... i play mostly windows and just a handful pure DOS games, the yamaha sound card suggested by "flare" lQQks like a good canidate because trying to locate a decent vortex2/diamond monster sound mx300 sound cards is getting hard to find, but keep in mind, im not looking for anything fancy, just good, clean, and undistorted sound.

SPECS:
CPU - Intel 1.0Ghz 133fsb Coppermine
MOBO - Intel D815BN s370 mATX
MEM - Crucial 2X256mb pc133 cl2
HARD DRIVE - WD Caviar 20gb pata 7200rpm
VIDEOCARD - Abit Siluro GF3 64mb AGP4x
SOUNDCARD - HP Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI 128 ES1373 CT5801
POWER SUPPLY - Enermax 420w EG425P-VE
Dell DVDrom - Dell 3.5'' floppy drive
Windows98se

The Yamaha cards are very nice. Check out Philscomputerlab review on youtube.

And If you want a Vortex2 card, going Diamond is just silly for the price. Look for the Turtle Beach ones (Dell OEM). Just have to make sure you get one withe the Vortex2 chip as Dell didn't change the model number between the older and newer cards.

Go for an AWE64 Gold if you can find one; the 4MB RAM will have you covered for some sweet General MIDI when AWE32 compatibility is not enough, it has great SB16 compatibility and has CQM FM. Overall the nicest card there is for Socket/Super Socket 7 systems in my opinion.

canthearu wrote:

I say use the onboard ESS.

The dos compatibility should be very good with it, and it's FM synthesis is pretty good.

But from this PhilsComputerLab video I understood that ESS Allegro-1 ES1988S has got horrible FM synthesis 😕

I have a few SBLive cards(4830, 4670, 4760) and they worked on every system thus far.(486 era boards are problematic though if you want "music" playback)

AU8830 MASTER RACE