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pool7's hardware 'n stuff

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First post, by pool7

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Here are my current, wip, wtb, etc setups, for reference. Additional details and pics may come later.

Background: I grew up with Win98 and have loved it ever since. While virtualization and emulation has come a long way, hardware is mostly best for compatibility and other reasons.
Since space is scarce and I'm not a homeowner, I wanted to make my builds as small as possible, without sacrificing compatibility and power. This also means I can't have tens of machines covering every specific case, I have to try and make each machine cover as much as possible.
While gaming is the main idea, I also enjoy trying software and tinkering and stuff. I spend lots of time trying different configurations and tweaking OSes and finding the best way to deploy them, etc.

After lots of thinking, reading and analyzing, I came up with the builds below. I feel like they cover most things well enough; there's little I won't be able to run, which I won't mind running in emulation as needed.

Enjoy (?) and feedback is welcome, though please no flame wars.

Last edited by pool7 on 2024-06-07, 22:56. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 1 of 9, by pool7

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Alias: Retro 16/32 Desktop
Status: Almost done 😀
Scope: compact machine covering all 16/32 bits x86 Oses, from DOS through WinMe, including OS/2, BeOS, etc
Main use: DOS and Windows 9x gaming

Case: Slim Super Power (?)
Mobo: Soyo Sy7vca (ATX)
Chipset:
CPU: Intel Pentium III 1GHz
RAM: 1 GB main
GPU - main: Geforce FX 5200 (AGP)
GPU - additional: Geforce4 MX 440; Geforce4 Ti 4200; Geforce 6200
ound cards: Sound Blaster AWE64 CT4500 ISA; Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS PCI
Storage: 120 GB SATA SSD + SATA-IDE Adapter
Optical drive: DVD-RW
Ethernet: various
Modem: various external USB Robotics 56k (parallel?)
Floppy: 3.5" floppy drive; Gotek Sfr1m44-u with FlashFloppy + OLED screen
PSU: Segotep Atx-500w 23a
USB: USB 2.0 PCI card
Mouse: PS/2
Keyboard: USB keyboard
Joystick / Pad: Genius Maxfire G08 (MIDI)
Monitor: TBC - 17" CRT

Additional hardware: Edirol Um-1x Midi interface

Wishlist:
GPUs: Voodoo2, Voodoo3 3000 PCI, Voodoo 3 3500 AGP; other API-unique cards and maybe some older PCI cards for DOS

Last edited by pool7 on 2024-06-10, 03:44. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 2 of 9, by pool7

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Alias: Retro 16/32 Laptop
Status: almost done 😀
Scope: Same as above, but portable
Main use: DOS and Windows 9x gaming

Brand: Compaq
Model: Evo N400c (would love to replace it with a N410c eventually)
Chipset:
CPU: Mobile Pentium III 700MHz
RAM: 512 MB (max'd)
GPU - main:
Sound cards:
Storage: 120 GB SATA SSD + SATA-IDE Adapter
Optical drive:
Ethernet:
Modem:
Floppy:
PSU:
USB:
Mouse: PS/2
Keyboard:
Additional hardware:
Docking: Mobile Expansion Unit (MEU)
PCMCIA/Cardbus cards Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
USB 2.0
Ethernet

Reply 3 of 9, by pool7

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Alias: Retro 32/64 Desktop
Status: WIP
Scope: Max'd Windows XP, all 32-bit OSes after XP
Main use: XP/Vista/7 Gaming and some light virtualization

Brand: Lenovo
Model: ThinkCentre M92p (mATX)
Chipset: Intel Q77
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770S or 3770T or 3770 or 3770K (LGA 1155)
RAM: 32GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL9
GPU - main: Geforce GTX 750 Ti (LP)
GPU - additional: Most powerful AMD low profile card compatible with XP
Sound cards: TBC (considering X-Fi or similar)
Storage: 3x 500 GB SATA SSD
Optical drive: TBC (original included in the machine)
Floppy: N/A
PSU: (original included in the machine)
Mouse: TBC (will probably start with my existing Logitech Triathlon M720)
Keyboard: TBC (will probably start with any generic one I have for now)
Joystick / Pad: XBOX 360 wired controller; Logitech F310 wired controller
Monitor: TBC
Additional hardware:

I originally planned on building it myself, but the cheapest Q77 mobo I could find was way more expensive than the M92p, so I ended up grabbing that.
Down the line, if $ permits, I might end up switching to fully custom build. From the expensive mobo I saw, I liked the fact that it included PS/2 (not that I'd make much use of it anyway).

While this is intended to be a gaming machine, I will most likely use it for both gaming and virtualization until I can build the server below. This is the reason for the 3 SSDs (although primary might be mSATA if the M92p turns out to have that; still waiting for it to arrive).

Last edited by pool7 on 2024-06-09, 01:28. Edited 3 times in total.

Reply 4 of 9, by pool7

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Alias: Server / Homelab
Status: Not started 🙁
Scope: Virtualization server and homelab
Main use: same

Case: TBC
Mobo: miniITX TBC
Chipset: TBC
CPU: 16-core (either 16 or 32 threads)
RAM: 64 GB
GPU: integrated
Storage:
Optical drive: USB
PSU:
Additional hardware:
Monitor: N/A; Headless

Last edited by pool7 on 2024-06-09, 15:42. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 6 of 9, by pool7

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I must admit I haven't had much time to play around with the machine since I built it (which also took a long while, as I was purchasing the hardware separately as $ permitted), other than installing various OSes.
The little I used it, I haven't had any chipset-specific issue or instability. However the machine seems to lock-up randomly, regardless of which OS is running. It even locks up during OS installation, and I seem to remember it may have locked up once in the BIOS. I have already discarded RAM issue (issue persists after swapping RAM sticks and I have stress tested them with memtest overnight, several passes, all OK). I need to look further into the issue, I'm suspecting/hoping it is the PSU.

Reply 8 of 9, by slivercr

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pool7 wrote on 2024-06-07, 22:54:
Alias: Retro 32/64 Desktop Status: WIP Scope: Max'd Windows XP, all 32-bit OSes after XP Main use: XP/Vista/7 Gaming and some li […]
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Alias: Retro 32/64 Desktop
Status: WIP
Scope: Max'd Windows XP, all 32-bit OSes after XP
Main use: XP/Vista/7 Gaming and some light virtualization

Brand: Lenovo
Model: ThinkCentre M92p (mATX)
Chipset: Intel Q77
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770S or 3770T or 3770 or 3770K (LGA 1155)
RAM: 32GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL9
GPU - main: Geforce GTX 750 Ti (LP)
GPU - additional: Most powerful AMD low profile card compatible with XP
Sound cards: TBC (considering X-Fi or similar)
Storage: 3x 500 GB SATA SSD
Optical drive: TBC (original included in the machine)
Floppy: N/A
PSU: (original included in the machine)
Mouse: TBC (will probably start with my existing Logitech Triathlon M720)
Keyboard: TBC (will probably start with any generic one I have for now)
Joystick / Pad: XBOX 360 wired controller; Logitech F310 wired controller
Monitor: TBC
Additional hardware:

I originally planned on building it myself, but the cheapest Q77 mobo I could find was way more expensive than the M92p, so I ended up grabbing that.
Down the line, if $ permits, I might end up switching to fully custom build. From the expensive mobo I saw, I liked the fact that it included PS/2 (not that I'd make much use of it anyway).

While this is intended to be a gaming machine, I will most likely use it for both gaming and virtualization until I can build the server below. This is the reason for the 3 SSDs (although primary might be mSATA if the M92p turns out to have that; still waiting for it to arrive).

I have one, it doesn't have msata. It does have a couple of pci slots and there's a low profile xfi that fits nicely.

Outrigger: an ongoing adventure with the OR840
QuForce FX 5800: turn your Quadro into a GeForce

Reply 9 of 9, by pool7

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Bruno128 wrote on 2024-06-09, 10:35:

If it also happens during post / bios setup then power is very likely the issue, can be vrm caps or psu, yes.

PSU was brand new and I haven't stressed it at all, meaning I probably got a faulty one.
Pros: PSU was probably the cheapest component.
Cons: it's getting harder to find PSUs that have the needed specs for systems from that era (something about amperage on the 5V rail and W on the 3.3+5V combined rail, I seem to remember reading here in vogons when I was researching to buy and build the machine some years ago).

slivercr wrote on 2024-06-09, 14:08:
pool7 wrote on 2024-06-07, 22:54:
Brand: Lenovo Model: ThinkCentre M92p (mATX) ... (although primary might be mSATA if the M92p turns out to have that; still wait […]
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Brand: Lenovo
Model: ThinkCentre M92p (mATX)
...
(although primary might be mSATA if the M92p turns out to have that; still waiting for it to arrive).

I have one, it doesn't have msata. It does have a couple of pci slots and there's a low profile xfi that fits nicely.

Can't post a picture right now, but it seems mSATA is only available in some models; at lease according to the Hardware Maintenance Manual (page 170):
https://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccb … m82m92p_hmm.pdf
If mine doesn't have the mSATA board, I will use that space for one of the SSDs (based on the pic it seems to be a standard 2.5" space).

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