Graphics with DOS games in Windows 98 is scrambled \ VOGONS

Graphics with DOS games in Windows 98 is scrambled

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First post, by zuldan

Posted on 2025-03-03, 08:01

zuldan Offline

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I’m using a GeForce 4 Ti4400 with driver version 45.23

I can barely make out the game. It still runs and you can hear the music, just the graphics are scrambled. Any ideas what the issue may be? If you exit the game, you return back to Windows and everything is back to normal. Quake 3 and 3DMark are working perfectly.

The attachment 571AB7D5-FA20-465D-96CE-BD3E31C51234.jpeg is no longer available

Reply 1 of 7, by zuldan

Posted on 2025-03-03, 20:15

zuldan Offline

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Tried some more DOS games and they all have the same issue. Cannot fault anything in Windows. What a strange issue.

Reply 2 of 7, by RetroPCCupboard

Posted on 2025-03-03, 20:24

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Are you running the games in DOS mode or in Windows?

Reply 3 of 7, by zuldan

Posted on 2025-03-04, 03:10

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RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2025-03-03, 20:24:

Are you running the games in DOS mode or in Windows?

In Windows

Reply 4 of 7, by RetroPCCupboard

Posted on 2025-03-04, 04:58

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zuldan wrote on 2025-03-04, 03:10:
In Windows

And does it work ok from MSDOS mode?

For some reason this issue sounds familiar to me. But not sure how....

Reply 5 of 7, by zuldan

Posted on 2025-03-07, 11:08

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I figured out the issue. The power supply I was using was providing 4.5v (brand new PSU) on the 5v line. I installed an old PSU and got the 5v line up to 4.85v (within spec). DOS games work perfectly now. The new PSU provides 4.9v on other motherboards so it just seems the motherboard (Gigabyte GA-7VT600) doesn’t like the new PSU.

I’m guessing the graphics card used extra power from the 5v when kicking into a different video mode to run the DOS games? Who only knows.

Reply 6 of 7, by darry

Posted on 2025-03-07, 12:29

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zuldan wrote on 2025-03-07, 11:08:

I figured out the issue. The power supply I was using was providing 4.5v (brand new PSU) on the 5v line. I installed an old PSU and got the 5v line up to 4.85v (within spec). DOS games work perfectly now. The new PSU provides 4.9v on other motherboards so it just seems the motherboard (Gigabyte GA-7VT600) doesn’t like the new PSU.

I’m guessing the graphics card used extra power from the 5v when kicking into a different video mode to run the DOS games? Who only knows.

Most modern PSUs have very weak 5V and 3.3V rails compared to older ones. If your motherboard is designed to draw power mainly from 5V or 3.3V rails, it could explain the symptoms.

What model is the brand new PSU ?

Reply 7 of 7, by zuldan

Posted on 2025-03-07, 12:38

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It is a 600w Silverstone (can’t remember the exact model). 20amp for the 5v line. I thought that would have been ok. Maybe not.

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