eliot_new wrote on 2025-09-05, 10:01:

I guess, I can boot the PC from WIn 98 SE in DOS mode and run then AWFLASH....

Even better, put all the files you need on C:, reboot, on startup hit F8 and choose “7. safe mode command prompt only”

Ok, I found the download link:

https://www.gigabyte.com/de/Motherboard/GA-BX … support-dl-bios

Before I was on an URL with only one .bin file.

Now I will flash and tell what happened.

PS: I have to say thank you very much to User con 2 botones, who did this post:
Anybody use the unofficial Win 98 SP3 pack?

Thus I resolved a display bug in the Win98SE SP3.

I will write here as soon as I have completed the installation and configuration of my 2 retro PC's with Win98SE, WinXP SP3 32-bit and all my favorite games.

Good evening everybody here

thank you once again for all your answers!

Please help me.

I now have two retro PC systems (see signature).
I can play most of the games I've always wanted on both.
However, some games with EAX sound released after 2005 require more than a 1GHz CPU and more than 512MB of RAM.
Examples of this would be Bioshock or Crysis.
Since I don't want to build a third retro PC, I've been thinking about installing 32-bit Windows XP on my Asus H97M-Plus with an i7-4790K.
I have read online that an user named Fernando provides special drivers for this.
Question: has anyone had any good experience with this?
Has anyone installed 32-bit Windows XP on an H97 or Z97 board and later successfully added an Audigy 1 or 2 sound card?

Thx a lot in advance and I wish you a nice and pleasant weekend!

Kind regards from Switzerland

eliot_new wrote on 2025-10-10, 18:46:

Has anyone installed 32-bit Windows XP on an H97 or Z97 board and later successfully added an Audigy 1 or 2 sound card?

The unofficial “drivers” you are referring to only add inf files for device manager. Would it work if you modify setup media image? Mostly yes. If you want real windows xp support on Intel chipset go H81 or even better B75 since it provides native PCI.

Update:

I have decided to have 2x Retro-PC permanently and several others temporary (discover how it feels then sell it).

1. Asus CUSL2-C, P3 1Ghz, 512MB, FX5600 AGP, SB Audigy 1, Win98SE, WinXP
2. QDI BrillianX S1 440BX, P3 450, 768MB, V3-2k AGP, AWE64, PicoGUS, Win98SE, WinXP => could add an Yamaha 724 PCI as the QDI has SB-link (PC/PCI)

The experimental rigs I am currently planning only for experience reasons and maybe later sell it again:

3. QDI P5I430TX Titan IB+, P 100 Mhz, 32MB, Elsa S3 2MB PCI, FreeDOS => PicoGUS from (2) could be used here
4. Asus P5A rev 1.04, K6-3+/400, 64MB, V3-2k AGP (bought cheap a 2nd one), FreeDOS, Win98SE => AWE64 from (2) could be used here
5. Asus CUV4X-D incl. 2 x P3 1Ghz (got it for 110 € with CPUs) => the seller offers me to buy his remaining 4x512MB SDRAM, but I am hesitating. Even with Win2k, Win2k3, Vista32, Win7x32 I have only a test laboratory. In 2000 there were no games supporting 2x CPUs?

I will surely remain with number 1&2 and will decide what to do with rig 3, 4, 5 in the distant future.

What is astonishing:
currently a lot of people are selling on ebay.de some Voodoo 3 PCI and Voodoo 4 AGP graphics.
The prices for V3 PCI are much higher than V3 AGP, but AFAIK plattforms based upon Intel TX are too slow for a V3 PCI => do you know an use case where a V3 PCI is suitable?
I have also noticed the exagerated prices for alternative 3D graphics Permedia2, PowerVR(Kyro2), Rendition Verite 2200, S3 Savage4 Pro.

eliot_new wrote on 2025-11-01, 14:43:

5. Asus CUV4X-D incl. 2 x P3 1Ghz (got it for 110 € with CPUs) => the seller offers me to buy his remaining 4x512MB SDRAM, but I am hesitating. Even with Win2k, Win2k3, Vista32, Win7x32 I have only a test laboratory. In 2000 there were no games supporting 2x CPUs?

If the price for the RAM is fine, I'd definitely do it 😎

For best sound compatibility in Windows , either the Ess Solo 1 or the yamaha 724.

If the games can be started from Windows , then I do not see a reason to start them from native dos.

eliot_new wrote on 2025-11-01, 14:43:

What is astonishing: currently a lot of people are selling on ebay.de some Voodoo 3 PCI and Voodoo 4 AGP graphics. The prices […]
Show full quote

What is astonishing:
currently a lot of people are selling on ebay.de some Voodoo 3 PCI and Voodoo 4 AGP graphics.
The prices for V3 PCI are much higher than V3 AGP, but AFAIK plattforms based upon Intel TX are too slow for a V3 PCI => do you know an use case where a V3 PCI is suitable?
I have also noticed the exagerated prices for alternative 3D graphics Permedia2, PowerVR(Kyro2), Rendition Verite 2200, S3 Savage4 Pro.

V3 PCI could also be desirable for later systems with buggy or lacking AGP.
Personally I also like the PCI version as can pair it with a stronger D3D AGP card and run 2 video cards in the same system, but don't think that's a very common setup.
The other graphics cards while never being popular like 3DFX are still interesting and fun to play around with if your interested in early 3d technology which drives prices up for "inferior" cards.

eliot_new wrote on 2025-11-01, 14:43:

4. Asus P5A rev 1.04, K6-3+/400, 64MB, V3-2k AGP

This is the good stuff and you can safely bump RAM for a well-rounded system.

Good morning everybody,

what do you think about wrapper for older 3D APIs?

I have just found this one:
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nrcqj8vlgt … &hl=de-DE&gl=CH

I will test it and tell you.

The reason why I am writing it here:

First I don't know whether there is a dedicated thread for software wrapper and second I have bought a cheap Rendition V2200 AGP card and will test it and post the results here.

Update: I bought cheap 3x different "old" AGP cards for testing with late 90s games:
1. Elephant Rendition Verite v2200 with 8MB
2. Creative Labs Extreme Permedia 2 with 4MB
3. Diamond Stealth ||| S450 Savage4 with 32MB

I have installed today new Win98SE with the first Rendition drivers V2k_2_3 downloaded from vogons drivers page.
vQuake 1 runs smoothly at 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 (Pentium 3 Katmai 450) and the image quality looks nice

PS:

vQuake 1 timedemo demo1, demo2, demo3 delivers 16.5 fps, 12.9 fps, 15.8 fps at 1024*768, quite smooth for single player on the easiest level.

timedemo demo 1 benchmarks

1152*864 = 13.3 fps
1024*768 = 16.5
800*600 = 21.3
640*480 = 31.1

I will now benchmark another Rendition patched games and post it here.

After that, I will install the Permedia 2 and do the same test in order to soo how it performs compared to Rendition v2200.

PS: (13/12/25)

Installed Win98SE on a new 32GB SD-Card along with the Creative Permedia 2 graphics card.

Installation and configuration of the Permedia drivers as well as Quake 2 were easy.

Currently Quake 2 allows me only 512*384 with default OpenGL: higher resolutions result into a forced software renderer.

Furthermore Quake 2 runs slowly, I feel < 10 fps, but at least it runs whereas on my Rendition v2200 card I couldn't run it today...

Tomorrow I will update the driver with another Permedia 2 and post the benchmarks.

Btw: I tried Quake 1 software mode: it allows me only 360 * 240 (IIRC Permedia 2 has no SVGA modes for DOS 3d shooter)

PS: (19/12/25)

GLQuake v0.97 => timedemo demo1, demo2, demo3 delivers on Diamond Stealth SIII S540 AGP 32MB:

33.6 fps,
30.6 fps,
32.2 fps

at 1024*768*32

Woow, Savage4 Chip feels like 2x speed of Rendition Verite and 3x Permedia 2

I will definitely keep the Diamond graphics card.

Furthermore I tested Deus Ex 1 with
S3 Metal: looks great, little bit too dark and after some minutes the game crashes
D3D: looks ok, the sound is distorted whenever a person speaks, the text of a dialogue is jagged, meaning it's readable but the presentation is unsightly
OpenGL: looks ok, Display errors with the pump-action shotgun, otherwise fast and robust without crashes

Wheel of Time: currently testing in with S3 Metal, D3D, OpenGL and will report later the results