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DOS games - which GPU and sound card for new computer

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First post, by Achilles2

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Dear all,

I’ve recently came across a machine with a Pentium MMX250 (I never knew such CPU existed 🤣). While I haven’t been playing around a lot with my old machines, I thought it was a good addition to my other computer with a MMX200 CPU.

Now, I want to make it my main DOS playing machine. I have the option to retain the existing GPU (S3 Trio64V2/DX) or replace it with the one I have on my other machine (STB Lightspeed 128). Also to note that I have a PowerVR 3D card laying around.

Would you keep the current S3 or replace it with the STB? Worth adding the PowerVR card (I recall there was only a minor number of games supporting, but not 100% sure).

Also what would you recommend as a sound card? I have a Yamaha db50xg and an Aztec sound galaxy -6 available… worth using them or should I go with a regular Soundblaster? If so, which o e would you recommend?

Reply 1 of 3, by Matth79

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MMX250, that's a mystery, I'm guessing it's an overclock as the only way to get 250 is 2.5x 100 on a Super 7 or 3x 83 on a max overclock FSB of something not quite SS7.
S3 Trio64 has impressive DOS compatibility, if it's a 2chip with 2 sockets, it's really a Trio32 until you add the extra RAM, which would translate to better Win3 performance and might even help DOS performance a little if the memory is bottlenecking between screen display and system.
If you want the wavetable DB, then the Aztech is a good way to avoid the notorious SB hanging note bug

Reply 2 of 3, by Achilles2

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Thank you for your feedback.

Indeed, I've never heard about such processor, I always though the 233 was it, but this seems to be a 250Mhz CPU...

Just found out the sound cards are actually an AZTech Sound Galaxy NX Pro 16 and a Yamaha SW60XG.

Any use I can give to the PowerVR 3D card asides from the small number of games it's likely compatible with?

Reply 3 of 3, by Matth79

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Ah, the SW60XG is a separate ISA card (midi/XG synth only), so you could run it alongside a SB and not have to worry about midi hanging note, that only applies to the SB midi out or midi daughterboard, think you'd have to link the SW60XG out to the soundcard line in and set the mixer to combine them

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