VOGONS


First post, by Devcon

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Hello, first of all excuse my poor level of english 😀

I have collected in the past years a few machines and components and i want to mount a PC for playing old DOS and Windows games and put the rest to trash (lack of space).

My first PC was a Pentium III so i don't understand pretty well how old computers work and the quality of their components.

Can i get some help for bulding my retro machine please? 😀 I have the following:

Computer 1
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MB: UMD Generic, 512K Cache, up to 8GB HDs
CPU: 486DX2 (33/66 MHz selectables from turbo button in case)
RAM: 32MB EDO RAM
VIDEO: Cirrus Logic 1MB Vesa Local Bus

Computer 2
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MB: Intel 430Tx with 256MB RAM, no AGP bus sigh (sad because i have a pair of voodoo III lying arround)
CPU: Pentium MMX 233MHZ

Components
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Video: S3 Trio64, S3 Trio64V+, S3 Virge/DX, S3 Virge/GX2, Inno Vision Voodoo 3DFX 3DX5000TV, Creative Labs CT6670 Voodoo II & Another generic Voodoo II (Same memory quantity, different speeds)
Audio: Unknow card (Analog Devices AD1846JP chip & Compumedia chip), SB16 Value, SoundBlaster AWE32, all ISA.

Now my questions 😀

On the 486 i can only use the Cirrus Logic VLB card because the mobo has no pci slots, but i noticed that 50% of times i turn the PC on the color on the monitor is missing, not a big problem.
Now, what sound card should i use on the 486? I was thinking the SB16 Value.

Now the pentium. What video card fits better? I have tried the two Voodoo II in SLI but they don't work, i think its because they are from different manufactures.
Respect the soundcard on the pentium, can i put for example the AWE32 and the Analog Devices to work togheter? Or can i trow away that generic card?

How about the voodoo I? I think some voodoo I games don't work on the voodoo II. Can i put together a Voodoo I and a Voodoo II on the same computer? (with different 2D cards and using 2 monitors).

Finally, should i trow away the 486? I think in the end i can do the same or more with the pentium.

Thanks.

Reply 1 of 7, by Jorpho

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Devcon wrote:

I have tried the two Voodoo II in SLI but they don't work, i think its because they are from different manufactures.

"Mismatched SLI" is indeed possible. Did you try the drivers at 3dfxzone.it ?

Respect the soundcard on the pentium, can i put for example the AWE32 and the Analog Devices to work togheter? Or can i trow away that generic card?

If you can't even figure out what the card is, odds are you're going to have a terrible time getting anything to use it properly.

How about the voodoo I? I think some voodoo I games don't work on the voodoo II.

Do you actually want to play any of those Voodoo I games? (The only one that comes to mind is Super EF2000.)

Reply 2 of 7, by Devcon

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Jorpho wrote:

Mismatched SLI" is indeed possible. Did you try the drivers at 3dfxzone.it ?

I have Unreal Gold lying around, i will try those drivers with that game, thanks.

If you can't even figure out what the card is, odds are you're going to have a terrible time getting anything to use it properly.

The truth is i want to have the most compatible sound card installed, but i'm unsure what card is the most compatible with DOS and Windows games (SB16 Value, AWE32?)

Do you actually want to play any of those Voodoo I games? (The only one that comes to mind is Super EF2000.)

There is only one game for voodoo I? If that's the case then i think there is no need of having V I & II plugged on the same comp.

How about my two computers for retro-gaming? Do you think i will be able of play really old DOS games on the pentium without problems? If that's the case i think i would sell that 486, it's only getting dust.

Thanks for your time.

Reply 3 of 7, by Jorpho

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Devcon wrote:

The truth is i want to have the most compatible sound card installed, but i'm unsure what card is the most compatible with DOS and Windows games (SB16 Value, AWE32?)

I really doubt the most compatible card is some unidentifiable thing from "Analog Dievices".

How about my two computers for retro-gaming? Do you think i will be able of play really old DOS games on the pentium without problems? If that's the case i think i would sell that 486, it's only getting dust.

Why don't you decide what games you'll probably be playing ? If for some very odd reason you want to be prepared to play absolutely anything that could conceivably strike your fancy, then yes, you'll probably want both computers. Certainly, there are things for which the 486 might be vaguely more convenient than the Pentium (factoring in the difficulty of getting stuff on to the 486 in the first place) - but really I can hardly understand why you wouldn't just use DOSBox.

Reply 4 of 7, by Davros

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are you using the sli cable the the voodoo2's

Guardian of the Sacred Five Terabyte's of Gaming Goodness

Reply 5 of 7, by ux-3

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On a P1, a V2 SLI is pretty much overkill. With most games, one V2 will do fine, provided you are willing to put in some efford. If you know what you are doing, you can run a V1 and V2 together. The only advantage of a V1 is the ease of running older games.

Retro PC warning: The things you own end up owning you.

Reply 6 of 7, by PowerPie5000

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I find that Voodoo 2 cards don't scale too well on P1 machines 😒 I would just use the S3 Virge DX paired with the Voodoo 1 card. Also there are actually many old 3D games that support the Voodoo 1 chip... hence the reason they became the most popular 3D card back then 😎 But if you really want a Voodoo 2 SLI config then i would recommend using them in a PII/PIII system. For the sound card, i would personally choose the AWE32 or SB16 and bin the crappy Analog Devices card.

Edit: Add the SB16 to the 486 and then leave the rest of the system as it is 😀

Reply 7 of 7, by Concupiscence

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Regarding the Pentium.

Bad news: the 430TX was a chipset that doesn't cache beyond the first 64 MB RAM, with roughly a 5% performance penalty for every additional 8 MB beyond that number. You'll be better off either reducing the quantity of physical RAM to 64 MB, or disabling the L2 cache within the BIOS.

Next: Without going to significant levels of trouble, Voodoo2 cards from different manufacturers won't work together, and even with hacked-up driver sets they will misbehave on a regular basis. Use a single Voodoo2 and enjoy a sizable performance boost in most games of that era, compared to what a Voodoo1 can manage. The improved triangle setup engine alone will make a notable difference, to say nothing of the improvement multitexturing would offer.

Use the Sound Blaster 32, but keep the others as spares. These old cards aren't getting easier to find with time.

And don't throw away that 486! In a worst-case scenario, it's a handy backup. It's also handy for very old DOS games. Finally, if you get really bored, it'd make a terrific dedicated server. Good luck!