If it's pure DOS, RAM doesn't really matter (even 16MB should be enough) and unless you want to play DOS Glide games you could just stick with a compatible card like an S3. In fact the DOS compatibility of my Voodoo 3 disappointed me.

Sound card really depends on if e.g. you want to use a wave table board, but an Aztech card should be fine.

440BX can be slowed down with tools, there's no reason to use the Pentium 2.

So are there any additional benefits on using a
Pentium ll 233
Pentium ll 333
Pentium ll 400
Pentium lll 500

For a pure DOS gaming computer ?

I thought Pentium 133 was your perfect DOS PC that ran like a Cadillac!

If your building a slot 1 system then a good 440bx based board is the way to go. For the rest of the specs it really depends on what OS your going to run and what games you want to play.

Just get a 1ghz CPU and it will run like a Cadillac!

I will probably use an Inwin-500 or Enlighten case.
Full size ATX and BX440 motherboard.

That's a really nice looking case good choice.

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-06-11, 13:42:

That's a really nice looking case good choice.

Yeah, i want it to be around 1998 build.

This is my build, which is somewhat similar to what you're looking for:

P3 450mhz with Intel 440Bx 256mb Ram
40gb maxtor HD
3DFX Voodoo 3 3000 16mb
SB AWE 32PnP CT3670 with 28mb on board
Aopen Beige case 1995ish??? - need a replacement front bezel busted!

Plays pretty much any DOS game I throw at it: Dark Forces, Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, Rise of the Triad all run great.

I have just "rebuilt" a Pentium III 500. I also think that Pentium III is the best option.

Gigabyte GA-6BXE - Intel 440BX
256Mb
Geforce 2 MX200 (my options were limited; RIVA TNT2 or older ones).
ALS 120 (not the best card but it's ISA)
80Gb Seagate HDD (my older HDD make a lot of sound)

Yeah, i am considering the Riva TNT and AWE32.

PIII 500 regular use
- Matrox G400 AGP / TNT2 AGP / GF256 AGP
- 512MB RAM PC100 CL2
- SB AWE64 + SB Live!
- DOS7.1 + Win98SE

DOS PC based on PIII500
- S3 Virge 4MB PCI
- 32MB RAM
- SB 32 / AWE32 (with OPL3) or TB Tropez (Plus) or Aztech AZ2316-card or Miro PCM 12/20 or ....
- DOS 6.22 + Win3.11

Don’t understand the focus of this system, especially in context of your other high sophisticated systems.

DOS PC based on PIII500 - S3 Virge 4MB PCI - 32MB RAM - SB 32 / AWE32 (with OPL3) or TB Tropez (Plus) or Aztech AZ2316-card or M […]
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DOS PC based on PIII500
- S3 Virge 4MB PCI
- 32MB RAM
- SB 32 / AWE32 (with OPL3) or TB Tropez (Plus) or Aztech AZ2316-card or Miro PCM 12/20 or ....
- DOS 6.22 + Win3.11

Yes, This sounds like a good choice.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-06-11, 13:45:

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-06-11, 13:42:

That's a really nice looking case good choice.

Yeah, i want it to be around 1998 build.

A Pentium II 400 or 450 would be a more appropriate choice for a 1998 build than a Pentium III 500. Not a big deal if you don't mind mixing in 1999 components though.

Katmai500 wrote on 2020-06-11, 20:54:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-06-11, 13:45:

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-06-11, 13:42:

That's a really nice looking case good choice.

Yeah, i want it to be around 1998 build.

A Pentium II 400 or 450 would be a more appropriate choice for a 1998 build than a Pentium III 500. Not a big deal if you don't mind mixing in 1999 components though.

Well the Pentium lll 500 still used the BX440 motherboard.
And i really don’t care for period correctness in building a good DOS gaming computer.
I have already been down that road and it doesn’t work.
I want best game play performance not period correction.
What good is period correct build if it does not meet your needs.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-06-11, 21:18:

Well the Pentium lll 500 still used the BX440 motherboard. And i really don’t care for period correctness in building a good DOS […]
Show full quote

Katmai500 wrote on 2020-06-11, 20:54:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-06-11, 13:45:

Yeah, i want it to be around 1998 build.

A Pentium II 400 or 450 would be a more appropriate choice for a 1998 build than a Pentium III 500. Not a big deal if you don't mind mixing in 1999 components though.

Well the Pentium lll 500 still used the BX440 motherboard.
And i really don’t care for period correctness in building a good DOS gaming computer.
I have already been down that road and it doesn’t work.
I want best game play performance not period correction.
What good is period correct build if it does not meet your needs.

You listed the Pentium II 400 in your original post and said "I want it to be around 1998 build." Nothing wrong with the PIII 500 though. You could also do a 600 or a 1000, since those were also used in 440BX motherboards and would offer even better performance than the 500.

Unpopular Opinion: iv never considered anything over a P- MMX/Early slow P2 to be a good "DOS Machine". Certainly not a fast p3.

SVGA DOS, yes for sure. But tryna make an "all around" rig around such fast cpus? Idk, it just...never seemed as appealing to me as a CPU like a MMX with Setmul.

SodaSuccubus wrote on 2020-06-11, 21:44:

Unpopular Opinion: iv never considered anything over a P- MMX/Early slow P2 to be a good "DOS Machine". Certainly not a fast p3.

SVGA DOS, yes for sure. But tryna make an "all around" rig around such fast cpus? Idk, it just...never seemed as appealing to me as a CPU like a MMX with Setmul.

Thanks for you opinion. That’s what I want to know “are the pros and cons” of building a P-ll or P-lll computer for DOS game play.

At those speeds the only difference between a Pentium II and Pentium III is SSE instructions, right? I can't imagine a DOS game would use them.
Some of the CPUs you listed support a 100 MHz bus speed and some are 66 only.
Now, when you say "new" and "old" DOS games. This system is in the class of what the programmers to develop the last batch of DOS games (1997-1998ish?) would have used, so can't ask for much more compatibility than that.
When you say "old" if you mean so old as to be CGA or EGA graphics that's where the more plain-jane the video card you use the better as others mentioned.