Re: Orpheus Soundcard: a new DOS soundcard with SPDIF/OPL3/MPU support

Posted on 2021-10-01, 09:58

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

I guess you guys forgot to send a tracking number, I was fairly confused when I got a notification of a package from Portugal all of a sudden 😁 No harm done, can't wait to try it out!

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Re: What game are you playing now?

Posted on 2021-09-29, 06:25

by

by Sombrero

in Milliways

in Milliways

I hear this part was fixed in the free DLC. It's been a loong while, but I don't remember that being the case. They did try to improve things with the ending, but that was like a dingy bandage on a gaping wound. I think the fact that this still gets brought up even a decade later speaks for itself …

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Re: What game are you playing now?

Posted on 2021-09-28, 18:16

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by Sombrero

in Milliways

in Milliways

Same thing with Mortal Kombat, the later CD version is way closer to the original arcade version but the floppy version is the one that sounds right to me. Better ain't always better and nostalgia is one helluva drug. I'm fully with you on Mortal Kombat as well. Arcade accuracy be damned, I just …

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Re: What game are you playing now?

Posted on 2021-09-28, 17:39

by

by Sombrero

in Milliways

in Milliways

Funny thing is, even though I now have an AWE64 and a SC-155, I still prefer OPL3 music in this game, for purely nostalgic reasons. Nothing strange about that, I much prefer the original OPL soundtrack over the enhanced CD soundtrack Alone in the Dark got with its CD release. Same thing with Mortal …

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Re: GeForce FX 5200 for Win98/ME - Win2K Pro

Posted on 2021-09-28, 06:53

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I have heard these are most powerful yet most compatible (drivers) for Win9X / Win2K. My plan is to play FPS games up to 2003~2004 (no later than that). (Unreal Tournament 2003, Soldier of Fortune 2, etc.) Thank you. Now that I've had my morning coffee and can actually brain, I see I should mention …

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Re: GeForce FX 5200 for Win98/ME - Win2K Pro

Posted on 2021-09-28, 05:26

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I ended up getting a FX 5200 (128bit model) as a cheap backup in case my Voodoo 3 dies catastrophically and it takes a while to find a new one at reasonable (tolerable) price. Here's a large benchmark with few FX 5200 models along many others: http://ixbtlabs.com/articles2/over2003/index.html Also …

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Re: Graphics card for Pentium III 1ghz

Posted on 2021-09-27, 06:48

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by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

In this test, FX 5200 with 64bit memory bus is somewhat faster than Geforce 2 MX 400. The one with 128bit memory bus is somewhere between Geforce 2 GTS and Geforce 3 Ti 200. I don't own a Geforce 2 GTS, but in my own tests the FX5200 128bit was soundly beaten by a Geforce 4 MX440 128bit which …

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Re: Graphics card for Pentium III 1ghz

Posted on 2021-09-27, 06:04

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

RandomStranger wrote on 2021-09-27, 05:38: Actually, the FX5200 is the slowest. In this test, FX 5200 with 64bit memory bus is somewhat faster than Geforce 2 MX 400. The one with 128bit memory bus is somewhere between Geforce 2 GTS and Geforce 3 Ti 200.

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-26, 13:39

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

If DEVICEHIGH functions like DEVICE without HIMEM in config.sys, does the same not apply to autoexec.bat since there's the LH stuff and :NOHIMEM separately? Yes, but when using 4DOS as the command line it threw me error messages about the lack of UMB while still loading it into the conventional …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-26, 06:50

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

You can do the following with AUTOEXEC.BAT if you plan adding MSCDEX with the /E parameter for DOS1. It will throw you an error message (but still load it) about the expanded memory manager not being present if you use that parameter for DOS2. @ECHO OFF PROMPT $p$g PATH C:\;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\ …

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Re: I've ruined XP builds for myself

Posted on 2021-09-25, 10:44

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by Sombrero

in Milliways

in Milliways

and some GOG games not actually working on XP (Arx Fatalis for instance). If this isn't a case of GOG making the current offline game/installer somehow incompatible with XP, I remember having to use Win98 compatibility mode with XP with retail copy of Arx or the game would constantly CTD. I could …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-25, 05:25

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

So, and I just found this out, you should just be able to use DEVICEHIGH over DEVICE in DOSINIT since it will load into conventional memory should there not be enough UMB or it just doesn't exist. It isn't going to change things functionally if that's true, but it will reduce a bit of clutter :p …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-24, 17:29

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Edit: Oh, and I also just noticed your example Config.sys currently has DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE and DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOSPACK\DRIVERS\videcdd.sys /D:MSCD001 for DOS3 even though it doesn't load HIMEM.SYS. Fixed I think? Current Config.sys: [MENU] menuitem=WINDOWS, Microsoft Windows 98 Second …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-24, 16:42

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

DOS=UMB does nothing unless you installed a real mode UMB driver such as UMBPCI as mentioned on a previous post or EMM386 is added after HIMEM.SYS, but the latter one forces the CPU into v86 mode which reduces compatibility with some DOS games. Alrighty then. I bet figuring this stuff out back in …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-24, 16:27

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Yes, but for DOS1 there's still stuff that will be put on conventional memory due to lack of UMB (no issues adding FILESHIGH, etc on [HIMEMDOS] though). I also suggest adding adding STACKS=9,256 to [COMMON] in addition for better stability, not STACKSHIGH due to compatibility issues. Added! But …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-24, 16:10

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Also, it might be worth using FILESHIGH, BUFFERSHIGH, LASTDRIVEHIGH over the non-high entries to free up a bit more conventional memory for anything including HIMEM. I think it takes me from ~600k to ~620k when booting with DOS1. I moved the non-high versions from [COMMON] to [DOS3] since it's the …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-24, 13:00

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Thanks again 😀 This stuff seem like an art form and witchcraft at the same time, don't know should I marvel at the code or go find a crucifix.

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-24, 06:27

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Preetty glad I asked about this in advance :D I took that DOS=NOAUTO from one of PhilsComputerLab templates I found, apparently without it coventional memory boot option still ended up with XMS memory. It didn't have IFSHLP.SYS or DBLBUFF.SYS anywhere in there, but Phil was using .PIFs in his guide …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-22, 12:56

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

On a DOS configuration with a menu one can group multiple lines to avoid repetition. For example on CONFIG.SYS: [MENU] menuitem=WINDOWS, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition menuitem=DOS1, MS-DOS 7.10 - Expanded Memory menuitem=DOS2, MS-DOS 7.10 - Extended memory menuitem=DOS3, MS-DOS 7.10 - …

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Re: Config.sys & Autoexec.bat for the nth time I imagine

Posted on 2021-09-22, 07:19

by

by Sombrero

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Seem like stuff to mess with later down the line, I better learn the basics and get the thing running first :) But thanks for mentioning those, I didn't even know they were a thing and I'm sure I'm going to tinker with them at some point just for the heck of it! Keep in mind that Windows 9x was …

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