Final Pentium III rig - updated! \ VOGONS

Final Pentium III rig - updated!

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First post, by sgt76

Posted on 2010-06-03, 16:51

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This is my latest build. Tired of using a ragged collection of old ex-office PCs, I built this as a dedicated machine to play all my late 90s games. The hardware is all 1999 where it counts- cpu, motherboard, video cards, hard disks, cd-rom drives, network card, sound card. I fitted everything earlier in a modern Coolermaster Elite 310, but that just didn't seem right so now I've upgraded to a generic beige case. 🤣

Specs:
CPU: Pentium III 450Mhz Katmai - overclocked to 504Mhz (fsb: 112 Mhz). I could probably make 600Mhz, but in the interest of stability and longevity, this will do. Using the processor in fanless configuration now as I have 3 fans sucking hot air away from it (2 case, 1 PSU).

Ram: 768mb of PC133 SDRam.

Motherboard: Matsonic MS7112C- VIA 82C693A & 82C596B chipset with 133/100/66MHZ FSB. It took me a long time to figure out that this mobo doesn't like Coppermines. I can't find a later bios, but I don't mind.

Video cards: My trusty Matrox G400 32mb AGP and 2 Voodoo2 12mb in SLI pump out the pixels. Other cards from my collection that will be installed on this system whenever it strikes me to are- ATi Rage 128Pro, Voodoo 3 2000, Voodoo 5500, Savage4, Geforce 3 Ti200. Later cards will go onto another more powerful AGP system that I'm working on.

Sound: Sound Blaster Live! CT4830. PCI bus for the extra FPS woot!

O/S: Windows XP Pro SP2 tweaked to use only about 64mb of ram at idle. Old hardware- yes, old software- no. Sorry but I absolutely hate Win98 and feel that life is too short to reformat 30 times a month. Besides, my gaming is limited to stuff from 1997 on so I wouldn't miss much here. In any case, XP came out in 2001, so it's about due for retro status. 😉

Drives:
10.8gb Fujitsu and 10.2Gb Seagate hard disks.
LG 40x CD-rom.
Sony 1.44mb floppy drive.

PSU: 250w generic with 40A on the 5v rail and 20A on the 12v rail. Quite nice for a cheapie really.

Case: Generic beige ATX case with 2 80mm fans replaces my Coolermaster Elite 310. NOS- been sitting on the shelf since 2004. Took me some trouble to obtain but here it is...😁

Networking: 3 Com 3C905C-TX 10/100 card

What am I playing with it? Dungeon Keeper 2 at the moment. And all my favourites from that period later:

Half Life
NFS3HP
Pharaoh
Rayman 2
Age of Empires II
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Kingpin Life of Crime
Need for Speed: High Stakes
Sim City 3000
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
System Shock 2
MDK2
Age of Empires II - The Conquerors
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Deus Ex
Diablo II
Giants Citizen Kabuto
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed
No One Lives Forever
Zeus- Master of Olympus

Last edited by sgt76 on 2010-06-04, 18:39. Edited 5 times in total.

Reply 1 of 14, by Shodan486

Posted on 2010-06-03, 17:29

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Hello PIII fella!!! 😀 Very nice one and you can easily pump it more if you want, you only stress the regulators, which can handle stress at least for 10 more years, and the caps will too sustain such burden. Eventually all of us will need to recap some time if we want our precious ''dinosaurs'' to live on forever 😜

MOBO: PVI-486SP3 Rev 1.2
CPU: POD-83
RAM: 2x16MB
VIDEO: Matrox Millenium 2MB/Voodoo2 12MB/Video Blaster VT300
AUDIO: SB Vibra16 FM
SCSI: 72GB 15k RPM HDD/YAMAHA CD-RW 16x/ZIP drive + FDD drive
NIC: 3Com Etherlink III
PSU: 230W Generic
OS: Win95 OSR2.5

Reply 2 of 14, by PowerPie5000

Posted on 2010-06-03, 23:22

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sgt76 wrote:

I tried looking for a nice period correct white case, but they've all been scrapped and the shops don't stock them anymore

Not sure where your located but ebuyer in the UK has this cheap ass case that would probably work: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/108279 😀

Reply 3 of 14, by swaaye

Posted on 2010-06-04, 00:32

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I stumbled on a brand new Enlight 7237 a year ago or so. That was popular case back around 1999. Very beige but has nice side panels instead of the annoying slide off case body. There are a few revisions though, some without the sidepanel design and without a rear 80mm fan punchout.

Reply 4 of 14, by bushwack

Posted on 2010-06-04, 00:50

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Nice 1999 rig, I have a very similar 1999 machine myself. Just need to update to a beige Enlight case. 🤣

Dungeon Keeper 2 and Star Wars Racer rocks! Think I have every game on your list but maybe one.

Reply 5 of 14, by sgt76

Posted on 2010-06-04, 03:17

sgt76 Offline

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PowerPie5000 wrote:

Not sure where your located but ebuyer in the UK has this cheap ass case that would probably work: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/108279 😀

swaaye wrote:
I stumbled on a brand new Enlight 7237 a year ago or so. That was popular case back around 1999. Very beige but has nice side panels instead of the annoying slide off case body. There are a few revisions though, some without the sidepanel design and without a rear 80mm fan punchout.

Those beige cases look sweet. Now I HAVE to get one before I consider this build complete. Guess I just got lazy and wanted to play games. 😊

bushwack wrote:
Nice 1999 rig, I have a very similar 1999 machine myself. Just need to update to a beige Enlight case. 🤣

Dungeon Keeper 2 and Star Wars Racer rocks! Think I have every game on your list but maybe one.

Thanks. Your machine is superb too. I have viewed that thread maybe hundreds of times to look at it again and again.

Almost forgot, I've yet to resume playing HL1, since the last time it spluttered about on my P233MMX. So that's tops on the list too.

Reply 6 of 14, by Tetrium

Posted on 2010-06-04, 13:21

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PowerPie5000 wrote:
sgt76 wrote:

I tried looking for a nice period correct white case, but they've all been scrapped and the shops don't stock them anymore

Not sure where your located but ebuyer in the UK has this cheap ass case that would probably work: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/108279 😀

The sidepanel looks remarkably similar to that of my coolermaster centurion 5!

Btw, the way you're cooling your passive slot 1 P3 is the same way I cool mine 😉

Reply 7 of 14, by sgt76

Posted on 2010-06-04, 18:06

sgt76 Offline

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Updated with new specs per the edited 1st post. Changed the casing from a CM Elite 310 to a generic beige case, plopped in a SB Live! sound card, 3Com network card and some other things.

Reply 8 of 14, by luisile

Posted on 2017-02-18, 22:15

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Hi i have the same board matsonic ms7112c. i have found on the net the latest bios but have not tested it yet. Here is my question can i use a slot1 pentium 2 mmx in it or it support only pentium 3 based cpu?

Reply 9 of 14, by Oldskoolmaniac

Posted on 2017-02-18, 22:50

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If it can run a slot 1 p3 then it can support a slot 1 p2

Motherboard Reviews The Motherboard Thread
Plastic parts looking nasty and yellow try this Deyellowing Plastic

Reply 10 of 14, by keenmaster486

Posted on 2017-02-18, 23:37

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luisile, please don't necropost. You've resurrected a seven-year-old thread; make a new thread instead.

And welcome to the forums!

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 11 of 14, by luisile

Posted on 2017-02-19, 13:57

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OK sorry!
thanks!

Reply 12 of 14, by Jade Falcon

Posted on 2017-02-19, 16:45

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keenmaster486 wrote:
luisile, please don't necropost. You've resurrected a seven-year-old thread; make a new thread instead.

And welcome to the forums!

keenmaster486 Please don't reply to a necropost 🤣

Ok all jokes aside there really is nothing wrong with necroposting. So long as as the poster has a good reason too.

Reply 13 of 14, by keenmaster486

Posted on 2017-02-19, 18:25

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Jade Falcon wrote:
keenmaster486 Please don't reply to a necropost 🤣

🤣 Touche.

Jade Falcon wrote:
Ok all jokes aside there really is nothing wrong with necroposting. So long as as the poster has a good reason too.

Well, technically, yes, but I guess I thought it's just more convenient both for the poster and for everyone else to make a new thread, and maybe link to the old.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 14 of 14, by Mastran

Posted on 2017-02-19, 18:45

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A beautifull and capable Rig ! Keep on rocking it !!

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