Update:
Goal: Period-correct system representing late 90's-early 2000's computing. This build is based on the system I actually had at work during that time, a Compaq Deskpro 4000. This will be a multi-boot system running IBM PC-DOS, Windows 98SE, OS/2 Warp, and Windows NT 4.0 For my purposes, 'period-correct' means a system configuration that would have been plausible during the typical 3-4 year service life of a system at this time. My system has a 1997 date on the motherboard, so I've set a cut-off date of 2000 for components, reasoning that upgrades after 3 years would be unlikely.
FWIW, I'm very hardware-oriented, so some of my choices are driven by wanting to scratch that "as-it-was" nostalgia itch moreso than being the fastest or best possible selections.
Base machine: Compaq Deskpro 4000 5166MMX
As-bought config:
- Pentium 166MMX
- 64GB RAM
- Compaq S3 Virge/GX 2MB
- SB PCI64 sound card - not original to this system as shipped by Compaq
- on-board Compaq Netelligent-3 10/100 NIC
- 3.5" FDD
- CD-ROM (non functional)
- no HDD
- broken plastics (damaged in shipping)
Current config:
- Pentium 233MMX - 1997; this was an alternate configuration from Compaq in this system.
- 128MB RAM - undated; replaced mismatched DIMMS with a single new one. Compaq shipped up to 384MB in this system, so 128 is large but not out of bounds, and I like RAM 😀
- Matrox G450 - 2000; a plausible late-in-life upgrade for a 'buisness box'. Excellent 2D quality and drivers available for all target OSs.
- Crystal Semi CX4236b ISA sound card - 1997; widely supported, and I like Crystal FM synth
- 3.5" FDD - original
- Adaptec 2940U2W SCSI HBA - 1997; I had this card in my work DP4000 back when they were new.
- Plextor PX-32TSi CD-ROM - 1997; wide-SCSI CD-rom (my unit manufactured 1999)
- Seagate Barracuda SCSI HDD - 1996; this was one of the more difficult choices. I ran SCSI in my first DP4000, and I have a box of SCSI HDDs, but most of them are 73GB 15k RPM drives from a previous home server project. They're compatible, but date from 2004-6, so not period-correct. I also have one IBM DCHS from '94, one 73GB Fujitsu MAJC 10k RPM from 2004, and this '96 Barracuda. The MAJC is semi-plausible as a stand-in for an early Cheetah 10K RPM unit, but the Barracuda is more likely to have been used as a desktop HDD, so it gets the nod.
- CH Products F-16 Combat Stick - 1997
So far, I'm happy with the machine. I don't have quad-booting working right quite yet. It's critical to partition and install in just the right order to avoid problems with one OS modifying the boot process and/or partition table in ways incompatible with the others. (Compaq complicates the matter by taking one primary partition on the first HDD for their BIOS setup program!), but I'll get there. The biggest pain point has been the CD-ROM drive. Getting one that works reliably has been difficult, but for some of the late-DOS gamas I want to play (Return to Zork, FF VII, Wing Commander III & IV, Starship Titanic, etc.) it's pretty much essential. I can cheat with Daemon Tools a bit, but that's awkward and limited by the amount of HDD space I have for storing images.
This is long enough; if you've made it this far, I'd be happy for thoughts/suggestions/criticism. I'll try to remember to post another pic or two once I've done the best I can reassemble & clean the plastics.
A few quick benchmarks show that I'm getting 24-25 FPS in Quake II (no sound, 800x600x32) and 3DMark99 came in at 1211 (800x600x32). Not too bad.
Now, on to remembering the tricks for making four OSs coexist on one PC. I'll may end up adding a second HDD to make that work.
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