If you used it for a (file) server and didn't want SCSI drives you could add a SATA RAID card, Promise had some cheap 64-bit 66Mhz PCI cards with XP / Server 2003 drivers but then you're limited to 10/100 network (~10MB/s) speeds.

If you went with XP for gaming, you wouldn't be gaining any better compatibility over running a Sandy/Ivy Bridge system where you have a massive choice of Geforce cards up to GTX 960. On this system, the better the GPU the more it'll be bandwidth starved by 32-bit 33Mhz PCI unless it's one of those workstation cards you found; even then, you'd fare better with the cheapest Ivy Bridge Dell Optiplex and GTX 750 or many even cheaper predecessors.

Might be OK for Windows NT4 where you can run many Win95 era titles with more stability and maybe DOS 6.22 for those that won't. Soundblaster Live isn't a terrible choice if those OSs run well (not guaranteed).

EDIT: the board has no sound so if you wanted to game, your options are limited further by the single PCI slot, there are parallel port soundcards for DOS if your favorite DOS titles don't like the ATI Rage XL but things are getting very sub optimal by that point.

There weren't many PCI X graphics cards. Apparently a firegl card exists, although I don't know the model. The only card I know of for sure is the Matrox Parhelia DL256. It is roughly the same speed as an 8500le. For windows 98 games, I think you would be better off with a PCI fx 5500. It might be a touch slower overall, but it will support table fog and 8 bit textures, and it a lot easier to find.

As for what you can do with a dual P3 setup, not a lot. Windows 98 doesn't address the second CPU at all, so you will have to install a later version of windows or windows server to make full use of it. At that point, from a pure performance stand point, there a lot of setups that make more sense.

Not only is it a server motherboard, but its a RACKMOUNT server motherboard.

Its designed to fit into a rack. You are going to have to fight to get it to work in anything else. That scsi connector will be a PITA to finger out.

but to answer your questions:

1: Quite a few video cards will work fine with PCI. the options are bountiful. The nvidia 6200 comes to mind. The onboard works very well for dos era games, btw
2: I'd look into a linux router or something similar. Grab a dual-channel gigabit pci-x nic and you are good to go.
3: You aren't going fit that board into a regular case without mods.
4: I'd start with a standard atx motherboard. Less hassle, less things to go wrong.

Yea, I pretty much realized everything you guys brought up AFTER I bought the motherboard. I was only researching if it was compatible with a 1GHz+ Tualaltin p3 and not if it had other features I needed. The rackmount issue wouldn't be that hard to solve as I'd most likely be using a SCSI 160 to SD (or CF) adapter and boot off that. My biggest single limitation is no built in sound which means to do anything other than server functions (derp, it's a server mobo) I'd have to use the single available slot for a sound card which would limit me to the onboard 8MB ATI Rage. That'd be ok if all i wanted to do was play 3d games from 1996 and nothing newer... which isn't the case and would be a waste of the power of the rest of the system.

Sigh... I expect what I'll do now is put the CPU's and RAM I've got now into it and just sell it to someone who needs the mobo + cpu + ram combo.

Efflixi wrote:

SCSI 160 to SD (or CF) adapter and boot off that.

Once you see the price of those adapters, you're likely to change your mind. If you do follow that particular rabbit down its hole, be super careful which adapter you get.

My biggest single limitation is no built in sound which means to do anything other than server functions (derp, it's a server mobo) I'd have to use the single available slot for a sound card which would limit me to the onboard 8MB ATI Rage. That'd be ok if all i wanted to do was play 3d games from 1996 and nothing newer... which isn't the case and would be a waste of the power of the rest of the system.

IIRC you can put 2 pci cards in the system if you get the correct pci-x riser and subsequent rackmount case. If that's helpful. 😜 The 2u chassis for this board is SC822R-400RC. None are on ebay at the moment. But its likely if you do find the proper chassis, its highly likely to have the motherboard included. soo..... yea...

Sigh... I expect what I'll do now is put the CPU's and RAM I've got now into it and just sell it to someone who needs the mobo + cpu + ram combo.

Sadly.... I can't refute this. I'm probably the biggest fan of dual-cpu systems here and decades ago I fell into the same pitfalls you have here. I don't feel you should be dissuaded from dual-cpu systems, but 2-cpu is certainly a complication on system building.

Depending on which OS you run and if you weren’t trying to maintain SB compatibility, you could go with a usb sound card.