I'm hoping someone will be willing to give me some advice. This is not a 'build a system for me' topic, I just need some direction. Long story short, I didn't get into building gaming systems until...roughly 2009. I've wanted to build a system to revisit my earliest gaming memories for a long time and I'm finally going forward with it. Problem is, I don't know much about building systems before...around 2004. I try not to rely on others for help, so I research the heck out of things. I've researched so much, however, my head is spinning. I go in with questions and come out with more questions. If anyone is willing, I'd like to lay out the general idea I have for a 486 build and a separate W98 build. I've followed this forum for quite a while and know there's a lot of knowledgeable people here. I appreciate any advice.

I started by making a long list of games I wanted to play. I divided those into groups of years (1989 - 1994 for example) and outlined which system would make most sense for a given group. I'm not looking for a one system solution, so if I have to build a few systems to get where I need to go that's fine. There's no hurry and I'm not really concerned with budget. My goal is to build roughly the 'best' system I can for the last year I've outline for each system. Not a 'ultimate dream build', just a high-ish end system for the last year outlined. All that being said, here's where I am with the plans...

Problem #1

The first system I'm planning is intended cover games from 1989 to 1994. I'd like to play edutainment games like Treasure Mountain (nostalgia and for my young son) up to Doom II and Warcraft. Hard cap with those games, I have no desire to go beyond. I may be doing gameplay capture, so I'd like it to be as solid as possible (The capture will be for myself, I've just always wanted to do it. Need the smooth gameplay and good detail. I realize this can be expensive). So far my research has indicated something along the lines of an Intel DX4 100, a Biostar MB8433-UUD, and a PCI S3 Trio 64 V2 might be a strong build. (I'd like to use Windows 3.1 for nostalgia purposes, but if 95 would be better for some reason I'm open to it) I'll figure out the other parts, not worried about that. Problem is, sourcing that motherboard may be impossible, or extremely difficult at best. I have no idea if I'm on the right track. Considering it's highly unlikely I can land that motherboard...this is where I'm stuck. I don't know what else to look for...and I don't know if I'm even on the right track, given my gaming goals. Given the range of games I'd like to install, along with the general parts I've mentioned...am I far off? Am I on the right track? Is there another good motherboard anyone can recommend? I feel like the rest will fall into place if I can just get one good recommendation for motherboardI can actually source.

Problem #2

I landed on a W98 SE build using a similar method. I'd like to stay strictly with games from 1996 to 1999. Quake I & 2/Duke 3D to Half Life and Unreal Tournament. Hard cap with Unreal Tournament. This is the one that's confusing the heck out of me. Every time I think I've landed on parts I believe will get the job done, my research pretty much leads to "well if you're going to get that, you might as well move up and get this..." and so on. It never stops and i wind up putting together a high end XP build and I have to stop myself. A pentium II leads to a pentium IV....a Voodoo 3 leads to a Geforce 6800...etc. I'm having a really hard time reigning myself in here. I'm not opposed to an XP build, I just want to get the smoothest best looking gameplay I can for same reasons outline in #1. So far I have an Asus TUSL2-C, an Intel P3 1000 and...well...anything from a Voodoo 3...Voodoo 5....Geforce 2...Geforce 6800...etc. The graphics card is throwing me through a loop. I realize drivers are going to be more accessible for the GeForce cards, but it seems perhaps I should get something in the Voodoo line for Quake 1 & 2? Or maybe this isn't true? I've researched this one to the point of headaches. I just want to run Unreal Tournament really well and say mission accomplished. Anything beyond that game can be included on a later build.

I'm not concerned with hardware being within the same bounds of the outlined games. For example, if I've capped the games at 1999, I have no problem with a CPU from 2002. Whatever gets it done right. I feel like I just need someone to pick me up and sit me down in the right spot to get started on these builds. Give me some boundaries. I've built a few modern gaming systems, but I'm far out of my element with older systems like this. Maybe I'm on the right track, perhaps I'm far off. That's why I'm finally breaking down and asking for advice. I apologize for being so long winded, but I feel like I've reached a point where I'm just spinning my tires with research. I'm not getting anywhere. Any advice at all is appreciated. Thank you.