Hi,

Whilst it's often possible to do this I'll flag a few problems you may encounter by trying to put win 98se onto a 'modern' system

- motherboard compatibility (drivers etc)
- compatibility with your components (sata, sound, graphics etc)
- 98 has occasional problems with over 5125mb ram, solvable generally but worth noting

you'd have to pick and choose components carefully, it can be done and maybe some others can point to threads about in which success was met

(there are a few: search.php?keywords=windows+98+775 )

Win XP may do better on this platform, and it is often the case the XP runs almost any games that ran on windows 9x but not DOS games, for which you may need to consider dosbox in some cases anyway

gerry wrote on 2021-10-26, 13:52:

- motherboard compatibility (drivers etc)
- compatibility with your components (sata, sound, graphics etc)
- 98 has occasional problems with over 5125mb ram, solvable generally but worth noting

Thank you for your help.
In the support section of ASRock website there are drivers for Windows 98 for that motherboard.
About the components compatibility I was asking for them so I won't making something wrong, you're totally right.

About Windows XP...I'd like to see again Windows 98 just for nostalgia, but with a machine I only could dream at the time! 😁

Looks like Geforce 6000 series was the last to be supported in Win98
For AMD/ATI, looks like Catalyst 6.2 is the final Win98 driver release, supporting up to the 9000 series, with beta support for X300 - X850

if the motherboard has a PCIE graphics slot you will need to use an old PCI video card if it doesn't have integrated video; preferrably with at least 2mb ram or more. (core duo generation usually have a compatible integrated gpu driver for 98 in socket 478 generation some 775 via had crome 8 and 9 chipset gpu option)
Windows 98 can run up to 768mb ram unless it is patched with unofficial capacity limitation patch that will allow more ram thats useful for dual booting with newer operating systems without removing memory to boot 98. (or to just have up to 4gb)
Up to 32GB hard disk drive set up in the pc can be used larger capacity will only work when formatted on a more modern operating system. (load a 3rd party app on say xp) 128gb is hard limit on hard disk size for 98 unless unofficial patch is used to prevent data corruption.
the core duo cpu may work but only 1 core will run and you will be better off finding a single core cpu (looking at the cpu compatability list for your motherboard on the web) if only running 98 ever on your machine. Single core cpu are quite cheap. (especially celeron)
agp cards if you have an agp slot (my core duo foxconn has PCIE) a good size is about 128mb vram.

* Credits to Rudolph Loews software memorial for unofficial patch purposes mentioned.

I have successfully made a 500gb, 1tb and 2tb single boot partition fat32 formatted disk for 98 i just replaced scandisk and defrag with millennium versions to maintain them.

Thank you guys.

The ASRock 775i65G R2.0 has one AGP 8X Slot. It supports Pentium 4 and Core2Duo.

If a patched Windows 98 "can hold" 4GB of RAM I will definitely get them so to a dual boot with XP.

About the HDD can I use a SATA one, set in the BIOS the SATA Legacy mode and create two partitions of 128 GB with something like Partition Magic, one for Windows and the other one for games?

About the PSU and the case are those ok?

i'd set budget wise AGP to say 4x as 8x is very late and driver support is sketchy an usually ends in crappy beta versions. any 8x AGP system can run 4x agp cards. (set in BIOS)
Memory size target for gpu i recommend from 64mb to say 256mb for most titles lower for 2d higher for 3d lower has better DOS compatibility if into dos games.

🤣

vinxi2 wrote on 2021-10-26, 14:42:

Thank you guys. […]
Show full quote

Thank you guys.

The ASRock 775i65G R2.0 has one AGP 8X Slot. It supports Pentium 4 and Core2Duo.

About the HDD can I use a SATA one, set in the BIOS the SATA Legacy mode and create two partitions of 128 GB with something like Partition Magic, one for Windows and the other one for games?

About the PSU and the case are those ok?

yes the PSU is great choice and good all rounder for mains conditions.
yes your choice in case is interestingly multimedia appeal would be a great gaming statement 😀

zapbuzz can't thank you enought. I'm making a recap:

Motherboard - Asrock 775i65G r2.0
CPU - Basically the most powerful one, knowing that Win98 will use only one core
RAM - 2 GB thanks to PATCHMEM, just a 512MB stick for installation
PSU - CoolerMaster MasterWatt 550
Sound Card - Is the SBLive! good for Windows 98 and DOS?
HDD - Can I do the partition thing I mentioned earlier?
GPU - Something in the Geforce 6000 series
Case - Silverstone SG11

That motherboard is based off the 865G chipset. Thats known to have good Win9x support
You can download the latest chipset drivers (6.3.0.1007.zip) off Phil's computer Lab website
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/intel-chipset-drivers.html

CPU, You can use any CPU you wish, Win98 will just ignore the 2nd core.
and yes you can dual boot XP if you wish.

PSU, Will mostly depend on the graphics card, but majority wont be power hungry.

Sound Card: Live! is fine for Win98/EAX3 but a bit basic for XP. Audigy 2 ZS is the last card with Win9x support and better match for XP/EAX4
All the cards have dos drivers but they aren't great but that's true for any PCI card and dos.

HDD: SSD, Spinning rust, Your choice. SATA is also fine as the 865's IDE compatibility mode is really good.
Personally I just go with whatever I have going spare. It's already crazy fast for Win98.
You will want to keep the c:\ partition under 4GB, 2GB is even better (scandisk finishes quicker if not shutdown) any other partition you can make as big as you like.

GPU: You have AGP so your choices are GF6800 and below if keeping with official drivers or GF7800 with modded drivers
The GF6 series and above can have backwards compatibility issues. earlier cards like the GF4 Ti will hurt XP's performance. You have to decide what's more important.

Case: yep that'll fit the motherboard so its fine.

CD drive?
You don't really need one but can be useful. What I do is have a partition with Win98 CD and drivers saved. This is enough to get the PC onto the network after which I can copy ISO's or files over the LAN.
Deamon tools (3.47 is the last version with Win9x support) can then act as the CD drive, You do loose the music from any game that uses CD audio for the soundtrack though.

Only reason I use a Floppy is boot disks at initial setup. If you wanted you can have CD/Floppy connected during setup then remove once the system is up and running.

RAM if you can keep below 512MB at least during the install I'd do that. But definitely bump it up again for XP
Now that the RLoew patch is free that's the easiest way to have crazy amounts of ram in a 9x build
https://archive.org/details/PATCHMEM

vinxi2 wrote on 2021-10-26, 14:57:

zapbuzz can't thank you enought. I'm making a recap: […]
Show full quote

zapbuzz can't thank you enought. I'm making a recap:

Motherboard - Asrock 775i65G r2.0
CPU - Basically the most powerful one, knowing that Win98 will use only one core
RAM - 2 GB thanks to PATCHMEM, just a 512MB stick for installation
PSU - CoolerMaster MasterWatt 550
Sound Card - Is the SBLive! good for Windows 98 and DOS?
HDD - Can I do the partition thing I mentioned earlier?
GPU - Something in the Geforce 6000 series
Case - Silverstone SG11

sata will work fine but i recommend motherboard sata driver if available and as for the partitions sure partition magic is safe to use. My comment about disk setup is where so much capacity would take entire alphabet of drive letters with PM 🤣.

I can't thank you guys enough for your time.

One more question. In the Asrock website, at support -> CPU support list, on the Core2Duo, Core2Quad and Core2Extreme CPUs rows there is an asterisk:

*FSB1066-CPU is supported by overclocking only when you adopt an external VGA card and DDR400 CL2.5 memory modules.

What does it mean?

Does it mean that I have to overclock to use the CL2.5 modules with those CPUs?

Does it mean that I have to use the CL2.5 modules for those CPUs?

Can you tell me if these are ok for those CPUs?
https://www.corsair.com/it/it/Categorie/Prodo … #tab-tech-specs
SKU: VS1GB400C3

vinxi2 wrote on 2021-10-26, 15:23:

I can't thank you guys enough for your time. […]
Show full quote

I can't thank you guys enough for your time.

One more question. In the Asrock website, at support -> CPU support list, on the Core2Duo, Core2Quad and Core2Extreme CPUs rows there is an asterisk:

*FSB1066-CPU is supported by overclocking only when you adopt an external VGA card and DDR400 CL2.5 memory modules.

What does it mean?

Does it mean that I have to overclock to use the CL2.5 modules with those CPUs?

Does it mean that I have to use the CL2.5 modules for those CPUs?

Can you tell me if these are ok for those CPUs?
https://www.corsair.com/it/it/Categorie/Prodo … #tab-tech-specs
SKU: VS1GB400C3

ramping the front side bus up to 1066 mhz cannot be done with integrated video or slugish cheap ddr ram
following the memory support list you can use the specs with disregard to brand name in search of modules i don't think theres a need to worry on something destined for 98se with your current requirements thats some specification for the overclockers 2 year lifespan pc

So it means that if I want to use those CPUs I have to put a graphic card in the AGP slot, not using the integrated one, and get CL2.5 (faster) RAM?

Is it risky for the motherboard to put the front side bus to 1066 Mhz? Will it be unstable?

vinxi2 wrote on 2021-10-26, 16:29:

So it means that if I want to use those CPUs I have to put a graphic card in the AGP slot, not using the integrated one, and get CL2.5 (faster) RAM?

Is it risky for the motherboard to put the front side bus to 1066 Mhz? Will it be unstable?

it depends. Usually early support uses more energy to run produces more heat and can accidently overclock AGP specs.
yes you need that memory spec not brand dependant but spec wise. (with heat spreaders)
Be sure to get *new* ram and gpu second hand stuff are largely clocked to hell and back resold to run 2nd hand as in normal conditions and probably will not run that well in your retro scenario.
and would you waste the effort for 98se? well ok if you would i won't stop you
You may be dissapointed if you expect a motherboard of this vintage to run at such levels modern pc's come with by native support without special requirements.

No, I won't overclock anything for sure, I just need a stable system. If it's risky to use a more powerful Core2Duo I will just stick with a lower one, the E4700 doesn't have the FSB1066 warning. Is it less risky right? Or a Pentium DualCore? The E2220?

It's not very easy to find new RAM, I found 2 GB of this one:
https://www.corsair.com/it/it/Categorie/Prodo … #tab-tech-specs

But I think it's CL3. Is it bad?

fsb 800 and below should be fine and going for brand new ram is only essential for the fastest speeds.
CL2 CL3 i think is good with that chipset
I wouldn't put CL3 on a socket 478 yours would be 774 it is good.
doesn't have to be new if you decide second hand you know the good brands just be sure you see "tested with memory test to be ok" when looking second hand and they will accept returns.
I got the fastest DDR3 they were damaged but because it was sold as untested they weren't liable to accept return.

Yeh I'd got the E4700 its cheap as chips on ebay and more then enough for Win98. Thats what I'd get for sure
You'll never need that much speed, the graphics card will be the bottleneck in XP, but if you have to buy a CPU anyway why wouldn't you get the fastest it its a good price?

chinny22 wrote on 2021-10-26, 17:05:

Yeh I'd got the E4700 its cheap as chips on ebay and more then enough for Win98. Thats what I'd get for sure
You'll never need that much speed, the graphics card will be the bottleneck in XP, but if you have to buy a CPU anyway why wouldn't you get the fastest it its a good price?

i agree there 😀

INTEL SL7KL its a fast single core option core duo cpu would do only as good on windows 98se as only one core would be functioning for it. If comes with duo i would find it acceptable without forking for another cpu.