Introduction

After watching a nostalgic dive into retro computing by PhilsComputerLab (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHGNr-9muR8), I felt inspired to build my own time-traveling machine: a glorious Windows 98 Second Edition PC.

System Specifications

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G41MT-S2PT Rev 2.1 (latest BIOS)
Processor: Intel Pentium E6500 Dual Core @ 2.93GHz
Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10600 @ 1333MHz
Storage: 160GB SATA HDD + SATA DVD-RW
Graphics: Nvidia Quadro FX 3450
Sound: Sound Blaster Live! CT4760 (with MS-DOS emulation – yes please!)

A Quick Tip

I can’t recommend eBay’s Saved Search feature enough! These Rev 2.1 motherboards aren’t exactly growing on trees, and since I specifically needed that version for Win98 compatibility (perhaps needed is too strong...older revisions may also be compatible), I set up a saved search. When one finally surfaced, it came bundled with a CPU, RAM, graphics card, cooler, and PSU—all for a price that made me feel like I’d just committed legal robbery.

Now yes, I'm well aware that Windows 98 officially maxes out at 512MB of RAM. But let’s be real—trying to find 256MB or 512MB DDR3 sticks these days is like chasing unicorns through a desert of obsolete hardware.

Thankfully, the Windows 98 Quick Install Tool—with some memory support wizardry—made it possible to install and boot into Windows 98 with 4GB still plugged in. Most drivers? Installed and—miraculously—working!

I say working... The graphics are running on a community-patched Nvidia Forceware 82.69. It does the job, but doesn't play nice with display resolutions. My monitor is a trusty Dell 19" LCD (1280x1024 native), but Windows insists on offering bizarre resolutions I’ve never heard of. That said, I’m mostly running it at 800x600 anyway, so I’m not too fussed.

Also, I’ve dual-booted the machine with Windows 2000 Professional SP4. Why not XP? Because I’ve already got a rig running XP and Windows 7, and I didn’t feel the need to triple-dip.

Here's The Snag

I built this beauty to play good old MS-DOS games—Doom, Heretic, Hexen, Duke Nukem 3D, Descent, and a personal favourite, Skyroads. But whenever I try to launch them, I get slapped with a “Not enough memory” error.

Come on! There's 4GB in there!

I get that these 16-bit MS-DOS games use 16-bit variables (likely unsigned short) to detect memory—which would cap at 64KB (eh?)—but it still feels a little arcane. Like… what exactly are they looking at?

So My Question Is

Is there a way to keep the 4GB of RAM installed, still have Windows 98 boot cleanly, and somehow get DOS games to recognize enough memory to run?

P.S. One of the reasons I included Windows 2000 on this setup was to give myself a safety net. If I brick my Win98 install messing with config files or memory settings, at least I’ve got another OS to jump in and roll back the changes.

Thanks in advance to anyone who’s wrangled these retro beasts and can offer a solution!