Assistance sought with the choosing of an ultimate ISA sound card to go with it, though. I have an ES1868F and an 1869 board, the former has no space for a traditional daughtercard, the latter does (barely).

Is a true AWE32 PnP a better solution?

I'd avoid the AWE32 because of poor output quality and the hanging note bug. AWE64 Gold is good if you don't care about OPL3 or wavetable daughterboards. The CQM FM synth on the AWE64 can have reverb/chorus effects applied to it, which can enhance the FM sound. The AWE64 will also work with an external MIDI device without the hanging note bug.

ESS cards are OK for a basic DOS sound card, although the ones I've seen don't have OPL3 on them, and as you've discovered most of them are too small to mount a wavetable daughterboard on.

I personally use a YMF719 in my DOS rig, with a ribbon cable to attach my wavetable daughterboard. After testing over a dozen different sound cards I found this was the best all-in-one: excellent sound quality, real OPL3, and functioning MIDI with no hanging note bug.

Yeah, my heart was never in the whole AWE32/64 era. I used a SB16ASP to the bitter end, 1998-9 time frame when I finally switched to a TB Santa Cruz.

I've got a AWE64 on my 233MMX machine, it's OK. On my 486 I have a Telewave + Goldfinch which I like, however, MAXIMUM Win98 has only ONE ISA slot.

How about an Ensonique Soundscape, not the Elite for that ISA slot ?

Had basic SB Pro Emulation but a killer Wavetable.

In all honesty you are better off with a MX300 or Audigy card.

Really? I thought PCI was difficult to get to work in a potential Win98/DOS rig. I may, for the moment, just throw in my CT2290 and see how it behaves. I briefly considered the CT2800 as well.

But what you build is way over kill of Dos Game Rig
What Pentium 4 motherboard did get that has ISA slot "just wonder"
I agree MX300 or Audigy 2 ZS card is better
You see I have some what the same thing it has Win9x for thoses game that need big hosepower but only work rigth under Win9x OS

Yeah, I know it's DOS overkill, mostly going to be for Win98 and some GLide games.
This is a mil-spec Ricoh embedded-type mainboard.

What no mil-spec Intel Socket 478 Retention Mount I see it Plastic but want Look for Metal Retention Mounting Kit stock number 478-RM Metal, Evercool EC-478-RM, or Seller a4cool on ebay

Don't know if what I have is mil-spec or not, but it did come with a backing plate to mount some other sort of heatsink onto the CPU. I put the plastic one on so I can use it w/ my Thermaltake.

THE COOLEST* heatsink for socket 478 is the Thermalright XP-120. they are quickly getting rare, and there currently are not any for sale on ebay but they are so worth it! I had one on my P4 rig "in the day" and I would do so many times over again.

*Pun intended. ^.^

I had the ultra extreme rev.c on my Core 2 Extreme before gathering together my mini-symphony + apogee gtz setup.

luckybob wrote:

THE COOLEST* heatsink for socket 478 is the Thermalright XP-120. they are quickly getting rare, and there currently are not any for sale on ebay but they are so worth it! I had one on my P4 rig "in the day" and I would do so many times over again.

*Pun intended. ^.^

Yup it the best of one I have 2 of them but I don't he his room for it maybe the Thermalright XP-90, SLK-900A, Ultima 90 may his fit setup