flametwist wrote on 2020-03-16, 17:54:

So, I want to build a PC for late DOS to early milennium gaming, running Windows 98SE. I have only one question: what is better for this era gaming? Pentium 3 or slot-based Athlon? I have both nad I can't decide. Thanks

Depends on how far you plan on going into the early 2000s i guess.
No experiences with the Athlon, but if your just planning around 99-Y2K, just stick a Tualatin P3 in there and be done with it IMO

Throw in a Voodoo 3 (or something better) and have yourself a great time 😁

SodaSuccubus wrote on 2020-03-16, 18:43:

Depends on how far you plan on going into the early 2000s i guess. No experiences with the Athlon, but if your just planning aro […]
Show full quote

flametwist wrote on 2020-03-16, 17:54:

So, I want to build a PC for late DOS to early milennium gaming, running Windows 98SE. I have only one question: what is better for this era gaming? Pentium 3 or slot-based Athlon? I have both nad I can't decide. Thanks

Depends on how far you plan on going into the early 2000s i guess.
No experiences with the Athlon, but if your just planning around 99-Y2K, just stick a Tualatin P3 in there and be done with it IMO

Throw in a Voodoo 3 and have yourself a great time 😁

Thanks for your answer.

They're pretty comparable clock-for-clock, later Athlons edge out the slot 1 P3s a bit, but either is a fine platform. Slot A is pretty hard to find and getting pricey though. If you want "fast and cheap", just go socket 462 with an Athlon XP and a PCI sound card, which can be had for peanuts.

Edit: nevermind, just read that you had them both already. The P3 is more iconic, the Athlon is more interesting and rare, but both will do the job great. It also depends on what motherboard & chipset you have for them.

xjas wrote on 2020-03-16, 18:56:

They're pretty comparable clock-for-clock, later Athlons edge out the slot 1 P3s a bit, but either is a fine platform. Slot A is pretty hard to find and getting pricey though. If you want "fast and cheap", just go socket 462 with an Athlon XP and a PCI sound card, which can be had for peanuts.

Edit: nevermind, just read that you had them both already. The P3 is more iconic, the Athlon is more interesting and rare, but both will do the job great. It also depends on what motherboard & chipset you have for them.

Yes, I have VIA Apollo KX133 for the Athlon and BXcel PC100 for the Pentium. The Athlon board seems better when I compare them.

Bear in mind that DOS really likes ISA sound cards, so regardless of the CPU you want one or two of those. It's easier to find P3 Coppermine boards with ISA, but there are rare Tualatin boards and slightly less rare Socket A and Slot A boards with ISA as well.

dionb wrote on 2020-03-16, 19:40:

Bear in mind that DOS really likes ISA sound cards, so regardless of the CPU you want one or two of those. It's easier to find P3 Coppermine boards with ISA, but there are rare Tualatin boards and slightly less rare Socket A and Slot A boards with ISA as well.

Yep, I have an ISA slot on the board. My motherboard is one of the AOpen AK72s. Cool motherboard.

Slot based Athlons were dropped pretty quick so chipset drivers aren't as mature where as the BX chipset drivers are one of the most reliable ever produced.
Slot A is 100 times more interesting though, and that's coming from someone who loves Slot1/BX PC's

chinny22 wrote on 2020-03-17, 12:34:

Slot based Athlons were dropped pretty quick so chipset drivers aren't as mature where as the BX chipset drivers are one of the most reliable ever produced.
Slot A is 100 times more interesting though, and that's coming from someone who loves Slot1/BX PC's

Yep, I have decided to use the Athlon. Just need to get all the parts I need.

I have three Retro PC's that I am using now for my fun. The basic horsepower under the hood of each is as follows:

WFWG ..... May 22, 1990 - Intel 486 DX4100 Release date: March 1994
WIN 95 .... August 24, 1995 - SLOT 1 Katma @ 450MHZ - February 26, 1999 (Switching soon to a PII Deschutes, same MHZ)
WIN98se.. May 5, 1999- SLOT 1 Coppermine @ 700MHZ -August 2000 (maybe a little underpowered for 98 do you think?)

The SLOT 1 CPU's are so inexpensive, so readily available and the wide selection of motherboards makes them an obvious Win98 choice IMO.

JoeCorrado wrote on 2020-03-17, 13:59:

WIN98se.. May 5, 1999- SLOT 1 Coppermine @ 700MHZ -August 2000 (maybe a little underpowered for 98 do you think?)

I ran 98SE on my Pentium 233, before upgrading to an Athlon 750 in '01. Considering 98's minimum system requirements of a 486/66, I think your P3 700 is more than adequate, although faster is usually better, depending on what you intend to do with it.

I too have a P3 700 on the go, but I would have gotten something a bit speedier if I could be sure it would work. I've a rev 1.01 Abit BH-6, and all the docs I can find say 700 is the fastest she'll take.

Pentium-3 500mhz with an Intel BX440 motherboard was the CPU / Motherboard combo to have back in 1998
https://youtu.be/Tyq5outONbI

Or

something like this for AMD.
https://youtu.be/K5vYD0JMD_A

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-03-17, 14:43:

Pentium-3 500mhz with an Intel BX440 motherboard was the CPU / Motherboard combo to have back in 1998

If you had a time machine:

Intel Pentium III 500 MHz specifications
[...]Introduction date 26-Feb-99