First post, by aeeaan
While working on a period appropriate Windows 98SE setup, I started researching how far forward I could go. I wanted to stay within official windows 98SE inf/driver territory, and I eventually settled on 865/875. I was supposed to wait until I was done with my first build, but I found this Fujitsu MATX board on ebay that I really wanted, so I decided to go ahead with some of the core parts of the build.
Motherboard: Fujitsu D1683 - I expect this was pulled from one of their desktop systems, but it's a regular old matx board in the end. As I have, in theory, sworn off full ATX system builds for future computers, I wanted to keep this build as compact as possible. When I randomly found what seemed to be the only 875 matx board currently on ebay, I had to pick it up ASAP. There are no overclocking features in the bios or anything like that but I'm OK with that.
Here's a link to the board's page via the wayback machine.
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 Processor HT 3.2E SL8K2 - a Prescott with G1 stepping was the most interesting cheap CPU I could find for this system. Perhaps I should have stuck with Northwood, but I'm not terribly concerned about it. I'll likely just disable HT since it's not useful.
RAM: 512MB - Micron DDR 400, ECC - I always go ECC when I can, I'm never too concerned about the performance hit.
Heatsink: Noctua NH-U9 heatsink. Believe it or not one of the best socket 472 deals I could find on ebay. Almost everything was overpriced. I stuck a Noctua 92mm redux fan on it for now (it didn't come with a fan) but I'll likely put their mainstream 92mm fan on it as it has a higher static pressure rating.
I think that makes a pretty solid core, the rest of the system is in flux. I need to raise some more funds to complete this.
---
Graphics: Undecided. I do have a 6200 but I think I want to pick up a ti4200 for this build. 3dfx cards are out, just too overpriced. I also have a savage 4 card in case I want to focus more on DOS than win98SE.
Sound: Undecided. I have 2 of the yamaha 744 aopen cards. However, I had already earmarked them for a 440BX build or two. I got the parts to solder on the sb-link header/resistors and everything. I was looking at perhaps an audigy or vortex 2 (expensive!)
Case: I'm fairly certain I'm going to get a Fractal Design POP mini. They hide 2 5.25 bays in those POP cases. You have to give up 3.5 inch drive spots to use them, but as this is a period inappropriate build, I was planning on going 2.5" SSD anyway.
Fans: Probably just the ones that come with the version of the case I pick out
Optical Drive: not chosen
Floppy: I bought a GoTek emulator but I'm not sure if I'm going to install it or not yet
Power Supply: A seasonic focus, hopefully.
Input Devices: are important to be but I haven't begun to look yet.
I think that covers it? Updates will be made as I finish the build.
