Wish I was your friend back in '94 That thing would have cost more then our car!
We got our 486/66 in '95 and that was the fastest computer in my circle of friends for a few (although we were not computers at the time)

chinny22 wrote on 2025-04-22, 23:25:

Wish I was your friend back in '94 That thing would have cost more then our car!
We got our 486/66 in '95 and that was the fastest computer in my circle of friends for a few (although we were not computers at the time)

I had a 486dlc in 94 😀 and updated to dx4 100 in 95.

Amazing build! This would really kick ass in 94 and cost as much as a small car.

My friend use to work at Quantum.
From what I remember the IBM SCSI drives were the Best performers.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2025-04-23, 10:19:

My friend use to work at Quantum.
From what I remember the IBM SCSI drives were the Best performers.

To find an authentic highend hdd, which is in a good condition, is never easy. This hdd was ca 1300 usd in early 94.

Very nice setup!

amadeus777999 wrote on 2025-05-22, 13:41:

Very nice setup!

thx 😀

Nice build. The only thing I'd change is the SB Pro. Socket4 Pentium and the AWE32 CT2670 with WaveBlaster is a match made in heaven.

Anonymous Coward wrote on 2025-05-23, 05:01:

Nice build. The only thing I'd change is the SB Pro. Socket4 Pentium and the AWE32 CT2670 with WaveBlaster is a match made in heaven.

The SBPro is the best DOS sound card for the '94 era and earlier. SB16 cards always come with more issues — one has this flaw, another has that. For example, the first generation is great in terms of compatibility and has an FM implementation similar to the SBPro, but it's noisy. The second generation sounds better but conflicts with more games. I use an AWE64 Gold in a Socket 7 system and an AWE32 in a Socket 5 build, but for the golden age of DOS, my favorite combo is SBPro + GUS + MT-32 + SC-55.

I had the entire SB16-AWE spectrum, but in the end, I only kept 5–6 models because I don't really enjoy using them.

But this whole Socket 4 project didn’t really work out for me… it’s not particularly fast, and for games from that era that rely on ALU (CPU only, no FPU), it offers no tangible advantage compared to a DX4 just a few months newer, while consuming significantly more power. In fact, with these early motherboards, it’s even slower — the difference is noticeable in 3D games from ’94–’95. Another issue is that the SCSI shadow RAM part conflicts with some games from that time (e.g. Mortal Kombat setup, Strike Commander, Privateer). A DX4 or Socket 5 setup — only about a year newer — feels more practical. These first-gen PCI Pentiums are just too undercooked.

You need an So4 overdrive!!! 😉
Honestly, very nice looking system, great case. But you're right, So4 was just ... let's call it an experiment with very little relevance.

ChrisK wrote on 2025-05-23, 06:36:

You need an So4 overdrive!!! 😉
Honestly, very nice looking system, great case. But you're right, So4 was just ... let's call it an experiment with very little relevance.

I wanted to build a top pc from its age, overdrive is an outdated rig. I had the same case in 93 😀

arncht wrote on 2025-05-23, 11:45:

ChrisK wrote on 2025-05-23, 06:36:

You need an So4 overdrive!!! 😉
Honestly, very nice looking system, great case. But you're right, So4 was just ... let's call it an experiment with very little relevance.

I wanted to build a top pc from its age, overdrive is an outdated rig. I had the same case in 93 😀

I still have the Overdrive 133mhz in my socket 4 machine, but it just feels wrong, so have been thinking of replacing it for a while now back to the P66.

Build thread: My Socket4 build with SCSI, 3DFX and Pentium Overdrive

But what is the point to put a 1996 cpu to a 1994 board, if you can use a real p133 with a 430hx with pb cache board, which is ca 20% faster.

arncht wrote on 2025-05-23, 13:37:

But what is the point to put a 1996 cpu to a 1994 board, if you can use a real p133 with a 430hx with pb cache board, which is ca 20% faster.

When I built it was mainly since I had the socket 4 overdrive and wanted to use it. I'm fully aware a real P133 is in another league with the right motherboard.

arncht wrote on 2025-05-23, 05:57:

But this whole Socket 4 project didn’t really work out for me… it’s not particularly fast, and for games from that era that rely on ALU (CPU only, no FPU), it offers no tangible advantage compared to a DX4 just a few months newer, while consuming significantly more power. In fact, with these early motherboards, it’s even slower — the difference is noticeable in 3D games from ’94–’95. Another issue is that the SCSI shadow RAM part conflicts with some games from that time (e.g. Mortal Kombat setup, Strike Commander, Privateer). A DX4 or Socket 5 setup — only about a year newer — feels more practical. These first-gen PCI Pentiums are just too undercooked.

people build socket 4 retro systems because they are arcane and obscure, not because it is good

maxtherabbit wrote on 2025-05-23, 13:57:

arncht wrote on 2025-05-23, 05:57:

But this whole Socket 4 project didn’t really work out for me… it’s not particularly fast, and for games from that era that rely on ALU (CPU only, no FPU), it offers no tangible advantage compared to a DX4 just a few months newer, while consuming significantly more power. In fact, with these early motherboards, it’s even slower — the difference is noticeable in 3D games from ’94–’95. Another issue is that the SCSI shadow RAM part conflicts with some games from that time (e.g. Mortal Kombat setup, Strike Commander, Privateer). A DX4 or Socket 5 setup — only about a year newer — feels more practical. These first-gen PCI Pentiums are just too undercooked.

people build socket 4 retro systems because they are arcane and obscure, not because it is good

Exactly!

arncht wrote on 2025-05-23, 13:37:

But what is the point to put a 1996 cpu to a 1994 board, if you can use a real p133 with a 430hx with pb cache board, which is ca 20% faster.

Could also say: "because it's still socket 4"
My initial post was also meant a bit ironical because overdrives for socket 4 are hard to get and go for hundreds if you can find one at all.
Also I'm not so into period correctness. If it fits together and works together, why not? PCs were always a mixture of parts based on certain standards, a combination of different and overlapping development stages. So in my mind there's no real period correctnes in that sense, only one snapshot in time out of a million.
So please don't take that too serious!
If you need more power there's always a faster retro machine, no question.
Speaking of that, my socket 3 machine also runs a 486 although a Pentium overdrive would be at hand.