VOGONS

Windows Me • Dell optiplex Gx 270 • 3dfx Voodoo2 • Aureal Vortex2 • Quadro4 580 xgl

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First post, by alexclaudiu2003

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A masterpiece of retro computing hardware and software engineering. This system is the result of 6 years of daily work, research, and meticulous optimization. Meticulously cleaned, tested, and fully optimized over 6 years. Silent and COMPACT, perfectly optimized to sit elegantly on any modern desk without taking up space or making noise. Features a simple boot cd for Full Backup & Restore to original state (internal ntfs partition)
[ HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS ]
• CPU: Intel Pentium 4 Prescott @ 3.0 GHz (800 MHz FSB, Socket 478, 1MB L2 cache)
• Motherboard/Chipset: Dell OptiPlex GX270 (Intel Springdale i865G chipset - legendary stability)
• RAM: 512MB DDR1 Dual Channel (400 MHz, 128-bit)
• Primary 3D Card: NVIDIA Quadro4 580 XGL (AGP 8x, based on the legendary GeForce4 Ti architecture - scored 7,602 points in 3DMark 2001)
• Retro 3D Glide Card: 3dfx Voodoo 2 12MB with premium heatsinks installed (scored 980 points in 3DMark 2001)
• Sound Card: Aureal Vortex 2 AU8830 with General MIDI Wavetable Daughterboard (pure, authentic A3D sound!)
• Storage: WDC Caviar SE 160 GB P-ATA Ultra-ATA 100 MB/s, 7200 RPM, 8MB cache
• Optical Drive: DVD-ROM
• Connectivity: Wireless USB Dongle (fully configured with Windows Me drivers)
• Legacy Ports: Floppy Drive, 8x USB 2.0 ports
• Power Supply: Ultra-silent 210W Dell PSU
• Dimensions (Vertical): 10.8cm x 43.1cm x 39.0cm | Weight: ~10 Kg

[ SOFTWARE & OPTIMIZATION ]
• OS: Windows Millennium Edition (Me) - meticulously configured with all official updates. It is rock-solid stable, goes into Standby, and resumes flawlessly without crashing.
• Why Windows Me instead of 98?
- Native USB mass storage and USB 2.0 Plug & Play support.
- No blue screens when removing USB sticks, CDs, or floppy disks during reading.
- Driver locations remain permanently saved.
- Native support for almost any USB Joystick without external drivers.
• Games: 170 classic PC games installed (Full Versions, 99% with working intros, configured manually to correct graphic/sound settings with official patches).
• Racing Games: All tracks and cars are fully unlocked without affecting single-player progression or starting a new campaign.
• Multiplayer Perks: The ONLY PC in the world pre-configured with Counter-Strike 1.0 (and last beta version featuring the scoped M4A1 and custom CT Mauser/USP pistol) WITH BOTS. Half-Life (v3248 from 2005) and CS 1.6 also have bots fully configured and can be played online using the included Wi-Fi adapter.
• Office & Design: Corel Draw 12 and Microsoft Office XP pre-installed.
• Legacy Compatibilty: IRQ 5 is strictly reserved for pure MS-DOS gaming compatibility.
[ BACKUP & RECOVERY SYSTEM ]
• Full Peace of Mind: A customized recovery system is pre-configured. Windows Me is on partition C:, and games are on D:.
• Invisible Partition: A hidden NTFS partition contains a full system copy.
• Backup: Package includes a Bootable Recovery CD. If you make a mistake or corrupt the OS or games, you can restore the entire system or games to its pristine in just a few minutes using the CD (just press F12 during boot to select the CD drive).

Reply 2 of 7, by limemyth

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Not often do I see ME used over 98, but maybe I'm just not around often enough 😜

Very interesting build! I appreciate the resourcefulness of using a bog-standard GX270 (hope it was recapped, though I'm going to make the assumption it was, 🤣) and turning it into a retro powerhouse. I'm especially a fan of the various backup solutions you have, including full recovery CDs for the operating system AND games. It's such a convenient and awesome safety net to have, especially when dealing with old hard drives!

Reply 3 of 7, by alexclaudiu2003

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limemyth wrote on 2026-07-18, 20:54:

Not often do I see ME used over 98, but maybe I'm just not around often enough 😜

Very interesting build! I appreciate the resourcefulness of using a bog-standard GX270 (hope it was recapped, though I'm going to make the assumption it was, 🤣) and turning it into a retro powerhouse. I'm especially a fan of the various backup solutions you have, including full recovery CDs for the operating system AND games. It's such a convenient and awesome safety net to have, especially when dealing with old hard drives!

Thank you for the reply!

Just to clarify about the system stability, I actually recorded a 4-hour video showcasing the system, where I opened all 170 games one by one. Out of all of them, only two crashed (Commander Keen and Mega Man), and that happened only upon exiting them, after about 50 to 60 other games had already been opened and demonstrated right before them! Other than that, the system is rock solid.

By the way, I actually have two identical OptiPlex GX270 systems. On one of them, I noticed two bad (bulged) capacitors and replaced them. Interestingly, I didn't notice any difference in performance or stability before or after the recap—it was running perfectly fine even with the bad caps, and it continues to run beautifully now!

Reply 4 of 7, by alexclaudiu2003

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NVIDIA Quadro4 580 XGL Agp 128 bit, low profile vs. 3dfx Voodoo2 — 3DMark 2001 SE Benchmark Comparison

Reply 5 of 7, by BaronSFel001

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A3D [2.0+] works fine in games? Some have suggested VxD drivers (especially unrefined ones like Aureal's) run into issues with Me's native DirectX 7.1.

System 20: PIII 600, LAPC-I, GUS PnP, S220, Voodoo3, SQ2500, R200, 3.0-Me
System 21: G2030 3.0, X-fi Fatal1ty, GTX 560, XP-Vista
Retro gaming (among other subjects): https://baronsfel001.wixsite.com/my-site

Reply 6 of 7, by Intel486dx33

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I have the Big tower version of this computer.
I bought it because I read they were good for Win98 gaming computers.

When I worked in a printhouse.
We used these computers to create all kinds of graphics and publications
Using Microsoft office and adobe indesign and photoshop .
These computers were our workhorses.
Very reliable and dependable .

So the ones I bought had some bad capacitors on the motherboards
A problem these computers are known for.
I was able to purchase some new motherboards online
When they were selling for cheap.
So I bought a couple.

Put them in my computers and maxed out the Ram, Harddrives,
And put a nice ATI rage video card in it or was it a GeForce I think.
I installed Win98se and it ran good.
Maybe windows 2000 and XP are better operating systems for this computer ?

But I agree these are some pretty good computers.

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