Hi and welcome!

Do you think it's worth it? Do you think it's worth building a Windows 98 SE machine, or do you have any other suggestions? I know a lot of old games have methods of getting them working on modern machines, but sometimes it's such a pain and such a hassle to get them to work.

Both playing on real hardware and playing on modern systems with workarounds have their pros and cons. IMHO, you don't build an old system just because you like to play games but because you really want to mess with old hardware. It won't be absolutely hassle-free, and there is no single build that can play all games without problems, so it boils down to whether or not you'll enjoy the challenge and you get something out of using these systems.

Otherwise there are virtual machines, source ports, remakes, etc. They won't be perfect, and nothing is. But if all you need is a quick Doom or Quake session, that's probably a better way.

I wanted advice and guidance. I would like to build a Windows 98SE machine but I am not sure where to begin and the price.

Can't comment on the price — that largely depends on where you live. I think there are basically two recommended builds. Socket 7 with something like a Pentium MMX or and AMD K6-2/3 and a Slot 1 Pentium III-500 (or higher) using a 440BX motherboard. Intel chipsets (430HX, 430TX, 440BX) usually just work, but other options might give you additional features or better performance.

Socket 7 is better if your main interest are DOS games, 440BX covers more ground when it comes to Win9X games and still retains compatibility with a lot of big name DOS games.

If I was to build a Windows 98 SE machine, what hardware should I go for? What specs? What marketplaces to obtain the hardware? What would the estimated budget be roughly? How can I have a system as stable as it possibly can be? What updates/drivers/fixes should I know of? If I'm correct, Philscomputerlab has some Windows 98 related stuff on his website.

Yes, Phil did some very nice guides. You can also read Vogons Wiki, but otherwise I don't think there's any comprehensive guide that covers it all.

I think the best start is to buy a complete working system that has the fundamentals that you want. That system should have a good name motherboard (Asus, Abit, etc) that has a manual online. Then you can expand that system any way you want, but you will always have something to fall back to. Starting from scratch (as in buying a motherboard, a CPU, a videocard, etc) is bound to give you surprises that no online guide can cover. And it is likely to be more expensive, frustrating and time-consuming.

Also I'd avoid brand name computers (HP, Compaq, Dell, etc) for a first build, they might have some unexpected limitations. Get a standard baby AT or ATX systems. ATX systems are a lot easier to work on, but are bigger and might be more expensive depending on the generation of computers you're after.

You might read about speed sensitive games, but I'd ignore that for now — people tend to obsess about the issue more than they actually play those games.

Welcome, do you have a list of a few of the games are you interested in? Computing back then was going through very quick changes where GPUs doubled in performance in only nine months in some cases.

There sadly is no one build this and everything will work. Some games of that era were speed sensitive and required tools to slow your hardware down, later GPUs that ran on Win9X dropped features older games used so they don't render correctly.

For hardware repair just search for guides on Youtube. The method is to remove the old capacitor and replace it with a new one by desoldering the old one and soldering on a new one. If you stick with later Win9X hardware this is currently less needed, though replacement on GPUs is more common. GPUs also could need memory chip replacement which is a more advanced process.

Price is all over the place and depends on what hardware you are going for. If you go with a late gen Win9X like an Athlon64 you can get CPU/MB/RAM combos for $50-60, FX 5500 for $40-50, and Sound Blaster Live/Audigy for $15-20. The MB is ATX and will support modern cases and PSUs. Older stuff gets more expensive. Pentium 2/3s were more common in that era, but they are older and prices have gone through the roof.

Thanks for the post replies, very much appreciated. I have fondness from passed memories and for a hobby mainly. Absolutely love watching LGR on YouTube!

Sure, I know many of these work on modern or my XP machine. But I also want to explore new titles for a hobby too.

Not working correctly WIN 10/11

• Lego Rock Raiders

• Lego Island 2

• Legoland - think 16bit only

Working modern hardware but native cool

• Croc 1, have Croc 2 but

• Speedy Eggbert 1/2 - modern free version

• Empire Earth - want to test my created scenarios on old hardware for fun - 16bit too

• Age of Empires (know modern Definitive Editions exist)

• Lego Racers 2 - abt. 2002, not sure if right 98SE

• Quake 2 - once owned this on a 98SE machine back in the day. Was my favourite childhood game

GOG alternative for modern hardware

• The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard

• Theme Hospital, GOG version and later version

• Indiana Jones games

I also want to further explore and test other games on older hardware. I love the sprite based ones like Speedy Eggbert, even saw one to try - Crazy Drake.

Any other replies?

bradleybrand wrote on 2022-08-19, 10:10:

I would say both Windows 98 and Windows XP were too far apart to have a dual-boot machine supporting both operating systems. I already have some old machines at home which support Windows XP and Windows 7. Even on the XP machine, I am running into issues with some old games.

Well, yes and no. Depends..
When it was new, I ran Windows XP on Windows 98SE hardware.
Pentium MMX to Pentium III 733 MHz.
Interestingly, the CPU wasn't so the problem. Rather the RAM.. Windows 98SE ran ok with 24MB, XP needed 64MB minimum. Better 128 to 768MB for early XP.
An SCSI HDD was nice for XP, too. It could do DMA, NCQ etc without trouble long before SATA was common.
But ok, long story short: Dual-boot with 90s hardware was possible, at least. 😉
With Pentium IV and up, it was trickier to do. That's when 98SE and XP did split up.

bradleybrand wrote on 2022-08-19, 10:10:

If I was to build a Windows 98 SE machine, what hardware should I go for? What specs? What marketplaces to obtain the hardware? What would the estimated budget be roughly? How can I have a system as stable as it possibly can be? What updates/drivers/fixes should I know of? If I'm correct, Philscomputerlab has some Windows 98 related stuff on his website.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think a Pentium III PC would be nice in general. 20GB ATA HDD, Geforce 2MX (AGP 2x/4x), maybe?
Our family PC was a Pentium III in 2000 and shipped with 98SE.

Jo22 wrote on 2022-08-22, 10:42:

I'm not entirely sure, but I think a Pentium III PC would be nice in general. 20GB ATA HDD, Geforce 2MX (AGP 2x/4x), maybe?
Our family PC was a Pentium III in 2000 and shipped with 98SE.

Pentium II/III make great Win98 machines. The only issue is the pricing has gone up where motherboards fetch $75-150. If I remember correctly modern PSUs can also be shakey due to the need for a stronger 5V rail.

From the game list, I'd recommend against Socket 7. The performance just won't be there.

So the options look like:
Pentium II/III or maybe a Slot A K7. It would be period accurate but is pricey, and the hardware is older and could be less stable.

Pentium 4 or Socket 754 Athlon 64. These are less expensive, but you'll have to underclock them for some games as they are otherwise too fast. They should work with most modern PSUs, and might be more stable.

Hello again. I would love to have a Windows 98 SE gaming machine but understand the difficulties. Firstly old hardware can be very costly. Another difficulty is I need as much compatibility as possible and drivers - this will help prevent crashes. I can say my knowledge is poor when it comes to this kind of stuff. I do not know of any UK companies which would provide such service for such old hardware and they would most likely charge a fortune. I do not have a close friend with the knowledge of building such a machine.

I simply want a machine with a big HDD, or a converted to allow ?SSD? if an option, to allow lots of games. I can organize the start menu (Strategy Games, FPS Games, etc). I know sites like Archive.org exist, but sadly many old websites are lost to history, so important gems may have been lost. I lack enough computer knowledge to understand what to buy and what goes with what, yet I can assemble computers and set them up easily.

Some old games I have managed to get working on modern hardware and a modern operating system. Still missing Lego Rock Raiders and Lego Island 2 though. I understand also the novelty would ware off quickly and I would not invest too much time in these particular titles.

I love watching both MetalJesusRocks and LGR (Lazy Game Reviews) on YouTube whom have many videos about old retro gaming machines. I admit I would least likely invest too much time into older games, but there is something about older games which just appeal to me. Many were basic but fun. In spare time I would love to just be able to install old games and play them on native hardware.

Windows XP 32-bit machine

• AMD Athlon II X4 630

• ASUSTek Computer INC. M4N68T-M-LE-V2 (motherboard)

• Past: 8GB DDR3. Now: 3GB RAM, surprisingly.

• NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 (graphics)

This machine had Windows 7. For hobby, I installed Windows XP 32-bit - trip down memory lane. I have the HDD partitioned by 1/2 so dual boot is an option. I have some old Windows XP games installed via CD/DVD-ROM. I ran into problems so I had to search the internet for fixes and solutions. Installed a web browser which is updated for Windows XP, but do not use this machine for browsing. Have MajorGeeks Unofficial SP4 installed.

Over the years whilst I've upgraded PC hardware, this PC has been pretty much put together from old parts. The purpose of this machine was to provide a basic computer to play Empire Earth, which friends used to play with me whenever they came round my house. The machine has aged a lot since those days.

The pro of having a Windows XP machine is that it's legacy hardware and operating system for many of these old games. I was hoping games would "just work" but admit I have even ran into issues on the very hardware and operating system that these old games were built for. My monitor supports DVI, HDMI and DP. My main computer is DP and my Windows XP computer is DVI, so using the monitor settings I can easily switch between the machines.

Since however I had a modern resolution - 2560x1440, many games look awful or stretched. I love mods and modding capabilities because for games the community have made improvements and fixes. Through past experiences I have found it is easier to tweak a game to work on say 1920x1080 than it is for my resolution, I am not sure why. There have been times I have had to play on a lower resolution just so the game works.