What retro things have you done today?

Hey all, how else would you maximise this system.

Was kinda aiming for 1999, but the Voodoo 2 I just bought is more 1998. So a 1998-1999 system would be nice.

PIII on a BX440, 512MB RAM, SB Live! Has a 4200Ti in it the now, but gonna downgrade that to bring it inline.

Suggestions? Everyone keeps mentioning an AWE soundcard?

Actually just read the CPU is also 1999, so defo a mix and match :)

Thanks!
 
Tee Hee Johnson said:
Hey all, how else would you maximise this system.

Was kinda aiming for 1999, but the Voodoo 2 I just bought is more 1998. So a 1998-1999 system would be nice.

PIII on a BX440, 512MB RAM, SB Live! Has a 4200Ti in it the now, but gonna downgrade that to bring it inline.

Suggestions? Everyone keeps mentioning an AWE soundcard?

Actually just read the CPU is also 1999, so defo a mix and match :)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It really depends on what you are going to play, but an AWE64 would be a decent soundcard to match with the system, but then so would something with a wavetable header so you can fit a DreamBlaster S2 or X2 for better quality General MIDI.

That said, you can get adapters for the DreamBlaster to connect them to the Game Port/External MIDI port so that’s an option.

What storage are you using?
 
Tee Hee Johnson said:
Hey all, how else would you maximise this system.

Was kinda aiming for 1999, but the Voodoo 2 I just bought is more 1998. So a 1998-1999 system would be nice.

PIII on a BX440, 512MB RAM, SB Live! Has a 4200Ti in it the now, but gonna downgrade that to bring it inline.

Suggestions? Everyone keeps mentioning an AWE soundcard?

Actually just read the CPU is also 1999, so defo a mix and match :)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I think most of the regular posters here including me have a P3 + ISA soundcard system as they are great for most DOS games all the way to top windows 98 games.
 
We do all tend to have a (or a few!) P3 systems, but they tend to be quicker end of the spectrum. A PIII from 1999 could be anything from a Katmai 450 through to a Coppermine 800, quite a difference!
 
Tee Hee Johnson said:
Hey all, how else would you maximise this system.

Was kinda aiming for 1999, but the Voodoo 2 I just bought is more 1998. So a 1998-1999 system would be nice.

PIII on a BX440, 512MB RAM, SB Live! Has a 4200Ti in it the now, but gonna downgrade that to bring it inline.

Suggestions? Everyone keeps mentioning an AWE soundcard?

Actually just read the CPU is also 1999, so defo a mix and match :)

Thanks!
Click to expand...

What games will you be playing on this in regards to Dos? If they are games you can play though a Win98 Dos instance just use the SB Live!. You can load sound fonts so can always have good sounding General Midi. They do work in pure dos but can be temperamental. You can even do Software driven Yamaha XG using the S-YXG100Plus SoftSynth in Win98. For older Dos stuff which is pure FM sound, ESS cards are good, anything with a Genuine YMF chip on or even some of the Crystal stuff is good.
 
I've been slightly disappointed in my Windows 3.11 / Voice Modem journey.

The fax facilities look to be good. I haven't done an end-to-end test, but the program works, the modem dials and all looks good.

The voice bits; I installed 'SuperVoice'.

  • The dialer works and I can ring from and receive a call to my mobile phone. The voice comes through to the sound card, but I can't speak on the included 'pro-headset' or receive the voice on my mobile phone.
  • The voice-menu doesn't play the options through to the mobile phone or record any valid audio from the mobile phone. It sounds modem-garbled.
  • I changed the modem to my older Hayes Voice modem and the same issues exist. So it must be on the PC rather than the modem?
  • I could try on another retro PC.
In the ideal world, I could have used the 'pro-headset' to make and receive calls through the modem. And play a Menu system to incoming calls.

And the warranty expired 30 years ago and the support lines are for telephone numbers that no longer exist. :(
 
Soundcard people. AWE64 - When I load DOS games in windows and select general midi 330 I get music(Sounds nothing like the music you get selecting AWE32). Why is that working in DOS but if I was to load a .mid in windows using GM 330 I only get silence?

There is still a lot about these I dont understand and I am trying to learn but it has been quite fun.



Edit instead of spamming.

It seems that the card loads synthgs.sbk into its memory and is using that for the gm emulation at 330 but if I want to play with the soundbanks in windows I use 620?
 
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Pretty gutting day. My GeForce 256 DDR is DOA :(

I’ve also potentially killed the dual s604 board in a moment of stupidity trying to take the end out of the PCIe slot so I can use an x16 GPU in the x8 slot. Bent some pins, so now need to try and replace the slot!
 
LewisRaz said:
Triggered.
2 different sellers. 2 ******* stupid packaging





No anti static, no box, just bubble wrap and brown paper.

Ignoring the bubble wrap and static. A motherboard is possibly rigid enough to survive that. A VLB card is not.
Click to expand...
Both appear to be working!

Although jumper settings arent clear so my sx50 is running at 66mhz
 
LewisRaz said:
Soundcard people. AWE64 - When I load DOS games in windows and select general midi 330 I get music(Sounds nothing like the music you get selecting AWE32). Why is that working in DOS but if I was to load a .mid in windows using GM 330 I only get silence?

There is still a lot about these I dont understand and I am trying to learn but it has been quite fun.



Edit instead of spamming.

It seems that the card loads synthgs.sbk into its memory and is using that for the gm emulation at 330 but if I want to play with the soundbanks in windows I use 620?
Click to expand...
Do you have Awe Control Panel installed? This is where you can load Sound Banks and i think also select the mapping through 330 or the Awe Synth. Also do you have it selected under the Midi Properties in Multi Media Under Control Panel?


Fitted the V3 into the Via C3 machine today. Was also conscious about cooling so managed to install this bracket and 80mm fan blowing on the card. Should hopefully keep it cooler.

fnAJ1W3l.jpg
 
I sold that dual CPU board and CPUs and cleared out 4x 64MB memory sticks for £70 in about 12h over night, beginning to think it's worth more than £70!

I have £323 sitting in my Paypal + Cash from selling my various parts... time to buy some more I think!
 
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cee-S-dee said:
Do you have Awe Control Panel installed? This is where you can load Sound Banks and i think also select the mapping through 330 or the Awe Synth. Also do you have it selected under the Midi Properties in Multi Media Under Control Panel?


Fitted the V3 into the Via C3 machine today. Was also conscious about cooling so managed to install this bracket and 80mm fan blowing on the card. Should hopefully keep it cooler.

fnAJ1W3l.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes mate I have it installed. My card only has 512k of memory so not enough to mess around with really. Certainly not enough to load anything that can rival the AWE mode. I have just looked deeper into the program and found some bits about mpu-401 emulation so now it makes a bit more sense!

Your fan mount looks a bit better than my superglued on fan :D

Are you using the front case mount for a fan too? Its in a good spot to push over the GPU
 
paradigm said:
I wouldn’t use one. I had better results with two brand new microfibre cloths and some Meguires Plast-X polish.
Click to expand...

+1 for car products
I've used autoglym Super resin polish and a microfibre cloth to repair some DVDs and a music CD I thought was beyond recovery.
 
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And I got my Voice modem working. I installed the CD on my Windows 95 machine and all the hardware worked straight away. It's a shame it wasn't working on my Windows 3.11 machine.

I then thought I'd use this modem via a Serial - USB lead into my 'on all the time' PC and run it in the Oracle VM of Windows 95. This all works too, so essentially, it can stay on all the time.

I can now provide a BBS and fax on demand service and of course the voice modem facilities.
 
They say a picture paints a thousand words:

voodoo5-5500-pci-1.jpg


Two capacitors and a clean was all it took to get the £120~ (inc postage, the card was £89~) Voodoo 5 5500 PCI working!

Now this card will never be worth "top dollar" as it's missing the stock coolers, and no box etc, but it should be worth a fair amount more than I paid for it. So the question is, stick or twist?
 
paradigm said:
They say a picture paints a thousand words:

voodoo5-5500-pci-1.jpg


Two capacitors and a clean was all it took to get the £120~ (inc postage, the card was £89~) Voodoo 5 5500 PCI working!

Now this card will never be worth "top dollar" as it's missing the stock coolers, and no box etc, but it should be worth a fair amount more than I paid for it. So the question is, stick or twist?
Click to expand...

Good job :)

Personally I'd be keeping it - they're only ever going to get more expensive.
(Unless you acquire a fully original one somewhere done the line, then get rid of this one)
 
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