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new computer with win98


teddy123

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I am about to buy a new computer and use Windows98 on it,

are there any hardware I should avoid ?

Do pci-express only work with some motherboards and/or graphic cards?

I would like to build something like this:

motherboard: ASUS M2V VIA K8T890 S-AM2 GBLAN ATX

graphics card: ASUS EXTREME GEFORCE 7600GS SILENT 256MB PCI-E

processor: AMD ATHLON 64 3800+ SOCKET AM2 512KB BOX

memory: CORSAIR 2GB DDR2 PC6400 XMS2 XTREME (2X1GB) CAS4

but would there be problems getting win98 work with this?

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Motherbord is ok

Graphics card u should buy is 6200TC or 6800GT as win98 last drive for 6 serieds only

2*1024 is ok but u need to use 1024 only when installing win98 . win98 will not run on 2gb ram :whistle::hello:

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> Motherbord is ok

> Graphics card u should buy is 6200TC or 6800GT as win98 last drive for 6 serieds only

in the http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=97140 someone says

"It has been reported that this driver *works* on some PCI Express GeForce [7600 GS]"

and later in the thread there is a link to a new driver http://www.mdgx.com/files/nv8269.php

"Unofficial NVIDIA Display Driver 82.69 for Windows98/98SP1/98SE/ME"

so I guess there is driver for both pci-e and geforce7600gs now? :)

(But maybe there is some shutdown problems? but I guess I can live vith that,

it isn't that hard to push the powerbutton after exiting windows)

But now another problem has got me: I wanted the 45W version (65nm) of the AMD64 3800+

(the biggest reason to choose 3800) so the computer would not generate that much heat,

so it would be more silent. But problem is, the motherboard doesn't support the processors "stepping"

(what is that??) if I should trust amd's webpage:

http://www2.amd.com/gb-uk/recmobo/DetailHa...?queryID=111728

(I got there from http://www2.amd.com/gb-uk/Processors/Devel...%5E9461,00.html )

If I mount the AMD64 3800+ 65nm/45W 'G1 stepping' into the motherboard ASUS M2V VIA K8T890 S-AM2

will it just not work then? or give me a message "processor not supported error" or something?

....So either I have to find another motherboard that is nice to win98 or

give up on the idea of a low-watt processor :(

> 2*1024 is ok but u need to use 1024 only when installing win98 . win98 will not run on 2gb ram :whistle:

yes the extra gig is for other oses like linux and winxp. If I understand you

right, I have to temporarly remove one of the memories during install of win98,

but can put it back later (after some registry-change or something) ?

As long it is ok to install with 1GB it's fine. I don't have anything smaller

since I don't have any other computer with DDR2

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My only comment is to use 512 mb of ram. Win98 wasn't designed to work with more than 512 mb of ram. It'll work, but performance will decrease. I also avoid winmodem's like the plague.

-gosh

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My only comment is to use 512 mb of ram. Win98 wasn't designed to work with more than 512 mb of ram. It'll work, but performance will decrease. I also avoid winmodem's like the plague.

-gosh

Wrong:

here is the solution.

My w98SE++ recognize and use 1Gb. (Actualy my resource meter shows 671 Mb free...)

01-Start the Windows 98SE installation.

02-Choose the components you want to install etc.

03-Stay in front of your computer; this first step will only take a couple of minutes.

04-When this first step is completed the computer will restart.

05-Now hit the F8 Function key to go in the BOOT menu.

06-Choose: Command prompt only.

07-Edit the file named system.ini with the following command: edit c:\windows\system.ini

Locate the following entry: [386Enh]

Add the following line below the [386Enh] entry.

MaxPhysPage=3FE00

This will limit Windows 98SE to 1020 Megs of RAM.

If you experience any problem use this value instead:

MaxPhysPage=3C000

Locate the following entry: [vcache]

Add the following lines below the [vcache] entry.

MinFileCache=100000

MaxFileCache=100000

08-Save the file and exit.

09-Reboot.

Note that you can still reboot in safe mode and do the above mentioned tweaks in safe mode using notepad (easier).

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Thanks for the installation guide!

Now I have read more about the motherboard at asus webpages and

as I undestand, to use it with the 45W version (65nm) of the AMD64 3800+

the bios must be flashed. But is it possible to run the computer enough

with that processor to be able to flash?

I mean, can the bios setup (and its integrated flashing program) be run despite

the processor is not supported (yet) ?

And I'm not sure how well the ASUS EXTREME GEFORCE 7600GS SILENT 256MB PCI-E

graphics card will work with win98se yet... there it lots of talk in

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=97140

about the http://www.mdgx.com/files/nv8269.php, and everything is not about the

latest version... problems talked about is that windows don't turn off power when exit

(I turn off power on a separate powerbutton on the floor after anyway so it's ok), and

someone said something about bad graphics running dos games in a dosbox in windows

(ok I can run dos games directly from dos but its a bad thing), allso problems restarting

windows with 'win' command from dos. Well nothing that is show-stopper for me, if there

isn't more problems than that.

But the thing that i don't like is the sentence

"PCIe may or may not work, depending on motherboard, chipset +/- NVIDIA GPU."

So I must find someone that have tried the parts I want then?

at least the parts themself, even if not together...

The motherboard (ASUS M2V VIA K8T890 S-AM2 GBLAN ATX) is mentioned as working,

except for the integrated sound and network(?) - I want to use a 'SoundBlaster Live! 5.1'

modell SB0100 I allready have, and a separate network card will be just nice for the

extra struck-by-lightning -protection (my old computer died when lightning followed the

network cable from another computer), so that is not so important to me.

anyone else have any thoughts of these?

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Take a 32-bit CPU instead of a 64-bit one. Windows 98, XP and most Linux distributions don't support 64-bit, and almost all applications don't either. There is no advantage of 64-bit unless you need to use more than 2 GB of RAM.

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Take a 32-bit CPU instead of a 64-bit one. Windows 98, XP and most Linux distributions don't support 64-bit, and almost all applications don't either. There is no advantage of 64-bit unless you need to use more than 2 GB of RAM.

But where one can buy a 32-bit CPU these days? IMHO all new CPUs are 64-bit :)

... problems talked about is that windows don't turn off power when exit

(I turn off power on a separate powerbutton on the floor after anyway so it's ok), and

someone said something about bad graphics running dos games in a dosbox in windows

(ok I can run dos games directly from dos but its a bad thing), allso problems restarting

windows with 'win' command from dos. Well nothing that is show-stopper for me, if there

isn't more problems than that.

But the thing that i don't like is the sentence

"PCIe may or may not work, depending on motherboard, chipset +/- NVIDIA GPU."

So I must find someone that have tried the parts I want then?

at least the parts themself, even if not together...

I have a 7600GT running well, but it is an AGP one. While shutdown problem is definitely annoying, it is still possible to live with it. As there is a workaround for the problem with graphics in VESA using DOS games, it is not fatal too. I'm not sure about the PCI-e / Win98 compatibility, though.

BTW, I think you can still get an AGP mobo and play safe, for example an Asrock AM2NF3.

Edited by vbdasc
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But where one can buy a 32-bit CPU these days?

From second-hand shops, shops dealing in older hardware, and if you live in the US, NewEgg.com.

I got a 32-bit CPU for my new PC. You can, too.

IMHO all new CPUs are 64-bit

That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Unfortunately.

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32-bit CPUs are no longer being manufactured? That's news to me: I guess I live under a rock. :wacko:

It's true; the situation is not that desperate, though :) The 64-bit CPUs from AMD and Intel (except the Itaniums) are still compatible with the 32-bit and 16-bit instructions - in theory, they still can run even MS-DOS 1.0 or Windows 3.0. And it hardly makes sense buying an used 32-bit CPU when the new Celerons/Semprons cost under 50USD and are fully backward-compatible with all legacy software.

P.S. Oops, it seems VIA still sells pure 32-bit CPUs, and maybe Transmeta does too :)

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LOTS OF GOOD ADVICE ABOVE, BUT SOME MISS-INFORMATION TOO. I have been running an Asus K8V-X-SE with AMD 3700 64 CPU (VIA chipset), with 1 Gig RAM, using Win 98SE ---NO PROBLEMS AT ALL FOR ALMOST A YEAR. AIW 2006 Graphis card (a mistake - not recommended with 98) Dont know where this 512 RAM limit for Win 98 came from - but it's not true. Also multi-boot MSDOS 6.2, Win 3.1, Win XP Professional 64 bit, Linux Fedora Core 6, and Centos (I'm running 4 hard drives - 2 IDE & 2 serial.) Strongly suggest you read all manufacturer's websites for driver support BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING - No Win 98 drivers: then DON'T BUY.

Good Luck

--bigjet

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Yea... Drivers are essential... So I would take this advice seriously. Expect, you might be unable to find some components that are compatible with 98 @ manufacturer sites because there are usually only information about new products.

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Take a 32-bit CPU instead of a 64-bit one. Windows 98, XP and most Linux distributions don't support 64-bit, and almost all applications don't either. There is no advantage of 64-bit unless you need to use more than 2 GB of RAM.

XP does support 64bit CPUs, BenoitRen. MS made 64-bit editions of WinXP designed for 64bit processors. weren't you paying attention or you just didn't realize that MS made 64bit versions of XP. see here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/default.mspx

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