Windows 98 on modern hardware

[LoneCrusader]

So buying a Gigabyte,Asrock,Msi, or Asus are good options? They were the brands I was going to choose from. I do have a pci ethernet adaptor but was hoping to get onboard lan to work(maybe use usb wificard iv heard some work under 98).I have a pci graphics card currently used under 95 which I was going to use if my pcie one wouldn't work(I havent look for drivers yet).Sound is an issue though. I have 3 isa soundcards but of course no pci. I really don't want to buy one.

So if I get a board with realtek or gigabit lan I should hopefully be in luck.(Those were also my two choices I was thinking about). Sound is an is an issue though. I really don't see spending more money for a sound card.

 

I've never yet seen an ASUS board that played nice with Windows 9x. As far as I know they use AMI BIOS as well, not AWARD, which is more 9x friendly. But some members here use ASUS, so I guess it depends on personal preference and the luck of the draw. I prefer Gigabyte first and then MSI. Not had much experience with ASRock or others.

When you look at the specs for the motherboard you choose, be sure to check the exact brand and specs of the LAN controller. Certain RealTek and Marvell chips have 9x drivers, but not all. If it is Intel, then forget it, they dropped 9x support ages ago. It's possible to get a 9x compatible LAN controller, but there's no getting around the sound issue. You will either need a 9x compatible PCI sound card or a "USB Audio" device which I have no experience with.

[submix8c]

Thx, LoneCrusader. Haven't considered the 98SE on my "new" Asus yet. It has Gigabyte (Marvell) NIC. And the BIOS has option of HD or AC97 sound, so yay! I've also inserted an nVidia PCI video card so I guess I may be good to go (depending on the SATA). Good news is it has one PATA connector.

 

Maybe I'll get lucky?

[LoneCrusader]

Thx, LoneCrusader. Haven't considered the 98SE on my "new" Asus yet. It has Gigabyte (Marvell) NIC. And the BIOS has option of HD or AC97 sound, so yay! I've also inserted an nVidia PCI video card so I guess I may be good to go (depending on the SATA). Good news is it has one PATA connector.

 

Maybe I'll get lucky?

 

Maybe!

 

Check the Marvell driver package here.

 

PCI-E video cards work as well so long as they have a driver (82.69/NVidia 7xxx family).

[submix8c]

Krud! XP and up. Oh well, I have 2 more empty slots so a PCI NIC Add-In is in order, I guess. Oh, well, I usually have the On-Board plus one Add-In anyway. Yeah, and I planned on eventually getting a nVidia PCI-e (the "shorter" one is reserved for USB-3 Add-In). If *only* the Chipset drivers work. We shall see, time permitting.

 

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/163405-slipstreamable-intel-chipset-inf-drivers/

Edited January 20, 2016 by submix8c

[Tommy]

It's probably a bit late now but I'd ask places like schools around in your area if they're getting rid of older computers. Sometimes you're able to harvest some good parts like network cards. I was able to get some decent parts so in case I needed them like if drivers weren't available for what OS I wanted to use or if the board didn't have them integrated at all, then there you go. I don't even have Gigabit Ethernet so if I come across a 10/100, that's good enough for me. Seems like I can come across a lot of those old 3Com Parallel Tasking ones quite easily.

[submix8c]

I have a boxfull of them, sound cards, modems, and a number of video cards. Soon they will all get recyled or sold on Cragslist.

[rloew]

USB Audio works well with 98SE. Get the most basic model you can find. Find one that lists 98SE on the package.

[bz07]

It's probably a bit late now but I'd ask places like schools around in your area if they're getting rid of older computers. Sometimes you're able to harvest some good parts like network cards. I was able to get some decent parts so in case I needed them like if drivers weren't available for what OS I wanted to use or if the board didn't have them integrated at all, then there you go. I don't even have Gigabit Ethernet so if I come across a 10/100, that's good enough for me. Seems like I can come across a lot of those old 3Com Parallel Tasking ones quite easily.

Its not to late iv bought nothing I haven't really had time to look around much. I could check with my elementary school there slowly fading out xp machines for 7. The school I'm at now is mostly mac(im not a mac fan) with the few windows being laptops. there's an ocasional desktop but from what I see its all built on stuff. We have a bunch of anthalin 2 machines in the wood room getting ruined that were the old enginering pcs. Id live one of those but I don't think they take a student asking for one good.

[Tommy]

 

It's probably a bit late now but I'd ask places like schools around in your area if they're getting rid of older computers. Sometimes you're able to harvest some good parts like network cards. I was able to get some decent parts so in case I needed them like if drivers weren't available for what OS I wanted to use or if the board didn't have them integrated at all, then there you go. I don't even have Gigabit Ethernet so if I come across a 10/100, that's good enough for me. Seems like I can come across a lot of those old 3Com Parallel Tasking ones quite easily.

Its not to late iv bought nothing I haven't really had time to look around much. I could check with my elementary school there slowly fading out xp machines for 7. The school I'm at now is mostly mac(im not a mac fan) with the few windows being laptops. there's an ocasional desktop but from what I see its all built on stuff. We have a bunch of anthalin 2 machines in the wood room getting ruined that were the old enginering pcs. Id live one of those but I don't think they take a student asking for one good.

 

You're lucky. See, my school district switched from PC to Apple Laptops...so most of their PCs are all gone. What they did with them, I don't know. :/

[bz07]

USB Audio works well with 98SE. Get the most basic model you can find. Find one that lists 98SE on the package.

I found one for $3 that claims 98 support. However I also read somewere on some boards you can change the type of sound output(I don't think that really exists though)

[bz07]

So buying a Gigabyte,Asrock,Msi, or Asus are good options? They were the brands I was going to choose from. I do have a pci ethernet adaptor but was hoping to get onboard lan to work(maybe use usb wificard iv heard some work under 98).I have a pci graphics card currently used under 95 which I was going to use if my pcie one wouldn't work(I havent look for drivers yet).Sound is an issue though. I have 3 isa soundcards but of course no pci. I really don't want to buy one.

So if I get a board with realtek or gigabit lan I should hopefully be in luck.(Those were also my two choices I was thinking about). Sound is an is an issue though. I really don't see spending more money for a sound card.

 I've never yet seen an ASUS board that played nice with Windows 9x. As far as I know they use AMI BIOS as well, not AWARD, which is more 9x friendly. But some members here use ASUS, so I guess it depends on personal preference and the luck of the draw. I prefer Gigabyte first and then MSI. Not had much experience with ASRock or others.When you look at the specs for the motherboard you choose, be sure to check the exact brand and specs of the LAN controller. Certain RealTek and Marvell chips have 9x drivers, but not all. If it is Intel, then forget it, they dropped 9x support ages ago. It's possible to get a 9x compatible LAN controller, but there's no getting around the sound issue. You will either need a 9x compatible PCI sound card or a "USB Audio" device which I have no experience with.

Iv found a few boards I like but of course they have intel nic. However the boards use intel 1218v and after googleingni found a drivers page with the drivers for dos.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/71305/Intel-Ethernet-Connection-I218-V