Uncreative Labs

Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 62

I have an old PB Legend 406CD desktop computer that I picked up at a local thrift store. I paid $10 for it. It has the following configuration..

Intel Pentium 66 MHz (Socket 5)
128MB EDO RAM (4x 32MB EDO SIMMs 72-Pin)
3GB Hard Drive
30x CD-ROM Drive
3.5" Floppy drive.

Windows 95 B is installed

Adapter Cards:
PCI 3Com Etherlink XL 10/100
PCI SB Live! Sound Card CT4780

I don't have a stock keyboard, mouse, or stock monitor for it. But what I would like to do is get a decent video card for it so I will be able to play DOS games and Windows games DirectX 8.0 or earlier. What would be a good recommendation for a video card? The machine only has three slots. Two PCI (which are used up) and one 16-Bit ISA.

The current integrated video adapter is a Cirrus Logic 1MB. Even in 2-D windows desktop I'm limited to 256 Colors in 1024x768 mode so I'm forced to run the monitor in 800x600 to get at least 16-Bit Color. A few of my DX 8.0 based games are jerky no matter how low I go on the resolution.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 264 Location: Ohio/USA

Too slow for anything over Directx 5 if that.

Try a Matrox Millenium 2 and play DOS early Windows 3d games (640x480). A 3dfx Voodoo1 will work fine with that.

Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 261 Location: WisConSin

dw wrote:

I have an old PB Legend 406CD desktop computer that I picked up at a local thrift store. I paid $10 for it. It has the following configuration..

Intel Pentium 66 MHz (Socket 5)

No you don't, anything PB 4 is 486. There never was a proper 66mhz socket 5 chip, only a 63mhz Socket 3 and a 66mhz socket 4

dw wrote:

few of my DX 8.0 based games are jerky no matter how low I go on the resolution.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

An old 3dfx would work OK in that box, DX8 sounds a little high.

Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 62

Quote:

No you don't, anything PB 4 is 486. There never was a proper 66mhz socket 5 chip, only a 63mhz Socket 3 and a 66mhz socket 4

The board in this machine is Socket 5. What I discovered is the CPU is actually a 100Mhz but it is somehow underclocked to 66Mhz. Now I have to find out how to set the dip switches and jumpers to get it to go to 100Mhz if possible.

As for support for DX8 it isn't really a big deal but my favorite game emulator ZSNES requires DX8 or better.

Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 62

Okay so here is what's up.

I found a site that had the PB Hillary motherboard series dip switch settings for processor. I was able to set it for 100MHz but for some reason it was showing on 60Mhz. So I found and downloaded a newer copy of the AMI BIOS and flashed the BIOS on the motherboard. It recognizes the CPU now at 100MHz. Also it will now see drives with more than 4096 cylinders but less than 8.4GB. So I threw an 8GB Hard drive in there. The hardware on this machine is right where I want it. (except for the video card which I will have to pickup later when I have some spare cash.)

Intel Pentium 100 MHz
128MB RAM
8GB Hard Drive
32x CD-RW Drive
3.5" Floppy Drive
3Com PCI Fast Etherlink
SB Live CT 4780

Now I would like to setup an OS or two on the machine. I definitely want to run DOS on the system. Any recommendations or suggestions are appreciated.

Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 594 Location: Western NC

If you're doing multi-boot (DOS/WIN), I'd probably go with either Win95C or 98Lite.
Maybe even an "heavily-nLited" version of Win2K (which I ran on a Pentium-Pro 200 w/128MB of RAM rather sprightly).

If you're wanting something Linux-based, Puppy (maybe an older version since newer versions are a little "chubby"), DSL, or a drastically-slimmed down install of Slackware. If using X, select something light, such as IceWM or fluxbox.

In any case, make sure you have OS support for video, network card, etc.

Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 377 Location: Stuttgart, Germany

As far as stability of the 9x line is concerned I would go with 98SE. I can't imagine that the system requirements are that much higher than those of 95, although I never used 95 to a great extend. Just disable all the clutter like Active Desktop and you should be fine.

I know way back in the day we had an Am486-DX4 100 which went from Windows 3.11 for Workgroups to 95, to 98 and finally on to ME.
All of these OSes ran ok on it but seeing as ME was rather unstable I would choose 98SE.