retep_110 wrote on 2024-06-19, 21:20:

I was not aware that there might be some problems when using the Via K 600 mobos. I will start to research more about that topic.

I am not saying there is. I just remember, that when I was looking for a retro XP build, I explicitly avoided KT600. But I do not remember why I did. Could have been AGP voltage. But I think it was something else. But keep in mind, I was aiming for something else than you do. I tried to get speed bandwidth, top speed was only a subsequent issue.

Edit: I must admit, this thread is kind of tempting me to take that "Conroe" box and really set it up and see how it does. If it sucks, I might as well sell it. There is just a preliminary issue I need to take care of: PCI sound in Dos. I really completly forgot how to set that up.

Personal choice for me if I want Athlon XP is generally nForce 2 with Barton chips. I have had more than pleasant experiences with Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL + Athlon XP-M 2600+ (mobile Barton) and an ABIT NF7 v2.0 with a standard 2500 Barton OC'd to 2.3GHz.

PcBytes wrote on 2024-06-20, 08:24:

Personal choice for me if I want Athlon XP is generally nForce 2 with Barton chips.

I had a Slot-A 700Mhz with an FIC SD-11 https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/fic-sd11
That system was fun because it just seemed to have an unbearable amount of CPU compared to my OC's celeron 300a and K6-450 systems. It really punched Windows98se in the face. The Via southbridge was tolerable. Originally this build was going to get my Voodoo3 2000, but I had to swap it for the TNT2 card from my Via based Celeron system to make the other computer stable. Believe it or not, but my aunt is still using the FIC SD-11 board with Windows98se. She does part time accounting for some customers on an ancient version of peach tree. She's 87 so I'm not going to make her change. I think I left my Permedia2 card in that box when I gave it to her 20 years ago.

When it was time to move to XP, I upgraded to an Athon XP 1700+ Palomino with an ECS K7S5a https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ecs-k7s5a It was affordable. It eased the transition to DDR when DDR was expensive. I liked the chocolate brown color. I skipped over the Thunderbird chips. They were just too touchy. I watched my friends burn out the chips or break the chips with heat sink failures. I replaced the TNT2 with a Geforce 3 Ti200 after a few months and later a Geforce 4. This board is waiting for the day when it gets new capacitors.

I put together a Shuttle XPC SN41G2 with a low power Athlon XP 2500+ (underclocked to Athlon 1700+) as a media player around that time. I loved the sound storm audio with the copper SPDIF out. The built in GPU was good enough for some choppy counterstrike over ISDN. It made me love the nforce chipset.

When the Barton chips came out, I upgraded to an over clocked 2500+ on an MSI K7N2M
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/msi-k7n2m It had a Radeon 9800. It was probably my favorite Athlon build. Stable fast, not too hot. It was a great system. Lasted until Halflife 2 was knocking on the door. I upgraded to an Athlon64 w/ PCI express & sata just for that game. If it hadn't been for that game, I'd have kept it longer.

I upgraded my dad's computer to a Wolfdale CPU and G43 based motherboard in 2014 or so. I got a MSI MS-6367 (HP OEM) in return. https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/msi-ms-6367-hp-oem I'm still using that as a utility board for testing ATA devices and it still has my Barton CPU in it. I did have to recap it a couple years ago. It's not that hard. Just takes a hot soldering pencil and some patience. That lead free solder has a higher melting point.

Oh yeah, I also got that cheap KT333 board w/ Thoroughbred Athlon XP 2800+ that I put into the case that once held all of the above systems. It's OK. Not the most efficient thing in the world and doesn't have any noteworthy features other than Vlink between the north and south bridges, which isn't exactly anything sexy, it's just sort of unique. I had a little anxiety when I downloaded the Via drivers, but it all worked out since I was using the final version of driver that were bug free and I installed it before any other 3rd party drivers after installing the OS. I didn't try to uninstall and reinstall multiple times with multiple versions, which is what used to happen back in the day.

I'd recommend any of those systems as good builds.

Sorry about the nostalgic ramblings. Sometimes I like to repeat my list of builds to myself so I can remember them.

ux-3 wrote on 2024-06-20, 07:46:

retep_110 wrote on 2024-06-19, 21:20:

I was not aware that there might be some problems when using the Via K 600 mobos. I will start to research more about that topic.

I am not saying there is. I just remember, that when I was looking for a retro XP build, I explicitly avoided KT600. But I do not remember why I did. Could have been AGP voltage. But I think it was something else. But keep in mind, I was aiming for something else than you do. I tried to get speed bandwidth, top speed was only a subsequent issue.

Edit: I must admit, this thread is kind of tempting me to take that "Conroe" box and really set it up and see how it does. If it sucks, I might as well sell it. There is just a preliminary issue I need to take care of: PCI sound in Dos. I really completly forgot how to set that up.

Ok I see. Still thx for the info. It is always good to know which potential problems might happen.

@douglar No reason to sorry. I found your nostalgic rambles very informative and enjoyable to read. Your recommendations are also very welcome. I will look into the price of the mobos you have mentioned.

PcBytes wrote on 2024-06-20, 08:24:

Personal choice for me if I want Athlon XP is generally nForce 2 with Barton chips. I have had more than pleasant experiences with Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL + Athlon XP-M 2600+ (mobile Barton) and an ABIT NF7 v2.0 with a standard 2500 Barton OC'd to 2.3GHz.

Thx for your recommendation as well. Funny coinsidence that have mentioned the Abit NF7 btw. I found a Abit NF7 board yesterday when looking around at a very good price for Nforce mainboard. There also is Athlon Xp 2500+ cpu included which is a member of the Barton line already.

@All any thoughts about the athlon xp 2500+? Would you say it is a neat cpu.?

Go for the Barton. They're usually good overclockers, and with the right GPUs (anything between Radeon 9500 and maybe X800XT for ATI, and any Geforce 4 Ti should do for nVidia - 6600GT or 6800 if you really want to max it out.)

PcBytes wrote on 2024-06-21, 11:28:

Go for the Barton. They're usually good overclockers, and with the right GPUs (anything between Radeon 9500 and maybe X800XT for ATI, and any Geforce 4 Ti should do for nVidia - 6600GT or 6800 if you really want to max it out.)

Thx for the advice. I pulled the trigger yesterday already for the Abit NF7 plus the Barton already.

@all I am no shopping for sound card. I will either get a classic sound blaster live 5.0, or an audigy 1 or audigy 2 card.

Which of these cards would you guys consider as good partner for the Abit NF7 p+ a barton cpu and gf 4 4200 ti?

My pick would be an Audigy 2 ZS. I've been running one a few years prior to getting my NF7 and it was pretty good over most Live 5.1 versions I've had.

PcBytes wrote on 2024-06-24, 09:45:

My pick would be an Audigy 2 ZS. I've been running one a few years prior to getting my NF7 and it was pretty good over most Live 5.1 versions I've had.

Thanks a lot again for your recommendation. After doing lots of research I also come to teh conclusion that the Audigy 2 ZS. would be a neat card to max out the sound capabilties of my system.

There is nothing wrong with the sound blaster live but my second rig I want to have really powerful win 98se gaming system. The Audigy 2 zs is often mentioned to be one of the win98 sound cards. So it is just logical to get one.