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NForce2 and DOS Sound question

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First post, by DNSDies

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So, I've been searching around, and I can't seem to get a concrete answer on this question.

Will an NForce2 motherboard support DOS audio via a PCI card?
I mean, like by using DSDMA on a YMF7XX card, or via SBLive/Audigy emulation.

I found a fantastic Socket A motherboard with Sata and AGP Pro, and I REALLY want to use it as a 98/XP machine with a 9800XT Mac Edition flashed with PC firmware (thus, requiring AGP Pro) and use modern M-Sata flash drives.

I think it would be great for later 3D DOS titles in higher resolutions (1280x1024, or even 1600x1200 if I can find a better CRT), but it would really help if I got some DOS Sound support...

I have a Yamaha YMF724, SB Live, and SB Audigy ZX2 to possibly work with it...

Reply 2 of 8, by Kamerat

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I've tested both the Asus A7N8X Deluxe and Abit NF7-S v1.2 with a Yamaha YMF744 based AOpen Cobra AW744, both combos didn't work, can't seem to access the legacy/ISA ports of the sound card. I'm also pretty sure the Live! and Audigy won't work.

Last edited by Kamerat on 2019-10-09, 19:24. Edited 1 time in total.

DOS Sound Blaster compatibility: PCI sound cards vs. PCI chipsets
YouTube channel

Reply 3 of 8, by Srandista

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User here really wanted get audio on Nforce chipset going, but further testing again just concluded, that Nforce is big no-go for DOS compatibile audio, as previously mentioned by LSS10999 on beginning of the topic.

PCI sound cards and Chipsets from various manufacturers...

Socket 775 - ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA, Pentium E6500K, 4GB RAM, Radeon 9800XT, ESS Solo-1, Win 98/XP
Socket A - Chaintech CT-7AIA, AMD Athlon XP 2400+, 1GB RAM, Radeon 9600XT, ESS ES1869F, Win 98

Reply 4 of 8, by DNSDies

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Damn, that sucks.
Guess I have to either use VDMSound or try and mod the 9800XT to work on standard AGP by filing down the key and soldering some 3.3v and 12v sata connectors for power...

Oh, and just to check, this applies to Windows 98SE dosbox as well?
I can live without real dos, since this would only be a for a handful of games...

Reply 5 of 8, by canthearu

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I've tried a heap of different PCI sound cards on a nforce 2 based board, with absolutely no success on DOS gaming.

I can't even get EMM386 to do UMB on this board, it is pretty much actively hostile to DOS gaming.

Reply 7 of 8, by DNSDies

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Well, now I have an Asus A7N8X Deluxe motherboard that I have no use for.
Oh well. Live and learn.

Reply 8 of 8, by foil_fresh

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I was in your position when I was trying to get an SB Live card working - found out the same things that prevented DOS audio from being viable on the pc.

I have a soltek board with nforce 2 and after coming to grips, i decided it would be best used as a win98 only machine. Got 2 sticks of 256mb ddr400 and now running them in dual channel with a 2200+ Athlon XP, Radeon 9600xt, soon to install an audigy card for EAX when it arrives.

the board is still great just not useful to your purpose, sadly. sell it on to the next person?

overall just unlucky. maybe sell the motherboard (or keep it, i'm not a cop) and side-grade over to a compatible chipset? KT/VIA based may be your better option.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cvhr6 … K4l0/edit#gid=0

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