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Dual Pentium Pro build, but need advice on which video card

twolazy

twolazy

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Joined
May 22, 2011
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Location
Chicago, IL
So finally got around to building my ultimate Pentium Pro build, and end is in sight...

Problem is I cant choose a video card, as all have their own quirks, and have a few to choose from. Be easier if I only had 1 or 2 LOL.

So what would you pick outta this lineup? Build is dual PP 200mhz on an Intel PR440fx. (Might go back to single after playing around with NT4, as I have another motherboard w/ VRM I be willing to sell)

ATI Mach64
STB Nitro 64v (cirrus logic 5446)
Trident 19680
STB S3 Trio 64v+
S3 Virge DX Trio
Maxtrox G200 MMS 4 monitor PCI-x (should work in reg pci)

I'm mostly using it for dos gaming. Wish I had a voodoo that was pci, but not shelling out 200 bux for one. All I have is an AGP voodoo 3000 which wont work as no agp slot.

Also have an ATI Rage pro turbo, but that needs to be recapped I think. It def needs some attention to be workable. It could end up in it eventually, if its the best card for the job.
 
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2x Pentium Pro @ 200mhz 256k cache
Intel PR440fx
256mb EDO sdram
2x Plextor scsi cdroms
Seasonic 300w 80+ active pfc psu
Supermicro (i think) chassis

Still have to choose a soundcard but the built in crystal isnt half bad. Might just add in my Creative sound blaster goldfinger card to the cd in port on the onboard soundcard. Havent chosen drives either but will prob do mirrored scsi raid (2x 9gb seagate ultrawide) and a cf card.

IMG_20220313_215348976_1_99.jpg
 
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Well seasonic just died booting debian. LOL. Threw in a backup 750w thermaltake till I can dig out a better psu for it.
 
If you're only doing DOS gaming and no 3d, I'd pick whichever of the Virge or Trio has better image quality.

Beautiful system btw
 
From the cards you listed, the S3 Trio 64v+ is the best and also the most compatible one for DOS gaming.

I assume you already realized that any dual-CPU system is completely wasted when not running NT, UNIX, or Linux.
 
Personally I would pick the ATI Mach64 over an S3 card, I had both a Virge and a Trio back in the day and I don't remember either one particularly fondly. Generally I remember ATI having very good DOS support (and OS support in general), but maybe other people know something I don't.

Depending on *which* Mach64 you have a stupid pet trick they have for old software is IBM 8514/A compatibility, but I don't think for gaming that's going to be of much use.
 
Eudimorphodon said:
Personally I would pick the ATI Mach64 over an S3 card, I had both a Virge and a Trio back in the day and I don't remember either one particularly fondly. Generally I remember ATI having very good DOS support (and OS support in general), but maybe other people know something I don't.

Depending on *which* Mach64 you have a stupid pet trick they have for old software is IBM 8514/A compatibility, but I don't think for gaming that's going to be of much use.
Click to expand...
Yeah, check this deal out:

serverevolution.com

ATI EXM193 MACH64 ISA VGA Video Graphics Card

ATI EXM193 MACH64 ISA VGA Video Graphics Card
serverevolution.com serverevolution.com

This must be the 'gold' version.
 
When I built my dual system I went with an Intergraph Intense3D Pro 2200 because I was running NT 4 to take advantage of both the two CPU's and the requirement for full 32-bit or else you hit the execution speed handicap. I *know* you are aware how overkill this is for DOS. :p
When it isn't running 3D however the main video chipset is a Cirrus Logic CL-GD5440 which seem to be a good DOS performer.
 
A Dual Pentium Pro system for DOS makes no sense whatsoever. Not only does DOS not support SMP, the Pentium Pro is weaker than the P5x Pentium/Pentium MMX when running 16 bit or mixed 16/32 bit code.

But seeing as you already have the system built, whatever video card you have will work in it besides the Matrox. Matrox has TERRIBLE VESA support, which causes problems in games. Using Build engine games like Duke 3D, Shadow Warrior, Blood, etc. as examples, transparency effects will crater your frame rate and sometimes cause game crashes.
 
Im eventually going to pull the 2nd cpu, to sell with a 2nd board I have, another tested PR440fx w/ vrm soon, but I wanted to play with it a few beforehand. I know the system is way overkill, but its more something I always wanted but couldnt afford back in the day. How I lusted after pentium pro's with voodoo cards. =)

Ended up on the Trio as it didnt have the black level bug.
 
I satisfied my Pentium Pro bug awhile back when another member on the forum had rescued some NoS FIC dual socket 8 boards and I snagged one with some black tops. Unfortunately, mine was never stable, but you can't always win when dealing with 25+ year old gear.

Mine got turned into wall art:
https://imgur.com/ryOQfgD
 
GiGaBiTe said:
I satisfied my Pentium Pro bug awhile back when another member on the forum had rescued some NoS FIC dual socket 8 boards and I snagged one with some black tops. Unfortunately, mine was never stable, but you can't always win when dealing with 25+ year old gear.

Mine got turned into wall art:
https://imgur.com/ryOQfgD
Click to expand...

Ha! That's too bad about that board though. 95% of them were fine. Btw, your PPro CPUs are upside down so you may want to invest in a bitbucket to capture any falling bits. As you know, they are very hard to remove from carpet with a vacuum.
 
liqmat said:
Ha! That's too bad about that board though. 95% of them were fine. Btw, your PPro CPUs are upside down so you may want to invest in a bitbucket to capture any falling bits. As you know, they are very hard to remove from carpet with a vacuum.
Click to expand...

It has a drip tray below it to catch any random 1s and 0s that fall out lol.

But yeah, no idea why it's not stable. I have two other gold topped 256k 200 MHz CPUs and it wasn't stable with them either. Playing musical chairs with the RAM did help, so I'm wondering if maybe there's a dodgy memory chip somewhere, but Memtest wasn't finding anything. I remember there was some BIOS option that had to be set to make the board not misbehave, but I forgot what it was, been a good while since I messed with it.
 
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