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roadworxx · 10 months

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i've been meaning to post this for a while now, so here it is

The Gateway GP6-400

this is my retro pc setup - a modified gateway gp6-400 from 1999. this model in particular really appealed to me; it's powerful enough to run most games up to around 1998 or so, but it still has fairly realistic performance for a typical gaming pc of that era. i still went ahead and swapped out some parts as well as added some new ones in order to get exactly what i want out of it, however.

here's the specs:

- Pentium II 400mhz

- 128mb RAM

- 250gb HDD (win98 partition only uses 6.4gb for accuracy

- Voodoo3 AGP graphics card

- Integrated Ensoniq AudioPCI audio

- ES1868F ISA audio card for DOS gaming

- DVD-RW drive

- 3.5" floppy drive

- 250mb ZIP drive

on the pc there exist two operating systems: windows 98 second edition and ms-dos 6.2 with windows 3.1. now, you likely find this odd considering that ms-dos 7.1 is already accessible from windows 98, but i reeeally wanted a true early 90s dos experience. so, i have a full installation of dos 6.2 on a separate 425mb partition (the size of a decent hdd from 1994 or so) that i access via boot disk.

as you can also see from the pictures, there's a crt monitor as well: the 17" princeton eo710. it was expensive - well-kept crt monitors tend to be that way unfortunately - but it works wonderfully and the display is gorgeous. i try to keep it at around half brightness and contrast, which can make seeing things in games hard at times, but i really would rather not risk wearing it down lol.

overall, it works splendidly. i'm able to run any games made up to around 2001 or so fairly well, and while there's been issues dealing with stupid win98 bullshit, it hasn't been too bad to work on. it's been a dream of mine to own a computer like this for ages, and now that i finally have one...i'm really happy :)

here's some more pics

the windows 98 desktop:

running dos:

@esselfortium 's KDIKDIZD looking amazing on the crt (it looks so much better in person):

and finally, some half-life along with a better view of the front of the pc:

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never-obsolete · 1 year

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Computer Gaming World - August 2000 Deus Ex / Voodoo 5

#computer gaming world #magazine #deus ex #3dfx #pc games #2000s

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56k-modem · 1 year

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1999

#3dfx #voodoo 3 #windows 95 #windows 98 #windows NT

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swarmik · 12 days

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What about Twitter/X?

I have ~5500 followers here on tumblr after years of activity, but I never liked the lack of interaction here. When I started the "blog" here, one of the goals was to get feedback and interesting insights from others when I was working on something retrocomputing related. This never worked. Tumblr was never really good for text interaction.

This, along with a lack of time, caused me to reduce my activity here. Things got worse when many of the people I followed here moved elsewhere. Some of them are on Twitter/X, so I decided to try that platform as well. This time it will work a bit differently - I will share the retrocomputing things I do as soon as I do them.

The tumblr blog (and the copy on my web) will stay, and I plan to use it for the medium sized posts.

My Twitter/X retrocomputing profile can be found here: https://twitter.com/retro_swarm

My current activities focus a lot on the mid-90s Macs and other non-x86 machines.

#retrocomputing #twitter #mac #90s #vintage computers #3Dfx #3D acceleration

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retrocgads · 7 months

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USA 1997

#USA1997 #DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA #3DFX #HARDWARE #IBM #DIAMOND MONSTER 3D

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dimalink · 2 months

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Restore legendary Pentium 2 and Voodoo 2 computer

New Year is already begun. Now we have 2024. New space cycle. And few space cycles ago, I started to restore some of my old computers. Part of them were mine since school days. Part of them, I buy for a low price. It is interesting for me, to restore some computers, and I was growing up with them, it is interesting. Or some systems from the past, which are very interesting to try out and look. It is not necessary to be a strong powerful systems. It can me middle or not powerful, let’s call it slow or weak systems. Everything is interesting.

So, from time to time, I am restoring old systems. I do it as episodes, not regular. So right now, I want to talk about my legendary Pentium 2. With system of three dimensional acceleration 3DFX VOODOO II. It is most coolest system ever. And it is also has a Sound Blaster Awe 64. It is very cool sound card. And as idea, as I remember, it has two hard drives. One is about 5 gigabytes, and second is about 50 gigabytes. As a rule, you can set to system a CD Rom, or DVD rom, even which can write discs, writeable.

At this moment system is already done. Everything is inside a strong metal case. So, computer has a big weight in result. I think it is because of metal case has a big weight, it is a big metal case. And it has a something like this system inside – Pentium 2 350 mhz with technology MMX, 3d graphic accelerator Voodoo 2, 64 mb Ram.

So, I find all the bolts, and tighten the bolts. Everything is done. My brother helps me to do that. Brother is very good in such things. And he reacts fast about some technological solutions. And it is opposite to me, in such questions. Some specific wires format. And more, if it is not enough some details. Every time my brother helps me with that. So, for example, I give myself a try to launch computer without cooler. This is like I do. My brother told me that it will not start up.

Pentium 2 processor has a form factor of cartridge. But no 8 bit. And it is like a cartridge. And cooler is going with him, on a cartridge. But it is good to set up with a wire between cooler and processor. Some connectors are very tight. So, I even don’t get what place to connect them. Again, my little brother helps me. So, for example, as for me, I never find out that at the border of motherboard, at the side, it is so little wires like power supply, reset, hdd ready, like indicators and buttons are there. At the mother board.

So, process of making this setup was interesting. It is very interesting to find out new things. And it was going in a different step. First, I collect all the parts. It was so long time ago, when it was working last time. So, I need to find the parts and to put them at the box. And later, to set it all at the motherboard. And the idea that plus minus everything is ok about details.

Second step it was before New Year. It is about to setup all the parts into the case. Everything is all right. I give myself a try to start it up. Power is ok. But nothing happens. So, it is about a situation you need connect with wire a cartridge with second Pentium and cooler. But it can start. Computer makes a noise. And that’s all.

Next step is at celebrating times, already in new year 2024. It is about to setup bracing for processor Pentium 2. So, it is happening, that you need to setup a special bracing at the processor. Like a direction parts. So, we find these parts. And open the case with computer, replace all the details. To remove everything from motherboard. To screw everything off. Because of bracing is set from the downside of motherboard. And then they rise up. And at the top you put into this bracing a processor. As a cartridge slot it works. For example. Unusual system.

Today, it is clear, that there is no way to find little wires. As brother said 3 pin – molex. To setup cooler and processor. Plus, to this there is no wires to setup motherboard and cd rom. Atapi format or something like that. It is good to gather wires. Right now, there is no wires. But it can be without cd rom, for some time. There is a network card 100 mbits, instead.

System is almost restored. And it can be one more try to start it. It is interesting what it is about hard drives. Is it still installed Windows Millennium or not. Last time it was Windows Millennium. It is interesting what games it has installed. As idea it should everything at their place. So many years passed. So, I am restoring slowly my school system. For me it is a legendary system. I spent with it so much time.

So, lots of games I launch with it. I tried visual basic there, for example. And played a lot in Arcanum, Fallout 2. Doom 2 I played a lot too. In Half Life when it was released. In a different Need For Speed 3,4,2,2 special edition. In GTA 1,2. In GTA London – I and my bro played a lot. Carmageddon 2 it was a cool cd. My brother is a big fan of Blade of Darkness videogame. And it was a first time to play it in Pentium 2. I remember how much I played in Grandia 2. It is such a cool Japanese role playing game with good graphics, port from Dreamcast. And I played in emulators too, of first Sony Playstation.

So, this way I first to play in Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy 7,8,9. My brother likes a lot game Final Fantasy 8 for PC. I am talking about a PC version of the game. He played a lot. So, for some time it was his favorite game. Here we played a lot in Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Heroes of Might and Magic 4. So here we launched first time Might and Magic 6,7,8. My brother likes a lot shooter Sin. It is also a good game.

At first this system has installed Windows 98, and later Windows Millennium. It was a short time, it was installed Windows 2000. So, at this moment I run into Quake 3 CD. Brother buy this game. And bring home. It was exciting graphics! It is bad one thing, it has no casual levels, no story, episodes. But graphics is cool, and action is good!

With this system I get the idea what emulators are. With modem. When a game for NEs to download about half an hour, for example. If you are lucky then 20 minutes. Or maybe it was a time for Sega game it is. It happens about 40 minutes. So, this details a I don’t remember already. Nes games should to download faster, as a rule. And Sega and Super Nintendo more long time. I opened for myself emulation of MS DOS. Using DOS BOX. I try some isometrical Ultima. It is about island, forest. First time I played in Sega, Snes. First Sonic, for example. I played it with all the time making save files. I like a lot to setup scanlines.

First time I try out what is it Ultima Online. World of online is very exciting thing. So many deals to do for a schoolboy there! Such a nice memories. To grind, upgrade skills, explore world. To build a little house, to collect resources. So, I remember that, I learn skill animal taming. And I can tame ostrich.

Nice soft it was, as I remember. Windows Media Player with such beautiful interface. Windows Media Player classic with standard interface for style Windows 95/98. WinAmp is a cool player. And I remember, from time to time I have installed Kaspersky antivirus. Good thing. But system was loaded, that’s for sure, for some time. And it makes a system to freeze, slow working, and you need to wait. It happened like that. Without it - it everything works fast. Of course, I used program Word, a little Excel. Notepad.

And at this system, I see for the first time Video CD. Interesting format. And I remember I was impressed when I play in Command And Conquer 2 about a video sequences. Such a cool graphics, and also a cinema movie. Strategy and action movie. And later I and my brother played a lot in Red Alert 2 Yuri’s revenge. It was a game for a long long time. And playing in Counter Strike with bots. And I played with my brother at this system. In counter strike, Rage of Mages 2. And I remember how we dig maps (explore maps slowly). So, we take a big map and clear it from monsters. Try to find new items. Brother played with a new pc. And I with this machine.

It is amazing, and at this Pentium 2 machine. A pne as I called it, stump, as a joke. I played in a second Dune. It was very good game. It was launched easily, without any problems. But it is for MS DOS. Here I played a lot in F 22 Lighting 2. It is something like simulation, but arcade too, it can be played nice. Lots of time for Duke Nukem 3D. I remember how my brother brings CD Atomic Winter. What a game! It is winter and a new levels! It was interesting! Video quest X files, I like a lot. It goes as a video! It is very amazing investigation! Rainbow 6 by Tom Clancy. So, it is very serious game. So, it is like shooter and something more.

So, yes, it is connected lots of good memories with this system!

By system. So, I am without wire to connect cooler. And there is no wires to connect CD ROM. And everything else is restored. Case is complete. Strong metal. Every part is setup.

From time to time i like to play videogames. And write about it. Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

WEBSITE: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html ITCHIO: https://dimalink.itch.io/ GAMEJOLT: https://gamejolt.com/@DimaLink/games

BLOGGER: https://dimalinkeng.blogspot.com/

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comfortfoodcontent · 1 year

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1998 Eidos Interactive 3Dfx Magazine Ad

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lmttn · 10 months

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Gabriel Knight 3

Picking up from where my free trial of Twitter left off, here are some truly awful photos of Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1999) running on my Windows 98 machine. Adventure games have always been a blind spot for me, but last year I played through The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery (1995) and it really turned my opinion around on the genre, as I had done so right after playing through a couple of LucasArts adventures that I didn't really dig. While The Beast Within (GK2) was presented via live actors on prerendered backgrounds, Sierra made a proprietary fully 3D adventure engine for GK3, with one of the most bizarre interfaces I have ever experienced in any video game ever. It feels like a simulation of an out-of-body experience. It is like you are playing as a ghost possessing a guy. You really should check out video footage of the game to see what I mean. The game was a commercial flop, and was Sierra's final adventure game. It also had a mixed critical reception, and is mostly remembered for having a puzzle so ridiculous it has its own Wikipedia article. I'm only two chapters in (right before the notorious puzzle in question) but so far I'm invested in its world and story, despite its completely insane interface.

Also, some PC info as an aside: this computer has a Pentium III 800, a 16MB 3dfx Voodoo3 2000 PCI, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 (with EAX support!), 192MB of RAM, a 40GB IDE hard drive whose manufacturer I can't remember off the top of my head, and a CD-ROM drive that refuses to open sometimes. I have a driver installed to enable USB flash drive support, so I usually load ISO images into Daemon Tools instead of wrestling with the optical drive.

#Gabriel Knight #point and click #adventure games #Sierra #Windows 98 #3dfx

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datamattsson · 1 year

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There's so many retro computing posts these days I feel drawn in. Here are nothing less than my actual Matrox Millenium II and Miro HiScore 3D (3Dfx Voodoo 1) graphics setup. I felt it was important I threw these in my scanner back then, for some reason.

#RetroComputing #3Dfx #Matrox #Miro

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analog-punk · 2 years

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Found this in a box of free parts from Boomer marketplace. Glquake here we come!

#3dfx #vintage tech

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techturd · 10 months

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#3dfx #3dfx voodoo #Voodoo 2 #Creative labs #Voodoo blaster #Graphics cards #Pc gaming #Computer gaming #Pc games #Computer games #Voodoo graphics #Witch doctor

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maverickuk · 9 months

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3dfx Voodoo 3 3000 + Noctua NF-A4x10 fan = overclocking

Or at least, it'll run a little cooler and hopefully add a few more years to the old girls life.

It's not that I need to overclock an old video card when I can easily use a newer card if I'd like more performance. It's more that by enhancing the cooling and seeing how much more performance is hidden in the device takes me back to my younger years when it became a way to saving a good chunk of money by investing in a cheaper CPU or video card and then squeezing out more FPS through some TLC.

The Voodoo 3 range runs pretty hot by default and don't feature any active cooling. So back in the day it was fairly common for people to slap on a fan in a basic way in order to try and cool down the card a little.

The Voodoo 3 2000 ran at 143Mhz (GPU & RAM) by default which typically gave it quite a lot of headroom for speeding up. Where as the Voodoo 3 3000 running at 166MHz was normally running close to it's limit. Those with a Voodoo 3 3500 were already at 183MHz and would be unlikely to squeeze much more out.

From research it seems that typically it's the memory on the cards that give out before the GPU. With memory chips being used with speed ratings ranging from 6ns, 5.5ns to even some 5ns. Those with lower ratings having more headroom to run at higher speeds.

So what could I get some my card? First up, let's attach that fan

The stock 3000 heatsink features two little holes at opposite ends which I thought would be perfect to looping a cable tie through. The first one went in without too much difficulty.

Unfortunately with the second I just couldn't squeeze the damn thing through. After much frustration I instead put a screw through the fan and used some pliers to squash the metal of the heatsink onto the thread of the screw.

Not as elegant as I would have liked, but it's held in place securely enough for my needs.

Once in the Pentium III mainboard it fits in nicely and thankfully doesn't hit the PCI header next to the AGP slot (Of course I checked this prior to securing the fan...)

So after all that, how much more performance does this card have to give?

I turned to Unreal, as it was already installed and felt like a suitable game for the era of the hardware and ran a timedemo at 1024x768 and 1280x1024 resolutions

An extra 14MHz gives an additional 6.5% performance at 1024 with a higher 1280 resolution giving a higher 9% uplift. Not earth shattering, but certainly a nice little bonus.

Unfortunately if I pushed the card any further Unreal would get a little psychedelic

Yay for overclocking!

#3dfx #overclocking #voodoo 3 3000 #unreal #benchmark #noctua

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