My Windows XP Dream Machine
Posted by realLudoKresshh@reddit | retrobattlestations | View on Reddit | 70 comments
Well, I took a lot of your guys’ advice and built a futuristic retro XP rig! I started this one about 2 weeks ago and it’s been quite the journey finding all these parts! I’m still on the hunt for a proper front panel fan controller and I’m seeking out an Ultra X Connect 2 PSU. I found an original X Connect sealed but I’m having to use adapters to get the 8800 GT to work and I’m running 20 pin versus 24. If anyone here has an X2, please let me know! I really want to build these retro rigs for other people because I love it so much.
Send me your best “overkill” responses! xD
Parts list (WIP:)
ASUS M2N-E
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+
4GB Corsair XMS2 DDR2 RAM
XFX Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT Alpha Dog Edition
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Evercool Transformer 4 CPU cooler
Ultra X Connect chrome 500w PSU
Evercool all aluminum fans
Lian Li clone aluminum case
Logysis UV lamps
weedkingX8@reddit
Love the build homie looks sick
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Thank you! 🤙🏼
timohawk@reddit
That's incredible, I would love to see a YouTube video with some gaming and the specs.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
I plan on making one soon! I’m getting a new desk this week and moving everything around :)
Mysterious_Bear3@reddit
Those are some very cool early modular PSU cables! Op might want to be mindful of how much life the psu might have left. I feel that that brand died along with the death of TigerDirect years ago?
red_dub@reddit
Now I regret asking my working 8800gtx
festivus4restof@reddit
I have an ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 + FX-8320 packed away that was retired five years ago. Only thing wrong with it is one pin in the internal USB 3.0 front panel header broke off so only one USB 3.0 front panel port works.
Calm_Apartment1968@reddit
They should never have given up on DVD/RW and Floppy drives!
festivus4restof@reddit
SATA DVD burners are still available new for less than US$40, or external using USB 3.0 even (not that it benefits anything).
jurdendurden@reddit
I mean, we cod at least have a modern zip drive
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Agreed!
andmind@reddit
Insane build
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Thank you!!
Hychus232@reddit
I love everything about this. What you have built can only be described as a piece of art!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate that. :)
Smack2k@reddit
No joke, that looks incredibly well done. You can go all the way to the GeForce 960 and have NVIDIA XP Drivers for it.....The 8800 is a really good card as well for your setup. What is that controller on the front of the case?
crashprime@reddit
A few inf tweaks in the nvidia driver (just add a single line for each card) and a 980ti or Titan X will work too.
Smack2k@reddit
I was not aware of that...thanks for the info!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Thank you and absolutely! That’s a nexus fan controller. I ordered it thinking it was a 5.25 bay drive 🫠
Smack2k@reddit
I thought that was a lit up panel all around it in the 5.25"bay. That is looking inside the case....picture played tricks on me!!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Hahahaha that was the goal since it’s janky 🤪
Gammarevived@reddit
Wow a working 8800GT. I'm surprised.
SubcommanderMarcos@reddit
Are they prone to dying?
Gammarevived@reddit
The 8000 and 9000 series have defective GPUs just like what the Xbox 360 suffered from.
mach32@reddit
Except late 55nm G92B 9800s, they are fine
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Yep. I have a XFX GTX 260 Black Edition on standby when it dies.
Capital_Gear7192@reddit
Yes the 8800 series die a lot
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
I gutted one to get this one working lol
jf7333@reddit
It looks awesome.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Thank you!
23027@reddit
My favorite style of case! The coloured acrylic face and drive bay covers are so cool to me!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
I love that style too it turned out so well and thank you!
BtotheVV86@reddit
Love the way this looks. Very nice build
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Thank you!!
CastorTroy45@reddit
Great build! Check performance-pcs.com for a fan controller. They have so much new old stock products. I just bought 2 lamptron 5.25 bay fan controllers for my xp builds. I also recall they had a silver lian li controller instock. Good luck!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Ahhh you’re right thank you so much!!
ts316@reddit
Love the look of those single slot XFX GPUs!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Me too!
tux16090@reddit
Your MOBO and GPU are Vista era, so I'd step back to an Nforce 4 and GeForce 79xx for the an "authentic" XP machine. If you don't care about the years as much, why not go to a c2d e8600 and a gtx280 or something? That should be near peak XP gaming performance.
sa547ph@reddit
When Vista was released, its system requirements were absurdly huge -- and therefore expensive -- at a time when most PCs were using 256mb to 1gb of memory, and kids were contented with playing Red Alert 2 and Counterstrike on XP, even using onboard graphics.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
It’s a hodge podge of parts. 2005-2009 parts. They all fit well.
66659hi@reddit
A lot of people skipped Vista and kept XP until around Win7-Win7 SP1 era, so it's still XP era to me.
schubaltz@reddit
You must be fun in parties huh. The Asus M2N-E came out in May 2026. Same with the Athlon X2 4800+ (Windsor). When was Windows Vista released again?
tux16090@reddit
I'm the life of the party. I didnt realize the board doesnt release until next month, or maybe 2026 is a typo. I thought I saw Feb 07 for the board. If its May 06, I stand corrected on the board, but the 8800 gt is very much a Vista card.
Obviously it doesn't really matter, but if I were going for an "ultimate" XP PC, it would either be the best supported, or the best of the era, hence my comment. I'm not trying to rain on any parade here, just giving my feedback.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
My board is rev. 1.02G so October-ish 2006?
Mafiatounes@reddit
Slick Xp build, like to see some AM2 love as well. Some WD 10k raptors in raid would be nice.
I have a M2N-SLI board with 64X2 6000+ i need to finish in a build soon, missing some sli gpu's still.
Gr8fulFox@reddit
You should use those SATA ports and clone your IDE drive to a modern SSD; XP would fly with that setup!
AutomaticAffect4333@reddit
You could say it's... More than meets the eye
coalinjo@reddit
Its amazing how XP has tons of support to run such powerful hardware for its era.
66659hi@reddit
I've run XP on sandy bridge hardware!
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
It really is amazing. I am dual booting 7 with it as well.
heartlessphil@reddit
Beautiful rig. Damn I miss those single slot, reasonably-sized gpus...
MasterJeebus@reddit
Thats awesome.
RetroApollo@reddit
Man! My build from my teenage years is almost this exact thing - I posted about it a while ago. Neat to see another XFX 8800GT in the wild.
Posted about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/s/lu7ugKxsif
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Wow love that case!! Great build!!
RetroApollo@reddit
Haha dang, yeah I got this card new and basically built the entire PC around it. It was such a beast for the price at the time.
Originally only had a single core 3700+ but upped to this 3800 X2 when it came out and I heard it overclocked well. Definitely fun tinkering in those days. I need to get it running again.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Good memories. Get it running! Games from that era play best on their hardware!
tyttuutface@reddit
Those cables are insane! Love it!
schubaltz@reddit
Where did you find one?
tyttuutface@reddit
Just searched "ultra x connect" on eBay. There are a few other new in box units up right now. Only cost me about $60.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Hell yes they are awesome
schubaltz@reddit
The build is beautiful. The kind of sort I used to dream watching it on computer magazines back in the day. That power supply too. A thing of beauty. Good thing its still working? Is that new old?
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Me too. And yep it’s new old. Caps looked good and ran it over with my multimeter. 👍🏼
meesersloth@reddit
notbad.jpg
DegenerateCuber@reddit
Those fans are sick
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
They are and they’re so heavy
ddrfraser1@reddit
Oh whoopee another PC on PC master race… Whoa, what sub am I in?! All right! Fuck, yeah! Seriously, nice build man.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
😂😂😂 thank you
ECEXCURSION@reddit
I had those exact same silver rounded IDE/FDD cables back in the day. Same sound card too. Classy.
realLudoKresshh@reddit (OP)
Awesome and thank you! They’re very neat cables.