Turning a compact Compaq Deskpro EN into a Windows 98 Gaming PC
Posted by DevWithZachary@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 13 comments
finally finished working on my Compaq Deskpro EN build. I wanted to see if I could make a truly capable Windows 98 machine in a small form factor without sacrificing too much performance.
Specs:
- CPU: Pentium 3 1GHz
- RAM: 256MB
- GPU: GeForce FX 5200 128MB PCI
- Sound: Sound Blaster SB0060
- Storage: 32GB CF Card (via IDE adapter)
I tested it with Duke Nukem 3D, C&C Red Alert, and Half Life. It is more than powerful enough for these games, but the airflow in this compact case is definitely a struggle. It gets very hot after long sessions, so a cooling mod is definitely in the works for the next video.
Full video here:
YouTube:https://youtu.be/gq_pBDOTGX0
PeerTube:https://tube.devwithzachary.com/w/oq1Xreihd8szezRJZizd89
RetinaJunkie@reddit
Compaq defined Bloat as we know it today
Professional_Hat1916@reddit
Watching your vid... I got why no geforce4... No agp. And what about a 3dfx voodoo3 2000 PCI? That would make your build better, and if not better cooler :) 😎
mrgoodcat777@reddit
I also have a deskpro en. I noticed excessive heat and found that the power supply fan was not turning on. It was not getting voltage, so I wired the fan to another source and it powers on now. Since then there has been no problem with overheating.
DevWithZachary@reddit (OP)
Good heads up, I think the fan is working in mine as air is moving...but its very possibly not working as well as it should. Either way it will be my first point of upgrade
Professional_Hat1916@reddit
How much did you pay for that fine deskpro?
DevWithZachary@reddit (OP)
Picked it up for £75 on Ebay
Professional_Hat1916@reddit
£75? That was cheap... Wow. Good find
Professional_Hat1916@reddit
The video is not available...
DevWithZachary@reddit (OP)
Fixed the hyperlink
Professional_Hat1916@reddit
Thank you.
Professional_Hat1916@reddit
This is a weak windows 98 Gaming PC buddy. The fx5200? Why not a GeForce4 TI 4200? It's better. And only 256mb? Why not going for the 512mb, the max allowed by W98 without mods?the CF card could be swapped by a SSD with a sata to ide converter, getting better performance and no noise. Saying thati still love that Compaq Desktop N line. They look so cool.
DevWithZachary@reddit (OP)
Was very limited by what cards I could find that are PCI, and found the fx5200 new sealed for £35 so was an easy choice. Will most likely upgrade the RAM in team but didnt feel the need right now. CF card made sense for me so I could easily swap out OS's for future projects. Plus Italy a mod I've not done before.
crabpoweredcoalmine@reddit
There's not much point to 512MB RAM for W98, nothing really uses that much, and certainly nothing you're able to run with that FX5200. With some configs you only get problems by maxing RAM anyway.
Regarding the GPU: the FX is slightly less compatible as a later card, but depending on what you're using it for you might not encounter any issues. Also depends on how much DOS you're planning to do, and what you're planning to run. Ultima 7 will be bumpy in places with Nvidia GPUs starting with the Rivas (perfect with S3 cards, if you can stand the picture quality), but an even bigger issue there is the CPU.
What I'm trying to say is that there is no perfect config. It's ALL a trade-off. Maxing it out per OS and hardware limitations cuts you off from possibilities same as deliberately limiting yourself. Best to just tweak as needed.