This listing is for a Mid-Tower ATX Pentium III Vintage PC for Windows 98 and MS-DOS. With a fast Pentium III 1 GHz processor and NVIDIA AGP graphics, this retro-friendly computer allows you to run most games from the Windows 98 and MS-DOS eras (early 90s to early 2000s) with high resolutions and smooth FPS.

This unit is also compatible with legacy software and software that needs access to legacy ports.

After restoration, this machine is now in very good condition. All components were cleaned and tested. Some, like the case, were treated for corrosion and repainted. I devoted many hours bringing this PC back to like and tried my best to make this build as good as any new PC from the late 90s. I hope you can enjoy this PC as much as I did building it!

Hardware

Please note that the listing is just for the computer and it's internal components. Monitor, mouse, keyboard, or any other accessories used for testing, mentioned or not in the description, are not included. Please read below.

The YMF724 gives you 3D sound, supporting EAX, A3D and Sensaura technologies, which is great for late era Windows 98 games. It's also compatible with the Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 and AdLib, featuring a genuine Yamaha FM OPL3 implementation. Your classic MS-DOS games will sound just like they were being played with AdLib or Sound Blaster sound cards from back in the day. The card provides General MIDI Compatibility for DOS games launched from inside Windows. You can also plug a MIDI device to the Joystick port.

If you want to play old speed sensitive games, then you can reduce the system performance by disabling the cache in the BIOS and/or by using DOS tools like cpuspd, throttle or setmul. Games like Wing Commander, The Secret of Monkey Island and even Descent will benefit from slowing down the CPU.

Because the YMF724 provides Sound Blaster and AdLib compatibility in hardware, you can slow down the machine without crippling the audio (unlike what happens with sound cards that offer Sound Blaster emulation via software).

Serial/RS232 ports were tested with a serial mouse and they work. The USB, PS2 and Joystick ports were also tested and all work.

This PC was tested under Windows 98 and MS-DOS 7.1 for 10+ hours.

Software

This PC comes prepared for Windows 98 SE English, DirectX 8.1 and MS-DOS 7.1. You can find all utilized drivers (chipset, usb, graphics, audio, etc.) in the unit hard-disk. It also comes with shareware/free/demo games installed and additional utilities: 7 Zip, CPU-Z, Everest, Daemon Tools, etc. Via a shortcut in the Desktop, you can easily launch MS-DOS with CD-ROM, mouse and sound drivers loaded. From my experience with this machine, this is a very compatible computer. The vast majority of games will run, even though you may find some troublemakers. I've tested Half Life, Unreal, Unreal Tournament 1999, Thief II, Expendable, Doom I and II, Duke Nukem 3D, Prince of Persia 1 and 2, Blood, Lemmings, Tomb Raider I and II, Rune, Crystal Caves, Dune, Commander Keen, Dyna Blaster, The Secret of Monkey Island, Wing Commander, among others. Note that, several DOS games require you to jump into MS-DOS mode in order to run them without issues.

Condition

This is a used item which was cleaned and restored and is now in very good condition. You may still find small signs of usage here and there. For example, there is some wear on the IO ports and the metal cover of the PSU clearly shows that this is a used item. From most angles, though, the machine looks like a new PC.

Both the case frame and cover were treated for corrosion and then spray painted. The front bezel was also spray painted to match the case cover. Please refer to the pictures. Fresh thermal grease was applied to the CPU and the BIOS battery was replaced.

The motherboard looks in good condition without bent pins or bulging/leaking capacitors. The same can be said of the PSU, which outputs good voltage signals (as measured with a multimeter).

Return Policy

This unit and all components were thoroughly tested and were completely functional at the time of shipping. Being vintage items with old parts, no warranty applies. This is sold as-is. No returns accepted.

Please Take Note Of The Following Before Buying

  1. This listing is just for the PC. No keyboard, mouse, monitor, cables, power cords or any other equipment or material is included.
  2. The parallel port wasn't tested (don't have the equipment to test it). But it shows in the device manager without issues so I presume it's working.
  3. The PSU has a 110V/230V switch. Being in Europe, I've only tested the 230V operating voltage.
  4. The RESET button is non-functional (doesn't do anything). The motherboard doesn't feature a reset header, so the button was left unconnected.
  5. The onboard audio chip was disabled in the BIOS. I didn't even test it. This bundle comes with a Sound Blaster Pro compatible sound card, which offers much better compatibility with DOS games. Connect audio cables and joystick to the appropriate connectors on the back of the YMF724 sound card.
  6. Regarding DOS games, from my experience with this PC, the games that I played usually run better when launched in MS-DOS mode. For this reason, I created a desktop icon to launch MS-DOS and load the YMF724, mouse and DVD/CD-ROM drivers (to get back to Windows 98, just type "win" or "exit" at the command prompt). Also note that for a minority of games you may also have to fiddle around with memory configurations and/or CPU speeds to run them correctly.
  7. Windows 98 and MS-DOS are old and sometimes unreliable and unsecure operating systems. As with all computers of that era, crashes and incompatibilities will occur. Most software and games will run, but you may encounter incompatibilities and vulnerabilities. That's just how it is.

International Buyers

  1. This item is shipped from Portugal. Buyers from outside the European Union must be aware that import charges may apply. I'm not responsible for any customs or import duties/taxes that you may incur. Not all countries will be subject to import charges, but, in doubt, please check with your local authorities before buying.
  2. Shipping for non-EU countries: I take no responsability if an item gets retained or is blocked in customs due to whatever reason. You take full responsability for importing an item into your country/economic zone. When I ship an item, I provide the authorities with all necessary information that is demanded for a private sale. That includes contents, price and shipping costs.
  3. Every shipped item is packed in a sturdy package, with lots of bubble wrap and other padding materials. I take no responsibility for damaged items during shipping.
  4. Every item is shipped uninsured. If you want shipping insurance provided by the carrier, please contact me to get a shipping quote with insurance.