This system comes to use when it fits the hardware being tested and represents (in its "default" configuration) a capable 3D retrogaming PC, without being top tier. It doesn't bottleneck most DX6.1 GPUs (as long as the resolution ist 1024x768 or higher) and is also still suitable for DX7 graphics cards.
Another benefit of the Slot 1 platform is the possibility to scale CPU performance from a Celeron Covington clocked 133 MHz all the way to a 1400 MHz Tualeron. But its default config is as follows:
Hardware:
- Asus P3B-F Rev. 1.04 (Intel i440BX)
- Intel Pentium !!! 850 MHz (8,5x100) @ MSI Slotket
- Infineon 256MB PC133 CL3 @ PC100 CL2 2-2-X
- Western Digital Caviar WD400BB 40GB
- Creative Soundblaster 128 PCI
- 3Com Fast Etherlink XL PCI
Software:
- Windows 98SE
- Unofficial Servicepack 2.1d
- DirectX 8.1
- Intel INF 3.20.1008
- Creative -some version from my fileserver-
To make sure that all results are correct and stay comparable even if further cards are added to a comparison that this system was used for, I restore a completely configured OS image before I test a new card. To make things easier to handle, I stored the image on the second partition and added the software Drive Image 3.0 to the Windows 98SE startup menu:
