Yes, it's 256MB.
Yes, it's 256MB.
the system has a 512mb ram cap for installing the OS, but after applying a patch it can handle 1gb. modified drivers allow more flexibility. hacked drivers might work better. some users with 98 on modern hardware using 16gb ram succeeded. i’m unsure if I should proceed. installing pcie gpus and 98 seems challenging. i think we need to investigate why it’s a pain point. from what i found, there appear to be missing files in the video drivers. swapping drivers can help partially, but full installs often fail. when using proper drivers, checking the NVIDIA folder for necessary files is key. it seems the new gpu drivers won’t auto-activate and stick to generic ones—disabling them might fix it. i have an mb with 98se drivers, but it seems to cause more issues. possibly the issue lies in that specific memory size. it’s unclear whether performance differences exist between quad-core, dual-core, or single-core processors, or compared to an am2 cpu. edited June 29, 2021 by thrasher_565
All 98 cares focuses on a single central processor that essentially lacks multi-core support. A dual-core e8400, for example, performs significantly better than what was available at the time of 98 SE. You won't encounter major software performance problems with these processors, though you shouldn't expect much beyond Windows 98 itself.
uncertain if it's 1000X stronger. comparing single-core options: Phenom II X4 3.5 out Pro vs Core 2 Quad Q9650 Pro vs Core 2 Duo E8600. a single-core Phenom II X4 would likely perform similarly to a P4 3.8 core, while the other two might offer better performance. edited June 29, 2021 by thrasher_565
Right now you should focus on single-core speed and overall performance. While a passmark with flaws is still solid, it offers a decent collection of libraries. The Q9650 or Phenom II X4 stand out as top choices. Remember, software designed for older hardware has its boundaries. Back then, game engines were tightly limited, and achieving high FPS often required less powerful CPUs. Many games would struggle if pushed too hard.
i was checking passemark and saw that 6800 gt was quicker than the 6800 ultra, so i’m confused... probably all those sites are a bit off. honestly, 300 fps isn’t great and back then you only got about 25fps... but more is better. i don’t play dos games, so it doesn’t matter much. red alert was an issue if the pc ran too fast, but there were programs to slow it down with a click. maybe i’m overthinking it and should be happy with a pcie 6800, e8600 ddr2 mb. i read about people doing drag races (like clocking and 3dmark scores), but why did they go for 98se? eventually they were getting faster hardware... in the end, people were hitting 80k scores, which was pretty impressive—haha, i thought it was around 17k.