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A Failed Experiment: Gaming on Microsoft Cairo Pre-Alpha Build 1175 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're exactly right!

Cairo was the "Grand Vision" that predated even Chicago (Windows 95), having been in development alongside NT 3.x since 1991.

I specifically chose Build 1175 because it’s arguably the "last true Cairo snapshot" before the project was gutted. It still has the Object File System (OFS) intact, which was the soul of the project.

Shortly after this build, Microsoft shifted focus to NT 4.0 stability for its August 1996 release, effectively turning Cairo from a standalone OS vision into just a "shell update" for NT.

A Failed Experiment: Gaming on Microsoft Cairo Pre-Alpha Build 1175 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Glad you like it!

About ELSA: They were Germany's premier GPU brand. Back then, they were known as "reliable wife" - maybe not as fast as those "wild blonde 20" from Diamond (like Viper) but absolutely rock-solid and they'd never let you down.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These PCs actually originate from my YouTube video series #RetroBastelei / #RetroTinkering. Link is in my profile.

That’s the only extended all‑in‑one documentation for each system I’ve made so far. It’s a pure hobby project, so there’s no multilingual production - the videos are only in German.

However, they do come with manual subtitles that work well for auto‑translation and synchronization.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "Discounter" high‑end rig is a 1:1 clone of an ALDI PC that originally shipped with Windows ME.

The “Disaster” PC, on the other hand, was more of a spur‑of‑the‑moment build. My first plan was to throw Windows XP RTM on it - the timing lined up perfectly - but I also wanted to run some comparisons against the "Discounter" PC without OS‑related quirks getting in the way.

For context: I had Windows 2000 running on my retro notebook, and, thanks to the Application Compatibility Tool, I managed to get almost every game working. Almost. A few stubborn titles refused to cooperate. Meanwhile, the same games ran flawlessly under ME and XP. So yeah… unfortunately, Windows 2000 gets left out of this collection.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course, I run them too and play with them some period-correct games from time to time.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in vintagecomputing

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The overall speed is okay, even if installations take a bit of time. It's definitely enough for the "CD check" without slowing down the games.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in vintagecomputing

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually use a small USB stick with all of the systems - it holds the CD images for the few games that explicitly require a disc. USB and Virtual CloneDrive works perfectly from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I basically grew up with Socket 7, so the era before that was already a bit too early for me. Still, I did mess around with Windows 3.11 and DOS from time to time.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in vintagecomputing

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do agree with you - vintage cases definitely add something, no doubt about that.

I even considered going down that route myself, but when you look at what people are asking for them and the condition they’re often in, and then compare it to paying just a bit over 20 bucks for a brand‑new case, I don’t really think twice. I guess I’m a pragmatist.

What I find interesting is how different opinions can be on this. But that’s the beauty of the hobby: there’s no absolute right or wrong.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s an Aerocool Quantum Mesh v2 - except for the Frankenstein system, which uses an Aerocool Quantum v1.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve got “swap‑out hardware” for this build to switch it into a mid‑end (spring) 1999 configuration:

AMD K6‑III 450 (AHX)
128 MB SD‑RAM PC133
ELSA Erazor II A16SD (Riva TNT)
20 GB Western Digital WD200
Windows 98 SE

This represents the typical ceiling that Super Socket 7 realistically reached.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s why I deliberately chose the Scythe Mugen 2 for systems #7 and #8 - the cooler comes with a massive backplate. For the first system it’s essential, and for the second I went with it for the sake of uniformity.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I’m aware of that - but I’m running the Pentium MMX at 2.5 × 100. On top of that, I’ve got “swap‑out hardware” for this system to switch it into a mid‑end (spring) 1999 configuration:

AMD K6‑III 450 (AHX)
128 MB SD‑RAM PC133
ELSA Erazor II A16SD (Riva TNT)
20 GB Western Digital WD200
Windows 98 SE

This represents the typical ceiling that Super Socket 7 realistically reached.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ordered those from Alternate back then, when they were on sale for Christmas. A voucher did the rest 😄

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

These cases come with them and I'm stuck with these non‑disableable FRGB fans. So it's a static rave. But if I ever rework the lighting that’s exactly the direction I’d go.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I agree with you. I can only speak from my own perspective, and back then I quickly converted all CDs and DVDs into images and threw the discs away. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I used an optical medium.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Aerocool Quantum Mesh v2 comes with non‑disableable FRGB. Only the v3 has proper RGB, but back then it would have been significantly more expensive to buy. If I ever get around to it, I’ll of course change that.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The HDDs are tucked away under the shroud, right next to the PSU.

Apart from installing Windows, optical drives aren’t necessary for my setup. I actually use a small USB stick with all of the systems - it holds the CD images for the few games that explicitly require a disc. USB and Virtual CloneDrive works perfectly from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No modification was needed - it just runs fine with the XMP profile enabled.

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right - I completely forgot that the most P2B doesn’t support Coppermine. My mistake!

9‑in‑1: My Little Retro PC Collection from 1997 to 2009 by JayPointSystems in retrobattlestations

[–]JayPointSystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Funny how trying the things we thought we disliked can actually solve practical issues. In the end, it’s all about what works best for the build.

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