From the IglesiasTech workbench
Pentium II - BlastBox450
A Pentium II 450 MHz PC, a slow Windows XP startup and plans for a Windows 98 gaming system.
About BlastBox450:
BlastBox450 encapsulates the essence of late-'90s gaming. Built on the renowned Pentium II platform, this rig was once the dream of every gamer and professional. From iconic late-'90s games to Windows 98 tinkering, BlastBox450 offers a true blast from the past.
My Journey with BlastBox450:
Not long after acquiring my P1 computer, I found myself captivated by the idea of a complete Pentium-era collection. With a P3 on hand and a nostalgic P4 I'd built for my parents over two decades ago, the missing link was a Pentium II. While Facebook Marketplace yielded no treasures this time, eBay came to the rescue. A pristine-looking Pentium II, priced at a mere $99 with free shipping, awaited. Considering vintage computer cases alone are going for well over $100, not to mention the steep shipping fees, this felt like a steal.
Upon receiving the package, I was relieved to see FedEx had treated it with care. Yet, the challenge began when I attempted to access its innards—removing the front panel was the unexpected key to unveiling the side screws. A quirk, indeed, but a minor hurdle in the grand scheme of things. Booting it up for the first time, a mix of excitement and slight disappointment washed over me. While the system did power on, it was agonizingly sluggish. And instead of the familiar Windows XP loading screen, I was greeted with an 'OS not found' alert. A restart seemed to momentarily resolve the issue, revealing the promised Windows XP, albeit after a patience-testing 10-minute boot time.
Within XP, the system's lag was palpable. Simple tasks like accessing the taskbar saw the CPU spike alarmingly. And to add to the intrigue, the hard drive wasn't wiped clean—it still harbored remnants of its past in the form of personal files and photos.
Looking ahead, my vision for BlastBox450 is clear. I intend to replace the hard drive, installing Windows 98 as its OS. It will be my portal to the iconic games of 1998, transporting me back to a golden era of gaming.
Upcoming Upgrades:
- Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! Audio CT4780 PCI Sound Card
- Network Card: NETGEAR FA310TX 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet
- Storage Solution: IDE to Sata - 120Gb SSD
- Operating System: Windows 98 SE
- Power Supply: 500 Watt PSU
- External Hardware: External zip drive 100MB
Resources
Starting configuration
- Processor: Intel Pentium II 450MHz
- Motherboard: Intel SE440BX-2, Slot 1
- Memory: 256MB RAM
- Power supply: 350 watt psu
- Operating system: Windows XP