Currently working on restoring a Pentium 70 class NEC I found at an estate sale. Looking to give it a Sound Blaster of some kind. Seemed like the cheapest easiest way to go was a simple SB16 PCI since it has PCI slots, but the system requirements of those cards seem to indicate that a 133mhz Pentium or faster is required and windows 98SE. Would it really not work on something slightly older? The ISA SB16 cards seem to support older hardware?
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Sound Blaster Support
- Thread starter Benson86
- Start date
Agent Orange
Veteran Member
Where did you find a spec claiming to need a 133Mhz Pentium? Minimum requirement for W98SE is a 486DX/66Mhz. SB16 PCI just needs the appropriate driver set.
There’s several for sale on eBay that still have their boxes. Was just quoting what’s on the side of the boxes, I thought it might not be correct though.
The card itself will work as long as the PCI slots have the required specs. The system requirements are for the included software only.
I would not recommend a PCI sound card if you want to use it mainly for DOS. The SB16 PCI is actually crap anyway. It's a rebranded Ensoniq AudioPCI with no Sound Blaster or Adlib compatibility (only emulated via software).
Get a Vibra 16 ISA instead. These are cheap and perfectly fine for DOS.
I would not recommend a PCI sound card if you want to use it mainly for DOS. The SB16 PCI is actually crap anyway. It's a rebranded Ensoniq AudioPCI with no Sound Blaster or Adlib compatibility (only emulated via software).
Get a Vibra 16 ISA instead. These are cheap and perfectly fine for DOS.
Advice received, I will do that, thanks!!
keenerb
Veteran Member
An ES688F or ES1868F card is a phenomenal replacement for a Soundblaster/SBPRO and you can probably find a few in the $20 range on Facebook Marketplace.
True, but given it's a Pentium and these ESS cards won't do SB16, he would be stuck with 8-bit sound in DOS. So getting a Vibra 16 ISA is the better option, as these are just as cheap anyway and he can enjoy much better sound in later DOS games.
Some sound blaster vibra 16 have real Yamaha chips on them too, so if you find one of those it should sound just like a “real” sound blaster.
Of course I’m not sure I’d be able to tell the difference unless I heard them at the same time, because I was never much of a gamer so I don’t have expectations of what it should sound like.
Of course I’m not sure I’d be able to tell the difference unless I heard them at the same time, because I was never much of a gamer so I don’t have expectations of what it should sound like.
maxtherabbit
Veteran Member
the vibras without real yahama chips for FM sound like absolute garbage
quality FM is far more important than 16-bit PCM for DOS
quality FM is far more important than 16-bit PCM for DOS
maxtherabbit
Veteran Member
This is honestly the best advice
ESFM is good, and bug-free DOS Sbpro support > 16bit PCM with single cycle DMA clicking or ringing
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twolazy
Veteran Member
Not all Vibras are CQM only... Some actually have the Yamaha OPL3 as well. Look for CT2940s.... Some have it some dont. Its middle of the card, a square chip. If you see a chip there , you are good to go. 
Here is the area to look for when looking at CT2940s...
They are great cards, no hanging note bug, clean PCM, and no DMA clicking like most rest the Vibra line. I have mine in a PC or I take a pic of one with OPL3. I use that and a Goldfinch AWE32 upgrade card. For DOS gaming, bout as good as it gets without spending a fortune on say a GUS and GUS Ace wavetable upgrade card.
Real OPL3 or bust! But thats just my opinion. ESS cards are great cards compared to most the SB16 line. But I always felt they sounded off, like they have some weird fake 3D surround sound turned on. Also ESS cards have their woes as well, say Xcom. They will skip like crazy if you have any CPU internal cache turned on. Just my 2 cents.
Here is the area to look for when looking at CT2940s...
They are great cards, no hanging note bug, clean PCM, and no DMA clicking like most rest the Vibra line. I have mine in a PC or I take a pic of one with OPL3. I use that and a Goldfinch AWE32 upgrade card. For DOS gaming, bout as good as it gets without spending a fortune on say a GUS and GUS Ace wavetable upgrade card.
Real OPL3 or bust! But thats just my opinion. ESS cards are great cards compared to most the SB16 line. But I always felt they sounded off, like they have some weird fake 3D surround sound turned on. Also ESS cards have their woes as well, say Xcom. They will skip like crazy if you have any CPU internal cache turned on. Just my 2 cents.
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maxtherabbit
Veteran Member
Don't the vibras substitute a wierd ringing sound for the click on single cycle DMA?
Anonymous Coward
Veteran Member
Did you hear a little ringy dingy?
On the ESS cards, even if you don't have SB16 compatibility, you can still use WSS which is 16-bit. From what I understand the 16-bit samples used in a lot of games were of very low quality anyway. Some of the clone cards were pretty solid. I second ESS.