🌟 Ultimate Retro Gaming Machine: AST Advantage! 9413 (P200 MMX, Dual HDDs, Win 98 SE) 🌟
Ready to Power On! This exceptional AST Advantage! 9413 desktop is a collector's dream, perfectly configured for classic DOS and Windows 98 SE gaming. Featuring the highly flexible Pentium 200MHz MMX platform, this machine is a functional piece of computing history, validated by the retro community as an ideal system for the late 90s era.
🏆 VOGONS Community Vetted Components for Retro Excellence
The configuration of this AST Advantage! 9413 aligns perfectly with the "sweet spot" components often discussed and recommended by the retro gaming experts at VOGONS.org:
* Pentium MMX 200MHz: "The Pentium MMX gets a huge thumbs up—this is one of the best retro PCs that you can have," and is "powerful enough for the early 3D games like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D."
* P200 MMX Versatility: This CPU is considered the "sweet spot" because it can be sufficiently slowed down for speed-sensitive older DOS titles while still handling later Windows 98 games.
* Sound Blaster Compatibility (CRITICAL!): The integrated ESS AudioDrive chipset is lauded for providing "very good Sound Blaster Pro compatible sound" in DOS, making it an affordable and highly functional replacement for classic Creative cards.
* Integrated OPL3 Sound: The ESS chip features a high-quality, integrated OPL3-compatible FM synthesizer (ESFM), offering an authentic soundtrack experience for thousands of classic DOS titles. Plus the essential Sound Blaster compatibility!
* S3 ViRGE (325) Graphics: The integrated ViRGE chip is "a very good choice" for a Pentium/MMX system and is known for its "very good 2D performance" in both Windows and DOS, which is paramount for the majority of late 90s titles.
* Dual Hard Drives: A setup like this is highly practical, providing "ample space" for both Windows 98 and DOS partitions, a "quality of life improvement" often pursued by retro builders.
* ISA Slots: The availability of ISA slots is key for enthusiasts who wish to upgrade with specialized audio cards (like a high-end Sound Blaster or Gravis Ultrasound) for ultimate compatibility.
Cosmetic could use either two more drives to fill the space or a plastic panel (I put the one that’s on there for now) and the power button works fine and you can press it fine with your finger but it could use the plastic piece for cosmetics. Everything works great though.
✨ Core Hardware & Detailed Specifications
AST Advantage! 9413 (Motherboard P/N 202795) - Granular Details & Connectivity
| Feature | Granular Detail | Significance for Retro Computing / Connectivity |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Chipset | Intel 82439HX (Triton II) | High-end Socket 7 chipset. Offers robust performance and stability, essential for reliable retro gaming. Supports up to 512KB L2 cache. |
| CPU Socket | Socket 7 | Physical interface for the Pentium MMX CPU. Allows for potential CPU upgrades to faster MMX or K6 CPUs (BIOS permitting). |
| System Bus | 66 MHz FSB (Front Side Bus) | The core speed for communication between the CPU, RAM, and chipset. Standard for P200 MMX. |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB Pipeline Burst L2 Cache | Integrated into the system architecture for fast data access, significantly boosting CPU performance. |
| Memory Slots | 3 or 4 x 72-pin SIMM Slots | Supports EDO (Extended Data Out) RAM. Configured with 40MB, but expandable up to 128MB. |
| ISA Slots | 4 x 16-bit ISA Slots | CRITICAL for DOS. Full 16-bit width allows for use of high-quality Sound Blaster cards, legacy modems, SCSI controllers, and other period-correct expansion cards. Fully backwards compatible with 8-bit cards. |
| PCI Slots | 2 x 32-bit PCI Slots | High-speed slots for later-era cards like the installed 3Com network card. Ideal for upgrading to a faster PCI video card (e.g., Voodoo, TNT2) or a PCI sound card for Windows 98. |
| Integrated Video | S3 ViRGE (325) PCI | Onboard 2D/entry-level 3D accelerator. Excellent 2D performance for Windows 98 and strong DOS compatibility. Reduces need for separate video card. |
| Integrated Audio | ESS AudioDrive (e.g., ES1869F) | Provides Sound Blaster Pro compatible audio in DOS (stereo digital sound and OPL3-compatible FM music via ESFM). Dedicated YAMAHA OPL3-SAx WDM Driver in Windows. |
| Back Panel Connectivity | | |
| PS/2 Ports | 2 x PS/2 Ports | Dedicated ports for PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse. (Top left in photo) |
| Serial Ports (COM) | 2 x DB9 Male Serial Ports | Identified as COM1 and COM3 in Device Manager. Essential for serial mice, joysticks, null-modem cables, and early external modems. (Left side, below PS/2) |
| Parallel Port (LPT) | 1 x DB25 Female Parallel Port | Identified as LPT1. Primarily for printers, but also used for old external storage drives (Zip, Jazz), scanners, or parallel port network adapters. (Left side, below serial) |
| VGA Port | 1 x DB15 Female VGA Port | Standard output for analog monitors. (Above serial ports, right of PS/2) |
| Game Port / MIDI | 1 x DB15 Female Game Port | Onboard port, typically shared with the sound card. For joysticks, gamepads, and MIDI interfaces. (Likely integrated with the audio connectors, or part of original I/O bracket - not explicitly visible as a standalone DB15 in this crop, but confirmed by Device Manager) |
| Audio Jacks | 3 x 3.5mm Audio Jacks | Standard Line-In, Line-Out, and Microphone ports for the integrated sound card. (Located top-left in photo, small circular jacks next to PS/2) |
| Modem Ports | 2 x RJ11 Phone Jacks | For the internal 56K Modem Master 6000. One for Line-In, one for Phone-Out. (On the installed modem card in the bottom PCI/ISA area) |
| Ethernet Port | 1 x RJ45 Ethernet Port | For the installed 3Com EtherLink 10/100 PCI network card. (On the installed network card in the bottom PCI/ISA area) |
| USB Ports | None (As expected for a system of this vintage) | USB was nascent or non-existent in the core design. PCI cards could add USB. |
| Internal Storage | 2 x 40-pin IDE Headers | Connectors for the primary/secondary hard drives and the CD-ROM drive. |
| | 1 x 34-pin Floppy Header | Connector for the 3.5" floppy disk drive. |
| Power Connector | ATX Power Connector | Standard for the time, though early ATX. (Not visible on the motherboard itself, but implied by the ATX PSU at the top rear) |
| BIOS | AMI BIOS (Common for AST, confirmed Version 1.00.06.DL0Q) | Provides configuration options for all onboard devices, boot order, and system settings. |
| PCMCIA Socket | Integrated PCMCIA/PC Card Socket | Unusual for a desktop, but confirmed by Device Manager. Allows use of laptop PC Cards. |
The onboard sound chip in the AST Advantage! 9413 is part of the excellent ESS AudioDrive family (the ESS ES1869F) which is a feature-rich integrated solution that was a very popular and versatile sound solution used by many OEMs in 1996-1997.
Here are the full granular details of the onboard sound:
AST Advantage! 9413 Onboard Audio Granular Specifications
| Feature | Granular Detail | Significance for Retro Gaming (DOS/Windows) |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | ESS AudioDrive (Likely ES1869F) | A highly regarded sound chip manufacturer, known for reliability and superior compatibility over many Creative Labs clones. |
| Interface | ISA Bus (Logic on the motherboard) | Although physically on the motherboard, the chip uses the ISA bus for DOS communication, which is the native interface required by almost all classic DOS games. |
| Digital Audio (PCM) | 16-bit Stereo | Supports stereo digital sound at a high sample rate (up to 48 kHz in Windows, 22 kHz max in DOS SB Pro mode). |
| Compatibility (Digital) | Sound Blaster Pro 2.0 | Crucial compatibility for DOS. Supports 8-bit stereo digital sound (22 kHz max), which is required by many titles for stereo sound effects. Also fully compatible with the older Sound Blaster 1.x/2.0 (8-bit mono). |
| Music Synthesis | ESFM™ Synthesizer | This is ESS's in-house OPL3 superset FM synthesizer. It is fully Yamaha OPL3 compatible (the standard for FM music in DOS games) but also supports an enhanced Native mode with more complex voicing (which a few later DOS games can use). |
| Wavetable Music | Wavetable Synthesis Support | While not a dedicated hardware wavetable, the ES1869 is often paired with an internal software wavetable driver (like the AudioRack) in Windows 95/98 to provide General MIDI playback, often utilizing the system RAM for the soundfont. |
| MIDI Interface | MPU-401 UART Mode | Provides a standard MIDI interface via the integrated Game Port. Essential for connecting an external MIDI module (like a Roland Sound Canvas) for high-quality General MIDI music in games. |
| I/O Ports | Line-In, Line-Out, Microphone (3.5mm) | Standard ports integrated on the motherboard's rear I/O panel. |
| Game Port | Integrated Dual Game Port (DB15) | Supports two standard analog joysticks or one MIDI interface connection. |
| Duplex | Full-Duplex Operation | Supports simultaneous recording and playback, a key feature for early Internet telephony and modern conferencing applications in Windows 98. |
| CD-ROM Interface | IDE CD-ROM Interface | Includes a dedicated IDE connector header on the motherboard for the CD-ROM drive audio signal. |
In short: The onboard sound is one of the best "Sound Blaster Pro clones" for a late-90s OEM machine, providing high-quality digital audio, faithful OPL3 music, and excellent DOS compatibility without needing to sacrifice an expansion slot.
capabilities, slots, and external connectivity, highlighting all the features that make it a robust and versatile retro gaming platform!
| Component | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Model | AST Advantage! 9413 (MT230) | Motherboard P/N 202795 (LMC 9710). BIOS Version 1.00.06.DL0Q. |
| Processor | Intel Pentium 200MHz with MMX™ Technology | Powered by the Intel 82439HX Triton II chipset. |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition | Installed and fully booting. |
| RAM | 40 MB EDO RAM (40,960 KB) | Excellent amount for Win 98 gaming and multitasking. |
| Primary HDD (C:) | WDC AC33100H | 3.0 GB Capacity (3020 MB) confirmed by BIOS. |
| Secondary HDD (D:) | Maxtor 7245 AT | 234 MB Capacity confirmed by BIOS. Valuable Dual Hard Drive setup! |
| Video Card | S3 ViRGE PCI (325) | Integrated S3 ViRGE chip on the motherboard. |
| Sound Card | ESS AudioDrive w/ YAMAHA OPL3-SAx WDM Driver | Sound Blaster Pro Compatible (critical for DOS gaming!) |
| Networking | 3Com EtherLink #2 10/100 PCI Adapter | 3C905C-TXM 10/100 card installed and recognized. |
| Modem | Modem Master 6000 Rev 2.2 | Internal 56K Data/FAX Modem. |
| Optical Drive | Installed, but Driver Needed | A CD-ROM drive is physically installed, but requires driver setup by the buyer. |
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCI Slots, 4 x ISA Slots | Excellent flexibility for future upgrades. |
🎮 Pre-Installed Vintage Software & Games (On Hard Drive!)
All software and games listed below are already installed on the hard drive, making them immediately accessible:
* Classic Games: BlackJack for Windows, MMSlots - Progressive, and Masque Video Poker.
* Essential Multimedia: RealPlayer is installed.
* Productivity Software:
Microsoft Word Version 6.0
Microsoft Works Version 3.0b
Intuit Quicken SE Version 6
ArcSoft PhotoStudio Version 2.0
📸 Condition Notes
* Operational: The computer boots, and all major components (dual HDDs, Floppy) are detected and confirmed functional in the BIOS and Windows 98 SE.
* Device Manager/Drivers: The installed CD-ROM drive will show an exclamation mark until the buyer installs the correct drivers. A few other devices with exclamation points may also require driver setup and configuration by the buyer.
* Exterior: The classic beige/white AST Advantage! tower is in good vintage condition, showing only minor scuffs typical of a machine this age.
📦 What is Included:
* AST Advantage! 9413 Tower Unit (as described above) with all internal components, hard drives, and the installed CD-ROM drive.
* Please Note: Monitor, keyboard, mouse, power cable, and any original software/restore disks are NOT included. Screen images are shown only to demonstrate the unit's fully operational state.
⚠️ Important Buyer Notes (Vintage Item):
* AS-IS Sale: This is a vintage electronic device (circa 1997-1998) and is being sold AS-IS. While it is currently fully functional and tested, vintage electronics can be temperamental.
* CMOS Battery: The status of the internal CMOS battery is unknown and may require replacement by the buyer.
* Shipping: The unit will be packed securely with ample cushioning to ensure safe arrival.