For anyone attempting this in the future, Snappy Driver Installer Origin is the key - I use it whenever I'm trying to get an obscure piece of hardware running on Windows. I'm not sure if it has the iGPU driver because I installed that first, but it installed everything else automatically, except the COM ports (it has drivers for them but they don't install correctly and disappear on reboot).
Never had a PC when I was younger so a lot of classic pc games passed me by! Although at college we did have Duke Nukem deathmatches in the computer suite! After watching this, I think I might have to take a look at classic pc gaming.
I did a similar thing with some wyse r90lw thin clients. I used to keep an old pc around for vintage games, but by 2019 or so I was concerned about the remaining useful life of hardware made a couple decades ago. The thin clients I found were running the embedded standard version of XP so they played ball with the old programs I was intending to run on them. I'm sure there are likely ways to get all that stuff to run on a modern pc, I'm too set in my ways and out of date in my computer knowledge to make that happen. It's just easy for me to have a dedicated set up for it.
There's actually a later version of this model (z90d7 I believe) that bumps up the CPU to a 1.65 GHZ processor and the graphics from HD 6310 to 6320, the graphics upgrade of which gives about a 20% boost to its benchmark. That makes this the fastest XP-compatible thin client I've ever tested.
@@Fahrenheit38 That totally depends on what you're using it for. For a basic box, the Wyse vx0 line of thin clients is fully Windows 98 compatible. For something capable of 3d gaming, the HP T5710 comes to mind. In both instances, you'll need to upgrade the tiny little disk-on-modules that come pre-installed.
@@bmwolgas these are cheap enough I'd like to grab a few to cover as many bases as possible. Maybe even use it to save some wear and tear on my p3 and p4 gaming computers that I currently use for 98 and xp
@@Fahrenheit38 There's some great videos on youtube for both of these, including even the DOS capabilities of the T5710. Just search for HP T5710 or Wyse v90LE and they should be easy to find.
I recently started building a library of MS-DOS games that can be run through RetroPie/Emulation Station using DOSBox. I've created a launcher that makes it easy to either launch the game executable or launch the setup executable that many of those old games came with. I've dropped in games like the Commander Keen series, Descent, Duke Nukem, Doom, Wolfenstein, etc. It's been a lot of fun to go back and play some of them. Anyway, thanks for the rundown on this project. I've been thinking about doing something similar for quite some time.
Thank-you. I got my Wyse Z90D7 up and running using this guide. I installed 8GB RAM and a 1TB hard disk. There is no itemised list of drivers in the video or text, but I just had my finger on the pause button and made notes of each driver you installed. I disabled the com1 & 2 ports as they weren't doing anything anyway. It's perfect for DOS, W98 and XP era games. I even did a W10 partition and can run Windows 10 (all drivers installed automatically!) for modern games, surfing and YT on this amazing little computer.
Funny, I do tech support for these at my ob. :P I wonder if there's anything that can be done to make it a little flashier... Maybe a paintjob and some RGB gamer fans? Ehehe... :P Bet it'd pair well with an xBox controller! Would be nice to get some kind of couch-able game launcher running on it too, I'd try Steam but Steam doesn't support XP anymore (won't support 7 either next year...) and I'm not sure any older versions of Steam had Big Picture mode.
if you find some other couch-game launcher id be interested. Only in-between is like a mouse-to-joystick software that still makes couch use clunky until your in-game.
I bought a couple of d90d7 (the smaller and little slower version of this) for retrogaming on windows xp. I read online that xp isn't ideal for ssd, so i also bought an 2.5 hdd. You had any issues with that ssd? And about driver can you explain where to find them?
I didnt have any issues with XP using built-in drivers, but these SSDs i am using are 60GB and manufactured around~2012... try updating to SP3 and maybe you will get lucky.
@@RetroBuiltGames Fantastic! At the minute I have another thin client PC that has a lot of problems with the built in sound card, so while it's on 98 it can't really play normal DOS games, and the specs are a bit too low to run DOSBox!
For anyone attempting this in the future, Snappy Driver Installer Origin is the key - I use it whenever I'm trying to get an obscure piece of hardware running on Windows. I'm not sure if it has the iGPU driver because I installed that first, but it installed everything else automatically, except the COM ports (it has drivers for them but they don't install correctly and disappear on reboot).
thanks for the tip!
Never had a PC when I was younger so a lot of classic pc games passed me by! Although at college we did have Duke Nukem deathmatches in the computer suite! After watching this, I think I might have to take a look at classic pc gaming.
I did a similar thing with some wyse r90lw thin clients. I used to keep an old pc around for vintage games, but by 2019 or so I was concerned about the remaining useful life of hardware made a couple decades ago. The thin clients I found were running the embedded standard version of XP so they played ball with the old programs I was intending to run on them.
I'm sure there are likely ways to get all that stuff to run on a modern pc, I'm too set in my ways and out of date in my computer knowledge to make that happen. It's just easy for me to have a dedicated set up for it.
Just stumbled across your channel. Very entertaining. Can't wait to go through your library of videos!
There's actually a later version of this model (z90d7 I believe) that bumps up the CPU to a 1.65 GHZ processor and the graphics from HD 6310 to 6320, the graphics upgrade of which gives about a 20% boost to its benchmark. That makes this the fastest XP-compatible thin client I've ever tested.
Might grab one of theses as a backup WInXP machine. Do you happen to know what would be the best Win9x box to get?
@@Fahrenheit38 That totally depends on what you're using it for. For a basic box, the Wyse vx0 line of thin clients is fully Windows 98 compatible. For something capable of 3d gaming, the HP T5710 comes to mind. In both instances, you'll need to upgrade the tiny little disk-on-modules that come pre-installed.
@@bmwolgas these are cheap enough I'd like to grab a few to cover as many bases as possible. Maybe even use it to save some wear and tear on my p3 and p4 gaming computers that I currently use for 98 and xp
@@Fahrenheit38 There's some great videos on youtube for both of these, including even the DOS capabilities of the T5710. Just search for HP T5710 or Wyse v90LE and they should be easy to find.
I recently started building a library of MS-DOS games that can be run through RetroPie/Emulation Station using DOSBox. I've created a launcher that makes it easy to either launch the game executable or launch the setup executable that many of those old games came with. I've dropped in games like the Commander Keen series, Descent, Duke Nukem, Doom, Wolfenstein, etc. It's been a lot of fun to go back and play some of them. Anyway, thanks for the rundown on this project. I've been thinking about doing something similar for quite some time.
do you play with mouse and keyboard or game controller with retro FPS games on raspberry pi?
Ryan Bates I plug in a mouse and keyboard to play. The launcher I made pops up a disclaimer that reminds the user to plug them in to play.
Would love to see the Crusader games run on this but I have a feeling those FMV cutscenes might not care to behave.
Half-Life was running bad because you are using the software renderer instead of the OpenGL one
TLDR: Buy a Dell Wyse Z90 series Thin Client. They are pretty interesting pieces of hardware.
Can it run portal?
Also did the Dell pc you purchased come with Windows XP loaded? Or did you have to load the os manually?
At 12 fps
@@LP-gq8ib @6:00
Thank-you. I got my Wyse Z90D7 up and running using this guide. I installed 8GB RAM and a 1TB hard disk. There is no itemised list of drivers in the video or text, but I just had my finger on the pause button and made notes of each driver you installed. I disabled the com1 & 2 ports as they weren't doing anything anyway. It's perfect for DOS, W98 and XP era games. I even did a W10 partition and can run Windows 10 (all drivers installed automatically!) for modern games, surfing and YT on this amazing little computer.
that's awesome!! the realtek network driver game me the most trouble.
@@RetroBuiltGames why dont u upload the drivers
So Win98 works well on this z90d7 model?
@@krunge i have doubts on that
@@pinkipromise it's 644+MB and github wants 25MB max
decent solution!
i appreciate it
I remember i used to play doom when i was 12year old... Now games so improved ... Just started channel as well looking for some support :)
Are you sure that port was a mSATA and not a Mini-PCIe intended for a wifi card?
i am not sure.
@@RetroBuiltGames Looking at pictures of similar models shows wifi cards in that slot.
try Batocera Linux, its an All in One Emulator OS and make that small machine AiO game emulation machine
I was looking into this. had no idea a dedicated Linux emulator build existed for x86 platforms. It's very cool, thanks for the suggestion.
Funny, I do tech support for these at my ob. :P
I wonder if there's anything that can be done to make it a little flashier... Maybe a paintjob and some RGB gamer fans? Ehehe... :P
Bet it'd pair well with an xBox controller! Would be nice to get some kind of couch-able game launcher running on it too, I'd try Steam but Steam doesn't support XP anymore (won't support 7 either next year...) and I'm not sure any older versions of Steam had Big Picture mode.
if you find some other couch-game launcher id be interested. Only in-between is like a mouse-to-joystick software that still makes couch use clunky until your in-game.
have you tried total war shogun i may become a believer in windows xp gaming with this gem of a mini pc
I have not, but i tried the 2000's port of Typing of the Dead. Runs without issue.
@@RetroBuiltGames awesome gotta find a copy 😁
Hi Ryan, my problem with this console is that you can’t use of the shelf discs.
if you add a USB DVD rom ($20), you can
I bought a couple of d90d7 (the smaller and little slower version of this) for retrogaming on windows xp. I read online that xp isn't ideal for ssd, so i also bought an 2.5 hdd. You had any issues with that ssd? And about driver can you explain where to find them?
I didnt have any issues with XP using built-in drivers, but these SSDs i am using are 60GB and manufactured around~2012... try updating to SP3 and maybe you will get lucky.
by any chance, do you have the gpu drivers for the z90sw? if so do you know if it would work on the z90d7?
i dont. check dell's support website.
@@RetroBuiltGames its all drivers for windows embedded, will those work on xp?
i am not sure. check with dell
What audio driver did use for that pc cause trying to find it and have no luck with it?
Audio Realtek_XP_6.0.1.7040
@@RetroBuiltGames thank you
How does this run DOS games? Through DOS Box?
runs fine.
@@RetroBuiltGames Fantastic! At the minute I have another thin client PC that has a lot of problems with the built in sound card, so while it's on 98 it can't really play normal DOS games, and the specs are a bit too low to run DOSBox!
just take apart the ssd its small chip inside no need for that extension cable
tried that, as the sticker is peeling on this unit. the SSD modules are the full size of the case. SSD is from 2012...
@@RetroBuiltGames try Adata ssd's they are half hight i use these drives in old xp laptops with ide to sata adapters