I want a PC that will run some early 00's games well, such as Rise of Nations and Unreal Tournament 2004.
It would be cool if it ran Win XP too, although a new version of the OS would be fine if the backward compatibility is there.
Would something like https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/728846 be sufficient the next time there is a similar deal?
Is anybody else using an old PC for the same purpose?
or facebook markeplace.
or hard rubbish
Kerbside pickup.
Both games are available on Steam so will work fine on modern computers. Windows also has compatibility mode options to open applications in older versions.
You don't necessarily need an old PC. That Dell could work but you'll want a GPU add-on which will help immensely.
Problem with "old PCs" is that the capacitors on the motherboards dry out, some go in 5 years, some 15 years, but there is a time limit :/
The "refurbs" should be fine to run old games that are on steam, via DosBox and "retro" sites, but truly old games (that are only available in 16bit) won't run on any modern hardware!
An early 2000s PC will be fine for a while.
Cap problems do happen, but mostly to older computers.
Common examples:
Surface mount caps can leak onto mobo on late Amigas (Amiga 600, 1200, CD32).
Earlier Amiga 500s tend to be fine, as they don't have the surface caps.
PSU caps in Apple IIs can blow, but usually don't do permanent damage.
Commodore 64s tend to be fine, even though they are from early/mid 80s.
There's lots of Windows Xp games that don't work on Windows 10.
Yes, even with the compatibility mode. It even affects Steam Games.
Best bet is to Google them or YouTube. Find a "crack" version (basically modded) so that it works. I did this with NFS Carbon, it looked like arse, but the modded version allowed it to firstly run, secondly to go Widescreen without stretching, and thirdly it adds more resolution options (ie HD).
And if all else fails, then I think you should look into buying a "Retro PC". But your first course of action would be to try and get the old stuff to run on your current new hardware.
[VIC, Refurb] Gaming PC: 10th Gen i3, GTX 1060, Z490, 16GB RAM & 256GB SSD $550 + $50 Delivery ($0 C&C) @ Price Performance PC
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/729316
This should be more than enough for retro gaming for roughly $600 total. $50 cheaper if you pick it up yourself.
I have a 1050 Ti with an i7-2600 (sandy bridge) and I can run almost anything I throw at it.
For retro gaming it should demolish anything.
Here's a secret I'll share with you. I'm an avid retro gamer and have a Win 98 laptop but tend to do 95% of retro gaming on my modern PC. Why? Because it is way more convenient, quicker, easier, and they often run better/faster. There are hundreds of retro titles on GOG that will work flawlessly with Windows 10/11. There are also a plethora of source ports and remakes. They often come with graphical enhancements too. Purists might insist on the original hardware but it's much too cumbersome for me.
You should be able to find something on evilbay or gumtree for 50-100 to sort that out with XP on it…