After completing the installation of the Windows 98 operating system, we next need to install the audio driver and SoftGPU program to make the audio and video functions of the virtual machine more complete.
Mount the image and install the driver
We have downloaded the AC97 audio driver and SoftGPU in the previous article. The latter is an ISO format disc image file that can be directly mounted to a virtual machine, but the former is a ZIP file. In order to facilitate the transfer of the latter to the virtual machine, it is recommended to refer to the instructions in the previous chapter to decompress the ZIP file and use AnyBurn to create an ISO format disc image file for mounting.
The driver installation process is explained below with pictures and text, but the steps of downloading the file and creating the image file are skipped. It should be noted that the AC97 audio driver will modify DirectX files, so it is recommended to install it first and then install SoftGPU (DirectX 9.0c will be automatically installed in the process) to avoid compatibility issues.
▲ With the virtual machine powered on, click “Device->CD Drive->Select Disk File” to mount the CD image file with the AC97 audio driver.
▲ Open the CD-ROM drive in My Computer (default is Slot D) and execute Setup.exe to install the AC97 audio driver.
▲ During the installation process, you will be prompted to install DirectX 8, please ignore it.
▲ After installing the AC97 audio driver, mount the SoftGPU CD image file instead, and execute SoftGPU.exe in the CD.
▲ Basically, the above options can be maintained at the default values, and “Resolutions” allows you to select the maximum resolution required (it is recommended to select 5K, and you can still switch to a lower resolution later). After selecting, press “Install” to start the installation.
▲ At this time, the program will remind you that you need to install DirectX first, and it is recommended to restart the computer after the installation is completed, and then execute SoftGPU.exe again.
▲ After clicking OK, you will jump to the DirectX installation program. Follow the wizard’s instructions to complete the installation. After completion, restart the computer and execute SoftGPU.exe again to officially install it.
▲ You will see this screen after the SoftGPU installation is actually completed.
▲ After completing the SoftGPU installation, reboot, browse and execute glcker.exe in the tools folder on the SoftGPU CD. Click Properties to view the OpenGL version information. If it is version “2.1”, it means everything is normal.
▲ Next, click “Start->Execute”, enter “dxdiag” and click OK.
▲ Check whether the version is DirectX 9.0c in the DirectX diagnostic tool.
▲ Then enter the Display tab and click Test Direct3D to check whether all tests are normal.
Adjust resolution and run games
After completing the installation procedure, users can adjust the resolution according to their needs. If they feel that the displayed font is too small, they can adjust VirtualBox’s “Settings->Display->Scale Factor”. For details, please refer to the graphic description and video display below.
The author used 3DMark 2000 for actual performance measurement. It can be seen that the performance of VirtualBox with SoftGPU is much higher than that of 86Box (a derivative version of PCem), while DOSBox Pure cannot execute 3DMark 2000.
In terms of games, the author takes “Castle of Evil 3” and “Absolute Force” as examples. Both VirtualBox and 86Box can execute the game smoothly. However, VirtualBox can set a higher color sampling depth, while DOSBox Pure cannot execute the former smoothly. , and the latter cannot be installed.
By the way, I also tested the VMware virtual machine with the built-in 3D acceleration function of the program, running “Absolute Force” under the Windows XP operating system, and the game performance was smoother than VirtualBox with SoftGPU.
▲ Users can right-click on the Windows desktop and select “Content” and switch the resolution in the settings tab of the display content. This image example is set to 1920 x 1080.
▲ If you feel that the font is too small, you can adjust VirtualBox’s “Settings->Display->Scale Factor”. Its function is similar to the “Display Ratio” of Windows, which can enlarge the screen proportionally.
▲For example, the author uses a 4K screen with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, sets the resolution of virtual Windows 98 to 1920 x 1080, and sets the zoom factor to 200%. The screen reading is quite comfortable.
▲VirtualBox and SoftGPU can complete 3DMark 2000 performance measurement.
▲ The actual performance was measured through 3DMark 2000 in VirtualBox with SoftGPU environment, and the score was 8840 points.
▲ In contrast, when using 86Box with a simulated Voodoo 3 graphics card to execute 3DMark 2000, the score was only 2807 points.
▲VirtualBox paired with SoftGPU can enable 640 x 480, 32bit display mode in “Castle of Evil 3”. (Any higher and the picture will break)
▲When 86Box is paired with Voodoo 3 “Castle of Evil 3”, it can only turn on the 640 x 480, 16bit display mode, and encounters a crash situation.
▲VirtualBox is used with SoftGPU to execute “Absolute Force”, and the effect is quite ideal.
▲When 86Box is used with Voodoo 3 to execute “Absolute Force”, it can be seen that it is obviously not smooth and the image is slightly broken.
▲Use the VMware virtual machine with the built-in 3D acceleration function of the program, and run “Absolute Force” under the Windows XP operating system for smoother performance. If the game does not necessarily require the Windows 9x operating system, you can also consider this solution.
In the next article, the author will introduce the operation and usage tips of Alcohol 120% virtual disc software to facilitate the virtual system to execute more games.
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