As most PC builds discussed here tend to focus on Win 95 or DOS era, I thought it would be best to start (yet another) thread.

I’m curious about building a “past-proof” machine covering games from the late 1990s to 2015; a rig that would be most suitable (nearly flawless) for games released between 1999-2013.

My main questions are:
  • Can ONE machine cover these 15 years well (1999-2013)? Is it possible?
  • Would it be enough to go with a late-2016 “budget build” or is there anything unique that a typical 2016 “budget build” will not consider?
  • What OS would be the best choice here? Would it be optimal to have two operating systems installed? What would they be?
  • Would new technologies such as SSD compromise older games or actually help them run better (faster loading times, for example)?
  • Anything else to watch out for? Any and all advice welcome!


To clarify, I’m not looking for the cheapest build possible, or the best bang for the buck, but a build that will run most 1999-2013 games accurately (and to their best potential). Unlike most builds out there on the net, I don't care to future-proof this machine at all. I want to past-proof it.

Thanks for any feedback!