Quote Originally Posted by RP2A03 View Post
It is if you can setup GPU pass-through. Just remember that a VM has overhead.

Also, Win9x will run like shit inside a VM.
Yeah, if you plan to use 9x you're better off with legit old hardware.

I've mentioned my Mazinkaiser before. Here's what it has:

Motherboard: Epox-8KTA
Processor: AMD K6-2, 700mhz (tho the mobo could actually handle up to 1ghz)
RAM: 512mb of PC-133mhz (this is something you'll have to be conscious of because there are indeed different kinds of ram and its not all universally compatible, so make sure what kind of memory your mobo takes)
Video card: Voodoo 3 2000 (the Voodoo 3 can handle all three major APIs--Glide, OpenGL, and Direct3D. It's the only one that can do all three).
Sound card: Soundblaster 16, ISA slot version (ISA slot sound cards work natively in DOS, while PCI ones will require extra tinkering. If you don't plan to ever use real DOS then this won't matter).

Game range: Can technically play anything up until late win98 era, so... 2003-ish? Which is a little below what the OP was asking, but from the sounds of it he'll need two computers for the entire range of games he wants anyway.

I myself have never been able to figure out what a good build for an XP computer would be, as apparently even in just XP's time on the market the requirements for games changed radically. That's just what I've heard though, and I've never tried to build one (not enough money).