I had a similar setup with a DOS-based machine for retro gaming. The CMI8738 can indeed be a bit tricky, but I managed to get it running smoothly on my system. Here are a few things that worked for me:
First, ensure that the BIOS settings are correct. Some motherboards have integrated sound options that might need to be disabled to allow proper initialization of your CMI8738 card. Look for settings related to onboard audio and make sure they're turned off.
As for drivers, I found that using older releases of the drivers often yields better results. The DOS environment can be quite picky, and the latest drivers aren't always the most compatible with older hardware. If you haven't already, try seeking out a version specifically labeled as a DOS driver. These usually come in a compressed file with an installer you can run from DOS itself.
An essential step I took was manually configuring the resource settings. Sometimes, automatic settings can conflict with other devices. Assigning an IRQ and DMA channel that aren't used by other components helped me a lot. Check the documentation of your motherboard and peripherals to avoid conflicts.
Regarding software, games often have their own setup or configuration programs where you can select the sound card and test different settings. Sometimes experimenting with generic options like Sound Blaster emulation can surprisingly work well. I remember having success using Sound Blaster Pro compatibility mode with some old titles.
It might also be useful to check out retro gaming forums or dedicated DOS gaming communities. I've found a wealth of knowledge and shared experiences that can be incredibly helpful. Sites like Vogons have guides and user-contributed driver collections that might have exactly what you need.
Have you tried any specific setups or configurations that almost worked? Sometimes getting close can help narrow down what needs to be adjusted. Let me know, and we can try to troubleshoot further!
