round of applause for the long gone 3dFX

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
M

morgash

Golden Member
Nov 24, 2005
1,234
0
0
as we, the enthusiasts, sit back and watch as higher performing/higher priced multi GPU vid card solutions dominate the market, let us reflect on the fact that 3dFX were the fathers of this technology. THe mighty Voodoo 2 SLI rig was a force to be reckoned with, a hurricane in a time full of coughs. So as SLI and crossfire continue to mature, look back, and shed a tear for what COULD have been in a 3d world dominated by 8 Voodoo 10's in OCTO-SLI.

:) seriously though, after reading several articles on what 3dfx had in the line-up, i really do wonder how much faster and better 3d cards would be today if they could have stayed around to make the vcard fight more interesting. post ur opinions
 
M

Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
0
0
I only owned 2 3DFX products. Voodoo Banshee <---- Worst video card I have ever owned and a Voodoo3 3000 <---- Very fast. Can you say 86fps in Quake2? Boo YAH.
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
funny, cuz 3dfx is still around ;)
and before i get flamed... realize that 3dfx was gobbled up by nVidia, and that SLI is a direct successor to the original 3dfx SLI. ;) probably worked on by former 3dfx employees.
 
C

Crizza

Senior member
Nov 11, 1999
654
0
0
I still remember when the Voodoo 6000 was announced and everyone thought that they were insane to require their own power connector *gasp!*

Then we have the 6800 Ultra that requires two molex's preferably on separate rails.

I remember SLI'ing two 8mb Diamond Monster 2's and being able to play HL at 1024x768... I shed a tear that day.
 
M

morgash

Golden Member
Nov 24, 2005
1,234
0
0
i realize both of those things lol. I meant 3dfx as a distinct entity. if THAT was still around, we might see some things differently
 
M

Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
0
0
Originally posted by: morgash
i realize both of those things lol. I meant 3dfx as a distinct entity. if THAT was still around, we might see some things differently
Click to expand...

Yeah, 16bit color and 1x1 pipe architecture! Sorry... had to do it :D
 
R

remagavon

Platinum Member
Jun 16, 2003
2,516
0
0
Originally posted by: Crizza
I still remember when the Voodoo 6000 was announced and everyone thought that they were insane to require their own power connector *gasp!*

Then we have the 6800 Ultra that requires two molex's preferably on separate rails.

I remember SLI'ing two 8mb Diamond Monster 2's and being able to play HL at 1024x768... I shed a tear that day.
Click to expand...

The Voodoo 5 6000 required an external power brick that plugged into the wall. The 5500 was one of the first, if not the first card to have the 4 pin molex connector.
 
U

user3657

Member
Mar 5, 2001
184
0
0
ya, i remember those days. i had a sli setup, and use to drul over it. ah....the days of having 6pci slots and using all of them with video cables galore...

2d daisyed to the dvd decoder daisyed to the 3d card........or something like that lol. now we get 3 in 1.
 
L

Lonyo

Lifer
Aug 10, 2002
21,938
6
81
Originally posted by: remagavon
Originally posted by: Crizza
I still remember when the Voodoo 6000 was announced and everyone thought that they were insane to require their own power connector *gasp!*

Then we have the 6800 Ultra that requires two molex's preferably on separate rails.

I remember SLI'ing two 8mb Diamond Monster 2's and being able to play HL at 1024x768... I shed a tear that day.
Click to expand...

The Voodoo 5 6000 required an external power brick that plugged into the wall. The 5500 was one of the first, if not the first card to have the 4 pin molex connector.
Click to expand...
And now companies are thinking of making dedicated GPU PSU's.
 
A

Auric

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,591
2
71
Originally posted by: Matt2
Originally posted by: morgash
i realize both of those things lol. I meant 3dfx as a distinct entity. if THAT was still around, we might see some things differently
Click to expand...

Yeah, 16bit color and 1x1 pipe architecture! Sorry... had to do it :D
Click to expand...

It's not funny to think how their nefarious scheme would have limited advancement had it succeeded. Sub-standard IQ from derivative HW and a proprietary API supported by pay-offs to developers are not to be remembered fondly. I know when you were fourteen years drooling over glossy magazine ads and box art and all your dreams were realized when Santy Clause brought a VooDoo2 that you could not possibly appreciate this but it has been almost a decade since so facing da troof is long overdue.
 
M

Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
0
0
Originally posted by: Auric
Originally posted by: Matt2
Originally posted by: morgash
i realize both of those things lol. I meant 3dfx as a distinct entity. if THAT was still around, we might see some things differently
Click to expand...

Yeah, 16bit color and 1x1 pipe architecture! Sorry... had to do it :D
Click to expand...

It's not funny to think how their nefarious scheme would have limited advancement had it succeeded. Sub-standard IQ from derivative HW and a proprietary API supported by pay-offs to developers are not to be remembered fondly. I know when you were fourteen years drooling over glossy magazine ads and box art and all your dreams were realized when Santy Clause brought a VooDoo2 that you could not possibly appreciate this but it has been almost a decade since so facing da troof is long overdue.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%. Even when I had my Voodoo3, it was just a short stop on my way to my TNT2!

I was a big advocate of Nvidia back in the day because they shoved the industry into the right direction and never looked back.

I wish we'd have another revolution in the video card industry like we had with the fall of 3DFx. Good times, good times...
 
A

Auric

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,591
2
71
Originally posted by: Matt2

I was a big advocate of Nvidia back in the day because they shoved the industry into the right direction and never looked back.

I wish we'd have another revolution in the video card industry like we had with the fall of 3DFx. Good times, good times...
Click to expand...

Yes, but there is no beast to be slain now and indeed DX10/WGF promises to eliminate the last vestiges of non-standard BS. What we need now are non-exclusive breakthroughs so that the remaining players can deliver more bang for the rupee within the standards while remaining healthy themselves (and thus able to continue re-investing).


Originally posted by: user3657

2d daisyed to the dvd decoder daisyed to the 3d card........or something like that lol. now we get 3 in 1.
Click to expand...

That must have been blurry as heck.
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,396
8,559
126
i wish i still had my v3 2000... played quake 3 on a pentium pro 233 with that one... 96 megs ram... 8 gigs hard drive space... it was uber.
 
P

Painman

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2000
3,728
29
86
3dFX got completely full of themselves, screwed up royally, and took another fine American co. (STB) to the graveyard along with them. They should have stuck to making chipsets and reference boards only. I don't think their hubris was particularly helpful to the video market in the long run. Sorry.
 
P

psihog

Senior member
Sep 21, 2003
235
0
76
I had the voodoo 1, 2 and rush cards before moving to Geforce 2. They were a must have for Quake 1 and 2 players. I still remember the first time I switched from low res Quake to GLQuake...
 
Keysplayr

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,211
50
91
:::: Bows Head ::::

I had a total of 3 Voodoo cards. Voodoo 2 12MB, Voodoo 3 2000 & Voodoo 3 3000.
I loved them all. Glide was awesome.
 
DAPUNISHER

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
Super Moderator
Aug 22, 2001
31,879
32,053
146
I have never owned one, ever :eek: One enthusiast boat I missed :( But then most of you were still messing with your primitive IBM compatible when I had Amiga goodness!!! :lips: between the graphics and video toaster we Amiga Amigos were laughing at you, hah ha we laughed! :p ;)
 
G

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
A great company that had management that lacked the ability to look past the next qtr.

In the end it killed them.
 
D

darXoul

Senior member
Jan 15, 2004
702
0
0
I remember the first game I saw on a Voodoo card - the jump'n'run Pandemonium. Along with a hardware accelerated version of Descent. The WOW factor was just immense. So beautiful and so smooth. Good old days ;) Voodoo + Matrox Mystique FTW :)

My first Voodoo was an Orchid Righteous and IIRC, it was early 1997.
 
S

Steelski

Senior member
Feb 16, 2005
700
0
0
Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
:::: Bows Head ::::

I had a total of 3 Voodoo cards. Voodoo 2 12MB, Voodoo 3 2000 & Voodoo 3 3000.
I loved them all. Glide was awesome.
Click to expand...

I always envied voodoo owners back then, I just couldent afford anything.... I also remember using S3 MeTal API with Unreal (not too stable). my friend had a voodoo1 card. we were always round his house playing crap.
 
I

imported_hopeless

Senior member
Oct 29, 2004
777
0
0
Oh yeah.

I had the obsidian X24, P2 450, & a HUGH 6GB hd. I still remember playing myth with it and how much better it looked then on my friends pc.

Actually I just recently got this pc back from my brother, he used it for a while until he got his own then it moved down to his daughter for a bit, it was still powerful enough for internet & scooby games at that time.

One of these days when I have enough space I'll probably set it back up, at the least it is still good for surfing the internet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom