S3 getting into the DX10 class?

[nismotigerwvu]

Linkage

might make a decent HTPC card for 60 bucks

 

[Aberforth]

here's another link: http://www.techpowerup.com/556...n_the_U.S._Market.html

I hope they start making high-end cards so customers will have more choice.

 

[postmortemIA]

I doubt they have big $$ to pull/invest/develop something big.. plus chances of getting away market share from nvidia in discrete and intel in integrated market are pretty slim.

 

[bryanW1995]

I don't think we'll see a competitor for nvidia/amd in video cards until larrabee gets into full swing (2010?)

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
I don't think we'll see a competitor for nvidia/amd in video cards until larrabee gets into full swing (2010?)

At least not on the high end. There are other choices for the low end, but they are usually hard to find.

 

[Foxery]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
here's another link: http://www.techpowerup.com/556...n_the_U.S._Market.html

I hope they start making high-end cards so customers will have more choice.

Negative. S3 has always been a low-end / integrated video company. The few times they've tried to create a performance product, it never took off. The original link makes it clear that their focus is on efficiency and low-energy solutions. Supporting today's standards is just a formality.

Specifically, this card is in the same price range and performance ballpark as a Radeon 3450. You buy it for the MPEG decoders to watch movies.

 

[Peter]

What they have is full DX10.1, midrange performance, impressive HDTV decoding, all at extremely low power. This does have a niche in the market ... but what they lack much more than technology is recognition on retail shelves.

 

[hooflung]

Best Buy customers don't need recognition on retail shelves. Most of them are idiots, self proclaimed and proud of it usually. They want the best for the least. The big problem with this card is the 64bit memory interface. It is an HTPC wet dream and nothing more. If they get 128b GDDR3 on it maybe it would be a better card. But there is a good chance that it didn't scale with that much memory bandwidth to be comparable to a 3650, or even 2600PRO, that they decided to hit budget and niche markets where it will probably sell like hot cakes.

 

[SunnyD]

The only problem is - S3 drivers nearly always suck.

 

[Peter]

... and here come the internet experts. :roll:

 

[EarthwormJim]

Originally posted by: Peter
... and here come the internet experts. :roll:

Not allowed to discuss it? This is a discussion forum.

Neat that it's DX10 compliant, but doesn't really mean much other than probably being Vista certified I guess.

Hardware H.264 and HDMI definitely make this a good HTPC card for the price.

 

[Peter]

I'm referring to the last two posts above mine. If you stick with what you know and an opinion founded on that, fine, please discuss. If you're just parroting common internet "knowledge", then we don't need you here.

 

[nemesismk2]

I have been a big S3 fan for a number of years and I think this new DX10 video card is something I will be interested in for video and general use. The last S3 video card I have used was the S3 Deltachrome S8 and I found the drivers to be ok.

MY S3 HISTORY IS:-

128mb Club3D Deltachrome S8
64mb Inno3d Savage 2000
32mb Foxconn Savage4 GT
32mb Diamond Stealth III S540 Savage4
16mb Hercules Terminator Beast Savage3D

 

[Aberforth]

Long back I had S3 Prosavage OnBoard graphics card, I played so many games on it. But in those days games were not all about graphics like some people think now -it was about pure fun. It reminds me of the "Enable 3D" checkbox in Curse of Monkey Island eventhough the game was entirely 2D and that checkbox is supposed to be a joke on users.

 

[bigsnyder]

I would like to see some comparitive reviews in a HTPC setting. Decoding power and PQ tests.

 

[DerekWilson]

i'll ask em to send me one

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: DerekWilson
i'll ask em to send me one

Yay.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: nemesismk2
MY S3 HISTORY IS:-

128mb Club3D Deltachrome S8
64mb Inno3d Savage 2000
32mb Foxconn Savage4 GT
32mb Diamond Stealth III S540 Savage4
16mb Hercules Terminator Beast Savage3D

OMG you're a hardcore fan.

I had a Savage 2000, Savage 4, Savage 3D and several older cards. Still have a couple of old PCI VGA cards as test cards, I think a Virge GX and a Trio.

 

[RanDum72]

My last S3 card was the Savage 2000. But that was the time when Nvidia was pulling away from the rest, including 3dfx.

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: nemesismk2
MY S3 HISTORY IS:-

128mb Club3D Deltachrome S8
64mb Inno3d Savage 2000
32mb Foxconn Savage4 GT
32mb Diamond Stealth III S540 Savage4
16mb Hercules Terminator Beast Savage3D

OMG you're a hardcore fan.

I had a Savage 2000, Savage 4, Savage 3D and several older cards. Still have a couple of old PCI VGA cards as test cards, I think a Virge GX and a Trio.

you need to have a garage sale. now.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: nemesismk2
MY S3 HISTORY IS:-

128mb Club3D Deltachrome S8
64mb Inno3d Savage 2000
32mb Foxconn Savage4 GT
32mb Diamond Stealth III S540 Savage4
16mb Hercules Terminator Beast Savage3D

OMG you're a hardcore fan.

I had a Savage 2000, Savage 4, Savage 3D and several older cards. Still have a couple of old PCI VGA cards as test cards, I think a Virge GX and a Trio.

You're not a real hardcore fan unless you own a ViRGE/VX, the VRAM-equipped ViRGE that was both the most expensive and the slowest.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Peter
I'm referring to the last two posts above mine. If you stick with what you know and an opinion founded on that, fine, please discuss. If you're just parroting common internet "knowledge", then we don't need you here.

The last time there was any hype about an S3 card coming out, I recall the bulk of the reviews out there had severe issues with the drivers with particular respect to 3D graphics. I don't know whether it was D3D or OGL, as this was a while ago (UniChrome maybe?). But S3 have ALWAYS had crappy drivers as far as 3D graphics and support goes.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see them be back on top like the old ViRGE days, but the days of a simple 2D raster engine with some trivial OGL 1.0 support are long gone. Honestly, just look at how much trouble ATI and NVIDIA seem to have keeping their junk straight and working across the board without having to release constant point-release betas to address one issue in one title.

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: nemesismk2
MY S3 HISTORY IS:-

128mb Club3D Deltachrome S8
64mb Inno3d Savage 2000
32mb Foxconn Savage4 GT
32mb Diamond Stealth III S540 Savage4
16mb Hercules Terminator Beast Savage3D

OMG you're a hardcore fan.

I had a Savage 2000, Savage 4, Savage 3D and several older cards. Still have a couple of old PCI VGA cards as test cards, I think a Virge GX and a Trio.

You're not a real hardcore fan unless you own a ViRGE/VX, the VRAM-equipped ViRGE that was both the most expensive and the slowest.

Yeah I forgot about that one and the Trio, ohhh the shame

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: nemesismk2

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: nemesismk2
MY S3 HISTORY IS:-

128mb Club3D Deltachrome S8
64mb Inno3d Savage 2000
32mb Foxconn Savage4 GT
32mb Diamond Stealth III S540 Savage4
16mb Hercules Terminator Beast Savage3D

OMG you're a hardcore fan.

I had a Savage 2000, Savage 4, Savage 3D and several older cards. Still have a couple of old PCI VGA cards as test cards, I think a Virge GX and a Trio.

You're not a real hardcore fan unless you own a ViRGE/VX, the VRAM-equipped ViRGE that was both the most expensive and the slowest.

Yeah I forgot about that one and the Trio, ohhh the shame

The Trio isn't particularly remarkable, it wasn't even a 3D card*. It was a well regarded for the time 2D card, but that's it.

* Around 2000, S3 produced the Trio3D, which was in fact another ViRGE, this time bearing the Trio name

 

[nubian1]

Any reviews posted of the 430GT?