Which drivers for V3 3k AGP?

[RobsTV]

Since there are a lot of 3dfx fans here, hopefully someone will hook me up with drivers that work.

V3 3k AGP. Underclocked to 144MHz. No fan. Same results with 4 different motherboards and systems, Win '98 and Win ME, and DX6 through DX8.

Latest 1.07, kick back to desktop in 2D games like AOE2 expansion. (unstable)
Drivers 1.05 run AOE2 just fine. But, after 24 hours or so of idle use, the minimize, maximize, and all the start menu icons, turn into black boxes.

Since only 1.07 kick to desktop, and 1.05 is fine there, issue can not be card or other parts of the 4 systems I've tried it in. Since only 1.05 exhibit the black boxes on the 4 systems card has been in, can't be card or system. Looks like drivers.

Any ideas? In the nearly 2 years of owning the V3, most problems have been like this, in the 2D area, and 3D has worked generally pretty well.

I thought I was home free when a GF2 MX card in a SS7 system might have been causing problems, so I traded the V3 for the MX. But a phone call the next day about the black boxes that pooped up on his system killed the deal.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

has to be something with his wondows install or old drivers conflictiong. My v3 never did anything even remotely similar to this(never had a problem) and my dad never had any problems with his k6-2 333 system and v3 2k agp.

 

[RobsTV]

nope.
Always clean install on all 4 systems.
When I say clean, I mean format clean.
No drivers other than what is tested ever installed.
reformat, install new drivers, test, fail....

next...

EDIT:
Since others did not have problem like this, that means they too MUST have tried AOE2, correct? Otherwise, of course that problem would not show up.. Happens everytime when playing a lan game. But only with 1.07 drivers...

 

[Dark4ng3l]

Ive never had any problems with aoe2 that i can remember with any of the official, beta and the newest x3dfx drivers(im using the last officlial ones though)

 

[RobsTV]

Actually, I have had a good set of drivers.
The ones that came with the card in March 1999, on the install CD.
(probably developed by the original 3dfx staff, before STB took over driver development).
But, others have said they had problems with those (even though I did not), so I went through the every 4 week driver release that 3dfx had for the V3. 3dfx released 9 different drivers between July '99 and December '99, and this was before they decided to release beta drivers! They don't release drivers because they are bored. They do it to fix something that is broken. All had issues, except the original ones. Original drivers are only DX6. But, this does prove (at least to me), that since a problem does not carry over with different driver versions, the problems must be driver related. If I am alone, why did they release so many official drivers???

 

[RoboTECH]

bro, you got some type of voodoo curse on you or something!!!

i've never played aoe, so i can't say for sure, sorry

 

[BFG10K]

RobsTV, I never had any of the problems you're describing, with any set of drivers. I'm beginning to suspect you might have gotten a faulty card.

Have you tried flashing the BIOS of the video card to the latest version?
And why is it you have no fan and your card is underclocked?

 

[Dark4ng3l]

I tried underclocking my v3 to like 100MHz once and it crashed on me(dont know why) maybe it has something to do with the underclock or something.

 

[ndee]

Well, I upgraded my V3 2000 to a V3 3000 (BIOS Upgrade) and also without a fan. It gets kinda hot, but when it dies, then I have an excuse for buying the Radeon Why do you guys underclock the Voodoo 3?

 

[RobsTV]

Yes I tried different Bios.
But please, if all of you have no problems, that is great, but that is not the rule.
As I said, driver updates are normally done to correct issues.
Why update drivers if you don't need too?
Sure, some releases are to update DX, or to offer speed improvements, but with the V3, most were to fix issues. The fact that so many driver releases in such a short time alone, should confince you all that I am not the only one who has troubles with the V3.

I only underclocked to confirm that the card is not overheating, or being stressed unusually. Many complain about heat issues, so that was eliminated.

One last point.
I tried asking for some help here with the V3 just prior to 3dfx's anouncement that they were done. All I got was the same, "my card is perfect, you are full of it" replies. Then I went over to 3dfxgamers.com's boards, and low and behold, there were 1000's (yes really 1000's), of posts with these exact same type of problems! I wish some of you could have gone there and helped them like you helped me!

Maybe it's just 75% of the cards they made were good, 25% bad? Since my card works fine with the original shipping DX6 drivers, I must have gotten one of the good ones!

EDIT:
I guess most of the 3dfx gamers here play a limited number of games. A quick visit to x3dfx.com message board shows what I have been saying all along. There is NO WAY that 1 version of 3dfx drivers will work with most every game. All releases have problems in certain areas. So to say "all is peachy" does not represent a vast majority of 3dfx users. Sure you can find a driver that will work in the game you want. But, many of us have to change drivers to get the next game to work. I know I'll get slammed here for this, but at least check out the forum at x3dfx if you still need proof that major issues exist with 3dfx drivers. x3dfx web site I am not alone.

 

[ndee]

RobsTV:
I've got some Issues with Colin McRae Rally 2 with the newest drivers, but the problem is known. But with the 1.07 drivers, I have no problem in other games.

 

[RobsTV]

In case anyone else has driver problems, I found a lot of beta drivers.
(the ones that fix problems that no one has).

As no one posted this link for me, (since they have no problems) here is a link that may help you and me (or just me), with our V3's.

Iceman 3dfx driver kits

Beta 3dfx driver kits

 

[esung]

I have V3-3000 AGP, 1.07 driver and DX8. never have any problem with the card, and I'm running Win98SE..

I didn't know you could get BIOS update for the V3, where can I get it?

 

[ndee]

http://www.v3info.co.uk/

You can update there your Voodoo 3 2000 to a Voodoo 3 3000. I made it without problems so far.

 

[RoboTECH]

As I said, driver updates are normally done to correct issues.
Why update drivers if you don't need too?

hehehe...hmmm.....how many versions of each of the Detonators are there?