strange RAM layout... BUT has CE Marking... notice on the backside that "EIDOS..." writing? Probably a Engineering Sample for the game developer EIDOS?

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/1_G.jpg

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/2_G.jpg

------

this time no CE Marking, notice the stamps on it ?!

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/1_G_001.jpg

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/2_G_001.jpg

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/3_G.jpg

------

looks like one of a million Orchid Board,has CE Marking, but also look at that strange "EIDOS" writings on the back and the stamps...

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/1_G_002.jpg

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/2_G_002.jpg

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/3_G_001.jpg

------

no Voodoo this time, but no CE this time, and on the PCB is written "Rendition Reference Design 3" and some stamps are on the back...

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/1_G_003.jpg

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/2_G_003.jpg

Wasn't Eidos the company that made Tomb Raider? The first Glide game? They would have needed Voodoo cards for that :P

First card is either a 12MB V2 with 1MB chips or a 6MB V2 prototype.

Second card is a Q3D Obsidian 50-2200

Eidos was the Publisher of  Tomb Raider... CORE was the developer I think

perhaps they also used that Rendition V1000? But its not marked with EIDOS... but i think they also supported that Rendition Cards in Tomb Raider...

and what does that "QA" stand for after the EIDOS writing?

quarter perhaps? Like headquarter?

edit: got it! it's "EIDOS Quality Assurance"
found it with google: http://www.eidosinteractive.co.uk/corporate/inside_qa.html

so 3dfx sent those cards to EIDOS... to test theier games with the newest VGA cards...

holy crap, i am damn happy :)

---------------
and that first Voodoo2 has 8MB, at least it's written on the backside...

About the Voodoo II :
256x16 = 4096Kb
12 of those 4096Kb chips will result in 49152Kb total which is 6144Kb (6MB)

Congratulations with finding the fourth Voodoo II 6MB Prototype  :)
(Got one, too)

only 4 cards?

wow... who also has got one? gary of course ;) , and who ?

you have two
thandor one
gary one (as you said)

hmm Gary Has 2 TM30 has 1 and Thandor has 1 also indeed, but if TM30 has 2 then there are 5 ;) not that rare,normally a batch consist out of 10 cards so there are more I sense.

i "only" have one, but i am damn happy to own it...

...perhaps you mean my 4MB "Voodoo Graphics 2", only one own it... at least currently ;)

and 4 cards worldwide is rare, in fact there are rare cards which pop up more often....

hmm yeah that 4MB card is infact a wierd one, rather funny what happened to the other 9 or 19.... 3dfx would never make 1 card, when prototypes are made they mostly make1 or 2 batches of them and a batch consists of 10 cards. maybe that the other 9 or 19 were lost or destroyed.

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/1_G.jpg

It is Engineering Samples,because CHIPSET is 500-0006-XX and 500-0007-XX

so no prototype? or is it the same  ;)

because the chips and PCB are  from 1997, but voodoo 2 came out officially in 1998

As for that 4 Meg Obsidian card it still gives an older date than 1997 look carefully:

http://www.3dfx.ch/gallery/albums/album324/3_G.jpg

2896 means
week 28 year 1996!

So then again it may be a Prototype from 3Dfx before the time of Quantum3D it's self and that card has 4 MB like the Orchid has.

So the Obsidian maybe a prototype from 3Dfx instead of Quantum3D since that Quantum3D started in 1997 and week 28 year 1996 is alot older so therefore the card can't be from Quantum3D but originated from 3Dfx and mayby Quantum3D bought that card and sold it as a production card or used that as a base prototype.

Wow nice find TM30! congrats!

Obi,

but when its from 3dfx, why does it have a black PCB? 3dfx always used the green one...

Always green PCB's ?
What about this Banshee pré production sample ?  ::)
And also this Voodoo 3 PCI Prototype  :P

okay okay,

... but they never used black pcb :P

gary,
why does the first card, that voodoo 2 6MB has a CE marking??? does your card also have CE ?

i think this is uncommon for a prototype... or is it an engieering sample? cause its intended for EIDOS game testing (this is confirmed!)

wrote on 18.11.05 at 22:36:32:

... but they never used black pcb :P

3dfx? Actually aside from the Obsidian boards there was a run of preproduction voodoo 3 that have black pcb.

Yes the 6MB cards I have also have CE on the back.

strange! why CE on a prototype?

perhaps because theese cards were given out, like mine, to Eidos QA ?!

wrote on 19.11.05 at 14:12:58:

strange! why CE on a prototype?

They were slated for production by a major company, maybe 3dfx thought they would just try and get ahead and the gamble didn't pay off.

QA my guess = quality assurance?

since now I am in the OQA department which stands for
Outgoing Quality Assurance

:P

wrote on 17.11.05 at 19:51:30:

edit: got it! it's "EIDOS Quality Assurance" found it with google: http://www.eidosinteractive.co.uk/corporate/inside_qa.html so 3dfx sent those cards to EIDOS... to test theier games with the newest VGA cards... holy crap, i am damn happy :) --------------- and that first Voodoo2 has 8MB, at least it's written on the backside...

;D