Hello everyone

Im sorry if im posting this on the wrong sub-forum, but ive been searching the web for information on this all week long and havent found anything.

First of all, im Portuguese, and im searching help on international foruns since i couldnt find any support on local ones.

As a computer enthusiast (work on a computer sales store) Im building a "retro games machine" to play old games, like Carmaggedon, Tomb Raider, Need for speed 2, Quake, Unreal and so on.

Currently my basic configuration is:

Motherboard Soltek SL65KV2
Intel Celeron (Tualatin) 1.3Ghz (overclocked to 1495mhz)
1.5Gb ram (3x 512mb Sdram pc133)
2x80gb Hitachi ATA100 Drives
Microsoft Windows 98 SE with a patch for the 1.5GB of ram (W98 doesnt enjoy computers with over 1GB of ram)

And a Matrox Millenium G400 Max DualHead as main grafics card.

Well, want i want to do (and need to know if its possible) its to install a 2nd 3dfx card on this system, so i can play games with glide support.

My original ideia was to get a VooDoo5 AGP and just switch it with the Matrox everytime i wanted to, but that would probably get me some buggy crashes with the drivers unlease i did a clean installation of windows everytime i switched them. Plus having to open the case everytime...
(I actualy already have a VooDoo3 3000 AGP and encontered that same problem)

So that brought me to a new and more complex ideia: Both cards on the same system. Obviously I would need a PCI version of VooDoo5 (there isnt really much different in performance to the agp one), or i would try 2x VooDoo2 (SLI).

My doubt is, since the matrox g400 is also a 3d card, will the SLI'ed voodoo2 work on the system?

What about any other voodoo3/4 or5? Will they work correcly as a 2nd graphic card?

Also, what kind of voodoo card would be the best choice? or even a voodoo banshee?

And yes, I do prefer the ideia of keeping the Matrox on the system, since the G400 is clearly better than a Nvidia Tnt2 and it supports bump mapping wich i think voodoo5 doesnt (correct me if im wrong)

Any help will be trully apreciated.

Thanks!

Hello.

Thanks for the reply.

Running multiple monitors is not exactly a priority, althought it wouldnt be a bad option to set up two 17" screens, but since the Matrox already has two VGA outputs, thats an easy configuration.

My main doubt with the Voodoo2 SLI configuration, is if i can use the Matrox G400 as main grafic card  having the V2 working only as glide 3d accelerators, leaving the direct 3d and 2D functions to the matrox.

I remember back in the days to use a VooDoo2 (pci) with a s3 virge as main graphic card, but the s3 was purely a 2D card.

I actualy just bought another card today on a online auction to add to my 3dfx collection (besides de V3 3000)

So now im the proud owner of a Creative 3dfx Voodoo 2 PCI 8 MB.

If I could get my hands on a second creative CT6670 i wouldnt have to worry to much more. 

ps47 wrote on 26.11.09 at 23:57:48:


Thanks, thats exactly what I needed to know.

On the other hand i have one last question:

If instead of the V2's i used a V3/V4/V5 PCI, would it work the same way?

I mean, since the V2's are supoused to work with another graphic card and the V3/V4/V5 are fully independent.

Im pretty sure a V3/V4/V5 is more powerfull than two V2 SLI'ed.

Still, my ideia is to use the 3dfx card only on games where Glide suport is better than Direct 3d (on some games, there isnt even D3D support as I remember from my old times)

Once again, thanks for all the support.

RaverX wrote on 27.11.09 at 02:42:39:


I was forgeting that part. The ideia is actualy to play the DOS games also.

Yes, ill just keep the Matrox and try the VooDoo2 SLI combo then. 1024x768 is perfect on a 17" screen anyway.

I bought a Creative 3Dblaster one (CT6670) i just need to find a second one for the SLI, maybe even trade the v3 3000 for one. Strange thing, the seller said it was 8mb, but on the web it says its 12mb...

Anyway, thanks to all for your precious help.

Hey, its okay, I apreciate all the info you can trow at me

Im waiting for the card to come in the mail.

Another thing, does someone know where i can buy the VGA connection cables for the voodoo2 and the SLI one?

The guy that sold the card didnt had any of that.

Thanks for that diagram, I already started to build the cable 

Two more questions:

Can i connect a Diamond Monster 3D II with a Creative VooDoo2 (both with the same memory size)?

I read somewhere that someone connected 4 voodoo2 on SLI. Im just curious if that is really possible, or if it was a fake. Has someone tried something like that?

Thanks.

Good news and bad news, and then again, more good news!

The good news are that the 3D Blaster VooDoo 2 that i bought online is not 8mb. Its a 12mb one. The guy even offered me a dvd decoder card from creative and a S3 trio. And that cost me less than 10 Euros (less than 15 US dollars)

Bad news: My Matrox G400 MAX died today. Currently i tested the voodoo2 with a XFX 6800 GS AGP (wich is not much of an oldschool card, althought its a LOT better than the matrox... But it lacks the "nostalgia".

And then good news: Im planning to buy this week on ebay another Matrox G400 and a 2nd voodoo2 12mb.

Once I have news of the computer fully working ill post some info and pics here.

Once again, thanks for all of your help.

...or S3! Trio 64 + Voodoo2 was a classic combo for me

BTW my advise is going on Matrox again; cards from this producer have the best 2D ouput quality