Okidok, after a day of hard work (and only half of the available Hardware looked at), I got a preliminary list done :

Identify 3dfx Hardware
http://www.falconfly.de/identify-3dfx.htm

It's basically aimed at non-3dfx people who need to find some useful Information and general Driver Support in one place.

Since no Website on earth (!) seems to list the 3dfx-specific model Numbers, even Users familiar to 3dfx might find it useful to identify less known models, or get at least a chance to find out exactly what manufacturer actually built the Card at hands, if in doubt.

Still alot of stuff missing, e.g. Video RAM for several cards, overall Page polishing and Sorting etc.
The ID Section is planned to get cross-linked to the Virtual Showcase (Images of each Card and Retail boxes where available), which should give final confirmation if still in doubt.

In the end (when finished), the Data, Identification features, Specifications and Images from the cross-linked Sections will offer the unique chance to make a solid Identification and Evaluation possible, even if only equipped with fragments of Information or minimal details.

(latter might also come in handy to safely Identify interesting EBay Items, for which sellers often have only generic desriptions and/or poor Imagery)

PS.
Feel free to double-check the List for errors and/or voice your Opinion :)

wrote on 31.05.04 at 23:21:14:

(Images of each Card and Retail boxes where available)

Something I'm working on, perhaps we should join forces?

Definitely :)

I also already have some cases where I'm simply not sure, and even the FCC ID's don't seem to exist in the FCC Database :P

So far, I got an ATC2465 Card that is green (but might be no A-Trend), and a supposedly Typhoon 3D MAX that looks similar to the Retail Box image, but actually has a Yakumo Sticker and slightly different writings on it (?)
(FCC ID: I27MM-VI02A , but that is nowhere to be found)...

What I could really use, would be the 3-letter FCC ID Code for all Manufacturers, that ever did 3dfx based Cards.
(Searching the other way around seems almost impossible, at least I didn't get useful results from the FCC Database)

The 210-xxxxxx etc numbers on STB 3dfx cards are not FCC ID's they are 3dfx interactive product ID's, this is why you've had no luck with the FCC db and won't.

I know, and I didn't use those 3dfx-specific Model/Product Numbers for FCC searching ;)

I only used those that actually had "FCC ID :" next to them.
Still, those few I needed failed for me; either I didn't grasp the concept or they're simply not there... http://www.falconfly.de/img/noclue.gif

I think I'll tackle the FCC part again on Wednesday, when I return from work.

no one is forcing anyone to stay here, so, who cares if he won't post here? :)

Hm (?)
I didn't see him posting that anywhere...?

Oh well, anyway, we'll continue and improve the list with more Cards/Version soon.

seems like a real good idea, and by the way thank you for such a great 3dfx site :)

Hm, this is really difficult for some Cards.

So far, I got :
- above 'duplicates' on the Voodoo1...
- a Macronix VoodooRush, that (identical P/N and FCC ID) could be a 2theMAx , Gainward Dragon 2000 or a Cardexpert one :P
- ambiguity between a "Voodoo3 1000" OEM (which might not actually be a true V3-1000, and the 3dfx/STB Velocity 100

It'll probably take me days, if not weeks, to figure those ones out :P

wrote on 02.06.04 at 22:35:32:

- ambiguity between a "Voodoo3 1000" OEM (which might not actually be a true V3-1000, and the 3dfx/STB Velocity 100

The Gateway "Bonesteel" card I have here is has a decal on the bios chip with these markings-

"Gateway"
"V3 1000"
"2.15.06"

Which is identical in every way to a Velocity 100 card that I purchased new except the Velocity 100 card has just "2.15.06" on the bios.

The Compaq card has the following marking on the bios decal-

"V3-1000"
"2.15.05"

And has a Banshee SGRAM/V3000 PCI style PCB with 8 ram chips unlike the two cards above which have just 4.

I'll flatbed scan the 3 cards later today.

Gary

Thanks for the Info, I really would like to sort out those Cards that can run normal Voodoo3 Drivers, and those that would need the Velocity Drivers (or appropriate RegTweaks).

Since the Visitors of the New Page likely have no clue what they're holding in their hands (the reason they typed Model Numbers into a Search Engine), I'd like to keep these things straight :)
----------
The list that I could build is now complete, with the exception of a handful Cards still built into some of my Systems.
I will look at those in 2 days, should be several Hercules Stingray 128/3D, a Powercolor Voodoo4 4500/TV and another Macronix VoodooRush.

From there on, I'd like to ask Patience and all other Collectors to scan through their Collections for confirmation of existing numbers and/or extension with more/different Cards or Markings.

Beware though, that this is a pain in the arse *g* , and one has to take care not to list (useless) running Serial Numbers :P
But a good ROT (Rule of thumb) is : the more Markings/Numbers, the better ;)

Quote:

Thanks for the Info, I really would like to sort out those Cards that can run normal Voodoo3 Drivers, and those that would need the Velocity Drivers (or appropriate RegTweaks).

http://www.thedodgegarage.com/3dfx/3dfx_v3_1000.jpg

I will run all three on the test board tonight with the regular 3dfx V3 drivers & tools and post results. Then I will load the Velocity drivers and see if one of the TMU units "vanish."

That reminds me- One day I got the 3dfx LCD properties page to pop up in the 3dfx tools! I have to find the screen shot...

Gary

Okidok, thanks :)

Already, I believe the Voodoo3 1000 definitely has 16MB (although, stick a Cooler on it, and you could call it a Velocity 200? ), while the top 2 Cards (Velocity 100 I reckon) should have 8MB...

If possible, check the Model Numbers.
I expect
210-0380-001-A0 or -xx on the 2xVelocity 100 and
210-0383-001-A0 or -xx on the V3-1000

Trouble starts, should we find those Model numbers mixing across, or one of the Velocity 100 launch with a Voodoo3 1000 Video Bios Startup-Screen ;)

And would be nice to know, if the V3-1000 (w/out Cooler) actually runs at 125MHz Stock speed. (seems pretty high without any Heatsink).

Just be careful testing the Cards, especially in newer Systems (IMHO they can get lightning hot within Seconds if they exhibit the known "Temperature Bug", almost killed a Creative 3D Blaster Banshee PCI that way :P )

wrote on 03.06.04 at 00:48:30:

Okidok, thanks :) Already, I believe the Voodoo3 1000 definitely has 16MB (although, stick a Cooler on it, and you could call it a Velocity 200? ), while the top 2 Cards (Velocity 100 I reckon) should have 8MB...

The Gateway V3-1000 has 8 megs and runs at 143 mhz, just like the Velocity 100.


Quote:

And would be nice to know, if the V3-1000 (w/out Cooler) actually runs at 125MHz Stock speed. (seems pretty high without any Heatsink).

It does, I have verified that when I purchased the card.

All the cards will be tested in my BX P-3 500 testedbed in an hour or two. Quake II should do the job.

Gary

wrote on 03.06.04 at 02:54:52:

The Velocity would be based on a 3dfx 500 chip (500-0017-05).

The Velocity is a Voodoo 3 chip with the TMU disabled in software or bios, this was proven in several reviews most notably Anandtech. He showed a "hack" to enable the other TMU.

 

PC- P3 500, 256 megs, BX board Abit BH6

Quake II used as benchmark since we know it muli-textures, clean install with 3.20 patch. 640 x 480 and 800 x 600 used 3dfx Q2 driver, 1024 used opengl driver as Q2 would not run at 1024 with native 3dfx Q2 driver.

No minidriver used, test run 3 times to make sure fps were stable. Last 3dfx Voodoo3 drivers used on all cards. Turok does not display correct with 8 meg Voodoo3 cards for some reason, hence no numbers for the 8 meg cards.

V3-2000 AGP, 16 megs at 143 mhz

Q2 640 = 115 fps
Q2 800 = 102 fps
Q2 1024 = 72 fps

Turok = 166 fps

V3-1000 Gateway Bonesteel, 8 megs, 143 mhz, 1 TMU
(bios states V3-1000 2.15.06-SG on boot up)

With one TMU

Q2 640 = 95 fps
Q2 800 = 66 fps
Q2 1024 = 43 fps

Interesting that the default on the Bonsteel card is one TMU! With second turned on in registry the following results-

Q2 640 = 115 fps
Q2 800 = 103 fps
Q2 1024 = 73 fps

So the Bonesteel is the same as a Velocity 100 due to the 8 megs of SGRAM and one TMU turned off by default. Not a good way to make a first impression!

Velocity 100, 8 megs, 143 mhz, 1 TMU
(bios states Velocity 100 on boot up)

Q2 640 = 95 fps
Q2 800 =  66 fps
Q2 1024 =  43 fps

Compaq V3-1000, *16 megs*, 125 mhz, 2 TMU's
(no bios display on start up)

Q2 640 = 114 fps
Q2 800 =  95 fps
Q2 1024 = 64 fps

Turok = 150 fps

The Compaq card clearly has 2 TMU's enabled out of the box.

Conclusion- Turok doesn't like 8 meg V3 cards, Turok doesn't strain the V3 cards very much with a 500 mhz cpu (hence the small spread between 125 and 143 mhz) Q2 makes use of 2 TMU's if present.

The V3-1000 seems to be a V3 with or without the second TMU turned on, with either 8 or 16 megs depending on whose computer it is installed in. The Compaq version has 2 TMU's, 16 megs and 125 mhz clock, the Gateway version has 1 TMU enabled, 8 megs and 143 mhz clock.

And of course the second TMU can be turned on via the registry on the "one" TMU cards.

Gary

wrote on 03.06.04 at 02:54:52:

The V3-1000 would use also a chip written 355-0025-01 on it. Would be in fact a "castrated" Voodoo 3. The Velocity would be based on a 3dfx 500 chip (500-0017-05).

I'm not sure the chip numbers are a reliable indicator, I have four V3 cards here with no heatsinks and all have different numbers.

You know I was thinking about the Bonesteel cards this morning.. There is no real reason for 3dfx to shutoff the second TMU in this OEM product... So I was thinking that perhaps they had enough chips with a defective TMU to make it profitable to recycle as the Velocity or Bonesteel cards.

It's well known that ATI and Nvidia do the same thing, thoughts?

::)


edit :
ps : previous post deleted (Spam Deleted, User Banned)

The V3-1000 Compaq and the V3-1000 Gateway are different cards.