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

Seems 3dfx did use the Compaq "LCD" PCB (bottom card) for other cards... The 3000 PCI card was obtained loose from Ebay and the 2000 PCI card was from a retail box.

I think they didn't make many of them though, will have to keep watch on Ebay, perhaps some 2000/3000 AGP versions are floating around as well.

Why the heck did 3dfx make so many V3's on different PCB's? That's not smart from a finance point of view.

Gary

IMHO, those were all different Revisions of the basic design.

My Voodoo3 with this layout indicates a very old Revision, so that would explain it.

wrote on 21.05.04 at 16:15:26:

IMHO, those were all different Revisions of the basic design. My Voodoo3 with this layout indicates a very old Revision, so that would explain it.

1) Well the V3 were all pretty much the same except for the V3-3500 TV (ram on back) and the SGRAM models.

The "compaq pcb" boards all have the unused LCD location on the top left and spots for the LCD chips. Check out the prototype Compaq LCD (next post) and you will see what I mean.

2) As far as I know the 3500 cards were all late to the party (I found one news article that even mentioned that the 3500 was released only 3 months before the 4500 was due!) This would suggest that the 3500 PCB's would also be a later part compared to the typical squat 2000/3000 boards.

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

Yes, the PCB of my Prototype there was intended for CompaQ, but never made it into production.

The seller's original Text :
[...] a preproduction sample of a version of the Voodoo3 3500 that never made it to retail [...] Compaq ordered a special custom version of the Voodoo3 3500 to be designed for them by 3dfx, with a Digital Flat Panel connector in place of the usual TV tuner box; however, Compaq never put the cards into production. This is one of the pre-production samples, with stickers proclaiming "Voodoo3 3500 1.0" and "NOT FOR RESALE."

Still, it would be important to find out the PCB and Revision numbers of those Cards.
If they are as old/low as mine, it would indicate something like an early Voodoo3 PCB, that they (apparently) quickly abandoned.

PS.
I wish there was some way to decode the PCB Codes and translate them into a detailled Revision History (Date); maybe Hank or V.Man over at the x-3dfx-Forum know more about this ?

wrote on 21.05.04 at 22:49:05:

Still, it would be important to find out the PCB and Revision numbers of those Cards.

Will get the markings off in a day or two and post the information.

Gary

Patience just had an excellent Idea about the PCB and Revision Markings :

Example :
Techworks Voodoo1 > 9744
= Manufactured in 1997, Calendar week # 44

Miro Highscore Pro (Banshee) > 9845
= Manufactured in 1998, Calendar week #45

Best example :
VillageTronic MP850 (Banshee) > 9844
On the other side, the Card has embossed on the PCB in plain language :
V1.1  1998-10-19

It makes sense (especially when looking at the different numbers of other Cards as well) :o

--- update ---

We've looked at the following Cards :
Trident 9750
S3 Virge DX
ATI Rage Turbo Pro
Quantum Obsidian2 AGP
Matrox G200
S3 Savage 2000
PoverVR Series 1
Radeon 9000pro
Radeon 7000
CompaQ QVision PCI
Silicon Graphics Extreme (a SGI Indigo2 Graphics subsystem)

The Numbering convention is actually standard for all Graphic Cards, across all manufacturers.

And we've checked a big spread of my Hardware stock, including some very old Items :
It is a standard numbering convention for all PCB's it seems, be it Soundcard, Motherboard, PCI, ISA or whatever (checked stuff dating all the way back to 1993)...

The only thing that changed apparently is that the digits for year and calendar week switched position at one time in Hardware history.

Conclusion

It is now possible to put literally every piece of Hardware exactly in its timeframe, when it was produced :o

It is beyond me how this Item got missed so long, considering tons of Hardware went through our hands.

V3-2000 "compaq pcb" Rev A 3999 (Sept 99)
V3-3000 "compaq pcb" Rev A 3999 (Sept 99)
V3-3500 "compaq pcb" Rev A 0800 (late feb-2000)
V3-3500 TV 9948 (Dec 99, 2 cards with this date)

V3- "beta" no date on pcb but V3 chip itself has 9852 (late Dec 1998) No doubt this is a beta/sample card now just based on date.

V3- dead 3000 "squat card" rev c with OLD 3dfx logo and triple V3 logo 9912/pcb, 9911/chip (late march 1999)

V3-2000 AGP "squat card" Rev C 1599 (April 1999)

Gateway Bonesteel 3599

V3-3000 PCI SGRAM 1700 (April 2000)

So it looks like most of the 3500's were released later compared to the rest (with the exception of some of the SGRAM cards of course)

A quick google search of Voodoo 3 reviews show the cards hitting the shelf around April-May'99. Sharky has a pre-production alpha 3 card being reviewed in late Febuary that died after 3 days of testing.. The board pictured in the review has the same layout as my beta board.

http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/voodoo3_r/d.shtml

Most of the V3500 reviews found were dated Nov-99.

Gary

Hey gdonovan! What's up with your "dead" V3 3000? ???

Will it not POST due to a BIOS problem (bad ROM?) ???

I'm guessing you tried flashing it without any luck... ::)

If not, give it a go! You never know... ;)

I think the prior owner burned the card up (heatsink was missing) I found it in a dead pile of cards at my buddies PC shop.

ok since we have our cards out,(i dont have a camera at this time) i have a boxed v3 3000 agp, the box it comes in just says voodoo3 3000 agp and 3dfx in the corner, no other names, and the box has the picture of a face with white lines, the disc inside is just like the box picture and so is the manual. the card is dark brown i think, it has a heatsink and fan that looks like the one on the v4500, the mem is marked 0016 B USA MT 4BLC1m16A2 TG -6, the only marking on card i could find reads v3000-16/t rev:1.0  made in taiwan.......well what about that?

http://www.falconfly-central.de/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=general;action=display;num=1050351628;start=15#15     hmm i cant seem to link worth a poop :P but its the box on top right by the light switch