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Technology Stocks : Diamond Multimedia -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Coltrane who wrote (3436)	3/1/1998 2:05:00 PM
From: lml	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4679

The following compares DIMD's 8MB Monster 3D II with CREAF's 12MB 3D Soundblaster card: tomshardware.com Here's some highlights for thought & discussion: "Tests showed that there was hardly any game so far, that would be able taking any significant advantage of the 2 MB more texture RAM and hence there's now the question if the 12 MB Voodoo2 cards are mainly a marketing gag or if we really get additional performance for additional money." "The 3D Blaster Voodoo2 comes without any game bundle. In the box you'll find a CD with the latest drivers, a pass through cable which is significantly thinner and cheaper than the one shipped with Diamond Voodoo and Voodoo2 boards and a SLI cable that allows you to hook up two 3D Blasters together, enabling either double performance at the same resolution or higher resolution at sustained performance. In my box there was also a blue piece of paper which said that the SLI cable is too long, 3" instead of 1.5", which could be the reason for trouble in SLI mode. I guess that Creative Labs will solve that problem finally, but it shows how desperate Creative must have been shipping this product as early as possible, even when they would have to include a too long SLI cable." "Hundreds of you asked me if the 12 MB 3D Blaster Voodoo2 is any better than the 8 MB Monster 3D II. The answer is certainly not 'yes', I don't want to put a clear 'no' here as well though. . . For now it doesn't give you much of an advantage though and by the day when these games are out we can probably already expect the next generation 3D chips on the market. A 12 MB Voodoo2 board is something for people who want to have the possibly fastest and who don't care about the additional cost. However, the 'normal Joe' will most likely be just as happy with an 8 MB Voodoo board." ------------------------ This one reviews the Soundblaster & makes reference to a potential heat problem, so DIMD's heat testing wasn't off the mark: next-generation.com I have my own take on these reviews. You can be your own judge & come to your own conclusions.

To: John Coltrane who wrote (3436)	3/1/1998 3:11:00 PM
From: lml	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4679

John, in response to your post: " I feel in the long term the i740 does not bode well for DIMD." I think the ultimate answer to this question remains to be seen & remains sufficiently out in the future to be relatively inconsequential to an investment in DIMD today, unless you plan to hold for 4-5 years. [I generally leave those types of investments to mutual fund managers, or recs from my brother who follows a few high-techs for a large regional firm.] "Frankly, the only reason the i740 exists at all, is because Intel had to pick up the ball where others had dropped it." What are you referring to, here? Who dropped what ball? "And the only reason it isnt' being implemented on the motherboard is that the die size is too large at present. Once on the motherboard, who needs an add-in card with the same chipset, and there's the question of whether Intel will make the supply available. It's better to obsolete the mb and sell another chip" Help me, here. Who manufactures the motherboard? INTL, or outside contractor? Does INTL focus on board design, or is it left to the PC manufacturer? Consider the necessary interaction between the CPU, the graphic chip, & the various types of memory, both on & off the CPU. As previously discussed, add-ons do more that simply slap the chipset on the board. They are focused on optimizing performance for graphic applications. Granted, INTL can develop this expertise in-house, if it wants. But I right now I question, & I think INTL does for that matter, how far they wish to stray from there core business -- chip design & manufacturing. Consider how strongly does INTL wish board design to become a necessary part of their business. I don't think Andy has made this decision on this one yet. Right now I think he is just focused on designing & manufacturing chips capable of augmenting the graphic performance capabilities of today's CPU. Also, keep in mind the merits of brand name. INTL has its "Intel Inside" image, which it has only recently developed after years of presence in the PC chip market. Similarly, DIMD has developed & presently enjoys significant brand recognition for products enhancing multimedia content on the PC. IMHO, INTL's values DIMD's brand recognition among video enthusiasts. As such, in light of INTL's latest maneuver, I don't think INTL would necessarily want to toss the DIMD name away. If anything, it will leverage upon it. Remember, the market DIMD in which DIMD operates is growing & about to explode. Right now the "Intel Inside" is not synomynous with graphic performance. "At $500 and below, how many VCRs or stereo systems have you gone thru?" I'm not sure what you're talking about here. Are you saying that it will be less expensive for the consumer to upgrade his system with the purchase of a chip rather than a board? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but what goes on today is not simply slapping on another chip in a manner that requires the existing CPU to "blindly" co-exist with its new neighbor & still optimize the performance of both. Today's graphic chip requires additional memory with specific purpose. We're not at a point today of putting all this on a single chip. Maybe some where down the road, but not right now. By analogy, I can sum up my view the graphic board as the "ring" which must fit the CPU's "finger." Notwithstanding the magnificence of the stone for which the ring is given, one must not forget the setting, which permits that stone to fit and rest upon the finger. PS FYI, I'm still on my first VCR I purchased 13 years ago. Damn thing call only record up to channel 49. I'm waiting for DVD to takeoff in a direction that's clear. Stereo? I'm on my second, which is just as hold as the VCR. But I still have my first receiver purchased in 1974, a Marantz 2230, soon to be a collector's item. If interested, I'm takin' bids.