Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : 3DFX -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Patrick Grinsell who wrote (10409)	1/30/1999 1:51:00 PM
From: Joe Pirate	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16960

>>Glide: Used to get the best performance out of the game. Can take >>advantage of new features in hardware (aka Rampage) instead of >>waiting on microsoft to support the hardware. ..snip.. >>DX6: Used to get the broadest customer base. More possible customers >>equals more possible dollars. 3d features aren't pushed to the max. From a GAMERS point of VIEW (friends and I) Well said, but times have changed. (Don't worry, I don't take things personally, I don't really get into the stocks I trade. I just sometimes see things from a bizzare perspective.) I would agree 100% a year ago. Waiting for microsoft to support hardware is like waiting for hell to freeze over. Gamers are not impressed with MSFT. BUT TODAY, games are shipping with DX 6.0 and these 3D games running on a TNT are equal to or better than Voodoo. (The gap has finally closed in on 3dfx! Really! no joke!). I can play right now in higher resolutions with a TNT based card while the Voodoo2 is limited to 800x600, unless you get two Voodoo2 cards in SLI mode, twice the cost! I have 2 computers, one system with my old Voodoo1 card still inside (don't use anymore) and a new TNT based card. The other system I bought a banshee to check it out. ($30 buck rebate too!). My friends and I still prefer the TNT overall with some exceptions that Unreal is weak in DX because the developers are WEAK, hee! (another story..) The information on the game forums are TNT..TNT..TNT.. Voodoo2 for sale.... People are selling Voodoo2's now and getting TNT. Sure, there is Voodoo fans out there, absolutely! It appears that DX 6.0 AND the "new" video chips (TNT) have finally caught up to Glide and/or surpassed it. 3dfx the company is still thinking that frame rates are far superior to visual quality. There must be a balance somewhere and 3dfx chose to stick with 16 color and high frame rates as their solution for balance for the V3. Intersting that when Nvidia annouced the TNT, high frame rates, 32 bit color, etc. 3dfx still chose to dodge the 32 bit color issue and insist that high frame rates are more important. Today; TNT, Combo card - 2D/3D, 32 bit color, high frame rates (3dfx is very lucky that Nvida really screwed up and didn't have the opportunity to make the TNT using the .25 silicon. Due to a snafu, they had to accept .35 silicon so the TNT is SLOWER than originally planned. Even with 90Mhz core vs. 125Mhz, original plan, the .35 TNT is a fierce competitor. I can wait for .25 silicon, hee!) Voodoo2, 3D card only, 16 bit color, high frame rates New..Banshee, Combo Card 2D/3D, 16 bit color, lower frames rates than Voodoo2, target.. OEM) Voodoo3 -"FIXED Banshee", Same as Voodoo2 card with 2D capabilities running at higher clock speed, 180 MHZ, 16 bit color, Very high frame rates Questions: 1. Have you played the newest hot off the shelf first person shooter (3D game) like Blood2 Shogo, Thief, Unreal, Quake2, Trespasser, etc. that runs on Voodoo (glide) based card ? 2. Have you played the newest hot off the shelf first person shooter (3D game) like Blood2 Shogo, Thief, Unreal, Quake2, Trespasser, etc. that runs on TNT (DX 6.0) based card ? Boxing Match: If I was investing in Video Card companies, I would pick 3DFX AND NVDIA to hedge your bets. I think S3 is DEAD, 3DLABS - I have to see where the 3DLABS Permidia3 is headed. Good Luck, may Da-Force-BE-Wit-Ya! Pirate

To: Patrick Grinsell who wrote (10409)	1/30/1999 2:10:00 PM
From: Joe Pirate	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16960

Permidia 3 3dlabs.com 3Dlabs® continues to strengthen its leadership position in the 3D graphics revolution with the announcement of PERMEDIA 3, the most recent product in 3Dlabs' line of powerful, mainstream graphics processors for games and corporate desktop graphics acceleration. Combining a powerful 250 million texel/sec dual-textured fill rate, full DirectX 6 and OpenGL 3D feature set and fast AGP2X support, the 128-bit PERMEDIA 3 graphics processor delivers breathtakingly realistic 3D, ultra fast 2D and cutting edge DVD playback and video integration. PERMEDIA 3's unique 3D core has been designed for full-on single-cycle operations that enable 3D realism and image quality to be cranked up to the max while sustaining high frame rates. Advanced visual effects such as tri-linear mipmapping, bump mapping with a surface texture, and multiple texture blending are all applied in a single pass, without any performance degradation. With an unrivaled feature set, PERMEDIA 3 is aggressively positioned in the mainstream PC market, enabling PC OEMs, developers and end-users alike to experience awesome, fully-integrated graphics performance at mainstream prices. ******************************************************************** The gap is closing in on 3dfx and Nvidia. Those specs surpass the .35 silicon TNT, the .25 TNT should be coming in a few months, I will try to find out when. NextGen "video chip" wars are going to be fierce. GOOD for the GAMER! hee ! Investors, hedge your bets. Pirate