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: timbur who wrote (11100)	3/13/1999 11:43:00 AM
From: Gravitar	Respond to of 16960

TNT2 vs. V3 www4.tomshardware.com

To: timbur who wrote (11100)	3/13/1999 11:59:00 AM
From: Michael Madden	Respond to of 16960

3DFX could easily retake the speed throne. Since Voodoo3 is based on the Voodoo2 architecture, 3DFX could easily and quickly bring a Voodoo3 SLI product to market. In fact, given their close relationship with Quantum, TDFX could license Quantum's single board SLI design. Even an SLI board based on cheap 143MHz parts would easily surpass the frame rate performance of the TNT2 at high resolutions. [Please, no one respond with hype about Metabyte's dual card solution. The technology is not even shipping. You can get V2 SLI today; SLI is a proven, shipping technology. Sharky's last report on Metabyte stated that the technology still had visual quality problems where the two halves of the screen meet. Seamless integration of the two screen halves could be the most difficult engineering problem associated with this approach.] However, I don't expect TDFX to make this move. I fully expect 3DFX to let NVidia have its day in the sun for a couple of months. 3DFX management has stated in prior interviews that Voodoo3 was designed for OEM's and consumers, not the hard-core gaming market. (However, V3 3500 was obviously built for hard-core gamers who want to free-up PCI slots or use LCD displays.) 3DFX has an upcoming product for the hard-core gamers which could be unveiled as early as May, about the time TNT2 cards might actual ship to retailers. 3DFX could steal NVidia's thunder with an V3 SLI solution but building V3 SLI does not make good business sense and goes against 3DFX's philosophy of introducing products for the hard-core gamer with 18+ month life spans. A V3 SLI solution introduced today would quickly be overshadowed by the announcement of the next generation product in a few months. The TNT2 shows that NVidia has finally gotten within arms reach of becoming 3DFX's equal. Only now has it leap-frogged 3DFX on performance but its lead could be very short lived. TNT2 will not demolish 3DFX; it shows that a competitor can finally challenge 3DFX for the mind share of gamers.