rec.autos.simulators

-Surfer

--

Phil "Surfer" Worthen
VMFA-333 Tres Equis / 510th TFW
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"If you're not having fun...you're doing something wrong"

Hi Sim Folks:

   I love my Pure 3D (Voodoo 1).  

   I always use my 3DFX in native mode, and can find all the
titles I want that support it.  

   A friend of mine just seems to want something that isn't
a 3DFX, he keeps talking about D3D.  

   I don't know why my friend doesn't want 3DFX.  I assume it
has as good a D3D driver as anyone's, right?  

   I gave my opinion and dropped it.  I'm not the sort to try
to talk people into something they don't want.  So, what card
would you recommend?  

   He is interested in the ATI Rage, or Rage Pro, or Rage
something.  Anybody have any opinions on this unit?  

                                                     Thanks
                                                     Larry

Yes, 3dfx will do D3D... Direct 3D is only a software driver included with
directX by microsoft, it's ok, but 3dfx is the shit.  I have a Stingray
128/3D 3dFX card, and can run games in 3dfx, which is second to none, for
the games that support it, for those that dont I run D3D.
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http://www.triton.net/junfan/
ICQ 1796276

"It is like a finger pointing away to the moon.
Don't concentrate on the finger, or you'll miss
all that heavenly glory."

Bruce Lee (Lee Jun Fan)

This is a loser. Forget the rage. 3dfx will support everything
the rage will plus Direct3D. And for rendition owners? I
don't see many rendition ONLY titles. But there are certainly
3dfx only titles.

Be a good buddy and print out all these replies and show
your friend :-)

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Header address intentionally scrambled to ward off the spamming hordes.

   I understand what you are saying.  And I agree.  But he
just doesn't want a 3DFX.  

   To the best of my knowledge, he has never seen either the
flight-sim, or autos.sim newsgroups.  But someone, probably a
computer salesman, put a bug in his ear that 3DFX isn't what
he wants.  

   You can hold him while I try to beat some sense into him.  
But short of that, it's just not going to happen.  

   So, what is the best alternative.  I guess he's looking for
the best D3D performance.  Right now he's leaning toward the
ATI Rage line.  

   On a separate note, out of curiosity.  How do the Voodoo
and Voodoo 2 compare to other cards when running D3D?  

   It reminds me of a joke.  What's the difference between a
used car salesman and a computer salesman?  The used car
salesman knows when he's lying.  

                                                      Thanks
                                                      Larry

Bad choice.  The card is infamous now for tweaking their drivers to score
better on the overused/overquoted 3D Winbench score while performance in
actual games got worse!

I've been out of it for a bit as I've been happy with my Canopus Pure3D
(Voodoo).  But last I checked about 2 months back, I suggest...

Any based on the Riva128 (Diamond Viper 330, STB Lightspeed 128).  The STB is
now on sale at CompUSA for $100 after mail-in rebates.  Usually quoted as the
fastest.

Any based on the Rendition Verite 2100 or 2200 (Diamond Stealth 220, Hercules
Thriller).  Especially good on slower systems (<P233MMX?), where the CPU is
the bottleneck instead of the 3D card).  On faster systems, this card becomes
the bottleneck.

Now there are newer cards based on the "Intel" 740 that are supposed to be
decent D3D cards and inexpensive(?).

There are to be new updates of the Riva128, one called the Riva128ZX (is it
out?), and a future one that is also supposed to be possibly in Voodoo2
territory.

Also ATI(?) and Matrox are supposed to be working on next gen chips to compete
with the Voodoo2.  But why wait?

Voodoo used to be the best, but now there are a bunch of cards with similar
performance, some a bit better provided one has a fast enough CPU for the
Voodoo to become the bottleneck (usually cited as a PII but I don't think
there is a firm number on this).  I"m not sure if the Voodoo2 puts it back on
top in D3D.

I am a computer salesman, and 3DFx is the best!!! 3D accelerator out there.
If he has a decent 2D card, this is the best way to go for him.  He will
have support for the 3 biggest API's out there.  D3D, Open GL and
Glide(3Dfx's proprietary API).  Everything that comes down the pipe will run
on it.  I love my 3Dfx and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.
Have him call me 1(800)677-9781 ext 339
                                                Russ

On Mon, 25 May 1998 07:27:54 -0700, Laurence Lindstrom

That's a reason?

New friends?

The nVidia Riva 128 offers good Direct3D performance, but a
Direct3D-only card is not going to help you much with the majority of
flight sims and racing games.  If I was buying a card only for D3D,
that's what I'd get.  But it wouldn't matter, because I'd shoot myself
shortly thereafter, having proven conclusively that my mind was gone,
since "buying a card only for D3D" is right there in the dictionary as
a definition of "certifiably insane."

RichC

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Laurence Lindstrom heeft geschreven in bericht

I am using a ATI Rage Pro, and I must say it's working mighty fine. Great
stability and good 3D. I have understood that Glide may give even better
results, but I am very happy with my setup.

Harald

   I don't want to spur this thread, its going just fine.  But
of course, I meant no offense with that joke.  I'm sure to you
it's an old one.  An e-mail expressed that it's too close to
being true.  

   Because I am posting again, thanks to everyone, keep 'em
coming.  E-mail is fine.  This isn't a bullshit troll.  All
messages, except this one, will be presented to my friend.  

   To RichC.  Thanks, that's VERY good advice.  But everybody
has their faults.  I will keep him as a friend.  But until he
sees the light, becomes a true believer, ONE WITH THE ONLY
TRUTH, I'll keep an eye on him.  If I decide to have him
committed, you will be called to testify.  Don't worry.  I
think I can compensate you for $10.00 a day.  

   Oh, and special thanks to Harald van Santen.  Brave post!
I hope you aren't mail-bombed. : )

                                                        Larry

 If the titles your friend is interested in are all D3D, then he'll be
safe with a Rage. I think he'll find that many more sims support 3Dfx
only, or 3Dfx with D3D as an afterthought. A Voodoo 1 or 2 board will
support both.

 I've been running a Pure 3D board alongside a Screamin' 3D (Rendition)
for about a half-year now, and I'm happy with its performance. And I've
yet to wonder if the 3D sim I want to play is supported.

Best,
Rick

That computer-salesman should be taken out and shot !

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l8er
ronny

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Bye,
Leo

I think you should try to extrapolate your friend's reasons for NOT
choosing 3Dfx. Don't try to convince him to buy it, just try to find
why; what he read, heard, saw that turned him off.

If he was mis-informed somehwere along the way about 3Dfx, then you
can work on that. If he's relying on a strictly "green eggs and ham"
argument (I don't like it because I've never tried it); then there's
nothing you can do. You've made your best reccomendation, drop it and
move on. Let your friend figure it out the hard way. (As I did)

I just can't reccomend anything else for a video card for 3D-enhanced
*** that isn't a 3Dfx card. Anything else would be a compromise.