Voodoo 2 after voodoo 1....expected more, got same results

I bought a Diamond voodoo 2 8meg board while in USA last week, got back and fitted it expecting giant strides, well at least visible evidence of the "up to 3 times the speed of voodoo1!" adverts. Got just about the same results with both cards visually, dissappointing really. Wizmark gave 22395 in 52.44 secs as opposed to my v1 cards 21952 in 53.50 secs. I noticed no visible difference in F1RS or Toca. Does the card only give better results with games/sims coded for v2? I got a whole batch of games demos with the card but i've not tried them yet. Was i caught in the hype or have i missed something??? Mike.

Mike, A lot depends on the system you are using. The Voodoo2 will run much faster than the Voodoo1, IF you have a CPU fast enough to keep up with it. The Voodoo1 card was already so fast that a relatively slow CPU (Pentium 166,for example) couldn't keep up with it. Swap it for a Voodoo2 in that situation, and you won't see any performance gain. The Voodoo1's fill rate was already faster than the CPU could keep up with. With a real fast CPU (PII 266, for example) the Voodoo1 was the bottlneck. Upgrading to a Voodoo2 in that case would result in a big performance gain.

What type of system do you have? I know that unless you have a PentiumII, you won't see much of an imrpovement. If you've only got a P5 then it's going to be about the same.

It will all depends on your CPU. You need a PII to start seeing differences. Go to Tom's Hardware to a very good explanation on this. http://www.tomshardware.com/ Good racing. Roberto

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>> I bought a Diamond voodoo 2 8meg board while in USA last week, got back >> and fitted it expecting giant strides, well at least visible evidence of >> the "up to 3 times the speed of voodoo1!" adverts. >> Does the card only give better results with games/sims coded for v2? >> Was i caught in the hype or have i missed something??? >Mike, >A lot depends on the system you are using. The Voodoo2 will run much >faster than the Voodoo1, IF you have a CPU fast enough to keep up with >it. The Voodoo1 card was already so fast that a relatively slow CPU >(Pentium 166,for example) couldn't keep up with it. Swap it for a >Voodoo2 in that situation, and you won't see any performance gain. The >Voodoo1's fill rate was already faster than the CPU could keep up with. >With a real fast CPU (PII 266, for example) the Voodoo1 was the >bottlneck. Upgrading to a Voodoo2 in that case would result in a big >performance gain.

Not to mention the overlooked gain which is 800x600 with Z Buffering for V2, and 1024x800 without Z buffering. Of course SLI lets you have 1024x800 with Z-buffering too. Z.

Mike, If you don't want it, couple of guys over here in Margate wouldn't mind having it! They're impossible to get so far, although we're both actually waiting for the 12Mb cards to arrive. I've decided to put off the upgrade seems to me that the Voodoo2 will be waiting for the CPU rather too much. Mike.

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> > I bought a Diamond voodoo 2 8meg board while in USA last week, got back > > and fitted it expecting giant strides, well at least visible evidence of > > the "up to 3 times the speed of voodoo1!" adverts. > > Got just about the same results with both cards visually, dissappointing > > really. > Mike, > If you don't want it, couple of guys over here in Margate wouldn't mind > having it! They're impossible to get so far, although we're both actually > waiting for the 12Mb cards to arrive. I've decided to put off the upgrade > seems to me that the Voodoo2 will be waiting for the CPU rather too much. > Mike.

Yes, this is the problem. Voodoo2 needs a PII (maybe PPro) to really get going good. This is no shocker, 3Dfx has made this point clear from day one. You will be pleased when you upgrade your CPU though. <g> If you have a P5 and a Voodoo1, wait until your get a new CPU to buy a Voodoo2. But if you have no Voodoo at all, go ahead and buy the Voodoo2. It's not much that more than V1, and you will definitely be able to use it for your next system upgrade.

for >> the CPU rather too much. fast enough! Mike. -- 23:49 on 04/25/98 From sunny Herne Bay, Kent.UK. mailable also at remove NO-SPAM to mail me.

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> > I bought a Diamond voodoo 2 8meg board while in USA last week, got back > > and fitted it expecting giant strides, well at least visible evidence of > > the "up to 3 times the speed of voodoo1!" adverts. > > Does the card only give better results with games/sims coded for v2? > > Was i caught in the hype or have i missed something??? > Mike, > A lot depends on the system you are using. The Voodoo2 will run much > faster than the Voodoo1, IF you have a CPU fast enough to keep up with > it. The Voodoo1 card was already so fast that a relatively slow CPU > (Pentium 166,for example) couldn't keep up with it. Swap it for a > Voodoo2 in that situation, and you won't see any performance gain. The > Voodoo1's fill rate was already faster than the CPU could keep up with. > With a real fast CPU (PII 266, for example) the Voodoo1 was the > bottlneck. Upgrading to a Voodoo2 in that case would result in a big > performance gain.

This is indeed the case. Anything less than a PII is bottlenecking the Voodoo2 itself. That said, you should at least notice a little more consistency (ie. less dropped frames) and what I've noticed is increased sharpness. QuakeII is particularly nice and vivid.