Voodoo3?

So...after all the banter back and forth about Voodoo3, is it worth buying to play NASCAR Racing 1999 or not? "Just when I think you have said the stupidest thing I have ever heard...you keep talking." - Hank Hill ====================== ======================

hehe... good Hank Hill quote. "Dammit, Bobby...." As for V3... right now it is probably NOT worth it for N99, IMHO. What are you using now?? In fact, I would recommend waiting until N3 comes out. That will most likely require a better card. By waiting, you also should be able to get a better price on the V3 when demand/prices go down. --Dave

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> So...after all the banter back and forth about Voodoo3, is it worth buying to > play NASCAR Racing 1999 or not? > "Just when I think you have said > the stupidest thing I have ever > heard...you keep talking." - Hank Hill > ====================== > ======================

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

What ever video card that came in my Compaq computer. I don't have a 3dfx card and the V3's are selling for $129.00 at Best Buy. Is the V3 better than none at all for NR1999? They had some RivaTNT cards for $99.00, but they are sold out of them. "Just when I think you have said the stupidest thing I have ever heard...you keep talking." - Hank Hill ====================== ======================

<snip> Isn't the V3 a bit dated when N3 arrives? Christmas 99? Sorry to say that, but I would think so... (It could be a helluva nice price tho :-) JoHS

Um... the V3 is better than what you have, but I ran N2 A LOT on just software mode and I got good framerates. If you like the framerate you're getting and like the way it looks (detail-wise) then don't worry about it. But if you want GPL or N3, then you will want a V3 or something similar when you're ready for those games. And as for the Riva... I don't know if I'd buy a TNT now, because the TNT2 is supposed to be a BIG improvement over the old one... and possibly all other cards. If you can wait just a bit, check out Http://www.tomshardware.com for updates and possible reviews of the video cards. Then you can select the one you like best, and shop around for it. Another hint, you can often find MUCH better deals at http://www.shopper.com than at Best Buy or CompUSA. Just type in the name of the product in the search box and you'll have a whole list of vendors and prices. -_Dave

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> >As for V3... right now it is probably NOT worth it for N99, IMHO. What > >are you using now?? > What ever video card that came in my Compaq computer. I don't have a 3dfx card > and the V3's are selling for $129.00 at Best Buy. > Is the V3 better than none at all for NR1999? > They had some RivaTNT cards for $99.00, but they are sold out of them. > "Just when I think you have said > the stupidest thing I have ever > heard...you keep talking." - Hank Hill > ====================== > ======================

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

Yep, certainly could be... but it is still a HUGE improvement over NO card... :-) -_dave

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> <snip> > > In fact, I would recommend waiting until N3 comes out. That will most > > likely require a better card. By waiting, you also should be able to get > > a better price on the V3 when demand/prices go down. > Isn't the V3 a bit dated when N3 arrives? Christmas 99? Sorry to say > that, but I would think so... (It could be a helluva nice price tho :-) > JoHS

-- Dave Schwabe The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

>What ever video card that came in my Compaq computer. I don't have a 3dfx card >and the V3's are selling for $129.00 at Best Buy. >Is the V3 better than none at all for NR1999? Oh yeah.....

I'll try not to start another V3 vs TNT2 thread, but PLEASE don't base hardware purchases on Tom's hardware, especially not this one. Check out also: www.anandtech.com www.agn3d.com www.sharkyextreme.com www.riva3d.com (yes a Riva site, that had a non-biased review of the V3) And tons of others, best thing to do is read a lot of 'em and you gain a better view. And take ANYTHING you read on any of them with a grain of salt. They usually are testing unreleased versions of the cards with unfinished drivers, which means they could perform way under what the actual card can do, or can be a "ringer" that is not representative of a retail card. My knock on Tom is he uses one Shogo benchmark of his own making, that no one else can verify, and ONE of the many timedemos from Quake2 that could be used, and probably the least useful for video card speed - and using beta hardware at clock speeds that aren't determined yet for the TNT2, and plain wrong on the Voodoo3's vs. what the shipping V3 cards are at. Hardly in-depth to me, although it get's bandied about the 'net quite often as gospel. There ARE better reviewers. I don't know that I'd go out and get a V3 just for N99, but it'll do more for it and GPL, etc. than the TNT2, that isn't really supported yet in Papyrus games. N99 won't ever be, and GPL just has the beta Open GL patch that doesn't work that great. We'll have to see with N3. Voodoo2's are $100 new now, and less used - these and the V3 deliver a lot of bang for the buck. They should run N3 very well, based on how well it runs GPL, though of course both are probably more reliant on the processor speed than anything. -- Ken's Sig 2.01 "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony." Go #43 and #44! volksy (at) geocities (dot) com volksy (at) yahoo (dot) com >Um... the V3 is better than what you have, but I ran N2 A LOT on just >software mode and I got good framerates. If you like the framerate >you're getting and like the way it looks (detail-wise) then don't worry >about it. >But if you want GPL or N3, then you will want a V3 or something similar >when you're ready for those games. >And as for the Riva... I don't know if I'd buy a TNT now, because the >TNT2 is supposed to be a BIG improvement over the old one... and >possibly all other cards. If you can wait just a bit, check out >Http://www.tomshardware.com >for updates and possible reviews of the video cards. Then you can select >the one you like best, and shop around for it. >Another hint, you can often find MUCH better deals at >http://www.shopper.com >than at Best Buy or CompUSA. Just type in the name of the product in the >search box and you'll have a whole list of vendors and prices. >-_Dave >> >As for V3... right now it is probably NOT worth it for N99, IMHO. What >> >are you using now?? >> What ever video card that came in my Compaq computer. I don't have a 3dfx card >> and the V3's are selling for $129.00 at Best Buy. >> Is the V3 better than none at all for NR1999? >> They had some RivaTNT cards for $99.00, but they are sold out of them. >> "Just when I think you have said >> the stupidest thing I have ever >> heard...you keep talking." - Hank Hill >> ====================== >> ====================== >-- >Dave Schwabe >The Aussie Toad -- Grand Prix Legends & Brabham site >http://users.wi.net/~schwabe

I don't like the framerates as it seems like I am driving into nowhere and then all of a sudden, it pops into view...and that sucks. I think if I knew how to adjust the frame in NR1999, I might be happier with that. But since somebody else is buying the V3 for me, I won't ***.

Yup, and all four sites pretty much have said the same thing. Btw, there is an interesting interview with the CreativeLabs' boss on sharkyextreme. :) As for the TNT2s, you must seperate them into the TNT2 and the UltraTNT2. But the CL boss touches on that too. My biggest complaint about 3dfx is not the V3's shortcomings, althought there are quite a few, is that they didn't make an add-on card in addition to their 2D/3D! I'd of gladly replaced my 2 V2s with a single V3 3000/3500 add-on card and sold my V2s to friends. Oh well.

On Fri, 16 Apr 1999 06:17:33 GMT, "Ken Beard" >Hardly in-depth to me, although it get's bandied about the 'net quite often as >gospel. There ARE better reviewers. Hi Ken, I agree with you on tomshardware.com's reviews. I don't follow hardware like I used to, but when I do take some time to see what's going on, there are better sites. That's a shame, because I used to respect tomshardware for the site's excellent info. Now, some of the things he is doing with benchmarking seem to be adding confusion to an already confusing situation. Brett

183mhz: V3 got 57fps, TNT2 got 45fps, and the TNT2 dropped to 34fps when running 32-bit color. So the TNT2 Ultra looks slower than a V3-3500 (or an actual retail 3000 overclocked), AND has a 25% performance penalty to run in 32-bit color, which goes against the "pretty much agrees with Tom's" bit. riva3d.com said the V3 was faster, and they were impressed with the card..... My point was not to buy anything based on just a few reviews, or to seek out ones that support your view. Many people who LOVE the TNT2 point everyone to the Tom's thing, which just isn't accurate. Notice this, and several others, haven't updated their results using shipping V3's? The better thing to do would be to look at newsgroups when both cards are out and see what real-world reports are.... And I think it's been extremely well established that you don't want a V3. Fine. I don't think you need to interject into EVERY thread on this. When you buy your TNT2, let us know how it runs. I own a V3 and am happy with it, so I'm gonna recommend it to someone wanting a card now, especially if they need Glide support - unless they already have SLI. -- Ken's Sig 2.01 "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony." Go #43 and #44! volksy (at) geocities (dot) com volksy (at) yahoo (dot) com >> www.anandtech.com >> www.agn3d.com >> www.sharkyextreme.com >> www.riva3d.com (yes a Riva site, that had a non-biased review of the V3) >Yup, and all four sites pretty much have said the same thing. Btw, there is >an interesting interview with the CreativeLabs' boss on sharkyextreme. :) >As for the TNT2s, you must seperate them into the TNT2 and the UltraTNT2. >But the CL boss touches on that too. >My biggest complaint about 3dfx is not the V3's shortcomings, althought >there are quite a few, is that they didn't make an add-on card in addition >to their 2D/3D! I'd of gladly replaced my 2 V2s with a single V3 3000/3500 >add-on card and sold my V2s to friends. Oh well.

<snip> I am not a video card expert, but the Vodoo3 3000 I bought to put in my new system runs very well, I get 36 fps in GPL with all cars and all graphics on. I got a few free games with it that are 3dfx enabled and they look stunning. OF course I am just an outdated guy when it comes to vid cards, I still like Rendition .. hehe. -- http://CNSRL.com/ CNSRL Homepage http://cnsrl.com/team/Rtr.htm Rolling Thunder Racing Homepage