3dfx Voodoo3

By looking at the specifications for the Voodoo3, you'll notice that there are quite a few areas where the specifications vary along a range. The reason for this is that 3dfx felt it best if they split up their Voodoo3 into three specific classes or models, each one adhering to the needs of a different type of user, the entry-level gamer, the average gamer, and the hard-core gaming enthusiast. Likewise, 3dfx's easy to understand model numbering system is supposed to be able to tell you which product is the right one for you, dividing the Voodoo3 into three classes, the 2000, 3000, and the 3500. Since basic psychological interpretation indicates that the human mind will interpret bigger as being better, the Voodoo3 2000 is targeted at the entry-level gamers, the 3000 at average gamers, and the Voodoo3 3500 at hard-core gaming enthusiasts. Before we get into discussing the features of each of the individual models, let's take a quick look back at the Voodoo2 for a moment.

As briefly mentioned earlier, Quantum3D was a manufacturer of Voodoo2 boards that somewhat broke the trend of making 3dfx boards. They were the only card manufacturer to produce something known as a single card SLI Voodoo2 board, which was essentially two Voodoo2 boards connected internally built upon a single card. The market was eagerly hoping that 3dfx would release a reference specification for a single-card SLI solution so that the majority of the market could purchase lower cost SLI solutions as Quantum3D's parts were quite pricey, unfortunately 3dfx never fulfilled those dreams leaving the single-card SLI fantasy nothing more than that, a fantasy for most. Let's take a look at the specifications for a single card SLI solution, or even a two card Voodoo2 SLI solution and compare it to the specs of the Voodoo3:

• 90MHz Clock Speed
• 180 Megapixels per second
• 360 Megatexels per second peak fill rate
• 3 Million polygons per second peak processing power
• Resolution support up to 1024 x 768
• PCI Support - No AGP Texturing Support
• 16-bit 3D Rendering Support - No 32-bit 3D Rendering Support
• 24MB EDO DRAM
• Optional NTSC S-Video Out
• Direct3D/OpenGL/Glide API Support
• Per pixel perspective correct texture mapping
• 16/24-bit Z buffer
• Support for 8-bit palletized textures

Now that should look quite familiar, take a look at the specifications for the Voodoo3 once again, now look at the Voodoo2 SLI specificationshmminteresting no? The Voodoo3 is quite similar to a single-card SLI solution with integrated 2D and support for the AGP interface. A tad disappointing, isn't it?