3dfx Voodoo3

As you all probably have heard by now, 3dfx refused to support 32-bit color rendering with the Voodoo3 stating that the loss in performance would be too great to justify the "minimal" improvement in image quality. Because of every other major competitor's support for 32-bit rendering, primarily nVidia and ATI, 3dfx has come under major attack for their stand on this issue. With the release of id Software's Quake 3 Arena almost as highly anticipated as the next Star Wars movie, and with Q3A's allegedly noticeable implementation of 32-bit color rendering support, many users are upset with 3dfx for only supporting 16-bit rendering. 3dfx's response has been that their internal calculations are processed with 24-bit accuracy and then dithered to 16-bit, providing something similar to a hypothetical 22-bit color output, however the market is generally not buying that response at all.

The argument here is that, yes, 3dfx has failed to provide their users with 32-bit rendering support. And if you ask anyone that has been playing their games in 32-bit color, they'll tell you that there is a noticeable difference between 16-bit and 32-bit rendering. However if you ask a gamer that has always played their games in 16-bit color if they wake up every morning wishing that they had 32-bit color support, their answer would most likely be no. The bottom line here is that one of 3dfx's weaknesses with the Voodoo3 is definitely the lack of 32-bit rendering support, and if you're buying for the future, once again, 3dfx is not the path to follow as more and more games will begin to be built for 32-bit color rendering and will begin to look considerably better in 32-bit color. ATI has made it clear that 32-bit rendering is a viable possibility without a huge performance penalty, and 3dfx is arguing against that. 3dfx's next solution will most likely include 32-bit color rendering support, however until then, you need to ask yourself, how important is 32-bit color rendering to you? Find someone with a TNT or a Rage 128, and play a few of your games on their systems at 16-bit color then at 32-bit color, and decide for yourself. Is the difference noticeable? The answer to that is completely opinionated, find out for yourself, then decide whether or not 3dfx's obvious oversight is worth ditching the Voodoo3 for.