View Full Version : 3dhq voodoo drivers
any word on when beta 8 arrives?
I just recieved a Voodoo 5 5500 AGP and since I've heard of some problems with beta 7 I intend to wait for beta 8 before I review it (yes a V5 5500 review in 2003 ;) )
I intend to test it in a P4 3 Ghz system with 512 MB PC1066 ;)
well I'm mainly just gonna test the FSAA (comparing it to GeFOrce 4 Ti and Radeon 9700 as well as any other cards I might have lying around)
btw their site: http://www.tdhq.net/ seems to be down for the moment, just my luck when my card just arrived today, it was working fine yesterday
one last thing
is it really that important to upgrade to the last availible BIOS as they say on the 3dhq forums?
I don't think the Voodoo5 will work in a Pentium 4 system. I vaguely remember that there was a problem/difference with the Intel AGP implementation, which the voodoo5 didn't like.
I'm almost sure of it.
at least not with an intel i845/850 since they support 3.3V AGP 4x only. (The Voodoos require 5V IIRC)
Tagrineth
08-Jan-2003, 23:29
at least not with an intel i845/850 since they support 3.3V AGP 4x only. (The Voodoos require 5V IIRC)
LOL! Whoa! 5V?!
Nonono, see, there is no such thing as 3.3V AGP4x... it's AGP2x at 3.3v (AGP 1.0).
AGP 2.0 called for a voltage of 1.5V for AGP4x. 3.3V cards cannot use AGP4x, except when hacks are used via Universal AGP slots.
Voodoo5 5500 is a 3.3V AGP card. You can't use it in an AGP2.0 keyed 1.5V slot.
And a 5500 PCI can't work too well either because i850 has a problem with graphics data on the PCI bus... :lol: Talk about getting shafted!
Tagrineth
08-Jan-2003, 23:30
Oh and by the way, Beta 8 is having some odd issues with the SLI code so it won't be out until that can be fixed.
stupid me, I didn't even start thinking about my mobo supporting it
well I have a couple of other test setups its bound to work in one of them..... I hope ;)
beta7 doesn't seem to good either since it has a problem with XP installs, I wonder why they don't just fix the installer and release it again...
perhaps I'll stick with beta 5 since I have that on my HD anyways, unless someone has a link (and info on compability/problems etc.) for beta6
those darn 3dhq forums doesn't let me register, I just get a bad password error when trying to log in with the password I got sent in an automated e-mail
argh
btw any chances of ruining the card by placing it in the "wrong" mobo?
at least not with an intel i845/850 since they support 3.3V AGP 4x only. (The Voodoos require 5V IIRC)
LOL! Whoa! 5V?!
Nonono, see, there is no such thing as 3.3V AGP4x... it's AGP2x at 3.3v (AGP 1.0).
AGP 2.0 called for a voltage of 1.5V for AGP4x. 3.3V cards cannot use AGP4x, except when hacks are used via Universal AGP slots.
Voodoo5 5500 is a 3.3V AGP card. You can't use it in an AGP2.0 keyed 1.5V slot.
And a 5500 PCI can't work too well either because i850 has a problem with graphics data on the PCI bus... :lol: Talk about getting shafted!
:oops: yeah thats what i meant to say ;)
but anyway you cant use a Voodoo AGP Card with a i845/850 System
how about a KT400, KT333 or nForce 2 then? Anyproblems with any one of those?
horvendile
09-Jan-2003, 11:50
how about a KT400, KT333 or nForce 2 then? Anyproblems with any one of those?
I shouldn't think so (at least not for the first two) - but don't hold me responsible! :)
I base that guess partly on me using a V5 AGP on a KT133A board, and I'm not aware of any problems with later VIA chipsets, but I've not actually tested. The nForce 2 is so new so I wouldn't be very surprised if no one has tested on that one.
BTW (quite off topic, so feel free to ignore):
When I run Windows Update on my W2k machine, it lists an available Voodoo driver, possibly version 1.05.something. I was under the impression that there were no later official drivers than 1.04. Is that wrong?
LOL now do I feel like an ass or do I feel like an ass
it doesn't even fit into the AGP slot on my primary rig
It fits in an old KT333CE (QDI) I've got lying around but I dunno if it actually works and I'm not that keen on ripping out everything just to try the card
I have a nForce 2 (Chaintek) on it's way over guess I'll have to wait and try but I kinda doubt it
baah I wanted to play here at home with it for a while
well serves me right for not doing my homework now doesn't it ;)
i850, KT400, nForce2, KT333CE that's what I have availible, it better work in one of them :shock:
hmm just read at 3dhq that some people recommend nForce2 as the best modern mobos for running V5
well if all goes well I should bring home such a mobo tomorrow :)
I was going to buy a V5 for testing purposes too, good job I did not as my i845E would have meant it wouldn't work anyway.. d'oh!
Colourless
09-Jan-2003, 15:27
/plug mode on
If you want new 3dfx drivers, use GlideXP. Now upto build 1014. http://www.users.on.net/triforce/glidexp/
/plug mode off
Does the nForce2 support 3.3V AGP voltage again?
My ASUS A7N-266C (nForce 1) only accepts 1.5V cards.
horvendile
09-Jan-2003, 15:58
If you want new 3dfx drivers, use GlideXP.
Interesting! But... will they work under W2k?
(I should reinstall anyway, since my current install is slowly deteriorating and games stop working (not sure if this has anything to do with the V5 though), but I don't have XP.)
Colourless
09-Jan-2003, 16:10
Interesting! But... will they work under W2k?
Yes. They will work in 98, Me, 2K and XP.
Tagrineth
09-Jan-2003, 20:19
BTW (quite off topic, so feel free to ignore):
When I run Windows Update on my W2k machine, it lists an available Voodoo driver, possibly version 1.05.something. I was under the impression that there were no later official drivers than 1.04. Is that wrong?
Shortly after 3dfx effectively shut down, Microsoft was still working on a properly validated DX driver mainly for DX8 compat. and WinXP... unfortunately, nVidia stopped MS (MS was willing and ready to support the Voodoo Series, in fact). But anyway, that driver is the result. I don't know what they did exactly but DX8 games should run well... but not necessarily OpenGL/GLide.
horvendile
10-Jan-2003, 09:16
Colourless and Tagrineth:
Thanks!
ArchAngelCD
11-Jan-2003, 08:05
There is no problem with the Voodoo5 5500 on the VIA KT333 chipset. I am running that setup right now.
There is no problem with the Voodoo5 5500 on the VIA KT333 chipset. I am running that setup right now.
oh well guess I'll have to install it then hehe too bad the damn thing sucks
QDI- OEM stuff no features, no tweaking possibilities etc.
Reverend
11-Jan-2003, 17:48
Voodoo5 owners, please do not hate me (and really, 3dfx sent me 4 V5 boards, so I know what I like about the board).....
If you can afford it, it's time to move on...
ArchAngelCD
11-Jan-2003, 17:53
I have finally given up. I ordered a Radeon 9500 Pro and should get it on Monday. I have been using my Voodoo5 since Oct. 2000 and it's been in 3 different systems that I have built over that time. I'll be sad to see it go. :cry:
horvendile
12-Jan-2003, 09:15
Voodoo5 owners (...) If you can afford it, it's time to move on...
I fully agree - and I would move on, if I could afford it.
The R300 is very tempting (especially if it finally supports 16-bit AA), but then I recall that it actually costs money, which rather rules it out... :lol:
(Or rather: :cry: )
another V5 question
about 8x FSAA
the folks at 3dhq are teolling me that as long as I have frame buffer memory to spare I can go ahead and use 8x FSAA even on a 5500
but someone else (I think it was here at B3d) told me that the 5500 was not capable of taking mopre than 4 samples per pixel no matter what
also how do I enable it to try it? I assume it isnät there by default in the 5500 drivers?
Colourless
12-Jan-2003, 14:23
Voodoo5 owners, please do not hate me (and really, 3dfx sent me 4 V5 boards, so I know what I like about the board).....
If you can afford it, it's time to move on...
Agreed. I 'try' to tell people that, but they don't really listen.
I myself, 'almost' upgraded my card as I have the cash, but I know that I really shouldn't be spending it on something like a new card, because I might need it for other reasons.
As for my GlideXP stuff, I've let people know before, mostly what I do are for purely selfish reasons. I make changes that I want or need to do. Hell, I started it just so I could screw around in WinXP with OpenGL apps without my system dieing. I am against people attempting to extend the lives of the cards by adding features to the drivers to 'emulate'/hack around missing features on the cards.
Colourless
12-Jan-2003, 14:23
another V5 question
about 8x FSAA
the folks at 3dhq are teolling me that as long as I have frame buffer memory to spare I can go ahead and use 8x FSAA even on a 5500
but someone else (I think it was here at B3d) told me that the 5500 was not capable of taking mopre than 4 samples per pixel no matter what
also how do I enable it to try it? I assume it isnät there by default in the 5500 drivers?
You can not enable it because it isn't possible. The 3dhq people tend to TALK OUT OF THEIR ASSES!
Dave Baumann
12-Jan-2003, 14:28
When the T-Buffer mode is selected, each pipeline is tied to a buffer. Because V4 only has 4 pipelines to do 8X AA then each pipeline would need to be switching between two buffers, which it can't do.
Colourless
12-Jan-2003, 15:01
Actually, there is a way, but I don't know if it actually works on Voodoos. It could be possible to up the buffer resolution and then use some overlay trickery to scale the image back. What I just dont know is if the Voodoos actually support overlay downscaling. In theory they should, but there are comments in the code that suggest it might not.
When the T-Buffer mode is selected, each pipeline is tied to a buffer. Because V4 only has 4 pipelines to do 8X AA then each pipeline would need to be switching between two buffers, which it can't do.
"V4"? that applies to V5 5500 as well?
Dave Baumann
12-Jan-2003, 15:06
That should be V5. V4 only has two pipes.
"all vsa-100 chips are capable of at least 8xfsaa and all can do t-buffer effects, trust us, trust Koolsmoky"
...
"but such features would require coding"
"if u take a BIOS from a v5 6000 and put it on a v5 5500, u can get it too work."
"And yo, HSR worx over anycard when atleast FSAA 4X is working"
various claims from 3dhq
did anyone ever get HSR working properly?
there was a driver that had some sort of SW HSR right, but which didn't work very good and caused artifacts and instability?
I also like the claims about 3dfx drivers that do "True Anisotropic Filtering"
Tagrineth
12-Jan-2003, 17:49
"all vsa-100 chips are capable of at least 8xfsaa and all can do t-buffer effects, trust us, trust Koolsmoky"
...
"but such features would require coding"
"if u take a BIOS from a v5 6000 and put it on a v5 5500, u can get it too work."
"And yo, HSR worx over anycard when atleast FSAA 4X is working"
various claims from 3dhq
That sounds like ElvIsAlive. I dunno though.
Anyway, YES, it is possibe to do more AA samples than there are pipelines in the card, HOWEVER it isn't in VSA-100. The cores are hardwired to be incapable of it, for obvious performance reasons.
VSA-101, aka Daytona, IS capable of 4x AA with only two pipelines. 3dfx enabled that ability due to the 101 using a DDR memory controller, so performance was less of an issue. Daytona would have been single-chip only though, as far as we know. Oh well...
The HSR thing is 'being worked on' and can work pretty well, but it's kinda buggy by nature (it relies on selective frontface culling and vertex stride).
Also the Aniso is a 'feline' implementation; VSA-100 isn't capable of "TRUE" aniso in the standard sense but the effect of the 3dhq implementation is good enough that 3dfx were actually on track to use it themselves in Rampage (though of course Rampage did support true aniso, it also supported true aniso + feline aniso in conjunction with the T and M-buffers).
Thanks for the replies.
So is there any drivers where I can try out HSR and Aniso (or rather which driver does it work best in).
I'm just a bit confused about what driver I should use, there's like a million out there and all of them have their dedicated users that say "This driver is tons better than all the rest" ;)
Dave Baumann
12-Jan-2003, 18:22
VSA-101, aka Daytona, IS capable of 4x AA with only two pipelines. 3dfx enabled that ability due to the 101 using a DDR memory controller, so performance was less of an issue. Daytona would have been single-chip only though, as far as we know. Oh well...
Daytone was a 64-bit interface, so the DDR would have just levelled it out against VSA-100.
Tagrineth
12-Jan-2003, 18:24
HSR only really works in the 3dfx 1.04.01 final beta set, and maybe a few drivers shortly after that or ones based on that set.
Aniso is in the upcoming OpenGL ICD which hasn't been released yet.
Wavey: There was a 128-bit DDR Daytona planned.
HSR only really works in the 3dfx 1.04.01 final beta set, and maybe a few drivers shortly after that or ones based on that set.
So could you recommend a driver or two which are based on that driver which works in XP.
Aghh this is getting troublesome.
One driver if I want to test this feature, another to test that one, one driver for stability, one for performance etc.
So what's the all around best driver with most features, best performance, big breasts and free FSAA? ;)
Tagrineth
12-Jan-2003, 18:46
I dunno, I wouldn't say there is one.
A better place to ask though would be 3dhq (www.tdhq.net)'s forums...
I don't have any experience with a V5 + XP, mine died before I even switched to 2k...
Colourless
12-Jan-2003, 19:00
As Dave said, Daytona was 64-Bit DDR, which is equiv to 128-Bit SDR. There was no additional memory bandwith, just less pins for the bandwith that it used.
Additionally, Daytona had no actual changes to the core, other than the 64 Bit DDR interface and being a Die Shrink. I really do not know who started of all the rumours about 4x FSAA with single chip Daytona, but it's absolute rubbish. Single chip Daytona was NOT able to do 4x FSAA. It would have required substantial changes to the core, and would have broken driver compatibility.
There were no plans for a 128 Bit Daytona because the chip just simply didn't have a 128 bit interface.
The way people attempt to make it sound, they act as if Daytona was a Single Chip Voodoo 5. All that Daytona really was, was a die shrunk, cheaper version of the VSA-100. No added features, nothing. It was all just to reduce expenses, and increase margins.
Reverend
13-Jan-2003, 05:40
I honestly don't remember too much anymore about the VSA-100 but the one thing I do remember is Gary Tarolli telling me that there is no way 8xAA can be done with 2 chips.
Of course, Gary only ever tells me the truth...
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