3dfx Rampage ;)

[Meta]

I don't mean to detract from what awesome work you're doing, but it bothers me that this legacy hardware discussion is mixed in with all the new graphics hardware discussions. I keep seeing that there's a new post in the 3D Architectures and Chips forums, only to be disappointed to see it's about hardware that came long before my time, and I have no way of contributing to that discussion.

Maybe it's just me? Keep up the good work, though.

[/Meta]
 
Homeles said:
[Meta]

I don't mean to detract from what awesome work you're doing, but it bothers me that this legacy hardware discussion is mixed in with all the new graphics hardware discussions. I keep seeing that there's a new post in the 3D Architectures and Chips forums, only to be disappointed to see it's about hardware that came long before my time, and I have no way of contributing to that discussion.

Maybe it's just me? Keep up the good work, though.

[/Meta]
Click to expand...

Ahem.

3D Architectures & Chips
For discussion of future, present, and past 3D chips as well as their architectures and trade-offs. Rumours and speculation threads on future products should go here.
 
gdonovan said:
Ahem.

3D Architectures & Chips
For discussion of future, present, and past 3D chips as well as their architectures and trade-offs. Rumours and speculation threads on future products should go here.
Click to expand...

Currently this is my favourite thread in 3D Arch...
Amazing work on this amazing piece of history!

How is the driver optimized for Rampage? Where it works is it close to full chip potential or miles away?
 
Lightman said:
Currently this is my favourite thread in 3D Arch...
Amazing work on this amazing piece of history!

How is the driver optimized for Rampage? Where it works is it close to full chip potential or miles away?
Click to expand...

1) Optimized? Not even close! To even call the driver an alpha is an insult to other alpha drivers! People I'm in contact with state a lot of code as far as memory control and managment was bypassed so that they could focus on working on the chips core. I suspect that is why DX reports 15mb of video ram even though the board has 32mb of DDR.

2) Were working with an engineer to compile and troubleshoot the drivers, I think a BIOS flash is in the boards future as well.

3) There are 2 good known boards running with a 3rd undergoing ram upgrade (bad chip) with a 4th undergoing troubleshooting to get function again.

The are five confirmed boards, I know where they are all located. I'm sure there are a few more hiding here and there.
 
rampy_juntas.jpg


Been meaning to post a few shots that have not been seen before, now is a good time as any. Shown about is the two clamshell boards, one is getting a ram upgrade the other is broken at the moment.
 
no-X said:
Rampage GPU doesn't support HW TnL. But 3Dfx had also SAGE TnL/geometry processor in plan and they were preparing three graphics cards based on these chips: First model based on Rampage (without HW TnL), second model based on SAGE + Rampage and third model based on SAGE + two Ramapage GPUs. First batch of SAGE chips was manufactured shortly before 3Dfx closed its offices, but there was no time to prepare protoype boards with SAGE. All known (3?) prototypes are based on single-chip Ramapage GPU.
Click to expand...

thanks for the information, I always "assumed" Rampage would have on the same chip the DX7/DX8 capabilities like a Geforce 3 or something

gdonovan said:
Gamma slider is cranked to max.

Running Final Reality DX5 benchmark-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OzhMd2q6Zk&feature=youtu.be

Only had time for one pass, will try again in a few days.
Click to expand...

interesting, maybe it's the camera framerate or it's just a sign of the lack of software optimization (not surprising of course, the fact that you got the thing working after all those years is pretty awesome), but performance is looking much lower than what I get on my Win98 PC (PII + Voodoo 4 4500 pci)

3dmark 2000 work?
 
This card would have to use software vertex shading then I assume. It could still have been more appealing than a Geforce MX since it has D3D8 support.
 
HMBR said:
thanks for the information, I always "assumed" Rampage would have on the same chip the DX7/DX8 capabilities like a Geforce 3 or something
Click to expand...

The base Rampage card was suppose to have a software TnL if my memory serves me correct and has PS1.0 specs.

interesting, maybe it's the camera framerate or it's just a sign of the lack of software optimization (not surprising of course, the fact that you got the thing working after all those years is pretty awesome), but performance is looking much lower than what I get on my Win98 PC (PII + Voodoo 4 4500 pci)

3dmark 2000 work?
Click to expand...

1) Yup, still have lots of driver work to do and the ram is running in a limted mode.

2) 3dmark99 and 2000 do not run since both programs do not detect the correct amount of ram, working on that now.
 
So.. would anyone on the board have a manual of Rampage's hardware registers? That would really help work on the drivers ;-)

PM if you can lend a hand or know someone who might.

Gary
 
Excellent work preserving that little piece of history. I wonder if, someday, somebody will come up with a FPGA implementation of this chip! :D Retro projects to recreate 'cycle perfect' implementations of old hardware, using FPGAs, are getting more and more popular these days...
 
msxyz said:
Excellent work preserving that little piece of history. I wonder if, someday, somebody will come up with a FPGA implementation of this chip! :D Retro projects to recreate 'cycle perfect' implementations of old hardware, using FPGAs, are getting more and more popular these days...
Click to expand...

I know a certain 3dfx engineer who has done a Voodoo II.
 
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