I assumed my first-gen 3dfx Voodoo card was wonderful when it got here out, with its easy motion in GLQuake at 640 x 480, however this new sizzling rod exhibits simply how a lot untapped potential was accessible on this early 3D graphics card tech. It provides an additional texture mapping unit to the cardboard, whereas tripling the reminiscence from 4MB to 12MB, leading to an enormous improve in body charges – I solely want I would had this card again in 1997.
Whereas these early 3D playing cards at the moment are retro tech curiosities, with a tiny quantity of rendering energy in comparison with one of the best GPU designs of right this moment, there is a thriving hobbyist group devoted to getting essentially the most out of them. We have seen a do-it-yourself 64MB 3dfx Voodoo4 4500 card, giving it twice as a lot reminiscence as the unique model, for instance, and I additionally significantly beloved Anthony Zxclxiv’s recreated 3dfx Voodoo5 6000, offering entry to the corporate’s huge swansong graphics card that by no means fairly made it to market.
This time, YouTuber PixelPipes has produced a card primarily based on a blueprint by retro graphics card designer SDZ-Mods. The so-called Voodoo 4440H has an analogous kind issue to the unique Voodoo card, with a small PCB that makes use of a regular PCI slot, and with the VGA in and outs on the again that allow you to hook it as much as your graphics card. Within the previous days, you had a separate 2D and 3D graphics card, and also you wanted a loop-back cable to attach them.
Nevertheless, the chip configuration is extra like a 12MB 3dfx Voodoo2 card than a first-gen Voodoo card, with a pair of T-REX texture mapping models, slightly than the one one on a regular card, and 12MB of reminiscence as a substitute of simply 4MB, masking each the back and front of the cardboard. As you possibly can see within the video above, the distinction in efficiency and capabilities is immense within the PixelPipes’ 700MHz Pentium III check machine.
Working Unreal, for instance, which all the time ran greatest in 3dfx’s Glide API, because it gave you reflective surfaces, the machine solely averages 20.1fps at 640 x 480 (in hindsight, I discover it outstanding that I assumed this was easily playable again within the day), however it averages a a lot smoother 32.2fps with the Voodoo 4440H. The distinction in GLQuake is hanging too, averaging 36.6fps with the usual card, however a a lot smoother 57.3fps on the modded card – simply think about if we would had this tech for loss of life matches within the 90s.
That additional reminiscence additionally provides the modded Voodoo card the flexibility to run video games at 800 x 600, a feat that was beforehand out of bounds for this card on the time. It copes with it properly, although, largely due to that additional TMU chip. Within the check, it runs GLQuake at 35.5fps, which is barely 1fps slower than the usual Voodoo card at 640 x 480.
It could be previous tech, however I actually like to see what’s attainable with it. In case you have an analogous hankering for the previous days of PC gaming, then take a look at my information on construct a retro gaming PC, the place I take you thru the method of constructing a Pentium MMX rig in a brand new case.
Did you ever have a 3dfx Voodoo card? Share your reminiscences with us and different readers on our group Discord server.
