Customer Reviews

3dfx Voodoo3 3000 AGP Graphics Accelerator

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, voodoo3 products (all models) are both 2d and 3d cards. 2d is for stuff like displaying windows and your desktop and stuff like that. You notice 2d performance when you're scrolling down a window and the scroll bar is moving in blocks instead of smoothly like it should. Also, 2d is used in games that rely on your computer to make frames or pictures. Quake is an example of a game that uses 2d mode. The v3-3k is excelent in this area, although game performance is highly dependant on your processor speed in 2d. 3d is used in games (e.g. quake2, quake3, unreal tournament). If a game says "openGL" "Direct3D" or "glide" on the side of the box, it uses 3d and will work with v3's. You notice 3d performance when your games don't move smoothly. If a windmill on the screen moves like a clock ticking, that's bad. If it moves smoothly, that's good. The v3-3k is currenly the best 3d card on the market. I say best because even though there's a v3-3500 that's definitely faster, sometime in 2000 3dfx is going to come out with voodoo4's which will dwarf the voodoo3's in performance and support 32 bit color. According to amazon.com review guidelines, I'm not supposed to mention prices here, but let me tell you: they're gonna be cheap! :)

I've used TNT2 Ultra's and geFORCE256 video cards, both are fast, (the geFORCE is a lot faster in 3dWinbench) but Voodoo is the way to go for gaming! FPS in Unreal Tournament running 10x7 with 16Bit color are about the same for all three cards. Everyone talks about 32Bit color with the nVidia cards, but come on, how many games on the market now use 32Bit color. Not many, so your paying extra $$ for something you can't use. The big difference is textures, the Voodoo cards (Even two Voodoo 2's in SLI) blow all other cards away when running Glide! Take a look at your game boxes, chances are all of them support Glide, this means that the Voodoo cards are the way to go. I would buy a 3rd party fan to attach to the Voodoo's heatsink, they get VERY HOT, and the colder you can run your card (and system) the better performance you get! If you want the best, go with a Voodoo 3 2k for now and wait until March when the Voodoo 4 and Voodoo 5's are scheduled to be released and go for the Voodoo 5 6000 with 4 processors (4 way SLI) and 128MB of RAM! The 6000 should be the baddest card around if the PC Mags are right, but start saving your money now it will put a dent in your wallet if the pricing in the Game mags are right. I've been a big fan of the Voodoo cards ever since I bought my first Voodoo2 card. 3dfx continues a great product with the Voodoo 3 line. There is a good reason why your only options in most games are software, Direct3d and GLIDE! Anyway, hope this helps.

Somehow I find the other reviews suspicious in their intent. Either they are excellent or poor. In my opinion, the V3 holds its own with the other cards out there (including TNT2). It does support all the APIs, contrary to what another reviewer mentioned. But it does not support 32 bit color (although all others card on the market which support 32 bit color take a severe performance hit when used at that color depth). I think this card is an excellent value at the price listed.

After trying Savage4, TNT, TNT2, TNT2 ultra, rage128, etc. 3dfx V3 3000 is the first to install and work as promised. No hiccups. Very user friendly. Sure no 32-bit support, but, come on, is there really an appreciable difference with or without it? Those who say so, don't own one!

Had voodoo graphics in pc updated to Monster 3d II did not like it. Then for same price bought Voodoo 3 3000 and love it. The installation was a breeze and graghics are awesome. The 2d part screams past my Ati IIc. Simply put the best I've seen. Friend has Voodoo 2 and there is no comparison. Can't say enough goods things .

I was a bit skeptical when I put my money down on this product, but believe me, the results are worth it. My computer came pre-intstalled with an ATI Rage Pro video card which I was perfectly content with. I never had any real problems and all the games looked good to me. That was until I bought a game that would not work without a 3D accelerator, so that was when I bought the Voodoo 3. I was worried that I was wasting my money just to use it to play one stinking game, but I was proved wrong. After I went through the simple installation process when I got home, I popped in the game that wouldn't previously work, but sure enough, it worked, and it worked great. Then I performed a little test. I put in the game NHL 99 which I played a lot with my old card and tryed it with my Voodoo. I could not believe what I saw. The players were infinitely sharper, their reflections now appeared crystal clear on the ice as opposed to cheesy shadows before, the detail of the arena could have been confused with a real life image of an arena, and my hockey players moved as if they had suddenly come to life. It was all as if this was a real hockey game and minurature players where being payed to live and play in my computer. I then put in game after game that I had played before and each time I grew even more satisfied that I had chosen the Voodoo 3 3000. If you are looking for a good price, easy installation, and superior graphics, look no further than the 3DFX Voodoo.

The Voodoo3 3000 is simply a great product. It will work perfectly with every single PC game in existence, and offers unbeatable 2D performance as well. I would recommend it without hesitation to hardcore gamers as well as dabblers -- you just can't go wrong with it.

The Voodoo 3 is a great card that replaces both your 2d and 3d card. As far as graphics go, it is only a little better than the Voodoo 2. I did notice that the lighting effects are more realistic though. If you have a Voodoo 2, then the upgrade may not be worth it unless you just want one card for 2d and 3d. Over all though, I think this is one of the best accelerators out there. The price is nice also.

Installation was a snap. Uses XFree86_SVGA server. OpenGL also a snap. Quake III plays incredibly.

The current batch of Voodoo 3 cards have been hit hard for supporting only 16-bit color. Few games support higher this year and the few that do, Quake3, look only marginally better. No photo-realistic 3d action games exist. While the latest TNT card is slightly faster, the bottom line is a there is no game that will not run on your Voodoo3 card. The textures tend to look blurry on Voodoo cards, some prefer it; others hate it. (I got used to it)