February 17 - 24, 1999
Archive

• Creative Labs 3D Blaster Banshee Driver (Win9X - version 1.08 - 2.7 MB)

 

Overall the prototype 125MHz Stealth card performed very closely to the last Savage3D-based card we tested, the 120MHz Hercules Beast Supercharged. We recommended the Hercules Savage3D 8MB card at that time, mostly due to its impressive price tag of $99. Diamond seems poised to up the bar for price/performance value yet again with their Savage4-based Stealth card, especially with the inclusion of 16MB of on board SDRAM as well as support for texture compression and AGP 4X. Throw in the included game bundle and you have a recipe for a quick and dirty upgrade for $100…

 

• TNT overclocking with Creative Labs drivers
• Memory timing with Creative Labs drivers
• Updated Banshee support
• Visual tweaks

• FastCard (Win9X - version 1.09 - 107 KB)

Specifically applied to SSE, SIMD is the ability perform a single instruction on four pairs of 32bit floating point values in one clock cycle. Clearly, SIMD offers a vast improvement in performance; however, AMD has used 3DNow (a SIMD instruction set) for many months. What is it that sets SSE and 3DNow apart, if anything?

 

• ATi Rage 128 Driver (Win9X - version 128-CD68 - 7.32 MB)

There's a fully functional SLI capable port on each of Metabyte's PCI and AGP TNT cards.

Here is abit more to get you excited:

Metabyte is going to sell both PCI and AGP versions of their TNT SLI capable cards separately for between $125 and $150 for each 16MB card. Much like the Voodoo2 SLI setups that we all know and love, the Metabyte TNT SLI system works similarly but differs with two possible SLI combos: 1 AGP TNT + 1 PCI TNT
1 PCI TNT + 1 PCI TNT

This is great news!  According to Sharky Extreme, Metabyte is planning to released this in the beginning of April.  With 2 TNT2's we could be looking at fillrates of over 600MPixel/s!!

Our moles have determined that Creative, Diamond, Guillemot, Elsa, and a few other manufacturers will announce their TNT2-based products on March 15th, 1999 (the day before the Computer Games Developer's Conference in San Jose California, and also the day before Europe's popular CEBIT convention begins.) Most of the specs we've heard for the above mentioned cards read as follows:

 

The demonstration consisted of a system running a CPU speed meter which registered greater than 1 GHz clock speed, while simultaneously running a Microsoft(a) PowerPoint application. (Note: this technology demonstration used special cooling techniques.) The audience watched as the CPU meter moved steadily to and then beyond the 1 GHz mark. Only six years ago, the Intel Pentium microprocessor was running at less than 100 MHz using 0.8 micron process technology.

 

Two new design elements make the K6-III exceptional. First off, the chip's 256K of secondary (or level 2) cache is now integrated directly into the processor core and runs at full processor speed. Other chips, such as the K6-2 and the Pentium II, place the secondary cache outside the processor core, limiting the cache speed to only half that of the processor. The second K6-III innovation is something no other chip can claim: support for up to 512K of level 3 cache, which runs at 100 MHz. Intel's low-cost Celeron processor has the integrated level 2 cache advantage--but only 128K of it.

 

• 3DLabs Permedia2 Driver (Win9X - version 0364 - 1.0 MB)

 

Here you can begin to see the potential SSE has for the Pentium III.  Just as 3DNow! did for the K6-2, SSE brings the Pentium III to new levels of performance.  Rage's Dispatch demo, a 3965 frame fly through demo of actual gameplay of the upcoming game, Dispatch, truly taxed even AnandTech's fastest Pentium II systems.  The Pentium III 560 only scored just under 26 fps, however after turning on the SSE support that was built in to the game, the performance of the Pentium III almost doubled offering a 96% performance improvement.  Although the performance improvement experienced in Dispatch can be considered the ideal case, you can expect performance improvements to hover around the 20 - 40% range just by enabling SSE in future games.    The potential is there, the weight is placed on the shoulders of game developers and video card manufacturers to take advantage of Intel's new born baby.

 

It's easy to simply dismiss a card when all you have to go by are the manufacturer's specs. It's not so easy when you've actually got the card in your hot little hands and have the opportunity to see what it can do. But as a web master, I feel that the most important thing to be is honest and open minded. Anything else would be a disservice to you, the readers. So I have to admit it: With TV-out, great 2D performance, outstanding 3D performance, and MPEG-2 and DVD hardware support, the Voodoo 3 is indeed an outstanding product. The frame rates are simply phenomenal, especially so at this early stage in development, and with the visuals looking to be for the most part on par with the TNT, 3DFX fires a shot across NVIDIA's bow that cannot be ignored. How well the V3 does compared to the TNT2 has yet to be seen. And as more 32 bit games are released, the 16 bit, 256x256 texture limitations of the V3 may or may not become more apparent. But at this point and time (and those who know me understand that it REALLY pains me to say this), the Voodoo 3 has re-established 3DFX as the first choice for gaming. Hurry up TNT2!

 

Thanks to Hercules, the Savage3D has finally lived up to its statistics on paper. Increased performance with SGRAM and a higher clockspeed had been part of S3's plans all along, and I wonder if things would have been different if this was the first product we saw instead of the original Beast.

 

• 3DFX Banshee AGP/PCI Driver (Win95 - version 1.02.01)
• 3DFX Banshee AGP/PCI Driver (Win98 - version 1.02.01)
• 3DFX Banshee AGP/PCI Driver (WinNT - version 1.02.01)

 

This description has proved wrong. The processor expert of c't magazine, Andreas Stiller, has figured out a procedure to switch on the command for reading out the serial number by software. This procedure is based on specific features of the system architecture that are documented. They would have got around in cracker circles sooner or later. A spokesperson from Intel confirmed upon inquiry by c't, that the serial number can be re-activated this way.

 

SOYO has been a bud and of great support to the HardOCP, but I gotta tell it like it is.  This mobo is NOT a buy for an overclocker!    The VIA chipset has proved to be unstable with OEM Socket 370 Celerons at FSB speeds higher than 83Mhz.  The board was stable at 374MHz with the 300A, but that is not what we have come to expect out of the 300A. 

I guess you want to know now if I would recommend Voodoo3. As a matter of fact I do. However, I don’t recommend the purchase of Voodoo3 because it’s really satisfying my expectations, I recommend it because there’s currently nothing better out there. I would also like to criticize 3Dfx’s ambitious claims Voodoo3 would run games at no less than 60 fps at 1280x1024. Have a look at my benchmarks and check if Voodoo3 was anywhere near 60 fps at resolution of even less than 1024x768. Voodoo3’s life spawn won’t be as long as the life spawn of Voodoo1 or Voodoo2. It won’t be long until a competitor has a product ready with the same performance but with support of AGP-texturing and support of 32-bit rendering. So I would like to commend 3Dfx for a job well done for the time being, Voodoo3 is faster than any other 2D/3D-solution and it can surpass Voodoo2 in most situations as well. Even owners of two Voodoo2-cards should consider Voodoo3, because the Voodoo3 offers a definitely superior 3D-image quality and higher resolutions that are certainly playable, although not at 60 fps.

 

• Sharky Extreme Voodoo3 3500 Preview
• Voodoo Extreme Vodooo3 3500 Review

 

Seeing 3D on the Voodoo 3 3500 in action is a sight to behold.    Simply by adding support for reasonable frame rates at higher resolutions puts gaming in a whole new light.  The ability to actually play Quake II at 1600x1200 is amazing.  Any test of a video card usually includes performance numbers, but that in and of itself often looses sight of the actual games we are playing.  Especially when faced with a brand new chip set and new features, there are often compatibility features that need to be worked out.  Such was the case with Voodoo 2 and Voodoo Banshee when they both arrived on the market, but it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem with Voodoo 3.

 

• Xitel Storm Platinum Review
• Skywell Magic TNT Review
• Skywell Magic Twinpower Review
• S3 Savage 4 Preview
• 3DFX Voodoo3 Preview

 

So, the best solution is to get a high performance heatsink, like the FAB24 or the Celeron TF, remove the thermal pad, and use a thin layer of thermal compound instead. The graphite pads are pretty nasty to remove, the elastomer pad on the Celeron TF comes off much easier. If your heatsink retailer doesn't carry thermal compound - no problem! You can get it at any electronics store, and it is very cheap.

 

Here's a list of what the newest KryoTech K6-3 500MHz PC offers, including the changes versus the Cool K6-2 500 machine that was previously reviewed:

• WinNT Support
• SCSI Support
• Increased SDRAM Support (768MB now vs. 384MB before)
• Reduced price ($1,250 now, vs. previous price of $1,695)
• Faster CPU (K6-3 now, vs. previous K6-2)
• Superior Mainboard (ASUS P5A now, vs. previous FIC PA-2013)
• 5 PCI Slots (Versus previous amount of 4)
• CPU Temperature LCD display moved to unit's base (Makes additional 5.25" bay available)
• Revised CPU Thermal Jacket (Much easier to engage/disengage for CPU swaps)

 

AMD INTRODUCES INDUSTRY-LEADING AMD-K6*-III PROCESSOR WITH 3DNow!(tm) TECHNOLOGY

- New TriLevel Cache Design Enables AMD-K6®-III to Deliver Superior Performance on Windows® 98 and Windows NT® for Consumer Enthusiasts and Business Power Users - SUNNYVALE, CA-FEBRUARY 22, 1999-AMD today introduced its highest performance x86 microprocessor for desktop PCs-the AMD-K6®-III processor with 3DNow!(tm) technology. AMD has begun volume shipments of the 400-MHz AMD-K6-III processor and is sampling the 450-MHz AMD-K6-III to OEM customers. Desktop systems based on the AMD-K6-III processor will be available from leading PC makers, including Compaq Computer Corporation. The AMD-K6-III processor outperforms Intel's Pentium® III processor by more than one speed grade on leading business and consumer applications, according to the Ziff-Davis Winstone® 99 benchmark.

 

• MaxClock (Win9X - version 1.3 - 15 Kb)

 

The hoopla about the prototype Rage Fury's "heat issues" seemed unwarranted to Sharky Extreme's staff then, and it's definitely a non-issue now. For reference, two Voodoo2s in SLI with no heatsinks and clocked to just 90MHz turned in numbers within 2% of the Rage Fury's when running the same demos for the same length of time (and at a lower resolution of 1024x768).

 

By using a Pentium II 400 as the test bed AnandTech eliminated any CPU bottlenecks as the factors that could affect performance (CPU scaling will be discussed later), and the Trident Blade 3D managed to hover at a playable frame rate of 25 fps under Quake 2, and 37 fps under the Direct3D based Incoming.  In all tests, the Blade 3D remained quite competitive in comparison to the i740, while keeping such advantages as full Super7 compatibility (for Super7 performance consult the MVP4 review) and support for hardware DVD acceleration. 

 

Now to the meat of the board, how does the thing sound? After all, if you have a sound board (or speakers for that matter) that can't output the sound at top quality, you don't buy it! You're in luck, the Platinum has a killer 95 SNR (Signal to Noise) ratio, ensuring that if you hear cracking or fuzzy sound, it's not your sound card that's causing it. Team this sound card up with a killer set of speakers like Cambridge's Soundworks or Midiland's S2/4100's and you've got sound that can't be beat.

 

The stats tell the tale, especially the unit's 10,400rpm spindle speed. Upon learning of the CDS-500's massive rotational velocity, Sharky Extreme's own Mossad was overheard asking whether or not the drive was a CD-ROM or a Hard Drive. With specs like the CD-S500 possesses it's easy to get confused, CD-ROM technology is rapidly ascending along with everything else these days. There's hardly a doubt in our minds that we could see a 100x (20,000rpm) CAV CD-ROM drive or two by the end of this year.

 

Throughout every test and configuration we tried with the 649A, it exhibited the utmost stability. We had EIDE and SCSI 2 peacefully co-existing as well as a heavily overclocked bus. I am also very impressed with the general construction of this board. Shuttle uses 105 degree C capacitors for heat stability and long life. They also have a well laid out design with the 649A. Yes, the ATX Power connector is in the front of the board away from the CPU Slot. I liked this board so much that it is staying in my personal system until something better comes along! My guess is that Shuttle will be delivering that product some day too, if they keep up the good work!

 

For $20, you can't go wrong with this fine product. If you wanted to make your own Card Cooler, the chances are highly unlikely that it would save you any money or time, and that the fans would be as high quality as these. They are virtually silent, and judging from the results above, very powerful. Instead of cooling one card and voiding its warranty you can cool four cards with almost as much power, cool everything in your case at once, and even circulate the air throughout your case better.

 

Most of the Pentium III’s magic is hyped. If KNI can be Taken advantage of in huge numbers, the CPU will be Successful. The one thing the CPU is out of the box is Fast. No denying the Pentium III pushes pixels. It’s just Hard to spend the 800 bucks, when a Celeron 300(a) Overclocked to 464 is almost neck and neck with the Pentium III 500. This wouldn’t apply to users looking For a stable system, and have no plans to overclock A CPU.

 

• Optimization for Pentium III
• DirectX 6 Driver
• Version 1.09 Detonator Driver
• Creative BlasterControl Panel

• Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT Driver (Win9X)

• Monster Sound MX300 Review
• Midiland S2-4100 Review

• 3DNow! technology has more than a nine-month time-to-market headstart over KNI, having been introduced as a key feature of the AMD-K6®-2 processor in May 1998. As a result, 3DNow! technology enjoys a worldwide installed base of more than 9 million AMD-K6-2 processor-based PCs. This installed base is planned to grow to exceed 30 million by the end of 1999.
• Support for 3DNow! technology exists today in the leading industry-standard application programming interfaces (APIs), including Microsoft's DirectX 6.x and SGI's OpenGL. In addition, numerous applications from leading independent software vendors (ISVs) worldwide have been or are in the process of being optimized for 3DNow! technology.
• The AMD-K6 processor family with 3DNow! technology will span the complete range of desktop computing, from sub-$1,000 PCs to high-performance multimedia systems based on the AMD-K6-III processor. Intel's forthcoming Pentium III with the Katmai New Instructions is only expected to be available in high-end desktop PCs at introduction.

The board itself looks basic though. No extra input or output ports except for the required VGA port. The only thing extra is the heatsink/fan combo on top of the Banshee chip. I noticed that the fan was also thicker than the one used in the V3400 board so I got a little excited thinking to myself.."this card should overclock better than the V3400 since it's got a fatter fan on". Well, we'll get to the second half of that story later. Anyhow the heatsink and fan is mounted the same way as the V3400, spring loaded and easily removable if you prefer your own parts.

 

• Aureal Vortex 2 Driver (WinNT4 - version 2.03 - 5MB)

 

As the board itself is so fresh to market, I haven't been able to ascertain either a suggested or street price. And the relatively steep increase in SRAM pricing will no doubt be reflected in the Hot-597's pricing strategy.  The Shuttle Hot-597 is without exception the fastest super7 mainboard I've tested to date, and boasts an outstanding features set as well.  I can hardly wait to see what it it does with a K6-3 onboard.   I can foresee the need to clamp your Hot-597 based PC down to keep it from blasting off...

 

The $499 megapixel MX-500 is the closest Fuji has come to perfection. It takes better shots--at a whopping 1,280 by 1,024 pixels--than any other model made by Fuji we've seen so far. Still, we may be damning it with faint praise, since the MX-500 can't compete on the quality circuit with pick-of-the-litter cameras, such as the even cheaper $399 Editors' Choice HP PhotoSmart C30.

 

The TrueX drive is a wonderful concept, and multibeam drives may eventually become the norm; I could see single beam drives hitting a wall in terms of how fast they can spin a disc. The sheer lack of sound coming from this drive makes me wonder what sort of scores a TrueX drive spinning at CAV "jet engine" rates would turn in.

 

While at Intel's Pentium III launch party in San Jose, Intel told Sharky Extreme that a 550MHz variant of their Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon would also officially ship on February 26th. Previously, Intel was only planning on shipping the 450MHz and 500MHz variants in February.

 

It's almost impossible to define the experience this chair deals out, so I'll try and relate it to something. The Intensor has basically the same sensory effect of being on a rollercoaster in a tornado. This thing is just that good. Gun shots shook the walls at full volume, and with each hit I took I actually *felt* the vibrations. Granted, the actual sensory part of the chair could be intensified a bit more, but the sound of this thing is enough to make anyone moisten their denims.

 

3Dlabs today announced that the Windows drivers for the 3Dlabs PERMEDIA 3 graphics processor will incorporate support for the Streaming SIMD extensions incorporated in the Intel Pentium III processor. These driver enhancements are expected to deliver advanced 3D geometry processing performance for applications utilizing both the DirectX 6.1 and OpenGL application programming interfaces. PERMEDIA 3 and its software drivers are expected to begin shipping in volume in the second quarter of 1999.

 

Thanks to the powerful EMU10K1 chip, SBLive! is an effects engine, DirectSound3D and EAX hardware accelerator all rolled into one. In terms of sound quality, it is unsurpassed. Its low CPU utilization permits smooth gameplay with all bells and whistles turned on. For games supporting EAX, SBLive! is the gold standard for EAX compatibility. To achieve greatness, 3D positioning needs to be fine-tuned to match the accuracy of Aureal's algorithms.

 

• Canopus Spectra 2500 Driver + Software (Win9x - 5 MB)
• Canopus Spectra 2500 Driver (Win9X - 900 KB)