http://www.thedodgegarage.com/3dfx/3dfx_beta_card.jpg


The dang thing has a jumper on it!

Anyone seen a card like this before?

Looks like a 'normal' Voodoo3-3000 SGRAM model to me, minus the Cooler of course.

Not alot of them were sold, but 3dfx apparently (temporary?) switched to this design for a certain period of time.

(I do have original Documentation which contains an addendum page, explaining the possibility of the 2 apparently different Cards to its customer)

Seems like an earlier Voodoo3 too...look at the 3Dfx logo...

wrote on 15.04.04 at 08:37:29:

Looks like a 'normal' Voodoo3-3000 SGRAM model to me, minus the Cooler of course.

I have a few of those cards, compared them side by side to this one. Not the same... but there is some stuff in the same general area.

It's an odd duck for sure with the two jumpers on board and the double connector up top. The seller stated the card was dead but ship got warm, I'm going to see if I can do a bios dump and then view the contents. Have not tried to boot it up myslef yet.

The seller states the card was an prototype Banshee/V3 card, but admits that information came from an uncertain source.

Gary

wrote on 15.04.04 at 10:14:07:

Seems like an earlier Voodoo3 too...look at the 3Dfx logo...

I have an V3-3000 that also has the early 3Dfx logo and the V3 logo.

Must have been an early card.

Can anyone decode the marking on the chip? I assume they are lot numbers and dates?

See http://www.plasma-online.com/ for Chip Markings :)

wrote on 15.04.04 at 14:13:53:

See http://www.plasma-online.com/ for Chip Markings :)

Already looked there- It has "2000" but the serial number is closer to a Banshee.

gdonovan is correct, it seems to be an 'enhanced' banshee according to the P/N. :o

But the numbers below that seem more live a Voodoo 2... :o

My theory is that it really IS a beta Voodoo 3 2000! ;D

i.e. Banshee + 2nd TMU of a Voodoo 2 for multitexture = beta Voodoo 3 2000 (hence the combination of numbers). :P

Odd I know, but it's still a pretty incredible find! ;D

Nice one gdonovan! ;)

P.S., what did it set you back by? Was it expensive? ???

I agree here.

This is definetely the markings of beta 3 Voodoo3, and this board shows more reason to believe that the Banshee was the draft for the Voodoo3 2000.
This is a hard piece of hardware to come by as it's a test board, but from what maker? 3dfx themselves? STB?  ???

wrote on 15.04.04 at 06:21:02:

Hum, Agp, Sgram, connectors VMI et Vesa but chipset V3 ? What's written behind the card ? Does the card boot ?

Not a darn thing on the back of the card (markings or decals)

No boot, chip gets warm.  I even tried booting up with a PCI card and try to get a bios dump, no dice.

wrote on 23.04.04 at 01:02:20:

P.S., what did it set you back by? Was it expensive? ???

Your going to scream- $1 off ebay!

YAAAARGH! :o

Noooooo! :o

Okay, I'm over it now... . . . :P

AAARGH! :o

Now I'm REALLY sorry I asked how much it cost! ::)

As for booting the card...If it doesn't actually HAVE a BIOS, you could try and flash the card with a Voodoo 3 2000 BIOS and see if it will work... :P

Just a thought! ;)