Here's a real challenge!  I'm trying to help someone identify the cards shown below.  All we know is that they're SLIed and that they are based on the Voodoo Graphics  (Voodoo 1) chipset.  Also each card appears to have 2 MB for the pixelFX memory, and 4 MB on the primary texelFX plus 4 MB on the secondary texelFX.

http://www.procerus.btinternet.co.uk/WTF.jpg

Although the cards are black like Quantum3D products it clearly says "3Dfx Interactive Amethyst Revision A" on them.  Note that they also have daughter-boards (one each) with an extra chipset and memory.  The SLI cable, which is not like any I've seen, also says "3Dfx Interactive" on it.

Are these prototypes of a Voodoo 1 SLI that 3Dfx never marketed?  Or are they forerunners of the Quantum3D 100SB?  The owner even wonders if they are Quantum3D 100DB cards?

I haven't a clue.

Anyone know anything about them?

Here's a link to a magnified image of them (warning - over a meg in size)-
http://www.procerus.btinternet.co.uk/100db.jpg

The formation of the chipsets and memory make it look like a Voodoo1.  However, the use of the "SLI" cable puzzles me.  Is this really an SLI port? Is it a port used for the daughter board (with extra memory) to connect to instead?
Have these cards been tried in SLI mode? If not,  I am not entirely convinced that this is their purposose.

According to Plasma Online, the S/N of the chipset points it to being a Voodoo1.

However, it is baffling.  I think the thing that makes it more puzzling is initially seeing the two cards connected together.

Looks to me like each of the cards has a 'daughterboard' attached on the top right of the card (hard to see as they are black). :P

Are there two 3dfx chips on the main card and one on the daughterboard? ???

If so, could they be a 'beta' Voodoo 2? :o

Just a thought... ::)

Okay, another theory... ::)

It's a prototype Voodoo Rush... :P

Where did this theory come from? ???

Observe ;): -

Voodoo

500-0003-03
F805111.1 FB1
9803 20005
TAIWAN 1001

Voodoo Rush

500-0005-04
BC5746.1 FJR
9730 20001
TAIWAN 1001

Unknown Card

500-0003-03
BA8601.1 FB1
9639 20001
TAIWAN 1001


Note that it 'seems' closer to the Voodoo Rush than the Voodoo 1...strange! :o

The theories continue... ::)

wrote on 18.03.04 at 13:22:14:

Okay, another theory... ::) It's a prototype Voodoo Rush... :P

The Rush had a special FB chip, named "jr" (FJR) accessed via the fbijr hardware register.

For various reasons, you can't miss the Rush.  ;D :P

Hey, it was only a theory ya' know! :-/

My personal opinion is that these are "slightly different" Voodoo1's with daughterboard ports on for memory upgrades. No more, no less!  ::)

Patience, isn't your card a 100SB, which is effectively two Voodoo 1 cards on a single (long) board?  Couldn't this then be a pair of 100DBs?  By which I mean it is two single Quantum3D Voodoo 1 cards joined together in SLI by a cable.

And janskjaer?  Yes the cards do work in SLI.  They work with the Quantum3D 100SB/100DB drivers and effectively match the performance of a Voodoo2 card.

Despite the fact that they say 3Dfx all over them it has become clear that they are Quantum3D items.  It actually says "Obsidian Rev." if you look carefully on the lower card just peeking out from under its daughter-card.

Some amazing and rare kit at any rate.

Patience?  The owner has said that he would swap them for a Quantum3D Obsidian 100SB card.  If you were to swap you would end up with the rarest Quantum3D cards I've ever seen and, hopefully, you could replace your 100SB from eBay at some point.  Just an idea!  It's certainly something I'd consider if I had a 100SB!

4-way SLI? The SLI order is given by the number of FB chips. And I see your add-on cards do not contain FB.

OTOH, I completely agree the "Affordable Reality" is more like a joke. Quantum gems are pretty rare and expensive even now...